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As November comes to a close, I’ve been thinking back to the message I shared at the beginning of the month - the one where, in the quiet of recording a meditation, my Grandma slipped in and sat beside me.
In that stillness, she handed me a book.
A symbol.
A reminder.
She was giving me something she sensed I was finally ready to carry - the understanding that the past doesn’t sit on a shelf somewhere. It’s woven into who we are, into how we create, care, and move through our days.
November at The Kitchen Table
Our Kitchen Table gathering in early November felt especially tender for me. Perhaps it was the strong connection I felt with my Grandma… or the stories others shared about their own ancestors that seemed to create a soft field of remembering around us.
We began the evening by lighting candles together - a shared flame symbolizing the light of our ancestors joining us at the table.
Each flame held a story, a memory, a thread of love still moving through us.
I invite you to light a candle of your own, or press play on the video below and take a few moments to watch the flame burn and the smoke gently linger.
To deepen your experience on these pages, pause now, listen to the meditation I recorded for this gathering, and meet your ancestor at the table.
During the meditation that evening, my Grandma returned and offered me something else.
It was her soft powder puff.
Pink was her favorite color - her whole bathroom reflected it, right down to the Estee Lauder body powder she loved. That little puff, tucked in its pink holder, felt like her way of reminding me to lean into softness… to trust my inner knowing… to be my own person.
Slow Stitching the Whispers
Our creative project for this gathering invited us to listen for ancestral whispers through slow stitching a heart.
When we slow stitch, something almost magical happens - our hands begin to remember.
Each motion, each pull of the thread, becomes both a physical act of creation and a quiet act of connection.
My own slow stitch project feels like my Grandma through and through - her colors, her fabrics, even a tiny piece of trim from her stash (which I’m lucky to share with my sister).
As I stitched, gentle phrases drifted through my mind:
Be your own person.
Let go of perfection.
Lean into softness.
Trust the symbols that find you.
The fabric I chose held stars and a moon - an invitation into the spiritual abilities that run through my lineage. My Grandma was a tea-leaf reader, and tucked in my mother’s belongings I found a handwritten astrology reading done for her when she was just six years old.
No wonder the stars called to me.
I’m sharing the slide from that evening as a simple tool to help you understand and receive your own whispers.
I stitched a tiny pocket - a place to tuck a story I’ll write for a future book.
I suppose I’m writing a book after all.
What This Month Revealed
This entire month at The Nest Retreat Center has been shaped by moments like these.
We gathered at the Kitchen Table, lit our candles together, and let the room glow with lineage.
We stitched slowly - tiny, wandering threads - and listened for the soft echoes of those who came before us.
Some whispers arrived as memories.
Others as feelings.
Some simply as warmth in the palms of our hands.
And all of it reminded us that our stories are never just our own.
A Question for You
As you close this month, I invite you to take a quiet moment and consider:
What whisper from your own lineage is asking for your attention now - and how might you honor it in a small, simple way?
PS: A Peek in The Pause Shop
I wanted to share a little glimpse of what’s sitting on the shelves of The Pause Shop -each created to support calm, creativity, and connection in your everyday life.
24 Days of Christmas Calm
A gentle, daily invitation to soften the season.
This one begins on December 1st, so if you’ve been thinking about joining in, now is the perfect moment to step in.
Holiday Simmer Pot Printable
A simple way to fill your home with warm, comforting scents — a tiny ritual to bring presence into your day.
Holiday Table Placemats
Designed with care, carrying soft words of encouragement to help you (and your guests) slow down and savor the moment.
Each offering was created with the same intention that shapes The Nest - small, meaningful touches that make the everyday feel a little more sacred.
So beautiful Kathy. Such a special Kitchen Table 💖
Your little heart pocket slow stitch is wonderful!