Sometimes More is Just More

Dear Marie,

Over the past year and a half, like most people, I have watched more television than in any other year. After binging on everything from Bridgerton to Virgin River, I segued into an array of interesting and educational topics via Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, and Youtube. I can now trim a sail and a bonsai tree, grow vegetables and lemons, advise the most affordable places in the world to retire and when you pick one, I can help you redecorate your villa/yurt/igloo.

As a result of this onslaught of information, I can no longer take a bite of chicken or sip from a water bottle without tasting bitter guilt. And meat? Are you kidding? 

Then I discovered you and journeyed happily down the rabbit-hole of your episodes as you helped people declutter their homes and their lives. 

I agree most of us have too much and are suffocating beneath “stuff” we consistently acquire. I am also learning about how consumerism is posing a real threat to our planet. Downright frightening. 

So I quickly became a fan, appreciating how you gently coerce people to unburden themselves with items they no longer need. You have convinced them to “thank” the item for the joy it once brought and then say goodbye. Genius.

That being said, I admit it would be difficult for me to strictly follow your guidelines. 

If I were to dispose of everything I own that did not bring me joy, my closet would hold yoga pants, hoody sweatshirts, and no bras. My fridge would be stocked with peanut butter, chocolate and wine. My freezer? Yep, vodka…and ice cream.

Hardly a responsible existence, but I’m up for the challenge. I love your message of simplistic living and want to feel more gratitude for what I have. I’m on a mission, Marie. 

If you’ll excuse me, I have to thank my vacuum and toss escort it to the curb.

Wish me luck.

Sincerely,

Kimberly

Gardening & Life

Hello! I hope you’re all doing well and keeping safe. I woke up this morning to sunshine and warm air. Here in the Northeast, Spring has arrived! You know what that means… Time to bring these babies outside.

 

In the past, I’d been too busy with work, family, and writing to pre-plan a garden. I was the one scrambling late in the season, running to the garden center to pick up infant crops to plant out back.

This year, well, you know what happened. We’ve been sheltered in place, doing the best we can while staying safely at home for the past 8 weeks. Suddenly, I have time to think, and to consider my garden. So, with the bug from last year’s successful harvest of my first seeded sunflower (pic right), I dedicated a sunny space in the living room, bought some soil, pots, and seeds, and started my very first indoor “victory” garden.

The most beautiful thing I’d ever grown (other than my boys)

Every morning, I checked on my pots, marveled at the sprouted greens through the soil, and enjoyed watching their growth. Watering them daily and adjusting their position throughout the day to get the most sunlight became routine, calming, predictable. I found my rhythm.

But, as plants and flowers tend to do, they’ve outgrown their small pots and they’re ready for the great outdoors. I need to let them go, allow them to plant roots outside where they belong, and do what they do best: provide beauty, food, and thrive.

As in life, the rhythms we find change. We settle into a comfortable routine only to face the next phase of our lives.

Parenting is like planting, but waaaay more terrifying. We raise these children, and before we’re ready, they leave, searching for their place in the world. We’re left to face our days without them. We adjust.

In Seasons Out of Time, which comes out next Friday, Heather Harrison just dropped her only child at college hundreds of miles away, and she too faces the next phase of her life. No longer a wife, or a full-time mom, she must re-define who she is and how she’ll fill the long, empty days ahead.

And so begins her journey of self-discovery in the most unconventional way.

This gorgeous cover was designed by my talented designer and friend, Suzanne Fyhrie Parrott of First Steps Publishing

Have you pre-ordered your ebook? If you do, it will arrive on your kindle Friday, May 22^nd  in time for the holiday weekend. The paperback version will be available to order that day too. Here’s the link: Amazon

I’m excited, nervous, and hopeful that you’ll love the story as much as I do.

Until then, I wish you health, peace, and sunshine.

Love, Kim