There is something about the early morning quiet—birds chirping, squirrels chattering, and the company of my cats and dogs as the sunlight begins to make its way through the gardens. Such a wonderful way to begin the day. 😊

#ThePaintedLadyOnAuburn #GardenLife #GardenInspiration #WhimsicalGarden #CottageGarden #ColorfulHome #ColorfulGarden #GardenCats #PoodleInTheWindow #PoodleLife #CatsAndDogs #GardenPets #Hydrangeas #FrontYardGarden #GardenDecor #GardenSanctuary #MorningInTheGarden #OldHouseCharm #HistoricHome #WhimsicalHome #MyLittlePlaceInTheWorld

Some thoughts about my little place in the world, my yard, today…

Many years ago, when people walking by my home would say, “What a beautiful yard,” I cringed inside while saying thank you. That inner voice was scared spitless, thinking, What if they ask me the names or information? Oh my gosh, I would just stand there with a blank mind.

Even without the anxiety, growing a garden the traditional way, following how-to instructions, learning all the names, applying all those rules, has never interested me. It simply hasn’t fit.

Something within me has always had an innate appreciation and love for the beauty of nature, especially surrounding my home/s with flowers, bushes, trees, berries, fruit trees, etc.

The compliments continued…and so did the anxiety.

One day, within a meditation, a message from…??? An inner knowing or wisdom? What I experience as God/Source brought me clarity and a heartfelt knowing, a way I could receive and respond to the compliments of others with ease.

From that experience to the present day, my response is a thank you. Within me, I know and feel that I am a steward of my garden. Acknowledging their compliment is acknowledging the joy they feel.

And in that acknowledgment, the life force flowing through the garden, through me, and through them comes full circle. Interesting how reciprocation works…

To this day, I don’t know the names of many of my plants, nor do I grow the traditional way. I appreciate an organic farmer and mentor whose wisdom and insight have been priceless.

It’s pretty awesome. Birds have brought several of the plants and even the beautiful Catalpa tree pictured here, which they brought to my garden just 2½ years ago.

Some credit this to an ecosystem. They’re correct, and I see reciprocation at work, too.

#GardenLife #GardenWisdom #StewardOfTheGarden #Reciprocation #GodSource #Nature #Ecosystem #CatalpaTree #ThePaintedLadyOnAuburn

This is Comfrey — and yes, it really does grow like this!

I cut this one back to just a few leaves about six weeks ago, and it has already completely filled back in. I have several and am happy to share individual leaves or even a plant.

Comfrey is a beautiful addition to the garden and incredibly useful too — rich in minerals, wonderful for natural fertilizer and compost, and traditionally valued for its medicinal uses.

Pretty AND useful… my kind of plant. 

Note: Just to add a little more information for anyone interested in comfrey — mine actually arrived compliments of the birds; I didn’t plant the original one.

Comfrey can be vigorous once established and does need to be managed. The Royal Horticultural Society notes both that it can become a nuisance if left unmanaged and that it can be grown specifically as a plant fertilizer. It is also listed by RHS as a plant for pollinators, so the statement that it does nothing for pollinators isn’t accurate. (RHS)

One of the reasons I keep several is that I actually use them. I cut the leaves back and put them under plants and around trees as a natural fertilizer/mulch rather than simply allowing the plants to grow unchecked. Comfrey has long also been used medicinally, particularly externally for things such as sprains, bruising, wounds and joint or muscle complaints. (PubMed Central (PMC))

For anyone interested only in the leaves, there’s no need to introduce the plant into your garden at all. For anyone interested in taking a plant, it’s worth knowing beforehand that comfrey establishes a substantial root system and can spread, so put it someplace where you’re comfortable managing it.

And for clarification locally, comfrey is not currently listed as a Washington State noxious weed. (nwcb.wa.gov)

#Blogger #Blogging #GardenBlog #Gardening #GardenLife #Comfrey #GrowingComfrey #MedicinalHerbs #HerbGarden #HerbalGarden #GardenTips #OrganicGardening #BackyardGarden #HomeGarden #ThePaintedLadyOnAuburn

Get A Real Job!

 

The countless times I’ve heard, “Get a real job!” It wasn’t OK to be different. I didn’t know that I was different. I just knew I didn’t fit into the typical job scenario. Believe me, I tried. It was as though I felt caught between a rock and a hard place, yet I was expected to be available at their beck and call. This isn’t about blaming them; it’s social conditioning. And if I wanted anything different, I needed to do that for myself rather than being dependent on pleasing someone else.

It was really interesting. As I moved that direction, it was as though the Universe would show up with opportunities for me to repeat behaviors that I didn’t like, though I knew them and I was comfortable, or to get real and do something different.

I recall this one guy that I was involved with. Damn, he was good-looking and had a beautiful smile and a laugh I will never forget. He insisted that I get a real job, as the work I was doing, which was working for myself and my clients, wasn’t a lot, but I believed it would improve. However, that wasn’t good enough for him, and one day enough was enough. We went our own directions.

I remember going in the bathroom, looking into the mirror and crying, and telling myself, “The men come and the men go, but you’ve got to be true to yourself because you’re the only one who’s going to show up for you.”

So, the operative takeaway is being true to yourself. I’m not here to suggest everyone has to do it the way I did it—far from that. However, I do believe that when life isn’t working, whether it’s in a relationship or as an individual, that’s direct feedback: What needs to change? What needs to improve? And what am I willing to contribute for it to change and improve? 

Until the next time...

Glenda

 

It was 3 a.m., and the Maine Coon I’m catsitting decided it was concert time—twenty-two pounds of pure opinion. Once the fur diva finally settled down, I figured I might as well check my text messages.

A friend texted me a Facebook link to one of Mel Robbins’ videos. The headline read, “This is THE painting story everyone’s talking about.”

I watched the video—and instantly believed it. I’ve lived that truth, though it took years to see the dots connect. Back in 2006, The Secret opened a door for me. It talked about the Law of Attraction—the simple yet tricky idea that our thoughts shape our reality. I ended up teaching those principles, along with other universal concepts, for over sixteen years. Somewhere in that journey, I realized I’d been manifesting long before I ever had a name for it.

Abraham-Hicks (Ester and Jerry—if you know you know) gave me one of the biggest a-ha's: shifting my thoughts could shift my life. I also learned the hard way that negative thoughts carry as much power as positive ones. It’s not magic; it’s mental training. For me, that has looked like years of recognizing old beliefs that didn’t serve me anymore and learning to rewrite that script.

Here’s something I’ve come to understand: the brain doesn’t actually know good from bad. It just believes whatever story you keep telling it. When life feels “off,” it’s like a dashboard light coming on—time to check your thoughts, your beliefs, and your daily habits.

One way to guide your focus is through visualization. A vision board isn’t just pictures—it’s an emotional compass. The key isn’t the images; it’s the feeling that comes alive when you look at them. Whether that warmth comes from a memory or a dream doesn’t matter. What matters is the emotion that says, this is mine.

Of course, if your mindset isn’t aligned with your desire, things get messy. Imagine a road where the lane lines randomly zigzag—that’s what it looks like when your inner beliefs don’t match your goals. A person won the lottery, their intention was clear and they won, yet when their beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors had not been developed to manage that amount of money, it vanished faster than ice cream on a 90-degree day.

Changing a belief, especially one planted in childhood, takes patience. Still, neuroscience tells us it’s possible thanks to neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire itself.

Then there’s the Reticular Activating System (RAS)—your mental filter. Ever decide you want a red car, and suddenly every other car on the road is red? That’s your RAS at work. It notices what you focus on and quietly tunes out the rest. It doesn’t choose for you; it follows your lead.

And here’s where the dots really connect: your brain doesn’t work alone. Your body listens too. Every thought, every word you speak sends signals through your entire system, instructing it how to feel and what to do next. Your brain isn’t just listening; it’s issuing directions.

And there’s something kind of cool about how this article even came together. I’d been thinking for days that I needed something to write about, yet nothing quite fit. Then along comes a 3 a.m. cat concert, a friend’s text, and somehow all the pieces aligned—syncing the noise, the nudge, and the message into one big this-is-it moment.

Optimism

Lately I’ve been deep‑diving into things I never expected to learn — and honestly, some of what I’ve uncovered has left me flabbergasted. It would be easy to lose optimism. A lot of people are standing back, waiting for the train wreck, hoping someone else will step in and save them.

Where it shows up in my own life is in the writing. I could write endlessly about what I’m seeing, the questions it raises, and the hypothetical possibilities that follow. I know I’m good at it, even if it doesn’t bring sunshine or laughter. Some of what I’ve experienced — the “possible” corruption, the patterns, the decisions made behind closed doors — feels necessary to name. It’s local, and I feel a responsibility to contribute in the way that fits me best.

What concerns me is the growing push toward technocratic decision‑making — systems where experts and appointed boards hold the power instead of the public. On paper, that might look efficient. In reality, it often limits understanding and makes it harder for people to see or question what’s happening.

And I don’t say that from the outside looking in. I’ve served on several boards. Some operated with integrity. Others were closed circles — the kind where only certain voices are welcome, and anyone who doesn’t fit the unspoken rules is quietly pushed out. I’ve been that person they couldn’t wait to remove. That experience stays with you.

Closed circles behave a lot like dysfunctional families: protective of themselves, resistant to accountability, threatened by honest questions. Open circles, on the other hand, function more like healthy families: clear, resilient, able to tolerate discomfort because the goal is understanding, not control.

That’s the difference between genuine public process and insulated decision‑making. One invites the community in. The other keeps the community out.

Writing is where I can lay all of this out clearly. It’s where I refuse to believe that nothing can shift. Because if I convince myself something is impossible, I close the door on what is possible. And despite everything I’ve learned — or maybe because of it — I still believe in the possible.

Clarity grows when people recognize that their frustration is feedback — a signal that something is out of alignment and worth examining.

That’s why local involvement matters. It’s why I keep writing. It’s why I stay engaged. Because ignoring that feedback is how we got here — and paying attention to it is how we move forward.