Very rarely, I get the house to myself for the night. So when I do, I take full advantage of it. I am finding that making a priority to indulge in the things that fill me up.. for both my belly and my soul, go a long way. Tonight, this means a carpet picnic by the fire with my art journal and some yummy goodies. The liquid sunshine of curried butternut squash soup is like a warm hug. The cheap paints with endless pages to mix color, design, doodles and words are grounding. A break to sip bubbly and savor a chunk of cheese is pure joy. And, to watch the flames dance is pure meditation. Hints of guilt sneak in here and there of all of the chores and things I could/”should” be doing, but I am getting better at tuning those nagging thoughts out. It is good to have a date with myself. To stop and take the time to remember lovely moments, to try and process the hard ones and just find some bit of peace is the biggest gift I can give myself. That and perhaps a big chunk of chocolate from Italy I have hidden away in the closet.