Reflecting on Landscapes: A Road Trip Through Southeast Colorado

It takes two days to get here by car, but what a beautiful road trip!

We drove through Southeast Colorado yesterday taking the back roads to our destination in Gunnison.

Nothing other than striking scenery, but I took some time to reflect upon how a landscape mirrors different aspects of our humanity.

When we left Amarillo, Texas yesterday morning, I wondered how the landscape of a dry desert, long vistas, and skyscapes shape the people that live there now, and in the past.

When you look out upon the landscape where sky meets land, you realize that the land you occupy encompasses a tiny slice of your overall perception.

I understand why the ancients took so much stock in the sky, because looking around where there are no trees, most of what you see IS sky.

It was the same when I used to travel the inside passage in British Columbia and Alaska. The ancients that lived at the water's edge weren't so much interested in the land where they slept and ate--their life was on the water. That's why the ovoid shapes of their art resemble the water they derived their sustenance from.

When I come out here, time slows way down for me. I find myself caught in between the past and the future in the holy present.

Much like when I am engrossed in my creative work.

Big landscapes and tall skies change the way you perceive your own life, or at least it does for me.

I was awakened in a most delightful way this morning by this dude.

And I was also awakened by coyotes around 2 am celebrating their feast. Of what, I don't know. But they were happy.

How My Mother's Struggles Shaped Me

The best thing my parents gave me was their imperfection.

Sometimes, the gifts that your parents' give you aren't what they did right, but what they struggled with, and how they overcame it-- or didn't.

This is the time of the year that I review my mother's life, and what gifts she left me since she died 4 years ago.

My mother was a very smart woman. She could devour books and articles, and she understood so much about so many things.

But she had a problem in applying what she learned about, and believed implicitly, to her own life.

This is a problem that many of us have, isn't it?

We know better, but we don't do better.

I watched her struggle with this, and I learned how to do the opposite. When I learn something, and believe it is going to work or improve my life, I work on applying it.

And I've learned to be patient with myself as I work on the application, and give it time to see if it really works.

She didn't intend to give me this gift, but I took it anyway.

And I'm eternally grateful that she showed me the consequences of her decision to know, and not apply, as I watched her live her life according to her own terms.

She was cool like that...teaching what to do, and what not to do.

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Random fact about me: My favorite fiber supplement is Organic India Psyllium Pre & Probiotic Fiber, Cinnamon Spice. It's really good and I look forward to drinking it in the evening.

Human Design: Listen and Lead

I’m a Human Design Guide, and I’m starting a simple weekly series here. Each Monday, I’ll share the current Human Design transit of the Sun and Earth, and how I’m personally noticing it show up in real life. Human Design helps us tune into both our own natural rhythm and the shifting energy in the collective—and my hope is this space helps you do just that, too.

Want to learn more about Human Design?

Jovian Archive and MyBodygraph

Sun: Gate 7, Gate of Role of Self

Earth: Gate 13, Gate of Listening

Transits for Week of August 5-9, 2025

What a neat pairing for this week's transits!

Gate 7 is about the role of the self in a leadership or guiding role. This gate is about balancing the needs of the collective with the needs of the self. Gate 7 enables leadership that is natural and how individual's relate to the role of leading.

Gate 13 is about listening deeply to others and their stories. It's also the ability to confidentially listen without feeling the need to share someone's secrets.

What a great attribute to have in someone that naturally takes the role of a leader or guide!

This week, we all have this combination available to us. What does it look like?

I'm getting a little glimpse of the energy to listen intently to others as they relate some deeply emotional and personal information to me. I'm not really a part of any group where I get to respond to a leadership role that may be presented, but I'm definitely feeling the pull to listen intently, and to hold space for another that is going through an emotional challenge.

I love this energy, and am excited to see how I experience it the rest of the week. It comes online tomorrow, so here are some things to watch out for depending on your energy type.

Manifestors: You may feel a pull to jump in a group or collective effort to get something started, but lean in to what you are hearing from others as it pertains to their collected wisdom and possible direction they want to take.. This is a pause and reflect energy based on what you are hearing from those in the group before action happens.

Generators/Manifesting This week is about responsive leadership opportunities. If you find yourself in a group/team environment, wait to see what excites you before responding to the right role for your talents in leadership. Listen, a lot!

Projectors: Wow, you all are in for a great week! Wait for the invitations from those seeking your guidance for projects that involve steering the collective to a new place, and utilize your abilities to really listen to what is needed and be able to communicate the bigger picture to those that are stuck in task mode. This is your week to shine! Your energy is made for this!

Reflectors: You'll find yourself listening intently to others and observing the different leadership/guidance patterns that surround you this week. Spend some time in groups this week so you can grok the context that requires leadership for the goals of the group. You may find yourself mirroring what the stated objective is for the group you are involved with. Be careful not to over identify with others' emotional stories as the group seeks clarity.

Have a great week!

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Random fact about me: I still have a writer's bump on my middle finger from when we used to write longhand!

The Power of Daily Writing Habits

What makes a habit worth keeping?

Right now, the habit of writing a post everyday brings me into better alignment with my life.

As soon as I wake up in the morning, I open up my laptop and stare at the blank screen.

Then I recall the day before. What stood out? What do I feel is shareable? What do I need to express so it doesn't fester inside of me?

I judge habits all of the time.

They aren't just things we do unthinking. They're patterns that can shape how we feel and who we'll eventually become.

If you choose to format loops to live your life, why not choose the ones that help keep you in alignment?

Writing is becoming a daily anchor for me. It helps my mind settle and brings clarity, steadiness and grounding to my day.

I know we like to describe habits as good or bad, but I've started asking myself, "Does this habit make me feel integrated, or disintegrated? Does it support my life or result in me feeling fractured?

The answer to that question tells me more about my habits and whether or not I choose to continue them.

Why Writing Brings Me Joy

I've felt the urge to write daily for many months.

But in what way? Privately or publicly?

I chose publicly because I want this habit to stick. Writing here, and stating that you'll find a post everyday, keeps me accountable.

My first full-body psoriasis breakout was when I found out my parents both had cancer. Since they died, the psoriasis comes and goes, and I noticed that the flares correspond to periods of stress.

I realized that I can eat all the right foods, take all the right supplements, exercise, get sunlight, drink water but what I wasn't doing was dealing with my internal self-talk and my misunderstanding about self-expression.

So, I thought, "What have I not done on the mental plane? Where am I not in alignment spiritually, mentally and physically?"

As it turns out, A LOT is out of alignment.

A habit that has not brought me joy is stuffing how I feel about things until they explode out of me in uncontrollable and in-elegant ways.

I've always needed a pressure valve, and until recently, I realized that my mother and our daily talks was my pressure valve, and then she died.

I'm a Terrible Talker

On my website that leads to this blog, I state that I think through my hands. The pathway for me to communicate clearly needs to include my heart, which then directs my hands.

I do this in my creative life, too. I don't think about a design... I fiddle with bits and pieces of wire and sheet metal before a design comes to life.

It's the same with my communication. I think out loud, which is basically fiddling with words, until a coherent idea emerges, and unless you know me pretty well, this can be overwhelming for the other person.

I have to hear myself first to know what I think about something. Sometimes I change my mind mid-sentence once I hear it, and I go into a completely new direction.

My mother understood that, and could gently guide me into clarity.

Writing slows the process of turning those jumbled thoughts and ideas into words, and I can find the structure of what is swirling around in bits and pieces in my mind.

I can marry feelings, facts and experiences using my hands by typing out a post.

My pressure valve is working again, and I'm seeing a vast improvement in my skin, too, as a result of establishing my daily writing habit.

The joy in healthy self-expression is the reason, I think, why we are alive.

When that ability is shut off for any reason, I'm learning that some sort of pathology emerges to get our attention to reassess what loops we've been stuck in that need to change.

Writing daily, a brand new habit, is my medicine.

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Random fact about me: I only have 7 pairs of shoes: fancy Birkenstock's, casual Birkenstock's, fancy winter black shoes, casual winter black shoes, water shoes for snorkeling, a pair of boots, and a pair of Hoka's.

Why Taking a Break is Key to Mental Wellness

Quote Box Wisdom

My stepfather has a handmade wooden box that is filled with quotes he's collected during his life written on index cards.

I just pulled one out and this is the gem I received:

"Whenever he thought about it, he felt terrible. And so, at last, he came to a fateful decision. He decided not to think about it." Life 101

Oh my. Can I relate to this one.

Sometimes, choosing not to think about something is the way to go.

When you cut yourself, it's not wise to start poking on it before a scab forms. It's going to delay healing and further damage the skin.

Let the body's intelligence work on it first. If it's too raw and open to deal with, wait until it isn't.

You're Pressing Pause, not Delete.

I believe our minds are similar.

When we have an experience where there is mental pain and anguish, maybe we need to retreat for a while, and put our mind's insatiable thirst to think onto something else.

That's a step towards healing, too.

A pause can give the unconscious mind some time to work on the problem before we consciously give it some attention.

Where the wisdom lies is understanding the difference between a pause and just avoiding something to continue getting some relief. The relief is only temporary, and that pain will just jump somewhere else in your life, like numbness, angry outbursts or stress.

I take a beat all of the time in my creative life. If I'm working on a design, and I can't figure out logically how to do something, I'll walk away and do something else. I sort of know how much time to devote to something and if I can't process it now, I wait until I can.

And usually the answer to the problem comes when I'm doing something totally unrelated.

Honestly, I believe I've been on a pause for some deeper issues in my life that I feel like I'm just now strong enough to process.

I'm still learning the difference between outright avoidance because of fear, and taking a pause to allow some healing to take place first so that I'm strong enough to deal with the real problem for my deeper, emotionally-based problems.

So, yeah. Giving something time first, is a smart move in many instances.

The hard stuff I have to process only loses its power when I'm ready to meet it...physically, mentally, or spiritually.

But I can't just refuse to look. I'm finding that if I give myself time, I'll eventually get the grit to give it attention.

I thought I was going to end this post on the last sentence, but I read this post to my step-father and he said this:

"God made time so everything doesn't happen at once, because we can't handle it." My step-father, B.

Random fact about me: I had a fried catfish and hushpuppy buffet at my wedding.