Two years ago I headed to Costa Rica for a reset. A true reset. I will be honest as to why because this is a place where it’s no holds barred in my life. I was ready to leave my husband and kids. I felt this need – this urge – to start over. I […]
Poetry: Take that pain and harness it

‘Poetry and beauty are born out of pain. This is their glory, this is our gain .’S. Tarr I was scrolling through my notes app and found some old poetry I had written when I was going through my rebirth – I think that is more fitting than nervous breakdown at this point in my journey. […]
2020 Was A Good Year

So as 2020 comes to a close I find it really impossible to complain about the year and maybe that sounds wrong as so many were displaced by tornados and a bomb, people lost their jobs and struggled to make ends meet and loved ones were lost and forever affected by COVID-19. Honestly though I […]
A Covenant with Myself

“I don’t paint anymore. I used to paint all the time. I really loved it.”– Allie ~ The Notebook I survived COVID life adjustment. I survived my busy season. I survived 2020. I went in strong and am going to leave strong although the past few months have made me pretty weak. This weekend I […]
Respect Your Scars

Healing takes time. Healing is never finished. Healing leaves scars that no amount of silicone scar patches can remove but we need those scars to remind us of how far we’ve come from what wounded us, what contained us and what sent us into fetal position. Why am I rambling about scars today? In 2015 […]
Just Say No

Here’s this week’s Love U Project. It’s simple and quick. Just say no! No. Nada. No. My apologies if this seems negative but it’s for your self-care. If the plane is going down you put your oxygen mask on first. If you fall apart the rest starts to fall apart. Your kids are stir crazy. […]
What to Read…

I’m currently writing my memoir that spans 2015-2019 that shares my journey with mental illness and my struggle to find me. I thought I would share part of the book (Chapter 4) that I’m removing because it’s not meant to be a self help and giving a list of suggestions of what to read would […]
Chores Part II

So over here at the McNeal household we are trying to make some things a bit more “automated”. Why not try something new? The worst that could happen is I’ve wasted $2.99 right? We are trying out Rooster Money Allowance Manager. The kids are all wrapped up in iPads and apps these days so why […]
Mother Earth

Sometimes I miss the voicesBecause they made me feel not aloneWhen the reality of people Was too much to take on. I will lie here in the dirtAnd feel Mother Earth’s embraceI will one day standFor now though I will lay. ____________________________ Going through all of my journals for my memoir I’ve been stumbling on […]
The Power of a Post-It

If you have watched Grey’s Anatomy then you know the power of a post-it. A 3×3 inch square. Powerful. A reminder to us of appointments, thoughts, names, ideas…productivity. Post-it’s get things done. So how are you going to make a post-it powerful for you now that you are at home ALL of the time? I […]