The Best Version of Yourself

note from July 2026

In some feeble effort to get back to using my Canon camera again, I am looking back through photos from last year that I need to blog. I quit my Lightroom (photo editing software) subscription last year because they just kept upping the price, and my need to use the software professionally kept going down as I am more busy with my family, keeping up with Tyrel's shop bookwork, and cut-flower gardening. Not to mention the whole year of 2025 we were deep in a remodel project to get a new shop location up and running for my husband. 

So in my dive back into blogging, I noticed several old blog drafts that had never been published. I might publish some of them sprinkled in with current updates. 

~ January 2018 ~

I know we've all heard in conversation about that one person that is just extremely easygoing, the one that's always wearing a smile, or the person that "you just can't not love!" You are normally sitting in a circle of people who feel equally inadequate to being called that "GOOD girl/guy." So it's okay... you all accept the fact that maybe you aren't the perfect person like some people may be, but you are all in the same boat... so it's just okay.

What I'm learning is that we can all be "that person" or we should try our very very best. We won't be known for the same exact good trait, and we certainly won't ever hear about it... (rather, for humility-sake we probably shouldn't.) 

Becoming one with another family and community has really made me question who I am. I see more how my actions and words (and first impressions) really effect other people... and then circle back to me again. It's been a real eye-opener, let me tell you. 

Recently, I listened to a message on Kindness... (Listen to it here! It's really good!) It really

In other news, I've been making some random changes to the house. Ever since I took Christmas decorations down, it's felt extremely empty here.

 I stripped the windows of the curtains to re-hang the rods... It really bugged me that the curtains were hung so low that they drug the ground. (Right now I'm enjoying using the same curtains that were here until I get an inspiration for anything different.)

Here's a low quality, real-time photo of it from my webcam... I'm sitting here in the recliner with the dog Benji on my lap, so no moving... ;)

I can't say I'm supper impressed with the change yet because it just needs more. So we'll see. :)

And yet another low quality photo of something I was able to hang after some re-arranging freed up some wall space :) It was a sign I made for our wedding that I had a vinyl sticker saying on... I took off the vinyl and am using it to hang souvenirs and photos (still to be printed) from our honeymoon and other travels. :)

I'm very happy with this corner that was created in my kitchen by moving the hutch over here. Tyrel got me those pretty glass canisters for Christmas... AND he got me a sewing machine that converts into an embroidery machine! :) So I made this little sign to hang.

And a snowy backroad adventure...

Another little craft that I can share now. I painted these for my mother-in-law for Christmas, so now I can share them. :) It was a fun little project!

Blessings!

-MarLeahJoy