Kathiey's World

 Joy is relative. I may find joy in something that does not bring you joy, and you may find joy in something that does not bring me joy. That being said, we can find some type of joy in all phases of our lives.  During the most difficult and joyless time of my life, when my husband of 37 years walked out, I thought I would never find joy again. During this time, when I would have easily given up, I was determined, even in my weakened state, to strive to find some level of joy. It was hard work, but I fought to bring the joy I once had back into my life, and you can, too. So, what is joy? The Oxford Dictionary defines joy as... "a feeling of great pleasure and happiness" Happiness, according to Very Well Mind, is... "Happiness is a positive emotional state characterized by feelings  such as contentment, joy, and life satisfaction." Sometimes, our joy will be a great feeling of happiness or pleasure, as mentioned above. Other times, we may feel we have no joy, and dur...

 I love to try new recipes. I find if I don't sit down and make a list of new recipes to try or old recipes to re-explore, I will not make an effort to try the foods that sound delicious to me. So that is what I decided to do. I am going to make a list and try to accomplish everything on it during December.  (The photos below are as close as I could get to the actual recipe.  I found them on Canva) I could not complete all the recipes on my November challenge, but I did find one new recipe that I loved. The Creamy Bacon and Spinach Quiche was delicious and a definite keeper. I have made the White Chicken Chili several times over the years, and it is one of my favorites. On my December Recipe Challenge, I have recipes ranging from breakfast to dessert and everything in between.  I plan to do better with this month's challenge than in November. Breakfast- Hawaiian Roll French Toast Soups/chili- Outback Steakhouse Potato Soup Pizza/Sandwiches- Turkey and Bacon Panini ...

  I am sitting here thinking about my third book that will be related to finging joy in our journey.  I guess we should start with the basics...What is Joy?    According to Webster, Joy is...  "... a feeling of great pleasure or happiness that comes from success, good fortune, or a sense of well-being: gladness..something that gives joy."   Joy is an emotion as well as a state of mind.  I think joy comes from within.  To have a joyful spirit is not connected to external events and happenings.  Finding joy is also finding contentment with who we are, not wishing we were someone else.  Even when times get tough, and they will, we can still have joy. My next post on Joy will focus on how we can become content with who we are and our life situation so that we not only find joy but maintain our joy.  I would love any feedback that you could share.  Please post in the comment box or shoot me a note at kathieyvwriter@gmail.com I wish ...

FINDING JOY IN THE JOURNEY-THE JOY OF FLOWERS   I have started a new series "Joy In the Journey". Joy will be the focus of this series and I am featuring it on my divorce recovery blog and I thought I would share some of it with you.  We all experience times of pain and despair but there is still joy to be found. I remember the early days of my separation. I could feel and see nothing but despair.  Even in this devastating time when I nearly gave up, I kept holding onto God, and in the back of my mind, well-hidden, the desire to see the beauty and find joy in this world remained. In this series, we will look for and find the joy that is all around us, even when we experience pain.  Let's get started... Finding Joy in the Journey I love flowers.  I love the colors, the intricate detail of each petal, and the aroma.  I love to go to gardens and take close-up photos of flowers.  Here are a couple of my photos.  Yes, I did play with them on a photo ap...