Root to rise. 

A common phrase heard in yoga class, and one that applies to living well in all arenas of our lives.

May has been a month of seeing how once we root well, the rising, while slow, is indeed strong, far more serene and filled with an abundance of contentment to savor.

Le Papillon, TSLL's house has much of my attention as of late. Some may say it is a helpful distraction as I wrap up my career as a teacher in public schools (listen to May's A Cuppa Moments to discover how I came to this decision after 20 years in the classroom), and while admittedly it does help to focus on something that will be with me as I transition into a new year-long schedule of solely writing for TSLL, I am also far more clear-eyed than I have ever been about the necessity to root well.

The pandemic gave us all the opportunity to look around our sanctuaries - not only the people we live with and our relationships, but the homes we sleep in, eat in, dream in, return to after work and travel, and thus spend time in that is unofficially incredibly powerful when it comes to the quality of our lives. 

I have delayed my first trip to hop on a plane, and likely won't be doing so until 2022, and maybe later because I want to root well - translation - tend to my 'nest' that is Le Papillon. 

As I begin to plant out many of the seedlings I grew from a minuscule speck of a dot (such petite seeds!), I am reminded of the importance of quality soil, and the care each seed needs to reveal its awesomeness once placed outside in the elements. 

We too need to be nurtured when we are in our sanctuaries because when step outside into the elements of the world - the crowds, the customers, the students, the masses, the [name whatever it is you immerse yourself in regularly of which you have very little if any control over] - we need to be grounded in what we know to be true, how we navigate well all of the new and unknown, as well as how we enable ourselves to grow and to thrive in this ever-changing world. 

For me, it is my physical sanctuary and from that space, what I am able to spend time doing that involves my mind. With a mind that is at peace, regularly able to calm down and be still, be present, when I step outside into the 'elements', each moment, each interaction, goes far more smoothly and productively.

In a few days, my bathrooms will begin their journey through the customization process that my kitchen went through last summer (the kitchen is seen above). Yes, it is an investment, but it is an investment in comfort, most intimately for me and for my guests when they visit, and it is an investment in the grounding, and the rooting well. 

Clarity and patience. Two powerful skills, when married produce amazing real-world outcomes which nurture a truly simply luxurious life. 

Now to this month's newsletter which is, as it usually is, quite full; however, this month includes TSLL's Annual British Week which consists of 16 posts (6 of which were giveaways). If you weren't able to stop by last week, I have included everything below as well as all of the other posts shared this month of May. I do hope you enjoy. 

To explore every post you wish to read, be sure to become a subscriber to one of the two tiers - BASIC or TOP as non-subscribers can only read five posts a month (it will reset on the first of each month). 

Until Friday June 25th, I will see you on the blog.

—Shannon