The Joy Series: Joy Around the World – What Different Cultures Can Teach Us Post 3 of the Joy Series Joy is universal. Every culture on earth, across every century of human history, has pursued it, protected it, and built philosophies around it. And yet, the way different cultures define and experience joy varies in…
Author: Kathiey V
Tell Your Story Through Journaling: Your First Kiss – A Memory You Never Left Behind
Tell Your Story Through Journaling – Let’s Talk About Your First Kiss A journal series for women who are ready to tell their story. There are moments in life the brain simply refuses to let go of. A first kiss is one of them. Science has a lot to say about why. When two people…
The Joy Series: Joy vs. Happiness – They Are Not the Same Thing
The Joy Series: Joy vs. Happiness – They Are Not the Same Thing Post 2 of the Joy Series People use joy and happiness interchangeably all the time. I did too, for most of my life. But somewhere in the middle of the hardest years I have ever lived through, I started to understand…
Why Does This Recipe Call for THAT Oil? A Home Cook’s Guide to Cooking Oils
Have you ever noticed that one recipe calls for olive oil, another says to use avocado oil, and a third swears by coconut oil? It can feel overwhelming, or even like it doesn’t really matter. But the truth is, the oil you choose can make or break a dish. It affects flavor, texture, and even…
Monthly Motivation, Fear of The Unknown:Brodie and the Grocery Bag
Monday Morning Motivation Fear of the Unknown Brodie and the Grocery Bag On your typical day, my dog Brodie is not afraid of bags. He is not fearful of handbags, grocery bags, or trash bags. He is not even scared of tea bags. But this was not your typical day. It was cold, and…
The Joy Series: When Joy Goes Silent
Post 1 of the Joy Series The day my husband of 37 years walked out, joy didn’t just fade. It vanished. Completely. Like someone had quietly switched off a light that I had no idea how to turn back on. I had no idea it would take me more than a decade to find the…
When the Heat Index Hits 100: A Practical Guide to Staying Safe This Summer in NC
When the Heat Index Hits 100: A Practical Guide to Staying Safe This Summer in NC Y’all, it is hot. And I am not talking about a regular North Carolina summer kind of hot. I am talking triple digits, humidity so thick you feel like you are walking through warm soup, and a heat index…
Dating Series: Meeting Someone for the First Time—The Perfect Coffee Date
Dating has evolved a lot over the years. Back when I was a teen, meeting someone often meant crossing paths at school or church, with a simple invitation to go out—easy and straightforward. Today, while some connections still happen face-to-face, many people are navigating the world of dating sites and apps. For those of us…
Books, Beverages and More: Vampires, Ghosts and the People Who Haunt Our Hearts
Have you ever finished a book and thought, “I wish I could actually live inside this story for a little while”? Same. That is exactly why “Books, Beverages and More” was born. This is the place where pages meet real life, where a recipe simmering in chapter three becomes something I am actually making in my…
Travel North Carolina: The Magic of the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park in Wilson NC
I finally made the drive to the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park in Historic Downtown Wilson, North Carolina. I had first heard about this place several years ago and it had been on my list ever since. Tucked into the heart of Wilson, this one-of-a-kind park is home to the whimsical, wind-powered sculptures created by folk…