“Can You Taste The Love?”

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I remember when my oldest was about two years old and eating some of my home baked cookies. I asked him, “ Can you taste all the love I put in there?”

To which he replied, “I can! You put a lot of love in there.”

And so began the phrase of “I can taste the love” from all five of my children with every meal I made or cookies and cakes that I baked. 

There were times when I made their favorite food that they would say, “You put extra love in this! I can taste it!”

I was reminded of this precious tradition that began over 30 years ago when I spoke with my Noah last night. They asked me if I still had my old Better Homes and Garden Cookbook (which I do!) and could I send them a screenshot of the banana bread recipe. I told them that I would and I did.

Such a simple thing yet one that is so precious.

I can still see those sweet little faces eating a chocolate chip cookie, the chocolate all over their mouths saying “I can taste the love!”

And you know what? I always did put the love in whatever I made for them to eat, no matter their age. It meant so much to me to see how happy that made them and I hope someday they’ll understand that it made me even happier.

Once in a while there are those rare moments as adults that they’ll still say that they “can taste the love.”

I texted Noah the banana bread recipe last night and reminded him to put the “love” in it.

And they said that they remembered that.

It was a “be still my heart” moment and I’m grateful for that.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“The Lady On The Corner”

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You never know when you’re going to step into your next adventure.

A small group of us went out to dinner on Saturday night in Asbury Park. The dinner was over the top delicious and the company was even better. I couldn’t have planned a more perfect evening.

After dinner we walked across the street to a very cool store called “The Severed Wing.” As I walked to the back of the shop there she was, a woman that I’ve seen on social media known as “the lady on the corner.”

And she is “the lady on the corner,” an interesting person who I was grateful to have met and happy that she snapped this picture of us. She has her own style of photography and she can be found on “the corner,” taking pictures and meeting people. I felt like I had just met a celebrity. 

You never know where you’ll find your next adventure…

You may even find it right on the corner.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“And The Down Day Has Passed!”

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And just like that, my “down day” has passed!

After a good night’s sleep I woke up this morning feeling like my old self!

Funny how those moods sneak up on us without warning, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned is not to get too upset with them or let them stress me out. They come for a reason and sometimes it’s best not to fight them, but to surrender to them until they’ve passed.

And that’s what I did yesterday.

I’m grateful for that day yesterday and as I always told my children: “It won’t be like this forever, just for today.”

And I was right.

Here’s to the down days, the up days, the good days and the bad. Here’s to every single day that we can experience life and all that comes with it. Here’s to being grateful for all of it.

As I stepped out of my back door to go to work I had to stop and take a deep breath! The smell of the salt air was so strong and smelled so wonderful that I took a drive down to the beach. The skies were stormy and the seas were rough but still an absolutely beautiful sight to see.

I’m grateful for feeling better this morning and I’m grateful for this magical place that brings me so much joy: the beach.

Thank you for all your support during my “down day.” I appreciate it and your comments helped me through.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Let The Healing Waters Flow”

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Do you ever have a day when you just want to cry? It could be for a million reasons or no reason at all. It’s just a day that you feel sad for everything or for nothing and I’m having one of those days.

I’ve been trying to talk myself out of this mood all day but I’ve decided to let it have its day and have its way. It was taking too much energy to try and push myself out of it so I decided to just go with the flow of emotions.

I feel as though I’ve been fighting back the tears all day and I’m sure that the moment I leave work they’ll come spilling out.

Sometimes we need to have a good cry to let “the healing waters flow!”

I also know that “this too shall pass.”

Sometimes it passes with the listening ear of a compassionate and empathetic friend.

Sometimes it passes while sitting in stillness at your “happy place.”

And sometimes it passes with a hot bath and a good night’s sleep.

Give it some time.

Be grateful for the happy days and even for the sad ones, because each day that we’re here to feel them is a gift.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“A Night At The Beach”

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The weather is a bit warmer here at the Jersey Shore today and the remnants of the blizzard we had are melting away. The fog was rolling in thick so I decided to sit out on my back step. All I could hear was the strong sounds of the ocean and of course you know that I just had to take a walk to the beach.

And I did.

The words are hard to find to describe the beauty of the ocean, the fog, the lights and the sound. I could smell the salt air from my house and it was even stronger as my feet hit the sands. What an incredible night to be able to see all that was in front of me.

And I am so grateful for that walk that took me to see a sight that most aren’t able to witness. It was both beautiful and eerie at the same time. I felt peaceful and at the same time felt restless. There’s something about an ocean that’s churning that brings so many different emotions, so many feelings, so many thoughts.

Tonight I was able to feel the wind, smell the seas, and taste the salt air.

And I am incredibly grateful.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Snow Weekend!”

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I have to say that The Blizzard of 2022 here at the Jersey Shore was something to see! Drifts of over 5 feet, white out conditions due to hurricane force winds, and almost 2 feet of snow! I was going to make it a “snow day” but decided that after working on my novel so much for the last few weeks I’d make it a “snow weekend!” I did get some editing done but decided to cook some comfort food, watch a series on Netflix and relax!

And it was wonderful!

There’s something about knowing that you can’t go out, that the roads aren’t plowed enough to drive, and that there’s so much snow piled on and around your car that you can’t even begin to shovel.

I think it’s the Universe’s way of giving us a day off in which we don’t feel guilty about watching television or reading a good book or a day of doing nothing if that’s what we choose.

It’s a “guilt free” day knowing that you have to stay home. The choices of what we do with a “snow day or weekend” are all ours and it’s nice to enjoy them without the guilt of thinking of all the things we should be doing!

I loved my “snow weekend” and am so grateful to have had two days with no guilt and no pressure! It was two days of a bit of writing, a lot of cooking and one filled with much peace and serenity.

I think that we should all have a “guilt free” day every so often!

Why wait for a snow day?

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Restless Soul Syndrome”

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I’ve got “restless soul syndrome” again. It could be that I’ve been sitting in this “comfort zone” for too long knowing that it isn’t actually all that comfortable! Or it could be that I’ve been sitting in the same “box” for so long that I need to step out of it!In other words, I need a change. A change of scenery, a change of heart, a change of perspective. In any case, it’s a change of some sort I’m sure.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not unhappy but I do feel restless, and I’m working on stepping out of my comfort zone and out of the box!I’ve been working hard on my novel, which I hope to have released by early spring and I can’t begin to tell you how incredibly happy I feel when I’m writing. It’s a feeling of pure joy for me and this new book is one completely different from all the others I wrote before. I’m hoping for the best for this “baby” of mine. I actually wrote this novel 17 years ago and have procrastinated long enough in rewriting it. The story needed an update and that’s what I’ve been doing. My intention is to have it in the hands of the publisher by March and on the market by spring.

I’m hoping this book brings exciting changes in my life, ones that I’ve wanted for a long time, but I’m doing more than “hoping” and “working” on it.I’m allowing myself to “see it, believe it and achieve it.”

Sometimes “restless soul syndrome” comes around to “shake you up and wake you up!”

I believe that it’s helping me finish the book. It’s helping me see it as I picture it to be, helping me to believe in the changes it will bring, and helping me do what it takes to achieve it.

And for that, I’m grateful.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“I Wanna Go Back…”

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Do you ever hear a song on the radio that takes you back in time? One that transports you to a time when you were younger and life seemed much simpler?

It’s that song that brings you back to a precious memory, of a time when you remember being so carefree and happy.

For me it’s a song sung by Eddie Money that makes me think that “I wanna go back and do it all over, but I can’t back, I know.” 

But I can’t go back. None of us can.

What we can do is hold onto those memories from a lifetime ago.

Keep them safely tucked inside of your heart.

And don’t lose sight of “now.”

When life isn’t going the way we had planned, or we’re feeling sad or depressed, or as though we’ll never be happy again, we often go back to those times.

We all do.

But don’t go back to those times and wish that you were there again.

Visit those times to remind you that you have been happy and that life was all that you wanted it to be at that time.

And let those times remind you that you can have that in the “now.” You didn’t leave happiness in your past. It was simply a different time in your life that taught you what “happiness” feels like. 

Take those feelings of old memories with you into your “now.” 

And let your “now” guide you into your “future.”

Life is a series of memories, good and bad, a series of life lessons, easy and hard, and a series of ups and downs. Experience is a great teacher and memories are gifts that we are given along the way.

Go back and visit if only to remind you that your “now” is just as precious as your “then.”

And remember to be grateful for it all.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“You’ll Figure It Out”

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My friend, Billy, sent me this picture yesterday and I had to laugh a bit because it’s just what I needed to hear! And he’s right, I always do figure it out…eventually.I can’t help but think that we all are trying to figure it out. The world that we thought would have calmed down by now is still somewhat chaotic. That virus seems to be everywhere, causing turmoil wherever it goes. Businesses can’t get help and customers have no patience for wait times. The shelves at the food store haven’t been restocked in weeks. Mask mandates are cropping up again all over. It’s no wonder that we’re feeling anxious or stressed. It’s no wonder that we’re trying to figure it out. And it’s no wonder that we’re trying to “figure out” what we’re actually trying to figure out.

All we can do is keep the faith, stay positive and be there for one another.

After all, as I’ve always said to my children, “It won’t be like this forever, just for today.”

At least I’d like to believe that.

Don’t worry, my loves, we’re in this together and eventually we will all “figure it out!”

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“On Finding Joy In The Simple Things”

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It’s a cloudy, dreary Sunday here at the Jersey Shore and it’s the perfect day to make some gravy (or sauce) with sausage and meatballs. I gathered all of my ingredients early this morning, chopped some garlic, made my meatballs and sausage and turned on the soundtrack from the movie “Under The Tuscan Sun.” Life is good.

Cooking gravy (or sauce) is very therapeutic for me. It’s the process of putting the perfect combination of spices together, the constant stirring and taste testing to get it just right.

While I find this therapeutic, I realized that this brings me “joy,” and as I wrote years ago: “Joy is the elevated state of happiness.” Such a simple task of cooking yet one that truly brings me joy. 

So here I am today working on writing my next book and stirring my gravy (sauce) every so often. It’s the perfect combination of two things that bring me great joy.

What brings you joy? 

I find that sometimes it’s the simplest and smallest of things that bring us the most joy.

My wish for you is that you find joy in your life.

I often find it in mine.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~