“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.”

— Alfred Austin

I thought this was an interesting quote, based on a conversation I had yesterday when meeting a new friend. She asked me how I stay relevant and current, not only with fashion and style but for the mind and the soul. Over the course of the conversation, I found that she already invests in herself, by exercising regularly and eating healthy, she experiences new things by traveling and volunteering and has an active, faith-based lifestyle. I also asked about reading and learning. She shared that she is an avid reader and loves a good novel. I shared one way that I continue to grow and learn is a simple app on my phone, Blinkist. While walking or working out, I listen to a short "blink" (15 minutes or less) of a nonfiction book on a variety of topics (19 different categories) that interest me. These blinks provide key highlights to over 2000 bestselling nonfiction books. This habit allows me to stay current and fresh on a variety of topics and also provides a great start or an end of the day. I can boost my knowledge, skills and widen my world in a short time frame. The best part is that I can download these to my kindle for reference and that you can read them or listen in.

The definition of a perennial is: lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring. This is my goal, to stay current, be relevant and to feed my mind and soul every day. I feel it's more important than ever as a woman to show our kids, husbands, partners, grandkids, and families that we will continue to be a strong, lasting flower (presence) in this world.