Tag: exhale fridays

Roots, Wings, and the Songwriting Journey

by Mothersense, posted in Musical Musings, This Life



We are breaking away from our standard alphabet schedule today because something beautiful happens when you are forced to pause your physical momentum: your creative spirit finally gets the room it needs to stretch its wings.
For me, that creative space belongs to storytelling, music, and a concept I hold close to my heart: Roots and Wings.
Every song starts the exact same way—with just a few raw, honest lyrics scratched out on a piece of paper. It starts with a feeling, a memory, or a heavy truth that needs a place to go. Years ago, when I first started planting those lyrical seeds, I didn’t know what kind of garden they would grow into. I just knew I had to write them down.
Take these lines, for instance, from a piece called Blackland Ink:
There’s a heavy kind of truth in the turning of the soil
A legacy written in the sweat and the toil
You can bury the past in the deep, dark clay
But the roots hold tight till the rain clears the way.
Today, those scattered pages have grown into a full, versatile catalog of over a hundred songs. They are rooted in the grit and honesty of Americana, Red Dirt, and Country music—genres that don’t shy away from real life, hard truths, or unexpected grief.
And right now, behind the scenes, a major shift is happening. I am currently prepping this entire master catalog to be published through Broken Fence Publishing.
But the goal isn’t to just throw these songs out into the void of the massive commercial music industry. The goal is connection. I am preparing to pitch these pieces directly to independent, niche boutique producers.
Why boutique producers? Because music isn’t a one-size-fits-all product. These songs carry specific messages, deep roots, and unique wings. By working with independent producers who value the craft, I can ensure that each song finds its way into the hands of just the right singing artist—the one whose voice and heart match the story the song was born to tell.
It is a massive milestone in a journey that started with a single pen and a blank notebook. It’s a reminder that even when our physical bodies force us to slow down, the work of our hearts never truly stops. It just waits for the right season to fly.

Happy Friday y’all, just breathe!

The Forced Exhale

by Mothersense, posted in Mental Health Recovery, Reclamation



We are stepping away from the alphabet today. No letters, no structured frameworks, and no systems to analyze. Just a collective, heavy sigh before we head into the weekend.
I’ve spent a lot of time recently talking about the necessity of a pause, but if I’m being completely honest, I didn’t gracefully choose this quiet space. I was dragged into it. For anyone built with a “full steam ahead” default setting, resting feels a lot like quitting. We tell ourselves, “Just one more project,” “Just through this next week,” or “I’ll rest when everything is in order.”
But here is the brutal truth I’ve had to face lately: if you do not choose a time to rest, your body will eventually pick a time for you. And its choice is never convenient.
When you ignore the subtle warning signs—the creeping fatigue, the physical aches, the mental fog—your body eventually pulls the emergency brake. That’s where I’ve found myself, dealing with health issues that completely sidelined my best-laid plans. It turns out, you can’t negotiate with an exhausted nervous system or an ailing physical frame. It doesn’t care about your deadlines, your blog schedule, or the life you thought you’d be effortlessly managing at 50.
So this weekend isn’t just a casual break for me; it’s a necessary, forced evacuation from my own ambition.
Getting your life in order doesn’t always look like organizing a space or checking off a goal. Sometimes, getting yourself in order means surrendering to the couch. It means admitting that you are human, that your energy is finite, and that the world will not stop turning if you step away from the wheel for a few days.
If you are currently running on fumes, trying to outrun your own physical limits or the heavy grief that crops up when you finally slow down, please don’t wait for the crash. Don’t wait for your body to force your hand.
Let this Friday be your choice. Drop your shoulders. Unclench your jaw. Leave the unfinished projects exactly where they are—they will survive without you until Monday.
Take the breath now, on your own terms. Let’s exhale.

Friday Exhale: The Harmony of the Slow DownCategory: Exhale, Recipes, Creative Space

by Mothersense, posted in Food Stuffs - Recipes, This Life


We did some heavy lifting this week. We talked about taking out the red pen, editing the narrative, and filing an endorsement to rewrite the policy on our lives. We forced ourselves to look at the impossible trap of hyper-efficiency and say, “Not today.”


But if you are anything like me, executing those boundaries leaves behind a weird, buzzy kind of adrenaline. Your hands are empty, but your brain is still trying to figure out what it’s supposed to be fixing.


So tonight, we aren’t fixing anything. We are just finding the harmony.


To me, summer harmony is a very specific sensory experience. It’s the late-afternoon sun stretching across the kitchen counter. It’s a gritty, soulful country-alternative groove playing softly in the background. And it’s the tactile, grounded comfort of getting your hands into some dough.


When the world gets too loud, I head to the kitchen. Baking isn’t an efficiency goal; it’s therapy. It forces you to slow down, measure by measure, and just watch something rise in its own time. You can’t rush it, and you can’t optimize it.


Here is a simple, rustic summer treat to help you find your own pocket of quiet this weekend. No fancy tools required—just a physical bowl, a wooden spoon, and a little bit of time.


🍑 Summer Kitchen Therapy: Rustic Blackberry & Peach Galette🍑
A galette is the ultimate “imperfect” dessert. There is no crimping, no perfect pie dishes, and no stress. The rougher the edges look, the more beautiful it turns out. It is a visual reminder that things don’t have to be perfect to be incredibly good.
The Crust:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water
The Filling:
2 cups fresh peaches, sliced
1 cup fresh blackberries
2 tablespoons honey or sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch (to catch the summer juices)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
How to Slow Down and Make It:
Mix the dough: Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together. Toss in the cold butter cubes. Use your fingers to smash the butter into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs. Drizzle in the ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough just holds together. Shape it into a disk, wrap it up, and let it chill in the fridge for an hour while you step away from the kitchen entirely.
Prep the fruit: Toss your summer peaches and blackberries with the honey, cornstarch, and vanilla. Let them sit and get glossy.
Roll and fold: Roll the dough out into a rough circle on a piece of parchment paper. Pile the fruit right into the center, leaving a 2-inch border all around the edge. Now, just fold those empty edges up and over the fruit, letting the dough pleat naturally.
Bake: Brush the crust with a little milk or egg wash, sprinkle a bit of extra sugar on top, and bake at 400°F (approx. 200°C) for 35 to 40 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.


Tonight, let the laptop stay closed. Put on a playlist with a gritty, alternative groove that matches the summer heat. Pour a cold glass of sweet tea or wine, slice into something warm, and let your spirit finally catch up with your body.


The policy has been rewritten. You’ve done enough. Now, just exhale.


🎵 Weekend Soundtrack:
What’s on your kitchen stereo tonight? Pop your favorite summer evening track or playlist recommendation in the comments below—let’s build a shared weekend soundtrack.