More Wins | Staying in the Lake Cottage

One busy week in August, Elsa and I made the spur-of-the-moment plan to spend a night at the lake. Not only is it a huge win to be able to plan and pull off something quickly again, but we hadn't stayed in that building for at least 10 years due to mold sensitivities. 

Our garden made for colorful meals to pack. And though we forgot to bring a bouquet from home (the tradition among the family was Grandpa's favorite tea-roses), the Mountain Ash berries from the side of the cottage worked well in an antique from the kitchen shelves.

After spending the afternoon and evening with us, including watching a family of four loons and taking our first pontoon ride in a couple years, Mom and Dad went home while we enjoyed a fitful (damp) fire and a few more loon calls.

What a novelty to wake up in the loft my uncles added onto Great-Grandpa's tiny cottage 25 years ago, when indoor plumbing was also added for the first time!

Elsa's early morning splash convinced me to try this refreshing (chilly) mode of starting the day as well.

A later swim was warmer after a bunch of sweaty cleaning. And then home again with more "wins" under our belt on this healing journey.

Where Has July Gone?!

Where has July gone?!

It began by celebrating 250 years of independence along with 90+ relatives at the family lake.

Next came a chance for a quiet afternoon and evening with just the 4 of us at the lake. A thunderstorm only made it more beautiful for us, though it caused severe damage on a nearby lake.

July also brought several times to help out my older sister's family as they are super busy remodeling a house in the country before moving.

Meanwhile, I have been busy painting at home too. I grew up with this Hoosier cabinet at the other lake cabin (no longer in the family) built when my dad was little. The cabinet was not new then, and it is high time to paint the insides and replace a few rotten areas to cut down on the old smell - especially on humid summer days.

It has been fun using this old piece as my new office space, but I look forward to fully moving in after a bunch more painting and rebuilding is complete. If you remember my years of crippling sensitivities, you will realize how huge of a win it is to be tackling a project like this, starting with scraping and sanding!

Also at home, harvest has begun!

Meantime, annual doctor's appointments made for a long, hot July day of travel. But we even took a little chance of sightseeing!

 As we look at our calendar and manage to run out to the lake for yet another quick break, we marvel at how far we have come from the decade spent in deep disability and isolation.

"Thank you, Lord..." is a frequent refrain.

Growing "Younger"

Another year has come and gone.

The past year has been one of the most intense for a long time, but also very blessed.

It is always special to celebrate with family, and this year included the surprises of a warm lake and the ability to pull off a couple cartwheels to inspire the young ones. Auntie life is helping me grow younger again!

May Flowers Galore

2026 had unusually nice weather for the peak of greenhouse season, which was a blessing as we worked with family, friends, plants, and customers!

It is always encouraging to see stamina growing from year to year on this job!

Hard Work

Before...

...and after shoveling the deepest drifts and frozen layers from the roof.

This was my first time to work on the roof in many years. Then I hauled a bunch of wood from shed to garage and house for the wood stove in the basement. 

How amazing to be able to put in 2 hours straight of hard physical labor again, and end up feeling a "good tired" like I did in my teens and twenties!

First Apple Pie

This was a "first."

• The first apple pie I have made in years

• The first einkorn flour crust we have tried

• And thus, the first gluten pie crust for our family in over a decade

Apple season around here includes:

• Applesauce

• Dehydrated apples with cinnamon

• Frozen apple slices for winter baking

• And more!

A Year of Rehab

My sister Elsa and I have realized that we are in a major "rehab regimen" in many areas of life after chronic illness. The most recognizable of those areas would be rebuilding strength and balance in our muscles and joints.

After years of chronic fatigue and debilitating pain, my body needs careful training out of harmful, weak postures into healthy and strong positions.

Just as the daily practice of brain rewiring to heal the nervous system is a slow but steady process of forming new, healthy pathways which we want to become automatic, so regular exercise with WholyFit trains the body out of unhealthy patterns and into those that benefit all of life!

Why I Choose WholyFit

I love how WholyFit is a Christ-centered stretching based system built on scientific principles that equips us with holistic practices for wholeness and healing. It even strengthens 5 times faster than other exercise modalities! 

Plus it is a safe way to get back into movement and fitness after years of inactivity and weakness, as proved by the fact that my sister got certified to teach WholyFit last year and has since been helping women through online classes.

NOTE: WholyFit has nothing to do with Yoga beliefs or practices. God created movement and the ways our bodies can strengthen and stretch. WholyFit methods and routines are carefully developed based on safety and effectiveness (unlike some traditional Yoga poses). They are also built to help us memorize and meditate on the word of God as we do our best to take care of this "temple" of our bodies He has given us.

For more info, hear from WholyFit founder Laura Monica: “Why I Quit Yoga and Started WholyFit” 

Does a moderately paced workout for all fitness levels - done on your own schedule from the comfort of your own home - sound interesting to you? If so, read on!

Current Class Details

• On-demand workout video access: September 1 - December 31, 2025

• Includes 16 workouts safe for pregnancy and diastasis recti (20-30 minutes each)

PLUS 6 workouts safe for the general population (1 hour each)

• $60 USD for 4 months total (Sept. - Dec.)

Have more questions? Want to sign up? Or can't make this class work, but want to know of future class offerings? 

Learn more and sign up for email updates on Elsa's webpage HERE.

Or email Elsa at elsa.wholyfit@gmail.com

Exercising Muscles & Spirit through WholyFit

 I just attended the last of 8 live WholyFit classes with the late winter group of ladies gathering for weekly encouragement and instruction. It is amazing how many of my muscles went "dormant" through a decade of chronic illness and the years of chronic pain before that. But I can feel them waking up bit by bit and helping me better move through all of life!

This would be a sad "last"... except that another class is scheduled to start next week! Do you want to be a part of it?! For those who cannot make it online at the time of the live calls, no fear. Video replays are promptly sent out to every class member and are available for use on-demand through the duration of the class. That way we can all exercise with them several times a week, if wanted!

The best part is that WholyFit is a Christ-centered stretching based system with scientific methods that equips us with holistic practices for wholeness and healing! It even strengthens 5 times faster than other exercise modalities!

Does this moderately paced, half-hour workout for all fitness levels sound interesting to you? Read on for class details. I'd love to see you next week!

NOTE: WholyFit has nothing to do with Yoga beliefs or practices. God created movement and the ways our bodies can strengthen and stretch. Even though some stretches may look like those of other programs, WholyFit routines are carefully developed based on safety (unlike some traditional poses) and effectiveness. They are also built to help us memorize and meditate on the word of God as we do our best to take care of this "temple" of our bodies He has given us.

Questions? Contact WholyFit certified instructor, Elsa at elsa.wholyfit@gmail.com

Upcoming Class Details

• March 11 - April 29, 2025 (8 weeks)

• 30 minute sessions

• Live on Zoom every Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. CDT

• Replay videos available from date of workout through May 6, 2025

• Pregnancy and diastasis recti friendly

Want to sign up? Click HERE, and fill out the simple registration form.
Can't make this class work, but want to know of future class offerings?  Click HERE to get Instructor Elsa's occasional newsletters.

Refilling Our Library

The day after Thanksgiving 2024, I emptied the last box for our main library shelves! There are still plenty of boxes of school books and family history which don't fit in the refinished, rebuilt shelves in our basement. But all the books we were missing during three years of storage due to mold remediation and the long rebuilding process are now accessible once again. 

This sight still makes me smile and thank the Lord for a beautiful, new basement! 

We have a lot of good reading ahead!

~ Hannah

Reset for a New Year

Happy New Year, Friends!

How many places are you hearing about setting goals and focusing on self-improvement these days? Too many, right?!

Too often it seems that lists of goals and “to-do’s” make us feel like we can earn our own health, joy, peace, etc. And then when we fail to live up to them, they seem more impossible than ever.

But what if we instead chose to look more to the One True Source of all we desire? 

The more I learn about neurology, the more amazed I am at the ways God has built us to renew and rewire our minds around His way of truth for life. (See John 14:6) And yes, this deeply impacts us at the physical level as well.

Let me share a bit from a brain rewiring coach who has had a positive impact on my life and faith (and healing journey) the past few months.

I’d like you to meet Brea.

Picture a strong, athletic blonde about my age. Life and love for God and others shine from her eyes. Enthusiasm rings in her voice. But it wasn’t always that way…

About 7 years ago, Brea was homeless, living outdoors in the desert far from her little children, because her body had become sensitive and reactive to everything.

Then she learned of Brain Rewiring. And then she met Jesus in the desert.

To put it mildly… that changed everything.

Last fall I signed up for a group coaching class with Brea to take my rewiring deeper. I saw so many new wins during this time and got the fresh boost and perspective needed to continue in this journey.

That’s why I’m so excited to invite you to join me for her first, free workshop, starting next Monday: New Year New You, 5-Day Reset!

Let’s hear straight from Brea: “I don’t know what kind of 2024 you’ve had. If you’ve been doing your brain retraining practice consistently, then chances are you’re leaving 2024 better than when it started. Perhaps your life has been turned right side up again like many I have coached. Or maybe you can’t tell much of a difference. If so, I invite you to either revisit your journal or simply think back to where you started or ask a close friend or family member. You might just be surprised at how much better you are now! And guess what? If it’s not good, then He’s not done yet!  “If you haven’t started your healing journey with brain retraining, then friend, 2025 can be your year to heal! Wouldn’t that be great?! “You can dip your toe in the brain retraining waters with my free New Year New You 5-Day Reset that starts Jan 6th. This mini-workshop will be delivered via email over the course of the week and includes some special printable handouts and exercises to get your healing journey started.”

Want to join? Simply follow this link to Brea’s website and sign up through the pop-up form. Or email Amber and ask to join the 5-Day Reset: info@breakatrin.com Then let me know how the Reset goes for you! ~ Hannah: BrainRewiringforLife@gmail.com Learn more in my latest newsletter HERE. P.S. - I'm waiting for more snow to get out snowshoeing with my nephew again!