A writer driven by heart, that’s me, a big heart bursting with feels! It has taken my whole life, but I have finally figured out how to honor this superpower in my work. Fortunately, getting older has given me the gifts of clarity and confidence. Now, my alarm is the sweet and piercing whistle of the Varied Thrush. I get to contribute to the world everyday by creating and sharing beautiful things, from my heart to yours! It feels appropriate to begin this journey with a story (and I LOVE telling stories). A story about a name, Goosehill Gifts.
Twenty years ago, I was working as a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. At the time, it was my dream job. It was the type and level position I had been working towards since graduating college. I really couldn’t believe that I was getting paid (full time with good benefits) to drive around the gorgeous Willamette Valley of Oregon and look at birds all day! My chief responsibility was to record neck collars and subspecies data for Canada geese flocks. I loved working primarily by myself, and the geese taught me so much about life, beauty, survival, perspective, grace, death, etc. Not to mention all the other amazing things I witnessed, as if I was in an episode of Marty Stouffer’s Wild America!
While working as a biologist, I would often drive through little country towns. I remember thinking and dreaming about how nice it would be to own some land outside a little town someday. One of these places was Turner, OR. I worked as a goose biologist for a few years and will feel forever blessed to have experienced that part of my life. However, I was also a young mother at the time, and my heart ached to be home with my son more. Thus, my dabbling into entrepreneurship began! The next 20 years involved me trying to make different businesses succeed while also working another, “regular” job. My job descriptions included: drive-thru coffee stand owner, house cleaner, natural supplement distributor, nanny, server, sea salt seasonings business owner, writer, recruiter, etc. This past year, I realized that the one thing I have always done (even as a young girl) is write. I even worked part-time last year as a resume writer.
However, technical writing is not where my passions lie. I want to write things that make people feel, think and laugh! The Art of Green Gifting is my latest creation. There I will be sharing eco-friendly tips and craft ideas for gift giving, along with home decor ideas and original designs.
Anyway, back to my story. Last year, I made many changes in my life. Probably, the biggest shift was moving away from my home of 25 years to move in with my boyfriend. Well guess where we live? That’s right, Turner, OR. Not much happens here, and I really like it! I believe the slower pace and quiet has really allowed my creative drive to explode. I even created a non-profit last year to help spread the love, www.drivenbyheartscholarships.org. We don’t own much land yet, but we live on top of a hill that my old friends, the geese, fly over. As I witness their daily trips to the pond and hear their familiar voice, my heart is full of gratitude and love.
By the way, if you are looking for a humanistic, humorous, spiritual and passionate writer for a custom writing job, you just found her!
You can contact me at: brigittelynmcbride@gmail.com to learn more about my custom writing services.
Here is a sample of my writing:
5 Lessons learned in Greece about food, people and life!
I feel extremely fortunate to have recently travelled to Greece with my sister. My journeys abroad are few: Mexico, Ireland and now Greece. I think Australia is next on the list, but that trip can wait. My travel bug is currently very satiated. I would love to share some observations and ponderings with you about my time in Greece.
One of the first sea salt blends I created when I started my last business, Earth & Sea Salts, was the Greek Blend. Not really knowing a lot about Greek cuisine, I allowed my passion for Greek salads and lamb to be the inspiration for this one. So, you can imagine how bad I wanted to try some things while I was there. I had a list of dishes and beverages I wanted to consume, and my sister allowed me the freedom to strategically choose restaurants so I could joyfully check these things off my list. My list included: octopus, moussaka, souvlaki, gyros, ouzo, greek pizza and yogurt, dolmas, raki and as many greek salads that I could squeeze in my belly.
Lesson #1: While in Greece, do as your server says.
I found the Greek people to be very sincere, in a direct and energy- conserving manner, without much pretense. They seemed to take great pride in their food and offered advice on several occasions. Several servers seemed to have an intuitive hit on my probable dislike of something or if I could eat it all. For example, I really wish I would have listened to our first waiter in Naxos town on the island of Naxos when he told me that the Raki would be too strong for me. Holy cow, was he right! Another time when I ordered moussaka, the waiter warned me that it would be too much for me to eat. However, that was my planned time and place to order moussaka, so I did. It was so savory and filling that I now want to make it for my family holiday dinner, but I couldn’t even eat half of it!
Lesson #2: Work hard but love more!
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