April 2025 – Page 4

The Simple Things (Archives)

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I woke up this morning ready to enjoy the day and to make the simple things count. Doing the mundane things first like having breakfast, my first cup of coffee, getting ready, cleaning up, I decided that it was time to do what I enjoy the most.

It was still pretty early when my furry four-legged friend reminded me that it was time to get up and get the day started. Looking outside, it looked like it was going to be a fantastic spring day. The cherry tree out front was in full bloom and it was a sight to behold. The sun was taking its time showing up this morning but that wasn’t going to deter me. I could feel the call of the wide-open fields as it does every morning so it was on with my walking shoes, a light jacket sans scarf and off I went.

The fields were as they always are, welcoming, serene and beautiful but only now they were wearing their spring outfits and it suited them just fine. The pink and white blossoms were glorious and the green fields simply full of life. Everything was coming alive taking its cue from Mother Nature. As I approached slowly taking in the sights and sounds that is familiar to me, I took the well-worn path and headed towards the apple trees. There was no one in sight and that is exactly how I like it.

The sky was littered with puffy white clouds and up above a slight drone of an airplane could be heard. On one side of the pathway, a duck pair had taken permanent residence or at least for a short while. They quacked in unison as I walked by acknowledging my presence or simply saying hello. A few feet away, two crows were cawing raucously their voices rough and not too pleasant as a silver-streaked hawk sat close-by watching them with glee in its eyes. I looked for the rabbits that I had seen the other day, they had been hopping and jumping and chasing each other but today they were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps it was too cold and they were tucked away deep in their burrows enjoying the warmth in their cozy hideaways.

Further up the path, both sides were green with oilseed rape plants their stalks heavy with bloom and soon the brilliant yellow will appear and when framed against the bright blue skies, an absolutely gorgeous sight indeed. The apple trees are just starting to bud and coming awake from their winter’s sleep and soon the pink and white blossoms will fill the air with their sweet scent for all to enjoy.

Nature has a wonderful way of reminding us that the simple things are still the best things that life has to offer and in so doing it anchors us to where we need to be. Leave it to Mother Nature to teach us that everything has a time and place and combined with patience, it will show itself as it was intended.

It was a great walk and I felt like a million dollars after having indulged in the simplest of things which helped to make my soul soar and that my friends is my start to a wonderful day ahead. I hope!

“The most simple things can bring the most happiness. If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.” Unknown

Have an amazing day.

A Place I Never Want to Visit

I don’t think there is such a place. Places are interesting and I love the excitement of seeing something new, experiencing the food culture and the people as a whole. I used to travel a lot but those days are over with and traveling is on the back burner now.

I really can’t think of any place I wouldn’t want to visit. Every place has something interesting to offer and I guess with the good sometimes comes the bad as well. I have nothing more to say on this topic and that is rare because I usually have a lot to say! Oh well, next question please!

Daily writing prompt

What place in the world do you never want to visit? Why?

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Yesterday (Archives)

Someone once said, you are NOT yesterday. True but the stories we tell ourselves, the narratives that we trap ourselves in sometimes tell us that we are. Yesterday does carry some weight because it helps to define who we are today. The memories of yesterday can mold or break us, it can teach us not to do the same things over and over again and more often than not, it gives us the strength to carry on. The truth of the matter is that we cannot rewrite history and we cannot go back and change the outcome of a story that happened and is now done with. Yesterday is just that, it was and is a part of our past and except for the revisits from time to time of well-kept memories, it is nothing more than that. It is a story that is finished, it has taken its final bow or curtain call and so must we by letting it go.

This is what I tell myself on the journey I am on. I can’t keep carrying yesterday on my back or like an albatross around my neck. The load is heavy and it makes me want to stop, turn around and run back to what was familiar even if that familiarity has the power to hurt like hell. The unknown before me is terrifying and anything is better than this right? What’s before is shrouded in fog, it is dark and foreboding and forging through it takes superhuman effort but the small negative voice within me which at times roars like a waterfall tells me that I can’t do it! Take small steps, one step at a time, you don’t have to know everything, just trust and you will get there says this other shaky voice but there are no other options, moving forward is where I need to go.

Sometimes it is the boundaries we place around ourselves that trap us, that tell us that the imaginary world we live in is so much better than what is waiting out there. Sure it was painful but there was greatness too. It was filled with things I knew and cherished, in one word, it is irreplaceable. The stories we tell ourselves are the fences we place around us. Was yesterday that great? Did we embellish it like a Christmas tree to make it sparkle and shine when the reality is a different story? Do the stories we tell ourselves distort reality and yet it is the truth as we see it or is it because we want to see it that way?

Harold R. Johnson said, “We are all story. We are the stories we are told and we are the stories we tell ourselves. To change our circumstances, we need to change our story: edit it, modify it, or completely rewrite it.”

I don’t want to completely rewrite my past. I want to take the good parts with me, the bad parts I want to thank for teaching me lessons I would not have learned otherwise and the pain? Well, I want to leave that behind where it belongs. Enough tears have been shed, enough wishing that it could have been different has not made it less so and closing the door behind me and moving on is the way to go. The next chapter is waiting and yesterday is done with.

“Forget yesterday – it has already forgotten you. Don’t sweat tomorrow – you haven’t even met. Instead, open your eyes and heart to a truly precious gift – today.” Steve Maraboli

Here’s to yesterday. You taught me lessons I didn’t want to learn but had to accept. You gave me memories I will forever treasure. You made me who I am today and for that I will forever be thankful.

Today is a blank slate.

Have an amazing day.

Something Positive

Both mom and dad have done positive things to further who I am and how I react to the world around me. However, I think it is dad who did something I will never forget and taught me to respect each and every individual regardless of skin color, ethnicity or race.

I remember I was fifteen at the time just emerging out of my tomboy phase. My close girlfriend was a Hindu. She invited me to go along to her temple for Pooja. It stands for worship and paying homage to the gods. I was into different cultures and learning as much about them was my goal at the time. I went along but it was very different from what I was used to as a Christian girl. Church was a sedate affair, however, the temple was different. It was noisy and the colors boomed with vibrancy and it was very crowded. Statues caught my eyes and they were painted in bright colors as well. We walked in and immediately we had to remove our shoes, then we had to break a coconut. It was followed by lighting incense and bowing to the deities and there were other things but I don’t quite remember them all now.

I did what was asked of me but I couldn’t wait to get back home. Once home, I walked in and blurted out to my dad, “It was so strange! I don’t know about Hinduism but it is not my thing!” Actually I used the term, “pagan” to get my point across, belligerence showing on my young face. Dad pinned me with his no nonsense gaze and said, “It is no different from our religion. Yes, they do things a little differently but they are praying to God. It’s all the same.” That took the wind out of my sails! I spent the rest of the evening thinking about what he had said and unknown to him he had taught me “tolerance” that day and that lesson has stood the test of time.

Perhaps, he taught me a bigger lesson and that is to RESPECT every person, every culture and every religion. I’m teaching my son to do the same thing. Here’s the thing, tolerance is not taught in schools, it begins at home.

Daily writing prompt

Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.

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LOL!

Here are two more jokes to tickle your funny bone. I think they are funny but you may think otherwise.

A man buys a lie detector robot that slaps people who lie. He decides to test it at dinner. He asks his son, “Son, where were you today during school hours?”

Son: “At school.”

The robot slaps the son. “Okay, I went to the movies!” The fathers asks, “Which one?”

Son: “Harry Potter.”

The robot slaps the son again. “Okay, I was watching porn!” The father replies, “What?” When I was your age I didn’t even know what porn was!” The robot slaps the father. The mom chimes in, “Haha! After all, he is your son!” The robot slaps the mother.

*************************************************************

A man is driving down the road. A woman is driving down the same road from the opposite direction. As they pass each other, the woman leans out the window and yells, “PIG!” The man immediately leans out his window and yells, “BITCH!” They each continue on their way, and as the man rounds the next curve, he crashes into a huge PIG in the middle of the road.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

If only men would listen.

Amen to that!

My Favorite Restaurant

I have many but I’ll go with one I haven’t written about yet. It is a hole in the wall type of place with very little sitting room and with loud Vietnamese music blaring in the background. Most people place their orders and pick up their food. So the restaurant is not crowded although at certain times of the day it is full and noisy. It does not have a cozy atmosphere but that’s only in your mind!

The location is close to a train station so they get a lot of traffic but it has gained a reputation for having good food at cheap prices. You would think that the food might be of a less than good quality but you’re wrong there. I’ve had some of the best meals at this restaurant. The couple who run the place are from Vietnam and they have your normal variety of main dishes, soups and noodles but unfortunately they don’t have Pho. Strange for a Vietnamese restaurant. I know the couple well so once I asked why no Pho dishes? The wife said it is time-consuming to make. The rest of the menu is mouth-wateringly good!

I’ve taken many friends to this restaurant and each time I was told that the food there is really good and delicious. The moral of the story is: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

Daily writing prompt

What is your favorite restaurant?

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Groundhog’s Day (Archives)

This particular phenomenon is defined as “a situation in which the same usually negative or monotonous experiences occur repeatedly or are felt to occur repeatedly with no change or correction.”

In the movie, Phil (Bill Murray), a weatherman finds himself trapped in a time warp and he is doomed to relive the same day over and over again UNTIL he gets it right.

“If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old.” Peter Drucker

Ever felt like you’re reliving an experience over and over again? I have and it is not only a bad feeling but getting off that roller coaster is sometimes hard to do. I’ve asked myself why am I here again? Did I not work through this already? I thought I was heading towards something better but it is the same old runaround and the same old Deja Vu feeling.

“Life is from the inside out. When you shift on the inside, life shifts on the outside.” Kamal Ravikant

Perhaps that right there is the problem in a nutshell. I did not shift or change from the inside but was just pretending like I had. According to http://www.boro.ac.uk, the reason can be found in the way our “brain processes information and creates templates that we refer to again and again. The templates are essentially shortcuts, which help us make decisions in the real world. They are known as heuristics and they make us repeat our errors.”

Too complicated? I think so too. Another expert had this to say: “the neural pathways are programmed such that every time we remember a past mistake, the brain heads back down the previous pathway.”

Oh God, this is even worse! I don’t want my brain remembering every mistake I made! The goal is to never repeat those mistakes again. However, no matter how hard I try I feel like the proverbial horse being led to drink from a pond I don’t want to. Perhaps, I have no control over the matter because those mistakes have already been pre-programmed into my inner core and there is nothing I can do about it. If that is the case, it is Groundhog’s Day over and over again. How awful is that?!!

It is time to make some drastic changes. The moral of Groundhog’s Day was:

“If you’re tired of reliving the same day repeatedly, something must change – and it’s up to you.”

According to the experts, if you’re finding yourself in “bad” relationships then recognizing “those past relationship mistakes and patterns can make a big difference in your future.” How do you stop making those same mistakes? Are there certain patterns or specific types who are not good for you?

Here are some problem-solvers:

Make small changes. Humans are creatures of habit and therefore comfortable with what is not necessarily good for us. Change doesn’t happen overnight but breaking those negative patterns one piece at a time might lead you in the right direction.

Practice self-care and don’t beat yourself up over mistakes you’ve made. Bad relationships can damage your self-esteem so be extra kind and gentle to yourself. Meditate, exercise, do yoga but more importantly take all that wasted energy and dedicate it to yourself.

Give yourself time to heal – don’t jump into the next relationship, give yourself time to heal.

Then there are three basic attachment styles: Insecure-avoidant, Insecure-anxious and Securely attached. The first two struggle and see themselves as being not enough. Both these types struggle with vulnerability. The Securely-attached might have the same problems as the first two but they embrace their vulnerability and are ready to accept and receive comfort, security and safety which helps to quiet the negative voices within them. Unfortunately, I belong to the first two attachment types. All fine and good but how do I outsmart my brain and get rid of that template which keeps bringing me back to the same place over and over again? I know that this is going to be a long process and a hard journey but I am bent on breaking the cycle. It is time to move on and to get it right!

“You are the author of your own story. If you don’t like where this chapter is going, it’s OK to start a new one.”

BUT, I like this one better.

“Life is tough my darling, but so are you.” Stephanie Bennett Henry

HAVE AN AMAZING DAY

Raising Chachi

When my son left home to further his studies, I became an empty nester. Not for long because a short while later in walks this bundle of fur in the arms of a friend. This well-meaning friend thought I needed company and so it began.

Raising Chachi hasn’t been easy. The little guy in the fur coat knew what he was about and he also knew that the human stood no chance against him. He was right. However, the battle of wills doesn’t go unnoticed by me. He has all the bargaining power and me none. Recently I noticed that I’m running circles around him and he gets everything he wants.

The little Macho dictates and I follow! It’s not his fault because all he has to do is walk in on furred feet, look at me with those huge green eyes and I kowtow to his cuteness! What follows next is a barrage of kisses from me to him. I see the look in his eyes and I know that he knows, he’ll get anything he wants. There is no disciplining him because he marches to a different drumbeat, one that says, “She is putty in my paws!”

Two days ago, I came down with a cold so I decided to spend as much time as possible in bed. Chachi wasn’t having any of it! Healthy or not, it was time to get up at the given time. His alarm clock goes off at 5:30! This morning, he started his usual meow and dance right next to me on the bedside table. I ignored him and burrowed deeper into the warm blanket. It was a no go. After three tries, he started growling softly! So I turned around and said, “You don’t tell me when I should get out of bed!”

He jumped off the table and started meowing as if to say, “Yes I DO!” Instead of telling him where he could go with his demands, I obliged and dragged myself out of bed. He crawled into his cushion by the kitchen window and I went back upstairs with my coffee and breakfast. After half an hour, I crawled under the covers again. All was peaceful and just as I was dozing off, I heard, “Mommy! Mommy!” I swear he has it down pat. His meow sounds like he is saying, “Mommy!” Then I hear the pitter-patter of little feet and he’s back upstairs. Walking to the bed, he lets out a huff and a puff, jumps on the bed barely missing my face and snorts, “Mommy!”

ME: “What is it? Mommy needs to sleep.”

HIM: “No, you don’t! You’re just lazy!”

ME: “Chachi, go play with your toys!”

HIM: “No, mommy! Get up!”

I wanted to wring that cute little neck of his but instead said, let’s cuddle.

HIM: “NO! NO! NO!”

Suddenly he makes this weird sound and jumps over my head, lands on the other side and takes off. He was having the time of his life but I had had enough! I got out of bed and he took off running and I swear it sounded like a giggle! After a few tries, I caught him and staring into his unapologetic eyes I said, “I’m going to send you to cat behavioral training classes!”

HIM: “There’s no such thing!”

He’s right so I lugged him back to bed, covered him up with half the blanket, gave him a few kisses, cuddled up and he settled down.

Let me tell you, I didn’t have this much trouble with my son or maybe I did! I’m a lost cause where the little bugger is concerned but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

He is snoring like a lumberjack, content with his place in life. I, on the other hand, need to learn to work around the spoiled brat and I really need to raise him better. I see him watching me as if to say, “You’re doing a great job mom. No need to worry.”

Yes, from your mouth to God’s ears!

Have an amazing day.

Where Do I See Myself in Ten Years?

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Give me a crystal bowl and I will tell you! I don’t know is the answer. I hope better than where I am now. Hopefully the journey of self-discovery will be complete and like that caterpillar, I would emerge with wings ready to face the world anew. Hopefully it wouldn’t take ten years to do it!

I am staying in the present for now and leaving yesterday where it belongs but I am taking the lessons I learned with me. The future is blurry and I’m not looking in that direction although it does creep in now and then. My goal is to make each day count. I can’t change yesterday and tomorrow is not a given so all I have is today and I am content knowing that.

Ten years from now? I hope I have the special someone by my side but even if that doesn’t happen, it will be alright. It is not about the search for the guy, it is about finding myself, the one I lost a long time ago. I liked her, this happy carefree person who had a lot to laugh about. Who knows, ten years from now I might say, I’ve found her again. Fingers and toes crossed!

Daily writing prompt

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

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Springtime Magic!

“Spring is the time when the world is filled with magic and everything feels possible.” Unknown

I’m down with a cold and it is not a good thing. I hate being sick so staying in bed and watching mindless “Reality TV” is not my thing either and neither is downing hot soup spiked with chili! A small trick my mom taught me as a young girl and mom had magic in her fingertips! She would fix me a hot steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup with loads of chili in it, then she would wrap me in a blanket and leave me to dehydrate! Hours later, I would be up and about feeling much better. I’ve got news for you mom, it’s not working now!

Anyway, I’m taking the less drastic route. Just some tea, lots of fruit and giving my system lots of time to recuperate. Is it working? Let’s wait and see. Coming back to the topic at hand, it is spring and it is blooming flowers! The sun is shining and I’m sitting out back with a cup of coffee and taking it all in. It is a time when “the earth laughs in flowers.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

I don’t have a huge garden, it is big enough to grow stuff in and small enough to keep things in order. I can see it needs work. Winter has left its mark and the dried leaves and twigs need to be swept up and room needs to be made for the “new” to creep in. The tulips are in bloom and their beautiful colorful heads are swaying in the light breeze. The medium-sized tree is full of wonderful white blossoms but for the life of me, I can’t recall what it is called. I know that if you sit out back when early evening rolls around, the scent is mesmerizing. The huge Magnolia tree is in full bloom and its pink and white flowers are a sight to behold. The lone apple tree is greening and there are lots of pink and white buds on it. Perhaps, a bumper crop this year? Don’t hold your breath! This particular tree has a mind of its own. Last year, it teased with lots of flowers but the output was next to nothing. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will do better this year. However, the thing that blew my mind this morning is the cherry tree. I’ve been keeping it trimmed so that it doesn’t get too out of control but it is taking it in stride. The tree is covered in white blossoms! More cherries than last year? Last year, I got two. They were firm and sweet but I’m hoping for more this year.

There is definitely magic in the air. The sky is a glorious blue, the sun is warming and the “flowering” tells me all things are possible where nature is concerned. What about from the human side? Unfortunately, that needs a little more work but “magic” is contagious so I’m hoping it is catching! Time for another cup of tea before I crawl back into bed!

“Your mind is a garden, your thoughts are the seeds, you can grow flowers……or weeds.” Unknown

Have an amazing day.