July 2025 – Page 3

Something New

I’ve never seen this in the little villages around here, the bigger cities are a different story altogether. Yesterday brought a different perspective and it was shocking to say the least.

I was looking out the window, it was late afternoon and the wind was picking up speed. Rain was in the forecast and it was a welcome change from the hot and humid days we’ve been having lately. I saw movement at my neighbor’s yard and glancing in that direction, I saw a young boy. He was scrawny and seemed to be around 11 to 12 years of age. His t-shirt was torn and dirty and his eyes had a hollow look about them. He looked to be of Middle Eastern descent.

He was focused on what he was doing. First, he opened the yellow bin which is meant for plastic trash. It was full and he tried opening some of them and then he pulled out a plastic tarp. He quickly laid it out on the ground and folded it carefully. He had a roller close by and he laid it on the seat looking like he had found a piece of treasure. Was he living outdoors? Where? In the woods out in the fields? Thoughts rushed through my mind but I stood frozen watching him. Then his eyes alighted on an empty cookie container. He pulled it out quickly and opened it hopefully. It was empty. I sensed his disappointment. It was at that moment that I wanted to do something. I had cookies and I had half a loaf of bread and all of me wanted to rush out there and to say, “Here, you can have these.” However, I stopped and stood where I was.

He left empty-handed except for that plastic tarp neatly tucked away in his roller. I’ve seen them, the down on their luck people as I call them. You see them all the time in the bigger cities and I always make it a point to give them some money even though I was warned against it. The usual warnings are, “He’s going to use it to buy alcohol,” or “It’s a scam.” My answer, “I did my part and what they do is up to them.” However, this was something new. I’ve never seen people rampaging through trash cans and soup kitchens are not the norm here. So this was concerning and I wondered what his story was.

Later, I told my son about what I had witnessed and he immediately went, “You did the right thing. Do not open the door and do not give them anything!” Sound advice I guess but the heart wants to do something different!

I did take my walk out in the fields today and as I passed the woods, I had my eyes peeled hoping to catch a glimpse of a plastic tarp but there was none. Would he show up again? I don’t know but he has been on my mind.

Have an amazing day.

Empathy, Morality and Honesty

These are things I would like to see more of in our society. We are sorely lacking when it comes to empathy, morality and honesty.

EMPATHY

What is empathy? Barack Obama described it well.

“Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.”

We’ve become a closed door society. Empathy is often nowhere to be seen and we live in a bubble where selfishness reigns supreme. What’s happening out there is none of our business is what we adhere to, but it is. We need to go back to being a kinder and gentler society with caring for our fellowmen front and center.

MORALITY

You know my thoughts on this one, I’ve voiced it often enough! Morality, old-fashioned morality where doing right is a mainstay of a person’s character has flown the coop. These days if they can get away with it, they’re just fine with it. Martin Luther King said:

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

This one holds true even if no one is looking. Unfortunately, modern society is sorely lacking in this aspect. I would like to take morality back in time. I truly feel that going back in time to a more moral society will eradicate a lot of the problems we face today.

HONESTY

“When you walk a life of honesty, you live a life of truth.” Therese Benedict

AND

“Honesty is a very expensive gift. Don’t expect it from cheap people.” Warren Buffett

If you live a honest life, your stories don’t have to keep changing. Unfortunately, this one has flown the coop as well. We live in a world where LIES are aplenty and being paraded as the truth. Just look at the internet. You know as well as I do that there are many out there who hide behind their computers and pretend to be someone they are not. It is easy to do when you are able to hide behind a screen and portray a persona that is far from the truth. Unfortunately, it is what it is in our modern society and I would like to see changes made. Let’s go to the heart of the matter and cut out some of the scamming that is going on in more ways than one.

Those are my top three picks as far as changing modern society. However, I think we are too far gone to reel it back to where we once were. Empathy, morality and honesty needs to make a come back. How? That is the question.

Daily writing prompt

What would you change about modern society?

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Chachi’s Symphony

I call it his symphony, a soft soothing and calming influence. The little guy in the fur coat is my constant companion and from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed, he is there, his eyes trained on me singing his own kind of melody.

I love the soft purring, the deep guttural meow when something doesn’t go his way and the sweet soft whispering of a cat in love. I am used to the sounds by now and when I’m working either around the house or at my computer, those sounds are my daily companion. It is akin to a symphony but it carries more weight than that. Coming from my little companion and best buddy, it makes my heart do a dance unlike any I’ve ever known. It also comes from a source that tells me that I’m his world and he isn’t afraid to show it. Add kisses and cuddles to it and it is a magical symphony that takes me to new heights.

Am I waxing lyrical about the Little Macho? I am. He makes and brings music into my life and just a look from Little Einstein has me singing songs as well! Oh well, that’s what I listen to. The pitter-patter of little feet, the chirps and trills, the purring, the chatters and sometimes a growl or two. They all go to make up Chachi’s symphony and it is absolutely beautiful!

Daily writing prompt

What do you listen to while you work?

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Houston, we’ve got a problem!

Chachi, the cat, hates changes. He’s like his mom in that respect. However, I learned just how steadfastly he holds on to his routines and all that he is used to a couple of days ago.

I love Googling and I came across this article on cats and their feeding utensils. I realized I had been doing it all wrong. They suggested a flat plate for food so that it doesn’t hurt their whiskers. I decided to rectify the situation and pronto! Amazon was on speed dial and the plates were on the way. They arrived the next day.

Little Einstein had his eyes trained on me as I opened the packages. He eyed me suspiciously.

HIM: “What are you up to?!!”

ME: “I promise you’re going to like them.”

HIM: “WHAT?!!”

He came closer and sniffed the package. I took one flat silver-coloured plate out and placed it in front of him.

HIM: “What’s this?!!! If you think I’m going to eat from it, you’ve got another thing coming!”

The battle lines were drawn and I didn’t know it at the time but I was on the losing end!

Evening rolled around and I put his food in the new plates and carried it upstairs. Little Macho followed, his pug-nose showing disdain and a walk that spoke volumes but I wasn’t paying attention. I sat the plates down and with a flourish said, “Wow, brand new plates. They look lovely!”

He turned around and with those big eyes spitting fire, well, it would have if he could, but instead he walked to the plates and proceeded to bury them with his paws. Oops, I was in for a fight but what else is new? So, I went back downstairs and filled the other bowl with water and came back upstairs. Cookie Dough was on the ground thumping his tail.

ME: “You’ll get used to it.”

HIM: “That’s what you think! I’m going on a food and water strike starting NOW!”

The next morning, his food and water were untouched and Little Macho looked grumpy as hell. To make matters worse, he hadn’t done his big or his little stuff! It’s the first time this has happened and I was worried. I was on “Poop and Pee Pee” watch. Nothing was happening and the little thing had a smirk on his face!

Two days later and with no results of either kind, I was more than worried. On Day Three, I gave him his water in the old bowl and the little warrior went to town quenching his thirst. Then he turned to me and looked at the food.

HIM: “What about those? BRING ME BACK MY OLD BOWLS!”

ME: “Buddy, I gave in on the water but you’re stuck with the food plates!”

I got this look of disbelief but he decided to reel it in. He walked to the plate and gingerly took a bite. Then a few more bites and when he had had his fill, he pushed the rest of the food on the floor and trounced out of the room!

A few hours later, I heard him in his toilet. It was like waiting for manna to fall from heaven! When I heard the familiar sounds, I let out a sigh of relief. It was a done deal. I didn’t win the battle but I got a compromise and believe me, you take what you can get where the little guy is concerned and be happy with it.

HIM: “The next time you get one of your bright ideas, check with me first!”

Spoiled? Absolutely.

This Thing Called Love (5)

There was a darkness within her,

A storm behind her eyes,

She was complicated,

But simple,

Brave,

But terrified.

She had the heart of a mighty lion,

But deep inside she cried,

Her face was full of beauty,

Her head was full of lies,

And although the outside was pretty,

She was dead and empty inside.

Julie Addicott

Recognize her? I do. I was like her, one of the “walking dead.” We walk the earth as living, breathing human beings but inside, we are dead as a doornail. We are the ones who can’t let go and the ones who hold on to a past that had us in its grip in more ways than one. The ones who believed that love was forever and when it broke apart, we died inside.

I was that person. My eyes smiled but the inside was a cold and barren place. There was an iciness that no fire could thaw and no love could set ablaze. It was done and I moved slowly taking each day as it came, the guardian of a heart that no longer beat even though it was alive.

It took some time, a long time before I felt the thaw. Life was slowly being breathed back into me again. I don’t know what changed, I only know that I wasn’t afraid to embrace the unknown and I was ready to move forward, slowly but surely.

Then he walked in. We clicked immediately. My insides screamed that I knew him and I knew him well. I put it down to the similar experiences we had shared. He was a world traveler and we could talk for hours about a lot of things. Or could it be the gentle way he looked at me or even the way his hand would reach for mine when I wasn’t expecting it. Sometimes he would reach out and stroke my cheek or even the way we could sit for hours side by side without saying a word but feeling at home there. There was something about him that tugged at my heart. Could it be that he was hiding secrets my heart didn’t see? It was a dance of getting close, and moving apart. It was lovely, chaotic and beautiful all rolled into one. Those feelings I had left behind were front and center again and after having been in the desert of nothingness, I was coming alive with him by my side.

Then one day, he said those words. The ones that made my heart skip a beat. “I LOVE YOU.” It wasn’t said in haste or as an afterthought and it seemed genuine enough but the next day, I would know why he had seemed familiar. He was one of the “walking dead.” When he realized that the feelings he had let die was now taking hold, he ran. I was ready but he wasn’t. We would carry on this dance of reaching out and pulling back, of wanting more but we knew that it was a fire that could sear if we let it burn. We went our separate ways only to return time after time. “We always keep coming back to each other and you’ve always been the one.” Those were his words.

A few weeks ago, he called and we talked, strangers once again. “I need to figure this out,” he said, his voice tinged with confusion. I understood it well. I had been there not too long ago. When he uttered those three little words, I knew that it would be just a matter of time before he would run in a different direction, one that didn’t involve feelings, this much thinking and one that wouldn’t include me. Love is scary when you’ve experienced the destruction it can bring.

I have a tendency to excuse bad behavior and this was more than that. He was unavailable and instead of staying in his lane, he crossed over. Luckily, I had been on my journey of self-discovery for some time and even though it hurt, it didn’t destroy me because I was emerging as a much stronger person than where I had started from.

This thing called love wears many faces and sometimes it hurts like hell. It is also not a, “one size fits all” kind of thing. It has its quirks, it has its ways and sometimes just when you think you’ve found what you’re looking for, it pulls the rug from under you. There’s no rhyme or reason for why this happens and there are no guarantees. Perhaps, it’s because some of us love too hard and go all in only to find that when it leaves with no goodbyes, we die a sudden death, one that leaves you breathing but dead inside.

Sad but this too is a thing called love.

Chicken and Dumplings

Photo by HM Grand Central Hotel on Pexels.com

If there ever was a comfort food, this is it! It is warm, high caloric, and it makes you feel safe and comforted. This is one dish that does all of those things and more! It is the South’s answer for when you are feeling down in the dumps and need some cheering up.

It also gives a sense of security in stressful situations and it activates dopamine, the feel good chemical in your brain. Its hearty satisfying nature is enveloped in a rich thick broth and together with the fluffy dumplings, it can take you places! This dish has its roots in Southern and Midwestern American cuisine and is hard to beat as far as comfort foods go. The key ingredients are chicken, vegetables, chicken broth and all-purpose flour to thicken the broth. Add heavy cream and butter to make the dumplings and you’ve got a one-pot dish that is not only full of flavor but enough to chase the blues away.

I used to love it but these days I cut out the high calorie content plus the dumplings and go just with the chicken and veggies in a thick broth. It is healthier and does the same job of giving comfort on a cold wintry night or when I am feeling under the weather.

Did I mention it is finger-licking good? IT IS!

Daily writing prompt

What’s your go-to comfort food?

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LOL!

A man bought a Mercedes and took it out on the interstate late that night for a test drive to see what she could do so he decided to open her up. As the needle went pass 90 mph he suddenly saw flashing lights behind him. Thinking that a police car couldn’t keep up with a Mercedes he rapidly speeded up to 100, then 110 and finally to 120 with the flashing lights still behind him. Finally, he came to his senses and pulled over. After a minute or two, a big grumpy state trooper came up to the car and after taking his licence and registration said, “I’ve had a really tough shift and this is my last pull over. I don’t want any more paper work tonight, so if you can give me an excuse for your excessive speed that I haven’t heard, I’ll let you go.”

The man said, “Well, last week my wife ran off with a police officer and I was afraid you were trying to give her back.”

What do you think? Good enough excuse? I would have let him go!

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

A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets. As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed her. Without missing a beat, she said, “Sir, I asked to see your ticket, not your stub.”

One smart cookie!

Favorite Games?

Nothing comes to mind! I was never big on card games, board games or video games for that matter. However, I look forward to the Daily Prompt questions because it makes me think and it is a sort of challenge to get something out there. This question had me stumped!

I used to play card games, and my ex and I did play board games with friends. I can’t remember any of those names either, just that they were fun and it was something we did after dinner when we had friends over. That’s about it except that the house was filled with laughter and it was a great way to bond with friends.

Let’s see how the next question goes.

Daily writing prompt

What’s your favorite game (card, board, video, etc.)? Why?

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Seeking Happiness

Are you seeking happiness as I am? If you are then you know that it is elusive and it takes a certain mindset to stay happy. It is a conscious choice and it demands a focus on positive things instead of your external circumstances. Experts say, it is about “choosing to focus on what is good and finding joy in everyday moments.”

How many of us do exactly that only to find that when something unforeseen shows up and rattles the boat and off we go right back to, “the glass is half-empty stuff.” It goes downhill from there, at least it does with me.

“Happiness is homemade, create it everyday.” Unknown

You have to create this elusive commodity. It’s not going to walk in and make itself known. Well, it could but it takes work on your part to get you in the happy mode and to stay that way.

Wearing a smile on your face helps. It’s like tricking your mindset into thinking that the “happy hormones” are at play so it must be alright to get and feel happy. What are the happy hormones? They are dopamine, serotonin, endorphins and oxytocin. These hormones “play a key role in regulating mood, pleasure, and overall well-being.”

How do you boost the happy foursome?

Physical activity helps. A healthy diet definitely helps to get you on the way and to activate the happy hormones. Mindfulness and relaxation helps. Things like meditation, deep breathing and nature walks help as well. I do all of those things so why is “happiness” eluding my so called existence and only shows up now and then?

“Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it will elude you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.” Unknown

You’ve got to be kidding me! Stop chasing and it will show up? I think it takes more than that for happiness to come knocking on your door. According to the University of New Hampshire Psychological and Counseling Services, here are some strategies to help you find happiness.

Focus upon problem-solving, not just venting.

Take time to build quality relationships with supportive people.

Count your blessings and practice gratitude.

Take time to engage in random acts of kindness.

Practice compassion and empathy.

Be kind to yourself, rather than overly-critical or perfectionistic.

Set meaningful goals.

Appreciate what you already have.

Avoid the temptation to complain and reinforce negativity.

If all else fails, remember that your happiness depends on you.

“The best gift you could give yourself is the permission to be happy.” Unknown

Start your day right. Wear a smile, do a happy dance, and TRY to keep the negatives at bay. A day at a time and who knows you might just become the happiest person on the planet!

Have an amazing day.

My Repertoire of Foods

I’ve picked up a lot of recipes from my travels around the world. The travels weren’t just about getting to know another culture but it was also about the variety of food that was offered. I was pretty adventurous as far as food was concerned so I always made it a point to try everything once although there were times when I had to say an absolute NO!

Anyway, I’ve perfected this German recipe and I’ve made it several times for my son, ex, and just recently for a friend. It is pretty simple but delicious. A casserole with a bed of spinach, frozen or fresh, it doesn’t matter, I prefer fresh. Then you add salmon fillets and the best part is this creamy sauce that goes over the whole thing. It is smooth, scrumptious and melt in your mouth good. Bake it in an oven till the top is slightly browned and serve it with just about anything. I served it with Mexican rice last week and it went over well. The message I got said, “Food was delicious!” It is delicious and doesn’t take much effort at all but you come off looking like a winner. This is one dish that I would like to keep making and each time I tweak it to make it better. This last time I added some chili, not too much, and it turned out perfect.

The other thing I wanted to try was this thing called Tuna Melt. I picked this recipe up in Tennessee and loved it but my son went crazy over it and it is one of his favorite foods. I must say, Tennesseans know their food well. It is not always healthy but some of their stuff is finger-licking good! The tuna mixture is creamy and topped on a wholewheat bread roll and baked in the oven till the grated cheese melts and it is ready to go. Not much effort here either but it is delicious and when my son comes home once in a while, it’s the thing he asks for. He places the order a week in advance!

I have a big repertoire of foods I have picked up from around the world but the two I mentioned stand out for their easy-peasy way of putting a great dish on the table in record time. I don’t cook much these days. Chachi, the cat, gets canned food and as for myself, I’m into healthy foods and most days, no creams, no sauces, lots of veggies and something that I can whip up in a flash without going to too much trouble.

What foods would I like to make? Nothing much really. I’ve cooked just about anything and now it is time for rest and relaxation! Oh well, the single life does have its perks I suppose.

Daily writing prompt

What foods would you like to make?

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