September 2025 – Page 5

Mood Boosters (Archives)

Quotes have the ability to boost up your mood, they can also help you out of the doldrums and just a dose can put a pep in your step and get you going. Here are a few of my favorites to put a positive spin on your day. Enjoy!

“The pages of yesterday cannot be revised. But the pages of tomorrow are blank – and you hold the pen. Make it an inspiring story.” NotSalmon.com

“Don’t worry. Just when you think your life is over, a new story line falls from the sky and lands right in your lap.” Rebekah Crane

Here’s the problem. I don’t want a new story line, I want the old one with a view to the finish line! Doable?

“To be a champ you have to believe in yourself when no one else will.” Sugar Ray Robinson

“Problems are like washing machines. They twist, they spin and knock us around. But in the end, we come out cleaner, brighter and better than before.” Unknown

Fingers and toes crossed and hoping!

“I love it when the coffee kicks in and I realize what an adorable badass I’m going to be today.” Unknown

Coffee does the trick every time!

“Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.” Marilyn vos Savant

Never ever give UP!

“Every morning starts a new page in your story. Make it a good one today.” Doe Zantamata

What are you writing in yours today?

“The most courageous decision that you can make each day is to be in a good mood.” Voltaire

This is a hard one but I start with a smile on my face.

Look at the stars……

“It won’t fix the economy. It won’t stop wars. It won’t give you flat abs, or better sex or even help you figure out your relationship and what you want to do with your life. But it’s important. It helps you remember that you and your problem are both infinitesimally small and conversely, that you are a piece of an amazing and vast universe.” Kate Bartolotta

How amazing is that?

AND FINALLY:

“Life is short. SMILE while you still have teeth.” Unknown

Have an amazing day.

Celebrating Holidays

One of the things about leading a “recluse” lifestyle is that holidays don’t matter much anymore. The days are rolled into one and when once holidays meant a big deal, it is now stress-free and peaceful.

Nowadays, holidays are just another day to me. I wake up, go about getting what needs to be done and sometimes I have a special meal meaning I spend some time cooking instead of throwing something together. Back when I celebrated holidays like my life depended on it, it was chaotic and peace was nowhere to be seen. Now, it drones on but it is much better this way. However, Christmas is the exception. I do decorate the house not with a ton of lights like I used to but toned down to a bare minimum. I do spend time picking out presents, gift-wrapping is done with my eyes closed and it looks that way too! I’m not good at wrapping presents but who cares.

If my son happens to show up, then there is a special meal planned. Otherwise, it is just Chachi, the cat, and yours truly and we go about the day as just another day. I love spending time alone and I don’t mind sharing it with Chachi so all is fine and good. I am getting so used to this lifestyle that I think when the right guy shows up, he’ll have a hard time adjusting. Chachi will definitely put up a fight and me? I don’t really know. I only know that I like it like it is now.

Daily writing prompt

How do you celebrate holidays?

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Cooking at Its Worst!

I was 13 and in Asia at the time. My best friend, Juliana, was like a puppy who followed me around and looked up to me. I was a troublemaker and got her into trouble in more ways than one.

One day, her parents were at work and she was hungry. So I decided to cook her something. I was just learning to get a handle on cooking and my baking attempts took off splendidly! However, cooking was something else. I wanted to do a stir-fry. We went to the garden and gathered what we could find. I decided that the banana flower would do just fine. The banana flower “is a delicacy in many parts of Southeast Asian countries.” I didn’t know it at the time but it looked good enough to eat, luckily it wasn’t poisonous!

We went into her kitchen or rather her mom’s kitchen and started chopping up things. I had the rice going and turned on the stove and it worked just fine. So far, so good. When the pan was hot enough, I throw in the ingredients with a great big smile on my face but Julie wasn’t so sure. She had a look of fear on her face. She should since I had got her into trouble more times than I can remember!

Anyway, I seasoned the dish, put a cover on the pan and went to play. It got boring so we decided to take a walk. You guessed it! We came back with smoke billowing out of the windows! Long story short, I was banned from her house for about a week or so. I took it in stride but poor Julie was under house arrest! The one week went by quickly enough and we were back to being best friends again.

The cooking attempt was an epic fail. I must say I am a good cook and these days I do burn some dishes BUT that first cooking attempt taught me a lesson, keep your eye on what you are doing. However, writing is a distraction and once in a while, I forget until the smoke alarm goes off!

Daily writing prompt

Write about your most epic baking or cooking fail.

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Raincoat Weather

Looks like rain moved in and it had rained last night. I had planned on a long walk this morning but had to think twice about being out there in the fields with the winds picking up speed. I looked for my raincoat that I bought last year but never had a chance to wear and it was just taking up space in my cupboard.

Today, I reached for it. It is a black and white striped number that has sweatshirt material sewn into the hoodie. Nice looking and since I was hell-bent on going for a walk, I slipped it on, paired it with a pair of maroon sweats and grey boots. Piling my long hair on my head and fastening it with a clip, face bare of anything except for a light lip conditioner and I was ready to go.

The wind was blustery as I approached the fields. The indigo-colored clouds seemed to be holding more rain. They were moving in waves across the mountains. Nothing else was moving out there except for the occasional crow flying overhead and the pigeons grazing in the fields. The farmers had done a good job of clearing away the cornfields and the rapeseed plants were down to the roots.

I walked hands shoved into my pockets. It wasn’t cold but the wind was strong and I was glad I had my hair up because the wind was doing a job picking out strands as they whipped around my face. Something about the wind when it pulls and tugs. I like the feel of it brushing against my face. All was quiet today except for the cawing of a lone crow or two. Fall was definitely moving in on silent feet. Soon the leaves will start to turn and then they will fall and gather on the ground. It will be colder and much nicer for walks!

The walk took all of 40 minutes but my mind is clearer, my thoughts are taking shape and I am thankful for a brand new day. I know not what this day will hold and if it will be good or bad. However, I know I am equipped to handle whatever comes my way just as nature is doing.

Have an amazing day.

Know Your Worth!

This is a nice one. I read it somewhere and it made me sit up and take notice because quite often we let our “value” go unnoticed and settle for way less than we are worth.

A father said to his son, “You graduated with honors. Here is a Volkswagen Beetle that I bought many years ago….it is over 50 years old, but before I give it to you, take it to a dealership downtown and ask how much they are offering you.”

The son went to the dealership, came back to his father and said, “They offered me $10,000 because it looks very used.” The father said, “Take it to the pawn shop.”

The son went to the pawn shop, came back and said, “They only offered me $1,000 because they say it is too old.”

Finally, the father asked his son to take the car to a classic car club and show it there. The son took the car to the club, came back and said, “Some people at the club offered me $100,000 because it is a very rare car and sought after among the members.”

The father said to his son, “I wanted you to understand that the right place appreciates you in the right way. If they don’t value you, don’t be angry, it just means you’re in the wrong place. Those who know your value are the ones who truly appreciate you. Never stay in a place where they don’t recognize your value!

Know your worth, know your value and if you are not appreciated, LEAVE The right person will know your worth and will appreciate you for who you are.

Have an amazing day.

Loosen Up!

A girlfriend said to me recently, “You need to loosen up! Unbutton a few buttons on that blouse of yours and show a little skin if you want to have some fun! That’s exactly where your problem lies.”

Uptight? Perhaps, she is right. However, the lady is no saint! This bit of advice needs to be taken with a pinch or two of salt! However, I do think that she has something there. I wish I had learned not to be a stick in the mud much earlier. I’ve been called many names but the one that stands out is “stick in the mud” although others call me “complicated” as well.

I think I am both. I am prim and proper, I don’t drink, smoke or do any of the other stuff that “fun” is equated with. Life was made difficult by sticking to those rigid rules. Do I regret them? Not really but it could have been easier I guess if I had learned to let go just a little. Letting go was one lesson that took the wind out of my sails. If I had not been so stubborn and had loosened up when it was needed, I guess the letting go part would have been easier.

My message to those of you who hold on to your principles and think there is no other way, try loosening up just a little. I learned many painful lessons being the way I am and I tell myself it is okay BUT sometimes I wonder if life and the lessons I had to learn could have been a tad easier. Perhaps…..

Daily writing prompt

Share a lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life.

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Mandy Hale Quotes (Archives)

Mandy Hale is a blogger turned New York Times bestselling author and speaker. She is also the creator of the Social Media movement, “The Single Woman.” Mandy has made a name for herself by empowering women with her quotes that speak to the heart of the matter. However, the self-help relationship guru remarried her toxic/narcissist ex who broke her heart many times over. She has written many books and articles about the emotional abuse and betrayals she suffered in that relationship. So WHY go back to him? Nobody knows for sure but ‘love’ does work in mysterious ways and sometimes to the detriment of ‘SELF’ and all that matters! It doesn’t change the power her quotes have to change your mindset. Here are some of them to get your day started.

“Sometimes it takes a heartbreak to shake us awake to help us see we are worth so much more than we’re settling for.”

“Don’t waste words on people who deserve your silence. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can say is nothing at all.”

“You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens.”

“Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.”

“Sometimes you have to move on without certain people. If they’re meant to be in your life, they’ll catch up.”

“You’re beautiful, just the way you are. Shine on, and dare anyone to turn off your lights.”

“Never forget that walking away from something unhealthy is BRAVE, even if you stumble a little on your way out the door.”

“Just be yourself. Let people see the real imperfect, flawed, quirky, weird, beautiful, magical person that you are.”

“Learn to be alone and to like it. There is nothing more freeing and empowering than learning to like your own company.”

My favorite:

You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you look. (This is a hard one for me.) Dance as though everybody is watching. March to the beat of your own drummer. And stubbornly refuse to fit in.

YOU ARE ENOUGH AS YOU ARE.

Have an amazing day!

My Favorite Foods

Photo by Kavya Pothabattula on Pexels.com

If I had to break it down, I would say that I love Chinese food without the sugar and the MSG. It is hard to find because most Chinese food do contain added sugar and MSG (although MSG is not the norm nowadays) but sometimes they still do add it to make the food taste great.

There was one restaurant stateside run by a Malaysian couple and it was always full and people were queuing up to get a taste of the most delicious dishes to come out of that restaurant. I was one of those people. I later found out that the secret was in what they added to every dish. It was none other than MSG. It goes by the name “China Salt” in some countries and has been linked to different forms of toxicity. The food was great nonetheless.

I love Indian food. Biryani is at the top of the list and the other flavor profiles are not that bad either. I am in love with Masala Dosa. A pancake stuffed with spicy potatoes. Simple and yet mouth-wateringly delicious. There is one restaurant here that serves this dish, authentic style, meaning it also comes with all the side dishes including a dhal curry. Finger-licking good!

Indonesian food is spicy but they, the Indonesians, have a knack for taking the simplest ingredients and turning it into a feast fit for a king or queen! Egg sambal was one of my favorites and the other, an eggplant dish that was sweet and sour but out of this world!

I stay away from heavy carbs so noodles, pasta, thick sauces and anything that is not good for my health are not on my list of favorite foods. I do eat it now and then or let’s just say once in a blue moon. I’m not a fan of Sushi either, it tastes great but raw fish is not my thing. Pizza belongs to the not so often category. Nothing against the food types or the cuisine, they are just not in my healthy lifestyle way of living and so it is delegated to the sidelines just like cheesecake is for the time being!

I think I am not picky as far as food goes. I’ve tried some stuff that I don’t want to talk about here and though tasty, I wouldn’t do it again! Chinese, Indian, and Indonesian are my favorite picks as far as food goes. Veggies, fruits, proteins mainly fish and grains but I cut back on meat. Meat shows up once a week but I don’t crave it. A healthy lifestyle requires sacrifice but I don’t see it as such. Just a way of living that helps with keeping your body and mind running like a well-oiled machine!

Daily writing prompt

What are your favorite types of foods?

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Fragments of Yesterday (Archives)

“And then, just like that, my heart broke. My face crumpled, my composure went and I held him tightly and I stopped caring that he could feel the shudder of my sobbing body because grief swamped me. It overwhelmed me and tore at my heart and my stomach and my head and it pulled me under, and I couldn’t bear it. I honestly thought I couldn’t bear it.” Jojo Moyes

That last line held me in its grip and I went along for the ride for as long as it took. “I couldn’t bear it,” was my mantra when the dream splintered into a thousand pieces and lay in fragments at my feet. “This couldn’t be happening to me!” was my other cry but none of that mattered because the end had arrived and there was no going back to what was.

Cheating is one of the most despicable things one human being can do to another. If truth be told, it happens all the time. It has become a norm in this easy come, easy go world of ours. When it happens, you find yourself going under, and in my case I lost my best friend, a long-time life partner I had known and trusted for a long time. The aftermath is hard to describe. I went from a confident woman to someone I didn’t recognize anymore. There was sadness and of course tears but that line, “I couldn’t bear it,” was the slogan that kept me in the hole that someone else had dug for me.

However, let me tell you, YOU are fully capable of bearing it! It may seem like all is lost and you may feel like you’re looking at absolute darkness but I assure you that you’ll find your way into the light as I did. It took courage, strength, forgiving yourself for what wasn’t your fault and to slowly rise again. Rise again you must because you have no other choice! Let me also tell you that you are enough and those “fragments” of a shattered heart will learn to mend itself. You will learn to look at love and life through different glasses and the next time around when love walks in, you will know better.

“Over the years, confusing fragments, lost corners of stories, have a clearer meaning when seen in a new light, a different place.” Michael Ondaatje

I’ve changed from that young and trusting person I used to be. I thought love once yours would remain forever. I gave my trust to a man who had vowed to love me forever, had called me the love of his life and because best friends don’t hurt each other, I had thought we would make it to the very end. Wrong!

However, I can’t change what I want.

“And that was the cause of my heartache. I wanted everything or nothing at all. I’m not impressed by bits, parts, or almost. I’m a seeker of that which is whole, full, and complete. Completely mine or completely not.” Unknown

If that is in the cards for me is left to be seen. Only time will tell. You can overcome the insurmountable and even though you will carry those scars for a lifetime, you are built to survive. You are strong, you are resilient and you are beautiful. I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror after it happened. I felt UGLY! It took time to overcome that as well.

Cheating causes emotional turmoil, mental health issues, a trust deficit, low self-esteem and sometimes PTSD-like symptoms. Sounds daunting doesn’t it? IT IS! However, the YOU within is capable of overcoming pain and resilient enough to overcome the challenges that it entails.

“You’re not broken. You’re just becoming. Unfolding slowly – like petals in spring. Give yourself time. ”

AND

“What sticks to memory, often are those odd little fragments that have no beginning and no end….” Tim OBrien

Be kind to yourself, love yourself, build yourself up and learn that those “fragments” which were part of your yesterday can help you towards a better tomorrow. Here’s the thing, YOU CAN BEAR IT!

Have an amazing day.

Walk or Run?

I’m not a jogger. When I was younger, I used to jog but I stopped it because I read somewhere that it was hard on your joints and has a tendency to cause problems later on.

Then I started walking. I realized that I loved walking especially in the early morning hours. When I was 14, the neighborhood kids would meet up at my place and we would go walking, sometimes as long as 3 miles. It didn’t seem that long because we were among friends and with the talking and laughing, it seemed much shorter. After the walk, we would lie on a meadow and watch the sun come up. Wonderful days that I would love to repeat again.

These days, I walk almost every day. When it rains, I put it aside and do something else. However, not a day goes by without some form of activity. Indoors I stick to my workouts which include yoga, fusion, Pilates or whatever is in but it is a daily affair. Coming back to walking, I love nature and whenever I’m out there walking, it not only helps me to stay fit physically, it also helps to clear my mind, gives me a new perspective on things and “problems” do not seem as large when compared against the majesty of nature.

Walking is a beautiful thing and I do it daily, well almost, depending on the weather.

Daily writing prompt

How often do you walk or run?

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