letsgetitoutfront

My Life Without a Computer

Just when I’m getting used to having the computer at my beck and call, here’s a question that wants me to do without! Can I go back to a time without the computer? Let me see…..

It was tedious. Googling was out of the question so I had to spend lots of time at the library looking up information for my classes and it wasn’t like I could get the answers just like that either! It took lots of time. In one word, difficult!

The piece of technology that I always complain about is my constant companion these days so being without it would be like missing a friend terribly! Just like a friend, it has its ups and downs and SOMETIMES it drives me up the wall BUT it would be boring and difficult without it there. If I wanted to know something, just type in the words and there it is.

Writing might be slower too. I whizz through it now and within a few minutes or an hour, I have something whipped up and ready to do. Without the computer, I would be putting it all down on paper and that is time-consuming not to say a big mess! Now, I can brush it up, correct it, make it look good and send it off in no time at all.

What would my life look like without a computer? I hate to admit it but it would be difficult, boring, hair pulling stressful and without my “best friend” there, I would be up the creek without a paddle!

So, there, did I make you feel good? Good, now behave and let’s do this my way!

Daily writing prompt

Your life without a computer: what does it look like?

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Simplify (Archives)

A few weeks ago, I wrote about cleaning out my shoe closet, bagging up and getting rid of tons, yes tons of shoes that were taking up space. They were no longer needed because all they were doing was simply staring me in the face and living rent-free in my closet. It was time for them to go. Decision made but it was with a heavy heart that I gave them their freedom. They were free to go light up someone else’s eyes and perhaps more appropriately to go where they were truly needed.

“Fill your life with lots of experiences, not lots of things. Have incredible stories to tell, not incredible clutter in your closets.” Marc and Angel

I think life is simply an accumulation of holding on to things. It is a collection of things taking up space, emotions that surge and thrive on shaky ground and a constant struggle between the two. Clutter helps to shrink your physical space and minimize your mental capabilities. Letting go is hard and for someone like me who holds on for way longer than it is needed, decluttering is an almost impossible task to do.

“Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor – it’s anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living.” Peter Walsh

The problem is you can’t move on when you’re holding on to all that is not needed. There must be a conscious decision and effort to “clean house” meaning letting go of things that no longer serve you. Things and emotions that wear you down, make you lose track of where you need to go, which direction you will have to take to get there and most importantly a decision has to be made to let go, get rid off and open up space maybe for new clutter but the truth is there is no moving forward if you’re standing still. You can’t do both.

“Simplifying your life isn’t just about decluttering your physical space, it’s also about clearing mental and emotional clutter.” Unknown

Understanding that, you’ve got to declutter. Most of us tend to have an iron grip on things that don’t matter and then we wonder why it is so hard to breathe at times or to feel free. If it is not adding value to your life, let it go. If it is just taking up space, dump it. If it makes you feel like you’ve got to do something about it, that’s a clear signal that action is needed.

Focus, declutter, simplify, simplify, simplify. As for people and emotions,

“If your presence can’t add value to my LIFE, your absence will make no difference.” Unknown

Have an amazing day.

My Book Review

Reviews for The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie indicate it is a well-regarded children’s book focusing on themes of friendship and adventure in a magical world. Readers praise its imaginative story, magical elements, colorful characters, and the real world message it conveys to young readers.

Themes: The book teaches important lessons about the value of friendship and what it takes to maintain a strong friendship.

Story & World: It is described as a wild ride into a magical world with imaginative and colorful characters that capture and hold a child’s imagination.

Author’s Message: Author T. J. Mueller is noted for weaving a real message into the world of make-believe, making it engaging for young readers.

Pacing: The book is described as a “wild ride” suggesting it is an adventurous and exciting read.

So far, so good! Fingers and toes crossed that it stays that way!

Like Water Off a Duck’s Back

Photo by Dinu Mircea-Mihail on Pexels.com

I would like to be able to let things go and watch as it dissipates like water off a duck’s back. It is not an easy thing to do especially if you’re like me. I take a lot of things to heart and I play ball with it for as long as it takes. Putting my magnifying glasses on, I go over every detail as if it is of the utmost importance but in reality, it was nothing more than a tidbit thrown in my direction but one that I in my innate humanness decided to give it more attention than it deserved. Instead of letting go like water under the bridge or water off a duck’s back, I hang on like it is a prized possession.

If there is one skill I would like to learn, it is to not let things bother me. I want to be able to take whatever comes my way, good or bad but especially the bad parts, give it a cursory glance, know it is there but to also know that whatever it is, it doesn’t deserve my undivided attention. It is alright and I can let it go without looking back. This is a skill I have yet to learn.

I must say I am getting better at it. I no longer spend days on end mulling over what went wrong, why the person did what they did, why someone’s hurtful words and deeds have the ability to hold me captive and WHY I should even care! These days I move quickly. I nip it in the bud, put it where it belongs, usually in never never land and move on to things of the positive nature.

Not always that easy but with focus and a clear mindset, things don’t bother me as much as they used to. Am I developing a thick skin? It is not so much a “thick skin” but a conscious effort to say that whatever comes my way doesn’t deserve the undivided emotional response I have been giving it.

It is still a learning process and one that I haven’t mastered yet. Perhaps, in time but I’m not holding my breath!

Daily writing prompt

What skill would you like to learn?

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MY BOOK

Join Honey and Hubie on a wonderful adventure into the unknown. Along the way, they meet many fascinating creatures such as the Buttercup Fairies, Selina, the swan, the Moppets and Twister the skunk, just to mention a few.

It is a lighthearted read that teaches the importance of friendship through a magical world and colorful characters.

LOL!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Three guys were sitting in a biker bar.

A man came in, already drunk, sat down at the bar, and ordered a drink.

The man looked around and saw the 3 men sitting at a corner table.

He got up, staggered to the table, leaned over, looked at the biggest one in the face, and said, “I went by your grandma’s house and I saw her in the hallway, buck naked. Man, she is fine!”

The biker looked at him and didn’t say a word.

His buddies were confused, because he was a badass, and would fight at the drop of a hat.

The drunk leaned on the table again and said, “I got it on with your grandma and she is good, the best I ever had!” The biker still said nothing.

His buddies were starting to get mad.

The drunk leaned on the table again and said, “I’ll tell you something else boy, your grandma liked it!”

The biker stood up, took the drunk by the shoulder, and said, “Damn it, Grandpa, you’re drunk! Go home!”

What Could You Pay More Attention to?

I think it would be hands down my mind! It is creative and imaginative, good things, but it has a tendency to take me down roads I don’t want to go if I listen to it!

Some days it twiddles its thumbs and sits back and watches as I go about life my own way. On other days, it decides that it wants to be front and center and then it gets loud and stomps its feet! There is no ignoring it then.

It is a conscious decision everyday to keep it in its place. Sometimes it can be destructive but at other times, it abides and does as it is told but not always. That’s when I have to pay attention to it and soften the loud voice with soothing messages of my own. Not always easy but it is doable if I pay attention to the messages that my mind feeds me.

Meditation and deep breathing are my go to methods to keep it quiet, calm and in its place! So far it has been working but it might just turn the tables on me! I’ll deal with that when we get there.

Daily writing prompt

What details of your life could you pay more attention to?

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I MISS YOU

I don’t know what brought this on but it seems like I’m grieving all over again. It could be the changing of the season where the days are getting shorter and darkness is coming in earlier and staying longer. Enough time has passed and it should have made it better but there are too many reminders that trigger those memories, ones that I have put aside in order to move on.

Your brother called and he checks in on me not as frequently as he used to do but once in a while. Today was one of those days. He sounded concerned about the test I had gone through and was really relieved that all turned out well. Then he said, “If there is anyone who deserves good things in her life, it is you.” It went straight to my heart but he didn’t see the tears rolling down my face. I got off that phone call and I felt the familiar strains of memories trying to fight their way back in.

Last week, while on my way to the fields, I saw a neighbor and she started up a conversation. It was strange because I never really liked her and we never made small talk before and yet there she was ready to strike up a conversation. It started off about our kids, she has a daughter the same age as my son. Then, it came. “What about …….how is he doing? I always liked him. A nice guy.” So I told her and her face dropped and then she gushed with sadness and condolences. I answered, “Thank you and yes he was a good guy.” Then I went to the fields and you were right there walking beside me, quiet and calm as you always were.

Then for some reason, the Teddy Swims song, “Let Me Love You,” came on and it took me all the way back. It was the third song you sent me and I stopped what I was doing and listened as emotions came rushing back up. Remember, the first Christmas when I invited you over for Christmas Eve dinner and I had my ex there as well? You showed up all dressed up wearing a tie but I could see the nervousness on your face. My ex was shooting daggers at you with his eyes because he felt you were encroaching on his territory but he forgot that he gave it up for a roll in the hay or two with someone who was the spitting image of Olive Oyl, Popeye’s girlfriend or was it his wife? Anyway….

Later, I asked you, “How did it go? Was it ok?”

YOU: “Oh I didn’t mind because I only had eyes for you!”

That one sentence catapulted my self-esteem back to where it should be after having felt “ugly” for months on end when he tossed me aside for everything that moved on two feet! My ex had grown out of his “nerd” phase and was ready to make up for lost time. He took the saying, “Too many women, too little time,” straight to the heart and practiced it religiously!

It has been a hard weekend. Thoughts of you still linger and sometimes it is a song that triggers it or a mere mention of you or just because and I am back to where I shouldn’t be. They say time heals all things but it sure is taking its time.

I wanted you to know that I MISS YOU.

Stay Calm, Stay Focused (Archives)

Staying calm and focused when your mind tells you otherwise is normal. It is human nature. My mind goes haywire and jumps around like a monkey when I’m stressed or I have to concentrate on what is before me and what needs to get done. Oftentimes I need to take a step back, go within myself to find the strength and to focus on what I need to do to move on. It doesn’t always work but it does work if I stay focused.

“The ability to remain calm and focused on what truly matters is a superpower.” Unknown

Be like the tree that has weathered many storms and is still standing. It takes practice and a certain kind of mindset to weather a storm, any storm. If you’ve never worked a day in your life and the time has come to find a job, to get independent and to stand on your own two feet, you tend to lose focus because the unknown is formidable. However, with each fall you take, you gain the strength and the know how to get back up and to keep moving. Time, focus, calm and lots of practice makes it possible and soon you will be standing like that tree, strong and unshakeable in any storm. Breathe and keep moving. Standing still is never the answer.

“Breathe darling. This is just a chapter. It’s not your whole story.” S. C. Lourie

Stay focused but not on the wrong things. I can’t do this is not one of them. This is way too scary is not one of them. The ‘monster’ is too hard to slay is not one of them. Focus on finding the positive within the negative. Be prepared to put one foot in front of the other but whatever you do, do not take the easy way out or rather the coward’s way out and give up. It is easy to give up but much harder to step into an unknown arena and to win the day. YOU CAN DO THIS!

“Sometimes you need to slow down, remain calm, and simply let life happen. Take a deep breathe and focus on the simple important things: you are alive, you are breathing, you are enough as you are. You got this.” Unknown

Finally, tell the monkey in your brain that keeps dragging you all over the place with no end in sight to take a hike! Breathe, calm yourself down and stay focus on what you need to do to make it. YOU’VE GOT THIS!

Have an amazing day.

My #1 Priority Tomorrow

Hmm….there are many things that I hope will make my day a fantastic success tomorrow but if I have to pin down one thing, I would say it is to wake up with a good attitude.

Good attitude meaning one that is grateful for the brand new day and with a positive mindset to look at things with the glass-half-full mentality rather than the half empty scenario. I think that having a positive mindset sets the stage or rather the intention for the day in more ways than one.

My priority would be to wake up with a smile on my face, Chachi, the cat by my side AND the sun peeking out promising more of the same because I need that walk out in nature! I’ve been cooped up in the house for several days because of the rain but I’m hoping it shows up pretty soon and I can be out there again where I feel the most comfortable and my mind has free rein to do what it does best and that is to come up with creative ideas.

Fingers and toes crossed!

Daily writing prompt

What’s your #1 priority tomorrow?

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