Uncategorized – Page 50

The Flea Market

Living in Europe, I have learned that Sundays are not only a day of rest but that everything comes to a standstill! No shops, no markets, and no malls. You have to make do with is left standing. Bakeries, not all of them, might open for a couple of hours and that’s about it.

Flea markets are a godsent on Sundays if you’re looking for something to do. The one close to my place is a monthly event in summer. It is a big one and it is usually crowded. I’ve missed the last two but decided to make a showing for this one. Waking up early for a Sunday, thanks to Chachi, I made my way to the flea market. The sun was shining and the car park was already full. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, perhaps something for the garden. People were browsing and the vendors were loud as they let it be known that it would be worth your while to visit their stand. I walked taking it all in.

No plants worth buying. Loads of STUFF but nothing interesting. I passed a food vendor selling Greek tidbits. Olives in every color imaginable, dips, shrimps in three different sauces, squid salad and of course, bread. I told him I’ll be back later and had every intention of doing so. I did another round hoping something would catch my attention but there was nothing. I remember going there once with a friend and he said, “All junk!” True, but if you have a good eye, you might just pick up a treasure. I bought a small dish once, blue and white, and it turned out to be an antique. It has a place of honor on the sideboard and looks great!

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

True at times but this time around, it was more trash than anything else. I went back to the Greek vendor and picked up a small container of shrimp in garlic sauce, a spicy dip and some squid salad. The man kept speaking in English so I wondered what gave it away! Plus he kept handing me small samples to try, nice but I was filling up on them!

Back home, I walked in with Chachi, the cat, standing behind the door.

“Where have you been?!!”

ME: “Nowhere special. It’s mommy and Chachi time now!”

HIM: “It sure is!”

The time at the flea market was worth it because I’m feeling good and that is a good thing.

Have an amazing Sunday.

Mistakes

We’ve all made them. Big ones, small ones and the in-between ones. Some are insignificant and others, well, they can turn your world upside down and leave you gasping for air! Some mistakes teach us lessons and others help us to see and act better the next time around. When all is said and done, mistakes are a part of life and a life without mistakes, well, it just means a life without new experiences.

Here are some poignant quotes that speak to the heart of the matter:

“When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it. Paul Bear Bryant

Not that easy right? I admit sometimes it is next to impossible not to repeat it because we as humans are wired a certain way and we love rubbing noses with MISTAKES!

“Mistakes have the power to turn you into something better than you were before.” Unknown

True but there is a hell of a lot you have to do before that happens.

“You can never make the same mistake twice because the second time you make it, it’s not a mistake, it’s a choice.” Steven Denn

I’ve made those “choices” many times over!

“You can pick up a mistake and carry it as a burden; or you can set it down and use it a stepping stone to greatness.” Unknown

I’m still waiting for the “greatness” part to happen!

“Don’t carry your mistakes around with you, instead, place them under your feet and use them as stepping stones.” Unknown

Exactly what I’m doing.

“You must be big enough to admit your mistakes, smart enough to learn from them, and strong enough to correct them.” John C. Maxwell

That last part is what I’m having trouble with!

“The most valuable thing you can make is a mistake – you can’t learn anything from being perfect.” Adam Osborne

True but who wants to be perfect? Cut out the mistakes please!

“Mistakes made in life are our lessons in disguise, and sometimes, the best lessons learned, came from the worse ‘mistakes’ made.” Unknown

I can whole-heartedly attest to that one.

AND

“I’ve learned so much from my mistakes, I’m thinking of making a few more.” Unknown

Hear the sarcasm coming through?

Have an amazing day.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

I came upon this dish when I was in Singapore and a group of friends took me to the hawker center. It was loud, crowded, and chaotic. We headed to this stall run by an old “uncle.” He was a nice man with a toothless grin but I was told that what he served up was heaven itself. I wasn’t too impressed but decided to try it as I had told myself to try everything once, as far as food goes and I was going to do just that.

The dish came and the sliced up chicken looked bland. It looked like plain boiled chicken served up with some boiled rice and several small dishes of sauces and for good measure some cucumber slices were added to make it look healthy. Nothing spectacular but let me tell you, what followed was mouth-wateringly scrumptious and it is one of my favorite recipes of all time! This dish evolved from the Hainan district in southern China and has become one of Singapore’s most beloved dish. I can understand why, one mouthful and you are hooked, line and sinker!

Here’s the recipe, a little time-consuming but worth the effort.

For the Chicken:

1 small chicken

1 tbsp. salt

12-14 cups of water

4-5 slices of ginger

2 whole scallions

Ice

For the Rice:

2 ounces chicken fat (taken from the cavity of the chicken)

1 tsp neutral oil

4 cloves garlic (minced)

3 cups uncooked white rice (washed & drained)

chicken stock (from making the chicken)

2 tsps salt

Ginger-garlic sauce (can be bought ready made)

Sweet Dark Soy Sauce (can be bought ready made as well)

Chilli Sauce (store-bought as well)

Instructions:

Wash chicken. Pat dry and lightly rub with salt and set aside.

Bring water along with ginger and scallions to a boil. Add chicken, breast side up. Adjust water so that the chicken breast is just slightly above water.

Once water starts to boil, lift chicken out and drain water from cavity. Lower chicken back into pot, bring the water to a a boil again. When it is JUST starting to boil, turn the heat down. Cover the pot and let simmer. Turn heat to the lowest setting.

Cook for 30-35 minutes. Now prepare the ice bath. Stick a toothpick in chicken to see if it is done. If juices run clear, it is cooked. Lift chicken out, drain water again and lower into the ice bath. After 15 minutes, the chicken should be cooled. Completely drain, cover until ready to serve.

To Make the Rice:

Heat a wok, add chicken fat with 1/2 tsp oil. Stir-fry and then add the garlic, then add the uncooked rice. Stir for about 2 minutes, turn off heat. Transfer rice to rice cooker. Add the poaching liquid from chicken until it reaches the ‘4’ line (3 US cups = 4 rice cooker cups). Stir in salt, close lid & press START.

ASSEMBLE:

Add chopped up chicken to plate. Add a scoop of rice with a side of cucumbers. I usually add diced pineapple as well. Serve the sauces in small sauce bowls for dipping.

It is finger-licking good!

Daily writing prompt

What’s your favorite recipe?

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The Downer!

September 4th is approaching and it seems to be flying in on wings! I’ve managed to keep my mood up but last night, it went crushing down and I was back to Square 1.

We never think about health or rather we take it for granted until something unexpected crops up that could put a new spin or twist on things. This current “scare” could potentially do that and maybe even change my day-to-day existence as I know it.

I went spiralling down last night. Once I hit rock bottom, it was time to sit up and take notice of where I was. I had fought so hard to crawl out of that rabbit hole and wowed never to go back down there again. Life in its wisdom had other plans or so it seems. However, you’re allowed to spiral and you’re allowed to hit rock bottom because “the journey” is not going to be smooth sailing and I am aware of that. You will stand still at some point and you will hit rock bottom again and wonder what happened. Life did. Take stock of where you’re at but don’t stay there for too long. It’s time to dust off and stand back up. There is no other choice.

Someone told me this story of a young man in his 40s, picture of health until he went in for a routine checkup. The scan showed one brain tumor. His partner asked, “How long does he have?” The doctor replied, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.” The young man, however, did not seem fazed by the news and was ready to take another trip. He can’t do anything about it so he was not going to waste a lot of time thinking about what might lie ahead of him and instead decided to enjoy the time he had.

Another friend told me to just go read my articles! Basically, he was saying I should take the same advice I was putting out there!

They both mean well but they’re not walking in my shoes. I’m scared and that is okay. I don’t want to take the test because a tube of radiation material will be injected into my tiny tiny veins! Believe me, they are tiny. More than that, the idea of that liquid invading my body makes me cringe. What might show up is another story altogether.

So I spent time sitting at the bottom of that rabbit hole, and let the tears flow. Sometimes crying is not a bad thing. I made up all the sorry stories I could and added and embellished like I would a Christmas tree. When all was said and done, it was time to crawl back out of the hole and to start moving again. I still have more than a week before I meet my nemesis, not cheesecake this time but that big machine which may or may not change my life.

Fingers and toes crossed and a kiss on Chachi, the cat’s cute little nose for good luck!

My Book

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

I don’t get excited about much these days but this one did get me up there. It was an email from the publisher stating that the provisional publication date is August 28th! The long wait is coming to an end and I can’t wait to see the finished product.

It is a children’s book and the storyline is far from what is being sold out there. There is no violence and the theme hinges on adventure and friendship. I got two offers for the book but went with the one I thought would do a better job of promoting the book. The sequel has already been accepted and Chachi, the cat, plays the lead role in that one. I’m waiting to see how the first one does before starting on the next one.

It is exciting news and that is what is happening to get my “happy hormones” in a state of excitement! I think writers love to see their work on display. There is something about seeing all that hard work up on the screen or on paper that gets you all excited! At least, it does with me.

Daily writing prompt

Tell us about the last thing you got excited about.

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Make Commitments Not Excuses (Archives)

“When confronted with a challenge, the committed heart will search for a solution. The undecided heart searches for an escape.” Andy Andrews

Commitment is a must if you want to succeed in getting something done, accomplish goals or simply in moving forward. However, commitment is often met with excuses and the easy route is to make an excuse for why you are not capable of doing something and to leave whatever it is that needed done just dangling in mid-air, an unfinished task so to speak. It is often accompanied by “If only I had….” at a later point in time.

“Commitment is defined as the state of quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.”

It takes work, a certain tunnel-vision to stay on the straight and narrow and to see it through. At times, it is boring and it takes tremendous effort. Excuses, on the other hand, are easy to come by.

Looking for a job is hard work because it will take effort, focus and an unwavering mentality. I really don’t want to leave my comfort zone and be out there looking is not going to cut it. I would rather be watching something on TV or playing computer games is not how you are going to be able to pay your bills. It may be fun but not in the long run. However, this excuse comes with a big price tag attached to it at a later point in time.

“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” Unknown

How about making excuses in a relationship? Instead of building a relationship most excuse-mongers have one foot in a relationship and out chasing rainbows looking for that pot of gold with the other. Problem is they wind up losing what they had in the first place. Their excuse is, “I’m not sure.” That is one stupid excuse because keeping several fires burning is not the answer. Dedication is. Build instead of tearing it down.

“If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.” Unknown

There there are all kinds of other excuses. One for every topic it seems and those excuses are the ones which keep you from achieving the goals. The all important goal of moving on in life, of making something out of life, of being with that one special someone and so on and so forth. Excuses are a dime a dozen and the path to hell is lined with them! Commitment takes courage, fortitude, a certain mindset and it is success oriented.

“Commitment is an act, not a word.” Unknown

It is what transforms a dream into a reality and it takes more than just dreaming about it. Learn what it takes to make it a reality and go after it. Never giving up is a key element and showing “excuses” the door is another sure way of getting to where you want to be. You can stay awhile in “excuses-land” but only long enough to wet your feet and then move with dedication to the end goal. If you want success, dedication and commitment is the way to go.

“There’s always a way if you’re committed.” Unknown

Have an amazing day.

A City of the Future

How would I design the city of the future? I would base it on love, empathy, compassion, kindness, and equality, things which are sorely lacking in today’s society. My future city wouldn’t make it to the Architectural Digest but it sure would be a wonderful place to live in.

It would take us back to when people reached out to people instead of having their noses in whatever gadget that kept them going. Old-fashioned? Not really. It would still have all the modern amenities since we are so used to them but that human touch needs to come back front and center. Keeping that in mind, social services would be a big part of the city and social amenities like clubhouses, community centers and the like to foster human relations would be readily available and will make up a big part of the infrastructure. Perhaps, a city where people would have to put away or step away from their gadgets for a day and do without. There will be nature parks all over the place and lots of places where one can go to take a deep breath and just relax. Outdoor activities to tone the body will be plenty, relaxation would be a big thing and places where people can congregate to have a friendly chat or two will also be available. The focus will be on human interaction of the nice kind.

I don’t like public transportation so cars and private vehicles will still have a place in this future city of mine. I’ll be looking more at the social aspects and how to make it a wonderful place for everybody and not just for a select few.

Daily writing prompt

How would you design the city of the future?

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LOL!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

An Illinois man left the snowballed streets of Chicago for a vacation in Florida. His wife was on a business trip and was planning to meet him there the next day.

When he reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick e-mail. Unable to find the scrap of paper he had written her e-mail address, he did his best to type it in from memory. Unfortunately, he missed one letter and his note was directed instead to an elderly preacher’s wife, whose husband had passed away only the day before.

When the grieving widow checked her e-mail, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream, and fell to the floor dead. At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen:

Dearest Wife,

Just got checked in. Everything prepared for your arrival tomorrow.

Your Loving Husband

P.S: Sure is hot down here.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A 54-year-old accountant left this letter for his wife one evening.

“Dear Wife, I am 54 but by the time you read this letter I will be at the Grand Hotel with my beautiful and sexy 18-year-old secretary.”

When he arrived back home after his visit to the hotel there was a letter waiting for him that read:

“Dear Husband, I too am 54 and by the time you read this letter, I will still be at the Breakwater Hotel with my handsome and virile 18-year-old boy toy. You needn’t wait up for me. Being an accountant, you can appreciate that 18 goes into 54 many more times than 54 goes into 18.”

BOOM!

My Name Origin

I thought I had answered this question once before. Are we doing a loop now? Anyway, according to some sources the name “Tia” has multiple origins and meanings.

In Spanish and Portuguese, it means “aunt.” Not that exciting right? If you look further, it is a short form for names like Letitia, Tatiana, or Tiara. The Greeks do one better. There it is associated with the name Theia, a Titan goddess who is the goddess of sight. Some say it can also mean princess.

It is a popular name in various cultures but not always among the top names someone would pick to name their kid. Hmm…..some consider it a delightful name and others not. Oh well, to each his or her own.

I like the name because it is short and easy to remember amongst other things. I was once told that it is a pretty name but I guess that depends on who is giving that compliment. There you have it, a name that has various meanings like other names I guess.

Next question please……

Daily writing prompt

Where did your name come from?

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The Changing of the Guard

Just another morning in the grand scheme of things but it was a little different. Getting up early as usual, I found Chachi’s face almost plastered next to mine! The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes were his big expressive eyes staring back at me. Nothing new there. Just the norm in our world of being hooked on each other.

The thing that was different was how dark it looked outside compared to yesterday. The sun was a no show and everything was shrouded in a veil of darkness. A change of season approaching quietly but surely? Chachi walked up to the big window in the kitchen and let out a loud meow and went, “My TV is not working Mommy!” Oh well, he needs to be patient and it will fix itself.

My daily walk in the fields a short while later was more of the same. It was a little lighter but the sun was sure taking its time this morning. I walked knowing my path well, I could have done it with my eyes closed! A lone deer emerged from the forest line and stood there for a while before taking off to where it was familiar just as I was doing. The sky was a pearl grey and streaks of pink were starting to appear at the mountain tops. It is supposed to be cooler today but it will be sunny and warm.

My eyes scanned the horizon as I walked, my feet heavy as I trudged along the rock strewn path. No one and nothing was moving BUT there was much happening beneath my feet that my naked eyes could not see. The changing of the guard was taking place and the preparation was well under way or wherever “nature” holds its meeting to get things moving.

Turning back I noticed six bales of hay stacked on top of each other and just in front of them three deer grazing. A beautiful sight to behold. Soon, there will be more signs of another season approaching and it will be done like clockwork. A miracle? Absolutely.

“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles.” Mary Davis

Have an amazing day.