dailyprompt – Page 10

My Favorite Brands?

I’m no longer into brands as I used to be. I used to be a Fashion Editor and back then I knew every brand inside and out. These days I go for the simple stuff but two brands that I really love and still stick to are Zara and Massimo Dutti.

Zara, I love for their wearable styles and it fits my lifestyle now. Nothing too fancy but it is stylish and wearable. The lines are simple and clean. Just a pair of Zara pants paired with a cardigan or jacket and a blouse from the same collection is a put-together look that will take you from doing your daily chores such as shopping for your daily essentials to a much fancier meeting later in the day. Add a few pieces of jewelry and you’re set to conquer the day or rather the evening! The style factor is timeless but still trendy and I have many pieces from Zara in my wardrobe.

Massimo Dutti, what can I say? It used to be my go-to for a tailored look. Fashion lovers love this brand for its “quiet luxury aesthetic” but these days it is still an expensive brand and although better quality than Zara, it is mass-produced and considered a “fast-fashion” brand. However, it is of good quality and a few pieces in your wardrobe helps to bolster the look of understated elegance. A white Massimo Dutti blouse paired with a pair of blue jeans and a jacket says classy but still fashionable.

Not that anyone cares over here! This little village moves to a different drumbeat when it comes to fashion and dressing. Most of the women here don’t give a hoot about what you wear. So dressing up or brand names don’t matter much here. People or rather women wear the same stuff day in and day out and it is ok for working in their gardens or for doing their chores. I haven’t given up yet! I still do dress up presentably when I leave the house but indoors is another story altogether! PJs are my pick!

Daily writing prompt

What brands do you associate with?

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RELAX!

I could do more relaxation and no matter how hard I try, there is always something that keeps me on a hectic rush and relaxation is nowhere to be seen.

Having time on my hands doesn’t always mean that relaxing is easy. There are things that crop up unexpectedly that need taking care of. I could do more of just staying still for a couple of hours with no phone calls, nothing to bug me and my mind backing off from the constant chattering all the time!

Just when I grab a cup of coffee and decide to relax, my mind comes in with a hundred things that I should have done or should check on to make sure that it gets done. I have an unruly mind and that’s where meditation comes in handy. When I first started, 10 minutes of sitting still was way too much. I’ve worked my way to 30 minutes at a time and the “monkey” I call my mind is behaving and even liking it I think! However, I am not where I should be.

This is my goal. I would like to spend 2 to 3 hours just meditating. I think it would be delicious and my mind could use a much deserved break and come back stronger with new ideas that I could put to good use.

So more time for meditating, that’s what I could do more of. Where there’s a will, there’s a way as they say. I made it to 30 minutes so two hours might just be around the corner.

“Oh God, No! ” That’s my “mind” putting up a fight!

Daily writing prompt

What could you do more of?

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When One Door Closes….

No one gave me this bit of advice. I was down in the dumps after a bad breakup and was Googling when I came across the saying, “When One Door Closes Another One Opens.”

It’s hard to take that bit of advice or rather suggestion to heart when you are in the throes of a painful time in your life but somehow I held on to it for dear life and those words helped me to move forward. The problem is:

“To keep opening the closed doors of our past is to miss the adventure of a new door we’ve never opened before.” @jeremy.jennigan

I kept opening the closed doors of my past over and over again and I refused to see the other door cracking open. When it finally did open, there he was “my angel” sent to save me from my misery and to teach me how to fly again. He didn’t stay for long. His time on earth was short but during the time we were together, he showed me what real love was all about. It is not about being selfish. Real love is caring, it is unconditional, you become a priority but most of all it teaches you to fly high and that you are capable of doing and achieving anything with that special person by your side. I call him “my friend” because at that time in my life I had fences or rather stone walls around me. I didn’t want to love again but he understood and still stood by me with these words, “When you are ready, I’ll be here. I’m in it for the long run.” Unfortunately, I was never ready when he was here and now that he is gone, guilt surrounds me. I was broken and there was just no way I could have loved him like he wanted to be loved. Yet, “my angel” didn’t care. When I was just learning to take off, he left.

Unfair I know. However, I have turned to that saying time and time again. It is getting easier to leave the past behind. I do it by refusing to look back and I remind myself there is no rewinding because life is not a movie script where you get to go back, rewrite and change the story the way you want it. However, we still have those speed redials of memories to deal with and they do crop up when a memory hits me hard or a song reminds me of how close we were. I look at the memories, listen to the songs, cry if I must and then I leave it behind knowing that it is a part of my past and it is done.

Remember:

“When one door closes, another one opens.”

Daily writing prompt

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

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ENERGY

There are many different things that give me energy throughout my day. The first one is Chachi, the cat, although he wouldn’t consider himself as a thing because he thinks he is a little Pharoah living his best life and using up one of his 9 lives!

The little guy gives me positive energy and that is important. He makes my day a whole lot brighter and listening to him moving around on padded feet gives me energy as well. The other thing that gives me energy are my daily walks in nature. It has been said that nature mirrors the human existence and I find that to be true. However, it also teaches if you are willing to listen. I get comfort from nature and I need a daily dose to keep me moving forward.

A healthy lifestyle definitely gives me energy. Food which is nourishing and full of nutrients is my go to for health and vitality. I do spend time planning my meals and ordering out is a once in a blue moon thing. I’d rather prepare it myself and know what is going in those meals to keep me healthy and full of energy rather than leave it to chance. Exercise is another thing that fills me with energy. It is a daily affair and I love working out so it makes it easier for me.

Breathing, different forms of breathing, is a daily must not the kind that we do as a routine pattern, the in and out variety but the kind that takes effort to clear your mind, gives you clarity and fills you with oxygen! It also helps to balance the brain hemispheres. I feel much better breathing like the yogis did and this practice definitely fills me up with energy.

So there you have it. Those are the things that give me energy and keep me operating at my optimal best. I’m adding as I go along but for now the ones I mentioned above work just fine.

Daily writing prompt

What things give you energy?

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All-Time Favorite Album?

I don’t know about all-time favorite album but there is one that I like. It comes from a guy who is fully tattooed and with a nose-ring to boot. His body is described as an art gallery! Not my type at all, but the music and that voice is powerful and it makes you want to sit and listen for awhile.

I am talking about Teddy Swims. Jaten Dimsdale is his real name and the guy is a powerhouse songwriter who incorporates R&B, soul, pop and country elements in his music. His Tough Love album (2022) was brought to my attention when my friend, the one who passed away, started sending me songs from that album. There were several songs from that album that touched my heart but “Amazing” really did the trick. It was beautiful. It speaks of love, not the hyped-up kind but of the pure and natural variety. The other one he sent me was, “For the Rest of Your Life.”

My friend was in love and he let Teddy Swims do the talking! The other song he sent was, “Is This Love?” by Thomas Anderson. Not a Teddy Swims song but just as romantic. His latest collaboration with Adele, Kiss Me Like It’s The Last Time, is a heartbreaker. It will have your tears flowing. However, if you get a chance and want something good to listen to, Teddy Swims is my pick. If you don’t like his looks, keep your eyes closed! His voice is strong, powerful and it has a certain something. I can’t put my finger on it. Just that I love that album.

Listening to these three songs brought back a lot of memories. He is gone now, my friend, but it’s interesting how songs can bring back so many memories especially the one by Thomas Anderson, “Is this love?” It was the first song he sent when we were just getting to know each other and it has a special place in my heart. I do miss him.

As far as all-time favorite album, Tough Love, is my pick although there are others but this one stands out for all the reasons I mentioned above.

Daily writing prompt

What’s your all-time favorite album?

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The Tech Klutz!

I would like to be more informed about computer technology! This tech thing drives me up the wall, back down, and around and around! Just when I think I have one thing under control, I have another problem cropping up.

I know the basics, how to turn on and to turn off the computer. Reboot took some time but all the other stuff has me gritting my teeth and biting my nails. Apple’s security is downright daunting. The constant downloads, the system changes and a message that says, “Do you want to sync?” WHAT?!! I usually say no but I think I did something wrong because now I am being charged twice on Microsoft. I just found out that they are not one and the same thing!! Then I have this Co-pilot thing that pops up once in a while and I ignore it! I’m not a pilot so why do I need a co-pilot? I can’t think of all the other stuff but there is plenty to get your panties in a wad if you are not used to it.

Elon, I NEED YOUR HELP! His name “stands as a colossus in the domains of technology and innovation.” Probably, the same guy who makes everything difficult as far as computer technology goes.

So I would like to be more informed about computer technology. How it works, what to do if something goes wrong and how not to care if I have “trouble” popping up on my screen. Each morning I approach my computer wondering if today will be a good day as far as my computer goes. Is it moody, is it out to get me and will it behave?

These days, I am trying not to panic if I see a black screen, I know how to fix that. I am learning as I go along that computers are a godsend but they do demand more than just the basics to have them on your side and to have a mutual coexistence, one of peace and tranquility!

Daily writing prompt

Which topics would you like to be more informed about?

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Life Without Music?

I think it would be just fine. Don’t get me wrong, I love music but I’m not a fanatic as some people are.

I know someone who spends most of his time listening to the same music over and over again. It seems to soothe his frazzled nerves. Why not something new? His answer, “I have my favorites.”

I love country music, pop rock, easy listening and sometimes classical. I do have my favorites too but I can go a day or more without listening to music. It’s not a must. I love silence so I can sit for hours and listen to nothing in particular!

What would my life be like without music? I think it would be just fine. Music is soothing and it calms but there are other things which do the same for me. My answer, “Music is not a 24/7 thing, I can take it or leave it.”

Daily writing prompt

What would your life be like without music?

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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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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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