I like listening to music but I like easy listening best. Something smooth and mellow and one that goes over easy. Perfect example would be Katie Melua. The Georgian British singer and songwriter has a voice that I can listen to forever and forever. Her songs are a blend of jazz, folk, blues and pop.
Country is another genre I like. Not the old country songs that go deep in twang but the modern ones are pretty good. I love Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley and Eric Church. I’m sure there are more but can’t think of them right now. Modern country is more pop-influenced and it is more polished versus old country which focused on working-class struggles, nostalgia, heartbreak and had a more raw and authentic sound.
I do like classical music but not all the time. Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms are some of my favorites but it is not something I listen to all the time. I have to be in the mood for it and it doesn’t happen all the time.
They say music calms the savage beast and when I feel myself heading in that direction, I turn to one of the above to soothe a frazzled nerve or to just let myself float on air. It is also a nice way of relaxing.
It wasn’t all good. Some parts were great and others I could have done without. One of the things we shouldn’t have done was to take our five-year-old with us. That was a major faux pas!
We went to Singapore and later to Penang in Malaysia. Our “little terror” wasn’t used to the hot weather and crowds so he became a seasoned complainer. On one hand, he was really happy about the people. They were overly friendly to him and even offered to buy him from us. We should have taken the offer! He was a cutie but a little rascal to boot.
My ex had never been there before so it was an eye-opener for him. The food was great especially the “Chili Crabs.” It was finger-licking good. The place was clean and green but most of all we loved the food there. Our little guy was learning to swim at the time so his dad had him in the hotel pool every chance he got and the added attraction were the monkeys in the trees surrounding the pool! It was a major distraction. However, he didn’t learn to swim in Singapore. It was in Penang when he finally swam halfway across the pool! That was memorable especially the proud smile he wore on his face.
Malaysia was great as well. However, the traffic was scary. We were in Kuala Lumpur and had to cross a busy road and believe me, it was terrifying. The way to get across was to wait till there was a break in traffic and run across! We managed somehow but it was not my thing. The food was fantastic, the people friendly and it had a laid-back vibe. We stayed with friends and every morning we could see the monkeys making their way through the trees heading to wherever they were going and every evening they would come back the same way.
One of the things we learned during that trip was to stop spoiling the little brat! I remember one incident in Singapore along the East Coast right by the beach when he pulled a temper-tantrum because something didn’t go the way he wanted. His face was bright red, his veins popping out in his neck when he started to scream his head off. My ex and I found a seat and watched as he screamed his a** off! People would walk up to him and try to console him but it only made things worse.
It was a memorable trip but it had both good and bad parts to it for all the reasons I mentioned above.
I don’t consider myself an authority on any one subject. Some subjects I am good at because of what I have lived through like grief, murder and the aftermath, and relationships and others I gloss over, glad that I don’t have to give it too much attention.
I know that grief takes a long time to dissipate. It hangs on and it takes but a little reminder to bring it all rushing back just like it was yesterday. I also know that time does make the pain less and time also erases the vividness, that is a godsent. However, grief is yours alone to bear and others may offer help but when it comes down to it, you are the carrier and you have to deal with it.
Murder is something that I never thought would visit my family. We were upper- middle class and we lived in a safe neighborhood or so it seemed. When murder comes visiting it doesn’t care where you live, who you are and what you’re about. It has the ability to cross lines and being in the wrong place at the wrong time is all it takes. I also know that long after the person is gone, the after-effects keep on coming. It takes strength, it takes courage and it takes forgiveness to let go and to move on. However, it doesn’t happen overnight, it takes a long time before that happens.
I can’t say I am an expert on relationships but my problem was that I believed in forevers. So when my marriage took a dive after many years, I was devastated. I didn’t see it as being married to the wrong person but instead I took it personally. When it broke and went down, I went down with it. It took a long time to come out of that rabbit hole and to live life again. The after-effects are still felt but it is a lesson learned and one I don’t want to repeat.
I speak from experience but not as an authority on any one subject. I think experience sometimes makes you an expert because you learned what you didn’t really want to learn but because of life and its idiosyncrasies there was no choice but to pick up the pieces and to keep on going.
There are grand gestures and then there are smaller gestures. Grand gestures are dinners in a nice restaurant complete with flowers and a walk somewhere nice. I go for the other variety. Flowers are nice and I love them but the romantic gesture that captures my heart is a walk by the beach, the sky above emblazoned with a thousand stars, the scent of the ocean and the sound of the waves, add to that a touch of the hand, a glance in my direction that speaks more than words can say followed by a moonlit kiss, soft and gentle. This would be my perfect definition of a romantic or a romance-filled evening.
Last year, I was seeing someone. It was a long distance relationship but he would drive the three hours to spend the weekend here. He would bring flowers and we would go out to a nice dinner or take a walk in another village and just let the evening develop. The thing I liked best was that we could sit out back for hours on end, watch the stars come out without saying a word. Once or twice, he would reach out and just hold my hand or give me a kiss on the cheek. Nothing spectacular but it did make my heart skip a beat. What happened to him? That’s another story. Time spent together was enjoyable and at times it felt like home. That too is my definition of a romantic.
I don’t think I’m a romantic but I do love a guy going out of his way to show that he cares. The friend who passed away was a pure romantic. He ran the gamut and nothing was left to chance. Flowers, expensive gifts, dinners, you name it, he was into it. I knew without a doubt that the guy was full-on in. Others are more subtle but still it’s the caring that counts and the little gestures that make up a true romantic.
I must admit I don’t do it everyday and it is easy to take things for granted but on the days that I do express gratitude, it comes in the form of journaling, walks in nature, taking time for meditation, being thankful for all that I have and through mindfulness practices.
Journaling helps me to focus on the positive effects instead of the negatives. Nature walks is a form of moving meditation and I realize that I am a part of a bigger picture. Mindfulness helps me to appreciate things around me instead of constantly looking at what is lacking. I try to make gratitude a daily experience but like I said, it is easy to take things for granted and sometimes I forget to say thank you. So I pay more attention to this aspect and make it a point to be habitual in expressing thanks.
Grateful practices take time and it does take effort but in the long run, it is necessary to see life from the glass half-full perspective rather than the half empty one.
As for being mindful, be in the here and now when life gets noisy.
Can I say EVERYTHING?!! I am a worrywart and those who know me will agree. I worry about everything and anything and not just about the future.
I like to have everything laid out for me, good or bad. Knowing beforehand seems like a good idea but is it really? The unknown is scary and not knowing makes it worse. However, having a crystal ball is not going to make things a whole lot better I think. In my case, I would know what is coming and go CRAZY!
Worrying about the future was a daily thing but now I say whatever comes my way, I am fully capable of handling it. I truly believe that we are strong enough and capable enough of dealing with whatever life throws our way. There is so much strength within us and we haven’t tapped into half of it! Think back to all the times you thought that what you had in front of you was impossible and that it was too big and nothing you do could make it better. Well, you’re still here having slayed that monster.
I hope the future will be kind, it will be filled with abundance and it will bring the man of my dreams into my life but if one or the other doesn’t happen, that is alright too. I’m not putting all my eggs into one basket as they say and if it doesn’t go as planned, I will deal with it at that time.
Worrying is for the birds and that applies to the future as well!
First of all, teachers are people who impart more than knowledge. Good teachers inspire and instill a love of learning.
I’ve met both good and bad teachers. The good ones made me want to learn more, to put more effort into learning and to excel in what I was doing. The bad ones did just the opposite. “It takes a big heart to shape little minds,” and this is so true. “A good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the wayfor others.” (Mustafa Kemal Ataturk)
Patience, tolerance, respect and a joy in teaching is needed to light the way for others. Some are sorely lacking in some of those aspects while others excel. I’ve met both good and bad ones. Teachers act as “educators, mentors and role models, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and a love of learning.” That’s what good teachers do. Here’s the difference between the two.
“A teacher may be the lone sliver of light, for a child, on any given day or may be the shadow that silences a child’s hope. Teachers possess a true super power, to lift up or cast down. A teacher makes a difference, one way or another.” Angela Adams
Yes, I have. It came on unexpectedly. Several years ago I had pains on the left side of my abdomen. It was light at first and then it started getting worse. One day, I was doubled over with pain and we went to the emergency room.
They couldn’t figure out what was causing the pain but they checked me in. After two days in the hospital, they still had no idea. I was getting worried when a doctor did another check and found a huge cyst on the ovary. It needed to be cut and so I was scheduled for surgery the next day. It was a scary experience. I hate hospitals and anaesthesia makes me nervous. I lost a friend at the university. She was put under in hospital and never woke up from it! Anyway, they assured me that all would be well and that it was a minor procedure.
I woke up in the hospital room and was feeling fine until my eyes rolled up and I fell back on the bed. I have low blood pressure, always have had this problem although some may not see this as a problem. However, once in a blue moon it takes a dive and I wind up on the floor! It doesn’t happen often but it did in the hospital. They jammed something in my thigh and I was back. I stayed for another day and was discharged. If you thought hospital food is bad, you should try hospital food in Europe! Let’s just say, I was glad to be home and glad I didn’t need to be there another night.
Did I tell you, I have a fear of ghosts? Nope? Well, I do and hospitals are spooky places! One more thing, if you sense something is wrong, take it seriously. I was told by people I knew that it was nothing and just a by-product of an overactive imagination but YOU know your body best!
Breakfast is a must. I usually have a light breakfast and it is pretty much the same everyday. I admit it is boring but I’m a low-energy person in the mornings so anything more than a piece of toast seems elaborate! This is what living single does to you! Gone are the large breakfasts with eggs, bacon, pancakes, toasts and sometimes an omelette. These days, simple is the name of the game. Sometimes, I might add a slice of fruit. This morning, I had papaya and it was delicious.
Shower is a must. I hate baths but showers I love. I spend a lot of time in the shower sometimes just humming to myself and sometimes doing my beauty routine but not going to go into that here. Let’s just say, I take grooming seriously.
Some days, it’s a run to the supermarket to stock up on stuff and on other days, the pet store is on my list. Chachi, the cat, goes through food like crazy and his back end does show the after-effects of too much indulging. Like he says, “Mom, I have nothing better to do!” He’s right there but he works out with me so he is healthy that way. I do meet up with friends once or twice a week just to have coffee and catch up on things and that is enough for the week!
Workouts are a must, not a day goes by without some form of workout. I’m into Pilates now and sometimes the fusion stuff. Cardio is a must and so is yoga. Meditation is next on the list and breathing techniques are right there at the top of the list. Writing is a daily affair. Day dreaming is another must and just destressing for all its worth! Eating healthy is part and parcel of a healthy lifestyle so meal planning comes into play. I don’t spend days in advance planning but I do think about lunch and dinner when the day starts. Waiting till the last minute means I eat just about anything when hunger strikes like cheesecake! Yes, I still do have the craving for that creamy bit of nothingness and it still has a hold on me. We have a love-hate relationship going.
Getting a goodnight’s sleep is very important so I start preparing early. I have dinner at 5, yes, that’s early but after dinner, I don’t snack and I don’t eat anything else until morning rolls around. Shower comes next and it is time to get into something comfortable. The roomier the better! I do another round of meditation to get ready and then lights out at 9:30 p.m. and it’s cuddling time with the little brat, I mean with Chachi, the cat. I usually sleep through but since Chachi is crepuscular, he’s up and about, but that doesn’t really bother me.
Those are some of my daily habits. Weekends are a whole different story and you don’t want to know what those habits are!
I don’t really think about it very much. However, Europe has very stringent laws regarding where you throw your trash, how you throw your trash and you better pay attention or else you’re in trouble!
I recall the dumpster in my apartment complex in America where everything and anything went into that one dumpster. Here, that is a no go. Paper trash has a bin, plastic has a bin, everything else has a bin and compost has a bin. It may sound tedious but people keep to the rules and things seem to be working just fine.
Personally, I’m not a vegetarian but I don’t mind going that route twice a week. Meat is not at the top of my list but I like it now and then. My favorite is fish and salmon is my go to when I have fish on the menu and I buy organic whenever possible but it is expensive. I do use paper bags for groceries instead of plastic and I do buy recycled stuff when I see it offered. My beauty products do not contain chemicals and most are plant based. My one snafu, I love showers! I can’t live without my showers. I do waste a lot of water and that is something I need to pay attention to. Other than that, I think I do pretty well maintaining a sustainable way of lifestyle.
Daily writing prompt
Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle?
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