time

“Time and tide waits for no man.” Geoffrey Chaucer

I was discussing time with a friend and told him jokingly that this year I am going to hold on tight and make time go as slowly as possible. He laughed because he knew as well as I did that holding onto time is an impossible task and the truth is it flies and trying to keep up is the only thing to do.

Zig Ziglar said, “Lack of direction not lack of time is the problem. We all have 24-hour days.”

True but sometimes it seems that the days fly by and just when you think it is the beginning of the week, lo and behold, it’s the weekend again. When we look back, it is clear that we waste a lot of time on things that don’t matter, on people we shouldn’t be wasting our time on and perhaps just sitting around and wishing and hoping that things were different. I’ve started a routine to make the days count because lost time is just that. You are not getting it back ever again. I’ve started writing down everything I do during the course of the day. There are no hard and fast rules so I give myself permission to write down my thoughts and feelings as well as improvement ideas. Surprisingly, I’ve been keeping up and getting a lot accomplished and some days I pat myself on the back and say, “Great job, you’re giving time a run for the money! Keep it up.” It really has slowed time down for me. Try this approach, you might just like it.

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” Michael Altshuler

This year I want to take the time to smell the roses which means taking more time for myself mentally and physically. I want to do things that will bring an improvement to and will enrich my life. I am not going to let a day go by without doing something productive. That said, I am going to find the time to relax, not going to sweat the small stuff and let time keep up with me instead of the other way around! Doable? Anything is doable if you put your mind to it.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” J.R.R. Tolkien

Have an amazing day.

Day 4 of 365!

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We’re into Day 4 and I can’t help but ask, didn’t we just get started? Anyway, the wind is howling like a banshee outside and snow is in the forecast again. No walk today so I’m getting my writing in. Lots of coffee is also on the agenda.

I’m planning what this year is going to look like for me. No, I don’t know for sure but I have control over a few ideas. Trying to get a second children’s book out is on the table but I’m not sure yet. I have been collaborating with a publisher, a different one from the last one I used. I’m not happy with them and someone else is willing to work with me. The problem is, I don’t know if I want to go through the stress again. It involves a lot of things and I wanted this year to be quieter. Like nothing much to do at all!

If I give the go ahead, it will mean many things. Working with illustrators, proofreading, book layout, audio version which involves picking out the right voice and so on. Hmm….sounds interesting but I haven’t made up my mind yet.

Working on me is an ongoing project. I made headway last year and saw major improvements to the point that I was called “complicated,” and “arrogant!” Oh well, so be it. I know what I want and I won’t settle for anything less so call me whatever. I learned that I’m a pushover, too nice, too accommodating, willing to bend over backwards to please people and so on. This year, I’m changing some of those negative traits. I want to be stronger, I will stand my ground and will walk away if something is not contributing to my well-being. It will take courage and focus to do that but I come armed and ready to do battle! Well, maybe not battle, just to be steadfast in what I want.

Health is on the agenda as well. This year I’m upping the workouts, looking for more ways to stay healthy, and working on showing the “stress monster” the door is also on the list of things to do. I’m not going to let little things rattle me and I’m going to breathe and let go as much as possible of things that don’t matter. Let’s see if this will work out. I have good intentions and that matters.

Yes, the new year is trying to take off in leaps and bounds, as it usually does.

“Make hay while the sun shines.”

I plan to do exactly that.

Have an amazing day.

2025 in Recap

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“As we look to the new year, hold on to what is Good. Let go of what is bad. It really is that simple.” Mandy Hale

As the year draws to a close, I realize that it has been a year of ups and downs as it has been every year but this year, I had some major ups and some lows. Looking back at the year, I see many things, both good and bad.

I had a major health scare this year. It came as a surprise because I’ve always taken care of myself, eating right, working out, and doing what is necessary to reduce stress but still, it found me. Numerous tests were scheduled, frightening ones with machines that held my future in their hands! It was stressful and waiting for the results to come in was nerve-racking but the end result was that I was fine but I would have to go in next year and have a routine check just to make sure all is well. I can live with that.

The major “high” was the publication of my children’s book, “The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie. I didn’t expect much but I was on a high for weeks on end when it first came out. Good reviews kept coming in and then a bad one, well, I consider it a bad one and I came tumbling back to earth with a thud. Still, it wasn’t all that bad. The book was given high praise by parents, educators and reviewers and it seems to be doing fine. That was and is a major high.

Working on myself was an uphill battle. Some days I did well and others, I was back to square one! It meant that I had to pick myself back up and keep on moving forward. I did learn a lot about myself along the way and I’m going to put it to good use next year. There is still much to do and I plan to keep on doing both the positive and getting rid of the negative stuff to get me on the way up that mountain! Still foggy up there and I don’t see much from here but I know that all will be made clear in time.

I’ve had to say goodbye to things that don’t serve me. It was hard to do because I like holding on to the past and to relationships that are not good for me. It took courage and strength to say, “It is over” and to move on. Friendships were next. Fake ones saw the door and the genuine ones, well, I kept them close. You don’t need many friends, just a few who really mean what they say and are willing to stand by you when times are tough. I found out that there are not many of them but that’s alright.

Another high was that my son got his dream job or rather his forever job. He got the good news shortly before Christmas and I think he’ll start early next year. It’ll be 6 months probation time and then he’ll know if he has it in his pocket but more than that, I hope he enjoys it! As a proud single mom, I see that all those years of being there for him, motivating him, and helping him on his way has paid off. I hope so anyway. It was a hard uphill journey.

That was my year in recap folks. It was an extraordinary year and as it comes to a close, I hope the next one won’t have too many surprises. If it’s good, bring it on. I can do without the other stuff. Anyway, 2026 will be a blank slate and I HOPE only good things will be put on there. Wishful thinking? You guessed right but fingers crossed as I look forward to a brand new year coming up.

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” Oprah Winfrey

Here’s to 2025! May 2026 be even better!

Have an amazing day.

A Blur!

Yesterday was a blur! The test went fine but spending almost 5 hours at the hospital and having this radioactive stuff shot into me and then doing three rounds with the machine to find out if there was anything wrong took the wind out of my sails!

I think it wasn’t just yesterday that brought about the exhaustion, it was the week leading up to it. Emotions were running wild and not knowing made it all the more nerve-racking. I had all kinds of “what if” scenarios running through my head and none of them good.

I crashed last night at around 8 and didn’t get up till 5 this morning. Still feeling tired but more than that, it is the radioactive stuff coursing through my veins that is causing problems, just psychological ones. I googled on how to get rid of it and was told, drink plenty of water to flush it out of your system. It takes about 24 to 48 hours before it is out and gone for good. I hope! The other thing is to keep away from pregnant women and small children. No problems there but Chachi was not too happy last night. I tried not to hug him, kiss him or to cuddle with him and the little bugger didn’t understand it at all.

This morning, I stripped the bedcovers and threw them in the wash. Then I took a shower and used scrub to get whatever is oozing out of my pores a run for the money! After that, I took a walk in nature. There was nothing going on there. The trees were a bright green with no show of changing anytime soon. Fall is taking its time getting here but it will be here sooner than later. However, I realized that nothing much had changed since I set foot on the fields which was about three days ago.

Here’s the thing. Life moves on, nature does the same and what you’ve got going on is your business alone. I recall when I was grieving for the friend I lost, nature and life went on and didn’t stand still not even for a moment. The burden was mine to carry alone and how I dealt with things even more so. I think the message is, YOU have to deal with whatever comes your way. It is all up to you and with that in mind, I feel like I’ve been given a new lease on life and I better put it to good use. I plan to.

The sun is just coming up and it is casting shadows and light as it weaves its way through the fields. A beautiful sight to see and I know that today is going to be a beautiful day.

Have an amazing day folks.

IT WORKED?!!

I’ve talked about a girlfriend who is known for being tardy. If truth be told, tardiness should have been her first, middle, and last name! Her idea of showing up for a meeting is to never show up on time!

We are two opposites as far as being punctual is concerned. I make it a point to show up 10 to 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled time and hers is to show up 20 t0 30 minutes late, but this last time about three weeks ago she was a no show altogether! Her excuse after a 45 minute wait was, “Oh, so sorry! I completely forgot!” It was the straw that finally broke the camel’s back and this camel has a strong back I must say! I told her in a no-nonsense way that her behavior was unacceptable and let it go at that.

Last week, she wrote asking to meet again. I decided to give her another chance and so I showed up at the cafe today, 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled time. I fully expected Ms. Tardy to come prancing in 20 minutes late as usual.

Lo and behold! She walked in a few minutes after I had walked in, a big smile plastered on her face! My first thought, “It worked! She’s mending her ways.” We had a good talk and nothing was said about her tardiness.

Folks, I don’t know if the leopard can change its spots that easily so it’s a wait and see approach for now. We’ll be meeting again sometime next week and I’m hoping she makes it a priority to show up on time.

But then again…..

PUNCTUALITY

“Consistently being on time is the product of proper planning, personal discipline, and a respect for other people’s time.

Making a habit of being late demonstrates none of these things and is often a sign of patchy priorities and selfishness. Habitual lateness says, “My time is more valuable than yours.”

Learn to be reliable and a person of integrity by adopting the discipline necessary to be on time.” Unknown

Her stance is…..

“I don’t feel tardy.”

And that right there is the problem.

Have an amazing day.

I Love Sundays!

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I do love Sundays. It is a day of rest and meant for time well-spent with family, friends and yourself. Well, it should be and every weekend before Sunday rolls around wearing bells and whistles, I have exactly that in mind but it never works out that way.

I had that talk with Chachi, the cat, and you guessed it, it went in one ear and out the other! The little guy in the fur coat marches to a different drumbeat and he makes his own rules! Last night started out well enough and the little rascal toed the line until he decided that it was not something a cat should be expected to do, toe the line that is. He was off and running and kept me up most of the night with his antics. I decided to let it roll off my back like water off a duck’s back. If you can’t beat them join them…..well, I decided to let him have his way and went into a nirvana state of mind but only in my head, everything else was riled up and revving to go! You guessed how my night went.

I even went to bed wearing a t-shirt that said:

SUNDAY CHECKLIST

EAT AND DO NOTHING

DO NOTHING AND CHILL

CHILL AND SLEEP

No luck there. Reading is not what he is about. He, the little munchkin, was up at his usual time and his first cry was, “Mommy!” We went downstairs at around 5:30 and I made my breakfast with my well-meaning t-shirt full of creases just like my dreams of having a cozy time in bed! Now, I am sitting at the computer and the little guy just came back up and jumped on the chair behind me and has his back up against me! Mommy’s boy? Definitely!

Sundays are meant for relaxing and I’m going to make it so. It is storming outside and it feels cold inside the house. I’m happy about the rain because the ground has been parched and a good dousing would do a world of good as far as the plant world is concerned. So rain on! I’m going to get my second cup of coffee and TRY to CHILL!

Have an amazing Sunday.

This Moment in Time

If you think about it, this moment in time is all we have. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is looming somewhere in the distance but today, more specifically, this very moment is where we exist.

“We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.” Bill Waterson

Are you in a safe place? Are you protected? Are you at peace? These are things which matter.

I overthink and it is mostly about the past and then I jump to the future. It is an erratic pattern of thoughts and I am well aware of what I’m doing but still I persist. Last night, I decided to reel in all my jumbled up thoughts because they were causing another sleepless night and then started looking at each one individually and realized that I was dabbling in things I cannot change. The past is done with and the future is unknown. I looked at the moment I was in and realized I was safe, I was warm and I had a roof over my head. I had Chachi, the cat, cuddled up next to me and the world, for the here and now, was a peaceful place. I stayed there for awhile and like a lullaby, it rocked me to sleep.

The moments count. They define our psyche and being in several places in one time does not help matters much. Having one foot in the past and one in the future is not going to do it. Stay in the here and now. What are you doing now? It matters. Trying to put the past, the future and everything else in one basket is a sure fire way to disaster. Sort it out. Make peace with the past, learn the lessons you need to learn and then close the door behind you. The future will be determined by what you do today. Give it loving care, your attention, and maybe, just maybe a brighter tomorrow is around the corner. We can only hope.

Why is being in the present moment so important?

According to powerfullyyou.org, “it can decrease the activities of your nervous system, reduce stress, and help you to feel more regulated.” Tony Robbins says, “it allows you to focus all of your energy on the task at hand.” He further adds, “where focus goes, energy flows.”

Easier said than done? I agree. My mind loves jumping around. It’s like a “monkey” which loves to climb, run, twist and do whatever is necessary to keep me from the task at hand and it often succeeds. It is going to take lots of practice before the “monkey” learns to behave! There is still hope.

Have an amazing day.

Time (Archive)

“Time and tide waits for no man.” Geoffrey Chaucer

I was discussing time with a friend and told him jokingly that this year I was going to hold on tight and make time go as slowly as possible. He laughed because he knew as well as I did that holding onto time is an impossible task and the truth is, it flies and trying to keep up is the only thing to do.

Zig Ziglar said, “Lack of direction not lack of time is the problem. We all have 24-hour days.”

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” Michael Altshuler

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” J.R.R. Tolkien

Have an amazing day.