The Cure for Anything

Bring It

Thursday, September 15, 2016 Fitness, Life No tags Permalink

Pretty much this. Except, I’m not a girl, I’m a woman. The other day I realized that I’m almost alway the only female in the free weights area in my gym. I’m okay with that. I’m used to being around mostly men. I’ve also noticed that most of the women who work at my gym are completely rude and unfriendly. If I had employees who treated people like that, first they’d be re-trained, then reprimanded, and fired, if need be. In a people-oriented business, your number one goal should be friendliness. And that should probably be your goal in life in general. 😀 Just be nice. Simple as that. I was once told by a guy at the gym that insecure women find me intimidating. Ha! Yeah, I’m really scary with my smile and “hello”. 😉

Here’s my motto: the success of every woman should be an inspiration to another. We should raise each other up.

XVII

Tuesday, September 13, 2016 Poetry Tuesday No tags Permalink

I don’t love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz
or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:
I love you as certain dark things are loved,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that doesn’t bloom and carries
hidden within itself the light of those flowers,
and thanks to your love, darkly in my body
lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I don’t know any other way of loving

but this, in which there is no I or you,
so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,
so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.

-Pablo Neruda

Nice Things

Monday, September 12, 2016 Learning, Life No tags Permalink

This is such excellent advice! We are only blessed in this life with one body, so we’d best care for it, in every way. Fitness isn’t a punishment; it’s a blessing. Nutrition isn’t restrictive; it’s healing. Health isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing and may not look the same for everyone; but it is something worth fighting for.

That’s It and Amen

Friday, September 9, 2016 Learning, Life, Movies, Uncategorized No tags Permalink

Oh, how I love this! It makes me what to see if I can still put my foot behind my head. I’m still flexible, but I not sure if I’m that flexible! 😊

My my messiness is more on the inside than the outside. Perhaps I look put together to other people most of the time, but inside I’m often wondering to myself what I’m doing. I suppose we all do sometimes. I remind myself to simply relax into that messiness in my head and eventually it subsides. I suppose were all a little messy sometimes. It’s part of being human.I do think I’ve become a bit more enlightened, but even more so less “afraid of the dark”. The two seem to go hand in hand. It’s a beautiful thing; something that has brought much peace and self-acceptance into my life.

Rather Beautiful

Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Poetry Tuesday No tags Permalink

I love this! It took me a long time to understand that I couldn’t get rid of my fears, not completely. However, I can accept my fears, and see the, for what they are. That takes away their power and puts them into a healthy perspective.

Two Chairs

Monday, September 5, 2016 Books, Good Things, Life, Love No tags Permalink

This looks heavenly to me. Peace and quiet. Fresh air. No internet or mobile phones. Books, music, good company. Two chairs by the fire at night. The moon hung low above the water and a million stars shining brighter than ever before. A simple, cozy cabin, but with a comfortable bed and a big bathtub. All the better for this:

Enjoying Life

Thursday, September 1, 2016 Good Things, Life, Uncategorized No tags Permalink

“I think it’s the skill of living in the present that I have mastered in the last 25 years. It is the key to enjoying your life in full. Enjoying life doesn’t mean being unreasonably excited all the time. On the contrary, as I became older I realized that the first step towards finding the joy of life was to accept reality openly and sincerely, accept everything as it is. Reality is not perfect. But it is important to face the truth. This attitude works wonders.”- Bodhi

No, reality is certainly not perfect, but that’s okay. Well, mostly okay. 😉 I have learned that life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful. There’s beauty in so many simple things. I try to find the good in each day and that makes me enjoy life so much more.

When the Birds Sing the Blues {Poetry}

Tuesday, August 30, 2016 Family, Poetry Tuesday No tags Permalink

He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay, more present than the living man. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I.
The trees sing lullabies,
but my heart closes its ears to them.
The night is broken-winged
thing;
it twitches like a shadow.
Once, the birds were there,
and now they’re not.
I spend all my poems
looking for the end of the tunnel.

II.
A train passes by and my picture frames ratttle.
Imagine.
All those tired travelers looking out their windows,
not knowing that they were heard.
That someone, somewhere,
waits for them.

III.
Once words,
and now,
none.

IV.

I meant it when I said
lonely.

When I said
some days,
it feels
the whole world wants
my silence.

Today would have been my baby sister’s 37th birthday. I still remember the day she was born. It was the first day of 4th grade for me, and my grandfather came to school to tell me that I had a new sister. I always joked that it was amazing that I wanted to have children of my own after seeing her as a baby– she was a fussy, cranky child– and I adored her.

I don’t know if it will ever make sense to me that she is gone. I do know that losing someone close to you who is younger than you makes you really face your own mortality. When my son was growing up, I worried what would happen if I died. Legally, he’d have to live with his father, and I knew he never wanted to do that. Now, I just have somewhat morbid thoughts like, I’d better put away my laundry now so in case I die today, no one else will have to take care of that. I think a lot about what we leave behind when we die.

The Girl Who Was Afraid To Be {Poetry}

Tuesday, August 23, 2016 Poetry Tuesday No tags Permalink

She speaks to me fondly of passions and talents
guitars and stars
then stops short
and apologises for speaking at all

All because somewhere in her life
someone she loved broke her heart
by ignoring her beautiful words
and telling her to
shut up,
keep it down,
nobody cares

People aren’t born sad
We make them that way

-Nikita Gill

Co-ordinates

Tuesday, August 16, 2016 Poetry, Poetry Tuesday No tags Permalink

“For there to be beauty of face, clarity of speech, benevolence and firmness of character, shadow is as needful as light. They are not opponents: they stand, rather, lovingly hand in hand, and when light disappears, shadow slips away from it.”
Friedrich Nietzsche

Something >

Thursday, August 11, 2016 Uncategorized No tags Permalink

It’s Time

Wednesday, August 10, 2016 Learning, Life, Wise Words No tags Permalink

“I think midlife is when the universe gently places her hands upon your shoulders, pulls you close, and whispers in your ear:
I’m not screwing around. It’s time. All of this pretending and performing – these coping mechanisms that you’ve developed to protect yourself from feeling inadequate and getting hurt – has to go.

Your armor is preventing you from growing into your gifts. I understand that you needed these protections when you were small. I understand that you believed your armor could help you secure all of the things you needed to feel worthy of love and belonging, but you’re still searching and you’re more lost than ever.

Time is growing short. There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think. You were born worthy of love and belonging. Courage and daring are coursing through you. You were made to live and love with your whole heart. It’s time to show up and be seen.”

~ Brené Brown

I love Brené Brown. The way she explains things speaks to me. Oh, and I love my coping mechanisms and my armor too. I look at them and think about how they got me through all the hard times, how they protected me, how they quite literally saved my life more than a few times. Even though I no longer need them, and they no longer serve me in any way, I can’t lay them down. I know that’s what I need to do. My yesterdays have already used up too much of my todays.

Left for Hidden { Poetry}

Tuesday, August 9, 2016 Poetry, Poetry Tuesday No tags Permalink

Tuesday, August 2, 2016 Poetry, Poetry Tuesday, Uncategorized No tags Permalink

Read in bed When I call a book
my favorite
I mean,
I read this
during a time
I needed it most.

I mean,
I’ve read many other
beautiful books since,
but this one will always
hold a special place
inside my heart.

and when I say
I love(d) you
I mean,
my heart is a bookshelf
and you will always be
one of my favorite stories.

– Pavana

“Reading forces you to be quiet in a world that no longer makes place for that.” – John Green

I wouldn’t call it a “dirtier mind”, I’d say a more vivid imagination.

The Difference {Poetry}

Tuesday, July 26, 2016 Life, Poetry, Poetry Tuesday No tags Permalink

if he can’t help but
degrade other women
when they’re not looking
if toxicity is central to his language
he could hold you
in his lap and be soft
honey
that man could feed you sugar and
douse you in rose water
but that still could not
make him sweet

-Rupi Kaur

This is something I didn’t understand when I was young. I had no idea I was marrying a misogynist. The men in my family treated women with respect and adoration. So I had no idea what to think when my then-husband would come home from work and say things like he wished he could shoot all the women that he worked with. This was especially frightening due to the fact that he was in the Marine Corps at the time and frequently used a M-16 rifle.

I think that is part of the reason why I find Trump and his racist, misogynistic rants absolutely appalling. I cannot fathom how any man who has a wife and a daughter can possibly vote for Trump. To me, it’s a direct contradiction. I want those I love and care for to be supported and uplifted. Really, I want everyone to be supported and uplifted. As a society, we are only as strong as our weakest link. Our focus needs to be on lifting each other up, not tearing each other down.

24

Wednesday, July 20, 2016 Good Things, Movies No tags Permalink

Artwork from one of my favorite films, Amelie. I stumbled across a gallery of artwork from the film, and I think I’ll treat myself to one. Every time I watch the movie, I notice something new.

1. Being awake during the quiet peacefulness of dawn while the rest of the world is still asleep
2. Lollipops from the bank
3. Meeting someone with the same birthday as you
4. Smiling at strangers
5. Watching someone talk about something they love
6.The smell of a campfire at dusk
7.Hearing a good song for the first time
8. Re-watching a favorite film you had forgotten about
9. Walking barefoot in the summer
10. Subconsciously memorizing lyrics
11. Accomplishing something ahead of time
12. Exact change
13. Falling asleep in the car while it’s raining
14. Accidental photographs
15. Doing something kind for someone in secret
16. Making wishes on dandelions
20. Catching yourself smiling
21. Mix CDs
22. Finding something you thought you had lost
23. The first snowfall of winter
24.Naming a pet

Questions for the Woman I was Last Night {Poetry}

Tuesday, July 19, 2016 Poetry Tuesday No tags Permalink

“how far have you walked for men who’ve never held your feet in their laps?
how often have you bartered with bone, only to sell yourself short?
why do you find the unavailable so alluring?
where did it begin?
what went wrong?
and who made you feel so worthless?
if they wanted you, wouldn’t they have chosen you?
all this time, you were begging for love silently, thinking they couldn’t hear you, but they smelt it on you,
you must have known that they could taste the desperate on your skin?
and what about the others that would do anything for you,
why did you make them love you until you could not stand it?
how are you both of these women, both flighty and needful?
where did you learn this, to want what does not want you?
where did you learn this, to leave those that want to stay?”

-Warsan Shire

Pancakes

Monday, July 18, 2016 Good Things, Life No tags Permalink

I saw this the other day and I laughed so hard! Just the other morning I had some awesome… pancakes. Read that however you want. Okay, it really was pancakes, but they were delicious. Hey, you’ve got to take what you can get. 😉

Tuesday, July 12, 2016 Poetry Tuesday No tags Permalink

“It was rather beautiful:

the way he put her insecurities to sleep.

The way he dove into her eyes

and starved all her fear

and tasted all the dreams

she kept coiled beneath her bones.”

– Christopher Poindexter

2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed (or homemade)
2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice
½ cup finely chopped red onion
1 green bell pepper, diced. (I used yellow and red peppers, because that’s what I had)
1 large tomato, diced
1 large avocado, diced
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
½ cup mangos, diced
1 jalapeño, finely diced
¾ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
For the Dressing

⅓ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp lime juice
½ cup mangos, diced
¼ cup agave
½ tsp grated ginger
Sea salt to taste

Combine beans, rice (or quinoa), onion, pepper, tomato, avocado, corn, mangos, jalapeño, and cilantro in a large salad bowl.
In a food processor, place vinegar, lime, mangos, agave and ginger. Process until smooth.
Pour dressing over salad. Toss gently to mix. Season with salt.

My other new summer obsession is Teavana tea. I think this was Golden Monkey (whatever that means).

I love early summer mornings, the golden quality of the light, and the way everything is so quiet and calm.

The Cure for Anything

Bring It

XVII

Nice Things

That’s It and Amen

Rather Beautiful

Two Chairs

Enjoying Life

When the Birds Sing the Blues {Poetry}

The Girl Who Was Afraid To Be {Poetry}

Co-ordinates

“For there to be beauty of face, clarity of speech, benevolence and firmness of character, shadow is as needful as light. They are not opponents: they stand, rather, lovingly hand in hand, and when light disappears, shadow slips away from it.”
Friedrich Nietzsche

Something >

It’s Time

Left for Hidden { Poetry}

“Reading forces you to be quiet in a world that no longer makes place for that.” – John Green

The Difference {Poetry}

24

Questions for the Woman I was Last Night {Poetry}