Balance

Blog 81 ...
         At a corner garden by the roadside, my eyes spot three interlayered rocks standing majestically and peacefully.  Someone, either moved by the rocks’ smoothness, unique shapes or natural beauty must have decided to make a sculptural statement emphasizing some kind of a relationship.  What could the eye make of it?  Beyond pure aesthetics and natural inspiration, the artist might have experienced an ‘Ikebana' floral arrangement.  It is possible that the artist could be an enthusiast of Eastern 'Ikebana' thought representing and reflecting an understanding of connections between and among heaven, earth and humankind:  humankind depends on resources provided by the earth, which in turn depends on the graces of heaven, and God … the one Great Force.  A perfect balance of interdependence strikes a pose, and it drew me to it.  It invites over and again passersby like me and you to notice and be awed! 

TLC’s

Blog 80 … 

     What is not to love about our hairy friends?  Yes, they must be fed.  Of course, they must be walked, and you must do so several times in a day or you’ll be sorry about messes!  Remember to get them combed or they’d look shabby and unkempt.  Bring to mind their scheduled vitamin supplements and medicines.  Don’t forget to take them to their vet for wellness exams and required pricey shots.  Keep in mind, however, that they require tender loving care the most.  Loving our four-legged friends is good for our mind and soul.  They love us back, and that gives us tremendous joy!

Talent

Blog 79 …

     Can you sing?  Can you work well with your hands?  Can you visualize something and create it?  Do you have fluency with words?  Are you able to lead and excite others?  Can you move gracefully with your body?  Are you able to and process solutions to a problem?  It does not matter that you have a little or a lot of something special.  It is only important to know and remind yourself that you are endowed with talent … God’s gift, so be happy about it.  Feel proud that you have it.  Sharpen, refine and perfect it.  Use it every minute you could.  Showcase it.  Share it.  Enjoy it.  Talent, whether inherently given or acquired through patience and practice is too precious to waste!

Hoard?

Blog 78 …

Figurines!  Dolls!  Plates!  Pottery!  Costumes!  Fabric!  Maps!  Cultural symbols!  I look around my home one day and discover that my collection of superfluous things has gone haywire!  In drawers and cabinets I find items that are pretty to behold, but have no function.  I utterly realize that I even recently purchased an extra showcase cabinet to make way for things I have acquired just sit.  What for do I have such things? I do not have defense for keeping them.  Some things even require senseless dusting and re-arranging … useless work! What’s the impetus for our collecting things?

 

Walk

Blog 77 …

To boost my overall health, I walk a mile or more every single day I am able.  On some days however, I just dread it.  I dread it especially when it becomes a routine.  Other days, I just get out there and begin pacing.  I walk with or without a purpose.  I walk to stride and stroll.  I saunter and stagger.  I plainly walk from point A to B too.  At times I make myself rigidly hike.  Other times, I crisscross and unfollow traffic rules to get amused.  I even make a variety of shapes with steps: circles and x’s, squares, curls and waves.  There are times, when I am on an unfamiliar trail, I catch myself lost in things and sights my eyes find in the surrounding.   I should not let that take over often.  When that happens though, I tell myself that too is alright.  My mind, after all, is allowed to freely wander with my tired, but happy feet!

Delight

Blog 76 …

     Gather two slices of preferred bread, a favorite mayonnaise, and garden-fresh tomato.  Spread the mayo on each bread slice.  Cut the tomato horizontally and to much-loved thickness, and then put as many wanted slices on each bread slice.  Bring bread pieces face-to-face, and presto, you have a ‘tomato-delight sandwich’.  You may take a grand bite at it now.  If you like, however, you may chill it for an hour or let it soak under the sun before that mouth-watering bite.   Americans love their tomato sandwiches year-round; I prefer indulging myself with it on a hot summer day like today.  Yummmm!

Out!

Blog 75 …

When you know you are not in your locational element, you best get out.  Yes, you should not meddle in an area with which you’re not familiar, such as in the kitchen and stuff that go with it or making Curry Dinner, in another instance.  You would not want to intrude in someone else’s expertise preparing that delicate taste of Asian-originating cuisine like I did.  Bent on becoming helpful, I peeled and then diced potatoes and onions to prep for the recipe.  I also filleted the already almost fallen apart chicken breast after its all-morning and low-fire cooking in a crockpot.  I even decided to start boiling altogether the ingredients, except for the coconut milk to make steps less before its final seasoning and garnishing with raisins and peanuts is done by the more experienced cook in the household.  My mouth had begun salivating for the scrumptious end result as I for one minute decidedly stepped out of the kitchen and out the front yard.  I thought no harm to picking up the day’s mail.  I convinced myself everything would be well done and ready when I get back shortly, but what a disaster instead.  The pot of ingredients on the stove was smoking when I got back!  Curried dinner was instantly ruined because I had turned the stove knob in full heat instead of low heat.  What a shame.  What a waste of food, time and energy.  It would have been better had I stayed OUT … out of my element … out of the kitchen!