A Reluctant Spider. No. It’s Nature

Survival and desire amalgamated

And turned an aphotic eye inward.

I saw my my expectations dismantled and dismembered 

By the harsh and starving dogs of reality.

Truths that sit in the vacuity of space

Like a hypergiant star burning to ash.

All elements too weak to withstand the awesome heat.

We are what we are.

And all creatures must eat.

She’s not reluctant. She’s resigned. 

To her death. 

No. The order of things.

She eats and waits to be eaten.

It’s dark.

It’s nature.

Cairo Sweet – Miller’s Girl

Miller’s Girl

George Bernard Shaw wrote the infamous line, “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” I’ve always had a problem with this because assuming teachers are failures is very unfair. However, in the movie Miller’s Girl we see the stereotype brought to life. Mr. Jon Miller, creative writing teacher at a Tennessee high school, is existing because his one and only book was criticized at the time of publication.

Mr. Miller is portrayed as pretty average, but lights up when one of his students, Cairo, shows true talent as a writer. But the audience sees another side of Cairo when she has trouble completing an assignment about personal accomplishment. She is advised to write what she knows. What follows is a disturbing tale of a high school girl’s crush, on her teacher, that descends into a form of madness.

If you’re a writer, then you write. If you don’t write, then you’re not a writer. Possessing the strength and confidence to pursue your passion in a field where reviews are subjective, and can be harsh, is an admirable trait. Mr. Miller’s one and only attempt at writing caused such a trauma, the audience is left to wonder why it hurt him so much. The portrayal of failure leading to abandoning a passion makes one wonder if it was passion all along, or a need for validation.

This movie is very thought provoking, and not just about writing. Rejection is very painful. When acceptance unexpectedly comes calling, it is not surprising when one seizes onto the source of acceptance, whether appropriate or not. The rejection / acceptance theme transcends the topic of writing into other relationships, which reveals itself throughout the film.

I highly recommend this to anyone who feels that their dreams were shattered. My advice? Don’t give up. Embrace your passion for yourself, and not for others.

By Christopher Malmevik

Reading with Dante‘s The Divine Comedy

Robin Bates wrote Do Not Let Your Anger Drown You. Dante understands the emotions well.

In Inferno, Dante the pilgrim encounters those are thrashing around in anger. Of these, there are “the wrathful” who outwardly vent their anger on others and “the sullen” who keep it within, where it boils ceaselessly.

Those who inhabit Dante’s Inferno are those whose sin so consumes them that they are blind to God’s light. In other words, they create their own hells.

Gustave Dore – The wrathful

Notes: This book is universal in scope whether the reader is a pagan, non-Christian or Christian. Gripping in its vision, human feeling and possibility of ignominious ways in which we can engage self-destructive behaviour as an individual people or as a society, the book offers hopes and graces that are needed to knit us back together. It’s possible to read the text and leave aside the theological and spiritual edifying aspects of the text. To read it as a political has been done before. If you read it as a spiritual text and forget about the history, culture and politics, etcetera, then, I may be missing something, too.

Lessons Learned from a Christmas Tree

Chinese New Year is coming! Another celebration. Another tradition.

Tradition! Tradition! Every time the word tradition comes up, my brain starts signing the songs in Fiddler on the Roof. “If I were a rich man
Ya ba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum…”

Why is the Christmas still up? When do we take it down?

My niece said that there is really no rule when to take it down. Besides, she’s way too busy working and having to help her Mom care for her Dad living with dementia.

The tree brightens the house during the bleak winter season. It makes her Dad happy. Fair enough.

In my group Addicted in Gardening, I raised the question: “How long do we keep the Christmas Tree up? “ Ask and you shall receive.” This group is awesome.

I think I’m going to go to the garden and eat some worms.

It’s raining. That’s more like it. Wash all that snow away. It’s easier to walk in the rain than the slippery snow. If there is a law on loitering, I would have been charged for vagrancy.

Yesterday I bumped into Peter, my neighbour. He’s just like Ichabod Crane in stature. Funny Scottish fella. He goes to the mall for his daily regiment to see people watching other people. Sometimes, he’ll look for Bob at the food fair to join him for a cup of Java. Boring Bob, he calls him but I’m sure he enjoys his company. Maybe, our path will cross again today as I do my walk about. Got to keep them bones moving and oiled.

I’m reading this book I Like You Because by Albert J. Nimeth, O.F.M. The picture of the boy siting all by himself looking so forlorn has a caption:

Nobody loves me. I’m going into the garden to eat worms. Yesterday, I ate two smooth ones and one wooly one.”

It sounds humorous but it’s tragic for a child not being satisfied and feeling unloved. Oh boy. Should he carries on until adulthood feeling this way, that’s a load full of worms to ingest.

In my leisure time, I discovered that I’m not alone in posting meme in Facebook. I joined the High Church Cayote (Episcopal Humor) group. One of the meme I posted generated 43.8K reactions, 946 comments and 10.7K shares. Dare I respond to those comments? Nah.

Good times. Good times.

Bus Pass and Day Trip

Yesterday I bought a bus pass that is valid for 24 hours and would take me in any zones of Greater Vancouver using all public transportation after my doctor’s appointment.

Should I Be Worried?

The skytrain and blue buses are running but not the regular buses. The drivers cannot perform their jobs because the supervisors are on job action. I ended up taking a taxi halfway. The cab drivers were busy and happy. Business is good.

So, what’s happening close to home? Vancouver Best Places website provides me with a listing.

Vancouver has all kinds of festivals and events during the year, from music festivals to free outdoor concerts to international fireworks competitions.

Events happening this time of year include Canyon Lights at Capilano Bridge, the PuSh Festival, Dine Out Vancouver Festival, and Robbie Burns Day. Other events to look forward to are the Brazilian Carnival, Just for Laughs Vancouver, FAN EXPO Vancouver and Lunar New Year celebrations.

General Festivals & Events in January

• Vive les Voyageurs – a celebration of French-Canadian culture at Fort Langley. (In mid to late January.)
• Dine Out Vancouver Festival – special deals at hundreds of local restaurants (from mid-January to early February.)
• Polar Bear Swims – icy cold dips in the ocean to celebrate the New Year at English Bay, North Vancouver’s Deep Cove, Fort Langley, Port Moody, Delta, Squamish and White Rock (on January 1, 2024).
• PuSh Festival – performing arts shows at various locations (from mid-January until early February.)
• Robbie Burns Day – a day when people celebrate the birthday of Scotland’s national poet. (On January 25, 2024).
• Street Food City – food trucks outside the Vancouver Art Gallery as part of the Dine Out Vancouver Festival. (In late January.)
• Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival – special hot chocolate offerings around town (from mid-January until February 14, 2024).
• Vancouver Motorcycle Show – a trade show featuring motorbikes and motorcycle equipment in Abbotsford. (January 12-14, 2024.)
• Whisky Global – an upscale whisky-tasting event with live music, premium whiskies and high-end cars. (January 26 & 27, 2024.)
• Whistler Pride and Ski Festival – one of the largest LGBTQ ski weeks on the continent. (In late January.)
• White Rock Polar Plunge – a polar bear-themed swimming event in the ocean at White Rock Beach. (January 1, 2024)
• Chilliwack Home, Leisure & Outdoor Living Expo – a large renovations and home decor trade show-themed event in the Fraser Valley. (TBC)
• Lunar New Year – a cultural holiday celebrating the Lunar New Year with various events throughout the Lower Mainland (It happens in January in some years. In 2024, however, it’s on February 10).

There I go…..

Reading Dante Alighieri

Dante Alighieri: Dante is shirt firm of Durante. Alighieri was not, in fact, Dante’s surname. It was part of a pen name derived from his full name, Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri. Dante did not have a proper family name in the modern sense. Rather, the “di Alighiero” was a patronymic, indicating he was the son of Alighiero. (source: Quora)

Journey with Dante in his vision of hell, purgatory and Paradise dated 9-9-21

Why should we read the Divine Comedy?

• It would help us when life goes wrong.
• We could be dragged down in desperation or we could throw a hand up and call for help and look for the assistance of a wise thoughtful friend and guide us. Or we could call out for divine grace and hope that help is there and that we avail ourselves of it. So that you know to think practically about the capricious universal draw of the text.
• It helps to think about what happiness and flourishing look like individually and corporately.
• It would make us live better.

“Start midway in the journey of our life, I woke to find myself in some dark wood of error…”

– how do I get out?

– how do I come to myself?

– how do I come to reorder my life?

– via affirmative as affirming for the glory of God?

These are words that I have taken note of as I listened to the lecture.

To Hell With Dream Job

Young people dream of becoming just like me. They said, “When I grow up, I want to be just like you.” I responded, “When you grow up, I want you to be you.” They grew up and found their place in the society.

Tea in the Garden painting by Beryl Cook

To hell with dream job. Let us toast to animal pleasures.

To hell with unemployment: I think it’s a fine thing. I like sleeping all day and having nothing to do but read, write, and sleep whenever I feel tired. I like waking up in the morning and going immediately back to bed if the weather is foul. In short, I think it’s a fine situation for a man to be in: provided, of course, that he has enough money to eat and pay the rent. . . 

Let us toast to animal pleasures, to escapism, to rain on the roof and instant coffee, to unemployment insurance and library cards, to absinthe and good-hearted landlords, to music and warm bodies and contraceptives, and to the “good life,” whatever it is and wherever it happens to be.

Let us strip to the ankles and revel in everything sensual: let us laugh at the world as it looks at itself through mushroom-cloudy glasses, and I suppose we might as well pay the rent too: for eviction is second only to hunger as the dirtiest word in the dictionary.

Hunter S. Thompson
Letter to Sally Williams
17th January 1958

(From Proud Highway)

Is it the butterfly in your stomach?

Think Fiddler on the Roof.

But do you love me?
Do I love you?
For twenty-five years I’ve washed your clothes
Cooked your meals, cleaned your house
Given you children, milked the cow
After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?

It’s not romantic love. My mother did this for all of her children. A prime example of what love is. We children learnt this and in turn shown love to one another through actions. Through caring in deeds. Words can be useless without actions.

The same thing with my dear friends.

Food, clothing and shelter. It’s a given. So much love. In times of need. Just being there for me through sickness and in health. When I’m hurting. Love heals.

On a lighter note :

In response to: Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?

Addicted to Gardening

I need intervention when it comes to plants. It seems that I could never have enough of them. Clutter? I like it that way.

After a while, you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn’t mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises.

3, 501. That’s how many images I have in my iPhone since 2017. Not bad, eh.

I was searching for an article to share with you on how to declutter. I saw it the other day but it’s gone! I must have decluttered my cell.

In response to: Where can you reduce clutter in your life?

Wonderful World of Animals.

I love all animals especially birds. The bird is the only animal with feathers. Living in Canada, you think Canada Geese is my favourite. No.no.no.no…. These geese are vicious.

Favouritism is unfair since I have two cats I love dearly. I feed the birds on my balcony come winter. So you can imagine how fascinating watching the birds and cats separated by a glass door.

Another species of bird took residence by the Holly Tree. Hummingbird! They stay all year round.

Resident Hummingbird in my backyard

Winter temperature is dipping and I worry about them. Oh, how I wish I can keep them inside my toasty sanctuary just for this season.

In response to: What is your favourite animal?

Prose and Pixels

Communicating online is a love or hate situation. It comes with the cliche the good, the bad and the ugly.

It was such a relief when email was introduced around 1996. Emails cut down my work and faster. The group voicemails were replaced with group emails. It was great for work. Fast, efficient and effective.

Fast forward, the world is littered with various apps for online communication. Needless to say, my style of connecting is constantly evolving. It’s an Art. It can be humorous. Or just a complete bullshit. Most of the time, I write directly to the point. Devoid of emotions. A learning process.

On the other hand, security is on the top of the list. I thread carefully.

“How do I love thee, let me count the ways…” as Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote.

In response to in what ways do you communicate online?

Online Reading with Dante

By the time I actually started reading The Devine Comedy of Dante Alighieri was September 2021 due to an invitation from “100 Days with Dante” to join them online. The options are Facebook or email to receive the daily materials. I opted for emails.

I purchased this book because of the artwork of Gustave Dore for $20 on November 19, 2004. It gathered dust together with other book collections.

Prior to this, I took a few evening courses of Dante offered by an Anglican Church close to work in the 1990s. Accidentally, I stumbled on an article on Dante at Better Living Through Beowulf by Robin Bates who teaches how great literature can change your life.

Back to 100 Days of Dante. Exactly what it says: one Canto a day for 100 days.

I will be transferring the notes I’ve jotted here bits and pieces of the cantos starting from Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradise. Each section has 33 cantos.

Forest Bathing Shirt March 14, 2020

Inferno – Canto I

Midway upon the journey of our life
I found myself within a forest dark,
For the straightforward pathway had been lost.

Oh, the places I go…

The easiest way to explore natural beauty, small towns, and wildlife is by open road. So much to see. So much to explore. Too many people to meet. Mostly friendly strangers.

Road trip is more enjoyable than a cruise.

Overlapping memories thinking back of the many places I wandered around on this earth as a pilgrim. These feet are made for walking. “Get those rocks off my road” bumper sticker was perfect. 25 pound backpack is good enough.

Last year, we drove way up Fraser Lake to join the Carrier Nations to celebrate the life of Rose Prince, an Aboriginal who attended a residential school.

The road trip took us two days because we love to stop and visit small towns, Whenever I see animals in their natural habitat, I excitedly tell my sister to stop the car.

The beauty of British Columbia is astonishing. Oooohhhhh. Aaaahhh. It’s epic.

Along the highway, we saw the remains of the forest. Did a bonfire start this devastation?

Or it’s due to the summer heat?

The forest fire have already started when we returned home. The surrounding area of Fraser Lake was affected.

Campfires have been forbidden lately to avoid further forest destruction.

Think back on your most memorable road trip.

Oh, just a little snack.

My mouth is hungry but my stomach is full. What can I snack on? There are so many edibles in the fridge, pantry, bedside, living room and tabletop. But nothing that looks palatable to sink my fangs.

What I’m craving for is Korean chips with simulated flavour of shrimp or crab. Oh, Asian goodies. I love the savoury selections.

Speaking of crab, it reminds me of the word curmudgeon. What it means is a cranky old man.

Yesterday I was eavesdropping to these two passengers on the train. Well, actually everyone could hear them but you have to understand their language. I do. They are Filipinos. Have you ever heard them talk? They are loud as if they are yelling.

The man said that as he gets older he is becoming so crabby, Easily irritable. Then the conversation shifted fast to food.

Food. Now we are in a better mood.

What snack would you eat right now?

Business idea. Crazy?

Dim Sum newspaper published a new business thriving in Japan. It’s starting to take off. Exploring Japan’s rising trend of companion rentals.

I’m thinking of doing this in Vancouver.

Two is a company

Shoji Morimoto has what some would see as a dream job: He gets paid to do pretty much nothing.

The 38-year-old Tokyo resident charges ¥10,000 ($71) per booking to accompany clients and simply exist as a companion.

Earlier, a foreign YouTuber named Harry Jaggard, with a million followers, shared a video titled “I Rented a Japanese Girlfriend in Tokyo,” documenting his entire experience of the date. He initially waited outside Harajuku Station and was greeted by the stunning Japanese beauty Eri, with whom he explored Takeshita Street. Their first destination was a hedgehog café, followed by a sumptuous wagyu beef meal at a restaurant, and concluding with a visit to a baseball practice facility, thoroughly enjoying the date. Throughout the experience, his girlfriend engaged in lively conversations, attentively shielding him from rain and even navigating using maps. The YouTuber praised the experience as entertaining, despite the relatively high cost. Including the reservation and transportation expenses, he spent a total of approximately $400 (around HK$3,120), which he found more economical than maintaining an actual romantic relationship, generating laughter and agreement from numerous netizens.

Dim sum Daily

The only thing that I’m afraid of this job meeting serial-killers.

Come up with a crazy business idea.

Doggone it! Where is it?

Some people raised dogs. My brother raised roosters. Oh, how I love waking up when the cock crows. No need for an alarm clock.

Since I was born in poverty, I grew up with no dolls or miniature China set for a tea party.

We had a dog. Our one and only dog. A pure breed Doberman. Black. Female. She came with her tail cut short. We kept her long ears. She was so regal that we called her Sultana. One spoilt brat.

Purebred has a short life. I miss her.

The second part of this post, requires your attention and comments. It has something to do with WordPress or Jetpack reader. I can see your post when I view all the answers. The tagline of this Bloganuary are bloganuary-2024-10, dailyprompt, dailypromp-1813 that is automatically added for us.

The question is: CAN YOU SEE YOUR POST? I cannot see mine in the READER. Even if I change the topic to dailyprompt, I see yours. I can’t see mine. Please check your readers and let me know. I will submit another blanket statement to the support line based on your findings.

I have contacted the Happy Engineers. I hope they can fix the website.

For the fun of this exercise, I added taglines: RDP, Ragtag Daily Prompt and Photography to test if my post will show up in the Reader with these topics.

Keep Calm and blog on.

Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?

If they can do it, surely I can, too.

These two are in their 80s and 90s totally inept in navigating their iPhone.

Would you believe that I still don’t own an iPhone and I’m 66 years old.

I don’t think I will self-destruct should I accept this mission and start owning the latest device of Apple iPhone Pro series 15.

What I am currently using are series 6 and 7 all hand-me-downs. I have to start asking for an upgrade from my generous family.

What is your mission?

Sleeping Beauty

Have you ever had a good sleep and feel beautiful when you wake up?

People used to call me sleeping beauty because I can fall asleep anywhere at anytime. Waking up feeling so young and full of energy even it was just a power nap.

Rip Van Winkle slept for a long time.

Sleep adds value to living a very long life.

Me? I can’t sleep. It’s doubtful if longevity runs in my blood.

You? Are you sleeping well?

Prompt: What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

Thinking all the time. What am I going to do?

Goodness gracious! How long have I been thinking of getting a new writing device? My computer, iPad and four IPhones are all obsolete.

I kept uttering this hint to my family that all I wanted was a new iPad. I’ll take hand-me-downs.

Finally, yesterday, my brother and I went shopping at the Apple store. Looking at all the gadgets, I was bedazzled with so much new technology.

Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?

I got a new iPad Air through the generosity of my brother, To add more joy to this occasion, his son and two friends and my nephew and his girlfriend were at the store. Furthermore, we met up with other siblings for coffee. I tell you, the mall is full of surprises who I will bumped into.

Now.… how the heck am I going to learn how to use this new gizmo?

Last chance

Did you receive a review from WordPress about your site? I did. It says: “Another vibrant year has unfolded on the web, and it’s time to reflect on the remarkable digital journey you’ve taken with WordPress.com”

That’s positive since I had only 139 posts in 2023! Apparently, “The Years Are Short” posted on February 8, 2023, was popular. It’s true that day goes by so fast especially for me belonging to a huge family. Feeling blessed..

Not everyone is present

What relationships have a positive impact on you?

Relationships are always a learning experience. Good. Bad. Who knows? Mind you, this year, I joined a lot of groups: gardening, photography, art, pets, humour, story writing, etc. Online! Some of them I met in person. So much fun!

With all the activities in life, there are prompts that stayed in the draft section not elaborated. It’s good for me to read and reflect on them. They are as follows:

• Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech? dailyprompt-2150 I’m ready for my close-up

• What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year? dailyprompt-2145 I’m alive

• What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year? dailyprompt-2145 As it happened

• Are you more of a night or morning person dailyprompt-2140 I don’t do mornings

• Do you need time? dailyprompt-2113 Excess “Time, which is your enemy in almost everything in this life, is your friend in writing.” —Tobias Wolff”

• What is good about having a pet? dailyprompt-2118 Nurse and Nurseaide “You will soon find out the language of love”

• Which activities make you lose track of time dailyprompt-2001 Life Happens

• How do you practice self-care? dailyprompt-1978 All about me time.

• Share a story about someone who had a positive impact on your life. dailyprompt-1936 My Hero

• Are you a leader or a follower?dailyprompt-1939 Lead

• Share a story about someone who had a positive impact on your life. dailyprompt-1936 Sqwabb, my homeless friend

• What is your career plan? dailyprompt-1933 Self-care

• What was the last live performance you saw?dailyprompt–1932 Johnnie ‘s recital at UBC

• What’s a job you would like to do for just one day? dailyprompt-1930 – A Room with a view

• What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite? dailyprompt-1924 My birthday! I always, always, declare it a holiday and take time off to celebrate life.

• What topics do you like to discuss?dailyprompt-1920 – I hardly talk lately. I listen more.

• When is the last time you took a risk? How did it work out? dailyprompt-1919 Slow process “Risk itself is a process of constant unfolding. And taking risks is the process of peeling back the layers of what you are and who you want to be. – Phoebe Eng

Enough of me. How did you make out with your posts in 2023?

I have nothing to lose…

Materially speaking, I say so many times, take everything if you want it. Why? They can do all the work of having them since I want to unburden my load.

If I have lost the fear that I possess, then it’s easy to live life. I’ve lost my mind before. That was not easy. It felt like I have nothing to lose.

But… there is always help.

Here’s a quote from a man who lost everything in a house fire. Thank goodness, nobody died.

“There were some bright spots. The local Red Cross chapter gave us a $500 card to help us get new clothes. Some kids in the neighborhood took up a collection and the dimes and quarters they offered in a zip-lock bag brought tears to my eyes. A local restaurant fed me two meals a day and never asked for a penny (although I insisted on tipping).”

What would you do if you lost all your possessions?

Paper refuses no ink

The slogan “Paper refuses no ink” is similar to blogging. It is about writing. You cannot see me. You cannot hear me. I may be be dead. For all you know this is AI writing or worst ChatGPT.

I’ve been in WordPress for a long time. Had my stint of followers and following. I did a death cleaning project of my site when daily prompts, weekly photography and freshly pressed were eliminated. It was a groupie thing. I liked you. You liked me. You followed me. I followed you. Then some of the posts I followed started dying. Literally. The writers died. It was upsetting.

I felt like killing my blog. But instead I took a hiatus and kept on reading posts.

The death cleaning involves deleting my followers. I had thousands but in reality, a handful will make their presence known through commenting. I took away the like button. What is there to like? This is not Facebook. Finally, I changed the site name.

Returning to write again by becoming one of the representatives of Ragtag Daily Prompt and participating with Lens-Artists, this activity keeps my mind active.

Sometimes, I read my previous posts to bring back memories.

It’s powerful!

Why do you blog?

GFY in capital letters

Tell me, what is the meaning of GFY as you read the images below with searching it online.

Give me your honest opinion and the meaning of GFY.

What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it?

Kung Fu

Remember Grasshopper, the young Kwai Chang Caine in the Kung Fu TV series? Master Po gave his disciple this famous nickname.

I was about 12 years old when I saw this in from my neighbour’s TV as we were peeking over the fence. They kept their front door open so I could watch it.

I grew up with no TV but I still remember this.

Image from WP media free library

There were so many great lines, actions and lessons from this show.

Master Po: Close your eyes. What do you hear? … Do you hear the grasshopper which is at your feet?

Caine: No. Old man, how is it that you hear these things?

Master Po: Young man, how is it that you do not?”

– ‘Kung Fu’.

What TV shows did you watch as a kid?

Oh, those little things…

Definition: a highly admired person or thing

A bee’s knees are, like our own, joints between each leg’s femur and tibia. While we have only two, they have six (though they’re not often referred to as such in technical contexts). And what knees they are! Splendid enough that they have, since at least the 1920s, conjured by mere mention the idea of something excellent—specifically a person or thing to be greatly admired.

But it cannot be ignored: a bee’s knees are also very, very small.

Merriam-Webster

Stella

There she is. Dynamite comes in small packages.

Waste it, Want not

Arguments are one of time wasted. Mind you, I enjoy a healthy debate. There are times, I tell phone solucitors to stop wasting my time. On material stuff that I accumulated while wasting my time in garage sales or flea markets, now I realized these occupy space. Then I mutter to myself, “You are a waste of space!”

Source: Wikipedia ~ The Persistence of Memory by Dali

How do you waste the most time every day?

Time is precious and golden. Worry is a waste of time and energy.

When I used to work and obeyed to work with projects that are literally a waste of money, I was so bored to tears and stressed out.

It’s been five years since I stopped working due to disabilities. I may be hardly doing anything physical but it’s not a waste of time. My mind and soul do wonder in healing my body. It’s self-care.

In essence, nothing is wasted when I truly think about it.

Come and visit me.

I have the desire to meet every country via WordPress.

I’m from Canada.

Let me know in the comment section where you’re from and I will visit your site.

What countries do you want to visit?

I like words

Simple words. Kind words. Living words. Action words. Real world. I always look forward to my daily word from Merriam-Webster.

May I have a few with you?

Lost in space

I don’t mind getting lost. But when I experienced losing the children, seniors, dogs, cats, keys, and documents; my heart will skip none stop. I will pray and call all gods in the universe to help me find them. I will even make all the promises to be a good person, change my ways, and be more careful.

Photo of Radka’s adorable children talking to Remy, The Humanities Cat

This cat is not lost, but where is the parent?

Knowing that losing something or someone causes extreme anxiety; whenever I find something valuable, I go to the extreme of finding the owners. I have found and returned keys, documents, children, blank signed cheques, etc. It is such a relief to be able to find the rightful owners.

Reward? Heh! No, thank you. Just be careful.

What makes you nervous?

Bucket List

I’ve decided to focus my bucket list on seeing the natural world rather than being entertained to satisfy my hedonistic appetite. In order to do that, I focused my energy on what can I plant.

There is a space I looked at every day from the balcony. I prayed quietly with the hope that the owner of the building will fix the pool and fill it up with gravel and soil. I want to extend the garden. As you can see in this photo, there are two trees needing to grow on the earth.

Maple and Lavender Trees

There are whispers that the pool will eventually be filled.

Let’s wait and see if this would materialize this year.