hot beverage is imperative

It feels like it’s minus 4 degrees Celsius outside and snow hasn’t stopped falling since last night.  Let’s raise our mugs of hot beverages and celebrate this first week of Advent—cheers. 

https://youtu.be/S-gxNYXogKU

spice up your life

 

Today's topic is spice—in the literal sense. The noun version. Cloves, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom…the first three I use for mulled wine and recently, I tried to put half a teaspoon of cardamom on my black drip coffee. It added a hint of sass that made me go “aha, that was—different.” Why? A few weeks ago and today, I tried a seasonal drink at my neighbourhood Balzac’s Coffee shop called Cafe Nordique. Talk about understated comfort. It had cardamom in it. Anyway, I felt like today was a day to enjoy a treat hence, the medium Cafe Nordique and a big blueberry muffin that I voraciously consumed in less than 5 minutes starting with the bottom. I leave the crumbly muffin top as the last section when I eat muffins. Delayed gratification, if you will. That’s it, that’s the post. 

Oh, before I forget…I also started putting cloves inside the collection chamber of my handheld vacuum cleaner. I learned from Jamie Oliver that you can use it to minimize the odd smell inside a vacuum bag: https://youtu.be/3jKJKyXdxbU

It works. I kid you not. Thanks Jamie Oliver.

Interlude

 

Not my feet...Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Wellness break since yesterday and my youngest sister is in town. I may have inadvertently created a series on "rest". Series ?! Sounds so structured and intentional with some start-middle-end trajectory. But no, this is as random as it can get. Honestly, I fear that this blogging outlet thingie might become obligatory...work...part of a to-do list. I don't want that. Emily Dickinson once said (I don't know where) that "forever is composed of nows" and so my intention is to capture and relish as many "nows" as possible. Because I often forget. Or maybe a particular "now" is just wonderful, I don't need to write it all the time or take a picture of it. I just expand all my senses and imprint that "now" into a permanent memory. Hopefully, enjoy remembering it "...until use and old age accept them and all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire." Of course, Eowyn's statement probably doesn't directly apply--it does sound right and nice, doesn't it?  To all of us, who are spent, exhausted. I see you. I hear you. Smile, cheers. 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻 

a post of relief, updated

 

Photo by Polina Kovaleva from Pexels

Without going into TMI (that's Too Much Information, as the kids these days say), I'm feeling relieved. People close to me are aware of my hypochondriac tendencies (an exaggeration, hah) and the advent of the interwebs and smart phones exacerbated that. Suffice to say that we are in the ballpark of 40% real and 60% speculation when it comes to overall health. By health, I'm referring to the World Health Organization's definition of “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” 

I am certainly not an insufferable, grumpy, the-end-is-nigh creature nor empathy gone overboard. However, when too much external stimuli is coupled by stress that has built up from pinpricks to full blown sledgehammers--you know what I mean. The distinction between all of us people is how we deal with those kinds of situations. I was recently informed that although I'm proactive (that increased my ego a bit), I tend to use avoidance as a coping approach (dart arrow hits the bullseye). 

As I write this with renewed motivation and before I start wrapping some Christmas presents (yes, that early...avoid the rush at all costs), I'd like to quote a passage from Daily Meditation (regnumchristi.org) about today's Gospel about The End. 

"Fear stalks us daily. The world in which we live can undermine our trust in God. It is easy to become attached to things of this world, even though they give us only a fleeting pleasure or a temporary security before they pass away, disappear, or vanish. Since our heart is made for God, for the infinite, when we become attached to something not of God, the result is fear. This is a fear of the future and a fear of the unknown. But with God, we know the ending, and we know what awaits us. Listen to those words: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” All that we see and enjoy around us will pass away, but not Christ’s promises, namely the promises of eternal life—of paradise. Be not afraid to hope in God."

On the topic of religion, specifically in terms of the open declaration of one's Catholicism, if people choose to gauge the amount of respect that they will give someone based on what they believe in, how they look, what they do for a living, their material possessions, or their level of education, the onus is on the superficial judge and their bias-filled criteria. When I say I'm Roman Catholic and my person is immediately placed inside a box of stereotypes--well, that's certainly none of my business, isn't it? No need for me to spend some spare adenosine triphosphate in order to convince them to like me. And no, nobody judged me recently for being a Catholic---just a hypothetical scenario in which you can replace the subject of being Catholic as something else that is part of your identity. When applicable. *curtsy* 

/* Update */

I was on break and I thought of reading "Desiderata" again and there it is: "Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself." To Max Ehrmann, many thanks. Kind regards.

own the pace

Image Source https://www.pexels.com/@steshkawillems

Sometimes—or perhaps, most of the time—we should do what we like at our own pace. After all, what we enjoy doing outside our obligations is meant to be for ourselves. Insert overused hashtag #selfcare. We can be our own audience on occasion and that is alright. So if I crochet slowly or speedily, that is entirely up to me…knitting is quietly peeking out of the doorway of endless possibilities and I have to politely say “one moment please, maybe another time?” All good, all good. 

How about some relaxing music: https://youtu.be/VbCl2kaGBS0 

beyond tidal volume

 Box breathing…recommended by a professional.  I like it. Low-hanging fruit.

Avoiding anti-Chrismaxxers

A festive looking tree properly accented with adorable image stickers.

To those who have an aversion towards those who emanate the holiday spirit as early as November…even as early as September when the “-ber” months arrive…this post is not for thine ocular enjoyment. I love this season. See Exhibit A https://annaswhatnots.blogspot.com/search?q=christmas&m=1

If thou sharest mine adoration of this wonderful smelling peri-autumn/pre-winter time of the year, Hurrah. ‘Tis this spirit that maketh shorter days and longer nights indoors bearable.

So, if Mariah Carey chooses to circulate a video of her smashing a Halloween pumpkin to symbolically commence the apropos time to play “…I don’t want a lot for Christmas…”—let her be. I fully support this cause of spreading joy and cheer to everyone regardless of their faith. We need more of this rather than the bah-humbug, gloom-and-doom situation. Right? Come on.

Kumalma *virtual confetti of good vibes*

Pax Vobis

 

Screenshot from https://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-258.htm

Unfortunately, many of the "scruples" that St. Josemaria Escriva mentioned in the passage above are self-imposed. Perhaps, sparked by something outside ourselves that we kindled and nurtured internally. As Hamlet's famous soliloquy goes, "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of trouble, and, by opposing, end them?" By outrageous fortune--it could go either extreme--outrageously good or outrageously bad. It could commence as an idea that we continued to nurse and feed in our minds, causing turbulence and depriving us of peace. And...by St. Escriva's logic---"What takes away your peace of soul cannot come from God." What a useful guideline, isn't it? A great criterion whether something is for the higher good. 

muscle memory

Happy to report that I have taken up arts & crafts to preoccupy the nuts, bolts, gears, and chains in my head. I've revived my cross-stitching project from last year and, on a whim, decided to crochet! The advantage of video tutorials is that you can play and pause. I'm crocheting an infinity scarf since it seems to be the best project for beginners. Of course, of all the wonderful yarn colours at Michael's last weekend, I chose a utilitarian grey. I thought, let's not be too flashy...I should at least make my project wearable, practical, purposeful. I like darker shades of purple and navy blue, but I've gravitated towards grey through the years. It doesn't attract too much attention and is more ordinary looking compared to black. When I started this project over the weekend, my fingers were initially challenged; once my digital flexors got the hang of it, I start to recite in my head "yarn over, pull through, yarn over, pull through." Great way to quiet the mind. Although, to be honest, the muscle memory can be too kind and my thoughts would wander again. I have to mentally disintegrate my distracting thoughts with an imaginary laser gun. Whatever it takes, eh? Whatever it takes.