Showing posts with label being-friendly challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label being-friendly challenge. Show all posts

Sunday, January 18, 2015

New Challenges For New Year

In July last year, I did a two-poem take on Being-Friendly Challenge. Those of you who can recall will probably also know my inspiration behind it. Those of you who haven't read them yet, you can easily locate them by clicking on the "being-friendly challenge" link in the labels section under this post.

And it is with great pleasure I present before you all today, the inspiration behind the whole idea- the candid, caring, compassionate, and lovely Cindy Ackley.

A cancer survivor, and a most-dedicated licensed Massage Therapist living in Mesquite, Texas, she shares her life, experiences, and warm thoughts with the world, in her web-page www.lifeisbeautifulandhealthy.com. I love her every post, but if I have to pick my favourites, they are
Don't Give Up! Dreams Do Come True! (for the sheer joy and magic it imparts).
and
A Blessing In Disguise (for all the interesting aspects I learnt about life across the globe).

Full of motherly instincts, and love, care, and concern for all, she is one of the most amazing and inspiring personage I was blessed to meet last year. She graces my page today, to share with us what she and 2015 have set out for each other.

Thank you, Cindy for obiging to my request and adding this special touch to our first New Year together.

* * * * *

The guest blog by Cindy Ackley on the new changes and challenges 2015 brings along for her.

New Challenges For New Year

Every year on January 1st, we make resolutions or declare changes that we would like to accomplish. Sometimes these changes are self inflicted things like starting a new diet or healthy habit. More often than not, these changes are good for a few weeks or a couple of months, then we are back to our old ways.

This year my challenge is a bit different. I have found myself with an empty nest after my youngest daughter has decided to move in with a friend from work. My husband travels a lot for work and I am "home alone"! This year I will be discovering how to maintain my healthy eating habits and cooking for one. You may laugh, but this is really a challenge for me. I have always loved cooking and enjoy serving my family healthy dinners. I have always enjoyed the way that they rave about how delicious a meal that it was.

I am learning how to shop for one. I have already thrown out more produce than I actually consumed. Produce stands and Farmers Markets have things prebundled in baskets or bags and there is no way that I can use it all before it goes bad. I suppose I could if I ate the same thing everyday. That is way too boring! It is difficult to find a place that will sell you one handful of green beans, one handful of carrots, one half a bundle of asparagus and the list goes on.

On the other hand, this empty nest syndrome does have some positive advantages. There is much less laundry and house cleaning to do. There is more time for gardening. There is more time for just doing whatever I choose to do. Which may or may not get me into trouble! It could make me lazy or I just might write a novel. Time will tell.......

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Smiling along the miles

Having had such a friendly reaction from my neighbours (read My friendly neighbours to know), I was rather motivated to be all the more friendly to her. Here's another fictionalised account of my endeavours and their outcome:

I smiled at my neighbour,
Everytime I found her near;
In her garden, at the store,
At the crossroad, or her door.

At first she rechecked whether
It wasn't  one of her silly dreams;
Then as always gave me a glare,
That were her silent screams.

I still pursued her with my smiles,
For I believed good will result from my tries;
I smiled when she glared at me,
I smiled even if she gave me a sigh.

I smiled at her warmly
When she won at a game;
I gave her a smile so soft
When a trouble made her lame.

Then like sunshine
My smile broke the ice betwixt;
It struck a chord in her heart,
And she smiled at me so very sweet!

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

My friendly neighbours

A fictionalised representation of how people would probably react to friendly gestures in today's society over mundane reasons:

I found my neighbours in their garden on my way back home one evening. This is how they reacted to my greeting...

I smiled at my neighbour,
She turned her back to me!
She wished to keep an old grudge instead.

I smiled at her dog,
He barked at me!
Afterall, he only did his master's bid.

I smiled at her son,
He winked at me!
I realised it was a mistake I made.

I smiled at his sister,
She closed her windows shut!
Her mother must be near somewhere.

I smiled at her child,
She smiled back to me!
Surely, only children know the beauty of life.