NOW THE BREAD’S MADE, IT’S TIME TO HAVE SOME COOKIES

Posted on January 4, 2018 by hafong

Life never stops happening. I might as well keep my seat belt on. It’s a good thing, I suppose. I’ve been listening to Caroline Myss this morning on the importance of words. I’m watching my vocabulary – how I talk. I do anyways, especially here. I don’t like to talk about ‘problems’ or ‘trouble’, not without countering it with solutions and hope. I love Alice in Wonderland but I don’t want to fall down that rabbit hole without an escape route.

I’m darn tired now, spending the morning baking bread. Now, I’m sitting with my tea. Relief! I’ve just down two gingersnaps. Cookies help with everything. The furnace man has just left a little while ago. We have heat again. There are things we never learn to do even when we know better – like changing the furnace filter regularly. Why did we think our house was so clean with a dog that SHEDS. So we pay the price of a new motor for the fan. Good thing it’s warm today. -9 C instead of – 30+C of last week. Good thing we have another furnace for the downstairs, plus a fireplace. But it was still cool.

It made me think of how spoiled we are. We were cold with an inside room temperature of 60 degrees F. I can remember winters in China when I was a child. There was no heating, never mind central. We wore layers of clothes and then a jacket over top. That’s one reason I have a very big bad scar on my left arm. I had hot syrup spilled on it when I was little. I had so many layers of clothes on, it was difficult to extricate me from the hot sticky mess. Another reason was doctors were not a commonality. They were a last resort of which I did need and got. I am scarred but I’m here. Both my arms are functional. No mobility issues.

I have learned to mourn and let go my losses, but celebrate what I have. No use crying over spilt milk. So much wisdom in those old sayings, eh? My tea is done. I feel so much better. I think I will have another cup. My aches and pains are less today. My oven is on steam clean. I don’t want to leave the house yet. Sheba will have to wait for her walk. All in good time. Talking about which – making bread is about all I’ve got done today. Well, the dishes, pots, pans and all the other goodies, too. Now that I got the oven going, there’s those racks. No panic though. There’s time. Now there’s heat. Smile. One. Thing. At. A. Time.

But first another cup of tea.

SHADOWS AND DEMONS – day 120 in a year of….

Posted on November 22, 2016 by hafong

Day 120 – November 22, 2016 @ 3:03pm

Day 120 in a year of doing different brought grey clouds and a spattering of snow. I baked through the valley of shadows to the other side. Now I’m enjoying a cup of tea and a second slice of fresh baked bread, wishing I had some jam. The only time I’m craving it is when I don’t have any. Isn’t that the nature of things.

So here I sit, tap, tapping and pushing the shadows further back. My magic bullet (Sheba) is beside me, squeaking her toy ferociously as if to chase out demons. She is doing a wild dog war dance, barking and squeaking. I had to reassure her that we were okay. We were safe. Could she please do a down? She obliged prettily.

I rest into the peace and quiet, reflecting on this life of mine. Into each of us some darkness must fall. It is the darkness that leads me out to the light. It is a guide, my North Star. I sit in prayer, giving thanks for all that I have and all that I am. Thank you, Lord, for your wisdom and guidance. Thank you for your compassion. May you bless us with wisdom, understanding and compassion for each other and for our earth. Amen.

SEASONS – Day38 in a year of ….

Posted on August 29, 2016 by hafong

Day 38, August 29, 2016 @6:39 pm

The day finds me struggling a little with the changing season. The shift of the earth on its axis, changing the temperature, sunlight, the wind, the everything. Sometimes I forget that change is all around us, every minute, every second of every day.

I am just learning to embrace all these changes. Without them there is no life. I rejoice in the bounty autumn has brought. I am reaping the harvest from the seeding and planting of the previous seasons. I have much to be thankful for. What are you thankful for?

Till tomorrow.

A DAY IN MAY

Posted on May 14, 2015 by hafong

It’s a cool, grey morning in May. No dancing sunlight nor shadows on the wall. It’s not my kind of day nor weather. BUT I am learning to accept. It is what is here. It is what is. I cannot change it. What I can change is how I see and feel about it. I do not have to hate and dread it. It is just a grey cool day. There is no need to pass judgement on it. Let the day begin.

I’m having a little trouble finding the words these days. They do not come readily to my fingertips. I miss the rhythmic tap on the keyboard. I miss seeing the letters and words march across the screen. I miss the process of matching photos to the words and stories. So now I’m sitting and trying to resuscitate and breathe a little life into these fingers. No use in sitting and thinking. Nothing happens unless I move a body part. This much I know.

Funny how fast things can change and how easily you can lose your equilibrium. And oh, how difficult it is to get it back! The harder you try, the faster it slips away. I am not discouraged. I am just a little weary. How can I not be with a much spoiled dog trying to run me? Yes, Sheba is still trying to rule the roost, whimpering through the night. But we caught on to her tricks and how smart she can be. She’s teaching me about boundaries and containment. She is ousted from the bedroom at night. There are rules and boundaries. There are rewards for good behaviour.

On this 14th day in May, there is much to be grateful for. The sun is coming out to lift the grey and warm the day. Sheba is laying by my chair. I am breathing out my words and feeling whole. Everything is as it should be.

THANKFUL

Posted on May 1, 2015 by hafong

April has come and gone – almost in a blink of an eye. Where has it gone? I was not finished with Susannah Conway’s April Love. Life gets in the way at the most inconvenient times, but hasn’t that always been the case?

But I am happy to see May. It’s a new month, a new beginning. April love brings May flowers. It brings new hope, renewed strength, earned wisdom. Love is a safety net for all that comes our way. So let them come, whatever may. we are ready for the friendships, goodwill, and love. They are all welcomed.

Life is also filled with shadows. They follow the sun through the windows. They dance on my walls. They are welcomed, too. Without them, there will be no dance show for me to watch. They have something to say to me and it’s good to listen. They are welcomed. I am the gatekeeper. I decide how far they are allowed in.

April Love is gone, but here comes May Hope. I am thankful for this morning. I am thankful for this day. I am thankful I have found some words. I am thankful I can breathe again. I am thankful for this life. I am thankful for God’s strength.

GOOD FRIDAY

Posted on April 3, 2015 by hafong

Today is Good Friday. It is a good day, though it is overcast and cool. It is the kind of weather that unsettles and saps my energy. But Sheba has had a couple of good days and nights now. She is herself again. I am very grateful to see my happy puppy again. She is still my baby at 8 1/2.

This morning she wanted to play. It’s been awhile. When I asked her, she gleefully ran into the sunroom for her toys. She loves to play tug of war. She growls, teasing me to take her stick. Come and get it! She is a playful girl.

You have to take the difficult times along with all the days in between. The good days are all the sweeter after the trying times. All the days make up what we call life. It is what it is.

Acceptance is hard. This I know. But still…I am grateful for this moment to be here – as it is.

POSSIBILITIES

Posted on February 7, 2015 by hafong

I love the word possibilities. It’s the hope that opens my heart’s door to let in laughter, love and forgiveness. It holds a promise that a leaf is forthcoming and a bud will bloom. Possibilities push back discouragement, frustration and a downtrodden spirit. They teach me patience – to hang in there. Rome was not built in a day. The road to Anywhere is not an easy one.

Presto! happens only in magic, an optical illusion like time-lapsed photography. We cannot make results happen like that. The presto and voila come much slower. Life doesn’t happen just pushing ENTER or DELETE. Dang, hey? Anything worthwhile takes effort and time. It’s the daily grind. It always take longer than you figure and like. But what is the hurry? Is your life full of emergencies you have to tend to?

Be patient, my dear. Stay calm and enjoy the moments as they come. Everything has its time. The leaves will emerge, the bud will burst into magnificent blooms. You will be awed by the richness and beauty of what life can offer. Take time to live each day to the fullest and believe in possibilities. Be grateful to the Universe.

SIT AND STAY

Posted on February 5, 2015 by hafong

I’m into the second week of an eight week formal meditation practice in Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book, Full Catastrophe Living. So far so good but it is not easy. It should be no surprise to me. It is easy to tell Sheba to sit but she doesn’t stay. I haven’t really insisted upon it either. I give up too easily, so as soon as my back is turned, she is up and away. Like mistress, like dog.

Being the mistress, I’m having more success with staying – at least my body is. My mind darts here, there and everywhere. My body wants to bolt, too. I stay. My pulse races. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. I breathe and let go, remembering to accept what is at the moment. I see the poster in front of me. “Live Each Day to the Fullest”. The words soothe me and I breathe again. I feel my heart calming, the beats slower. I read the line “Live Each Day to the Fullest” again. That is what I want.

I had not known that it is so difficult to stay in the body. My mind wants to be somewhere else all the time. I give thanks to whatever that has led me to this process of discovery. The power lies within my body and spirit. It is not out there in Somewhere Else.

PIE IN THE SKY

Posted on August 8, 2014 by hafong

It’s Friday and time for Friday Fictioneers to spin their tales of 100 words. I look eagerly for the photo prompt each week. Will it inspire a masterpiece from me or will it stump me? It’s always a challenge. Our host is Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

PHOTO PROMPT – Copyright-Björn Rudberg

Maryanne climbed up the ladder. It was her castle, her pie in the sky. She couldn’t believe her luck finding it. She piled her goodies in the corner, treasures she found in back alleys.

She sat down with a heavy sigh, letting her breath out with a big whoosh.

“I have a place for the winter!”

She pinched herself. It was still hard to believe. She rose in a daze. From the pile, she got faded blue curtains to put over the windows. The quilt was old, heavy and warm.

She sank to her knees. “Thank you God!” She whispered.

A REASON AND A SEASON

Posted on July 19, 2014 by hafong

I love weeding after a good rain. Everything looks so green and luscious. I feel I’m working in the garden of our Lord. The soil is soft. You can easily pull the weeds out. There is so much satisfaction in seeing your work coming into its own. How can I not stand back and admire it all? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, do you? I am not gloating. I am just happy with my work.

To feel the earth beneath your feet, the rich soil between your fingers – is ecstasy. It is what they call grounding, I suppose. To me, it is simple bliss. When we feel it, we should pay attention and celebrate. Who knows when such a moment will come again. The memories can carry us forward when times are not so fortunate. We know that this, too, shall pass.

Let us celebrate our lives with the fruits of our garden and our spirits. Let us drink a toast to our friends, family and neighbours, for their love, friendship and the lessons they give us. There is a reason and a season for everything under heaven.

onethousandandtwo

Looking at Infinity

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