Month: October 2018

Posted in Family and Society, Reflections, Stories Around the World, Work

Plant the Worry Tree

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

In the present day, almost everyone holds a job. For instance, in a family of four, many a time both the husband and wife may be employed (or sometimes just the husband) or teenagers would be working part-time in order to contribute to their college fund. Even stay-at-home mothers have enough and more on their plate. Which or how ever may be the scenario or the reason, most of us hold jobs for certain hours everyday, after which we each return to our respective homes, either back to our families or shared quarters. The pressing question is how many of us bring our work with it’s own share of problems, back to our home ?

If we honestly answer, it would be an affirmative reply for many of us. Some of us may bring back our physical or actual work, others may bring back the problems and the mental as well as emotional difficulties faced that day, back with them while others may bring back both. Either way we lose out in our time at home with the family or our relaxation time for a whole load of stress again. The worst part  is that we get up the next day to start the whole cycle of “work-stress-work” again. For those of us who work in the areas that we like or have a keen interest in may disagree with the stress, by saying that work for them was never stressful. However, the fact is by bringing the work with or without the problems home; we are losing “family time” or “me-time” to recoup.

In my early days of college, there was a story told in one of my lectures, which I would like to share.

The carpenter who was hired to help a man restore an old farmhouse had just finished his first day on the job and everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. First of all, on his way to work he had a flat tire that cost him an hour’s worth of pay, then his electric saw broke, and after work his old pickup truck refused to start. His new boss volunteered to give him a lift home and the whole way to his house the carpenter sat in stone silence as he stared out his window. Yet on arriving, he invited his boss in for a few minutes to meet his family. As they walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When he opened the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was one big smile as he hugged his two small children and kissed his wife. 

Afterwards, the man walked his boss to his car to say thank you. Now on their way out of the house, the boss’ curiosity got the best of him so he had to ask the man about the tree on the front porch. He said, I noticed when you came up on the porch before going into your house you stopped and touched the tree, why? “Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied. “I know I can’t stop from having troubles out on the job, but one thing’s for sure – my troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again.” “Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick ‘em up, they aren’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”

We all have encountered  our own share of troubles and struggles, some of us deal with it by bringing them with wherever we go, some might ignore it hoping it would go away somehow while others try to deal with their problems while their heads are still above water. The idea of hanging the problems on a “worry tree” or a ‘‘trouble tree” outside the door isn’t a bad one, in fact we can find our own modifications on dealing with the stresses. I have been successful in dealing with my own share of problems and worries by laying them down at the feet of the Lord. “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. (Psalm 55:22)”

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Posted in Christian, Quotes, Reflections, Work

Head-to-head or Not ?!

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

One of the hardest parts of social conversations especially in a public venue like the market with the vendors, at workplaces, in schools, social functions and even long-held traffic queues is the art of avoiding a confrontation or the brouhahas or the run-ins, however one wants to call it. Worse is to escape one even especially when it is inevitable.

It is very tricky to avoid pointing a finger and saying “Thy fault is thine own” especially when the hard fact is that the trouble didn’t start with us but has affected us in some manner or the other. Eventually we feel angry, irritated, upset and sometimes even feel like giving back either as strong words or by actions. And the more upsetting part is when we realize that whatever happened was the sole responsibility of the other person.

Human nature has few upsetting facets, one of them being that we tend to throw stones at others, especially when we ourselves stays in a glasshouse.

There are few easy ways to avoid these confrontations that I usually try using. First and the most trickiest one is to try and run away before eyes lock, heads turn and voices get heated up. If that doesn’t work and there is no nearest exit, then the other option is to try to change the subject or the topic of conversation.  One of the other strategies that often works for me is to try and let the other person rant and rave, let off some steam and move off graciously and inconspicuously. Fourth is to avoid voicing an opinion unless asked pointedly or if we have absolutely and strongly no choice but to say. This is when silences is really golden. Yet the most important of all is to stay away from such people. This is the most hardest of all, especially when we have to interact with such people either at work or in the community. But this is the most safest.

Our Scriptures also has multiple references about conflicts and confrontations. As per Mathew 18:15-17 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”

Though many a time, it may not be possible especially in public places to quietly correct any offense against us. In those moments, the words from 2 Timothy grant solace,”Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels (2 Timothy 2:23).”

All said, the most important thing is to not let our nature or peace of mind be affected. “You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. (Leviticus 19:17)”

Just like blind cannot lead the blind, neither can we overcome evil by doing or being evil. But we can overcome evil with good. For let not others spoil what we can achieve today or any day in our journey through life.

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Posted in Food, Photography Art, Quotes

Ice Cream-Art

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Among the priceless knowledge that has survived centuries of time, there is nothing that can bring forth joy like ice cream. Originally named as iced cream or cream ice, the roots of ice cream began in the first Persian empire (as early as 500 BC). Since then it has been modified with addition of fruits, honey, even rice and has been made into various versions such as sorbets, flavored sorbets and so on. Today ice cream has been added to sundaes, cakes, milkshakes and even can be baked. Although in the present day,ice cream is often sold in carts and local delis, at one point of time it was expensive and considered a privilege to the upper class. Since the mid-18th century it has been popularized and accessible to middle-class homes especially with Agnes Marshall’s recipe books.

All said, ice cream elicits an emotional response. In spite of the simplicity of ice-cream, each scoop brings forth its own flavours. Eating ice-cream is like an emotional and palatial feast. Maybe it’s because of the love and care that goes in with each scoop or maybe it’s because it just makes everyone happy. Even now if a drop of ice cream falls or scoop of ice cream spills over, brings deep disappointment.

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At home, being with my two year old son who is resistant to anything nutritious especially vegetables,fruits and even cereals; ice cream is an all time buffer. Like in most homes, on certain days ice cream is a treat or a reward for eating all the vegetables and fruits (though we limit it to 1 scoop). Other times, it’s a medium for various fruits and vegetables, ranging from diced kiwis, boiled baby carrots or corns, sliced berries or dates to even boiled rice, vermicelli, wheat and even oats.

Though the most important role to play is when surprise guests come over and I’m out of pie or cake for desserts. Then ice cream is the answer. Delicious treats can be made by adding hot chocolate or fudge, chopped peanuts or almonds, whipping cream, sprinkles or even candied fruit to a scoop of ice-cream and voila, dessert is ready. One can even reverse the combinations and add ice cream to pies, waffles coffee, biscuits and even doughnuts, depending on the mood for the day.

Be it summer or winter, ice cream is always stocked up in the freezer. I usually scour the net for various pictures of ice cream art which have inspired me to re-create, simulate or improvise. As too much of sugar is bad; a delicate balance has to be struck.

To quote Charles M. Schulz, best known for the comic strip Peanuts, “Life is like an ice-cream cone, you have to lick it one day at a time.”

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