February 2019 – Page 2 – Sugar And Spice… Among Other Things

Daily, Life, Personal Musings, poetry, Quotes, Work

Countering Murphy’s Law

Posted on February 21, 2019December 5, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you. Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon nor too late. You don’t have to like it… it’s just easier if you do.” Byron Katie

If anyone has been subject to Murphy’s law that states that “whatever can go wrong, will go wrong” would know how it feels when things start going out of hand. And when all the wrongs start happening at once, it turns into a huge disaster. The reality is there are days like Murphy’s Law and then there are days worse than them.

Everybody has to deal with tough times. A gold medal doesn’t make you immune to that. A skater is used to falling down and getting up again. Dorothy Hamill

The hilarious part is when we turn back and look over the events after a long period of time, at times the realization strikes that things could have been even worse. These “bad days” are best faced with a heavy dose of humour laced with a tinge of irony. For losing time and crying over them for long, would simply dim the light of the better days to come. The best thing would be to keep going and handling the ball from our court.

You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events. Joel Osteen

Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts

And maybe just stand on the other foot,
And instead of coffee, take and drink juice …
And turn your usual steps
In the direction where there will be more good …

And on this day, do everything wrong:
Put from end to beginning of the number,
And the most insignificant trifle
Fill with kind and high meaning.

And to do what no one is waiting,
And to laugh, where so much wept,
And a feeling of hopelessness will pass,
And the sun will rise where the rain has been falling.

From the circle of fate,
Take and jump out of the station unknown …
You will be surprised – the world is completely different,
And life is unexpected, and more interesting.

Rus Svyataya

Source: https://vk.com/monahos

Christian, Daily, Life, Stories Around the World

Combining Our Thoughts

Posted on February 20, 2019February 20, 2019 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“….. but I shall toss my head and have nothing to say to them. Forgetting all about the pail, and suiting the action to the word, she tossed her head. Down went the pail, all the milk was spilled, and all her fine castles in the air vanished in a moment!” (Source: The Milkmaid and Her Pail, Æsop’s Fables, translated by V. S. Vernon Jones (London: W. Heinemann; New York: Doubleday, Page and Company, 1916), pp. 25-26.)

While some of us may heard of the fable of “The Milkmaid and Her Pail”, others may have read of similar tales of other variants like Bidpai’s “The Poorman and the Flask of Oil”, “The Barber’s Tale of his Fifth Brother” from The 1001 Nights and the Jewish story of “The Dervish and the Honey Jar”. Essentially all these resonate the moral of ” Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.” Yet these fables bring to my mind, the dangerous turn of our thoughts and dreams which turn from being simple to lofty leading to depression, anxiousness and the unending pursuit for “the pot of gold” harming our health, mental peace and happiness in the process.

Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts

For instance, we all have suffered from depression, nerves, anxiousness, worries, stress at some point of time. What do all these have in common besides harming our mental peace and happiness ? They all arise from a combination of thoughts. We ponder of something that is yet to happen, guess the course of events and combine one thought, then the other and then the third and so on and so forth. We are all puzzled on how everything will happen or what will happen in one way or another. In the end, the result surprises us as the Lord arranges things in a different way. In such a scenario, what was the point of experiencing the nerves and depressing or worried thoughts?

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Phillipians 4:8)

Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts

When the thoughts of darkness surround us and surface to mind, turning to His Word helps to dispel the darkness and ward off the despair. When we turn to our Faith we destroy speculations and loftiness. As said in the Psalms, “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.” (Psalm 94:19)

On another note, we need to plan and foresee to achieve certain goals for the future but pure conjectures, speculations and lofty thinking don’t help our dreams but rather, crashes them putting them on hold. Learning to distinguish between thinking, planning and pure “counting of chickens before they hatch” is what life and experience teaches us.

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts

Daily, Food

Being Chocolaty, Peanuts

Posted on February 19, 2019January 23, 2019 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“‘Peanuts’ is a life-long influence, going back to before I could even read.” Adrian Tomine

INGREDIENTS
1 package semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chopped
Salted peanuts, no skin
Both ingredients in equal measure.

Taxonomic classified as Arachis hypogaea, popularly known as groundnuts, goober, monkey nuts or peanuts (not the comic strip); they are a favored snack among all ages. With the above ingredients, there’s nothing more befitting than experimenting in a little mix of the all time favourites; i.e. chocolate and peanuts.

“Chocolate is one of the world’s most beloved discoveries, and when we need a quick boost of energy and endorphins, chocolate is the go-to treat.” Marcus Samuelsson

Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts

Commercially chocolate coated peanuts ere earliest sold and marketed under the brand ‘Goobers” in 1925. Later other companies like M & M’s too made them. Interestingly, the name “Goober” is probably derived from the Gullah language (African Americans who live in the Low-country region of the U.S. states of Georgia and South Carolina), word guber (meaning “peanut”), which is in turn derived from the KiKongo (or Kongo) word n’guba. Keeping with the rising vegan trend, “Vegan chocolate-coated peanuts” are made of non-refined sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter and vanillin.

Source:https://vk.com/pub_mdma

Being all time snack and culinary favourite; peanuts can be artfully and tastefully served as “ants on a log”, the traditional roasted “chikki”, deep fried or coated and roasted, or the all time sauce thickener to bring a change to the regular stew and curry ( Kare-kare, mirchi ka salan, peanut chutney). With winter drawing to a close and the peanut season coming to an end, there’s nothing better to celebrate the end of the season than with “peanuts”.

“Ants on a log : a snack made by spreading peanut butter, cream cheese, ricotta cheese or any number of spreads on celery and placing raisins on top”

Photo by Mike on Pexels.com

Photo by Fancycrave.com on Pexels.com

Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts

Daily, Family and Society, Life, Personal Musings, Quotes, Work

Penning the Gratitude

Posted on February 18, 2019December 5, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Develop an attitude of gratitude and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” -Brian Tracy

The other day when I had received a “thank you” note, numerous emotions and thoughts had surfaced in my mind. One of the lost arts of modern living is the art of saying “thank you”. To be very honest, the frequency of my gratitude for favours, gifts and time spent with dear ones has been slowly dwindling. To an extent, we are all caught by the crazy melee of the daily hustle that life throws us in. Yet when we scrutinize and retrospect, we realize that time can be actually made when we really want something to be done.

“Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it all into words is all that is necessary.” -Margaret Cousins

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It doesn’t take much to frequently write, text or forward a few lines to dear people that you love them. When there is time, the power of spoken words can balm the soul when tired, weak, drained or listless. We are all masters of our own time. To refer to the fact that we do not have time shows the misplacement of our priorities. It doesn’t take much time, just a few seconds to pen down a few words to our loved ones. It takes few seconds to jot down a few words of gratitude and hope to those who have brightened our day. Take time and write. It will not only please us but also spread the warmth around us as well within us. In these busy times, there are few dear people in our life that we can comfortably lean on and they need to be cherished. Even though we may start off late, infrequently and small, a few worded thoughts of kindness, love and gratitude a day can do wonders to all and can soon turn into a pleasant habit.

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life and you’ll find that you have more of it.” -Ralph Marston

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Family and Society, Life, Personal Musings, poetry

Approach of Dawn

Posted on February 17, 2019November 29, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“We went down into the silent garden. Dawn is the time when nothing breathes, the hour of silence. Everything is transfixed, only the light moves.” Leonora Carrington

One of the perks of being a morning lark or a really late owl is that we can see the marvels of nature, the break of dawn thereby giving the spark to start the day. Dawn as always been one of the points of focus for many ranging from scientists to poets, naturalists, hikers, photographers, artists and even children. The ole adage of “sleeping on our problems over the night and let everything make sense by the light of the morning”, makes sense especially when the light of the dawn chases away the bleakness of the night.

“Through the blackest night, morning gently tiptoes, feeling its way to dawn.” Robert Breault

Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts

If one has witnessed the breaking of colours in the sky, it would be a treasured memory to keep in the dark times. Dawn and dusk has been always the times where we can view with wonder as well as contemplate on one’s personal quest in our pages in the journey through life and time. To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn”. Through the early days of spring to the fresh snow of winter, the break of dawn will always be a source to renew one’s purpose and strengthen the resolve to make our existence in this world quite meaningful.

“Have you ever seen the dawn? Not a dawn groggy with lack of sleep or hectic with mindless obligations and you about to rush off on an early adventure or business, but full of deep silence and absolute clarity of perception? A dawning which you truly observe, degree by degree. It is the most amazing moment of birth. And more than anything it can spur you to action. Have a burning day.” Vera Nazarian

Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts

“Dawn comes to those who have seen darkness
In all its murderous majesty …
Who cried from someone else’s indifference,
But was not indifferent to anyone!

Dawn comes to those who were on the road,
Not knowing neither fatigue nor laziness.
Who, exhausted, fell to his knees,
But he rose, continued to walk …

And, clamping his will into fists,
Suddenly he found a chamomile field,
And, choking from aching pain,
Hid his palms in his petals!

To those who, having buried their dreams,
And, having remembered them, rushed on.
Who could among the betrayal and falsehood,
Do not lose spiritual purity!

Accidentally in the blue of the sky,
Suddenly the sunny doors will open.
Dawn comes to those who believe in the light.
Absurd, to the last. But he believed!
– Rus Svytaya

“Let every dawn be to you as the beginning of life, and every setting sun be to you as its close.” John Ruskin

Source:https://vk.com/monahos

Daily, Food

Café au Lait Mornings

Posted on February 16, 2019January 18, 2019 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“I thought ‘café au lait’ was Spanish.” “No, it’s French for coffee and milk. ‘Lait’ is milk.” . “Really? I thought it was “Café–olé! Like, ‘Coffee–all right!'”- Lorelai Gilmore

For the viewers of the American comedy-drama television series, Gilmore Girls; the above dialogue may seem familiar. Yet for ardent coffee lovers, there is no confusion in the mind.

Café au lait (French for “coffee with milk”) is simply coffee with hot milk added. Call it by any name, similar varieties are seen mainly across Europe, from the Spanish café con leche in Spain, Polish kawa biala and German Milchkaffee (“milk coffee”) to list a few. The reverse version holds true in the certain areas of Switzerland, where the popular variation is made by adding espresso to the milk base, known as the café renversé (“reverse coffee”).

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Traditionally the brew is primarily of French origin, prepared at home from dark coffee (preferable French beans) and heated milk; while in the cafes, the espresso machine takes over.

Yet the ‘ café au lait’ isn’t the dame as “Café latte”. Originated in Italy, the latter is typically made using one or two shots of espresso, topped-up with steamed milk, and finished with a small layer of foam on top. On the contrary, café au lait has no foam added to it.

Source:https://vk.com/slideshowarts

One popular variation of the café au lait served at coffee shops in New Orleans, is making it by using chicory which gives the beverage a distinctive, strong, and bitter flavor. Known as American café au lait, scalded milk is used rather than steamed milk and served usually with sweet powdered sugary beignets to offset the bitter flavour. The roots go back to the American Civil War days when coffee was in short supply and demand strong. Hence the trend of using chicory to pad out the available coffee had started and stayed on.

Either way, to start off the milky sweet mornings, ‘café au lait’ is there for all the coffee lovers, old or young.

Source:https://vk.com

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Daily, Family and Society, Life, Personal Musings, Quotes, Work

The Hurry of Today

Posted on February 15, 2019December 7, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

God made time, but man made haste. ~Irish Proverb

“Take it slowly.” These are the words often heard by those of us who have used crutches or a walker at some point of time in our lives, may be after a fall, fracture, surgery or the like. One of the after-effects of walking with support either crutches or a walker is that we walk slower with every step being a necessary one. If we try to hurry we tend to fall, have sudden pain due to excessive strain or increase our duration with the supports. The hardest part is when we feel we will left behind because of the supports we use to walk. Yet when we introspect we realize that those who support and love us, would make their steps slow, small and easier so that we can keep up with them. This brings to mind what Bruce Failer quoted, “The simplest consequence of walking on crutches is that you walk slower. Every step must be a necessary one. When you hurry, you get where you’re going, but you get there alone. When you go slow, you get where you’re going, but you get there with a community you’ve built along the way.”

Being always in a hurry to get somewhere or do something, we forget how to enjoy the life that the Lord has given us. In the constant pursuit and wait for something new to happen or do, different from what we have today; the question then arises, “When will we be happy today? When will we enjoy the things of today?”

“Just be patient. Let the game come to you. Don’t rush. Be quick, but don’t hurry.” Earl Monroe

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In the haste of hunting, we neglect the fact that what’s here and now, in our hands can disappear so quickly. Time flies to its’ own tune. The present will elude us with we living in a different time frame; between the past and the future, ignoring the present. This habit stems from the fear that we mayn’t be able to achieve anything if we don’t hasten. Contrary to that thought, the beauty of life and our surroundings don’t believe in haste but using time for their own. As Lao Tzu said, ” Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”

Learning to live in this hour, not constantly dwelling on tomorrow or the day after or about what will happen in a month will make us more fruitful and happy in the day. True we need to envision what the future may entail, but if we look forward with constant anxiety and foreboding, we will forget to live for today. Constantly waiting for something and thinking about the future make us sick, lifeless, worried and dull, besides losing the ability to rejoice and cherish moments of the present.

Source: https://vk.com/slideshowarts