Quotes – Page 31 – Sugar And Spice… Among Other Things

Daily, Personal Musings, Photography Art, Quotes

Stirrings of Autumn

Posted on September 20, 2018September 11, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Late yesterday as the leaves of various shades cluttered the lawn, I was deeply contemplating on whose turn should I make it to clean up the mess, when the first stirrings of “autumn fever” drafted into my mind.

The lawn and the backyard was a mess; but among all the fallen leaves was my thought that at one point of time, each leaf was a small tiny green point on the branch from where it unfurled through the spring and summer. Each leaf had its’ own world to see. Some were of the sunshine rays and early morning dew , of rain and wind, the little crawlies of nature among various views. At the end of their time, they all had their own story to tell.

Sometimes I feel, our days are like the leaves in fall. There will be times when we will have to stand alone. There will be days when we have to make our choices and sacrifices, face reality and find our own path. All this requires us to find the courage and faith from within ourselves, donning the mantle of true faith in quiet confidence with the willingness to take risks and to settle for nothing less than what makes us truly happy. For by this, we can hope to discover the true purpose of our life.

“Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love – that makes life and nature harmonise. The birds are consulting about their migrations, the trees are putting on the hectic or the pallid hues of decay, and begin to strew the ground, that one’s very footsteps may not disturb the repose of earth and air, while they give us a scent that is a perfect anodyne to the restless spirit. Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”[Letter to Miss Lewis, Oct. 1, 1841]” ? George Eliot, George Eliot’s Life, as Related in Her Letters and Journals – Volume 1

SourceL https://vk/slideshowarts

Life, Musique, Quotes, Reflections

Real or Masked ?

Posted on September 19, 2018September 13, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

One of the most widely acclaimed stage movies which was previously made as a musical is “The Phantom of the Opera (2004)”.It was originally based on Gaston Leroux’s novel “Le Fantôme de l’Opéra“.The setting of novel was based on the rumours that Leroux had heard about an actual Paris opera house from the time it was constructed.

However what struck me in the entire book and movie was that the story revolved around characters who were masked onstage i.e. a masquerade. In fact on going through the lyrics from “Masquerade” song enacted in the scenes of the opera, it is impossible not to wonder if our lives revolve like one huge masquerade ball.
“Masquerade!Paper faces on parade.
Masquerade!Hide your face, so the world will never find you!
Masquerade!Every face a different shade.
Masquerade!Look around,there’s another mask behind you!
Flash of mauve,Splash of puce.
Fool and king,Ghoul and goose.
Green and black,Queen and priest.
Trace of rouge,Face of beast, Faces.
Take your turn.Take a ride.
On a merry – go – round In an inhuman race…….”

At times our life resembles like a masquerade party; rich with excitement and grandiosity, filled with enigma and spectacles!! Yet the reality is that we live in a world where very often people adorn their masks as a shield to their true self. This begs the question: Who to trust ? Who to believe ? Who is who ? is it another facade, another mask to hide behind?
In fact, St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “¹⁴And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.¹⁵It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15 New International Version (NIV))

It is a sad and lonely game we play hiding the real us, masking ourselves with different masks and hiding the real authentic us. In fact, the real “us” is shadowed by the more tempting aspects of the world namely power, fame, strength, meanness and worst of all, “the people pleaser” or the doormat mask. Do we need the masks or do we don on the mask using the pretext of society ? The answer may be difficult but will echo our characters from within.

Source: https://vk.com

Photo by hitesh choudhary on Pexels.com

Life, poetry, Quotes, Reflections

Which Road is Yours to Take ?

Posted on September 13, 2018September 7, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Crossroads” is something that we all really want to avoid. And here, I am not talking about the 1986 or 2002 movie or the novels or the music albums; but about the practicality that we have all faced at some point of time.

The inner clash lies in which path to take: the one worn out or the one less traveled by or whether we need to forge a new path. As Mary Buchan said, “ Life presents us with moments of decision—crossroads where we either choose a new direction and move on, or cling to what we already have and be miserable.”

The million dollar question is : how do we move on ? The past will remind us of what had happened or had been, but who are we really now ? What have we decided to do or become? Make this powerful choice consciously, carefully and then envision yourself living your own dream. Then finally act upon your decision and go ahead.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

– The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Source: OGQ

Source: https://vk.com

Source: OGQ

Source: https://vk.com

Photo by Cherene Pearl on Pexels.com

Source: https://vk.com

Personal Musings, Quotes

Your life….your call !!!

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

How many times do we look to others to make our final choices ? How many of us stand by our choices ?

These questions always haunt me especially when we take the big risk or the big decision. The struggle is whether to risk making a mistake or live by the decisions of others’, which is a risk by itself. However, in the end, risk or not…what really matters is whether we did it for us or for pleasing the rest of world ?

Whatever decision, choice or risk we take, ultimately we only matter to ourselves not anybody else. So take the risk, make the choice and stick to the decision only for yourself, because you matter the most !!!

Photo Captions, Quotes, Random Thoughts

The Branch vs. Your Wings

Posted on August 25, 2018August 25, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on it’s own wings. Always believe in yourself.”

Daily, Life, Personal Musings, Quotes, Reflections

Caught In the Perception

Posted on August 23, 2018August 23, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Here is something I wish to share, came as a forwarded email to me…..have really no clue about the author.. but do read on…

“A marvelous lesson appeared for me just now as I was exiting through the garage, to come to this little play-place they call an office. As I opened the garage door, I startled a large moth, which, upon spreading it’s wings, displayed a bright red “tail” hidden by the motley brown wings, more a “butterfly” than a moth. It flew immediately to its perceived escape, the circle-topped window where it frantically tried to exit through the invisible wall of closed glass.I raised the third-car garage door in hopes of aiding it’s escape. That caused it to fly higher and higher and become entangled in a spider web. Fearful that it would remain entangled in the web, I selected a long-handled broom to assist him escaping the tangled threads. At this, he returned to furiously pumping his wings and banging into the glass, which was, in his perspective, the pathway of escape, but remained his cage. By simply turning his focus to one side, he would have easily exited his prison. Rather, due to his intent on one direction, he remained confined, captive.”

At end of this email, what flashed through my mind alarmingly was that, “Have I ever been like the butterfly?” Honestly, the answer that came to my mind was “yes”.

There have been many circumstances of being caught in the “current chaos” instead of channelizing our efforts into “what can be achieved”. In the end, we get caught in the web, banging our head against the “glass” that we can see, instead of looking around for the “broom”. But that is the irony of life, we never see what is in front of us, but long for what is on the other side.

Daily, Quotes

Need a break…

Posted on August 22, 2018 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Have you ever had thousands of opinions yelled at you, but never had the time to listen to your inner voice ? If you haven’t, then all I can say is “Welcome to my world !! “

The hustle and bustle of the day really gets to one’s peace of mind. The confusion still exists and all the voices around my head clams my thoughts. Sometime’s I really wish we all could shut out the world and just be alone to sort out the mess. Man is a social animal, but even animals have their quiet time.