Posted in Daily, Life, Personal Musings, Photography Art, poetry, Reflections

To Fear, or Risk

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

Watching the late noon sky darkening with an unprecedented vengeance, the sudden disappearance of the bright rays likened to the hidden uneasiness present around us, most of these days. Certain days, those dark depressing thoughts come unbidden tot he mind, turning out the inner exuberance, either in a subtle manner or with all lights blaring. Some days, one is able to stamp out those thoughts. Yet on other days, we fall prey to them. What one should know, the fight is always between the fear and the risk.

“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” C.S. Lewis

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Whether it be the current scenario or not, there would have been many situations when we had to do away with the fear and take that chance. On few occasions it may have been the other way around; when we lost the chance thanks to the fear. The funny thing about fer, is that it always a part of life. The wise thing is not to do away with it, but to address it.

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.” Og Mandino

When we learn to just put one step ahead of the present foot print, we move ahead. But stay still or look back, the prints ahead don’t happen. It is natural to develop the sense of trepidation and fer, if everything will be alright. Yet dwelling in it for too long, doesn’t really help. It is only we gather the courage to just put one step in front of the other, that fear takes a backseat. Then we move ahead.

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On looking back, one discovers that this was what “taking a risk all about”; the imperative to not let fear get the upper hand. Address our fears, but don’t let them hold us back. Time never stays still, neither should man with the huge potential and the gift of life that he has been fortunate to hold within each one of us, and be a part of.

Fear
Khalil Gibran

It is said that before entering the sea
a river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has traveled,
from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages.

And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
that to enter
there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.

But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.

Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.

The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that’s where the river will know
it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.

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Posted in Food

Of Basics, Simple and a little Salsa

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

Still in the stay-at-home (literally includes work-eat-sleep-dine-exercise and so on) phase, the availability of doing a little of the sudden whims do happen; unless it happens during the clocked in work-hours. Which is why, when the mood strikes, the entire brood gets to indulge in the experimentation. After setting the pace for the morning till noon to go smooth; the extra time towards the evening was used to add a little spice to the known recipes. Though the spice later blended to the little salsa mix that was there at home, it was fun trying tot improvise two of the Mexican dishes to the Indian tune.

One of the easier recipes to try at home, was the Chilaquiles. The typical recipe basis are the corn tortillas cut into quarters and lightly fried. To the crisp tortilla triangles, the salsa (green or red) is poured over and the mix is simmered until the tortilla starts softening. To spice up the mix, one can add pulled chicken is sometimes added to the mix. Commonly garnished with crema (cream and buttermilk), crumbled queso fresco (white cheese), raw onion rings or avocado slices; the chilaquiles is usually had with refried beans, eggs (scrambled or fried), beef and guacamole as side dishes. Twisting the traditional recipe a bit, one can used a bit of wheat or maize tortillas, while adding a little of diced vegetables (saute them earlier if desired) and just had like that.

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Next in line was the Chalupa. This specialty dish is made by pressing a thin layer of masa dough around a mould to create a tiny boat like (concave) container. These shallow corn cups are deep fried and filled with various ingredients such as shredded chicken, re-fried beans, cheese (classic), salsa, chopped onions, pepper and lettuce toppings. For the home version, one can experiment with wheat or maize (or chickpea flour) and just add on the mix of choice to be served in the “boats”.

Modifying these two simple and basic Mexican recipes was fun. With the added advantage of them being simple, one can recreate varied versions of the same with whatever ingredients are available at hand. As the craving for a little change strikes hard, that bottle of salsa is definitely going to add the much needed spice to the regular dishes.

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Source:https://www.macheesmo.com/chalupas/
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Posted in Daily, Family and Society, poetry, Stories Around the World, Work

Trace those Bytes

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

The ten minute coffee break during the morning office hours serves as an interesting session for not just coffee alone, but an interesting exchange of words or ideas, catching up with colleagues on non-office talk and intercepting snippets of information. Considering the latter, those bits of news may hold a ten-percent truth or just pure nonsense. Which is why, for any piece of information; print is the best. As far as the verbal pass-it-on goes, always consider the true source.

“The only thing more frustrating than slanderers is those foolish enough to listen to them.” Criss Jami

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The thought to always trace the source of any news is important. As early as Aesop’s fables tell us, one’s character is defined by the daily lives they lead. Pole do change, the bad habits get thrown away for developing better ones but the essence of one stays almost the same or better if considering a positive change. Like if one knows that a colleague has the tendency to hype up things, take those details said at a lesser face value. Just like a wolf won’t eat any oats, know that the horse won’t eat red meat either. So for any source of news, look for the face and facts lest the one gets trapped in the mire of lies, confusion and errors. Knowing this and doing so, will help maintain their sanity especially when the news rendered is weird and disturbing. With this, office or even social life will definitely be handle-able during tired, dull or dreary days.

A tricky old wolf once entered a farm,
And seeing oats growing, he put on his charm,
So, calmly pretending that he meant no harm,
He spoke to a horse in his stall.
Sir Horse, I do hope you are comfortably fed,
But in case you are hungry and famished instead,
There are oats by the ton in one field, he said,
And I ate none so you’d have all.

Now the horse knew quite well that the wolf hated oats
And cared nothing for horses — or cattle or goats,
And in fact was well known for attacking their throats,
So he couldn’t resist ridicule:

Sir Wolf, he said, Don’t think me over-suspicious
Were I to suspect there was something malicious
In your lying claim you find oats delicious.
BEGONE! Do you think me a fool?

Aseop’s fable: (The Wolf Fails to Deceive the Horse)
MORAL: Before you believe anything, consider the source

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Posted in Christian, Stories Around the World

Of Beatitudes, Grace and Gratefulness

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

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)

Reflecting on the happenings of the last week, the fact that one was truly blessed struck deep within. At a time when the global crisis is still creating unrest, discovering this feeling gives a deep sense of peace within. Counting on the gifts of having our loved ones with us, a roof above our heads, family both near and distant safe so far as well as enough food to get by, these simple things when at hand, are enough to get on our knees and thank Our Maker above.

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Yet on the other hand, there are among all of us, those who may have lost everything. Whether the loss be family, friends, jobs or even the comfort of the daily life; know that one is truly blessed in having the gift of life given to them. While the loss may never be replaced, the realization is that we have had those blessings for this long may offer some solace to the restless mind. And that, we still have the gift to breathe the air of today. 

“No matter what happens, always be thankful for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

While in the crisis we go on our knees, asking for His Help, His Mercy and His Comfort; let us not forget to thank Him for the gifts provided till the present hour. As life has shown us, some things no matter how hard we try, will never be in our complete grasp. Though man may never command, our Lord above can.

When we pray on bended knees, let us know to remember this little wonders of the Blessings and Gifts received so far. Let both the angels travel to Him with not only our prayers of requests, hopes and wants; but also our sincere prayers of thankfulness for His Love, His Kindness and His Mercy.

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34)

There were two angels living in heaven. One of them was always resting, and the other was constantly traveling from earth to God.
The resting angel asked the other:
– Why are you flying all the time from here to there?
– I am carrying the messages from people to God which start with these words: Dear God, help… And why are you resting all the time?
– Well, I have to carry the messages to God which start with these words: I thank you Lord…

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Posted in Life, Personal Musings, poetry, Reflections

Will to Go Ahead

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

Thus, here comes today, the entry of another month. Reflecting back on the happenings of this month past; none would have expected this year would turn out so. As the pandemic still goes on across the world and lock-down still continues, the start of another month is filled with trepidation and fear. Though hope still lingers that things would wind down, deep within one expects such an event to be quite distant.

When such feelings come on ahead, it would be the best time to reflect on His Love and the annals of history as documented over the centuries. As history always teaches us, kingdoms rise and fall, civilization stays and moves on; changes do come and go. Whether one gets to see the end of it, we don’t know. Yet what one does know is that all these things too shall pass.

“Every new season of your life will be an opportunity for you to learn and grow. Don’t celebrate the good without celebrating the bad because they both work together to prepare you for the next season of your life.” Theresa Lewis

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As we comes across various issues and events in our lives, be it big or small, simple or huge in magnitude; as long as we grow the courage to tackle them, one shall overcome and live through them all. What one must always realize is that each day is a gift and a blessing of a kind.

One of the biggest gifts one has learnt through this pandemic, is that life is definitely unpredictable. Each of us may have felt that fact before this event of now; though this pandemic brings this feeling to the forefront as an alarm to awaken us each morning. Time is precious and so is each moment in life. None of these things are reversible.

“The best is yet to come.” Frank Sinatra

Learning to live each day, doing our bit is what one should try to do in their best capacity possible. Keeping both family and work, ourselves and our loved ones; giving each of them a share of our time, helps one to realize the beauty of each day. Once we learn to live with this understanding in mind; one will discern the fact that the hidden blessings of the present is what will give the glimmer of hope and light for the future.

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HEARTWORK

Each day is born with a sunrise
and ends in a sunset, the same way we
open our eyes to see the light,
and close them to hear the dark.
You have no control over
how your story begins or ends.
But by now, you should know that
all things have an ending.
Every spark returns to darkness.
Every sound returns to silence.
And every flower returns to sleep
with the earth.
The journey of the sun
and moon is predictable.
But yours,
is your ultimate
ART.
― Suzy Kassem

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Posted in Life, Personal Musings, poetry, Quotes

Priceless in Time

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

Attending an official meeting as a replacement for my colleague lead me to board the local train for getting back to the office. For once, there wasn’t a hitch in the schedule. So here I was, waiting for the train and scanning through all the pending mails, messages and the like. With no one breathing down my neck and no crisis looming, there was time to reply back to messages, update with friends and to return that missed call from a distant cousin. All that happened in a matter of minutes. In the aftermath, it felt good; catching up to those around us, being in contact with the old group of friends and reminiscences of the good old days. All it may take could be five minutes.

“The best times we’ve had on earth are usually with those we love.” Van Harden

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When one views a fresh day, it may seem that one has plenty of time. As a big bunch of hours, it’s towards the middle of the day when they get rapidly deleted that then time becomes a small amount. From that set then, five minutes may seem a lot. But in those five minutes, much can be achieved; for five minutes isn’t huge.

Five minutes to talk to siblings. Five minutes to play with the dog, just to throw the ball. Five minutes to hug your better half and wish him or her a good day. Five minutes to play blocks with the toddler. Five minutes to catch up with a colleague who was recently transferred from your section to another. These little five minutes, though may be spent of doing more important things like work, domestic chores, cooking and the like are those very five minutes that help to make precious memories, which are hidden in the recesses of spent minutes but serve to be priceless in due course.

“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.” Harvey MacKay

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Though time may be precious and valuable; in itself it has no value. Cut off from the social and personal ties that keep us going, time may cause us to drag each day. Time needs to shared with all. For such time spent is more fruitful, than solely devoting it to one segment of our lives alone. At the end of our time, it is those cumulative five minutes of love and care that create treasured memories to help us face the trying times. True that one must hurry when one should, but to be too busy to note that one is being cut off from the best parts of life would be akin to cutting off own feet. To share time is an art that we all must indulge in, for all it takes is a simple matter of five minutes.

Time Is
by Henry van Dyke

Time is
Too Slow for those who Wait,
Too Swift for those who Fear,
Too Long for those who Grieve,
Too Short for those who Rejoice;
But for those who Love,
Time is not.

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Posted in Life, Quotes, Random Thoughts, Stories Around the World

Move or Sink

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

One of the benchmarks of stepping into the “plus eighteen age” is the onslaught of decisions that have to be made. While some are quite straightforward and simple, others involve plenty of harrowing thoughts of “what-ifs”, attempts to envision the future probabilities and possibilities. Finally the choice is made and we move ahead. What happens if one just stays standstill, especially when caught in the quicksand ? Before one could completely comprehend and work out the situation, one may just sink.

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.” Theodore Roosevelt

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One undergoes numerous points wherein decisions have to be made, whether they be big or small. While the small ones won’t take any time, the big ones are usually put off till an appropriate time. Though “the appropriate time” may be too late in certain scenarios. Decisions made at the right time or moment will only cause the right change or required effect. When one gets being too early or real late then the scales of balance may tip. At times the decisions made may be for worse than better, realized usually in hindsight; but other times it may be the reverse. The point is to make a decision, as and when required. Sitting on own hands doesn’t achieve any purpose, except for lost options.

“It’s better to be boldly decisive and risk being wrong than to agonise at length and be right too late.” Marilyn Moats Kennedy

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If those decisive changes may turn for the wrong side, face the problem head on and try to correct it. Unless one springs into action, nothing changes. Whether there be be plenty of words or thoughts, without the appropriate actions or behaviour; everything becomes null or void. Being caught in the situation and stubborn about making a move to get out, will result in irreversible damage as time runs real short. Knowing the art to adjust, adapt and improvise a lost situation with quick insight and decisiveness makes the murky situations of life, just a passing phase. As life teaches, getting caught in those tough moments requires one to spring in action, make the decisions and face the situation head on; for then the outcome will be a learning curve and tomorrow will exist.

Once the frog fell in a vessel of the hot water. The water was still on a gas stove. The frog still did not try to jump out of the vessel, instead just stayed in it. As the temperature of the water started to rise, the frog managed to adjust its body temperature accordingly. As the water started to reach the boiling point, the frog was no longer able to keep up and manage its body temperature according to the water temperature. The frog tried to jump out of the vessel but with water temperature reaching its boiling point, the frog was not able to bear it and couldn’t make it. What was the reason that a frog couldn’t make it? Will you blame the hot water for it? (Source: The Internet)

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