Hump Day Haiku

Wednesday can be a whatever kind of a day, a workout day, a what's for dinner kind of day, or a what's-on-my-mind kind of day.

How about something new?

After yesterday's post about Tuesday's Thoughts, I was thinking about launching another weekly post...Hump Day Haiku.

So, going back to middle school English, a haiku is an non-rhyming poem of three lines. Line one has five syllables, line two has seven and line three has five...
5-7-5.

Here's my first...

Risk

Trying something new

can be met with fear and doubt.

Do it anyway.

Your turn...link me up and let me read yours too.

The 5 Ws: Change the Script

In beginner journalism, students learn to cover the 5 W's (who, what, when, where, why) plus H for how. Usually those w's and the h give us information that we need to know. They're objective, without judgement.

But what happens when 5 w's and that h become negative and stand in the way of our success or undermine our confidence.

For example,

• Who do you think you are?
• What was I thinking?
• When will I learn?
• Where is mine?
• Why can't I figure this out?
• How could I let this happen again?

What about changing the script? Change the script, change the outcome.

For example,

• Who are my mentors/heroes/role models? Learn from them. Pick a character trait to emulate and try it in your own life.
• What are my goals? Start with one short term and one long term goal.
• When will I give myself a reward for a job well done? Establish milestones in your action plan to achieve your goals.
• Where do you go that brings you joy? Peace? Go there in person as often as your world allows. When you can't be there physically, create a vision board or a pinterest board that can bring you respite in the craziness of your day.
• Why do you want x? Make a list of the benefits of your goal. Knowing why you want it may help clear the pathway to fulfilment.
• How will you get there? Create an action plan. Step-by-step, achievable goals, that when reached, bring satisfaction and create the feeling of progress.

They say that attitude is everything. Think happy, be happy.

Some days will be harder than others, but with goal setting, you reclaim your power and give yourself a purpose that benefits you. Others, perhaps, may see an indirect benefit, but focus on you, your needs, your joy.

Change that script in your head. No more negative talk. Start talking to yourself the way you would talk to someone you adore. You're worth it.

4 Ways to Beat the Bad Day Blues

Bad days happen. And when they do, they provide the perfect opportunity to remember what makes the good days so fabulous. A bad day does not mean a bad life; even when it seems like you've had more than your share.

So when the bad days happen, what do you do? How do you pull yourself from your funk? Here's four strategies:

1. Go for a walk or get some exercise of your choice. Clear your head and get some fresh air. The endorphins kick in and it's a win-win. The problems won't disappear, but for that hour or so in time, it's all about you and your chance to put your wishes out into the universe.
2. Go into your car, your basement, your bedroom . . .any place you where noise won't be an issue and scream your head off. Make it a horror-movie, primal scream. When I ride roller coasters, I used to hunker down and as a result of the adrenaline rush, ended up nauseous. Then, like countless others, I began to scream my bloody head off. Guess what? No nausea. And I had fun! I have done this in the car...scream, that is. And it helps.
3. Make a list of what makes you happy. Make a happiness collage. Create a pinterest board dedicated to images of people, places and things that make you smile. Keep it accessible for those days when you need a little something.
4. Wrap yourself in love. When I'm feeling overwhelmed, nothing is better than being wrapped up in my husband's arms. The problems disappear, but his love and kisses give me strength and energy to keep moving forward.

Bad days are inevitable. We all have them. But, what keeps bad days from contaminating our view on life will be determined by how we tolerate them. We can't always control what happens to us, but we can control how we react. Keep it positive and reach out when you need to. Better days are on the way.  

Porto, Portugal...Friday Photo Flashback

We didn't have 36 hours in Porto, but we did have about twelve in Portugal's second largest city. Porto is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for its port wine made along the Douro River, which runs through the city.

Here are a few photos of our time in Porto:

There's so much to see and do in this hilly city. Looking forward to exploring more of O'Porto next time.

Até a próxima, Porto.
Um beijo

Living in Magic

My husband and I are blessed to be able to celebrate the wedding of a dear, long-time friend of mine. She is an "older" bride who often worried why love had so often passed her by, while so many of her friends had found seemingly long-lasting love. And then she met John.

And here we are today.

One morning after we were married, my husband, in a very matter-of-fact manner, pulled me in close, sighed deeply, and said, "It's like we're living in magic."

Indeed, like Dr. Seuss said, when you're in love, reality is better than your dreams. You are living in magic, as my husband so perfectly articulated.

Today, on my dear friend's wedding day, I wish for her a life of magic. It's no less than I wish for us all. To spend your life with the one you love is the magic that makes life worth living.

Un beso.

Winter at Niagara Falls

If you have never been to Niagara Falls, add it to your must-see. If you've never been in the winter, no worries. Here are a few images for you to enjoy, no snow and ice required.

Time to snuggle . . .un beso.

The Beauty of the Kiss...Hollywood Style

Kissing is fabulous. It can be loving, playful, flirty, romantic and HOT! It can be the antidote to a bad day, the start of a good morning or the kindling needed to flame a love inferno.

When was the last time you kissed your love? I mean, really kissed your love? Like, Hollywood style. Long and like you mean it.

Begin your day with a kiss. It may be the sweet kind to wake him from slumber (maybe a little early, just in case you need a little extra time for a little more) or a kiss simply to say, "Good morning!"

Then, later, when you reunite after work or your daily activities that separate you, kiss again. Go Hollywood . . .long and lush. Your love will know you've been thinking of him and the sparks will fly.

Finally, before bed, just like you're never supposed to go to sleep angry, never go to sleep without a goodnight kiss. It simply sets your world aright, because when you strip away the demands of the day and the demands of your life, you have each other.

And for those tender moments spent lip-locked, it's only the two of you in the whole world.

Besitos, besos o besotes . . .the choice is yours. And maybe the luck of the Irish celebrated in March brings a little lovers' luck your way as well.

Love Notes

Some guys take the newspaper. Others may whistle. My husband describes his morning "routine" in the bathroom as writing a letter to his least favorite politician. "I'm off to write a letter to x," he playfully announces.

Now, hear me out, because I know this will sound strange.

Capitalizing on the letters motif, what about a morning love letter?

StoryCorps did a sweet, animated short about a couple who reminisced about their life together during the husband's final days with terminal cancer. During the broadcast, Danny and Annie spoke of Danny's morning weather reports, a way for them to romantically connect each morning before the busyness of the day sent them each on their own way.

What about a notebook where you could write a line or two to the one you love?

Teachers use these interactive notebooks to communicate with students during independent reading.

What if you began a similar notebook, but instead of weather reports or book updates, you wrote about the reasons why you love each other? The reasons why you are grateful to have each other in your life? The hopes and dreams you have for each other in your lives?

The bathroom may not be the most sanitary of storage places, but it is one common area you're guaranteed to visit alone at some point in your day.

You could build off each other or leave playful, intimate flirtations and invitations for fun later in your day.

Whether you write once a week or once a day, an interactive notebook is a fun way to connect. Sometimes written words come easier than spoken ones. Nevertheless, it provides another way to connect and show your love just how much he or she means to you.

Un beso...

 

Eating Your Way Through Galicia

Many people associate Spain with its landmark cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, or Valencia. And many people associate Spanish food with tapas, paella and sangria.

While all of those associations may be true, there is so much more to Spain than its tourist-rich cities and there is so much more to Spanish cuisine than jamon y tinto.

Galicia, the coastal region in the northwest corner of Spain, is not a tourist destination, except maybe for Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. However, it features fresh seafood and shellfish that can be followed from net to plate and fruits and vegetables harvested from the rich, fertile farmland that makes the Galician panoramas some of the most scenic in the world. Here's a sampling.

Pulpo Gallego
Perhaps the most beloved dish of Galicia is pulpo gallego. Octopus can be found at nearly every feria, or market. It is cooked whole in giant copper pots. Then it it cut with scissors and served with toothpicks on a wooden plate drizzled with fine Spanish olive oil, paprika and sea salt. Washed down with local Estrella Galicia beer or house tinto and rustic bread, it makes the perfect snack during your market day excursion.

Caldo Gallego
Caldo gallego is a simple broth of kale, potatoes and beans. Some chorizo or other meat may be used to flavor the caldo, as well as other vegetables, but regardless of variation, this hearty dish is a staple in the homes and restaurants throughout Galicia.

Pimientos Padrón
These tiny green peppers are fried in olive oil until their skins blacken, and are then dusted in sea salt. They appear as tapas and are also sold by the bagfuls at the markets. Most of them are mild, but every once in a while, you get a hot one. "Los pimientos de Padrón, unos pican y outros non"..."Peppers of Padrón, some of them hot, and others not."

Empanada Gallega
Empanadas in Galicia are not like the stuffed meat patties associates with Latin and Asian cuisine. Empanadas in Galicia are like giant round calzones, stuffed with meat, fish or vegetables. They are found at ferias and at festivals. This one, below, was stuffed with mussels.

Galicia is also known for its famous almond Torta de Santiago, or St. James' cake, its soft, creamy tetilla cheese, its rustic round bread, pan de cea, and its high priced (and dangerously harvested) delicacy, the percebes, but one thing is true. 

Once you venture out beyond the obvious charm of Madrid and Barcelona, you will find that Galicia is a feast for the senses and after your visit to "Green Spain," your taste buds will leave you begging for more.  

Coffee Dates: Just Another Ordinary Sunday

We made it through Snowmageddon. The Blizzard of 2013, a.k.a. Nemo, has come and gone and we are finally dug out from under more than two chilling feet of snow.

We got a lot of extra together time this weekend, since the state was under a mandatory travel ban. But, late yesterday afternoon, the ban was lifted and residents were free to roam about in search of open businesses, restaurants and watering holes. We stayed in anyway.

Today, though, was a new day. And our ordinary Sunday was underway.

Our Sundays, while considered quite ordinary to most, are special here. And one of the things that makes it especially nice is our after-lunch coffee date ritual. Sunday is a day when we have no errands, and usually, no particular place to be. And so, after a leisurely spent morning with love and politics, we have lunch, our main meal of the day, and head out in search of the perfect cup of joe, usually in the form of a latte or cappuccino and a little something sweet.

Sunday coffee is sacred. We may go to a coffee shop in a nearby university town or even to the very ordinary Starbucks at the local Barnes and Noble, but regardless of where we pick our poison, Sunday coffee is a time to be one in time before the mayhem of the workweek settles in.

It may be just an ordinary Sunday, but joy in the ordinary routines, like our Sunday coffee date, is cherished time upon which dreams are planned, memories are made and love is shared.