5/31/2014 0 Comments EnjoyPhoto courtesy of quotesvalley.com
This post is about making the most of your situation. In my case, I had to make the most of being home all day since my car has been at the body shop for a little while. As someone whose Saturdays are usually spent with friends and/or exploring new parts of the city, it was challenging at first to face the fact that I couldn't drive anywhere. Especially given that the weather has pretty much been perfect for outdoors-y-ness (70 degrees, clear, sunny and warm), it was extra challenging. But, the following quote by Theodore Roosevelt entered my mind: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." This motivated me to come up with ways to make my day a good one despite that I couldn't drive to Golden Gardens Park (where in my opinion the best beach in Seattle exists) or grab iced lattes with my best friend. I knew that if I spent the entire time in front of the TV feeling as if there were nothing else to do in the house, I would feel crummy at the end of the day. So, I started out my morning by going for a jog at the nearby park (for reasons mentioned in a previous Life au Cochon post, titled "Sanity"). I had gotten used to being at the park in the evening, so it was refreshing to get a taste of the morning spring air and see the dew on the leaves. Following the jog were activities I had either wanted to do for awhile, or had taken for granted and hadn't done for awhile. These things included writing, reading out on the balcony in my backyard, and spending quality time with my little brother. It was especially exciting to read on the balcony, because it took me back to the summers during high school where I'd spend every day reading or tanning under the Sun. It was especially fun to joke and laugh with my brother, because it reminded me how I don't need to spend every single Saturday outside the house. I guess this goes to show that sometimes you may not know how your day will end; but, that just means there's a higher chance of you discovering or rediscovering things about yourself and the world around you. ~~MC
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5/18/2011 0 Comments BiscottisMy advice to you for today (and in fact for any day) is this....Lend someone a comforting word.
It will make that person feel like you just gave them infinite pots of hot steaming tea, along with a plate of homemade biscottis laid out in perfect arrangement. He/she will all of a sudden feel lighter, more filled with sunshine, and just a bit more careless; because it seems that people sometimes need that feeling, even when they don't realize it. Have a lovely sunny day (particularly to all you Seattleites!!), and excitedly give someone a biscotti (chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, which ever flavor you may choose...). :) ~~MC P.S. I dedicate this post to my mother, whose comforting words always bring me closer to the best version of myself. 5/8/2011 0 Comments KramerYou know that feeling you get when you remember the time your uncle did a hilarious impression of Kramer from Seinfeld and you find yourself smiling a smile as big as when you received that puppy for Christmas?
Or when you read your card that your aunt wrote to you many birthdays ago and you feel as warm as when you read that card for the first time? Or the many fleeting yet happy memories of you and your sister laughing together during long car rides that made those car rides just a bit more enjoyable? ...Or do you remember when, at the very moment you walked in the room, your little brother rushed into your arms and called out your name like it was his favorite ice cream flavor? Well I do :) ...Obviously this isn't really a Mother's Day post, but it does have what many people may think about when that time of the year comes! Have a great Mother's Day, and thank your loved ones for the great memories they've given you. And now I am off to the family brunch at my grandma's house, where I look forward to adding more colorful memories to my life palette (cheesiest sentence ever but oh well!). :D ~~MC 3/6/2011 0 Comments Water Comes to LifeYesterday, my dad came back from his gajillion-year-long (that's my super exaggerated way of saying "a month-long") business trip in Korea and Japan. He came to home-sweet-home, settled in with his bulgingly stuffed suitcase, and unzipped its front pocket, letting it pour out what I thought for a second was a pile of gold.
But actually, it was just a bunch of tea bags. :) But it felt like Christmas morning; not only because my dad was back after so long, but also because the tea bags got me so excited about the new kinds of tea I'll be drinking in the next few days...weeks...months... My dad brought back green tea, mint green tea, dandelion tea, chamomile tea, more green tea, red tea, and more green tea. I want to say that this blog talks simultaneously about two things to take into the "Life au Cochon" perspective...The joyful perception of enjoying the time with those you love, especially if you're seeing them for the first time after what felt like an eternity; and the perception that happiness can come in little packages, like tea bags. :D Since literally two seconds after my dad showed me the tea bags and boxes of other teas, I started trying them out, because I hadn't even heard of some of them before, which added even more to my excitement. One that really stood out was the dandelion tea...Even with the tiny amount of tea that was actually in the first tea bag I ravenously opened from the wrapped up box, the boiled water--which at first sat quietly in my mug--was all of a sudden taken over by a vibrant rush of deep amber-gold coming from the tea bag as it was steeping, giving the water life. And with that (extremely specific) observation, I decided I could use that one tea bag not for just one cup, but for two or even three cups total! Now that's a way of making the most of something. ;) When you have the time the rest of tonight, or if you want to make time (I personally like that choice better...), take yourself on a journey with a cup of tea--no matter whether it's a journey to a memory, a distant past, to your achievements, or even to your dreams. And the sweet, savory smells (depending on what tea you're drinking...If you're thinking of green tea, I'd say that it's the total opposite of what my sister bluntly labels "grass" XD) of your steaming life of a drink will take you there. Good night, and enjoy a cup of tea (I feel like I need to say that in a British accent for some reason)! ~~MC |
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