Love is inevitable

So Valentine's day is around the corner...
I've never been a fan or in favour of celebrating this specific day - it is pure marketing strat.
So much pressure, so much overspent of money on unnecessary things - prices literally triple, on everything! Food, wine, bubbly, flowers, chocolates, cards...you name it, the price will shoot up building to this day, and especially on this day.

However, I am a dear fan of Love.
I love Love.
Love being in love, love the idea of (everlasting) love, between lovers and friends.
Mostly love is not that everlasting, and usually has a sting in the tail, and heartbreak for at least one of the parties involved.
 

Now here is possibly one of the best, if not the best piece of advise and truth I have had the pleasure to read about love and its consequences...


"We have all hurt 
someone tremendously,
whether by intent or accident.
We have all
loved someone
tremendously, whether by
intent or accident. It is an
intrinsic human trait, and a
deep responsibility, I think,
to be an organ and a blade.
But, learning to forgive
ourselves and others because
we have not chosen wisely
is what makes us human.
We make horrible mistakes.
It is how we learn.
We breath love.
It is how we learn.
And it is inevitable."



How beautiful and true?
Be kind to one another, and love responsibly.

One Art, a favourite of mine

One Art      - by Elizabeth Bishop

The art of losing isn't hard to master; 

so many things seem filled with the intent 

to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something everyday. Accept the fluster 

of lost door keys, the hour badly spent. 

The art of losing isn't hard to master. 

Then practice losing farther, losing faster: 

places, and names, and where it was you meant 

to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or 

next-to-last, of three beloved houses went. 

The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely one. And, vaster, 

some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent. 

I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

- Even losing you ( the joking voice, a gesture 

I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident 

the art of losing's not too hard to master 

though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

This is one of my all-time favourite poems. 
It is likely that I would have never stumbled across it, if it were not for the movie "In Her Shoes", very happy that I have though.

Such an honest poem, with unpretentious words, and bursting with feelings, yet not dripping with sopping emotions. 
It is what it is, we lose things everyday; time, material things, earthly things, trust, and people we loved.
This doesn't necessarily mean that our world should come to a halt.

Appreciate the art of losing, and keep the things or people lost, in your heart, with a fond memory.

 

 

Where have all the good men gone...?

"Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or who will stay awake just to watch you sleep...Wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you're just as pretty without make-up on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares, and how lucky he is to have you... The one who turns to his friends and says 'That's her.'"

How pretty is this? How beautiful and true... it's not always easy, though.  Sometimes ( most times) girls get so caught up in society and the expectation of society, that you have to be in a relationship, that you will settle for any guy. Perhaps it's not only society, but the fact that you are afraid to be alone, or lonely?
Well you can be lonely even when you are with someone - even when surrounded by a group of people.

I am a hopeless romantic, and also a feminist, and it is for these reasons mainly, that I believe in the above quote...and I'm afraid the above quote might then also be the reason that I am single. 
But why settle for anything less than what you deserve? That seems like wasted time and effort to me. Time and effort that I would rather spend on myself, and family and friends... But maybe that's just me.


The main question here is - "where have all the good men gone?"

The Cuckoo's Calling - Poem and book

I’ve recently read The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith – which is a male alias that the famous J.K. Rowling used, to write her first (?) crime fiction novel.

The reason for using this alias was to receive proper criticism on her writing, and not have a new book applauded or destroyed by critics, just because of who she is.

I have to say that I enjoyed the book tremendously, what a page turner! ( and very happy to now have the second ( of which I can only assume will be a series of 4-7 books) Robert Galbraith book in hand.

The poem from which J.K. got her inspiration for the name of the book, has been stuck in my head since reading it. It is such a beautiful heartfelt poem – and that is what I which to share with you today.

    A Dirge     BY CHRISTINA ROSSETTI

     Why were you born when the snow was falling?

     You should have come to the cuckoo’s calling,

    Or when grapes are green in the cluster,

    Or, at least, when lithe swallows muster

       For their far off flying

       From summer dying.

    Why did you die when the lambs were cropping?

    You should have died at the apples’ dropping,

    When the grasshopper comes to trouble,

    And the wheat-fields are sodden stubble,

       And all winds go sighing

       For sweet things dying.

30 wise Life lessons, some of them might still come...

I've stumbled upon this great piece, with some very wise words - and boy, do I love and appreciate wise words.

It's called 30 things I've learned, and I have to say I agree with 98% of these - just not too sure about the running. But I might just get there. And nr 23 as well... I do love a good glass of red...

1. 1. Remember you will die. Maybe even today. Don’t forget that. Don’t forget to be thankful for your health. For the ability to walk. For the time you get to spend with the person you love. For your siblings. For whatever it is that you have today. It’s not yours, it can be stolen away at any moment. So while you have it on loan, cherish it.
2. 2. Exercise, almost every day. Maybe this is just me. But if I’m not active, I can’t trust myself. I can’t trust my emotions, my reactions, my thinking. Regular exercise resets me.
3. 3. To know what you think, write it down. Forcing myself to write something down, to structure it, to let it see light is the best way for me to clarify what I actually think about something.
4. 4. You end up being the average of the people you spend your life with. You become a reflection of your environment, particuarly your social one. Choose your people wisely. Don’t hesitate to move or change if you know things aren’t right.
5. 5. Most people never ask for what they want. A lot of good happens if you ask for what you want. First of all, you’ll be forced to define what you want. Second, you’ll be forced to think about how you might get it. The third step, is the easiest and the least utilised. Just ask.
6. 6. Always take the stairs. There’ll be plenty of days where you can’t, so accept the opportunity to take the stairs as a gift and make a deposit into your Future Health account.
7. 7. Put yourself in places that make you nervous. Nerves are really the only way to know that you’re being stretched. If there hasn’t been a moment of nerves in your life for a month, it might be worthwhile asking if you’re pushing hard enough.
8. 8. Talk it out. When it comes to humans, there’s no other way. You have to talk things out. Sometimes it will take years. For the right people, that time is worthwhile. The unsaid will go unsolved.
9. 9. Don’t be precious. It’s OK to be passionate about great wine, or great coffee or great beer but don’t be the person who’s above a glass of cask wine, a cup of instant coffee or a XXXX Gold.
10. 10. The greatest reflection of your priorities is your time. Whatever you say about what matters to you, the true test is where you place your time. So if you say your priorities are your partner or your kids or your family or your health, that statement will only be true if your calendar reflects it.
11. 11. Everything is mediocre. Most jobs are mediocre. Most people’s work is mediocre. Most products and experiences are mediocre. Most lives drift to mediocre. When you rise above the mediocrity, people will notice.
12. 12. It’s really, really hard to make something great. The inertia of mediocrity makes it hard to do great work. Most people want most things to stay mostly the same. To do great things, you have to go unrecognized, be under-appreciated and push to unreasonable lengths. That’s why #11 stays true.
13. 13. Don’t get disheartened. If you get disheartened, it’s over. Don’t ever underestimate the value of enthusiasm. Sometimes it’ll be all you have.
14. 14. Perception is reality. What’s ‘true’ often doesn’t matter because of what’s ‘perceived’.
15. 15. Understand the value of time. Life ends up being really short, no matter how long you live. You can recover money, you can rebuild houses, you can re-buy glassware — but you can’t get back time.
16. 16. Self-control is a finite resource. You can only ask so much of yourself each day. You’ll snap or warp or splinter if you ask too much. You have a limited capacity to direct yourself a certain way. It’s worth considering where that directive capacity goes every day.
17. 17. Run, wherever you are. Running is the best way to reset, to overcome jetlag, to see a new place and to feel good about the world.
18. 18. Listen to your body. You might feel like you’ve found a loophole, but if you’re not honest, your body will catch up with you soon enough.
19. 19. Control your inputs. Not just what you eat and drink (though this will have a profound impact), control what you read, what you watch, what you listen to, what notifications you allow on your phone, where you spend your time, who you spend it with. Guard your gates with care.
20. 20. Everyone has a vice. To err is human. Everyone has a fault-line. Don’t spend too much time searching for it, but know it will be there and don’t be disappointed when you find it.
21. 21. Listen. On average, are you doing more listening or talking? If the balance isn’t wildly in the favour of listening, or if you had to think about that question for second, it’s a sign you’re not listening enough.
22. 22. Be genuinely curious. You can’t artificially generate curiosity, so you have to follow where yours actually leads. Curiosity ends up being the driving force behind the most interesting people.
23. 23. Of all the life-hacks, not drinking is the most impactful one. When compared with optimising your email inbox or taking multivitamins or outsourcing tasks to a VA, there’s really no bigger lifehack than just not drinking. Asking for soda-lime in social-drinking situations is the easiest way to overcome the friction of applying this to your life.
24. 24. Pay close attention to what you do when you’re alone. When no-one’s looking, when the house is empty, when the afternoon is yours alone — what you choose to do says a lot about you. Pay close attention to where your mind wanders in the shower. Your natural wanderings are your compass to what’s truly interesting to you.
25. 25. Get outside. You’re a collection of atoms, in a poorly understood universe that’s probably infinite. Go look at a tree, or think about a cloud or a star. Whatever you’re going through is probably pretty insignificant in the context of all of that.
26. 26. Never talk about how busy you are or how drunk you were. Seriously. Stop it. Enough already.
27. 27. Almost everything normalises. Grief, wealth, love. Eventually it will all feel normal. Don’t let the feeling of ‘normal’ hide the value of what’s in front of you.
28. 28. People care 10% as much as you think they do. So long as you’re making an effort to be a good person, you can assume most people care much less than you think they do. Just chalk up any negative interactions to circumstance. People always have a million things going on and you’re generally one of the least important.
29. 29. Ship something. Don’t forget the value of making something, even the small stuff. A letter, a vegetable garden, a great recipe. No matter how insignificant. Making something helps remove the rust.
30. 30. You never know where you are on history’s big wheel. You never know what’s coming for you. You have to have some faith. Your moment is coming.

31. 30 Things I've learned - by Nick Croker

How to greet Death

It's been ages since my last post on this blog, therefore I thought to post one of my favourite poems.

It may seem a little depro to some - but I actually thinks it's rather enchanting and powerful, as opposed to depro...

This to me symbolizes a life lived to the full with no regrets; and also to serve a little reminder to not let anything get you down, or stand in the way of your dreams - not even immortality .

I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do.  

How to greet Death - Gabriel Gadfly

Greet death

with your hands in your pockets,

slouched back, cool,

collected, and confident.

Wear a hint of a grin

and a dash of cologne.

Say What took you so long?

Say You're behind the times, man.

Say Dead is the new black.

Coffin is the new condo.

Pallor is the new tan.

La vida muerta.

Greet death

with a fistful of black-eyed Susan's,

butterflies in your stomach,

and two tickets to tomorrow's sunrise.

Wear your father's cuff-links

and your mother's wedding ring.

Say I brought these for you, babe.

Say Kiss me, kiss me.

Say But wait until the sun comes up.

Just until daybreak.

I want to show you something.

Hasta la muerte, te amo.

Greet death

with a knife at your own neck,

chin up, throat bared,

cardiac in overdrive.

Wear nothing.

Wear nothing.

Say Bring it on motherfucker!

Say Only on my terms.

Say nothing and open your throat.

and bleed to completion.

El final, el final, el final.

Le Creuset competion turns me dilly

Today I don't have any special or inspiring quotes.
I don't have bad relationship advice, or their antidotes.
I am aware that I am writing in rhyme,
And that to most folk this is a crime.

The problem is you see,
There’s this Le Creuset completion that is doing this to me…
I’ve been at it an entire day,
With the hope that it’ll go away.
But alas these rhymes won’t leave me in peace,
I really hope I win, if not – I can blog about it at least.

 
On a more serious note, Le Creuset is having a competition for a giveaway to promote their new Cotton colour.

I have never won anything in my entire life, and as I am a massive foodie and baker (not yet a candlestick maker) {can’t help the rhyming- becoming a problem};  this would be the ULTIMATE prize for me to win.

Rules are simple – write about how and why the Le Creuset Cotton inspires you in less than 100 words.

I read a couple of the other entries, and it’s boring jibbidy-jab about tired moms of 3, and the white colour brings them serenity ( damn it! Rhyming again!!) and how they have bits and pieces of all the other colours and the white would be a perfect filler etc. You catch my drift?

Therefore I decided, I’d write a short and sweet poem, quirky and creative…which turned into 4 short poems ( yes I have entered 4 times – and I have a fifth brewing in my head). Once the first little poem popped, I found that I just couldn’t stop (doing it again!). I even went so far as converting the famous poem ,read by Julia Stiles in the popular movie “10 Things I Hate about You” , into a poem for Le Creuset’s Cotton coloured cookware.
Actually I am quite happy with how this one turned out – so I’ll post it below, for your entertainment.


I’m now posting hear instead, before I completely lose my head…

Ok it’s official – there is no help for me! The curse of the rhyme has swallowed me.

10 Things I Love about you

I Love the way you inspire me,
to whisk up something out of air.
I Love your white matte finishing,

and the fact that you don’t glare.
I Love your big round casserole pots,
your quality withstands time.
I Love you so much it makes me cook,
it even makes me rhyme.
I Love your colour crisp and white,
I love the sound when I hear you fry.
I Love it when we do a confit,
Even more so when I bake a pie.
I Hate it when you're not around,
and the fact I don’t have you all.
But mostly I love the way nothing compares to you,
Not even close,
Not even a little,
Not even at all.