Day: November 21, 2019

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Shikata Ga Nai Is the Japanese Art of Letting Go—and It’s Glorious — Fuel for my soul

Original Link : https://advice.shinetext.com/articles/shikata-ga-nai-is-the-japanese-art-of-letting-go-and-its-glorious/?source=post_page—–776db8eda8ef———————- The women of Okinawa, Japan, are expected to live close to 90 years—an astonishing feat. One of the main reasons my Okinawan friend Hiromi-san says Okinawan women live so long? A little concept known as shikata ga nai, which means, “it cannot be helped.” At its essence, shikata ga nai (or […]

Shikata Ga Nai Is the Japanese Art of Letting Go—and It’s Glorious — Fuel for my soul
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Thursday Inspiration

Leaves

Colorful leaves swirling in the stream

~*

Leaves Haiku

Leaves last a season

Never for more than one year

We wish they would stay.

Christine Bialczak poetry Daily Writing Prompt Three Things Challenge

Three Thing Challenge

Your three words today are: figure, nod, handsome

Just a mirage 

As I walk down along this dry, desert road 

I feel my insides about to explode. 

I haven’t been eating, its been some three days 

The blinding sun has been guiding my ways. 

A figure is outlined against the bright sky 

I can’t tell if it’s a woman or guy. 

I nod as I walk by, I’m hoping to see 

If that lonely tall person looks a bit friend-ly. 

I see that he’s handsome, pretty darn cute 

He’s wearing nice shoes and a dark, navy suit. 

I ask him if he knows the way to my car 

He said that he thinks that I’ve walked way to far. 

I say that I know that, but how can it be? 

I’m far from my car, parked out near a tree. 

He says that he saw me last night at the pub. 

I thought that was strange, I don’t like to club. 

I must have been thinking aloud at this point 

He asked if I wanted to smoke me a joint. 

I said that I did and it tasted real swell 

I wonder if food ever tasted this well. 

I pondered for seconds, high as a kite 

All of a sudden all alone in the night.  

Was this all a dream, was it true and for real 

It’s just a mirage when it’s been days with no meal.  

Daily Writing Prompt Fandango's One Word Challenge (FOWC)

FOWC with Fandango

Portable

I wonder what people in heaven are thinking when they see almost 95% of a filled restaurant on portable devices, showing moving pictures, playing games, talking back to them? Do they find it strange that humans can no longer live for more than a few minutes without a portable phone out and in use? Do you think we look a little dumb?

Blog

From my desk: 11/21/2019

I was able to send out 15 query letters today. I think I am at about 50 total. I read one author’s post that it wasn’t until she wrote out her 600th! that she finally got an agent. I have a ways to go but I hope it isn’t that far away! When I start with a new round after the new year I will most likely start with a different book. I have a few written. I just need to work on the illustrations before sending them off.

My son was supposed to go to Florida Institute of Technology this year. He got in without even telling me he had applied! He was so proud of himself for that one! I know they have no way of fool-proofing all their systems, but I got one of those letters from the college today telling me it’s just about time for exams and it’s time to sign your student up for exam care packages. Well, I lost it. Yes, some days are harder than others and some just suck. I am at a total loss as to why my husband and my son are gone. This Saturday would have been my 23rd wedding anniversary. Isn’t it strange how once someone is gone it seems like there are even more events to celebrate? I suppose this is life…it sucks though.

I talked to my father today for quite a while. He suffers from Dementia. He said that he remembered who I was. “You’re my daughter, of course!” He then went on to ask me if I have been back to Japan. Well, I’ve never been to Japan, although I would love to go. He was there during the Korean War. He hasn’t been back there since either. At least he has fond memories of his time with me in Japan! My aunt is Japanese. She still has quite a bit of family there. I hope someday to have the money to travel.

Tomorrow I will spend most of my day working on illustrations and other editing and revising tasks. I have to figure out what to do with my days otherwise I find I could spend all day blogging one day, all day writing poetry another day, all day doing nothing the next! Some day I hope to have an editor or a publisher calling me asking me when my next manuscript will be ready! Until then…

Have a peaceful evening and I hope to read more interesting work on here tomorrow!