Trader Joe's Strikes Again

I find hidden gems as Trader Joes, or perhaps they're well known, but I'm out of the loop.

Either way, I discovered the Candy Cane Green Tea (decaffeinated). 

This is a perfect gift idea for your tea-drinking friends (and its cheap $1.99 for 20 bags).  It brings images of sitting at that coffee house overlooking a quiet bay while catching up with an old friend. Or quiet moments in front of a fire.

I brought it into work and it was a huge success, proving once again that food and drink is one of the best things to bring people together! They are meant to be shared!

Hit your Trader Joes on your way home and get a box of this deliciousness.  Then settle down to a good book, stolen moment or call your good friend just to say hi!

Short Term vs. Long Term

One of my friends posted this quote recently:

While most religions teach us to look ahead to the afterlife of heaven or hell and act accordingly. The idea of living now and enjoying what you have is somewhat discouraged. Luke 12 tells the parable of the man that tore down and built bigger. Enjoying what he had, but neglecting his soul. Some religions, however, teach us to be present and not miss the blessings around us. There needs to be a balance between these two philosophies. We should reveling the experience, surroundings and life but also be living for something beyond it.

 

Narrowing it down, the battle falls on society. Today, we are not present. We chose to focus on the technology missing the moments around us - case in point: Forgot my phone. What we believe and support is constantly pressed for the now - instant gratification of needs or desires. The future is often forgotten or disvalued.

 

This is further stressed in politics. Right now all the turmoil is extremely high. We fight over the now, today's problems, burdening our future with unsolvable trepidations. Instead of considering the long term consequences, we ignore them, relying on the next generation to deal with them.

 

What does this say about us then? We value our life, our comfort, our now, more than our children or our future. We value our life more than those around us, and why shouldn't we? Isn't that part of the survival of the fittest?

 

So today, look up. Count the blessings you have and give thanks for them. Revel in the now, but know that one day, your now will end. The legacy you leave behind is reflected in decisions made now.



Some days....

I have been in San Diego for almost 12 years.  There are moments that knock me down that I live here:

 

Difficult People

Part of my job is to deal with sticky situations and find solutions. Today, I received what I considered a ridiculous request, but found, while dealing with this challenging person, all people want is to be heard.

People need to be validated or acknowledged. Its part of our being human.

 

So as Fraiser used to say - "I'm listening"

Anything Can Happen

Welcome baby! 

 

Born August 14th - 7 lbs 5 oz and 18 inches long

You are already so loved by your parents, sister, grandmas and auntie! Your innocent beginning is proof that anything can happen!

Let the spoiling commence! :D

Letter to Self

In high school, my creative writing insturctor had us write letters to our future self.  He then collected these letters, held on to them, and mailed them five years later.

Imagine my suprise when my mom called me one day asking why I had mailed a letter to me at my parents address.  She was convienced it was my handwriting.  I had totally forgotten.

Although I cannot tell you where that letter currently is or what it said, I was thinking of it this morning.  What a brilliant idea.

What would I say now to my five-year furture self? Anything profound or direction I might need in the next five years?  Any predicitions for what it may hold or look like?

This idea was actually resurrected as I read what many bloggers have documented to their unborn (or newly born) child, niece or nephew. To tell them how much they love them or lessons they'd like to spare them from learning the hard way. 

FutureMe.org is a website that allows you to email yourself and have it delivered on the date you specify.  If you perfer to do it the old way, sit down and hand write yourself a letter. Then put in a place you may not remember (until you move and wonder what the heck it is) or give it to a friend for safe keeping and return it to you when you least expect it.

As for my little advice to my future self - I have this: "Remember that this will pass, as nothing stays the same, so savor the moment, even if its a bad one, because it will pass"

Love is the greatest adventure



Every blue moon, I come across a piece of art that I fall in love with.  Even if you haven't seen the movie UP (which I would highly recommend), how amazing is the painting below?   Love is the greatest adventure!