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Category: Friendship
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Alexandriaโs Adventures with a stop doing list
On to week five of Dr Amantha Imber’s energy experiments. This week, and the stop doing list, was all about boundaries (links to the others are at the bottom of this post).
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Alexandriaโs Adventures with Permission Slips
My fourth Dr Amantha Imber energy experiment was permission slips. The links to the others are at the bottom of this post.
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Alexandriaโs Adventures with Energy Tracking
Energy Tracking was the third experiment of my contribution to Dr Amantha Imber’s new book. You can find links to the others at the bottom of this post.
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Alexandria’s Adventures with the Feelings Wheel
The Feelings Wheel experiment is the second of my Dr Amantha Imber energy experiments for her new book.
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Alexandria’s Adventures with a Project Pause
When I heard Dr Amantha Imber was looking for volunteers for eight weeks of energy experiments, I was all in. This week was all about the project pause.
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Day of overwhelm
It’s been one day of overwhelm after another, with the fond hope the next day will somehow be different.
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This Month’s Free Short Story
I wrote April/May’s free short story, Bread, Roses and Dignity, for May Day a couple of years ago.
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Why I hate Meta
I have a love hate relationship with Meta. Mostly hate. Time and time again, the company just keeps giving me reasons to sever my ties with them.
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Modern Adulting
There’s a recent trend of blaming your parents for everything that’s wrong with you, so I thought I’d look at modern adulting.
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Ghosts of parallel lives
Just lately, I’ve been haunted by the ghosts of parallel lives. The choices my parents made which opened and closed opportunities, the ones I made, and those that were taken out of my hands.
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Changing time zones
It’s the time of year when the clocks are changing time zones. Half the world moves to summer time, and the rest moves to winter.
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Priorities and Posteriorities
I recently learned about the concept of posteriorities, though of course they’ve been around a lot longer than that.
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A change is as good as a holiday
The other day I found myself saying a change is as good as a holiday, and then I wondered, is it really?
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Light in the darkness
After a week of general rubbishness, a thought I saw the dimmest light in the darkness.
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Read an eBook Week 2025
Smashwordsโ 16th Annual Read an eBook Week 2025 Super Sale is here!
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Life Cycles
I’m a little bit sorry to say I’m one of those people who needs habits and routines to get through the day. Or to put it another way, life cycles.
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Mystery Mouse
While I was out in the garden this morning I saw a mystery mouse cadaver. I’m not sure whether it was a a mouse or a rat.
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No man is an island
The poet John Donne was also the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, and it was in this role he said โNo man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main…โ
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The good old days – a lamentation
It feels like every company on the planet wants a piece of me – more than I want to give them. Makes me miss the good old days.
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Have fun
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been hearing people say, “have fun.” Which is not the usual thing people say to each other. Or at least, not something I usually hear people say to each other.
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5 ways to help save the environment
You may hold the opinion that it’s not your responsibility. But what serious effort have you seen Government or Business make to help save the environment?
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Happy Holidays 2024
It’s that time again. Time to wish you Happy Holidays 2024. This year the whole season has caught me unaware.
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The end of the year is nigh…
There are two weeks left until the end of the year. That’s two weeks to close out all those projects you had in mind as you started January. I have to say almost nothing I planned has come to fruition, and I admit to being disappointed by that. Though I wonder what it is that…
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Memories and unpacking
We’ve moved back into the house, and I’ve been unpacking, and each box is full of memories as well as artifacts.
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Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday is an event in November which takes place between the Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales to encourage people to shop locally.
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Quitting
Lately I’ve been thinking about quitting. In general, I’m the kind of person that just keeps moving on until the job is done.
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Slow and steady wins the race
The other day, I watched all 36 strangely compelling minutes of a carpet cleaning video in which a man cleans a Persian Carpet, taking it slow and steady.
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Planning for Chaos
The next four to eight weeks are going to be chaotic, with house finishing noise. So I wondered, how can I plan when I know there will be chaos?
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Five stages of dog calling
This morning as we were walking Clever Girl, I heard a woman going through 5 stages of dog calling, and it occurred to me they’re quite similar to Dr. Elisabeth Kรผbler-Ross’s stages of grief.
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Minimally Viable Morning
Trades are visiting so early, I’ve been more or less in my pyjamas and bed hair getting them started, so it’s time for a minimally viable morning.
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Sometimes you just have to start afresh
Looking at what remains of my floor, I’m reminded that sometimes in life you have to cut your losses and start afresh.
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Use it or lose it
The other day I went to my local post box ony to find it wasn’t there. It’s disappointing on so many levels, but guess the old adage “use it or lose it” applies more widely than musculature.
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Walking in the rain
Sometimes walking in the rain on a rainy day is a blessing in disguise. If you need a bit of peace, taking a walk in the rain is a beautiful way to get it.
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Being Grateful
Someone, somewhere, more or less, said when life get tough, think of stuff you’re grateful for. I know I’ve written about the little things, for those who worked through Covid, and for being alive. I wanted to write something else
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Stripping Wallpaper and Life
After what seems like years of preparing and quote procuring and so on, we’ve finally made a start on the renovating the big house. We moved into the cottage the weekend before last, and over the last week, stripped out the kitchen, laundry and flooring. And started repairing the floor, and stripping off the wallpaper.…
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Generosity and Reciprocity
It has to be said, that not all acts of generosity are the kind that generate reciprocity. It is possible to give without expectation of return.
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Reciprocity, Relationships, and Power
I’ve been thinking more about respect, relationships, and reciprocity. Mainly, as I mentioned, because we’ve started looking at updating the house.
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Is It Reluctance or Agoraphobia?
were subject to the lockdowns, I used to joke I was in danger of becoming agoraphobic. And given Melbourne may have endured the longest lockdown on the planet, or the most consecutive days in lockdown, or if you compare a very small number of cities…
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Iceberg Dead Ahead
Do you sometimes think about what’s coming. Perhaps with a mixed feeling of excitement and dread, all the time thinking there’s an iceberg dead ahead.
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What is Proper Self-Care?
I’ve found self-care described as both frivolous and necessary, and the frivolity seems a simple distraction. So what is proper self-care? The kind that nourishes you in mind, body and soul.
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Planning a Post-Mastectomy (flat chested) Wardrobe
Going by how much difficulty I had with my post-mastectomy Summer Plan, I wanted to write something specifically for post-matectomy women planning to go flat chested. This post will do until I can find the time to update the book with my findings.
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Decluttering and Creativity
We’re in the process of sorting ourselves out for some home renovation. Clearly there’s decluttering involved. And some decluttering creativity as well.
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Happy Holidays 2023!
Time again to wish you Happy Holidays 2023 wishes – my tenth year wishing you all well for whatever season you’re celebrating at the end of this year.
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Joy and Sorrow of Christmas Lights 2023
We live near a street with “famous” Christmas Lights. It’s often featured in lists of “Best Christmas Lights,” and people come from miles around to see them.
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Thoughtless Shopping and Life
Recently I’ve been thinking that shopping can be a metaphor for life. Not so much the shopping itself, but why we are so thoughtless about the shopping. And living.
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My 3 favorite reads in 2023
After the success of my last list, I was approached by Shepherd to follow up with my 3 favorite reads in 2023!
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Reset and Take Control
There’s four weeks to Christmas, and five until we greet 2024. It’s time to start thinking about a reset and take control of your life.
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Making Quality Connections
Moving on from energy, I’m considering one of the biggest energy penny expenditures, the relentless pressure to form connections with others. Connections through social media, in person, and with friends you haven’t met you.
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Wonderful Habits and Routines
I’ve been thinking about habits and routines. I’ve written many times about morning routines, and each of these routines are actually long chains of habits.
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Life Altering Experiences
I’d planned a different post, but life, and life altering experiences, have caught up with me. In particular, I haven’t shaped or trimmed my fingernails for a while, and recently cut one of my fingers with the nail of another.
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The Phantom Chicken
Haley Joel Osment may have been able to see dead people, (The Sixth Sense), but seemingly, I see a chicken that isn’t there.
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A Tale of Two Stones
According to popular wisdom, rolling stones gather no moss. In the ancient days, the saying signified someone shifltless, who avoided their responsibilites. Perhaps a vagrant with no family ties.
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Making Space
I’m not getting rid of my house, husband or dog. The change I’m looking for is simply making space. I’m sure I’m not the only one who looks back on the good old pre-pandmic days. And in my case back to the gold old pre-stroke days.
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Failure is NOT an Option
The last couple of months have been so brutal I’ve come close to admitting failure. So brutal I’m not going to mention them. (Aside from saying my health is good
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Tidying the Garden
With a spot of sunny weather, and an empty skip replacing the full one, we spent a little time tidying the garden. And I ended with a daffodil on my desk in memory of it.
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Change is Good or Better
As it turns out June 2023 sucked so much I’m not even going to write about it, just let its memory slip into oblivion. I’m going to talk about change instead, because change is hard, but necessary.
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Utter Chaos
There’s a saying, or perhaps it’s a proverb or idiom about planning. I know it as When man plans the devil laughs… But I’ve also heard variations including, god, ducks, and chaos. Chaos Chaos, in the Ancient Greek creation myths, was the first entity. According to Hesiod, Chaos was a gaping abyss located somewhere between…
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Three Types of Beauty
According to my loosey-goosey blog schedule, today’s post is supposed to be about Beauty, but I really have very little idea what to write about. So, I do what I always do in these circumstances – a random internet search to see what comes up. Here, in order of listing, is what comes up in…
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The Quest for Peace
A quest for peace often sends you away. Sometimes to a forest or jungle retreat, sometimes to a spa, and sometimes to a city depending on the kind of peace you’re looking for.
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Expectation
Expectation is a way of thinking about the future. You’re expecting a particular outcome from the actions you’re taking. Maybe you’re following a recipe expecting for a delicious meal.
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Alexandria’s Adventure in Leather Soled Shoes
Inspired by a conversion with Toseland (the cobbler) I decided to give leather soled shoes another try. The weather we’ve been having (four seasons in a day) hasn’t been the best time to start.
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What’s a Good Book Like?
I’ve been reading a lot about book marketing and branding lately, asking the question, what’t a good book like? I even asked friends and colleagues, “how does a book make you feel?”
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More Morning Routine
I’m not sure whether it’s because this is already an unusual year, but I’ve been thinking more about my morning routine. Perhaps because there’s been so little else to pin the days on, and the lazy, langourous, sleepy sense of nothing much happening lasts for about 87 hours per day.
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My Ghost Best Friends Books
Many of you know I like writing stories about people with ghost best friends… Well, I was recently invited by Shepherd.com to share my favourites. The hard part was narrowing it down to just five!
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The Cairn at the Dog Park
I noticed this cairn at the dog park today… I don’t know who left it. Or how many people added to it, or why it’s there, or in fact, anything about it at all.
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Agatha Christie
I’ve been watching Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen, in which Dr Lucy Worsley OBE tells us that Mrs Christie is not the person we all thought she was.
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I’m Not Ready!
Somehow, we’ve arrived at January 9th, theoretically, my first day back at work, and I’m not ready. It’s not really my first day back, I’ve worked more or less through the break, taking care of business in the back office.
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Happy Holidays 2022!
Here we are again, approaching Christmas and the excesses of the season, in my ninth seasonal greeting – Happy Holidays 2022!
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Lack of Focus
Recently, I’ve been feeling a lack of focus, so I read Stolen Focus, by Johann Hari. And judging by the wait list at the library, I’m not the only one either.
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The Smell of Woodsmoke
The other day, we took Clever girl for a walk around the neighbourhood. There was a beautiful blue sky, and the temperature was warm, but not too warm, with just a lazy wind. And the smell of woodsmoke.
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Boundaries
I live on the edge of a creek that has no boundaries. We decided to fence it off partly because Clever Girl has shown more of an interest in getting into the creek than our previous dogs.
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Christmas is coming
I saw my first Christmas decorations recently, and I suddenly realised Christmas is coming. It came as quite a surprise.
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There’s been a Data Breach!
“There’s been a Data Breach!” (please imagine the grizzled voice of Taggart’s Detective Chief Inspector Burke).
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The Wisdom of the Crone
One of the major fictional archetypes is the crone. She may be the grumpy old woman you want to steer clear of in case she curses you.
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Christmas Gift Idea
Today, for something a little different, I’d like to share a Christmas gift idea for you to consider.
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Little Seal Pup
We managed to get away and took Clever Girl for a long walk along the beach. While we were there, we saw a little seal pup.
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Too Late Now!
I admit it – now and again; I get annoyed with Clever Girl and want to send her back. But I recently realised it’s too late now. We can’t let her go.
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Leaving a Legacy
Just recently, the notion of leaving a legacy keeps coming up again and again as I research and write blog posts and stories. For example, during research for a recent story, I discovered a large oak tree near here (which I’m particularly fond of) was planted sometime around 1870. Planted specifically to shade the house…
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In Case of Doubt
I recently came across an emergency alarm – “in case of emergency, break glass”. A clear and simple instruction, along with a clear and simple action – break the glass.
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When Enough is Enough
Recently, I’ve been a bit short tempered and snappy. Prone to watering eyes at the oddest of occaisions. Thinking enough is enough!
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World Day for Bees!
I recently discovered there is a day for bees. World Bee Day was created by Slovenia and endorsed by 115 UN members. It aims to create awareness of the “significance of bees and other pollinators for our survival.”
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Warm Outfit
In the midst of energy price increases, we’ve had a cold snap, and my thoughts are turning to the kind of warm outfit you can wear when working from home on your own. While not turning the heating on.
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Life With Dog
Check any dog owner’s instagram, tiktok, or whatever feed, you’ll see any number of cute life with dog pictures of dogs doing adorable things.
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Who are you?
I had my hair cut today. That neatly generic old lady in the mirror didn’t feel like me. “Who are you?” I asked myself.
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Filing Cabinet
Decluttering my filing cabinet has been on my to do list for at least the last five years.
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Adulting, Accountability & Responsibility
Not long ago, Katy asked for adulting tips, and I made a smart comment about social media. She scornfully suggested no one plans to waste an hour on social media, and that was kind of the point I was messily trying to make.
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Isn’t it Odd?
I’ve discovered it’s possible to be frustrated and amused at the same time. Isn’t it odd? And a bit weird?
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Revisiting Just-in-Time Delivery
The concept of just-in-time delivery is essentially having ZERO stock on hand, ordering it when when you need it. In 2015, when I was long-term unemployed, I wrote a post about developing the virtue of Wealth. Essentially, it involved: But, times are changing… In the good old pre-Covid days, it was possible to buy as…
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New Life Emerging!
And here we are, emerging into 2022. And despite the ongoing Covid Cataclysm, I feel more positive about “things” than I have at any other time during the last two years.
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Happy Holidays 2021!
I feel more positive about the 2021 Holidays than I did about the 2020 Holidays. Perhpas because last year was looking like more of the same, but this year, I feel like 2022 might actually be better than 2021. Even if the Covid affected supply chains can’t catch up. Like Canada dipping into its maple…
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Ma’aming Me Elderly
Only weeks after my Woman of a Certain Age post, I’ve reached a new miletstone in the race towards elderly, and I thought I’d share it with you.
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What are They Fighting For?
And like many vaccinated people, I’ve been watching the protesters on the news, trying to work out what they’re fighting for. It’s not easy to understand.
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Where did all your friends go?
One of my friends asked me what happened to DB, Katy and Toseland. And as it turns out, it’s a good lead in to a post I’ve been trying to write for a while. Because the answer is a little more complex than it would otherwise seem.
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A Woman of a Certain Age
Some where along the line, I became a “Woman of a Certain Age.” That is, the age at which it becomes unnecessary, and possibly impolite to query further.
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Monk’s Evening Routine
Having been intrigued by the Venerable Nick Keomahavong’s morning routine, it’s only a small step to wondering about a Monk’s evening routine. Similar to morning routine, most evening routines are focused on increasing productivity the next day. But the Monk’s purpose in their evening routine is to bring the mind back home to stillness and…
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Monk’s Morning Routine
Not sure what I was searching for when I came across a new to me take on the morning routine – the Buddhist Monk’s morning routine as demonstrated by the Venerable Nick Keomahavong.
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Princess Jellyfish
I recently watched a Japanese show called Princess Jellyfish, based on the Shลjo manga (girl comic) of the same name.
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The Day Seems Bleak
We’ve had FIVE covid related lockdowns. Full of long, bleak days. So many that even I, an introvert who works from home, has about had enough.
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Walking the Tightrope
It’s the time of year when I usually start to get a bit snaky. Walking the tightrope between the usual thing and the need for a break.