Happy Thanksgiving without a turkey! 2011
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It represents everything I enjoy and share in life.
Sitting around a meal together with people I love or people I bring in to bless with good food and company, is always a rush to me. It is a time for giving, a time for sharing and a time to be appreciative not only for what we have, but for life itself. A welcoming entrance.
No, it is not on the lower scales of holidays, it is on the upper echelon of Special Holiday. Food brings people together. Sitting around a table or with a plate on your lap makes no difference, enjoy the company and thank the hands that prepared and the ones who worked hard in jobs to put food on the table.
My daughter is the hostess this year for our Thanksgiving dinner. No, we are not having turkey. We are having seafood. We are surrounded by ocean in Hawaii. Seafood seemed the most plausible and the most delicious.
Menu:
Crab legs – Garlic Shrimp – Fried Calamari – Mussels
Bakes sweet potatoes with butter and brown sugar
Corn – Baked Acorn squash with butter and brown sugar.
A menu fit for kings. Excellent company and a precious family. Overwhelmed with gratitude for my life. I thank God for health and love.
To everyone: Happy Thanksgiving!
Kindness, the two edged sword
Kindness is never rated when you are doing well. Kindness matters when the chips are down and times are hard. In the end when kindness is expressed, it will leave the person receiving it with one of two states: thankful or resentful.
So, it matters little what the reaction is to kindness. Always do the kind and right thing and allow the rest to float in space and time. It is hardship to lay your head down knowing you have insulted or taken advantage of another. In the end, it comes back to you, in blessings or in the same way you have treated another.
Response to mercy and kindness should never be the factor for the act. You never know how a person will respond to you. They may be having a hard time, or life is dealing them a blow, or they are not good receivers. On the whole, it is better to be merciful than vindictive.
If ever you believe you are being wronged, offer an explanation but step back and away when it is not accepted. If you are shunned and ignored, they were never meant to be in your life for long. Never try to be right. It does not matter in the long run even if you are. As long as you have done what is right, sleep and rest in the knowledge and comfort of a clear conscience.
My prayer for you is this:
May you live many days to offer caring
May you rise every morning to give a blessing
May you fill your heart with mercy
May you use your wit for kindness
May your thoughts be filled with peace
May your mind remain at rest
May you lay your head at night in the comfort of a clear conscience.
When One Door Closes, Another Opens
“No dreamer is ever too small; no dream is ever too big.” – Anonymous.
We plant the seed, water it, nurture it, watch it grow weathering the seasons and see it bear fruits of your toil…that’s your “dream.”
I am a firm believer of Paulo Coelho’s words that the universe will conspire in helping you achieve what you want. Sometimes it may take years for your dream to realize and sometimes things just fall into the place and your dream materializes immediately. It took me more than 10 years to realize my dream of high altitude trekking. Don’t lose heart, patience or hope. Keep believing in yourself and in your dream.
I wrote a blog earlier last week about how disappointed I was, having failed to register for the Mumbai Marathon 2012. I was heartbroken and distraught as it has been my dream to run for years. My husband asked me to check and see if any other running events were happening in the near future. And, I was amazed as to how things fell into place and just like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, everything fit perfectly.
I am from Bengaluru (the Capital city of Karnataka, South India) Incidentally, I am going there for Diwali, the festival of lights and to my sheer luck there is the Bangalore(former name for Bengaluru) Ultra Marathon happening on the 13th of November. Unbelievable!! I signed up for the 12.5k run. It is still difficult to digest that I’m debuting as a runner in an ‘Ultra’ marathon, which can be on roads, trails or tracks usually to enormous distances.
All I had to do was to reschedule my return journey. This also meant that my kids will be missing their classes. As a mother I should be feeling guilty on compromising and interfering with my children’s studies. Well, no. This dream is too big and important for me.
Right now, I am ignited with determination. I am glowing with purpose and focused on my goal. It is a new high for me. I am amazed by the strength of the mind. Only that we don’t always realize its potential, until put to test.
“There is nothing impossible to him who will try”- Alexander the great.
Everything happened so fast that I did not have the time to think about the “what if?” scenario. If I hadn’t signed up for this marathon, I would probably still be wallowing in self-pity. It is also important to ‘feel’ the disappointments, frustrations and the anger. Only thing is we should not let them linger on our mind for too long else, they will make themselves comfortable and take up residence there.
Only when one has experienced the pain of failure, will the success taste so sweet.
Believe in yourself and in your dreams, the universe will take care of the rest. 🙂
Sonia Sez: I was introduced to Janu by Corinne Rodrigues A home-maker, mother, wife and daughter, she also is a wonderful friend and writer. In her journey of discovery, she takes one with her with kindness and gentle persuasion.
Acts of Redemption and Children of Discord
Author C.C.Cole
Hi, all readers and writers! I’m author C.C.Cole of the two “Gastar” novellas, four when completed. The medieval dark fantasy story follows the teen assassin Shevata as she journeys through the history of the city of Gastar to seek redemption for her past actions and to re-gain her soul. As a dark heroine trying to become a normal girl with hopes to find love, happiness, and family, she is a complex but very capable character. She is a Goodreads action heroine winner.
The first, “Act of Redemption” was published in 2009, and has been listed as Best Independent Novel on Goodreads. Shevata kills a group of evil priests without a death order, so she is punished for murder. Her soul is removed and she is imprisoned. The story moves into the future of the city of Gastar, after its fall, and the remaining people gather their strength for survival with the help of soldiers from the past, the dragon Harathgus, and Shevata against the demon lord Zermon who plans to make the remnants of the city part of his domain in hell.
The second novella, “Children of Discord,” was published in 2011. It won an NABE pinnacle award for fiction. Shevata is summoned back into Gastar many years later by unlikely allies. She had been searching for the traitor boy Goldeon. Though Gastar has grown, the people are ignorant of the powerful children, and their inner war places the entire city in danger. And yes, vampires play a role in this novella. Shevata takes her first important steps to reclaiming her humanity.
The third novella “Point of Return” is in the writing process now. For Shevata-fans, I don’t think they will be disappointed.
Generally, the Gastar series is medieval dark fantasy/action/adventure, recommended for ages 13-15+ for intense battle scenes. Minimal profanity and no erotica are used. Though short and intense, some humorous dialogue gives the reader a moment to take a breath.
About me: I’m from rural Mississippi, and currently live in the suburbs with my family. My educational background is medical, and other interests besides writing/reading are martial arts, medieval and 20th century history, and adopted racing greyhounds. I write regular articles about new authors and writing on my blog http://www.shevata-cccole.blogspot.com, as well as book reviews.
C.C.Cole is a talented Fantasy Action Adventure author. The Gastar Series are incredible and as a grandmother of a thirteen year old boy, found them amazing reading. C.C. writes to spark their imagination with solid content.