6 years ago today, her vehicle paused in front of my bake shop, she wanted to rest.
She sat with me and we talked for a while and I found out she was a Christian missionary, she was on her way to a remote village to share the goodness of God.
I admired her courage and she admired my work and the girls I was mentoring. It was days after she left I realized I didn’t even ask her name and she didn’t ask mine either.
Every now and again, I think about that day and the conversation we had. Two women, sharing life’s lessons from different perspectives.
I’m glad we got a photo, I may never have remembered her face without it.
I wonder about her mission and hope she got as far as she dreamed.
For four days, I’ve been listening to three versions of Love In The Dark, one after the other…and then again and again.
I love all three. Here’s why.
Soulful
Kristen Cruz makes you feel so lost and helpless. She picks every word and makes you ponder on every line she sings. It feels so real. She makes you feel.
Solemn
Leroy Sanchez takes it like he’s just stating facts. Calm and sure. It’s like he has dealt with the hurt and now he just needs to put it out there for the sake of it.
The sound of the orchestra makes it really beautiful as it supports his calm declaration. The entire delivery makes me think of a good church choir.
Solid
Adele, the original writer and singer of this song, delivers a mix of soulful and confident. She delivers it with a little irritation about the situation.
Sanem is a very very bad cook. She is the second and last child of Mevkibe and Nihat. Whenever she tries to give cooking a go, the kitchen space becomes a pigs sty. She makes a huge mess. Egg shells everywhere and work surfaces smeared with grease and tomatoes. Mevkibe blames Nihat. She says he spoiled her… Rotten.
Besides being really clumsy; both in and outside the kitchen, Sanem is a very intelligent young lady, a writer, a lover of nature, books and tea.
One morning, after a sleepover at Can’s home, Sanem feels the need to impress him. She gets up early to make a breakfast of toast and shakshouka. Can is the love of her life and she is his.
Can finds her in the kitchen, everything is a mess. The toast is burnt but the vegetables and eggs are still on the hot plate… Getting ready to be burnt too. He quickly helps out. First, he makes her turn down the heat and guides her through.
They sit and have breakfast, Can eats it all. He doesn’t lie to her by saying it’s amazing or delicious, he makes jokes about the burnt parts… but he eats it all. I think he really loves that she got up to make him breakfast.
Sanem’s kitchen tales remind me of a time when I had a desire to make amazing pancakes, I tried time and again… And with each try, my loved ones ate them like it was the best pancakes ever… even though we all agreed they weren’t so good.
Now I have several pancake recipes of my own. It’s a similar story for cookies and cakes. I am a renowned baker and pastry maker. I own a bake shop and I have taught and mentored over a hundred young ladies and two young men.
So, i guess there’s hope for Sanem after all…and everyone else, whether it’s in the kitchen, office, studio, classroom or anywhere at all.
Characters are from a Turkish TV series titled Erkenci Kus aka Early Bird 🐦🕊️ aka Day Dreamer
When I left for my staycation a few days before Christmas, I had planned to share the events as they unfolded. I got caught up enjoying my stay and didn’t remember my plan.
I’m beginning to think that I love to enjoy the moments and then share my stories in past tense.
There’s a feeling I get when I recall events. It’s the same feeling when I watch old movies I have seen before or listen to old songs I used to play.
I think I’m a lover of nostalgia. So I go backwards in my mind just so I can feel it.
Today I’m remembering all the fun my son had. I promised to share his tales.
My “cousin” Gosha was visiting the same town for the same reasons as me…to rest and refuel for the new year. She came along with her husband and twin boys. Her boys are 9 years old. Just a year younger than SonTer.
We spent Christmas day together, the boys had on matching outfits Gosha had brought with her.
We gave them three days of fun. On day one, they went swimming…all day. We had to make them get out of the pool.
We took them to the arcades on day two.
On the third day we revisited the arcades and went to the lake for a boat ride. After the boat ride, the boys took turns to ride on what they called a horse. Gosha and I thought it was a mix of two different species.
It was a lot of fun for the boys.
When Terver…my husband joined us days later, it was an opportunity for Sami… Gosha’s husband to have some fun too. The men went out for a night on the town on our last night there.
I have a feeling I’m going to be thinking about those days a lot for a while.
I’ve had a daily devotional titled ‘Starting your day right’ by Joyce Meyer for almost 15 years. I forget to read it sometimes, but when I do, it gives me a positive word for the day.
A couple of weeks ago, someone shared a post about how dancing first thing in the morning was a recipe for a great day.
I have a few things I do in the morning that put me in high spirits the entire day.
“If we were in the days of old testament, I may have named that place”.
That’s what he said some years ago about the day we first kissed.
‘that place’ was not where we shared our first kiss, but it was the point where he had walked me to and we had shared the last kiss for the night.
We were seventeen and excited.
We never forget that day.
That’s why when he held me close and said the words “congratulations” to me this morning, I knew he was not just talking about how excited I was to weigh in and see if I had lost the 9 kilograms predicted by an intermittent fasting application.
I also knew he wasn’t just talking about my two-year anniversary with my Elevation Church egroup; ‘Therefore I Hope’.
He was also talking about how we made it so far from that day.
I spent the 5 days at my sister Angela’s home. Her daughter had gone back to university for the semester and so her bedroom was vacant.
On the first morning, when I woke up, I realized I had forgotten quite a number of personal effects. I had packed carelessly.
I didn’t have to worry for long.
Lois, my sister’s daughter had left behind… intentionally… everything I needed.
She has two sets of everything, one set in her room at school and another set in her room at home.
Her mom explained that she didn’t want the hassle of carrying stuff back and forth. She wanted everything ready and available, whether she was at school or at work.
Lois is what you would call a lady. She has always been that way, even as a little girl.
Even though she wasn’t home during my stay, I felt her presence very strongly with the way she made and kept her room.
Today, I make my way back home with thoughts of my Lois… Looking forward to seeing her in a couple of weeks when her mom turns 50.
A few days ago I shared a few suggestion on spiritual goals for the new year.
Here are a few goals we could work on for good health for this new season
Rest
Sleep sleep sleep… this is very key to good health. If you haven’t been getting atleast eight hours of sleep on a regular basis then you may want to pen this down as a goal to work towards. I have always had the habit of going to bed late, so for a few months now, I have tried to retire early enough.
Nothing time: this is the time when you pause to take a break from everything for a few minutes a day. Continuous work without rest can be stressful and can lead to muscle pains and heads aches. It will be nice to schedule some time to just sit back and rest, literally.
Exercise
Walk walk walk… you may want to be more intentional about daily activity levels. Check and monitor your daily steps; invest in a pedometer or download and application unto your phone to help with this. Set a minimum target and keep to it. A minimum 10,000 steps a day should do.
Workout is one goal I plan to include in my physical health goals. I have a difficult time keeping it up.
Food and nutrition
If you are like me and you are worried about your food intake and how it affects your health, you may need to add one or two of the following your goals;
Start a diet plan that is healthy for you. Eg, Ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, Paleo diet, Vegan etc.
More fruits and vegetables.
Drink lots of water and healthy drinks.
Cut out or control foods that are bad for your particular health situation.
Medical
Check your vitals often. Choose to aware of your body. (Blood pressure, pulse, Temperature and also your blood sugar level).
Check in with your doctor as soon as you notice something unusual on/in your body.
Supplements. Taking vitamins and dietary supplements is a good goal to keep. Talk to your doctor or health care provider for what works for you.
What other suggestions could someone add to physical health goals? Please share.
