Category: You Asked

Fandango’s Provocative Question #76

Fandango is the host of Fandango Provocative Question

FPQWelcome once again to Fandango’s Provocative Question.

This week’s provocative question may sound like a simple one, but as you contemplate your response, it may be more nuanced than it at first appears. Because to answer it, you first have to define what “satisfaction” means to you.8D94CF49-BB69-42FF-94B0-6B3132676D48

Are you satisfied with your life at the moment. If so, what is it that brings you the greatest satisfaction? If not, what might you do to achieve satisfaction in your life?

~*~

I am!

This is the short answer.

In detail, I am satisfied with my life because I know that I am doing the best I can for myself, my family, and those I call my friends.

I would call this as being in peace with myself.

My father in law was a very wise man and he taught me to value these things in life;

• Mental peace;

That I be at peace with whatever is inside me. My emotions, my desires, and my ambitions.

• Physical peace;

That I look after my body, eat healthy, and get plenty of exercises. Get proper treatments for any illness I am suffering from and look after my mental health.

• Social peace;

That I am at peace with the world around me. No strife with law, no dispute with those living around me, and no ongoing battle with people on any social platform.

And when I have achieved these three categories of peace, I could if I wanted to look for, go for extras.

A posh house

A new car

Designer clothes etc

Popularity

Lots of followers on my blog

Etc……

So, yes I am at peace and am satisfied with my life, though I will keep on trying to improve on all three categories. And as for the extras, they are of little value and can be safely relegated to the back burner.

~*~

#Keepitalive

#FPQ

Blogging Insights # 34- Reading Habits

Tanya is the host of Blogging Insight series.

Her Question this week;

Do you think that reading is an important prerequisite for writing well? If so, what kind of reading material inspires or affects your writing?

~*~

I think reading helps us tremendously if we want to write well. Some people instinctively have great writing skills and don’t need to hone it by reading.

But for most people, reading not only adds to their vocabulary and expression skills but also introduces them to different styles of writing. It also inspires them with ideas of a storyline or topics for prose or poetry.

For myself, I love reading a wide range of books. I would pick up a work of fiction over a real-life story but there are exceptions. There are bios that I found fascinating.

My first love was murder mysteries from Agatha Christie. Then I started on historical romances by Georgette Heyer. I think my first love was all the British writers whose books I found in my grandfather’s library.

While writing for my blog I take inspiration from all that I have read to date. I also find inspiration from all the blogs that I follow.

In short, for me reading is essential for my writing!

Thank you Dr. Tanya for hosting this series.

#Keepitalive

#BloggingInsights

Share You’re World- 29-6-20

Melanie is the host of SYW

Questions:

Must we have evidence to know the truth?

Mostly we do. Unless we can just see it plain as the day. But then that too is evidence. So I think in all aspects of the material world we do need evidence to believe if something is true or not.

The only exception is the spiritual beliefs. Here we go by what our heart knows to be the truth without having solid evidence.

How much control does a person have over their life?

I don’t think we have a lot of control over our lives. We are born in a family without given a choice. The circumstances of our upbringing are also pre-determined. As adults, we make choices and have some control over our lives but we still are affected by what’s going around us. So a safe bet would be 50-50 split.

What is gravity and how does it work?

Gravity is when Mother Earth calls you for a hug.

Or when your hair defy it by standing on your head and other body parts which could have done better by staying in their respective positions, sag down.

Can a person be happy if they have never experienced sadness?  How about vice versa?

I think we can. But would we appreciate it that much if we didn’t know the other side of the spectrum!

Would we realize that being happy is a blessing not conferred on everyone? I think we won’t value happiness that much if we didn’t know sadness.

Gratitude:

Please feel free to share a song, a poem, a quote, or an image or photo to show what you were grateful for during this past week. 

This little guy just stayed long enough for me to take its picture.

The truth!

#Keepitalive

#SYW

Relatability and resonance

Rory has asked a set of questions on his blog;

24 Hour Blog Question Directory

The Resonation of Relatability?

How important to you is it for you to have a level of resonation or relatability to the blog and bloggers you read from weekly or does it not matter and you read purely for the escapism, learning or entertainment factor and so on? 

Mostly the blogs I follow have to have a degree of relatability otherwise I don’t follow them. The thoughts and the content has to gel with me before I make visiting them a daily feature.

There are a few which are either hilarious or entertaining which also are on my reading list. Short stories, poems or funny anecdotes all to lighten up my day.

Do you like to balance your reading or focus on specific genres only?

I think my reading is pretty balanced. But I don’t go out of my way to include blogs which are totally opposite to my way of thinking. That would be just too much to swallow. But if a blogger that I follow has an opinion which is opposed to mine, I will not only read it but also try to look at things from their perspective.

Finally do you need to ‘get your blogger to get your blogger?’ or do you get the blogger anyway whatever?

This question seems to be a puzzle!

I get what a person is writing but do I completely get them?

Some I do because I’ve been following them for most of the time I have been blogging and there are some that are new and I don’t know them that well.

Reading and perusing a blog gives the ideal opportunity to know the person behind that writing.

Some Questions from Kristian and Di

Kristian was awarded the Awesome Blogger Award by Rory.

And Di was nominated by Claudia for Liebster Award.

They both have invited anyone who is interested, to answer their questions.

So here are my answers!

The Questions:

1. What would you like to see on tomorrow mornings newspaper headlines?

Take your pick;

•World powers decide to destroy all nuclear weapons

•Covid-19 finally routed out. Both preventative vaccines and treatments are available to everyone.

•Trump loses elections

•BoJo forced to resign

•Racism declared a punishable offense ( though I think it already is in some countries)

Just a few of the things that I wish would come true.

2. What advice would you like to give to your ten-year-old self?

•Be careful of those knees. And do NOT play cricket in an uneven field.

(That’s how I got my first knee injury)

•Dont listen to others, listen to your heart

•Enjoy childhood as it IS the best time of your life

3. What song always makes you smile?

A few but Happy by Pharrell Williams is always a winner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZSe6N_BXs&feature=share

4. What television programme would you love to see back on the airwaves?

Gilmore Girls.

They did a reboot but it was no good. I loved the original series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SpkYezHD-k&feature=share

5. Have you ever played a practical joke on someone?

I have tried but I am very bad at lying and pranking so it never happened.

~*~

Questions from Di;

Questions;

1.  What is your first childhood memory?

Ah, childhood was a long time ago but I think my first memory was when my younger brother was a baby. We are 18 months apart and I remember that I and my older brother were very fascinated by the baby.


2.  If you drive, what was your first car?

I do drive and my first car was a Toyota.


3.  Do you prefer sweet or savoury foods?

Savory, and that’s a good thing because if I loved sweets as much as I love carbs, I would be twice my weight.


4.  Before the lockdown, were you comfortable in a crowd?

I was, now I avoid crowds and move to the other side of the road when I see too many people or kids.


5.  Are you a night or day person?

A day person. Though not an early bird most days. But I enjoy getting up at my regular time even on the weekends and following my routine.


6.  Favourite past time?

It used to be reading. Now blogging. And I don’t have time left over after blogging to read books.

Listening to music is my other favorite thing to do.


7.  What makes you laugh?

A good joke. I don’t find physical comedy very funny but obviously, there are exceptions.


8.  What makes you cry?

Anything emotional. Someone winning or losing a happy ending, or a sad ending. Quite easy for tears to well over and spill


9.  Compared to your school days, are you more or less creative now?

In my school days, I used to make a lot of things like cards, beaded bangles, jewelry, knitted caps, and scarves. Now I just write. I guess that is being creative too.


10. What is you pet hate/peeve?

Entitled people doing as they please.

People being rude, unfair, or unkind.


11. What kind of blogs interest you enough to follow?

Any blog that resonates with the way I think. It could be informative, entertaining, or funny.

Kristian and Fi have invited anyone who is interested to have a go at these questions.

So why not give it a try!

#Keepitalive

5 Things for Tuesday- Lockdown

Tanya is hosting this fun challenge.

The 5 Things you enjoyed doing during the lockdown?

• Walking

As I couldn’t go anywhere so I spent more time walking around the neighborhood. I wore a mask and kept my distance. Walking helped me to maintain my healthy routine and also gave me the opportunity to get out of the house and in the fresh air.

• Blogging, blogging and more blogging

Blogging is my hobby and passion. The free time made it possible for me to read and write more during the lockdown.

• Saving money

No place to go meant no way to spend money on impulse buys. No movies, eating out, or trips to Sephora. I think I must have saved hundreds of dollars during these 3 1/2 months.

• Cooking and baking

Not that I am very fond of doing either but to kill time I made a few things that I hadn’t tried before.

Whole wheat naan bread

Baked samosas

Doughnuts

Parathas

And lots of banana bread experiments

• Playing jigsaw puzzles game on my phone

I had stopped doing it because I didn’t find time for making puzzles. But now I find it relaxing to complete a 300 piece puzzle daily. I also use the coloring app to color beautiful pictures.

These are fun things that I found time for during the lockdown.

What are yours?

#Keepitalive

#5things.

Share Your World- 22-6-20

Melanie is the host of SYW

…the ‘it’s a crime’ version.  I’m going to ask all crime and philosophies about crime in this week’s share.  

Questions:

Have you ever ‘dined and dashed” (i.e. eaten the meal and then run out the restaurant door without paying)?

What me…….

I would never even think of doing something like that. First of all, I don’t have the guts to do it.

Secondly even as a young person I lacked the sense of adventure to do something like this. And it does take guts and a sense of adventure to do something like this!

Have you ever been in a car accident and either left the scene of the accident (providing it was a fender bender and not serious) or denied culpability for causing it when you did, (if it were minor or serious)?

Thankfully, never. Though once the other person lammed it after he had rammed his car into mine on rain-slicked road. The only time I did a runner was when I flipped a bird at a man driving recklessly and on the wrong side of the road and he got so angry that he turned around and started following my car. I panicked and drove straight home and locked the gate. Thankfully he didn’t catch me on the road. I never did that again.

(Oldie which has been asked many times before)   Have you ever found a wallet or purse or some money (over $20) in the street and just taken it, thinking ‘finders keepers, losers weepers?   Or would you be ‘good’ and hand it in?  

You can guess my answer to this one too. I don’t pick up anything that I find lying around. Money or wallet. Once I found someone’s credit card on the street and since the issuing bank was a few steps away, I handed it in.

What was the last thing you stole or shoplifted?   If you never ever considered doing that, tell us your secret!   🙂

Never!

I guess I am a boring person.

Gratitude.

I loved the posts Melanie shared on her blog about being kind.

This week I have a personal goal to share that I am very proud of.

After a looooong time, I have fitted into a jean which is a regular size, as opposed to a plus size jean. I am pretty chuffed about it.

I found these guys having a party one day. No thoughts of social distancing!

#Keepitalive

#SYW

Blogging Insights- Writing Genre

Tanya is the host of Blogging Insights

QUESTIONS:

1. What is your passion with regards writing genres?

Like you, I started with totally different ideas as to what I was going to write on my blog. During the last 22 months, my writing has progressed on totally different lines.

You can say that my writing is geared towards spreading awareness and positivity. My poems and stories are often written with that aim in mind.

2. What is your chosen genre?

Poetry seems best suited to my style of writing. I love to write poems because you can say things more effectively in fewer words. And perhaps it also has more impact. I can and do write prose, and short stories but I would choose a poem over that any day.

3. What is the genre you might like to write about but lack the confidence to start?

 

Right now, I think I am in my comfort zone when I write in any genre. Fiction is perhaps the weakest and poetry is stronger. One thing that I would like to write is humor. I loved reading PG Woodhouse and would love to write something in his style but I don’t think I have the flair to do it.

#Keepitalive

#BloggingInsights

Think on it Thursday- Silence!

Nova of Nova’s Namestè has asked us;

She says;

I have a question for you, do you think, silence will keep you protected? When? Or Why Not? 

~*~

Staying silent when we need to talk

Whispering when we need to shout

Does it makes it safer for us

Tyranny spreads like wildfire

If you let one part of your world burn

How do you think you will be safe

From the flames of this blaze

A blaze that can only be quenched by us

Standing together and raising our voice

As one!

Don’t stay silent

Add your voice to that of the collective conscience

~*~

#Keepitalive

Fandango’s Provocative Question #74- What, when and why

Fandango is the host of Fandango Provocative Question

FPQWelcome once again to Fandango’s Provocative Question.

Which pre-pandemic activities are you ready to resume (or have you already resumed)? Which, if any, pre-virus activities are you likely to continue to avoid?

~*~

Since the lockdown started in Seattle, I am living with my elder daughter and grandson. What I do, when I do it, and how I do it has an impact on their lives too. So though I would love to go out, to get a nice haircut, or a hair color at a salon, I have to weigh my options against the risk of inadvertently exposing them to the Covid-19. I am also obliged to follow the house rules of my daughter and she thinks I need to be extra careful due to my underlying health issues.

So though I would like to resume a few of the post lockdown activities, I don’t. The only outings I’ve had are my two daily walks and a few times to UPS store to post Amazon returns.

For me, there is really no hurry to jump back into social life.

There is ample time to do that when things settle down. Right now I am grateful for the services like instacart who deliver to our doorstep, whatever we order. Then there is Amazon which is practically delivering anything you want. They are my go-to app for anything from Levi’s jeans to body shop products. And if I don’t want or like any of the things I order, they are too willing to take them back with a full and usually instant refund.

So I am staying at home. Being safe and keeping others safe too!

I think it is where my comfort level lies.

~*~

#Keepitalive

#FPQ

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