Mom Writes Stuff

I was visiting an old friend the other day and was greatly impressed when I saw her 7-year old daughter playing the violin.  I could hardly believe how someone so young could have so much talent.  Like a true virtuoso, she expertly attached a violin mute to the bridge of her violin and played to her heart’s content.

I have to admit that this has gotten me keenly interested in learning to play the violin.  You may think that I’m joking, because can someone my age still master the skills needed to play the violin without having the next door neighbor banging on my door?  The question remains: do adults really have a harder time learning to play the violin- or any musical instrument- than children?

Normally, people would say that kids learn better, and faster, because their brains are like sponges, absorbing information at a fast rate.

But the thing is, we all have different learning curves.  For some, it starts out steep and then flattens out.  For others, it may be like an “S”, starting out slow, peaks, and then hits a plateau.

It also depends on the intensity of one’s desire to learn.  If one is bent on being the best violin player, he will find it easier to focus and learn the necessary skills.

Bottomline?  As long as I don’t have arthritis yet, I believe I can still learn to play the violin.

My mood this morning wasn’t exactly at the top of the charts. Everything was alright at the homefront, but my good spirits suddenly took a nosedive when I got a call from a friend. She was bawling because she felt that she was being taken for granted by her husband.

I wasn’t quick to judge her hubby, though. I think I was quicker to judge my friend! I knew that this was another of her over-exaggerating episodes, so I had to talk some sense into her. Turns out, her husband spent nearly the whole Saturday playing basketball.

We women do crave for attention from our significant others. That’s already a given. But we must understand that men put a premium on their personal space- and we shouldn’t take it personal. Men need to pull away sometimes, just to touch base with who they really are- apart from their partners.

That’s where his hobbies come in. For him, obsessing over the thought of changing the Airtex in tank electric fuel pump in his old Chevy is a form of escape. If he wants to shoot hoops all day, leave him be. Oftentimes, men will immerse themselves in their hobbies and interests when they have a problem instead of opening up to you.

When your hubby is ready, he will be emotionally accessible once more. Just give him a chance to turn to his hobbies once in a while. When he comes back to you, you’ll find him refreshed and more loving.

Twas the night after Christmas, and all through the house… not a tiny tot was stirring, not even a mouse…

For us busy moms, the work doesn’t stop with the days or nights after Christmas.  In fact, this is when the real work begins.  Post-holiday cleanup can just be as stressful as preparing for the yuletide season.  Just thinking about the tall tower of dirty dishes waiting at the kitchen sink puts a damper on your goals at applying that eyelash growth product on your lashes.

Once again, we moms put ourselves at the bottom of the list.  Everything else comes first: household chores, picking up your hubby’s socks, mending that hole on your son’s favorite jersey.

At the end of the day, all that matters is that everyone in the family is happy and healthy.  It’s occasions like Christmas when we realize how much we should be thankful for.

Hope your Christmas was merry.  I’m sure mine was!

It should come as no surprise that there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my family.  If my hubby wanted one of those Tourmaster motorcycle jackets for Christmas, I’d give it to him without so much as batting an eyelash- that is, if my budget permits.  If my kid wanted to go on a Disneyland tour, I’d waste no time in packing our bags and flying off to meet Mickey and the gang.

This is where the value of gratitude comes into the picture.  Whenever I do something big or small for any member of my family, I can almost feel my heart do cartwheels when they say a simple “thank you” to me.  Any form of gratitude elates my spirit and only motivates me to do more things for them.

This post may be a little too early for Thanksgiving, but there’s never a set date to show our thanks to the people we hold most dear to our hearts.  Whenever the opportunity presents itself, say thanks to whoever has gone the extra mile- or inch- for you.  A grateful heart makes for a happy family.

If you find that your efforts at counting sheep have proven to be futile, and you still are tossing and turning in your bed, the problem may not be that pea underneath your mattress.  Your sleeplessness may be caused by this one needless emotion: worry. 

Almost all of us worry several times a day.  Whether it’s about the fact that you’re knee-deep in debt, or you’re worried about your present romantic relationship, we all have our troubles.  A certain amount of worry may be inevitable, but if it constantly permeates our entire being, then that’s a red flag.

Some causes of our worry may have palpable solutions.  If it’s money you worry about, you can come up with ways to cut down on expenses, for instance.   Some worries, however, are borne out of fear of the unknown… fear of the uncertainty of the future.  There are just some things which we have no control over.

What makes worry detrimental to our mental and physical health is it zaps the energy out of us.  It wastes our time thinking about what has yet to transpire.  Instead of acting on the present, we expend all our energy thinking and thinking about what is to happen.

A better alternative would be to simply accept the things which we cannot change and just let God be in control- because He is.  Whatever it is that’s troubling you, it too shall pass.

Image source: aboutpixel.de / Riese II © Daniel Werner

As I was cruising down the road today with one of my best friends, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude within me.  Not only because she paid for lunch, but because I felt thankful that nobody I know is cooped up in one of those drug rehab treatment centers.  I feel blessed that my friends and family are all well-adjusted people who do not have to depend on narcotics and the like just to help them get through life.

It is but normal to hit some bumps in the road and to feel sadness or hopelessness once in a while, as we are only human whose souls get bruised when faced with adversity in all its various forms.  We just have to learn to handle life’s occasional misfortunes and force a positive outlook on things.

It, of course, helps to have faith in a Higher Being.  Whatever religion you belong to, engaging in daily prayer does wonders in uplifting your spirits.

Having a good support system helps remind us of the good things in life.  When things go awry, it’s always comforting to know that you have your BFF or family to turn to.

Photo credit: Google Images

Whenever I feel I need to take a break from the humdrum of everyday life, I just sit back and reminisce the old days. I turn on some 80’s or 90’s music and images of my single-blessedness spring back to life. I am instantly transported back in time to the days when I had fewer cares in the world. Moments like these are essential, as they help invigorate my soul, giving me a fresher outlook in taking on the challenges of today.

You should try that too. Travel back in time with some music or old TV flicks. Just don’t forget to return to the present.

I have bought the Dell laptop of my daughter last year. I have been pretty happy with it for the last year but lately it has been acting up. I wonder if I should start looking into buying a new laptop. Last time I was at the mall, I saw Sony VAIO on sale but I am not a techie person so I didn’t buy it yet. I will ask my son in law first what he thinks of it and he say’s it’s good then I might buy it.

How about you, do you have a SONY VAIO , are you happy with it ?

My husband is a handyman, a contractor and an inventor. He sometimes get jobs for a kitchen renovation or sometimes even a house makeover. Being in his field of work gives us an advantage in sourcing materials if we need it ourselves. Like we are missing a glass tile in our kitchen counter. He can easily get these from wholesale shops at very good prices.

I have a niece who’s on the heavy side. She wasn’t like that when she was growing up but one day I was just surprised to see how big she has become. I don’t know what happened to her. She did try to lose weight by working out and dieting but somehow she always failed at it. A friend of mine mentioned once that she used a diet pill called  apidexin to help her lose weight, I wonder if this is safe. Have you heard of this pill?