"'The Woman King' is Worth Watching: A Movie Recommendation"

 "The Woman King" starring the glorious Viola Davis is an astounding cinematic experience from start to finish. Without giving any spoilers, it's a movie with warring themes and heart wrenching situations. There were many times I wanted to close my eyes but forced myself to keep them open to look on. And it's not because the scenes were overly gory (although to be clear, this movie is not for the faint of heart) but because it evoked powerful emotions--anger, disgust but also hope and triumph. 

It's a celebration of one's personal history--all the good, the bad, the hard, the joys, the relationships, the loyalities--and honoring those that trail brazed before us and who will continue on after us. 

The performances were spectacular lead by Ms. Davis, Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbedu and others. John Boyega, which many will recognize in the Star Wars sequels is quite fabulous as well. 

The movie is based on real historical events. 

It was first released in theaters but can now be found on streaming platforms.

"We Read To Know We Are Not Alone" : Book Recommendations

 

These books are from the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series written by Mia P. Manansala and they begin with:  "Arsenic and Adobo" then "Homicide and Halo-Halo" then "Blackmail and Bibingka" then "Murder and Mamon" which is set to release on October 17, 2023 (looking forward to that). 

For Filipinos, the titles alone will invoke a reaction and as a Filipino American myself, I didn't need any convincing to give these books a read. The main character is Lila Macapagal--she is strong, determined, loyal--but also quintessentially human with all the challenges, obstacles, and self-doubts anyone can have--well, maybe more than the average person. The books are murder/mysteries and she finds herself sleuthing in order to unravel the truth to not only save her own life but the lives of those she loves. And she loves a few eccentric and interesting characters. You have to read the series to meet them all. 😄

It's set in a small town alongside a relatively large Filipino Community with food at its core. I found myself craving many native dishes while reading this fun series. And I especially loved it because as an avid reader, this is the first time I've read a lighthearted, story-driven (not some kind of documentary) set of books that centered around my culture--Filipino American--the good and fabulous parts, but also the generational trauma parts too. Life, in general, is not always roses and rainbows. 

But the whole theme and tone is meant to be lighthearted and I feel that the author captured all the realistic and nostalgic elements of the culture. Ultimately it's about an American girl that seems to periodically (and in every book, LOL) find herself in the middle of trouble that she must find herself out of--and she also happens to be Filipino. There are serious moments and funny moments and the reader is seeing it all through the eyes of a relatable character (well, relatable to me anyway). Also, there is a cute dog in it with the most adorable name. Come to think of it, there are lots of elements different readers may find endearing. Consider these books recommended! 

💓

"We Don't Have to Eat Everything in our Backyard!"

We have many weeds in our front and backyard. 😓Like, many. And we often have a hard time staying on top of it and making sure they don't grow so out of control that the neighbors start to complain. We're not natural gardeners and to be perfectly honest, have many other hobbies we want to spend our time on other than gardening.  But we do our best. 

Awhile back, it came to our attention that the Stinging Nettle, which grows plentiful in our yard, is edible and nutritious. After doing research and confirming that we have correctly identified the weed, we decided to go ahead and eat it. We just painstakingly harvested them with gloves (because they do sting), washed them thoroughly and put them in stews and soups (they don't sting after they are cooked).  It was the only weed in our yard that we felt comfortable eating because we knew it wasn't harmful.

One day we spotted a couple cutting some of our weeds on our side yard. The Huz asked them what they were using it for (and after being reassured that we weren't going to stop them and get angry at them for pulling our weeds), they told us that it was a very nutritious and delicious green. The Huz took a picture and we spent some time looking it up and identifying that, yes, the weed is called a Mallow and is completely edible. It pretty much works like spinach and is great in stir-frys, stews and soups. And I've been harvesting and cooking a lot of these because they are growing quite plentiful. So, thank you anonymous couple for tuning us into these beautiful edible plants. 

When we told our Youngest that we found another edible weed, he responded, "We don't have to eat everything in our backyard!" (He is a delightfully cynical teenager). That one sentence made The Huz and I laugh so hard and we still quote it for our own kicks. It's funny. He's right though.  We don't.  But we'll definitely eat some and most. LOL! 😁😄

 

The Essence of Teaching: Not to Humiliate

This post popped up as a "suggestion" on my Facebook feed from the Advice page and I couldn't be more thankful that it did. Truly such a beautiful story of an inspiring teacher making a positive impact on a student without even fully realizing it. This touches my heart and gives me hope of the kindness of humanity. **Dedicated to all the devoted teachers out there who put their students first.**

Art is also from the Advice Facebook page & post.

An old man meets a young man who asks:

“Do you remember me?”

And the old man says no. Then the young man tells him he was his student, And the teacher asks:

“What do you do, what do you do in life?”

The young man answers:

“Well, I became a teacher.”

“ah, how good, like me?” Asks the old man.

“Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.”

The old man, curious, asks the young man at what time he decided to become a teacher. And the young man tells him the following story:

“One day, a friend of mine, also a student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it.

I stole it, I took it out of his pocket.

Shortly after, my friend noticed the his watch was missing and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you.

Then you addressed the class saying, ‘This student's watch was stolen during classes today. Whoever stole it, please return it.’

I didn't give it back because I didn't want to.

You closed the door and told us all to stand up and form a circle.

You were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found.

However, you told us to close our eyes, because you would only look for his watch if we all had our eyes closed.

We did as instructed.

You went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it. You kept searching everyone's pockets, and when you were done you said ‘open your eyes. We have the watch.’

You didn't tell on me and you never mentioned the episode. You never said who stole the watch either. That day you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life.

But this is also the day I decided not to become a thief, a bad person, etc. You never said anything, nor did you even scold me or take me aside to give me a moral lesson.

I received your message clearly.

Thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do.

Do you remember this episode, professor?

The old professor answered, ‘Yes, I remember the situation with the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone’s pocket. I didn't remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking.’

This is the essence of teaching:

If to correct you must humiliate; you don't know how to teach.”

 

Affirmation: Every Thing is Working Out For the Highest Good

"All is well in my world, every thing is working out for the highest good. Out of this situation only good can come. I am safe."  So happy to have found this on my Social Media feed.

 

I'm pretty sure almost everyone can relate to having one of those moments (or many moments) in life when it feels like things are spiraling or have spiraled out of control (not a life or death situation--just a "rough moments in life" situation). Without going into detail (because privacy still reigns), a few weeks ago we found ourselves in a mindset of worry--hoping for a favorable outcome to something negative that occurred. It was something fixable, but we were hoping for the simplest path to the solution--but the journey was anxious-filled.

I know there's a saying that worrying is useless and it only makes the person suffer twice, or whatever, but that saying is pointless when you're going through something. Because worrying becomes tangible--you can feel it, it pervades-- and with it comes stress and all that. As a self-described worry-wart, I find myself overthinking about problems and situations and -yes- probably suffering twice, as they say.  How can you stop your mind from worrying? 🤷 Me? I've stopped trying.  I just accept that I worry (a lot), pray through it, meditate--repeat affirmations and hope that we pass through or over the situation relatively unscathed.

Well, to make a long story short, and because I now feel like I can breathe about this particular occurrence, the situation was resolved and life goes on as expected--with forward movement and continued expected challenges. And of course, there will always be future things to worry about...sigh.

Because that's really what life is all about. The journey will never be completely smooth all the time--for anyone--no matter how perfect it all seems to anyone on the outside looking in. When something in life is hard, it's just going to be hard until it passes and then on to more challenges with hopefully much joy sprinkled in between and all throughout.  It really all does come down to how we cope with the downs and how we appreciate and soak in the ups. And hopefully, Universe willing, there are more ups than downs. And whenever we do face those dreaded downs, find an effective affirmation--a personal mantra, if you will--to help with getting through it. Breathe. Hold on to the ones that matter and pray (reflect, meditate) on the the best outcome.  

For all the wonderful amazing moments, I'm thankful. 🙇

  

Can't Converse, I'm Reading a Book

I've realized that reading and getting immersed in the characters and stories of an entertaining book is an acceptable reason to avoid unpleasant interactions (introvert or not). 😁LOL! So, go ahead, indulge in a good self-care book! Here are some contemporary romance selections I recommend if you're looking for ideas. Mature audiences only.

The Leftover Club by Ginger Voight: This story follows the dramatic journey of Veronica Lawless. It goes back & forth from her childhood years, to her middle-school years, to high school, to young adult, to all the way to her full grown adult life. Throughout it all, Dylan is a constant. I’m not sure if that’s necessarily a good thing or a bad thing, but as the story progresses the reader gets insights on what she’s thinking & feeling, & one can’t help but just hold on for the rough ride. There are moments that make you cringe & moments that you feel angry for Veronica. It was an emotional roller coaster & I enjoyed it very much. 

 

 

Goody Two Shoes by Janet Elizabeth Henderson: Super cute story about an American performer and a Scottish spunky community leader. Josh is tired of the single life and is ready to settle down and have a family.  But he doesn’t believe in romance so he gets his best friend/manager to set him up in an arranged marriage.  Josh ends up choosing Caroline to be “the one”.  He finds her amusing and attractive, wants to protect her & is looking forward to marrying her and starting their life.  But he doesn’t love her, love her.  I found myself giggling during this story.  There are some super fun characters I wish I could actually hang out with.  And as Filipinos often say, I felt “kilig” (tingles) in some moments. 

 

 

 

Gabe: Alvarez Security Agency by Maryann Jordan: I was moved several times during moments of this story.  Not sure if it’s hormones (LOL!) but I actually shed some tears. Gabe and Jennifer have a beautiful love story. Jennifer is one of those characters that garners inspiration and respect—kind, caring & giving. And Gabe, who’s made mistakes in his past but is amazing as well, falls super hard for her without even really knowing who she is. There are many lovable characters surrounding them as well as unscrupulous ones and danger along the way.  Be ready to get all emotional in all the right ways with this one. 

 

 

I honestly don't know if this quote is relatable, but I just love the advice to just read to kids.

Book & coffee.  Need.  LOL!

💓