Short Stories, Uncategorized

I splurged without remorse…

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Last Wednesday (March 23), I got a ridiculously overpriced manicure and pedicure at very upscale salon. Why? Well, clearly I’d lost my mind, but wait, I can explain!!!

It was my day off. I had a show to attend at munchkin’s school, then gym, then errands.

(No those aren’t the reasons, but I’m getting to it, hold on…)

We, the parents, assistant teachers and kids, were all seated in the AUDITORIUM (yes I made it on time), when the principal and the head teachers made their appearance. We were a restless bunch, both parents and kids, since the show’s start time had come and gone. Then, without explanation, and clearly coordinated, the principal instructed each teacher, to lead her class back to the respective classrooms. There were a few incidents of crying, munchkin included, since no sooner had she cuddled up next to me beaming with delight, and super excited to see the show, was she being torn away by her teachers without an explanation and without even seeing a single act. Clearly they were confused, but the parents, who were asked to kindly stay seated, began to decipher what what happening. The show was canceled! As it turned out, the performers had a mixup with the dates, and could not make it. Those poor little Pre-k and kindergarten kids… They never got to see the clowns and other circus acts. My heart broke for them. What a bummer!

The school’s principal was very apologetic and promised to have the show scheduled for a future date but suggested that since we, the doting parents, all had an hour or two to kill, we might as well do something nice for ourselves as a little reward for our efforts. She’s quite a lovely lady, and quite the comedienne too. She made a few funny faces and did a few clown moves in an attempt to appease our wrath and it worked, we all laughed! But in all honesty, she had a point!

I don’t know about the other parents, but I for one, never really take time off to do fun things for myself outside of the gym or a nice nap. As a matter of fact, the last time I had a professional mani-pedi was the week leading up to munchkin’s delivery. It used to be my favorite thing to do after a hard work week, but since that time all my financial resources have been going to her and keeping us afloat as we separated from her dad when she was only 3 months old. The past 4 years have been tough and now that things are starting to feel a bit normal again, a few months shy of munchkin’s 5th birthday, I more than deserve a splurge with no remorse, in fact, it’s long overdue!

The salon was spacious; very nicely decorated in blue, silver and white; very professional and had branded names for some of the services they offered. I actually needed to have a few of the items decoded as I asked helplessly,

which one of these is just a basic mani-pedi?

As the manager pointed me in the right direction, I did everything I could to not gasp outloud when I saw the price, but I stood my ground and asked boldly,

do you take debit cards?

She said yes, and with that I frantically checked my bank account to ensure there were enough funds for groceries afterwards. All was well. Whew!!!

I was the first customer that day so I had the full attention of my nail specialist. She was a very lovely lady and a joy to talk to. She made me feel so at ease and pampered that the only thing missing was a reclining chair in a dimly lit room for a little nap. (Come to think of it, a cocktail would have been nice too!) She did a marvelous job of assuaging my guilt for my spur of the moment pamper session which was perfect as I was beginning to feel uncertain that my splurge was good idea. What I needed wasn’t complicated so she executed her task effortlessly, and with a smile. I loved my color selection, and though it’s now a week old, it’s help up nicely. I forgot to take note of the actual name of the polish but it’s a dark shimmery pink (fushia) — Cute without being overly girly!

Needless to say, munchkin was NOT pleased that she was excluded from girly time. After all, whenever I do my nails at home, she gets in on the action too. I felt the guilt creeping up my gut, then into my chest and I teared up a little. How could I have taken away the one fun thing she and I do together that’s completely different from time with my boys? But then I remembered, and immediately blurted out,

It was your principal’s idea! She told the parents to go have fun because we had nothing else to do. The circus show was canceled, remember?

That explanation actually saved my hide and restored peace, avoiding a potentially devastating situation! 😀

I was soon back to feeling no remorse, and even had lofty thoughts of throwing in a sushi lunch next time I venture to pamperville. I wonder if the principal would give me a personal note granting me permission to have fun? Munchkin will need just cause to warrant her exclusion AGAIN. 😀

All in all, it was a fun day because even though I picked up groceries on the way home, I had a lovely nap before getting munchkin from daycare.

So, when was the last time you splurged without remorse? Did you feel guilty at any point or were you all in? Did someone try to make you feel guilty about your splurge? How did you fend them off? What fun thing have you been dreaming of that you now feel inspired to do ? Can you promise me you’ll do something nice for yourself sometime soon? Promise? Pinky-promise? Great! Thanks! I need a few partners in crime hahaha !

Thanks as always for stopping by. Your presence and comments always brighten my day! 🌷

Lots of Hugs,
A.


Contents written: March 28 2016 | Copyright 2016 Moylom Enterprises


Short Stories, Uncategorized

Predator vs Prey

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This post was originally meant to be 4 lines and perhaps a song. How it morphed into what you are about to read is beyond me,  but I suspect my inspiration came from above. So please don’t think I’m a broken record,  but as it seems,  this is a continuation from my Friday post given this Holy time.

I firmly believe religion is a tool of the devil to divide and conquer us as animals do in the wild — he being the Predator, we being the Prey. What better way to distract us from following our Master, our Shepherd, Jesus Christ, as He leads us home. Why? Because the devil doesn’t want us to go home,  he wants us to perish with him.

Keeping us separate, having us each thinking our preferred religion is the best.

Keeping us separate, having us thinking we can’t love another of a different faith.

Keeping us separate, having us thinking we are going against God’s rules by including outsiders.

Keeping us separate, having us thinking recruiting new members to our religion is more important than spreading the word of God’s love.

How devious! How manipulative! How ridiculous!

God does not aim to separate us, instead He encourages us to keep close,  to love each other, and follow Him.

The only times God used methods of separation were when mankind as a whole allowed evil to dominate their hearts and lives.

Remember when God instructed Noah to build the Ark? That was because God saw the wickedness of man becoming out of control. Noah and his family were the only righteous among them. God had to step in to restore balance, and so He separated Noah and his family from the evil and sent the flood to cleanse the earth and begin anew. (No religion, just believers and nonbelievers) .

Remember Sodom and Gomorrah?
Lot and his family were the only righteous among them. The rest of the inhabitants of those cities were evil. God,  again,  had to step in to restore balance. Fire and brimstone rained down from heaven to cleanse the region to make way for a new beginning. (No religion,  just believers and nonbelievers).

Remember when God brought the Isrealites out of Egypt? Before they could inhabit the Promised Land they needed to remove the people who were there first. Honestly, I had a bit of trouble with all the violence of that Era, because it was the first time God didn’t step in Himself but used people to carryout His will. But then, as I continued to study, I began to understand why.

Give a man a fish and his belly is full for a day. Teach a man to fish and he knows how to keep his belly full for many days.

God needed to teach the Isrealites how to be strong. Their will was broken after so many years of bondage at the hands of the Egyptians. He needed to teach them to have faith. He needed to teach them to be fierce in their belief and not just to follow Him like weak helpless sheep. He wanted them to be passionate for Him,  to follow Him out of love and adoration for He is good, not to follow Him out of fear because He is powerful. He needed them to have a fire in their hearts for Him. He needed them to stand up and come together for what’s right, and to separate themselves from evil. As a result of their dependence on the Egyptians for survival during the years of famine, their indebtedness as slaves formated them to think as slaves also. God,  even though He freed them physically,  He needed to free them mentally too.

But one can argue, doesn’t belief in God and depending upon Him for sustenance make us also slaves to HIM? No it doesn’t! God doesn’t force us to follow Him. We are free to choose. He doesn’t want us to follow Him out of fear,  but out of love. His plan for this world was for a peaceful loving existence. Back in the Garden of Eden animals of all kinds coexisted peacefully. There was no Predator vs Prey just peace. That is what Heaven will be like — a separation from evil and a restoration of peace.

God doesn’t want to separate us from each other,  instead He wants us to separate ourselves from evil. He wants us to believe. He wants us to have faith. He wants us to stand up for good and fight againt evil. Of course,  we are by no means encouraged to go around eradicating other humans now,  for we have laws that govern our lands. Times have changed since the days of the Israelites and we must apply His word accordingly. We are instead encouraged to teach the world of God’s goodness and love, and to love each other as He loves us. (No religion,  just believers and nonbelievers).

Who are believers?
Those who believe in God, His word, His love,  His power, His promises,  His instructions, His Son (Jesus Christ), The Return of Jesus, Resurrection,  Heaven and Hell.

Who are nonbelievers?
Those who don’t believe in any of the above. Those who worship no God,  the devil or other gods. Those who believe life is just a matter of existence until we cease to be.

The beautiful thing is,  we are all free to choose our path. We are all free to choose what we believe. I personally, don’t respect you any less for your choice,  for it is our God-given right to choose.

Why doesn’t God step in now to restore balance as He’s done so many times before? Well, who’s to say He hasn’t? Look at the state of our world,  our nation’s,  our cities and our families  today! There is so much evil among us yet there are miracles happening still — things that we cannot explain,  things we will never understand. Call them coincidences if you will, but I’d like to think God is at work stepping in to shield His believers.  How else will we testify of His goodness and mercies? How else will we speak of Him with a passion were it not for His workings being evident in our everyday lives?

The Egyptians didn’t speak of made up things to surrounding nations,  they spoke of actual events which occurred in their lives. How else did other nations know the Isrealites were a chosen people? It was via word of mouth of all the unexplainable things the Egyptians saw with their own eyes.

The desciples of Jesus didn’t speak of made up things, they spoke of everyday things which they witnessed. That’s how word of Jesus spread, via accounts of unexplainable things.

God and His angels watch over us constantly and God still answers our prayers. I’m not privy to all His dealings nor am I a prophet through whom He sends word of the future. Instead, I am but a mere believer,  trying in earnest to do His will,  utterly failing at times,  but still trying. I can speak for certain of the good things God has done in my life, and will continue to do so as long as I have breath in me. I know also that His word (in the book of Revelations) speaks of His final act of stepping in,  when He would have had enough of the evil we humans are so prone to revel in,  that He would once and for all put an end to the devil’s chaos and separate us from his evil for the last time. (No religion,  just believers and nonbelievers).

Please note again,  that I have left out text references to encourage you to do your own research. Don’t take my word for it. Study for yourself.

Note also,  that this is by no means a sermon,  or lecture,  just my views or beliefs as told from my heart.

So, whether you believe or not,  the choice is entirely yours, but in the end,  Good will prevail! Christ is Risen. He died for a reason. Whatever that reason means to you I hope you were able to reconnect with it during this Holy time and carry it with you the rest of the year.

Thanks as always for stopping by. Happy Easter Sunday and best wishes for a fabulous week to you all.

Hugs,
A:

Song


Contents written: March 26 2016  |  Copyright © 2016 Moylom Enterprises


Music is Oxygen, Short Stories, Uncategorized

Religion vs Relationship with God

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Today, being Good Friday, had I still been steeped in the religion of my childhood, I’d be taking my family to church tonight for a special Good Friday Service (death of Christ) , then to church again tomorrow (Sabbath) (Christ in the grave) , then another service Sunday evening (Christ is risen). Such are the traditions and rituals of the religion of my parents and extended family. But since I am not a member of any church as I no longer believe in religion, I will be observing this Holy time in my own special way.

I’ve taken the day off from work and munchkin has no school, but she will go to daycare which will allow me to hit the gym, tackle a few chores then pick her up early.

I plan to read her a few stories about this Holy time as I’ve just purchased her a children’s Bible (illustrations and an easy to understand version of the actual bible). I also plan on doing a bit of meditation as I ponder the sacrifice God made when He offered up His only son as atonement for our transgressions. Then Jesus, my thoughts are on Him the most. All He ever did was love us with His whole heart: healing, teaching, leading us by example, never once claiming to be His father, God, for He knew He was but one part of the God-head — the Son, God’s right hand. He was the sacrifice. His life was the price to be paid for all the wrong we ever did. How unfair! But oh what a blessing…

Jesus, during His time on earth, was only concerned with one thing, bringing us all together and pointing us to His father. There was no religion, the only requirement was to acknowledge that there was only one God, to leave everything behind (our old life), follow Him (living a new life), and to be baptized (ritual/act symbolizing the transformation from old to new life). Religion is therefore man made…

There is no mention of religion in the Bible, Torah, Qur’an, or any other translation of the Bible.

The following quote from a fellow blogger, Leonard Durso, sums up quite nicely my own thoughts regarding this:

I am not a religious person in the sense that I do not prescribe to a particular religion because religions separate us, too. Recently I was having a conversation with a young woman I respect whose thinking has always impressed me and she said that after reading the Qur’an for the third time in Arabic she found that the word Islam did not appear once, that there was no mention, in other words, of a separate religion but just a belief in the one God others believed in, too. That it was the words of another prophet who followed other prophets trying to direct people in a similar direction of faith as the prophets before him. What she said was so in line with what I have always believed and which I hear others agree with, too. For those of us who believe in God actually believe in the same God and that God would not condone those who try to pervert the words in any of the holy texts people believe in. They all basically say the same thing and that is what should unite us, not keep us apart. And leaders who try to pit us against each other are not on the side of any God I know of.

– Leonard Durso-

The excerpt above is from a more detailed post. See full post here:
http://wp.me/p3m9V9-1Bs

In closing, during this Holy time, may we unite in the knowledge that God is love. Without Him we would not exist. Without His son, Jesus, becoming the ultimate sacrifice, we would still be required to build alters and offer up burnt offerings as sacrifices for our wrong doings. What a grueling, heinous task that must have been! I for one am glad those rituals are no longer necessary. Moreover, I’m elated that I can now communicate directly with God for the veil separating us from Him was torn the day Jesus hung on the cross. Priests or holy intermediaries are no longer needed, we can now just pray to God as Jesus taught us knowing He will hear our prayers.

However you choose to celebrate this Holy time, remember to love each other and unite in the blessings and mercy bestowed upon us by God through the ultimate sacrifice, His son, Jesus Christ. We don’t deserve His love, but He loves us anyway. I’m humbled just knowing this and I hope to never forget it.

Please note, I deliberately omitted texts as references because I want to encourage you to do your own research.

Thanks as always for stopping by. The song below, Don’t Deserve You, really reflects the message of this post and that of this Holy celebration. Happy Easter, enjoy!

Hugs,
A.


Contents written: March 23 2016. Edited March 24 2016 | ©2016 Moylom Enterprises


Short Stories, Thank you !, Uncategorized

Gratitude

When life seems less than perfect and the answers we seek elude us, just remember there has to be something for which we can be thankful.

I’m not a bundle of joy today, for a broken heart takes time to laugh again, but I am grateful for the gift of words. Letter by letter, sentence by sentence, they will help to heal and make sense of things as they always do. Aside from God, they are the only reliable things left.

So too, you, in spite of your circumstances, can find time to be grateful, as this simple exercise can have a very profound effect.

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This is gonna be my feel-good song today:

Happy Friday, and thanks as always for stopping by.

Hugs,
A.


Contents compiled: March 11 2016 | ©2016 Moylom Enterprises


Uncategorized

Feeling unappreciated…

Being curled up in a ball is great for a fetus or newborn, because it’s all their bodies know as their muscles aren’t strong enough to do much else.

This position is one to which adults revert when in utter despair as it speaks to our helplessness — our muscles reluctant to move because we lack the will to make them do so. And in a strange way, this ball-like position brings a sense of comfort when there’s no one around to comfort us.

Our grownup bodies, however, have additional knowledge of being stretched out/erect; of walking and not being carried and of being in control of our desired movements. As a result, the curled-up posture soon gets old. We extend our limbs, we feel our heart beating, we feel our lungs filling with air, we know there’s blood flowing through our veins, we know we’re alive, and we know it’s the only life we’ve got for better or worse. So we rise, for it’s what our bodies must do to function, to survive and to thrive. Without moving to lubricate the joints and strengthen the muscles, we will become infirmed, seized, and without purpose.

Alas, that was me on Saturday — Curled up in a ball and crying helplessly behind closed doors. I felt unappreciated, frustrated and it didn’t help that I was also very tired! Why? Because Munchkin and I had been at war for days.

It started on Thursday. I left home extra early because I had a huge workload then a meeting with munchkin’s teacher (parent teacher conference). But things started on a downward spiral, as my train was one of many experiencing delays due to a stalled train up ahead (sick passenger). I didn’t panic then as I was early so I just read while we waited for service to resume. However, there were frustrated patrons all around as they were clearly running late (normally me). By the time service resumed we only went a few stops before we were kicked off our train. Great! Now I was mad as I was only two stops away from my destination.

“Go back 4 stops to get the express train which will take you to Jay Street and beyond,” the announcement said.

Freakin’ Awesome!!!! Thanks #MTA!!! How were we to know we wouldn’t go back and get stuck again? At that point we were better off taking our chances above ground, so we excited the station and walked. To make matters worse it was FREEZING!

By the time I got to work I was cold to the bone and quite cranky! A quick cup of coffee, a breakfast sandwich (homemade), and I dove right into my assignment. Pushing at maximum force from start to finish, I made it back for munchkin’s pickup in time then to meet her teacher.

I was so proud to hear of all the progress she had made since she started school and that she’s on target for what she needs to know to start kindergarten in the Fall. I thought a little celebration was appropriate but being so tired, taking our dinner to go so we’d be home and warm that very cold night made more sense. Unfortunately, munchkin did not agree and had a major tantrum all the way home. That bus ride, though only perhaps 5 minutes, was excruciating. Upon arrival home I’d had enough! How could this kid, who just got a splendid report from her teacher, be the cause of this much frustration now? How could she be an angel at school and such a monster with me? It just didn’t seem fair! After all, I was the one bearing the brunt of burden. When I up at 4am to start my day her teacher is still fast asleep. When I’m still cranking away at work to make it to her pickup by 6:30pm her teacher is already home unwinding. I don’t get to shift gears until she goes to sleep at 9:30 (which I’ve learned, her teacher is already asleep).

I sat her down, in hopes to find answers to my questions but there were none. Of course not, she’s 4 yrs old! Clearly I’m not being rational because I’m utterly MAD , SAD , and feeling completely UNAPPRECIATED . The happy family dinner celebration was off. I gave her her meal, fed the dog, took my meal to my room and SLAMMED the door! I wanted to be alone. In effect, I too was having a tantrum for I was way too tired to make sense of any of it!

The damage was done, and the fighting continued into Friday. There would be no stopping at the store for treats or eating out for the next week and no bus ride home either as punishment = walking home. Until behavior improved those restrictions remained in effect.

By Saturday, there was more of the same and I SO wish I had a magic wand to wisk myself away to a tranquil spa to be pampered and cared for professionally. TLC, oh how I miss thee! But instead, there I was, curled up in a ball where I stayed until I’d had enough of the pity party.

Were things back to normal? No. Was I strong enough to arise and press on? I had no choice as there’s no one to whom I can delegate so rise I did!

I understand that munchkin was frustrated, for it was the weekend and she had no distractions of school or daycare to relieve the burden. She was stuck with me. I too had no respite of work to clear my head so I felt trapped as well.

I know I’m supposed to rise above the madness and count every trial as an opportunity for growth, but sometimes, in my human(ness), it all feels like a bit too much — like there’s 200 lbs resting on top of my petite frame and I’m struggling to break free! (Thanks for that Great analogy R).

But as I’ve learned…

There is no shame
in admitting our weaknesses,
for in so doing,
we know to seek the strength we need
from He who is OMNIPOTENT.
Only in God are we strong
and all we have to do is keep the faith.
~Moylom Enterprises March 2016~

As Sunday rolled around, munchkin and I managed to salvage half the day after a very long talk about caring about the feelings of others and how to show appreciation. Alas, I’m pleased to say, things are looking up. We had a great Monday and Tuesday was even better as we resumed our bus rides home and a a quick stop at the store was a well received reward! ☺

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Image source: Google images

So folks, thanks for putting up with me today. I’ve certainly given you an ear full but what are friends for, right? Here’s to better and brighter days 🍻 , and thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,
A.


Contents written: March 5 2015 | Copyright © 2016 Moylom Enterprises


Uncategorized

Breakfast in bed…

Happy Sunday folks!!!

I’m in the mood to lounge, be pampered, cuddled, hugged, and just be still. The past few days were ROUGH but I’ll talk about that another time. Today, I just want to think happy thoughts and would SO love it if the breakfast below could be delivered directly to my bed instead of me having to make it! Yum!!!

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BCfXp1AmM5g/

So, how was your week? Are you having a lovely weekend? What’s your favorite Sunday breakfast??? Comment at will or feel free to ask me a few questions too 😀.

Always enjoy when you stop by…

Hugs,
A.


Contents written: March 3 2016 | Copyright 2016 Moylom Enterprises


Uncategorized

Breaking News!!!!

One of our local papers, amNewYork, has a daily bit in the OPINION section called #Chirpaboutit. There, one can find hilarious tweets about life in New York City.

 

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A few months ago,  I tweeted about an unusual combination of aromas wafting through the train one morning and it landed in the paper. Imagine how tickled I was to see that!

 

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We haven’t posted any Only in NYC related tweets since but our twitter feed is active nonetheless so feel free to hop on over to @MoylomE  . But enough about our 5 minutes of fame, here are a few more tweets that were even more hilarious, enjoy!

 

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This happened to me just yesterday!!!

 

If you want to get in on the action and have a unique ‘Only in NYC‘  tweet you’d like to share here’s how:

 

 

Have a great weekend! Share a smile today, and as always, thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,
A


Contents written: March 2 2016 | ©2016 Moylom Enterprises


Uncategorized

Why today?

God:
Make contact. Today!

Me:
Why? What’s the point? I’m no longer valid to him. Why make things uncomfortable for myself?

God:
Just do it!

Me:
I’m not comfortable with this. Why today? Why at all? I’ve resisted the urge for so long, why go back?

God:
Just do it! Why are you always so stubborn?

Me:
Fine. I don’t want to argue. Please don’t get upset. I don’t like it when you yell.

God:
(sigh…) (shaking head)

Me:
My wounds are raw is all… I don’t want to cry anymore, not over him. Not over anyone really, but especially not over him. I don’t want to hurt anymore.

God:
I know. But you need to trust me. Just trust me.

Me:
OK. But what do I say? I have no clue what to say!

God:
“Hi” always works.

Me:
That sentence is way too long!

God:
Really? (rolling eyes) (shaking head)
OK, then say nothing.

Me:
Yeah, I like that…

God:
Good one!  😂


Contents written: Feb 29 2016 | Copyright 2016 Moylom Enterprises