Looking for the Light

Sliding open the heavy blackout bedroom curtains yesterday morning, hoping for bright rays of sunshine to flood in, turned out to be a heart-sinking experience.

There was no sun.

It was dark gray out there as well as cold and rainy.

Immediately, the realization came that this would be a day to find one's own light.

Flicking on three lights in the darkened living room helped a lot.

So did switching a lovely, white matelasse cover from the bed to the living room couch. 

That really lightened up the room.

There were candles of course as well as turning on the three lights.

When we look for the light, it always dispels the darkness.

For Christians, Christ is the light of the world. He always lights up the paths of our lives. 

We know we never have to face the darkness alone and can look forward to being immersed in His light.

No matter what chaos is going on around us, in the world, when we are immersed in His light, we know that everything is, eventually, going to be okay.

May this day, wherever you are, be filled with light, regardless of the weather!

Have You Heard of the ZZ Plant?

 

 Reading about container gardens, flowers, herbs, plants, and such brings a lot of satisfaction and is even kind of fun.                          

There's no longer a garden around here but reading about the gardens others have is still pleasant.

 While looking through information online about houseplant possibilities the other day, a plant that is called zamioculca pops up on the computer screen.

It's also referred to as the ZZ plant.

It looks very pretty with deep green, shiny leaves. 

Its description notes it is originally from East Africa.

It's known to purify whatever environment it's in. 

It has been known to give a peaceful sleep to a human, if placed in a bedroom, its description reveals.

The info goes on to reveal that it cleans the air of dust.

 When placed near a front door, (now this tidbit really gtse me going), it will absorb the negative energy from any guests entering.  I imagine that is more folklore than fact but it sure sounds interesting.

Shock of all shocks, recently, while looking at a really beautiful plant display in a big box store,  among the smaller plants there happened to be several, you guessed it, zamioculcas. 

They cost $15.99 each. 

Yes, one is home with me and so far, it's been a pleasant new plant companion. 

If someone crabby plans to visit, it will be interesting to see if the plant absorbs the negative energy!

If it does, it might be a good idea to go and buy a few more zz plants!

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A ZAMIOCULCA OR ZZ PLANT?

A Winning Culinary Exploration

Being willing to try foods from different cultures can open a whole new world of wonderful eating in our lives.

For instance, have you ever tasted Vietnamese "pho" (pronounced "fah"), a tantalizingly luscious soup?

 It comes with a variety of ingredients and flavors and is truly delectable.

A new restaurant opened recently western Massachusetts. 

We drove to try it out.

The "amazing pho,"  which is also the name of the restaurant, turned out to be one of the most delicious soups of an entire lifetime!

It came accompanied by a small bowl of sprouts, mint leaves, hot pepper slices, etc. 

Every single sip of the pho tickled the tastebuds and made for a totally luscious lunch.

Not only that, the bowls were so large, there was pho for supper that night and for lunch the next day!

 

If you've never tried pho, put it on your culinary bucket list.

You will not be sorry!

WHAT IS ONE THING TO EAT FROM ANOTHER CULTURE THAT YOU ABSOLUTELY LOVE?

Little Bunny FooFoo

 

It's important to have the ability to laugh over something that lifts your spirit.

It doesn't have to cost you a lot of money or be something huge.

It can be the smallest of things.

 Even though we are adults, somewhere inside, our little child still lives.

If there are moments we can indulge her/him, do it!

 

The small bunny in my favorite color, pink, shown in this post, is very velvety soft. 

 

The instant I saw her, she made me smile. 

 

She even has an adorable white, fluffy tail! 

So now, she remains perched on the car dashboard, making every minute of driving pleasant and happy.

Despite all the chaos and wretchedness that can touch our lives, there are light-hearted moments, too, where we can bring things into our lives to make us happy.

Little Bunny FooFoo is one of them! 

WHAT IS ONE THING THAT WOULD LIFT YOUR SPIRIT?

Rainbow Cross

 A glass cross, when placed in a window, makes hundreds of tiny rainbows over everything, when sun shines through it.

These have made great gifts throughout the years and they are very affordable.

The glass rainbow cross has been on this blog in the past but it is always worth wrting about it again.

The other day, I realized my own glass cross stood on a dresser top with no sun being able to come through it.

So, I  transferred it to a window in my bedroom.

Voila!  Tons of rainbows sparkled over everything in sight.

I like to think of our ability to be kind, laugh, and treat others with compassion is being like that glass cross.

When we touch the lives of others, in positive ways, we make the world a little bit better.

While we are unable to change some things, we can decide to live quality lives in our own way.

May today you find a way to touch the life of someone else, perhaps by giving a compliment, sharing your thoughts, or giving a long, heartfelt hug.

That way, you'll create your own "rainbows" of love!