Showing posts with label free thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free thoughts. Show all posts

"When I eat, I eat."

I've just started writing about a few, quite important things, I'd like to share with you... but I stopped.
I stopped, because I remembered the fragment of a book that I read before.

Do you know "Grandmothers and Angels", by Eduard Martin?
If not - I'm going to indroduce you right now :)

A fragment from a conversation called "Recipe":

My Grandson sat at the table, climbed up on the chair and began to eat, saying:
- When I eat, I eat.
- What’re you saying? – I asked surprised.
- That says the grandpa next door – he said.
By the name „grandpa” we mean our neighbor, who’s 93 years old (…).
- Grandpa always says when he sits down at the table: „When I eat, I eat”.
I remembered that a few times I took him a meal when he was ill, and indeed, before he began to eat, he uttered this formula, as if it was some fairytale charm.
- When I eat, I eat.
Grandson pronounced it with pleasure and ate in silence.
He was following the way our neighbor eats.
He also moved his hand over the mouth, pretending he’s wiping his mustache, the way our neighbor does it.
I smiled, seeing how much he likes  the food.
And then I thought that maybe this balance, and who knows, maybe even longevity and a dash of our neighbor, are somehow related to this his saying. Whatever he does, I feel that he’s really focused on what he’s doing, trying to make it as best as possible, a big or a small thing, even such as careful chewing his food while eating, which my grandson now so amusingly mimics.
We get distracted so often… While doing one thing, we tend to focus on another…just to get to the third in a moment…
Neighbor doesn’t.
He does exactly what he undertook.
He does it intently, carefully, without getting distracted, and then he is happy with what he did.
When he’s plucking the fruits while standing on a ladder, he’s plucking the fruits – maybe that’s why, despite his age, he doesn’t wobble and, as far as I know, has never fallen down.
When he speaks, he thinks about what he says.
Perhaps this is why it is so nice to talk with him and so many people seek his advice.
I, while washing the dishes, I think that I will cook and when I cook, I think about what I will wash...
This "focus" can mean "to harmonize."
Because then a man can be more satisfied with what he’s doing, without being nervous about something that is not ready yet, do not allow the stress spoil your satisfaction with what  you do well.
- When I eat, I eat.
- When I get to work, I work.
- When I rest, I rest.
My grandson truly ”eats his dinner”.
Not just doing an "intra-action" between two other activities.
He eats dinner with joy.
With delight.
He’s enjoying our dinnertime.
Again pretending to wipe his "mustache".
So many things we teach children unintentionally...
Unwittingly, unnoticeable, involuntarily.
(...)
Time does not speed up.
We are.

Doesn’t it happen sometimes, that we are so fast, that even our own joy cannot catch up with us?


...It's so true, isn't it?
That's exactly why I'm not going to write today about what I had planned. Because I wouldn't focuse on it truly. Because I know now what I wanna do - an what I will do in a moment.

I want to snuggle close to my husband and daughter. I want to be able to say "When I cuddle, I cuddle" - and do this only. It used to be easier... Now, just like every other mother I suppose, I have a permanent thought race in my mind. When I'm falling asleep, I'm arranging a logistical puzzle of the next day's schedule, when I wake up in the morning and stay in bed with Sophie for some time, I'm already planning how to dress her, how much time is it left till next feeding, what I need to do in the house before we go for a walk, what needs to be bought, what am I gonna make for dinner... And this simple text from a book I read by a pure coincident (yeah, I don't believe in coincidences;)), made me realize how big mistake I made. How many precious moments with my daughter passes us by, just like that?
I want to change it and focus on living (and chewing slowly too ;)).

And somehow manage to make a separate time for "When I plan, I plan" ;P 
("in the zone" mode :P)
from the wall of Nieperfekcyjna Mama
It's in polish, but I'm sure you get the hint :)
And tomorrow, I hope I'll find a moment to just simply "write".
About cosmetics this time :)

Sweet dreams!


PS. Luckilly Sophie doesn't know such dilemmas... When she eats, she surely eats! ;P



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Tick-tock - Moomin o'clock!

I've mentioned Moomins yesterday, so I'm gonna stick with them for a moment ;)

The one and only hand-made gift I made this Xmas season was a Moomin clock - I couldn't post it earlier, because it was a surprise gift for a wonderful, two-year old boy. This boy, with his unbelievably long eyelashes and a charming smile, is the youngest connoisseur of watches I know ;)
And recently the clock has finally arrived to its owner, so - here it is!

Did it matched his taste? Not sure, I'm afraid the clock mechanism may be too simple... :P

work in progress... Yuko is a very critical evaluator :P


and here's the finished clock:


It looked slightly different in my mind, but the painting was a bit overwhelming process with Sophie's "help" ;) 4 nights spent on painting made it quite clear, that there would be no more hand-made gifts this year...

PS. I've just joined the wonderful idea of creating 52 portraits of 2014, by making a picture of Sophie every each Sunday, and post it HERE
Sweet dreams everyone! :)

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お茶娘 - daughter of the tea

...Why such title?
Well, when I've started thinking about writing a blog, about its possible content, that I could share with you - I've had in mind this one particular view, from 2 years ago, but still so fresh, as if it's been just a moment... Tea fields of Kasahara, incredibly green and fresh, with this wonderful aroma flowing in the air. Maybe that's the background of my thoughts? :)

yup, that's the view :)

...so green!


お茶娘, daughter of the tea :) from: http://motoko16.eshizuoka.jp

A few words about the term "daughter of the tea" then :) In Japan, especially around the places famous of its tea, almost on every corner you can catch a glimpse of a woman in a specific outfit (it can be a poster, statue, costume...). It is a common symbol of a japanese tea.

 


Japanese quite often participare in many kinds of events (organized mostly by NGOs) - some of which are taking place in countryside, where people can experience f.ex. traditional tea harvesting. During those events on the first tea harvest of the season quite often women are wearing the お茶娘 costume.
I honestly love this part of the culture, that people WANT to truly feel their own culture, that they choose to spend their weekend working on the countryside, rather than being lazy and get some rest :)

complete "daughter of the tea" outfit from this shop
http://newsnaka.blog6.fc2.com
I've asked recently Mariko, my Japanese friend (whose knowledge on the matter of Japanese culture and tradition is really impressive), if there is any intriguing story hidden behind the term "daughter of the tea"... Unfortunately the reality is not so impressive ;) One of the sources says, that お茶娘 appeared for the first time during the national fair in Shizuoka, in 1950. The office ladies from the city hall served the green tea to the guests wearing that costume, probably not aware it'll become a popular symbol of new green tea season.

Nevertheless, this costume is absolutely cute <3 during my volunteer work in Japan I've been harvesting tea in way less attractive clothes, but well, I do hope to get it one day ;) or maybe not for myself, but for Sophie?
Don't you think a child wearing お茶娘 costume looks absolutely lovely? :)
<3 z www.cha-nakamura.jp

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