Huge hug and a hundred smiles… here comes 2014!

Hugs and smiles, that’s how I was saluted when I finally got back to the weekly meeting my husband takes part in, as his post doctoral research up here in Canada I had being away for over 2 months, too much huh?

We’ve been here for a period of 2 years and 4 months now. My daughter couldn’t be happpier as she now has friends who seem more like relatives, they are so bond together, fight and play almost daily, just like friends and sort of like family tends to be.

I am doing well at my job, I started off as a sales associate, and moved on to another position that gives me a little bit more of flexibility. I liked the idea of having a place to go, making some money to help with the bills, and still be able to take care of my daughter. That was the plan. I got acquainted with some people that I like to call “friends” it is good for my heart.

My life has turned around from being a busy ESL instructor in Companies (back home in São Paulo), who made a significant amount of money weekly for over 20 years and did not work so hard, to this.

Along with that I still volunteer, which allows me to get in touch with what I really like that is teaching, I read with the kids, we do some work, it is fun.So I also take part of the teachers on their weekly meetings to stay tuned and speak the same language, one can never learn enough of what it is this passion that is being a teacher. It is a breath of fresh air to me.

There we go my dear friends, one more year here unfolding at our very own feet, right here, right this minute, what will become of it depends on many factors, such as decisions we make, resolutions, our fate, our faith, the steps we actually take. Above all and yet within us I strongly believe there is God.

So HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF US!

                                    Be happy my friends,

                                           Be crafty!

Drikka Glaser.

Life at a register

Let me tell you this:

As the Brazilian saying goes: “If the lemon fruit is impossible to eat…make yourself a refreshment!”

My experiences at the till will and must remain really important ones in my life. I have been there for mere 2 months -today, in fact- and it has already changed so much the way I see things now.

We know  is so hard for many people, though now, everyday, every hour I meet at least one true hero. At my workplace people come from the most absolutely different backgrounds and they react in so many different ways to my simplest question the usual: How are you doing today? Today for example a “clearly outstanding” business woman almost had a fit screaming at me she was in a hurry thus had no time for “How are yous”…

I am not better or worse than any one, it is just not the kind of work I never even for once contemplated or figured myself doing, I am not even that good at dealing with the bills in my hands. You know what I mean? There are people who possess either practice or a kind of unborn intimacy and just take the bills and coins as if they would belong and obey their command. That is not me definitely. Which does not stop my usual early costumers from coming and remaining at my register just for the sake of -as they often say to me- seeing a “good morning smile”. -some of them say it changes their days!- for the better I reply.

This job came to me as a part of a training to unable me to do something else, and somehow it became my one alternative there. It is really weary, tiresome and people are not the ones to take the blame.

Teaching is weary and tiring too, but I realized how much I love it! After 23 years of course I know that, well nevertheless it is always good to refresh. I love to see how much people grow and evolve from certain stages to other ones. As a teacher you get to see certain results out of your effort and planning. At the till all you have is that moment, you may cheer some up, hear a sad or intricate story here and there and that is it. As I said some of them are unkind, most of them are not. I myself would never be gentle or rude to a cashier, as most of the times I hardly realized s/he was there, I know I am being mean now, that is true though. In a powerful position you have respect, at a till you have kindness and a bit of compassion, and I figure it must be tough on the ones that had only this opportunities in life. I feel awkward because we should be the same, treat one another the same, we do no treat people the same, be able to give -pose- the same generous smile. It just simply not happens…

I learned so much. It really enriched my life.
I just to share it with you. Next time I will show you my latest projects. Promise!

Take care now,

Drikka.

The benefit of being kind

Women in general are raised to be kind.

We are given little dolls from the time we are born, and we grow up among them, taking care of them for good.

I personally never bought my own daughter a doll until she herself actually asked me one. Not that she didn’t have dozens of them. For every visit, my whole family, in-laws and friends always figured at one point it should be a nice gift to give her. I do not blame them we all do that.
She began speaking quite early, and I will never forget the day she was only about 15 months she tried to “change” her little doll’s diaper and said to me  “it’s a handful Mom”…
She had surely heard it before either from me or my husband. The fact is that somehow she got into her that she should do that no matter how tired she might become later on…

Coming back to the present 4 years later, and to me and my new job, one day at the register I engaged a conversation to this nice lady -who seamed to be in her middle 30’s-  she mentioned having 7 -seven- kids, and making her own time for knitting! I was so taken aback because I am not that obstinate.
Honestly to me she didn’t look like some one who had that many children and I spoke my mind. To which she thanked me for, my answer to her was that she did not need to thank me all she had to do was to look at herself in the mirror, at that moment she burst into tears, saying that it had been a while since someone was that kind to her.

No matter how hard we work in and/or out our home, we should never allow ourselves to feel so miserably ran down by our lives and chores.

We have to stop for a moment, look at the mirror right into our eyes, and compliment ourselves.

This is being kind and fair.

This keeps us going.

Head up!

Be happy flower-by GlaserCrafts

Take real good care, will you?

Drikka.

Comfy Food-Scrambled Egg

Hi there,

I simply love cooking! To me it is sort of a science, as you take ingredients lay them on your kitchen counter the mind goes wonder and it doesn’t matter whether you have or not the recipe, you will only see its result when it is done.

I love it because it is a devotional moment, it is some of your time, total attention and why not say LOVE you are spending while doing your dish. Out of all the secrets my granny taught me, making bread was the most delicious and wonderful moments I ever had with someone.

I still recall all the ritual she explained to me, she was not the lovely kind of granny, but to me she was a great one !

Well then, even so I can not bake bread as often now a days… what remains to me as a perfect comfy food is my Mom’s scrambled eggs, not because of its taste, but her urge to fix us something to eat at a quick-lunch time, just before she had to rush to work for the rest of the afternoon, I mean the simple fact of knowing she wanted to make sure we had something in all our 4 little tummies, brings me comfort up until today!

She has always been there for all of us!

That is good, and it feels just right!

You can make yourself this scrambled eggs too! Take a look at this recipe I loved at: http://www.foodnetworkasia.com/recipes/scrambled-eggs-with-cheddar-cheese-and-onions.html

take care,

Drikka.

A better you

What would you truly do if this was your last day on Earth? … Considering you had all day long?
I believe  none of us would be able to say:

“I guess I am perfectly O.K. with what I am doing, I could just leave now”.

Instead the common thought might be: “I know I hadn’t done everything I should, I wish I were doing or so”.

Of course we have to go to work, for the most part of our day, then once we are back home we must take our time, shower, eating and so, after all that it is time to  go to bed, and woosh the day is gone, the week is gone, a month, a whole year, again!…

It is already February you know…
Take the grip of your life, don’t let others do it for you, believe me you will be sorry.
Why not looking at the eyes of the people you love, see how much your kids have grown, or realize your partner is there for you, be there for them.

Enjoy!

Start a new hobby, try something you’ve always wanted.

Start eating better food, right now, not only on ‘Mondays’ you deserve it!

Be good to yourself, be more patient, you are entitled to a better YOU!.

Take care,

Drikka.