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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

"You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again..." Anonymous (truth-book)

"Cooking changes the consistency of everything in many ways..."



You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water.

Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a tender heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

This blog was shared through http://www.truthbook.com/

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)

Monday, December 5, 2011

"Garage sales..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen'

The unwritten law is that Garage sales are held on either Saturday or Sunday..."

Garage sales come in all varieties, just as retail stores, restaurants people and pets.

Many people just want a few extra bucks for things they no longer need and some folks actually make a living out of garage sales.

There is an unwritten law that garage sales must be on a Saturday or Sunday and not during a week-day. I guess this is because before the great recession people worked Monday-Friday, now with so many people unemployed and others only working 3-4 days a week there is now plenty of time to plan your garage sale any day of the week.

My father bless his soul would never call long distance unless it was on Sunday, back in the olden days the phone companies had a reduced rate for Sunday, therefore  most  everyone called family on Sunday, G-d forbid you ever got a long distance call any other day of the week it was probably bad news with a friend or relatives passing.

It's 2011 and long distance calls are made daily, I believe the time has come for Garage sales to take the leap into modern times and have them any day of the week, unless of course your one of the few who still have a full time job.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)

Sunday, December 4, 2011

"Karma..." 'Judith Whitehead' (Inspirational Monday)

Judith Whitehead is back guest-blogging on this Inspirational Monday talking  about Karma, some call it divine providence, what do you believe? Judith lives in Amherst N.Y.  She has worked in the ophthalmology field of medicine for almost 30 years...




 KARMA

Ever wonder if things were meant to be? Ever think to yourself that you have experienced a coincidence that is just unbelievable?

On my last job, I worked with 2 other girls that had the same birthday, month and date of mine. We enjoyed celebrating every year and found it humorous that we were very similar in many ways although we were born many years apart.

This year I experienced a happening that in all my years of working, I have never found. Someone who has the same month, date and year of my birthday….my boss. If that’s not Karma, I don’t know what is.

The chances of that happening must be a million to one!! I think this piece of information has brought special meaning to this job; not only has it brought a greater understanding between my boss and myself but it has made me feel that it was definitely Karma that has brought us together.

 Of all the positions I have ever filled, this office has made me feel more rewarded than most. It was surely meant to be.
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)

Saturday, December 3, 2011

"Oops, another fart story..." 'Chester Lau' (Liaison for Internet jokes)

This is blog #500! What better way to celebrate dakinetalk's 500Th blog than with  a little humor from
Dakinetalk's favorite Uncle... Uncle Chester Lau, a retired cinematographer currently living on the island of Oahu. "Unc" lives by the theory that laughter is healing, enjoy!


The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)

Friday, December 2, 2011

"Run Through the Rain..." 'Anonymous' (www.)


Take time to stop and smell the raindrops...


Run Through the Rain

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target.

We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said.

 "What?" Mom asked.

"Let 's run through the rain!" She repeated.

"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.

This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain,"

"We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.

"No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.

This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?

"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!"

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes..

Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.

And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories...So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.

I Hope You Still Take The Time To Run Through The Rain.

This blog was shared with us through http://www.truthbook.com/

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)

 

Thursday, December 1, 2011

"Play nice!" 'Michael Herr' (Aloha Friday)

Aloha and good news. Michael's fifth book in the Kohala Coast Mystery series is now available for the first time, "The Old Queen and the Maui Maiden" (in paperback) from  http://www.lulu.com/  or as a Kindle ebook from http://www.amazon.com/  Just type in the title either place.  The book took Michael 2 years to complete this highly anticipated sequel.

Renowned author Michael Herr is back guest-blogging on this awesome Aloha Friday about playing nice, acting nice and being nice... Make sure and check out Michael's website at http://www.michaelherr.com/


ALOHA FRIDAY
December 2

It's Aloha Friday.

"Play nice!"

"Play nice." "Be nice now." "Act nice."

Did you receive those admonitions when you were growing up? Were they difficult to understand? Personally, I had some trouble complying with them.

Let's look at the first one. "Play nice." Why? Mostly the object of the games I played was to win. To demolish my opponent. To bring them to the ground. Dodge ball? Hit 'em low and knock their legs out from under them. Get them out of the game. But if you did that, they'd cry. And the teacher, if this was a supervised game, would sit you out. "Why?" "Because you weren't playing nice." Do professional athletes "play nice"? Just watch the tackles in football. Ouch! Maybe those engaging in golf are the ones who play nice? Sure they do. They're always saying things like, "Nice shot." But "Nice shot" is often followed with something like "Oh, bad luck!" or "Wow, that's gonna hurt." And in the clubhouse the losers pay for the beer.

"Be nice," frequently accompanied with the added "Now", usually was exactly what you did not want to do. The obese cousin who had just stepped on your favorite toy, purposefully and especially if not observed by an adult, was now smirking at you. And you wanted to whack him with whatever sturdier toy was close to hand. But your mother, or worse your grandmother, was watching you with the eye of an eagle as she repeated that horrible phrase, "Be nice, now" over and over. You'd be nice now, but just wait until you and he were alone somewhere.

"Act nice," was a request that was easier for me to fulfill. I could always act nice, usually for the time required of me by either my parents or my teacher. Though I must admit, acting nice from December 1 through December 25 in order to be sure that Santa Claus delivered my presents did present challenges. Especially if that obese cousin and his family came to visit during that time.

When I got to college, I could never get over how nice some of my fellow students could act. It was a boys-only Catholic college and guys who I knew on the weekends drank themselves stupid (it didn't take much for some of them) and got into fist fights and who swore like sailors on shore leave after a year at sea. During the week those guys could talk so politely to the Brothers who taught us. They smiled and actually simpered at times, even when in the grip of a terrible hangover. Yep, they knew how to "Act nice". And acting nice got them good letters of recommendation, got them elected to office, and got them dates with some truly lovely women. Women who knew how to "Act nice", up until the time their date parked down some dark lane and talked them into climbing into the back seat of his car. Then they didn't act so nice at all. Or maybe they did. Just a different version of nice.

So, here we are in December. Holiday parties, shopping in crowded stores, people in cars jockeying for those few available parking spaces. Shall we all try to "Be nice"? If not, then let's all "Act nice".

Oh, me? Will I "Be nice"? It depends, am I going to get my way? If you give in to me on the road, in the store aisles, at the holiday party . . . well then, of course I'll be nice. Even if I'm just acting.

Much aloha.



There's still time to order a complete set of Michael's Books for the Holiday's. Buy all 6 books for only 18.00 including P&H. The books make great stocking stuffers...
http://www.michaelherr.com  or order his new book "The Old Queen and the Maui Maiden" from www.lulu.com

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

"The Nun..." 'Chester "Unc" Lau' Liaison to the world wide-web

"Chester "Unc"  Lau a retired cinematographer from Oahu brings us some good needed humor about a Nun..."

A NUN WAS SITTING AT THE VICTORIA AIRPORT , WAITING FOR HER FLIGHT TO CALGARY .SHE LOOKED OVER IN THE CORNER AND SAW ONE OF THOSE WEIGHT MACHINES THAT TELLS YOUR FORTUNE AND THOUGHT TO HERSELF, 'I'LL GIVE IT A TRY AND SEE WHAT IT TELLS ME.'

SHE WENT OVER TO THE MACHINE, STEPPED UP ON THE SCALE AND PUT HER NICKEL IN ; OUT CAME A CARD THAT READ, 'YOU ARE A NUN, YOU WEIGH 128 LBS, AND YOU ARE GOING TO CALGARY .'

THE NUN SAT BACK DOWN. SHE TOLD HERSELF THAT THE MACHINE PROBABLY GIVES THE SAME CARD TO EVERYONE . THE MORE SHE THOUGHT ABOUT IT THE MORE CURIOUS SHE GOT SO SHE DECIDED TO TRY IT AGAIN SHE WENT BACK TO THE MACHINE AND AGAIN PUT HER NICKEL IN, AND OUT CAME A CARD THAT READ :'YOU ARE A NUN, YOU WEIGH 128 LBS, YOU ARE GOING TO CALGARY AND YOU ARE GOING TO PLAY A FIDDLE .'

THE NUN SAYS TO HERSELF, 'I KNOW THAT IS WRONG, I HAVE NEVER PLAYED A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT EVEN ONCE IN MY LIFE.' SHE SAT BACK DOWN. FROM OUT OF NO WHERE A COWBOY CAME OVER AND SAT DOWN, PUTTING HIS FIDDLE CASE ON THE SEAT BETWEEN THEM.WITHOUT THINKING, SHE OPENED THE COWBOY'S CASE, TOOK OUT THE FIDDLE, AND STARTED PLAYING BEAUTIFUL MUSIC. SURPRISED AT WHAT SHE HAD DONE, SHE LOOKED OVER AT THE MACHINE, THINKING,'THIS IS INCREDIBLE, I'VE GOT TO TRY THIS AGAIN.'

BACK TO THE MACHINE SHE WENT, PUT IN ANOTHER NICKEL, AND ANOTHER CARD CAME OUT. IT READ, 'YOU ARE A NUN, YOU WEIGH 128 LBS , YOU ARE GOING TO CALGARY AND YOU ARE GOING TO BREAK WIND.' NOW SHE KNOWS THE MACHINE IS WRONG ,AS SHE THOUGHT TO HERSELF, 'I'VE NEVER BROKEN WIND IN PUBLIC A SINGLE TIME IN MY LIFE.' BUT GETTING DOWN OFF THE MACHINE SHE SLIPPED,AND AS SHE WAS STRAINING TO KEEP HERSELF FROM FALLING TO THE FLOOR, SHE BROKE WIND.

ABSOLUTELY STUNNED, SHE SAT BACK DOWN AND LOOKED AT THE MACHINE. SHE SAID TO HERSELF, 'THIS IS TRULY REMARKABLE. I'VE GOT TO TRY THIS AGAIN.'SHE WENT BACK TO THE MACHINE,PUT IN ANOTHER NICKEL And ANOTHER CARD CAME OUT. IT READ: 'YOU ARE A NUN, YOU WEIGH 128 LBS, YOU HAVE FIDDLED AND FARTED AROUND AND MISSED YOUR FLIGHT TO CALGARY.'

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)Check out dakinetalk-8 in book form;  The download is free... http://blogger.sharedbook.com/pilot/enterBookForFlipbookView.do?bookId=Blog2Print_Blogger_1319148612943_kimorosen_1319148948428&flipbookCode=5521689b6b72d9563e5a9462dc77c3&invitationEmail=jrsensei%40hotmail.com