Set your story in a kitchen, either early in the day or late at night.

 https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/

It's so clean. Suspiciously so. And it's plain that she can tell.

The girl's mother eyes the counters, wiped clean with vinegar and lemons, and exits the kitchen. 

"Good job, Faith. Thank you so much", she says. A sigh of relief escapes the daughter's lips and she cheerily heads to her room. Busted. That sigh could only mean something was wrong. 

Later that night, mom raids the kitchen for a snack and decides to do a sweep. Counters and cabinets open, oven investigated, and finally that fridge. Once opened, it reveals an appalling smell. A month-old chicken in the back of the back shelf! 

"Faith!!!", she screams, pounding on the door and immediately entering the room. "Come throw away this Goddamn chicken. And scrub that pan!"

But come on. A month old? 

That was everyone's fault. 

Awake and can't sleep

Hello,

Here's a poem for you

I am awake and can't sleep
but I'm thinking of you
I miss you a lot 
And I'm thinking of what we'll do
when we finally meet
it'll be another hi
It's sad how we don't count them
as much as we count goodbyes

I'm not the best poetry writer but this. is. art.

Goodnight,
Faith

What's going on in Tampa

This is what was going on with me when I lived in Tampa in 2024. Perhaps I was trying to start a travel blog? LOL

Hello friend,

I recently moved to Tampa and so far it is been interesting. I have been a number of places since there is a lot that interests me here:

There are several orchestras here.
I discovered a couple of sushi places, one called Kiwami and another called Samurai Sushi.
Kiwami has ramen, too.
There is also bubble tea here--A Kung Fu Tea!

Eventually I will write more about:
The Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra
The University of Tampa Orchestra
The Tampa Bay Symphony Orchestra
Violin Shop Tampa and Sarasota
Kung Fu Tea and Token Ramen
Kiwami Ramen and Sushi Place
Mathnasium
Engineering
University of South Florida
University of Tampa
Tampa Bay River Walk

I'm overestimating how much I'll write hahahaha. I only plan to post on the last Tuesday of every month this year. Hopefully as the years go by, I'll find something more specific to write about.

Best,


Waterfall girl

Meditation Reflection no.3

Thoughts on who I am and what makes me...me. 

The energy it took to get me to exist as I am now seems monumental. From conception, I simply came about from a Florida girl and a Mississippi boy having a spring fling in college, but I mean to say that it took a great deal for me to become the woman I am today. And I may be overly proud of that. I am letting go of the struggle and learning to leave with ease, and it's a lesson and a luxury I hope to share with others around, especially my own children (if conditions allow me to have them). 

Reflective and a little uptight, I lived what felt like a life of supporting my mother through single parenthood. The eldest child stereotypically gets parentified, especially daughters, and I fit the stereotype completely. My parents were proud of me for my willingness to conform to the polite, nurturing, and domestic image of a southern belle while simultaneously preparing me for the demands of the modern world that drove me to pursue lucrative careers like engineering and politics. Now, I'm beginning to see that my parents weren't proud of me, they were proud of themselves for molding a mind and living a life they couldn't. Ego told hold in the parent-child relationship: I was only their latest and greatest creation. That should make me feel special, but in a poor, working-class family, it created too much pressure. Failure was not an option. 

Failure inevitably came through; however, my spirit was not adverse to the experience. This was the beginning of my spirituality: releasing myself from expectations to be the exception and not the norm. I got into a good college. I'm still proud of that; however, my failures shaped me and ultimately led to my current belief system. I failed in every area: health, love, school, family, confidence. I did not bounce back from my adversity immediately or white knuckle through it. I took a lot of breaks and I found peace in several activities. 

Writing has always been the fallback, but when I fell in love with an emotionally unavailable person, the pastime lost its luster and I would even begin to cry. I wrote to the person a lot and even the mere action brought about tears. So I took to cooking and took on challenging recipes like mochi, paella, various chilis, and hand-pressed ravioli. I read cookbooks and watched Chopped for a year. 

Next was meditation. I was reluctant to join a group because it was Buddhist, but the dean who advised me to go at my alma mater reassured me that the practice was open to people with secular views. I eventually took Buddhism in as a refuge anyway and it brought me peace, clarity, and compassion in a way that I can't describe. I was even able to make some progress in reconciling with the unrequited love I mentioned earlier.

Gaming also took on a role in my recovery, as well as music. I dramatically increased my skills in both areas and it gave me confidence. 

Something I wish I reflected more. Although I consider myself introspective, I believe my methods could use improvement. While taking on these actions got me through a rough patch, working part-time while in college for seven years, I need to consider how all of my actions impact my health and well-being: before, during, and after. 

Exercise is one of the best ways to notice your body before, during, and after, and I don't do it enough. As someone with a mood disorder, I don't take exercise seriously enough as a treatment for my symptoms and a contribution to mindfulness. 

Before. During. After.