Tag: dailyprompt

The Joy of Walking: From Childhood Memories to Health Benefits

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Why I like walking: I think my love of walking came from my childhood and younger years. My mom is Dutch and I spent a lot of time with my family in Holland when I was young. We would always go for walks, for fun, for adventure, after big meals it was just a regular thing.

Where do I walk now: Now that I am older I love taking walks and hikes everywhere. I currently live in Portland, OR and love walking around my neighborhood and to downtown. It’s a great city to walk in and with nature everywhere there are plenty of hikes to keep me busy. I love using the app, All Trails, it’s a great resource to find hikes and walks all over.

My thoughts on running: Running I just don’t get it. It’s just not my thing. I watch some people running by and they don’t look like they are having fun.Some do, but a lot don’t, they look like they are legit struggling. The last time I remember running I was a teenager and lived at the beach. My friends and I, we would use Liquid Paper (the liquid in a jar with a little brush to correct mistakes) put it on a sock and sniff it, then we would attempt to jog in the sand. We would always fall and sand was everywhere. I don’t recommend doing this to anyone, we were young very mischievous.

Conclusion: I love walking and it’s a bonus that’s it’s amazing exercise. While I am checking out all the beauty around me it helps me relax and reduces stress. While I am walking I am exercising my heart and boosting my energy. Walking helps move my joints and use my muscles. I am lucky because I really appreciate where I live and it’s so easy to get around by foot. I guess I could even say walking is like a hobby to me, I love it. What’s it like where you live? How is the walkability?

Daily writing prompt
How often do you walk or run?
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Memories of TV Shows from My Childhood

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I watched a lot of tv growing up. I feel like I still do, too much.

I don’t really remember watching TV with my parents together. I do remember watching TV with them separately after they were divorced. My dad loved watching Mutual of Omaha – it was like a wilderness show and since he love watching it I watched it too. I think it’s an insurance company now. We would watch Dr Who, the old school one and Dark Shadows too. We watched The Little Rascals and The Three Stooges and we would laugh, he was a cannabis smoker so it was fascinating watching him smoke and get the giggles.

After my parents got divorced and I moved in with my mom, I was alone a lot. She worked two jobs so I watched tv even more before I got into high school. I loved The Twilight Zone, The Six Million Dollar Man, Charlie’s Angels, Wonder Woman, Little House on the Prairie, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, The Bionic Woman, and the “after school” specials were always fun. My dad is black so I would watch, What’s Happening and Good Times to connect to that side of my family. My mom is Dutch and in the summer I went to Holland and they only had about 3 channels that only started later in the afternoon, it was so different. Most of the main evening shows were American or British and there were a few Dutch shows I really enjoyed. The channels were: Nederland 1, 2 and 3! There were a few German channels and I think a Belgian one too.

We had a black and white tv for a long time and then finally got a color one. I remember the first remotes were huge with those big buttons to click. Those were some fun times. Better shows then for sure and it annoys me greatly when they do “remakes”.

Thank you for the prompt. That was a nice trip down memory lane.

Daily writing prompt
What TV shows did you watch as a kid?
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Experience Portland, OR: Wacky Weather, Outdoor Adventures, and Quirky Charm

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I live in Portland, OR. I moved here in late 2022 so I have been here a couple summers and winters. I lived in the PNW earlier in life, in Seattle. When I left Seattle I promised myself I would never move to this area again because of the rain and overcast skies. Over the years I have discovered that I am happiest in sunny weather, it does not necessarily have to be warm but at least sunny.

I moved back to the PNW for work and it had been about 20 years since I had been back. Since leaving Seattle I have lived in Hawaii, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Washington and California. After moving to Portland, I remember the summer of 2023 the most, it was amazing. It was I think an El Niño year and every day was sunny and warm from May to September. We were out and about every day and that’s what brings me to the start of my list:

  1. Trees, trees and more trees everywhere. If you are from CA and drive up Interstate 5 you can see them popping up as you go north.
  2. It’s quiet! I did move from the city of San Francisco (it was loud every night till 2 or 3 am where we lived) We live outside of downtown, still in Portland.
  3. Cars stop and wait for you to cross. Even when you are not in a cross walk. Most of the cities I have moved from you could wait for 10 minutes or longer before someone would stop.
  4. Food Cart hubs in every community. So many foods from different cultures to try.
  5. Vegan and Vegetarian paradise. I do follow a vegan diet so the selection of food has been amazing.
  6. Bridges – fun to walk over and take photos. I walk to downtown often and can choose which bridge I would like to cross.
  7. Lots of water – the Willamette goes through town, there are boats to rent, even jacuzzi boats. There are beaches and specific swim areas.
  8. Many parks and the largest urban forest in the country – Forest Park is 5,200 acres. Lots of hiking and biking opportunities.
  9. The Columbia River Gorge and all the beautiful waterfalls are less than 1 hour away. It makes for easy weekend getaways and a great place to take visiting relatives.
  10. It’s weird. Check out the Freakybuttrue Peculiarium. Naked bike rides, Silent discos on the bridges at night, Pumpkin regattas, Witches paddle boarding on the Willamette for Halloween. The city tagline is “Keep Portland Weird”.
  11. It’s bike and pedestrian friendly. So many biking lanes everywhere with special bike stop lights. There is even a bridge that’s only pedestrians, bikes and public transportation.
  12. It has all the seasons. We had an ice storm last winter, we couldn’t leave the house, the roads were that thick with ice and then my favorite summer ever that I mentioned before.
  13. Cannabis dispensaries and Coffee shops everywhere. Great for cannabis users and coffee drinkers.
  14. The coast is less than 2 hours away and everyone knows how special the Oregon Coast is.
  15. No sales tax – what the price is, is what you pay!

That’s just my list – there are many other things l love but there are also a handful that I don’t love but that is for another post.

All in all, I am happy with my move to Portland, OR and it’s been the best place I have lived in a while.

A Joyful List: 30 Things That Make Me Smile Every Day

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I love this daily prompt. I feel like lately between my job and the world around me it’s been challenging to remember all the things that make me smile. So here it goes:

  1. Plants. I love them. I don’t have kids so these work for me.
  2. Sunshine. I love sunny days. It could be super cold out but as long as it’s sunny, I’m cool.
  3. Waking up early on my day off – I love mornings and getting up when it’s still dark outside.
  4. Pens. I love different using different colors.
  5. Cannabis. My first smoke of the day is alway my favorite.
  6. Exercise. I always feel good during and after.
  7. Face Masks. The ones that are for facial care, I love using different types and trying new brands.
  8. A good comedy. I feel like it’s hard for me to find something that makes me laugh out loud so when I do, it feels great!
  9. Laughing. I don’t do enough of it so when I get a really good belly hurting laugh, it’a a beautiful thing.
  10. Spending time with my family. They all live so far away that when we get to spend time together my heart is full for months.
  11. Clean sheets. They just feel so good.
  12. Road trips. I love just driving to and from the destination as well as the time away.
  13. A good veggie burger. I love burgers but I don’t eat meat so it has to be a good substitute.
  14. Swimming. I prefer pools or water that’s not suspect.
  15. Hiking. Beaches, forests but nothing that’s high up. I am afraid of heights.
  16. Water. It makes me happy when I drink it, I like bathing in it and swimming in it.
  17. Yoga. I like stretching and seeing how far I can move my body.
  18. Apples. I love eating them. In salads, muffins, and plain.
  19. Yogurt. I love coconut yogurt, it makes my belly smile,
  20. Bike riding. I was born in The Netherlands, my mom’s family is Dutch. I have been riding since I can remember and riding a bike makes me feel fantastic.
  21. Taking a bath. Especially during PNW winters, the warmth brings me back to life.
  22. Drinking rooibos tea. This tea makes me feel like everything is all right in the world.
  23. Learning new things. I like keeping my brain active.
  24. Flying. Usually because it means I am going somewhere but I remember when I was younger I wanted to be a pilot.
  25. Hanging out with my boyfriend. We’ve been together for a while and his company makes me laugh and smile.
  26. Shoe shopping. For some reason, getting new shoes always makes me happy.
  27. Gratitude. Looking at my list makes me smile and feel good on the inside.
  28. Finishing a project. I got it done!!! That’s reason to celebrate.
  29. Walking around the neighborhood. So many beautiful things to see and that makes me smile.
  30. Coloring. On a rainy day or when I have nothing else going on. Its very relaxing and makes me happy.

Thanks for reading!

Daily writing prompt
List 30 things that make you happy.
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Grateful for the Little Things: How Gratitude Brings Happiness

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I started practicing gratitude after I quit drinking. I am pretty sure that before I quit drinking I didn’t even know what gratitude was! Over the years it seems as I get older I have more gratitude. I am just super grateful for a lot of stuff and it makes me happy when I think about those things. I am grateful for my job even though I don’t like being there most of the time. I am so grateful for my parents even though they are both gone. I am grateful for my home, my boyfriend, my friends and family. The water that we have access to in our apartment is a beautiful thing, I love taking baths! I have a bathtub. I have a balcony and I saw a hummingbird when I was out on it the other day. My bank account is positive. It’s been sunny and warm and summer in the PNW isn’t always like that. Lots of food in the refrigerator. I could go on and on.

This habit really helps keep me feeling positive. I have also noticed as the years go by I find so many more things to be grateful for. Sometimes my list is so intense it makes me cry but they are not sad tears just tears of appreciation.

So for me just this small habit, brings me a whole lot of joy and can add a little skip to my step if I am feeling down.

Daily writing prompt
Describe one habit that brings you joy.
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Are My Deceased Parents Watching Over Me? Sign from Beyond

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My parents have both passed away. I am always curious if they are still around somehow watching over me. I talk to them a lot, just in case they are. Sometimes if I see birds, butterflies or lady bugs hanging out for a bit I think it’s one of them saying hello.

I would never go visit a medium or anything like that because I feel that if they were around and wanted me to know, it would be something that would be able to happen without a “third party”.

For now, I continue to talk to them, just knowing in my heart they are listening works for me.

Daily writing prompt
What are you curious about?
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Maintaining Health and Well-Being Through Daily Routine

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What strategies I use to maintain my health and well being.

One thing I have learned in my life is that in order for me to be a productive human, I need routine.

Routine just makes my life easier and my mental state happier. It also allow me to do all the “things” I need to do in one afternoon or morning so my day goes smoothly,

If I stray from my routine because I think I have everything under control, it turns into a hot mess and usually I end up being irritated because I forgot to do something.

My health and wellness routine includes: Exercise/Yoga daily (I like to do deep hip stretches because that is where a lot of my anxiety and pain live), a bunch of supplements (at the beginning of the week I organize the vitamin container) always including magnesium and vitamin D. I journal and always thank the universe (& my mom and dad) for everything I am grateful for. I spend 20 minutes on the rebounder, I do a 5 minute tapping routine and spend about 15-20 minutes studying a different language. I eat healthy, include an apple a day, drink water and recently quit candy and any added sugars in food. I am feeling pretty good these days and definitely sleeping better than I have in a while.

I don’t do all of these things in the morning, I divide them into – before and after work. With my work schedule the way it is right now, this works perfect.

Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?
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Columbia River Gorge Camping: Exploring Waterfalls and Hiking Trails

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We will be camping at the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon this summer. Definitely looking forward to the sun and fresh air. We’ll be checking out some waterfalls and hiking a lot of trails. I enjoy being in the fern covered forests, it makes me feel good inside. The ferns remind me of my mom (she’s been gone for 14 years) so it feels like I am hiking through a big hug.

My cousins are coming from Europe. We used to camp together when we were kids so there will be a lot of fun stories to share and a lot of catching up to do.

Daily writing prompt
What are your future travel plans?
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