"how do you..?" series

             Have you ever wondered what would you be without all the support you've got in your life from anybody around you? From the sweet cashier girl that told you sincerely what a good choice you took with that pale pink button up, or from that super nice talk from your boss? From the ones we barely notice to the ones we hope for and to the ones we need like a breath of fresh air. It gives you so much self-respect and self-confidence knowing others encourage what you think, you do, you chose. Receiving is easy-peasy, right?
            I'm just curious how you react when it comes your turn to support somebody. Anybody. Piece of cake? Not anymore, huh? Well, recently I've come around this problem, too. When Hubby came home from Germany, and he told me the boss from there is expecting him to go there again, next week, for another 4-5 days. I burst intro tears: "but, you've just been there for a WHOLE WEEK!!". Poor guy. Now I realize it's not easy for him, either, and he doesn't wish to be always away. After crying like half hour, I thought I could support him. Oh, man, was that hard!! And that's just a small example...
          How often do you say: "good job!" or " I know you can do it!"? Cliches? Yeah, maybe, but sometimes, a cliche, a pat on a shoulder, a smile, or even just a look could be more than enough.

a house or a home?

      
      Houses are part of our lives since forever. Building a new house, is easy nowadays with this super modern technology, but I'm wondering how hard it is to really build a home. The guys from Ryan Homes came with the answer: "We believe that the most important element of your home is you", and for the last 60 years they've built exceptional homes in 23 metropolitan areas. And they are still doing it, if you're interested in buying a home. They started in as a small, family-run business in Pittsburgh, but they easily got in the top 5 builders in the US.

       If you wanna skip really fast the steps from this  

to this

you just need to know about the new homes in Virginia or  if you don't live in Virginia, just the homes for sale that are in 13 of the eastern states ( New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia).

         I think all houses are pretty, but the homes built by Ryan Homes make you feel the warmth, coziness and privacy of a real home.

a note for you

           I wanna thank you for:

• holding me in your arms when we sleep;
• the surprises you made me yesterday;
• taking me out for a walk and then to the movies - it was a great time;
• treating me like a queen;
• the face you made when you saw my new haircut ( it was speechless, awesome and great - I could write a whole story out of that look);
• the sweet, tender and strong, protecting hugs you give me;
• telling me which of my clothes you like;
• bringing me chocolate and Harribo (you know what I like..);
• being there for me.

                   Love, Wifey

fight against what ?

           There are some terms in our daily life that at some point, we just take 'em just the way they are, without thinking too much of anything. Starting with light, water, going further to people, relationships, and to kindness, love, share. One of the concepts that it is as old as the Earth itself, is the family. Even though people along the history understood it differently, and they still understand it more or less, almost everybody gets hitched at some point in their lives. Did you know, in 1999, 2 million 300 thousands people got married only in the USA(according to National Center for Health Statistics - Sept 6th, 2000). That means over one million weddings in one year in just one country. Have you ever wondered why marriage is so common? Marriage provides us with the great opportunity to connect with someone else in a way you never do with anyone else. The family is the place where you can be yourself. Although the latin origin of the word itself means "slave house"( - famulus), and the family was the property of man, over time, the word got another meanings. And despite the fact that Lewis Henry Morgan identified only in 1871 the Eskimo kinship (- this was happening just 139 years ago, btw) - what we call today "family tree", the family has always had a very important role in the society. 
            Today, marriage is sacred, and considered a blessing. A way for God to show us His love. And how to love. Nowadays, the man does not own the wife, children, properties, like in the past. The two are equal. Still the social and biological functions of the family, are quite the same. We can see whenever we turn our heads the sequel of the biological function: the sweet little children we can't help but smile when we see one... The social function is a little more complex. Parents need to form their children, and teach them how to accommodate to the society, and still other few functions like the juridic one, the religious one, and the economic one.
            "The family is considered to encourage intimacy, love and trust where individuals may escape the competition of dehumanizing forces in modern society." - I read couple of days ago on the internet. And we like it or not, but it's true... or, at least, it should be. Unfortunately, the modern society, is a thief. It stoles from us what we need like a breath of fresh air: the time we have to spend in family. Nowadays, father works, mother works. At least 8 hours/day. And then, they go to a part-time job so they can afford not to buy a palace, but to pay their monthly bills and the food they need. That's when they both have a job (and that's something!). Very often the head of the house has to spend more than 2-3 days out of town (or even country) because he's in a 'business trip'. And then, we are wondering why the family is not that warmth place where you can come anytime with anything. And, we wonder what didn't work when we hear about another divorce. Maybe it's not fair to blame it on the society, you say, but hey, didn't the modern society (and technology) make us run everyday like in a horse race? Actually, I don't try to put the blame on somebody's or something's back. I just want to show you, guys, the family's task (to protect against the outside world) is undermined by our new society we invented (and call it modern), because, slowly, the school, the job, the society becomes our family, and we get to spend more time anywhere else but home, with family. 
So, what's to be done?

photo via

rainy day

              Fall rainy day ... feelings are always the same, over and over again. I've never been a fan of autumn, and today definitely is one of "those" days. No sun for three days (for me it's like forever), puddles everywhere, so dark outside (even though it's just noon), hurried people walking down the street with black umbrellas, and the noise of the cars going thru rain... all of these for me are just another reason to just wish to be Spring forever. It's that lonely feeling you get in these days.
             On a brighter note, Christmas is coming. I can't wait to start hearing carols in every store I get in. Carols are my favorite part of Christmas. And, of course, the most important, that Jesus was born. I'll share with you some more Christmas feelings later. Now, I just need to face the real life with good, and bad. Have a great week!

"how do you..?" series

                 Lately I've had some pretty interesting in my head. How does competition interact with friendship, when it's good and when it's bad for friendship and how do they coexist together?... Or, is it possible for them to coexist? When I was younger, I've seen some examples of competitive friendship, where one person says: "Wow, I got a B on that really hard math test!" and the other one starts: "Oh, that's great, but check this out: I was at the gym last night and this guy came along and asked me if I wanna be in a show!". This is just an example, and of course, is taken to limits. Still, I think those people who treat friendship like that, they have some amigos, not real friends. You know what I call a real friend? Couple days ago, talking with my bff on YMessenger, I told her I was thinking to write something about competition and friendship. Her answer, you ask? "Well, if there is competition there is no friendship". In a (big) way, I agree with her. When your friendship gets to the point where you talk nothing else but "what I've done" and "what I've got" and so on, I think it's time to you to serious review your point of view about friendship and do something.
            On the other hand, sometimes, competition can strengthen the bond of the relationship rather than tearing it apart. Friends can compete with each other on who gets done faster a project at work or whose idea is more effective, but there is a dark part, too. If there is always just one of them who "wins" every time, feelings of resentments and jealousy can result from competition. "Healthy" competition is when friends compete against other individuals. When they start competing for the same thing, like the same boyfriend, things can get ugly and they can lose their friendship. If you look carefully you can realize competition between friends is more intensive during adolescence, but some of us just carry it like a baggage into adulthood. 
              In the end, we all need competition. Is in our nature. It's up to us if we use it the proper way or we let it ruin friendships and maybe even people.


PS: Starting from today, I will delete Funny Little World blog and write only on www.scribblesfromjourney.blogspot.com . Have a nice one!

Monday morning feelings

             
           The moment I like the most in our house is when we start the fire in the tile stove. Built out of clay, tile or earthenware, tile stoves are as old as Romans. They used to be the main heater in the house, because of their very long flue, which wound back and forth inside the structure, these could be heated for some hours with a small amount of light fuel. Like almost all old technology, tile stoves are used even nowadays. At least here, in Romania, people depend on them very much. Me and Hubby live in a very old house, so, naturally, we heat ourselves with one piece of tile stove. And I love it. I’ve always lived in an apartment, and in States we had a heating system pretty cool, so I have never had the chance to realise how cool is this! I love it because of the feeling I get when I see the fire and the sound of wood burning, the sweet light and the heat… I’ve always loved the fireplaces, and wished to have one in my house, so I guess this little tile stove is like a replacement for it. I can imagine thousands of stories about families and moments around this wonderful thing that provides a home its warmth. I could just stay there and stare at the dancing flames, listening to the stories they say. It’s magical. 

      Sometimes I wonder how many times we pass by all kind of small things that seem unimportant, but they have such a meaning in our lives. How many times we take for granted everything? And how many times we take time to stop and really look, really listen, really be there.

      Today, is a sunny day. I’ll enjoy it!