Going Old-School Again

Categories: a woman's strength · Adventures in my own home · Existentialism · Family · Nostalgia · Photography · Publication · Through Frog EyesLeave a comment

The cost of living keeps increasing and I find myself looking at the budget and groceries, wondering where I can cut even more corners. The first thing that had to go were the luxury beauty items and routines I had gotten used to over the past 30 years. Clinique, Estee Lauder, Lancome, and a few others are beyond my reach now, and I keep hearing my mothers voice inside my head when I have one of those items in my hands: imagine how many chickens you could buy with that money! Indeed! Due to all the operations in my life…

Preparing for Winter

Categories: a woman's strength · Adventures in my own home · Animal Tales · Berlin Through Frog Eyes · Champagne Trails · Culture Vulture · Existentialism · Living with cats · Rescued animals · Through Frog EyesLeave a comment

One of the greatest paradigm shifts that I experience each time I move back to Europe is learning to live with four seasons. This is my third time to live in Germany (having moved here in 1993, 2001, and 2017), and each time the seasons change it is as though the greatest revelation is unfolding before my eyes and I rediscover creation all over again. The seasons are so distinct from one another, each with their own character that I have come to appreciate and adjust to. At the core of my bones I will always yearn for sea and…

Sassy Brioche!

Categories: a woman's strength · Adventures in my own home · Food AdventuresLeave a comment

I bake my own bread these days, taking advantage of the fact that I live in a country where there is easy access to all the flours! It is also cheaper than buying on a daily basis or baking the rolls every morning. Saturday is my homesteading day aka gardening and baking time, so that I have a loaf for the rest of the week and happy plants. For those of you who bake bread at home, you will agree that there is nothing quite like the seductive aroma of freshly baked bread floating through the home. When feeling particularly…

Proof of Life

Categories: Adventures in my own home · Battling depression · Food Adventures · Photography · Through Frog Eyes · zenLeave a comment

There are days I just want to prove to myself that I can grow things – whether it is from kitchen scraps or a greenhouse, there is always that nagging sensation that my grandmother is looking down sternly upon me and making sure I don’t kill the plant. Living in Germany is expensive in terms of filling your home with plants, so I live by what a friend advised many years ago: buy small and be patient. This attitude has also fostered my love for gardening, because it has encouraged me to try my hand at growing plants from seeds…

The Secret Admirer

Categories: a woman's strength · Adventures in my own home · After-work quickies (Berlin photography) · angels in our midst · Berlin Through Frog Eyes · community service · Culture Vulture · Existentialism · Food Adventures · Social Condition · Through Frog EyesLeave a comment

Life is full of surprises, some good, some bad, and the trick to enjoying it all in spite of the outcome is acceptance. I met an old friend for dinner last night and had a marvellous time catching up. Family and careers prevent us from meeting more often, so when we do, we definitely make the most of it. The greatest blessing of having such friendships that span almost 30 years, is that we know each other’s backgrounds, culture, family quirks, values and everything that has happened in our professional lives. There is a genuine interest in the professional as…

Reclaiming My Home

Categories: a woman's strength · Adventures in my own home · Battling depression · Berlin Through Frog Eyes · Empty Nest · Existentialism · Living with cats · Midlife Crossroads · Photography · Social Condition · Through Frog Eyes · women of substanceLeave a comment

Turbulence is an unwelcome guest, but often times unavoidable. Serenity and Balance are my preferred guests but also high maintenance ones. It is so much easier to just let Turbulence in, who usually has Chaos and Confusion in tow, give them free range of the place, and allow them to do what they do best – an unholy mess. Turbulence can be asked to leave politely, but Chaos and Confusion, when left to their own devices, like to remain invite Hurt, Disillusionment, and Frustration over as well for an extended soiree, unpleasantly rooted inside my home and soul, much to…

Can I Say “Yes” More?

Categories: a woman's strength · Adventures in my own home · Battling depression · Culture Vulture · Existentialism · Midlife Crossroads · Performing Arts · Social Condition · Through Frog EyesLeave a comment

Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel are not my favourite actors, but that is simply because I am not a great fan of comedy. These two actors are extremely talented and multifaceted in their own right, I am just not a follower. Having said that, I ended up watching Yes Man (Der Ja-Sager, originally released in 2008 and directed by Payton Reed, a film adaptation of the book by Danny Wallace) on Netflix last night, not quite sure hat to expect from this rom-com. Though the movie leaves much to be desired, Danny Wallace’s words from the book, which I proceeded…