Tag: reader

Book Quotes: Rain in the Mountains

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Rain in the Mountains: Notes from the Himalayas

Rain in the Mountains: Notes from the Himalayas by Ruskin Bond

      Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

As I remember that this blog is A Reading Writer, and as I want to fuel my reading pace again, I’ll start to post quotations and wise words I loved from my recent reads, starting with Rain in the Mountains by India’s very own Wordsworth in prose, Mr. Ruskin Bond.

This book holds a special place in my heart as it is a gift from my beloved. He gave it to me on our first trip in the majestic Himalayas. The first few pages were read during our 12-hour night-shift train ride going back to Kolkata.

It made me laugh, cry, grimace, scared, blush, think, laugh, and think some more. Here are the best words, the top five quotes that I would like to share with you:

  1. “A Quiet Mind Lord, give me a quiet mind, That I might listen; A gentle tone of voice, That I might comfort others; A sound and healthy body, That I might share In the joy of walking And leaping and running; And a good sense of direction So I might know just where I’m going!”

  2. Some people become an integral part of our lives; others are ships that pass in the night. Short stories, in fact.

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  3. “When the earth gave birth to this tree, There came no sound: A green shoot thrust In silence from the ground. Our births don’t come so quiet— Most lives run riot— But the bud opens silently, And flower gives way to fruit. So must we search For the stillness within the tree, The silence within the root.”

  4. “I am still on my zigzag way, pursuing the diagonal between reason and heart.”

  5. “Little one, don’t be afraid of this big river. Be safe in these warm arms for ever. Grow tall, my child, be wise and strong. But do not take from any man his song. Little one, don’t be afraid of this dark night. Walk boldly as you see the truth and light. Love well, my child, laugh all day long, But do not take from any man his song.

—

©2018 Rosemawrites@A Reading Writer. All Rights Reserved.
Photo via Unsplash & Giphy.com

Confessions, ramblings, and everything in between

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Over an hour. That is how long I have been staring at my screen flashing an unfinished article I should finish before the day ends.

Eight tabs. That’s how many articles and resources I have read to be able to start writing and get my mind do what it’s supposed to do.

Numerous words written and deleted. That’s how I have been trying (badly) to write and write and write.

But nothing. My mind is not at it.

Like a boat freely sailing, wandering, on the vastness of the endless sea, my mind seems to be here but nowhere, here but elsewhere. It would be ungrateful to say I feel like a criminal jailed to be stuck in my office chair but that’s how I have been feeling lately.

It took me years to land a job related to my course, Journalism. I have been here for almost three years now and yes, it is fulfilling, tiring, but exciting. But there are days when you want to be as free as a bird. To be a writer tucked under her blanket just reading and writing.

It might be because of age but lately, I have been yearning for a simpler life. A life in a quaint house, by the sea and near the forest where I can wander and wonder. A life without a rushed phase. A life not limited by deadlines. A life not commanded by corporate bosses.

But that kind of life, as simple as it may sound, is too expensive. Expensive because you need money while living a life away from the city and the 9-to-5 job. Because I have responsibilities, and I have a life that isn’t only about me.

It’s been almost two months since I released my debut book, and I am quietly wishing and praying for its success because I dream to be like Lang Leav. Living in New Zealand, writing. But the road to becoming like her seems foggy and bumpy. Am I losing faith? Maybe.

I may not be hungry to make millions for my book, but I am dreaming of living a life as a writer. A creative one. Not someone locked inside a corporate box. But then as the eldest daughter, I got to move. I got to earn. For the family.

How can I pursue my passion and provide for the family? That I have yet to find out. And yes, I am trying to knock doors and windows to turn my dreams into reality.

Like what Ms. Maya Angelou told me again last week, “All great achievements require time.” I need patience and endurance. But most of all faith.

Faith that my time will come. Faith that my book’s time will come. Faith that everything happens for a reason. Faith that no time is wasted. Faith in things I cannot see as of the moment. Faith that He is moving and guiding me.

Easier said than done, I’m trying. Every single day.

For now, let me get back and write the article I need to finish today.

 

Admirable Souls

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“Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate.” ― William Arthur Ward

We are all
wonderfully made
yes, the Bible said.

But there are souls
we can’t help
but admire,
’cause they serve
as inspiration
to aspire.

And for me
they are…

Writer-Reader-Self

1. Mitch Albom

Wise Words: “All endings are also beginnings. We just don’t know it at the time.”

2.  Paulo Coelho

Wise Words: “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”

3. Nicholas Sparks

Wise Words: “Nothing that’s worthwhile is ever easy. Remember that.”

4. Maya Angelou

Wise Words: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

Singer-Self

5. Jason Mraz

 

Wise Words: “It’s strange how dreams get under your skin and give your heart a test for what’s real and what’s imaginary.”

6. Sara Bareilles

Wise Words: “Your fear of jumping without a net is so valid, and the trick that you haven’t learned yet is that that’s life, always and everywhere. There are no nets. Life is a big, long free fall, and the sooner you can embrace what is beautiful about that, the sooner you will start to enjoy the ride.”

7. Darlene Zschech

Wise Words: “Sometimes it takes suffering to reveal to us just how rich we are.”

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Photo credits: Kazuend

The Great Book of Lists by La duchesse d’Erat

Chapter 3.1– A Party of Choice

Thank you for a thought-inducing prompt, Mandibelle! And for hosting this awesome list,  Laduchessederat! ❤

~

 

Stressed-reading, Stressed-writing

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When my mind’s worn-out,
I breathe in and out,
not oxygen,
but words.

—

©2016 Rosemawrites@A Reading Writer. All Rights Reserved.

Photo credit: Quote Fancy

Also in response to Jacq’s Thinking Corner.

Have a great (though busy) week, everyone!

❤

~

Coffee or Tea, anyone?

areadingwriter92 Comments

An update and an important announcement. ❤

2016 feels like flying speedily as the 1st quarter will be ending soon.

Spring has somehow arrived in the west part of the earth, (according to the poems that I read :D) while summer is about to start here in the Philippines.

I invited you for a coffee before Feb starts, and now I would like to give you an update and make an important exciting announcement. 🙂

UPDATE: Blog Schedule ❤

I showed my planned calendar for the year before February ends. I was confused and a bit torn if the calendar is a bit wishful and if making one will make my blog predictable.

Thankfully, I got the words I need to hear and they helped me and touched me a lot. 😉

Some of them are:

I admire your dedication to starting a blogging calendar. I thought of it before, but with my work schedule and hours, it’ll be challenging for me to to meet it. I had to cut one weekly feature, and even that was running on a Sunday! I write based on what I feel that day… So I wouldn’t want to feel constrained. Whatever you decide to do, make sure it’s what you like and want to do. Yes making your readers happy is important but first you need to be happy too. Good luck, my dear!

– Annie of What the Woman Wrote

and

I commend you for having such organized plans as opposed to me since I’m a cluttered type of person: no calendars, no scheduled posts. I couldn’t agree more from what they’re all saying. I just want you to be happy with your blog without a trace of pressure in your every post. We’re all here, excitedly waiting for them- whatever they are. 😀 As for the fictions, I really am happy to see you joining them but like what I’ve said don’t put pressure in them. I, too, have to pass (though I really try not to as much as possible) whenever I ran out of creative juices. You don’t have to write it within that specific day, just within the time frame. 🙂 Also, more than just being balanced, I would prefer you being carefree. Just the happy reading writer who freely shares her thoughts and feelings as they are. Smiles! 😉 :*

– Maria of Doodles and Scribbles

After reading a lot of lovely and insightful comments, I learned that I should write what I love to write, without any pressure, without any pretensions. 🙂

So my current blogging schedule is:

Monday: Monday Musings and Sunday Photo Fiction by Alastair Forbes

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday by  The Broke and the Bookish

Wednesday: Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers by Priceless Joy

Thursday: Three Line Tales by Sonya

Friday: Friday Fictioneers by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Saturday: The Great Book of List by  Laduchessederat

Sunday: FREE Day! Poem Day! 😀

–

ANNOUNCEMENT: The A-Z Challenge

I am joining the A-Z Challenge April 2016! 😀

WHAT IS IT?

It all began with my post from Saturday March 27, 2010 when I set forth a challenge to all bloggers for the month of April.   Can you post every day except Sundays during this month?  And to up the bar, can you blog thematically from A to Z?

Most of the time if you subtract Sundays from April, you then have 26 days–one day for each letter of the alphabet.  When April 1st lands on a Sunday you begin on that day which will be the only Sunday you would post during that month’s challenge. 

 Using this premise, you would start beginning April First with a topic themed on something with the letterA, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until you finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.  It doesn’t even have to be a word–it can be a proper noun, the letter used as a symbol, or the letter itself.  The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.

Most of you are probably familiar with Sue Grafton and her best selling series of detective novels known as the “Alphabet Series” that started in 1982 with “A” Is For Alibi up to her most recent “V” Is For Vengeance“.   She has made a franchise with the series and there have been  other authors who have taken similar approaches.  This Blogging From A to Z Challenge will be in the same vein.

MY THEME IS:

Poetry from A-Z! 😀 (Thank you for sharing informative poetry links, Thomas! :))

—

That’s it! 😀 I would love to know your thoughts and if you would want to join any of these exciting challenges. It will be fun if we do it together. 😀

—

Photo credit: Unsplash.com

Hopeful Desires

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The starting point of all achievement is desire. – Napoleon Hill

I started the year with my resolutions, and little by little I hope to change them into realizations.

ICMYI, here are some of my plans I posted last time, and more desires inspired by  Laduchessederat‘s The Great Book of Lists.

READER & WRITER PLANS

1. To (HOPEFULLY) read 50 books this year.

I am ashamed that I was not able to finish the PopSugar 2015 Reading Challenge. 😦 I am two books away from wrapping it up with flying colors… but… I failed.

2. To read more of local books proudly written by Filipinos!

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Patriotic as it may seem, I plan to give local writers a try! It’s because out of 159 reads, only 2 are locals. It’s a shame!

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3. To try new authors!

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I’ve done that last year and it proved to be exciting! I have stumbled to new found gems and I hope to discover more gems this year! Again, any recommendations?

4. To write book reviews, more book reviews!

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It is a bit of a shame that I have so few reviews here. The writer-part of A Reading Writer is in full force last year but the reader-part isn’t. So I hope to put a balance on it.

PERSONAL PLANS

1. To… lose weight.

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Hopefully!

2. To travel once more!

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Preferably in a sandbar beach like Kalanggaman Island in Leyte!

3. To remain happy and healthy with my soulmates, my dearest, and my family. 🙂

—

Header photo credit: Clark

The Great Book of Lists by La duchesse d’Erat

Chapter 1.3 – The List of Your Desires

Thank you for the prompt, Laduchessederat!

❤

~

Little Treasures

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I’m in love with you… And all these little things – One Direction, Little Things

I cannot buy the most exquisite gems, the most expensive designer bags, or even the latest branded shoes.

But I am happy. Because I am happy with my life’s little things. ❤

And I would love to share them with you! 🙂

—

MUSIC-LOVER-SELF: My iPod Nano

Given by my dearest last Christmas, this little one is now full of songs, around 200 actually. 😀 It is also my constant buddy during my bus rides!

READER-SELF: My ‘real’ copy of The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom

This book is my first-ever ‘bought’ book. With its awesome story and a great collection of wise words, it is surely one of my favorite things.

WORKER-SELF: My Jade Plant

This jade plant, also known as ‘friendship plant’, was given to us by my lady boss. 🙂 It was lovely, but it’s now dead, yep, sadly. 😦

ROMANTIC-SELF: My ring

Nope, this is not an engagement ring, yet! 😀 But yes, it’s from my dearest. ❤

WRITER-SELF: My purple pen

I love purple, and I love pens, when combined, it’s surely the loveliest little thing! 😀 This one’s from my workmate and sisterbels, Shiela! 🙂

READER-SELF: My little bookmark

Yep. It’s a bookmark, inspiring bookmark I must say? 😀 My former workmate, Marie, gave this to me during my last day in our office.

VAIN-SELF: My lippies

I am not a pro in make-up! I never wear any until I transferred to my work now. I am in Public Relations so I should look my best, I guess? But this lippies are my favorite! The red one is from my lady boss, a Christmas gift. 🙂

CHILD-SELF: My melody slippers

My Melody is my favorite cartoon character. ❤ And these cutesies were my dearest‘s birthday gift to me last… 2012? or 2013. 😀

WRITER-AND-WORKER-AND-CHILD-SELF: My notebook and pens and water bottle

(L-R) The Hello Kitty bottle was a Christmas gift from Marie, those pens are gifts too! The purple notebook was a self-made planner. That little pink paper are my sticky notes (I’m fond of them!) And that orange flower was actually a pen! 😀 It’s from my dearest, too!

—

Photo credit: All are mine, except the first one from Tumblr

The Great Book of Lists by La duchesse d’Erat

Chapter 1.2 : The Little Things You Love

Thank you for another fun theme, Laduchessederat!

You can join, guys!

~