I feel so conflicted


I feel so conflicted at times when someone reminds me that I’m a grown woman and don’t need permission from anyone to leave the house or go do the things I like, except somehow I do.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: The Last Weekend of February 2021


Good morning, it’s still pretty chilly out. Please come into the warmth and let’s chat in my fresh-bread-smelling kitchen. I had just finished baking a loaf of Sourdough Foccacia. It’s been a while since I’ve baked anything and I sure do love Foccacia. They are so savory and versatile.

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Those Darn Meddlers…


Credit: Southern Living

I have a problem with people meddling into people’s lives. Isn’t there a saying – “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? I think this applies to meddling as well. According to my personal experience and all those movies and TV shows I’ve watched over the year, I don’t think there’s ever been a scenario where meddling ended well. Yeah, I understand sometimes we want to wish others well but meddling often make matters worse.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: The Ups and Downs of a Short Work Week


Good morning, welcome to another edition of #weekendcoffeeshare. It looks like it’s going to be another cold one today. So please come in, hang up your coat and join me with a hot cup of something. I’m having my usual today – coffee with no sugar, no cream with a just a dash of unsweetened almond milk.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: Hooray for Long Weekends


Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash

Good morning, welcome or welcome back (for my regulars) to another edition of #weekendcoffeeshare. Please come on in to the warmth and out of the cold. It’s looking like it’s going to be another snowy Saturday in my part of the world.

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Stress Talk #8: System Malfunction


It turned out this past weekend was that time of the year again – tax filing time. I hate that time of the year, right after the health insurance buying period (November 1 – mid-December). Even though she claims she knows more about taxes than me, my mom cannot file a single tax return without calling me over to help.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: 168 Hours of Work, Sleep, Scrabble, and Blogging


Photo by Cyril Saulnier on Unsplash

Good morning, it’s cold out. Please come in and join me for a socially distanced chat and a cup of coffee or a hot beverage of your choosing.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: The Longest Week


Photo by Marta Dzedyshko on Pexels.com

Good morning and thank you for joining me for yet another #WeekendCoffeeShare.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: The Earth Still Spins


Good morning and thank you for joining me for yet another #WeekendCoffeeShare. Don’t just stand there, come on in.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: Tough, Wacky, Excited


Photo by karl chor on Unsplash

Good morning and thank you for joining me in yet another #WeekendCoffeeShare. Come on in and enjoy a nice warm cup of coffee.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: 2021 – The Dark Sequel


Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Good morning and thanks for joining me once again for another #Weekendcoffeeshare. Come on in and let’s have coffee. I’m sure there’s a pot brewing in the kitchen.

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Stress Talk #7: Deja Vu


Here we are, number 7 in this series. The last one was right before the new year. I didn’t think I’d do one this week but here we are – first week of 2021 – and I’m already stressed. Surprise, surprise. I almost sleep-walked two nights ago so that’s a sign.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: Welcome, 2021! And Don’t Scare Me Like That!


Photo by Rizky Subagja on Unsplash

Good morning and welcome to the first #weekendcoffeeshare of 2021. Do you feel that? It’s the feeling of new. It’s the feeling of hope. It’s the sensation that something great is coming.

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Stress Talk #6: Stress Has Got a Loud Voice


Stress does talk. It’s got has a voice. A loud one too, I tell ya!

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: Last Saturday of 2020 – No Regrets


Thank you for joining me on another #WeekendCoffeeShare. Come on in from the cold. It’s sure been bitterly cold this year. Not a lot of snow though which it’s a shame. It’s 2020, everyone’s working from home, having snow to look at would break the monotony. Anyway, what would you like? I have Hot Cocoa – the instant stuff I’m afraid – and instant coffee.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: This isn’t called Selfish


Photo by carolyn christine on Unsplash

Good morning, thank you for joining me for another #WeekendCoffeeShare. I’m having a steamy cup of hot cocoa with lots of mini marshmallows. Would you like some? Here, we’ll sit six feet apart so we can adhere to the social distant law of 2020.

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Stress Talk #5: Family of Baggers


I dislike it when people use these words: “This is nice but…” or “I like it but…” because the “but” implies otherwise. If you don’t like it, tell me, don’t give me such inconclusive answer, you know what it does to me. It irritates me and next thing I know, my Fitbit will tell me I’m stressed.

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Stress Talk #4: Mission Impossible: Meal Prep


Here comes more mantras: you’re not dirty, you are an intelligent human being, you are not a brainless person when it comes to buying stuff.

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Stress Talk #3: Everyone else must be miserable because I am


You are not selfish. You are not a bad person. You are good.

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Stress Talk #1: I Don’t Know How to Relax


After speaking to my dietitian/therapist this week, I decided to start this weekly series as a way to de-stress from everyday life, to scream at my inner voice and so forth. It might be very random things and some might be humorous. I’ll try to keep it light.

I don’t know how to relax. Is that a weird thing to say? I don’t know how to relax. There, I said it. Can you blame me though even though I’m sitting here now writing this, feeling stressed to the brink?

From what?

From work, family, life.

Do you sometimes feel like you’re being rushed from place to place and never have a moment to just stop and look around you or contemplate on the present? That’s been me for the past twenty-some odd years. My mom wants things done right away. When I was living with my step-dad, he, too, wanted things done in the moment. When I was living with my relatives in China, everything must be done in an instant. It was what was expected of me but it’s never reciprocated.

You know what’s strange?

I never really noticed it until the recent years when I began working multiple jobs while going to school and then I’d come home and my mom would want me to do this and that. Maybe my internal stress meter has been slowly peaking and I didn’t realize it. Or maybe my age is catching up. I’m not as young as when I started this blog 7 years ago. I sometimes would look myself in the mirror and would find crow’s feet at the corners of my eyes.

I recently watched a documentary about stress. In it, eating was mentioned. It turned out sugar is less sweet when a person is stressed and foods are more delicious when one is stressed. Really? I decided to do a test and it’s absolutely right.

Maybe it’s why I’ve been overeating again, even being on an anti-diet. I think I am overeating because I’m stressed. “I feel like pulling my hair out,” I told my dietitian and honestly, I feel like I’m about to break down into one big sob.

I’m overeating because I’m constantly working excess of the 40-hour standard work week. My mom was saying, “the more overtime you work, the better.” I overeat because of the constant disruption. Everybody wants something from me and it seems like that’s the only time I worth something to them. Other times, I’m just a “silly” girl.

My 24-year-old cousin needs help registering from college classes, guess who he turn to? My uncle needs to shop for a car, guess who’s going to do that for him? The family needs health insurance, who will help them buy insurance?

ME, ME, ME, ME, ME!