daily prompt

What can be better?

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What is the greatest gift someone could give you?

First I thought of Time because what could be a better gift than sparing a few moments to show kindness and care for others. Time to talk, to listen, to write, to read, to play, to joke, to buy a gift, send a gift, ….

But then, I thought that your time gift would be worthless, valueless if it is not genuine, if it has no feelings, no specialness. It becomes a show off, a dull routine.

In other words, the greatest gift doesn’t ‘t have to be on your wish list for your birthday, it might be just smile from a child, a prayer from your beloved ones, or a comment on your blog. Just an unexpected, simple, pure gesture. People say, “Whatever comes from the heart, goes to the heart. »

What gift can be better than that?

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

Have you missed it?

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The New Year celebration bonfires?

I haven’t.

The city where I live now is so quiet that even the New Year celebrations were not fussed about. When I got up on the morning, I asked my husband whether he heard any bonfires? He said no, and I smiled, feeling so happy we moved to live here.

Isn’t it becoming too much of a waste of money, time, and peace? Ironically, these lavish celebrations smashed people’s calls and prayers for abundance, wisdom, and peace into a big, thick wall. They already dumped them all into the void, making all these virtues nothing.

Do you think one day people will stop taking part in this madness, these sophisticated competitive celebrations? Would they be satisfied with simple celebrations at home with family, and friends?

Some would say simplicity is not commercial, not entertaining, not profitable, and that’s the ethos of celebrations. But what all these things have to do with making a genuine, healthy, memorable moment?

You wouldn’t regret missing the bonfires celebrations, but you would definitely miss your peace of mind if you didn’t.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

Fun time

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Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?

Children are, or used to be, always the best at having and enjoying their playtime. But this doesn’t mean that grown-ups can’t have any.

But things change as we grow older. As a child we usualy play to have fun, to enjoy the company of our friends whether in the neighbourhood or at school, and time would stretch before us as if it would never end.

But then, we grow up, and time becomes more precious as it slips from our hands faster and faster. Still, we can grab some fun time, steal some special moments of playtime.

Years ago, we were living in Scotland, and I really loved it there so much. My boys were around ten years old. We were living in a two- bedroom flat with an open kitchen-lounge. Sometimes, no honestly most of the time, just before dinner as we waited for my husband to come home from work, my boys and I would start a funny game. You might wonder why and how I could join them?

My boys at that age were too distant from one another. They would rarely talk or play together unless other friends were around. But since friends aren’t always available, my husband and I became the magnet that would pull them both to each other. That’s the main reason I joined most of their playtime games. The second reason is that I really enjoyed it, the child inside me wanted to play as well. It didn’t  matter to me that I was a full – time postgraduate student with loads of studying to do. I also wanted to have fun and make my boys happy.

One of our best and funniest games was racing around the small wall that separated the dinning area and the kitchen. Sometimes the race would cover the whole flat. The three of us were so light and little that we didn’t consider being any annoyance to others, especially we rarely saw any neighbours in the two – floor building we lived in. But, actually, there was one or two.

When my husband came home, and as we were setting the dinner table, the doorbell rang. My husband opened it, and there was our elderly neighbour. All I could hear from his brief talk with his thick scottish accent, at the door was; ‘It seems like it was raining cats and dogs.”
“What have you been doing?” My husband asked after finishing with the man
The boys told him about the game.
“Where was your mother?”
“Joining us, baba.”

We sorted things out with our neighbour. The following day the boys and I picked a nice card. They explained that they were sorry and promised to be more careful and considerate while playing indoors. Since our neighbour had two, big jumpy dogs, we delivered the card through his door mailbox. It didn’t take long until he paid us a neighbourly visit and brought my boys a nice lego game.

Playtime is when you let the child inside you play, laugh, and enjoy the moment.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Books

The riddle

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“What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in day time, and three legs in the evening?”

Can you solve this riddle? Please don’t search it up, perhaps your answer will make sense as well, and of course you don’t have to share it. I knew about it while reading The Solitaire Mystery.

But, maybe, I can give you a tiny hint about it. Tick off inanimate objects. Ignore the numbers. And, mainly, think of Time. What is Time?

By the way, did you know that the one made the riddle could never be the one who solved it.

/https://nh825.wordpress.com/2024/12/28/the-solitaire-mystery/

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

Knock knock

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Who’s knocking?

‘It’s me, the New Year,’ your visitor says.

You open the door and there is your visitor, having travelled a long journey, about 365 days, to visit you just before sunrise when it’s all quiet. Your visitor is smiling, arms open wide, eyes sparkling, in neat, elegant clothing, and smelling of a fresh, morning breeze perfume that wafts through the door and fillles you, and your place.

You seized the – once – in – a year encounter, and prattled about lots of things: the fire works celebrations, the – once – in – a life time trip to celebrate the New Year on the Caribbean or the moon, the special romantic night, the list of your last year’s fulfilled resolutions, the list of complaints about your misfortunes and bad luck, and the list of your sheer luck achievements. (Please feel free to add the things most of us usually think at each and every new year.)

‘Have you changed? The newcomer asks after listening patiently to all that details.

Struck by the question, you stammer, thinking for a minute or two and then say; ‘Of course, with all those details and things I have changed. I should have changed. Everything changed, and is changing. Just wait and see how the New Year celebrations will look next year.” You said the words, full of confidence, gazing at your visitor who looks the same as ever.

Your visitor smiles, seeming to read your mind. ‘Changes don’t have to be mainly physical. And, thanks for the celebrations.’

‘What’s piece of advice are you giving me this year?’ You ask.

‘A new year is a new chapter. Editing your writing font colours and styles makes no significant change to your chapter. It’s the content that does. What you write, what you say, and what you feel is what making your chapter worth reading, and celebrating. Besides, as long as you live, there’ll always be a new chapter to live, to write, and to celebrate whether it’s January or any other month of the year.

‘Oh, I will think about that. Do you want to know my new plans for this year?’ You ask.

‘Does anyone have to read your chapter before it’s done? I’m sure you’ll share it next year,’ the visitor says and leaves.



With all the best wishes,

Nahla







Books, Just writing

Playing cards

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Before the smart phone games, app games, and all the massive screen based entertainment, some parents used to play cards with their children during holidays and school breaks. I did, still do, though rarely nowadays.

Those moments engraved wonderful memories in our minds. We laughed, shouted, and jumped as we sat in a circle on the carpeted floor to play cards. We played for fun with one rule: the first loser is out, but had to keep sitting and watching until the last round. It was something like “The Weakest Link.”  What made those moments even more enjoyable was how my husband and I called the cards names in the Egyptian Arabic. Our children wouldn’t mind,  wouldn’t even try to use the english ones. They liked it this way.

I wonder, and you might also wonder, why I thought about all that today? That’s becuase of the book I have just finished reading: The Solitaire Mystery. Have ypu read it? I really recommend it. It’s a good book,. But to be honest, I was a bit confused with the English cards names version. I even don’t know what the Solitaire game is? We play basic cards games. Bit by bit, I came to understand things, and that’s when I started enjoying the book more.

Herewith the link for my book review. Have a look and let me know what do you think about the book?

https://nh825.wordpress.com/2024/12/28/the-solitaire-mystery/

With hope and peace,

Nahla

daily prompt

Franco – Egyptian

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What is your all time favorite automobile?

In Egypt until the sixties, the French language was common in Cairo and Alexandia. This Franco – Egyptian influence stared with Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of Egypt at the end of the eighteenth century. Though the expedition was a big failure and didn’t last long, mainly three years, it had affected the culture, including the language, mainly among the elite, literary, commerce, and political classes. Since then, French seeped into the Egyptian Arabic, though with some alterations and accent.

In our daily language, some French words easily slip off our tongues. Here are some examples: douche (shower), couverte ( blanket), pantalon (trousers), écharpe (scarf), etiquette, Garçon (waiter), and merci. The list, of course, is too long to mention all.

One might wonder how such change took place, if Napoleon’s expedition didn’t last long and was mainly limited to Cairo and Alexandria? That was mainly because of education. French missionary schools, mainly for Christians and Jews, were introduced in the main cities. But, later, they were open to Musilm Egyptians as well, and french scholarships were granted to Egyptian students. Scientists, politicians, and businessmen, became well acquintted with French systems and law. And then, as historians put it in our history books, modernisation found its way to Egypt.

Thanks to the word “automobile,” that this post turned out a bit historical. But isn’t it better this way?

À bientôt,

Avec meilleures vœux,

Nahla

daily prompt

Creativity

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How are you creative?

When you use your own voice, your own hands, and your own brain, that what creativity is. Think, imagine, and be you with your own unique signature. That’s creativity.

Does creativity imply perfection? A big WOW? A high rating? I’ll say no, but that’s how I see it.

Creativity might need support, education, and knowledge, but what it needs most is genuineness. And of course, you don’t have to be a celebrity to be creative.

To clarify my point, let’s say I read your post and find it interesting and good, with countless likes and comments, and then I decided to write a similar piece. By the way that’s different from inspiration becuase when we are inspired, we still use our own brains. So, If I follow your style, words, and thoughts, my post will never be creative becuase it wasn’t me writing it ‐ I’m mainly replicating yours. But, that’s not so bad, we are not supposed to be creative everyday, right? Still, there will be a strange feeling, an annoying thought, that will pop into your head every now and then when you remember this post.

We might share the same cake, but it would be more delicious when I put my heart into it.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla











daily prompt

Influencers

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Who are the biggest influences in your life?

Years ago, if you asked someone who their biggest influencer was, I can imagine that person would first pause, think, perhaps close their eyes and take a moment to breathe deeply, before giving you their answers. When they started talking, their words will be full of awe, respect, and pure love. They might talk about their parents, teachers, or perhaps a favourite historical figure or special author. In some cases, they would  talk about their true friends. I believe that for the pre- social media generation quality mattered more than quantity. Genuine relationships more than pretenses. Am I right?

But as things have change in a way that seemed both ridiculous and vague, I believe, nowadays, today’s selection of influencers depends mainly on quantity. It’s like copy and paste, repetition, drama, and, even worse, the madness of fame. Nowadays, many influencers share nonsense, believe in nothing and everything, and make fortunes of easy money. How many influencers are there nowadays? Countless, thanks to social media platforms. How do they affect you, as a unique individual? Unfortunately, they often reduce you to nothing more than a number, a fan!

Would you search your head ( not your phone), for a role model with no camera in hand, no fancy brand fashion, no cosmetic surgeries, no sophisticated food receipes, no international festivals, no cocoland dreams, etc? Please do!

Congratulations, if you find any!

Have you read my blog Idolization? Please do if you haven’t yet.

https://pure-and-simple.co.uk/2024/12/10/idolization/

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

Such a gift!

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Share what you know about the year you were born.

Life is such a wonderful gift, regardless of the year,  month, or day of our births.We have nothing to do with our birth place or time, but we have coutless things to appreciate about this divine gift.

What difference does it make if you were born in a special year when a war ended or started? Or when the first spaceship landed on the moon? Or when Romeo and Juliate died? The only thing that truly makes a difference is that you have been gifted with a life to live with all its ups and downs. You have been gifted with a life to sacredize its privicy, its authenticity, and its temporarity.

Have you been grateful to the One created you, gifted you with the most precious gift in your entire life: your Life?

With all the best wishes,

Nahla