Tag: life

daily prompt, Just writing

Other Than My Family

nhpureandsimple

Share a story about someone who had a positive impact on your life.

But of course, my small family has the greatest share in any positive impact on my life.

But for this post, I’d like to talk about someone or something else.

These are books.

Yes — books have changed the way I think, the way I talk, and certainly the way I write.

Books have pulled me away from movies and TV programs altogether. I rarely use our TV, and when I do it’s mainly to watch things with my family. 

People look surprised when I say, “no, I haven’t watched this or that.” And when their brows rise all the way to their hairlines. I simply ask,“have I missed much?”

Of course I haven’t, I whispered to myself.

But, honestly, to draw a clear picture, social media is part and parcel of my daily routine. But, thank God, I’m active on only two platforms.

So back to books, even the books I didn’t like, or the ones that bored me, they encouraged me to form my own views, to use my brain, and my brain warn me not to swallow everything. 

And books are just other people in your life; the ones you come to know through their words, their imagination, and their experiences.

Don’t people say that books are the quietest and most constant of friends?

Indeed, they are.

And that’s why they continue to have a positive impact on my life.

With book-and-friends thoughts,

Nahla

daily prompt, Just writing

My Friend 

nhpureandsimple

What public figure do you disagree with the most?

Actually, this friend is my AI.

I believe he’s the most public figure these days.

So why and how do I disagree with him?

Well… that needs a bit of explanation.

I mainly consult my friend for grammar checks, as a second, sharp eye.

It happens when punctuations slips through your writings, 

when spelling drops or replaces letters, 

and, of course, when your brain swirls around searching hard for the suitable word.

That’s when my friend comes to the rescue; kind and supportive as always.

But you don’t have to agree with your friend, public figure or not, all the time.

And here’s where the dispute begins:

Why did you change this?

Why did you replace this?

Why did you add this?

No, this isn’t the suitable word.

No, this isn’t what I mean.

No, this isn’t what I am looking for.

But… isn’t this kind of disagreement both entertaining and productive?

Of course it is.

At least my famous friend listens, and behaves with good robotic manners.

With Al-friend thoughts,

Nahla

daily prompt, Just writing

Well… I still like my one and only career

nhpureandsimple

What is your career plan?

I am a full time mother.

My sons are in their twenties, already left the nest to build their own lives. And my daughter is fourteen, a tender, critical age that needs a mother more than a mother needs a career. ( That’s my view.)

Honestly, I like to keep my first and forever career; Mother.

It happened when the idea of starting another career popped into my head. But then things usually didn’t work out; sometimes because of distance or flexibility, and honestly most of the time because of priorities.

That’s why I decided to pursue postgraduate studies, which I’ve found more flexible and enjoyable. 

But that doesn’t mean I don’t have plans for my career.

Actually, when my boys moved out, I started a new plan that lets me enjoy every moment of it:

to relax more, 

to write more,

to read more,

and to not be bothered when the wardrobe door burst open with a  scream, pushing the fighting clothes out.

With full-time mother thoughts,

Nahla

daily prompt, Just writing

The Election: Always the Most Famous Live Performance

nhpureandsimple

What was the last live performance you saw?

I feel I’m blessed that I hadn’t participated in any of those live theoretical performances.

They’re too long, too show off, and too full of drama.

Long story short, the performance always begins with wonderful promises from ’powerful’ candidates; promises about health, income, education, facilities, etc.

After a long series of debates and interviews, one of the prominent candidates wins.

Let’s pretend the winner was your hero, your big hope for better life.

Day after day, you keep watching the screen, following the news. Then the first blow arrives, and many more follow, as your hero’s itinerary begins to change. Why? You wonder thinking perhaps they forget. Or do they pretend to forget all of those rosy promises?

Not only that, soon you realise that once your hero has won, you are no longer involved, no longer part of any decisions. 

’Haven’t you already voted so I can decide for you? 

Then rest assured, everything is for own sake.’ Your hero shows up again, wearing one of those polished political grins.

Change or no change, you sigh and turn off the screen.

You return to see for your home, your studies, your work; your real world, the one that waits for your actions without any rosy promises. 

And if you didn’t vote, you thank the Lord that you saved your precious voice with full dignity. 

With live –performance thoughts,

Nahla

Just writing

The Royal Table

nhpureandsimple

Actually I’m not sure this was a royal table, but let’s say it once belonged to a Hungarian noble, a piece of his past that somehow moved to another’s person’s villa.

Why do you think that might be?

Because the owner of the villa had gone bankrupt, and his villa turned into a museum. Some treasured Hungarian pieces were moved there, including the table.

Thanks to one of the museum staff, I knew about this story.

Hopefully, I got it right.

As for other information, my daughter and I had to rely on our own brains to put bits and pieces together, since everything was in German.

And you may know by now that my German is just like my Italian- two languages I never once considered learning. No idea why.

So back to the royal table. Isn’t it beautiful?

As in most museums, visitors aren’t allowed to touch any of pieces, but they can take photos.

How I wished I could pull up a chair and enjoy a nice cup of tea there.

But since that wasn’t allowed, I simply imagined it.

Those old china cups and plates, a traditional cake with natural flavours and simple ingredients. 

I wouldn’t have minded wearing one of those dresses on display either. They were long, elegant, and even had a hair cover. It would have been fun.

I couldn’t imagine other guests in the scene, though.

It would have been so embarrassing as they would all be speaking German, and I’d be sitting there with nothing but a completely useless smile.

It was an enjoyable visit.

And what made it even more enjoyable was the experience of communicating with people who don’t understand your language just as much you don’t understand theirs.

But we laughed together, and somehow managed to sort the whole visit perfectly. 

Perhaps one day I will try to learn some German.

Just…maybe.

With short-break holiday thoughts,

Nahla

Just writing

A Plat For Two

nhpureandsimple

Imagine the portions you eat at home and the ones you eat out.

No comparison.

Not because the food you eat at home is less,

but because what you eat at home can be plenty, and for far less expenses.

You actually pay far too much at restaurants.

Of course, the food may taste nicer and look fantastic. 

And yes, you feel relieved and relaxed,

for you don’t have the burden of preparing, cooking and cleaning.

Still, your mind can’t help doing the math.

Everything has a double price hidden behind the smile and warm welcome of the catering staff.

On one of those few precious warm April days, we went to for lunch outside.

Everything looked nice and clean, and the location of the restaurant was really nice.

My daughter ordered pizza, which I believe was a good, money wise choice.

My husband and I were craving fish.

The plat we both liked offered a variety of fish; prawns, cod, salmon, oysters, smocked sardine, along with vegetables in a cream sauce and some bread.

Isn’t it mouthwatering?

I suggested that we can share the plat.

My husband agreed, though doubted it would enough and thought it might be a good idea to have a side or two.

I insisted it would be fine since I’m not much of an eater.

My husband nodded, but added two sides anyways, just in case 

I surrendered.

Our order arrived with a divine aroma and a fantastic presentation.

But then the real fun began.

The  plat turned out to be a big bowl, full of creamy sauce that looked like a wide white sea with tiny, different kinds of fish. 

I grabbed my fork and imagined it was my fishing rod. It was easy to catch those tiny swimming portions, really easy.

They tasted yummy, but in a blink our Bismillah and Alhamdulilaah ( our food blessings) were done, and every tiny piece had disappeared.

If it weren’t for the two sides and the leftovers from my daughter’s pizza, we would have been starving.

It’s funny to share a plat, but only if you’ve ordered plenty of sides.

Otherwise, you’re better off saving your money and eating at home.

With sharing-a-plat thoughts,

Nahla

Just writing

It Took The Evil Eye Away

nhpureandsimple

In my culture, when something breaks, burns, or gets damaged in any way, people usually say, “Thank God, it took the evil eye away.”

Funny how my grandfather, many years ago, used to laugh and say “Doesn’t this evil eye go anywhere else? It had almost broken all of the cups.”

Actually, I follow the tradition.

I never wept over spilled milk or a broken cup. 

I repeat the same phrase and feel relieved. 

I thank God that the damage was in things that can be replaced, not any one of us. 

What disturb me and what I make a fuss about is the mess. That’s when I start yelling at everyone around me to be careful, to watch out, and definitely to be safe. 

By the way, I didn’t break anything today, but I did have some funny, slightly annoying moments.

So… instead of making a nice, fresh orange juice, the machine grew grumpy and violent. It started shaking as if it were going to explode, splashing juice everywhere including me. Of course, I unplugged it, but then I hit the cup, and a river of juice came flooding across the counter. 

After cleaning the mess, I went to have some fresh water before heading out. But for some reason, the glass didn’t feel comfortable on the mat and decided to lay down for a bit. Then, again, another river flooded the table, and headed straight towards both my phone and iPad. No way, I gasped, snatching my precious devices just before the flood reached them.

Then I went out, happy with the sun, the blue sky, and the steps I was taking until the wind decided to make another mess. Not with rain, but by blowing pollen everywhere. 

I came back with a headache, itchy eyes, and a blocked nose.

Could it be another evil eye?

No, it is the spring evil.

Let me introduce the most unwelcome visitor: Mr. Spring Hay Fever. 

Wasn’t it just a wonderful day! 

With windy spring thoughts,

Nahla

Just writing

A Story Inside a Non-Fiction Book

nhpureandsimple

So… here I’m again, repeating the same story that started at the beginning of this year.

It’s about my determination to read more non-fiction than fiction.

So far, I’ve been reading non-fiction about different topics and I’m really enjoying them.

It wasn’t until a few days ago that I started reading  Of Men and Plants by Maurice Messegue. From its very beginning, the book turned out to be the story of the author himself, who was apparently a very famous herbalist.

I’ve really enjoyed every part of his story so far.

But… have you ever tried to put into practice some of the knowledge you read about?

Well… I tried, but of course not as a herbalist.

What happened is that I started looking around at different plants, not just the familiar ones I know and use regularly. 

To my surprise, I discovered there’s rosemary in my garden, but there are other plants that look totally unfamiliar.

I used Google search, and it gives some information but with a few warnings, as if I am going to eat them. 

I’m really thinking about asking my neighbours.

Wouldn’t that be a good idea.

Anyway, ever since I started reading about herbs, my instagram feed has been full of herbalists and herbs. 

Can it be a coincidence?

Or did everyone become suddenly interested in herbs.

Sometimes, I feel as if I am not just looking at  the herbs, but I’m almost smelling them.

Could this actually happen in the future?

Please no.

There’s already enough madness on social media.

But in the reels, nothing seems toxic or dangerous. Even the dandelion, that cute little yellow flower, I’ve been known for years as a weed, turns out to be nutritious and full of health benefits.

Sometimes, I wonder why they never taught us about different herbs at school.

At least then no one would mistake a dandelion for a useless weed.

I think I’m going to post more about this book.

With dandelion thoughts,

Nahla

Just writing

Why the Crow Is so Mean.

nhpureandsimple

Yes, I saw it — that crow who seemed not only overfed, but also a tyrant, a bully, and certainly greedy.

Everything happened as I was getting the clean laundry out in the sun, for we haven’t seen her much since the beginning of spring.

But she kept this promise.

Do you know about this promise.

Here’s my recent post, in case you’re curious.

https://pure-and-simple.co.uk/2026/04/17/its-a-sunny-day/

Anyway, a few seconds before the crow landed on the tree, a pigeon had just came back to her nest in a same tree. 

Of course, I didn’t see her nest but I saw her slip into the branches and disappear, which makes perfect sense if she has a nest hidden there.

She was cute, looked happy and lively in the sunny day. 

Just as I turned back to go into the house,

I heard the sudden flapping of wings and then that familiar, unpleasant sound of the crow.

I turned around and looked up, 

and there was the pigeon flying away from her tyrant, whose claws gripped the highest branch as if he meant to dominate the whole landscape.

Surprisingly another pigeon came to the rescue, not to fight with the bully. 

Pigeons aren’t cowards, thought.

They simply prioritise their safety and peace of mind.

So, it seems the second pigeon was checking on the nest before flying to support her friend on the other tree. 

Then both pigeons flew away with the same quick rhythm and lightness under the blue sky.

The crow was still up there on the tree, 

interest in nothing but the disturbance of peace of other creatures.

Soon, another senior crow, or perhaps one of those gigantic seagulls will chase him to the ground, I thought as I turned to go into the house wondering why crows are so mean. 

How I wish I could have taken a photo of that scene.

But I was more interested in watching it.

With peace against mean thoughts,

Nahla

(The pigeon in the photo is not the heroine.)

Just writing

It’s a Sunny Day

nhpureandsimple

Yes, finally the sun is gracing us with some light and warmth.

Still, the wind insists on extending its visit, bringing along its strong-gust companion.

But at least we can say we have a long, sunny day.

It seems the sun is pleased with our happiness.

It feels as though she’s smiling, spreading even more of her shining rays.

But I can hear her whispering that tomorrow she’ll be off on a mission.

Yes, she says she is going to push the wind and its companion as far as possible. 

East or west, she hasn’t decided yet.

Oh, she promises to come back soon to stay longer — a week or more.

Isn’t that great news.

I checked the weather forecast, and it’s all true.

She wasn’t lying.

She’s coming back on Sunday,

and will stay for one whole week,

and hopefully even more.

Time to get ready for a long, warm walk. 

With sunny-day thoughts,

Nahla