Tag: thoughts

Daily thoughts

On the 14th of September

nhpureandsimple

Every day since… I think the beginning of this year, I’ve been receiving a notification about my old posts from the same date.

But I haven’t received any today, which means I didn’t post on the 14th of September last year, or even before.

By the way, I’m not that regular with blogging, but I try my best. 

But this no post day just caught my attention.

Why?

I have no idea.

It’s hard, if not impossible, to remember exactly what you did on a specific day last year unless it was something memorable. 

And here I am, scrolling through last year’s photos.

Perhaps there was a photo on that day that explains things.

There was none.

Isn’t that strange?

No, not really.

I don’t take pictures every day.

So I think I should fill this gap. 

Shouldn’t I?

I’m looking out of the window, wondering what to write.

And what’s better than today’s four seasons weather?

It began warm, breezy, and cheerful.

An hour later, or maybe even less, it turned grey, but sill warm and cheerful.

I took the laundry out, and the rain gave me a light, gentle shower as a welcome.

I took the laundry in, and the rain shied away and left.

I’m not trusting her.

Could I have been thinking the same last year?

Maybe!

And now it’s all sunny again.

With almost-mid-September thoughts,

Nahla.

Weekend Prompt

Can Your Heart Be Your Screen?

nhpureandsimple

This post was inspired by Weekend Writing Prompt #485: This weekend challenge is to write a poem or a piece of prose in exactly 21 words using the word “Screen”.

My heart is my inner screen

Not the black and white screen,

but the colourful screen.

It’s big,

it’s wide,

it’s always on.

A little scratch would pass.

A big scratch would ring an alarm,

A smash would turn it off,

until recovery,

until the moment my heart nudges me:

“hay, I’ve got a new screen, 

and true, pretty colours again.”

With heart and screen thoughts,

Nahla

P.s. As always, I went over the limit, but I couldn’t disturb the flow of my thoughts.

Just writing

WordPress, Are You Okay?

nhpureandsimple

Dear WordPress,

I’m writing to inform you that things have been so quiet on my blog for about two weeks or even more.

Fortunately, I haven’t given up writing or blogging.

Actually my mind and thoughts have been surprisingly active throughout this stagnant period.

But,unfortunately, I haven’t received any response.

Either way, rest assured that I won’t give up writing.

Why would I?

I really wonder whether you’re in good health?

Any bad cold?

Any family problems?

Any financial difficulties?

Or are you stuck in some technical trouble?

Any issues with hackers?

Any virus attacks?

Or maybe WiFi problems?

I did my best, first to think positively about you, 

and second, to make sure my posts received at least a little reaction.

I gave my posts a like  myself as a moral support, to help them feel better.

Again, whatever the cause, don’t worry, I will keep writing.

Get well soon,

Yours sincerely,

Pure-and-simple

With speedy-recovery  thoughts,

Nahla

Daily thoughts

Don’t Trade a Secret?

nhpureandsimple

This post was inspired by Weekend Writing Prompt #484: a weekend challenge to write a poem or a piece of prose in exactly 90 words using the word “Trade”.

I wish I could say I followed the instructions, but my mind and my pen had another thought.

So here’s the piece they ended with: 

People ask, always ask, so many questions.

Perhaps out of curiosity, admiration, or even envy.

And everyone has at least one secret in life.

But not every secret can be traded.

Why trade your privacy for public interest?

Isn’t privacy supposed to be one of your secrets?

Why trade trust for any gains?

Isn’t trust supposed to be a secret held between two?

Why trade your hard-earned toil for vanity?

Isn’t your toil meant to be a quiet secret for a good cause?

They say that in the professional world, every trade secret is protected by legal regulations.

So how come people trade their own secrets with no regulations, no considerations, and no sense of decency.

Kindness and loyalty still exist, and the world is not as murky as some people try to paint it.

But it’s wiser to think twice before trading a secret for anything at all.

With don’t-trade-your-secrets thoughts,

Nahla

daily prompt

Would You Live in Your Parents’ Garment?

nhpureandsimple

What’s something you do completely differently from how you were raised?

In Arabic, there’s a saying or perhaps an old adage says: I’m not going to live in my father’s garment. 

Actually, this saying became the title of a famous TV drama in the nineties.

Anyway, parents, in most cases, want their children to live a far better than life than they did. That’s why they often work hard, save money, and build big dreams for the future of their children.

And, sometimes, parents believe that their children will always follow their footsteps. 

But the thing is, life is unexpected.

And this garment whatever it may be; a profession, a business, or even certain traites, won’t always fit the size of their children.

So…even though you and your siblings may have been raised in the same way, your lives don’t have to be the same. 

It’s not only about choices, whether to follow this path or that, but it’s also about how life changes, and how it changes you along the way.

With parents’-garment thoughts,

Nahla

Daily thoughts

Hello September 

nhpureandsimple

S for school, studies, and those warm and chilly sunny days,

E for early mornings, early alarms, the early race to have the first access to the toilet.

P for parents with their checklists: school uniform, school bags, and lunch box packed just right.

T for timetable, for lessons, exams, and that copy you pin to the refrigerator.

E for every day, with its new drama full of moans, excuses, and the latest friendship-challenge test.

M for mothers, rushing through those few free hours they try to enjoy, while the clock hands keep running towards home time. 

B for birthday, have you ever thought how lucky you are if your birthday falls in September?

E for every night, when the lights turn off, the roads get quiet, and everyone tucks themselves into their own little nests.

R for remember, school days make precious memories, just do your best to create good ones.

With new September thoughts,

Nahla

daily prompt

Manchester Oxford Road

nhpureandsimple

What’s the best thing you’ve ever found randomly on the street?

On familiar roads, streets, and cities, memories are often the first things to rise and flow one after another as you walk along and through them.

Have you ever experienced that quiet feeling of nostalgia?

I have.

As you walk along a familiar street, a memory of an old friend, a joke, or even a phone call might pop up into your head without any warning.

Those moments are actually the best gifts you may find along the road, and they may be the most precious too.

Whenever I visit Manchester and walk along Oxford road, where Manchester University is, the memories of our first days in the UK rush back into my mind as if it was yesterday.

Things have changed, though; with new shops, new buildings, and of course new faces, but I don’t mind. My first memories of this city always come back fresh and strong. 

There, in the university accommodation which still has its unique name, Horniman House, we lived for quite a few years.

On this road, I walked with new friends from different countries. 

On this road, I heard the Manchester accent that was so different from the English I learned throughout my entire education.

On this road, I knew how it felt like to be soaked by the British heavy showers.

On this road, I got my first sunburn under the British glaring, bossy sun.

And there are more and more memories, I find along this road whenever I go there, but that’s enough for now.

With memories-along- the-road thoughts,

Nahla

daily prompt

My First Cooking Book

nhpureandsimple

What’s a book you never finished but still think about?

Years ago, during the final steps of my wedding preparations, my mother insisted that I should have one of those well- known cooking books in my new home. She had already bought me one before I had even thought about it. 

Before getting married, I used to help in the kitchen, but I had never been in charge of making full meals or anything complicated.

So my mother (may God bless her soul) believed that a cooking book would be a good help.

Honestly, I never used it, and I have no idea where I left it.

I might have had a look at it, though, but that was all.

Since then, whenever a booking book, with its colourful, mouth watering pictures and recipes, fell into my hands, I would give it a quick scan and put it back where I found it.

This doesn’t mean I don’t like cooking, because I do.

The thing is, perfection, consistency, exact measurements, are not on every woman’s cooking agenda.

By the way, would you really pause one day to think about a book that you never finished?

If the book was really of any interest to you, then you would have finished it. 

Otherwise, you’d ruffle through its pages and quietly set it aside without anyone noticing.

With a-book-never-finished thoughts,

Nahla 

P.S. the falafel in the photo are not home-made.

Just writing

A Blank Page

nhpureandsimple

I’ve just started writing this post with no clear idea or topic in mind.

I’m just wondering how it will go, and where it might take me.

Have you ever experienced this before?

I mean the moment when you grab a pen and a blank sheet of paper, stare at them, and wait?

You wait for any inspiration to flutter around you, or for a current of some thoughts to flow into your mind.

By the way, isn’t the idea of using pen and paper so classic?

I mean the image itself seems like a piece of history. 

Of course pens and papers haven’t disappeared yet, and I really hope they won’t end up as museum antiques any soon.

But using notes on your device is also a good way to write.

Tapping on your screen or your keyboard doesn’t carry your unique handwriting, but at least it still carries your thoughts and feelings.

So, now, a blank page can be filled after all.

With blank-page-thoughts,

Nahla

P.S. the cute cat photo was taken at the Cats Café in Malaysia.

daily prompt

Can it be a book?

nhpureandsimple

What’s the last movie that made you cry?

I didn’t watch movies much but I used to, though.

The recent movie I watched was Toy Story 5  which of course doesn’t make anyone cry. 

Me and my daughter watched it just for a change, something different to do during the summer holiday.

But that’s all.

I love reading more.

So, instead of a movie, my recent reading book is really what can make a reader weep. 

It’s such a book that stirs tendre emotions; fear, horror, sadness, compassion, mercy, love, hate, injustice, and even moments of happiness.

But… honestly, I didn’t technically cry. 

It just made me feel like crying.

This is the book; Before We Were Yours

With no-movies thoughts,

Nahla