Category Archives: Moods

Interaction, Life, Local Businesses, Moods, Short Stories

Dragging our feet through the perils of Walmart

August 29, 2021 debbie413 2 Comments

Not my Favorite Place to Shop

Today I went to Walmart. I don’t shop at Walmart and avoid it at all costs. If I need anything from there, I order it online and have it delivered. It has worked fine. Therefore, when my 81-year-old father asked me to take him to Walmart, I cringed but took him, anyway. My idea was to drop him off at the entrance and let him shop while I waited in the parking lot. Then I thought about how dangerous it can be for him. It would be like a baby dangerously crawling around a buffalo stampede, so I opted to go in with him.

Courtesy is no Longer Existent

It’s difficult to walk around Walmart taking tiny baby steps with an 81-year-old. People have little to no patience and shove their way between you and others just to get one of the hundreds of canned corn or whatever they are so desperate for. That’s when I stay close by to protect my father from getting shoved or pushed to the ground. People leave their carts in the middle of the aisle to grab an item when there’s clearly plenty of space for two carts. Some even give you a dirty look when you say, “Excuse me” to get through. The employees are no exception at all. They stand in the aisles and are bothered if we gather an item which they are replacing or if we ask them a question. I’m sure it’s not all of them, unfortunately, I haven’t come across any who are not.

Baby Steps — Forever Steps

My father needed only a few things, twelve items to be exact. It took us an entire hour to gather those twelve items. Not only because they’re scattered throughout the store, but because of the baby steps we were taking. If I was tired of taking those baby steps, I can’t imagine how my father felt.

Ready to Check Out

After gathering all the items, we headed towards the cash registers. They were full, but since we only had twelve items, we could use the 20 items or fewer register. Woo-hoo! But wait, why is it so slow? Never mind, we’re in Walmart. There’s little to no courtesy or consideration here. Let alone people who take their time to read where it clearly states, “20 ITEMS OR FEWER.” So there we were at the 20 items or fewer line waiting for the couple with 40+ items to finish.

A Good Deed

The gentleman behind us asked if he could cut in front since he only had three items. “Please do, sir,” I responded. It would not bother me to let him pass. He kindly thanked me and replied, “You are not from here. People here are not polite. Where are you from?” See, even he realized people are not courteous here. We chit-chatted a bit until he was ready to check out. Once he checked out, it was our turn and I could not be happier.

Yes, today I took my elderly father to Walmart. The place I dislike shopping at the most. Not only are the social media memes about Walmart accurate, but there’s also a lack of courtesy or respect. It is unfortunate we have succumbed to this level within society. I sure hope people begin to shift their awareness to a politeness level and that I don’t have to go to Walmart ever again.

Consciousness, Healing, Interaction, Life, Manifestation, Moods, Negativity

What Will the New Year Bring us?

December 31, 2020 debbie413 Leave a comment

“It can be disastrous or great. It depends on us.” ~ Debbie

2020 Be Gone!

It’s the last day of the year 2020 — the year of the global pandemic, COVID-19. It’s new year’s eve and everyone is looking forward to the beginning of 2021, new hopes, new dreams, and new ventures. The social media venues are full of posts condemning 2020. The year 2020 brought so much heartache, hatred, disappointment, and loss to so many. Loss of lives, jobs, homes, and dreams.

“I can’t wait for 2020 to go away,” I have seen posted so many times.

I wonder what makes people believe that just because 2020 is over, the virus will magically disappear and everything will be back to the way it was before. Why dwell on how bad the year was? There’s nothing we can do to change what happened or what was. Why not attempt to see all the good in it?

Things to be Grateful For

Good? What was good about 2020? For starters, we are alive. Rise in the morning and be grateful that you could open your eyes. Be grateful for the loved ones who woke up next to you in bed or in your household. For your pets, the roof over your head, your fluffy pillow, and sheets that kept you warm. Be grateful if the virus did not affect you. If you caught COVID-19 and healed, be grateful too.

I see the year 2020 as a test. A test for all of us to realize who we are, our gifts, and what we have. A time for us to awaken and grow. We all have been given cards to deal with, and we make our own decisions on how to deal with these cards. Think about what you may have accomplished during the year 2020. So you spent most of your time at home — no trips, no gatherings, no socializing, blah, blah, blah. Did you use this time to do things you never had time to do before? Declutter your home, read a few books, redecorate your living quarters, ground yourself with nature, or just lounge around in blissful peace.

Parenting in 2020

If you’re a parent, did you spend more time with your children doing meaningful stuff like playing board games, puzzles, teach them to cook, etc? Or just simply get to know them? Oh, believe me, I once had a conversation with a 7-year-old who told me she only danced in front of her friends and not her mom because she didn’t know her mom that well. Shocking, I know, but they’re out there.

So Much to Do, So Little Time

Returning to the topic on hand, did you take the time to reflect on your life and figure out how you can deal with your cards differently for your benefit? What did you accomplish in 2020? There is so much you could have achieved throughout this year. Yet many just complain they could not go out or have fun the conventional way.

I too had certain goals and resolutions for 2020, which I could not fulfill. But I didn’t focus on that. I set my intention to accomplish as much as I could according to what was happening worldwide. Yes, I could not travel this year, which is big for me. But that just means I’ll take an extra trip when there’s no more COVID-19 threat. So, this year l focused on my other goals and completed 90% of them.

My Thoughts Create My Luck

If you’re thinking that it was just luck, you’re wrong. My accomplishment was not because of luck or wealth. It happened because I believe it’s a matter of mindset. I focused on all the good that would come from the situation at hand and did not give a second thought about all the bad that could happen. Also, I learned not to worry. The way I see it is, can I do something about it? If I can, then I do it. If not, then let it go — hence no need to worry because worrying will not solve any problems but just give us more. When we focus on what is going wrong in our lives, we’re just opening the door for more things to go wrong. However, if we turn it around and look for the positives, we will attract more positive things to come.

We Should All Be Grateful

Everyone has things to be grateful for this year, so let’s start with that. There’s no need to wait for the new year to turn our mindset around and be grateful. “Grateful” is the keyword because if you’re reading this, that is just one reason to be grateful. It means you have eyesight, learned how to read, and have a gadget where you can read from, just to name a few. With that said, how will you deal with your new deck of cards in 2021?

Wishing you all a Happy New Year 2021!

Aromatherapy, Candles, Local Businesses, Moods

How Aromatic Candles can Set the Mood for Whatever You Want

November 11, 2020 debbie413 Leave a comment

No Candles at Home

I recently began using scented candles in my home. I stopped using these about 15 years ago because my husband could not stand the scented candles. He claimed these scents triggered migraine headaches. Of course, I did not want my husband to suffer through these horrific headaches, so I opted to not use them anymore. But, while at the Farmer and Artisan’s Marketplace in Kissimmee, Florida, I came across a kiosk of locally hand-poured candles by the name of Vista Candle Co. Since I no longer bought scented candles, I thought it’d be nice to just take a whiff of the aromatic candles.

Vista Candle Co. banner — photo by author

A Female Owned Local Company

Vista Candle Co. is a home-based, local company in Orlando, Florida, owned and operated by a young, female healthcare worker. As a healthcare worker and lover of candles, she ventured out to create something that would help her destress after work during the COVID-19 pandemic. She quickly realized that, just as candles help her relax and decompress after a long stressful day at work, it can also help others. Hence her creation took form. She created these candles with a soy and paraffin blend, high-quality essential oils, and uses a wood wick for the smaller ones.

Elegant Kiosk with Varied Scents

As we approached the kiosk, a lovely young couple greeted us. Their setup was simple but elegant and displayed the tin candles, glass candles, and some wax melts. There were also some open scent samplers for visitors to try. Did you know that after sniffing aromas you can sniff coffee beans to cleanse your nasal palate? I did not know that was a thing until I saw the coffee beans at the kiosk. Curiosity got to me. I asked the young lady about the beans and she explained that after smelling a few candle samples, you might suffer temporary olfactory fatigue. If you take a sniff of the coffee beans, you can continue sniffing candles without missing out on their irresistible aromas. Why had I not heard of that before?

Kiosk at Farmers and Artisan’s Market — photo by author

I Am Buying Candles!

While I explored the aromatic scents, I noticed that my husband was doing the same. I reminded him of his experience with scented candles. He responded, “I like these scents.” No need to tell me twice. I grabbed three — Palo Santo+Sage, White Sage+Lavender, and Pumpkin Chai. At home, I use the Palo Santo+Sage and White Sage+Lavender while meditating. The candle aroma eases me into a deep meditation, making the experience more vivid and relaxing. And the Pumpkin Chai burns during the day, which takes me back to days of family gatherings and Thanksgiving.

Easy Christmas Shopping For Me!

After trying them at home, I thought they would make splendid gifts and have since ordered more online. The ones I ordered are Cozy Flannel, White Birch, Hansel & Gretel, and Christmas Hearth. I think I might add some other scents for Christmas gifts and myself. Aromatic candles are perfect for setting the mood for any event or relaxing and make wonderful gifts for any occasion. After all, who doesn’t like scented candles?

Much Success to this Company

I admire the creativity and determination of this young woman to venture out and create a company amidst the global pandemic. This approach alone was one reason I continue to purchase candles from this company, along with the fact that it’s a young, female healthcare worker entrepreneur. I wish her success in this endeavor. Thank you Vista Candle Co. for your amazing product.

Debbie's Reflection