Bed.

Dear Friends, 

Pssst...secret...

Bed!!

Bed is the most wonderful piece o' furniture ever invented.

In the village, we the children jump six feet high on it like it was we trampoline, we roll like barrel, and big brother tickle we and we giggle and 'holler stop stop, out of breath.

And in we big ole home in we seaside town, bed was where we play cards and Monopoly, read books. As we move into we teens, me and me gyal-friends gossip and discuss make-up, clothes and boys.

Me high-school friend strum me guitar on me bed and sing with the voice of siren out at sea, haunting, beautiful melody. Everybody at home thought it was the radio.

I make gifts sitting on me bed, and every single essay, from high-school through uni, I write on me bed.

In me apartment by the ocean, I lay on me bed with the wide-windows open on a Friday afternoon after I spend the day making the floor shine, furniture dust-free, bathroom clean, me done bathe and belly full. I watch the sky, listen to the waves splashai against the seawall, fall away and splashai again.

Sadly, sadly, I had to leave the sea-breezy apartment, but I move to another surrounded by trees. Me landlord leave the best bed in the world. Firm but not tough. 

Lock down in the land because of covid, I hang the mosquito net in the afternoons after lunch, and listen to the trees and BBC radio dramas. I watch Ottmar Liebert perform live guitar via the Internet as the night fold 'round, windows close to shut out the crickets-cacophony, electric-fan blowing to keep me cool, mosquito net fluffing like cloud in the fan-breeze.

Lunch time now. I must rise from this here bed and cook.

The other day, I see a photo of a man taking breakfast for he wife in bed.

Nah.

Nahi. No. Non. Nyet. Nao with the squiggly thing over the "a" which is Portuguese for No.

I.

Ain't.

Eating.

In. 

Bed.

I can't.

One day, I might tell you about the Saturday afternoon nap. Nothing dramatical, only simple and sweet and innocent. 

Stay safe and happy, dear lovely friends, neena xx.

My smiling place.

Dear Friends,

I stumble 'pon a video the other night about a' unusual study. The psychiatry department of Harvard Medical School been doing a study about what makes a good life. 

Yes, I know, that ain't unusual. Every talk and she tv show does have discussions about this.

But this Harvard study is different. Nobody else do one like it, as far as I know.

For 75 years, since they make that TED talk video...I guess it would be 80 years now...they choose a little over 700 men, and they look into everything in their lives.

You can check it out here, if you want: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KkKuTCFvzI

What the study discover didn't surprise me.

For some time, after I go back home to my lovely native land, I been doing this study in me own way, on me self, and on people around me.  Me conscious self recognise what me heart did already know. The healthy relationships we build, the community we create with caring people...that is the secret to a good life.

A couple o' years before moving home, while still living in The Island, me and a friend had a discussion about it. 

I did tell she that being around family does make me happy. She say that family can be abusive, and, instead of blood family, you can build a family with friends. I say, friends alone ain't enough. And so we went, back and forth.

Truth is, both of we is right. Family sure can have some toxic people. And friends ain't always enough.

The series that I working on, starting from the home, is me study on this. Instead of presenting it like essay though, I try to show it, paint pictures with me words.

In me mind, I got  a list of things I want always in me smiling place:

Good health.

Healthy relationships.

A rich community life.

Books.

Art.

Music.

A garden to work in.

Fruit. 

Veggies.

Bed.

Roof over me head.

Nature.

What is your list, dear Friends? What do you need in your smiling place?

And what you do when you' loved one(s) drive you up the wall and 'round the bend?

Stay safe, stay healthy and happy.

Plenty lurve, neena xx.

Dancing by the window.

Dear Friends,

Y'all ever feel you' insides dancin' for no reason? 

Sometimes, walkin' late afternoon under trees with Ma, where the coolin' sunlight stream through branches, and decorate we faces like gold ribbon, I do a li'l jig, a quick step, one foot in front, hop.

I want to skitter like them leaves on the asphalt road, twirlin' when the wind blow, I want to spin like that one leaf hanging on a cobweb string. I want to be that thin drizzly-rain doin' that shiverin'-quiverin' in the wind like a Sufi song.

This morning, I peep through the window, spy a butterfly waftin' by, past the pecan tree.

I speed outside, trot across the damp grass to peek at them pecan nuts.

Back in the house, and I feel that dancin' thing trippin' and twirlin' within. 

As I sit down here to write a li'l hello, I play a song, Sajda, from the film, My Name is Khan. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7p1f1Ojetc

Me memory-mind do a flip, kerry me to me apartment by the sea, in me lovely native land. See me there, standing at me big-wide window, staring at the black-night-sea swayin', and me spirit flow like the water, rockin' to the tabla and the raags.

I must go cook lunch now. Have a sweet day, lovely Friends. Take care of you.

Plenty lurve, neena xx

P.S. Here is some more inside-dancin' memories straight from Big Ole Home By De Sea:

A strange light in me room…

a dull, silver glow,

lighting a path through the east window,

across me bed, to the floor.

On the edges of the light-path,

I can see me bookshelf in the soft gloom,

me guitar against the shelf,

a chair with magazines,

the clear plastic bins with craft.

I open the windows

and the breeze lift them curtains in a dance.

And something inside me start to dance,

a moon-breeze dance.

Would you go to a place like this?

Dear Friends and Travellers,

This is one heck of a trip to a' exotic place for just $1.99!!

Smashwords got a Summer/Winter Sale 'til the end o' July, and I taking part in it. Join me in South America, nah? - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1000769

Yes, I know, I know. Plenty book lovers prefer to read paper-books. But!! If you read news and articles online, or blogs...I guarantee this book is wayyyyy easier to read. I format it with oodles o' space between each episode.

The space make you feel like you shooting de breeze, like you gyaffing...chatting...with friends.

Speaking o' friends...if you really ain't want to, or can't, read the book online, how about gifting it to a friend...to friends? Check out how gifting works: https://www.smashwords.com/about/gifts

Happy travels! Stay safe. Plenty lurrrve, neena xxx.