Category: Blog

Blog, Poetry

Wake Up…

by Susie KrivacicLeave a Comment on Wake Up…

 

 

man sitting on edge facing sunset
Photo by Abhiram Prakash on Pexels.com

Wake up to a beautiful morning.

Embrace the glorious day.

But be aware that negative people

will steal your dreams away.

 

Start your day so happy.

The sun shines oh so bright.

But meet hostile folks today

and joy goes out of sight.

 

Don’t know what to do

with this stressful world today.

Looking for a strategy to help

my peaceful attitude stay.

 

The mid-day is working out so well,

even fit in a mellow break.

But walk in the path of an angry person,

and goodwill is truly at stake.

 

It’s tranquil as the sun goes down,

and feeling oh so fine.

Dodged all combative people,

and the day was so divine.

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

 

Blog, Lifestyle

Happy Hour…

by Susie KrivacicLeave a Comment on Happy Hour…
people drinking liquor and talking on dining table close up photo
Photo by Helena Lopes on Pexels.com

So it’s 5:00 pm on an average Friday afternoon, and where is everyone? You guessed it, Happy Hour!

What is it with America and Happy Hour? I suppose because here there is a taboo in reference to drinking alcohol unless it is at a preordained, specified time. Yes, you can get away with drinking in the mid-morning if you are at “Brunch”, but that’s it because the clock seems to dictate when we imbibe.

Take a recent Heineken commercial…A fellow is getting applause over his presentation at work. He pops open a Heineken. Everyone at the conference table stares. He then shows them that it’s a Heineken 0.0 (“Great Taste, Zero Alchohol”), and suddenly, all is well.

In France, they would more than likely all be either enjoying a fine wine during the meeting or gathering after for a leisurely lunch and opening a bottle. There is no concern about when you drink because it’s not about drinking. The focus is on the experience, taking in the aroma, and savoring the flavor. This is perhaps why drinking “on the job” is a non-issue. You share time together. It’s not about overindulging.

We could learn a lot from the French…but in America, at least at work, stay sober and…

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

 

Blog, Poetry

The Roadmap…

by Susie KrivacicLeave a Comment on The Roadmap…
adventure city country destination
Photo by Lorenzo Cafaro on Pexels.com

As I passed an elderly woman,

I knew I had lost my way.

I was in a foreign city

feeling confusion and panic that day.

The older lady held the secret

to know the lay of the land.

She must have been in her mid-eighties

with beauty and knowledge as old as the sand.

Years of loyalty to one zone or town

gives infinite knowledge of the space.

The sags and wrinkles she proudly wears

serve as a guide from place to place.

As we sat and chatted she shared many stories,

the awe in her voice made me stare.

She offered a plethora of information

no GPS or map could share.

As our conversation came to a close,

I gave her a gentle touch.

I was no longer concerned with being lost,

for her roadmap offered so much.

Stay groovy,

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

Blog, Family

Where have all the photo albums gone?

by Susie Krivacic1 Comment on Where have all the photo albums gone?
gray scale photos
Photo by Valeria Boltneva on Pexels.com

So…the photo album…For decades a staple of the family room. Mom would show pictures of you when you were small to your date, and you would turn beet red and groan.

Before acid-free paper, images would fade over time. The tape or glue would become less effective, and the wayward photo or two would fall out of the picture book once it’s raised to eye level.

Now, this once loved method of preserving family history has been replaced with digital photography which requires no actual processing and printing. Gone are the days of pulling out a book to share portraits. Now you simply pull your phone from your pocket.

I believe photos have become less “real” as a result. Between cropping, editing, and filters, people don’t look as authentic as they used to in the albums. Seriously, do we always look that beautiful? And don’t get me started on selfies…

There are still a handful of people who stick to the authentic photo albums of yesteryear, but they are few and far between. I appreciate my mother for keeping this tradition alive in our family. How about in your family?

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

Blog, Fashion

Iris Apfel…

by Susie KrivacicLeave a Comment on Iris Apfel…

Iris Apfel 2

So have you heard of Iris Apfel? I want to be just like her when I grow up. She’s a 97-year-old business woman, designer, and fashion icon who just signed with the IMG agency as a model. This is the same agency which represents Bella Hadid and Chrissy Teigen. Not bad for a nonagenarian.

Iris caught everyone’s eye in 2005 when an exhibition about her sense of style premiered at The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. From there an “Accidental Icon” was born. Iris has inspired women of all ages to take a chance with fashion. Bold colors, multiple layers, mixed accessories? The more, the better! In 2018, Iris even had a Barbie doll crafted in her image by Mattel.

Want to learn more? Check out my favorite influencer Iris Apfel on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/IrisApfelofficial/

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blog, Philosophy

The vine…

by Susie KrivacicLeave a Comment on The vine…
branch color decoration garden
Photo by Lum3n.com on Pexels.com

So in our back yard, out of nowhere, a vine began to grow. At first, it was quite pretty, so we didn’t give it much concern. But it slowly began to take over our shrubbery, walls, and ground. That which was so beautiful consumed the entire space to create the antithesis.

This is actually a metaphor for life. Do you have something in your life that started out well, but over time it takes over? It moves from being a lovely addition to your pristine garden to a difficult, overgrown, time-consuming mess.

In our case, we have waited for the yard service that our HOA provides to trim back the excess foliage, but that doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon. Perhaps it is time for us to bring out some trimmers?

If you have something in your life that has taken over in a nonpositive way, trim it back before it smothers all that is good.

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

 

 

Blog, Philosophy

The flickering light bulb…

by Susie KrivacicLeave a Comment on The flickering light bulb…
abstract bright color dark
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

So I walked into my kitchen, flicked on the light switch, and what did I see? You guessed it…a flickering light bulb. The funny thing is that it has been flickering for about the past five times I’ve entered the kitchen. So why don’t I just go ahead and change it?

Who knows?

What am I waiting for? Do I really think I’m going to get extensive wear out of that metaphorically hanging by a thread bulb? Doubt it…For some reason, we feel we must wait for the light to go “out” to change it.

This often translates to our everyday life. If something isn’t working, why do we wait to change it? Do you have friends that are draining your energy? Or how about a job that you’ve outgrown? A financial plan that needs to be retooled? Don’t wait, change it! Don’t let it flicker day in and day out only to finally fade away.

It doesn’t take much to change it now and let a brighter light shine…

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivacic)

Blog, Home

The junk drawer…

by Susie KrivacicLeave a Comment on The junk drawer…
cabinet contemporary cookware counter
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

So everyone has one. Hidden in your pristine, well-appointed kitchen is your deep, dark secret…the junk drawer.

When I mentioned to my son, Ethan, that I was about to blog about the junk drawer, he asked, “Which one? That one?” as he pointed to a desk. I couldn’t resist a chuckle. Yes, we have more than one in our home.

But today, I’ll focus on the one that almost everyone has. Open a random drawer in a kitchen, and you just might see one that holds a little bit of everything: wayward birthday candles, pens without lids, a mismatched spoon, the screwdriver that you can never seem to find when you need it, a staple gun, a chip-clip, loose change (particularly pennies), takeout menus, magnets, a napkin, a stick of gum…”You never know what you’re going to find in your junk drawer…Stuff you haven’t used in years,” Ethan shared.

So why do we continue to waste this space with items that could easily make their way into the trashcan? I have no idea! When we recently cleaned out our kitchen, we addressed every cabinet and every drawer…Except for the junk drawer…For some reason, that space remained untouched. I keep saying I’ll clean it out, but I don’t.

Maybe it contains something that I’ll actually need someday soon…

 

Stay groovy…

–Susie

(Copyright 2019 Susie Krivaic)