Author: Mauron Kur

  • Juxtaposition

    What is one word that describes you?

    First word that came to mind.

  • Charlie-kun the charinko

    You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?

    I would love to bike across the country! Hopefully it is a scenic path, or I can put it on the car for an occasional rest.

    Charlie-kun on one of our outings

    I had a green bike in Japan named Charlie-kun which was my main mode of transportation when not on a train or bus. There’s a lot of freedom with bikes and more time to pull over for excursions & to breathe in the fresh air. Charlie-kun may also have enjoyed the freedom while rolling down slopes into rice patties. I joked that Charlie-kun was my boyfriend whom I wouldn’t let in the house and I made him sleep outside.

  • Dealing with downers

    What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?

    When dealing with a bad day, I think it’s helpful to go out of your way to treat yourself well. If your friend or family member was having a bad day, what kind of things would you do to cheer them up? A lot of times if something bad happens, we seem to blame ourselves and it leads to more irritation. But if we had more compassion with our own mistakes or struggles then maybe we would end up in a better place. Having compassion for others when they make your day more difficult can help – try to wish them well or pity them. Sometimes I try to decide to be positive and think of how many blessings I am ignoring, or if it’s a train wreck of a day I try to look at it with humor. Leave work stress at the door, and rinse it off in the shower or by meditating. After a rough day I can treat myself by buying a nice meal instead of cooking, scheduling a massage, or buying more plants. (I have a tendency to “stress buy” plants.)

  • Going Down the Wikipedia Rabbit Hole

    What activities do you lose yourself in?

    Sometimes my curiosity for a topic on my mind or from an article I read will peak my interest, and I’ll do a Google search which often leads me to reading a lengthy Wikipedia page. That page may bring up a  topic or two which are new to me, and I open another window to explore it in more detail. This process can take hours to get through, but it’s worth it as I slowly work my way back through the open tabs after veering far from the original topic.

  • Giraffe 🦒

    Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?

    I am compared to a giraffe for either my height or awkward sense of grace when I run through the grasslands.

  • Dang, Oldie!

    Write a letter to your 100-year-old self.

    Dang, oldie! You rockin it! Been taking breaks from memory lane to spend time learning new things from people in the moment? Don’t forget to smell some dirt and plants! They are like nature’s scratch and sniffs.

  • Shopping~!

    Where would you go on a shopping spree?

    I’d start hitting all the clothes I can in the mall, dance e ecstatically if I find any shoes that fit me, then Lush, get lost in housewares and cooking stores, and end up at a gardening store buying so many plants that I decide it is time to purchase a house big enough to fit my dream plant home 🏡 At some point reality of my budget will probably hit in, so normally I get cut off at Lush.

  • Middle Name

    Daily writing prompt
    What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?

    My middle name “Gail” comes from a friend of my mother back when she was in university in Louisiana. I’ve never met my namesake, but I can only assume I share some fun, quirky personality traits with her! ❤

  • Mending A Seam

    This morning I not only learned how to mend a seam on a pillowcase, but I made it into my first DIY video!

    How does it look?

  • Always learning

    What is the last thing you learned?

    For the last few days I’ve gotten curious about video making and editing, so yesterday I watched a tutorial and I’m in the process of editing a video with a newbie guitar recording while also learning how to send media from my phone to my computer. Also, I learned a couple days ago that melting butter before baking can lead to very flat, square cookies.