Aesop’s Fable

While we don’t exactly have the Tortoise and the Hare in the backyard, we do have The Turtle and the Rabbit and I think that’s good enough to qualify as our own Aesop’s Fable.

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We were gifted with a new Wascally Wabbit a few weeks. She’s a cute little thing and totally at home in our backyard. We’ve named her Buster Rabbit. We’ll see how long she’s a free-range bunny though. I’m afraid the dogs might just scare her to death if they happen to find a way in the back.

She’s adapted quite nicely to life in our backyard and has plumped up considerably what with all the green grass the rainy season brings. She’s also been able to enjoy carrot tops, watermelon rinds, and other tasty tidbits that get tossed out the back door.

We also have Mr. Turtle who’s a cantankerous SOB. My son and I crack each other imagining the things he might say if he were able to speak. In our mind, his speech is full of groserías (swear words) complaining about nearly everything.

Mr. Turtle is obviously not happy to live with us. We picked him up some time ago off the main road. His shell was cracked probably from being run over. Due to the severity of his injuries, we thought we’d let him recover in the upstairs patio garden. He was fine with that for about a week then scaled the wall and dropped down to the ground and made his way to the backyard.

Since the backyard is green and lush, full of good things to eat and ample water, we let him be. Now that his shell has healed, he has decided it’s time to move on, continuing that journey across the road to wherever it was he was headed before his mishap.

So far he hasn’t reached the front gate in his escape efforts, but it is only a matter of time. He’s determined, that’s for sure.

Aesop’s fables typically had some sort of moral to them. I’m not sure what the moral is in our rabbit and turtle interactions might be. Mr. Turtle might be Keep on, keeping on. Maybe Buster Rabbit’s lesson is to eat it while the getting is good.

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Want to read more stories about crazy animals?

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Happiness Happens Month

August is Happiness Happens Month. This cheery holiday has been around for 20 years! Of course, I’m all over this holiday because I am of the firm belief that life is what you make of it. In honor of making happiness happen, this month I’ve made it my goal to smile a little more, enjoy the flowers and butterflies that the rainy season has brought, and take things one day at a time. 

So here are some ways you can celebrate Happiness Happens Month. 

Do A Self-Assessment

Find out how happy you are. Take the Authentic Happiness Inventory sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania to measure your overall happiness. You have to register but it’s free.  While you are there go ahead and take the General Happiness Scale which assesses enduring happiness and the Fordyce Emotions Questionnaire which measures current happiness.  

Take A Course

Take the course The Science of Happiness sponsored by edX and the University of California–Berkeley. It’s free and well worth the effort. If you find you don’t have time for it, you can read my summation of the course here.

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As you probably know, I have my own happiness course designed for expats that are struggling with the adjustment to their new country. Surviving Voluntary Exile: How to overcome common obstacles to making a successful life transition at Coursecraft is deeply discounted when you use this LINK

Read A Book

If courses aren’t your thing, you can get a book version of Surviving Voluntary Exile: How to overcome common obstacles to making a successful life transition at Amazon. The ebook version is FREE for the next few days. The printed version has added journal pages for you to get the most out of the activities and information included. 

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Go And Enjoy Every Minute

This month make it a priority to enjoy the moments you have been given, even if you are struggling with physical, mental or emotional overload. Taking time to smell the roses will do you a world of good! 

Do Something For Someone Else

Happiness shared is happiness multiplied. Go out of your way to make someone smile this month and see just how good you feel. If you are looking for volunteer opportunities check these charities and non-profits out. 

So now that you know it’s in your hands, how are you planning on making happiness happen this month? 

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My First Podcast!

Expat Mama Kimberlee Thorne-Riser has featured me on one of her podcasts!

Here’s a summary of what we talked about:

“Camille Flores met her husband in the US at a Mexican restaurant where they were both working. After a minor pullover with the police without his driver’s license, it looked like he wouldn’t be able to renew his driver’s license or work in the US ever again. Moreover, his deportation would eventually be imminent, so they as a family decided to “self-deport”. She tells what it was like for her to try and adapt to a new country and culture in a remote area of Mexico, with no basic services like electricity or other services for several years. She discusses her experience with Mexico’s schools are vs. schools in the US, how their now 17-year-old is schooled now, and what their lives are like, what they do for work, and much more. A discussion on how varied Mexico can be from region to region. She truly has an amazing story. Her quote or motto is this: “I do the difficult immediately; the impossible takes me a little longer.””

While you are there, be sure to check out the other fascinating podcasters featured on Expat Mama’s page!Expat Mama Podcasts

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Filed under Blogging, Blogs about Mexico Worth Reading, Guest Blogger Adventures