conversations
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A few months ago, while listening to my Pastor teach a lesson on how God blesses, he said something that made me sit up a bit more in my chair. “We don’t dictate how God blesses” – Pastor Tim. Wait…what? You mean all those selfish prayers I pray each morning are not what God wants…
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A few weeks ago I was struggling with a decision and its circumstances, and in that conversation I was told just be brave. That lingered in my psyche for a while. Why was I struggling so much with this decision? I realized it wasn’t about me, it was about the unwarranted judgment that was going…
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As someone who enjoys good conversation, I find myself quieter than usual. I find myself listening to exchanges that question my presence in them, immediately realizing, “I have nothing to add to this.” Conversations can be petty, insightful, silly, or entertaining. They can serve as a point of education, admonishment, or simply fun. Yet, lately,…
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As every woman knows, these two are not the same. One is an intruder, and one is an occupant. One comes in unannouced while they other makes itself comfortable in our bodies. I am amazed how both are having a moment now. It used to be kale, cauliflower rice, and even therapy. Now it’s Peri…
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Several months back, while on vacation with my family, we were at dinner and noticed these toddlers, who could not be older than two years old, sitting with their respective parents. Though their ages were exactly the same, their behavior was not. One toddler was quiet and focused on his iPad, while the other was…
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During the summer months, I decided to join my husband on location, and when things abruptly wrapped up (did I mention there is a strike going on?), we decided to extend our time away and drive up the East Coast and across the Country. But that recap will be for another blog. I want to…
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What does waiting feel like to you? We wait in lines We wait in cars We wait in trains, buses, street corners We wait on decisions We wait on the news We wait on results We wait for breakfast, lunch, and dinner We wait for plans to be made Every moment of our day we…
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I am excited to share the upcoming podcasts for October! Firstly, I want to thank all the listeners who have joined me in this endeavor. It is a wonderful platform to share my life stories, hacks, and experiences. If you have not caught up on the podcasts, just go wherever you listen to your podcasts…
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I am back! Starting today! I return with the second season of “Conversations from the Green Couch Podcast!” Simply tap on the link and listen in on any and all platforms where you listen to your podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-from-the-green-couch-w-annette-ortiz-mata/id1566969656 I am excited about this season. I am doing something different, and I hope you join me…
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Lately, I have been listening to several podcasts during my long walks. It makes the time go by faster, and I get to catch up on some of the current events, get updated on pop culture, and learn a few new things about finances and relationships, hoping that something sticks. It made me think –…
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Several months ago, I was enjoying a beautiful dinner with some friends. We shared stories and lots of laughter. It was an evening filled with poignant moments, tears, and encouragement. As the evening was coming to a close, one of my friends made a strange comment, and it literally shifted the moment. It was a…
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If you are anything like me…you are a list maker. I have a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly list. It might be my OCD…yeah, I can admit that. And like anyone else, I had goals and plans for things to do this year! BUT guess what! I might have checked off one major item and…
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Several days ago I was asked to join some girlfriends on Zoom to “just talk” and I took a hard pass. I thought I’d never say this, but I am officially experiencing digital fatigue. Everything that I must access is currently found on the Information Highway otherwise known as the Internet. Internet use to be…
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Six months of quarantine exposed a million little cracks that, if left unattended, would shatter…it would shatter our family. Awkwardly sitting together in our first virtual session… Family therapy. Looking at a screen trying to communicate why we are here. How did we get here? It was grueling! It required us to hear words spoken of…
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Exhausted… Yup! These past few weeks, I have felt nothing but emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion. I avoided the news channels for a few weeks, but my social media posts seemed to keep me connected to all the current news and all the anxiety we are experiencing in our neighborhoods, state, and world. It is…
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This week I had the privilege of sitting with some amazing women. They all shared their incredible journeys. They were poignant, heartfelt stories, others were uplifting and encouraging. One theme seems to run through all of the conversations…be teachable. Each one of them imparted some small nugget that left me filled, thinking, and challenged. I…
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The past few weeks I have sat in several conversations where someone said, “I need to let it go” or “I’m letting it go”… it struck me that there is a marked difference in these words along with their actions and all I kept thinking was “save yourself.” “Letting go,” is a slow and sometimes…
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In this era of social media overload, we find complete strangers asking us to follow them …and we do!!! They ask us to like, comment, share, follow! Heck! I’m one of them too! We have a society that is entirely voyeuristic but not engaged with one another. We spend hours, really think about it,…
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I love you, I hate you. Go away, please stay. You are amazing, you are ugly. You are a failure, you are brilliant. Hello, Goodbye. Will you marry me? She’s gone. You failed, you passed. Go to Hell, God is Love. It’s a boy, I am sorry for your loss. These are words I have…
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Warning this blog may be too revealing for some. Read at your own risk! As a little girl, I witnessed the many times my mom would hold a grudge, and I mean that lady could hold a grudge like nobody’s business. I promised myself I would never be that person. That I would just forgive…