A photo, A thought............

Love Song

2026-08-16T19:04:42.392-07:00

(I had fun composing this English-Spanish poem. You will sure love it.)

With your mirada,

You warm my corazón,

You win my alma,

Mi amor.

When you are around,

I am feliz, like a mariposa,

Be it primavera or verano,

Otoño or invierno.

My spirit soars like a pájaro,

I smell fragrant like flores,

I feel sweet like dulces,

I paint vivid sueños.

You are my querencia,

I feel safe near you,

You give me esperanza,

With you I find paz and alegría.

Without you, life is blanco,

It’s devoid of miel,

Keep adding luz and colorado,

Stay for sempiterno.

Translation:

With your gaze, you warm my heart and capture my soul, my love. When you are near, I am happy like a butterfly, no matter the season — spring, summer, autumn, or winter.

My spirit soars like a bird in flight. I feel fragrant, like blooming flowers, and sweet, like candies. My mind paints vivid dreams in your presence.

You are my safe place, my sanctuary. Near you, I feel secure and find hope. You bring peace and joy into my life.

Without you, everything feels blank, devoid of sweetness and meaning. You bring light and color to my world. Stay with me forever.

Note: Previously, I had published it in Vocal Media.

Chech my bilingual English Spanish book on Amazon. The book:

'Art for Peace and Zen' by Seema Patel

2026-07-22T00:46:07.555-07:00

'Art for Peace and Zen' by Seema Patel is here.
Both e-book and paperback got approved quick. I guess, as we grow old in a platform, credibility builds up. Thank you Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.

Link in comments. It will be worth every penny you spent. 

Get for yourself, your parents, elders, anybody you love. I suggest the paperback. It's less than a pizza.

My spiritual tribute to people who want to live a ethical life with high emotional intelligence.
#WalkForPeace #authorseemapatel #amazonkdp #spiritualbook #inspiring #zenmonk #stoicphilosophy #arttherapy 

Amazon book link: https://a.co/d/00hOI6by

Hummingbird

2026-07-13T12:49:21.493-07:00

A hummingbird on purple orchid tree.

It's nest.

A hummingbird taking ash from a grill.

Monk Arts

2026-06-17T19:07:45.385-07:00

Monk and his dog resting under a tree.

Monk in nature.

Monk showing compassion to the creatures.

Check my Facebook art page for more of such arts:

Facebook

As You Make the Life Voyage (Ensure your vessel is not leaky)

2026-05-07T10:18:52.859-07:00

Life is a voyage,

mind is the captain.

the body is vessel.

It does not have to be embellished,

from the outside,

but the vessel must be

steady, and strong.

It should not leak,

or it will capsize.

How pretty exterior it had

does not matter.

I hope you understand,

reduce inflammation,

and care for your vessel.

Ensure, its machinery runs well,

it robust, capable of

making the voyage.

Awareness and discipline

are the tools

to ensure vessel is healthy.

Alas, too many captains

are fixated on

decorating the outside,

neglecting the inside.

What's the excuse?

Everybody doing so,

well then, wait to drown,

just like everybody them.

Be wise, do what is right.

Let's Get to Know Fauna - 1

2026-05-06T10:21:17.251-07:00

Ground squirrel

Sea anemone

Feral cat

Tiger swallowtail butterfly

Rainbow lorikeet

Join Me at Facebook

2026-04-28T20:10:39.208-07:00

Hi All,

Join me in Facebook, where I share:

My arts

Nature photos

Life philosophies

health tips.

My link below.

Facebook

See you there.

Join Me at Facebook

2026-04-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

Learning about inflammation is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It is a subject I speak about often.

My insights are based on more than 15 years of intensive study, research, observation, and experience. 

I aspired to build a career dedicated to raising inflammation awareness among the public. However, my children were small, and I had to place that ambition on the back burner. I focused on health writing. I ran a publication 'The Medical Writer' in Medium. (https://medium.com/the-medical-writer).

Now that they are more independent, I am returning to this purpose. My business card is underway, Meanwhile, I wish to share my knowledge on inflammation with those who need and want it. 

If you are interested, please reach out via message or email. Ask your questions, and if we mutually agree, we can schedule a consultation. 

It's by no means an easy subject, but I tell it in a storytelling way, that it becomes easy, digestible. So, even my kids have strong knowledge of inflammation. 

I have Venmo set up for professional payments. The compensation is for my skill and time, which will be generous, and will consider the client's situation.

That said, I am not interested in scammers. I welcome only genuine inquiries and will respond accordingly. 

Thank you. (I do art for hobby; I am actually a microbiologist-bioinformatician with a bunch of PhD and Masters.).  

Join me at Facebook, where I share a lot of my wisdom.

Facebook

Pebble Craft

2026-04-02T21:10:00.000-07:00

A pebble craft

Photos and Thoughts

2026-03-05T21:36:00.000-08:00

In the garden the daffodils are blooming, and I harvested a guava. The work was done much before, and the result is coming now. Patience is necessary.

Scrolling through social media, I came across a phrase: ascolta chi sei. I guessed it must mean something beautiful and looked it up. It is an Italian phrase that means “listen to who you are.” Such a meaningful thought. I liked it so much that I had to paint it.

Press enter or click to view image in full size

@Seema

On an afternoon walk, the loud chirping of house finches on a scrub oak tree was so delightful. It’s bird therapy.

Press enter or click to view image in full size

@Seema

Just today I was telling my kids that happiness does not have to cost a penny. In a world where earning money is becoming harder, it is a good idea to find happiness without spending anything.

So here they are, making chalk hearts in our garden, surrounded by beautiful spring flowers.

Press enter or click to view image in full size

@Seema

My daughter picks up Japanese words as I learn them. Here she has made chlak art and written hanami, the flower-viewing tradition. When I asked her, “Hanami is watching flowers, and hanabi is fireworks. Which one would you choose?” she said, “Hanami, of course.”

Press enter or click to view image in full size

@Seema

One night I could not sleep because of my daughter’s cough, so I went out for a dawn walk. I have seen many sunsets, but not many dawn skies. That day I saw the soft morning colors rising slowly.

Press enter or click to view image in full size

@Seema

This is my favorite nook in the garden. Here I sit, soak in the sun, and look at the little Buddha surrounded by arugula, nasturtium, mustard, and daisies. My stress disappears. I know nobody else created this space for me but i did it myself. Sometimes we have to create our own happiness.

Press enter or click to view image in full size

@Seema

This is the western vista from my house, but today my brain played a little trick on me. For a moment it looked like a mountain covered with clouds. It was just clouds.

Press enter or click to view image in full size

@Seema

I hope you enjoy the photos and the thoughts.

'Just Breathe' Magnet in my Etsy Shop

2026-02-05T21:53:00.000-08:00

'Just Breathe' magnet

Check it:

Just Breathe Floral Arrangement Magnet | Flower Photo Refrigerator Magnet - Etsy

Digital Arts for Sell at $1-$3

2026-01-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

If you read me you know, I am passionate about art.

Check my arts for sale in Gumroad. Gumroad

Minimal price. Just $1-$3.

The art of 'Buddhist monk and dog' got good response.

Thank you for support.

Cozy Arts

2025-12-26T18:51:00.000-08:00

My arts..

Fireplace..

Reading a book..

My Arts

2025-12-23T13:01:00.000-08:00

Let' see some of my arts..

Courage..

Beauty..

Hypocrisy..

Some Photos..

2025-12-16T20:53:00.000-08:00

Bumble bee on sea fig.

Parrots on cassia tree..

Coulter pine..

When Rain Came

2025-12-05T21:52:00.000-08:00

@Seema

Back then, in the nineties,

in rural India,

monsoon was regular and strong.

We were an agrarian community,

so rains were very important,

to start paddy cultivation.

We would wait, watching the swallows

as harbingers of rain,

and then one day,

black carpets of dense clouds

would cover the sky.

The monsoon had arrived—

to linger for months,

to make the parched land

lush again,

to fill the rivers and ponds,

cattle would be plump up.

We sat leisurely on porches,

enjoying the clouds and rain,

watching birds carry twigs,

to build nests on the trees,

as we munched

crispy pakoras, puffed rice,

with ginger milk tea.

That was bliss,

now I am an immigrant,

in a faraway continent,

Things are not the same,

as we know,

life rhythm is fast,

weather erratic

but I still stand at the window,

sip my tea, and watch the rain

with great delight and passion.

Come what may, we must not lose

the connection with nature,

in its nurturing bosom,

lies our peace and happiness.

On Vocal Cord Care

2025-12-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

Author @Seema

We all have Achilles heels. Well, we can have many. I have a few, and one of mine is my throat region.
I have hypothyroidism. If you don’t know thyroid gland is in threat near the trachea. Recently, I am feeling little discomfort in my throat.

I’ve been trying to understand it better so I can manage it more wisely.
As a mother of two kids who talk and shout a lot, I often end up using my voice constantly. The vocal cords feel tired and strained.

I dictating too many drafts a day. It can affect the vocal cords too.

So, I feel I am over-using my vocal cords. My laryngeal muscles are overworked.

The thyroid gland is below the larynx or voice box. So, the vocal cord strain can affect the thyroid gland too. It’s happening to me.

What can we do to soothe the vocal chord?

🌸Dehydration is bad as it dries the mucus film. So drink plenty of water. Warm water is better.

🌸Good sleep is must for muscle strain repair. So, it is necessary to sleep 6–7 hours.

🌸Stomach acid can irritate both the throat and thyroid area. So, controlling the acid reflux is important.

🌸Resting the voice is important. We don’t always have to talk.

🌸 I learned that throat clearing and coughing can hurt the vocal cords together, so we have to limit that.

🌸 Avoiding irritants like strong scents is also important, and I make sure to take it seriously.

Press enter or click to view image in full size

Say ‘No’ to perfumes @Seema

🌸Foods rich in iodine, selenium, zinc, and iron should be included in the diet, while goitrogenic foods should be limited. Goiter is swollen neck. So, it will surely press the vocal cords.

@Seema

🌸 Stress management is equally important.

🌸Keeping the body warm is important, especially for hypothyroid people as the body is cold-intolerant.

Winter is especially harsh, with low vitamin D, weaker immunity, circulating germs, and cold air. So, I try to stay warm. I hope you found this story informative.

Then I Started Drinking Tap Water

2025-11-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

The sulfite-laced nuts gave me anaphylaxis attack @Seema

Let read how preservative-laden mixed nut consumption sent me to anaphylaxis.

We never bought the big jars of mineral water, unlike our neighbors. We’d get bottled water mostly when traveling. Well, I live in California, not Flint, and the water is well-sanitized, and quality-controlled.

Still, we had water filters. I would religiously fill the filter with tap water and consume only the filtered ones. The filters needed changing every few months. We always had extra filters in stock. In case the blue button turned red! If we ever ran out of filters, it’s an ‘emergency.’ I would ask my spouse to place an order quick. I would even boil water. As if not done, we will die of diarrhea!

I laugh at that now. It’s been several years since I’ve drunk directly from the tap. We have a water softener system installed now, since California water is alkaline and harsh. But even when we did not have the filter installed, I drank from the faucet.

As a poignant article on Medium taught me, we often make life-changing decisions when we receive a shock. That was certainly the case for me.

Let me share. Who knows, you might reconsider the relevance of splurging on bottled water!

It was during the time when I had a premature newborn. I needed good nutrition to nurture my depleted body and the baby! Among other things, I used to consume handfuls of mixed nuts from the grocery where we used to get our provisions. The nuts were an exotic mix, roasted, processed, and delicious. I knew soaked nuts are the best, roasted is not quite. But I hoped they would still be helpful.

After a few months of consuming nuts, I started experiencing serious allergies. My lips were swelling, my face had edema, and I had itching, hives all over my skin, and respiratory distress! They were scary. A time came when, I got allergy attacks after biting into an apple and drinking water!

My poor spouse bought a crate of bottled mineral water for me! We hoped, it will help with the crisis. Don’t we try everything, when faced with unknown, life-threatening troubles?

One night, after drinking water, I got the horrifying lip tingling, facial puffiness, hives, and windpipe tightening. So, we set up an emergency visit. Now, I must tell you, I try to avoid medical visits. It was pandemic times. My spouse took a day off, and we took the susceptible baby to visit the doctor. It was the early days of masked outings. Fear was in the air!

I asked the doctor if water could be the culprit, and he told me that such severe allergies are not caused by a simple thing. Something bigger is at play.

Nothing came out of the visit.

He said he’s just a general practitioner and can refer me to an endocrinologist. I hate such rabbit hole of uncertainty, money, schedules, and misdiagnosis.

I brought the corticosteroid vial he had prescribed for emergencies; in case I am choking due to anaphylaxis. But I did not take any. Instead, I sat down to analyze my ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact profile.

I am not doing anything different. I know, suddenly developing allergies is not rare. The symptoms appear when the threshold antibody level is built. After eliminating a lot of things, the culprit seemed to be the processed nuts.

I considered my past history. Yes, when I had consumed anything with high doses of sulfite preservatives, my body had warned. It’s not the nuts themselves, but the preservatives they are smeared with.

I threw the nuts in the trash bin. The allergies didn’t subside just like that. With hope, awareness, and trust on the scientific connections, I persisted in my regular lifestyle sans the nuts. I endured allergies, without taking any antiallergy pills.

Dear readers, it took 1–2 months, but my body was finally cleaned off the inflammatory biomarkers, accumulated due to the preservative consumption.

I was thrilled. The preservative was the offender, and I made my water the scapegoat!

After the nut fiasco, as an act of rebellion, I started drinking tap water, and it’s been 4 years now. I have been doing well. If you are battling health issues, find the culprit that might be creating the problems. I hope my story gave insight into how to crack a health crisis riddle.

Well, I am a researcher, so I had it rather easy. But you can do it too, by embracing health-literacy, awareness, and discipline.

Even though I don’t know you, I wouldn’t like you to go through unnecessary treatment and to spend your hard-earned money.

How to Find Happiness?

2025-11-04T01:28:03.519-08:00

@Seema

We live in a society among humans, where love and respect are often given based on the value we bring. So, perpetual happiness will never be possible, if we depend on others.

We must find it within, through creativity, learning, and nature appreciation.

I am not preaching. I have practiced this since childhood, and it works wonderfully. I see that most people don’t do these things, and they suffer the consequences.

Nature, to me, is a lifelong source of joy. I have spent thousands of hours in nature over the past few years. Some may ask, “What’s there to see? It’s always the same.”

No , it’s not the same. For a curious mind, every bend hides something new and fascinating.

Let me show you.

A monarch butterfly on a bottlebrush hedge.
A mushroom poking from the ground.

@Seema

A roadrunner on my garden wall.

@Seema

A rose bush with abundant rose hips.

@Seema

A rainbow appears in the sky.

@Seema

Mustard blossoms blooming in California chaparral.

@Seema

Citrus blooms are pink as protection against sunlight.

@Seema

An autumnal sycamore leaf, backlit and vibrant against the azure sky.

@Seema

Can you ever get bored among such beautiful things? I don’t.

“Nature is not a place to visit, it is home.” –Gary Snyder

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” –John Muir

“What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?” –E.M. Forster

Embrace nature. Improve life. Find happiness.

The Artist

2025-11-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

For more arts check: https://medium.com/@seemabiotech83

Book on Inflammation

2025-10-11T23:47:00.000-07:00

Read and buy my book on 'Inflammation' and restore health.

It has 30+ stories/poems and it has ranking in allergies category.

My Amazon Book

Also, follow my health publication in Medium.

The Medical Writer

My Biomedical Publication

2025-08-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

I run a publication 'The Medical Writer' in Medium. It's about all aspects of healthcare. It has hundreds of articles on diverse health topics. Check the Link and get benefitted by the information.

Awareness saves life.

You Can Find Me At Below Links..

2025-03-23T01:08:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I'm writing on Medium these days—you can find me there and explore my latest articles:

Medium

I’ve also self-published 7 books on Amazon KDP. You can check them out here:

Amazon KDP

And don’t forget to visit my YouTube channel:

YouTube

Thank you for your support! 🌸

Hi Everybody, After Long!

2024-06-08T03:07:00.000-07:00

Hi readers,

I have not been writing in Blogger since mid-2019.

After writing regularly from 2011 to 2019, I took a break from writing here.

Since last year, I have been writing on Medium. I found much-needed success there.

If you used to read here and like my blog, please join me there.

Medium is a wonderful place to read, write, and get paid to do so.

Explore Medium. Here is my profile:

https://medium.com/@seemabiotech83

Baby Sophia..

2020-08-18T19:18:00.001-07:00

I have been on a break from my blog because of several reasons..one of them is the birth of our baby..a girl Sophia..now she is in month 10..I will write on the pregnancy journey and the baby in other posts..for now a photo of our cherub..