General Election

Our general election falls on this Sunday. Hope everything goes well. Never like to talk or blog about politics but those reports I get from the papers, radio and the internet are quite worrying. Just hope who ever wins, on Monday onward, life goes on as normal and not so much of picketing, protesting etc.

Well, it is just few days away. This is worst than waiting for my major exam results. Thanks for reading. Hope you have a great week ahead.

Grow At A Least Expected Place

Recently I discovered this tiny plant, as I was mopping the floor. If not mistaken, the seed that is still attached to it belongs to a lemon or an orange. This is the least fertile place with no soil and the least to get sun light too. It is below my kitchen sink next to the kitchen door. Such a tiny hole and so happen a seed fell right into it and grew into a plant. Amazing isn't it?

I was a bit upset when I found this because several weeks prior to this, I bought two packets of Sunflower seeds. Told hubby that we never had sunflower before and wish to have a row of it. I saw some of the neighbors did that and it was lovely. I had never lay eyes on sunflower before, not sure why, but now kind of love to have some of it in the garden.

When I open the packet of seeds, oh my, there's only nine seeds in it. So we planted some on the ground, in a row and some in a pot in the shade. Waited and waited only one tiny plant appear, the one in the pot. After it grew to about two inches high, hubby put the whole pot out under the sun. Due to the terrible weather these days, which is extremely hot during the day and heavy down pour on certain nights, the tiny plant wilt few days later. I must have lost my pair of green hands.

Maybe because of my impatience, I kept peeking at them everyday, and nothing seems to happen until that miserable seed turn into a tiny plant, gave me something to look forward to everyday and as if it was the only hope, and later watch it wilt. Quite bitter actually. To make matter worst, found this healthy tiny plant at a least expected place. Like rubbing salt to my wound.

Anyway hubby bought another two packets of seed again but I still haven't bring myself to plant it yet. Wanted to get those big, already healthy adult sunflower but most places only have one pot, some even none. Guess I have to wait till some festivals like Chinese New Year or Christmas before the shops etc starts selling more variety of potted plants.

Until then, guess I would just have to try planting with seeds again. Thanks for reading and happy gardening to you too.

Felt Like A Teenager Again

I visited my sister and her children last week. My niece and nephew showed me their painting, on canvas, it was beautiful. I didn't know they could paint like that, then later I was told it was a PIY (paint it yourself) kit that they bought. They showed me the kit and I fell in love with it instantly. Yesterday while shopping at the mall, I came across the same kit, I couldn't resist and bought a set. My younger son who had more of my gene then his dad, demanded for another set for himself. So, now a days we have a new hobby, painting, on canvas, like a professional, except that our canvas had lines and numbers on it. If we follow instructions carefully, the finished painting will look like the real one done by professionals.

As I was painting this morning, I realize my life now in my mid forties are so carefree like when I was a teenager, except those days I didn't earn my own money or have a dog. Most of the time now a days, I get to eat what I crave, does the things I love doing like reading novels, painting (does cross-stitch those days), play with my dog, get to watch movies that I like and have ample time to do all of it, and it feels great. Looks like life in the forties isn't that bad after all. Really thankful.

My two teenage sons are old enough to take care of themselves now. Guess it is time to revert back to my "when I was single" days, goes shopping with my sister till we drop, try out restaurant, see places etc. Like a pay back time because during my mid twenties to late thirties, I was busy making money, get a career, climb the corporate ladder, have kids, raise children etc so busy and hectic that I don't even have time to smell the flowers or know my neighbors.

I am very fortunate and grateful that I made the right decision ten years ago, no regrets at all. Ten years ago I quit my job to be a stay home mom and at the same time became a tuition teacher to kids around my neighborhood for a fee, during my spare time. I am still teaching till today. Thanks to hubby too who supported me decision. It wasn't easy persuading him at first, to allow me to quit my job. After much persistence, he gave in and said ok to give it a try. Looks like everything did go according to my plan.

Thank you for reading. Hope life is treating you well. Whatever you are doing, please make time to please yourself, you deserve it.

An Unexpected Gift

End of March and beginning of April are the few weeks where Chinese pay their respect to their deceased family members. As usual, my side of the family, I only have one sister. So every year, she and I will planned a date to pay our respect to our late father and both grandmothers of both side, which were all buried at the same place. They were all cremated and put in urns and place in units space (like pigeon holes to me) in a pagoda. We were both free last weekend, so we went last Saturday.

As usual, hubby would send me and sons there. We all helped set up those offerings of food, fruits, drinks and a boxes of goodies, or should I say necessities that we need to burn in order to be send to them over the other side. As I and my sister were busy doing all these offerings, hubby went missing. By the time we were done, we went to our car and waited for him.

When he reach the car, I asked where he had went, he said to the office and bought a twin unit inside the new pagoda, a new building just completed next to the existing pagoda. I was speechless. This is something I was never prepared for. Rarely talks about stuffs like these too. Asked if it was for his parents for future used, he smiled and look at me and said, "No, it is for us". Before the conversation could go on, I have to go with my sister to my mom's place in her car as hubby need to go some where else and later at night they had made dinner reservation somewhere far, a new restaurant that they wanted to try out. Hubby joined us at dinner.

We reach home quite late that night and tired too after a whole day. All of us went to bed and I had almost forgotten about the special gift. Next morning, after breakfast, hubby took out the receipt and said "Looks like you will be stuck with me eternally, even after life, you will still have to stay next to me. Now where should I file these receipts?" Another speechless moment for me. A bit puzzled as I have some mix feelings inside me, one hand I was not that happy because I am only in my mid forties and he in his early fifties. On the other hand, those words he had just said, sounded quite sweet though. So in the end I just said "Thank you dear, I think you should filed it here" and passed a file to him.

I guess this was my most awkward moment ever in my life. Anyway, what was done was done, no point arguing or disagreeing. What ever will be will be. Hope that is not a birthday gift for me. My dear sister who went shopping for watches saw a perfect BFF watch and bought a pair, one for me and the other for herself. Both our birthdays falls on April. I have yet to get her a present. Hope hubby would surprise me with a real present. Not sure what got into him and I don't feel right to ask but he did mentioned that those units are selling like hot cakes, finishing fast and it is better to be buried near other relatives. Either some bug bit him or the salesmen there are damn good.

Thanks for reading. How many of you had already purchased a place / home for your, ahem, future?

I Got A Cook

Next week school breaks for a week. My youngest son is always craving for all sorts of western food. Gotta blame that on Asian Food Channel and youtubes that shows so many irrisistable food. So he told me he got tired of eating my food and since it is school holidays, he said he will cook next week for a week.

We went shopping just now for ingredients. He said he is going to cook seafood pasta, lasagna, bake brownies too etc. All in differents days of course. Ask if he knows what he is suppose to do, he showed me the youtube and said most of the ingredients we already have at home and if he follows step by step, nothing could go wrong.

I am not too worry if the dish turns out tasty or not. I am more worried about my kitchen and the mess afterwards. Hubby sometimes have the urge to cook too after watching some cook show. Which he eventually did cook but really mess up my kitchen.

So everytime when sons or hubby volunteer to cook, I am not sure to feel happy or scare. Lets hope everything went well next week. Anyway, when I was cooking and sometime sons volunteer to help and ask all sorts of questions about the dish, I jokingly told them that they should learn to cook because one day when their wife are too angry or busy to cook, at least they could cook for themselves and don't have to starve. Guess partly my fault too.

Thanks for reading. Happy blogging and parenting to you.