Another Wonderful Year

"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I wrote down "Happy" They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life"

- John Lennon

On birthdays, we wish Happy Birthday and on other festivals too, we wish others by adding the word "Happy" in front. All these words were invented long time ago, meaning that folks during those days already knew Happiness is very important. people still know that happiness is important but most of the time forget how to be happy.

So I take this opportunity to wish all a Happy New Year! Hope this year was a wonderful year for you and next year even a better year for all. Delete all the bad memories or worries, erase all unhappy thoughts that bring miseries and focus on how to make yourself happy for the whole of next year.

Thanks for reading! Stay healthy and happy always!

French Toast

It has been a while since we made this. Last week we saw on t.v some people introducing food from coffee shops and one of the popular breakfast is this. Yummy but a bit oily and rich too. Well, eating this once in a while wouldn't hurt.

We sandwich two breads with butter and cheese, some with peanut butter and banana, some with butter and jam. Soak the sandwich into the beaten eggs that had been mixed with milk and a pinch of salt and fried them in butter. Yes, yes I know that it is a bit oily but it is sooooo tasty.

Droooooling already. So when was the last time you had French toast? We don't eat this very often because of so much work involved and fattening too. Normal days were just bread and jam etc no frying etc.

Thanks for visiting. Hope you enjoy cooking too.

A Christmas Joke

A Russian couple was walking down the street in St. Petersburg the other night, when the man felt a drop hit his nose. "I think it's raining," he said to his wife.

"No, that felt more like snow to me," she replied. "No, I'm sure it was just rain, he said." Well, as these things go, they were about to have a major argument about whether it was raining or snowing. Just then they saw a minor communist party official walking toward them. "Let's not fight about it," the man said, "let's ask Comrade Rudolph whether it's officially raining or snowing."

As the official approached, the man said, "Tell us, Comrade Rudolph, is it officially raining or snowing?"

"It's raining, of course," he answered and walked on. But the woman insisted: "I know that felt like snow!" To which the man quietly replied: "Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear!"


Just for laughs! Merry Christmas to all!

Brinjal / Aubergine / Eggplant

When I was in school, my teacher told me this is brinjal. Later when I was working, cook show said this is eggplant. When my son starts school, this is already known as aubergine. Wonder why so many names for this particular plant.

A neighbor gave hubby a packet of seeds. He planted the whole packet of seeds which is about hundreds of seeds in there. Out of the hundreds, only one plant survive. It has been blooming none stop, but most of the flowers didn't turn out to be eggplant. A few did but drop before it starts to grow except for this one and only one.

Guess now all we could do is wait for it to turn purple. Can't wait. Now I get how farmers feel. Must be frustrating at times. It has to depend on the weather, soil, pest etc. Farmers must be patience folks. I sincerely thank all the farmers around the world from the bottom of my heart. Thank you, thank you and thank you. Without you I wouldn't be having vegetables on my table.

Thanks for reading and happy gardening to you too. Now when I eat my vegetables, I think of the farmers and are really grateful of their hard work. Thank you again.

What's Your Reason For Having Children

Someone once said that the more children he have the better, because in case one child didn't make it in the world and can't afford to take care of him, he still have others to rely on. Sounds like buying lotteries to me. The more you buy the higher your chance of winning.

That is his prediction of the future, but what about bringing them up, now, financially and fizically. Is he and his wife capable of doing it? There was this documentary about a Chinese couple in Malaysia, who have fifteen children all together. They kept getting pregnant until her body says other wise and end up with so many children. The man have the same thought too. The more the better.

They live in a small wooden hut and only the husband is working on odd jobs which doesn't pay much and most of the time they live on sweet potatoes and vegetables that they plant outside their house. The man said that his eldest daughter is in her teens and will be getting a job soon to support the family.

I find these rather disturbing. How could a dad asked his daughter to help bring up his children. Then when she grows up, she might fall in love, get married and need to take care of her own family too. Then what.

Yesterday one of my student told me that after form five, he will not be going to college because his mum asked him to find a job fast so that he can help bring up his three younger brother and sister. I wonder how many more family have such thinking too. He also mentioned that actually his parents decided to have him as an only child. By the time he reached ten years old, he wanted someone to play with and asked for brother and sister. His mum then gave birth to a boy and one year after that a pair of twin sister.

By telling him this story does it mean his parents have made it his fault that they have four children now and due to age factor they are retiring soon and the eldest have to support his siblings. Sounds pathetic to me.

Thanks for reading. I just want to get this of my chest. So, what's your story for having kids? Accidently, deliberately or just want to start a family and upgrade yourself to become a mum or dad, just like me.

Grumpy Grandma

I used to think that grandparents are the most fantastic people on Earth. Not sure about you but I indeed got a loving grandma who pampered me and my sister more than my parents. A neighbor of mine, who lives behind my house, is a very grumpy grandma. Those days when I just moved in to the neighborhood, I rarely hear her yell. Now a days since she had to take care of her grandchild, I could hear her yell almost everyday. It is either "Don't touch that", "Why can't you just sit still", "Told you not to ...." etc.

The child could hardly speak a full sentences, my guess is she could only be around two to three years of age. Poor child. I, felt like the child is in prison.

Having children around is like having pets. Have to keep them occupied. If not they would ransack the whole house. I am sure those with children or pets will agree with me.

I used to collect McDonald Happy meals toys for my sons when they were young. On birthdays, I would pampered them with more toys, educational toys or toys that would keep them busy for a while. To me Lego and Hot Wheel is a must. My sons love cars, guess most boys do. So with a set of Hot Wheel, they need time to assemble the tracks etc and they could play for hours.

Someone taught me to keep all toys in two or three separate boxes. Let them play with only one box of toys and hide the others. After a week or so, they get bored, hide the first box and let them play with toys in the second box. Works for me, all the time.

So when they are busy with their toys, I could at least have some time to do housework and they don't even bother to touch my stuffs. When they are busy, I am busy and less or zero yelling which makes them happy children and most important me a happy mommy.

Sometime I wanted so much to tell my neighbor about what had worked for me in the past but then on second thought she might think that I am teaching an old lady with few grown up children how to be a mom again? Better keep my thoughts to myself.

Happy reading and hope you are a happy parent too. Happy parenting to your children and pets.