Out of my windows

I have clickery click fingers... i think. Well, some of my photos do turn out pretty decent to me. But they are definitely not green enough for my liking... my fingers I mean.

But it's definitely not stopping me from digging into the compost. It's really therapatic... just like mud, soil are pretty much cooling and soothing to the hands as well. I simply love gardening... hmmm, as much as walking through a garden, a floral farm, a field full of wild flowers. Yah, I'm sure you get the picture.. it's plants that my passion blossom for.

These are the current view from my window... I sure hope the flowers are here to stay.

So those who would be kind enough to attend my funeral next time, please note that I would love to have ; tulips, lilies, gerberas of different colours, carnations, sunflowers, forget-me-nots and lavendars!

17th January ~ Mark's birthday

My dear husband didn't pass his cholesterol check this time round... thus we made a special cake for him. A mango (his favourite fruit) agar agar cake. Hope you had like it, dearest!

Bolly Jolly Food

On our search for the new GT Pond at Neo Tiew recently, we made a stop for lunch at Bollywood Vegies, Poison Ivy Restaurant. Nothing wow to the place but I must admit the simple fare they serve is simply fragrant.

It could be the way they cook.. or the spices they uses.. or being organic does make a difference, but it taste really good especially when it is stated low salt and no msg.

Lemongrass Chicken and Stir fried Potato Leaves with Garlic

Organic Lime Juice with Aloe Vera

I have no appreciation for the desserts though.. but I guess it must be my preference cos i see a lot of others go for the platter of sweet kuehs.

Nice atmosphere.. relax and cosy. They have a new al fresco corner now. Oh, and houseflies comes with it... to complete the feel of a restaurant within a farm.


More info : http://www.myonlinetour.com/poi/bollywoodveggies/index.htm

A Prophecy? I hope not...

It was the kids' first day of school... so you can imagine what kind of haste Mark and I were in.

And in the midst of hustling, we saw this big message on the wall of our lift lobby. We were shocked! But first thing first, we gotta get the kids to school.
I got to admit... while we were in the car, i was going through strings of mix up desperate prayers for the kids and also for wisdom and patience not to jump at the driver next to me. Well, if the message was not meant for me, who else can it be?

After getting our reluntant kids closed behind the classroom doors, we discussed and made a call to the police. We were really worried and I definitely wouldn't want my door to have red paints for CNY.

Thank God that when the police guys were here, they confirmed it was a prank as the same message appeared on other floors as well with the unit numbers changed accordingly.

The worst victim here is the one with his number scribbled on the wall for contact... poor fella most probably gotta change his mobile. Yah... we called him and realised.. that it wasn't just a simple prank.

As for the kids... Jem spent his first day in class yawning away. Jay found a cosy corner to go zzzz. Haiz~

Blessed in ways others do not understand

I simply had to stop my chores to pen down these thoughts... cos I know for many years to come, I would want to feel the same way again and again.

CNY is round the bend... and I'm doing what I do every year.. Spring Cleaning. Most of my friends will think I clean obsessively...hmmm, maybe. But yah, i'm one who loves the pleasure of a clean, cosy home to lounge in. Even when I hardly have the luxury to lounge now with the two monsterous kids around.

I'm in bad need of a part time helper. Seriously, its no joke to have 3 guys in a 5-room flat who have little desire to maintain peace, harmony and most of all... neatness! Cleaning up after them is like clearing the walkway, while it is still snowing. Especially now that I'm badly down with flu.

So there I was... earlier on, scrubbing vigorously on the walls of the toilet. I just couldn't understand how can it get so grubby despite me scrubbing it ever so often? I vividly remember a friend once share how his mum made him scrub those tiles with a toothbrush whenever CNY draws near. Poor mum didn't even realised that she was incurring the wrath of her own son while trying to keep a clean house! Suddenly I have the crazy notion that maybe we should let the house turn mouldy like the way people delibrately let their tangerines do so in CNY to 'fa' in their life. hmmm... harmony will prevails since no one need to do anything and who knows, the 'magic' might just work and we get super 'fa'? YUCKS!! i scrubbed the grimes even more thoroughly.

Maybe I should fly off somewhere till the festive is over...

SMACK! The truth hit me real hard!

Friends... whom have known me for years, aren't you happy for me? (For those who doesn't... I was 'orphaned' at 3 and been living on my own since a tender age.) I used to fly off on my own elsewhere during CNY when I was single in order to avoid having reunion dinner with my grandma's family. No, she loves me lots and me too... but she never understood the pain of having 'reunion' dinner when my dad was kicking alive somewhere having his reunion with other families... just not his daughter. Nor did she know that the ang baos she happily deck out on his behalf actually contains my money and its an ironic stab deep into my heart when she hands me my ang bao from daddy.

But now... within the walls of this flat that I grumbly scrubbed, live my loving family. They are the guys whom I know have no qualms in leaving fingerprints on my just wiped door... but never fail to tell me they love me each day as well. Will I exchange another flight for them this season? Definitely NOT!

"Father in Heaven, I thank you for the love ones around me... that makes even scrubbing dirts a worthwhile task... a fulfilment paramounts to a holiday trip, just to see them lounge in a clean and cosy home."

So mums... who are having a 'taxing' time preparing for CNY, may you too find the joy of 'slaving' away for your family this Spring. It is really a wonderful thing to work hard for people you love, than to enjoy with no one to share. Bask in the lovely atmosphere of flowers and blessings...even when cleaning is part of the agenda.

Cheerios!

Dinner : Kebabs on grill pan

Some time back, we invested on an iron casted grill pan. So occasionally we do feast on a variety of kebabs for dinner.

Above :

- fresh button mushroom sprinkled with oregano

- cherry tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and a dash of basil

- zuchinni

- sausage

- marinated pork and chicken pieces