1010

Big and spectacular things are few and far between, so we must learn to enjoy the little things. Fortunately, there are so many of these little things around us that gladden the heart, if we only we pay attention to them.

This pretty number sequence put a smile on my face while I waited

 

Fail

As I've said before, context is very important.

So once in a while FAIL is good.

Love That Red

Someone had given Baby Sis a red lipstick and every time she wears it she gets compliments on the colour. It is a lipstick in "garang" red that is very suitable for occasions when she dresses up.

Red, in case you don't know, is a very difficult colour to wear as lipstick because the wrong shade can make you look garish. Since Baby Sis had hit the "red lipstick jack-pot" she was determined to re-stock before the season changes and the colour is removed from the shelf.

Yesterday she found the lipstick. She bought one for herself and another for me.  Is it any wonder that I love my sis? She is always so generous to buy me beautiful things and to share her finds with me. 

And, I sure love that red, too.

Don't you just love the red?

Nyonyas at the Heritage Book Launch

Three weeks ago Baby Sis and I were invited for a heritage book launch. We were the unpaid "living" props but we didn't mind 'cos we got to dress up and even had our photo appear in the Sunday Star!

I believe the two nyonyas stole the show

The "Star" treatment led some people to think that we were the authors of the book!

Baby Blues

Context is very important.

Under normal circumstances, this message that I received from my 'bee last Thursday would have sent me into an anxious fit.

My first thougt: What happened?

But when I looked at the message again I was ecstatic with joy. 'Cos it means.....

Yes, blue is definitely the colour for the season.

Doubly Satisfied

This year I really over-indulged in k'ngee chang smothered in the yummiest, pekat-est gula melaka syrup ever.

See the super pekat syrup! That's how I like the syrup.

Then, just as I thought that that's all the chang I'm going to enjoy this year, Priscilla gave me two of her homemade bak chang. I normally do not eat bak chang but I have to admit that I changed my mind after eating hers - they were spectacular!

 

Priscilla's bak chang. This photo does not do it justice : (

She added beans to the pulut and the whole dumpling was packed with the best of ingredients. She used lean pork, which is the only kind of pork we like, mushrooms, a whole chestnut and one whole salted egg yolk! This is undoubtedly the best bak chang I've ever tasted.

My too-dark photo of a "ho liau" bak chang

God granted me the desires of my heart, and more, through wonderful friends that He has blessed me with. Good friends are indeed one of the richest blessings that God can put in our lives.

Max One - Day Eight

Imagine that all these years you have been driving around with your hand-brakes engaged. You are resigned to the fact that your car is performing below par and that the engine is sluggish. Then one day realisation hits you and you release the hand-brakes.

What a thrill to feel the rush of the engine! What joy to find the car taking off with a gentle nudge of the accelerator! That was exactly how I feel now.

I thank God for Max One, a wonderful supplement that has given me a new lease to life. Now I am able to sleep well. No more tossing and turning in the middle of the night.

When I wake up I'm alert, refreshed and recharged. No more starting the day on half tank. And the energy level does not dip or wane throughout the day.

I'm delighted with the new, improved me after a mere 8 days on Max One. At last, I am MAX-imizing my life.

Max One - Day Seven

On normal days I already feel tired when I wake up but these past few days I have been waking up bursting with energy.

I used to experience an energy slump after lunch where I can hardly keep my eyes open and all I want to do is crawl into bed. Very often I'll try to catnap in the car as hubby drives us back to office after lunch.

Today I came back from church, did some housework, sent off Max's info to some of my friends, went to enrol my cousin as Associate, had dinner with friends, came home to do the laundry, answer some emails and ordered some products. All done without the energy slump.

And now I'm ready for a good night's sleep. I love this "full of life" feeling!

P.S. No diarrhoea today.

Max One - Day Six

Yesterday (23/6) was a good day for me. Then came the evening.

On our way back from dinner, I took the opportunity to educate hubby on the detox effects of Max One. I told him that besides the headaches, I have had exceptionally good bowel movements since I started on Max One. Some people might experience diarrhoea.

No sooner had those words left my mouth than I felt a churning in my tummy and I really had diarrhoea when I reached home!

Pardon me for being gross but the poop was really black. If that is not a detox effect then it should be the lousy dry bak kit teh we had for dinner. But cannot be so soon after dinner right? Or can it?

Max One - Day Five

I really feel good. Normally I would be very tired at cell group. At times I would be so exhausted by the end of the work week that I would be dozing off during the discussion.

Tonight (Friday, 22/6) I was alert and I was able to fully give my full attention to the topic under discussion.

I believe that is largely due to the good quality sleep I have been getting the past few nights. I slept through the whole night - sounds like I'm a baby -and that's something that has not happened in a long time.

Most mornings I do not wake up refreshed but things have changed, for the better. Nowadays I wake up recharged and energised. I really like waking up this way!

Max One - Day Four

I feel so much better today. The headache is gone and I feel very alert, no more after-lunch drowsiness.

I also notice better bowel movements.

Coincidentally the haze also cleared up a bit today so I'm not sure whether the headache of the past two days was due to the haze or healing crisis.

Today Is The Day

I never thought I'd live to see the day when I would jump for joy upon receiving such message from my 'bee.

Well, the day has come, and today is the day.

Max One - Day Three

Dull nagging headache lasted the whole day. Thank God it is nothing like the ones I used to suffer from that made me nauseous and was so bad that want to decapitate myself.

I attribute it to the haze which has become worse.

Yearning Satisfied

This Saturday is the Chang or Dumpling Festival. In the past we used to order chang from Khoo's step-mom but a few years ago she stopped making chang due to old age.

I was just lamenting on how much I miss my annual indulgence in k'ngee chang when Day Chubby promised to bring me some when his mother-in-law makes them for the festival.

Tonight my yearning for k'ngee chang is satisfied. Day Chubby purposely drove over to our apartment to pass me the k'ngee chang.

And the marvellous thing was that the k'ngee chang came with the accompanying brown sugar syrup. Some people just sell you the k'ngee chang without the syrup so this is indeed a bonus.

I am really blessed to have such wonderful friends.

Durians For Dinner

The durian season has been around for some time. Finally we decided it is time to have our first durians of the season for dinner.

We went to our usual stall along Macalister Road and had a big shock when we found out the price of durians this year. They are so expensive due to scarcity.

The durian-seller also told us that some branded durians have been reserved by his regular customers due to the short supply.

In the end, we bought one Hor Lor for RM50 and one Ling Fung Chiao for RM45! These are the most expensive durians we have ever eaten in our lives.

Next time we'll buy our durians from TESCO.

Picture here shows the durian seller and the durians we bought.

New Stew Pot

Bought a new Stew Pot to make soup for the family. I have another that dries up very fast which makes it unsafe to leave the pot bubbling when there is no one to watch it, hence this new purchase.

Today is the first time I'm using it to make chicken soup using Priscilla's formula.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the soup will turn out as delicious as the ones my mom used to make.

Max One - Day Two, Night

By 10pm I could barely keep my eyes open. Had a really good sleep.

Eating Gold

Bought all these in preparation for 'bee's visit home tomorrow.

I have always known Chinese herbs are expensive but I still get a shock when I settle the bill.

Today's bill came to RM615.00. RM440 for 16 pieces of Bird's Nest and RM175 for half-a-niao (is one niao equivalent to 1 tahil?) of Pau Som.

Almost like eating gold!

Max One - Day Two, Morning

Having a headache. Don't know whether it's healing crisis or because of the haze.

Max One - Day One

Didn't feel any difference. Just unbearably sleepy in the afternoon. That could be due to a late night and having to wake up early this morning to learn about the business from our sifu.

Mulberry Plants

Received some mulberry saplings from Priscilla together with the pot to plant them in and the soil as well.

I'm going to have some mulberry bushes soon!

It also warms my heart to think that it's gonna be the real thing when I sing and play "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" with my Grandbeebee.

Good Friends And Good Food at Pantai Bersih

Yesterday we spent a lovely evening in the company of good friends, great friends, wonderful friends. Hubby and I decided we must do this more often.

The evening started off with a good seafood dinner at Pantai Bersih. Hubby managed to pay for dinner despite BA's valiant attempt to first pay a deposit with the proprietor.

After that we adjourned to Jusco at Bandar Perda for Starbucks coffee and cakes. The ladies who were more adventurous opted for the Red Bean with Green Tea and we loved it! But the cake in the same flavour tasted weird.

We went with: (clockwise from top left corner) Jessy and BA, Sathy and Vive, Vive's anak angkats Matthew, Joa Wee and Felicia, and Kee Lin with Joanne and their boys.

Salt Dough Footprint Keepsakes

Source: http://www.theimaginationtree.com/2011/06/salt-dough-footprint-keepsakes.html

Salt dough recipe:
1 cup salt
1 cup plain flour
Up to half a cup of water

Mix together into a large bowl and knead it until smooth and stretchy. This last part is important otherwise the dough remains sticky and quite granular from the salt. If it is still too sticky add a bit more flour, if too dry and crumbly then add a tiny touch more water. A little bit of trial and error is all that is needed and it really is so easy!

Make impression. Bake at 100 degrees C (around 200 degrees F) for 3 hours. Do every year and make a stepping stone path :)

For more imaginative play ideas for/with kids go to http://www.theimaginationtree.com

Prometheus

Went to watch Prometheus this morning. While commenting on the movie, I told hubby that our 'bee told me that the reports from her friends was that it's a lousy show.

His only comment was, "She mustn't watch."

All we can think of is our grandbeebee.

Grandmother-to-be Learns to Make Bird's Nest Soup

I was only pregnant once and that was almost thirty years ago. So I cannot remember what I ate or what soups my mom or mom-in-law prepared for me to drink during my pregnancy. All I remember was taking Obimin and drinking milk.

Now that my 'bee is pregnant I had to go around consulting friends on what soups are good for her. I really thank God for Priscilla who is so knowledgeable and so generous to share her tips with me.

Not only did she teach me, she also packed the herbs for her daughter Melissa (another angel God sent our way) to bring down for Pam because I didn't have time to shop for them myself.

She taught me how to make bird's nest soup and is going to help me buy a stew pot to do that. That's my assignment for next weekend when my 'bee comes back.

However I am a very bad auditory learner so God in His wisdom sent further reinforcement through this blogger that I am following - http://www.noobcook.com/

Just two days ago she posted on how to cook Bird's nest soup with picture and lots of tips as well. That certainly boosted my confidence. Isn't God amazing!

Feet and Toes

Freshly pedicured toes certainly deserve new footwear.

Toes are wearing my current favourite O.P.I. colour, Bogota Blackberry.

Feet are trying out this style of casual footwear for the first time. They look good on other feet and also looked fine on my feet at the shop. Today? Hmmm, like something is not right. 

Origami Grannie

Hubby asked, "Why you download so many folding paper apps?"

I replied, "That's called origami la."

He asked again, "Ya la, so why are you downloading so many?"

"So that I can fold nice things for my grand-babies to take home when they visit me! I'll teach them how to fold paper boats and you can take them to sail the boats down some big drain."