2011 ~ HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

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I'm sorry for the loooong absences, but i was busy with pretty loads of things and what's more being on a full-time job.. while, beading is still on-going and between, time of attention & tending & listening to mum. Just a swift .. -> time goes.. a day went by, another day went by.. another .. another ..

Ok, back to this little blog where i would share some; arh.. guess rambling is more ya.. ha..ha.. anyway a BIG Thank You to all out there who has been reading or pass-by or drop-in guest.. or perhaps None of the above exit .. arh.. well .. never mind.. i will still "muse" myself happy ya.. after all Life is too short to be unhappy or uncomfortable with for long right?.. and for these reason, "Joy" is one of my resolution placing on second of my "wish list".. first is nothing but "Health".. Good health is wealth receive!!

There's still a couple of "muse" to share; on its way .. (.^) .. but as of now.. i would like to Wish ALL a BOUNTIFUL, JOYOUS, PEACEFUL, HEALTHY 2011 !!  Cheeers !! ...

Happy Holidays & Days Ahead...
Luv+ Hugs
Hobby Loft

To All Mother's..Happy Mum's Day !!

Here's a tribute to ALL Mothers ~ Happy Mothers Day !!!

Love for Mum..

Saw this small nice cake displayed on the shelf while getting loaf of bread for the morg breakfast.. and it juz came on me that .. "hmm..nice cake, mum should love it esp..it is mango flavor".. well nice for a reason too.. tomorrow is Mother's Day!! So.. home with it..

As i stroll home with the cake in hand, thoughts ran thro of how mum's reaction would be.. i knew she would say "it's expensive, .. i dun have the appetite, .. what so special about mother's day, .. " blah..blah.. arh.. well, it is never to her expectation, it juz too tough, too high for me to reach & meet; anyway, it doesn't matter any more, as long as i have done my best, did what i should, duties, responsibilities, care, loves are all thrown out to her!

Juz before i step into the house, i cross my arm around myself [giving me, myself a gd hug] and say .. "Is alright gal, you have already done more than what has been ask of.." and i prayed blessing over mum.

Indeed, mum wasn't kind of surprise or happy, she ate a little slice and said she's not in good appetite, her body is aching .. well .. can see from the pic, she wasn't that happy.. :( never mind..

never mind.. If only i did have someone to celebrate like this.. ha.. wow.. sighhh...

Well, well, nonetheless, i truly must Thank Lord, for her, for this family, if not for them; i did be in one of those gals homes or even orphanage.. Mum has been thro' lots of tough lives; during her youth, waving thro even jap war times. She has also been with me thro' my darkest time, though nagging seems to be her only reciporal action, but physically she is there.. and that is till tis day the sight of her frail & weakling movement sent my heart out squashing... Thank Q MaMa..

awch...oouch...

sometime it pays to be slow & careful.. awuuuchh...oooh..oh.. never would i have expected a "trip" of my office slippers would send me almost head over heels and roll over the street & almost near the road!! hooo..Thank God for HIS "guarding angels"..

It was during our lunch break while walking that i had this "tumble over".. totally off balance, nothing infront for me to grab hold of.. Kat, Feng & Su Dong was shock..esp Kat as she was just beside me, thus she manage to "save" my working glasses from breaking.. while the other hand of hers gave me a "lift" on my arm which saves me from a "worsen-fall".

Well, with some aches & tore of skin on my right palm, we continued over for our lunch; after which proceeded to a pharmacy to get plaster and antiseptic cream. The pain & muscles aches didn't turn out till night..when i tried to stood down to help mum with some cream treatment over her skin.. sighhh.. she was sighing away seeing me in tis condition. We both praise the Lord for HIS protection.. hallelujah.. :)

Wanna finish up the netted necklace which i bead halfway thro' but the stretch of holding the needle pulls my palm skin.. oookiee.. better rest off for healing.. Washing up dishes was bad but with a plastic bag hoop over, it surely help coz the water & detergent won't smear the raw wound.

when appreciation becomes "depreciation"..

just wonder how many of us wanted to be recongized, noted, even applaud; or perhaps a better word i could think of "appreciate".. need not be rewarded in substance, but kind of just being noted. Yes, NOTED would just be enough - as for me noting just within their hearts, thoughts and not returning any "hurtful" or "insulting" words. That is my whole want, abundance of gladness, even joy knowing what i have done is being appreciated, being thought of..

but when appreciation is being taken for granted.. it truly hurts, disappoint. many a times, i did tell myself that perhaps they have just taken it as "habitual", "a routine", "a responsibility", "dutiful" .. guess the list could go on covering up for them, or merely consoleling myself; well, alright whatever, just let them be ya .. after all i did what i did.. as daughter, as good assistant ..

let go, let go of that urge of "appreciation".. it doesn't made me any richier; happier!! But non-acceptance, comparison ripe off every skin of peace, joy .. Lots of people gives that regular quote "GOD sees all that you have done, you will be rewarded" .. of coz i can't help but agree to that, but i would re-phrase, i don't need reward in return, what i need is LUV.. and please tell them, it is not a MUST or a RESPONSIBILITY or a DUTIFUL .. choices is there, just as HE has given us CHOICE.. so i chose to be loyal, filial, dutiful, responsible and not neglect.

well, perhaps i haven't learn hard enough to ignore "appreciation", okay.. i should let it "depreciate"!! let appreciation be depreciate to "ground zero" ... PAPA God, wash away my hurt and sew up my wounds and blanket me with your Great Favor & Love!! Thank Q..

Good O'ol American cooking . . .

it was fun..just like good ooold days, picking up utensils, messing up the kitchen. i still remember when i was juz 5+ old [erhhh.. once upon a time (.^) i used to tag along mum's side, "helping" her out in the kitchen.. ha..ha.. so to speak but well, at that age, is more of "playing" just like our "kampong" language call "masak-masak".. [it holds 2 meaning in malay tho i.e. "cook-cook" or "toy-play"]... ookiee.. back into the "yester-year scene".. i loves carrying those pots around; from floor to sink, but surely not to the stove area; that is a Restricted Zone for me.

i would help out the preparation of vegetables, more of "tearing" them up then cutting/chopping

i would try to "wash-up" dishes in a pail instead of in the sink coz i still can't reach even with the help of a stool. ha..ha.. lots of "oohs..NO.. NO.. wahhh.." from mum then anything else.. hee..hee..

hmm..could only trill back in memory lane.. while now i have the entire kitchen with me. no more yelling from mum, only "yammy" instead (*+*) .. most cooking especially chinese menus are either self taught through practical experienceing this & that or some viewing from TV and even flip flip of cook books.. hmm.. be bold.. test, try and yammmy good..

now tis american menu sure caught my eye and interest that i gave a go & learn it.. yes.. yes.. it was nice, lots of preparation work then chinese menu.. sequence of ingredients plays quite a big part unlike "my chinese style" of putting almost everything into the wok at a go.. controlling only over the fire of our stove.

alright so much of words & reflecs here's the college picture of what i have done :-

(1) clam chowder soup (2) baked marcoroni with cereal

(3) chicken pie (4) ice cream with rum & raisn ... yam yam

.. surprise ..

What a day to kick start with; a surprise that i receive - a big mail package. It was a package from the Humaneity Foundation. A magazine of their full & recent activities & goals, 2 leaflets "passport" of the child i sponsored! No expectations of any materials from them when i first chose to communicate to find out how i could go about reaching to those "less fortunate" & after receiving some highlights, explanatory & reg. forms; my chk went out to the mail.

The act of reaching out in some way was not my 1st trial.. I have been wanting to do something since sometime back.. Is it life changes that got me into this "deep thoughts" or is it some "setback" that has gotten me into these? No..no.. surely not.. but i would admit my first reach-out mission experience has indeed "drilled" & "roasted" my heart with that desire. The image of that women carrying her baby crying out just for milk has never left my memory bank since 1990s. We could provide her all the $$ we have, but it's useless. Source and outlet that could cater those needs is something unreachable in their place of origin. sighhh... At that moment we could only pray and even till today she is still in my intercessing list whenever my memory bank strike that particular "byte".

Well, is always great to lend a hand to those that is less, wherever they are, whoever they are, we need not know them, neither they need to know who we are.. bear in mind dun claim fame, name, recognization, appreciation or whatever returns. Contentment is the greatest source leading peace, joy & harmony to oneself. Am i bragging?.. ha..ha.. take it that i am then :)

wedding .. adults now ..

It was during the CNY visits that one of my elder boy cousin reveal that their son is getting married! wow.. i couldn't phantom till i attended their wedding dinner juz last weekend; all the little ones of "yester-years" were all grown up!! whew.. did i feel old looking at them?

YES! NO!! hmm.. yes -> they are grown adults now, of coz i "depreciate" but not age; it juz kept raising .. (.^) ha..ha.. And i mean "no" becoz i think i still look good appearingly.. well .. lots of compliment conclude that. and they aren't juz "lip-service" or to please me, they are from close relatives that i have not get to meet for kind of sometime.

Staying & maintaining "young" doesn't come from products, facial, clothings etc.., but from hearts & thoughts & most importantly HIS Grace! Coz it is HIS Grace, Strength & Blessing that brought me thus far!! hallelujah!!

.. my loves ..

ain't they adorable?.. to me YES they are!! and i dun mean only the 2 little ones but all that of them i.e. mum too (^.) .. Dillion the elder one is so much taller now; a little on the lean side but he is always so so lovable & obedient & he always has heart for the older folks.. Mum is never a stranger to him regardless of their wide age gap & communication; yes i mean communication between mum & him.. but he would always try to understand & figure out; by looking & me or his parents for translation.. ha..ha.. (@.@)
Well, new gen. family communications are more on english & mandarin language, a little other ethic dialects from their grandparents. So, for a non-educational mum..ha..ha.. she speaks all dialects but to no avail.. Of coz that is Issac that is grown & he could run about tis year when they both came to visit us.. he still couldn't speak as yet (only 24mths plus). He seems to be more bold & active then Dillion of his age then.

Well, well, they both are lovely pair of sons of Alan & Linda [my colleague]. Mum adores them both very much, a little much more for Dillion, so do i coz Dillion is more "贴心“ [intimate, attach, tender-hearted..]

R&R...

CNY 2010 - R&R

art therapy, coloring, symbols, mandalas ...

It was all nice & fun to have attended tis class.. wish it could have been longer though.. coz it was so nice tucking into those color pencil box, picking up colors that u love & like and shading all over. 2 simple mandalas template were provided for our used. Well, it was a "mind-opening" lesson; of which i learn and knew; different colors represent moods & feelings; so is some simple symbols that Bryan 老师 shared with us.

this is my 1st completed piece during the lesson. Colored 2 more subsequently .. when i place them together i notice the color range varies, somehow there ain't any repeat in any sequence .. Bryan 老师 shared that it is not only fun but it's relaxing, i.e. letting your hands & thoughts runs, enjoy drawing, feels & colors, he even encourage us to keep them in file, frame them up too!! ooop.. i think i will when someday i go for the calligraphy drawing / painting class .. arh.. perhaps i should take a half-day break for it :)

It may be a 2-hour workshop, but it is truly interesting, learning more how drawing and colouring could help heal & focus .. anyway it is fun.. oohh..oh.. time is running i gonna get ready & go for the wedding dinner ..

yahooo..am bacccck..

we are always busy..busy.. so busy that we forget the purpose in life..[sometime and/or may be not all but only me (*.)] We always worry for others; but did we take care of ourself, our inner being; inner child. Do you know if you take care of yourself, many problems will be resolved naturally?!.. That's what i have started doing of late, take smaller step/pace in most things.. work, home, on my way to & fro to wherever i need to be & wants to be..

even weekends; saturday would be like reading, craftings if no appointments for scheduled hobby classes.. sunday after church, home chaos would be in slow pace.. after which, i would relax in my "favorite couch", light music, burning smell of sweet aroma essential oil, holding books or crafts in hand; sometime with cuppa green hot tea if not for juz glass of water, and let my mind swirl off with the wind, with most occassions of mumblings/chatting with HIM !! hmmm... try that out!! wonders it will do to your soul, mind & body! share and let me know how you feel ya?!! (^.)

as i'm resizing and getting some of my pictures up, i would show and share some thoughts and happenings as i back-track ya.. stay tune..

now let me get back to where i drop off ..i.e. my comfy sofa and continue my book "The Gift"..
while "viewer"; frens u have a bountiful weekend..

before u know.. time juz..

hmm.. it was juz like yesterday when christmas, new year 2010..came and now is like almost mid Feb.. wow.. time waits for no one indeed.

with approx 4 days to go., we are ushering into the Chinese Lunar New Year! Whew.. and that is to say i'm or rather we [mum & myself] are going for our short holiday break.. yeah!!.. we both looks forward to it.. though it's the same place we are going again..[almost the past 5 years] we are never never tired of it. dun ask me why? i have no answer.. guess is the "relax" time off.. a diff. environment.

why did i place a "open & close" inverted marks on relax? while, as for me, yes i'm in relax environment, afterall staying in a Resort why not? but, needing to care for mum along is not a total/full relax mode that i can fully switch off. 1st needing to make sure pack her needs like medicine and snacks. oh why snacks? dun they have food & shops there for bites? sure, they sure do.. but mum is juz like another small kiddy that she wants her favorite "nits-nacks".. arhh.. guess one would understand best when they are in my shoe.

well, well.. whatever it is, JOY & PEACE is SURELY there for both of us to enjoy to the fullest, cos we 'lovest' to do our praising, singing & praying and last but not least feasting; & "bird-watching" ha..ha.. with 2 old ladies.. 1=90 yrs & me=?? [hee..hee] we sure enjoy ourself by the pool-side watching pretty women & hunt man .. will try and snap some pic .. kee..kee.. ;p

ookiee.. i better get ready to go home for the Mobile Doc is coming today for mum's quarterly check-up.

am back.. but snail space tho..

hmm..gone mia for a short while., so where have i been lately? no-where.. still same me, same place, same thoughts but physically weak though. Would i say age is catching up? i won't deny, but surely it could be better, have to take care ya.. so i was kind of like gotten busy and a little "burn-out" frm attending to mum. Is not easy to be a "care-giver" [that's what they term or name]. Coping with her demands, her needs, her attention.. i juz slip off "coaxing myself"..

so accidentally, i hit the "depression mode" to ON instead of IDLE of supposedly should be OFF all d time :( But i thank The Lord for giving me psychology & counselling training way much earlier; so i notice the system was weird; such as i could clinch my fist, lock myself up in d bathroom & started wailing away. extra facial wash [crying] every night to sleep! i would even vent my anger on my clothes & clothes hanger!! Gosh!! was i up-tight? stress? mental? whatever??!!...

i didn't want to talk to anyone, didn't want to write, didn't even do any craft which i normally does & it helps very very much! i couldn't pray well, but i never stop "grumbling" to HIM, "speak" to HIM, "complain" to HIM! Perhaps this is also a way of "praying"! i shared & told my little cell group abt my feelings, haps & ask them help to keep me in prayers too; which i rarely does and they know, it must be serious or i did never ask, rather i used to be d jovial & encouraging one that pray for them instead.

of coz, things went lots better..; then; i had a bad sore throat resulted from a "chronic sinus" according to the ENT Doc. i was given 10 days medication to clear.. and that medication .. oh gosh.. send me daze..loose appetite.. looks like parts of engine needs over-haul .. :(

oookiee.. thank you PAPA God, i can smell the "freshness" of the morning air and "air-con" air!!
Thank You for Your Healing, Thank You for Your Comfort, Thank You for Your Strength, Thank You for EVERYTHING!! how could i ever cross humps, hurdles .. ... on my own ?!!

ok guess enough of bragging, would do some back-dated posting along d ways & days to come..
meanwhile, i pray good health to each & everyone.. :)

Upload of pictures. .

Yeah..with some mingling, flickering & of coz exploring here & there; finally gotten some pictures uploaded! Well, give me sometime though to do some bit of description of those finished pieces ya.. Meanwhile, one could at least point to view over at the side of tis blog; with good help from flickr.com :p)

Alright, please accept my snail pace as i ain't any IT savy; i am still experimenting, exploring and of coz enjoy every fair bit of the process. Ha..ha.. but when some "hit-up" arise, grrrh..grinding & clinching in silent mode though. ((@.@))

Works of students..

Remember just about a week plus ago, we begin our Beading Lesson? Project - Spiral Necklace. And; we planned to meet up the following week right.., but due to some of our commitment we delayed our session till yesterday. This time, we held at Janet's home.. hmm.. she even cooked us lunch..her sambal prawn was yammy.. Ooop.. too hungry forgotten about the camera !


We had some chat & updates of our personal "up's & downs"; or i would honestly say that is a good sharing or "thrashing" out of our "rambles & grumbles". Both me & Pauline could easily feel each other's emotion, hurts, downs and "what's-nots" when she has to care for her husband whose health is not too well of late, whilst as of me is my mama. :( Janet is like our "cooling fan/ blower", she not only gives us her "hearing hearts" but diverts our conversation off comfortly, when she saw our sharing wells-up our teary eyes. Hmmm.. this is indeed a nice ladies fellowship..


NOW.. Beading time!! When both Janet & Pauline pulls out their spiral project.. Oooh.. Wow..

i have never expect such beautiful result! (considering them their 1st time beading?!!) hah.. You can say perhaps that's your 1st lesson; so easily amazed. Nope.. nope; given that it can be my thousand or millions of lessons.. the result is still just one simple word "Stunning"!!

A similar sets of beads can be distributed out; yet i can assure that the end result or the finished project would always produce a different, pretty and each show casing their piece uniquely.

Janet's tried mixed of gold & silver and as she admitted not knowing how much beads is needed; she ran short of them! But she gotten it finished up with single strand of the mixed and wow.. result is unique & pretty!! .. By the way Janet, my apology for my "shaky" hands, the picture is a little "blurry".

Look at Pauline's piece wow... she had hers done into a spiral lariat. No idea of how she could place her heart-shaped focal glass bead; after she completed her 30cm length of spiral; instantly i felt that it did be nice ending it with the beautiful glass bead and on the other end, we did some "branching".. oooh.. lovely ya... (*.~))

Happy Birthday Mom. .

2 months back she was so ill that she couldn't get up from bed. Today she is so much better; able to get up herself to move around & about w/o me helping her. But of coz, she still need me to help her to her shower every day. Surely she is a very tough & strong-willed lady, determine to fight & live on.. just as she said even being able to live just that "1 day" it is so precious although she had no more goals to achieve or wanna achieve.

All we knew about her birthdate is only in chinese calender; but well anyhow guess that is not important anymore after all she is reaching almost 90 in another short few days. Wow.. can't imagine i am in that age, whew.. :9(

Just as she told me, didn't want any celebration this year, probably she ain't in the mood as she is still kind of weak.. [although is only 2 of us, but i used to cook a elaborate meal for her, present her a "ang pao" with wishes & cheers] .. so here it is a simple breakfast with her favorite pizza, garlic bread, some fries and of coz a little 寿包 plus of coz her morning coffee.

Yeah.. 妈妈，生日快乐!!

p.s. i made the garlic bread & so is the fries..

as of the pizza & 寿包 got from supermart-toast & steam..

Beading begins. . .

Both Pauline & Janet arrive my place about 12 plus. Unpack all the food that Pauline had prepared for the 4 of us; and in less then 15 min. we found ourselves eating and almost finishing most of the food. Ooop.. guess i am so hungry that i forgotten to take a snap shot of the delicious lunch.. ha..ha.. it was yummy.. Both ladies noted mom's appetite was good.. "yes..cos of the nice company you ladies gave!" - mom's reply .. :p)

After all the tidy & washing-up, i pull out those packed beads that i have prepared for them and yeah..our beading lesson start!..

The 1st 15-30 min. was like "all hands & feet tied together" fiddling with those beads and wondering which beads to thread & weave.. Janet kept saying that they both are slow & old students..while i told them that i might not be good in explaining & teaching them instead.. ha..

Hmm.. Nope.. is none of those above.. Is just that, this hobby craft is something or totally new to them; given that Pauline is good at patchworking. Well, in less then an hour, they will not only enjoying it, but eager and wanting to complete their project! They have gotten it right!! Yeah!


2 hrs simply passed by .. times up! I was surely glad to see both of them so happy and enjoying their beading time. Arrangement was tentatively made for next weekend for me to review & see to their completed spiral necklace!! It would not be at my place but instead at a park, with each of us bring some snacks.. wow.. itsn't that going to be a healthy & relax therapy? U beg!

A little relief...

Finally, am a little relief after such looooong time. Been nursing & take care of mom; she has been ill, down with her rhuematism aches & also kind of relapsed pain from her old op. wounds. Admired her tough endurance, refusing hospital, Docs.. All i could do was like watch her sighing & hawling at worst time :(

Definitely is not easy for me, especially i have a full day job to attend to; but Thank Lord, for HIS strength & abounding grace & blessing of a understanding boss & colleagues that allows me to go half day leave-> home to nurse my mom, and great & supportive encouragement from my colleagues to cheer & keep me going.

Well, now that mom is so much better, meaning i don't need to help her up thro & about toilets, eating etc.. so am back in full day work. Leaving only at day end on the dot to get home & make sure mom gets her meal on-time.

so.. hmmm.. lets have a cuppa of tea & cheer me on ..

p.s. a little tea receipe :
1) get a tea sachet if not for pinch of tea leaves
2) add 1 or 2 fresh mint leaf (frm supermart)
3) add a cube sugar only after hot water has been pour;
coz sweetness is kept that way
4) now watch the little sizzling of that cube sugar as it dissolve swiftly..

cheers! :p