The grass is always greener on the other side...

This little yellow bird comes knocking on my glass windows everyday without fail. Some days I'll sit by the window and watch this bird try 'flying' through the glass. It must be wondering why couldn't it crossover to the other 'realm' that is so close yet so far... I guess its the reflection of the outside 'world' on the window that prompts this poor little bird to repeat its daily routine.






Lately, there are days when I'm done with the chores and spent, I am contented to just sit by the window and let the world go by... and (also) watch the antics of my little yellow bird. Many thoughts come to mind, contemplation and ideas of what to do next. Mental notes of these ideas fly out the window the moment I get up from that rocking chair! I am wishing dearly that somehow my thoughts could be transmitted to a 'hard disk' so that I can refer to it later. Great ideas comes to me when I'm idling away.... Alas! most of these contemplations remain just that! The old adage of "mind willing but body not" is certainly an apt description...





One of the things I want to complete sometime this year would be my scrapbook. I've got the idea of doing this "Project365" from Becky's blog. It seems easy when others write how they're doing it and how its looking artfully creative too... I'm that little yellow birdie, looking at another person's project and thinking "wow..."



Still, ending on a different note, Chinese New Year is coming and yet another round of merriment. Though we don't celebrate it at home, one particular company never fails to send us a CNY card since we bought our first carpet floor from them.

A book in a bag is always a good thing

Books may well be the only true magic.
Alice Hoffman

We have all experienced at least once where we have to wait somewhere for hours with nothing else to do. When that happens, don't we start to think of all the things that we could have accomplished in that very hour! Recently, I had to spend a lot of time waiting on two occasions that involves my daughters.

On new year's eve day, I thought it was a good idea to get my daughters' international passports renewed as supposedly it would be less crowded that day. Bad idea! Although we got our queue numbers at 11.15am, we only got back the passports (renewed to year 2014) after 4pm. That's a lot of time wasted at one place! In between the waiting and lunch, I had to buy two tabloid magazines to keep Alex and Ashley off the complaining streak. Lucky for me, I had my book.



Our friend Michelle sent us two tickets to watch Mama Mia the musical on 2 January at the Istana Budaya theatre. My daughters had just watched the movie and they really wanted to watch the musical so I let them have those tickets. I did try to get a ticket for myself too but the one seat available cost way too much, over RM500. Since there's no Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep or Collin Firth in that musical, why bother. I drove my kids to the place, got a nice parking spot and waited till they got into the theatre. I've probably reached the age where one can no longer be bothered shuttling back and forth in the crazy traffic, plus there's a decent enough cafetaria in the building. I wish I could say that I had enjoyed the long wait (3 hours) but there were some very persistent mosquitoes that kept buzzing near me! I was earlier seated indoors but it got too cold in my sleeveless blouse so I opted to sit at the patio. Thank goodness, I had my faithful book with me.

Yesterday, our 15yr old Philips television reached its use by date! We were halfway watching rerun of "Bad Boys" when it just went blank. There's no running to Harvey Norman in a jiffy coz dear hubby says "due to the global economic situation we are now scalling down on all extravangant expenditure". I guess we're back to watching tv on the old 14inch telly for now.

This clearly gives credence to my point of carrying a book in my bag, almost everywhere I go.

Happy New Year ...

"Do something every day that you don't want to do;

this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain." Mark Twain

What a year 2008 has been! We have so much to thank for and yet so much to want for in 2009! Isn't that typical of us mere mortals?.....

The year 2008 saw the death of a distinguished uncle (Lloyd) in February whilst the following months brought good tidings of health recoveries by another uncle (Cyril) and a close family friend (uncle LA). It was especially wonderful that my family from Sabah came to visit more regularly. We also bade bon voyage to our good friend, Michelle and her family who emigrated to Sydney, Australia last December. Emotion will ride high yet again for today is the day that my bro-in-law and family will emigrate to Melbourne, Australia. It was also a proud moment and elation of emotion for us that our daughter Alex scored straight As in her PMR exam.



The year 2009 is yet another year full of hopes. We hope that the good Lord will continue to bless us with good health, wisdom and tolerance to take on this year.

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest." Mark Twain