My granny on billboard

Here's granny on the billboard! For NYP's open house.


Granny, she's got steel in her. She's cheerful, she's open to new experiences. She ages gracefully. Most of all, she's obliging n affectionate to her grandkids.

God bless my granny!

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My daily dose of happiness comes from thinking about

Tris n his sunglasses (which reportedly he would wear even at night cos he loves it too much).



The boy is growing up fast n I get tis bittersweet feeling all over again. Like w Ash. I miss the way she was as a baby but love her to bits even now. So, before I know it, Tris is gonna b all grown up.





Tis is Ash w her 2 front teeth gone now. She cheers me up like no other person.


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A Good Night

A good night always starts w good food. Now food doesn't hav to b in a posh, ex restaurant. Many times, the joy lies in hunting down good food at economical prices. If ur pocket can stomach it, u can stomach it indeed.


My FIL was extremely pleased dat he had his fishhead kakis, aka us.



Jus good-old toufu seaweed soup to wash down everything.



After chomping down our food, a walk is essential.

My MIL started recounting how her mother encountered the dead ghost of their neighbour. Now I've never heard tis before. So after she repeated the story a third time, I too found myself rehearsing the same responses. But tis OK cos each time, she told the story as if telling it for e first time & hearing my responses for the first time. So it's quite stress-free chatting w her.

Then, we stopped to look at the house she grew up in. I was like wooooohhhhhh. Mum's childhood house was at Clarke Quay while MIL's at Chinatown.







Early CNY mood. Decided to snack on famous bah-kua. FIL led e way in search of a coffee stop. We walked past a regular kopitiam n he said no, need a place w better ambience.

So he finally brought us to a cafe at level 2 w hanging lanterns, n a view overlooking the hustle n bustle of activities. Dat brought my second woooohhh for e nite. I was impressed w his idea!





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The Big People & the Little People who Warmed my Heart

What is one of the best thing that could happen to me? To have these big & little people all come under my roof & share our living space for the new year.

I bought the best & freshest stuff to feed these people. I am not an excellent cook but it's totally delightful to spend an entire afternoon in the kitchen making sure the food's gonna turn out fine. Cos u want your friends to have a decent meal. Cos they took time off, some putting aside their inconveniences, some after a day's tiring work, some after consecutive feasting sessions, to spend their precious time with us. What can I reciprocate such warm gestures with? I can never do enough for these wonderful people.

My best friend thanked me for slaving in the kitchen. (She's a real darling & a gem.) But really? When you do things for people you treasure, nothing is hard, nothing is slavery.

My best buddy-friend & her hubby left with such sincere, affirming words, validating the efforts we put into the house. She knows me well. It's not about wanting to have a beautiful home to show off to anyone. But it's really about doing the best with what's at our disposal, our limited resources, energy & time.

My new-found buddy-friend talked so freely about her cats & her plants. Her very obliging hubby interjected with jokes. I must say he loves & respects his wife, albeit quietly in the presence of others. He had to work that day & must have been exhausted. But there they were, they shared that moment with us generously.

I think that's why we made our home as comfortable as possible. Cos when friends & family stop by for a visit, we wish that they too will feel comfortable & feel at home.

Reflections:

Sometimes, I scold myself for not loving & not reaching out more. I need my own space. My own time to mull over my issues. I love to write. I write to heal. My husband sometimes trips over his issues too. And he then needs his cave. His solace. But there's something magical about letting people into our living space. It draws more love out of us, it takes more of us when we put others before ourselves. I wish that in this new year, I let that happen more & more.

My NYE - va va voom into a smashing 2010!

Promised mom I would go over to her place, which she now shares w my sis, n get her oven working. So there I was n decided to grill some prawns, bacon w asparagus n golden mushrooms. Yums!









Mom's place has absolutely nice landscaping. Love the pool view n the lush greenery.








Mom's feel-good chicken soup. Oh, how I miss those days when I could eat at Dad's n Mum's home everyday after work. Probably didn't appreciate her enough then.





This was the spread of good old home-cooked food. And the beautiful people at the table.



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