2018 seems to be breezing by very fast. Another year goes by, another wedding anniversary milestone to celebrate. Sometimes I forget how many years we have been married, pausing to mentally count. What a dinosaur I am!
No words can describe the journey that we’ve had together and I cherish all the moments, good and bad. Happy 23rd Anniversary to us! A toast to many more years ahead. May we stay healthy and happy through thick and thin.
So now we have three Marimo Moss balls – Pete, Kate and Moses, and they live in the mini aquarium which we have relocated from the old spot. Historically, the old spot is not ideal because all the fishes and crayfishes go to pet heaven much earlier than we would have liked. Don’t know why, maybe it’s the air in that spot.
Now the mini aquarium is placed in the corner of living room and three Gnomes are tasked to guard it. It’s an adorable sight.
See the difference in size the two little ones with the giant!
I am in seventh heaven with the discovery of the perfect ice cream. It was the usual Sunday grocery chore and when I walked passed the freezer section and the pint of Ben & Jerry’s caught my eye.
Non-dairy! Whoa. That’s new and the first time I am seeing it. Of course I picked it up because it’s non-dairy and it’s a Ben & Jerry’s plus it’s my favorite flavor, Chunky Monkey.
Forget the sorbet (it’s still in the freezer) for I am going with this to satisfy my ice cream cravings without worry. Ahhh…. such bliss.
We did the unthinkable. Just when I thought Pete and Kate Moss, our Marimo Moss Ball pets do not seem to be growing, we bought another one! But this time it’s an even bigger one!
The little two which we acquired six months ago, at the end of February this year don’t seem to have grown. Hmm… could it be they are still living in their little glass jar with little space for movement and growth? After all, we have not moved them to the mini aquarium as originally planned.
We do change the water periodically but maybe we should place the jar in the fridge to allow them to literally chill once in a while? Leaving the jar on the dining table with the evening sun beating down at it is not the most ideal situation. But now with a big fella, whom I have named Moses, they can all move into the mini aquarium immediately.
It’s not a blob but a Moss Ball
I like small things because I find them cute, in fact the smaller the more appealing to me. In my kitchen, I have the smallest grater, a mini chopper and a mini chopping board to match. They may be small but yet are quite practical, you’d be amazed.
My Citizens of Gigglesville are also small and cute. Many times, people are surprised at how small they are when seeing the real deal compared to the pictures I pose. Hahaha…
Two days ago, I bought a small and rather cute toolbox. It may be small but it ain’t no toy and it fits all my carving tools just nicely! Obviously I’m pleased as I find it practical to keep the tools instead of just having the tools laying in the box they came in.
I finally bought something online again after so long! In fact, I purchased two items from my regular online site, Lazada. Initially I had placed an item in the cart but it sat there for quite some time as I didn’t push myself to check out. I guess it was a case of want more than need.
Then two days ago, being quite free in the office, I searched for another item and before I knew, had two items and decided to check out.
Both are of course carving related. I eagerly await my boxes to arrive. Stay tuned to find out!
Over the weekend, I had a really good opportunity to work on the two-piece Meranti block. After sending M2 to school for her activity early in the morning, I came home and set up the carving station. Initially I thought of warming up by carving a Citizen but changed my mind and dived into the Meranti at 8.00am, early by my standards.
Two hours later, I nicked my finger for the third time but it did not deter me. I had my warm green tea in the Thermos, the weather was lovely and although official pet number one was snoring away by my side, the focus was not disturbed by his loud snore.
Another two hours went by and I nicked my finger again! Dang… either the Meranti is too hard or I am not doing it right. I have not nicked myself so many times in one carving. Then again, it’s been a while since I started on a new shape/character, what more on a Meranti.
Eight hours later, the Gnome’s home was done. I was pleased with my efforts but suffered the consequences soon after, not just with the four cuts on my index finger.
The third and fourth cut. Ouch
The right tennis elbow flared up and the left hand was sore at the thumb and wrist. The left index finger throbbed from the fourth cut and the strangest thing, the fingers of my right hand tingled at the tips, a sensation I’ve never experienced before. It became more pronounced when I typed on the phone. And this sensation lasted six hours passed the carving.
Have I pushed myself too far this time? Then I looked at my end result, the Gnome’s home, and all that pain was forgotten.
I must say my food fancy have changed ever since the discovery of Endometriosis. It’s sad that I have to give up certain food but some things I just cannot give up.
Top on the list of food I avoid these days are dairy, wheat, onions and caffeine or should I say coffee. As for eggs and beef, the less I eat them, the less pain I would have to deal with. And so far, it’s been manageable.
I thought I could still do sunflower seeds after that last ordeal a month ago, dismissing it as an isolated case. I couldn’t be more wrong as I had some recently and suffered the consequences miserably. I guess I have to give this up too. Sigh…
I was at the grocery store over the weekend and the chocolate bar called out to me again and I couldn’t resist because it is one of the two things I can’t give up. I picked it up without hesitation. As I have said before, resistance is futile.
Although chocolate contains dairy, I manage and consume in moderation, so it’s bearable. It doesn’t cause as much pain as cheese or even the sunflower seeds. I would be terribly miserable if I can’t have my chocolate. Shudder…
I find Pinterest a great source for ideas. The site is very specific in categorizing things and this makes visual research super easy even with cross referencing. It was from here that I diverted to Gnomes from my Citizens of Gigglesville.
And it will be from here again as I find inspiration to fine tune my idea to carve a Gnome home soon. Can’t wait to begin the next carving project!
We are experiencing an intense heat wave of late, it’s unbearable. The biting heat certainly makes life uncomfortable and it’s no fun to carve in such weather, what more to do so out in the garden terrace with the sun in the background. When the wind blows, it’s as if we are standing in front of an opened oven with the heat gushing out. Phew.
Several months earlier when it rained, we’d wished for dry weather but we get dry weather now, we wish for the opposite! I guess we have to deal with the situation.
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