Archive | June, 2021

Double Celebration

29 Jun

Now that M2 is back safely at home with us, we plan to have a double celebration party with a garden barbecue tomorrow. Firstly, to mark her return and secondly, to celebrate her birthday, which falls on Wednesday.

However, the skies and weather have other ideas to thwart our plans. It has been raining a lot, unusual during this time of the year. Even today, it rained this morning and looking very gloomy. And there is a forty percent chance of rain tomorrow as well.

How are we going to have a garden party with such unaccommodating weather? We’ll have to cross our fingers and hope Mother Nature will be kind for a lovely double celebration.

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Out of Quarantine

28 Jun

The wait is finally over! M2 is out from quarantine today. No words are needed to describe the joy and relief for all. We are together again except for M1 who is still in the US.

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Battle of the Weeds

25 Jun

There seems to be no reprieve with the ongoing MCO lockdown. As such, the garden weeds have sprouted uncontrollably because our external gardener is not allowed to come in.

So we have to tend to the garden ourselves with our limited resources to curtail the weeds’ rapid growth. However, it is not enough. I find myself battling with weeds just about every day when I want to be outdoors for some sun.

Look at all that nasty Creeping Charlie plus some others

For someone who once wasn’t keen to venture out of the house, much less tend to the garden, I guess the lockdown can change a person. I suppose this is another good thing that came out of this situation. We have to look at the brighter side of things. Having said then, we wait with bated breath for the MCO status, whether it remains as is or will be relaxed.

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One Week of Hotel Quarantine

22 Jun

It’s a week already that M2 has returned and under quarantine. Staying in a modern and comfy room in the city, with three meals each day, I’d say so far, so good, although all she does is eat, sleep, talk to us, and not much else! At least when we talk, we are in the same time zone unlike, when she was still in Ireland on a seven-hour time difference with us.

Soon another week will go by quickly, and she will be truly home. Yay! We plan to have a celebratory garden barbeque for the occasion. Time, hurry on faster, please? I can’t wait!

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The Gnome Trio

21 Jun

Last two weeks, I took a break from building miniatures and carved instead. I must say, it has turned out good this divergence. However, my tools are very trying. They are not as sharp as before, and it has been a challenge to get things right.

From the initial outline of the Gnome Trio, the outcome has evolved as I progress along. Delicate parts broke off when I exerted too much strength. As such, I had to modify the shape along the way.

The Gnome Trio

But I don’t think one can tell, especially if I don’t have the original picture next to the finished piece. It looks good, and I’m pleased with my efforts.

Over the weekend, I completed the tail-end of some more detailing work. Then I did a little more sanding down before applying a coat of gesso. I’m at the tail-end of adding colors before the final touch of a varnish finish.

Gesso for a white base then the signature red cap for all three!

And voila! The Gnome Trio will be at the front of the house proudly.

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A Milestone Anniversary

18 Jun

Last Saturday marks the 8th Anniversary of my blog! Wow. I am amazed that I have persevered for so long to keep this going. But all this achievement is unattainable if it wasn’t for the support of all my readers.

The blog has certainly evolved from a journal to share the antics of my girls and my travels. Along the way, I picked up new hobbies, the girls grew up and went off to college, and the travel escapades were lesser.

The travel non-escapades were more evident in the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has taken over the world and disrupted many things taken for granted.

Well, I certainly won’t take the things I do for granted and am thankful to every one of my readers as you follow me on my whimsical endeavors and daily musings. Happy Anniversary and happy writing to me!

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Homeward Bound, Part 2

15 Jun

I had a restless night tracking M2’s flight. She has another five hours of flying before arriving in Singapore for a short stopover of an hour and a half. Then another hour’s flight before arriving in KLIA as of this entry.

I cannot believe how fast time has gone. Last October, she went back to Ireland, and now, another year of college is complete.

But we won’t get to be with her for another two weeks as she has to undergo quarantine requirements at a hotel. So close yet so far still. Sigh.

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Homeward Bound

14 Jun

Today our M2 is flying back from Ireland! Woohoo. She has completed her second year at university and is homeward bound for the summer holidays. The journey will be tedious as a result of the stringent requirements to fly due to Covid-19.

Unlike last year, when she came home in March for a six-month summer holiday and was home-quarantined, this time, a chartered coach will greet her at the airport and send her to a hotel to be quarantined upon her arrival. We don’t have to pick her up as these measures are in place for all arriving at KLIA to Malaysia.

We only have to monitor her flight on flightaware.com to ensure her journey is on time. She flies this late afternoon (her local time) which is equivalent to our past midnight time, so I guess I won’t be sleeping much to track her flight until her final arrival.

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DIY Project #14 or 12B, Part 3

11 Jun

I breezed through DIY project number 14 or 12B effortlessly. I guess when I put all my energy and focus into it, the job gets done faster. Despite it being a complicated set, it was challenging yet enjoyable, and I finished it in 13 days. Quite a feat, I’d say.

Welcome to my Bookstore!
Lovely angles of the Bookstore

But soon after the completion, I decided to take a break from building miniatures. And instead, I channeled my creativity back to carving! It felt good.

Not whales because I ran out of the specific wood size, nor Citizens of Gigglesville but Gnomes, albeit a different approach. I found a forgotten piece of wood and decided to carve three Gnomes in one go.

A trio of Gnomes!

It has been very exhilarating to carve again. My progress so far is pretty good, and as I anticipate the MCO will extend for another 14 days until the end of the month, I can get this display piece completed in no time. Awesome.

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Anxiety Purchase

8 Jun

My stash of DIY projects has been reduced down to three when I started DIY project number 14 or 12B. At the pace that I am at for the latest one, I can complete it today, in record time, instead of taking another week because the three lights turned out far easier to work on than I anticipated.

And as I plan to combine project numbers 15 and 16 to become one set, my stash of three will suddenly deplete even faster. If this plan materializes, I will be down to one last project to do. Oh no.

So I had no choice but to buy some more to have a sense of security. In a spate of two days, I purchased three new sets from my regular online shopping site. You could say it was an anxiety purchase to feel secure. Two out of the three sets have arrived.

The third package should arrive soon. I can’t wait.

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