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Fixing the Mess, Part 2

15 May

The soldering iron hand tool looked intimidating when I had to fix the wiring mess of DIY project number 28. Everything is so tiny and close together on the switch compared to the big soldering iron tool. It may not work, and I may burn something accidentally.

Heat shrink tubes are the best to resolve wiring issues

So I had to improvise. Instead of heating the soldering wire to join the wire to the switch, I used a heat shrink tube as the connector to hold things in place. And guess what? It worked. Phew.

I also added a makeshift holder (recycling the leftover template cutouts) to keep the wires on the underside of the tiny house in place and much neater. DIY project number 28 is now truly completed and sits in the big Ikea display cabinet with the rest of my other miniature sets.

Fixing the Mess

12 May

I am feeling like a sloth lately because of the hot weather. Two weeks ago, I completed DIY project number 28, and since then, the mood is not there to start the next one. Although number 28 is a done deal, the wiring mess is eating at me. So I have decided to fix it before I begin project number 29.

The switch is so tiny, and the wires so delicate that the connections fell apart! I was aghast; my fingers were more clumsy than deft! How do I fix the mess when all parts involved are so minuscule?

Tiny and skinny maketh a mess

I had to borrow a soldering iron hand tool to do the job. Let’s hope this works. Otherwise, all the effort to put the lights in place for this beautiful tiny house will come to naught without a switch. Keep the sloth away, and get the job done!

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Do We Look Like Rabbits?

9 May

Our neighbor has two dogs – a friendly Golden Retriever and an aggressive German Shepherd. We missed interacting and petting the friendly one when the aggressive one joined their family. There is no more opportunity to stretch the hands safely for a quick scratch or tickle.

The German Shepherd is an annoying one. Sure, he’s a guard dog, but we are neighbors, not intruders. Whenever we were in the garden, he would bark incessantly at us. It borders on annoyance and fear at the same time. He has snarled and shown his teeth at me several times. Because of its aggressive nature, I have stopped doing my woodwork outside on the garden terrace.

Lately, he is at it again, barking his head off unnecessarily, a test of our patience for such an unpeaceful situation. One morning, the annoying dog was barking at hubby so aggressively when hubby was watering the plants. It was too much!

Hubby went over to complain to the owner about the dog’s unbecoming behavior. The owner defended his dog, saying it meant no harm, and was merely barking at the rabbit (the pet from the neighbor flanking their house) whenever the rabbit was out.

Wait a minute! It was barking at hubby! Me (at times)! Us (all the time)! Not the rabbit!!! Do we look like rabbits? Hrmph.

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Fig Defenders, Part 2

8 May

The Starbucks brown bags are not the perfect solution to protect our figs after all! The squirrels are getting smarter and have managed to beat us to the game. Darn them!

So we have up our defenses against them by using plastic fruit, vege, and egg containers instead of brown bags. These containers are much more effective in keeping the raiders out. We can also see the figs to monitor their growth.

A more effective protection for our figs

Previously, with the brown bags, it took more effort to monitor as we had to open each one to inspect. With the clear plastic now, there is no need for this step. So far, it’s going well with the figs thriving for us to harvest.

It is a constant learning process to be good fig defenders against those sneaky garden squirrels.

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Crazy Weather

5 May

It has been unbearably hot lately. The heatwave is just too much to handle. But it rains also, and when it rains, it floods. We are going through a spell of crazy weather now.

I try to do less, play less golf, and move less. The thought of sitting down and starting the next miniature does not even appeal, likewise using my brain to think, read, or write. Ugh.

The heat does crazy things to the mind, and my sloth lifestyle is returning! I hope this will not last because it is not productive.

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DIY Project #28, Part 3

2 May

I finally completed DIY project number 28 over the weekend after six weeks. I think it could have been a lesser duration. The two public holiday breaks and the recent trips up North to hubby’s hometown derailed my momentum. Oh well.

This set is the tiniest house that I have built compared to the others. Everything is so minuscule, the flowers especially and the pieces of furniture. On top of this, this is also the first set with two hinges on the structure (roof and front façade of the house) to open and close – a very different setup from the others.

Although there were frustrating moments because of the size and mistakes (misreading the instructions), I took on the challenge. My biggest bane now is the wiring for the lights. It is so messy! In most of the projects that I have done, the lighting wiring is not so complicated, and this set shouldn’t be as well.

This mess aside, I’m pleased with how this set turned out. Onwards with the next one!

DIY project number 28
The house with hinges and messy wiring!

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It is a Monday

1 May

When a public holiday falls on a Monday, I lose track of time. I thought yesterday was a Saturday and today a Sunday. But, no, this is a second Monday public holiday, two weeks in a row already for April. I better not get used to this! But wouldn’t it be nice if our life schedule could be like this, with a three-day weekend and just four days for work?

Let’s not be complacent and get used to the lull because there are no long stretches of public holidays anymore in May. Reality sinks in tomorrow but with one last hurrah for another public holiday on Thursday. Then, it is full steam ahead for a regular ho-hum month.

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A Year Wiser

28 Apr

The days leading up to my birthday went by so fast! We had an early birthday dinner celebration last weekend with the girls. It was such a gastronomic indulgence.

A toast to a good year ahead!

Then hubby and I played a round of golf at Royal Perak Golf Club on Wednesday. I had the shot of the day on Hole 5, a Par 3, landing my ball a foot and a half away from the cup for a birdie. Perhaps my Hole-in-One shot is coming soon?

Prelude to my Hole-in-One soon?

But the actual day of my birthday, the day went by so slowly. We were back in Alor Star and it was like a furnace. I could feel my body fat melting away, which was good because I’d been feeling a bit chunky, eating so much leading up to my special day.

And then it rained, no, it poured and poured and poured! Mother Nature was relentless. The outside perimeter of the house was flooded. Oh no! It was sometime before the rain subsided, and we had to clean up the place. Not the ideal activity to do on one’s birthday but it had to be done.

I was sweaty, I was tired and hungry. Sigh. It could be worse because look at the bright side – I am healthier now after my recent hospitalization, and I feel the love of my family and friends for their good wishes on my special day. That’s all that matters. Happy birthday to me regardless of the circumstances!

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Fig Defenders

21 Apr

We found the perfect solution to protect our figs from being raided on the trees in the garden. Who would have known that used Starbucks brown bags work better than the much-touted netting bags and reflecting CDs?

After the last raid, we had to do something. I found some Starbucks takeaway bags tucked between the storage containers on the kitchen counter and decided to use them. I cut one bag into three pieces and wrapped the ripening fruits individually. And I added staples to secure the bag firmly on the plants.

This little extra effort has proven to be fruitful, literally. Yesterday afternoon, hubby harvested a large fig thus far compared to all previous harvests. Measuring four centimeters across, it was the sweetest and juiciest home-grown fig! Delicious.

Previous harvests were puny because hubby plucked them before the squirrels could eat them. And this prevented the fruits from growing to their maximum. So now we know that brown paper bags can protect and, at the same time, allow the fig to grow even more – we will have to get more paper bags.

Juiciest fig from the garden!

However, we are using a Lunar New Year red packet because we ran out of brown bags. Perhaps this can work too? As long as we cover the ripening figs in sight and smell, the garden squirrels have no chance to raid.

Fig Defenders are now one up against the Fig Raiders. Yay.

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Fig Raiders, Part 2

18 Apr

The battle with the fig raiders has become a daily affair because the plants are fruiting. So far, I think the score is even. Hubby harvested some ripened figs, and the garden squirrel ate some from the plant. Hrmph.

We have resorted to a new method, wrapping the fruit with takeaway brown paper bags. Stapled for added strength, we hope this will protect the fruit. But alas, the rain came down yesterday evening, and the bag got wet and weakened. Oh no!

The netting bags have not been much good in protecting the figs, hence the raids now and then. Maybe I add brown bags to the netting bags for reinforcement? Hmm, whatever it takes to prevent the fig raiders, we will do it.

Precious fruits

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