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Happy 21st M1!

19 Jan

Two weeks ago, we had an early birthday celebration for M1 prior to her return to the US. Today she turns 21. Dang… I feel old and no wonder the dinosaur sentiments are stronger than ever!

Although she is not here with us, the three of us will go out to celebrate this evening. But I am sure she will go out with her friends and celebrate, sensibly I hope, especially now that she is of legal drinking age.

I remember when I turned 21, I was in class and a classmate brought a six-pack of beer (in a brown bag) and gifted me. He thought it was significant, I thought he was being funny. Thank goodness the design lecturer did not notice or pretended not to notice. And yes, I did go out to the bar and celebrated sensibly.

Happy birthday my dearest M1! May you stay sensible and wonderful. And like what I said last year, I will say this again, no matter how grown up you have become, you will always remain my baby. Love you to the moon and back! Mwah.

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A Quiet Start

2 Jan

It was a Monday but felt like a Sunday. The girls slept in because we didn’t have any solid plans and being so stuffed from dinner the night before and the many nights before as well! We have been dutifully ploughing through M1’s To Eat List before she goes back.

As for us, hubby was at his usual puttering around the garden and I was back at carving after a hiatus. With M1 back, there has been so much to do but unfortunately, sitting around at home to carve has not been one of the activity.

So yesterday, it was nice to relax at home and Citizen #120 was born! 120. What a significant number and on the first day of the new year. I have come so far for Gigglesville and I think this year the township will boom at an even greater pace. I am excited at the prospect.

It may be a quiet start but it’s a good start. We are back at work today and M2 is at school without any issues waking up.

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Happy New Year

1 Jan

Happy New Year folks! A brand new year and a brand new outlook. Does it feel any different? Honestly, no. I have stopped making resolutions because I know I cannot keep them, so no point in trying to kid myself.

We had a quiet lead-in to welcome the new year. Nothing out of sorts, the girls and I spent quality time together whilst hubby was with his friends for a bit. We actually went shopping and as usual, felt overwhelmed by the crowd. Then dinner was at my sibling’s home, a simple home-cooked meal, nothing elaborate.

We even managed to reach home on time to watch some fireworks display within and afar from our neighborhood in the comforts of the house. Unlike last year where we were at a friend’s place for a party and caught some dazzling displays up close but after that, was stuck in a traffic jam upon leaving the place.

A quiet usher-in, let’s hope 2018 will be an exciting and positive one more than anything else.

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What a Year 2017 Has Been

29 Dec

2017 is coming to an end with two days left to go. This is my last entry for the year and my, my, what a year it has been for me!

There has been many significant changes to our lives in 2017, the biggest one being the relocation of our design studio. We moved closer to home and it’s a mere 5km away only. What a difference for us especially when it comes to time management and traffic jam-free driving which is really nice.

It may be smaller in size but it’s a lot more cosy and I certainly feel happier. Work-wise we have been fortunate to be kept busy. Let’s hope this momentum carries onward to the new year.

On the personal side, I have been plagued with injuries causing me to lose interest in playing golf. While it’s unfortunate I lost my passion for the game I enjoy, it spawned a new passion, carving. Gigglesville was born with a whole new township of owl Citizens and Superheroes. They have been lovingly hand-crafted with each day of me staying home to recover from the tennis elbow.

Hubby also picked up a new interest in air plants. The house is now full of these everywhere and it’s nice to look at them. M1 had a good year at university, and did her second internship which we feel the experience was invaluable. She has matured so much. M2 turned Sweet 16 and doing well in school too.

We had several crayfishes that lasted and didn’t. These creatures are not easy to care for! Some fishes died too due to old age. Senior citizen of the house, Rooney, also official pet number one, turned ten and for the first time showed signs of his seniority. And demanding more attention than ever.

The list can go on for what happened throughout the year! As I reflect back, there’s more good and memorable ones than anything else and I carry these in my heart forever. With 2017 almost done––sometimes too fast with the days going by, sometimes super slow––I look forward to the new year and eagerly await what lies ahead with a positive outlook.

I want to thank all my readers, people from all over the world, friends and family who have followed me to read my stories and thoughts. It’s a nice feeling and I hope you’d continue to read and enjoy the musings.

A toast to 2017, thank you for memories and another toast to 2018, let it be an exciting year with lots to write, grouse and muse about!

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The Day After

26 Dec

Normally every year after enjoying the merry-making of the Family Christmas Dinner, we would sleep in. But this year it’s a little different, a break from tradition; firstly, dinner was hosted by us and secondly, it was on Christmas Day itself, not Christmas Eve.

Food preparation was a long process although there wasn’t much cooking. I made the salad, M1 made the mash potatoes, M2 prepared the hors d’oeuvres of smoked bacon and grape on romaine. The focaccia herb mushroom toast bites was team effort, and the turkey and dinner rolls were contributed by my sibling. We did add a couple more purchased roasted chicken to make life easier. It’s a simple spread but satisfying nonetheless.

And because dinner was on Christmas Day itself and Boxing Day is not a holiday, we have to go into the office. Not too long but necessary to wrap up some little work we have left for the year.

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Merry Christmas Everyone!

25 Dec

Here’s wishing everyone, my readers, friends and family and a very blessed and Merry Christmas!

This year, we are having the family over for Christmas dinner, Mom, my sibling and his troopers. It will be a fun Merry-making time with lots to eat, yes, I can cook if preparing a salad counts as cooking, lots to drink, and lots to talk and laugh about.

As we reflect upon the past twelve months, let our experiences make us stronger and better prepared for 2018!

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Together Again

11 Dec

As one would know, coming home from the US would take over two days, and with one day having never occurred in your life when you cross the International Date Line. And depending on the flight’s origin, time and connections, it may take even longer.

M1 actually left campus on the evening of 7 December after the last exam paper. She had a ten-hour layover at LAX before the long journey began the next day. Throughout the day, I was tracking the flight path on Flightaware.com.

Everything was on track and it was reassuring. I could even carve up a Citizen to while away the time. But coming into the last stretch of the flight, the aircraft approaching HKIA went off track. It looked like a time-wasting ten minutes diversion. Maybe CX 885 was early and there’s no landing rights, nothing major. It was scheduled to arrive after 14 hours 39 minutes but in the end, it was captured at 15 hours, still an hour ahead.

This then gave the layover an additional hour to two and a half hours before the final leg to KLIA. Unlike a previous trip, she had only a 50-minute layover and she had to run the length of the airport to the gates before they closed for boarding! Nothing of that sort this time. Phew.

The flight arrived ten minutes early at 12.27am on 10 December but knowing her, she’d be the last one out. Sure enough one hour later, she strolled out from the Departure Hall. And in a blink of an eye, another year has gone by, my firstborn is back and the family unit is complete again.

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A Charitable Cause

8 Dec

I must say that Graphic Design is a wonderful profession to be in. For me, it’s more fun than work because it challenges the creativity and it’s not mundane because every project is different. And when you know what the end result is used for, it’s satisfaction guaranteed.

Last night we attended Marche de Noel, a charitable cause organized by the French community in Malaysia. Roped in by a French friend three years ago, we have been supporting this event since 2015. Our role is to provide pro bono design work for the marketing of the event. From flyers, posters to social media call-outs and stage backdrop, we do our part.

The Christmas party was held after a successful day bazaar where funds were collected for two foundations that they support, A Heart for A Heart and Make a Wish Malaysia. And when one sees what the funds are used for—fulfilling sick and needy children’s wishes to come true— satisfaction is simply priceless.

I’m glad we play our part. And this year, a little more than priceless satisfaction, I won a Lucky Draw prize, having bought some tickets. What a nice reward.

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Two More Days

7 Dec

It is another two more days to go before our firstborn, M1 comes back again for her Christmas holidays from university. Actually more than two day as it will be a little past midnight on Saturday when she arrives and of course, I will be tracking her flight path all the way.

Can’t wait.

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It’s the Lipstick

28 Nov

By now, it’s a known fact that I wear dresses only at wedding dinners because I find it cumbersome to wear such fitting outfits on a daily basis. Getting in and out of the car would be so hard. And sitting with a leg tucked underneath would be out of the question.

I think the killer touch is not the dress or the heels but the lipstick. I love my Shu Uemura lipstick and it’s the attention grabber more than anything else. But sadly, the #242 Wine Bordeaux red is far more dinosaur than me as it is no longer existing in the Shu Uemura range. Sigh…

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