Helen Plus Three

Is pressure relative? I have worked all my life except the 6 months or so, that allowed me to look after dad after his bypass and get out of one pressure cooker, only to get into another one 6 months later. If a break had been possible, in and out I might have been able to enjoy some small amount of time seeing my kids grow up. Regrets come too late. Life would have been drastically different if I had decided to do things very differently. If my life growing up had been different, where would I be today. Would I have had three kids? Would my path have taken a different turn.? Heaven only knows.

That's me, that's what being 'mum'  means. atm lost and found sock finder button fixer ...

 A 2 night vacation with mum, dad, and my son, not to mention with the caregivers in tow too. It was unexpected pleasant for the most part.  The weather was great but it was HOT. I have to say kudos to Changi Cove for the effort to getting us side by side and for a room which made wheelchair movement in and out of the bathroom easy. Breakfast was good too, a good spread, and dinner was surprisingly good too, at the White Olive, the one and only restaurant, when we tried it for one night.  The sunset was great on the second day, where there was less cloud cover on the horizon. It was not boring. Plenty of things to do and see or just plain chill anywhere on the beach. If you like to take in the outdoors by walking, this is a good place to go to. Lovely sea air, little smelly at times, but still scenic enough for me away from skyscrappers and traffic. There is no pool on the premises, but you can use the Beach club pool, if you want. So it's great if you have ki...

One year I planned a trip to Malacca, left so early and still got caught up in a jam at the causeway, and another on the way back. That's what public holidays create for those who don't leave the country by flight.but by car. Oh well, that in itself is an adventure of a different kind. Another year, I stayed in Singapore, took the folks for a picnic at Pasir Ris and ended up breaking my ankle on a rented cycle. Should I be weary, sure I should be. I want to chill with just me-time, but sometimes you just want to make the old folks a little happier with the small things. No nothing noble nor is it a major sacrifice, it is not impossible to chill while making that effort. It's just, sometimes, many times I just don't want to plan or do,   don't want to be forever thinking about upcoming never-ending deadlines and issues. Life is so stressful, my head is so full I can't see the path in front of me, I've wondered off and need to get centered again. Loo...

I recognize that we all have different problems to deal with and inconveniences, whether it be our selves or just demands on our time. Somehow it is balanced based on how much we can give and not how much we are willing to give. We are called to perform our duty or called to just heed our conscience. Many of us have aging parents and we have been enabled in different ways to look after them. For some there is no wheelchair, just your time which you have and for some there is a wheelchair yet you have a car and siblings when time is stretched on each's part. And then there are the family squabbles to put obstacles in our way. God bless those who give with their heart. As I finished the chapter about Edna's hospital I had this thought that God comes out of hiding where there is no one to help. Then again why do these atrocities happen? What's wrong with man... being what he is not -infallible... weak. Give to KIVA. It's a good way to help the poor even if you d...

 

Nature finds a way... I think it was Sam Neil who said this in Jurassic Park and he is right. These sunbirds they have decided to make urban living work for them. While the sparrows and the mynas are sticking to the trees, these little guys have decided to try HDB, hanging off my Bougainvillea! They aren't quite in my balcony, so I can't charge squatter's rates !

My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises by Fredrik Backman My rating: 5 of 5 stars It is so seriously funny at times and it's all from the perspective of a very intelligent 7 year old who has grown up in the close company of her very busy, eccentric, courageous grandmother. Elsa translates everyone she knows to a character in the fairy tales of life ( a land to love, mourn, war etc) that her granny wove for her and solves her problems in the real world by those tales. Wikipedia is Elsa's gateway to understanding big words. There's something to be learnt about living life from a 7 year old and a grandmother. There's also some truths that hit close to home, about the conflicts of mothering and having a career and it's impact on one''s child. It's about relationships and wounded experiences and love that happens under one roof among different families, individuals all around Elsa, the kid. " She thought I was a.... a nagging busybody...

Quite a few special days over the last couple of months, come and gone.

So I upgraded my tires, technically it's called plus sized my tires to get a new set of fancy rims. Bridgestone tyres are good, I merely followed the advise of MEN in the family.  Better road holding and all that , I never considered there was a downside to plus sizing but there is, after much reading and searching. I think I got a good deal with a trade-in value on my smaller tires (which I'm told are less popular) and new rims (not too bad). So for the next week I'm driving my car and I'm none too comfortable with it. My old car was less bumpy besides the reverberation (old what!), had less side to side wobble and I thought maybe it just takes getting used to. Bu when my son, complained about the very same thing I thought , ok I can't be wrong. I should just go with my gut, expert or not on cars, accessories and tires. I know what it feels to be comfortable in a car. So I lived with it for another week because it's all office hours for servicing S...

Punggol Beach looked seriously cleaned up when we were there 2 weekends ago. Is the water clean, I doubt that still as you have the boats and tankers still plying the waterway which is still pretty narrow. Still a lovely sight to behold, a long narrow beach. Lots of rocks added. You have the small mangrove plants along the sides, but tese lovely twiners with the pick flowers were along the path connector edges, although I have no idea of the plant name yet. Bike shack is up for us to take our rides. Haven't gotten to Coney Island yet, although I think it's still called Serangoon island on my map.

We did a drive in the Getz all the way to Malacca and it was smooth all the way. Not bad for an old small car.(thumbs up!!) Let's not talk about the HICCUP getting through the causeway from 5AM. You expect that on a public holiday. Chendol But hey, it was worth it. Managed to get in pereanakan food and Chendol, little bit of shopping, fireworks, firecrackers just after midnight of the CNY. Shops, well mostly closed on CNY Day1 although there were some still opened. Food not an issue, the sights were mostly open. Pony rides at the base on St Paul's Hill...

Still I Rise   You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? 'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops. Weakened by my soulful cries. Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard 'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin' in my own back yard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I'll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thig...

It's only been 3 years or so, since I did laminate flooring for my apartment and guess what advice I get for maintenance issues. ..  'got to to redo whole floor'. I guess it was just getting into the market at that time when I searched for information and there was none to warn me that it's not the perfect solution. Of course the contractor told me it's tough, it's hardy, and resilient etc etc and easy to install. Well today because of furniture movement I presume, the laminate flooring  has tiny gaps here and there and uneven edges in many places, while some can actually get kicked back into place, the rest can't. I have talked to a few 'experts'  and their suggestion is redo, nothing else can be done. So I hope this is helpful information for those deciding between easy and fast vs long term home maintenance issues. I suppose nothing beats the cement option. For now perhaps I'll just cover the soar spots with a rug . If any one ...

My niece gave birth to a lovely baby girl. She is the first of the 3rd generation for my family tree. Precious life, new precious moments and new memories to add. and of course a new baby card to make.

Since the 20 of Feb, I have been laid up. Had an accident, a Trimalleolar fracture - which means I broke my ankle bones (one ankle) on my right foot. I seriously can sympathize with those who are in this type of immobile situation alot more permanently. It wasn't easy the first week after getting home. It was adjustment all round and I am lucky cos I already had a helper at home for the kids. The break from work, well that's another kind of worry factor. I just kept thinking how long ! Most people hear of breaks but they heal after 2 months or so, but this is not a matter of a sprain, or a hairline fracture.  I absolutely could not put the foot down for about 8 weeks. Crutches are tiring, I had to use a set a walking frames cos of steps between the bathroom and room, those were easier to navigate when you had to hop over a step or stand at the basin after you use the toilet. Crutches well, they are a little harder on the balancing act. I was remotely hooked up to the of...

MY CHILD Be my child, be happy. Be at peace, be spontaneous. Be bold, try it, speak, take a chance. See with eyes, hear with ears ever clear. Be open to wonders around us. Open minds, trusting hearts, always dear. Believe in you. Say yes I can! Be merry. Always mine. - HA (2009)

I just completed Jojo Moyes 'The Peacock Emporium" and there are many points in the story and thought lines that got me agreeing, There 's this one passage when Suzanne attempts to explain herself to Ale (about feeling cloistered in a small town) that gets me agreeing heartily. It's about being who one is, all the time, in different places - can we be constant, can we be who we are or want to be.? 'And , you see, because they know the  things that have happened to you - some of them, at least - it  means that people think they know you. They think they know who you are. There's no room for you to be someone else. Around here I'm the same person I was at twelve, thirteen, sixteen. Set in Aspic. That's who they have me down as. And the funny thing is, I know I'm someone else entirely."

Call this an arty card experiment. Not sure if you can make out the Hero Arts(eiffel tower,) 'Take Time ' splashed with Tim Holtz distress and Tattered Angels inks. The lighting may not be that clear. I kind of like vintage and aged look on accessories and visuals. Then there's my latest pop up box card using my latest embossing plates and dies from Sizzix and Elizabeth Craft. Cupcakes, candles and presents all the happy things that birthdays are made of.  Those roses are dies from Wild Rose studio.