Helen Plus Three

Pink Episcia, sweet blooms from my balcony garden Plans never always turn out the way you expect them. So instead of driving across the causeway tomorrow I'm spending the long break at home in Singapore. It will mean I'll be getting 6 hours more rest than I would have plus plus, of course add on the traffic jam time crawling across the causeway back and forth. There's a always a silver lining somewhere when you think about it. It probably also means I'll be doing more sleeping than I had planned. Is that good? I don't think so. Quiet time, time to read the books, fiddle with the plants, time to do some more scrapbook card experiments and may be more time to do some walking trails and therefore exercise. We do have a lot of parks, just check check out the N Parks website. Amazing actually, there's so many. I'm thinking let's check out the Labrador with a friend. Will Lo Hei (toss raw fish) after the weekend. There were no eggs at ...

Some books require time to read and just savour or reflect on the thoughts they provoke, whether it's the characters or the thoughts coming out of them. One of them is The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Jay Fowler. It's interesting but you need a little more concentration. Sylvia's daughter is just out of the hospital(no serious injury) and Sylvia tells herself that she is happy. But the next day reality sinks in with life's usual problems. That's exactly what happens, why is it harder to hold on longer to happy thoughts or resolutions than let the unhappy prevail .. " Already I have to remind myself to be happy. And you know , if it were the other way, if something had happened to Allegra, I wouldn't have to remind myself to be unhappy. I'd be unhappy the rest of my life. Why should unhappiness be so much more powerful than happiness? One difficult member spoils a whole group.... One disppointment ruins a whole day...... It takes weeks to ge...

Previously when the Sans bookshop was still around I could buy books and then sell them back at a fraction but at least they were not taking up space on my book shelf and piling. Now that Sans is gone, I buy a lot of new books, they are piling up and soon I'll have to decide what to keep (possibly keep) and not keep and donate to the Library (which is ok). But I love many of these books and I think I could read them again in the far future... but alas, will I have the space to keep that many. Recently I acquired more through gifts and then of course the Christmas sale came on and I bought MORE !! But they're really good books by Jojo Moyes and Helen Fielding and Sue Monk Kid (sigh). I'm not sure.... is reading a hobby ?.. feels more like a passion. I like the style this is written in, thoroughly enjoyed it start to finish..  I could feel her panic, the mad rush and the chaos in Bridget's life with the kids. I can identify with all that and that feeling o...

Another good book! Meg Wolitzer writes with great depth. I was nodding and agreeing with many instances of expression, these were moments I had gone through in my life growing up and thoughts even today. Really good piece of work, insightful. Very realistically describes thoughts, fears, doubts of individuals from teenage to senior life. One could probably identify with a character of the group who are all so diverse even though they met in the same place for a similar purpose. It boils down to two characters really seeing from within and without. I keep telling myself to mark those great lines, but I never remember to.. there were many but I located only one ...what holding a job demands of an individual... " a job outside the house that would require energy and focus and exactness and calm." A perfect description of what being at work or the office entails vs being at home.. and sometimes we are  just not all  that...

" I wanted to know what happened when two people felt it. (it being the hurt). Would  it divide the hurt in two, make it lighter to bear, the way feeling someone's joy seemed to double it ?" A 14 year old's thoughts are not that far from any adult in the same emotional situation really. The idea of a 'wailing wall' is quite interesting. If it can help a person cope, why not. I'm thinking how I might adapt that for kids to cope with the stress of school demands ! Descriptions are so simple and direct it's easy to imagine the life of bees, their livelihood, the routines and the hum... " At thirty feet your skin will start to vibrate..... but your heart  will send you straight into the hum, where you will be swallowed by it...." 'I decided sometimes you just need to nurse something, that's all " - and that was how she succinctly described sentimental attachment. That certainly makes wonderful sense why we do it.. What I l...

Mother's day, quiet one this year, but it's ok. I enjoy the quiet. Got mum some flowers and made her a card. I decided I'd go pink on the card and a little wild with the dies and hearts.. don't need to make a card look old !! The giving brings as much joy as the receiving. I got a free lunch from Dad.. and flowers from my kids.... Wedding coming up.. next card to keep me busy...

Fear manifests in many ways, it's not cowardice, it's a lack of courage that paralyses the mind of all rational arguments like panic. Not sure where I read that but it's about  right. When problems overrun the mind I can't seem to enjoy or concentrate on what I'm reading because of work distractions, It's like an overflow I can't switch off in my head. Compartments are flooded with office issues. No compartmentalization is possible. Is there a name for this ?