Helen Plus Three

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.  

From feasting to mourning, celebration to grief. Chinese New Year , the time for enjoyment, celebration, holidaying. Something nobody would have ever expected happened. I broke my ankle bones and have been laid up since the second day of Chinese New Year. After the op, I would not be able to put my foot down for 6-8 weeks it seems and then too,not before removing one screw out of the many so that I can begin the exercise of walking again. Plenty more time to think and read and not sure if I can do much. Between the twinges of pain and groans in my ankle it's been hard to 'enjoy' the time so to speak. I am in touch with the office and that keeps me occupied some,but it's tough cos I can't ignore my healing ankle. We were supposed to be elsewhere not at Pasir Ris, but plans changed and a rental bike changed my fate. Anyway beware of balding tyres on your rental bike. I always believe that all things happen for a reason. I'm not sure what this time is for ...

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...