There's You

Someone Up There has the wryest humor. Never have I loathed myself more than the past few weeks. Desperate, destitute, desolate. Drowning. What a batch of defeat. 


Now, toss in a generous dose of despised, decried and defamed, then crown it off with a good sprinkle of disgust. Put the batch in a pressure cooker. And voila, a complete recipe for Disaster. 


Life rarely gives us what we want when we want it. Back pedal a few years, a career, name and money somehow can't compete with "a" significant other. What I'd give to have and hold the elusive. My life would be complete. So I thought, then. 


Now, when I have no job, no money and will very likely be forever etched in ignominy, there's you. I don't know if I should laugh or cry, but thank you for being here. Thank you for making me feel I mattered and thank you for giving me a reason to smile. 


There's you. 
No longer elusive but actually here. 
Hey, you.

Scent of X'mas



Pink Snapdragon



Guaging from the onslaught of X'mas catalogues stuffed half hazardly in the mailbox, the festive season has officially begun. 

I love the goodness of X'mas. People are more generous at this time, not only with gifts but in spirit as well. Guess it has to do with the expanse of goodness and well wishes at this time of the year.

I love the smell of X'mas, it's so snugly. It is said the memory of scent lingers, thereby associating us with different times and places. X'mas fills my memory with candles and potpourri scented with tartly sweet berries, spicy nutmegs, cinnamon, clementines, frankincense and evergreens.

I love the warmth of X'mas. Sipping warm apple cider by the fireplace, nibbling cranberry pies fresh from the oven, snuggling under throws, wiggling toes in thick terry socks, wrapping gifts and stuffing stockings.

Cozy and homey and good.

Pour moi, c'est Noel.

Some Advice



Gerber Daisies, love the art deco hue



Found this lovely bouquet on sale at the flower stall. Heck, my place desperately needed a pick me up after two months without a helper. Important lesson learnt - Never, ever, ever heed to advice you innately felt wrong. Ditching the helper was a bad move. I went nuts picking after the kids and myself. I was cranky and tired and the situation felt hopeless. Yes, it was that bad and it was hell.

I finally called my ex-helper. The day she came I fell ill with a pounding migraine. I was running on adrenalin the past two months, strained to the max. String loosened, the tiredness finally caught up.

It's a stupid decision made at a moment of weakness and I still berate myself for it.

What is right for everyone else does not mean it's right for you. Practice listening to yourself and backing your beliefs. Reiterating encore une fois - Never ever, ever heed to advice you feel wrong. Am I glad everything is back in sync. I have a life now.

Lip Balm

This lip balm is hand made with goodies like olive oil from Italy, Shea butter, pure honey and vitamin E. The ingredients are completely natural with no preservatives nor fragrance added. To top it all off, it really works.

A light application is all you need to feel its magic. The balm literally melts and moisturizes your lips, for hours. The texture is not oily nor gluey and a slightly thicker layer can last through the night. Lips feel pampered.

A must have for the drier and cooler weather.

You can find Nymph HK here.

Love Affair with Yorkies

Blessing after her first grooming session

Hong Kong Dog Rescue's charity event 2010
Adoption Saves Lives

Inquisitive Blessing at tenth week

I've always had a soft spot for Yorkies. Back in college, I had a Yorkie named Di Di, then there's Kobe and now Blessing.

I learnt about Blessing from an HKDR (Hong Kong Dog Rescue) newsfeed on facebook. Blessing, then Minka, was surrendered and in need of a foster over the long weekend. There was no photo nor details except that she was a senior. Somehow I sensed the urgency of the message and I contacted HKDR right away. After a couple back and forth emails and phone calls, I picked Blessing up at the vet that afternoon.

That was ten weeks ago. My foster turned into a permanent adoption and Minka was renamed Blessing. The vet gave Blessing a clean bill of health. As a 14-year old, she's mighty healthy. The pressing thing then was to get her weight and spirit up.

Well, she's passed with flying colors on both counts, gaining a whole pound and a half. She's also come out of her early wariness and shyness and shown herself to be a true Yorkie. I found the following on a Yorkie site and the description could not be more Blessing. 

"Yorkshire Terriers are lively and inquisitive, physically and mentally quick, and spend much time trotting or dashing around checking things out. Lovers of comfort, Yorkshire Terriers enjoy snuggling into soft pillows. Keen of eye and sharp of tongue, they won't fail to announce strangers, often in a high-pitched voice [incessant and loud as well]. They are bright and quick to learn, but are rather willful and opinionated [definitely the latter]. Housebreaking is notoriously difficult with Yorkies [tell me about it!!]."

Despite having have to clean up after yet another kid, and a messy one at that, I am truly happy to have adopted Blessing. Call it a love affair with Yorkies or serendipity.

Dayee's New Pad



Dayee's New Pad

I got Dayee a new perch last month. Can you believe her old pad is already a decade old? Yes, that's how long Dayee has been with me, 10 years!! Dayee has been wary of her new pad initially, navigating with tiny steps exploring the unfamiliar perch. She would lose her balance and sway back and forth to get her footing. Porky being a nuisance, would station his roundness at the foot waiting for Dayee to fall and chase her.

At first, I am worried Dayee might not like her new pad, but after a couple days, she is perfectly at ease. She is moving like a monkey, climbing around from one side to the other now. Oh, she likes swinging on the door and watch the view outside the window. As for Dayee's old pad, it's been put to good use.

There is an abandoned cockatoo at the vet clinic who has been chained to a tray for 30 odd years. The poor thing has plucked out her feathers because she is so bored. The chain is off now and she is enjoying the freedom of a much larger perch and her feathers are slowly growing back.

Can't ask for a more perfect scenario, Dayee likes her new pad and the poor cockatoo is flourishing in Dayee's old pad.



Kickstart

My ceramic clock

Can't believe it's June already. In retrospect, what have I accomplished the past six months? I have to hang my head and confess, "not much". I have this sinking feeling I am wasting my life away as I leaf through my files.

Wait, tucked between sheaves of paper are two Groupon vouchers for art classes due to expire end of the month. Okay, it's now or never.

I had my first ceramics class last week, we were to make ceramic clocks. I thought it would be just that one lesson but it turned out we had to go back the second lesson to color-glaze our clay moulds. I wasn't expecting much from a discount coupon, but I had one-on-one tutor, free material and loads of fun.

I left class feeling exuberant. Happy that I have learnt something new and actually making something and I love being a student. You just have to bring a sense of wonderment with you. I have a painting class coming up, oh and my second ceramics class. I hope this excitement would kick start the second half of the year with some much needed momentum!!