Have I been a "bad" mum???

I was sitting next to this church member and her husband during a dinner function when we started talking about our kids. A highly recommended topic and more exciting than talking about the weather when one is trying to avoid gossip...since this is after all a church event. But what struck me was that as parents, these two have never once shouted at their kids (forget about the hitting part). I must have looked totally flabbergasted because how can anyone NOT shout at their kids?????? I finally consoled myself that they must have been blessed with three great kids because mine were little terrors when they were young especially D....although E wasn't any better during her teenage years. But there is still this nagging guilt....did I overdo it? When I think of the shouting and the screaming and the hitting that went on in the house, I shudder!

On one hand I over discipline them, yet on the other hand, I over pamper them and do everything for them to such an extent that they never get the chance to do things for themselves or learn to be independent. In hindsight I can now see where I have gone wrong. I am not saying that kids should not be disciplined when they are naughty. Even the bible teaches us not to spare the rod; but perhaps not to the extent I discipline mine. And I am also not saying that pampering our kids is wrong. I am just saying that as parents we must know where to draw the line. By over protecting our kids, we are hampering their growth as responsible, independent adults. If I am given another chance, I will want to do it all again....only this time differently.

Still getting to grips with Facebook

I have been going crazy over FB... to put it mildly. For the whole of last week I was so busy setting up my aquarium, adopting a pet, enlisting ninja fighters, sending flowers, throwing cakes, giving gifts etc. to friends that I neglected my housework......not that there is very much to do anyway. But since my daughter will be coming home over the next couple of days, I guess its about time for me to give the house a "once over".....before she goes tsk tsk tsk when she sees the layer of dust that has sort of crept in over.......(I do not want to incriminate myself here by giving a time line) And for the "more matured" readers of my blog, here's a peep of my aquarium which I have in FB.....don't u just love the fishes??

Launching of the Jewelry Club

Two weeks after launching, sales are still strong. Who would have thought that my hobby of the month can generate so much interest from church members. A lot of the sales are from repeat customers asking for special orders and also from their friends who want to have what they have. ....trust women to do that! Because I don't charge for workmanship, the pieces are really cheap and prices generally range from AUD3.00 to AUD20.00 depending on the price of beads. Mind you, similar pieces on sale in retail outlets would set you back by more than double the price. Of course the other good thing about buying is that more than 50% of the price you pay goes towards the church fund. I am also willing to take orders from outside Adelaide, so let me know what you want, and I will give you "the look, without the price" effect. For interested parties, we can send you designs to choose from.

Down with Virus..not me the PC

To those of you out there who blame me for infecting your PCs, my heartfelt apologies. I did not realize at first that I was the carrier of this vile virus until my own PC completely crashed on me. Can you imagine having a screen that switches back and forth from IBM to Windows XP ...and not going anywhere????In hindsight this experience has taught me a lot; one of which is to be even more careful when receiving shared files etc. and of course to ensure that my anti virus software is up to date. Thankfully I know this young man in church who was kind enough to come to my rescue. Since I cannot appear in person to apologize, will you kind folks out there accept one of my mug shots taken with a grin? I tried to take one looking more pathetic and sorry but after much consideration, vanity prevails......"lau ees" look better with smiles. By the way do you know of any software I can use to make me appear better in photos? Cheaper than facelifts I reckon.

A fool and her money are soon parted...

Two weeks ago I decided to buy a camera. I didn't want to invest too much so I searched high and low on ebay for something that is "pheng and leng" (ok my Cantonese sucks!) . In Hokkien we say, "Phee n Chee".....sorry that didn't come out right either. Anyway, I chanced upon this nameless camera on sale which advertised itself as 12m in resolution and comes complete with video etc. Of course knowing next to nothing about cameras, I fell for it, hook, line and sinker. So you can imagine how excited I was when a package arrived for me last week. I tore open the box, took out the camera (felt like Christmas) and then realized that it weighed less than some of the beaded necklaces I make....not only is it light but it looks like one of those cameras you use and then discard. Still one must have hope! And no one can beat me in the "hope" category (still hoping that people will believe me when I say I am 28 ++ ha ha ha) So I fitted in the memory card and began to take shots around the house.....needless to say my phone camera works better. So what is the moral of this story? I'd like to hear from you.

Volunteering in Bible College

After being a student for more than 5 years, its a refreshing change to actually do some work. Perhaps I shouldn't use the word "work" because to be honest, all I do is answer the phone. But its kinda nice to feel needed now and again..... With the kids all grown and hubby away in China, I sometimes get the feeling of being redundant. Its not something which is easy to explain, but there is this sense of being unwanted and no longer necessary in their lives. I'm sure that's not how my husband or my kids feel about me but its one of those emotions that just takes you by surprise every now and then (once or twice a month). Although I love my own company, share my house with three wonderful persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and thank God for a hubby and kids that are independent, this feeling is very hard to shake off.....especially when I am not doing anything. Maybe its because I miss them and miss being a mummy and wifey......now I truly understand what it means to "be tied to your mum's apron strings". The problem is with the mother...we cannot let go lah...ha ha ha

Too Khar and more Too Khar

Wanna know how I get people to invite me over for dinner? First I broadcast to everyone (those who are kind enough to listen) that I don't cook and that I survive mainly on leftovers, sandwiches and maggi mee. Then I follow up by putting on the most pathetic face I can master....dog owners will know what I mean. So far it has worked very well in my favor. Last night I was invited over to E and BB's house for "too khar" and tomorrow I will be having dinner with D and I ...... another round of "too khar". BB not only cooked "too khar" (thankfully no smell because she gave it a hot shower before cooking it) but she also made "lobak" (Singapore version) and fried some of her own home grown vegetables...... Am I blessed or am I blessed??

Cleaned out by Ebay!!!

Who would have guessed years ago that we can spend good money just sitting at home doing nothing except sit in front of a computer. No thanks of course to E who brought me into a whole new world (and experience) of buying stuff from the internet....ever since then there has been no turning back! Forget the malls, forget the markets, forget the "tupperware parties"....who needs them anyway? Why settle for retail when you can go wholesale??? Here I am, sitting in the comfort of my study, dressed in my pjs, face without any war paints and shopping like there is no tomorrow. To be precise my shopping has so far been confined to "beads" and more "beads" but who knows what tomorrow will bring. Just check out my range of goodies!!!!

Fantastic weekend

My heart goes out to all those who work during the week and spend the weekend running errands. You may not believe this, but I feel so tired just reading about the stuff you people get up to. As for me, my idea of a fantastic weekend is one where I do practically nothing on Saturday, go to church on Sunday then enjoy the rest of the day following up on what I did the day before.....hee hee. Well before any of you turn "green" just trust me when I say that not everyone can cope with my kind of lifestyle. Can you imagine waking up everyday between 8-10am, have breakfast, read the papers (or trash magazines), spend some quality time with God, surf the net, chat on the phone (msn), have lunch, watch some afternoon show on TV, beading (hobby of the month), enjoy a cup of afternoon tea, relax in the garden, have dinner, watch TV, exercise on the treadmill, surf the net and then go to bed? See how boring it is? Maybe that's why I haven't updated my blog for some time now.....nothing exciting to share ha ha ha

Grandmothering...not so easy lor

Okay E don't panic....just a little episode on Sunday with my neighbor's kids. Liam and Jade followed me to church on Sunday...and came along for the farewell "tim sum" lunch we had for one of the students who was going home to Indonesia. Trust me, if I hadn't had all the help from the rest of the students in my church....I would have collapsed and died on the spot.....and these are good kids! Liam couldn't stop eating and Jade refused to eat (reminded me of D and E when they were young....you decide who's the eater and non-eater....although now they both look equally "well fed" hee hee) Then there were multiple trips to the loo, playing under the table, and running in the streets......Thankfully, God made it impossible for people my age to have any more kids. We only get to be grandmothers, yipee.......So D and E if you want me to look after your kids or dogs or whatever, please don't wait until I am too old to run after them or throw sticks for them to catch. This same advice also goes out to the two who call me "mak ee", especially the younger of the two.

Jade eating the only "crispy" tim sum dish

Very happy eating practically everything that was served!

God created roses and dinosaurs....

Check out these beautiful blooms from my garden! It may be winter in Australia but God decided to give me a boost as I was preparing for my talk on "Walking with the Dinosaurs"!!! The same God who created the dinosaurs made these beautiful roses. Why do people doubt God's Word on creation and believe instead on the theory of evolution?Dinosaurs did not walk the earth millions and millions and millions of years ago...they walked with man.....




The Bible speaks clearly of God being the creator of every living creature, and trust me, dinosaurs fall under the "living" category. For more information you can either go to http://www.drdino.com/ or hear me share on this topic tomorrow at the Breakfast Club. Otherwise you can pick up the Bible and argue with the Almighty!

I am so NOT over gossips!

Yeah, yeah, yeah don't give me that look......Before you lot get worked up over how a "wannabe preacher" can talk about enjoying gossip, let me get this straight. I am talking about the Hollywood gossip. Since I started my craze on making jewelry, I haven't had time to read the juicy stuff. And I didn't realize how much I missed the gossip until I sat down for breakfast this morning with "OK" and caught up with who's who, doing what where and with whom! This is not something I can explain. But for as long as I can remember, a lot of my money has been spent on these "trashy" magazines...appropriately referred to as such by my better half (or my "not so better half" depending on how you view his "macho misai"). I don't envy them, I don't wanna be like them, I don't see any good in their lifestyles, I don't want my kids to behave like them, I don't understand the things they do and yet I read about it and at times relish in what I read.....what's wrong with me??? Sob, sob

Just some of the stuff I read!!!

My new hobby...what fun!!!

I spent the whole week-end on my new hobby....making jewelries. Right now my butt is hurting and my eyes are sore.....sitting in one position for hours is definitely not advisable. Still when one is making Christmas presents for friends and relatives, suffer one must!!!! This time I am splurging on the beads....ordering Austrian crystals to make my "pieces". Thankfully I have someone who is kind enough to teach me....so who knows what I can create. At this moment I am happy to take orders!

Earth to Lyn....earth to Lyn.... Praise the Lord!!!

Hellooooo...wanna know why I am so happy??? Go on make a guess....YESSSSSS you got it! My unofficial results are back and I passed. To my husband who thinks that I am "kiasu" (and will therefore score), my daughter who believes that I should do well (since its only the bible mum), and to my son who probably didn't even realize that I sat for three papers, I have to admit that I scored not one, not two but no distinctions whatsoever! hee hee hee. Still let's keep our fingers crossed until the official results are out. One can never be too certain.

Vanity thy name is Woman

Spent half an hour putting on my face this morning before consoling myself that it ain't all that bad....The emu oil and moisturiser helps, so if you are looking for something cheap, it comes highly recommended. So what is it about women and wanting to look good? How come men can strut around in their briefs, show off their big bellies and still believe they are irresistable to us whilst we spend half our lives feeing insecure about the size of our boobies, butt, tummy, arms and every other body part known only to women. Why do we diet, jog for hours, suffer the agony of sitting in a sauna, be subjected to chemical peels and then spend countless hours in front of the mirror looking at our flaws!!!

My idea of the "perfect" woman....what's yours?????

Try cooking for one and see....

Why am I so so so lazyyyy....for the fourth day in a row I am eating a chicken and vegetable pie. The thought of having to cook just horrifies me so here I go again with my chicken and vege pie. Well what the heck.....check out what I just ate for lunch. You are all probably wondering how I can suffer such food....would you believe that I am working up towards a mission trip???? yeah right. Hopefully I will serve myself a better dinner tonight instead of some leftovers. But it is really difficult to cook for just one person....anyone who has tried will understand exactly how it feels. I walk into the kitchen, peek into the fridge, realize that the meats are frozen, look at the clock, hear tummy rumbling, upset that I spent too much time playing free cell, catch sight of the pies and immediately I go into auto pilot and follow the same routine I had for the last four days.....pop the pie into the microwave and voila.....lunch is served! Its kinda like "Groundhogs Day" come to think of it. Maybe I could work up some energy tomorrow......and surprise myself.

Why do I even bother.....

Promised my daughter Erin after the holidays that I would start exercising to get rid of those extra "more to love" flesh that came out of nowhere. Truthfully, it's got nothing to do with the food and wine that I consumed during the week we spent at the Napean Country Club. Maybe its something to do my metabolism or the cold weather that managed somehow to shrink even my baggiest clothes. So with great determination to show everyone that a woman over fifty can still look "good" I confidently announced that the kilos are on their way out. I even managed to get Erin and her fiance Edwin to download "exercise" music into my phone so that I could go for a walk every morning. Gee.... what great enthusiam.....even I was impressed! I was so confident that I would be able to get myself out of bed. What a joke! First day home it rained, second day it rained, third day it didn't rain but I told Erin it rained anyway......It's been one week since I came home and you guessed it.....

Who says I'm mental eh????

Spoke to myself for the fourth time today. It's interesting really, I started this morning with, "oh isn't this a wonderful day? and just before I started this blog I asked myself "so shall I go ahead and set up a blog for myself????" Don't ask me why, but I guess the reason could be that I live all by myself and it sort of removes the "quietness" of the house.....Okay, okay I know it sounds a bit "mental" and I have been warned by my daughter that this is not at all healthy. But come on, ask yourself this, haven't you spoken to yourself before? Maybe you don't speak it out loud but you still think up conversations in your own minds right? So what's the difference between thinking about it or thinking it out loud? You may not want to admit it but I can bet my bottom dollar (at this stage my bank account is real LOWWWWW which is why I am willing to bet although I am not usually a betting mum) that when you are angry with a husband or boyfriend and you haven't yet confronted him.....you work yourself up into a frenzy with words that take place in your mind!!!! Come on....mental.....far from it. Take it from me....NORMAL that's what I am.