A Quiet Christmas

Since my Dad's demise was a mere one month ago, it's kinda quiet around our house this Christmas. No decorations, no tree*, no lights.

*updated: I woke up this morning and found an elf had put up a Christmas tree lights and all, in the corner of our sitting room! (?)

But I did make some gingerbread cookies for the kids at the Daycare Centre - in the shape of houses. I hand-cut each one (what I won't do for these kids) before baking them as I don't know if a house-shaped cutter can be found anywhere.

The kids had fun icing them!




Then I decided to make some gingerbread men for my own distribution...

They started out pretty normal...

See? just a regular guy.


Then I started thinking, "How 'bout I change their eyes to make them look more gleeful...and ..and..add a bowtie here.."



"Oh, oh, can't have guys alone... should have some spunky gals..."



And then it kinda went out of control....."we could even go oriental...."



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ummm....



Next time, I'll just stick to houses....









p/s
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Muaks!

Goofy Gifts

The other day one of our kids from the Daycare Centre was out shopping for farewell gifts for the staff, as, he was leaving the centre. His mum started picking out for each staff...





These are jumbo-sized fabric roses (almost 2-and-a-half feet long each!)...




But for him, this caught his eye and he said to his mum, "I think we should get this for Aunty Val," (which is what the kids call me)...so, this is what they got me....

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(Ok, save the wise cracks about why you think he got me this.)

I am so honoured. It shows how well he knows me....I often do buy the whackiest things, if I think:

- they may be useful somehow at the Centre for an object lesson or prop
- the kids will love them!
- I love them!
- they're conversation starters
- they're so me
- they bring a laugh

It makes the goofiest sound by the way:
(this is gonna take me forever - figuring out how to upload the video...)






Here's something I bought some months ago...(don't ask how many of these I have)





And here's what it does....



So fun I can't stand it.

Here's the coolest Christmas stocking I have ever received (my boss bought this for me
cos she said it is so me)..



Now before you get the impression that I only love receiving goofy gifts, I don't. I ....

..ahem...(major throat-clearing here)

do also love:

- chocolates (BIG time, small time, any time)

- lasagna (cooked, thank you)

- white cotton-lace trimmed peasant-style blouses

- craft books

- recipe books (one can dream that one will whip up something from the recipe book that gets one's attention when one gets into the mood one day that is likely to happen to one maybe twice a year which is better than one not being inspired at all throughout one's year)

- pretty diaries or notebooks



Just sayin'.






p/s The writer of this blog would love feedback on some of the whackiest gifts you have ever received, or tell her what is on your wish-list. (No harm wishing.) Also, the best gift you can give her is to sign up as a follower of this blog, if you haven't already! Then she will persevere writing even though it takes forever to do so for each post (these two video uploads took me the longest time! ish!)

No Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving:
turkey
family
dinner
words of appreciation
a toast to each other



The day (November 25th, 2010) came and went like any other day for me. Then I read about it in several blogs and wondered why we don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Malaysia. So I looked up how it originated and then only it all started to come back... somethin' somethin' about pilgrims going somewhere somewhere and having it really rough for a long time. Then, harvesting their first crop and celebrating by being thankful. Oh. Now I remember. No wonder we don't celebrate it in Malaysia. heh heh.

Such a shame, though. We should all have a Thanksgiving Day. Ok, now I'm gonna have all those uppity people tellin' me how we should be thankful everyday and blah blah...

My point is that just as Valentine's Day is specially observed to remember loved ones, and birthdays to remember that special person, I think a Thanksgiving Day would be just great.

Well, I decided I'd have my own, personal thanksgiving. And the person I needed to be most thankful for was.....can you guess? oooooooo...
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. wait...
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. hold your heart...
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my husband, Paul (told you to hold your heart).

You didn't have to say, "WHAT?!" that loud.



Yeah. Most of you will remember the many times I've complained about him. Nuff said.

I was determined to find reasons to be thankful for him. And lo and behold, I actually came up with these!! (and everybody say, WOO HOOOOOO!!!! ok, you didn't have to say it that loud either)

> my husband has been faithful to me for 26 years. There are husbands out there who are
unfaithful to their wives (oh, you already knew that?)
> he puts up with my pernicketiness (cos I like that word. and cos I have to throw in a
five-syllable word every now and then so that I sound more intelligent)
> he works hard. Some husbands have no qualms about their wives working two jobs while they
'hang around' waiting for the ideal job
> he nearly never falls ill (but when he does....never mind)

have you seen a happier patient?


> he is often cheerful (check out his brilliant smile)


> he has chosen to commute to work on a Hardly Davidson all our married life, rather than
choosing the comfort of a car. His reason? It beats the jam. Geez. I donno how he does that.
Especially on rainy days.
> he gets along well with just about anybody, inlaws, outlaws, coleslaws, SantaClaus - you get
the picture
> he values friendships, even with strange people (heh heh. love you, Tony-in-Kuching!)



> he is rather noisy. Quiet people make me nervous - like, still waters run deep, y'know?
> he cries at sad movies. And I break out in a guffaw when he does (cos I'm evil like that). Go on, invite him to watch "Hachiko" with you...
> he has actually sung in his sleep (ok....once. but considering that most days he snores, I'll take
once, man)
> he'll put on whatever I tell ask him to. And by that, I mean outfits to wear (whatEVER
were you thinking?)
> my husband thinks I'm creative, witty, multi-talented and intelligent
> he does not drink, does not smoke, does not do drugs

> he does the driving most of the time, even though I can
> he takes out the garbage every almost every day
> he loves to wash the dishes and clear the sink
> he makes sure we have bottled water to drink all the time

> he gives me a massage when I tell ask him to. Grumpily. Cheerfully.


> my husband still loves me even though I can be downright prickly and give him a hard time.




So, yah. I'm thankful for my husband.



And he's giving me the thumbs up.

Nuff? Ok, I'm done. Now you can mob him for autographs.


yah, that's the guy! go paparazzi!




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