'Tis The Season

It's been a very busy but fun week. I had tons to do - organize a Christmas party, plan for the church caroling, practice with the church musicians for our Christmas Service as well as rehearse with the children for our annual Christmas presentation in church on Christmas  Day besides baking cookies, shopping for gifts and wrapping them, sending my daughter for her ballet practices and performances... and the list goes on and on...


Sometimes I wish I didn't have so much to do before Christmas Day, that I could just have a relaxing week but I suppose Christmas would then become like any other ordinary day. It's all the planning and excitement that leads up to December 25th that makes Christmas Day that special time of the year. Seeing the joy on the faces of people whom we give gifts to, spending time with family over a home-cooked dinner and receiving gifts knowing that people took the effort to handpick gifts just for me...makes everything worthwhile.


While all the gift-giving and merry-making is good, we can easily lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas...that God gave the BEST gift of all to mankind -  the gift of His only Son as Saviour to a world in darkness. So, Happy Birthday Jesus! 

My brother-in-law posted this cute video in Facebook and it reminded me of all the cookies I baked for Christmas (and ate), so I thought I would share it here...see if you find yourself cheering for Ormie...and gasp at the last scene. I sure did :)





Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

Cats Stinking Up My Garden

My first ever post on this blog 3 years ago was about a pesky cat using my garden as its personal toilet. Back then I didn't think that 3 years later I would be posting about the same topic...only it's a different cat this time.


Every morning for the past 4 weeks a neighbourhood cat has deposited cat poo on my nice carpet grass, and always at the exact same spot. 


Sprinkling lime juice all over the grass had worked in the past but not any more, so I tried scattering pepper powder instead...

My neighbours thought it was crazy of me to make them sneeze whenever they stepped out of their house...but it kept the cat away for a few days...until it got immune to the pungent smell.


Then I tried spraying the grass with citrus scented air refreshener, because I read on the internet that cats don't like citrus smell...

It worked for a few days. Then that pesky cat brought a feline friend along and I had to clear TWO piles of poo each day...aaargh!!


That was the last straw, so hubby bought wire mesh to lay on the grass since cat paws are sensitive...

So currently, this is how my garden looks like...not very pretty, but so far so good. No sign of the cats for a few days now. I hope this will keep them away for good and my poo-scooping days will be over...because I'm a nice person and I really do not want to hurt those cats but if they keep coming back there's no telling what I might do to them....

Last Day of Secondary School

December 8th was the last day of SPM for CoolTeen and when I sent him to school that morning his school shirt was nice and clean, but when I went to fetch him later this was what I saw...

His friends had autographed his shirt
using marker pens!

This marks the end of his secondary schooling and he has decided not to study Form 6 but go to college instead. Yesterday we brought him to the Facon Education Fair at PWTC. There is so much choice of colleges and universities nowadays compared to the time when I completed my Form 5. No wonder the teenagers nowadays get confused...every university seems to try to outdo the other with the programs and facilities they offer as well as the fees they charge.


This next step in our son's life is going to cause a big hole in our pockets...in the realm of 5 digits, so thankfully he's not too keen on going overseas to study!

Some of the brochures we brought back from 
the education fair.

25 More Days To Christmas!

The countdown to Christmas has begun and the pretty Christmas displays (which I love) are up at the shopping malls in the city. 


This year hubby and I have decided not to put up our 5-foot Christmas tree but for a change we would decorate our home with mini trees and figurines. We told our kids that their presents must fit under the little trees and they took one look at the trees and went, "Yeah, right!" with just the right amount of sarcasm and scepticism in their voices.

2 little Christmas trees and one snowman
on a side table next to the TV

A mini tree on each side of  the salt lamp

Our first Christmas wreath on the front door.
The Shalom (which means 'peace') plaque 
underneath was a gift from my sis-in-law 
many  years ago and I love 
how perfectly all the colours match.

We were shopping at Berjaya Times Square yesterday
when a group of Santas walked past.

It turned out that they were part of a larger group of Santas
who put up a dance performance a few minutes later.

These few weeks will be a fun time of shopping and picking out gifts for family and friends. 


This year the youths in our church have embarked on a project to collect a Christmas wish-list from the children in an orphanage and grant their wishes. It's quite humbling when I saw the things that the children asked for...simple necessities like clothes, and perhaps a Ben 10 or Angry Bird watch. Not a single child asked for toys or expensive items.

Let's do our part in showing kindness and doing good in this season of goodwill and joy. 

Peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind. Amen.

Brain, Hand and Foot

A friend posted this picture in Facebook and when I showed it to CoolTeen, he said he could identify with what it says because he said he had 'brain-freeze' when he sat for his Bahasa Malaysia exam the other day.

There's also a fun fact that I learned about the human brain, try this for yourself and see whether you can outsmart your foot:

1. While sitting at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles with it.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number 6 in the air using your right hand. 

Your foot will automatically change direction!