Kimmydoll: some years ago and at present

Oh Kimmydoll, she's exactly that -- a downright doll!

I still recall excitable ladies and big girlies all squealing over my little walking talking dolly and asking for permission to pose with her under the giant Christmas tree they put out every year at the Ngee Ann City Mall!

And my, how Kimmy's grown!

mmmm and here's a suitable musical dedication to my littlest grown up musical doll! :)

one proud momma,
yol!

Oh very young...

"Mom, where is that book with Sunday boots and Working boots and the Johns?"

Tssk, kids, remember everything! I knew it was somewhere in the house, the book they were so adamant on getting their hands on again (and I knew they would demand storytime - mind you, they're in their teens!)... and of course I had to prove my Mom Powers by producing this book from thin air -- oops, I mean from the depths of the bookshelf, of course ;)

Melly enthusiastically joined me in my hunt, of course she wanted to claim full glory after she fished it out from the back of some hardcovers. We all know Momma knows best, anyway, so I left her to bask in her solitary glee.

We spent awhile reliving the tales of their childhood... All the familiar friends and faces were back!!! So here you have him! The good ol' working man with his Working Boots!

Gosh, these little pictures bring back so many memories... And it's a wonder how one good volume of amazing stories can have such great effect on the kiddos... I'd say they all grew up very fine, even if I say so myself!!!


And little Janet! Who was still called Girl John by her brothers because all of them were named John and it was a good honest name! Indeed! Why didn't I name Nicky that? John! A jolly good name :)

And the boy with his little fig tree that he received as a birthday present! Oh, a touching story if anything! The boy ate the leaves one by one because he was sure that the leaves would make him grow. The years passed, the boy grew taller, the fig tree did not. Dad threatened to take the tree away, but the boy did not allow it. "Give it one more chance, it's my tree, after all," he said. And they gave the tree one more chance - just one more. And the fig tree did not say anything, but the next week it got two new leaves, and the boy did not eat the leaves. He dreamed a good dream when he went to bed that night - he dreamed that the tree was taller than his dad, taller than the house, taller than every thing! And there were figs, juicy figs, sweet figs, falling all over the lawn :) It just makes me smile!

Oh, and the little boy whose naughty little secret scared three large, fierce giants!!!

This is probably the story that inspired Kimmydoll to go about hugging unsuspecting strangers -- AND HER DAD -- when the girls had the chicken pox!

Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
You're only dancing on this earth for a short while
And though your dreams may toss and turn you now
They will vanish away like your daddy's best jeans
Denim blue fading up to the sky

And hey diddle diddle, this lil kitty played the fiddle, and he graces the cover page of the kiddos' favourite book! This is a family treasure for sure ;) we will keep it well!

Smiling in the night
Yol

Happy Fathers' Day!

A contribution from my soulmate and best friend, Alfred, to our favourite Pudge.. It was submitted to ST Life for Dads:

The best thing about being your Dad, Nicky, is the everyday opportunity to make each other’s day just by being with the one we love! I can lead the way, but you're making your own path. We may not be two peas in a pod but boy, opposites do attract, and I'll always be proud of you, my son!



Me and my son, Nicholas Lam.


Happy Fathers' Day Alfred!
Yol

My Gypsy Girl

My Gypsy girlie Melly with her camera.

What can I say to a wordsmith?

After all, her own papa famously wrote in a book he presented her when she was sixteen, "A blank page could tell a better story". (Yup, I'm proud to have married an unwittingly witty man hahahahaha!)

Perhaps in song...

If I was a sculptor, but then again, no
Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show
I know it's not much but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you

And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world

I know how Melly usually prefers the original version of old songs, but I think we both agree this rendition has a nice tone to it ;)

What can I say? Gotta love Melly!

Love, love, love,
Yol

I just wanna...

Mother's Day this year was life-changing, what was meant to be a happy day tainted by the sudden news of my pa's passing, but here's a little something my littlest girlie Kimmy said to me that night...

"I just wanna be the one who makes you Happy..."

It is by far one of the sweetest utterances said to me... ever! :) Through the sadness of the moment, I had to smile and remember that all was not lost, and Her Royal Sweetness definitely brought a tear to my eye!

There she is right there in one of my favourite pictures of her at the moment... because she's such a photogenic girl, I'll soon have so many more favourite pictures! Looking ethereal, as always... that's my Kimmy Doll!

:)
Yol

May 12: No more longing; A final passage

Despite the overtone of grief and solemnity, I was happy to see so many people whom Pa loved, and who loved Pa, gathered in the place where so many of our firm friendships formed: 95A Old Airport Road. It all felt like things had come round full-circle.

Everything that has transpired from 8 May, the day Pa returned to our Heavenly Father's arms, and today, when we walked with him one final time, has definitely changed us all. I am glad that things went smoothly, and that we were able to pay him a good final tribute through our nightly prayers and a meaningful mass. All his grandchildren had a part to play in Pa's mass. I remember him enjoying their little show-and-tell sessions, whether they were performing a music piece or reading off a book, and I imagine him smiling in the company of angels as he watched their last earthly gift to him.

The walk down the aisle of the church had much meaning for me. Twenty-six years ago, Pa proudly walked me down the same aisle, wearing his grey safari suit, to present me for marriage. Yesterday, I joined my family, his grandchildren in tow, and walked him down the aisle, to present him to heaven.

Mel delivered the eulogy. Here's Melissa's tribute to my pa:

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts, and lives through many ages.

In his time, Andrew was a friend, a brother, a husband, a father, a father-in-law, brother-in-law. To us, he was grandpa. We always hear so many stories about grandpa when he was younger, but of course we only knew him in more recent years.

People we meet always say that Grandpa was strong and tough, and Grandma has a photograph of Grandpa hunting to prove it. He is standing with a huge gun, with one foot on a dead wild boar.

He rode a motorcycle and had a revolver because he was a policeman. Of course, I always thought that this was the picture of cool.

But to his grandchildren, Grandpa was mellow and gentle.

For the 19 years that I have known Grandpa, I remember him most for his smile, because it was always slightly mischievous.

Grandpa always seemed to notice when I had just done something clumsy. At one mooncake festival party, I accidentally toppled a tray of mooncakes, and there Grandpa was, smiling at me with the twinkle in his eye. I always felt quite silly but he wouldn't say anything, so neither would I.

I imagine the same twinkle in his eye when as a boy, Grandpa escaped with his brother back to Singapore after they were sent to the Batu Pahat boys home in Malaysia. That must have been a great adventure.

If all the world's a stage, I'm honored to deliver this eulogy at Grandpa's curtain call.

Grandpa has played so many different roles in each of our lives. I am glad to have known him.

He will be remembered fondly by Grandma, his children, and all of us as a generous man who bought durians by the baskets and always loved a good meal. On his next great adventure, I wish him eternal happiness. Till we meet again.

The brother, who Pa ran away from the boys home with, passed away exactly one year ago. I'm sure they're off on some new path, which must hold more appeal than any path in our mortal world.

May God bless and keep you always, Pa.

I took a photo of my accessories for today. I will never look at this pair of earrings, this watch, this ring, this hairband, necklace... the dress that I picked... I will never look at them the same way again.

And a little dedication to my mother, Gloria, who should be glad to be alive, and learn to embrace life and live it like she should.

You see I'm just a little man, trying hard to understand
What kind of living is a life if I can't stand on my own two feet

You see we are looking for the same thing
And we are trying to survive
But I know each day in life don't get much easier than the last
So today I'm just glad to be alive

And I'm singing
Gloria, Gloria, Gloria, stay by my side
Gloria, Gloria, Gloria, I'm glad to be alive
Glad to be alive

I think that life is a blessing
And every step, every lesson
You want for love and protection
To those in me

To all my mothers and fathers
And all the angels and saints
I'm so glad to be alive

Seems like there's never enough time to do the things I wanna do
And it never ends
But at the end of the day I might not have no money to count or spend
But I know I can count on all my friends

And you call on me
See we are looking for the same thing
And we are trying to survive
And I know each day in life with you gets better than the last
So today I'm just glad to be alive

Yol

R I P My Dear Pa (1930 to 2011)

My father, Andrew Loh aka Willie passed away this evening and I am very sad.

The memories I have of my father will always have to be the cool motorcycle rides he gave me daily to school during my secondary school days much to the envy of my friends ... I can still remember his license plate no. 2192 which won him the first prize in one of his regular weekend bets! With his winnings, he got mom a brand new kitchen and new terrazoo flooring. My pa is a very generous man. He bought us durians and mangosteens by the baskets.

Whenever I pass by the Police Academy in Thomson Road, I still have sweet memories of my annual trips with my pa to their sports carnival. We'd bring back home lots of little ice-cream cups and other take-aways but we'd never take part in the races. My pa's a quiet man ... a man of a few words but he always listened. The walk down the aisle on 23 Dec 1985 my wedding day must have been his proudest moment! He looked so handsome at 55 in his grey safari suit.

My pa loved good food and he's a great cook too, very proud of his fried Hokkien prawn noodles and always recommending us places of good and cheap food. I'll always remember his favourite Lor 9 beef noodles stall.

I will miss you pa and so will Alfred, Mel, Amelia, Kim, Nick and especially Ben.

May you rest in peace pa,
Yol

Today is a special day, a special one indeed,

A day to thank our mamas like a knight his noble steed.

A day to adorn our mama's hands with gifts and presents galore,

To express our gratitude and thanks and how mama we adore.

Then we'll feast upon chicken and good food,

And we'll let nothing take away the joyous and carefree mood.

Because today is a special day, a special one indeed,

A day called Mother's Day as it is known internationally.

And so with this poem hopefully great food we shall earn,

While others sit by and watch her cook, hoping to learn,

Her magical spicy sweet and mouth-watering recipe,

But they won't cook as great a dish as Mama, says my bear Duffy!

A special Mother's Day gift from Nicholas and his company of companions

HAPPY EASTER! (MY 100TH POST!)

I'm sure you can sense my excitement at reaching this sort-of-milestone in the blogging world: my 100th post! And what better thing to celebrate than EASTER!

Every Easter brings back memories of egg hunts and messy egg-decorating sessions where nobody left with clean fingers ... and the colour-stained t-shirts and walls after ... and of course, Easter parties!!! (Now I need to scour through our collection of photo albums for those pictures!!!)

This year, with the kiddos all "grown up", we had a sort-of-different Easter -- no coloured eggs and scrambles for hidden chocolate -- but every Easter's a good one and a reason to be thankful for being alive and believing!

Kiddos probably know this song best as the song from Shrek, but hey, before Shrek, there were... THE MONKEES:

A happy tune ;)

Also, I've been reading a little about Easter and this world never ceases to amuse and entertain!

Thank goodness for the Internet, I chanced upon this charming little tradition in Hungary...

(Photo by Attila Kisbenedek)

The tradition is called the "Watering of the girls", and this is how the 'Matyo' people of Hungary celebrate Easter! It's a fertility ritual that dates way back to Hungary's pre-Christian tribal history! That's CENTURIES ago! Whoa!

Speaking of believers...



Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings of the bluebird as she sings
The six o'clock alarm would never ring
But it rings and I rise wipe the sleep out of my eyes...

Exactly what I'll have to be doing in just about five hours... Oh well! All the better to send the kiddos off to school early :P Hmm perhaps wake them up with a good Hungarian splash of water heehee...

G'night, everyone!

Yol

A dreamy little song, company for the night!

I will live my life

As Alfred Lam's wife
On an island in the blue bay
He will take care of me
He will smell like the sea
And close to my heart he'll always stay

I'll bear three girls
All with strawberry curls
Melly and Mimi and Kim
While I'm combing their hair
I will catch his warm stare
On our island in the blue bay


Far away, far away
I wanna go far away
To a new life
On a new shoreline
Where the world turns blue
And the people are new
To another island
In another life

Doesn't this little ditty just make you want to jump up and dance? :) A great pick-me-up for a night such as this! I've been busy busy busy this whole day, what with activities all over our little island, and all the little ones to deal with!

Phew! But 12.47, the start of a new day, and the night is still young. Oh the laundry that awaits this happy momma... A lesser woman would shudder at the towering sight of it all!!!

Good night, good people, good night!
Yol

A look into the past!

I was looking through some old photos when I came across this gem, which hadn't made it to the first cut when Milly first put the photos on Facebook. Why not! This was a caught-unaware moment, neither of us properly in position for the photo, all funny smiles and closed eyes too! As Milly aptly captioned, hey! - Behind every great guy, there's always... HIS MOMMA! ;) Yup, I'll gladly take my bow, I'm happy to say Ben's turned out okay and more! If you look closely, you'll spot a little dab of paint on his shirt... One of many, I'll have you know. These little spots used to irk me - NO AMOUNT OF WASHING POWDER'S GONNA GET THAT OUT, BIG GUY. But you get used to his little idiosyncrasies... the paint-spot quirk just joined the many he's chalked up over the years! Ah well, guess he's got an artistic streak :P



Great song Milly just shared!

Took my love and I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well, the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Well, I've been afraid of changin'
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes bolder, children get older
I'm getting older too

And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well maybe, well maybe, well maybe
The landslide will bring you down

Night, amigos!
Yolly

P.S. Mil's new blog's up here if you're up for a late-night read! Nick's right where he usually is, the funny little man ;)

Nicky's foodie adventures!

Our little Nicky's growing up quick and he contributes to the local newspaper, The Straits Times! Recently, he's been given his own column in another newspaper, aimed at youths, and it's called 'IN'!

We're ever so proud!

Here's his first column for 'IN'!

(click on this image for a bigger view!)

The first reaction from my family the moment I stepped into the house with two Home Economics books and an apron was one of utmost shock. My father asked, choosing his words very carefully, “Nicholas, are you sure you didn’t buy the wrong books? Aren’t you all taking Design and Technology?”

“It’s not like we’re never taking Design and Technology, Dad, we'll be doing that next year,” I assured him, deciding that it was best to wait for Friday to find out what was happening from the teacher herself. “Boys just aren’t suited for this Home Economics business,” he mumbled to himself.

Friday arrived without much fanfare, and the teacher hustled us out of the classroom and up the four flights of stairs to the Home Economics room, telling us all to sit down in the crammed space before finally starting on the lesson.

Our first lesson was an introduction to the many different kinds of nutrients and vitamins, and how we can maintain a healthy diet by eating certain kinds of food. It was very informative and interesting. "No cooking disasters yet!" I thought, relieved. I'd survived it unscathed!

However my father’s tone and his words lingered in my mind. I felt the same way as he did about teenage boys handling stoves and knives. The images of boys with acne-dotted faces and dark hands worn from the many times on the inclined pull-up bars stooped over a frying pan was almost laughable from my point of view.

Our failure to get a decent grade for a simple tuna sandwich seemed only to reiterate my father’s point. My weak attempt looked more like an explosion on a plate than a sandwich, with cucumbers poking out of the sides and tomatoes half sliding off the plate. Dad's predictions proved accurate time and time again, and by the third week of Home Economics class, as I accidentally let a bowl of flour slip from my hands and sent flour all over the counter top, I was ready to throw off my apron with a cry of "Je renonce!" in the manner of a posh French chef, taking note to let the egg yolks spill onto the floor.

And the moment my partner pulled out the half-burnt cupcakes we had made, we knew we'd had it. We waved our dishclothes like white flags in surrender. The way to a man's heart may be through his stomach, but we sure could do without the actual cooking! It was also much to our absolute horror that Home Economics might just include sewing or embroidery.

Perhaps Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay have made it big, but I prefer my dinners cooked by someone other than myself, or if I must prepare them myself, at least let them be a three-step process involving tearing packets, hot water, and three minutes of waiting time! Home Economics has proven quite an adventure so far. The occasional few might just succeed where others had fallen, but I just can’t wait till Design and Technology starts. Perhaps Dad will have something to say about that!

Kimmy on the flute!

Kim on the Flute from Kimberly Lam on Vimeo.

Pretty of the day - Kimmy! She's applying for a music scholarship, and I hear competition's tough, but here's wishing her all the best! ;) Cheers, Kimmy, here's to success!

<3>

My Valentines and their timepieces!

So the busiest hands at home were mine and Melly's, and we gleefully laid out our latest collection of Shinies to admire them, coo over them, make Mimi and Kimmy try them on, and oh, pretty much love them to bits!!!

I presented the girlios with their Valentine's Day pressies today! Couldn't wait for the actual day, and what better way to spend a Saturday night than to bask in the glittery glory of gems and pearls and jewels! Melly's almost done with her schooling days, too, and hey, these are great go-out-and-see-the-world-time gifts!

I bought each of the girls a special timepiece! Just looking at them made me think of our good ol' rabbit (hare?) from Alice in Wonderland! "Oh, I'm late, for a very very important date!!!" is such an oft-heard expression, especially from Melly. Late is an understatement! She'd wake up waaay past 3pm if I'd let her.

Mimi's delicate little pocket-watch, to match her classy style!

Melly's pocket-watch, complete with a little hidden skull (it's among the black crystals, and not immediately obvious! She was so thrilled to find it!)

Kimmy's pocket-watch which looks almost too sweet ;) suits her completely, I'd say!

And the boys? I'm sure you'll hear lots from them pretty sooooon!!!

Good night, pretties!
Yol

P.S. Got new shoes tooooo... Pictures soon, I suppose, once I can get them to upload! Where are my elves!

Once upon a December...

Once upon a December...

WE MADE AN ISLAND LIFE FOR US!

Allllright, so we spent most of our lives on an island, but what better way to spend the festive season than to stray beyond our shores and find ourselves basking in the warmth of an island we had yet to explore!

So off we sailed, over the South China Sea, and there we found ourselves - on the shores of a white sandy beach! Such was our joy, and such was our Christmas ;)

Sure has been a stretch since my last post here on A Pretty A Day, but hey, the pretties just keep comin'! Every day's a pretty day, but some of the prettiest days of the year for us were in December, during our Christmas getaway on a certain island with white sandy beaches!

This ain't fiction, my friends, no matter how much of a dream it all seemed like! Here's our Pretty of the Year 2010, Kimmy, spotted just before we set sail on that very adventure-in-December...

Kimmy, spying with those gorgeous eyes, and probably teasing our lil Nick! Who, by the way, took it upon himself to thank our hero personally...

Here's Nick giving Papa Alfie, good ol' Daddio, a great big hug! It was his Christmas treat, after all! Gotta love papa!

Mimi, the regular entertainer, got up to her antics as soon as we were on our way!

Of course, who could resist the cool sunnies Kimmy bought specially for our trip!

Pucker up, sweets!

Yup, of coursseeee I knew we were off to a great start!










Here's Mimi trying to hide from the camera as usual! Of course she didn't manage to!

The Pudge peers from where he perches!

5/7 of us, oh, and a frog! Little green thing had the time of his life right there!

Right away, we went click-happy and took picture after picture!
Ben was thrilled by the wind in his hair, and so was I!

Naturally, the clear water, and the strong waves were such a hit with the kiddos! (And a certain Pudge flopped gleefully into the water, letting the waves carry him back to the shore, and then tossing him forward again. Hey, you gotta understand it's not every day that the Pudge gets "carried"... given his current size and weight, it's a wonder the waves could lift him at all! Goes to show those were pretty strong waves!)

The twilight must've had a touch of magic, and the bickering buddies Kimmy and Nick were getting all chummy and performing some sort of ... here's-the-sea-and-we're-happy dance!

Mimi, too, was all smiles, hamming it up for the cameras! Hmmmmm, a photogenic star, she is, that Mimi!

Annnnd of course we could count on Nicky to breathe in the salt-laced seaside air, toss his arms out with dramatic flair, and declare the sea blue and pristine and a wonder to behold, and that it was time to grab a bite ;)
Of course you can always count on our favourite little pudge to be in the mood for food!!!

There's so much more to talk about, including one of the highlights of the month, where Melly manages to have her glasses snatched off her face by ... you guessed it ... a wave. HAHA!!!

Been busy busy busy what with the rainy season just easing off, and finally being able to get all my laundry done! The sky and I, we hadn't been agreeing very much the past few weeks!

Also, purchasing accessories and bags galore for my girlies and I to play dress-up has kept me up on sooo many occasions! It's just suuuuch a thrill making purchases and receiving parcels! The courier guy's almost a friend now!

Winks and kisses!
Yol ;*

Itty Bitty Kimmy Girl!

My itty bitty pinky princess Kimsy's all grown and just received her O-level results last week - a huge milestone that marks 16 sweet years of a beautiful girl!

She did amazingly well, and pretty much shocked us all! I was so nervous - even after promising myself to go the "que sera sera" way this time round - and when the phone rang with what was surely Kim on the line, I could barely hold it steady! And then I heard the sniffles! And I was petrified! But through the sniffles, "M-mom! M-mom! I've got A1s! All of them are A's and B's!" followed by unintelligible babble about her grades, but that's all I needed to know - the girl was happy! Joy to the world, I said!

She's all settled in the school she so desires, too. After all the nervous chiding (you should SEE her study ... she hardly ever touches those books), I'm glad to report that all is well!

Gotta love them kiddos!
Yol

Silver!

One by one each year flew by,
Since we both said “I do"
25 years of memories,
Shared by us two.
From big events and holidays
To simple daily pleasures,
Some challenges along life’s way,
Some joys that can’t be measured
One by one each year now gone,
But still they’re ours forever
Each and every memory,
Of a quarter Century together!

HAPPY SILVER ANNIVERSARY, DEAREST ALFRED!

Love to one and all this holiday season ;)

Yol

Drawers are for storing nice things in them. Be it a stray cell phone battery, a page torn out of a journal, a necklace fashioned out of wire and beads or even some five-year-old issue of a magazine, they are all stored in drawers.

I have taken to the habit of opening other’s drawers. (You can tell many things about people by looking at their drawers and it is a curious thing to see what people keep in their drawers is it not?) Those with a flair for writing may keep a stack of unused paper in their drawer, maybe a writing pad with a flap that only features two pages of writing. Lazy people keep rubbish in their drawers. The shiny paper that stamps are stuck on, unwritten postcards, folded paper that has collected dirt over the years, pencil shavings and perhaps even some pen that has leaked its last drop of ink.

The only item remaining classified under the miscellaneous section is a storybook with a weak plot with a laminated picture of some Korean pop singer wedged in between pages eleven and twelve (Probably some vain attempt at looking cool, but still, it remains miscellaneous.).

I have yet to stumble upon a drawer old enough to be storing journals that has pages that disintegrate at a light touch. Or a drawer with monkey feed in it. Or those drawers dead businessmen entrust with wills and official documents revealing that they were also working for a third party that plans to eliminate both companies that deal in identical areas.

I would love to open up a drawer and rifle through it to reveal some elaborate conspiracy to keep humanity from finding out about alternate, more reliable, sources of renewable energy, causing them to be more reliant on fossil fuels and thus causing ‘the man’ to earn more money from sales of fossil fuels.

I would love to have a drawer reveal its contents willingly, without locks or security systems, having it slide out easily on shiny and new ball bearings.

I would love to look into drawers, and having them look back up at me, both wondering, ‘What strange adventure could this entity send me off on?’

I would love to open a drawer, and find something someone was.

I would love to open a drawer, and find something someone is.

I love opening drawers.

I love drawers.

They’re fancy.

Written by Nicholas Lam

­­

A TOAST TO THE NICKY OF THE WEST, THE VERY BEST 12-YEAR-OLD!

My 89th post here on A Pretty A Day is gonna be dedicated to my littlest little one...

NICHOLAS THE WITTIEST!

Here are five wishes I'm wishing for you this year, Nicky...

1. I wish that you will always gaze upon beautiful sights, follow in only the best of footsteps, and tread carefully wherever you may roam.

2. I wish that you will always be smiling close to me.

3. I wish for you the best steak on every and any cause for celebration! Hmm... would that mean a steak a day?! ;)
4. May you always have the most wonderful cheerleaders!

5. I hope you'll always be flawless... in every plausible way ;)

Here's lookin' at ya, big boy!

To whatever the future may hold for me and you,
and with all the love anyone could possibly muster,
Your Momma Yolinda Anna

Desired Things

I've been tinkering about the home and whipping up some old recipes after the trips-to-the-past Alfie has taken me on. Oh don't worry, we don't literally have a time machine or anything that fancy! The good man's been uncovering some amazing Khek foodie yums! And we're so glad the kiddos have caught on, they're in love with the delectable treats!!!

I've been leaving this blog to guest writer Nick for some time, but here ya guys go! I'm back! And feeling in the mood for a lil poetry...

TODAY'S BEAUTIFUL POEM:-

Desiderata is Latin for "desired things", and is a poem by Indiana writer Max Ehrmann that reminds the reader to always "be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be", and to "keep peace with your soul"

Here is his poem in full!

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

What beautiful words :) Every time I read this, or hear the recording on the radio (they DO play it ever so often!), I'm reminded of my personal motto: STRIVE TO BE HAPPY!

Here's wishing you lot a happy happy day! *lo/*

Love
Yolinda Anna