Campro's the way to go!

I'm really impressed with the service I get from Campro.

This brand of schoolbags costs S$30+, are light when empty, come in various colours and models. The best thing I like is it's warranty.

While Toby's bag was beyond repair (after 3 years' of use, and he still wanted to continue using!), we sent Tiffy's bag for repair on Sunday. Her bag was bought from another shop which has since closed down. We went to another one and the lady was very pleasant, telling us it'll take 1-2 weeks and she'll call when it's done. We didn't even have to pay though I bought Toby a new bag, Campro of course!

Christmas eve, she called... you can come collect your bag and we're open tomorrow. Wow! We sent in on Sunday afternoon and the bag is ready for collection on Wednesday night, Christmas eve, no less! And all this, for free!

Prayer for me

dear Lord, I commit Nars in your hands
i know she loves you and the only reason why she is able to withstand the constant struggle is that You are with her and she knows that.
so Lord, i asked that you continue to guide her and give her the strength to forgive her mum everyday.
Lord I also ask for you continue to work in her mum that one day she will come to the saving knowledge of you Lord.
Lord sometimes we dont understand what is happening but yet Nars know you enough to trust that the seed had been sowed in her mum and one day it will bear fruit.
how it is going to turn out, we leave it to You because you are our Father who knows best.
I also commit Nars health in your hands. In the name of our Lord Jesus, I speak healing into her.
Lord I asked that you healed her of her cancer. Also strengthened her soul and spirit Lord..
that she will continue to trust you as she seek treatment.
Lord I thank you for the doctor and cell group that you have given her.
I pray Lord that you used them to encourage her as she goes through this difficult times.
Father I also pray for protection for her children. Lord I know that you love them more than her and You will be there always to watch over them.
I also pray for finances for her. Lord where there is anxiety in Nars about finance, I ask your peace be upon her. Let her trust you to provide in ways that you have done for her in the past.
I speak against ungodly thoughts and doubt and even false guilt that the devil have planted in her mind.
in the name of Jesus, I rebuke and command that they will be gone and Lord You will breathe a fresh anointing into her life and the she knows and she knows and she knows deep down in her spirit that You have already released her and forgive her.
i ask that the blood of Jesus cover her and her childredn and enable her to see hope even when her physical eyes may not see it.
thank you Lord for loving her and her children.
I pray and ask in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.

from CN

Toby's leg's in a cast for 7 weeks

I should thank God in all situations. Thank God that I went for second opinion and this doctor detected the fracture in Toby's foot. Thank God that I can forgive the maid who mopped the floor till it was so slippery and didn't tell anyone, including Toby who ran and slipped and rammed his foot into the door frame.

Links - Songs I like

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhrcmDFt02c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGX66RlqlNs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5PqydMA1kA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Deq4z2HhpZo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzllVlzzeuo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3S6UVS2JDE

Penny-wise

Lump

It's been a long, long while after the initial diarrhoea of entries and updates. I've been occupied by a 1.6cm by 0.9cm lump recently.

I discovered it on 19 Oct and immediately warning signs started like the lights on top of the police car or ambulance. The first time I discovered a lump like this was way back in 1990 (or was it 1991 ?).

The next morning, I brought Toby to see the doc; follow-up for his chest pain on 1 Oct. I went to see the doc too. She gave me a referral to see Dr Yong WS at SGH. I got an appointment on 24 Oct.

First visit to Dr Yong - tests, tests and more tests. Review was on 31 Oct where the results didn't seem too good and more tests were arranged. Review today was ... atypia cells. According to Yahoo, "Atypia means that the cells look different from normal cells." The tests neither confirms that there are cancer cells nor confirms that there are none. Doc calls it a 'fence-sitter'.

And so, I have an op scheduled on 12 Nov. Not day surgery but if all goes well, I can go home within a day. Not sure what are the differences but if the doc says so, do so, no?

Told mum, she wanted more details but I don't have them. I read (or tried to) the medical report. Only words I understood were : a, an, the, is ... and the like, you get the picture.

So, if I'm away for a while again, you know why.

Keep me in your prayers!

ps: remember that through all this, God has a plan for me. Jer 29:11

Prayer for me

Lord, thank you for the opporunity for Nars to be with her mother. Father, we plead the blood of Jesus over her doors and windows that no demonic spirit may come into this home where Your Spirit resides. Bless her children, protect her soul from deception, protect her ears from the entisement of the enemy. Let your love and light shine through the darkness and accomplish it's work. May her mother be useful to the kingdom, in Jesus name.

Thank you, BK!

Maid's gone

The Day Before
Where's Mum?


Day 1 - Tuesday
Maid can't stay
Decision was very clear last night from Mum's outburst that maid had to go. While my plan was for her to leave at the end of the month after the kids' SA2 (and thus give me some time to find a new maid), I realised that I couldn't wait till then. The maid clearly heard what Mum said last night. She was very quiet after the outburst last night and again this morning, going about her work with extra diligence and some sniffles. I guessed she knew. I was also afraid, in a sense, 'cos she might be mentally unstable with handling what Mum accused her of, whether it was true or not, only Mum and maid both know. I wasn't keen on leaving kids alone with the maid, especially Tiff 'cos she's younger. So I cancelled my meetings and stayed on. I finally told her about 11 in the morning when Tiff was having lunch that she had to go. She cried, of course. I told her, she had to pack and that the agent would come pick her up at 1.30pm. In the meantime, I called various agencies half-heartedly. I was in a daze too.

Day 2 - Wednesday
Buying the kick-scooter
ATM out of order.

Found the maid


Day 3 - Thursday
Chinese Tuition

Rushing to the maid agency

Dinner
After I fetched the kids from school, I brought them to Crazy Angmor to eat western food. Decided to give them a treat for having to eat out every meal and to thank them for being so understanding and helping me out with household chores without being asked. Toby had juicy cheese burger with mashed potato (4.90), Tiff had fish and chips (6.50) and I had chicken chop with mashed potato and poke egg (5.90); total 17.30. They enjoyed the meal even though the burger was very peppery. I think next time we'll order 2 meals and share since we couldn't finish the food. Happily fed, kids scooted back on both scooters. The new one is very nice since the wheels lit with blue and red lights when moving.

Day 4 - Friday
Sis to the rescue
Had to be in office this afternoon and had a call at 11am. What this meant was that I had to arrange for Toby to stay back and I had to find a way out for Tiffy's lunch. Sis offered to pick Toby up from school as she was on half-day but I asked Toby if he would take a bus from school to the bus-stop outside Sis' place and her maid would come out and fetch him after picking up Ash. He happily agreed. For lunch, Tiff and I went at 10.30 to the coffeeshop opposite to buy lunch back to eat. We took 10mins to get there, running part of the way. Chose ready-cooked food (just pick and pack) and we went back, arriving less than 5mins before the call started. Tiff ate lunch while I had the call. I ate a few mouthfuls while putting the call on speaker mode. After the call ended about 12.05, we rushed to prepare for school (bringing laundry in, close windows, change, pack etc). Brought Tiff to school and reminded her to be at the front porch so that Toby can find her when Sis+BIL come to pick them up this evening. Thereafter they'll be with Sis till she sends them back about 9pm. I gave Tiff a set of house keys since I would still be at cell.

Day 6 - Saturday
The trap
I was very upset when I discovered it. Balanced on the little kerb at the bathroom door and leaning against the door. Why did she have to do this?

Day 7 - Sunday
Will Mum cook dinner?
I was wondering about this from few days back. Would she sulk and refuse? There are so many conflicting thoughts going through my head till Sis messaged me on Saturday morning before she flew off. Imagine, Sis is flying off to work on Saturday and still thinking of us so early in the morning. Anyway, BIL came with 3 nieces and maid for chicken porridge. During this dinner, Mum claimed she cooked "douya" and not "bean sprouts". Anyone care to explain the difference to me? This is even more mind-boggling than "ownership" vs "responsibility".

Day 9 - Monday
Need to be in the office in the afternoon
I thought this would be another day of rushing about with a call 10-1030 and 11-12, meaning we had a 30min window to rush out to buy lunch like last week. Thank God the 11am call was postponed and we didn't have to rush. It started to rain heavily though and it was so cold that Tiffy brought the Rafflesia cape. We walked out in the rain to go for lunch at 1120 and had Char Siew rice at the Butter-chair coffeeshop. Since Mum's birthday is on Thursday, we went over to Prima Deli and placed an order for a blueberry cake. 500g, $22 before UOB credit card 10% discount. I like discounts. Tiffy chose a rainbow and choc rice bun ($1.20) for recess making the total $21 which is still lesser than the original $22. We walked to the back gate and met a little girl Fahar who didn't have an umbrella. Amused her with the '1 Pear'. Tiffy walked off talking to her new friend and I went to work. Slept on the bus. Thank God for long journeys when I can sleep on the bus.

Almost late
I arrived early for the 2-5pm meeting. Had a brief discussion with HH and we went for the meeting. What was supposed to be a short meeting, ended at 5.24 and me rushing to pack up and catch the next 506. 506 comes at 15min intervals and the peak had just started. With traffic building up, I might not be able to reach school in time to pick up kids at 6.35pm. Though there was no rain, the average speed was like 50km/h on the PIE, typical peak hour. I was worried but so tired that I fell asleep and woke up a few stops before school (thank God!). Checked phone and realised that I was early, yeah! Alighted from the bus at 6.28pm, knitted for a few minutes before they came out. I'd planned to leave office earlier so that I could bring the kick-scooters but, well, plans are plans. Kids wanted to go to 'Crazy Angmor' but I had a 7.30pm call. We went for prawn noodles instead - kids having the normal and me having the fried tanghoon with prawns. Lady there was so amused by the kids' ordering of food, especially with Tiffy. We shared a Kickapoo so total cost of dinner $3x3 + $1.20 = $10.20. We got home by 7.25pm for the call.

Day 10 - Tuesday
Agent confirmed last night that the maid would be coming on Wed night. Somehow, I'm no estatic about as I thought I'd be. To me, it's a whole new set of problems. Would the maid be able to cope? Did she lie about her abilities? Will I be able to trust her? Will Mum chase this maid away too? I know I should lay all these at the foot of the cross. Especially so, since I'm not able to do anything about it. But I'm human, I worry.

Day 11 - Wednesday
Sis to the rescue again


Praying that maid will be fine
This is the day when the maid's expected to arrive. After 8pm, the agent said.

Kids' Names

Toby and Tiffy have many alternate names like

• Darling and Sweet
  
• Sunnybunny and Funnybunny - can't remember how this started. Toby calls his sis, Funnybunny.
  
• Bucky and Barky - this originated from Tiff when she returned to Sakae Sushi after washing her hands and said, I'm Bucky (I'm back, in kiddy language). We started calling her Bucky and she then gave Toby a new name, Barky (pronounced Barrrrrky)
  

Kids are breaking my heart

Maid left yesterday when agent picked her up about 2pm. She had to go 'cos mum kicked up such a fuss that I couldn't keep the maid and I'm now left stranded with many loose ends to tie up. With so much on my mind, the kids .... started making me cry

• Toby's in the morning session and Tiffy's in the afternoon. Usually I bring Toby to school and Tiffy's still sleeping at home. Now that the maid's gone, there's no one to be at home with Tiffy and she's only 7. So I asked Toby if he would go to school on his own and he said this : Mummy, I'll leave later, about 6.45 instead of 6.30, because there will be more people then. This was in response to my asking him to cross the roads with the other people. In the end, I decided to wake Tiffy and we'll all go to school together.
• Tiffy, after breakfast, decided to go prepare what to bring for recess later. She chose watermelon and packed the last few cubes into her lunchbox and went to wash up the container that was empty. She couldn't reach the draining shelf and climbed up to put it there. She also filled the glass teapot with water from the WTS so that there'll be room temperature water for her water-bottle and for us to drink.
  

Prayer for me

Abba Father, i pray that you build a wall around Nars hse such that the smoke doesnt go into her hse. you are our Heavenly Father who hears all our prayers even for such little matters as long as it bothers us. Thank you Abba Father. Amen!

Thank you, SL!

Holiday Plans

We're going to Hong Kong with Mum and Sis. The last time I was there was before Toby was born. Am thinking what else to do besides that trip. Spoke to TnT and told them about the Sentosa chalet costing $200/night. Why it's almost as high as a hotel stay on the mainland, I do not know. So the choice was 2 nights ($400) or 1 night ($200) or no stay. No stay means we'll take the $400 and spend it in other ways, possibly

• Sentosa chalet - $200/night
• Cable Car (return trip) - $12.90 (A), $7.50 (C) - $$27.90
  
• Singapore flyer - $29.50 (A), $20.65 (C) - $70.80 (total)
  
• movie - I still have 10 tickets from the NDP promotion. That would be 2 trips to Eng Wah for us with Belle and Ash.
  
• Duck tour - $33 (A), $17 (C) - $67 (total)
• Zoo (admission with tram ride) - $23 (A), $9 (C) - $41 (total)
• Zoo (Park hopper 2-in-1) - $30 (A), $15 (C) - $60 (total)
• Zoo (Park hopper 3-in-1) - $40 (A), $20 (C) - $80 (total)
• Science Centre - multiple entries since we now have membership
• Tinkerer's Lab
  
• West Coast park
• Jacob Ballas Children's Garden
  
• Children's Technology Workshop
• Kranji Countryside
  
• Nature activities by Cicada Tree
• eXplorerkid
  
• Hotel Equatorial Melaka
• 
  

Vouchers

• Crystal Jade $20
• Swensen's $20
• Sakae Sushi $30
• Popular Bookstore $40
  

Promotions

• Passion Card - Underwater World, Singapore Flyer, Sentosa Luge & Skyride
• Island Cruise (Package A - Island cruise, river cruise) - $22
• Island Cruise (Package B - Island cruise, river cruise, Duck tours) - $50

Event Calendars

• Uniquely Singapore
  
• ArtReach - outreach and community programs by National Arts Council
  

Toby had chest pains

Tiffy and I picked Toby up from his classmate's birthday party at 7.30pm after our dinner at Mayim. He mentioned then that he had a stomach ache but not the type that he needed to go to the toilet. More like gastric he said. But he was hunched over, walking so slowly while clutching his chest with one hand. He also said he wanted to throw up. We waited beside a drain but he didn't vomit. As we walked, he shuffled along and still had a hand on his chest. We sat at a bench by the road and as I prayed for him, a passer-by even asked if he was ok.
There were no cabs when we were. I had only a $10 note in my purse. When we managed to get a cab, I dug out some more coins to be able to pay. We rushed to KKH A&E. Clinics nearby were closed and I wasn't sure how far Toby could walk with the pain he was feeling. On the way, I SMSed for prayer from my cell group.
KKH A&E Triage was pretty fast, we were attended to almost immediately. The nurse arranged for an ECG (result : normal). The doc (Patsy Chow) came over and mentioned that she'd give him a painkiller after she observed tenderness when pressing gently on Toby's ribcage during physical examination. I can't quite remember what she said, something like, if the painkiller doesn't take away the pain, it could be something worse (what, I can't quite remember).
Toby was given brufen and we went for the x-ray.
Sis called and said she'd come and pick up Tiffy to bring her home. I updated my cell and ex (a father who couldn't be bothered to go to the hospital to see his son). The cartoons were a distraction to the long wait and anxiety.
Finally, when we saw the doc again after the x-ray (result : normal), she said, nothing conclusive but what she felt was that Toby had an inflammation of the cartilage. She wrote a letter for the family doc (I'm thinking of bring Toby to Chang clinic) for follow-up in a week and 2 wks of excuse from PE.

Prayer for me

Lord, please watch over Nars. Give her guidance on how to better use her time when she is feeling low/bored, let it be fruitful and beneficial activity to her. Give her strength to flee/resist the things that only provide temporary satisfaction/gratification and also determination to get things right. I pray that she will also have time to allow her body to have the rest it needs so she can spend quality time with kids and also enjoy some 'me' time. Amen

Thank you, PT!

Melamine Scare News Articles in AP

Singapore

• 
  
• (938Live, 23 Sep 08) Melamine levels low in Singapore : While the highest level of melamine found in China is a shocking 2,500 grams per million grams, those detected in three products here are no more than 160 grams.
• (asiaone, 21 Sep 08) "White Rabbit creamy candy" found to contain melamine : Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has said that its laboratory test have shown that the "White Rabbit Creamy Candy" from China is also contaminated with melamine.

Hong Kong

• (Associated Press, 30 Sep 08) Cadbury pulls melamine-laced chocolate from China : The recalled products included Cadbury Dark Chocette, Cadbury Eclairs, Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate, Cadbury Dairy Milk Hazelnut Chocolate, Cadbury Dairy Milk Cookies Chocolate and Cadbury Hazelnut Praline Chocolate.
• (Flexnews, 30 Sep 08) Heinz, Mars, Kraft, Lotte, Pizza Hut - Latest Companies Named as Asian Melamine Scare Spreads : Hong Kong officials have said that they have found traces of melamine in baby cereals and crackers manufactured by Heinz as well as in steamed potato wasabi crackers produced by Silang House.... Hong Kong supermarkets ParknShop and Wellcome also removed the popular biscuit brand Koala Cookies, produced by Lotte, from shelves after tests showed some contained large amounts of melamine.... Meanwhile, Pizza Hut in Taiwan has pulled grated cheese from its outlets also after melamine discovery.... In Indonesia, the government ordered food retailers to pull 28 products from their shelves because they may contain tainted Chinese milk.The list is understood to include products such as Oreo cookies and M&M chocolate candies.... In the Philippines, meanwhile, authorities are checking Chinese flour for melamine as the country is fearing a possible contamination of the chemical in bread, noodles and cakes, which are popular products in the Philippines.... In Japan, Marudai Food said it had found melamine in one of its products, after earlier issuing a recall as a precaution. The company recalled more than 300,000 buns and other products last week fearing contamination.... In Vietnam - Meanwhile, Vinamilk, the country's leading dairy processor, distanced itself from suspicion after announcing that melamine had not been found in its product samples.

Beware - tainted milk scandal

Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore website here
Straits Times article here

Consumers can call AVA’s hotline at 63257625 during office hours (8.30 am – 6.00 pm, Monday – Friday) or MOH’s hotline at 1800-2254122 if they have any queries.

Apparently, if you have any of the AVA listed items, you can go to any large supermarket and request for a refund, even if you do not have a receipt.

This is a compilation from various sources that I've come across:

From AVA (dd 9Oct08)

1. Cadbury Choclairs - Blueberry Flavour
2. Cadbury Choclairs - Coffee Flavour
3. Panda Dairy Whole Milk Powder (industrial pack)
   

From AVA (dd 21Sep08)

1. Yili Brand" Choice Dairy Fruit Bar Yogurt Flavoured Ice Confection
2. “Dutch Lady” brand of strawberry flavoured milk (manufactured in China)
3. “White Rabbit Creamy Candy” (大白兔奶糖)

Impact to adult of 60kg weight if consumed (detected levels of Melamine in Singapore):

• 7 bars of Yi Li Choice Dairy Fruit Bar Yogurt Flavoured Ice Confection daily over a lifetime
• 815 ml of Dutch Lady Strawberry flavoured milk daily over a lifetime
• 47 pieces of White Rabbit Creamy Candy daily over a lifetime

From AVA (dd 24Sep08)

1. Dutch Lady Banana Flavoured Milk
2. Dutch Lady Honeydew Flavoured Milk
3. Silang - House of Steamed Potato - Potato Cracker
4. 徐 福 记 Puffed Rice Rolls - Butter Corn Flavour
5. 徐 福 记 Puffed Rice Rolls - Cheese Flavour

Impact to adult of 60kg weight if consumed (detected levels of Melamine in Singapore):

• 776 ml of Dutch Lady Banana Flavoured Milk daily over a lifetime
• 644 ml of Dutch Lady Honeydew Flavoured Milk daily over a lifetime
• 13 packs of Silang - House of Steamed Potato - Potato Cracker daily over a lifetime
• 520 pieces of 徐福记 Puffed Rice Rolls - Butter Corn Flavour daily over a lifetime
• 654 pieces of 徐福记 Puffed Rice Rolls - Cheese Flavour daily over a lifetime

Separate List (from Straits Times article dd 22Sep08)

1. Snickers bars
2. M&Ms
3. Nabisco Chicken In A Biskit
4. Dove chocolate bars
5. Mentos yogurt balls
6. Oreo wafer sticks
7. Want Want Take One Baby Bites.

Yet another list (from unconfirmed source dd 23Sep08)

1. Rabbit Milk Sweet 150g (Item code 038055)
2. Youcan Unusual Multipack 4s (Item code 134136)
3. Youcan Strawberry Multipack (Item code 134138)
4. Youcan Traditional Sesame Multipack 4s (Item code 134141)
5. Youcan Passion Multipack (Item code 134140)
6. Youcan Masterbean Multipack (Item code 134139)
7. Youcan Silk Sliced and Passion Strawberry (Item code 134137)
8. Monmilk Breakfast Milk Malt 6s (Item code 135154)
9. Monmilk Breakfast Milk Walnut 6s (Item code 135155)
10. Monmilk Breakfast Milk Malt (Item code 135156)
11. Monmilk Breakfast Milk Walnut (Item code 135157)
12. Monmilk Chocolate Milk 6s (Item code 135472)
13. Monmilk Coffee Milk 6s (Item code 135473)
14. Monmilk Hi Cal Low Fat (Item code 154697)
15. Monmilk Pure Milk (Item code 154698)
16. Monmilk Hi Cal Milk (Item code 143948)
17. Monmilk Hi Cal Milk 6s (Item code 143951)
18. Monmilk Pure Milk 6s (Item code 143950)
19. Monmilk Hi Cal Low Fat Milk 6s (Item code 143952)
20. Monmilk Hi Cal Low Fat Milk (Item code 143949)
21. Monmilk Pure Milk (Item code 143947)
22. Monmilk Milk Deluxe 12s (Item code 154696)
23. Yili Pure Milk 1L (Item code 155079)
24. Yili Hi Cal Milk 1L (Item code 155080)
25. Yili Hi Cal Low Fat Milk 1L (Item code 155081)
26. Yili Pure Milk 6s 250ml (Item code 155082)
27. Yili Hi Cal Milk 6s 250ml (Item code 155083)
28. Yili Hi Cal Low Fat Milk 6s 250ml (Item code 155084)
29. Want Want Flavoured Milk 250ml (Item code 021726)
30. Nestle D/stick Mini Vanilla (Item code 105115)
31. Nestle D/stick Mini Choco (Item code 105116)
32. Meiji Ujikintoki 2978 (Item code 455016)
33. Meiji Umakabo Chocolate (Item code 455017)
34. Meiji Family Pack-Green Tea (Item code 144101)
35. Meiji Chestnut & Red Bean (Item code 106129)
36. Bairong Grape Cream Crackers (Item code 116634)
37. First Choice Calcium Sesame Crackers (Item code 102042)
38. First Choice Calcium Saltine Crackers (Item code 102043)
39. First Choice Calcium S Onion Crackers (Item code 112010)
40. First Choice Calcium Seaweed Crackers (Item code 112011)
41. Ginbis Party Animal Butter Biscuit (Item code 136143)
42. Ginbis Party Animal Seaweed Biscuit (Item code 136144)
43. Ginbis Party Animal CNUT (Item code 136145)
44. Ginbis Animal Biscuit (Item code 236531)
45. Kraft Oreo Wafer Sticks 18s (Item code 103967)
46. Kraft Oreo Wafer Sticks 5s (Item code 123926)
47. Kraft Oreo W/Stick Wh Choc 18s (Item code 154881)
48. Kraft Oreo W/Stick Wh Choc 5s (Item code 154882)
49. Nabisco Chicken in a Biskit (Item code 153702)
50. No Frills Blueberry Wafer (Item code 154712)
51. No Frills Chocolate Wafer (Item code 154713)
52. No Frills Peanut Wafer (Item code 154714)
53. Pei Tian Cream Biscuit (Item code 115554)
54. Silang Natural Oat Cracker (Item code 142256)
55. Dove H/nut Almond & Raisin Chocolate (Item code 61737)
56. Dove Hazelnut Chocolate (Item code 61739)
57. Dove Milk Chocolate (Item code 61740)
58. M&M Choc Candies Plain (Item code 550105)
59. M&M Choc Candies Peanut (Item code 550106)
60. M&M Choc Candies Plain (Item code 550098)
61. M&M Choc Candies Peanut (Item code 550099)
62. M&M Funsize Milk (Item code 163864)
63. M&M Funsize Peanut (Item code 163865)
64. Mentos Bottle Yoghurt Promo Pk (Item code 12526)
65. Mentos Bottle Yoghurt (Item code 145161)
66. Snickers Peanut Chocolate (Item code 550102)
67. Snickers Snacksize Bars Peanut 5 (Item code 163863)
68. Want Want Milk Candy (Item code 105504)
69. Take One Baby Bites 24s (Item code 64602)
70. Take One Baby Bite CK VG (Item code 116159)
71. Take One Baby Carrot (Item code 163319)
72. Nestle Milk & Berry Stars Cereal (Item code 153852)
73. Dutch Lady Ster Milk LF Banana (Item code 151226)
74. Dutch Lady Ster Milk LF Plain (Item code 151227)
75. Dutch Lady Ster Milk LF Chocolate (Item code 151228)
76. Dutch Lady Ster Milk LF Strawberry (Item code 151229)
77. Dutch Lady Ster Milk LF Honeydew (Item code 151230)
78. Dutch Lady Ster Milk LF Honeydew (Item code 166490)
79. Dutch Lady Ster Milk Plain (Item code 739008)
80. Dutch Lady Ster Milk LF Chocolate (Item code 739009)
81. Dutch Lady Ster Milk Strawberry (Item code 739018)
82. Dutch Lady Ster Milk Banana (Item code 739019)
83. Snickers Candies Funsize 240g (Item code 550103)
84. M&M Chocolate Candies Plain 200g (Item code 550108)
85. M&M Chocolate Peanut 200g (Item code 550107)
86. Lotte Koala Cocoa Funpack 210g (Item code 056764)
87. Koala Cocoa Biscuit 40g (Item code 136492)
88. Orion Fresh Pie 138g (Item code 240767)
89. Orion Tiramisu 138g (Item code 152948)
90. Vitasoy Q Soya Milk 4s 125ml (Item code 060408)
91. Vitasoy Chocolate Drink 4s 125ml (Item code 060409)
92. Vitasoy Melon Soya Bean Milk 4s 125ml (Item code 235906)
93. Dreyers Rocky Road Ice Cream 887ml (Item code 014281)
94. Dreyers Strawberry Ice Cream 887ml (Item code 165294)
95. Dreyers Toast Almond Ice Cream 887ml (Item code 106487)
96. Dreyers Choc Cake Ice Cream 887ml (Item code 153969)
97. Dreyers Cookies & Cream Ice Cream 887ml (Item code 014283)
98. Dreyers Mint Ice Cream 887ml (Item code 106486)
99. Dreyers Vanilla Ice Cream 887ml (Item code 014282)

Your Cross

Whatever your cross
Whatever your pain
There will always be sunshine
After the rain

Perhaps you may stumble
Perhaps even fall
But God's always there
To help you through it all

Links

Hurricane Gustav - Another Modern Miracle?

Choose from the range of books to learn more about family matters. You can download them in PDF here.

His sheep am I

Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Mark 6:34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Matthew 10:16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

Matthew 12:11 He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?

Matthew 12:13 How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

Matthew 15:24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

Matthew 18:12 "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off ?
Luke 15:4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

Matthew 18:13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.
Luke 15:6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'

Matthew 25:32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Matthew 25:33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

John 10:2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep.

John 10:3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

John 10:4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

John 10:7 Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.

John 10:8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.

John 10:13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--

John 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep.

John 10:16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

John 10:26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.

John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

John 21:16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

John 21:17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

Romans 8:36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

1 Peter 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

AIA Announces Policy Conservation Programme

In a move to address policyholders who may wish to reinstate their policies which they had surrendered as a result of recent developments at American International Group, Inc. (AIG), AIA today announced a policy conservation programme.

The programme applies to whole life and endowment policies and gives policyholders who have surrendered their policies during the week of 15 - 19 September 2008 the option to reinstate their policies without penalties and submission of evidence of insurability. Written requests for reinstatements from policyholders must be received by AIA within 14 days from the date of
surrender.

Prayer for me

In Jesus name, spirit of evil confusion, I command you to leave my sister Nars now and be cast into the dry places. She will not partner with you any longer. Lord, replace this with your Spirit of Comfort and Council, in Jesus name.

Thank you, BK!

Health Screening Report

Praise the Lord for his provision of good health.

Summary

• By the WHO classification of adults according to BMI, I'm in the Normal category.
• By the Asian BMI cut-off points for action, I bear Low risk of cardiovascular disease.
• My blood pressure reading falls in the category of Normal.
• My Total cholesterol level falls within the Desirable range.
• My HDL level falls within the Desirable range.
• My LDL level falls within the Desirable range.
• My Total/HDL ratio is Normal.
• My Triglyceride level falls within the Optimal range.
• My blood glucose level is Normal. No evidence of diabetes noted.

Dear Lord, I thank you that you provide what's important to me that your blessing of good health means shows me how much you care about me. I know I haven't been taking good care of this temple of yours but help me each day to watch what I eat, how I eat, when I eat, and that I get enough exercise and enough rest so that I'll be of optimum health to do the things you wish me to do. Thank you!

Hospital Visits

Carol's in the hospital, probably in the OT right now for the next 6 hours. I wish I could have been there this morning when I found out that she was all alone and waiting for the op. She refused to give me Andy's phone. I think she knows I'll be bugging Andy for updates every half and hour. Pammy, Shirley and I are sending this bunny to her, but not the HB balloon, swapping for a GWS balloon. Something cheery to brighten up her day. Won't be able to drop by 'cos have calls tonight. Probably go tomorrow morning.

Sharon gave birth to Joel last night at Thomson Medical. Will drop by later this afternoon. She requested for a voucher instead of a gift. I didn't bring my camera to take Joel's pics.... will have to rely on E61i which doesn't take very good pics despite it's 2M capability.

10 things : to do to have a brighter financial future for you and your family

1. Set up a monthly budget.
2. Have an emergency fund consisting of 6 months of my monthly salary.
3. Identify my financial goals and objectives.
4. Know what my net worth (assets minus liabilities) is.
5. Have a proper plan to reach my financial goals and objectives.
6. Check that my family and I are adequately covered against risks such as illness, accidents and loss of income.
7. Know how much CPF savings I will have when I retire.
8. Know how much I need for my retirement and have started building up a retirement fund.
9. Start putting aside some money in investments to grow my wealth.
10. Review my financial plan regularly.

Got this list off the back page of a MoneySense booklet that I picked up from the library yesterday. I don't think I've done any of the 10 and I'm not sure when to start. It's one of those things that I know I need to address but I'm not keen to 'cos I'm concerned with what the review might uncover. Thing is, what am I going to do with the gaps identified?

More details here.

Tape Audit

I've actually not done a total audit before, only running the scans to scan the 1000+ tapes in the automatic tape libraries and analyzing batch runs. It was a very interesting exercise though.

I found out a lot about tapes like

• aged tape - by age, by job, by which ever field I chose to sort - look for top 50 (or whatever number) and lowest 50 - that will lead to a whole list of action items for follow-up
• naming conventions
  
• tapes so old and taking up precious footprint within the tape libraries - tapes that should be replaced by those high-activity ones that require multiple mounts
• length of tape mounts
• which jobs have the most tape mounts, have the longest tape mounts
• how many tapes are required for each batch
• how often the tapes are waiting for tape drives and how long

All these lead to many service improvement project. One thing though, get all involved into a discussion. That way it'll be easier to get consensus on any changes.

One thing I didn't do is tape reconciliation - tape accounting of physical tapes.

Recipe : Roast Chicken

1 chicken
1 chicken cube
1 bay leaf
Dijon mustard
Butter
1 stalk Leek/Spring onion
250ml water
Pepper (optional)

1. Slit the skin underneath chicken breast and apply butter and mustard underneath the skin. Smother mustard all over chicken including cavity.
2. Place leek/spring onion in chicken's cavity (pepper to add now if you wish), place chicken in tray
3. Dissolve chicken cube in water and pour into the tray
4. Add the bay leaf to the liquid
5. Preheat oven to about 180-200, ocassionally bathing the chicken with the liquid to prevent burning on the skin

This is what Pammy said she'd want to prepare when she comes over. I get the ingredients, she'll do the work. Hahaha! Thank you!

Cassia Crescent

It's been more than 2 years since I sold my old place at Cassia Crescent to my neighbour 1 floor up.
We lived on the 15th floor. Five-room HDB with a good school nearby and market within walking distance. Suntec was only a 10-minute bus ride away and Parkway Parade 20. When we moved in in 2H of 1999 after spending tons on reno and furnishing, I thought that would be the last place I would be in till the day I died. I was wrong.

People change, circumstances change.

After I bought my current place, I asked my property agent (Brenda and yes, I do recommend her) to sell my old. Since it was a double deal for her, she graciously gave me a discount on the agent fees. The valuation for the old place was 425k. There was no sale and the valuation expired. Brenda persisted but said she'll work the other way round and get the potential buyer first then do the valuation. I left it to her since she was the expert and I trusted her.

The week I sold it, I was on my way home from church on Tuesday when my phone rang just as I sat down. It was from Mei Ern, my ex-colleague who's brother happened to live on the 16th floor but in a 4-rm unit and wanted to move to a larger unit on the same floor as her. She asked if my unit was still available. I told her yes, but there was another buyer coming for 3rd viewing that Saturday and since it was the 3rd viewing, the likelihood was very high of a sale. That triggered some events that resulted in my dilemna - sell to this 3rd viewing buyer or to my neighbour.

Till God spoke to me in Ps 15 and verse 3 in particular
1 A Psalm of David. Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? 2 He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; 3 He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; 4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5 He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

So it was settled. I would sell to my neighbour and my friend.

When the sale was complete, I dropped by to handover the letterbox key and since there were some letters mixed up with mine, I brought the letters up. My neighbour's mum came to the door and when she realised it was me, she started thanking me profusely. Then, tears started to roll down her eyes.

I didn't know it meant so much to her. I thank God for helping me make the right decision to sell to her.

Afternote
Shirley spoke to Brenda last night and shared with me something I didn't know about the sale : I thought there were no offers and the 3rd viewing buyer was the only one. Nope, there were actually many offers but they were all halted due to the fussiness of one individual who insisted on a better price each time.

Event : Lantern Fantasy 2008

Click on image to enlarge so you can read off the poster.

29 Aug - 28 Sep (6pm to 11pm) @ Chinese Garden

Off peak (Mon-Thu) : $12 Adult, $8 Child
Peak (Fri-Sun) : $15 Adult, $10 Child
Child is 3-12 years old.

More details here.

Prayer for me

Lord, in Jesus name as your empowered Solomon with wisdom, I ask that you would empower your daughter Nars. She is forever before you and she seeks you. Lord she doesn't seek conventional wisdom, but, wisdom from above - Your wisdom - and clear direction. Lord, I thank you that you have already chosen a path for her, I pray that she would find it quickly. Give her peace to know that wherever she is, wherever she stands, but the blood if Jesus Christ... it is Holy Ground.

I received this from BK (thank you and thank God for you) whose teaching edifies me.
If you're lost / at crossroads / at wit's end and do not have Jesus in your heart nor have a friend like BK - check out BK's book here. Else, say this simple prayer : Jesus, save me.

Dear Lord, I receive this prayer and may it always remind me that you have a plan to give me hope and a future, to prosper me. I ask that you remove all the distractions and help me focus on your word that I can hide it in my heart and it's to your word again I turn whenever there is doubt or I'm wavering in my faith. Teach me to surrender and to trust, to find significance from fulfilling the God-given purpose for which I was made. Thank you!

Anxiety

I'm very anxious at the moment about the changes in my life right now. About staying put or moving on. I don't adapt to some changes well and I'm nervous how I'd fit in. I'm not anxious about me, am anxious about kids as well.

Dear God,
I take comfort in your word, for it calms me. Help me to surrender it all to you for worry is sin. I ask for your peace that surpasses all understanding as I learn to let go and let You take over. I can't do this, only You can. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

1Pe 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Php 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Jer 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Missing Something?

I went for a prayer walk around part of the office today, inviting God's presence and praying for His people here to rise up, to stand in the gap. Also prayed for blessings as well before I returned to my desk to wait for the prayer group from 8.20am to 8.30am.

Today, God revealed to me.... there are few miracles here because of unbelief, so I prayed against that, that the people here would remember what He has done for them. The room also had posters with the question 'Missing something?' This is a work-related question but it spoke to me as well. Jesus is missing from this place because of the unbelief.

I sang softly:
I call Your Name, Lord, You reply,
You bring Your kingdom and stand by my side,
Giver of life, more than I need,
Father, you're everything that's precious to me,
There is no one like you, Lord, in all the earth.

Dear Lord,
may your kingdom come and your will be done. Forgive us for our sins for behaving like Sunday Christians who only want to be fed. Help us to rise up to be your harvesters for the time is near. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Supermarket Receipt

I've been asked many times, just what do I spend on, to chalk up the minimum $150 to qualify for the free delivery at Finest. This list is what we bought on the most recent trip:

• 6.47 Tortila wraps for breakfast
• 2.45 x 2 Fuji apples for Toby
• 2.50 x 2 midjoint wings (what we call 2-bone)
• 19.77 mince beef (I usually buy half this amount but since it was on sale, I doubled the normal amount. Yes, aunty, I know, hee hee)
• 3.01 FP chicken cocktail (I try not to buy processed food often but mum and kids like this. Before 5% off since housebrand)
• 3.01 FP chicken cheese sausage (Before 5% off since housebrand)
• 3.99 kee fish
• 2.12 fragrant pears for Tiffy
• 2.20 garlic chives sprouts (bundled in the wrap for breakfast)
• 1.10 long bean
• 0.80 x 2 garlic flower that mum likes
• 7.00 juice (that I drink with the lacto-fibre from Tupperware or the organic powder that Belinda gave. 4 1litre tetra packs that will last me a long while. Normal price 7.80)
• 7.90 Lifebuoy bodysoap (promotion pack of 500ml with free 500ml)
• 9.90 Astoria (can't remember what this is ... *sigh*)
• 9.00 Dettol bodysoap refill packs (Normal price 11.80)
• 24.15 Nespray (milk powder for kids)
• 1.35 x 2 Campbell soup (I can't remember the last time I bought campbell soup. I can't remember the last time I bought canned food, hmmmm. One each for Toby and Tiffy. Chicken noodle soup)
• 9.80 Sunsilk shampoo (frequent wash for Tiffy)
• 3.25 x 2 FP handsoap (Before 5% discount)
• 2.35 Kodomo toothbrush (Normal price 2.90)
• 4.03 FP toilet paper (Before 5% discount)
• 59.75 Pediasure (milk powder for kids)
• 11.05 Nescafe Gold coffee for mum (Normal price 11.40)
• 4.10 tanghoon
• 2.25 Prima plain flour (for pancakes in the morning and for frying the 2-bone in. Normal price 2.50)
• 1.53 x 2 seeds (sweet basil and asparagus. We planted the sweet basil yesterday)
  
• 1.75 FP light soya sauce (Before 5% discount)
• 2.35 japanese sweet potato for mum (purple skin, yellow insides)
• 4.50 FP shoe white (Before 5% discount)
• 5.15 x 2 tissue (Before 0.35 off)
  

Total : 234.10

Interestingly, this trip had no snacks, no rice, no salmon, no organic stuff, no.... etc and yet...

Tips on how I stretch my dollar

• other than accumulating more than sufficient for free delivery which means I do not need to take a taxi home nor carry heavy loads. Incidentally, I received a call within minutes of leaving the supermarket from a staff there asking me if they could deliver within the hour since they have another delivery nearby. Sure. Original plan was for the next morning.
  
• keep the receipt for Abbott club since I bought Pediasure. Just send them enough receipts and accumulate the points for exchange of free milk powder.
• pay with Citibank SMRT card. This card gives me up to 5% rebate in SMRT$ for purchases from FP. Compare this with the usual 0.3%. In real dollars, this supermarket trip resulted in $11.71 in rebate with the SMRT card, compared to $0.70 for some cards.
  
• collect linkpoints (LP). I have a Passion card. $10 for 3 year membership which entitles you to discounts as well as collection of LP which can be exchanged for a myriad of vouchers or goods. Every $1 spent gets you 2LP. So this supermarket trip resulted in 468.2LP. 1500 LP can be exchanged for a $10 voucher from Bengawan Solo.
  

Online games that we like

Toby and Tiffy are limited to 30mins a day each on the computer. Sometimes they exceed, but I don't kick up a fuss if they've been behaving. What's a little fun sometimes?

What I try to look out is for 'clean' games - no gory bloodshed, no dragons, no dark/gloomy characters, etc. Personally, I like word games but anyway, these are some that we play. I'm still a bit undecided about Besieged though and may remove it but let me know your thoughts, ok?

If only wall.e games loaded a bit faster....

• Bloons Tower Defense
• Besieged
• Club Penguin
• Fancy pants (I'll need to get the link from Toby)
• Barbie.com (Tiffy frequents this)
• Orisinal (cute animal, pastel graphics and light music)
  

Dietary Advice

• To meet your body's nutritional needs, you should eat moderate amounts of a variety of foods.
• Eat a diet that is low in fat and saturated fat by cutting down on deep fried foods and foods with coconut milk or cream.
• Try to include at least one serving of wholegrain foods (e.g. wholemeal bread, brown rice) everyday
• Eat 2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables daily.
• Avoid adding too much salt/sauce/gravy to your food
• Drink six to eight glasses of fluid every day.

Fat

• A diet which is high in fat and saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease.
• Butter, lard, ghee, palm oil and also coconut milk are high in saturated fat.
• On the other hand, a diet with moderate amounts of unsaturated fats can protect you against heart disease.
• Unsaturated fats usually lower the level of cholesterol in your blood and therefore, they are better for you.
• Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, corn oil and soybean oil contain more unsaturated fat than saturated fat.
• Choose cooking oils labelled with the Healthier Choice Symbol, as these contain less saturated fat.
• Try these tips to reduce the amount of fat and saturated fat in your diet:
  • Cut down on deep fried food and food with coconut milk or cream.
  • Use moderate amounts of mono- or poly-unsaturated oil in cooking.
  • Roast or grill instead of deep-frying to reduce the use of fats and oils.
  • Use lean cuts of meat and remove all visible fat from meat.
  • When cooking curry and lemak dishes, replace half of the coconut milk with yoghurt or low fat milk.
  • When buying packaged food, read the information on the labels and check out the fat and saturated fat content of the food you buy.

Fruit and Vegetables

• Fruit and vegetables are good sources of fibre, vitamins and plant chemicals that protect our body from diseases such as cancer, stroke and heart disease.
• They're also low in calories, and a healthy addition to any diet.
• People who eat a lot of fruit and vegetables have a lower risk of getting heart disease and some cancers.
• Fruit and vegetables are two different food groups and contain different nutrients.
• Fruit should not be used to 'replace' vegetables in the diet or vice versa.
• You should aim to eat at least 2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables everyday for good health.
• Choose brightly-coloured fruit and vegetables more often as they tend to be richer in nutrients and plant chemicals.
• Choose fresh fruit or vegetables rather than the juice, and eat the skin of cleaned fruit or vegetables (if edible).
• Here are some tips to increase your fruit and vegetable intake:
  • Keep fruits and vegetables in places where you can see them
  • Keep a fruit bowl on the kitchen counter, table, or at the office for snack time
  • Drink 100% fruit or vegetable juice instead of sweetened drinks
  • Add extra vegetables to your soups, stews and other dishes.
  • Ask for more vegetables when you are eating out
  • Eat a fruit for your dessert

Rice and Alternatives

• Rice and alternatives forms the main part of a healthy diet.
• They are good sources energy, fibre and some vitamins
• You should aim to eat 5-7 servings of rice and alternatives a day
• Try to include more rice and alternatives such as noodles, pasta, bread in your diet

Wholegrain Food

• Wholegrains are rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals which help to keep the bowel healthy and reduces your risk of developing heart disease or stroke.
• Aim to eat at least one serving of a wholegrain product like oatmeal, wholemeal bread, brown rice or whole-wheat pasta
• Find ways to gradually introduce wholegrain foods into your diet. Try mixing brown rice together with white rice, or eat wholemeal bread together with white bread.

Meat and Alternatives

• Meat and alternatives are good sources of protein and protein is needed for normal growth and other body functions.
• They also contain other important nutrients such as calcium and iron.
• However meats, seafood and dairy products are also high in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.
• Too much fat and cholesterol intake can increase your risk of heart disease and weight gain.
• You should aim to eat 2 to 3 servings of lean and low-fat meat and alternatives everyday.

Salt

• Salt is found in rock salt, sea salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and most sauces.
• A diet high in salt can lead to high blood pressure and greater risk of heart disease.
• You need less than 5 grams (one teaspoon) of salt daily.
• Enjoy the natural taste of food.
• Slowly reduce the amount of salt or sauces you add to your food. Your taste buds will eventually become accustomed to less salty food.
• Reduce intake of cured, preserved and smoked foods. Instead of salt, season foods with herbs and spices.
• Choose bottled sauces with the Healthier Choice Symbol. These are great tasting sauces with lesser salt content.

Sweetened Drinks

• Food high in sugar gives you "empty calories". This means, they do not provide you with any important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fibre, or protein, they just provide you with energy.
• These extra calories may lead to weight gain if they are in excess of your daily needs.

A Mousetrap Story

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

What food might this contain?'
The mouse wondered - - - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning :
There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!'

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said,
'Mr.Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.'

The mouse turned to the pig and told him,
'There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!'

The pig sympathized, but said, I am so very sorry, Mr.Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray.! Be assured you are in my prayers.'

The mouse turned to the cow and said
'There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!'

The cow said, 'Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose.'

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap . . . alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife.

The farmer rusher her to the hospital and she returned home with a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.

So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember ---- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

Hurricane Gustav was a demonstration from God

Did you read about Gustav, the tropical storm that grew in strength as it passed over Jamaica and Cuba and to US?

How comforting to know that God is everywhere, even in the storm, that the prayers of many can cause the hand of God to move? Read more about it here.

Thank you, God, for your presence daily, even if I do not realize it. That you are keeping your promise to never leave me nor forsake me.

Deal: Shopping - sales, discounts

Subscribe to this site : Offer Station for daily updates on deals islandwide.

Try: The Business Times Citibank Ready Credit Online Stock Challenge

Register here: http://rcchallenge.businesstimes.com.sg/

Take on the challenge and test your trading skills in the stock market to win cash prices (up to S$12,000) in a real-time simulated trading game.

Event: Keppel Nights (50% discount on tickets!)

Event: Colourful Heritage @ Fort Canning Park

Invaluable advice (I received in an email today)

Bed Sheets
After drying sheets, put both sheets and one pillowcase in the other pillow case. Fold neatly in a square. Next time you change sheets, you just take the one pillow case and all the sheets and pillow case are inside. No need to look for matches.

Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Broken Glass
Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken pieces of glass - the fibers catch ones you can't see!

Easier thank you's
When you throw a bridal/baby shower, buy a pack of thank you cards for the guest of honor. During the party, pass out the envelopes and have everyone put their address on one. When the bride/new mother sends the thank you's, they're all addressed!

Name tag
If you purchase a new bike for your child, place their picture inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. If the bike is stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your proof who owns the bike.

Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and -- voila -- static is gone.

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair...

Good-bye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2 with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' & can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, esp. if it rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

Take baby powder to the beach
Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When you're ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the sand will slide right off your skin.

Oven's coming back this afternoon!

This Rowenta oven of mine has seen some adventures, the latest of which was a trip to the repair shop. The episode began like this:

One fine day about 2 months back, my maid decided to open the oven only to discover that she couldn't close it anymore. Despite this, she continued to use the oven, relying on her own ingenuity of using the stone pestle and mortar to keep the glass door closed while the oven was in use. I finally decided to fix it when Mum tried to use it to.

One thing about Rowenta, they do not have onsite service. You bring the oven to them at Bedok South (somewhere near the expo) and pay $28 for assessment before any repair work starts.

I live in Bt Batok and I wasn't going to cart the oven in a taxi all the way there, so I called a 'freelance' repair shop - Rik. Rik sent 2 guys who opened up the oven cover and fixed the spring, all for $25 including transport.

End of story? Nope.

I tried to turn on the oven. Didn't work. Called Rik again, and after 2 missed appointments and numerous calls later, they came and took the oven away. They claimed that the oven was fine and the only problem was that it tripped their whole workshop when the timer hit 30mins. To repair this cost $95, including transport (down from $120). So they fixed the timer and the oven's coming back today! Yeah!

Am really looking forward to the oven 'cos Tiffy wants to bake again. I'm thinking of cookies and cakes and perhaps shepherd's pie, and what Shirley has in mind for me :-)

Events

Haven't quite figured out how to create an Events Calendar in blogspot yet so I'll just post this here first:

2008

• 1-5 Sep : 1 week school holiday between term 3 and term 4
• 5 Sep : I'm on leave
• 20-24 Oct : SA2 for Toby and Tiffy
  
• 23-23 Oct : I'm on leave
• 1-12 Dec : I'm on leave
• 26-31 Dec : I'm on leave
  

2009

• 31 Aug : Tiffy's ENT appointment at KKH
  

Trying out posting pictures in blogspot

I took 9 pics and pasted them in powerpoint then saved it as a jpg. Took a bit of adjustments so that the pictures would fit nicely yet have a white border. Wonder how others do it. Surely there must be a simpler way. Odd thing too, that the resolution turned out quite bad when done this way. Any tips?

Day 1

Good morning! I've decided to migrate here from Multiply 'cos of the tag cloud and archiving features. Have been considering this for a while already so finally not-so-bated breath, I created this space.