Perfect Family

Is there a perfect family anywhere ?. My opinion. I don't think so.

Does it matter ?  Ultimately it's what we decide to do, how we choose to judge or react to each person and we live with that choice to either love, hate or maintain relationships for family sake.
I suppose this is the cycle of life, the drama of life and so on BUT Life goes on.

I wrote about My Mother sometime ago.  Recently I have been dredging up old memories, which I know I should just drop. My mother has been acting out (literally acting petulant) because of grief and loss and getting me worked up.

A close relative passed away and bad family history (little dramas and sagas) gets dug up. Grief performs some amazing tricks with the mind.

How does a younger person offer advise to an elderly on forgiveness and letting go and moving forward ?

Not that I ever believed I had a perfect family, history and all, I just never heard much about it. At the same time I am hearing about lots of new historical drama that has passed within my own and the different extended families. Arranged marriages that were forced to work and typical IN-LAW horror stories (not a myth !!)... this is the gist of history of my past generation.

My history ( if it be told by my children) ironically while imperfect too is made up of none of these.

The strange things people queue for !

At one time, there were queues for new property launches. Well that's gone now.

Then there was the iPhone craze. Sorry but I'm not an apple fan, I'm quite happy with the android phone and Windows.

The latest craze is 'Hello Kitty' given out by  McDonalds. That is really unbelievable. What's there to get up and go queue at 4am in the morning ..over  a stuffed cat that has a mouth missing ??

Hmmm... is this a Singapore thing ?

The other crazy thing I hear is that you can auction these Kittys and make 100 times what they're worth ... seriously !!

The haze situation has improved for now. There's cloud seeding and some other such activity in the works. School re opens next week and then we begin the hard work again.

My God loves me...vs Mother Nature

It's a beautiful hymn, that is infrequently sung in church, why is that ?

From time to time, we all need reminders that no matter what the failings or the weaknesses He still does.

Mother Nature is acting out in our part of the world too in a different way. No hurricanes or blizzards or floods or droughts.

All things happen for a reason - anywhere.

The environment has taken a turn for the worst at the moment. The mosquitoes are causing problems with a new strain of Dengue.  Many factors are probably the cause besides breeding sites which we are constantly reminded to prevent, the extreme weather could be the other reason that's helping the mozzies along. No, there is still no cure against the virus of the Aedes mosquito. Nature will continue to find ways to survive.

The PSI (air quality)is bad, every year we go through this problem for a while, where the neighbouring countries (farmers) burn the land to such an extent it affects the air (smells of smoke)all the way across the seas not just here over in Singapore but the whole of the west coast of Malaysia  too. We aren't pulling on oxygen masks just yet. Hope the winds change.

One would think I was not talking about urban Singapore but some backwater  'ulu' country, but this is happening here and now.

How much is within our control, not much I think. We'll just have to weather it.

Coping with ........

As I tried to title this post I was trying to figure, what am I coping with ?

There are just too many areas.

First I thought 'school', the kids timetable and their or my or the schools' push towards academic performance is taking it's toll. Yes exams are around the corner. Exams always seem to be around the corner.

Dealing with the ex is no longer a problem directly but dealing with his antics through playing with the kids'head is another kind of problem. I am learning how to deal with that too, unfortunately I can't say the same for the kids who are neither too young or too old.  You can't force courage or grow it when the fear never really went away and strength never had the opportunity to take root. My ex can't seem to think first for the goodness of his kids except his own selfish end. To him, it's still about winning the game and that means using the kids.
In this instance I think prayer is the only strategy and everyday I strive to keep the kids going at what is important for them.

Then there is work. Does such a thing exist, work-life balance?.  No job is stable today, perhaps if you work in the public sector. Dissatisfaction is one thing, but holding on to it and making it work does not help when the economy is so volatile.
Inflation used to be subtle and silent, but today it's the opposite and so tangible that you hear and feel it constantly when you shop for basics or have a simple meal.

Besides that I've been thinking of moving out of my sector to something more worthwhile but that's difficult at my age too.

So we plod on and make whatever works work.
My mind is constantly racing even when I try to do something restful and calming, there's always something to worry about, to plan for, to frown about and just so little to smile about.

It's hard to just throw caution to the wind.

No I'm not feeling melancholy, just low on faith and irritated by all these bumps along the road.

My plants...

I have been excited about getting my balcony garden going since I bought the apartment.

It's been about 3 months now, and I don't think I'm doing too badly for someone with not so green thumbs.

I can't seem to get any of the twiners growing though.  I had a fern sort of a creeper, that died, and the latest unsuccessful attempt is the passion flower.

I'm think I'll give up on the idea of a twiner for now.  It's depressing to see two empty pots. I'll probably re pot one of the smaller ones into them soon.

As you see, the rest are not doing too badly.  There's a jasmine and a small rose plant which I hope will thrive.

the corner that gets the 4-6 (South -West facing) afternoon sun is doing ok... 

I'm trying to figure out how to put the hooks in the ceiling, so my moneyplant in the corner is still sitting on the bench there and growing real well.

I'm told I can't go wrong with a Dracaena which is this tall plant. 

Dracaena., even the tiny cutting at the bottom(next to the big stem) there has got a couple of new shoots. and at the far right is the wilted away Passion Flower twiner...:(

Two planter pots, on top is the African Violet and below the remaining Petunias.. Little direct sun from this end..

Problem is the flowering plants. I started out with a number of pots of petunias which died.. except for these remaining pink ones that are surviving due their proximity to the window. The ones on the inside died.  African Violets I'm told do not need much light so I hope these survive, they are a relatively new addition compared to the others.

I had a problem trying to remove the windows, hence the reduced area open to light, haven't given up on the idea yet.

It's only been a few months, I m impatient I suppose. I've got a couple of big plants outside the entrance door and I 'm thinking  I'd like to get some more.

Any green-thumbers out there, how about some advice...

I've been reading up on the indoor gardening bits, about special soils and fertilisers, there's a lot to learn.

Divorce and my Faith

Saying it out loud is about facing it.

I've been trying to get my parish priest to come bless my new home and of course he is busy but I am hoping he can soon.

Ever since the divorce was final, every sermon and every 'opinion' about those divorced or about divorce pricks my conscience. I've been thinking I do need to speak to a priest about it but I procrastinate.

Is it guilt or fear? My only thought is that man judges differently from God. While I feel confident that God understands my circumstance I'm not so confident how a priest would.  Because I did not initiate it even though I had more cause to,  I have always believed this is was God's solution to my many pleas.

Everything I have heard is about - not going there. There's nothing about it when you are there and every time the subject comes up I step into this void - no white or black or grey. I don't know how to describe it, I don't know what I should think there's just no ground under it. There are articles, some web pages that attempt to address and interpret what the church law implies, but nothing is really clear to me I suppose.

 I'm handling it with the family and friends, no issues there.

For me, it's never been a dead end, it always was the beginning for healing and learning to be again. 

Fresh views and new beginnings

“She isn't crying, but I figure that's only a matter of time.  Scars are just a treasure map for pain you've buried too deep to remember.”   Edward's thoughts on Georgie. - Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult.

Started reading again...
I've FINALLY moved and the unpacking is almost complete...it's been a week and a half....things are settling.. Most of the furniture is in.

The kids love their rooms, the view of the park is great, quiet neighbours and my collection of potted plants is picking up..

Can't wait to get back to some of my old routines.. (this is one of them).. so tired of looking at furniture !!.

The monsoon season is starting, Christmas is coming on in a hurry...

cheers..