3BT: Random Days

1. My Dad's funeral home services, cremation and the scattering of the ashes went fine and there were so many people coming to pay respect.

2. Seeing some white hair on hubby's beard and head.

3. When I told hubby that the white hair must be a sign of wisdom, he rolled his eyes and that made me laugh. :-D

4. Receiving a thick hard-cover book on Sodankylä from a dear customer (the same pappa who's given me plants/flowers 4 times already). BLESS him, BLESS him, BLESS him!!!

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5. Having a chance to give that pappa a box of chocolate the day before Christmas when the store was a little less busy.

6. Rereading some of my blog's old posts and being reminded of how far I've gone since then and how many wonderful people I've met through blogging.

7. Reminiscing on the many bittersweet memories that have shaped me since I moved to Finland. :-D

8. Can't help laughing so much every time I'm reminded of this scene in The Simpsons cartoon series:

Homer: Go get Lassie!
Bart: Who's Lassie?
Homer: Doh! I mean Lisa!

ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL ROFL...

9. Hubby's sensitivity towards my mood and my needs. I wasn't feeling well the other day and he helped me coin my back and then spent time on the sofa (holding each other and talking) before I went to bed earlier than he did. He also spent so much time holding me and patting my back when I grieved my Dad's death.

10. Time and time again I can't help feeling grateful that hubby very rarely complains about anything at all. How nice it is not to hear complaints from someone who lives with you!

11. Still time and time again I feel blessed to have a hubby who doesn't get caught up in my mood easily, so every time I'm in a bad, cranky mood, he makes it easier for me to control myself. He is even creative enough to make me laugh when I'm that way.

12. For having a hubby who's never played rough on me, who's never belittled me, who's never told me what to do, who's never given me unsolicited advice.

13. Those people who just know the right things to say and who say them in times of need. BLESS them!

14. Buying MIL some flowers that I had never seen before and then hearing her say, "I've been wanting to get these myself when I saw the ad!" :-D

15. Reading a book while "doing my thing" in the toilet is a bliss. Plus the toilet is warm enough in winter.

3BT: Random Days

1. Asking hubby, "Have you EVER regretted marrying me?" and he said no HUE HE HE HE HE...

2. Being able to laugh while watching comedies - there was an occasion where I didn't feel like laughing while watching a comedy 'coz I was down and that occasion reminded me that to TRULY laugh your heart out while watching something funny (without a care in the world) is such a WONDERFUL thing. 



3. Seeing breathtaking sunsets that made me able to endure the cold weather 'coz the beauty was just something that I HAD to absorb with my own eyes 'coz that kind of beauty reminds me of God's greatness.

4. Getting more enlightenment by reading other people's blogs. It really helps me expand and stretch (and hopefully become better and better as a human being in general). :-)))

5. Discovering something that hubby had done in the past that he hadn't told me before. It's nice to find out more things about him. :-D

6. Something hubby said made me SO happy and touched - about that it's better to have a bigger main bedroom 'coz that then we can put the baby's crib in it. (Side note: NO, NO, it doesn't mean I'm pregnant yet, but it was the FIRST time I've ever heard him say something like this and it just filled my heart with such a warm, gooey feeling - also 'coz it means that it's fine to have a baby with us in the same bedroom). ;-D

7. Hubby has NEVER told me what to do. (I know I've written this down several times already, but I really must give him credit for this and it's one of the VITAL things for me 'coz I know how stubborn I am. If I'm paired with a "leader" type of a guy, there's gonna be TOTAL CHAOS from the beginning. I just want to cherish this side of hubby's personality. :-D)

8. Hubby's sensitivity towards my mood. He doesn't aggravate me when he senses that I'm feeling down and cranky (he doesn't get angry 'coz of it) and he tries to cheer me up.

9. Meeting a friend and talking to her for hours. It felt GREAT! ;-D

10. Walking to my friend's house when it was around -25'C outside (it took me around 25-30 minutes to walk to her place) and getting myself a natural shade of "mascara" as the result:

Why Didn't I?

A few months ago I read a blog post on Blur Ting's sons helping her out doing house chores and I wondered why I didn't help my Mom more often when I was younger. Then I remembered something that happened when I did try to help her.

First of all, mind you that I was such a sensitive child. Secondly, back then my Mom sold food in the traditional market, so she had to cook a lot of dishes when she came back home from the market (other than the fact that she had to cook our meals, too). Thirdly, my Mom had been working in the kitchen since she was very young, so she knew which was which and she had learnt to be a fast cooker, chopper, or whatever she had to do.





While I was still in Elementary School, sometimes I wanted to help out in the kitchen...BUT due to my inexpertise and slowness, my Mom sometimes snapped at my "incompetence". My little heart was SO hurt by her words and impatience that I just refused to help out too much back then. I remember writing in my diaries how I "hated" experts 'coz they were so impatient.


Now, looking back, I realized that she didn't mean those words and that she was a driven woman who was used to working at her own pace and she had demands to fulfill (she knew how many types of food she had to cook each day and how long it'd take to do it and I was just "on the way" 'coz she had to teach me from ground zero). So, she probably felt it was MUCH better to do things by herself 'coz of the reasons mentioned above.

This made me realize, as well, that in order to get help, you have to be willing to receive it - even if it means that you need to "teach" the helper. If the helper can't deliver what you expect him/her to be, you can either stop getting the help from them (if you have that choice) or you can try to teach them to do things the way you want them to be.

P.S. I'm happy to say that now that my Mom's grown older, she's grown to be more patient (esp. 'coz she can't do things as SUPER fast as she used to anymore).

What Holiday Are You?

You Are Easter

You are an optimistic, hopeful, and genuinely sweet person. Sensitive and affectionate, you are easily touched. You love nature, animals, and anything cute or cuddly. For you, every day is a new chance - no matter what happened yesterday. What makes you celebrate: Almost anything. You love most holidays and celebrations. At holiday get togethers, you do best as: The peacemaker. You can prevent any squabbles that might break out. On a holiday, you're the one most likely to: Remember to include everyone

What Holiday Are You?

3BT: June 29, 2007

1. Knowing that my uncle's in a better place. No pain, no worries, no disappointments, no strife, no discord. It's a relief to know that one's tasks on earth are done.

2. Remembering all the good guys out there. All those decent, honest, caring, loving, sweet, hardworking guys who put their women first. All those gentle guys who truly try hard to make their women happy. All those funny guys that make their women smile, giggle, laugh uncontrollably. All the guys who truly listen to their women, who accept their women for who they are, who make their women feel ABSOLUTELY special. All those guys (who are sensitive enough) who go out of their way to make sure that their women are doing okay. I SALUTE those guys. THANK YOU for being here on earth. You guys have made us, women, feel that we are THE LUCKIEST beings on earth!!! *bowing*

3. Chocolate pancakes. My hubby decided to make some and they're DELICIOUS (eaten with his Mom homemade strawberry jam - made from the strawberries she grew herself in her yard). Maybe I should never learn how to cook pancakes so that I can be spoilt every now and then whenever he wants some. *tee hee*

P.S. My computer died this morning. Good thing we have two computers here, so I'm using my hubby's computer. However, before the new computer part comes, I'm not sure whether I can write much in my blog or not. We'll see. :-))) ENJOY your weekend, everybody!!!