The secret of distraction

Dear Family & Friends

I often wonder why I see my daughter diligently - or it seems to be diligently, working on her school work for long hours...yet, she seems to not get to the end of it all! I suspect there's some distraction going on.. but I don't have any evidence for it....

distracted by drawing

...until I discovered papers with lots of drawings! I'm supposed to tell her off for getting distracted every so often, but... I thought it was not worth it. After all, I enjoyed her doodles!

all the days work....

On her desk top...all her school works are laid out...no drawings papers to show any evidence of distraction...until you open the drawer...

drawing collections are hidden in this drawer

That's where all the hidden distractions are located! Her leaking ink pen (the one I told her to throw away ASAP before it'll stain my tablecloth) ... her collection of drawings done in between time... including her drinking mug!! Yes! they were all inside the drawer!!

it includes the old ink pen...and drinking mug!!

Oh whatever next!! I kept my composure well and not show any amusement either. Life is too short... some fun must be done as well. Bringing up children is such an interesting phase of life. Children are precious including their funny character. You just have to love them all for who they are.

Hope you are having a good week....one that is not too distracted from the set goal. Yes, keep on achieving that goal...afterall, we're still at the beginning of the best year!

Yours

Buying fruit trees from lady joy

Dear Family & Friends,

Last week, I wrote about planting our fruit trees...but there was a 'before' story to that.

The last time we were at this garden shop, they didn't have any fruit trees available as it was a bit too early to be planting them. so, I promised the lady that I will be coming back later in the season. Thus, when she saw us again...she was so happy and she said in a surprising voice: 'oh...you came back just as you said you would!' Ah..you just have to love her:)

As I choose fruit trees for our mini orchard, my ever so faithful man was pushing me to hurry up as he needs to be back home at a certain time! ...I am aware of that, but this sales lady was trying her best to instruct me on to how best plant the trees and offered to trim it as I said we would plant it on the same day! She was ever so helpful...but here I am pressured in between a rushing man and a pleasing lady. I had to tell the shop lady to hurry and finish our transaction ASAP.

I quickly returned the pen I borrowed from her to write down the varieties of trees I got. 'Wait' she said, 'you can keep the ballpen' I answered 'oh, no need'...She replied:'please keep it. I have plenty of them.' That conversation took a minute!!

As I picked up and carried the bare root trees to our car, she said I must have a plastic bag to put them in. I once again said 'oh no need' as I'm being pressured with time. She insist that I wait as she searches for one! That took another minute! In the end she found no bag...and gave me a plant tray to place the tree roots on top. Oh whatever...she's just one extra thoughtful lady!

While waiting for her to give me back my money change...she asked if I would like to buy a pot of Chrysanthemum that she was tidying up when we first arrived...at half price, and she would give me another pot for free - a gift! I said 'no thank you'....because I have around 40 chrysanthemum plants already in our garden! But she took a minute to choose 3 pots of different chrysanthemum colours and insist I have them all as gifts!

It's not the usual thing people do in a developed country...but I find Bulgarian people can be very giving! My little family suspected that she must have short changed me for all the free gifts...no she didn't!  I suppose she found some joy in our meeting today for some reason. As for the man who's so in a hurry....he did had ample time, more than enough to even have a cup of tea before hand. As for me, I survived another pressure crossfire.

What a good day! I'm just taking my day at a time..and always try to stay as cool as a cucumber. Wish you do the same and always remember to chill out and have a good day! Hope you have a good one too!

Yours

Her first ever salary

Dear Family & Friends

Life is a long journey. We must therefore start it right. We are never afraid of teaching our two girls to work...age is never an excuse. Their job experience started at home. Neither of them gets monetary payment for what they do...they themselves would be horrified to extract money from their own parents for cleaning the toilet!! We all feel responsible for each other within our little family.

life is a journey

From time to time, I wonder whether it was right that I stopped working for salary to take full care of our little family ever since our first born arrived. Training the two girls was our top priority investment and I know it was the best thing I've ever done. From early baby days, it just got better and better as they progress to teen years ..with training, they have become pure blessings:)

taking time to ponder on things from time to time

Our little girl is under her father's work apprenticeship. She prepares English lesson plan each week to teach a little girl just a year younger than her. Then, immediately after their lesson, she prepares the lesson report for her student and her parents...plus of course a reference for herself and as her report  to her father. She does this diligently in exchange for a beehive. 

Sadly we recently lost the hard earned 'bee family' due to attack by another colony. The student's family were just as devastated as we are. They didn't want that our little girl ended up with nothing for the teachings and help she gave them the past months.

Family are there for each other - at all time.

Should opportunity arises again, they promised to try and get us another bee family. But this time they proposed to pay money in exchange for language lessons. My little girl was not expecting this...but since the parents of the student and the student herself is happy with the progress...the proposal was accepted. This is my little girl's first ever paid job - her salary!

With her salary she is planning to buy herself a sewing machine. She is keen on fashion design and is presently teaching herself how to sew. I'm proud of her work ethics...and I'm glad that as parents, we never robbed them of opportunities to love working even from when they were little. 

All sorts of life beneath the surface of  the sea water

Not all work ends up being paid with money...but money is not everything to aim for. I work every single day at home...but never get paid...not even a single penny...yet,  I am so rich and blessed:)

Wishing you all blessings too:)

Yours

Sibling's Joy

Dear Family & Friends

Our two girls have two different personalities despite the fact that we brought them up in exact similar ways. That tells you that everyone of us are born with a very special design - not factory made!! Thus we always end up not exactly alike!

Some years ago, the older of the two girls wanted her ears pierced to wear pretty earrings. We took both girls to have it done at the same time. The younger one wanted the idea too but she had lots of fearful thoughts. She braved it but literally 'threw up' after the piercing was done...My poor child!!

homemade earring collection organizer

Yet, just after a year, the older sister who initiated the idea didn't want earrings afterall, but the younger one carried on enjoying the routine of daily coordinating her earrings with her clothing...it's just her joy and interest.

Big sister helped with this earrings organizer project for her younger sibling 

So it came to pass that all of the earrings the older sister were passed on to the younger sibling, who's just happy to collect them all. She is an organized girl (again very different from the other sister) and she wanted to keep her collection in order. With the help of the quick thinking older sister, they came up with a homemade organizer using some of the craft materials we have on hand.

Big sister got a good bargain for her little sister:) They were both joyful:)

It gives me happiness to see that despite their different character and personalities, these two sisters are always there for each other. They tend to share each other's joy and give each other every support. And this is my greatest joy as their mother who believe in teaching them daily - the values of life.

I find that whatever we sow in life, is what we will reap. So, let's keep sowing good seeds and not get tired...for soon we will reap the harvest. Happy gardening to you...whether it's in bringing up children, earning a living, or literally - sowing seeds in the garden.

Yours

On Language Learning

Dear Family & Friends,

I've recently picked up a language book from our bookshelf...one that I found challenging years back...only to find that time has made me overcome them. In language learning, it is important to just get on and speak whatever little you know how. Practice is more important that pouring on grammar books!!

Re-reading a cyrillic book 

In our little family, we share the love of learning languages. Not so with the only male member...but he has improved...at least I can say he is bilingual. For us ladies, learning languages seems much easier. As a mother, I tried influencing our two girls on being multilingual from toddler age.  I have to admit that I couldn't MAKE them learn other language. It was only as they grew older (7 yrs up)...that I was able to convince them of the importance of learning other languages besides English. With our living in a foreign land...the concept and interest just developed even more.

Able to understand another language means you can order and understand snack labels

None of us go to language school for our learning...we just acquire it through self teaching. Once you got one....learning another is easy. We share several language interest but there are still a few that I know that the girls haven't picked up yet...but young as they are...their minds are quick in picking odd words that I utter now and again. Soon they will take lead!

and easily find your way as you look for the shop you intend to go to:)

If you're one of those that get stuck with grammar books...just don't dwell on it too much...go and practice speaking with what you think it is...learning is quicker that way. Don't be embarrass to learn or make mistake because that's the stepping stone:) Language study is a continual learning...we learn, we have a break, and we re-learn again. It can only get better and it's all fun:)

Keep life interesting and wishing you a good week.

Yours

Success and Failures in our garden

Dear Family & Friends

Every gardening year is different from the last. Most of it has something to do with the weather pattern, the timing of sowing and planting, plus soil condition. There's always the successes and failures - but that is not important...I just take in the joy of all surprises that comes our way, then dream and hope for a better one - next time!

My first time success with luffa - I'm happy:)

I have my share of garden failures, but today I am sharing you my garden joy. As you can see, this year I pat myself for I managed to grow luffa that bear us some fruits to eat and use - for the first time after my 3 attempts!! It took me 3 years!!

This one will be left to become sponge and for seed saving

Look...just loook!! The fruit looks good, heavy and big, although the leaves and the whole plant seems pathetically small. I have about 10 fruits out of the whole packet of seeds I've sown in early summer, which came to about 5 plants! I am already happy with that. I will leave 3 big fruits to dry, get its seeds (my very own this time) and turn it into luffa sponge. The rest of the fruits will be cooked. It's delicious eaten as stir fry with garlic and tomatoes - using the young fruits.

my rows of 5 buckets of the exotic kang kong plant:)

Another exotic plant that I never give up with is the Kang Kong. (also known as water spinach or cong xin cai). It's not a local plant, so it gives me a lot of challenges...but it's my comfort food. As a child I never like eating veggies but somehow I like eating this, stir fried with just garlic and salt.

leafy kangkong greens which is a cut and come again plant

This plant doesn't grow robustly here as it is more of a tropical plant. I plant them in buckets and water them as much as I should. Every now and again, I snip the leaves for cooking...you need a lot of it because they just shrink once cooked. Oh...it's so precious here -that I have to divide a small bowl of this stir fry into 4 to share...LOL! I'm thinking of ways to overwinter them so that next year I can replant a lot more - for the moment, I'm not too sure if I will succeed on this plan.

Aloe vera,  boxwood cuttings, apples from seeds, citrus plant - growing in pots for the time being

There are many other plants I like to grow which need extra care that I'm not prepared to do. This year, I grew aloe vera. From last winter's mandarin oranges we ate, two citrus plants sprouted from seeds! A few boxwood cuttings I potted because I'm hoping to trim them for indoor decor. There's few apples that sprouted from seeds that came along the pot of tomato seedlings that a neighbor gave us this year. These are bits and pieces of plants that I'm experimenting with:)

our boxwood that was attacked by moth :( really sad looking.

When you learn as you go, everything seems exciting. Although not everything will go well as I dream it to be. The above photo of a big boxwood in our garden was attacked by moth this year. I didn't know and understand what was happening that time - until the aftermath. Now...I'm wiser...just hoping it will recover.

drying onion seed head blown by the wind and landed into this tub

It's time to sow veggie seeds that would grow in cooler days. I should be more meticulous with this chore, but sometimes it doesn't turn out as I planned it to be. In a tub of soil fell my onion seed head, blown by the wind, so they sprout in bunches. It's still a keeper...I will dig and separate them individually to replant on garden beds later on. For the moment they are all growing haphazardly:) They're happy - I'm happy:) 

Sometimes it's good to just chill out. I wish you a happy week too:)

Yours

Wages paid in Bags of fruits

Dear Family & Friends

We teach our children to learn and love working, for mankind is made to work in life. Work puts meaning into living. Most of the time, we like to get compensation for the work we do. That's normal...because work brings reward. Some work gives big reward, while others, smaller reward. But even if it doesn't give the immediate reward that we expect...we work to the best of our ability because it brings satisfaction.

recycled bread bags now holding fruits

In our village, we do favours and help each other. This week, a shared property wall was made beautiful and the neighbor was so pleased because they shared the reward of our labor. A bag of sweet and very juicy peaches were passed on to us for that:)

freshly picked sweet and juicy peaches

30 kilos of sugar was the request of our other neighbour when we did our monthly grocery shopping. A lot of sugar but I think they use it to preserve their fruit harvest. At a promo price of 0.75 euros/kilo - our neighbor was happy! The following day he came back to request another 20 kilos of it when we next do our grocery shopping! When he knocks our door for request, he never fails to bring a bag of fruits for us. We know the payment is his joy and we receive them with grateful hands.

taking responsibility in keeping our road side clean

Every Saturday, my little girl gets a bag of very big tomatoes for teaching English to one little girl in our village. So, our Saturday meal menu always includes red juicy tomatoes. That family knows that tomato salad is part of our weekend meal.

we'll also do the neighbor's side of the road

See, all these gifts are our wages:) No, we don't expect payment for every little thing we do, but we always do get paid! There's always a reward for every work ...tangible or intangible....big or small....but most important of all, work gives us the character that we need to see us through life!

our yummy bags of wages

Sometimes I do get grumpy when I get tired from working...then, I have to remind myself again because I got the wrong perspective. Everyday I make a long list of work...I sometimes accomplish them, sometimes they get left for another day...but it is always my security to know that I have work everyday and I smile as I tick them off my list...Smiles are my bag of wages!

Hope you have a happy work day today too:)

Yours

OH JOY!

Dear Family & Friends

We have typical summer with constant sunshine... and that makes my garden so thirsty everyday!!  I'm literally like a madwoman whose hands seems to be attached to a garden hose 24/7!! It's a never ending chore...but I must admit that after watering the garden, everything cools down...microclimate - that's what my daughter told me! At least, inside our four wall domain!

temperature within is slightly cooler than past this wall out onto the street

Hot days of summer makes my brain sluggish...just on constant sleep mode - not complete shut down at least! Everyday meal planning seems a struggle. It's good that my little family are very patient with me all the time! OH JOY!

cooking a quick pancake meal again...

For this week, I fed them nothing but my pancake invention (a couple of times in a week!!)...just altering what I put in it! Most of the time veggie mix like grated carrots, grated zuchinni, chopped up chives, chopped up purslane...whatever I get out of our garden that day!

one big pancake instead of the usual little burger size

Mixing everything with egg savoury pancake batter...and by using Kefir instead of milk...it gives a soft texture with cheesy taste. Another lazy trick of mine is to pan fry it as one big pancake - like doing a tortilla. That way, it's faster and I don't need to endure the heat from cooking longer than necessary. Once cooked, cut in wedges and eat with cucumber or tomato salad! No one complains..My JOY!

  

Sid with our garden tortoise - who loves the summer heat

Out in our garden, this mascot called 'sid' is playing around. We got him free from Lidl after spending 100 euros of shopping spree! None of us are of toddler age...but we were so excited to collect stickers for every 10 euros spent...in hope that we could get a little free toy!...and we did! (actually, the kind cashier cheated and gave us extra 3 stickers just to help complete our goal LOL) Our JOY! 

Sid talking to the rooster?

Now that we got Sid home with us....he just have to have his photo shoot with our garden friends...our teenage girls' fun time activity - that is!! Their JOY!

Building and rebuilding of the wall

Since there's a delay in the completion of our city apartment, focus on DIY works at home is done instead. The outside wall is constantly polished and repolished to a perfect look. Someone in our family just seem to love the rebuilding of the wall activity...I thought it all looks good and finished! But day after day...whenever he got the time...he's out there tinkering this and that again ...his JOY!

Yes, count it all JOY, even when summer heat brings headaches and sleepless nights! Then, start all over again tomorrow. After all, summer is just but a season. Hope you are enjoying your day today with JOY too!

Yours

Overcoming Summer's Heat

Dear Family & Friends

Summer in Bulgaria is hot but if you stay in the shade...it is bearable. Inside our house is cool...even though we don't own an airconditioner! Since I like being outside...so we hang a recycled net in our tiny little patio area. There - I can enjoy some garden breeze, hear the buzzing bees, without having to endure the presence of FLIES!!

my little corner for this summer

For the moment, the biggest lavender bush is just next to the patio and the buzzing bee noise is just music to my ears as I sit in the patio! Now and again I catch a glimpse of different butterflies stopping by to sniff the flowers too. 

a quiet company of mine in our garden

I'm trying to overcome the misery of intense summer heat here and I want to see and focus the summer goodness instead. Life is good...remember...in the beginning God created everything beautiful and He said 'it is good'...The 'good' still remains despite mankind's rapid growth in self-love, greed and wickedness. (Sorry for groaning again...I just have to stop reading daily news!!)

Today I want to wish you all things 'good' for this week and always be an overcomer:)

Yours

What a blessing!

Dear Family & Friends

All hidden bulbs in the ground have slowly presented themselves. I planted grape hyacinths a few years back and they have multiplied themselves since then. I love the blue flowers, although the leaves looks a bit messy...nonetheless, I still like them the way they are. I have been propagating it, simply by dividing and planting them in every corners of the garden.

Aren't these blue grape hyacinth beautiful?

All these gardening chores sometimes makes me forget about the time...the lunch time. But I am glad that if I prepare the meal before I venture to the garden...and assign my little girl to keep an eye on the cooking...she would even dish it out to make it presentable for all to enjoy.

Giving and sharing her love with this meal presentation

And yes, they have to remember to call me back into the house for the family lunch together... perhaps, I should carry some sort of a timer with me...From time to time, giving responsibility to your children, you also give them the sense of achievement, and working as part of the family unites us and brings us even more closer.

our simple family lunch presented with much love

Today, I just have to scrape and wash the dirt off my fingernails from gardening and I am ready to enjoy a beautifully presented lunch meal. I am blessed. I wish you all the blessings too:)

Yours 

Daily celebration

Dear Family & Friends

The pleasure of seeing my family tuck in a homecooked fare on the dinner table makes me count my daily blessings. Although not 100% of it is my work...yet I aim to grow most of our plant food naturally. It drives me to continue to work hard in growing and designing an edible garden. I am ever grateful to God for a healthy mind to aim for this opportunity.

one simply cooked meal for the day

Having a united family unit is also a blessing. Instructing and teaching your own children is not always easy, but it's not something to give up. Once you helped them form a godly character from an early age, they become secured and happy and will constantly bring blessings to the family.

tea party - exciting:)

For our family...everything is plain and simple...none of us requires any payment of any sort from each other. From time to time, we have a festive tea party...herbal tea drink and a fruity glazed and decorated bread will do. Everyone is happy...you would think we won the lottery jackpot already!

Spring blossom everywhere at this time of the year

All fun and no work is not good either. So, we drive each other mad with work motivation. My big girl is now a self made web designer. It's not easy as you think it is...she self taught herself and was quick to grab the coding knowledge...how she does it??...I don't know...although she claims that it's something to do with autism?? I now wish I have some of that too!

I might not be an IT geek but I also self taught myself with playing garden dirt. This week, I was quick enough to suggest a cycling route to the three eager cyclist family members - off to a nearby village where the locals buy their cheap and good seed potatoes. The village is small ...no need for GPS. In fact, when they knocked on the door, my husband was greeted by his first name. My girls were very impressed...that includes the husband too! He's no Tom Cruise by any means....but this lady's son works in a nearby town restaurant, who served him once and got chatting with. So that explains it! 

chitting my potatoes for planting

OK back to the errand mission, I've got my assortment of unknown variety potato seeds ... about 3 kilos of it, paying just under a pound/1 Euro!! Cheap right?? She suggested for more, but I don't think I've got enough land area to put them in. That alone would already give me about 150 potato plants!!  

So, I'm off to more gardening fun...I will come back to tell you more stories next week. For now, I wish you a good day...and hope you have happy gardening days too!

Yours

Do you do seasonal chores?

Dear Family & Friends

There are things we tend to do in season.. planting certain plants are one of those. I usually go to the market to get my onion sets for planting, but this year, I want to grow 'shallots' instead. After explaining what a shallot is to a grandfather market vendor, he assured me that the onion sets I'm buying would produce multiple onions per plant. Sounds like shallot, although it looks just like the usual onion sets to me!! I got 1/2 a kilo worth costing just under 50 pence:) and this will be enough, if not more, for our whole year's supply!

My first shallot sets to grow in the garden this year

Whilst I'm busy sowing, planting, and growing things in the garden, inside the house, my girls are also inspired to arrange and rearange their bedroom layout and clothes in their wardrobe and drawers.

shirts neatly  rolled in drawer - done by colour and design..I heard!

Sometimes, chores that are repetitive, done seasonally, can bring comfort. At least they don't require much thinking and for a minute or two, the brain cells can have a little holiday break;P That's how I figure it for myself.

Well, I wish you have some comfort in everything that you are doing today too. Enjoy the work of your hands this week:)

Yours

Thoughts on Banking system

Dear Family & Friends

There has been unsettling financial news as always...stock market going down due to political upheaval, pending decisions, scandals etc... I'm not really bothered anymore... but with our recent small investment on an apartment, we can't help but get wrapped up with the economy once again. Yes, the power of pound is dwindling down...agh...just in time as we need it strong to get more out of the currency! Although Bulgaria uses Leva currency, but when it comes to purchasing property, they want Euro payments!! All these money exchanges caused much of my brain cells to faint! Never mind....brain cells do revive I heard!

Our gated city apartment - still on work in progress stage

Another recent thing that was brought to our attention was the banking system. We never really trust bank to safe keep our money these days....Do you? In fact, what's the use, specially as they hardly give any interest for the money you entrust them - which they use to generate income for themselves! Bah! So what can we do fellow savers?!

The interior is still on this stage...should be ready by April at the earliest

To make matters worst, we just found out that our bank even changed their banking system without our knowledge. Our bank don't deal money matters over the counter anymore...all transaction are done by automated machines. All withdrawals are therefore limited to only a small specific amount per day!! It caused our nerves a few flip flopping times, because we really need to do our transaction for this property purchase. Withdrawing little bits to pay our seller just won't do!! We solved our problem by trying to scrape every penny from our wallets to complete the deal that day. It wasn't a good joke! just because our bank won't release the money we left with them - due to withdrawal limitation policy! It was a very stressful on the spot miracle situation.

our apartment will be part of this gated complex with a communal garden/playground and carpark

Banks are protecting themselves from future 'ran on the bank' situation... but have you ever thought about a depositor's situation would be?? Hope my sharing have brought some insights if you haven't thought much about this.

Nevertheless, don't fret...but be wise. and Have a good week.

Yours

Life's blessings

Dear Family & friends

My big girl took the challenge of designing a website for her father's freelance business. She is just self teaching herself, learning as she go. Yet, she wants nothing but the best for her dad. This web design project is taking her while and she's pressuring herself to the challenge. I want to help her, but this old brain cannot understand computer language!! To de-stress the stress she built for herself, she took a break and decided to knit herself a headband. (Stressed??...go do knitting!!)

a knitted head band from the big sister

So after knitting the headband, she called her younger sister (they're each other's best friend) to model it for her, then realized, that it looks good on her sister and she likes it too. So, the headband immediately took a new ownership:) Happy daughter number two.

The unexpected parcel...

Daughter number two's blessings didn't stop there. Today, she received an unexpected parcel from a Japanese friend. I met her through blogging, and some how my little girl got in touch with her as she is so keen on learning Japanese. She has been a great encouragement to her ever since.

So many beautiful gifts!

Our family is just amazed how a person, whom we never met in person, can be so kind and generous to this one little girl. My little girl has been so touched by her gesture, in fact we all are!

The great joy:)

Thank you, thank you my friend...for bringing a big smile to our family with your unexpected great kindness and super generosity. We hope to meet you in person one day...

A treasured book!

There are many people we meet along the way...some brings joy, some brings challenges, but all have a purpose and a reason. I hope that we too, are fulfilling our role to the people in return, along life's way....

May you be blessed just as we are so blessed:)

Yours