aspirations for new year 2017

Dear Family & Friends

No new year's resolutions for me because it's just not effective. What I do instead is to have a wish list and hopeful projects to work for. I write it down and I tick the list as I tackle my dream in whatever little step I give to it. I aim to fulfill this within the year.

This year, I hope to focus more on making our home garden more productive, at the same time, find ways to make it efficient. I am going for a more natural gardening. If nature will be favourable and I end up with more produce, I would like to share it with others in the city, to give them the taste of a more affordable good food that we have in our village.

Just look at this picture, somewhere in eastern europe...I find it inspiring. You can see the city in the far distance. Then, there's the village houses so full and beautiful with their respective productive food source right in their backyards. I just love the idea:) There's something in it that will certainly push me to fulfill my 2017 aspirations.

Hope you have a peaceful 2017 year ahead of you and don't forget to keep working and aspiring for the better...May you have all the success as you work on it:)

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

Our set BBQ meal

Dear Family & Friends

What would you do if you have people who enjoys knocking down others with negative words all the time...be it comparing you to this and that or other malicious ways? Well, it's best to avoid them. If you can't, just let them rattle on and start playing a mental game by counting how many unkind words they spill per minute. Tally it in set of five sticks per bundle. A fun game! If you don't respond, they will soon end the conversation. A Win Win game:) 

If people can't give you the encouragement, get it from the beauty of a tiny chives flower

Perhaps I am guilty of the same from time to time, but I really try my best to dwell on positive things and most of all be an encouragement to others. I do believe that building others up is a very good business investment:)

BBQ Grill is always fun  

Today is another beautiful day. We enjoyed this day by sharing an easy meal together. It was so simple and all were full of contentment. Here's our set meal.

We call this a family party - with ala carte menu:)

Someone prepared a steamed rice in the rice cooker, with tumeric powder to give it an added aroma and colour! The other one, grilled the sausages which took no time at all. I gathered a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs from the garden - wash and chop - viola, the best salad in town! The fourth member of the family unit..went and set the table. She even picked some camomille flowers to grace a recycled vase...after our meal, the camomille bouquet turned into herbal tea drink;P

Our BBQ pit inside our tiny outdoor mud hut

So there goes another no frill but very enjoyable family time together. I wish that you also have an enjoyable day today just as we did...if not...even better:)

Yours

It takes a village to raise a child

Dear Family & Friends

With the food abundance we experience specially at this time of the year ... we often wonder why the villagers are pouring and sharing their produce with us, knowing very well we also grow the things they grow - perhaps not as big and vigorous, but nonetheless, I try my best to grow what we can and know how in our garden for the family's needs.

the Balkans - child's painting of one of the girls

Then, it occured to me that whenever villagers shares their produce with us, they always say - 'take these for the children.' No ill feelings...not that we adults don't need to eat and share it too...but what they are saying is that children are growing and nutrition is vital for growth.

village hens - child's painting of one of the girls

There's a saying that says: it takes a village to raise a child. ..and this is very true to where we presently live in. For the years we have been living here, villagers known or unknown to us,  had been so kind to our children: sharing fruits and veggies, and even teaches them courteous manners like addressing every elderly with honour and respect as what and how a family does to each other.

the cheerful cycler - child's painting of one of the girls

Our two girls are bigger now...yet, they are still very much the children of this village. I'm so glad we have and are given the opportunity to live here. Our two girls understand these and are grateful too:)

Life is not complicated...at least not in this part of the world. Hope you have a beautiful day today, with lots of blessings too:)

Yours

The recycled box of produce

Dear Family & Friends

At this time of the year, there's just a lot of harvest from the garden. Everyday I go out to the garden and smell neighbours grilling sweet pepper to preserve them in bottles. The potato harvest is over by now too. Tomatoes and cucumbers are giving a lot in this summer heat.

The recycled box of produce

This recycled box have been going back and forth over the wall between us and our neighbour! It's often filled with various harvest: potatoes, big tomatoes, cucumbers and fruits from our neighbour. The truth is: we grow them in our garden too, but they insist that we have to have the share of their harvest as well!! In return, we share our cherry tomatoes (because they don't grow this type of small tomatoes) and freshly baked home made bread which they love. I'd like to share some of our Asian greens/produce, but the locals are very limited in their diet and they don't appreciate those things.

People here are very giving...they might not have a lot of modern convinience and material wealth...but everything is shared from their hearts. This never fail to touch the very core of my heart and I value it a lot:)

I wish you abundance in life and most of all the real joy of everyday simple living. Have a great day:)

Yours

Home Economy for Successful Living

Dear Family & Friends

I do believe in living a wise and frugal way. Afterall, the resources we were given by God is not ours to waste...we are to manage it with the intend of a Successful Living..

Having Less is OK.
No we don't need to have everything..most of them are just junk and burden for life. Since we started our family, we've decided to have no TV. We never missed anything. In fact, we  found out that we gained more time in a day and have more time to do creative things and play games as a family.

Stay debt-free
We never ever had the opportunity of having Mortgage (relief!!).  I don't really know what it entails, but I do know it is a debt that you had to pay back no matter what. It is a real blessing for us and to be honest with you, if we had to buy something but had no money for it, I would consider not having it, than to be in debt. It is less stressful for the family this way. Develop contentment in life...we don't need many of the materials things, to gain happiness.

Growing food in the garden
I understand one cannot be completely self sufficient in life, but to be able to grow food in your own garden, or in any space you have, will help you cut down on your grocery bill and give you fresh healthy food. It also gives you a lot of opportunities to learn a lot of things in life that you never knew before...such as : hard work pays, getting to know your land, learning about the birds and insects that visit you, your eco-system, your local climate and environment, and your neighbours too:) There is a certain rewarding feeling that goes with gardening...I never wanted a garden before...but I'm glad my husband didn't believed me when I said it!!

Bartering and swappings
I would like to do more of that...but for the moment, I don't really know how and with whom I could share this activity. All I've experienced is the opportunity of bartering seeds with neighbours and friends....but perhaps other opportunities will arise in the future.

Cooking from scratch
I know we can buy ready made foods which is easy and convinient....but nothing beats homecooked food. You can have better and healthier food and it will help you save money. You can more or less understand what you are eating too! I'm not an expert in the kitchen, but I have learned to do a lot of cooking/baking and still continue on learning this way. The result is priceless.

Green cleaning
Along with cooking from scratch, making your own cleaners will help you save money and become healthier. We use a lot of bicarbonate of Soda and vinegar for a lot of things, including cleaning. It's a cheap product but it works wonders. No, I don't succumbed to cleaning products on TV (opps...having no TV helps) or from other media.I just don't fancy strange unknown chemicals around the house.

Oh Yes, we do give away some money to the supermarket and shops for our living needs - but we are also being wise in what we buy, afterall, it's not easy to earn money these days and there's tough times ahead to consider. Most important of all, we care how we live...I want to have a successful living!  and better... if you could join us in aspiring towards this too:)

Have you developed your own home-based economy? Please share what you do in your own home.

Yours,