Anne and her chicken pox

2nd day

3rd day

5th day


My daughter Anne and I went to KLCC last Saturday for me to meet up with some school friends whom I had not seen in quite a while. We had a good time and Anne had some fun with Aunty Cheryl and Aunty Jane who doted on her.
Later, we dropped by the Prince Court medical centre to see a baby. It was only later that evening when we got home when she pulled my hand and showed me a little 'blister' on her abdomen area, to my horror.
I definitely recognized that, having gone through the works before myself about 10 years ago. Quickly, I told my hubby to bring us to the Chinese medicine shop where I went in to get herbs for bathing, for drinking and calamine lotion for applying.
I know this, because, well, I got chicken pox before and I got off pretty well with no scars and it was fast as well , compared to a lot of other people.. Less then two weeks.
So I got the items, and went back and immediately planned out a new menu for my baby which eliminate all traces of soya sauce, nuts, eggs, prawns, crabs, chicken and shell fish and certain fish.
Next morning I went to the wet market in Gombak and bought mushrooms, baby corn, carrots, red snapper fish and white pomfret for a few days meal for little Anne.
Some facebook friends recommended coconut water (a Malaysian kinda miracle drink - good for lots of illnesses) and also baking soda to dry up the 'blisters' faster. There were also recommendation of neem and 'daun bambu' (not sure if it's the same thing or not) but I could not find that anywhere.
With all that, alhamdullilah (praise be to God), the chicken pox came out fast.
My hubby heard from a neighbour that we could get an injection to stop more 'blisters' coming out but when we took her to the clinic (Klinik Jaya, Mediviron) on the 3rd day, the doctor smiled and said it was almost over and that all the blisters were out already and a jab would be useless and it's better to let it finish as Anne is still very young and at her age chicken pox heals faster then adults. Estimate time 6-7 days only as opposed to adult's incubation or healing period of 2-3 weeks or longer too, sometimes... Besides that, the plus point would be she would be naturally immune for life.
If we were to go for an injection when the chicken pox was at a beginning stage and curtail the spread, we might get chicken pox again, thus the reason why some people get chicken pox 2 or 3 times in their life.
Anyway, on the 5th day itself, her blisters had dried up and scabbed. I was amazed myself and with some research found a couple of articles that supported the doctor's diagnosed. Anyway, once the blisters dried up, I started dousing little Anne with Dettol mixed with water on her last rinse so that she was kept practically clean and free of any bacteria. I gave her bath twice or thrice a day as the doctor mentioned the importance of keeping her cool and clean.
All her clothings, pillowcases, bedsheets and towel and ours included were washed with Dettol as well as laundry detergent for the whole week.
But well, I am thankful she got it young and I am also thankful it's over fast.

Andy

Andy was a quiet man. He didn't talk much. He would always greet you with a big smile and a firm handshake.


Even after living in our neighborhood for over 50 years, no one could really say they knew him very well.



Before his retirement, he took the bus to work each morning. The lone sight of him walking down the street often worried us.



He had a slight limp from a bullet wound received in WWII.



Watching him, we worried that although he had survived WWII, he may not make it through our changing uptown neighborhood with its ever-increasing random violence, gangs, and drug activity.



When he saw the flyer at our local church asking for volunteers for caring for the gardens behind the minister's residence, he responded in his characteristically unassuming manner. Without fanfare, he just signed up.



He was well into his 87th year when the very thing we had always feared finally happened.



He was just finishing his watering for the day when three gang members approached him. Ignoring their attempt to intimidate him, he simply asked, "Would you like a drink from the hose?"



The tallest and toughest-looking of the three said, "Yeah, sure," with a malevolent little smile.



As Andy offered the hose to him, the other two grabbed Andy's arm, throwing him down. As the hose snaked crazily over the ground, dousing everything in its way, Andy's assailants stole his retirement watch and his wallet, and then fled.



Andy tried to get himself up, but he had been thrown down on his bad leg. He lay there trying to gather himself as the minister came running to help him.



Although the minister had witnessed the attack from his window, he couldn't get there fast enough to stop it.



"Andy, are you okay? Are you hurt?" the minister kept asking as he helped Andy to his feet.



Andy just passed a hand over his brow and sighed, shaking his head. "Just some punk kids. I hope they'll wise-up someday."



His wet clothes clung to his slight frame as he bent to pick up the hose. He adjusted the nozzle again and started to water.



Confused and a little concerned, the minister asked, "Andy, what are you doing?" "I've got to finish my watering. It's been very dry lately," came the calm reply.


Satisfying himself that Andy really was all right, the minister could only marvel. Andy was a man from a different time and place.



A few weeks later the three returned. Just as before their threat wasunchallenged. Andy again offered them a drink from his
hose.



This time they didn't rob him. They wrenched the hose from his hand and drenched him head to foot in the icy water.



When they had finished their humiliation of him, they sauntered off down the street, throwing catcalls and curses, falling over one another laughing at the hilarity of what they had just done.



Andy just watched them. Then he turned toward the warmth giving sun, picked up his hose, and went on with his watering.



The summer was quickly fading into fall Andy was doing some tilling when he was startled by the sudden approach of someone behind him. He stumbled and fell into some evergreen branches.



As he struggled to regain his footing, he turned to see the tall leader of his summer tormentors reaching down for him. He braced himself for the expected attack.



"Don't worry old man, I'm not gonna hurt you this time."
The young man spoke softly, still offering the tattooed and scarred hand to Andy. As he helped Andy get up, the man pulled a crumpled bag from his pocket and handed it to Andy.



"What's this?" Andy asked. "It's your stuff," the man explained. "It's your stuff back. Even the money in your wallet." "I don't understand," Andy said. "Why would you help me now?"



The man shifted his feet, seeming embarrassed and ill at ease. "I learned something from you," he said. "I ran with that gang and hurt people like you we picked you because you were old and we knew we could do it But every time we came and did something to you, instead of yelling and fighting back, you tried to give us a drink. You didn't hate us for hating you. You kept showing love against our hate."



He stopped for a moment. "I couldn't sleep after we stole your stuff, so here it is back."



He paused for another awkward moment, not knowing what more there was to say. "That bag's my way of saying thanks for straightening me out, I guess." And with that, he walked off down the street.



Andy looked down at the sack in his hands and gingerly opened it. He took out his retirement watch and put it back on his wrist. Opening his wallet, he checked for his wedding photo. He gazed for a moment at the young bride that still smiled back at him from all those years ago.



He died one cold day after Christmas that winter. Many people attended his funeral in spite of the weather.



In particular the minister noticed a tall young man that he didn't know sitting quietly in a distant corner of the church.



The minister spoke of Andy's garden as a lesson in life. In a voice made thick with unshed tears, he said, "Do your best and make your garden as beautiful as you can. We will never forget Andy and his garden."



The following spring another flyer went up. It read: "Person needed to care for Andy's garden."



The flyer went unnoticed by the busy parishioners until one day when a knock was heard at the minister's office door.



Opening the door, the minister saw a pair of scarred and tattooed hands holding the flyer. "I believe this is my job, if you'll have me," the young man said.


The minister recognized him as the same young man who had returned the stolen watch and wallet to Andy.



He knew that Andy's kindness had turned this man's life around. As the minister handed him the keys to the garden shed, he said, "Yes, go take care of Andy's garden and honor him."



The man went to work and, over the next several years, he tended the flowers and vegetables just as Andy had done.



During that time, he went to college, got married, and became a prominent member of the community. But he never forgot his promise to Andy's memory and kept the garden as beautiful as he thought Andy would have kept it.



One day he approached the new minister and told him that he couldn't care for the garden any longer. He explained with a shy and happy smile, "My wife just had a baby boy last night, and she's bringing him home on Saturday."



"Well, congratulations!" said the minister, as he was handed the garden shed keys. "That's wonderful! What's the baby's name?"
"Andy," he replied.



GOOD FRIENDS ARE LIKE ANGELS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE THEM TO KNOW THEY ARE.

Mean Mom

I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate
candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs or toast. When others had cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different than the other kids' also.

But at least, I wasn't alone in my sufferings. My sister and two
brothers had the same mean mother as I did.

My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were on a chain gang. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said we'd be gone an hour, that we be gone one hour or less--not one hour and one minute. I am nearly ashamed to admit it, but she actually struck us. Not once, but each time we had a mind of our own and did as we pleased. That poor belt was used more on our seats than it was to hold up Daddy's pants. Can you imagine someone actually hitting a child just because he disobeyed? Now you can begin to see how mean she really was.

We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath. The other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of insults because she made our clothes herself, just to save money. Why, oh why, did we have to have a mother who made us feel different from our friends?

The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night
and up at eight the next morning. We couldn't sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept-my mother actually had the nerve to break the child-labor law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, learn to cook and all sorts of cruel things. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.

She always insisted upon us telling the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth, even if it killed us- and it nearly did.

By the time we were teen-agers, she was much wiser, and our life became even more unbearable. None of this tooting the horn of a car for us to come running. She embarrassed us to no end by making our dates and friends come to the door to get us. If I spent the night with a girlfriend, can you imagine she checked on me to see if I were really there. I never had the chance to elope to Mexico. That is if I'd had a boyfriend to elope with. I forgot to mention, while my friends were dating at the mature age of 12 and 13, my old fashioned mother refused to let me date until the age of 15 and 16. Fifteen, that is, if you dated only to go to a school function. And that was maybe twice a year.

Through the years, things didn't improve a bit. We could not lie
in bed, "sick" like our friends did, and miss school. If our friends
had a toe ache, a hang nail or serious ailment, they could stay home from school. Our marks in school had to be up to par. Our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother being as different as she was, would settle for nothing less than ugly black marks.

As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put
to shame. We were graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a drop-out.

My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four
children, a couple of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been arrested, divorced or beaten his mate. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country. And whom do we have to blame for the terrible way we turned out? You're right, our mean mother. Look at the things we missed. We never got to march in a protest parade, nor to take part in a riot, burn draft cards, and a million and one other things that our friends did.

She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults. Using this as a background, I am trying to raise my three
children. I stand a little taller and I am filled with pride when my
children call me mean.

Because, you see, I thank God,
He gave me the meanest mother in the whole world.



Written by Bobbie Pingaro (1967)

The price of children

This is just too good not to pass on to all. Something absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice, The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

· $8,896.66 a year,
· $741.3 month, or * $171.08 a week.
· That's a mere $24.24 a day!
· Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:

* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus. You have an excuse to:
* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watching Saturday morning cartoons,
* going to Disney movies, and
* wishing on stars.
* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:

* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness the:

· first step,
· first word,
· first bra,
· first date, and
· first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits.

So . . one day they will like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!
Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren!!!!!!!

My baby's down with chicken pox

The very first blister....

It started at dinner.. my MIL went to Pasir Penambang to get some fresh seafood right off the fishing boats at wholesale prices and was preparing some steamed snapper, curried prawns and fried vegetables when Anne came up to me and showed me a blister.
It was like any other blister, but only it was on her abdomen. I remembered feeling a little suspicious of the rashes or ' insect bites' that seem to be appearing on her body and face . And then she was lukewarm. Had been having a mild fever, on and off the past few days only for me to treat her with panadol syrup for children.
That blister alarmed me, and immediately I told my MIL that I suspect my daughter is having chicken pox. Well, it happened to me about 10 years ago.
Hubby and I took her to the Chinese medical shop to get some herbs for drinking, for bathing and well, some calamine lotion. In this case, I trust the Chinese traditional shop more then just pure medicine as I went through that and got away without any scars or scabs.
And well, did my research on the internet.
And here are some tips I found which seem interesting and am using some of it... and sharing it all with my readers... who knows it might come in handy...

Chicken pox can leave a person scarred, and sometimes these scars can be very unsightly and can leave a person feeling unattractive. While you can diminish the severity of these scars over time, the surest way to keep your skin from scarring when you have chicken pox is to do the following:

* Avoid touching your pockmarks with dirty hands or avoid touching them altogether.
* Try to sleep in a single position by placing pillows on both sides of your body to help minimize the accidental removal of scabs when sleeping.
* Do not remove or pick at your scabs, and do not scratch them.

Reducing Scar Marks with Home Remedies and Natural Cures

If despite these precautions you still find yourself with chicken pox scars, the best thing you can do is to simply minimize their appearance.

Here are some tips on reducing these scars and making them fade over time:

* Try accelerating the fading of these scars with the use of coconut water applied to these scars with the use of a clean cotton ball. Do this every day.
* Another remedy you can use to accelerate the disappearance of these scars is sandalwood paste.

Apply this paste to the scars with the use of a clean cotton ball as well, and do this daily.

* Lemon juice has whitening and healing properties that can also be useful for treating chicken pox scars and minimizing them.
* Vitamin E has always been known to be good for the skin. Applying this vitamin to the scars you get from chicken pox can also help diminish them.
* Another natural scar remover or fader is honey. Apply natural honey to the spots where the scabs fell off and do this daily.
* Aloe vera is also well known for its healing properties. Use aloe vera on your healing scars daily. Use fresh aloe vera extract for better results. You can also use aloe vera ointments and lotions.
* Eat vitamin-K-enriched foods for better healing and to reduce the appearance of these scars. Foods that have this vitamin include spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, liver, dairy products, and cabbage. Lean meats and even turnips are also rich in vitamin K.
* Drink lots of water. Keeping yourself hydrated will help keep your skin elastic and will also help with the healing process.
* Cocoa butter also has properties that promote healing and scar reduction. Use this on your scars as well.
* Tea tree oil can also be used to help fade scars that are caused by chicken pox.

Additional advices are: drinking coconut water, taking pearl medicine- can be bought at Chinese medical shops (proven trustworthy for me when I had my own share of chicken pox), no eating soya sauce or any black gravy or sauce, no eating eggs, prawns, chicken, crabs for fear of causing additional itch. And something to do with "daun Bambu" (not really sure what that is though... yet)

A sss-snaky affair

Just came home from a day out with my daughter. My mother in law was cleaning the kitchen with her call in maid when she asked the maid to mop the floor. The maid went outside to get the pail and came rushing into the house, her voice raised in fear.
I was wondering what the commotion was and thought at first that my dear MIL was at it again with the maid when only what she was saying made sense. She was telling us about hearing a strange sound in the garden as she went to get the pail and thought it was rats until she saw the long mud brown body along the fence and my MIL's plant.
Without much ado, my hubby had gathered the neighbours and they prod the snake from it's resting place.
Being a busy body, yours truly went to check, and heard one of our neighbours said it was just a small snake. Being bold, yours truly went to see but was startled and scared into retreating into the house when a big enough snake slittered into view. OMG. If that was a small one I won't want to ever come across the huge adult one. Anyway, unfortunately, the snake got away and so I guess we all have to keep our eyes out for it, now that we know it's around somewhere...

Miley Cyrus - When I Look At You

this one is for my daughter Anne Syafiqa... she loves this song... and well, so do I.... =)



Everybody needs inspiration
Everybody needs a song
A beautiful melody
When the nights are long

'cause there is no guarantee
That this life is easy

Yea when my world is falling apart
When there's no light
To break up the dark
That's when I
I look at you

When the waves are flooding the shore
And I can't find my way home any more
That's when I
I look at you

When I look at you
I see forgiveness
I see the truth
You love me for who I am
Like the stars hold the moon
Right there where they belong
And I know I'm not alone

Yeah when my world is falling apart
When there's no light
To break up the dark
That's when I
I look at you

When the waves are flooding the shore
And I can't find my way home any more
That's when I
I look at you

You appear just like a dream to me
Just like kaleidoscope colors that cover me
All I need
Every breath that I breathe
Don't you know you're beautiful
Yeah yeah

When the waves are flooding the shore
And I can't find my way home any more
That's when I
I look at you

I look at you
Yeah
Whoa-oh
You appear just like dream to me

True Blood Season 3 Official Trailer

Oh... Just can't wait to see this..... I love Eric...

[HD] The Crevasse - Making of 3D Street Art

Amazing artwork on sidewalk...

Isn't this just so amazing... Edgar Mueller's artwork is so realistic it makes one fearful to step on the road...

Crabby old man

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in North Platte, Nebraska , it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.

Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and

content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital. One

nurse took her copy to Missouri ..

The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazineof the St. Louis Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple,but eloquent, poem.

And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem

winging across the Internet.


Crabby Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . .. ... . What do you see?
What are you thinking ... . . .. .. when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man . . . . . not very wise,
Uncertain of habit . .. . . . with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food . . . . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . ... . 'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . .. . . the things that you do.
And forever is losing .. . . . . A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not . . . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . ... . The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . . . . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse .. . . . .. you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am. .. . . . . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . ... .. . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . . . who love one another.

A young boy of Sixteen . . .. with wings on his feet.
Dreaming that soon now ... . . ... . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . .. my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . . .... . .. that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now . . . .. . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . .. ... . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . ... With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons . . .. . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me .. . . .. . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children ... . . .. .. My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . . .. . my wife is now dead.
I look at the future . . . . . shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing .. . .. .. .. young of their own.
And I think of the years ... . . . .... and the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man . . .. . and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age . . .. . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles . . . ... .. grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone .. .. . .. where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass .. . . . .. a young guy still dwells,
And now and again . . .. . . my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys . . .. . . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . ... ... . .. life over again.

I think of the years, all too few . . .. . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact .. . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .. .. . . open and see.
Not a crabby old man .. .. . Look closer .. . . see ME!!


Remember this poem when you next meet

an older person who you might brush aside

without looking at the young soul within.

We will all, one day, be there, too!

Human Body - very informative

It takes your food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.

One human hair can support 3kg (6.6 lb).

The average man's penis is three times the length of his thumb.

Human thighbones are stronger than concrete.

A woman's heart beats faster than a man's.

There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.

Women blink twice as often as men.

The average person's skin weighs twice as much as the brain.

Your body uses 300 muscles to balance itself when you are standing still.

If saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it.

Women reading this will be finished now.

Men are still busy checking their thumbs.

Why is life a continuous struggle? Or do you see it as a blessing..

Sometimes I feel life is a continuous struggle. Sometimes it can be a blessing. But well, more struggle. It would seem that well, at least for me, life is just like that.
As a baby, my father did not really want me. He was just too happy to wash his hands off me, once he divorced my mother. Other men, no matter how much they hate or have bitter feelings for their exes still find time to spend with their children and love them, but oh no, not mine. He just could not care less. It was a good riddance for him.
Then as a kid, I had to struggle with my mother's decline into depression and also gambling addiction. As a teen, I had my own hormones, unwanted events, and school.. Had to struggle to get good grades or at least reasonable ones to make my mother proud or at least contented.
Then once falling in love and deciding to get married, the struggle of starting a new life, a new family, bringing up the kids and so on.
Then we got divorced, and I had to learn to struggle to get on with life, to make my self stronger, especially since I had no one who supported me or stand by me.
Now that I'm in my mid 30's, remarried and a mother of a toddler, have to go through life struggles of learning how to handle all the new challenges that comes along. And in my choice of career, the struggle to keep my clients, get new ones and handling disgruntled clients. My struggles will not end as I foresee having to struggle to put my kids into higher education, and to save for my own retirement, with the hope and providing that I do not fall ill and need additional funds like my mother for hospital and such..
But in it all, I thank God for life's little blessings of good friends who care and especially my long suffering husband who gives in to my whims once a while, and who stands by me and love me for me.. My children who loves this long suffering and sometimes overbearing individual unconditionally.. And you know what? It does make my struggles somewhat worthwhile..
So to my friends, thanks for being there, whether you're my real friends for the past years.. My oversea friends who just share my thoughts, complains, ideas and such through paper or email, or facebook or twitter pals, thanks so much for being there and being a friend.
To my husband, who's my other half, my port in the storm, my pillar of strength, who loves this insecured and weird woman, thanks for sharing my life, for your love and patience and understanding..
To my kids, I'm not the world's best mother and I probably let you down countless times but you know what, I am thankful for your presence in my life, and I love you too.. And will do my best for you all..