TWO YEARS ALREADY (Yes, I'm shouting!)

Image from FB

I almost cannot believe that it is already two years since I left the working world.  Two years which is equivalent to 730 days.  I find it so hard to reconcile with the fact that I have lived off my husband (mwahahahaha) for this long!

I did worry about how it would be not to earn my own money.  Most modern working women will wonder what it is like to rely totally on their spouse.  It cannot be an easy thing to do and yet I stepped into this situation rather easily.  I admit that the first month here was a bit awkward.  But after surviving that 'trial' period, everything just became so natural.  

Anyway, this blog post isn't about money.  It is about celebrating an anniversary.  

The feeling of euphoria is still strong.  Most days I wake up feeling so blessed to have someone to love, a place to lay my head and enough to eat.  

Until now, people are still asking me what do I do with my time.  Well, I still can't finish doing everything I want as there just isn't enough time!!!!  Maybe it's because there's so much that I want to do.  And sometimes there is nothing that I want to do.  Either way, it's all good.  My boss (Stephen) is very flexible about everything.  

Now we are just counting down the days to when he will retire. We are hoping for soonest possible but it'll happen sooner or later.  

Image from FB

Dear God

image picked from FB

I hardly ever feel down these days.  Maybe I've already used up my quota of feeling lousy.  Now isn't that a nice thought!

I did have days when I really felt so awful that I didn't know what to do or how to carry on.  Yet, as I was living those difficult days, I didn't stop hoping that one day I'd move pass it all.

And here I am!  Passed all those dark times and always feeling on top of the world.  It helps to have a mate who provides a place of peace and love.

Our new craze is cycling and it has provided us with a new avenue to channel our energies out in the open space.  It is like food for the soul and we're not even looking at the benefits yet!

image picked from FB

I started with 6 km.  Then improved by doing 8 km then 10 km and yesterday we managed 12 km.  Of course, Stephen is able to do 20 km or more, without me.  But he's slowing down so I can build up my stamina.  

Somewhere in the bible (1 Cor 13:4), it says, "Love is patient, love is kind".  It's true.  

Always mindful that Jesus is the centre of our lives!

Project Runway

What a lovely Valentine's Evening!!!    It's not the run-of-mill kind of date but it's still a date when  I am with Stephen.

Today we did 10.25 km. The duration included a stopover at the coffee shop for a drink and quick chit chat before coming home.  All in, I'd say we did very well.  

I started cycling recently and was still wobbly because it has been years since I did any regular cycling. Stephen used to tease me that I'd need a runway because I was so nervous when we went through narrow paths and, especially, when there are pedestrians along the way.  

THEN he discovered the perfect area for me.  It's less than a kilometre from home and then it's a stretch of road without cars and way off the beaten track.  It's a lovely thing to be able to build up my confidence riding up and down and feeling the breeze.

We had tried different routes but I was still shaky until now.  

I cannot help but feel that sometimes even our silliest dream can be fulfilled by just a whisper to the One up above. 

A bowl of mutton curry

A couple of days ago, I felt like eating a curry.  I know most people say that there's nothing more satisfying than making your own and that it would be better.  

But I am not like most people.  I love going out and looking at something that I want to eat and then buying it.  In the process of doing this, I have found many lovely places that serve food I enjoy.

This bowl of mutton curry cost S$3.50 (enough for two people).  It was absolutely delicious.  The meat was tender.  The spice level was just perfect for me. All it took was a 5 minute walk to the shop and a 2 second wait to pack it.

I wouldn't know if I could reproduce the same curry and, frankly, I wouldn't even want to try. Well, maybe one day.  LOL

Stephen and I were doing the costing for how much it would be for us to make it on our own and we gave up.  I can't even begin to name the ingredients that we would need for this curry.

Someone who lives in the US once told me that if she had food readily available she wouldn't bother to cook. This revelation made me feel a whole lot better because it's exactly how I feel. 

She, on the other hand, doesn't have much choice because eating out is expensive and it is difficult to find authentic Asian food.

Of course, there are days when we just don't feel like eating outside and those are they days when we whip up something at home.  It's all about having a choice that makes it great.  

Convenience, for me, always beats slaving in the kitchen. 

Working Hours

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Even before I moved to Singapore, Stephen told me about my working hours.  Yeah, he's funny that way.

He said that I will have to work (house chores) from Monday to Friday, 10 am to 2 pm with an unlimited time for lunch break.  Saturdays and Sundays would be my free days.  I also get to enjoy all Public Holidays. When he has three days off after his night shift, I would be free too!

Stephen helps around the house as well and until now I can't help but feel that this is the greatest deal I have ever made.  

Spoilt much?  Oh yeah!

Plink PLANK Plonk

Image from FB

Last year when my son told me about planking, I looked at him and sniggered.  I thought, "What's so hard about that?".  So I got down next to him to show him I could do it effortlessly.  I could only manage 6 seconds! I was flabbergasted. Was something that looked so simple really so difficult?

Not long after that, I saw this image on FB and although the timings there show Day 1 as 20 seconds, I was unable to do it.  It took me awhile to get better at it.  Although quite an active person, I realised that my core strength was lacking and so I kept planking.  

Now I'm doing about 50 seconds and that is quite a good improvement. Stephen is doing about 80 to 90 seconds but he's always been fitter than I am.  He tells me that it's not about the timing but more about improving the timing with each week.  

I don't do it every day but I do it as often as I remember.  I am aiming to hit the miracle 60 seconds (1 full minute) soon.  The 30-day challenge isn't important to me.  It's doing it as often as I can and increasing my timing gradually.  Already I feel a difference and, in the case of Stephen, I see the difference.