A gift from a thoughtful friend, out of sight but not out of mind.
Thank you (Uncle) Lee,
May you be blessed with a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
A new dress for New year
A gift from a thoughtful friend, out of sight but not out of mind.
Thank you (Uncle) Lee,
May you be blessed with a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
NEW BEGINNINGS
My garden underwent a massive hard pruning and tidying last week.
It was getting to be an eyesore. To add insult to injury, a friend who had not visited for sometime, commented that it looked more like a jungle from JUMANJI! (the movie). I just don't understand, the garden looks great in photos! In fact my daughter tells me that pics of her in my garden would get her friends to ask which resort or retreat she was at!
However the remark my friend made was the straw that broke the camel's back and I went on a rampage...with a lot of help from Babang...my vacationing nephew who practically owes me his first one year pay for all the favours I've done him. And of course the promise of some monetary reward to help finance his upcoming road trip with his school friends got me a very willing and very obedient mat bangla to order around as I please.
The garden took the brunt of whatever pent up emotions I had boiling in me. I can hardly call it writer's block (I'm not even a decent writer) and the weeks of feeling under the weather wasn't going away anytime soon. One day I just woke up and felt the need to rejuvenate!
First went all the small pots. Save the plants which were worth saving, re-pot in bigger pots with new earth, add in some humus and soil conditioner, Walla! good as new! I hope to see, in a few weeks time, what difference all the back breaking exercise did. At one time I was so hung up on anything small and cute; small plants, small pots, small knick knacks. Suddenly I felt it was all clutter and had to rid myself of everything small. So now I'm into big plants and big pots phase of my gardening life.
Next went everything of which I had more than 3. Choose the plants carefully, throw the rest! Brutal, yes! But they would be better off as humus than potted miseries.
Then, it was re positioning the pots. Some plants which prefer shade had been left to shield itself from the scorching sun, and some which prefers sunbathing all day all season had been left in the shade.
All that done, I had to seriously think what else I should get rid of so that I'm left with a low maintenance garden. The durian tree which has not borne any fruits thus far has been given fair warning for the past 3 years, to no avail! Yet, when it comes to crunch time, I just can't help feeling..yes...just 1 more year, I'll wait 1 more year. So that means having to slave over it's shedding leaves for another 365 days! And the leaves are so small, like ikan sepat!
That meant getting rid of the fast growing Ridani or Rangoon Creeper. Cut back real short and hope I remember to keep it trimmed every month so that it won't grow wild all over my prized bunga pisang! ( I don't know what the scientific or common name is, but my mother tells me that's what it is called cos the flowers, if you can call them flowers, really smell like bananas!)
The debris left behind after the exercise was a huge mount about 5 feet high! So far I have had no revelation on how to clear this! My resident biologist who is back for holidays has given stern warning on the effects of open burning on global warning. And I'm not too keen on leaving my carbon footprints when world leaders have failed to decide on how best to handle this issue at Copenhagen. Besides the smoke would play havoc on my asthma.
So, for now, my heavily pruned garden is still messy with the debris. Wish David (Blaine/ Copperfield) was here to spoof it all away!
But, sitting down on my antique garden swing and admiring the view, I'm proud of my efforts. It's a new year and time for new beginnings. I must not be afraid to reduce my clutter, just so it would be easier to maintain in the future.
I bought a book on this...and it says anything you haven't touched or used in the last 6 months maybe categorised as excess baggage you need to shed.
DARE I?
It was getting to be an eyesore. To add insult to injury, a friend who had not visited for sometime, commented that it looked more like a jungle from JUMANJI! (the movie). I just don't understand, the garden looks great in photos! In fact my daughter tells me that pics of her in my garden would get her friends to ask which resort or retreat she was at!
However the remark my friend made was the straw that broke the camel's back and I went on a rampage...with a lot of help from Babang...my vacationing nephew who practically owes me his first one year pay for all the favours I've done him. And of course the promise of some monetary reward to help finance his upcoming road trip with his school friends got me a very willing and very obedient mat bangla to order around as I please.
The garden took the brunt of whatever pent up emotions I had boiling in me. I can hardly call it writer's block (I'm not even a decent writer) and the weeks of feeling under the weather wasn't going away anytime soon. One day I just woke up and felt the need to rejuvenate!
First went all the small pots. Save the plants which were worth saving, re-pot in bigger pots with new earth, add in some humus and soil conditioner, Walla! good as new! I hope to see, in a few weeks time, what difference all the back breaking exercise did. At one time I was so hung up on anything small and cute; small plants, small pots, small knick knacks. Suddenly I felt it was all clutter and had to rid myself of everything small. So now I'm into big plants and big pots phase of my gardening life.
Next went everything of which I had more than 3. Choose the plants carefully, throw the rest! Brutal, yes! But they would be better off as humus than potted miseries.
Then, it was re positioning the pots. Some plants which prefer shade had been left to shield itself from the scorching sun, and some which prefers sunbathing all day all season had been left in the shade.
All that done, I had to seriously think what else I should get rid of so that I'm left with a low maintenance garden. The durian tree which has not borne any fruits thus far has been given fair warning for the past 3 years, to no avail! Yet, when it comes to crunch time, I just can't help feeling..yes...just 1 more year, I'll wait 1 more year. So that means having to slave over it's shedding leaves for another 365 days! And the leaves are so small, like ikan sepat!
That meant getting rid of the fast growing Ridani or Rangoon Creeper. Cut back real short and hope I remember to keep it trimmed every month so that it won't grow wild all over my prized bunga pisang! ( I don't know what the scientific or common name is, but my mother tells me that's what it is called cos the flowers, if you can call them flowers, really smell like bananas!)
The debris left behind after the exercise was a huge mount about 5 feet high! So far I have had no revelation on how to clear this! My resident biologist who is back for holidays has given stern warning on the effects of open burning on global warning. And I'm not too keen on leaving my carbon footprints when world leaders have failed to decide on how best to handle this issue at Copenhagen. Besides the smoke would play havoc on my asthma.
So, for now, my heavily pruned garden is still messy with the debris. Wish David (Blaine/ Copperfield) was here to spoof it all away!
But, sitting down on my antique garden swing and admiring the view, I'm proud of my efforts. It's a new year and time for new beginnings. I must not be afraid to reduce my clutter, just so it would be easier to maintain in the future.
I bought a book on this...and it says anything you haven't touched or used in the last 6 months maybe categorised as excess baggage you need to shed.
DARE I?
Friday, December 18, 2009
Ma`al Hijrah 1431
Hari ini 1 Muharram tahun 1431 Hijriah!
Many of my Chinese friends would unknowingly refer Hari Raya Aidil Fitri as New Year. `Happy New Year!' they would wish referring to Aidil Fitri celebrations. In fact, this wish is more appropriate for Ma`al Hijrah which falls on the first day of the first month of Muharram, one of the four holy months in the Muslim calendar.
For the uninitiated, Muslim calendar is lunar based. Months are either as short as 29 or as long as 30 days and the year is either 354 or 355 days. The first year of Hijrah was marked by the event of the Prophet Muhammad's emigration from Mekah to Medina (then known as Yathrib).
The Hijrah is a very important event in the history of Islam as it marked the beginning of a system of governance and a way of life away from the persecution of the non-Muslim Quraish of Mekah.
SALAM MA`AL HIJRAH, MAY THIS YEAR OF 1431H BRINGS FORTH PEACE AND HAPPINESS TO ALL!
Note : Puasa pada 9 dan 10 Muharram adalah antara puasa sunat yang afdhal.
Many of my Chinese friends would unknowingly refer Hari Raya Aidil Fitri as New Year. `Happy New Year!' they would wish referring to Aidil Fitri celebrations. In fact, this wish is more appropriate for Ma`al Hijrah which falls on the first day of the first month of Muharram, one of the four holy months in the Muslim calendar.
For the uninitiated, Muslim calendar is lunar based. Months are either as short as 29 or as long as 30 days and the year is either 354 or 355 days. The first year of Hijrah was marked by the event of the Prophet Muhammad's emigration from Mekah to Medina (then known as Yathrib).
The Hijrah is a very important event in the history of Islam as it marked the beginning of a system of governance and a way of life away from the persecution of the non-Muslim Quraish of Mekah.
SALAM MA`AL HIJRAH, MAY THIS YEAR OF 1431H BRINGS FORTH PEACE AND HAPPINESS TO ALL!
Note : Puasa pada 9 dan 10 Muharram adalah antara puasa sunat yang afdhal.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The hermit crab
My blog and my garden are my sanctuaries. In my blog I get to say and write whatever and whenever I please. I feel peaceful putting (virtual) pen to (virtual) paper. I get the same peaceful feelings when I'm out there in the early morning sunshine, pulling out weed or moving flower pots around.
Nobody harassed me to write or not to write, neither was I was forced out of my garden. But the past few weeks drained both my physical and mental well being. Nothing earth shattering happened, but the crab in me crawled back into her shell.
Has the crab been reinvented? Re engineered? Remodelled?
I am waiting to find out.
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