Did You Know #2...

...That the California Sea Otter's fur is so thick, it has 1,000,000 hairs per square inch! awesome! They have no blubber, so their fur is how they keep their temp at 100 degrees....that the Orcas live in pods that includes up to their great-grandmothers!! what a family bond! They are in danger because the salmon runs on the Pacific are down in numbers -one of their main foods...and the PCB's they ingest from the foods they eat are fed directly to their young through the milk - another killer...Females can live up to 80 years old - wow! California Seals like to feed in the same feeding grounds as the Blue Whales' 'leftovers' - and feed with them at the same time :)
This past Sunday, I was released from the RS Secretary position - :( - but I got called as the Ward Music Coordinator (including being over my own position as the Sacrament Chorister - which I won't release myself from just yet:) Bishop wants me to have a Christams & Easter program, a Ward Musical, teaching clinics, and keep tract of all the other music people in the ward. Daddy is the Assistant Ward Librarian and a ward Missionary. We are both the SA/YSA Ward (don't what it's called) --the house where they all land when they have their cottage meetings, or FHE's etc. We don't do anything - they take care of all the parts of their meetings, but we open our door and let them use our home. It'll be fun. This coming Sunday, they will be here and watch Elder Bednar's most recent CES Fireside.

oh my!................

Well -- no one will ever acuse me of being a reliable witness :) Remember that beautiful lithograpgh that I've wanted for over a year?? The one I've looked at and coveted?? Read the last post and you'll read how I describe it. Now read what it really looks like -- hahaha!!! The colors are right! There are cliffs. The rest....well........it's a mom & son and she is carrying a bundle on her head. They are standing on the opposite side of a bay looking at the cliffs. I use to be a detail person --- well NO MORE! hahahaha! Is it age or can I blame it on the lowly peanut ?? Only Heavenly Father knows for sure - Via con Dios :) Felize dia de madre (correct me Carlos or Marlon :) :)

bits and pieces

Just some newsy news ;) It's not supposed to be the 'rainy' season here - it rains almost everyday! but it's SO HOT almost like summer - ugh. I just saw a car advertised yesterday for 'off peak season' - usual price is SGD$91,000 and 'today only' it's 18,000 less - it was a simple Toyota :O !! We're still working on re-negotiating our rental contract - they want 50% more right now, but are making us hold out, so possibly by end of August they can ask 100% more - augh! My best friend, Trish, is leaving and moving back to California (Sacramento) next month, so our RS Presidency is going to be released and a new one called. AndI was just getting good at being a secretary, too :( Wonder what I'll get next?? Two more of my friends are leaving forever, too -- sad :( This is summer-time - our ward has 77 ladies in the RS and almost 3/4 of them leave Singapore in the summer - either for vacation during june-july-august or permanently - this summer only 10 families will be here for the summer months - it's weird! Daddy might be going to India in a week or two - he doesn't know yet, but I'll probably wait until his old co-worker takes us - She is from there and I'd feel more comfortable -- I'm not as adventurous as daddy :) We still haven't seen SpiderMan3 yet - has anyone? How is it? I hear it is really good. There is a new building going up next door and an apartment renovation going on upstairs and the pounding of the jack-hammers and the whinning of the drills is making me CRAZY! There are 4 new babies in my ward and 2 in my family - yippee! :~) Send me my mail and lots of pictures of 'my babies' ;) please ;) I love you! check again for an update - sometime ;)

Did You Know??

I've been watching Discovery Channel's "One Planet" today - did you know that the whole earth sees the same moon, in the same phases, at the same time, but that the southern hemisphere sees it upside down from what the northern hemisphere sees it?? Neat, huh?! thought you'd like to know :) And that once in a "Blue Moon" there are 13 cycles of the moon in a year (usually there are only 12 lunar months) - And one species of Tern (that's a bird :), on the island of Ascension, just south of the equator in the Atlantic Ocean, breeds once in exactly 10 lunar 'months' - one year that may occur in early June, the next in mid-April, the next year in early February - the birds know exactly when the 10th lunar cycle occurs. Most all other species of bird breed at the same time/season of year - Spring. And the high-low tides are so dramatic in Nova Scotia, that high tide is 36 feet higher than the low tide! - I love learning stuff like this! :) You've heard of the term "lunacy"? It truly does happen when the gravitational pull of the moon is at it's strongest! Ask any policeman or daddy! :)

Dang!

Spiderman 3 opened here on 1st May - before it opened in the USA! wow! Daddy and I wanted to go see it, so he said "get the tickets online" which I did. Paid for 3, us plus a friend. When we got to the theatre, we got in the proper line to pick up our online tickets. The lady swipped my credit card, and the proper information came up on her screen (I can read upside down!) she erased it, told me to go get in another line - which I did. They told me to go to another line - which I did again ;( - then one more line!!!!, and 1/2 hour later, the show had started, and they inform me that they have given my tickets to another group, because there had been a "computer problem!" yeah right! whatever! so they have my credit card number, I have no tickets, we did not see Spiderman 3 and they say they will call me when they have reversed the charges! DANG!!!

To Your Health

I recently read an article by Dr. Stephen Sinatra and he reminds us that our mental, physical and emotional health is of the utmost importance. During times of tragedy, or great stress, or deep sadness, keep your eye focused on how you are feeling and what kinds of thoughts flood your mind each day. Do not allow yourselves to dwell on thoughts of worry or sadness. Doing things like exercising, keeping a pet (even a fish works :), having good friends to talk to, and a deep religious conviction are all things that can help us get through these times. Sometimes it even requires a professional, but we can do much by ourselves to monitor and control how we perceive and react to the bad things in life that 'happen' to us. Your strong testimony of Jesus Christ and how the Atonement works in your life are the most important of all. Keep your relationship with Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father strong through DAILY prayer and study of the scriptures. Treat everyone around you with love, kindness and dignity. Accept that bad things will continue to happen, but rely on your religious beliefs, and friends and physically moving to get you through the tough times and retain your 'healths'. Among other worthy and worthwhile books, I ask you to read "The Peacegiver" by James L. Ferrell. I love you.

Virginia Tech

I have read Carlos' and Emily's blogs about the shootings at Virginia Tech. I, too, do not understand what makes people do things like this and it saddens me deeply that so many families are affected - and it's not just the immediate families. All people who have gone through a tragedy like this are re-injured each time something like this happens. And, I, too, do not have any more to say about it except this - Heavenly Father is aware, and only He fully understands and can also fully heal our hearts and minds. Remember the shootings in the Amish community not too long ago? They forgave and healed their hearts almost the next day. They hold so close to the Lord, and they fully understand His power. By the way, young Sam Shimp and his wife and baby were right there on campus but were able to hide and be safe. Thank the Lord for that and for all the others that were spared - well, at least in physical injury. Make so mistake about it, they were all affected emotionally and will need the help of counselors and the Lord to deal with this horrendous tragedy. God Bless us and help us all.

2 more years :)

All expected contracts are signed!! Haven't got a target DATE yet, but 2 years from April 2007 is our target month for coming home - for good! ... and good that will be, too :) Wahoo!! I'm starting the countdown!

my last, fast, great 2 weeks

Wow - it feels weird being back home! Feels like I've been gone soooooooo long and it's only been 2 weeks. First I went to the beach - and didn't tell anyone where ;) and escaped and relaxed for 4 days - it was great!

Then I came home and spent another 4 days with Livvy, Tim and boys - playing, taking care of home business, just being with them, going to Julian's pre-school one day - it was so fun! The ladies at church said I was visiting Livvy in her home :) They are doing a great job living there, keeping thing nice and enjoying painting and fixing things up! That house is so old that it needs lots of TLC - and Livvy knows how to get new carpets, stoves, etc., for free! good price - I took the gang out to dinner one night, including George and Lynnette - YUM and FUN.

I went to the Temple with Diane once - greatly needed that :) thanks!

Sarah flew in from Virginia for a week, and she and I went over to the Tri-cities to be with Mandy, Blake and GG for GG's 92nd birthday! It was a great surprise! GG cried and laughed and is still happy! Livvy had made a great card for her and she still laughs and giggles and shares it with her friends at Alterra - We ate out a lot and I gained weight - ugh :(

Then Sarah and I drove back 'home' and stopped at the Maryhill Museum (for the last 15 minutes it was opened for the day) and ran through all the exhibits, dashed out in the rain, drove over to the "Stonehenge" WWI memorial (part of Maryhill) and took a few pictures of the Columbia Gorge and Sarah.

There was never a dull moment and now that I am back home in Singapore, it seems like it was all just a long dream. While I was gone, Boni, Bryan's oldest sister came here, and I get to spend her last 2 days here with her. Fun :)

Then I can go into my traditional coma and sleep for 2 days to recover. I think I got sick on the plane, but maybe not so bad, because I drank so much "Airborne" ;) There was a Japanese lady (in her 30-40's??) all dressed in red, orange and pink - even her hair was pink - and she wore a pink 'cough mask' most of the flight from Seattle to Tokyo and coughed on me lots >:( Hope the Airborne works!

I'll post a couple of pictures in a day or two. See you all in August for George and Lynnette's wedding and for Sarah's baby! :) love to all and hugs and kisses all around!

~ * ~ Colors ~ * ~

Today, after returning from Sentosa, and our Anniversary 'party' at a luxury hotel & spa (daddy and I had hand (arms) and feet (legs) massages - and now he wants to get one every week - hehe!) I was reading my emails and checked into "My Yahoo" and "My MSN" pages, and saw GREEN everywhere - in honor of St Patrick's Day. So to play on a theme, I decided to make the colors of my blog match the season - and this now color scheme should last until June at least. So enjoy and watch for more colors - this is FUN!