VD/SAD 2011

For a single gal without a true Valentine,
I'm lucky to have great friends who won't let me forget that I am loved.

Rose from my former boss aka Freddy Spaghetti
Hersey Kisses from boss, Lynda

Chocolate-covered strawberries from Ludy
Baked charsiu bao from Melissa

and ... even though I ate it last night without taking a picture,
Julie made me a cupcake just like in the picture
... just not with so much frosting -- the way I like it!

I feel so ♥'d! Thanks, friends!

Chinese New Year at the Bellagio

The gardens in the Bellagio Hotels in Las Vegas is always decorated for next holiday. Chinese New Year is just weeks away, so Cyndi, Wendy and I decided to brave the crowds and see how they had decorated for the occasion.

What is the Easter Rabbit doing here? Oh, wait ... It's the year of the Rabbit!

Cyndi and I in front of the "Big Guy"

Wendy and I in front of the "Big Guy"

"GONG XI FA CAI!"

Ringing in 2011

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Happy New Year Wish

I found the following poem by Joanna Fuchs online and it expresses my sentiments perfectly on this day.

My Happy New Year wish for you
Is for your best year yet,
A year where life is peaceful,
And what you want, you get.

A year in which you cherish
The past year’s memories,
And live your life each new day,
Full of bright expectancies.

I wish for you a holiday
With happiness galore;
And when it’s done, I wish you
Happy New Year, and many more.

Happy New Year!
Hauoli Makahiki Hou!
Selamat Tahun Baru!

Christmas Fun 2010

Gingerbread houses at the Grand America Hotel:

(This one made me smile -- cookie kids making snow angels ... too cute!)


Lights at Temple Square:





Merry Christmas!
Mele Kalikimaka!
Selamat Hari Natal!

This Memorial Day, remember ...

GOD BLESS THEM ALL!

Things I learned from Mom ...

In honor of Mother's Day I thought I'd pass along contents on an email a friend sent me this weekend.

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE -- "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning." 
2. My mother taught me RELIGION -- "You better pray that will come out of the carpet." 
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL -- "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!" 
4. My mother taught me LOGIC -- " Because I said so, that's why." 
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC -- "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me." 
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT -- "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident." 
7. My mother taught me IRONY -- "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about." 
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS -- "Shut your mouth and eat your supper." 
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM -- "Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!" 
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA -- "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone." 
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER -- "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it." 
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY -- "If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!" 
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE -- "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out." 
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION -- "Stop acting like your father!" 
15. My mother taught me about ENVY -- "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do." 
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION -- "Just wait until we get home." 
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING -- "You are going to get it when you get home!" 
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE -- "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way." 
19. My mother taught me ESP -- "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?" 
20. My mother taught me HUMOR -- "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me." 
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT -- "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up." 
22. My mother taught me GENETICS -- "You're just like your father." 
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS -- "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?" 
24. My mother taught me WISDOM . "When you get to be my age, you'll understand." 
25. My mother taught about JUSTICE "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like YOU!!!"

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Top of the mornin' to ya ...

 ... and the rest of the day too!

Dude! I think they're called panties ...

A few years ago at a Christmas party, we talked about family traditions.  One man in the group told us of his resourceful grandma who would make him briefs from her old silk night gowns ... Hmmm ... Dude! I think they're called panties ...or is it man-ties?

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Celebrated Chinese New Year with a few friends this past weekend.  I've decided that we're all trying something new this lunar new year and instead of year of the tiger ... we'll make it year of the cougar! Watch out, boys, here we come ... ha ha ha ... like I'm ever going to go for that ... Rrrrrr!

Welcome 2010!

Well, despite my best efforts and good intentions, the holiday newsletter I started soon after Halloween missed the Christmas deadline altogether and it is now a New Year’s Newsletter. Can you believe that another year/decade is coming to an end? If you'd like a copy which includes my 2009 highlights (either by email/snail mail), please let me know and I'll try to send it to you before 2010 ends. Otherwise, I hope this condensed and edited blog entry finds you and yours in good health and that you’ve had much success and happiness in 2009.

Once again, I’m finding myself very lucky, especially in this economy, to still have the same job I’ve had for 14 years to keep me productive and support my addiction to food and shelter, a car with four NEW tires to transport me this winter, necessary debts I am able to pay off on a regular basis, and great friends to keep me company and laughing. I am grateful to those who tell me that I am NOT fat, just voluptuous and now that I’m 40, I am as fabulous as two 20-year-olds. Once again I find myself lacking nothing and blessed with more than I deserve.

I wish you and yours the very best in 2010. May you continue to be blessed with the happiness, health and prosperity you so deserve.

Happy New Year!
Hauoli Makahiki Hou!
Selamat Tahun Baru!

Not feeling it ...

11 days to Christmas and I've not even started my shopping. Forget the Christmas cards, I have not even made my list. It's NOT the most wonderful time of the year, it's the most STRESSFUL time of the year!

BAH HAMBUG!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be grateful for, but most of all ...

I'm grateful that I'm not a turkey this weekend.

Things I'm grateful for

All month long, I've been seeing daily postings on facebook of things friends are grateful for. Thanksgiving is on the 26th this year and I decided to create a gratitude list, just not share it on facebook. So, by date this month, I've been grateful for:

1. An extra hour of sleep
2. Catchy tunes that make me smile (in this case "That's All" by Phil Collins)
3. Naps
4. Endodontists and not having to have a root canal today
5. Appreciation for fine art I can't afford
6. Friends who invite me to do things with them
7. Good meatloaf
8. Good movies that make me bawl (in this case, "The Green Mile")
9. AARP for sending me a membership solicitation and giving me a good laugh
10. People who think they can handle home birth
11. Piggy banks and Trapper Monastery honeys
12. People I can have great conversations with
13. My job and its benefits
14. Pajama days
15. People who inspire
16. Sweet potato fries and friends to laugh with at funny movies
17. Meetings with free food and health insurance fully paid for by employers
18. Friends helping friends
19. Kind and courteous people
20. Check lists that make busy productive days
21. Modern technology from the washer and dryer, dishwasher, cell phones to the Wii
22. Friends who carpool with me to church
23. The ward mostly-carbohydrate turkey dinner -- half a scoop of mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing, half a slice of turkey with a drizzle of gravy ... however, we could have all the dessert we want.
24. The ability to buy my own turkey dinner.
25. Over the counter drugs to help me get over whatever this coughing and achiness is.

Blessed, honored pioneers!

Pioneer Day, celebrated on July 24th, is a state holiday in Utah. It is to honor the Mormon pioneers who settled this land and their sacrifices to make this desert bloom like a rose. There are parades, community breakfasts and BBQs and fireworks display throughout the state in celebration. In order to avoid the crowds, I opted not to attend the parade or the firework display and spent the evening at the Dauds with my Indonesian friends for a dinner party.

I am grateful for those Mormon pioneers who gave so much to build up this beautiful state. I would also like to acknowledge the modern day pioneers in my life. My parents were pioneers when they joined the LDS church in Indonesia in 1974. All present at the dinner tonight are pioneers when we emigrated to the US to seek a better life and to enjoy the freedom to worship as we see fit.

Tons of good food tonight. Tofu, chicken, fish, beef, green bean dishes, vegetable soup, grilled zucchinis fresh from the garden, sweet corn, refreshing cucumbers, cakes, banana bread, ice cream and sherbet filled our bellies.

What a great way to celebrate the day!

May the Fourth be with you!

Fireworks in Kaysville.

May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii

May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii,
Garlands of flowers everywhere,
All of the colors in the rainbow,
Maidens with blossoms in their hair.

Flowers that mean we should be happy,
Throwing aside a load of care,
Oh, May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii,
May Day is happy days out there.

So, today is May Day which is Lei Day in Hawaii. When I was in elementary school, they would hold May Day Celebrations with a royalty court and sing the song above and have all sorts of dancing and singing performances representing the various major ethnic groups in Hawaii. The King and Queen would be Hawaiian and their court would be representatives of ethnic groups. In my sixth grade year at Laie Elementary School, I and Kenneth Macatiag were chosen to represent the Phillipines (close enough, I guess, I'm from that region of the world). I'll have to see if I can find the pictures and scan it in to share.

Weekend Highlights

Great company and fun activities.

Dinner with Julie and Janeen at Thyme and Seasons and then some shopping and gelato from Bellissimo. Seeing "Duplicity" with Angel and Tracie ... they got me at Clive Owen (that man really should've been the next 007, not that I don't love Daniel Craig in the role). Frozen cocoa with Lori and Darci at Cocoa Caffe. Celebrating St. Patty's international style with the Smiths and new friends, Roger and Jael, Dow and Luncida, Sean and Sylvia.

Great food.

A generous portion (2 meals worth for me) of delicious chicken curry from Thyme and Seasons in Bountiful. If you've not had a chance to check out this place, do so soon. The owner, Hai, is a Vietnamese man who used to be a French chef. There is no set menu at his restaurant, his dishes changes daily and is made of the freshest in-season ingredients with the focus on the spices. The restaurant is also part store where he sells spices, kitchen gadgets, and coming soon a butcher counter.

Few things beat a delicious cold treat on a warm night. A two-scoop dark chocolate and banana combo gelato cone from Bellissimo definitely hits the spot after a night of shopping. If you think I'm promoting my friend's establishment, you're right. Kim Bangerter sure knows how to make gelatos. Check it out. Bellissimo is in Bountiful off of the 400 North I-15 exit right behind the Chevron station.

My favorite hot chocolate with homemade whipped cream from Cocoa Caffe. I tried their Frozen Cocoa with the homemade whipped cream while catching up with Lori and Darci. Pretty yummy, but I still love the hot chocolate more.

Buy local and support these small establishments.

Celebrated St. Patty's a few days late and as it turns out it was also Sylvia's birthday. Sean made a point to say that the Irish don't eat corned beef and cabbage -- that's an American thing, so this St. Patty's was done Indonesian style tonight ... well, for the most part anyway. Edna made daging balado, ayam kecap, chap chai, nasi kuning (colored green), es teler as well as a chicken noodle dish, a dutch-style ham pasta soup and a corned beef and potato dish. Sylvia made some delicious chicken enchiladas and fried rice. Jael brought some pork carnitas served with a salsa topping. My contribution to the dinner? From the non-cook, a double chocolate pie from Costco ... hey, it was actually a hit!

Did I mention that the nasi kuning was colored green? It actually matched the green sweater I had on. Okay, maybe you can't really see it in this picture since I forgot to turn on the flash ... but it was as green as my sweater ...

Patsy Cline's "She's Got You"

In cleaning my email boxes, I came across this video Tracie sent me just in time for Valentine's Day. I forwarded it to a few people, dedicating it specifically to girlfriends who have lost a love to another woman.

VD aka SAD

I've been noticing a few people (women) who are male-bashing because they are alone this year for VD aka SAD (Valentine's Day aka Single Awareness Day). It really gets to me. Fine, say "I am woman, hear me roar" if you must, but to say, "who needs men"? Me thinks, thou art protesting too much. If any of these women were to be asked out for tomorrow night, I would bet money that most of them would drop the girlfriends they were planning on hanging out with to go on the date. Just my opinion ...

I got a rose from my former boss, Fred, today. He is such a sweet man. I can always count on him to get me a rose every year on this day. Of course, I'm not the only one on his list. Whenever he drops off my rose, he's got about a dozen others in his car that he delivers to his daughters and daughters-in-law. I'm sure his wife, Chris, just gets a huge bouquet of them. This is a characteristic I want in a mate -- someone who treats women like princesses, but leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that I am his queen.