tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-156763352024-03-07T01:07:10.979-08:00Puteri's MusingsThoughtful, Serious, Trivial and MoreUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger713125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-56171459094900381232012-09-05T10:06:00.000-07:002012-09-05T10:06:24.002-07:00We all belong to the government*Election season rantings alert!*<br />
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<a href="http://http//revealingpolitics.com/">Revealing Politics</a>, asked the DNC attendees and delegates about one of the themes at the convention which is "We belong to the government".<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OHbNCWSVOjc?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />The best response I read to these interviews is from a reader at Hot Air blog ~<br />
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<span style="background-color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.499999046325684px; line-height: 18.23611068725586px;"><i>Idiots! Put a Republican in the White House and all these tools will be outraged and not want anything to do with the Government. In fact, they’ll be calling for its overthrow.</i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><i>rhombus on September 5, 2012 at <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2012/09/05/dnc-attendees-yeah-its-pretty-awesome-to-belong-to-the-government/comment-page-2/#comment-6219560" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">11:52 AM</a></i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-32195279917856246102012-09-03T11:39:00.002-07:002012-09-03T11:39:54.786-07:00I love chairThanks to Clint Eastwood, I am joining others commemorating National Empty Chair Day, which falls today! Bwahahahahahaha.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtPTtUHwObvfem4_Q9mb8Jsnp8xSKGcMyQKRf43Ha50DZrygpACDZoqx5TjPuyWuygbWux57m0thifOtHBHACX2CRF21nxZYhE_PkQciWMfhBvWEUfkl3IuhY9Fg2vIUz-NOb/s1600/chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtPTtUHwObvfem4_Q9mb8Jsnp8xSKGcMyQKRf43Ha50DZrygpACDZoqx5TjPuyWuygbWux57m0thifOtHBHACX2CRF21nxZYhE_PkQciWMfhBvWEUfkl3IuhY9Fg2vIUz-NOb/s320/chair.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-81529192259895602312012-07-01T07:55:00.001-07:002012-07-01T08:13:33.979-07:00Swimming LessonsHas it been months since I last updated this blog?! My apologies to those who follow my humble blog!<br />
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It's now another summer, and as has been in the past, the kids and I are spending the summer in Miri, Malaysia. It has been a month since we arrived here and we are now nicely adjusted to the hot and humid weather. Adjusted does not mean we don't feel hot and sweaty but the weather does not bother us as much as when we first arrived. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Swimming lessons at Miri Public Pool</span></div>
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This year, we found a swim instructor for the kids and they have completed all eight lessons. Eight lessons are supposed to be enough, but I do not think so especially for Denice. That being the case, I am paying for additional lessons. Before they started their swim lessons, I had been taking the kids to the public pool where they enjoyed splashing about in the children's pool.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Swimming lessons at KRP pool</span></div>
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This swim instructor also coaches a few primary school students on behalf of Kelab Rekreasi Petroleum (KRP) in Lutong, and gives swimming lessons to a few expatriate kids and when he has to be in Lutong, I will take the kids there too so they can have the lessons there. The KRP pool is beautiful with some shade, and a very pleasant green surrounding. <br />
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I could do with swimming lessons myself, but I'd be too embarrassed to have this instructor teach me! One of my friends is a certified swim instructor, but she is busier now that she is retired than when she was working full time!<br />
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Oh well.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-82486722024597362472012-02-14T11:51:00.000-08:002012-02-14T11:51:36.423-08:00Happy Valentine's Day<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOX-bLabdux41FmoMvt4DrhQngw8Xsso1QAEMotkXBrlwfKfXyokWbk53j0wRMTEhDA85iMKuCKt52K3KQT84EK2xhgNpxjtzZc7xvmR-nb6BMgM9p7favc1fBNNe17afcCKNn/s800/valentine-card03.JPG" width="530" /><br />
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It's another year, and another Valentine's Day. Happy Valentine's Day, folks!<br />
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The kids received their Valentine's Day cards and cheques from their grandparents early this year. Their grandmother went on a cruise to Mexico and she wanted to be sure that the grandkids received their cards and cheques by the time she got back from the cruise.<br />
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You can just imagine their excitement at receiving a cheque each on Valentine's Day! There they had thought that it was only at Christmas and on their birthdays that cheques/money were part of the gifts! :-)<br />
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No, they did not receive such a generous gift from Mom and Dad. They each got a card and a buck each in the envelope. They are still at a stage where the amount is not that important - receiving something, no matter how small, is THE excitement! I am keeping my fingers crossed that they stay this excited for a much longer time! :-)<br />
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As for me, dear hubby gave me a bouquet of roses (last Friday!), a card and an early Valentine's Day lunch. He didn't want to pay premium prices for the roses on the day itself, and neither did he want to fight the crowd during Valentine's Day dinner! That's fine by me! <br />
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So how has your Valentine's Day been so far? I hope all is good with you!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-3661389558409876752011-11-13T20:25:00.000-08:002011-11-13T20:28:59.903-08:00Autumn Haiku<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueHSzJ6kZ1FtkWC6bf652Rey__HB3J0JlwZhvBAp_Pgbh4lLIinOi_HVtezRyVUG5e5oiSvIiBCcDbLd5NRDjMYz05npHfaC-HqdZkoTQVFyjoVZbm0NjPzdtV_l5Rggmj8xxIA/s800/shinzen04.JPG" width="520" /><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Pretty autumn leaves</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">In the late afternoon sun</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Lighten my heart so.<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-70162003409031079092011-10-13T10:52:00.000-07:002011-10-13T11:02:03.182-07:00Above the cloudsWell, not exactly above the clouds but the pictures almost show my friends standing above or next to the clouds!<br /><br />The following are two of my favorite pictures that I took last weekend of my friends at our family ranch in Los Osos, in the central coast of California.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5sYZzNbXRl69WZclEjQl7W_zP9ZW6H1xVbztK6JyCxlzSLceTO5c24HIXJ5KQgtUBBj8FRgWiic2DwPAijBhZ5Y5lRqANoVQ2DNIe7cTRw29exbFW5T6TvjpNEDXQGtN9ISW/s640/los-osos02a.jpg" width="520" /><br /><br />The low cloud/ marine layer is actually several miles from where Joshua is standing. But from the angle the picture is taken it does look like the cloud or marine layer is right at the edge of the hillside from where he is.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynGKa9Fv6uwl1N7iE9QTGSZSkE7KsxdnYeE-pmXmG6g-fQxqzORnysFoidjpsv6guNVLH9yM9WKNyKkFWx3wGoOKNc9__omanNem6udN7I2WOtM7LrdG9ApYS9LnzciNMGFLg/s640/los-osos09.JPG" width="520" /><br /><br />On a clear day, Morro Rock and the bay are visible from where Patty is standing. I especially love this picture. The soft evening colors, the low clouds, the ocean air - you can almost feel and smell them! <img class="emoticon" src="http://wolverinex02.googlepages.com/icon_biggrin.gif" width="15" height="15" alt="biggrin" title="biggrin" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-85587356537943640092011-10-12T16:41:00.000-07:002011-10-12T17:01:27.788-07:00Piano lessons<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoK-gXxjRui8znwbbc6OOlZLWK7zfVToNFpcyVidQ5AgXmXltVOiP-X0CGgYKHKTYXUF4egjPXUybgA_h3E4v5rkhWPzHDeOnqlzQDEO77gxfz1V2_JBy_NgDF_Yb8iBMzZf0/s800/piano.jpg" width="520" /><br /><br />It has been more than 12 years since I had a piano in the house. When I saw an old piano for sale at a super low price, I went ahead and got it - to finally replace the one that I left at my parents' home when I got married and moved to the USA, and also one that my kids could learn to play on.<br /><br />Duncan is adamant that he is not going for piano lessons but when I insisted, he said he will give it a year, and we will reassess after that! I hope, however, that he will find it interesting and continue with the lessons. No, he hasn't started yet.<br /><br />Denice, however, is rather keen to get started. Two of her classmates are already taking lessons, and she thinks she will enjoy learning to play the piano. I hope she'll find it interesting too, but we will see how hard they are willing to practice!<br /><br />As for me, it has been years since I played, not that I was any good to begin with! But sight reading is slowly coming back, and I am determined to practice my scales because that was one of the things that I was not disciplined at doing when I took lessons many years ago.<br /><br />Oh, one last thing, I hope the sound of the kids' practising on the piano is not going to make me regret not getting a digital piano instead! <img class="emoticon" src="http://wolverinex02.googlepages.com/icon_mrgreen.gif" width="15" height="15" alt="mrgreen" title="mrgreen" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-52549687857760191382011-05-10T14:19:00.000-07:002011-05-10T16:02:50.559-07:00Botanical Gardens<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5ZnggInwE8MeYQ0sD6y2TbIMCLpxcb2rv-GReUAbenDmJFCzyge3_CnGc5cQR5fVUnyeeuT1A2FcrYb1yu-S8K_Q2DoniWDOZiRVVHKr7NhoMAKPHy03OFaRihyphenhyphenTzygOUxdk/s640/huntington02.JPG" width="530" /><br /><br />During the recent school spring break, we took a trip to Pasadena in southern California just so we could visit the Huntington Botanical Gardens. The road trip took us 7 hours but it was worth the time because I thoroughly enjoyed the day we spent at the gardens.<div><br /></div><div>I didn't get to see the Japanese Garden because most of it was closed for renovation but the Chinese Garden was open and I loved the pictures that I took of it! Friends thought the pictures were taken in China!<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcRsA-KmyPZ03nCQwYLU5aKoGjfYX9y17KCPVDqcqx9vkOIjVQ5cJnTqhZo0wPhyokrlAsjKVBX7bOpAS82nzsXuMTXDDaJ4KSCVFb6xtokB60_EMjRTI4A4o3EUI4YQruWiL/s640/desertgarden-collage.jpg" width="530" /><br /><br />The Desert Garden was really something. I could easily have spent the whole day at this garden! I was very happy that most of the cacti in the garden were at the peak of their flowering season, and I had a great time photographing the cactus flowers - something that I don't normally see!<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZeUeK2mwbTXp5SGm7jJvMved64uOyiNhtg2tnS1y_SzQLksRDW6ElkIxRcMZcyCnExmDS58JiKcN39rYz2Askok7mwniPlXVP77Ehe-YQi0SGjiKzNHm9loQ4N2XV3uqADTW/s640/LA-Arboretum-collage.JPG" width="530" /></div><br />Before we drove home that weekend, we made a 2-hour stop at the Los Angeles County Aboretum because it was quite close to the hotel we stayed at. I saw flowers and plants that I did not see at the Huntington Gardens and was glad we made that stop! The Epiphytic cactus flowers were indeed spectacular!<div><br /></div><div>This trip is one that I would not mind repeating. <img class="emoticon" src="http://wolverinex02.googlepages.com/icon_biggrin.gif" width="15" height="15" alt="biggrin" title="biggrin" /><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-81202856523596507322011-05-09T10:18:00.000-07:002011-05-10T16:07:10.975-07:00Book Review: No He Can't<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8z1Q1ZutS16xhOmHx6flbJxJLG1gPs0ZPxERCeUAqDbwj2QINF3qBqStN_YhL1xWROxpQ1IOHrGlIKgoC9m1cnhzCaOuIq5StOXiv4MYhSKqtaV8kPgs7gAtblUwh0WI0vl5/s1600/no-he-cant.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8z1Q1ZutS16xhOmHx6flbJxJLG1gPs0ZPxERCeUAqDbwj2QINF3qBqStN_YhL1xWROxpQ1IOHrGlIKgoC9m1cnhzCaOuIq5StOXiv4MYhSKqtaV8kPgs7gAtblUwh0WI0vl5/s400/no-he-cant.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604794513250759282" /></a>Barack Obama was swept into office with much euphoria on the slogan of "Yes We Can", and the message of Hope and Change. With such euphoric support, Obama had hoped to "fundamentally transform" the nation while in office.<br /><br />In his book, No He Can't, conservative columnist and syndicated radio talk-show host, Kevin McCullough, clearly spells out in four sections the failures of the Obama administration. In the area of the economy, despite bailouts and stimulus packages, the economy has not improved and the number of the jobless is higher than the promised maximum of 8%. The no tax increase pledge on those making under $250,000 is just another empty promise, especially the cost the new healthcare bill will have on small businesses.<br /><br />On the area of national security, if Obama had been successful and able to institute all of his own preferences and policies, Osama bin Laden would not have been captured and killed. Thank goodness that the Bush administration national security policies are still in place! The Obama administration prefers to try captured terrorists in civilian courts, and cut intelligence, defense, and national security spending, and ignore the real threat on the homeland from the jihadists.<br /><br />When it comes to the values that we believe in, Obama disdains an individual's right to self-determination and pushes his agenda for more dependency under the guise of "caring for your brother." The healthcare reform bill was pushed through despite overwhelming objection from the voters. The Obama Justice Department refuses to defend the Defense of Marriage Act. And among the first things Obama did on taking office was to sign an executive order that re-instated taxpayer-funded abortions overseas.<br /><br />Finally, in the area of accountability to the people, the Obama administration does not fulfill its promise of a transparent government. ACORN's questionable activities have been ignored, but Arizona's immigration law to protect its own borders, was worthy of a law suit by the Obama Justice Department.<br /><br />These are just some of the Obama failures that Kevin McCullough outlined in his book, and I find it a great read, depressing at times to have my thoughts on Obama confirmed. But Kevin McCullough ended his book by suggesting that readers choose clarity over emotion, the kind of emotion that "Yes We Can" evokes, and with such clarity in place readers will be able to put a stop to efforts that are out to intimidate them out of their belief systems, and say "No, you can't!"<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-66079552015508747112011-04-15T09:24:00.000-07:002011-04-15T10:11:54.719-07:00Kite Day<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIJXa-eMADnZJJVyxMlRvmALhjfM4X15YCKVg1xcld5TUtCSBP0bBvtmF-MFuDLKpn0d-J3YqhQYBL54Wti-Cc9OMTUfkLF0xqXPaozjHDjfiXS-FTOiLufmlL5CsJvsEvgDH/s640/kiteday-page.jpg" width="530" /><br /><br />Last Sunday, right after church, we made our way to MacFarland Ranch so that we could participate in Kite Day. This year was only the second time that we'd participated! We kept missing the dates!<br /><br />The kids were really excited, and they got their kites ready and loaded them in the car before we left for church. The Kite Day started at 10 a.m. and I wasn't sure how many people were that before noon. When we got there after 1.00 p.m. there was not a bad crowd there. A bigger crowd would not have worked! Kites would have got entangled!<br /><br />For those who didn't have kites, there were kites that they could borrow there, and they even made little kites and supplied strings for anyone who wanted a kite.<br /><br />For my kids, it was a fun afternoon. Too bad the wind did not blow more consistently. When it did blow, the kites would stay high up in the sky, and when the wind dwindled, all the kites fell to the ground.<br /><br />We will try to keep an eye out for next year's event! Good thing we saw the flyer stuck to wall near the door to the kids' favorite local restaurant! That's how we learned of this year's Kite Day date!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-91146328872388320372011-03-18T15:50:00.000-07:002011-03-18T16:20:14.367-07:00Science Faire 2011<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqQM9Cf5qUUSLdWnkSheYHH1bgKMsK5jjyDMfqRyan5o0IdfDVeJraOE9ED3IWUqL8BGb1lOOqrZWiwgA1-DtlLkB-sMYZkFGheo7opPiGOxJyjzIskKXG2b4j5k7OuWVU8MWXA/s640/sciencefaire-collage.jpg" width="520" /><br /><br />Last night the kids took part in their first Science Faire organized by their school. This event is held once every two years. We didn't know what to expect even though each family was given the guidelines on how to submit a project. The initial outline of the project was submitted a few weeks earlier. Good thing I spoke to one of their teachers who told me how to prepare the display board!<br /><br />Doug and I were quite amused because the science project was mostly done by Doug. But we needn't feel so bad because almost all the students had some help from their parents especially the younger kids.<br /><br />Before we received news about the Science Faire Doug had already showed the kids how fuel (fire) used up oxygen. He took a pie tin, filled it a little with water, lit a candle and placed a tall glass over the candle. After a while the flame (fuel) went out, and the trapped water under the glass rose a little, signifying the water taking the place of the oxygen that had been used up.<br /><br />It was a pretty neat experiment and the kids understood the concept, so that experiment was what they presented at the Science Faire last night. Doug did a simple display board and drew pictures of how the experiment was conducted. We also had a pie tin filled with some water, candle, glass, and a lighter together with the display for demonstration. The kids were able to explain the concept of the project to fellow classmates.<br /><br />It really tickled me because that science project won them first place for their class/age group!<br /><br />There were some interesting projects from the other kids, and I was impressed by their display boards. Some had projects that took over several days or weeks to complete and they had pictures of the different stages of their project. They were very well documented with pictures, and results of their experiments were displayed with their display boards as well.<br /><br />Next time I know better, and will try to make the display board more colorful and attractive. Judging from the results of the project that the kids submitted it mattered not how pretty the display was - it was the content of the project that won the judges!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-21215996893286006592011-03-07T16:27:00.000-08:002011-03-07T16:50:47.570-08:00Baking Bread<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVM38rkvComMB7mtiUmUOsEOewroJm0rk02nD8UaXJ8im3jFUTp-BBwwPa0txwXuIAQ0YNydXZKygDZRY5zAJ-MiZwDBLzrYHwEuPDkp_i-vvDWMrSrqBxgc6jcP_HPLyYDq9/s640/brioche4.JPG" width="530" /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Brioches à tête</span></div><br />It almost seems unbelievable to me that I am now able to make bread! Fresh, home-made bread! For the longest time I was afraid of baking with yeast. My fear was almost confirmed because the very first bread that I tried to bake, did not rise! After more than two hours of resting, the dough had remained the same size.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgut81qgt3RWTBQwPWT9D5yPpxXULkjg-xqEYX9Kw1XdlRLZstkzZMK2j4HcmiGO3HOcmbaMkFqE39_xLxcgzeBBwLXjYYv81cCm6Xxu3yeUbEayXDkNtO-_fpBv2SRX7gKXWC_/s640/focaccia3.jpg" width="530" /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Focaccia with truffle oil</span></div><br />Thank goodness for the internet! I found the possible reason for the failure of the dough to rise. I did put in the butter and milk mixture into the yeast mixture before the butter and milk mixture had cooled sufficiently. Hot liquid is most certain to kill the yeast. But thank goodness, the dough could be saved by adding in a new yeast mixture!<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMS59f-KNbfFqc7CpcDG0-T0AtdhAcbH5v2Wy5OwS8u8KUWi5QG_h5l5-RDg1APFOrDAb205CTxyGtULwkcg3PdMabkhUMRQvDS6lyXLvu6kcsnkFI3vSKuuwity0FwUAHoVS/s640/monkeybread2.JPG" width="530" /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Monkey Bread</span></div><br />That was the first bread that I baked and that was like two weeks ago. Since that day I have baked brioches à tête, white bread, focaccia, sage flat bread, date and honey loaf, and most recently monkey bread. I cannot wait for all the bread in the house to be used up so I can try the next recipe!<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrEookaknnCZrnKl5hZ1IAOfNuXihkg1X6vthCRedTwb5A04SMclOKj1I4GnWp5SM2duIPUDV54LUPhK99ke1Etq_gI9V_t77j-m2hrNHvYTTv12CUc6iu41DwK1nhiSdZaVA/s640/bread-datehoneyloaf3.JPG" width="530" /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Date and Honey Loaf</span></div><br />I read some where that baking bread can be quite addicting! And I think I can now understand that feeling! Every successful bread becomes an incentive for the next project! I think the next project I would like to try is curry filled buns. I love those buns especially at tea time! Yum!<br /><br />I bought two books on baking bread and one of them has recipes for gluten free bread and once the vital wheat gluten that I ordered through Amazon arrives, I would like to try baking bread with flour other than wheat. That should be interesting!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-90341931986379211312011-02-17T10:49:00.000-08:002011-02-17T11:01:04.528-08:00Spring is here, maybe<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHhwTCNqQYiJzXWOwUhjW6sOl359EU0WHny8yqLIlBYxsugpKhWMnB_ckGZT3M0kRN-lY8TBbL9tD7p4l3dhPHmUmmkaItP-tssS-lqXJUoeRfheOUv8bFbqiD3BKvea-02-A/s800/blossom02.JPG" width="530" /><br /><br />Last week, it felt like spring was already here. Some fruit trees were in full bloom, and what a beautiful sight it was to behold, and the weather was warm enough for me to go out without a jacket.<br /><br />But not so fast. This week, mother nature is here to remind us that she is not done with winter yet. Rain, wind, snow in the higher elevations and even hail on some parts in the valley! What a surprise it was for me to see pea-sized hail fall from the sky and for a while the ground was almost white from the amount of hail!<br /><br />Oh well, it was nice while it lasted, the spring-like weather, I mean. Officially spring won't be here till March 20, so winter weather will stay around whether we like it or not!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-89793567564636452922011-01-14T21:33:00.000-08:002011-01-14T21:43:36.068-08:00Finches<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIS66kwrMZcqETU5ED-7ZizwP8-N2yKy5vMfBo4i1iYpr3gILZASB0z9rQ2T_casVJvjJUfmRU_n2IqUffEqADJUkWP34wCmHEguIB6FyxhCDVeZEXwNYsGRB2ET4IPDz8q56R/s800/finches02.JPG" width="530" /><br /><br />This winter, I have not done much bird photography. The days have been cold, wet and grey, and my photographic equipment does not perform very well under those kind of conditions. However, this morning, I was able to go out for a while because the day was not as cold as it has been in previous days.<br /><br />I was quite happy that I was able to take a few decent pictures, considering the still grey sky, of the house finches which seem to like being in my backyard. I have never seen this many of them in and around my yard in past winters. I was a little disappointed because when the sun came out, the finches were no where to be seen!<br /><br />However, I miss the Western Bluebirds. I saw a family of them in the fall, and then I don't see them any more. Maybe they found a yard that they liked better than mine! Quite a disappointment, really, because they are not that easily spooked and in the past I have taken several good pictures of them.<br /><br />Oh well. The presence of the finches at least makes up for that disappointment! <img class="emoticon" src="http://wolverinex02.googlepages.com/icon_mrgreen.gif" width="15" height="15" alt="mrgreen" title="mrgreen" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-83710725238579059812011-01-08T21:24:00.000-08:002011-01-08T23:35:53.486-08:00Christmas Cactus<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhXsY1uYRedta9AKgzLkGNlKw2bN9RRVvb0abGElKlYlI444lmNNoI2zCnqQ-KxsDkb9XKyUmHGfIg81-XBw_qd37FuJmZEHXpaCIUpArIBG1C537LhzB0BhJE33iQ7a2xGBI/s800/christmascactus2.JPG" width="540" /><br /><br />I have had this pot of Christmas cactus for several years now but this past Christmas it was the first time in years that it has bloomed. Earlier last year, I decided to do something about the plant. I transplanted it into a slightly bigger pot, added more soil, and put some fertilizer in it and hoped for the best.<br /><br />When I saw how much better it looked in its new pot, I immediately thought that it would definitely bloom right about Christmas time. I put it on the kitchen window sill so it could get some indirect sun.<br /><br />Sure enough it started to show buds and by Christmas a few of the buds started to bloom! I was quite pleased! I think this year, I might re-pot it again, this time in a much bigger pot than it is currently in and hope that by Christmas later this year, it will bloom more profusely than it has.<br /><br />I took this picture with my new Olympus 25mm lens. I am pleasantly surprised at how close to the subject I can go with this little pancake lens.<br /><br />So, how has the New Year been so far? I hope it is going well for you and a good indicator for the rest of the year! <img class="emoticon" src="http://wolverinex02.googlepages.com/icon_mrgreen.gif" width="15" height="15" alt="mrgreen" title="mrgreen" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-46226878300414385012010-12-31T13:54:00.000-08:002010-12-31T13:59:13.903-08:00Happy New Year 2011<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXlfIMhDGhpoCdoYtv_IwNKYar8JFvTmJTjFhMxLYufZcuOtVLYYd4fNSvI1cbdlKtZjOwOaBPoW3fkUGGRVYruTi39meg0_cBmmR6oXbcGJ6LPqQTPc-Tuwu7L0SzKoPN8nG/s800/new%20year%2003.jpg" /><br /><br />Here's wishing you and yours and Very Happy and Blessed New Year! May all your wishes and hopes for the New Year come true!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-31828115626911353862010-12-23T14:31:00.000-08:002010-12-23T14:38:40.997-08:00Merry Christmas!<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFnzLZjVXLki2pGLpKJOS2er-4dMd9GNPeUUuFwpvlZfdwACN4KVEGM63SIWc1XgbzuHPCsqeniYbRGMTQvIJrZUf4NAm1GtYyX11kIxEtKEiRiZYVhLKjSG4FQ9nAcuHkCQ-/s800/xmascard05.jpg" width="540" /><br /><br />Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year to all my readers! I hope the year has been good to you, and here's wishing you a joyous and prosperous New Year too!<br /><br />We'll be spending Christmas with a fellow Malaysian friend and her husband in South Lake Tahoe. We are looking forward to that weekend, because it will the first White Christmas for the kids and only the second one for me! <br /><br />Also, the kids are looking forward to playing in the snow. This is going to be a treat for them because we live in the part of California where it doesn't normally snow. Snow is still a novelty for them!<br /><br />Once again a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-62682852044639823602010-12-16T11:13:00.000-08:002010-12-16T11:25:21.865-08:00Golden Gate Bridge<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_fRHMTdrdoT1z3DvCZ7VKgtE5XlVVPkIlIspyEE7vnfKESMK3pFvk6U18YR5u0JJsV5C4urikOknEjbcTXyLaobIwwPZbY71vQCXABTzghYNwU6JsGU0KMGYuNrV7G6BbZ1b/s800/goldengate01.JPG" width="530" /><br /><br />San Francisco is a favorite destination for first time visitors to California. Naturally when my old, school friend from Malaysia came for a visit we took her there.<br /><br />It was foggy for much of the day while we were in San Francisco, but the fog and clouds cleared a little when we got to the Golden Gate Bridge park, as if in answer to my friend's prayer! Indeed she believed that it was an answer to her prayer!<br /><br />We used what little bit of sunshine and daylight left of the late afternoon to quickly pose for pictures and photograph one of the most iconic images of California.<br /><br />I told my friend to come again for a visit, but next time not in late fall or winter! <img class="emoticon" src="http://wolverinex02.googlepages.com/icon_wink.gif" width="15" height="15" alt="wink" title="wink" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-86607135491643417252010-11-23T17:27:00.000-08:002010-11-23T17:36:09.081-08:00Robins Silhouette<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglE6VZSaRH5qenYLmJdYCAJVY1vMA3TLTmrIOWtRsWwncDjwvboMwIM2tl5cg0AfRC5wQoVd7yz-ZcXYJBqDjaaJnud26fock6S2MukhM5_OYIO4knYlcH4vTf3VzTM56ERf1O/s800/robin-silhouette.JPG" width="520" /><br /><br />I was out standing in the cold this evening trying to photograph birds in my neighbor's orchard and around my yard. I surprised at the large number of robins today!<br /><br />I wished we had longer daylight especially at this time of the year when there are all kinds of migrating birds foraging in my neighbor's orchard! I saw Western Bluebirds, White-crowned Sparrows, Yellow-rumped warblers, and lots of Scrubjays today.<br /><br />I would have taken my camera out earlier, but the sky was overcast and there was intermittent rain. When the rain finally ceased, it was already late afternoon. Oh well.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-61493161224407776282010-11-17T16:03:00.000-08:002010-11-17T16:18:53.555-08:00Bristol in DWTS finals<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DPlffwDVGAUThb8UWh_tCyH0_5We1S0OELDr6Jm96BVBs2u-m2FdPcNsi-u323cycrJ0GiApWN5VZiDbt8T0s9fjWlv5FEVigA_XPxNHpErsmnV0EbcdEBQgzdU36aKQzGPM/s1600/alg_resize_dwts_bristol-palin_mark-ballas.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DPlffwDVGAUThb8UWh_tCyH0_5We1S0OELDr6Jm96BVBs2u-m2FdPcNsi-u323cycrJ0GiApWN5VZiDbt8T0s9fjWlv5FEVigA_XPxNHpErsmnV0EbcdEBQgzdU36aKQzGPM/s400/alg_resize_dwts_bristol-palin_mark-ballas.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540677190809626434" /></a><br />Have you read about the unhinged reactions some people had over the fact that Bristol Palin made it to the finals of DWTS? It is simply amazing, and amusing, how worked up some people can get over the activities of the Palin family!<br /><br />I voted for Bristol Palin throughout the season. I have always been a sucker for the underdog, and Bristol despite the poor scores she has been receiving from the judges, is not that bad a dancer. She is elegant,and her movements are always precise and except for the intangible emotions that the judges want to see, she is a far better dancer than the majority of the celebrities that have been eliminated in earlier rounds.<br /><br />I have always been a great fan of Mark Ballas, and he has done a superb job with Bristol. I can see that he is a very good teacher and choreographer, and is very patient with Bristol. It is obvious for all to see that Bristol has improved vastly since the first episode. I wish the two of them all the best during the finals. Go show 'em, Bristol!<br /><br />For those suffering from Palin Derangement Syndrome, SUCK IT UP! <img class="emoticon" src="http://wolverinex02.googlepages.com/icon_twisted.gif" width="15" height="15" alt="twisted" title="twisted" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-4561607226234964872010-11-02T14:07:00.000-07:002010-11-02T14:16:29.110-07:00Sandhill Cranes<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgm4AQd5FrF9MsFmQ4O1IZ9UREqtwTWqk8v_evKC1jl4GhdwFjaiKyaMj9iYpKd5YRW1fNT9-eSrt0IOV-uWXtRz6vZDrI1pXmgX7rbp9Hp7ZUTWut19sI-EcBaY_KCOstL5Go/s800/sandhillcranes01-2010.JPG" width="530" /><br /><br />Imagine my delight this morning, after dropping off the kids at their school, to see lots and lots of Sandhill Cranes at a neigbor's farm field!<br /><br />As soon as I arrived home, I quickly grabbed my camera, and off I drove again to the farm field! At that moment I wished with all my heart that I had one of those super-sized zoom lenses! All the pictures that I took from the roadside were totally un-useable.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY64nl20riWNoM0qhECfAjzNheBi8Oolt5TiqZLMCTdkhjPdAoLpRF7EqQAiZrU6y8asE1iGtD_QuXX-yY_TDxXl0rZWkF_aj5UCbI-55f053oTEgXpBTNmSLb7a24WiZZQjzm/s800/sandhillcranes08-2010.JPG" width="530" /><br /><br />I decided to walk towards the cranes and started photographing them before they got too spooked by my presence. As you can see, some turned out good enough to share with you here.<br /><br />Tomorrow morning, if those cranes are still there, I will go out again to take more photographs.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-4240698744674055482010-10-25T17:25:00.001-07:002010-10-25T17:36:40.125-07:00More Birds!<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcASrKPoU-3mlQEh67-E4znd0MTUBRHgq9Y_OLbbmlkibMCWlVodiR-YoyKl6y0Sbkt-HFSGShokGQsOn3Rrlc3ipw1KPjTtrrHjdLZSvW3Ujk5RlkFjZe1YGPgeSZRDNyA0u/s800/woodpeckers-hummingbirds.jpg" width="530" /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9.8333px; ">Top L-R: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Northern Flicker Woodpecker</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9.8333px; ">Bottom L-R: Nuttall's Woodpecker, Ruby-throated Hummingbird</span></div><br /><br />What an enjoyable day it has been today! The air was fresh and filled with the scents of eucalyptus and pine, more so after the rain that fell all day yesterday.<br /><br />The hummingbird on one eucalyptus tree was quite co-operative and allowed me to photograph it. A pity that I did not have a faster zoom lens!<br /><br />I also managed to photograph two different kinds of woodpeckers and today I was able to identify what they were. There seem to be several woodpeckers hanging around my property. They have been pecking away at the old fence posts and the utility pole across my house. I even saw a couple drinking and bathing in the puddle of water on my dirt drive way!<br /><br />The yellow-rumped warblers are also plentiful this time of year, and I think they still need to get used to seeing me walking around with my camera! I took some pictures but they were not as sharp as I would have liked. Not to worry because there are other opportunities!<br /><br />I have not seen any Western Blue Birds this week. They were around two weeks ago, a family of five. I know they will come back, and I cannot wait to photograph them too!<br /><br />What fun to have different kinds of birds to photograph right in my own front and back yards! <img class="emoticon" src="http://wolverinex02.googlepages.com/icon_mrgreen.gif" width="15" height="15" alt="mrgreen" title="mrgreen" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-55374123119672583432010-10-22T09:53:00.000-07:002010-10-22T10:15:46.106-07:00Bird Season<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAsHKLMI_EiV2GzZNNTjHzio83YIibVS1MBy0N1XA61tR_mycYxnnaUrwdfRHg3nuITY5ksSU0TJvOeM5YE1lfXGAgVT6bxywseIPtn2Be3pgSCG4k63tg8MP9p7Or-2lj7Zs/s800/sparrow.JPG" /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9.8333px; ">White-crowned sparrow</span></div><br />It is the time of year when birds seem to gather in my front and back yard. And I love it! I take out my camera and try to photograph them!<br /><br />Last fall, I thought about getting myself a hunting blind so I can hide in it and wait for the birds. This year, I WILL buy that blind!<br /><br />A blind is not all that I will be getting this year. I am learning all about digiscoping where you use a digital camera with a spotting scope. While studying on that method of photography I discovered that some are using a telescope with their dslr cameras and the output from that set up seems to be very encouraging. That is why I will be getting myself a telescope that is suitable for digiscoping! Oh yes! <img class="emoticon" src="http://wolverinex02.googlepages.com/icon_mrgreen.gif" width="15" height="15" alt="mrgreen" title="mrgreen" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-16843090657656824632010-10-12T09:30:00.000-07:002010-10-12T09:51:34.563-07:00Of Birds and Bird VideosEver since I successfully took some beautiful pictures of birds in my backyard when I first got my bridge camera, I have been quite obsessed about photographing birds and learning more about birds. It is now the time of year where the birds seem to gather in large numbers in my yard.<br /><br />I have even started reading up on digiscoping (the use of a digital camera and a spotting scope) and am seriously considering getting a good quality spotting scope so that I can photograph the birds several yards away from my back patio.<br /><br />Yesterday as I was browsing through some digiscoping videos on YouTube, I decided to look for some bird videos done by David Attenborough. There were several videos there and I was quite entertained by them. The video of the Lyre bird (such a beautiful tail!) of South Australia especially captured my attention. It reminded me of my friend's mynah that was able to imitate the sound of a car alarm.<br /><br />You must watch both videos! Absolutely amazing!<br /><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VjE0Kdfos4Y?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VjE0Kdfos4Y?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KOFy8QkNWWs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KOFy8QkNWWs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15676335.post-44991200476088080872010-09-17T22:43:00.000-07:002010-09-18T12:38:56.317-07:00Bug Eyed<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLxKhlD3fSg0vDoFfpFEUxd5Ios4hbipuZTFQtOg217ztCAZBUsyH5f6nnYKMerOC7Aur96A4FOeKU9U7OM_cE2ekSdEuiPRvOHHhVFSOddXlqIzqc5g6pMjyG_dIijTFdIuA/s800/dragonfly35b-galt.jpg" width="530" /><br /><br />I was really amused when I saw this picture of a dragonfly that I'd taken. I did not know that even insects get the dreaded red eye when its picture is taken with the flash! Now I know!<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMupBr6rgQQDj8IqDNvcnFsiRRdQqwvZ4_bxjyg3BQoj3AaD0N6pvYtfxiudiXOFMkQvcje4ahtE6QnVU-Gc_pyC4RdoKI09N82RkhbbrO-q8QkP7YUrbmQYsI1EbKSwKFgQp2/s800/bluedragonfly01a-macro.jpg" width="530" /><br /><br />I've been trying some close up and macro photography using a conversion lens, and with the teleconverter lens. I think, between the two, the results are much better with the teleconverter lens on a standard fixed lens for close up photography. I just ordered a used, 50 mm f3.5 manual macro lens and I cannot wait to try it out! Coupled with the 2x teleconverter, who knows what kind of results I will get!<br /><br />I saw some really impressive close up pictures of the dragonfly with all the fine details clearly visible, and I just cannot wait to try to achieve that kind of pictures!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0