Counting my blessings ...

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

++++

It has been a good year and I'm thankful for all blessings and gifts.
Thankful for my family, my Hubby, my health, my friends and all the goodness and love that is everywhere.
Thankful that my 2 lovely friends are blessed with a child.

Let me count my blessings...

Jan
Full moon on the 1st Jan and the lovely walk hubby and I had walking home from Queenstown in the crisp night.

Feb
Starting my new job and getting to work each day and being able to see my 2 treasured friends.

Mar
Putting my organisation skills to work. Planning and executing a trainig session at M Hotel and meeting lovely people from Philipines.

Apr
Loving yummy food and admiring the heart and effort chefs invested when preparing great food. 

Grateful to be able to taste sweet, sour, spicy and bitter. Grateful for the feelings evoked by food and loving comfort food and also the memories the first bite of comfort food brings.

May
Visiting hunnie and driving down south visiting scenic spots, drinking and eating fabulous food and wine. Staying in lovely cabins and keeping warm in front of the fireplace for the very first time!

Thankful for great friends like hunnie & G who extended their hospitality and opening their home to us :) who did so much to make us comfortable and well fed (hehe) THANK YOu!!!!

And it was a memorable experience for me because I climbed a tall vertical tree for the first time in my life. I overcome my fear and moved onwards and upwards focusing only on hubby, hunnie & G at the finishing point. I felt really accomplised!

Jun
I'm thankful that Ron had a safe and speedy delivery and my second Godson Maximus is born!

I'm also thankful for the gorgeous diamond ring hubby got for me and for celebrating our 3 years wedding anniversary.

July
Celebrating hubby's convocation after all his hard work. My heart is filled with pride as his name is flashed on the screen and he walked on the stage.

Wishing you all the best and to many more 'stage walking' in the future.. Hehe.

Aug
Our friend Eunice sucessfully releasing her album after years of hard work. I thank God for showering her with blessings and for her wonderful voice. I had loads of fun photographing, videoing and attending her many gigs.

Looking forward to more performances and praying for a lucky break into the tight music scene in Asia.

Having our relatives visiting from Japan brings great joy to us. We had lots of fun and laughter and tons of good food. We visited the Zoo, watched a performance at Art House, ate and watched belly dance performance at a Persian restaurant.

I'm also thankful for the opportunity to chat with hubby's cousin, D and getting acquainted with new friends.

Sep
Thanking God for letting me celebrate my 32nd birthday! Each day, each year without falling sick is a blessing. Good health is a blessing!

Grateful for surprise cakes, card and present from friends at work and a big hug to SY who surprised me with a high tea at the Ritz! Thank you!

Oct
Thankful for true love and happy marriages! Attended a lovely wedding of HS at Four Seasons hotel. Pretty brides and joyous laughter. 要幸福哦！

Nov
Grateful for bring able to walk, to breathe, to eat, to feel, to be alive! Life itself is a gift... I need to remind myself when I'm in despair and take things for granted.

Dec
Thankful for the opportunity to visit Turkey, an amazing country.

Visiting Turkey leaves me feeling in awe over thousands of years of history, geography and sadness over years of fights and struggles. Standing on historical grounds and driving on the modernised silk road is simply amazing. As the scenery passes me by, I can picture old caravans and weary travellers in tough conditions. How fortunate we are to be traveling in coach buses with heating facilities! To be protected from harsh weather conditions and being fed with good,
nutritious food. How thankful I am that almost every Sg have a roof over our head and not left homeless or begging for food.

We travelled more than 1000 km over 8 days and it made me sing praises of God's wonder and creation. I pray for religious tolerance and respect for 2011 and for years to come and for all to co exist peacefully.

2010 is filled with so much wonderful memories. How can I top it in 2011?

365 new days stares back at me expectantly and honestly I'm scared of what the new year holds.

I will have to banish negative thoughts and emotions and look forward to the good, the bad and the unexpected. God will be in charge and relax lah.. 2011 will be fantabulous!

Sent from my iPhone

Much Love Monday: My red blankie

Christmas is over. Despite the festivities, I'm feeling a little down and bleah...

it will pass.

I'm loving my red blanket.. it's a comfort really to be snuggled in it watching NCIS and Bones on TV, with a book and when it is wet and rainy outdoors and I'm all warm and cosy in its warm embrace.

I'm also loving dried figs and apple tea from Turkey.

Much Love Monday

5

Makan_10: Kamado Japanese Wood Fire @ 313 Somerset

hubby and I will be back! it's so good... I can taste Japan. I feel that I'm transported back to the streets of Japan in Oct last year.

Makan_10: Skinny Pizza

Turkey ham pizza

Black squid ink pizza 

Meatball spaghetti

++++

met up with Z & purplecreme last week for lunch. I'm now a new fan of skinny pizza at Wheelock place. it's so thin and yummy with every bite.

yums.

Sweets and candies and all things nice

the beef taste much better than it looks

gift swap. pretty bling bling bag charm but I've got no where to hang it.

simply love this cat necklace. Oh E, you know me so well :)

an assortment of gifts from work. these people are so sweet. 

if only my boss is sweet. hah! even my boss's boss gave me a present.

I feel bad, I didn't get anything for them :(

handmade sweets from the company. pretty colours.

X'mas day was spent at Ron's place. No pictures were taken.. too caught up with all the food and kids. There is a picture of the cupcakes we brought in, but it's still in my camera.. need to transfer it over. will post it if I remember. really pretty.

Merry Christmas with Love.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:11-14/KJV

PS: Sorry for late post :)

冬 至

22/12/10

This year, we celebrated 冬至 with 汤圆 .

read about last year here.

Turkey - An amazing trip!

Blue Mosque

Basilica Cistern (Yerebetan Sarnici)- underground reservoir

where the statue of Medusa's head lies..

Bosphorus - a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia.

Lunch- Chicken kebab with rice and mashed potatoes

We (together with the bus) rode across the Bosphorus on a ship.

The medusa (blue) eye trinklets

Interesting packaging

Troy- Replica of the wooden Trojan horse

Pergamon - Acropolis

Blueberries?

View from the bus

Selcuk - Ephesus - House of Virgin Mary

Interesting snail. Initially I thought it was a fossil, but on closer look, realised that it was alive!

Ephesus- one of the largest archeological sites in existence. Amazing 1.5hr walk!

This used to be one of the top 3 largest library

Cotton Castle

formed by calcareous hot spring waters flowing down the mountains.

petrified.

hubby walking on the slimy limstone. water is cold!

Gorgeous view!

I love this so much! Yogurt with honey and poppy seeds. 5 lira = S$5.50 We had 2! shared amongst the 3 of us. yums! :)