Sisters in Need

I am very thankful for all the caring sisters I have. You are very dear to me. Even though we say that our other half is our best friend...our sisters are always on the same page even if we don't say a word. : )

The girls-only time sounds good.

Snowless Winter

Around this time last year, we would had mountains of snow that you could ski right outside our front lawn. I remembered that we had so much snow one morning that we had to walk on the road to school because no one had time to shovel their share of the sidewalks. The snow was as high as Amanda's knees...so, she had the toughest time walking. I don't think I need to describe the snow banks we climbed at each intersection crossed.

This year, we did get snow...but the snow fall did not last for hours, making the accumulation minimal. Given that it would not be too convenient for me to do any shoveling this year, I am very happy with winter this year. Some one is looking out for me...so, I stay positive and not let the winter depression get to me. Why do I get depression during winter? Maybe writing it out will make me understand it better and easier for me to overcome it.

For one thing, fashion in winter...where? It does not matter because we hide under a clumsy coat, thick scarf and giant boots anyway. Nice hair...where? Does fly-away count as a style? After we take off our hats, static controls the look. Don't be tricked with flushed pink cheeks...it is really chapped skin if we forgot to put on any facial cream. The air is dry so regular moisturizers don't seem to help.

Then there's mobility in winter...slow. If there is snow on the ground, you are in defensive driving mode at all times. You can be the safest driver but the guy/gal/senior next to you may be the idiot who likes to play spin the wheels on the snow. In that case, we might as well stay home -- nice and warm with something to eat in front of the tv.

I am thankful that winter this year has been good to us....except for the fashion thing. : )

Little Aidan

Happy 3 months Aidan!! You are growing day by day...smiling and giggling. We love the baby conversations and watching you get so excited when you greet us. We think you are going to be some chick magnet!

Love, Mommy, Daddy, Ga Ches CC and Mun Mun.

Pork Chop dilemma

And so comes Monday. I just finished marinating tonight's dinner...some old pork chops that smell of freezer burn. The colour is not quite appetizing either but I cannot let it to waste. Don't worry, the meat is still pink..only a few pieces have discoloured. I washed it with salt and baking soda -- I am hoping that the baking soda will take the smell away. Then I marinated it with soy sauce and chinese cooking wine and of course, S & P. I will cook it with a can of cream of mushroom soup.

I tried to look up a new way to prepare pork chops, but they always seemed to required the oven or required some spice that I do not have. I did once cook it with apples, but the girls did not like them that way. The apples, that is. Maybe I can cook them in oranges? A citrus-y taste...it might even help with the freezer burn smell.

No, I better not..or I will get stuck with it for a few days.

Happy New Year

Wishing my sisters (June, Joyce, Karen and Stephanie), my brothers (Sam, Samuel and Jeff), my Ma-gi, my dad, my girls, my boy (love how that sounds!) and hubby -- a healthy and prosperous year with lots of happy blogs to share.

I am hoping the same with me...as it is now day 4 of herbal tea to help me with the digestive problems. Thanks Ma-gi for making me some swallow nest soup to help me get my appetite back. I actually enjoyed my dinner with friends last night. We went to our friends (Kevin's) house for a get-together and they made a wonderful steak dinner, along with the usual fixings of baked potatoes, mushrooms, steak sauce gravy, king crab legs with melted butter for dipping while we provided two kinds of salads -- garden and fruit. Terrence brought two desserts -- a blueberry pie from a shop in Mississauga/Brampton that makes pies. And what looked like a LaRoccha cake --ummmm...an ice cream cake with a chocolate sponge cake bottom. I wish I took pictures.

It was nice to see Kevin and Terrence's family as we have not seen them for a few years now. No one has changed much. Other than the kids...Kevin's boys Daniel and Joshua and Terrence's boys Tristan and Tamas all have grown. Daniel, who is twelve, is taller than me now. Time really flies. All the boys are at least year older than than CC and MunMun, it was kind of funny to see how the girls talked to the boys. I overheard a conversation about what they all got for Christmas...when Amelia proudly said that she got a Bratz CD player...you can almost imagine what the reaction the boys had. And you know she wasn't going to be the talk of the table. At the end of the evening, she did tell me that the boys thought she was "lame". I felt sad but not too worried as Amelia was not bothered by their comments -- I think she still thought her gift was still"way cool" than their iPods....even if we are a few years behind technology.

Tomorrow, the kids go back to school and the older ones go back to work. yey! And I can go back to my normal routine. Maybe I will recover from this ailment faster while I am home alone...hopefully.