First Fall of Snow

I remember my first time to see snow flakes falling from the sky. It started with a few, one here and there. Then as if the sky has ripped a pillow sack full of fine white feathers, they were everywhere and they were not like the raindrops that just fall straight but they seemed to be dancing around before they touch the ground. It was magical. A scene that I've only seen in pictures now so real and I'm in the middle of it. That first time, I felt like running outside outstretching my hands to the sky and have all my senses filled with all the sensations. I could've but I was at work and all I was able to do was stare at the window with a smile on my face.

After five years, I am still mesmerized by the snow. The only thing that wore out is my urge to go out. I have come into conclusion that such beauty could only be enjoyed more by being inside beside the window with a warm capuccino in hand. The picture was taken through my window at work. :) This is the first snow fall this season. It's not that heavy but it prompted alot of people to buy new coats and boots. I should know coz I did. When I got off from work, I passed by the mall to buy my daughter some snow boots.

I guess this means we're having a white Christmas. :)

Cooking, Me and Ratatouille

“Not everyone can be a great artist,” Mr. Ego muses. “But a great artist
can come from anywhere.”

I must say that the movie Ratatouille has captured my heart. It has touched my own passion for cooking. I find cooking to be one task I'm never too tired to do. Even if work has dragged me down to my knees at the end of the day, I can still stir up something good for my kids. They would always comment that I cook with love. I am actually looking forward to my childrens birthdays. Why? It's one of my only chance to cook my heart out!! I would prepare a menu way ahead of time and plan what I will be cooking. Ordering cooked foods from food shops is never my option. I want to feel the challenge and the pride of serving home cooked meals. I may not know gourmet dishes but I believe simple and satisfying food never fail to be appreciated ( specially by the hungry hehe). It also gives me the opportunity to learn new things and improve along the way. "Cooking up a storm" is always my motto, making sure each time there'll be new dishes to discover or a better way to make something.

I specially liked the scene when Mr. Ego tasted the dish and suddenly went back and relived the feeling of comfort that his mom has prepared for him. Ohhh.... I so wished that in the future, when my children were all grown up, they will miss my cooking with such longing. I have no desire to be a well known cook (I've always thought myself as a frustrated chef..hehe), but to be remembered that my food have been a source of comfort to at least my children is a great honor.

The photograph above are favorites of my children. My daughter adores any version of fried rice. My son on the other hand loves his meat.

The lesson in this movie is simple. "Any one can cook"! Just put your heart into it. Passion is a mover of mountains....

To my son, remember this always....

You will achieve your grand dream, a day at a time, so set goals for each day - - - not long and difficult projects, but chores that will take you, step by step, toward your rainbow. Write them down, if you must, but limit your list so that you won't have to drag today's undone matters into tomorrow. Remember that you cannot build your pyramid in twenty-four hours. Be patient. Never allow your day to become so cluttered that you neglect your most important goal - - - to do the best you can, enjoy this day, and rest satisfied with what you have accomplished.

Og Mandino...

SILMARILLION by JRR Tolkien

OH! After a month and 12 days I have finally finished Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien. It was the longest time I’ve ever spent on a book. Probably brought about by the fact that it was a big and heavy book, my reading was confined to only one place. I couldn’t bring the book with me anywhere unless I want to have a sore arm at the end of the day.

Anyway, I think the book is brilliant…with a few setbacks, which I admit is due to my brains inability to grasp rich, robust and complicated scenarios. I guess half my brain still yearns for visual illustrations or its just tired at the end of the day to fully imagine the world that is being described in front of me. When the book talks about Elf, the picture of Orlando Bloom suddenly appears in my mind (which is quite annoying since whenever this happens, I just melt away in my own thoughts..hehe). I really love his character in the movie, not to mention and over emphasize on his good looks. OKAY! Back to the book… see how distracted I was??

I consider the book in the likes of the old mythology where it describes when the world was made and there’s this one creator called Iluvatar who had made Gods who would prepare the world (apparently Earth but on a different name--- Arda) for his children the Elves who are immortal and Men who are mortals. The villain (as all stories have) was a God named Morgoth who rebelled and has desires to be the most powerful of all the Gods. When the Elves arrived, the Silmarillion was created for them. This apparently was the only source of light then. The sun and the moon were only meek replacement of this light when it got stollen. Yes, this light was stolen by Morgoth and was the source of all battles between Gods, Elves and Men. In the end, the Silmarillion was lost and never recovered; they were buried in the depths of the earth. Morgoth was seized and imprisoned but was later replaced by Sauron. Most Elves and Men fought side by side. Men having created last has resented being mortal and have envied the Elves for their immortality. It is also evident that Men were more materialistic having the desires to acquire wealth rather than wisdom that the elves have valued more precious. Thus, they have lived apart. Some men with lust in their heart would head Saurons calling. So men are divided for some of them are weak in mind and strong in greed. But they are also strong in will and body (even only short lived).

A few warnings before reading this book. Read when your mind is fresh to envision all the images that are described. Keep up with names because they are always changing. Keep the map open for they will aid in visualization. Most of my frustrations were not finding the place mentioned in the Map and there are a few of them.

That was it! I have to put closure before I start on another book. I am aware that I still have to be fully exposed to such stories in order to fully appreciate its beauty. So, I will definitely read more stories in the line of JRR Tolkiens version of mythology.

Winter Comforts...

It was terribly cold this morning. It has become a necessity during winter time to listen to the weather as soon as one awakens in the morning. This will determine how much clothes one has to put on before going out. while preparing the kids lunch, i heard that the temperature outside is -1 degrees C (hmm..okay that is cold .. i'm bracing myself for the next announcement). The announcer further said..' it will feel like -5 degrees due to wind chill'. Awww..... can we just stay inside??? Get the heater on...get the humidifier going and just cuddle?

I mean who wants to go out in such cold? To think that it's just beginning. There's the span of six agonizingly cold months ahead of us. *Sigh* But I do have to go out and work. The kids have to go out and study. The dog needed to be walked out. We have no escape. And we can't beat winter...it has to stay. We just needed to know how to live with it. It does have its beauties.

I can very much appreciate its beauty looking out through my window holding a warm capuccino.. :)

Ahhh...the simple life

The art of contentment is the recognition that the most satisfying and the
most dependably refreshing experiences of life lie not in great things but in
little. The rarity of happiness among those who achieved much is evidence that
achievementis not in itself the assurance of a happy life. The great, like the
humble, may haveto find their satisfaction in the same plain things.-
Edgar A. Collard, 1974

I guess winter is coming...

I was surprised by how much new books I have to read. Hmmm… how I managed to accumulate all these is a mystery to me. I guess winter is really coming. A few visits from Amazon and viola! I’m all set for winter reading. With hot chocolate, a warm blanket, beside a fireplace (if I have one) is now flashing in my mind. As it is very well known how winter is like here in Canada, with temperatures way below freezing and neck deep snows, people were left with only two options. Option one, to go outside and shovel snow (which we do anyway) and option two, to stay inside and die of boredom and depression. Since I don’t want to die of boredom or depression… a good read always saves the day for me.

I am currently reading two books. A paperback entitled, 'Eat, Pray, Love' by Elizabeth Gilbert, which I take with me to work everyday. I read while waiting for the bus, while I'm in the bus and during breaks at work. There is this thick hard bound book entitled 'The Silmarillion' by JRR Tolkien, that I cannot bring with me to work because it's so big and heavy. This I read at home.

Bookworm signing out.....

Holloween Escapade

Took me a while to post about Halloween. I was distracted by so many things that writing seemed to be the hardest thing to do. I'd rather read posts of other bloggers. They seemed to have better things to say and how on earth could they take pictures like that? Then, there's this two books that I am reading at the same time. One in paper back which i can bring to work and read during breaks and a hardbound that I read before going to sleep. Don't ask me how it happened. I seemed to be having too many new books at the same time too. Amazon is all to blame! Anyway, I know all these reasons should not prevent me from writing. Too much reading and no writing disrupts the balance in life.

So, on Halloween night, I prepared my camera for a night of picture taking. I hate to admit it but I'm a very shy photographer. Partner it with a camera that is bereft with abilities that a photographer requires left me with disappointing results. Plus a daughther that runs like a rabbit from house to house as if the whole world is running out of candies did not help either. Here's some of the photos I took while the big rabbit run around the neighborhood.

There is a huge black spider inside the yard of this house. Reminds me of several movies that has spiders, Arachnophobia, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. It's not that scary...

This house has a live monster! there's even a life size skeleton on one side of the front yard. In the picture, he becons a kid in a cowboy costume who's staring at a distance with an expression of fear and indecision if going for the candy is the good thing to do at the moment.

This is the first time I went around the neighborhood on Halloween night. I used to stay home and give out the candies. Maybe next year I will be more courageous and equipped to get more pictures. Unless... i get the chance to do the scaring...hehe.