8 on 8th

I was browsing through SC, 2Peas and some scrapbookers' blogs when I came across Corrie's blog.

She has a project to scrap more about herself.. she's been doing this since October last year. So, the idea is to write 8 things you are feeling or experiencing at one moment during the day (the 8th day of each month). Whether is good or bad, anything about you.

I figured that this could be a good idea, besides that I will be at least have to make one layout each month for this project, it's kinda fun to take self photo and yup, I agree with Corrie, that this can be a little bit therapeutic too.

I know that it's a little late, but I'd like to give it a try and might making this a regular thing.
This is my first attempt on "Me on the 8th" 

1. Missing my son. I just gave birth to my 2nd child, a daughter named Fae (I told you about her on my previous blog), and since I got pregnant with her.. I hired a babysitter to help me take care of Michael. Well, the doctor and some family members said that I should not carry heavy stuff and telling you the truth, as the stomach was getting bigger, it made me harder to move and I got tired easily. So I couldn't play with him as much as before.. And now.. I have to take care of Fae and since I'm going to fully breastfeed her, I got more occupied. Well, I enjoy being a mother of two gorgeous babies, but I do miss him.

2. Trying to find time to scrap and Project Life. I haven't touch any of my scrap stash and Project Life since I got home from the hospital. I can't wait to scrap about my new born baby girl, my just becoming a big brother son, and all that has been documented into Project Life. And my baby girl 1st album too!

3. Doing a photo a day challenge  with some friends. My husband and our group of friends decided to make our IG feed more fun, by doing a photo a day challenge. We use the prompt from @fatmumslim and hash tag our photos with #CLphotoaday or #CLDec13. It's fun to see what everybody takes each day. And now.. I'm kinda 3 days left behind.. so I'm brainstorming ideas for them, haha.. 

4. Missing home. I went back to my parent's house after we got home from the hospital. My parents in law were away on a trip (we live in my in-law's house), so there were no one to help me at the time, so hubby and I decided to stay at my parent's house for a while. It was fun and there were lots of people.. I kinda miss the crowd there.

5. A bit lonely because I missed today's gathering with my girls. Well, according to Chinese tradition.. you have to stay at home for 40 days after labor, for recovery, to regain your health, stamina etc..so, here I am.. at home with my little boy & baby girl.

6. Hoping. I got my worries.. especially after giving birth to my second child, there will be a lot more things that I have to take care of. I'm worried if I cannot give a fair amount of attention to my children and husband. I hope I can tho..

7. A bit tired and sleepy.. because I have to wake several times at night to breastfeed. but I'm not complaining, I'm happy that I can fully breastfeed my daughter until now. I hope I can do it at least until she's 6 months old. Wish me luck.  

8. Happy for all the things I have. My husband, my children, my families..

Here is a link of Corrie's 8 on 8 project on 2Peas blog. 

See You Soon..

Just a short post & a little quote..

"No one else will ever know
the strength of my LOVE for you.
After all, you are the ONLY ONE
who knows how my heart sounds like
from the inside."

Planning to have my C-section this November 22nd' 2013.. so I'm kinda busy preparing things to bring to the hospital & so on..

This is a photo I took yesterday.. when I was feeling a bit gloomy & scared.. yes, I am.. this is my second time giving birth, but why am I getting scared? I have no idea too..
I guess I worry on things a little bit too much.. worry of who will be looking after my son, Michael.. worry whether I can do this all by myself or not.. and so on..
But like my hubby said, we're going to go through this together.. two kids, it's not gonna be easy.. they will require more time, effort, savings and a lot more from us, but we will always be together facing it.

After all, having a child is a great blessings. There are a lot of people trying so hard to get one, but hasn't succeed yet.
We have to embrace it and be thankful that we can have one baby boy and soon a baby girl..

I can't wait to see her though.. she's been kicking a lot these days..guess the womb is getting to tight, haha.. see you soon, my baby darling..

xoxo

Preggie Me Silhouette

 

Been wanting to take a silhouette photo of myself while pregnant..

So, today.. with my iPhone 4s and a capdase tripod hubby bought me.. I took a selfie of myself, YAY!

I love the result!! Love the big belly, love my pointy navel.. hahaha..

I just LOVE it!

And I also love that hubby said that it's great I can take such a gorgeous photo, muach, muach, muach!

And the next thing you know.. 

I'm using this photo on every profile pictures, haha.. 

Going to scrap it sometime soon :-)

xoxo,

Jeanne

Kindness is Contagious

I’m not a perfect person, and you can say that I feel like b*tch*ing too sometimes when I don’t feel like it, annoyed or angry or feeling other unpleasant emotion. But I always try to be good to people around me.. my families, friends, people I met on public places, etc.
It came across me that the month of November, especially in western culture, is a month of gratitude, well.. it is the month when they celebrate Thanksgiving day.

I’ve seen some scenes about Thanksgiving in movies and I really love it.. I wonder how turkey tastes, yes, I have never ate one before. I also learn this year, that there are a lot people keeping journal or make notes on what they are grateful during the month. I thank God for each day in my prayers, but never thought about writing them down in a journal. I thought that it will be great. I came across some challenges, and I like what Kristina Proffitt does in her blog. I think I’m going to follow her step. I know it’s already November 11th, which means I’m about a week and a half late.. but it’s not wrong to start anytime for gratitude right? :-pI’ll write more about this later.

And today, when I was browsing, I saw this article by Erin Pavlina.. it’s an old post, but after I read it, I like it.It’s about kindness.. like I said before, I try to be good to people around me the best I can. There were times when some family or friends said to me, “what did you do that for?”, “what’s the use of it?” or “do you have that much time?”, “don’t you have anything else to do?” – and other things, especially if I do something for a stranger. I backed sometimes, well..afraid of their comments etc.. but after reading this, I think I’ll just do it if i feel like it is the right thing to do.

Hope this article I quote from Erin will bring a new breeze to you..

Kindness is Contagious 

One day I was doing some grocery shopping in a small but very popular health food store. The lines were always long, especially on weekends. It was Saturday and I ran in for a few things and saw that all 5 lines had people waiting 8-10 people deep. I grabbed what I needed as fast as I could and got in the express lane.
The problem with the store was that it was constructed poorly and once you got to the head of a line with your cart you had to back out in order to leave. That meant everyone behind you who had moved forward needed to move back so you could back your cart out, turn it around, and head out of the store. If you’ve ever been in a crowded line moving forward you know how hard it is to get everyone to take a few steps back.
The energy in the store was palpable. People were frustrated, anxious, tense, and in a hurry. The checkers had to take items out of your cart one at a time, punch in the price (no scanners!) and then bag it themselves. Basically, it took 3 times as long to check-out as it does at a regular, large grocery store.
I myself was feeling really frustrated. All kinds of thoughts were tramping around in my head. “God, why don’t they expand their store? Why don’t they get a bigger space? Why don’t they hire bag people? Why can’t they create a better system? This is insane!” The next line over was having a problem. An older gentleman was trying desperately to get to the front of the line to his wife who was at the checkout counter. He had a bottle of wine that he obviously ran back to get. Big mistake. No one would let him through.
Everyone was jostling around to make sure their place in line was secure (all that backing up to let people out made people nervous about line-cutters). I sensed people were about to go postal. Through the haze of my frustration I noted a blond woman in her fifties who was venting her aggravation out loud to anyone who would listen. “Hmm, she’s got really beautiful hair,” I thought to myself. “Too bad she’s being so mean to people. At least I have the decency to vent in my own head.” And then it hit me. We’re so quick to vent and complain and whine but how often do you actually see people complimenting total strangers out of the blue. I decided right then and there, in the midst of utter chaos, to share my feelings about this woman’s hair with her.
I tapped her lightly on the shoulder, she turned in a huff (probably figured someone wanted to cut into line), and looked at me. I spoke a little louder than usual to cut through the din of complainers, “I just had to tell you that I think your hair is stunning. Not only is it a great color for your complexion, but the style suits your face perfectly.”
You should have seen her reaction. A huge smile broke out on her face, she practically beamed with pleasure and she reached out and touched me lightly on the arm and said, “Oh thank you so much! What a kind thing for you to say!” I think I noticed her eyes welling up. I smiled too. I felt good! A little positive energy in the middle of the negative.
But then the most amazing thing happened. She stopped barking at people and started acting very politely to everyone near her. I heard her say, “Oh please sir, you should go ahead of me. You’ve only got one item. I can wait.” The man behind her thanked her profusely and moved forward. He was smiling too. The guy behind me in line leaned forward and said to me, “That was a really nice thing you said to that woman. I’ll bet she feels really good about herself now.” The woman in front of me also turned to me and smiled and said, “I agree. That was a nice compliment.”
And then I noticed a shift in the energy of the entire room. People around me started joking about our situation. Instead of complaining, they were sharing their frustration without blaming anyone. People even started laughing at the absurdity of the whole situation. A few moments later the manager of the store stood up behind all the checkers and said, “Hey everyone! I know the store is really crowded today and I’m sorry about the long waits. We really appreciate your patience and I promise we’ll get you out of here as soon as we can.” The checkers even started to relax a bit and that allowed them to check us out faster. By the time I finally left the store the energy had completely changed and people were calm again. The blond woman waved goodbye to me and said, “Thank you again! What a sweet girl you are!
And from that day on I decided that if I ever had a complimentary thought about a total stranger I would express it to them. After all, who is going to be upset at being stopped for such a reason? Do you ever see someone while you’re out running errands and think things like, “Wow, that’s a beautiful skirt she’s wearing. I wonder where she got it.” Or, “That guy is driving an awesome car! I’d love to have a closer look at it.” Or “What beautiful and well-behaved children that woman has. How does she do it?” If so, why not go up to that person and say what you’re thinking?
How do you feel when a total stranger compliments you out of the blue? I know I feel great and it totally affects my mood after that. I feel happier and I feel like I want to make others happy as well. Kindness is contagious. You have the power to spread joy so easily! A small 3-second compliment can shift the energy of an entire room. If everyone started doing it, what effect would it have on the world?

So the next time you realize you’re having a kind thought about someone near you, share it and see what happens!

Have a great day!

Busy Sunday

I usually wake up late on Sunday.. and spend the evening taking a nap.
But this Sunday, it was different. We both woke up around 7 am.

We’re ( my husband and I) are planning to have dim sum with my parents & sister in law. There’s a new.. umm.. it’s actually not a new place, it’s been open for about two years, serving suki (like Japanese shabu-shabu) and Chinese food. And now, they are starting to serve dim sum.
We tried it before with some friends and thought that it’s nice, so we are taking our family there today.
We ordered bitan (black egg) porridge, siomay, salted egg-bun, chicken feet, tofu spring roll, etc.. I don’t know their proper name in English.. hahaha.. well, it’s a nice breakfast

We spend the day at home, my hubby was organizing his stuffs and as promised, I made pizza :-p YAY!

My friend’s baby sitter has worked to a British family for almost 4 years and she surely knows quite a lot of western breakfast because of that. I don’t think that pizza, lasagna, and sandwich are British breakfast menu, but all I know is that she’s good in making them.
She made us a crispy and yummy pizza last time and I’ve been asking her to give me the recipe.. but she’s just used to make the bread dough by instinct she said, I mean, she’s doesn’t really know the exact measure of the flour, olive oil etc.. so I guess rather than making myself confuse and lost because of not knowing what to do.. I bought a recipe book, called Pizza Kriuk. It’s an Indonesian recipe book..

Here’s what I came up with..

This is the 1st batch.. I made total 4 pizzas..
The left one is a photo of the 1st pizza before mozzarella topping and the right one is after topped with mozzarella :-9
All before going to the oven.

Left photo is the 1st batch.. nyummm.. My hubby said (& I also thought), tastes like tomato.. hahaha.. I believe I have put too many tomato paste in the sauce mixture :-p
The right side photo is the 3rd batch, slightly smaller size and less tomato paste and thinner bread.. requested by my hubby & he likes it

This is a photo if you want to see how small and thin the 3rd pizza is.. hahaha..
All four pizzas were finished in a day. I brought the last one while visiting my friend in the afternoon.
I also made a soy bean milk.. my mother lend me her machine, so easy, just add water, (previously soaked and peeled) soy beans, and pandan leaves to give a nice aroma.. then press the button.. your milk will be ready in half-an-hour.. haha..
I’m planning to make soy bean milk everyday till labor time, and maybe take turns with green beans too.
People say it’s good for pregnant ladies.

It is indeed a busy Sunday.. my hubby still continue organizing his stuff after we went home..
But we’re both happy and I’m planning to make some pizza bread again soon.. but I think I’m going to modify it into something else.. 4 pizzas in a day, although it can be said a personal pan sized, it’s still a bit too much.
I just like the thin and crunchy pizza bread

How’s your Sunday?
Hope you had a great one!

My A to Z

I’m trying my best to write more on my blog and sometime I just can’t help myself running out of ideas..
I usually browse through people’s blog which I think is inspirational to me.. in fact, I have put the list of inspirational blogs on my side bar, you can check them out there.
And yep, while browsing, I found these post on Amy Tangerine and Pattycake’s blogs.. the A to Z things.
I thought it would be fun to play along..

Here goes, the A to Z of Jeanne..

A. Age: 28
B. Bed size: a King size.
C. Chore that you hate: sweeping sticky dust.
D. Dogs: I don’t have dogs.
E. Essential start to your day: a nice warm bath followed with a sprinkle of cold water in the end.. so fresh!!
F. Favorite color: pink & white.
G. Gold or Silver:I like both.
H. Height: 1.5 m.. how much that in inches?
I. Instruments you play: I don’t play.. hahaha..

J. Job title: housewife.
K. Kids: about to have one February next year.. I’m 30 weeks pregnant
L. Live: Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia
M. Mother’s name: Ayling.
N. Nicknames: Cen or J.. (some friends called me J back in high school & college).
O. Overnight hospital stays: knock on wood, none.
P. Pet peeves: careless ignorant people and bad drivers.. kinda put on my nerves.
Q. Quote from a movie: “You’ve got to be fair to her.. She loves you, if you don’t love her, you’ve got to tell her.” from Rod Tidwell, Jerry Maguire (1996). I really like this quote.. well, whether to a guy or a girl, you just have to be true to him/her and mostly, to yourself.
R. Right or left handed: Right handed.
S. Siblings: 3.
U. Underwear: Yes.
V. Vegetable you hate: I don’t hate vegetables.. love them, but the least favorite is Pare (bitter melon), so bitter..

W. What makes you run late: snooze button, rainy morning and wrapped in a soft fluffy blanket.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: dentist.
Y. Yummy food that you make: to tell you the truth, I’m not a good cook and in fact, I cannot cook :-p but I recently made a pear raspberry pie, which my husband really like.. so I guess that’s the most yummy food for now..
Z. Zoo animal: I love chimpanzee, lion cub, bears, penguin and whale.. amazing animals..

Hihi.. now you know a little more things about me..
Thinking about making one of your own (A to Z)? Let me know, k?

Have a wonderful day!

My 28 List

Found this a while ago on Kelly Purkey’s blog and always wanted to make one for my own..
I should’ve made this after my last birthday.. but I hope it’s not to late if I make the list now.. it’s just that I have a shorter time to fulfill them all, because the deadline will be my upcoming birthday next year.. whoops! It’s only half a year a.k.a six months.. can I finish the list? Oh well, I’ll just write some that I have written on my notes a while ago.. some may have been done since I wrote it till now, but I’ll tell you which later..

Here’s my 28 list :

1. Lose weight
2. DO exercise
3. Learn to cook (I’m a wife now, I think it would be a plus if I can cook at least simple meals :-p )
4. Visit new places (3 new places at least)
5. Make new friends
6. Try something new (things / skills)
7. Be more organized
8. Use my LOMO cameras (at least shoot a roll of film)
9. Make a scrapbook (digital / traditional)
10. Earn some from my hobby
11. Make a mini book
12. Donate things I own that I don’t need anymore
13. Learn to wear make up
14. Make something out of felt
15. Save more (on cash)
16. Have a trip with my loved ones
17. Finish a project
18. See a show / concert
19. Bake a pastry from scratch
20. Watch great movies
21. Write everyday
22. Use my PIVI & Shelpy printer
23. Learn to let things go
24. Pray more (everyday)
25. Complete a month daily album (December for example)
26. Finish my shop’s stocks
27. Trust more
28. Make a family of three.. a.k.a get pregnant

So.. how about you? Do you have a list too? Is there anything you want to accomplish before your next birthday? Let me know

Triumphing Over Giants..

I just prayed the same thing last night. Asking for God to give me strength and courage to face the difficulties I'm facing right now. Doubts and fear I'm having, I hope to overcome them..
And this morning, I read ODB and it's titled Triumphing Over Giants.
Sometimes we feel our problems are sooo big, like a big great giant standing before us.. can't find a way to get out of it, sometimes even makes us feel like giving up and be eaten..
Us, as God's children, should never forget.. that God will always be with us in whatever condition.. He has us protected in His hands.. He's just a prayer away.. He'll come and help.
After all, we are all God's origami.. all the things we face, good or bad, happy or sorrow, are His ways to twist, fold and turn us to be more like His Son.

sharing the reads:

Read: 1 Samuel 17:33-50

The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. - 1 Samuel 17:37

In 1935, the debate team of Wiley College, a small and unranked black school in Texas, unexpectedly defeated the all-white championship team from the University of Southern California. This was a classic case of the unknown triumphing over a national giant.
When ancient Israel was in peril t the hands of the Philistines, there was a boy named David who actually triumph over a giant (1 Sam. 17). The armies were drawn up on opposite sides of the Valley of Elah. They were probably afraid of one another and decided that the outcome of the battle should be determined by a battle of champions.
The Philistines offered Goliath, a giant (about 9' 9"), but Israel could not find anone who was worthy or brave enough to fight. David heard of the dilemma and appealed to Saul to let him fight Goliath (vv. 32-37). saul was reluctant, but he agreed. David, armed with five smooth stones (v.40) and unswerving fight in the Almighty God (v.45), triumphed over the Philistines' national champion.
We all face giants in our lives - worry, doubt, fear, sin and guilt. But with limited and unlikely resources and unswerving confidence in our all-powerful God, we too can triumph over them. - Marvin Williams

Come, Lord, and give me courage -
Thy conquering Spirit give;
Make me an overcomer
In power within me life. - Anon.

God gives us courage to challenge our giants.

Hope you all have a great blessed day!!

Bubbling..

Akhir-akhir ini pikiran d kepala lagi penuh.. thinking about my wedding prep, finishing the report for my last job, and again the wedding prep.. it's all so confusing..
Ada bener nya juga yang dikata orang.. kalo lagi persiapan pernikahan, be more patient, hold your tongue and re-think of all the things you want to say, especially when you're in a high temper and lot's of other things. Joining two families is not a simple thing, and both of you, the groom and bride to be are the connectors of the two.. there might be some missunderstanding, mismatched culture, different point of views and lot's of other things that can cause an arguments..
We had that.. and it's not easy.. and both of us has to choose words wisely talking to each others' parents.. not again if you add our own problems..

I bought a wedding magazine today.. and the words from the editor moves me.. I cried reading that.. it's about forgiveness and love..

I think I'm just going to share it here.. and it's in Indonesian..

Letter from Diany

Wedding in Pastel

Halo pembaca,

Apa kabar? Semoga semua dalam keadaan baik, bahkan Luar Biasa! Saya sendiri, dua bulan ini mengalami hal-hal yang DAHSYAT! Dahsyat prestasi, tapi juga dahsyat emosi. Saya menyesal, dan juga tidak bangga mengakui bahwa dua bulan ini saya ada bertengkar dengan suami, dengan anak, dengan mama. Saya sungguh menyesal, sekaligus menjadi bahan refleksi untuk saya yang ingin saya sharing-kan disini:
"Sadarkah kita bahwa kita melampiaskan 99% kemarahan justru kepada orang yang paling kita cintai?"

Simak kisah nyata berikut ini:

Fiona: "Yang paling kamu cintai di dunia ini siapa?"
Albert: "Kamu dong!!"
Fiona: "Menurut kamu, aku ini siapa?"
Albert: " (berpikir sejenak lalu menatap Fiona dengan pasti.) Kamu tulang rusukku!!! Karena Tuhan melihat bahwa Adam kesepian. Saat Adam tidur, Tuhan mengambil rusuk dari Adamdan menciptakan Hawa. Semua pria mencari tulang rusuknya yang hilang dan saat menemukan wanita untuknya, tidak lagi merasakan sakit di hati..."

Setelah menikah, pasangan itu mengalami masa yang indah dan manis untuk sesaat. Setelah itu, pasangan muda ini mulai tenggelam dalam kesibukkan masing-masing dan kepenatan hidup yang ada. Hidup mereka menjadi membosankan. Mereka mulai menyisihkan impian dan cinta satu sama lain. Mereka mulai bertengkar dan pertengkaran itu menjadi semakin panas. Pada suatu hari pada akhir sebuah pertengkaran, Fiona lari keluar rumah. Saat tiba di seberang jalan, dia berteriak, "Kamu nggak cinta lagi sama aku!!" Albert sangat membenci keidakdewasaan Fiona dan secara spontan balik berteriak, "Aku menyesal kita menikah! Kamu ternyata bukan tulang rusukku!!"

Tiba-tiba Fiona menjadi terdiam dan berdiri terpaku beberapa saat. Albert menyesal akan apa yang sudah dia ucapkan, tetapi seperti air yang telah tertumpah tidak mngkin untuk diambil kembali. Dengan berlinang air mata, Fiona kembali ke rumah dan mengambil barang-barangnya, bertekad untuk berpisah. "Kalau aku bukan tulang rusukmu, biarkan aku pergi! Biarkan kita berpisah dan mencari pasangan sejati masing-masing."

Lima tahun berlalu. Albert tidak menikah lagi, tetapi berusaha mencari tahu kehidupan Fiona. Fiona pernah ke luar negeri tetapi sudah kembali. Dia menikah dengan seorang asing dan bercerai. Albert agak kecewa bahwa Fiona tidak menunggunya kembali. Di tengah malam yang sunyi dia meminum kopinya dan merasakan sakit di hatinya. Tetapi dia tidak sanggup mengakui bahwa dia merindukan Fiona.

Suatu hari, mereka akhirnya kembali bertemu. Di airport, di tempat di mana banyak terjadi pertemuan dan perpisahan, mereka dipisahkan hanya oleh sebuah dinding pembatas.

Albert: "Apa kabar?"
Fiona: "Baik... Apakah kamu sudah menemukan tulang rusukmu yang hilang?"
Albert: "Belum."
FIona: "Aku terbang ke New York dengan penerbangan berikut. Aku akan kembali 2 minggu lagi. Telepon aku kalau kamu sempat. Kamu tahu nomor telepon kita, tidak ada yang berubah. Fiona tersenyum manis, lalu berlalu."

Satu minggu kemudian ternyata FIona adalah salah satu korban menara WTC. Malam itu, sekali lagi Albert mereguk kopinya dan kembali merasakan sakit di hatinya. Akhirnya dia sadar bahwa sakit itu adalah karena Fiona, tulang rusuknya sendiri yang telah dengan bodohnya dia patahkan.

Kita melampiaskan 99% kemarahan justru kepada orang yang paling kita cintai. Dan akibatnya adalah fatal. Seringkali penyesalan itu datang belakangan. Akibatnya setelah kita menyadari kesalahan kita, semua sudah terlambat. Karena itu jagalah dan sayangilah orang yang kita cintai dengan segenap hati. Sebelum mengucapkan sesuatu pikirlah dahulu, apakah kata-kata yang diucapkan akan menyakiti orang yang kau cintai? Kalau iya, sebaiknya jangan diucapkan, karena akan semakin besar resiko kehilangan orang yang dicintai.

Sebaliknya, bagi yang kena lampiasan amarah, ingatlah bahwa itu berarti kita adalah salah satu orang yang paling dicintai orang yang marah itu. Dengan menyadari hal ini, saya harap pengampunan menjadi lebih mudah. Dan bila dalam suatu relasi ada Kasih dan Pengampunan, apakah yang sulit diatasi? Tidak ada. Tidak ada yang mustahil di dalam kasih dan Pengampunan.

Maka dengan semangat Kasih dan Pengampunan, saya ucapkan kepada calon pengantin (maupun pembaca yang sudah menikah): "Selamat menempuh hidup pernikahan yang adventurous yet beautiful..."

Diany P. Chandra

To be honest, I cried reading this.. seringkali aku marah, atau pasangan ku yang marah.. pernah juga sampai teriak-teriak, we lost control. But then, just like Diany said.. most of the times, we regret the angry words we said towards each other..
Kadang-kadang kita bisa menemukan ketidak cocokkan dengan pasangan, namun aku berpikir, this is my commitment, he's the one I choose to be the one I'm going to spend the rest of my life with. I love him for who he is, all his good and bad.

Tentang tulang rusuk seperti yang disebut dalam cerita, aku tidak tahu dan mungkin tidak bisa dengan percaya diri mengatakan "aku tulang rusuk nya". Aku merasa, bahwa itu semua Tuhan lah yang menentukan. Untuk sekarang, aku hanya bisa bilang.. ya, dia pria yang aku cintai dan aku pun berharap dia sama mencintai ku.. sedihnya sedihku, bahagianya pun jadi bahagiaku.. menjadi bagian dalam hidupnya adalah mimpiku..
Aku ingin menjalani semua ini, I'm taking the chances that love is giving me.. and I will not regret every single thing. If this is the plan God has laid for me, what more can I ask beside praying to Him with all gratitude.

I hope God will bless us both & smooth our way towards the marriage.. looking forward for our adventurous & beautiful marriage life soon!!

7%

Aku nemu bacaan ini d bacaan Gereja.. perumpamaan tentang Surga dan Neraka..Dulu waktu SMP SMA pernah baca buku-buku kecil mengenai pengalaman orang-orang yang katanya pernah "dibawa" untuk melihat dunia akhirat. they were creepy..
Cerita yang satu ini beda dengan apa yang ditulis di buku-buku tersebut.. sebuah perumpamaan.. dengan judul 7%

so, here goes..

7%
Suatu ketika seorang manusia diberi kesempatan untuk berkomunikasi dengan Tuhan-nya dan berkata, “Tuhan, ijinkan aku untuk melihat seperti apakah Neraka dan Surga itu”.

Kemudian Tuhan membimbing manusia itu ke dua buah pintu dan kemudian membiarkannya melihat ke dalam.

Di tengah ruangan terdapat sebuah meja bundar yang sangat besar, dan di tengah nya terdapat semangkok sup yang beraroma sangat lezat yang membuat manusia tersebut mengalir air liurnya. Meja tersebut dikelilingi orang-orang yang kurus yang tampak sangat kelaparan.

Orang-orang itu masing-masing memegan sebuah sendok yang terikat pada tangan masing-masing. Sendok tersebut cukup panjang untuk mencapai mangkok di tengah meja dan mengambil sup yang lezat tadi. Tapi karena sendoknya terlalu panjang, mereka tidak dapat mencapai mulutnya dengan sendok tadi untuk memakan sup yang terambil.

Si Manusia tadi merinding melihat penderitaan dan kesengsaraan yang dilihatnya dalam ruangan itu.

Tuhan berkata, "Kamu sudah melihat Neraka”.

Lalu mereka menuju ke pintu kedua yang ternyata berisi meja beserta sup dan orang-orang yang kondisinya persis sama dengan ruangan di pintu pertama. Perbedaannya, di dalam ruangan ini, orang-orang tersebut berbadan sangat sehat dan berisi dan mereka sangat gembira di keliling meja tersebut.

Melihat keadaan ini si manusia menjadi bingung dan berkata, “Apa yang terjadi? Kenapa di ruangan yang kondisinya samaini mereka terlihat lebih bergembira?”

Tuhan kemudian menjelaskan, “ Sangat sederhana, yang dibutuhkan hanyalah satu sifat baik”.

“Perhatikan bahwa orang-orang ini dengan ikhlas menyuapi orang lain yang dapat dicapainya dengan sendok bergagang panjang, sedangkan di ruangan lain, orang-orang yang serkah hanyalah memikirkan kebutuhan dirinya sendiri”.

Diperkirakan bahwa 93% penerima (atau pembaca) tidah akan mem-forward cerita ini. Bila anda ternasuk sisa 7% yang akan mem-forwardnya, lakukanlah dengan memberi judul 7% pada title (judul) nya.

Saya termasuk yang 7% tadi, ingatlah saya akan selalu ada untuk berbagi sendok dengan anda!

Aku mungkin ga terlalu bisa menafsirkan arti dari perumpamaan ini.. tapi yang cukup bisa aku tangkap.. keegoisan, memusatkan segala nya hanya pada diri sendiri won't get you anywhere..

Kemarin malem sempet nonton film seri Glee.. ada murid yang namanya Rachel, she's so talented, great voice, she can dance, ballet and all that.. but she always thinks about herself.. gue berbakat, gue yang paling hebat and tiap performance mesti gue yang harus jadi superstar, I have to be the lead singer and let the others be my side vocals.. but she forgot that they are actually a choir.. she forgot that the others have great voices too and they deserve a chance to show what they have.. and last but not the least important, choir is about singing together in one harmony.. not just a one man show.. it's good that in the end she understand all that.. fighting and pursuing her own glory faced her with bad things and the ugliness of (so called) show biz.. she forgot that she has great friends back in the club, and together, they can reach their dreams.

hihi.. I don't know whether I have interpret it right or not.. the world not evolve with us as the center, but on Him..

May you all have a pleasant day..

Happy New Year 2010

It's 2010 already..
Cepet banget yaa.. time fly by and pass without saying any excuse and sometime we just realize, we haven't done anything.. ugh.. there are some things that bother me..

I gotta move fast and make a new resolution this year..
so.. I think these are my resolutions:

1. Sleep and wake up early!! Arghh.. I always wanted to sleep early, but most of the time I ended up sleeping so late at night.. and worst, I slept at 2.30 PM almost everyday.. the most early is 12 or 12.30 AM.. argghh.. and then, it would make me waking up late on the next morning.. sigh.. gotta change this.
2. Be more productive on my hobby..
3. Finish the 365 project
   
4. Earn and save more money. I hope point #2 can help me with this.. I hope I can be successful in a business, I'm thinking about having an online shop.
5. Learn more about photography with LOMO.
6. Get an advanced pocket camera.. haha.. thinking about a DLSR, but it's to big to be carried around in my bag.. :(
7. Be more active with my BLOG
8. Not spending too much time online, playing games and the useless stuff.. haha.. FB is dangerous indeed :p
   
9. GET MARRIED!! haha.. my fiancee and I are planning to get married this year.. wish us luck and smooth journey k guys (^^,)*
10. Lose some weight!! Ugh, that's important or I'll be a fatty bride this year and that's not a pretty sight. :P
11. Be more discipline with my self, especially to achieve all the points above and some other points of resolutions that I kept to myself (too private to post it her, haha..)
12. Last but not least, be a better me this year.. lose the bad habits and enhance the good ones.. hehe..

That's some of my resolutions this year..
How about you friends? Whatever they are, I hope you all be successful in achieving them too..
Wishing you a GREAT YEAR!!
GBU

It's Christmas Time..

* MERRY CHRISTMAS 2009 *

Wishing for..
LOVE in your hearts,
Warmth in your souls,
Contentment in your spirits,
& Peace in your home..

May all these precious treasures be yours always!!

(once again) MERRY CHRISTMAS !!

(^^,)* Jeanne

Congratz Bro..!!!

Today is my little brother's graduation day..
Finally, hihi.. after 5 years I think :p

Well,
CONGRATULATIONS !!!
Wish you all the best & success..

Looking for the dress..

Wow.. last Thursday I just had a new experience.. trying on a wedding dress!!!!
Like the other engaged girls out there and the wedding that is coming up.. this is something that's written on a MUST DO list.. haha..

So yea.. I was planning to go there with my lovely friend, Yeane.. but she phoned me last night, that she's pregnant!! (Wee.. luv it, congrats to her & hubby) and according to her condition and last time experience, she must have a bed-rest.. so she can't come and help me find my wedding needs.. well, it's oke lah.. I hope her condition will get better & the child is strong (^^,)*
So, went there with my little brother instead.. since he doesn't have much things to do, just counting days till the graduation day, which is next week.. hehe..

Then, we went to two places.. I looooove the first..
I don't know why.. perhaps because when I asked the second one.. do you have another one (models)? They just came up with dresses in the same cutting, and just different material, beads, additional lace, etc.. but overall are just the same.. while I mean is different shape.. like ball-gowns or like a mermaid ones.. both of us just got bored.. and then they said, we have different collections, but it's up stairs, the VIP ones and cost triplets than the ones down here.. what??! kamsia deh..
While the first.. I think they or actually she, have fresh ideas.. and yea.. I just like it.
It is true, the second one is known already and the fitting room is huuuge.. tapi mungkin dah jatuh cintrong tu ya susah kali yaa.. hahaha..

Oh well, I'm going back there (the 1st place) again Tuesday, tomorrow with my Mum.. (^^,)*
I already picked two shapes.. whether it is the half mermaid that will make me look slim (ohh.. all women love that) and longer legs, or the ball-gown which I think is so romantic.. hihi..

* extra to the story..
at the end of the fitting trip.. my brother said; " Sis, it feels really different you know.. seeing girls fitting regular dress on dept store and seeing this.. when you came out of the fitting room with the wedding dress.. it felt so.. WOW!! and you're NOT my bride!! I wonder how I would feel when I see mine later.."
haha..

I wonder how Indra would feel if he came fitting with me.. hmm..

Sop sayuran melawan kanker..

Post ini jadi terpikir setelah menerima sms dari Mami kemarin pagi (11/12), tentang makan daun singkong yang bagus untuk kesehatan, dan Oom Shinto yang rajin mengkonsumsinya setelah menjalani operasi kanker usus.

Jaman sekarang ini tambah aneh-aneh aja yah.. banyak muncul penyakit-penyakit baru, dengan nama yang aneh pula.. pas kuliah dulu ada cikungunya (aku sering salah nyunya nyunya apa gtu nyebut nya, haha..), terus ada sars, sekarang flu burung and flu babi..
Klo dulu, baru kena penyakit-penyakit pas sudah tua, sekarang umur 20-an pun sudah ada yang (sorry) stroke, koma bahkan sampai meninggal. Mungkin karena pengaruh makanan dan gaya hidup juga ya? Junk food makin menjamur, merokok dah jadi kebiasaan, tidur malam karena pekerjaan, tekanan akan kebutuhan hidup, hiburan malam, gaya hidup bebas, polusi dll..

Tapi untunglah sekarang banyak juga orang-orang yang sudah mulai sadar akan kesehatan, makanan organik makin diburu.. terapi-terapi, pernak-pernik kesehatan seperti kalung, gelang makin digemari. Di Surabaya juga sekarang dilarang merokok d tempat umum, which is such a relieve.. aku suka sengaja batuk-batuk biasanya, klo pas ada orang yang ngerokok ga tau aturan, bayangkan deh.. antri di dokter kok merokok.. sigh..

Well, intinya semua orang pingin sehat. Begitu juga mama papa and orang-orang di rumah.. terutama papa tuh, klo ada temen nya cerita habis minum vitamin ini itu bikin badan tambah segar dll, langsung deh beliau ikut beli.. sampe g tau deh berapa macam obat yang diminum.. ada yang salah-salah, malah bikin darah jadi tambah encer. Untung deh sekarang sudah ga minum lagi.. habis nya tanpa prescription and penjelasan yang cukup tentang obat atau vitamin tersebut kan bahaya juga.

By the way.. sekarang beliau cuma minum sari buah Noni, vitamin C (Ester-C), dan minuman-minuman traditional (rebusan). And ini nih satu yang mau aku cerita'in.. tentang sop sayuran sehat yang katanya berkhasiat melawan kanker.
Resep ini didapat dari kakak iparnya papa.. berupa fotokopi-an berbahasa Mandarin.. papa, mama and emak sudah coba minum sari sayuran ini hampir setahun klo ga salah and katanya lumayan sih.. mereka ga ada mengidap kanker tho (thanks to the Lord above for their health) dan minum ini untuk stamina dan menjaga kesehatan. Aku dah pengen share resep ini lama, tapi fotokopi nya pakai bahasa Mandarin / China, jadi bingung juga nanti kalo ditanya.. and baru kepikiran buat browse terjemahan nya di internet hari ini.. haha.. ya'apa seh Jean? haha..

Resep ini ditemukan oleh seorang dokter berkewarganegaraan Jepang, Dr. Tateishi Kazu (1934-2001).
Menggunakan bahan-bahan seperti lobak, daun lobak, wortel, gubo (atau burdock) dan jamur shitake (atau biasa kita menyebutnya dengan hioko). Semua bahan direbus trus dsaring dan diminum air nya. Ampas sayur nya juga boleh dimakan, karena masih sangat sehat. Kadang-kadang aku makan wortel atau lobak nya, hehe.. For your info, rebusan sayur ini emang agak bau, tapi tahan-tahan aja yah.. demi kesehatan (^^,)*

File PDF bisa di download disini, dengan nama SUP LOBAK.

Tambahan info:
Untuk mendapatkan bahan-bahan, mungkin yang paling mudah adalah wortel, karena pasti ada di pasar-pasar tradisional sampe supermarket.
Untuk lobak, jangan yang sudah dipangkas daun nya karena daunnya juga bahan penting dalam memasak sop ini. Kalau di Surabaya, lobak berdaun bisa di dapat di supermarket Hokky, Ranch Market atau Papaya. Coba cari di supermarket terkemuka di kotamu, aku belum pernah cari di Hero, Giant atau Hypermart sih.
Jamur Shitake alias jamur payung atau lebih populernya disebut hioko, kering atau basah sama saja. Mungkin bisa beli kering karena bisa disimpan lebih lama. Kalau di Surabaya, di supermarket-supermarket ada sih, untuk murah and mutu, mungkin bisa cari di Susanna, Pabean, belinya kiloan and bisa pilih yang bentuknya masih bagus dan besar. hehe..
Nah, yang terakhir yang suka bikin orang bingung, burdock. Waktu pertama papa mama mulai cari aja salah sebutnya, sayur bulldog, mana ada coba? haha.. waktu itu nemu di Hokky, nama nya Burdock root / Gobo. Ada juga yang bilang ketela Jepang. Bentuknya panjang seperti tongkat, warna kulit kecoklatan dan dagingnya mirip-mirip tebu, rasa nya juga manis. Ada yang bilang burdock bisa diiris tipis lalu direbus dan airnya diminum untuk panas dalam atau dicampur dalam sup untuk dimakan dengan sayur dan daging. Dulu cuma nemu burdock di Papaya, Hokky dan Ranch Market, tapi sekarang kayak nya sudah banyak yang jual. Kapan lalu ada lihat burdock di Hypermart Duta Mall, Banjarmasin.
Well, semoga makin lama bahan-bahan untuk sayuran sehat ini bisa didapat dengan mudah, jadi semua bisa menikmati dan merasakan khasiatnya.

Selamat mencoba dan semoga semua sehat!! God bless..

P.S.
Other stories you might want to know:

1. Tateishi Kazu's website
   
2. History & nature
3. IMPORTANT TO READ
   
4. Success stories & other recipes
   
5. Buy the formulated soup online on Alibaba or Tradekey
6. Other stories
   
7. Other downloads (recipes, knowledge on cancer, etc)

I really recommend you to read all the articles carefully before consuming the soup.. so that you really know and understand the side effects and all the cautions.
Pregnant woman should not drink the soup.

Anniv anniv.. 28th

Got the idea to make this piece from flickr friends.. they are making wall decorations from these round thing, I forgot what it's called, haha..

I thought this might look cute on Indra's mum crafting place and as an anniversary gift for the 28th wedding anniversary too, haha.. finished it more than a month ago and supposed to be given on September 20th, but Indra's mum went to Singapore to accompany her mother do a medical check up, then on Lebaran holiday it's my family and I who went out of town.. so the gift was delayed till today.. weleh weleh suinee.. but I still hope she like it (^^,)* sorry for the belated gift Mum :p

I'm engaged.. (^^,)*

*speechless.. hahaha..
I just smile all day.. so so so happy.. hehe..
Like my fiancee said (*cieee...) "We passed the semi-final, let's get ready for the final round!" woohoo.. final round as in the wedding.. ('^,)*

Woke up early this morning to have a simple make up at the beauty salon, maklum deh g iso make up dewe.. I wonder what time should I wake up for the wedding day.. my friend woke up at 3 in the early morning.. oh my.. I have to prepare my stamina *jia you..

Indra asked our friends to take our photos and a lil'video.. I was so nervous, not used to so much attention on me.. a bit salting but I try to relax.. haha..

In a Chinese tradition, the girl should not be seen (or should be hidden in the room) when they guy came.. so, I went to my room when Indra came.. tried to take a peek from my window, but couldn't see a thing.. only his Mum's friend in a flowery dress, hehe.. sweet dress.. I like it. Then I heard voices in the family room telling me that they already there.. made me so curious.. what happen, what are they doing.. I spent the 10 minutes checking the dress (it's a bit loose since the day I bought it, lost some weight, but it's okay), checked my nails hand and toes.. and then my Mum came.. "come on.. let's go.." she said.. *dag dig dug..

*smile smile.. ahh.. I saw my babe.. he's so cute, all shaved.. hmm..
I was told to go around pai2 to the elders and shake hands with all families..
Hugs and kisses to Indra's parents and they put a necklace on me as a symbol that I'm proposed and we're engaged.. different with the western yah, you just kneel, show her the ring, she said yes and you're engaged.. in eastern culture, you need the whole family to be there, haha..

Then we took photos, haha.. had lunch prepared by my Mum at our house and more photos.. hehehe.. so I'm officially engaged and not available, hahaha..

After the party, we also went to his (other) grandma's house and deliver some engagement hampers to families & friends. I really like the hampers, Indra's Mum made it for us from felt.. so cute (>.<)* our friends like them, especially the cookies, candies and food inside, especially bee cheng hiang, hahaha.. a one of a kind hampers we have & it's everybody's favorites, YAY!!

The day was great! I got a new sister, and two sets of parents, Indra has another mama and papa angkat in Jakarta, haha.. so I have three sets now (>.<)*
And later that night, we went to see movies, two married couple, one engaged couple and sweet little sister.. we watched Whisper.. I kept the movie ticket.. haha.. this is our first movie as an engaged, hoho..

So desu, I'm going to bed now..
Good night everyone.. sweet dreams.. (^^,)*

Engange & jualan.. g nyamboong.. wakakakak..

DAG DIG DUG..

Moi friends.. if you notice that little thing on my side bar, ya'll must be wondering.. what is that count down for.. well.. it's for my engagement day, YAY!!
On November 1st this Sunday.. I'll be engaged to my beloved boyfriend, Indra (^^,)*

Deg2an nih.. hehe..
Doa'in ya temen2 semoga acara nya berjalan lancar sampe bisa k wedding day taon depan, hehe..

Saking seneng nya , saking bingung nya, deg2an nya.. jadi g tau deh apa2 yg mau d tulis.. hehe..

Ohya, aku jg lagi semangat pengen jualan.. haha.. sekarang lg seneeeng banget sama aksesoris2 Korea and untung nya, ada kenalan.. jd pengen jual d hometown ini deh.. secara anak2 nya jg doyan dandan.. kira2 bisa g ya? soal e yg jualan (alias aku) not so a dandan person, wakakakak..
Mungkin bisa minta calon adek ipar & temen2 nya untuk memperagakan nih.. hehe..
Kan wo dd nan peng you doyan fotografi.. nah, tu aksesoris bisa buat model2 nya pake and sapa tau tu anak2 yg foto2 pada demen and mau beli.. orr.. bisa djadiin model ku d online shop.. hehehehehe.. setali tiga uang neh.. bener gak yah peribahasa nya, hahaha..

Hmm.. mudahan oke nih kerjasama nya..
ntik aku kabarin lagi yah klo tuh toko online ku udah mau buka.. wakakakak.. amin amin..

Mau mandi dlu nih, malem ini mau ke Gereja..

See ya!!!

Hot guy.. hello.. *lol..

Just browsin' on the web today..
Checkin' the games I'm playing on Facebook, seeing contacts photos updates on Flickr.. so much fun.. and then browsing on other crafters blogs.. and I found this.. wee.. an embroidered hottie.. haha..

Stitched by Lagidgette.. nice! (^^,)*

Updates on me:
Just arrived in my hometown yesterday.. hehe..
Nice to be back.. hmm.. only one thing to concern about tho.. klo balik nih suka nostalgia makanan.. ugh, gawat.. udah turun 3 kg jgn ampe bounce back.. hahaha..

Lagi sibuk nyusun2 barang2 d kamar and buku d ruang baca.. banyak yg dbawa mudik, hehe..

A lil'update, here and there..

Doh! Jek tas mulih kiii.. jek tas tutuk omah.. (read. baru aja pulang nih.. baru aja sampe rumah..) hehe..
Tumben malem banget yak.. biasa nya aku paling pol jam 11 dah di rumah..
Enak juga klo pacar lagi dateng, ga takut pulang malem klo abis pergi ama temen2 (^^,)*

We just had a barbeque party at friends house.. can't really be called bbq actually.. we had french fries, chicken wing (I think.. didn't eat that one), pok-pok (I don't know what it is, but I'm sure it's made from chicken meat), and some sliced meat, hams, meatballs and sausages we grilled on an electric grill.. We had fruit mix drinks and some soda too.

When the stomach's full.. the next one is.. let's play!! haha.. the boys are so grateful that my friend has a good collection of home entertainment.. for sure, he has Nintendo Wii, PS 3 with the flat TV.. what game you want to play? well, he got a lot of Wii games and definitely the most fun to play together (with lots of people) on PS 3, is WE a.k.a Winning Eleven. Udah deh.. cowo2 ketemu game.. langsung autis, haha..

My boyfriend and some others played upstairs, my friend has a billiard table too.. hmm.. nice eh? I can't play tho.. so I just went around trying my friend's handycam and took pictures here and there.. got some funny scene :p

I'm going back to Banjarmasin tomorrow and the packing is still 50% to go.. WOW!!!!
mesti cepet selesai'in neh.. nite2.. I'm going back to packing.. Chiao!