so much to celebrate

Recently I've been on the road alot. 2 weeks ago, I attended Priya's wedding in KL. We took the long route through Singapore, to visit my mum who isn't well. So in all the rushing to get prepared, I forgot to bring the card I made for her. Priya is the eldest daughter of a very dear friend, Kiran. She has inherited the wit & charm Kiran possesses and her caring spirit. It was a beautiful evening, I'll post photos soon. We arrived in KL, 25 minutes before the event & had to clean up quick. Still, I am glad we didn't skip the party. So many friends were there, so many of them have been so special to us that they're like family . Our family was all together, too. Quite rare these days.

With all the coming and going, I've been writing my thoughts and to do lists on bits & pieces of paper , and finally, I sat down and got it all in order. We just passed the '2 months to go before the new store opens' mark, so I'm having to unearth all my time management & organizing skills here. All my tasks now have a time unit attached and now I have to assign dates to them. It actually looks like I'll be able to get it all done. With help. =) I sat to talk to God the other morning, pouring out & telling him about the ridiculous amount of different things I had to accomplish to see the store open. I told Him I couldn't do it and asked if He would help. The thought that was in my heart was "Foolish child, why did you doubt". A gentle rebuke. Tinged with a warmth that filled me . So I'm believing that His hand is an inch beneath my soaring self. I could have chosen to be free from all this extra work, but I am free. Free to choose and I chose this. Now I wait to see His hand sweep across my life as this crazy dream becomes real.
Somehow I've found some time to create. Cards for special people, including Jessy. And some material for upcoming classes. When all this is over I might be able to write a book on time management. Ha ha! And I don't know where the energy is coming from but there seems to be an adequate supply, for which I am grateful .
I'm expecting to learn some lessons in the coming weeks.

random stuff

-my muscles still hurt from training on Sunday
-please let me find a seriously good store supervisor
-designs all done, we start renovation next week
-i have too much stuff
-so good meeting up with old friends last friday
-can I really do it?
-slowly, slowly

home & it gets busier

I got home last Saturday night and then I got sick . This immune system of mine can hardly fight anything so I got a bug and I am woozy with the Cipro but still working. Small renovation going on at the studio. Going smaller so that we can get bigger and hours meeting with the designers. I love doing that! I had the best time at the MWL Sizzix retailers event. The people were all warm and super COOL and the food was divine. Plus I got to work with some of my heroes. jasmine, Aida & Mei Mei. We were there for 12 hours that day and only realized I was tired while waiting for dinner at Thai Express with I-Mei at 9.30. Yet the day wasn't over. It was a long drive out to visit Mum. I cannot describe how I felt when I saw her. She was frail and thin. Claressa says the doctors are leaning more heavily to the fact that the cancer is back. I'm asking God why a person who gives her life for others would end up with this as her lot.
So the wonderful day ends on a sad note. In the whole huge happy place that is my life, where I look around and there is nothing I am not grateful for, not even my 'health' there is this desolate place and I'm praying that God will breathe life into it.
So then I 'm back in my room. Home for 2 days. Sometimes I feel when I come to Singapore it's home, I'm coming home. But there's no one there. Oh, but I-Mei was there. Hanging out with me almost 24/7. (smile) We ate a lot of noodles and saw/ bought/ coveted a lot of scrap stuff. I managed to get everything into my bags. Free stuff from the event. Scrap stuff. Goodies for the baby, who is 17, including stationery (of course), a gift for passing her driving test and a fun, very French 'tres chic' satchel (to show off at school) , books, catalogs, more gifts... one would think I was away for a month! So everything fit and on Saturday morning I went out while it was quiet for some, err, quiet time. And by 12 I was ready to go home.
As I passed my old school I took a picture of this old building. What used to be MPH bookstore where I hung out a lot, on the way to the bus stop, at the old National Library. Stopping to eat mee siam at the old hut of a sarabat stall. And then taking a bus home with my best friend Shirin. A lifetime ago, and now Sarah is at 2 years older then I was then, looking a tad like me with all the exuberance and enthusiasm I had then and still have I think, maybe, just a notch down.

Life is always changing. There's a song I love by Anita Baker, from long ago. It goes, 'life is always changing, constant rearranging, nothing changes with you. I go to a million places, see a million faces, but none as fine as you...'
Nice. If you have someone in your life that makes you want to sing that song to(or play the song, heee..) give thanks. If there is someone or some people as fine, who will hold the net beneath you while you take flight and soar to the most dreamed of places, who will watch the kids, go to the market and make tea when you're weary and happy and your heart is bursting with joy...don't forget to say Hallelujah. To say Thank you Lord and to tell them that life is always changing and that you're so very glad they're not!

It sure is nice to be home.