If the sight of blue skies fill you with joy

If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive. ~Eleonora Duse

My very first blog entry on 22 May 2008

I hope this blog will become some kind of a record of various observations that interest me, matters that invoke emotional response from me either negative or positive, events that take place which are important to me and information on family and friends who I hold dearly in my heart.

I started this blog in May 2008.  This was my very first entry made on 22 May 2008. 

"Death risk higher for elderly women who lose weight, says University of Maryland School of Medicine study
Elderly women face an increased risk of death if they lose weight or are underweight, according to researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Elderly women of average weight who lose weight may be at greatest risk.

The six-year study, which appears in the December issue of The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, involved 648 Baltimore area women between the ages of 65 and 99. The women were interviewed and weighed at their homes once a year for three years, and were followed for another three years.

The risk of death was highest for women with an average body mass index (BMI), who then went on to lose weight. These women were nearly four times more likely to die than women who either maintained their weight or gained a few pounds during the course of the study. A weight change of 4.5 percent or more from one year to the next was recorded as a gain or a loss.
"Our findings run contrary to the popular belief that losing weight always makes you healthier," says Matthew W. Reynolds, M.S., of the School of Medicine's Department of Epidemiology. "We believe doctors should pay close attention to weight change in older women because it could signal potentially serious health problems."

The risk of death was the lowest for elderly women who maintained an average BMI over the six-year study period. Thirteen percent of these women died, compared to the group's overall death rate of 16 percent. The death rate was 22 percent for elderly women who began the study with a lower than average body mass. For the heaviest women, the death rate was 18 percent.

"This work has some very important implications for older women and their health care providers because weight changes are relatively easy to monitor," says Jay S. Magaziner, Ph.D., professor and interim chair, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine and director of the division of gerontology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "Even small changes should be taken seriously."

The study found that weight fluctuation also appears to increase mortality for women over the age of 65. "Fairly minor weight cycling-from five to eight pounds for a five-foot, five-inch woman-is associated with a significantly increased risk of death," says Magaziner.

Regardless of a woman's initial BMI, investigators found that losing weight always increased the risk of dying. "Dieting or trying to return to an "ideal" weight may not be the best recommendation for older women who are not obese," says Reynolds. "It is possible that maintaining body weight may actually help keep you more robust and healthy later in life."

Investigators cautioned that their results do not explain the reasons for the increased death rates. The study took age, income, smoking habits and alcohol use into consideration, but the cause of death for these women is not known. Reynolds says interviewers tried to screen out women with serious pre-existing health problems, but he says some illnesses may have gone undetected, accounting for some of the weight loss." This article comes from http://www.scienceblog.com/community

Don't mess with mature ladies!

A mature lady gets pulled over for speeding.

Older Woman : Is there a problem, Officer?
Officer : Ma'am, you were speeding.

Older Woman: Oh, I see.
Officer: Can I see your license please?

Older Woman: I'd give it to you but I don't have one.
Officer: Don't have one?

Older Woman: Lost it, 4 years ago for drunk driving.
Officer: I see... Can I see your vehicle registration papers please.

Older Woman: I can't do that.
Officer: Why not?

Older Woman: I stole this car.
Officer: Stole it?

Older Woman: Yes, and I killed and hacked up the owner.
Officer: You what?

Older Woman: His body parts are in plastic bags in the trunk if you want to see.

The Officer looks at the woman and slowly backs away to his car and calls for back up. Within minutes 5 police cars circle the car. A senior officer slowly approaches the car, clasping his half drawn gun.

Officer 2: Ma'am, could you step out of your vehicle please! The woman steps out of her vehicle.

Older woman: Is there a problem sir?
Officer 2: One of my officers told me that you have stolen this car and murdered the owner.

Older Woman: Murdered the owner? Officer 2: Yes, could you please open the trunk of your car, please.

The woman opens the trunk, revealing nothing but an empty trunk.

Officer 2: Is this your car, ma'am?
Older Woman: Yes, here are the registration papers. The officer is quite stunned.

Officer 2: One of my officers claims that you do not have a driving license.
The woman digs into her handbag and pulls out a clutch purse and hands it to the officer. The officer examines the license. He looks quite puzzled.

Officer 2: Thank you ma'am, one of my officers told me you didn't have a license, that you stole this car, and that you murdered and hacked up the owner.
Older Woman: Bet the liar told you I was speeding, too.

Source: http://www.malaysian-explorer.com/jokes-speedingLady.html

天下乌鸦一般黑

天下乌鸦一般黑
Literal: Crows everywhere are equally black.
Meaning: Bad people are bad no matter where / when you find them because a person's nature rarely changes 

A new rhythm in our relationship

At one time, he worked and provided for us singlehandedly while our Mother looked after all our needs singlehandedly at home. A lot has changed since then.  Mother had passed away nearly 14 years ago at age 85 after being ill and kind of bed-ridden for about 2-3 weeks due to kidney failure.  Father is now almost 101 years old, already weak, hard of hearing and although still mobile and still able to look after his own hygiene, he definitely needs someone to see to his daily needs. 
   
Immediately after Mother passed away I offered Father to stay with me, but he was, to say the least, 'abhored".  He is comfortable in his own home where he had stayed in since 1961 and he likes his independence.  For the past 14 years we were very lucky because we managed to hire a lived -in maid to look after his needs. 

The maid will be going home soon for a month's holiday.   Sister and I are actually not looking forward to replace the maid during the one month because of the adjustments we have to make to our daily routine.  Looking at him just now I felt guilty for feeling this way.  I must think of a way to make it a positive experience for both him and me. 

"Everyone ages... Age creeps up on us as we go about our lives. One day mom and dad are robust, and, suddenly or gradually, they are not. One day we are robust, and then we are not... 

Caring for a loved one who is elderly, ill or disabled brings with it a complex set of emotions and issues, as does being cared for. As roles change and children assist an elderly parent who once cared for them ... a delicate dance begins... As roles shift, each person must cope with the loss of the familiar role and establish a new rhythm in their relationship".

Extract from Caring for loved ones and ourselves is a delicate dance by Karen Freitag

Pleasurable nostalgia

As I grow older I feel that reconnecting to relatives,old friends and making new friends had become more important and enjoyable. Events where relatives and old friends can meet had become sources of pleasurable nostalgia and with greater freedom to relax and less interference from the demands of work, there are more opportunities to bond with new friends.

Some years ago (21)

Date of entry:  13 July 1948

What do I actually want to do?  I am already 30 plus but I am still uncertain.  There are opportunities, I must admit.  So, what am I waiting for?

By Woon/Joon SC

Ha...ha....

George Burns quotes:

• Nice to be here? At my age it's nice to be anywhere.
• Smartness runs in my family. When I went to school I was so smart my teacher was in my class for five years.
• By the time you're eighty years old you've learned everything. You only have to remember it

Bob Hope quotes:

1. She said she was approaching forty, and I couldn't help wondering from what direction.
2. You know you are getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.
3. Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle!

The bond that endures

I was at my Father's house yesterday on Mother's Day.  Sister and I talked a bit about Mother, basically comparing Father with Mother.  While driving home I thought a lot about my Mother.  

I can never forget the fact that it was Mother who gave me the support to apply for a place in University.   After completing Form 6 (that was 45 years ago) my Father had encouraged me to work.  I remember he showed me an advertisement for a Cadet Journalist position with the New Straits Times and asked me to apply.  Probably he was worried that he would not be able to support me as well as my 3 younger brothers through university. 

At that time I had already got hold of an application form for placement in University Malaya.  I was therefore hesitant to apply for the job and at the same time I dared not apply for a place in the university.    I filled up the form in pencil, photostated all the necessary supporting documents and placed it in the drawer.  But everyday I would take it out and look at it.   After about one week my Mother waved me to one corner of the house and whispered "You want to go to university right?".  I nodded.  "Then apply" she said and she took out the form from the drawer.  "Where to get money to pay the fees?" I asked.  "Don't worry, I'll see what I can do" she said.  Although it is almost 14 years since she passed on, I still miss her a lot. 

Unconditional love

"A mother’s job is probably the most laborious in the world, often comes without a Manual, and once appointed, there is no such thing as turning back or throwing in the towel. Once a mother, always a mother!

From morning sickness to labour pains, a mother’s worry for her child ceases only with her last breath. Sacrifices she makes often come unrecognised, undervalued and often, taken for granted.

Her sweat was probably dry before you could even notice it. Her burnt skin from the kitchen was probably forgotten. Her tears went unseen. Her sleepless nights unrecorded. Her fatigue, unmentioned.

But yet, a mother’s love will always stand strong like a flame that burns despite all odds. This is the real meaning of “Unconditional Love”. Untainted. Come rain or shine".

Quote: Sairana Mohd Saad in what-am-i-without-you-mother

She got a new nose after 33 years!

Rakhi, who is from a small village in Gujranwala (in Pakistan), was married off to Ghulam Baksh when she was just 13. Belonging to the same clan, Rakhi, like most rural women, had no say in the wedding. She was regularly subjected to domestic violence.  Rakhi was 19 and already a mother of two — a boy and girl, when her husband chopped off her nose!  Her children grew up with their mother’s face always covered with a little cloth patch on her face and a veil on top of it at all times.  Now 33 year later Dr Hamid Hassan took up the challenge of constructing a new nose for her, using flaps of Rakhi’s skin. 

Read full article Violence against women: Years after he cut off her nose she smiled to spite his face

Girls'Day out!

Four things a woman should know:
How to look like a girl, How to act like a lady, How to think like a man, And how to work like a dog.
Author Unknown

This is torturous!

Sushi class with Meng Foon, Melissa, Shirley and others 

Sushi Chef painstakingly showing us how to do it

Samples of sushis made by the Chef

The 2 trays infront made by Me!

Hey..so proud of our self-made sushis!!

We CAN have peaceful demonstrations

A group of protestors in Surabaya carrying out a peaceful marching demonstration escorted by police outriders.  Perhaps the authorities in Malaysia could take a lesson from Surabaya?  

A gift from the Creator

Your life is a gift from the Creator. Your gift back to the Creator is what you do with your life. - Billy Mills

Dinner at Castell to celebrate the boys' birthdays

Robbed off their childhood!

I secretly recorded these pictures at a car wash at the back of a restaurant. Shall I make a report? Although the children were not being bullied, they did looked unhappy. Also we have laws against child labour! They were washing the plates,pots and pans non-stop. Both were not wearing gloves. The elder one was wearing a pair of rubber boots, the younger one was barefooted!

Some years ago (20)

Date of entry 9 March 1949

Daughter Kim was teaching her younger sister the Malay language. Kim said : " 'Saya' is 'ME'. Her younger sister said: "Okay. So 'saya' is YOU!"

By Joon/Woon SC

Note: The younger sister was actually me, hee..hee..