Our Sunday

If you know England, you will know how the weather behaves. Not in the best behaviour but still, a good day could be a very, very good day. Or it could pour in the middle of a good day or it could just change from a good  to bad day. As such, most people (us included) rely on weather forecast. Though, when one has plans for the day, one prays hard that the forecast is wrong.  But, imagine how hard it is, if everybody's prayers are granted? But, whatever the weather is like, we will never let it dampen our spirits - especially on weekends.

Normally, Sunday is our car boot day.  The children will be very excited and got ready with little persuasion. They already have their own "List of Things to Buy" in their heads. And after breakfast we will all pile into the car and leave for Pulloxhill some 9 miles away. But, Pulloxhill Car Boot sales ended last week. They will re-open next July. So, this morning, since the weather was ok (though quite cold), we were game enough to try a different car boot. But, our 8 miles journey was not rewarded - when we arrived, the car booties were packing, ready to go home! Should go earlier next week!

So! We decided to go home. Just before we arrived, we dropped by at Stockwood Park. We saw the American Circus caravans at the park. We have been meaning to bring the children to watch the circus, maybe next week. I will let you know if we do. And as the sun was up, we let the children ran lose in the park.

Aqil is actually shivering - not because of the weather but because he's scared if he'll slip and fall

But he's OK just "hanging around"! Hmmph....!

Mia - pretending she's on a real horse. Aqil - happier knowing he's back on the ground (errr... not quite!)

Actually, going to Stockwood Park has become our Sunday must-do activity. What we like about the place is that it always have some kind of exhibitions going on. Even if they do not, we will just go and bring the children to the play area at the Discovery Centre or simply picnicking! One of the displays that I like at the Museum is on Transport - Many many coaches from the era gone by were on display - not sure if they still are - but, that time, we forgot to bring our camera along, such I can't share them with you. But if still on display next week, I'll share with you some photos and interesting information on the coaches. And just to wrap up our weekend activity, Mia, Hakim and their father sowed the bean shoot - sowed on a container as it is supposed to be an indoor kind of vege. Hmmm..... very domestic for a vege, isn't it? well, hope all of you have a Great Weekends. We did! :-D

Rambling of a Mum ... Oh No! Not Again!

It is more like a task now this updating blog thingy.  No. Don't get me wrong! I love to see this blog "growing". I have expressed many many thoughts, shared many stories and I have made many friends through it. It has become a part of what keeps me sane. I always thought that I can keep this tiny little blog of mine better once I completed my studies. But, there was hardly any gap between completing my studies and having to go to work - and the hours I keep at work! No! I am not complaining about work either. Yes. I keep long hours. But at the moment when the economic outlook is not that pretty, I have never forgotten to express my gratefulness to the Al-Mighty that at least I have a job and can keep my family going. Syukur Alhamdulillah. So?! Coming to think about it, do I really have any problem? Hmmm... I have a good loving family who accept me - imperfections and all, we have enough food to go round, we enjoy our Saturdays & Sundays together, the children have books they can read, toys they can play with - doesn't matter if the books and toys came from charity shops or car boot sales), we have a good cook (Thank you Dear - I am sorry that there is no fishing lake around here for us to go and catch that lovely rainbow trout!) and err... we also have a tiny vegetable patch which we hope will supply our kitchen with all our vegetable needs and maybe we can have a bigger patch and can start supplying for Farley Hill market at least .... hmm..... where was I? Sorry..I am miles away.

Anyway, the apple above? The first apple that we picked from the tall apple tree which I told you about last week. I was quite frustrated looking at many of them being eaten by perhaps squirrels, birds or simple fell off - thanks to the wind, and was thinking of a way of picking them up when Danish kind of tired of seeing me looking hopefully at the apples and started climbing the tree (branches and all) and with a stick poke some of them down.

The rotten apples - it's a pity isn't it?

Those Danish managed to poke down

        
                    

Though we have apples straight from the tree today, since they were not picked earlier, they do not look as fresh as they should be. But, we do not care - they were still nice and crunchy! Heaven!

Oh yes, while we were busy watching Danish, we heard a call of panic somewhere. Hmmm... well, it is this boy :

He was in panic as he cannot see how he can get down! And Ibu had to come for rescue! Why does a 4 year old always think that he can do anything?.... like the sky's the limit but in th end.... hmmmph!

Actually, before Danish started climbing, my mind had actually "climbed" the tree. I was trying to strategise where I should hold and where to put my feet, but, you see, the tree is so.... full of branches :

Which make it difficult to climb.  You see what I mean?

But Danish received instructions from his Dad - which branch to hold on to; where to step on, No! No! That branch can't hold your weight! And coming down, some instructions from his Mum - opps! Nope! You can step here, I am supporting it for you or you can step on my palm - then quickly move to the bigger branch! Hmm.... are we really not the only two parents who give instructions about climbing a tree? I am sure there's more of us, right?

Oh yes, in case you are wondering about our little vegetable patch. We have a gardener looking after it now :

With her new watering can

The gardener explaining the plans she has for the garden's future. To date, we have sowed beetroot, spinach,    strawberries, pumpkins, etc,...

Oh yes! What exactly was I rambling about earlier? Hmm... nothing actually. Except, it is hard to keep up with maintaining a decent blog when you have so little time to spend in front of the lappy when you only have two days to really (I mean REALLY) spend with you family while on weekdays' night you are dead tired when you reached home - that is OK actually except you are also busy with your other interest - Reading! Actually, there are pros and cons living close to a charity shop! Last week I finished reading three books - light reading books - Pray & Die by Stella Whitelaw (I am into her Jordan Lacey series now), Cat O'Nine Tales by Jeffrey Archer and Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella. And today, I have just bought three other books by Sidney Sheldon - all at 10p each - The Sands of Time, Nothing Lasts Forever and Tell Me Your Dreams - I have read them before but I could not resist reading them again. Oh... it is so difficult to find time to blog!.... Jangan Marah... ah! :-D Good Weekends

Our House

Hi there :-D

It's been a week since I last keyed-in an entry. Much as I wanted to keep updating the blog, I just could not find any energy to do so when I reached home after work. Life is hectic now. But, at least I can keep my family going.

Luton is getting colder now, but nothing close to the cold that we used to have in Dundee (Cold though it is, I miss it sooo.... much!). So, it is quite a pleasant weather down here. London is even warmer (comparing to Luton). Anyway, I hardly enjoy the bright daylight in London. I hardly go out for lunch. Thanks to my husband - I have the goodness of homemade cooking everyday! Thank you, Babe - I love you :-D.

My two willing gardeners

We live in the quiet part of Luton, in an area called Farley Hill. The house is just a normal semi-detached house - nothing significant. We have a long narrow garden with a tall apple tree and err... was it plum tree? (I can't be sure). Plus, a few other trees which I can't really named (at the moment). We have a vegetable patch - a legacy from the owner and thanks to them, we managed to "harvest" some potatoes and onions.  Excited by the prospect and the summery Sunday we had last week, we managed to clear and prepare the patch for planting. We had a great time clearing the area.

We planned to have a vegetable garden which can supply our kitchen. Oh yes, vegetable are getting quite expensive too. And, even if it is not that expensive, to feed all six of us with enough nutrients, it will be a lot - cumulatively speaking. Although I do not really enjoy vegetable back home, it is a different story here. Vegetables are simply more fresh, crunchier, crispier and sweeter - you just have to love them - savoy cabbage, baby spinach, broccoli, just name it - they are just so.... good!

Now, with the apple tree. It is bearing a lot of fruits. However, it is sooo.... tall that we need to have a ladder to pick the apples. We have sampled the fruit - courtesy of the squirrel? or the westerly wind? or the north wind? (I am not sure which one and perhaps I was not introduced that well yet to the winds here). Anyway, back to the apples. Those we sampled were so fresh and crunchy! Only if... hmmm... I started wondering if I can borrow a "galah" from the neighbour!! Hopefully, we can buy a ladder at a very reasonable price soon, before we lose all of the juicy, crunchy fruits!

One of the other tree just by the tool shed! I don't know anything about it except that my children proposed to build a tree house between its branches. Hmmm... even if the proposal is approved, it will take a long time before it materialised. Even a tree house needs a proper planning and of course, capital. Well, hope all of you are having a great weekend, ya! Till then :-D

This is Not for Halloween

These photos were taken quite some time ago. And has nothing to do with Halloween.  We were still staying at the Bed & Breakfast in Willesden and Kak Ida came one afternoon bringing this pumpkin. As big as BIG is. Kak Ita and I were having a fun time calculating its life span!

I really appreciate Kak Ida's effort in bringing the pumpkin which is almost as heavy as a baby elephant from Windsor to Willesden. And she has been lucky as well when one of the kind-hearted guy offered to carry it when changing lines.

Now, this pumpkin reminds me of the gulai lemak labu, gulai lemak pucuk labu and ikan sepat, lepat labu, sira labu and all things good about labu back home..... hmmm...it's going to be labu time soon nearing Halloween. For the time being squash is good enough!