Real Men Don't Read Instructions...But They Know The Instructions Exist

MyGirl came up to me earlier and said that something in the Snoopy blogpost struck her.  She looked back at the post and told me which part got her thinking.  The blogpost read:

It was only after I had completed the puzzle and disassembled it, that I discovered instructions inside the box that would have enabled me to finish the puzzle in less than than five minutes.  

(Personally, I enjoyed the challenge and would not use the cheat sheet if I had to do the puzzle over again.)

She said, "Mom, of course there would be instructions."

"But it is a puzzle!"  I argued and pulled out the box to show her CRYSTAL PUZZLE in big bold letters. 

"Mom," she calmly continued, "why would you think there wouldn't be instructions?"

I was still thinking jigsaw puzzles.  They don't come with instructions.  They come with a picture of the completed puzzle in the cover of the box.  And that is what the crystal puzzle had -- a picture of Snoopy and Woodstock standing on a green platform.  In my mind, here is what the completed puzzle is meant to look like.  Go forth and solve the puzzle.

In a matter-of-factly, yet loving tone, she drove the nail home by saying, "Would they sell Lego without instructions?"

I started to laugh. (Lightbulb moment!)  

Of course she was right!  It would be like selling IKEA furniture without assembly instructions.  

It made perfect sense now.  Clearly, instructions would come with this puzzle.

Can I just use the "Instructions were in Japanese" card?

Growing Up in the Same Asylum

Coming from a family with ten children, I'd like to think I get a free pass in the crazy department.  In other words, it is inevitable to end up a tad crazy if one is growing up with nine other siblings.  I always like to say that there is method in our madness but that is just my way of saying that there is a whole lot of madness in each of us and we'd like to pretend that we know what we are doing.

When we were kids, we always looked forward to Christmas.  When Christmas break started, we would plan out our Christmas program for our parents, schedule it with them, turn on the aircon in the study room if that was the program venue, set the stage and present our creative genius to the two people who would best appreciate our talent.  

One of our notable Christmas programs included a nativity play complete with Joseph and Mary (with a pillow under her shirt) knocking from door to door because there was no room at the inn, until the baby Jesus (a baby doll) arrived. This was followed by our version of the "Eight is Enough" pyramid.  If memory serves me right, we settled for a base with three kids and carried the lightest child safe enough to put on top of the pyramid. We were ambitious but we knew our limits. One year, someone came up with a script and we did a Peanuts segment with Charlie Brown (Eldest Sis, I think), Snoopy (Sister Deer in a big white t-shirt), Lucy (London Eye waving to her queendom), Linus (was it me that draped a security blanket over my shoulder).  You get the picture although I should go through old albums to find some proof of who played who in that Peanuts production number.

If we were lucky, we would be able to organise some sort of Anniversary or Christmas project that we could give to them. It could be as simple as folding several sheets of bond paper into a booklet or as thematic as something shaped into a heart.  Some of these have survived having been kept by Mother, including a lion-shaped book, where each kid was given a lion-shaped piece of paper to fill up with whatever they wanted, tied together by a piece of yarn that served as the lion's tail.  Someone recently discovered Slash-M's version of  O' Henry's The Gift of the Magi. (His version is an absolute classic but that is for another post.)

Anyway, as we have gotten older and gone our separate ways, we still try to gather forces with projects we could give as a gift for a special occasion.  I can't remember all of our projects but I remember that for Sister Deer's 40th birthday, we collated Walk Down Memory Lane for her, we did Countdown to Fifty for my parents' 50th wedding anniversary, we had the Slash-M Fifty Project.  We routed a birthday card around the world for Mindy's 50th birthday.  That was planned way in advance.  I got the card which J started with Lego-like strips forming the number "27" (official age) from Sunshine in December 2021.  By that time, it had gone through the siblings in Asia and Europe.  It was more than half a year away from her actual birthday and my job was to mail it to the US.  This particular card arrived on time.  It was hand-delivered by Jersey Girl when they visited Mindy in July.) We did a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY collage which was our parents' screensaver for many years before it got updated in 2008.  This 2008 version got included in the Christmas letter that year.  We managed another family collage for Sister Deer's 50th.  J's brilliance really made this collage special because he managed to convince Sister Deer to join him in a photo holding up her name.  In 2017, a collage of the grandchildren signing the letters HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Mother's birthday got upgraded to include the children becoming a double birthday surprise.  We updated that collage in April 2023 to include the in-laws.  Another project involved collating our Christmas letters into a book which we gave to Mother for her birthday in 2018.  

So each of these projects would start off as a germ of an idea, someone's articulated thought bubble,  often driven by the notion that 'we should do something special for (fill in the blank with the name) because it is (fill in the blank with the occasion).'  You only need  to convince one person to start off the project. Once you are able to get a sibling to agree that it is a good idea and a worthy endeavour, you can call in the reinforcements.  This will lead to more coordinated (covert) discussions, numerous requests and incessant follow-ups if we want to see the project to completion.  

Our latest project was for Sister Deer's 60th birthday. The Search for 60 Starts Now took off in October for her December birthday.

Sister Deer is turning 60 in December.  She will join the ranks of dual citizenship and will be getting discounts she can claim. 

We all know we tend to be forgetful now that we’re all over 30. What more when you are twice that?

So to help remind Sister Deer of her new age and to celebrate her new privileges, please take a selfie against all the 60’s you find between now and November. 

We don’t know yet what the final gift will look like.  I might leave that with the creative ones. But at least we’ll have some material to work with. 

The final gift to Sister Deer came in the form of a blog with over 60 pictures of family members from several continents, countries, and states, posing against the number 60.  We presented this to her in a zoom call before her birthday.   

RD and I were talking about these projects today and he said, "Your family has a certain kind of crazy," to which I replied, "But Auntie Sister Deer liked her blog." 

"Sure Mom, if one crazy person in your family has an idea, of course, another crazy person in the family will appreciate it.  You know, if you all get raised in the same asylum, it's no wonder you all think you are sane."

(Got to love this son of mine.  Although he would rather not think about it or have to admit it, he knows for a fact that he is walking around carrying half of my genes.)

In Love with Snoopy

I am not really sure what gave the kids the impression that I like Snoopy.  Don't get me wrong, I love Snoopy.  It is just that it is not really something I have announced to the whole world until now.

Last Christmas, MyGirl got me a Snoopy t-shirt from Uniqlo.

(She got it for the Snoopy, not for the jogging.)

When MyGirl and I went to Japan in May, I took this picture in one of the stores we visited.

(I just realised that there is no H cup in Snoopy's house. I wonder why.)

When GI went to Japan this September, he brought home some presents for me, including two Peanuts items with Snoopy and Woodstock -- one figure and one puzzle. 

 This figure has been on the shelf since it was given to me.

(Yes, Snoopy's love for Woodstock is unique.  They understand each other.)

This 37 piece puzzle was sitting around until I opened the box yesterday and completed the puzzle this morning.  It was extremely enjoyable to complete this Snoopy puzzle. It was only after I had completed the puzzle and disassembled it, that I discovered instructions inside the box that would have enabled me to finish the puzzle in less than than five minutes.  

(Personally, I enjoyed the challenge and would not use the cheat sheet if I had to do the puzzle over again.)

I guess the kids know a lot more about me than I thought.

 

Wickedly Good

I wanted to go and see Wicked (the movie).  RD and MyGirl were more than willing to go watch it with me.  Last weekend,  MyGirl checked online and figured that ticket prices on Tuesday are half price.   So it was a date!  

MyGirl asked whether we should go for the reclining seats for an extra $3.  It didn't really matter to me because I was primarily interested in watching the movie. Watching in style was secondary.  In the end, the kids decided that experiencing a movie in reclining seats would be best when tickets are half-price.  Let's do it.  Go reclining seats!

Armed with the decision of the date and the reclining seat, MyGirl began finalising the ticket booking. She called over to her brother and asked if it was ok for them to split my ticket cost.  RD said, "Sure, no problem."   

When the transaction was completed, she said, "You can just Beem me, Kuya."   

"I can pay for my ticket," I offered.  This immediately triggered a duet of "No!" from the kids.  

Oh yeah!  Awesome kids!  Reclining seats!  Free ticket!  We're going to see Wicked!  

We followed the yellow brick road.

As an added note, I was really happy that we were able to see the movie and the fact that we watched on the seventeenth of December was particularly significant.  One year ago, on Sunday 17 Dec, MyGirl was in Melbourne, GI and RD were at home, but I was at the Emergency Room in Westmead with MacGyver. I honestly thought my number was up when I couldn’t move my arms and legs without focusing and thinking.  It was scary! 

I was fortunate enough to watch the Wicked musical with London Eye back in 2018 and I am extremely lucky to have watched the Wicked movie with the kids last Tuesday.  

Lost and Found Trinity Cross

I saw this crucifix by Z's computer at home when I visited in 2022.  It was my first encounter with a Trinity Cross.  I had never heard of a Trinity Cross before. The moment I saw this, I fell in love. 

It is so beautiful.  There is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 

She said she got it as a Thank You gift.  When I returned to Australia, the image of the Trinity Cross was still in my mind.  I wondered where I could find one for myself.  I think the first one I got was an ebay purchase.  Eventually, I discovered that the local Pauline Books and Media at the city sold these small crucifixes (40mm x 18mm) at the counter along with the other medals and religious articles.

When I got one, I wanted it to be with me as I went about my day.  One often forgets that there are three persons in one God. I wanted this cross to remind me not only of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross but also of the reality of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, and the constant presence of God. 

I found a way to attach the cross to my phone.  I figured that even if I go out wearing something without a pocket, I would most likely still bring my phone.  

And so it was, the cross attached to the phone was my constant companion.

Then yesterday, as I was coming back from the mall, I realised that the cross was missing.  It was raining, so I had an umbrella in one hand and grocery bags on the other.  I had gone to church in the morning then walked around the mall before picking up some grocery.  I considered retracing my steps but it was raining, I was carrying grocery, I was only a few minutes away from home.  I concluded that it was such a small cross and since I had gone to so many places, it would take a miracle for me to find it.

For me, it was not so much that I had lost the cross, but that the cross had fallen somewhere and someone might have stepped on it, kicked it, or thrown it away.  What dreadful thoughts!  Plus there was the guilt that I had not noticed that it was missing.  I remember that I considered putting my phone on my back pocket as I was leaving the house but decided to place it my bag because I had to hold on to the umbrella. In other words, I did not have my phone in my hand for most of the morning.  However, I realised that I would have pulled out my phone to complete the payment when I went to the grocery and did not notice the missing cross at that point.  (Sadness.)

This cross had been lost before.  My prayer to St. Anthony was heard at the time and I found the lost cross in my work bag.  Seems the link that attached to the cross had opened, providing a wide enough gap for the cross to slip out.  I replaced the link with one with several loops and re-attached it to my phone.

I was confident it was secure until I lost the cross yesterday.  

I prayed I would find it, but as I said earlier, my conclusion was that it would take a miracle to find it.

Then this morning, my prayers were answered and I experienced an honest to goodness miracle. We were about to go to mass.  The green car is in the shop so MyGirl was our designated driver.  MacGyver passed through the garage while RD and MyGirl went ahead through the front door to go to the car.  I was the last one out the door and as I was about to step out, I looked down to find the missing cross on the door mat.  It did not look like it had just fallen.  It look like it had been laid out carefully.

I was in awe.  

I had gone out yesterday afternoon and not seen the cross on the floor.  The kids had just walked out the door and did not notice it.  It was as if it magically appeared when it was my turn to go out.

Needless to say, I thanked St. Anthony for helping me find my Trinity Cross. 

I re-attached the cross to my phone one more time.  I hope I don't lose it again.  I imagine I am already on St. Anthony's repeat offenders list.

Thank you, St. Anthony.

THE CROSS IN MY POCKET 

I carry a cross in my pocket.
A simple reminder to me,
of the fact that I am a Christian,
no matter where I may be.

This little cross is not magic.
Nor is it a good luck charm.
It isn’t meant to protect me
from every physical harm.

It’s not for identification.
For all the world to see.
It’s simply an understanding
between my Saviour and me.

When I put my hand in my pocket
to bring out a coin or a key.
The cross is there to remind me
of the price he paid for me.

It reminds me, too, to be thankful
for my blessings day by day
and to strive to serve ‘him’ better
in all I do and say.

Prayer by Verna Mae Thomas

Pikachu Cake

It was on sale and I have to admit that I could not resist getting one. I got the Twirl Bundt Pan version.  

There are 3-cup, 6-cup and 12-cup recipes for the Bundt pans. The recipes do not disclose the diameter of the pan that would be needed for any of the recipes.  

According to the label, this magnificent pan measured 23.5 cm diameter by 8.7 cm high, but it did not indicate which recipes would work for the pan. Luckily, the internet taught me how to figure out how many cups the pan could hold.  It was actually quite simple.  I should have known that all I needed to do was to measure out how many cups of water would fit in the pan.  

After I discovered that my new pan could hold 6 cups, the next step was to find a recipe. What better place to find a good recipe for a Bundt pan but from the home of the Bundt pans itself?  

I tried out the recipe in the Nordic Ware website using a tad less sugar and the blueberry yogurt that was in the fridge. We brought the cake to our monthly Saturday potluck dinner.  We sliced up the cake and when someone asked for a slice, she called out, "Can I have a piece of the Pikachu cake."

"Huh?"

"The Pikachu cake."

We took one look at the cake and said, "Oh, yeah.  You are right.  It's a Pikachu cake."

(The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of sugar and plain yogurt.  It still works well if sugar is reduced to 1 cup and peach yogurt is used.

VANILLA POUND CAKE (6-cup Bundt pan)

INGREDIENTS

 1 ½ c flour

 ½ t salt

 ¼ t baking soda

 ½ c butter, softened

 1 c sugar

 4 eggs

 1 t vanilla extract

 ⅔ c plain yoghurt

  

 1 Preheat oven to 175°C/350° F..   Grease and flour the Bundt pan.

 2 In small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

 3 In another bowl, cream butter and sugar then add the eggs.  Add vanilla, yogurt and the flour mixture.  Blend until smooth.

 4 Pour batter into your prepared Bundt Pan.  Tap gently on the counter to release air bubbles.

 5 Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre of the cake comes out clean.

 6 Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.

 7 (Optional) Dust with powdered sugar or top with a glaze.

All Paired Up

I was thinking about buying thin socks when I went to the mall this weekend and saw this box on sale.

Why anyone would wear unpaired socks is beyond me.  It destroys all sense of balance and harmony.  And yet here was a box of socks for sale where none of the socks made a pair.

Who would get this box knowing that they would never end up with matching socks?

I honestly thought I would be the LAST person in the world to buy this box until I found a second box.

Problem solved.  

Order has been restored to the world. 

I can rest easy now that each of the six socks has a matching pair.