Little Cozy Corner

A perfect day for a wonderful picnic in the park. And since we were on holidays then, we decided to pack a lovely lunch with chilled dessert wine [as I only like those] and found ourselves a nice spot under some shady trees.

We laid out our picnic blanket and while I basked in the sun, Ted got out our lunch and poured us a glass of wine each. As I heard the bottle pop and the gas fizz, I instantly felt all nice and cooled down. He reached down and gave me a gentle kiss and handed me my glass of wine.

I opened my eyes and took my glass, as I smiled at him. What a lovely day to spend with the one I love. He toasted to our love and as I took a sip from my glass, I saw something sparkling in the sun….it was a gold ring, laced with 8 diamonds!!! It was one of the engagement rings I had picked when he asked me jokingly to pick out the other day.

I nearly choked…and looked up at him. Surprisingly, he was already on bended knee by then and he turned to me with those blue-grey eyes , filled with love, he said, “Will you marry me, my love?”

**This is a sponsored post but the proposal on bended knee and diamond ring is real, just in a different location.**

Aaahhh….what a wonderful feeling it is to be in love! I just got news yesterday that a close friend of mine has met a wonderful man online and fingers crossed, all will go well with the 2 of them. It’s perhaps far too early to hope for wedding bells but I do hope to at least hear hearts fluttering and see dreamy faces and stolen smiles coming from her. But she isn’t the only who has brought me good news, another galpal of mine has also recently met someone after being single for so long and I couldn’t be happier for her. Although I have not had the chance of speaking to her yet, I believe it could be another successful online romance! Another meaning mine and hers, of course.

Chatting to Ms. Blessed reminded me of my own experience and how it was for me  and Ted back then. Truly, it was divine intervention and to the best of my knowledge, nothing else could be a possible reason. If you’re wondering why I’m so convinced that it was divine intervention, let take you on a short walk down memory lane…..

It was back in the days of iRC (Internet Chat Relay) where lots of people and mostly teenagers would congregate online to chat. I still remember typing in ‘join #hottub’ because it was one of my favourite channels and one which I most often frequent. I could be seen in the college computer lab for hours on end chatting away. Most of the time, it would be after classes or if the gap between classes were long, I’d also be there. The library was no friend of mine. In fact, I think I can count the number of times I actually punched in to use the library. Yes, it is rather shameful to admit but that was what life as a teenager to me - clubbing and chatting.

I made many, many online friends and although 95% of them have all disappeared from my list, I still keep in touch with a handful of them. It’s amazing how 2 people who have never met in real life continue to keep the friendship alive through just a Christmas card year. Goes to show that maintaining a friendship isn’t that hard after all, it just takes effort, no matter how small that effort is. It’s the thought that counts.

Sorry about side-tracking there a bit…anyway, main reason I say that our meeting is purely divine intervention is because out of the hundreds of nicks in that channel, Ted chose mine. What force or energy which made him double click on my name cannot be anything other than divine for the Lord works in mysterious ways, like it or not. You will never know what’s been planned for you, you’ll never know what’s going to happen to you in the next minute, heck….you’ll never know His plan till it happens to you! And that doesn’t necessarily mean that you will also see the results of His plan immediately. Everything happens in His time. Such was the way things were with Ted and I. We were online chat pals for at least one and a half years before anything more serious than platonic took place.

Even then, everything was done long distance. And mind you, anyone who has experienced long distance relationship can vouch for this - it ain’t easy unless you are willing to put up with more downs than ups. And for many, it doesn’t always work out but for those who have successfully conquered the quest, victory is sweet. So to those who are still skeptical about online romances, everything you do is a risk, be it a virtual relationship or otherwise….its just up to you whether you’re game enough to take it. If it works out, nothing could be better. If it doesn’t, consider it a lesson learnt.

After all, if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. Our lives have been planned out long before we were born, so there’s no escaping His plan, no matter what you do.

When I started working again at my old office [where I am at now], it was good to get in touch with my vendors and some of whom have become personal friends of mine over the course of 2.5 years I was with this company. Just before Chris went on maternity, Joey dropped by to say hello and we started chatting about life down under and how much life has changed since we found out about Kecik.

As we chatted about this and that, she stopped midway and told me that I talk ‘different’ these days and that I have ‘changed’. I didn’t really understand what she meant until she said that perhaps its due to the pregnancy that my outlook and view of things have changed and stuff I talk about has also changed.

Then I realized what she meant. Looking back at our conversation, I remember talking to her about the future…how important education is and how tough it is bringing kids up with the cost of almost everything going up [except our salary of course]. I also told her that everything about ‘me’ has taken a back seat and now, everything I do has got something to do with Kecik ie planning for an education fund, thinking of whether I should be a SAHM or continue working, planning our future vacations so that Kecik will be close to both paternal and maternal grandparents and of course, or financial stability so that we can live comfortably.

When I sit back and reminisce on the things that I think about these days, I amaze myself because part of me cannot believe that I’m thinking of such ‘matured’ issues. I never thought that I’d have to face it and never really knew when I would face it. But most of all, I used to think that I couldn’t handle it and would not be prepared for it, if it ever happened. However, I seem to be able to absorb all this ‘commotion’ with surprising ease and calmness. I’m not sure how well I’m handling it or if I’m even handling it properly but things seems to be flowing in a rather proportionate speed and I don’t feel as if I’m being swept away by some powerful current, nor do I feel as if I’m drowning in an abyss of helplessness. Perhaps I’m too laidback and the happy-go-lucky kind to allow too many thing to crowd my mind and emotion. Perhaps it’s the take-it-one-day-at-a-time character in me that is helping me cope with all these new changes. Or maybe I just have not reached that ‘dangerous’ level of realization that things are going to become very, very different in just a mere few months.

Heck, you know what…I’m not going to worry myself silly yet. I’ll worry when I need to worry or if I need to….but for now, I’m happy and contented. *Breathes in the wonderful aroma of a huge glass of teh tarik in front of me now and sighs blissfully*

Tomorrow is Ted’s birthday so today, his parents and brother are taking us out for a buffet seafood fest in Epping. Dun ask me where it is, I am [somewhat] a tai-tai. I just sit in the car and allow my husband to drive me around. I’ve been told to expect the best and I guess I am. No heavy brekkie for me, just some little mee hoon leftover from last night’s dinner and a Nescafe. I had brekkie at about 9.30am but now, at 10.50am, I’m already hungry. No thanks to being pregnant, I’m constantly hungry…..I think because of me, our credit card statement only seems to show Coles, Woolworths, Coles, Woolworths, Kmar [coz me now got the crochet bug] - both are giant supermarkets nearby.

Although I am no big fan of seafood - I eat them all the same. I am looking forward to having some lobster and balmain bugs and yabbies. These are creatures I’ve seen but never tried so I am excited about it. I’ve got my faith ol’ cam with me, don’t you worry and if I see these, I hope I can put on a muka tebal [kind of be a little shameless and ignorant] and snap away. And hopefully my in-laws don’t think I’m crazy then again, they have seen me taking pictures of food on the table and all that during Christmas so I think they won’t be surprised. Heh. I know what my Mum would say though, “Nothing better to do, is it? Like mad woman only….” then she would shake her head and totally ignore my existence. My sis would do the same too. Hahahaha!! Goes to show that this is a trait in many bloggers, eh?

By the way, if you didn’t know, there’s a bloggers meet, well in fact 2 :

1) Penang Bloggers - This Sunday [TODAY!!], 11.30 am, Starbucks e-Gate, Penang

2) Whole world bloggers - KL, March 9th. (check out rojaks site for details)

I’m so sad that I can’t make it for either one but if you’re in the area, why not pop by and join the fun? You get to meet other bloggers and meet new friends, catch up with the old and not only that, get to feel like a SUPERSTAR!!! Simply because all bloggers [mostly anyway] will be busy going tiak-tiak-tiak-tiak, taking pictures of everything and everyone - very teh best wan! Feel so glamourous lor…..better go if you can, if not, really rugi!!!

I’ve been wanting to share this poem with you for a long time now but never got around to doing it. But today, I’ve been feeling lovey-dovey and thought that now would be the best time. This is my favourite that Ted gave me about 2 months ago. He has this sweet habit of buying me cards every now and then and THIS is my favourite. I stand it on my side of the bedside table.  :wub:

To the one person I consider to by my SOUL MATE
I am so glad that you are a part of my life.
It is a privilege - to know you,
To share myself with with, and to walk together on the paths that take us in so may beautiful directions.

I had heard of “SOUL MATES” before,
but I never knew such a person could exist-until I met you…

Somehow, out of all the twists and turns our lives could have taken, and out of all the chances we might have missed, it almost seems like we were given a meant-to-be moment to meet, to get to know one another, and to set the stage for a special togetherness.

When I am with you, I know that I am in the presence of someone who makes my life more complete than I ever dreamed it could be. I turn to you for trust, and you give it openly. I look to you for inspiration, for answers, and for encouragement, and not only do you never let me soen you lifet my spirits up and take my thoughts to places where my troubles seem so much further away and my joys feel like they’re going to stay in my life forever.

I hope you’ll stay forever, too. I feel like you’re my soul mate. And I want you to know that my world is reassured by you, my tomorrows need to have you near, so many of my smiles depend on you, and my heart is so thankful that you’re here. - Carey Martin

Today is Christmas. How time flies and it was only months ago when Ted and I were talking about how exciting it’s going to be to finally be able to celebrate Christmas together after all these years. And finally, the day has arrived and what a wonderful day it has been!

The morning started off a little dull but it soon bringhtened up as it was present opening time!! I must have been a really, really gooooooooooooooooood girl  coz I got a pressie from Ted and a sack full of goodies from Santa.

See my huge Santa bag??

Inside was a whole load of goodies!!! :dancing:

I bought Ted 3 DVDs, all of which he liked - thank God! I got him the original Mad Max, Enemy At The Gates and a double DVD of Bourne Identity and Bourne Supremacy. Then it was time to get ready for lunch at my in-laws.

What a surprise I got when we reached there!! MIL had certainly kept herself busy with the wide spread of food!! I respect to the lady of the house…that woman can cook!!! :drool:

The setting……

The food!! :drool: :drool: We had ham [sorry about the non-halal item], turkey, potato salad, rice salad, bread, tabuli [a Lebanese salad which is somewhat similar to our kerabu], hummus and of course, beetroot.

It was quite a spread and I must say that I’m totally impressed. We were done by 1.30pm and we hung around until tea time and then the plum pudding was brought out. :drool:

OOoooo….this is best eaten with cream. But I was such a pig that I had to it with both ice cream AND cream. Now I know that cream is a better choice or least my preference. It was the first time I ever ate pudding with ice cream or cream. I normally have my Mum’s special fruit cake on its own which I totally adore. The difference is pudding is steamed and fruitcakes are baked. In any case, I love ‘em both! :drool:

The other foiled cake tin contains my brother in law, Bill’s favourite cake - cheese cake. I hope there’s still some for me left tomorrow!!

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, happy holidays!