Everyday is a Special Occasion

When I go to my mom's house, I see year-by-year those beautiful plates and bowls, and nice tea pot sets that she keeps at the cupboards; many perfumes unopened in her drawers... Then one day, I got an opportunity of having family dinner, and took out her plates and bowls for everyone to use. I told mom every time we meet should be considered as special time to use them, and I mean frequently.

If you want to understand what I mean, read this story..

A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package:

'This' - he said - 'isn't any ordinary package.'

He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.

'She got this the first time we went to New York , 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on, was saving it for a special occasion.

'Well, I guess this is it.' He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died..

He turned to me and said: 'Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion'.

I still think those words changed my life.

Now I read more and clean less.

I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.

I spend more time with my family, and less at work.

I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through. I no longer keep anything.

I use crystal glasses every day... I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.

I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to.

The words 'Someday...' and ' One Day...' are fading away from my dictionary. If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now..

I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell.. I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends. She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels. I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese food, her favorite. It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come.

Each day, each hour, each minute, is special. Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one.


'He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.' ~ Romans 14:6

DIY Cleaner for House Cleaning

I was amazed when my mother-in-law brought back a bottle of 'garbage sauce' to use as dish washing liquid. She told me it was made by some fermented vege and fruits. Although it looks yukky, but the effect is as good if not better than those chemical dish washing liquid.

In the economy like this, many do not use high grade or organic cleaners due to their prices. Why not use what God has provided to make your own?

Below are some information I collected. Please share your experience if you have used them:

To clean the smelly drain, toilet, floor, dishes
- stir water and brown sugar in a clay container, or plastic bottle (the one with lid)
- add in fresh garbage (fruit skin, vege, cooked rice, leaf, plant)
- close lid (leave 3/10 of the space empty in the bottle for fermentation)
- open lid everyday to release air, until no air one day

To clean your sink
- after brush your teeth, use sponge with some toothpaste to clean the sink
- rinse with water

To take away sweat smell on shirt
- add in 2-3 slide of lemon during soaking time

To take away stubborn oil dirt on shirt
- use chalk to draw on the dirt before washing the shirt

To prevent cupboard or drawer from ants or worms
- put in 10 garlic

There are also other interesting method I heard, like..
- use expired milk to clean the floor, it will take away dirt and prevent dust effectively.
- use banana skin to clean leather shoes.


Wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year, and happy house cleaning!!

How I Start My Homeschooling - Part II

Homeschooling does not mean ‘bring the school into the house’. Do not just buy the school text books and teach your child in the house.. else the whole meaning of homeschooling is gone! I set some guidelines for myself:

• Teach using fun ways or everyday-life way: During outdoor visit, educational trip, grocery shopping, at the kitchen/garden/playground, teach them about road sign, calculate money (maths), step on baking a cake, etc.
• Teach according to the child’s learning ability: She may be learning kindergarten English, but at the same time learning standard-3 math.. all depends on her speed on different subject.
• Explore the child’s gifts: Especially good in drawings? Art work? Dancing? Music instrument? Geography? History? Electric appliances? Swimming? Kung Fu? Then according to their interest, boost up their knowledge and explore their skills by bringing them to trips, classes, museum, factory, etc.
• Set Proper View about Exam: Let the child understand, exam and spelling are tools to evaluate how much he or she understands or knows about a particular topic or word. It is not something use for comparison or tell how good/bad he or she is.
• Aim to Build Solid Foundation: Treat them fairly, honestly. Give them room to raise their concern, question you. Teach them to evaluate and not blindly absorb things shown or given to them (eg. advertisement, movie). So that in future, they have a good foundation facing the complicated world, like Internet, cigarettes, pubs, drugs..