I apologise for those who have written to me regarding the availability of Marimo Moss Balls. Yes, they are still available. Most of them are in my airconditioned office.

I’m letting them go at $3 each or $10 for 4. They are great conversational items. The interest I receive from people is amazing. Do not put them in direct sunlight or in a warm area.

Email me if you are interested in getting them. I am currently really busy with my studies, work and home but I will try to revert to you. I can post them to you (with proper packaging and without water. Yes, they can survive the journey) or we can meet up at any station along the NEL.

The following are steps on how to recycle table-top calendars and old letterheads into Notepads. I’ve made a number of them and have donated them to charities.

For this project, you will need:

Old Calenders
Old letterheads or paper you would like to use up (don’t use too many or you can’t fit it into the spine)
Needle-nose pliers
Glue
Bull clip / paper clips
Access to a comb binder

1. Get your materials

2. Remove the spine from the calendar. Hold one side of the spine with your finger and thumb and the other with the pliers. Pull spine apart.

3. After spine removal

4. Open up the calendar body and cut it in the middle. Each half is a big piece of calendar with a smaller flap (calendar base) attached to it.

5. Now cut very lightly at the fold of the calendar base. Do not cut through.

6. The back must remain intact. DO NOT CUT THROUGH.

7. Trim the sides of the calendar base. This will allow you to peel the cardboard support away from the cover.

8. Peel cardboard support from cover. Peel carefully.

9. You will end up with this:

10. Cut the corners off. About 0.5 cm in.

11. Apply glue to the cover flap.

12. Fold cover flap over.

13. Use the bull clips to hold it together. You can use long paper clips.

14. Leave to dry. I usually leave them overnight.

15. In the meanwhile, start trimming your letterheads / paper:

16. It should fit the size of the covers.

17. When the glue has dried, you will be ready to go on to the next step.

18. Using the comb binder, punch the holes.

19. Make sure the holes align with those on the covers.

20. Use only enough sheets to fit into the spine.

21. Place the covers back to back (with what will be the inside of the notepad facing out. See step 22. photo for an idea) and thread the spine into the holes of the covers. Start sliding the paper in. Sliding the paper in makes it easier to fill the spine.

22. Here is how it looks when the paper and covers are in. The next step is to close the spine.

23. Place the almost completed notepad into the comb binder as shown. The spine is then closed by pulling the lever. A clamp then closes the teeth of the spine. Do not pull too hard. If the teeth overlaps, you will have a hard time pulling them apart.

24. Properly done, you can easily open the notepad flat out.

25. TA-DA!!! The final product. The black notepad is my favourite as a white spine was paired with a black cover. Look out for different coloured calendars.

This notepad is made 100% from recycled materials.

If you do not want a hardcover for your notepad, you can use cardboard. I use the cardboard salvaged from boxes the letterheads came in.

Please send feedback if the steps are a little difficult to understand.

They arrived in the office on Monday 2 March 2009. I was at home nursing myself back to health. I digress. I return to the important stuff – Marimos.

About 8 were quite squished and will be placed in an ICU jar. I managed to wash out about 25 marimos on Tuesday and placed them in a very big jar.

I will be looking to sell off about 50 marimos in a couple of weeks’ time. This will give me enough time to continue washing them out to a nice condition (not that they are not already but I am picky about how they look like).

There is one very small one and it is so adorable! Will set a jar aside for different sized one… mummy, daddy… baby…. dreamy sigh..*faraway look*

It is quite late now so I’ll be post later on the reaction I got from my colleagues when they saw the huge jar of fuzzy green balls sitting on my desk.

My thanks to everyone who responded to my request to fill in the survey I set up to get data for my paper “An investigation to the effect of texture on the visual effect of Garden Photographs.”

Below are the results of the survey along with a selected feedback comment received.

Fern (a)

“The spikes appear to be reaching out to touch me, therefore making me want to reach out and touch them. Color; composition were also beautiful.”

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Trunk (d)

“It looks like moths or butterflies are fossilized into the bark of the tree. very unique and it made me want to touch it.“

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Leaf (b)

“Strong texture and over-layering make for a strong photo.“

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Surface (b)

“I like how the picture goes off into unknown space, giving depth and interest to the picture.”

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Rock/Soil (a)

“I like the different colors, the reds, greys and whites.“

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Harvest (d)

“There are many things in the photo but none of them competes with the others for the viewers attention; it’s a leisurely travel up the trunk to the fruit, then up to the branches radiating out from the trunk, past the leaves and finally to the sky.”

This picture is also the Most Appealing Photograph of the entire survey.

My supplier informed me that the shipment was sent yesterday. Can you imagine the anticipation? I’ve got three jars ready for them but I don’t think it is enough space…

I’m hoping they will arrive at the end of the week. That will give me time to set up the jars and to write more about them during the weekend.

Watch this space.

I’ve got to do a survey on the topic: Does the texture in the photographs make them more visually appealing?

Here is the link: link removed

I have to get about 50 responses and I have just 7 so far.

The deadline is Sunday evening 8pm (Singapore time), Sunday 7am (Texas time). Thanks.

Added on Monday 23 February : My thanks to those who responded. I’ve received 61 responses.

It has been two years since I last got some. Sold some, some died (water too hot) and six I kept in the office. Stay tune for an update.

This is a picture of the six surviving marimos who are currently living in my office.

Here is a close-up of two marimos. They are pearling (having oxygen bubbles)

I may put some of my newest batch for sale. It all depends if I want to keep them. When you see them up close and personal, you will know why I love them so much.

If you are living in Singapore/Malaysia and would like to meet up, let me know. There might be a gardening group gathering next month and we can meet up then.

In the meantime, I am preparing to write another article on them so if you have any questions you would like to ask, please ask them via the comment function.

Updated: For the reader from RI which I take it means Rhode Island, you can get Marimos from Ebay. For those living in Singapore, you can get them from Aquariums at Tiong Bahru, Clementi and Serangoon North. Or you can get them from me. I’ll post when I get delivery of my marimos. I may pop by Serangoon North these couple of days, I’m looking for a 3″-4″ marimo.

Hey everyone. Just note to wish all readers of my blog a Happy New Year.

This year, I’m going to take a step back and look at how I do my assignments. I have always been trying to get High Distinction and would not be very happy with a Distinction. This meant that my assignments have been very much delayed in being handed in.

From now, I’m just going to enjoy myself and do my best.

Financewise, it’s now really a major saving spree. If I want to buy something expensive, I try to find it on sale. I have recently discovered Moscato D’Asti.

My first purchase was $45 marked down from $55. My second bottle of a different brand cost $37 but because I made use of the offer of “Buy 2 bottles, get 1 free”, it cost me $28. My colleagues and I are going to buy in bulk and that will bring the cost down to $25.35.

Spend but wisely!!

Every year, my office will hold a Best Dressed contest during our Annual Christmas Dinner.  And every year I do my darnest to win that contest.  This year’s theme was 1950’s Sock Hop. I went as a Soda Pop Waitress. Obvious, huh?

I had ordered the outfit from the States on Friday, 14 November and crossed my fingers that it would arrive by 27th November (the day before the dinner). It arrived on Tuesday 18 November!

I spent ages trying to find roller skates to complete the outfit. No dice. Which could be a blessing in disguise as it has been about a good two decades since I last skated. Was contemplating Rollerblades but for the sake of public safety, I decided to wear my heels.

My hair had to be curled to fit the part so I spent a very sleepy 40 minutes at the Salon. It was a little disconcerting when the Stylist started blowing on my curls to cool them when they came off the curler!

We had a real blast. It was one of the best Christmas Dinner I have ever been.

Won First Prize!

With the economic situation predicted to go South, many people have tightened their belts.  Some may have already written out all pubbing and clubbing, dining out, those little indulgences they used to do every week.

If you are like them, stop.

Instead of doing it weekly, do it once a month but don’t stop.  If all of us completely tighten our belts, the economic will go further South and faster too.

Save, be frugal but not stingy. Don’t skin a flea for its hide and tallow.  Have that girl’s night out but maybe every two weeks instead of every week.  Cut back not cut out.

I went shopping for shoes today.

The next thing I have to get are more clothes.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not buying an entirely new wardrobe.  Just a few more mix and match pieces.  Have dusted out some old classics and my colleagues have complimented me on them.  One of the classic pieces is about 15 years old.  Another is about 14, I think. Still good.

Miss your drinks at the pub? Buy duty-free alcohol at the airport, get together at a friend’s house, learn how to mix drinks.  Put on some good music on the hi-fi and have a good time.  Cheaper too.

Miss going to the movies?  Rent the DVD.

Keep spending but be thrifty not stingy.

Hey there, I’m saving this date to post a Hospital Happening later in the future.

I’m sorry I haven’t been able to post much but I am trying to finish my assignments by end December 2008.

How long has it been since I’ve updated the Hospital Happenings? Good heavens. I’m sorry.

Allow me to continue:

16 April Wednesday

After a very disruptive night, I woke up to a second day of pain. The surgery was over and the healing has begun. I do wish it was less painful. My back has started to hurt bad. Funnily enough, the only cause I can think of is because I have not eaten anything since 11.55pm 14 April.

The only way I could find relief from the back ache was to lie on my right side. Unbeknownst to me, a lantern pump was attached to me insides on my right side.

I still kept the morphine pump going but tried to tolerate the pain. It helped a lot to fall asleep for hours on end. Had visitors from the office. Hey, guys! Man, I looked like crappola. As long as they didn’t make me laugh, I’d be okay.

17 April Thursday

Pain continues but has lessened a bit. More visitors. Would you believe I developed a rash from wearing that wretched pair of stockings? At the inner top of the stockings, there are rubber studs to keep the stocking from slipping down. I have slight scars from three such rubber studs AND from the elastic.

Circulation? WHATEVER! I removed them. It felt really good. I promised the nurses that I will wriggle my toes and flex my feet so that they will not discover my blood clot filled body when they come to check up on me at the start of the next shift.

I will not relate how they gave me a sponge bath today. It is way TMI.

Was able to sit up in the evening when I just could not do so the same morning. It is amazing what 12 hours can do. I was surprised at the rate my body seemed to be able to recover from surgery.

Have decided to go easy on the morphine pump. I think by this time I was able to better tolerate the pain.

I could start eating if I wanted to. Trust me, I had no appetite at all. I got my fluids from the drip. Saline. They just won’t give me that orange juice I asked for.

to be continued… (hopefully ending before 2008 does)

A couple of years ago, we were organising a flea market and I was asked to look at the contract the Committee had used for the previous flea market.

The contract had been so badly worded that it technically forbade any of the stallholders to display or sell anything at their stalls. It was supposed to be that the stallholders are not to display or sell any pirated goods.

I was aghast to learn that despite the terms and conditions in the contract, people actually signed it.

If anyone wanted to enforce that badly worded signed contracts after rent was collected, it was legal to do so.

So in future, read with your eyes, your mind and be alert.

Yesterday, in a fit of cleanliness, I bathed my four cats.

But this time round, I put them straight into the bathtub instead of soaping them up at the sink.  This made for a lot less noise and a bit more backache.

A couple of days before, I bought three new bath towels just for the purpose of bathing the cats.  Beatnik had turned from a black and white to a black and yellowish kitty.

Scrubbed them good.  One important thing is when they put their paws on the edge of the bathtub, put them back on the bottom of the tub.  This prevents them from jumping out.

I had to take a shower after I bathed them to get rid of the fur.  It feels real good.

Had to use St Ives moisturiser (Aloe and Chamomile) for my hands as they got really itchy.

Maybe I’ll be bathing them every other week.  Would love to hug them without me ending up using too many tissues afterwards.

I posted this in another forum:

*******

I have a 1000 word assignment to finish by the end of the weekend. It’s about 7.15pm Sunday evening now for me.

From 9am today, I’ve weeded part of the garden, tried to find where the CMOs battery is on my computer’s motherboard (still haven’t been able to locate it), had breakfast, lunch and dinner, brought in the dried laundry, took a short nap, did the dishes, made Baileys Irish Cream Bread Pudding, took and posted a picture of it, bathed four cats, had a good shower after that, took more photos for the assignment and added just 90 more words (for a grand total of 149 words) to the assignment and surfed while watching Travel and Living.

I’ve got 800 words to go.

Okay, okay! I’m going!!!

*giggles*

*rushes back to her room to finish homework*

I’m a lot less stressed than when I was a week or so go. Thank you all for sending the happy thoughts! I have three very overdue assignments to do and I look forward to letting you guys know that I have completed them.

Have a great Sunday!! Have some chocolate for me. Remember, calories eaten for a friend does not count.

Now I’m really going!

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And one of my friends posted this in response:

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=HZEmxby8g8A&feature=related

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That made me smile and more determined to finished it tonight!  Friends, doncha just love them!

I am terribly allergic to my four kitties.

I pick one up. Hug it. Give it a kiss. Put it down. Reach for the tissue (repeat this step five times).

Recently, I found out that one of my friends gives her dogs and cats raw food and her daughter has no allergic reactions to them. But once daughter goes to another place with cats, she gets the classic itchy eyes, running nose and happier Kleenex company shareholders.

Started today with a wee bit of chicken breast and pig liver mixed with two cans of fussy cat. They are not eating much of it. It’ll take time.

It will be worth the trouble if I can hug them without spending the rest of the day with a badly sensitive nose.

Anyone who has experience raw feeding their kitties, please post your comments. I would love to hear from you.

Aichoo!

Well, I HAVE been MIA for the longest time.

Bad me.

Been working on my (long overdue) assignments, resting lots (since going back to work, I tire easy), getting over tonsilitis (the meds made me slightly disorientated and trust me, it was not a nice feeling feeling stupid) and busy with work.

I get tired from 4pm onwards on a workday. By the time I get home, I’m too tired to look at my home computer monitor to do assignments. I had to get a new LCD monitor cos my old one died on me.

My hernia site is still a bit pokey.

I’ll update as much as I can on what’s been happening.

Oh right, I still haven’t finished my Hospital Happenings and I’ve got an update on my Marimos… it ain’t pretty…

Stay tuned.

I’m sorry I can’t continue writing my Hospital Happenings today.

I’m been having cramps since yesterday and have been on painkillers the whole day today.

Give me a couple of days.

Thanks.

…. continued

Tuesday 15 April

On the way to the operating theatre (OT), we met my mom. I told her where my room was and why I was only just being wheeled away. She then went to my room to wait. Phillip accompanied me as far as he could and went off.

I was transferred to another gurney and wheeled off to the OT. Or what I thought was the OT. After looking at the ceiling rolling up in front of my eyes, I was treated to a still picture of the ceiling and some lights. We did not move for a while. I raised my head and looked around. I was in some sort of a queue. There was an old lady in her gurney in front of mine. It was like there was some sort of OT waiting room.

There, I attempted to wear the surgical cap issued to me. Note, operative word is “attempted”. How difficult could it be? Apparently, my hair did not get the memo and refused to stay in the cap. I think a nurse managed to stuff it in.

In a while, we moved on the OT (threatre 3B, if I remember correctly). From then, it was just the OT staff and I. Everyone seemed to be in a slight fluster. I supposed some emergency happened that pushed my morning surgery to the afternoon. Eh, whatever. I am here.

My identity was checked before I was wheeled out of my room, double-checked upon entry to the operating theatre waiting room and triple checked at the theatre itself. With a double major surgery scheduled, I am very certain the medical team would want to have the correct patient under the knives.

The anesthetist got busy. I said “Before you knock me out, thank you for your hard work.” I think they were surprised. A gas mask thingey was placed over my mouth and nose. I got very sleepy very quickly and managed to kinda wave and said “Bye bye” before going to Lala Land.

I woke up in pain. A lot of pain. Did I mention I was in pain? I think I was in the recovery room. I could hear others around me. A moan or two occasionally from someone somewhere nearby.

I remember groaning a bit. It reminded me of the days when I was curled up in bed with cramps. Unpleasant.

Each time I managed to get out of Lala Land, I was dragged back. Not a bad thing, really.

I remember someone asking me how did I feel. I am ashamed to say “Pain. Very painful.” Actually, I mumbled that.

Later on when the pain was still horrible and I was a little more conscious, I vaguely recall someone saying “morphine pump”. I cannot remember whether is was at this stage I was first given the morphine pump and told to use it but I sure was damn glad they gave it to me.

Surgery took about two and a half hours. Recovery time (or the time it took to get me to a state of the semi-living and the less groaning ) took about 3 hours.

My friend, Amanda, saw (probably from afar) them wheeling me back to my room (at about 8pm-ish) and announced it to the peeps who were waiting in my room. Everyone came out to form a welcoming party. They were asked to wait outside while I was transferred back to my bed. I was told it was about twenty minutes from the time they brought me back to the room until the welcoming party was allowed in the room.

During the transition from gurney to bed, I was told that I gave a long groan. Did I mention I was in pain? That part about groaning I remember. I started to gain more consciousness.

A disembodied voice said “Here is the morphine pump. Just press this button. It will only activate once every X minutes to prevent you from getting too much too soon.”

Then I heard Jason’s voice “Hi Lynne, we here to visit you.”

I opened my eyes (somehow got my glasses back on) and saw EVERYBODY in the room. Heck, there were Phillip, Mom, Linus, Jason, Lewin, Fiona, Clare, Amanda and Arti. That was nearly enough to knock me out again. Wow! I was touched.

Phillip bought me a huge stuffed Totoro.

Here is a picture of me giving the thumb’s up (without releasing the morphine pump for obvious reasons) and Totoro just next to me. I looked so bad after surgery (pastey face, panda eyes, dishevelled hair..oh crap) that the picture has been cropped.

Lewin started to joke about the oxygen measuring device clipped to my right middle finger. He was making me laugh!!!! No! No! No! Cannot!! Bad boy!!! Ahhhh!

I raised my right hand and kinda gave him the finger. With the device clipped on, it was not too bad. *whistle*

I kept pressing little black button. Hey, it hurts, okay? Someone who shall remain nameless kept saying “Stop that. You’ll become an addict.” The next sentence describing my thoughts at that time has been censored to keep this entry within the PG rating.

At about 10pm-ish when Mom said “Okay, we are going.”

Night, mom.

It was somehow a fitful first night – the nurses kept coming in to check on me. Temperature and BP and the morphine pump counter to see how many times I pressed it.

Sometime during the night, I woke up in pain. Not from my stitches but from behind my left shoulder blade and my left side just below the armpit. It HURT! Damn. Now what? I started to massage myself and managed to fall asleep.

Throughout the night as I kept waking up from the second source of pain (and not the original source), I wondered how was I going to get rid of that pain. And why would I have it?

I found out the answers the next day.

Stay tuned.

Thank you for reading “A good reason for not blogging” I posted yesterday.

For a spur of the moment thing, it was quite entertaining.

As I read through it again myself, I thought “3 hours of work for such a short piece?”. I will try to put up the next instalment soon.

In the meanwhile, do read the rest of my blog. I’ve been told it is entertaining…