"Mission" Trip

Disneyland and Hollywood are two main things which I associate with LA. This year though, because my husband and I got a terrible cold while tavelling there, we skipped the major attractions of LA and went to a quiet place instead 

Mission San Juan Capistrano. 

Citrus plants grow nicely in Capistrano

 Situated in Orange County, southern part of LA, it was built by the Spanish church around 1763 to introduce Christianity to Native Americans and to extend colonialism. Dual missions huh. 

The gardens are beautiful. The variety of plans are native to California. Palms, citruses, bougenvilles, cacti, etc.

There were old bells hanging in ancient walls

In the spring time, the swallows are coming from Argentina to nest in the wall here. Leon Rene, the music composer wrote about it in his song : 

When the Swallows come back to Capistrano. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUSC37bLuuU

Instead of swallows, we found hummingbirds and bees

can you see the hummingbird's shadow?

So we took pictures in every nook and cranny. 

The kids love the fountain and kois.

There are some displays and short movies inside the building as well. 

It was a nice weather when we visited. Not too hot nor cold. The air was fresh. The greens were soothing for our eyes. Nice relaxing visit for two sick travellers and three bored kids.

The first sick traveller

He did look congested here, my hubby

Wish to move it inside my house. My succulents are nothing compared to it

so christmasey huh

I found this single maple leaf inside a brick hole in the Mission San Juan Capistrano. Made me remember the single plastic bag and leaves scene in the movie the American Dream. No tight connection whatsoever. Just found it unique.

 

 

  

My Security Blanket(s)

Finding this book in the library made me thinking...

about the young version myself, finally able to read fluently at the age of 7, in the beginning of second grade. I loved it so much when the letters grouping into words, words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, paragraphs into a story.

Visiting the school library was a very exciting event that year. I always want to read a new book. "Why do you borrow the same book ? You alredy knew the story," I said to a friend who had no idea what to borrow.

Yeah, that young version of myself is not me anymore. Now I love go back to the books which I have read. Especially those which were specials to me.

Let's start from the left, Gone Girl. I have a hard cover version, only $1 at the secondhand bookshop. I love the story of Gone Girl , a perfect girl who doesn't seem as she appears to be.  I love mysteries, murders and detectives.

In my life I am a little addicted to figuring things out ( things meaning events , heart motivation, etc... deep things ). These days, I finally realize that it's okay if I don't understand about things. The outlet for me is detective novels because they have the moment when the detectives explained everything or when the mysteries finally solved.

No, I don't advise people to stop going to psychologist or trying to solve their problems by pondering deeply into their hearts. Please keep doing that, it's just for myself I usually go overboard.

Another reminder to stop myself from figuring things out is coptic binding          ( another book related activity..yeah..I am into notebook making this days )

Coptic binding is a style of binding which exposes the spine of the notebook. Honestly it's hard for me. My husband is better at this loopy things, he even helped me when I started. So far I made 5 notebooks with coptic binding, I still need to look at the intructions. If I venture into figuring overboard, I remember that I still not able grasp the pattern of coptic binding. If something that simple is difficult, how difficult it is to understand the deep things in my/other's hearts.

Now go back to my books, let's look the second one, Captivating by Stacy Eldredge. This book made me cry. It helps me to understand and embarace my feminine heart. I bought this at Amazon.com.

Dunia Sophie or Sophie's World is like Philosophy 101 wrapped in a story. Very creative. During the end of my years at uni, when I was interested in philosphy I often read this book. Not a surprise huh, for a person who's addicted to figuring things out. At the end, I still don't understand about all those fancy philosophy. I asked my parents to buy it at Gramedia for me and brought it all the way from Indonesia because I lost the old one.

CS Lewis's Narnia series are a heaven for me. I love the Pevensieve kids, the adventures, the descrition of the food , the exotic places. Mostly I love Aslan. If I could meet Aslan in person, I will hug and kiss him. Carefully though, because he is not a tame lion ! I love Lewis but cannot read Tolkiens. Bought the complete set at the secondhand bookstore for a mere $2.

Rose is a biography of a lady's maid. I got it at Barnes and Noble. Why I bought it ? Because of my fondness of Downton Abbey of course. I always read biographies. I like to know why that famous person were or how he was during his childhood. Love to see the old photos . Love to see how he overcame his difficult situations. I love biography but not history.

I also love the children and juvenile books. Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono is bought at amazon.com because I watched the anime.

Kreatif Sampai Mati by Wahyu Aditya and Creativity by Phillipe Petit are two books about creativity. I love reading about the creative process. I love to see ( in the photos mainly) the artists studios, the chefs kitchen, the designer sewing room, etc. My cousin Dwika, bought Kreatif Sampai Mati for me. Creativity was bought online at amazon.com

Last, this is a love letter from my God, which I kept reading every so often

So dear readers, let me show you where I kept my security blankets

Some people have friends, bags, clothes, paintings, kitchenwares and even real blankets, as security blankets. For me, they are books.

What I've Been Looking for in the Movies ( So Far )...

I enjoyes cute rooms and houses which I've seen in the movies

Meg Ryan's House in You've Got Mail, so warm and inviting

Her Bookstore in the same movie, could stay there forever

Detective Monk's Apartment, envying the obsessively neat organization
which I know I couldn't achieve 

Nicole Kidman's house at The Hour, so rustic and cute, yet errie

What I've been Looking for in the Movies ( So Far )

Movies are one of many things that I like to see
( others are : dogs, flowers, cute downtowns, typhography, natures, food as art, paintings, and so on and so forth )
These days, besides the storiestelling and the actors,
there are particular things which I crave in a movie

1. The color combos

dusty rose,brown and grey work nicely together in Ballet Shoes, the movie

autmn colors such terracotta, grey, brown in Not Another Happy Ending

red and green are predominant in the whole movie of Amelie

mustard, green and teal in the Meryl Streep's kitchen at the Bridges of Madison County

Do you remember a movie from its colors ?

WEDDING OF THE YEAR

In the 14th years I lived in the USA, very rarely I got a wedding invitation.
So far only 8 times, and I attended 6 of them. Back home, going to the wedding is almost a monthly or even weekly, occasion.

Indri and Eric's wedding in apple orchard

In my opinion, the weddings back home are more elaborate and bigger than those in the USA. So, from the guests point of view, there are more preparation for the female guests to make herself presentable in the wedding party. There are dresses and shoes to pick, hair and make up to do, nails and toenails to paint, (branded) handbags to complete the image, and so on and so forth.

Jojo and Sukma's wedding

These days back home, people also try do unique wedding party too. I just found out in my friend's facebook that he went to a wedding party which happened inside the national library. Very quirky,I think, and cool at the same time.

Eka and Sesi's wedding, which I missed

Now.. drumroll...the wedding of the year is

                     Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes from Downton Abbey

They are the servants. Mr. Carson is the butler and Mrs Hughes is the head housekeeper. Although they are the servants, they are very dignified and respected. Even the owner of the house would think twice to make Mr Carson cross.

Mrs Hughes or Elsie Hughes is called Mrs Hughes even though Ms. is more suitable. But the head housekeeper always called a. Mrs.

Yes, from the deepest part of my heart I congratulate Mr. and Mrs. Carson.
To be honest, I felt happier watching their marriage than that of Lady Mary.

 

Low Impact Kind of Gal

As a zumba-ers, lately I found out that I became really sore after a regular zumba exercise which last for 1 hour . The pain was too much for me that I had to take a painkiller afterwards. Although I heard I can burn 400 cal by doing zumba, I have to take the pain into consideration.

The alternatif is zumba gold, a low impact zumba which segmented to seniors. At first I was rather apprehended to join the class. I'm not seniors yet, I just entered my forties last year. I came to the class anyway, and I love it. It's low impact and the instructor is great. It feels more like dancing class than aerobic class.

Too bad it's only happens once a week. I need at least 3 times exercise to be energized. So what should I do ?

the path

Well, the solution is walking. This week I walked for 2 miles with a friend. We walked on a quaint path. It has a couple of bridges and wooded area. Very nice. And nearby there is a cute supermarket which sells fresh squeezed orange juice at a low price.

So finally I decide to walk about 2 or 3 times a week. In the meantime, I'm still going to regular zumba class, but I will make my movement low impacts. In case the instructor are jumping around,
I am just walking . In other words, I will be more like the senior members of zumba class. The grandmas who always do their own dancing and keep their own pace.

Viva zumba gold and viva walking !

The Things My Kiddos Like

2015 now, and it's time to update the things my kiddos like

Daniel:
Still love reading, watching movies , game cheats and silly homemade movies at youtube. Still love to play minecraft and Destny. Still love to play soccer. He used to be in the travellling soccer for 2 years and this year he's back at recreational. He's wearing glasses and adult sized shoes now. In several months he can easily wear Eddy's shoes.

Timmy
Still love reading, watching movies, playing minecraft and Destiny. He joins karate class at school. He said by doing that , he will be able to fight Koko who is often rude him but always nice to others.
He is growing tall but still skinny. But the good news is he loves his food now. Yipeee...
He does not sleep with his stuffed animals anymore but he's still collecting them. He used to get orthodontic treatment and has finished phase 1. No more retainer and braces. He loves his bike now.

Sophie
Still love drawing and cute animals. No more dancing, no more pink girly stuff, she says she loves the color blue now. Hate and totally hate Princess stuff . Used to be crazy about Frozen, now she loathes it. She tries horseback riding now. She loves the horses, but after two lessons she asked me when could she stop. :(