Constructing A New Non-Slip Concrete Pavement

Since the fixing of our dining room roof, we had one more project to be carried out. We had a pavement in front of our gate that was lined with 2 rows of floor tiles and the rest was cemented. After years of wear and tear, the tiles tend to be slippery whether it rained or not.

Hubby and elder son have slipped and fell because of the slippery pavement and others had near accident but thank God, didn't. Most of our friends are elderlies, so one can imagine the seriousness if one would to fall and hurt himself or herself.

Hubby arranged the date for the construction to be carried to coincide with the days that I will be in hospital for the chemo treatment because it was going to be very dusty and noisy. I was spared the noise and dust and the final concreting work was done while I was home from hospital. Below are some of the photos taken of the construction work by hubby.

Sunrise shot at 7:30am.

I can't remember where this photo was taken.

Hacking and breaking up the old concrete and tiles.

Levelling of the ground level.

Laying of reinforcement for the pavement to prevent cracks.

Ready for concreting.

We ordered pre-mixed concrete for the pavement.

At last, the finished new non-slip concrete pavement project.

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Photo below credited to Julie Chong.

Linking to Monday Mural.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

(Psalm 20:7, New International Version-NIV)

Simple Breakfast & Lunch At Home

We started our walk early one morning and finished earlier than usual.

7:05 am

 The previous day hubby bought a loaf of bread and coconut jam, so we will be having breakfast at home. But before going home, we went to buy 2 pieces of curry puffs with flaky pastry to keep for our lunch.

These were our breakfast & lunch for that day.

Hubby had bread with coconut jam and I had bread sandwich with sambal prawn and cucumber slices. For drink, we had hot green tea.

This is my homemade spicy sambal prawn.

Curry puffs with flaky pastry for lunch.

*     *     *     *     *

The following snapshots were taken at a vegetarian eatery when we were having brunch with my sister-in-law and hubby.

Painting on the wall. This turned out not so clear due to the light from the windows on both sides of the painting.

Another painting on the wall.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away

have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one

and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,

by setting aside in his flesh the law with it commands and regulations.

His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two,

thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God

through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

(Ephesians 2:13-16, New International Version-NIV)

Our Guppies Projects With Water Features.

My first posting on my Guppies or Peacock fishes was in March, 2017 and if you are interested you can click here to read about it. The guppies were first kept in a punch bowl and from there, the guppies were transferred to a bigger home. Hubby bought a mini pump and a pitcher and put up a simple water feature. Two months later, I did a post on the water feature and you can click here to take a look if you are interested.

We have since added another new water feature for our Guppies. Instead of spending money to buy the parts for a new water feature, I suggested to hubby to make use of the big round base that I have used for planting my flowers. I dug up the plants and removed the soil. Then hubby sealed up the drainage holes. He filled the base with water and let it soak for a few days. He only needed to buy the water pump and the rest are recyclable appliances from my kitchen.

We used a cracked crock pot, a burnt stainless steel kettle and a stainless steel teapot as components for the water feature.

Side view of the new water feature.

The first batch of guppies were from our friend and he also caught the interest to start the water feature. He dug out his old water feature parts and assembled them together as shown below.

Our friend's water feature which he placed at the side of his house but found that it was too warm to sit and enjoy the fishes and the sound of running water.

He then moved the water feature to a cooler place where he can sit and enjoy his hobby. He sent us this photo with the above text message - his 5 stars hotel for his peacock fish.

It is fun to have friends having the same interest.

He did a healthy "green" landscaping for his guppies.

"Guppies" is the men's hot topic now!

Back to our own guppies and their new home.

This is a different breed of colourful guppies.

Some have longer tails and it is fun and relaxing to watch them.

I love this particular guppy with a long orange tail which is so different from the others.

Here is a very short video of the water feature with its running water and mini pond.

Linking to Saturday's Critters.

The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.'

Let each one who hears them say the same, 'Come.'

Let the thirsty one come - anyone who wants to;

let him come and drink the Water of Life without charge.

(Revelation 22:17, The Living Bible-TLB)

Getting Ready For Chinese New Year 2016.

When we installed the new fencing in our side garden, we also installed iron grille onto our windows. When the contractor installed the grilles, he took off our existing curtain railings. Before we started our spring cleaning for the Chinese New Year celebration, hubby had to fix back the curtain railings to hang the curtains in both my sons' room.

He used an electric drill to drill holes for the fixing of railing in both the rooms.

Both the railings have been fixed and the curtains hung up.

I sewed the curtains with my sewing machine.

Few months ago, we installed the "Heat Shield" sheets below both the roof tiles and the awning to reduce the heat temperature in our house. It did makes a great difference and the temperature has definitely been lowered. Even in the hot season, our home is much cooler now.

We also use these extra sheets to "heat shield" our car's front & back glass screen whenever it is parked under hot sun.

I remembered the 2 packets of prawn crackers that we bought from Sekichan few months ago.

Took them out under the hot sun before frying them as snacks for the festive season. 

 During one of our breakfast outing, dropped by a crockery shop to buy these 3 items.

I needed to get a new whistling kettle. It is more economical than using an electric kettle. 

Bought a new saucepan because due to my forgetfulness, I burnt my old one.

A new knives holder to replace the very old one.

Between the dark blue and brown rubber slipper, my friend and I bought the blue ones for our bathroom/toilet.

Took a break from the spring cleaning job, we came to this restaurant for lunch.

I like the name - Coming Restaurant! They are open for breakfast and lunch.

 Hubby took "economy rice" (chap fun) and I shared these fruits with him.

I was too tired to have any appetite for rice or noodle.

I saw this dual purpose Christmas tree. The Christmas decoration has been removed and replaced with Chinese New Year decoration. 

Lighted oranges on a Christmas tree!

If I had seen this earlier, I wouldn't have kept my Christmas tree so early.

Hope I can remember this for next year. Lol!

 After I came home from my hairdresser, it is time for hubby's hair cut.

And I am the barber!

 Hubby bought this hair clipper for me to cut his hair. He gets free barber service!

 A friend gave me this bundle of orchid plants and due to the change of environment, the leaves started to drop. I then moved it to a more shadier place and new leaves are growing back.

While watering the orchid, I noticed 2 flower buds on the bare stem.

I am feeling excited and looking forward to see the flowers.

One on the left and 2 on the right. Hope to see more buds appearing.

Now, here is a lesson from a fig tree.

When its buds become tender and its leaves begin to sprout,

you know that spring has come.

(Mark 13:28, TLB)

A Simple Breakfast & Lunch

I woke up at 6 am on Saturday morning ready to go for my morning walk but I heard raindrops on the awning. I went back to laze awhile on the bed, intending to get out of bed in a short while, hoping by then the rain would have stopped. 

Instead, I dozed off and got up about 2 hours later. We didn't go for the morning walk. We got ready and drove to our friend's coffee shop, thinking of their fluffy steamed coconut bun (coconut pau) and piping hot coffee.

It was a cloudy day.

The sun was just beginning to shine through the gloomy sky.

At the coffee shop, we were told that there were only steamed coconut jam bun and steamed plain pumpkin buns on sale for that day. My hubby then decided to order curry noodle and I ordered half boiled egg on toast.

2 pieces of toasted bread and 1 half boiled egg on the toast.

Dashes of pepper powder and sprinkling of soy sauce to taste.

My egg on toast would not be complete without a cup piping hot nes'cafe.
I take my coffee without sugar but with evaporated milk.

 We found an amazing Japanese Rose of mixed marriage of 2 colours. It is an orange and pink multi-petal Japanese rose. Spent some time in the garden.

Later for lunch we wanted something light. I went to search in the refrigerator and found 2 cucumbers and a bottle of rojak sauce. There was also a ripe pineapple on the dining table.  

I cut off the pineapple skin. 

I also cut off the eyes of the pineapple with a sharp knife. 

 I then peeled off the cucumbers with a peeler. I am going to cut these cucumber skin into smaller pieces and sprinkle them onto the soil near my plants. I read somewhere that cucumber peels or slices drive away ants. If this is true, then I hope to banish ants from my garden.

Spooned out some rojak sauce onto 2 separate bowls.

Main ingredients in the rojak sauce are thick black soy sauce, toasted shrimp paste powder, sugar, chilies and etc.

Add some crushed peanuts mixed with toasted belacan powder onto the rojak sauce. This is our local kind of salad.

This was our simple lunch for hubby and I.

As for myself, I plucked off some long beans from my dwarf long bean plants. Not enough for cooking so I ate them raw with rojak sauce.

My dwarf long bean plant grown in a pot.

This is different from the climber long bean plant.

 The beans are specially sweet and crunchy when it is eaten raw and when freshly plucked from the plant.

Come, let's talk this over, says the Lord;

no matter how deep the stain of your sins,

I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow.

Even if you are stained as red as crimson,

I can make you white as wool!

(Isaiah 1:18, TLB)