monrecipes.com

Lelaki tua menjelang 80-an itu menatap istrinya. Lekat-lekat. Nanar. Gadis itu masih terlalu belia.
Baru saja mekar. Ini bukan persekutuan yang mudah.
Tapi ia sudah memutuskan untuk mencintainya.
Sebentar kemudian ia pun berkata, ”Kamu kaget melihat semua ubanku? Percayalah! Hanya kebaikan yang kamu temui di sini”. Itulah kalimat pertama Utsman bin Affan ketika menyambut istri terakhirnya dari Syam, Naila.
Selanjutnya adalah bukti.>> > Sebab cinta adalah kata lain dari memberi.
>> > sebab memberi adalah pekerjaan..
>> > sebab pekerjaan cinta dalam siklus memperhatikan, menumbuhkan,
>> > merawat dan  melindungi itu berat.
>> > sebab pekerjaan berat itu harus ditunaikan dalam waktu lama.
>> > sebab pekerjaan berat dalam waktu lama begitu hanya mungkin
>> > dilakukan oleh mereka yang memiliki kepribadian kuat dan tangguh.

“Aku juga akan melindungi dirimu dari segala sesuatu yang dapat merusak dirimu….”>> > Dan proses pertumbuhan itu taruhannya adalah kepercayaan orang yang
>> > kita cintai terhadap integritas kepribadian kita.
>> > Sekali kamu mengatakan kepada seseorang, “Aku mencintaimu”, kamu
>> > harus membuktikan ucapan itu.

>> > Itu deklarasi jiwa bukan saja tentang rasa suka dan ketertarikan,
>> > tapi terutama tentang kesiapan dan kemampuan memberi, kesiapan dan
>> > kemampuan berkorban, kesiapan dan kemampuan pekerjaan-pekerjaan cinta:
>> > memperhatikan,menumbuhkan, merawat dan melindungi.
>> > Sekali deklarasi cinta tidak terbukti, kepercayaan hilang lenyap.
>> > Tidak ada cinta tanpa kepercayaan.
>> > Begitulah bersama waktu suami atau istri kehilangan kepercayaan
>> > kepada pasangannya. Atau anak kehilangan kepercayaan kepada orang
>> > tuanya. Atau sahabat kehilangan kepercayaan kepada kawannya. Atau
>> > rakyat kehilangan kepercayaan kepada pemimpinnya.
>> > Semua dalam satu situasi: cinta yang tidak terbukti.

>> > Ini yang menjelaskan mengapa cinta yang terasa begitu panas membara diawal
>> > hubungan lantas jadi redup dan padam pada tahun kedua, ketiga,
>> > keempat dan seterusnya.
>> > Dan tiba-tiba saja perkawinan bubar, persahabatan berakhir,
>> > keluarga berantakan, atau pemimpin jatuh karena tidak dipercaya rakyatnya.

Jalan hidup kita biasanya tidak linear. Tidak juga seterusnya pendakian. Atau penurunan. Karena itu, konteks di mana pekerjaan-pekerjaan cinta dilakukan tidak selalu kondusif secara emosional.

Tapi disitulah tantangannya: membuktikan ketulusan di tengah  situasi-situasi yang sulit. Di situ konsistensi teruji.
Di situ juga integritas terbukti. Sebab mereka yang bisa mengejawantahkan cinta di tengah situasi yang sulit, jauh lebih bisa membuktikannya dalam waktu yang longgar.Mereka yang dicintai dengan cara begitu, biasanya mengatakan bahwa hati dan jiwanya penuh seluruh.
Bahagia sebahagia-bahagianya. Puas sepuas-puasnya. Sampai tak ada tempat bagi yang lain. Bahkan setelah sang pencinta mati.

Begitulah Naila. Utsman telah memenuhi seluruh jiwanya dengan cinta.
Maka ia memutuskan untuk tidak menikah lagi setelah suaminya terbunuh.
Ia bahkan merusak wajahnya untuk menolak semua pelamarnya.
Tak ada yang dapat mencintai sehebat lelaki tua itu.

*anonymous - taken from email*

40 Tips for Better Life - 2008

1. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is

> the ultimate anti-depressant.

> 2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have

> to.

> 3. Buy a DVD Recorder and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

> 4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, ‘My

> purpose is to __________ today.’

> 5. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

> 6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007!

> 7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. They

> provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

> 8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.

> 9. Dream more while you are awake.

> 10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is

> manufactured in plants.

> 11. Drink green tea and plenty of water.. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan

> salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

> 12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

> 13. Clear clutters from your house, your car, your desk and let new and

> flowing energy into your life.

> 14. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of

> the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest

> your energy in the positive present moment.

> 15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are

> simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class

> but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

> 16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a

> college kid with a maxed out credit charge card.

> 17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

> 18. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

> 19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

> 20. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

> 21. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

> 22. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.

> 23. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their

> journey is all about.

> 24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

> 25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will

> this matter?’

> 26. Forgive everyone for everything.

> 27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

> 28. GOD heals almost everything.

> 29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

> 30. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.

> Stay in touch.

> 31. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

> 32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

> 33. The best is yet to come.

> 34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

> 35. Do the right thing!

> 36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!) Hey I’m thinking

> of ya!

> 37. Each night! before you go to bed complete the following statements: I

> am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.

> 38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

> 39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly

> don’t want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the

> most of it and enjoy the ride.

> 40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about.

> May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more, May nothing but

> happiness come through your door!*

My parents stayed at the Royal Peacock hotel Singapore in deluxe room for 2 days. Wew.. the room is so small according to them , interior is painted in red, posh.. but scarrying coz it becomes dark :D.. bath room also small and with the room size,, you figure what the air would be after doing some business inside there,, huahuauha ..

Apart from the room, the location is very convenient, and breakfast is splendid,, my mom is not a porridge lover, but she confessed the porridge there,, yummmyy.. that she suddenly loved porridge.

Overall,, they would have to think twice to stay at this hotel again ,,

Below are some pictures taken for your overview, i draw the room outline by myself.

Outline

Rooms

another view

Restaurant

okay,,that’s about the pictures, for front row you can check on www.streetdirectory.com site and click on the “Images” bar of that site .. and for the living room and other pictures you can check it out on their site.

Wiliam Shakespeare:

Three sentences for getting success:

a). know more than other
b). work more than other
c). expect less than other

Alen Strike:

Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this worls. If u do so, you are insulting yourself

Mother Teresa:

IF we can not love the person whom we see, how can we love God whom we can not see ?

Bonnie Blair:

Winning doesn’t always mean being first, winning means you’re doing better than you’ve done before

Thomas Edison :

I will not say i failed 1000 times, i will say that i discovered there are 1000 ways that can cause failure

Leo Tolstoy :

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself

Abaraham Lincoln:

Believing everybody is dangerous; believing is very dangerous

Abdul Kalam:

Love your job, but never fall in love with your company because you never know when it stops loving you..

Einstein:

If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their life, then it means they had never tried a new thing in their life.

Charles:

Never break four things in your life - Trust, Promise, Relation & heart because when they break they don’t make noise but pains a lot.

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters… S.T.R .

My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a party, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. (they offered to call ambulance)
They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00pm , Ingrid passed away.)
She had suffered a stroke at the party. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.
Some don’t die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this…

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke…totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Remember the “3″ steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster.
The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions :

S * Ask the individual to SMILE .
T * = TALK. Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (eg “It is sunny out today”).
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS .

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call the ambulance and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

NOTE : Another ’sign’ of a stroke is
1. Ask the person to ’stick’ out their tongue.
2. If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke..

Chrysanthemum Flower 

Origin & History

Commonly called “mums” or “tansies”, this popular perennial’s name comes from the Greek chrysos (gold) and anthos (flower). The Chusan daisy became the “pompom chrysanthemum” — so called because in France, where it was first grown, it looked like the pompons on sailors’ hats.

Chrysanthemums had been cultivated in Chinese gardens for more than 2,500 years before first being exhibited in England in 1795. Brought by visiting Buddhist monks, the chrysanthemum arrived in Japan in AD 400.

Sentiment & Symbolism

The chrysanthemum has been the focus of Oriental adulation for centuries.

In China, the chrysanthemum’s association with autumn stems from its tendency to bloom in the fall. Consequently, the ancient Chinese chose the Chrysanthemum (”chu hua”) as their Flower for October, a symbol of the rest and ease that followed the season’s final harvest. Mums were considered one of the four Chinese “noble plants” (the others being bamboo, the plum, and the orchid), and were the official badge of the Old Chinese Army. Since chrysanthemums were considered the flower of the Chinese noble class, they were prohibited in a lower-class person’s garden. The Chinese believe that a chrysanthemum given to one’s beloved, after its being used to wipe one’s mouth after drinking wine, will ensure undying love and fidelity.

Called “kikus” in Japanese, chrysanthemums were featured on the Imperial Crest of Japan, and were so beloved by Japanese emperors that they sat upon chrysanthemum thrones. The Japanese still hold the chrysanthemum as a symbol of the sun, and they consider the orderly unfolding of the mum’s petals to be a symbol of perfection.They also presume that a single chrysanthemum petal placed in the bottom of a wine glass encourages a long and healthy life.

Color Messages

While chrysanthemums generally denote cheerfulness and rest, individual colors do carry specific messages: red for love, good luck and best wishes; white for truth; and yellow for slighted love. Chrysanthemums will be welcomed throughout the British Isles and North America for any occasion. In Italy, however, their exclusive association with the dead makes chrysanthemums acceptable only for funerals.

Carnation Flower

Origin & History

The carnation — originally called dianthus by the Greek botanist Theopharastus — is native to the Near East and has been cultivated for the last 2,000 years. Some scholars believe that the name “carnation” comes from “coronation” or “corone” (flower garlands), as it was one of the flowers used in Greek ceremonial crowns. Others think the name stems from the Greek carnis (flesh), which refers to the original color of the flower, or incarnacyon (incarnation), which refers to the incarnation of God made flesh.

Sentiment & Symbolism

Carnations were known as “Jove’s Flower” in ancient Rome as a tribute to one of their beloved gods. In Korea, a young girl places three carnations in her hair to tell her fortune. If the top flower dies first, her last years of life will be difficult; if it’s the middle flower, her earlier years will bring the most grief. Worst of all, if the bottom flower dies first, the poor girl will be miserable her whole life!

Color Messages

For the most part, carnations express love, fascination, and distinction. Light red carnations represent admiration, while dark red denote deep love and affection. White carnations indicate pure love and good luck; striped symbolize a regret that a love cannot be shared. Green carnations are for St. Patrick’s Day; purple carnations indicate capriciousness.
Pink carnations have the most symbolic and historical significance. According to Christian legend, carnations first appeared on Earth as Jesus carried the Cross. The Virgin Mary shed tears at Jesus’ plight, and carnations sprang up from where her tears fell. Thus he pink carnation became the symbol of a mother’s undying love, and in 1907 was chosen by Ann Jarvis as the emblem of Mother’s Day, now observed in the United States and Canada on the second Sunday in May.

Calendula Flower 

Origin & History

The calendula’s genus name, wor calendae, means “throughout the months.”

A member of the marigold family, calendula was valued historically for its medicinal and culinary uses. An ancient beverage made from a mixture of calendula blossoms in wine was said to soothe indigestion. Calendula petals were used in ointments that cured skin irritations, jaundice, sore eyes, and toothaches. The Romans used calendula mixed with vinegar to season their meat and salad dishes.

Sentiment & Symbolism

Early Christians called calendula “Mary’s Gold,” and placed it by the statues of the Virgin Mary. The most sacred flower of ancient India, calendula stems and flower heads were strung into garlands and placed around the necks of holy statues.

Since the calendula’s flower head follows the sun, it is sometimes called “summer’s bride” or “husbandman’s dial.” The calendula flower means “winning grace” in the language of flowers.

 Bird of Paradise

Origin & History Botanists are divided on how this remarkable flower got its name. Some maintain that the flower’s brilliant orange and blue blossom, which resembles a bird in flight, is named after the bird of paradise itself — one of the most beautiful bird species in the world. However, since this flower is also known as the strelitzia, some believe that it was named after England’s Queen Charlotte, who was born Charlotte Mecklenber-Strelitz.

Aster Flower

Origin & History

The English called asters both “asters” and “starworts”. Aster, Latin for “star,” referred to the flower’s star-like shape, while wort meant “root,” which then applied to plants with healing properties. There are over 600 species of aster, the most popular being the Monte Casino.

Sentiment & Symbolism

Asters are the birth flower for September, and the herb of the goddess Venus. Ancient people believed that the odour of the leaves of the aster, when burnt, drove away serpents. Asters were laid on the graves of French soldiers to symbolize afterthought and the wish that things had turned out differently. One myth tells that asters were created from stardust when Virgo looked down from the heavens and wept. The poet Virgil holds that the altars of the gods were often adorned with asters.

Color Messages

Asters convey an afterthought or variety, except in China, where they signify fidelity.
 

Asters convey an afterthought or variety, except in China, where they signify fidelity.