An Old Fashioned Girl

A descriptive essay

2011-09-08T17:29:00.002+08:00

My Little Garden Today

Welcome to my little plot of the world. It isn’t very large.

Here’s the grass. The grass is an intruder; wild, overgrown, and always threatening to creep into my herb beds. Weeds too; they inhabit little spaces, and pop up all over the place. They have to be weeded out mercilessly.

What do I have growing here? Two little stems of sweet basil struggle to stay alive, whereas their cousin the lemon basil is thriving happily. Poor things; they came dangerously close to death, being infested by the mean little black and white flies, and had to be ceremoniously sterilized and replanted. Today the leaves are big, green, and tall, but lonely.

Grasshoppers and other little insects are often found munching on the lemon basil. There’s enough to go around indeed. Cinnamon basil is stronger and more heavily scented, and a deep reddish green, growing nicely. Rosemary is hidden behind the lemon basil, growing slowly but surely. Oh, I hope the little dear has enough sunlight. The lemon basil sometimes is a little selfish, you know. Totally overshadows the rosemary, it does. Still, I’m careful with the rosemary and hope one day she’ll grow into a tall and beautiful hedge.

A healthy steam of dill cheerily sends a shower of light green color with its long wispy leaves. I don’t know what happened to the other pot. Totally dried up, it has. Oh, and somewhere in that bush of lemon basil is interspersed a few stems of asam leaves. Poor things; they died when I planted them but grew back so quickly!

In a tall and heavy clay pot, small lemongrass shoots have sprung up from where I harvested all the bulbs a week ago. Find those stalks and they have such a tale to tell, to be sure! What packages they were wrapped in, what airplane they boarded, where they nested for a time and a time and half a time, finally to be planted in a strange new places with many interesting foreign botanical specimens and also merrily chopped and cooked into a delightful large pot thousands of miles away from where they were grown.

Here is the grave of the shriveled old sage, who could not endure the perils and rigors of spending an evening swung around in a plastic bag in the shopping mall after purchase. Here too is a recent decease- a little neem leaf stem which never grew big for lack of roots. Perhaps the ailing hibiscus would meet the same fate, with its yellowing little waxy leaves. Oh, I hope it puts down roots quickly. The soil is full of composted moisture, if only you’d muster the strength to receive them.

Here are some empty pots with papers that read cucumber, sweet corn, mango, lettuce, and winged beans, delicately hidden in the shade. Perhaps the planted seed will sprout, and one day they too will flourish, bear fruit, and have an interesting tale to tell.

Poetry Assignments

2011-09-08T17:23:00.000+08:00

Ah... analyzing poetry is so terribly confusing. I'm not much of a poet. I can't describe in such a way that people have to screw their minds up to understand me. Poets naughtily play the mystery game, and poetry analysts vainly try to catch the meaning of these darting and taunting words.

Anyway, i wrote two poems for this unit. Here's them. If you're a poetry expert I'd reckon you may try to analyze it or something, but don't expect much. I'm mainly concerned with rhyme and making up some sort of story. Not too sure about my own point, neither.

My idea was "let's be poetic and add all those crazy poet touches like capitalizing random words, being vague about the story, and expressing frustration in a frustrating way." Do you think it came out poetically? I like the final line.

Longing

Oh for the joys of summer!

Oh, for joys of spring!

I have never seen either,

Nor known what seasons bring.

Never have I shriveled under,

The perilous rays of sun,

Shivered I have neither,

When chilling snowfalls begun.

Howling; I wish I could,

Walking; Something never understood,

Fellows; never have I touched,

Nor know what it means to share a heart.

Oh that I could reach beyond,

This endless choking Prison,

Oh that I would do more than mourn,

And be joy and mirth given.

Why this weight upon my back,

Scales upon my eyes,

Dreaming of love, peace, and that,

But never think them more than lies.

Will all I know be misery,

Loneliness, pangs of Death,

Will my ears hear some symphony,

And my heart of stings be left.

Only fogginess, wistfulness, grogginess,

I long to Sleep; There is nothing else to do,

But sleep is withheld,

These things hold true.

Numb is my soul.

Weary with dew.

The coolness of water,

Springs for a few.

Oh for love of a Mother,

Oh for the whiff of a flower,

Oh to see words upon the page,

That blindness will not cover.

Frustration mounts; but No one will hear me

No one will care,

No one will see me,

Nor know I am there.

Boiling rage and pity almost consume me,

Words cannot express themselves,

What is life?

What is this sea of obscurity?

Endless bore. Endless waiting.

Endless pain, Endless listening.

Senses awake, soft pulsing,

Buried under leaves of Wanting.

The Lousy Lunch Four-Lines-Too-Long-One-Syllable-Too-Short-To-Be-Iambic-Pentameter-Sonnet

I ate a lousy lunch today

I ate it at the park

It had a shade of pinkish grey,

It smelt much like tree bark

I reeled and fell right down,

Beyond the grassy green,

I threw up my lunch right there on the ground,

And was glad I was not seen.

I disposed my lunch in the public bin,

And continued with the meal,

I drank my milk from a metal tin,

And heard the church bells peal.

It struck me at that time,

How long my lunch has taken,

I cleaned up all my mess and grime,

And made it to the station.

Lunch is over, I’m so glad.

Truth to be told, it wasn’t that bad.

What happened today...

2011-08-25T18:12:00.002+08:00

A beef stew simmers merrily on the stove while scraps of vegetables cook in their heat in the rice cooker. (Who wants to waste potato, carrot, and onion peels?) Beef stew is really easy, and kosher too. The only difficult thing is that it takes 5 hours to boil, and if I am naughty I will find things in the kitchen to do so that I can hover around the stew and taste it every once in awhile.

Today was a usual day. I woke up… late – 9am. Spent the morning in the kitchen with the Bible, copying out 1^st Corinthians 13. Last night at prayer meeting the whole discussion was about love. And I have been studying the foundational character quality of love, so why not learn 1^st Corinthians 13. I have been memorizing Corinthians for… at least 3 years and I’ve just hit chapter 10. It’s not that it’s difficult, it’s just that I lack concentration. I went and memorized unrelated passages meanwhile.

Anyways… that hunka Above Rubies sourdough bread is what I’ve been eating this week, a hunk a day + a banana for breakfast + chocolate malt drink + lemon honey. It's really healthy (I did wheat+spelt) and I will share my story and feelings about it. Warning: not for the faint in heart or for those used to eating white bread. This recipe is unique in texture and taste, and I am adjusting my tastes to it.

I practiced Cello and went off to cello class. Sometime between before-breakfast and after-lunch I had time to practice my aleph-bet and to draw up 3 worksheets. For what? Well one of my goal occupations would be to teach Hebrew, though I barely know it myself, and I used the format of Chinese-language books for preschool to draw up a few sheets. Yeah… *rolls eyes* Hebrew teachers are really in demand here.

This occupation brought me to remember the way sweets are used in Yeshivas to teach the alphabet to preschoolers… brilliant actually. I just have to find some three-year-olds willing to subject themselves to 9 years of Torah Study.. and entice them with M&Ms.

Language Arts have been my academic diet for the last week. All musical studies and practices have been horrifically neglected. I can’t tear myself away, despite the fact that I am atrocious at grammar. I hate studying English. I love writing and using it, but learning the rules are just too…

Packing, mending, buying, making lists, and in preparation for my first trip. I won’t call it a mission trip, because “missions” tend to connote Crusaders, forced conversions, etc. I won’t say much now, but I am going overseas to learn, to stay on a rural farm, and to buy *name* rice and mango*name* and instant *name*.

Shalom and Shalom again, Beka.

BTW. "They Thought For Themselves" just arrived in the mail, and I'd really recommended it. Also Bonhoeffer's "Psalms - Prayer Book of the Bible" booklet, another favorite of mine.

Meet the... Batik Kaftan

2011-08-05T23:30:00.000+08:00

The Batik (pronounce it as Bah-tick) Kaftan is a loose and light housedress very common it SouthEast Asia. It is very modest, as most versions cover the elbows as reach down to the ground. It is essentially a square and shapeless dress made with the lightest material, available in rich and deep colors, painting in the batik style. It is an excellent nightgown as well as housedress, especially on the hottest and most humid of days. It looks very, very, cool and comfortable.

Most would say being modest (tzinuis) is near to impossible in the heat of summer. I would encourage you to look a little beyond the bikini or jeans culture to the lands of the Orient or the Near East, where summer is the norm. In fact, it’s not just hot and dry. It’s hot and very humid (meaning sweaty!).

These outfits I have posted on so far, the sari and the Batik Kaftan, can be as immodest or modest as you like. But for those seeking to dress modestly in hot weather, here are some multicultural options.

The material of the Batik Kaftan is very thin, light, and soft. Yet it is not see through. You could easily make your own, I believe, with a large piece of thin cotton or batik cloth as a nightgown for these stifling summers. I am guessing the width should be measured from 2 inches below one elbow, over your arm and shoulders and arm again to below your next elbow. The length should be from your shoulders to mid-calf or a few inches above your foot. Simply cut a cloth with this width measurement and double the length and fold lengthways; turn it inside out and sew down the sides leaving two comfortable holes for your arm, and cut out and serge a collar. It’s a very simple dress.(Actually, I just found the pattern here! )

Got the idea? Shalom!

Read this blog about batik and batik kaftans

Making Concertina Flowers Project

2011-08-05T21:37:00.000+08:00

You will need:

Masking Tape
A Pencil
A ruler
A single hole punches
Craft glue
Scissors
A small artificial flower (Purple)

A large muffin (not cupcake) cup (light blue with white dots)
An A4 sized piece of (faded blue )colored paper
Instructions:

Instructions:
1) Using the width of the ruler (3cm), draw a line lengthways down the A4 paper. Cut out the strip.

2) Fold the strip in half, and half again. Open out the second fold and the paper in half, turning the two ends inwards to ensure even folding. Flip the paper other and do the same. Open the paper to half it’s usual length. Fold each section into four.

3) Starting at one end, follow the creases in the pre-folded paper to fold the paper concertina-style to other end.

4) On the wrong side, attach the two ends of the paper together with a small strip of masking tape. They should be folding in the same direction.

5) Manipulate the concertina, right-side upwards, into a flower.

6) Prepare two little squares of masking tape. Turn the concertina flower over and attach the masking tape. This takes practice to holding the flower neatly and tape the underside. Let it sit with a weight on top so that it does not pop out.

The Second Flower:
7) Cut the muffin cup down the joint and around the bottom. You should have two pieces: the open, flat, sides in a curved strip and a thick round bottom.

8) Use a rule to draw a line where you must shorten the muffin cup sides. It should be roughly 3 cm wide.

9) Fold the muffin paper into quarters or eighths, then cut off the excess. Again, the strip you now have will be roughly 3cm wide. As the first piece, fold the strip into a concertina fold following the curved top.

10) Open up the concertina and use the single hole puncher to punch holes, one for each curve, not too near the edge and not too far down.

11) Fold the concertina, starting from one end. Fold each section into half so that the fold line is in the center of the punched hole.

12) Secure the two ends with tape.

13) Manipulate into a concertina flower. Use glue to attach it on top of the first flower. Squeeze a drop of glue into the center and put a weight on top to let it dry.

14) Squeeze some glue on top of the muffin bottom and glue it to the lower concertina flower’s bottom. It will form a flat and secure base for the flower, one to which you can attach a magnet or a pin, or use to attach the flower to a scrapbook or card.

15) Squeeze a drop of glue into the center of the flower, once the three layers are dry, and insert the purple flower stem-down. You may have to trim the stand. Let the glue-bottle (or any small, filled, plastic bottle) stand over the entire flower until it is completely dry.

Video Blog? Some videos of what I did today n yesterday.

2011-07-22T18:14:00.001+08:00

This is a test video.. I have been practicing this piece a lot. It's by Arne. Hopefully after the performance class I can upload a video before the exam,

And this is what I made today.. a smoothie for my aunty. (Ee Ee, u can now see what went in:) )

Part 2 of smoothie making - it's really funny cos it sounds like I tasted the smoothie with the spoon then went and spit it out (I didn;t,,, I threw the spoon in the sink!!)

Shalom!

Day 2

2011-07-20T12:46:00.002+08:00

Shalom all! I've just had lunch and am posting this link. The concert comedy was fun especially for small children and for string players. ShaloM!

Right now I'm reading "homemade ministry"

Old Fashion Girl Journals... Week 1

2011-07-19T14:56:00.001+08:00

When one goes on trip or a sojourn away from home it calls for correspondence. Travel adds interest to daily lives. Perhaps a hundred years ago, Miss So-and-So would record her experiences, tastes, encounters, and memories into a little bound journal with a ink pen and spotless handwriting. Perhaps she is visiting her aunt, or a close friend.Of course she would also send letters home. Years down the line, she can open up her journals and enjoy the fragrance of pressed flowers as well as remininse her past experience and rediscover the person who she once was.

Being An Old Fashioned girl in a modern world calls for some interest in recording. Of course this isn't "Princess Diaries". It's just that, instead of imagining I am Miss Penelope in the 1910s or Miss Jane in the 1940s, and writing as such, why not be old-fashioned, yet record my experiences in this modern world and be historically accurate of the present. Why not indeed be Miss Beka in 2011?

Anyway, these series of "posts" will be about my travels to the distant port city of ancient Malaysia, Malacca (spelt also Melaka). It is a quaint little old town with my many curved, bustling streets, rickshaws, old museums, and fascinating shops selling rarities. Of course it is a partly modern city too. I have come here very often and Malacca is my second home. This time, I am spending three weeks in preparation for my music examinations.

I am staying here with my dear aunt. She is very kind to find me room in her apartments. Her quarters are very fine and clean. I shall enjoy my stay very much. She is my piano teacher, and a fun one too! I am sitting for the seventh-grade practical examinations. This requires much practice and I have stolen away from practice to write here. Hopefully at the end of two weeks I shall be ready. There is much work left to be done; besides the theoretical studies of harmony, music, and composition my aunt has taken up to teach me.

We left on Sunday and now it is Tuesday, day 3 of my three weeks. We shall be attending a morning matinee tomorrow. It promises to be musically entertaining. Because I play the cello and the violin, I shall enjoy it very much - it is a comedic string trio called "Pluck".

My friends the cello and the violin have been left at the luthier's to be serviced and mended, especially the violin which has a broken bridge. Meanwhile I am not short of work, though I have left my normal academic study at home. A thick Hebrew grammar awaits me in the suitcase, as well as a book in the local language to translate. Not only that, Dietrich Bonhoeffer's classic "The Cost of Discipleship" (not in German, thankfully) is here too, to be studied by yours truly.

My garden has been left alone. I hope I shall not return home to find my (one and only) bed of herbs wilted and drooping. That will set me back several months!

Meanwhile, the biggest news has been my haircut. I always come here to get my hair cut. Ten inches shorn off, and now instead of waist length my black hair is reduced to several inches below my shoulder. It's very 1960s. I don't quite say I miss long hair entirely. My hair will grow again to stupendous length before I know it. I'm looking forward to that. I do believe I love long, extremely long hair. Perhaps with a regimented fruit-and-vegetable diet my hair will grow to glorious length and never be cut again. It's just that my unhealthy lifestyle and shampoo changes have wrecked havok on my scalp. Plus, I could handle the long hair well and it was often greasy and frizzy. By the next time, I would have learnt to manage long hair efficiently as well as fashion it in attractive styles.

A marvelous treasure i have found in Grandfather's library is an entire vintage collection of Encyclopedia Brittanica for children. I really like it. It belonged to my mother, aunt, and uncles when they were growing up. Now I shall enjoy having an expanding library of music, textbooks, cookbooks, craft-books and other benefitial educational literature to expand my homeschooling curriculum.

The food here has been brilliant; the plumbing not so good. Hopefully today all the nerve-wracking drilling and icky rusted pipe problems will be completely settled.

Trying, "trying" to eat healthy here. Whole wheatbread; salad; fresh fruits, nuts, are all very appetizing. I'm hankering for an apple right now.

The nice thing about this trip is that I got to use this vintage suitcase of a strong and sturdy variety. It's rectangular and I got to squeeze it shut. It was bursting with just my clothes and my toilette had to be packed separately. Skirts, petticoats, blouses, kerchiefs, and straw hats do take up a lot more space than t-shirts and jeans. And I do have my nice Mary-Janes, ballet flats, and oh-so-modern Croc slippers, not to mention two Bibles, a school-satchel full of theory, piano, cello, and violin books, the usual stationaries, etc.

Well, a thirty-year old handbook on ornamentation in the Classical and Baroque periods awaits my perusal. "stay tuned for more". I really need to get used to online journaling, which includes the device about being "vague" about private details, etc. Also I hope to improve my writings skill; todays has not been the best

Perhaps I should address this journal to my dear mother. Or to myself. Or maybe just at "randomness". Anyhow, I'm healthy, happy, and blessed. Thank God for family and for His blessings. May my ears be sharpened to hear His voice, and my hands fitted to do His will.

Shalom! Shalom! Shalom lekha v'shalom leich.

Nine Piece Baby Blanket

2011-07-01T12:08:00.000+08:00

This crochet/knitted baby blanket was for our little friend Chazak Shalom. My friend SW and I worked together on it. I knit, she crochets. It has five patches of crochet and four knit. Very colorful and made of acrylic yarn. It was out first big project and we are very happy with it.

Seaside Craft with a Friend

2011-07-01T12:05:00.000+08:00

Kaylee's work in progress

My friend Kaylee came over and we made photoframes out of recycled materials. Old bead, necklaces, cardboard boxes, etc. We used blue mural paint, pva glue, seashell, yarn, and shoeshine, glass beads from the garden, and

Kaylee helped me decorate mine with seashells and beads.

My second photo frama, the white base consists of toilet rolls, pva glue, and painted over with shoe polish

the dolphins are from a hanging chime thingy we bought in Bali years ago. It has long since broken and I salvaged the dolphins to make craft.

Isn't Kaylee's design really good?

I do wish I had a farm,

2011-06-16T17:47:00.000+08:00

I do wish I had a farm, and I do want one day, whether in this age, or in the age to come. For now I know that unless I can make the best out of my little plot of suburban front yard, I cannot be trusted with a great farm. It will take experience and sweat of the brow to raise fruit out of the barren land.

All right, my corner of Asia isn’t very barren. It’s more tropical, which means plants abound, weeds abounded much more. Indeed, weeks grow faster than anything else. Gardens here are high maintenance, not because plants find it difficult to grow, but because everything can grow easily.

my garden, a hedge of sweet, tiny red flowers

Let’s see, today after cello class, at 4:30 in the afternoon, I checked my plants. I have several pots of turmeric, and I hope they will thrive. Last night I just planted a mango seed, though I no room for the tree later on. In fact, the Indian soap trees I planted will have to find a home one day.

Well I say to myself, whatever you sow you will reap, and just take it one step at a time. A seed not sown is thrown away, and all the potential (kinetic energy?) of a tree, is just thrown away. I’m planning ahead, way ahead. Maybe one day I’ll have a big farm.

I planted 20 lime seeds too, in a big pot. I have two tiny pots of delicate flax sprouts. They’re so tiny, thin, and delicate the wind will blow them flat. I have some other ornamental plants in a state of neglect. Some rosemary, basil is in the kitchen, where I am fighting spider mites and other ferocious pests with vodka and Indian soap. Lemongrass abounds well – they grow so fast and I love to dry them to make tea. Pandanus grows like weeds here, but mine is so miniature. There sort of plants flourish in the ground. I’ve hand-“cangkulled” several holes of inferior soil in the near-empty bed and when I’ve decided what will go there, I will put some nice black soil.

indian spices... tumeric!

Curry leaves… mmm. They have many “children” and produce lovely leaves. I want to make an Indian curry salve in coconut oil which will smell like Indian curry… yum yum, but plus it’s full of goodness – antioxidant, antifungus, etc. etc.

I want to grow sunflowers, tall sunflowers, right outside the front gate. I want to grow a field of chilli plants and lime trees. I want a field of lemongrass, hedges of rosemary and lavender, bushes of basil. But that will come in time.

I dream of sunflowers... and sunflower seed bread!

I got up to my arms in mud. Soil, actually. I wanted to experience mixing soil-brick mix. A few cupfuls of clay, a few cupfuls of brown soil, a few cupfuls of yellow soil, a few bunches of dry grass, produces a delightfully muddy mixture that I layered will bricks and hope will dry to a wall. Still experimenting here – one day I will build my own house with bricks, stones, planks, straw, and mud. That will be fun, a real log cabin. I want to build a mud oven. My soap will grow on trees and all my food will be the fruit of my brow. How delightful. The whole earth will be filled with the glory of YHWH as the waters cover the sea. What a promise.

middle east brickmaking

Meanwhile I have a milchig tea for a hungry brick-layer. Who says you can’t play with the mud in a skirt? A nice poofy blue skirt too. Anyway - Cold leftover mayonnaise and eggs on toasted pita. Makes a great, tasty, savoury meal with no meat. I’m not vegetarian, and don’t plan to be until kingdom come.

Shalom!

what I hope i look like when gardening

African Daisies

2011-06-01T19:23:00.000+08:00

How does your garden grow?? I have taken up gardening lately and these African daisies are very attractive when in bloom.

Fun with Tiechels

2011-06-01T19:13:00.000+08:00

If mummy ever asks me why I like to tie turbans (tiechel-style, to keep my hair away when baking), I'll show her this picture (you started it, mummy!).

Gingham Flowers and Hairband.

2011-06-01T19:05:00.001+08:00

Shalom, I have been experimenting with Kim Klassen's textures which I found from the Seven Sisters - they are really nice and easy to use with this free program - Serif Photoplus, which though limited is easy to use. Been real crafty today (not mean and crafty, but creative). Had a good friend over to make craft and managed to make a dent in all the craft materials stored in my room ;)

These gingham fabric flowers were fun to make and sooo.. easy. I had an old matching hairband which mummy made, so it was the easiest thing to clean the hairband and attach a flower onto it- making a sweet upcycled present for a little girl. Similar tutorial here.

Learn how to cover the hairband: here
I heard a funny conversation today

Aunty-friend: So, Rebekah, you're the girly type aren't you?
Mummy: No, she's the old... old type of girl.

What she meant was old-fashioned ;)

Glass Painting

2011-04-30T13:46:00.001+08:00

A leeetle Sandwhich

2011-04-30T13:33:00.001+08:00

Shalom! Here's a little sandwich from my recent miniature-making.

Dress Example 2

2011-04-13T10:53:00.001+08:00

This outfit is slightly less than tziniut, as the red blouse is below my collarbone.

This A-Line Panel skirt was made for me by my Grandmother for my 16th birthday. There are six panels, and a row of bright plastic faux buttons that run down the front. Only the first two buttons are real. They are two spacious front pockets. This skirt is flattering on most figures as it gives a smooth rounded shape. It drapes very well and is not revealing or figure-hugging. It is not too poofy on the top (though I also like poofy!).

The material is machine-embroided jeans cloth. The embroidery is golden-brown and brown. The skirt is warm and comfy. The skirt has a large bottom width that does not restrict movement.

Overall, a beautiful and suitably comtemporary design. My grandmother is an excellent and experienced seamstress. It is not only well-made, it is beautiful and modest.

Clothing, Modesty and Feminity Part 2

2011-04-13T10:37:00.000+08:00

http://foreverhisservant.blogspot.com/2011/04/modesty-in-honor-of-our-god-video.html

I am just watching this video. It's very well-presented and Scriptural. Good point on movies.

This video is by Melanie at Forever His Servant.

Dress Example 1

2011-04-11T22:16:00.000+08:00

This modest outfit was completely purchased at the stores. This outfit will pass Tzinuit standards with flying colors, I believe. I don't dress as conservatively as this all the time, as I have only one of these blouses. I'm so glad i live in a country where modesty is important. I purchased this lovely black blouse in a conservative Muslim shop. It's full of beautiful and modest clothes, very modern and stylish. The lady was very friendly and nice. It is totally modest and light (which is cool). The material is thin and soft. Covers my elbows and collarbone.

The headscarf is actually a dark blue hanky. The skirt was a gift from my Pastor's wife for my birthday two years ago. It has about 8 panels, I believe and is very long and wide. It lays nicely and is free for me to move in. I pin the waist because it is supposed to be a hipster and i want it higher up. The flower design is very tropical and sweeeet.

This cool and tropical dress is easily purchasable (for those who don't have seamstress grannies or doting relatives who shower you with clothes) and is NOT branded or too expensive. These are just examples of what I wear so you can get ideas on dress, especially in hot countries :) Shalom.

Clothing, Modesty and Feminity Part 1

2011-04-10T19:12:00.000+08:00

Dear readers,
I though so devote some time here to the discussion of dress. I believe dressing is an outward covering of the body that reflects a few things about me. Dressing shows other how I care about my body (for it is the temple of the Holy Spirit). It reflects my attitude towards myself, my attitude towards God and my authority, my character, and my goals in life.

How? I dress like the Woman I want to be, that already having been determined years ago when I was a young girl (12-13). If I want to be a feminine woman, full of godliness and character, not outward-focusing or fleshly, I want to reflect that. I want to dress in the way that reflects the Biblical standards of dress (propriety and moderation), the way (I interpret that) God wants me to dress. Role models are so important for young "teens". Who is I want to be in life is reflected in the way I plan my dressing.

Living the life of the Kingdom of Heaven affects every area of our life. One of the areas important to me is dress. I want to dress in a way that honors and glorifies God, and I want to encourage

others to do so to!

Growing up, I was not really sure where I stood in dress. I wore lots of pretty dresses, because my grandmother made them. I grew up loving skirts and dresses naturally. I was not really very concerned about dress and presentation, but my mother was. I used to love reading Laura Ingall’s books and would read the description of dresses and clothing excitedly. I loved to draw dresses an clothes. However I tended to swing from sweet feminine dresses to geeky clothes (slacks, track pants, t-shirts tucked in, thick-rimmed glasses, etc.) I never bothered about fitting in to looking like anyone else. I did not have any role models.

Above: Laura Ingalls. Isn't she beautiful?

When I was 12, I attended my first homeschooling conference. I was not very excited about going, but it turned out to be a blast! I loved it so much. The ladies from the Bright Lights ministry encouraged us and shared tips about modest dress, and they were a beautiful example of it themselves. We were encouraged to be a Light to the World in every way, including dress.

After the conference I joined a group of girls. My Bright Lights group leader, Sharmaine and her mom were a great encouragement and gave me many tips about standing alone with God. I was used to standing alone, but I wanted to learn to stand where God was.

There Bright Lights and homeschool girls around me were a real role model and I aspired (and still do) to be like them, in being radiant in godless, holiness, and testimony.

I’m happy to say, I’m a real every-day skirt-wearer. I don’t really adhere to any particular “strict dress code” and my parents are sure to keep me from going overboard (they have strict opinions

on dowdy clothes).

I don’t want the way I dress to be the only things that stand out about me. I want the way I dress to reflect God, and not distract others. I want to dress in a frugal way, suited to the occasion. I’m still working on many areas, but I hope to encourage other young ladies to explore and discover modest dress, to create their own style from what they have to create a modest, frugal, and God-glorifying style

In my country, members of other religions are very strong on modesty. In fact, I like shopping at their shops because they have some cool, really modest, ideas on dress. I got some nice thin blouses for layering. I respect these ladies for their stand on modesty and propriety despite our manifold differences.

Sad to say, among those of similar belief many do not agree with modesty and find it restricting. The Truth is, the God I worship, the One and Only YHWH, is a God adverse and totally against immodesty. It’s not that God is purposely different from modern culture, it’s because all of society is in blatant rebellion against Him. Rev. Susan Tang has written a slim and power-packed book with a punch, called “God is Anti-Immodesty” (Nakedness). I thoroughly recommend it as it’s value far outweighs its sale price. http://www.station-of-life.org/ http://canaanland.com.my/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=24583&ccUser=

Of course, when deciding on a standard of modesty one battles with the issue of legalism. Let me say first that I what I dress is simply what I dress. If I want to be an example and encouragement to others to dress modestly, the least said the better. First BE (be modest inside, be humble, learn to speak modestly), then DO (action) and finally only, if necessary, (TELL). Don't legislate modesty.

In the fellowship of the body of Christ, it is good to have a cut-off point. For example, a place I visit does not allow anyone, male or female, to show their knees. (this is also a good prevention for mosquito bites).

It's modest enough to for some, to wear a skirt that goes a little past their knee and a simple blouse. Some people think it's an abomination for a woman to wear pants. Some cover their neckline, some do not, some cover their neck completely. Some people wear headcoverings but wear pants. Some dress normally except for headcoverings in prayer. Some cover all their hair, all the time. Some tie their headcovering far back on the head, some behind their neck, and some in front, covering the neck. Some cover elbows but wear skirts 4 inches past their knees; some wear skirts that sweep the ground but short sleeves and uncovered heads. Some abstain from patterns and colors. Some only wear black. Some show their figures and others wear baggy clothes. Some only wear pure materials and some mixed. Some wear opaque stockings with bloomers tucked in, some simply wear skirts and underwear. Where do I draw the line for modesty and for legalism? For me, my modesty may be legalism for someone else, someone else's modesty be legalism. For someone, their standards of modesty may be loose for someone else.

Examples:

Amish Women

Hutterite Women

Conservative Homeschoolers - the Duggars (I hope I'm not violating copyright here...)

Brethren Girls.

Argh... for one, I want
1) Freedom of movement. this means I wear bloomers, and I wear skirts wider at the hem. I want to be able to wash a toilet, run, climb a tree, do a handstand, all in the skirt.
2) I prefer to cover my knees and never wear blouses less than a hand's width below my collarbone. That would be a least requirement for modesty.

Orthodox Judaism (Tziniut Modesty)
- never wear pants in the presence of a man
- married woman cover their hair completely at all times, sometimes with a wig (sheitel) or with a scarf (tiechef). Sometimes their wear snoods or hats.
- the minimum requirement is that the collarbone, elbows, and knees (by four inches) are covered.

Above: Absolute Tziniut observance. Below: Reb Tevye's family from "Fiddler on the roof". I suppose this would be what a typical Jewish shtetl family in Eastern Europe might have dressed like on a everyday basis.

Victorian Modesty

For Victorians, skirt lengths showed age.

To be continued. I am going to cover this issue a little more in next my next post on this subject. Researching the broad and diverse history of clothing is fascinating.

My bottom line for today is, there are so many people in the world. No one dresses exactly like me. There are so many standards for modesty around. I definitely can find someone more conservative than me ( whom I would call "legalistic") and others less conservative than me ("sinners"). Some areas I am weak in, someone else is stronger. Areas I am strong in, there will be someone weaker. Each of us must know who we are, and who God expects to be and live a life glorifying to Him. Let us judge no one, for we all are sinners. Let us be a Light to all around us by the way we live ALL our lives, and be a good testimony for Yeshua. The more we cover does not determine how holy and set-apart we are. It's about whether we are IN the Messiah, and He in us, or not.

Shalom, Beka.

What I did today...

2011-04-01T21:46:00.001+08:00

Ee Ee fed us this yummy dinner last night. Tonite GongGong's cooking was our fare and it was... as usual... really good!

Cello exams coming. I had a cello...

but it shrunk!

Nice? Guess where I practiced today?

Out on the cement porch! It was fun! I was practicing for more than an hour, then decided I really wanted some fresh air and sunlight. I didn't want to stop practicing... so... voila! It took me three trips in and out and some major slathering of mosquito repellent cream... but it was worth it. It's sooo... much fun and a great change to be playing outdoors. Most ladies that passed by on their walk smiled. and PoPo would ask at intervals (she was nearby) if I was getting scared of the mosquitoes yet. I retreated after an hour of practice, but with only one mosquito bite! Flies were pesky when I played Ravel. Birds sang back at Klengel's Concerto. It was a great afternoon that ended with a great dinner :)

Shalom, Beka

What I did today...

2011-03-30T22:07:00.000+08:00

Hey Mummy and Daddy! This blog post is to show you all what we did today! I woke up at about 8:30. I read Bible from 9-10:30. At 10:30 we made a MAD rush to print out he Mcdonalds spend RM5 get two big breakfasts coupon. The computer was jammed, the printer crazy. Samuel and I and Ee Ee were screaming excitedly, hoping to make it in time (tomorrow is the last day). At 10:52 the coupon was printed. We ran across the empty street (we looked to the left and right, of course) to the car by 11:00am and sped off to the Store/Fajar McD. We arrived at 11:07, and found out that that branch does NOT serve McD breakfasts (ARGH!) but ordered two chilcken burgers at RM3 each, a RM 2 apple pie, and RMexpensive Quarter Pounder (no prizes for guessing who for). Then we sped home.

Guess which country that is in and what do those strange words say?

Ee Ee spent the afternoon frying a whole huge loaf of french toast. Samuel and I practiced everything, did some practice and recordings with Ee Ee (argh.. when I think about getting it right I make weird mistakes; when I am not focussed no mistakes...argj) Had a session of Sight-Reading, Aural, 2rd-Aprt Scales, Cello Pieces, Cello Scales, Bach, Violin the Bathroom for Acoustics etc. etc. etc.

When out for dinner and snapped some street photos (read in today's paper abt street photography) with my phone. Had a BIG dinner at Miss I's house. Came back after dinner, bathed, practised a bit of piano and cell, and now am writing to you.

Yummy bread.. wholemeal

Cracked, hard, black with paint, dull., cellist's fingers. No pain!

Light at the end of a dingy corridor.

Light at the end of a dingy staircase.

Light behind Ee Ee.

Samuel walking down the corridor.

Back street.

Door.

Narrow little staircases.

2011-03-24T16:43:00.002+08:00

"We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, militarism and economic exploitation are incapable of being conquered. A nation can flounder as readily in the face of moral and spiritual bankruptcy as it can through financial bankruptcy." Dr. Martin Luther King, April, 1967

New Baby Girl Booties

2011-03-22T14:16:00.002+08:00

2011-03-09T18:42:00.000+08:00

Here are a couple of wheat berries (whole wheat grains) purchased from the organic store. According to the label, they can be sprouted as well as ground in bread. Some time last year, I experimented with planting them and growing them. The wheat grew to a considerable but never made it beyond the late "tillering" or early "jointing" stage. (See Graphic below) They all dehydrated and dried up after awhile. It must be the local Malaysian weather (of course, Malaysia does not export wheat, or grow wheat at all, for that matter)

Conclusion: It is possible to grow wheat in Southeast asia. However, the temperature and conditions must either be naturally "just right" or synthethically "adjusted" to suit the needs for the sprouted wheat. The quality or even the possibility of a wheat harvest is remotely possible. However, I would probably stick to sprouting these berries for short-term bouts to use in baking or to make wheat berry juice.

Below: The Process of Wheat Berry Sprouting

1) Sprouting in a moist bowl with toilet paper.

2) BY almost the 3rd day, Sprouts 1cm long begin to show on most of them. Roots also appear.

3) Seedlings transferred to a pot with moist soil

4) The plants grow, grow, and grow!

5) The best I can get the wheat to grow!

A lovely Old-Fashioned Victorian Tea

2011-03-08T18:00:00.000+08:00

Here are patterns for Samantha's Birthday Dress plus others from American Girl Play Things

The Knowledge of Good… and Evil

2011-03-08T17:55:00.000+08:00

Is a strictly archaic lifestyle feasible today? Today in the world, there is much more knowledge available. I call this, “the knowledge of good and evil”. With technology and the knowledge behind it, there have been good effects, and bad effects. There are both good and evil. However, humans being humans, the evil far outweighs the good.

The mortality rate has much decreased. People can live longer, healthier, and fuller lives. However, people also have the technology to kill one another, to kill the unloved of society (wrongfully-called treated as hindrances to progress), to kill unborn children, and to kill themselves through the modern lifestyle (stress, processed foods, over-medication, harmful chemical byproducts).

Yes, long ago people ate from the land. They ate “organic” food. They ate from the labor of their own hands. They didn’t die from living in an unreal and unnatural office environment, eating unnatural food, breathing unnatural air. However people knew less about sanitation, hygiene, bacteria. Certain practices, had they been known hundreds of years ago, would have saved many lives.

Flushing toilets have replaced the smelly, unhygienic outhouses. However, outhouses (hole-over-the-ground) toilets do not waste gallons of water. They contribute nutrients back to the environment.

Running, filtered water is a real advantage. Cars, too, have their good (we save time, travel more efficiently and quickly) and well as the bad (they pollute the environment).

So I ask myself, living today, do I really want to go back in time a hundred years? Well, the advantages of the wiser, more environmentally friendly lifestyle can be had today, together with the useful knowledge that science has contributed. However, it is just simply too troublesome for most people.

I detest packaging labels. It is a waste of good plastic. I believe plastic can be good, if only people would use it wisely and responsibly. I believe cars are very good things when used with care. I believe electricity and running water is a real necessity. As long I go out of my way to conserve and learn survival measures in case of their absence, I think it’s absolutely fine to use electricity.

The problem is that living responsibly, spending wisely, conserving, and being frugal is a pretty troublesome task. It means I can’t buy a tv dinner, throw away the packaging, eat some of it, and throw (75% of what I paid for, which is troublesome for me to use) away (plastic wrap, cardboard box, paper plate, etc).

Probably most of what consumers purchase today is discarded. When you buy two chicken drumsticks, you would have it in a plastic bag, on a Styrofoam plate, wrapped in cling wrap, and in another plastic bag for good measure (a hygienic practice). You would probably throw away most of the drumsticks you paid for (bones) and possibly not even bother to eat the drumsticks clean. What a waste of good resources and material, all for convenience.

Yes, of course hygiene is necessary. Plastic gloves are necessary to preserve hygiene. Yet, probably most of the plastic we use is not merely for hygiene but for convenience. Convenience comes at a cost. I’m not saying we should go to drastic measures. I just realized how much waste passes through the household each day and find it shockingly wasteful and irresponsible. So how I deal with living in a modern world, yet sticking to the fundamental, Biblical principles of sowing and reaping (laziness reaps nothing, responsibility and diligence reaps abundantly).

Here are several concepts I have developed to reduce (perhaps even totally eliminate) the impact I have on the environment. I do not worship the environment, and even though I know that God is about to make a new earth, I think we should develop responsibility and diligence now, because I seriously doubt God is going to let us use chemicals, toxins, pesticides, plastic, pollutant gases etc. for our convenience in haOlam Haba (The age to come). In the perfect *sigh* world, there will be no more safety issues.

There will be no more worry about food. They will be no more complaining about the imperfect government (the government will be more perfect than the people). There will be no more drought and famine (If we obey the King). The Kingdom of Heaven is a perfect kingdom. Of course, the perfect kingdom has to have perfect citizens. Whatever I do now, I want to be sowing into the Kingdom. Therefore, I repent now so that I may eternally rejoice. I suffer now that I may eternally glory. I work now, enter into eternal rest later. I stop building earthly treasures, and start storing my treasure where it really counts.

Anyway, the world as it is today is a world of sin. We, citizens of the heavenly kingdom, ought to live a life that is set apart. Set apart basically means intrinsically different, not because God’s standards are purposely opposite to us to make our life difficult, it is because all of society and the world is in blatant and unrepentant rebellion against God.

If I don’t speak like society, why should I eat like society. If I belong to a different King and a different Kingdom, I would behave and act so much differently. I also will be a good steward now, so that when haAdon Olam (Master of the Universe) returns, He can entrust me with more. If I am not responsible now, I never will be.

Okay, here are some suggestions and ideas. More will be added later on.

1) 1) Ribbons, plain plastic boxes, nice wrapping paper, plain cardboard boxes, etc. These are the prettiest and nicest things to recycle. Keep them sorted out nicely and use them for gifts. Most people keep these.

2) Ziplock bags, ugly (covered with labels and marketing stuff) cardboard boxes, plastic cellophane wraps (whatever you call those plastic things with a sticky can-open-and-close packing like what stationary, combs, hair clips, etc come from), cardboard toilet rolls (more on that later!) cans, glass bottles, tins, etc. can either

a. Be used again easily

b. Collected and used as craft material (great fun! Don’t bother buying craft materials, you already probably have them in your house)

c. Or sent to the recycling center

3) 2) Dispose toxic waste things (like old batteries, computer screens etc.) rightly. Find out from your local municipal/Information Technology Center how to dispose of them

4) 3) Cloth can be reused! Old T-shirts can be made into yarn

5) 4) Reuse old plastic bags

6) 5) Organic waste material – after totally optimizing your organic materials, they can be

a. Used in the garden as fertilizer (compost)

b. Made into enzyme house cleaners

c. Incinerayed, ashes and heat can be used. (Some local municipals have waste incinerators. In Malaysia, it is becoming more common for organic waste to be incinerated by the local waste collection service.)

d. Anything but being thrown into garbage landfills J

The Cycle of Demotion

1) The highest level of use for a product is for body and food (a plastic bread bag, a meat tray, plates)

2) The second level of use is for the home (craft, cleaning, etc – any activity that does not result in you physically consuming the product)

3) Next comes use In the garden.

4) Finally, disposal in a recycling center.

Example 1: A plastic water container/bottle can be used for many years. When the plastic wears out, becomes old, and the bottle is unhygienic to use, you can now use it to store household items, do craft with (store glitter, glue, paints, etc) and they you can use it in the garden (store fertilizer, water plants,) and finally send it to the recycling center.

Example 2: An old plate you have been using for dining is now a little. You can use it to feed your cat/dog/pet. You can use it for art and craft (use it to smear glue, make an old lamp). You can use it in your garden. You can save all your broken ceramic and tiles to make a pretty mosaic.

Example 3: You buy a pastry and save the aluminum tray and wash it. While it still looks good, you can use it for baking. Later on, you can use it as an oil lamp or to hold a candle. You can use it to fill water for painting. You can then use it to grow seedlings in your garden. If you have made it into a cute craft, you may never have to throw it away J

Stewardship must be practiced in three stratas:

1) 1) Corporations (Business Owner)

2) 2) Consumer Individual. As in individual, you must take responsibility and make significant, inconvenient, difficult, lifestyle changes. It is really a choice. If you are not responsible for your waste, who will be? Increase the optimization and efficiency of what you use. Be a responsible consumer. (This is my main emphasis) We must not be afraid to inconvenience ourselves rather than close our eyes, naively ignore the problem, and have it explode in our face later on.

3) 3) Waste Disposal Service. Municipal Garbage Collection Services (like Alam Flora) are really beginning to dispose of waste and encourage recycling.

Handwriting

2011-02-23T17:57:00.001+08:00

Handwriting is a fine and essential skill. I always had bad writing but very fast typing skills. I've been practicing my writing on my own for about 3 years now and it now has improved tremendously. I searched the internet and found this very professional set of video tutorials by a Nan Jay Barchowsky. She is very professional and explains things clearly. I like her simple and clear method and focus. I will be working on these skill and let's see how the improvement goes.

Caroline’s Little Lamp

2011-02-22T18:22:00.003+08:00

In "The Long Winter" (Part of Laura Ingall's "Little House" series), Laura describes the Kerosene shortage which occurred when the trains could not come in. In a time when electricity was extremely rare (except for the electric telegraph), they needed a source of light. Laura Ingalls describes her Ma, Caroline, using axle grease to create a makeshift lamp.

I was just inspired to try making my own oil lamp, like the oil lamps in the time of the Tabernacle, after meditating on the Scriptural principle of light.

Using scraps of rubbish, I could make something useful. Here are the differences between Caroline's Lamp and mine and some ideas you can use for yours.

	Caroline's	Mine	Basically,
Wick	Calico scrap	Calico Scrap	Any scrap of cloth big enough to wrap the coin and twist sides up into a wick
Wick weight	Old overcoat button (non-flammable)	Devalued 1 cent coin (steel/bronze-clad)	Any non-flammable, weighty, small piece (of metal)
Fuel	Axle Grease	Cooking Oil	Any grease/fat (used cooking oil?)
Container	Old Saucer	Old cup with broken handle	Any non-flammable container It could be an old tin can, broken ceramic dishware, etc.

Method: Wrap weight in a the scrap and twist the edges of the scrap, securing them with a little string, until it stands tall and stiff (like a fat wick). Pour oil/grease over and light with a match/candle. I lit the stove and transferred the flame using an old candle.

The first time I lit the lamp it was in the sink under the closed tap, just in case sometime happened (like it exploded?).

Making your own lamp is a useful, thrifty skill that can be quickly whipped up in an emergency. My lamp burnt beautifully, almost like a candle except that the flame was a little bigger and an unnoticeable little flame of smoke was over it.

Be very careful! Don't let small children or irresponsible older ones play with the lamp. Set it in a secure place and never leave a lamp to burn unsupervised. You should be near at all times.

It would be nice if my lamp had a handle, then I could carry it around. I plan to try using scraps of raw fat and waste cooking oil as a fuel next time.

Do go and read "The Long Winter". It is a fascinating true-to-life story of hardship, survival, and life more than 100 years ago.

Long Hair Care- It's soooo easy!

2011-02-14T23:13:00.001+08:00

Long hair is absolutely easy and cheap to maintain. I love having it long, almost waist length now. My hair is very black and pretty thick. Why do I love having long hair?

1 Corinthians 11:15 KJV (15) But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

1) I just trimmed it myself for the first time. It is so easy to trim. Feye Self Trim taught me the simplest method - use the straight method. I believe it only took me 10 mins to tie my wet hair into a low scrunchie, trim off the ends, and voila! It looks good! It doesn't have to be so straight, because it's so long, compared to how obvious a crooked cut will be on pageboy hair.

2) It's affordable. Long hair saves money. I don't have to worry about going to the hairdresser and spending a lot on styling or cutting it. I can trim it myself! Especially because my hair is thick, it costs a lot for a simple trim at the hairdresser

3) It's easy to maintain. I wash every 2-3 days, eat a good diet, and apply coconut oil once a week or two weeks to the ends.

4) It's so pretty. I'm not limited by what I can do. Check out all these gorgeous styles at Rapunzel's Resource, specially for very long hair!

5) It's flexible. When you have short hair, it's short and you can't change that. When it's long, I can opt for a faux short hairstyle!

Look to Tzeitel's hair in this song- isn't it beautiful! Throughout the show you can admire the beautiful old fashioned hair :)

Haha... WPM test!

2011-02-01T16:43:00.003+08:00

Search google and discover several Word-Per-Minute Tests! I tried them out for fun. I like to write. I write lots and its worth learning to type well as it is a skill that will aid you much and is an asset.

76 words
Typing Speed Test

Finished the Booties!

2010-12-07T14:07:00.001+08:00

Pattern: 1st 14 rows (Moss Stitch):
Cast on 28 stitches
Row 1: Knit 1, Purl 1 (Continue to the end)
Row 2: Purl 1, Knit 1 (Continue to the end)
(Repeat Pattern from Row 1 and 2 until row 13)
Row 14: Knit 1, Purl 1 (Continue to the end)

Reducing:

Row 15: P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 (12)

then purl 2 together, knit 2 together

P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 (12)

You wil have 26 stitches left.

Row 16: Knit 1, Purl 1 (Continue to the end)

Row 17: P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 (11)

then knit 2 together, purl 2 together

K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 (1)

You will have 24 stitches left

Row 18: Knit 1, Purl 1 (Continue to the end)

Row 19: P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 (10)

then purl 2 together, knit 2 together

P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 P1 K1 (10)

You wil have 22 stitches left.

Rows 20: Knit 1, Purl 1 (Continue to the end)

Final Rib:
Rows 21-30: Knit 1, Purl 1 (Continue to the end)

(You wil have 11 rib stitches in a row, including Row 20)

Cast off in rib (knit, purl,) then using a crochet needle to join ends.

Opt: Sew on metal snap buttons to ease in washing and so you won't end up with poor orphan booties when not using.

These booties were done in way less than 24 hours, maybe 3 hours. See post below for orginal pattern. They are really easy and simple for a beginner knitter to make.

You need to know how to knit, purl, cast off and use a crochet needle to join pieces.

Learn how to crochet flowers here (I don't know how to. The flowers were done by Sandra Kee): Crochet Mania Flowers Blog

Sole Length: About 7 inches

Height: About 6 inches

I sewed metal button snaps on. (Siamese booties :) )

Flowers made by Sandra Kee (C) Aren't they so cute! These wee little booties are for 2-3 month old baby girl in our community.

Real Easy Knitted Booties

2010-12-06T17:23:00.001+08:00

Hi Readers,

I am currently working on this pattern for Real Easy Knitted Booties while studying my long-overdue Science unit on genetics. A lot of reading involved, so knitting helps keep me concentrated.

I found the link here on the 8 of a Kind Family Blog. There are some nice pictures and example.

I am using thick purple acrylic yarn, though it may be a little hot, considering the weather here. There is 1 newborn in our community, and 2 on the way. Hope to make good ones for all of them!

Shalom, Beka

2010-08-21T11:20:00.001+08:00

These was the miniature set I entered for the Dollhouse and Miniature Association Malaysia's competition. Enjoy!

Picture 1) The sun is glows sharply on the west horizon after a busy Saturday of baking in this prairie kitchen. The kitchen faces west, and the gleaming sun casts its sharp rays in before it rests for the night. Ma and the girls have been up since dawn, baking enough bread, pies, and treats to last a week. The simple antique kitchen table, belonging to Ma’s Ma and her mother before that, is laden to nearly overflowing.

Picture 2) Deep fried doughnuts shaped in the new-fangled way with holes in their crisp centers are sitting on the wooden peel, waiting to be coated in powdered sugar and stored in the tall jars that line the counter, to be fed into eager little mouths during the course of the week.

Picture 3) Susan helped Ma set the sponge and knead these rustic hearth loaves, then Ma shaped and scored them and let them bake to perfection in the big wood-burning hearth oven. They sit so very prettily a tray covered with a blue gingham cloth, together with the crumbly round of traditional Scottish shortbread, Pa’s favorite.

Picture 4) Outside the kitchen door three enormous cows in the garden moo lazily to each other as they chew over the succulent prairie grasses. Little wobbly calves frisk about. Lots of cow means lots of milk – which in turn means lots of cheese, butter and cream. Churning the cream in butter was a no easy job, nor was whisking the eggs for the light, buttery, 6-egg butter cake, but little Mattie beamed with pride when the tall, rich, cake rose high and light, and browned to a beautiful golden that seemed to reflect the sun’s rays.

Picture 5) Preparation for supper has begun. The fresh cinnamon rolls have been drizzled to shining beauty with melted butter, and the big fruit tart and loaves of crisp, coarse, but deliciously hot, cornbread, are already sliced. In the background, a little tempting slice of camembert cheese, cut from a round that was given as a gift by friendly Dutch neighbors, eagerly waits to be eaten. The big jars of vinegar and wine stand graciously beside the dishes.

Picture 6) It takes to a whole day to prepare a chicken for supper. Today we take for granted the neat little syrofoam dishes of pre-slaughtered and clean chicken cuts found in the supermarket. Butchering the chicken, cleaning the feathers, washing the insides out, were all in a day’s work for Ma and other women.

Picture 7) The work is almost done. The last round of pie pastry is being rolled out with a French-style rolling pin over the big baking sheet, while the other two already-baked and egg-glazed pastry cases need to be filled with rich whipped cream and big red berries from the jar. The big pot of milk looms at the edge of the table- will it fall off?

Picture 8) A clay dish of summer herbs carefully dried.

Civil war paper doll

2010-06-30T14:27:00.001+08:00

Caroline Paper doll - a beautiful civil war doll that I am printing out and using as a base for handmade paper dolls, laminated with celophane tape. You can trace the doll and its clothes to make more dolls with different hairs, shoes, and clothes.

Elizabeth Steward Clark - the website where "Caroline" comes from. It is full of useful tips, patterns, and pictures associated with Civil War clothing. I enjoyed reading through the articles.

The Sewing Academy Forum - a useful, mostly Civil War clothing forum. It is very interesting to read through!

Mechanical vs. Wooden Pencil

2010-05-10T12:33:00.004+08:00

The wooden pencil as we know it only came about after a pure graphite mine, the only one of its kind discovered, was discovered in England. After its discovery in the early 1600s, graphite was used more for things like cannonballs and the like. The first pencils were made with wood in 1795. Pencils slowly were developed to what we know it to be today.

There are many advantages of using the traditional pencil. It provides a clearly more beautiful line when drawn. It can be used to draw details, shades, and add life to the picture. It can produce the smoothest or roughest lines and the thickest to thinnest lines for most beautiful penciled drawings. Pencils come in many different sizes and shapes.

The disadvantage of using traditional pencils is that they are a little messy to handle and to produce consistent thin lines for writing. Children will have problems sharpening them, and getting lead all over their hands, wastepaper basket, and floor. The pencil has to be constantly sharpened and sharpened to use for writing, and even then it is not consistent. The pencil also will dirty the inside of your pencil case.

Mechanical pencils, on the other hand, are clean and effective. Machine-made lines all come out the exact same thinness. They are easy and efficient to refill. The disadvantage however, is that mechanical pencils are “cold” and “lifeless”. No artist would sketch masterpieces will one of those. They are incapable of expression, incapable of producing “art”, incapable of bringing a drawing to life.

The people who go for the traditional pencils emphasize its beauty and artistry, the people who go for mechanical ones would emphasize efficiency and effectiveness. I think that this question has more to do with life than we think. It has to do with our culture, thought, and society. Society today is obsessed over “mass-produced” items, quantity over quality. Society today has everything made in factories by hundreds of people and machines, as compared to the slow, beautiful work of artisans skilled in their trade. Everything is fast, everything is the same, and everything is “mass-produced”.

The “old ways” are swiftly changing. People have to write a lot, and fast! Children are given lines and lines of the same thing to copy and cannot afford to “waste” time with a pencil that has to be sharpened. No one bothers about the “little lines” and “details” and “art” anymore. Writing is writing, not the beautiful, painstaking, personalized art full of curls and flourishes that people in olden times treasured. Everything is machine-made, everything is mechanized. Of course it is easier. Of course it is more efficient, but you lose something – you lose personal style, you lose human warmth– you replace that with the cold, lifeless, impersonal modern conveniences of technology.

Latest Project

2010-04-22T16:21:00.001+08:00

http://www.rawhidestudios.com/bonnets/periodcorrectbonnets.html

I am working on making a period correct bonnet, hand-sewn for my little friend Shanae, upon request by her mummy who used to watch little house on the prairie. It will be the same material as the doll's one.

Pics will be coming soon!

Mini table experiments

2010-04-05T20:42:00.001+08:00

Here's my now-collapsed effort at building a miniature table out of cardboard. The feet and frames are made from disposable chopsticks and uhu-glued on, but they kept twisting and falling under the weight of mini... does anyone have any tutorial on miniature tables?

The sunlight in the picture was beautiful! It was morning and the sun just shines in such a joyful sunshiney way :)

Doll Bonnet Project

2010-04-01T22:04:00.002+08:00

This is a sewing project I did for practice. It was finished in 1 afternoon (2 hours). You can see my hand stitching needs much improvement. Here is a similar pattern

Using a tin lid to trace pattern

Cutting out pattern on lining and checked material, then sewing

Measuring ribbon for doll's head

Back piece- finished, inverted, gathered, and added to ribbon

Finished brim

Attach... and walah! (The Malaysian "voila")

Here's my blond new doll (haven't decided on a name) with my Little "Harriet Tubman" doll (STILL need to decide on a name!) that is sporting a mob cap... more on that later

]

Doesn't this bonnet remind you of Kirsten the American girl's? I've made one for a little 3-yr old girl too, though she kept moving around and I made it too small. I am going to alter the pattern a little more!

Rapunzel's Resource - Ultimate Hairstyles for Long-Haired Ladies

2010-03-15T15:48:00.001+08:00

Rapunzel's Resource
This is such a lovely, sweet, site. The hairstyles are all beautiful. I have long hair, elbow length, but haven't the skill to make all those yet. Do check it out, and also

Sewing By Elizabeth, under "historical eveningware" and "reenacting clothing", you'll find lovely and modest old-fashioned garb!

These sites are some of my favorite hangouts.

Cheerio,
Beka

Nonsense poetry

2010-03-09T20:53:00.001+08:00

Haha... just a bit of nonsense poetry in ev's style

The moon will turn blue, and so will you,
Then all the cows will moo a moo
Then all the dogs will bark a bark
Every hen and duck will cluck

Every mice will miss a moose,
Every lice will please a puss,
Every time I see that thing,
My hair will shoot up, My ears will ring,
If you see all these happenings,
What is going on?

Some Dresses

2010-03-09T17:17:00.001+08:00

These are dresses Popo made, but with some combinations I am trying out. Left: The pink dress is mummy's one (Authentic vintage homemade!) with an old green blouse/coat over it and a brooch. Right: A vest from aunty HTze, with a grey skirt PoPo made for my birthday, and a plain black adidas blouse. i thought the combination looked kinda eastern european. Alas, the blouse is a little big. I will have to alter it.

Below: Some drawings of actual dresses I have that PoPo made

Great Tutorials for Miniature Foods and Crafts

2010-03-08T12:51:00.002+08:00

The garden of Imagination is a great place to get inspiration for miniature food, and even fondant deco for cakes and cupcakes. I found this web on youtube, and used the early video of lamb shank as my inspiration for the salt-doh lanbshank I posted earlier. Her food is so delicious, and there are so many tutorials - do check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_r46lAxxIQ&feature=related

A little feast

2010-03-08T12:50:00.003+08:00

These are some miniatures I've worked on in my spare time, mostly salt clay

Mini Topsy Turvy

2010-03-08T12:50:00.000+08:00

Walah! This cake is 1 inch wide and cannot be eaten. It's based on a cake by cake connection that i say in display yesteerday!

My loving parents were dragged there by yours, truly! Cake COnnection website

It's a nice place if you're a cake decorator. Lots of tools and ideas and classes. I didn't buy anything... yet.

2009-02-12T21:56:00.003+08:00

2009-02-11T19:40:00.003+08:00

Cupcake Disaster

2009-01-10T12:50:00.002+08:00

Disaster, not becos they didn't turn out, bcos nobody in my church ate them... except for a couple of hyperactive 6-yr-olds who became more hyperactive after all the sugar in the icing, and then starting jumping up and jumping and screaming "La tali lat tali tampung!" with more energy than all the adults combined, which annoyed everyone. There was too much sugar...Eeyern said it hurt his ulser more than salt! Since when does sugar hurt, anyway? gah... i'll have to stay away from all forms of sugar icing now on... bye bye to marzipan, fondant, buttercream, sugarpaste, gum paste, pastillage, royal icing, .... since I conclude, "Ppl don't appreciate how it looks as long as it TASTES good. If it looks good, fine. As long as it doesn't taste like anything that will make my ulser hurt!"

Lotsa Pics of my Artwork

2009-01-07T19:39:00.003+08:00

You might be a homeschooler if...

2008-12-29T16:50:00.002+08:00

These always make me laugh... Found these on the internet ... The ones that apply to me are bolded...

Everyone, you just HAVE to read the WHOLE list... LOL.... Or least the ones at the very top and the very bottom... the ones that are in bold

And if you're not a homeschooler... *sigh*.

Rebekah...

Ps. Comment if you have more...
____________________________________________________________________________

YOU MIGHT BE A HOMESCHOOLER IF....

- Your social life was viewed by some to be one rung lower than that of a Benedictine monk.

- Your school dress code was: No Nudity Allowed

- You can't wait until your mom steps out of the room so you can play Solitaire again.

- Your friends complained about a hard day at school, and you had to keep yourself from giving them "that homeschooling smile."

- You slept in till 9 am on weekdays but got up at 7 am on Sundays

- Your friends talked about waiting in line for seven hours to try out the new roller coaster in town, so you went and waited five minutes on a school day.

- You taunted high schooled friends during finals week

- youre the head of your class, the worst in your class, the average grade, AND class president

- You know what the acronym “ATI” means; if you know there used to be an “A” on the end of it, you are really hardcore.

- "PG-13" means that it was inspired by Satan, and "R" means that he was the producer.

- You can remember nearly every single day you went to public school.

- You shake your head and sigh at the sorry state of affairs your public school friends are in.

- You have to finish your school...at 11:00PM...

- You enjoyed the pastime of watching public school kids walk home from school.

- You thought that "public-school-kid" was an insult of the highest degree.

- You have a bigger vocabulary than your public school friend's teachers.

- Everyone reads all your emails/IMs over your shoulder

-youve ever been accused of being unsocial.

- Health class consisted of eating breakfast.

- You had to decide what year you wanted to graduate.- You can point out every spelling or grammatical error in this list.

- You heard the phrase "socialization" and laughed because you had more friends and knew more people than your public school friends.

- You were firmly convinced that high school causes brain damage

- All birthdays were school holidays

- You had more friends way older and younger than you than ones your actual age.

- You read for fun

- You have ever finished your schoolwork before breakfast

- Your teacher can kiss the principal and no one is scandalized.

- You were always late but just called it "homeschooler time."

- You spell check your IM....

- the drugs you take consist of kid vitamins and ovaltine.

- You shield your eyes when they kiss in a movie....

- You believe that the internet was made for researching school projects and papers... not for communication.
(facebook, myspace, etc)

- You take everything literally.

- You know the statistics of crimes and have written pages on the social impact of law breaking, but you've never done it yourself...

-When someone says "weed" you think they mean dandelions...

-You have a hard time working at a desk...

-Caffeine is the worst drug your friends have used...

- You have been asked if you have any friends

- You think deeply and everyone else thinks you're weird.

-youve ever worn homemade clothes (particularly those that dont match)

- youve questioned if you are ever going to graduate (or go to college)

-You find dead animals and actually consider saving them to dissect later.

- spending too much time with your family actually happens. (it doenst happen for those who are at school 8 hours a day)

-You can't make it through a movie without pointing out the historical inaccuracies.

- Someone asks you what school you go to, and you can look them in the eye, and smile, and say: “I’m home-schooled." -But you know that only other home-schoolers will understand what that really means. And then, not even all of them.

- You considered school work after lunch to be cruel and unusual punishment.

- You had to move dirty laundry off your desk before you could start school.

- The signatures on your diploma all end with the same last name.

- The word 'homework' sounded like a foreign language.

- Your yearbook was also your babybook.

- You got to school and the teacher asked you if you've done all your chores.

- You are one of the best people in the world!

- T he closest thing to a bully in your school was your slightly strange two-year-old sister.

- You spent more than 2 hours each day reading and writing....voluntarily

- You knew what "Unit Studies" were

- You had more than 2 science experiments going on in your room

- You have ever spent the entire school day in pajamas

- Your IQ is greater than your weight

- You believed that you were the most intelligent human in your age bracket within a ten mile radius.

- You actually wanted to receive books on your birthday

- Cleaning your room counted as Phys-Ed.

- Your field trip took you overseas.

- Your mom wished you'd stop reading and do something else for a change.

- You stayed up till whenever, and not because you were doing homework.

- You could get days ahead in almost any subject.

- You recorded, planned and graded your own school work.

- You forgot about the minor holidays until you saw your dad sitting home in sweats or your public school friends asked you over the weekend what you did on your day off.

- You had more friends way older and younger than you than ones your actual age.

- You read for fun

Q: How does a home schooler change a light bulb?

A: First, mom checks three books on electricity out of the library, then the kids make models of light bulbs, read a biography of Thomas Edison and do a skit based on his
life. Next, everyone studies the history of lighting methods, wrapping up with dipping their own candles. Next, everyone takes a trip to the store here they compare types of
light bulbs as well as prices and figure out how much change they'll get if they buy two bulbs for $1.99 and pay with a five dollar bill. On the way home, a discussion develops over the history of money and also Abraham Lincoln, as his picture is on the five dollar bill. Finally, after building a homemade ladder out of branches dragged from the woods, the light bulb is installed. And there is light.

busy... busy... but still got time to do some craft!

2008-12-16T14:36:00.003+08:00

What have I been doing? I made a cardboard violin, some mini paper roses, redecorated my dollhouse, and visted the MPO with my great cuzzins!

cellomania

2008-11-22T15:52:00.002+08:00

Me and my well-beloved cello... I luv my cello!

Cello sweat

2008-11-20T20:38:00.003+08:00

I've been playing the cello since January, and I've missed 7 or more weeks already. Still, I'm playing in my teacher's Christmas string orchestra and I've been practicing like crazy. Who knew Handel's overture was so difficult??? I tell you the sliding part drives me nuts... Working hard, hard, hard... This is deft not beginner stuff man.... My fingers peeled until cannot peel summore... summore just took up violin... summore like to bake so much... so bravo... I practice like 1 1/2 min a day... mebbe even up to 2 1/2 hrs... I know I should practice 3 hrs but cannot lah... so busy this year and i'm oni half through this year's math... stress... no stress... Christmas will be a very busy one for me this year...

Rose Apple Pie

2008-11-20T19:07:00.001+08:00

This apple pie i made with my friend Sandra when she came over for a day. As with most things i make, this is decorated with... roses... I learnt to make roses when I was eight with play-doh and so now that's my favorite garnish/deco... It may get boring after awhile... i think...

Shortbread Roses...

2008-11-15T15:28:00.003+08:00

Lego Animations!

2008-11-15T15:06:00.001+08:00

Me has been busy with Lego animations, uploaded some on Youtube too... Here you go!

Ahh...

2008-11-15T11:38:00.003+08:00

I've been so lazy with blogging for almost a year. Then one day I stumbled upon my friend Danielle's blog where she put a link to my blog... what a shocker... to think ppl al actually get to my blog from her blog...

Now I feel obligated to have to update my blog. I don't want ppl to see all the stuff I wrote a yr ago. Gah.. Not her fault though...

So, I'll not bother to update all the stuff I did for the past months because that would be too... too.... difficult.

so now with some pictures of scenery from fraser's hill that i took about a month ago...

1776

2008-06-10T20:52:00.002+08:00

The best musical period movie of the twentieth century!

I love American history, I love musicals, and I so love the historical and musical value of this movie! So nice! Of course there's lots of swearing... but other than that's it pretty clean (other than the fact John Adams and Thomas Jefferson really miss their wives after not seeing them for six months)

The historical value is marvelous! I recomend this show to all!(If anyone can find it in Malaysia or on the internet)

So far, I have watched tons of clips of youtube... way worth watching!

2007-10-17T18:25:00.001+08:00

Photobucket Album

Ahem,., I 've bin busy

2007-09-21T14:09:00.001+08:00

My latest hobby - Barbie doll sewing.

Ahhh... After that crazy warehouse sale where adults fought over barbies and legos, I got a new barbie doll. I enjoy practicing my unpolished and messy sewing on the poor dolls. At least the clothings are... wearable,. At least I can learn something instead of sitting in front of the computer all day.

I will post a picture of my doll's new clothes.

BEWARE - the front may look neat but the back is a mess of string and ribbon (true story). Argh.

Samuel Dancing....

2007-09-05T14:44:00.000+08:00

Check this out! Samuel's dancing embedded on my blog. Please all enjoy!

I'm back...

2007-08-25T16:38:00.000+08:00

Ahh... I have been away for awhile, and have been to two camps.... plus had some of Samuel's friends over.

Too tired to type...

A Really Happy Poem (To make up for the sad one below)

2007-08-17T20:20:00.000+08:00

The sun streamed down on the cheery park,
With so many sparrows bu nary a lark,
So many children were at their play,
This was a truly happy day!

Some were swinging to and fro,
Some skipping on the go,
Some were running up and down,
All were smiling;nary a frown.

I feel too lazy to add more.... will add more later

A Really Sad Poem

2007-08-17T20:09:00.000+08:00

(The owner of this blog nor the publisher of this post will be held responsible if you start crying during this poem, though I don't expect you too)
__________________

Alone, alone, across the sea,
A lone soul has died, alas me!

Hands so wrinkled which toiled for food,
Yet never saw enough, but was always so good.

Hair so gray, full of worries and cares,
Yet a cheerful face and never two glares,

A heart that beat so slow and uneven,
Yet nobody cared, the bread was leaven.

Nobody knew that kind old soul,
That stayed so far away from Seoul,

In the middle of nowhere,
Did that old soul stay,

Nobody cared,
Not even one day.

Yet that old wrinkled face could always so smile,
Because of Lord who carried her through each mile.

That old soul has gone,
And we are all put to shame,

Because we never cared,
And we stayed the same.

_______________________________________________________________________

Like it?? Comment!! It took me 5 mins to make it up. Enjoy !!!

Comienzo mi blog

2007-08-17T19:47:00.001+08:00

And so now I begin my blog.

Rules and Things I wish to make clear:
1) If you don't understand my foreign terms, please refer to http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr to translate them so accordingly.

2) If you wish to comment please do so in the very greatest of discretion and understand that I myself will edit them if I find necessary.

3) These are all simply my opinions and they do not represent solely the opinions of my sibling and I. If you wish to see more interesting posts you should poste rapidez move to http://www.s-colaboy00.blogspot.com or to http://www.sammuimui.blogspot.com.

4) I shall do my best to keep the grammar and spelling on this blog as precise and correct as possible, so please notify me if any grammar and spelling is out of place or wrong cuanto antes.

So..... I shall start posting post-haste.