I was hoping to write some profound and insightful post yesterday / last night, but alas, my brain is a mush from the days’ tasks. Maybe I’ll still write about it, but probably later..

All I have to say right now is, I first stepped onto American soil 20 years ago yesterday. I was 12.

This year’s Nablomopo was a disaster. Not only did I for the first time, failed to complete at least one post per day this month, I also failed to provide much if any cool or thought-provoking content to the few readers that I have.

Maybe next year will be better? Ha. Next year!

Can you believe it, tomorrow is December already. That means Christmas is here soon. As I’m the frugal type who only buy things for other people and not myself, this is the first time I’m actually writing a Wish List of sorts, if you consider 2 things would constitutes a “list.”

* Silver colored steel mesh watch, round faced. Citizen, Seiko & Skagen have them. My fav is Citizen’s eco-drive one.
* Reversible belt with brown/black, square buckle, by Calvin Klein. I had this one, but somehow it went into the Black Hole when Moving Across States nearly 2 yrs ago.

We’re amazed, surprised, honored and humbled all at the same time. KangarooBoo was named as the featured site in “sites we love” this week in Cookie Magazine’s website. (scroll about half way down and click on ‘sites we love‘)

We’re still reeling, in a very good way.

Sometimes the problems and issues that come our way would smother and suffocate us, leaving us gasping for even just a tiny, small breath. It is those moments that allow us to realize how precious air and oxygen is, how we never really appreciated it until it was threatened to be taken away. Is it too late? By not really giving it much thought, does that mean we were ungrateful? Maybe just really oblivious and ignorant, just a little.

< Tangent > : Chris & John, good wishes and vibes to you every day as you trudge through these next weeks/months. < / tangent >

It was one of those times 8 years ago today. Eight years ago today (Nov 24) was Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. I had spent Thanksgiving day in bed, recovering from the first surgery I’ve ever had. Groggy and still in pain, Hubby and I went to the clinic to see why my shoulder/neck was still numb. It had been much more than 24 hrs since the anesthesia drugs were given, it was suppose to wear off in 24 hrs, and yet I didn’t feel a thing on my clavicle area. Lo and behold, this was minor in comparison to what I was about to hear, sitting by myself in this room, with this woman doctor whom I’ve never met before.

“You have lymphoma,” she said nonchalantly. Still reading the pathology results and not really making eye contact with me.

What’s that?

It’s cancer. In your chest. And your neck. In the lymphatic system.

* * * * * * * *

I will forever remember the way I felt when I was alone in that room with that doctor. I flailed and reached for a gasp of air and weren’t able to get much.

Eight years later, I am breathing normally and enjoying the blue skies and sunshine, the ducks flying in the air, and the Christmas lights that line the rooftops while two little rascals hop and skip on my side.

Thank you for this second chance. I am making the best of it, for me and for others*.

* Benevolence has become my middle name.

We put up our Christmas tree today, by we, I mean Hubby and the kids. Their project tomorrow is to put up some ornaments. We won’t have any families visiting for Thanksgiving and probably none for Christmas either. With families so far away and the business keeping us grounded, we won’t be far from home. Even so, we hope to create joyful memories that our children will remember and cherish for years to come.

To this day, I still remember the aromas of Chinese New Year mornings when my mom and great-grandmother busy themselves all day long with cooking before dawn even arrives. Gosh it’s been so many years since I’ve had a real Chinese New Year celebration. I hope to experience CNY again in China. Someday. Will it feel the same as it did when I was a child? My left-brained-self tells me that it won’t be quite the same; time has changed and so have I. My perspective is no longer innocent and naive like that of a child, but tainted with worries, stress and age and generally have the baggages of a grownup.

I would love for our children to learn and see where Mama grew up and how her life was before becoming an American. Will they appreciate it and learn lifelong lessons or will they scoff and roll their eyes like teenagers? Should I wait until they’re adults, or even parents themselves?

p.s. Nov 22 this year came and went without a single thought of the days’ significance in my mind. I was a little surprised myself. I guess time does more than mend - it makes you have amnesia too.

Favorites: dimsum, window shopping, sleeping.

Not Favorites: folding laundry, ironing.

More than once, I’ve sensed the notion from some relatives, friends and acquaintances that when you’re an online / e-commerce store, you won’t be taken seriously. That you’re just doing it as a side job, a hobby, a part-timer, so on and so forth.

You will only receive validation when you have a brick & mortar storefront.

Or if your e-commerce name is amazon dot com.

I don’t understand this type of sentiment. It makes me sad that some friends and even relatives have these kind of attitude, even if subconsciously.

Remember a while ago where I talked about our 2+yo climbing out of her crib and coming to our bed in the middle of the night, every single night? She’s 3 now and still does that, except now the crib has been taken down. She’s in a Big Girl bed but doesn’t want to stay there the whole night. Sigh.

Apparently when she got to our room one night, she was amused at something, in the wee hours of the morning.

She kept asking, “Mama, why are you making that noise?” When she didn’t receive a response, she shook me, and asked again and again. I managed a groan and mumbled something along the lines of “Huh, what?”

“Mama, what’s that noise you’re making?”

Hubby finally answered her, “Mama is snoring.”

I was tired. Very, very tired. Honestly.

I snapped this picture in Chicago over Labor Day weekend. It’s BEGGING for a cool caption. Go wild!

Note: there are 4 different things on the yellow shirt.

After working day and night writing codes for KangarooBoo’s custom-built Gift Registry, it is finally done. It’s kinda neat - go check it out! (Hubby the Guru wrote it, I didn’t)

To celebrate its launch, we are having a giveaway kind of thing for people to give it a “test drive.” Want to do it? Please! You’re all welcome to participate. You could end up winning up to $100 of gifts that’s in your registry! Check KangarooBoo’s blog for details.

Questions? Comments?