Siblings Are Best Friends | Face of The Week

Siblings are true blessings in life, when you can get along well with each other. They will be there for you, no matter what. So, treasure them and you'll be set for life.

To the outside world we all grow old.
But not to brothers and sisters.
We know each other as we always were.
We know each other's hearts.
We share private family jokes.
We remember family feuds and secrets,
family griefs and joys.
We live outside the touch of time.

~Clara Ortega

Here are a series of moments taken before my children's bed time in 2006. A kiss on big sister's cheek is followed by a kiss on little brother's cheek. Then, a short look to the camera... and the usual teasing activity begins!

FACE OF THE WEEK

thanks to Sistertex at Spacial Peepol

Siblings Digital Scrapbook Quick Page
thanks to Colleen Keehne at
http://starynightcomgraphics.blogspot.com

Thanks for every visit to Music of My Life.

Keep a song in your heart.

Handwriting Analysis Tag

I saw this handwriting analysis tag at my dear friend Nessa's blog and thought it was fun to play along.

Show us your handwriting so we can read all about you.

THE RULES: write the following

1) Your name/blog name.
2) Right-handed, left-handed, or ambidextrous?
3) Favorite letters to write.
4) Least favorite letters to write.
5) Write “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
6) Write the following words in capital letters:
- CRAB
- HUMOR
- KALEIDOSCOPE
- PAJAMAS
- GAZILLION
7) Write your favorite song lyric.
8) Tag people!
9) Any special note or picture.

Here is the picture

I am actually left handed, but my parents taught me to use my right hand more often because in the old days you weren't supposed to use your right hand to write. As result, I can use both of them. Did you notice the difference? The first number was written with my right hand, while the second one was written with the left. Then, I used the right hand again and so on. I don't know if this makes me ambidextrous? I write better with the right hand, but for artistic work like drawing and crafting I rely on my left hand.

Just for fun, I used this Free Basic Handwriting Analysis Course to add some insights about my personality. So here we go:

1. Font size: Small

Introspective, not seeking attention. Modest, pays attention to detail, good concentration, humble, may be self-actualized.

2. Slant: Vertical

Practical, independent, head rules over heart. Self sufficient, in control of self, low emotional response, restrained.

3. Baseline: Normally straight baseline

Determined, stays on track. Self motivated, reliable, mind controls emotion, steady, unflinching.

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Thanks for every visit to Music of My Life.

Keep a song in your heart.

Earth Hour 2010

Tomorrow on Saturday, 27 March 2010 at 8.30 PM of your local time, Earth Hour 2010 will take place. If you still haven't heard about it: This event has been inaugurated by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Australia in 2007 to raise awareness of climate change issues by gathering people to switch off their lights for one hour.

FOUR YEARS OF EARTH HOUR

31 March 2007

• The inaugural Earth Hour is held in Sydney Australia 7.30pm - 8.30pm, 2.2 million citizens of Sydney and 2,100 businesses participate.

29 March 2008

• Earth Hour is held in 371 cities and towns in more than 35 countries globally at 8pm-9pm.

28 March 2009

• Earth Hour held on Saturday March 28 at 8.30pm-9.30pm. Hundreds of millions of people in more than 4,000 cities and towns across 88 countries switched off their lights for one hour, creating a visual mandate for action on climate change effectively kick-starting the world’s first global vote.

27 March 2010

• Earth Hour will be held on Saturday March 27th at 8.30pm-9.30pm wherever you are in the world.

http://www.earthhour.org/History.aspx

I know that we need more than one hour to take good care of our beloved mother earth. The more important part should be to implement green actions and green thinking in our daily life. Still, I love the spirit of this event and I will try to participate again. Last year, we joined for the first time in Earth Hour and my son suggested to play shadows on the wall. You can might see some photos I took with my mobile camera in the collage below. Hopefully this year I can manage to get brighter shots with the Canon EOS 500D. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Thanks for every visit to Music of My Life.

Keep a song in your heart.

Nessa's Blogging Practices Meme | Etiquettes

My dear friend Nessa of The Chrysalis Stage has created a Blogging Practices Meme to give some positive inputs about the DOs and the DON'Ts in the Blogosphere. She says:

On your own blog do a post listing 5 things you like about blogs, 5 things you don’t like and 5 things you do blogging that you think are cool and why you do them. Try to give the reasons why, too, so people understand your way of thinking.

This is about blogging etiquette or blogging practices, not “I like blogging, because I make neat friends.”

5 Things I DO Like

1. Easy navigation & overview. Like visiting a new home, one has to get used to a new place. This can become quite difficult when the page is too crowded and heavy loaded. Not to mention that a slow connection tends to crash the Internet browser, while visiting these kind of sites. The result is that you have to re-open the window(s) and wait all over again. Fast loading pages are a favorite.

2. Notify me of follow up comments via email. I really love this feature, because it makes it easier to interact without constantly having to check a certain blog post. Sometimes there are so many new posts that it gets even more difficult to visit the intended post.

3. Links that open in a new window. Sometimes people add referring links in the middle of their posts to give a better understanding or make them more complete. I really love to follow these links, but like them even more when they open in a new window. Because I would like to stay on a post or blog, if I haven't finished reading it.

4. Mild colors and medium sized fonts for the eyes. I'm wearing glasses. Strong colors tend to hurt, while reading too small or too big fonts is exhausting. There are also some kind of fonts that might look artistic, but are very difficult to read.

5. Respect. The Web is full of inspiration and great minds, but not everyone can be on the same page. I love to read posts that give their honest opinions, but do respect others. With an open mind it can give new perspectives and better understandings. Respect also means that you don't take others creative rights. Even if you have given a proper link back to the original source, it doesn't mean that you can copy & paste the whole content.

5 Things I DON’T Like

1. Plagiarism. Stealing someone's creativity is very rude, especially if it is not for personal use. Make sure that you give proper credits to the creator or original source. Thank goodness the servers actually can prove what was published first.

2. Deceiving or invalid links. People might get away displaying hidden links to deceive others, but I'm sure that it will be the first and last time. Count on it, the visitor will never return. Hidden links in comments are also pointless. They definitely will be ignored or deleted without further concerns.

3. Hatred content. There's enough stress in this world and no point at all to spread hatred when you can give love instead.

4. Not permitted advertisement. Don't put any business links in comments without asking for permission, especially if they have no relevance to the post or blog.

5. Copy & paste the same comment on several different blogs. I have seen some Bloggers who have been copying and pasting the same comment on several blogs from different owners. It is a very unpleasant sight to see, because it shows that you don't care at all about what others have written.

5 Things I Do On My Blog & Why

1. Trying to keep it simple. Recently, I took off many widgets of my blog that I actually liked to try improve the loading speed and give easier access for my visitors.

2. Link back. I always try to give proper link backs to someone who has given me an award or mentioned me in their posts as an appreciation and a thank you, even if it takes some time for getting to it.

3. Original source. I like to provide my own photographs and content to avoid the possibility of copyright infringement. But when I do use other sources, I place them into blockquotes and add the source.

4. Looking at the positive side. This is a personal blog that I can use as channel to release my personal feelings, so it is actually up to me about what I write. Still, I try not getting too sentimental. Others don't need to be stressed out by me. Even if I write about sad events in life, I give some positive sights.

5. Involvement and interaction. As a member of the Blogosphere, I try to get involved with current events and memes. I also love to interact with others. Many of you have become good friends in the process, and I am very grateful for that.

Thanks for every visit to Music of My Life.

Keep a song in your heart.

Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop for Children’s Miracle Network

I still can remember the horrifying moments when my son had to spent some of his early days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of our local hospital. Little feet and hands being connected to this huge machine at least twice his size. It felt so hard every time we had to step home, leaving him behind. Visits to the NICU are very restricted, and not enough to sooth a worried heart... That's why I always believe and hope that our fellow suits his name right with the blessing of God: Fawwaz, "The one with great luck and success". We were indeed some of the lucky ones, being blessed to bring him home safe and sound. A prayer that remains in every parents heart and I sincerely give out to every child struggling for his/her health. But, did you know that we can do even more to help?

Children’s Miracle Network is a non-profit organization that raises funds for more than 170 children’s hospitals. Countless individuals, organizations and media partners unite with Children’s Miracle Network hospitals to help sick and injured kids in local communities. Donations to Children’s Miracle Network create miracles by funding medical care, research and education that saves and improves the lives of 17 million children each year.

Every child deserves the hope and healing of children’s hospitals. With the help of a Children’s Miracle Network hospital in their community, children of all ages and backgrounds can receive treatment for every imaginable disease and injury—from asthma and broken bones to cancer and heart defects. Children’s hospitals are also on the front lines of research, education and outreach programs that keep millions of kids out of the hospital each year.

http://www.childrensmiraclenetwork.org

How can we do this together? It’s simple:

Participate to Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop of giving away virtual Easter Baskets by creating a blog post with specific rules described here.

Hershey Company will donate $10 per each blog post to the Children's Miracle Network (CMN), up to total of $5,000.

One blog post per URL counts towards the donation, but you can give as many virtual Easter baskets as you want.

The Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop will officially begin at 12 AM EST on March 18th and end at 12 PM EST on April 4th, 2010. Blog posts submitted to us before or after that time period will not be counted for.

The blog post link has to be submitted to us for the donation to be counted.

In addition copy and paste the following text in your blog post:

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES

• Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
• Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
• Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
• Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
• Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this better basket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
• Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
• Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

Thanks to my dear friend Susan for making me aware.

I am tagging my dear friend Waileng
and all of you who want to help for this cause.
Please, let me know if you join and I will add you here.
I really hope you'll help to make this post count.
Bless your golden heart.


Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Thanks for every visit to Music of My Life.

Keep a song in your heart.

The Story Behind Pat's Love For You Award

Thanks to my dear friend Amanda
for Pat's Love For You Award

If you asked me about one of the greatest things of blogging, I would definitely answer that it is the beautiful friendships formed. Even though not everyone might have the privilege to meet each other in personal, I feel that the presence and wonderful support of lovely online friends gives you even more strength for going through the ups and downs in life.

I think that this award here is one of these examples. Jingle who has passed it on to Amanda as one of the first nominees ever, said

Today, Pat surprised me via email with this beautiful bunch of roses. I am afraid that I will forget about this precious gift, if I keep it in my email list. I decide to take it out and share in my blog with friends, old and new. Love is sweeter when it is shared and passed.

Please, pay Pat a visit today
http://pttyann.wordpress.com

Thanks to Jingle and Pat for creating this award and spreading the love around. I share this award with all of my blogging friends who have been there for me in hard times. I am very grateful for you and carry you in my heart. Thank you so much. Please accept my love for you.

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Thanks for every visit to Music of My Life.

Keep a song in your heart.

The Story Behind The Beautiful Blogger Award

Thanks to my dear friend JonJon
for the Beautiful Blogger Award

She had given me this lovely award at the beginning of March and it took me quite a while to post about it. Please forgive me, my dear.

I have been trying to search about the story behind the beautiful blogger award, which finally led me to Anna's Daily Journal in November 2007. I think it is the original source of the award, because she doesn't refer to anyone else before her and says to the nominees that

I know it always makes us happy
each time we receive an award from our online friends.
[...] it is simple but comes from my heart.

Along with the Beautiful Blogger Award, she had also given the following Sexy Blogger Award. No rules and strings attached, so this might be the first time I'm actually following the rules by doing the same. I present these lovely awards to my online friends from the bottom of my heart. Thanks for creating these awards, Anna.

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Thanks for every visit to Music of My Life.

Keep a song in your heart.

Saying Another Farewell

March has become a month of farewell to two of my beloved aunts. I just lost a dear aunt one year ago in a car accident, and last Friday another great aunt has passed away due to cancer. We had known about her illness for some time now, and the doctor had told the family to get prepared a couple of days before... but it really is never easy to say goodbye.

She was a wonderful soul, mother and mentor to many of us. Rest in peace, dear Aunty. We love you and will miss you for sure. Thank you for coloring our lives with your passion and wisdom.

A part of you has grown in me,

together forever we shall be, never apart,
maybe in distance, but not in the heart.

~Author Unknown

Thanks for every visit to Music of My Life.

Keep a song in your heart.

Fun Kindergarten Trip

Four days ago I went on a kindergarten trip with my son. We were scheduled to leave home at 5.30 am and I was worried that we couldn't make it on time, because his occasional morning blues. Thanks to all wonderful tips and comments. They were a great help. We did make it on time. Yippee!


... and the bus finally left at 6.30 am, because three other kids had their morning blues. LOL. Some of you might have been wondering why we had to leave so early in the morning. Well, the reason was to avoid this...

A nasty traffic jam caused by us and many other kindergartens, which were heading to Taman Impian Jaya Ancol or also known as Ancol Dreamland for an annual gathering. The kids can participate in many fun kindergarten activities and competitions at this event, like singing, dancing, drawing, parades and more.

My son had a great time and I ended up with 160 new photos on my camera. It could have been more... if I weren't busy keeping track of my son who loved to play and run around. It was not easy to keep an eye on him in the crowd. Here are a few shots I made into a collage. From the top left corner, you can see in clockwise order: 1) My son and his friends posing on the bus. 2) My son and some of his friends participating in a word game. The goal was to run as fast as you could to pick a word out of a bucket and match them with related images on a blackboard. The team came in second place. 3) There's nothing more refreshing than an ice cream on a hot day. 4) My son's team posing with one of the teachers. 5) My son having great fun playing with soap bubbles. They were flying around the area and he was chasing them and clapping his hands to pop them. 6) Fun on the beach. The kids decided that they couldn't wait to get in their swimsuits and go in their underwear. Sigh. 7) Finding shells and crabs in the sand.


We arrived at home in the afternoon and I literally fell on the bed because of exhaustion, while my son was already pushing his bike out of the house to play AGAIN! My goodness, I really envy kids' energies. It took me two days to recover from my aching feet. May be I should start working out to improve my stamina. But I must admit that I'm too lazy . Have a wonderful week, everyone.

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Thanks for every visit to Music of My Life.

Keep a song in your heart.

Morning Blues

I have been dealing with flu and headache these past days and hope to recover just in time for my son's kindergarten trip tomorrow. I can't bear the thought of him running loose on the beach without me, so I will try to gather my strength to go. I feel a little bit uncomfortable, because I have been preparing in such short time. Even with a throughout packing list I tend to forget things.

Let's see: swimsuit, extra cloths, liquid soap, towel, raincoats, camera, snacks and drinks... All checked. Do you think I forgot something? Besides sunshine and fun, of course!

Anyway, the young man is ready to go... IF he can wake up on time!!! We do have some problems, when it comes to morning routines. Tomorrow we have been scheduled to leave at 6.00 am, and I'm worried. Can you see why? I just hope he doesn't go through his usual morning blues. Wish me luck.

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Thanks for every visit to Music of My Life.

Keep a song in your heart.

Friends For Better or For Worse

On this day one year ago, I lost my aunt in a traffic accident. It was a very sudden loss, far away in another province, and I didn't have the chance for a proper goodbye... It is one of the days in my life, I remember with much sadness. So, today I have been moving back and forth between my daily activities and thoughts of the past. The grief is still there in times like this, even though I have moved on in the loving memories of her. RIP, dear Aunty. My constant prayers are with you.

Being in a gray mood like this, I got two sweet surprises that helped me to brighten up the day. My dear friend Thom posted this lovely image for my birthday in his post today. Thank you so much for the wonderful gift. xoxoxo


I also found out that my dear friend Amanda who herself just went through the great loss of her mother last Wednesday presented me with the Spotlight Award and some big Thank You's. It is me who Thanks YOU, dear. My heartfelt sympathy and deepest condolences go out to you and your family. I hope you know how much you mean to me. xoxoxo

Now to the difficult part, passing away the award. I just can't go by the rules when it comes to this. So, I'm giving this award to:

All of my friends for better or for worse,
your wonderful supports have lighten up my days.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
The spotlight is on YOU now.

Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others
cannot keep it from themselves.
~James Matthew Barrie

Thanks for every visit to Music of My Life.

Keep a song in your heart.

Easy Cooking Ideas

Besides digital scrapbooking, I have been into cooking lately. Both of these new hobbies connect very well to my photography love. I have a great time experimenting with food and enjoy my time taking photos during the process. For example, today's menu looks like this.

Meatloaf Cordon Bleu with Fruit Punch

Although the whole process might take twice the time as usual, because I try to move things around and shot them in different angles... but it is definitely twice as fun for me. Since I'm actually a lazy cook and like to keep it simple, I document and share some of my culinary joy with a few easy cooking ideas at my food and drinks blog. Feel free to visit and try out the recipes by yourself. I have written it in a bilingual language, English and Bahasa Indonesia. Have a wonderful day, everyone.

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Keep a song in your heart.

How To Add A Digital Scrapbooking Blog Template

My dear friend Waileng got me into Digital Scrapbooking with Adobe Photoshop (read her post to find out more). I really love original straight from the camera shots, but I also enjoy giving my personal photos a digital scrapbooking touch. You can make beautiful and unique photo albums.

Another way you can use digital scrapbooking is to customize your blog. Even though there are many great sites offering free ready to use templates, you might want to give it a try and create one by yourself. Here are some simple steps on how to add a digital scrapbooking blog template. Please, keep in mind that you have to be familiar with digital scrapbooking before following these steps.

1. Don't forget to backup your blog template.
   
2. Go to your dashboard and choose pick a new template. Select Minima and then save template.
   
3. Create a customized header in Adobe Photoshop with free digital scrapbooking elements that you can download from the Web. My favorite site is Granny Art at http://grannyart.blogspot.com. She gives away amazing stuff for unlimited use. Bless her generous heart.
4. Once you have created your digital scrapbook header, you can upload it through your dashboard. Choose Page Elements and then Edit at the Header section. Checklist the Placement options according to your wish and then choose image From your computer and Upload Image. Save.
   
5. Pick a background image and follow this tutorial on how to add background picture in Blogger. Okay, you're done. Enjoy working on your digital scrapbooking blog template.
   

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Thanks for every visit to Music of My Life.

Keep a song in your heart.

Birthday Present and Prayer for Mom

Digital Scrapbook Elements thanks to
http://grannyart.blogspot.com

Yesterday I got a lovely surprise. It was my birthday and the children had been saving their money again to buy me a beautiful dress with embroideries. You can see a part of it in the photo above with my previous Mother day gift. It was a bag and I had promised to share it on my blog. I'm sorry that it took me so long. I really love the birthday present and prayer for Mom. I think it is a lovely thought and effort. I'm very grateful for my life and all of the blessings. Hopefully I'll become a better person in the upcoming years and continue to grow in His love. Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Music is expression of harmony in sound.

Love is the expression of harmony in life

~Stephen F. Gaskin

Thanks for every visit and comment to Music of My Life.

Keep a song in your heart.