Maine Coon - The "Gentle Giant"

July 2010 my son brought home a tiny hungry (2-3 months old) stray kitten he found by the roadside. Probably lost or abandoned by his previous owner. We decided to keep him and he affectionately became part of our family. My kids went crazy meowing endlessly whenever he is around us, so we decided to name him just “Meow-Meow”.

However October 2010 he suddenly went missing. We searched frantically everywhere, alerted our neighbours, the newspaper delivery man, the security guard and garbage collectors to also be on a look out for him – nothing, no sightings whatsoever. Where did he go, what happened, break our hearts!

Yesterday at 6am, as I opened the gate to go out for my morning walk – I heard loud purring noises, and there he was staring at me, like a tiger, I froze for a moment. Unbelievable, our Meow-Meow missing for over 3 months finally came home! He went about doing his usual as if he never left the house, responded when we call out his name – still remembers us.

He has grown bigger almost double in size, with sharp ears, huge thick paws, bushy tail and parts of his body furs strangely long soft and fluffy. His features are now much more noticeable, browsing through the internet for Cat articles I found one picture having similar features as him. Is our Meow-Meow a local cross bred Maine Coon?

 

 Images from here and more here.

 Maine Coon - 

The "Gentle Giant"

........ Maine Coons are one of the largest breeds of domestic cat. Males weigh from 15 to 25 lb (6.8 to 11 kg) with females weighing from 10 to 15 lb (4.5 to 6.8 kg). The height of adults can vary between 10 and 16 in (25 and 41 cm) and they can reach a length of up to 40 in (100 cm), including the tail, which can reach a length of 14 in (36 cm) and is long, tapering, and heavily furred, almost resembling a raccoon's tail...... here.

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Super African Mangoes? May lose 8.9 Pounds and 2 Inches in 28 Days?

The New Year went whizzing by, almost 2 weeks now, 2012 resolutions “I am going to lose my weight” playing on your minds? Fantasizing the many plans on how to go about - early morning jogs, getting new skipping ropes, and cycling, bidding sayonara to your favourite food? What to do, oh when to start, really frustrating eh? Anyway for those trying to find the simplest  way out on how to lose weight here is some exciting news; 

African Mangoes

.... According to a recent study published in the scientific journal Lipids in Health and Disease, men and women supplementing with African Mango extract for just 28 days lost an astonishing 3,990% more weight than those taking a placebo (8.9 lbs vs. 0.22 lbs)...

They claim by taking African Mango Plus just a few times per day, you will see your body transform like you never thought possible!

“...Help melt inches off your waist, helping you to finally achieve the flat belly you’ve always wanted. Melting those extra pounds of fat off your butt in your quest for a firm and sexy butt, help burn the fat from your thighs, helping you get legs and so on...”


Wow, really tempting and very so inviting? Over the years I had to please many friends having to buy from them all sorts of “wonder” health supplements, could this be one of those advertising gimmicks? 


Okay, hang on everyone, my close friend is living in Nigeria, close enough to Cameroon, I will try to get her to check with the local Africans there and update later on her personal views. Interested to know more on African Mango go here and here.

Still on Mangoes, have your read about the “Eggs of the Sun”? Shocking prices;

...A pair of Japanese mangoes known as “Eggs of the Sun” for their fiery colour and juicy flesh hatched a sweet deal for their owner on Thursday, fetching a record 2,000 dollars at auction..  Interesting read here.

Harumanis

  One of my favourite local mango varieties is still the “harumanis”.  However it is so difficult to find them in Kuala Lumpur. Even during my visits to Kangar not always lucky to find any. Where have all our harumanis gone to? 

A Happy Belated New Year Wishes to all, may this year bring lots of happiness to all.. the very best..stay fit and healthy!

Raising Boys Without Fathers – Single Mothers

Raising boys without fathers? This question came into my mind from the very day my husband died. Little girls are cute adorable darlings and so simple to care for but boys, with their ever changing unpredictable aggressive behaviors one can hardly guess what next they will surprise you with!

My little boys (10years old and 5years old) were very close with their father, enjoyed doing all the boys stuff together, he was their best friend and their playmate. The special love and bond shared between father and sons, even I as their mother can never understand. What happens when this very special person suddenly disappear forever from their lives?

Experiencing Death of a Parent as a Child

.......Experiencing the death of a parent is traumatic at any age, but it's particularly harrowing for young children. With the death of a parent, young children are deprived not only of the guidance and love that that parent would have provided as the children grew up but also the sense of security that the parent's ongoing presence in the home would have bestowed. More often than not, the child feels terribly vulnerable, especially when the death is accompanied by a relocation of the family..... Greg Harvey . 

Read more here, here, and  here.

After his father’s death Khairul became depressed and withdrawn, firmly refused to attend Kindergarten. In Year One his behaviour became worse, horribly impossible, coaxing, pleading and screaming at him just to get him to go to school. He hated school, hated all the teachers and refused to make friends. After six months I decided to transfer him into a private school, a 30km drive from home, 4daily trips for me. 


We later discovered that just a few days before he died my husband was planning with the boys about our family trip to Europe - which did not materialise due to his sudden death. Was Khairul angry with his father because of the unfulfilled promise? When he was 8years old, after consultation with family members we decided to send him to stay with his auntie in United Kingdom for 2months. 


There he attended school in Reading as a guest student. Being the only Malay boy in that school he was very well received by his classmates and teachers – he was so fond of Miss Cheek, his class teacher. He enjoyed the new experience  and the time spent with his uncle. His short stay there worked miracles; he came home a completely changed boy. 


When my sons were young (between 7years old to 15years old) I sent them to as many holiday camps and educational workshops so they can interact and enjoy activities with new friends and their male instructors. It was good for them; the boys really enjoyed these experiences.


Whenever the boys were invited to join their best friend’s families for family trips - picnics, fishing or for weekend activities, I freely gave them permission. (Zainun, Ida, Johar, Fuziah, Harun, Izan, and Cecilia would call me up to “borrow” my sons – my blessings to all my very dear friends for making my sons life so blissful). What I wanted was for the boys to be given the opportunity to feel the atmosphere of being around, doing things and sharing daily activities with “fathers”. 


They are lucky as we live in a closely knitted community where the Village Elders (JKKK Kampung) organized monthly programs and activities. They included my sons in many of these voluntary activities. The young boys became active members of the Rakan Muda Masjid, where they learnt how to communicate and mingle freely with people of all ages, especially men.


The strongest support came from close family members. My late mum in law was always there for the boys – a fantastic grandmother who kept the memories of their father fresh and alive for them. In good health or sickness, sharing the joys and sorrows with them are their exceptionally special uncles and aunties who loved and cared for them as their own children.

In "RaisingBoys Without Men," research psychologist Dr. Peggy Drexler says that boys raised in households headed by just mothers can grow up emotionally stronger, more empathetic and independent than boys raised in traditional two-parent households.... Happy reading....

The Passing of a Wonderful Lady - My Mum in Law

Al Fatihah

Adele - Someone Like You

Latest : 12 Feb 2012


Adele brought home six GRAMMYs here.




One of my favourite singers Adele with her beautiful song 

“Someone Like You”.

“Secret Diary of a Call Girl”- Head over Heart

This song was played in the finale episode where Ben, Hannah’s long time boyfriend, despite promising he could handle it, finally makes the apparently unreasonable request that his girlfriend 'stop being a prostitute'.

He gave Hannah the ultimatum of choosing between profession and being with him.

Enjoy.

Looking young - Mum 55 looks 35

December is such a busy month with all the weddings one has to attend! There are days having to rush like crazy to be at four functions within 6hours.

One of my hobbies is “people watching” and wedding sure is a nice place to spend your time watching people. You learn a lot just by watching their faces, watch the way they dress from head to toe, watch the way they talk and the way they walk. Very interesting hobby indeed!

Have you come across ladies looking 10-20years younger than what their age should have been? One of them is my aunt, a healthy 78year old lady yet looking barely 60, her flawless skin and fresh complexion - no wrinkles! My late mum should be around  75years old today if still alive, when she died at 65 years; she too looked very young for her age.

So ladies, make an appointment with your mothers or grandmothers – they are actually your most valuable beauty consultants.

Our elders have their many traditional natural beauty secret home remedies that everyone should learn from. Those years, they had to depend mainly on the natural ingredients available around them such as coconut oil, fennel seeds, honey, ginger, pineapple, carrot, tomatoes, cucumbers, almond oil, lemon and citrus fruits and leeches etc. Even today, leeches are being used as beauty treatment!

Many of these secrets are brought to you today in tubes and bottles. Anyway ladies try to stay and look young always. It can be a thrilling feeling when you take a picture with your 20year old son and getting comments such as “is that picture of you and your husband?” Hmm, feels good eh?

Mum 55 looks 35 (here)

LifeCell has been receiving increased media exposure recently around its ability to make the appearance of wrinkles vanish in 17 seconds of application. More here.