School Break

Tomorrow is the last day of school for the year 2014 as Malaysian schools are out for our final term break. Dang!  This means I will have a hard time doing my cookie thing as I won't get to have the house to myself for the first half of the day. And for 2 whole months!  Shudder!

Cookies for Rodney's classmates. 

Happy Halloween 2014

I know it's another couple of days to Halloween but I just can't wait to show these off!

Happy Halloween!

Deepavali 2014

Around this time every year, you will see colorful *kolams such as this adorning the entrances to Hindu homes and shopping malls in Malaysia. That is because Hindus all over the world will be celebrating Deepavali also known as the Festival Of Lights tomorrow.

* During Deepavali, the entrances to Hindu homes are decorated with fresh mango leaves and kolams (Indian floor art). It is believed that the Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi, will only enter a home that is adorned with a kolam.
The kolam or floor-painting uses colored rice grains or powdered rice to prevent evil entering the homes. It is believed to bring prosperity and harmony.

Diyas (oil lamps) are lit in Hindu homes on Deepavali morning. By lighting the oil lamps, the Hindus are thanking the gods for the happiness, knowledge, peace and wealth that they have received.

Diya and elephant cookies for my Hindu buddies

Happy Diwali to all my Hindu bloggy buddies!

Of Friendly Ghosts, Spirits and Deities

While making these cookies, I recalled  a strange story my college roomie shared with me. The boy in the story was her neighbour.

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When Yusof was little, his parents thought he had an imaginary friend he was constantly interacting with. The conversations and pretend games were so real, it was hard to believe that the friend was imaginary. Yusof described his friend as a boy with an elephant face. At first, his parents thought he just had a healthy, active imagination but grew concerned when they noticed the imaginary conversations and games took place only in a particular room in the house. It was an unfurnished and unoccupied room and they had just recently moved into the rented house.  When Yusof began to spend an abnormal amount of time in the room, his parents began to wonder if the 'friend' was more than just a figment of his burgeoning imagination. They decided to consult a bomoh (a Malay shaman) who, in a trance, revealed that the half-boy half-elephant friend was actually Lord Ganesh, the Hindu elephant deity. And the room that was the playground for Yusof and his invisible playmate was used by the previous occupants as their puja room. A puja room or a prayer room is an intrinsic part of every Hindu household. A visit to their landlord who previously resided in the house confirmed this. An idol of Lord Ganesh used to occupy the exact spot in that room where Yusof loved to play! The landlord brought a Hindu priest to the house and several rituals were performed which included mantras and offerings of  laddus (sweets), incense sticks and a garland of scented flowers. From that day forward, Yusof never saw his elephant buddy again! Uncanny but true!

Josh's Graduation

It seems like only yesterday when my son Josh graduated from Kindergarten.

I can hardly believe it has been eleven years since. Today, he graduates from High School

I am excited for him yet terrified of what the future will be like next.

As he stood there looking all smart and grown up, I went all emotional and it finally hit me that with school over, the safety fence will no longer be there and this young man will be stepping out into unfamiliar territory. This is certainly a pivotal time in our lives.

 I just couldn't hold back the tears that were streaming down my face. Today marks yet another milestone in his life. I guess there will be many more important milestones we see in the future and then, in a flash, they recede into the rear view mirror. How I wish life came with a pause button.

 

I made these cookies for his class's graduation party.

October is National Cookie Month

Did you know that October is National Cookie Month in the US? I don't really know the significance of this but to me, it means lots of excuses to bake cookies and sharing them with friends and family!

For starters, I made these gothic hearts. I thought they look kinda Halloweeny.