I never thought I would try to learn a new language near retirement age.

Couple years ago, I thought I would like to learn a new language. I liked it and tried it for a little while, but the notion did not last long because there are not much help around.

After mixing in with the group for 1 1/2 years and resisting the notion to learn their language. I finally decide to give it a try. The prospect is daunting. It has 28 alphabets. But each one has four different looks, depending on its position in a word.

Fortunately, my teacher is very patient and understanding. If I want just a five minutes lesson, that is what I will get. I will have enough homework for the rest of my week. Besides, if I want any extra help, I can just get it from
anybody who happen to be close by. A pretty good deal! I hope I will not give up too easily.

I am not quite sure what to make of it - except giving thanks!

My canvas shoes are getting tattered and torn. But they are the most comfortable ones I can wear at home.
Payless only carries them in the summer. After having in mind for couple of weeks, I headed out to the store.
The price for canvas runners are rediculously high. $30 to S40 a pair. I remember the days I used to pay $5 to $10 a pair. Anyway, luck has it on me, I found a pair marked for half price but in size 8. I looked at the size 7 1/2, which is really my size, but it has no 1/2 price tag on.

So I took both to the cashier. It was a young man. He said the 1/2 price sale tag was from last week's sale. I said that I would not pay $45 for a pair of canvas shoe. Can he do something about it. He went to check with his supervisor. He came back and said I can have them for $33. I said it is still to high. Can he do something better still. I commented that they should honor the sale price tag. So he went to check with superviser again. He came back and said he can work something out on the computer. He told me he is working on three jobs in the summer to pay for his tuition at one of the colleges inorder to get his computer degree, which he has only one course left, but the college does not offer it in the summer. He is a nice young man.

Then he said he got it. He gave me a half price. Then he proceeded to take $2.25 and $4.05 further off from some store coupons. I ended up paying only $16.19 for my shoes plus $2.02 tax. Not bad for the bargin of the day :)
I am not sure if he needs his job badly as me and my shoes!

I've learn a lot more than plants from gardening. There is a similarity betwee plants and human beings.

Some plants loves the sunshine and nutrients. They reward you with brilliant colors and fagrant.
Some people are receptive to love, prunning and nurturing. They are a pride and joy to be around.

Some plants like to be in the shade. They have refine textures and shapes.
Some people do not like to be in the spot light. But their characteristic are most admirable and honourable.

Some plants need very little attention. The more one fuss over them, the easier they wilt.
Some people do not like to receive any imput from others. They do well on their own.

Some plants come back year after year. Their reasurrance is like an old friend.
These are the people whom you can rely on and trust. They do not hover around you, but they show
up when it is time.

There are the plant who show off their glory in one season and then they are no more.
These are the short acquaintances. But they still bear some impact at some point of your life.

Some plant can take over the whole garden if you allow them.
Those are the people you want to avoid if you still want to have an opinion of your own.
Best of all is to set up a stiff boundary in between. So that they can at least thrift on their side.

Some plants are prickly, you can only admire them from a distance, but you cannot hug, smell or feel them.
I am not sure these people like it to be that way themselves. Nonetheless, they can't help it.

Some plants are forever thirsty, they have to grow in the water or they wither.
Some people constantly crave for attention which they never get enough.

There are plants that you cannot get close to because they are toxic or poisonous.
Well, you don't have any choice!

How we can generate trash and wasting resources without giving a second thought.

I wanted to make a raise bed plot on the only sunny part of my garden for vegetable. So finally, my dream came true. When it got to the final part of filling in the frame with dirt. I phoned around. This man told me he would
charge me 70 dollars just to bring 3 yds. of top soil from a location no more than 10 minutes from my house.
(not including the price of the soil which is another $100) I didn't think I need his expensive service. So I went to the location to buy myself 20 bags of fine top soil and hauled them home in my van. I also save paying someone to wheel lose dirt into my yard because I can unload the dirt, bag by bag myself.

Well, the result was very satisfying until I looked at the empty bags threw around the yard waiting for me to do something. Should I just roll them up and put them out to the landfill? Ouch, that hurts our 'mother earth' as much
as my pocket. I ended up consoling myself that I will wash each one of them and beg someone to recycle them.

The good book says, 'The sin of the parents pass down to the next generation.' So it has a much deeper meaning
than I have known.

To-day, someone knocked on my door and offered a cheap rate to have my house power wash outside.
I was much interested in it. If someone can do that work with a reasonable price, then I do not have to fight with
the stranggling hose. I told her roughly what I need and do not need, to get done in the front. She listened and agreed with me. By the time I came back with the housekey inorder to walk her to the backyard. A young oriental guy from the same company was there with her. So I repeated what I said to him. But he said,' oh, no,no,no, our machine is very special, we can do this and do that.' He went on and on. I tried to stop him several
times to no avail. He kept saying,'Listen to me, listen to me...' Finally, I had enough. I shouted over him,' No, I won't listen to you. You should listen to me. So you would end up doing what I want and not what you want.' Then he shut up.

We walked to the back. I showed them the deck, the gazebo, the patio. They can't do the gazebo because they
are not covered by insurance to climb on a ladder. For the patio, he said he can restore it to the white concrete color. I said,' no, the white color is the top part of the concrete patio which has already been worn out after these
many years of power washing. What is showing now is the under layer which is basically rocks and cement.'
Then he tried to persuade me to do something about the second level of the house. Like washing the windows
and the lower horizontal bars of the railing which can be seen from outside. He showed me the quote for a single level house and two stories house. He said since they are not much different in price, I should go for the two stories one. So, I said,'ok, what is the total?' Meaning with tax included. Then he adds up the rates of the single
and two leveled home and said that is the rate. It total to $450 not including tax. I thought, you jerks! Trying to rip me off like a two years old or a senile senior. You think I am a big fish for you to reel in. So I said to them,' I feel spending some money to-day. But I don't think I deserve to spend that much money power washing my house to make it look just a little bit nicer. I will give the money to the African femine and do the washing myself. By the way, it only takes me one hour to wash all the windows down with a hose.'

Come to think of it. Last time when they had a student to airiate my lawns. I asked the student how much he got paid pushing the heavy machine up and down the hills solicitating for business. He said $10 an hour. Where as the company charges $50 for each hour. This time, the power washing of my house would be no more than 4 hours of work and they are trying to collect $100 an hour from me to pay someone $10 an hour for his labor. I might just as well hire S & M, my favorite young adults, as they are job hunting in the summer and pay them better.

I think when we try to listen to God's heart and to do what pleases him. He will help us to accomplish the task.
Later in the day. I went for my grocery shopping. I must have saved 5 or 6 dollars finding quick sale fruit and vegetable. Saved $20 on baked chips which normally costs more than $4 a bag. (Now I have a few months' supply :) Also, I collected 30 airmile points with my meager spending and I have more money to give away to the right causes.

Two little but importat phrases that will get us through relationship safely, yet many are missing them and choose to stay in backlog. It is so simple and yet so profound to utter the 'heart-felt' words - 'thank you' or 'I am sorry'
to God or to fellowman.



Man can scale the treacherous mountains; sail over perilous seas; go through thick jungle or trek across the vast desert, but cannot navigate through the maze of relationship because they are unskillful or reluctant to use those two phrases. It is like a mountaineer without his rope; a ship without a rudder; an explorer in the jungle without his machetee or a traveller without his camel in the desert. Somehow they think their 'persistence' or 'luck' or 'take it for granted' attitudes will be enough.