24 May 2023 – At FB, But Nothing To Do With FaceBook!

Sun: up early 0700hrs to first drive into town with Linn for her run while I hung around Dunkin’Donuts&EarthFare/DevineSt. Had a donut&coffee where there was a comfortable sofa with WiFi and could not resist this can of soup@EarthFare! hahaha…

Sorry to miss but managed to communicate with family back in SIN during their T-party to welcome baby Ayden from London/UK,

the youngest and probably the last of the PurpleGen on the LAMTinYueBranch. Appreciations&tkx for pix from nieces&nephews.

Then the drive from CAE towards SE to FollyBeach~125m/201k 2+hrs where Linn is working today@Tides, formally HolidayInn and will be also working there over the summer.

FollyBeachPier was reopened after reconstructions last year,

making this 25′ wide,1,049′ long 22′ above sea level the LowCountry icon. https://ccprc.com/1753/Folly-Beach-Pier

Decided to walk on the beach towards the lighthouse and fortunately high tide will not be until tonight 2100hrs making it possible to walk all the way there. Beach houses as far as the eyes can see from the pier but only a few caught the attention on the walk, was more focus not to be stepping on anything that could hurt or injure my bare feet, including dead jellyfish.

Life on the beach away from the hotel&beachfront properties was peaceful&serene, especially last mile or so before the lighthouse – beautiful with protected sand-dunes&grass. Many Canonball jellyfish (was later informed by #3)brought in by the lowtide but they cannot survive without seawater – one of my favourite savings about jellyfish, lol…

The fact that jellyfish have survived for 650 million years without brains should give hope to some people – Karel Dekyvere

MorrisIslandLighthouse on MorrisIsland located on the S-side of the entrance to CharlestonHarbor, N of the City of FollyBeach. At 161′, it is the tallest lighthouse in SC, and not permitted to swim there from where I can see it, not that I had any intentions of doing that!

Driftwood here is so amazing in my eyes that I could linger on longer here if did not have to walk~4+m/6+k back to the hotel.

Tried to take a different route back via the road.

Now with some the charming LowCountry mash landscape where ever I could peep thru’ some of the houses, but the heat&traffic were just too much – headed back on the beach where there was a comfortable sea-breeze.

Pier101Restaurant&Bar for a cup of SheCrabSoup&Salad (had to doggiebag the salad), Linn was provided with dinner by her work before the 2+hrs drive back. After today’s~10m/16k walk(~5hrs) with the seabreeze, looking much forward to a goodnight sleep after a hot bath&shower.

Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love, has been my folly― Jane Austen

While we were@FollyBeach the family was at church recognizing the 2023Graduating Seniors. Appreciations to Jeff for the pix.

Appreciations&tkx to Calvin&Staff@Campers’Corner in SIN for their sponsorship for all of the outdoor gears for this trip. The after effects of walking 5+hrs without any pains on the feet but with tell tale lines of Chaco, the only footwear for me to be able to around the world on since 30+yrs ago.

Mon: was not aware about #2 awards, but tkx to Jeff for pix. Would have liked to have attended if I was informed about it, but seemed like she didn’t really want anyone there – so this is just for me to remember!

Irmo High School International School for the Arts is at Irmo High School International School for the Arts

Congratulations to these Irmo High School students who were recognized at the School Board Meeting last night! Top PSAT scorers: David Floyd, Margaret Hamberg, Gaines Roberts, Daniel Wolff

Tue: TacoTue with #2-5@YachtCove and the best homemade Guacamole by Linn&#4 – need to learn how to make that. #2 is off for another scholarship interview immediately after dinner.

Wed:   first swim for the year, not warm but nice when you keep swimming, have not swam for a long while and 15mins was all this grandmother could handle! Knowing it is clean just after opening for the summer, so will only be there for a few more mornings to use this pool and bring my lunch there when no one is around – the contrast from the back&front of Linn’s condo. Dinner with my gang who enjoys their WedSushi.

20 May 2023 – #3&5 Boy Scouts

Wed17May2023: gratulerer med dagen og hurra for 17mai to all celebrating&marking the day when the Norwegian Constitution was signed in Eidsvoll/Norway on 17May1814. A noteworthy aspect of the Norwegian National Day is its non-military nature – all over Norway children’s parades with an abundance of flags form the central elements of the celebration(pix from KarlJohanGt,Oslo/Norway downloaded). Favourite 17May 2016pix of #3 raising the flag in their Treehouse@Clearwater.

Did not have any Norwegian flags here, but stickers and with chopsticks+some 4JulBeads! managed to mark the day@YachtCove, so proud that #3 remembered to raise the flag@their Clearwater house today.

#2-5 with their usual SushiWed as starters. Glad that #1+Jack drove from town to join us later for family dinner and the most Norwegian food that was available here were røktlaks/smoked salmon, gravlaks/marinated salmon(a tiny package costing US$20), and reker/prawns from Krogers.

Thu: tkx to #1 for driving to DMV, unable to renew driving license as it has been expired for over 9months. Will make time to redo both written&driving tests next time round when I can rent a car with my InternationalLicense to make it on my own here. For the time being will just use my passport as ID! Banking matters&mailing package to cousin Irene/CA taken care of – being familiar as to which branches of these locations and knowing what days&times are good to avoid lines have and help to get things done efficiently despite of the rains!

Lunch&shopping with #1&2@ChickenSaladChick&pOpshelf – appreciate&tkx to #1 for driving me all over and dropping me off at Walmart@DutchFork. Shopping the whole afternoon there and was tried and hungry after 3hrs! Tried to order a piece of pizza@Dominos but they do not sell by slice. The lady who served me then said that someone had ordered a pizza and did not want it, and offered it to me FOC – such kind SouthHospitality is received with gratefulness. Ate a slice&shared the rest with others.

If you don’t know what to do with the rest of your life, make your bed. If you’re going to be a couch potato, at least fluff the pillows. If you can’t afford pearls, red nail polish is your best accessory. If you don’t have time to do your nails, smile and stand up straight – SouthernLady Code Quote

BoyScouts awards for#3&5,Troop48/Pack48@ShadyGrove UnitedMethodistChurch. Not that I know what is going on, but trying to learn about Cub-Boys-EagleScouts and that you need to be awarded certain amount of badges to become an EagleScout –  cupcakes refreshments with their logo! Do like their Law&Oath about teaching boys to be man.

https://www.scouting.org/

Fri: TGIF, a good weekend to all on this cool&wet day. Cloud-spotting is fun&relaxing when weather permits –  here sharing a few of my own personal favourtie ones over the years. The one that looked like a dog was the day(12May2015) a dog bit me – for real and the memory is still vivid! Would have stayed indoors if I understood the clouds then, hahaha… The blog posting below A Sign from the Clouds are some amazing shots by different ppl around the world.

https://amylamsg.com/2013/08/30/a-sign-from-the-clouds/

Sat: while #3 is hiking ~32k/20m on the 804k/500m PalmettoTrail(ProsperityPassageSection), this grandmother will be following closely along in thoughts on this map – pix downloaded. https://palmettoconservation.org/palmetto-trail/

Tkx to Linn for this new discovery GeorgeRogerWine&Raw – excellent service&shellfish dinner for tonight and even got their last piece of RedVelvetCake!

2018 Damascus,VA/USA, was the last one attended and it was Bear’s final&last TrailDays, may he RIP. Hopefully I will still have more TrailDays ahead despite unable to attend this year but plans to meet with HiHills,Lizard,Pokey,Wiggs@PEI in Aug.

16 May 2023 – From Track Meet to Senior Prom

Sat: 1.5hrs drive to WilsonHighSchool,Florence,SC and the the only high school in FlorenceCounty that offers the InternationalBaccalaureate diploma. With these new regulations, had to leave backpack in the car and took only what cannot be left in the car, forgot that there is a see-thru’ bag back with my stuff here as it was also needed at the last football game attended in 2019!

But do remember how hot it can be and had both hat&umbrella which were a great help. The team had to ride the bus earlier, #4 left the house@07.00hrs for school to ride with her team and her event was not until 11.00hrs

Always good&refreshing with shaved-ice on such a day and the BBQribs were yummy – Jeff got some and shared a bite.

Sooo impressed with these kids giving their best in these conditions. Another 1.5hrs drive back with enough time to cool down with a cold shower before the next event! All worth the while to see #4 PR with her times.

SeniorPromNight for #2 – such a beautiful fairytale princess outfit to convince me that fairytale can come true! here with her dashing date Tristan,

who remembers me from 4thGrade 2015talk when he was in the same class as #2 – had to search blog posting to figure out if I remember? and was pointed out that he is in the middle with blue-stripe-shirt!

Once upon a time a long time ago there is a moment where your dreams and your memories merge together and form a perfect world. That is heaven. And each heaven is unique – Frozen

Sun: RiverlandHills BaptistChurch is where the family are attending now. Being Mother’s Day, accompanied them but as usual left the hall when the loud music started, not a fan of music with that kind of decibels that could ruin my eardrums!

Got to see where #1 lives in town where she shares with 2 others and drove by the GamecockStadium.

Yummy starters and low-carb burger for me@BackstreetsGrill

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers, and finally here with 3generations, my US-flock gathered for lunch today. What a blessing that we are able to be together and enjoy each other.

Appreciations&tkx to my beautiful, caring&compassion family for these lovely handmade greetings,flowers&gifts.

Blessed are the hearts that can bend; they shall never be broken ― Albert Camus

Mon&Tue: cleaning&tidying up the area below the staircase in the basement to store some of my stuff…

12 May 2023 – To Sushi Wednesday

Tue: doing some reading&sewing+whatever that is in need of cleaning or repairing here that I am capable of doing. Taco Tue, tkx to Linn & her teacher friends from the school. Allison made yummy meatless Enchiladas, Linn did her delicious Guacamole from scratch, Jaime&Tizah brought the beers&wines.

Wed: US$5 SushiWed@Publix, limited selection no Sashimi(US$5 sounded too good to be true!) – my choice were WakameSeaweedSaladUS$5&CaliforniaRollUS$5 while the kids chose the CrunchyRolls. Seems like we are at Publix@MurrayLanding nearly everyday!

Thu: morning coffee out on the patio with the birds in lovely temps, too hot to sit out in the afternoon. This table fell during a freak storm in Mar this year and all the tiles came apart with some broken ones – at present just placed them with the help of masking tape and hope to be able to repair it. Up&down 2flights of stairs with 7x2steps on each flight at least 5times daily and feeling them in my calf muscles!

Another 2flights with 7x2steps down to the basement for laundry, but that is not daily. 3levels here and one level is probably the size of my SIN-4-walls! Must not sleep walk or will forget that the kitchen/eating area is split-level from the sitting area – nice spacious condo with 3bedrooms on the 2nd level and a basement that could be let out as a flatlet or a den for some teenager.

Edited Mon22May2023: fell on that split-level, but not from sleepwalking or drinking! Forgot about it in the dark – thank goodness nothing broken and no serious injury, just a slight bruise on the cheek.

Fri: have not seen Eunice since watching her perform Dec2015@SOTA/SIN–StringWerkz Debut Recital of Poetic Strings.

She is now with SomeStringsAttached@UofSC in the School of Music adapting the Carnegie Hall’s Lullaby Project for its local community here and performing and completing her doctorate music degree – small world! Nice to catch up and know that she is adapting&doing good in this SouthernUS life-style. Tkx for taking time to drive here.

https://www.carnegiehall.org/Education/Programs/Lullaby-Project

8 May 2023 – Baseball Game

Fri: tkx to 1st-born for my 1st experience at a baseball game – ColumbiaFireflies vs MyrtleBeachPelicans. Not that I understand much of the game, but what a lovely evening to be with the family&their friends snacking on tacos&popcorn. Appreciations to AmericanLeadershipAcademy/ALA for these complimentary tickets. This is a new school where 1st-born will start with a new teaching job in Aug.

Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand – Leo Durocher

Here together with #1&2+Jack&Tristan,#3&5

while #4 was at her 8thGradeDance where we managed to pop by to see her enjoying her last MiddleSchool dance. #5 got my attention with the SIN-flag, good that he knows that flag and hopefully will be the next to visit SIN, he still has 2 more years in this MiddleSchool. Has been a busy week with events.

Sat: YachtCove, vaguely remember(selective memory!) that we stayed in one of these units(tkx to Barbara&her family for the use of their unit then) after the house burnt down 10yrs ago. Nice clubhouse with pool. https://yachtcovecondos.com/

#3&5, the boys stayed the night last night and a nice stroll down by LakeMurray with #5 to start this day. The Canada geese&their goslings are here enjoying their morning swim&stroll like us, ie minus the swim for us! https://www.britannica.com/animal/Canada-goose

AnolisCarolinensis/GreenAnole lizards and when it puff his pink throat, its a male. Like many lizards, anoles display autotomic tails, which wiggle when broken off. This distracts the predator and helps the anole to escape. A new tail then starts to develop. Bale of turtles on a log enjoying the serenity of life…

Refreshing to be able to start the day in peaceful&pleasant natural greenery where even a birdhouse is camouflage to fit into the surroundings.

#3 drove to help me with the grocery for tonight’s dinner. Busy with the preparation&eating(dinner for 9ppl), forgot about taking pix when finally all my FabulousFive are together today! Appreciations&tkx to #1 for her thoughtfulness with this rose which cheers up the bedroom window. Tkx to Cindy for driving all my stuff from Clearwater to YachtCove

Jeff+the dogs&I took a short stroll to the dock@Clearwater for Zuno to fetch in the water. Entertaining to watch Bo(5month EnglishMastiff puppy!!) being carried into the water and that poor thing did not know what to do with his paws while Zuno was too busy fetching and had no time for his friend. https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/mastiff/

Sun: family lunch minus#1@Tonellas – good NY-style-thin-crust pizza. Samsonite Viewpointe for 10yrs finally saw the end of its day with handle breaking. Time for a new ReactionKennethCole Continuum from TJ-Max US$69.99/S$93 – lets see how long this one will last?

Mon: so we meet again, Mon, but at this stage in life’s journey it can be just any day except that I am now~15miles/24k NW of downtown Columbia,SC/USA on Lake Murray. Have mentally prepared to do some reading as public transportation here is non-existence – also need to renew my driver’s license. There are 4cars in the family, but everyone is busy with their own life and need their car.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all teachers, 1st-born being one.

4 May 2023 – And To My USA-Flock

Mon1May: Happy May/Labour Day – enjoy your long weekend and safe travels to all who are on the go! It sure is laborious to pack&close down the 4walls until Sep-Oct. For the 1st time hearing cicadas outside the kitchen window here, daily sounds from growing up@TemenggongRd in the 1950s-60s.

3 more airports ahead – dep2100hrs from SIN-airportT3 with all things go and a slight delay for take-off on a full UnitedAirlines flight. Tkx to SL for a ride to the airport, even got a chance to have a cuppa with Clement as he arr after the long weekend in HKG .

On schedule into SFO with an unexpected pleasant experience at the Immigration where the officer disclosed his age to me in a whisper and to our delight, we laughed at being the FlowerPowerGeneration – was refreshing to be able to laugh with them for once! White hair does have some advantages, hahaha. Flight slightly delayed taking off here…

Picking up time arriving on time into IAD, but unfortunately was on the tarmac longer than expected and being another full flight with 3 of us connecting to CAE sitting at the back of the plane, we missed our connection by 15mins, no worries will always be early for the next!

~4hrs layover time to explore my first experience in this airport. After ~15hrs flying time across the Pacific and ~5hrs across USA, was rather nice to walk and stretch the legs in this comfort without crowds. Connected on a smaller commuter plane where we get to walk outdoors in fresh air to board.

~1.5hrs flying time by a window seat, looking out with thoughts that it took me ~2months to walk that kind of distance 18yrs ago!

Tue2May 1400hrs: arrCAE, SIN-time Wed3May0200hrs, CAE being 12hrs behind SIN – after ~30hrs in airports&planes. Met by #1&5(only one here, besides #6 in Norway, shorter than me! for now), too busy giving them hugs to remember taking pix! Then straight on to the schools for more hugs to #2,3,4 and for #3 to get his driver’s license, making those tiring hours of travel worth the while.

Followed by #4 JuniorScholarsRecognitionCeremony, her last year in middle school and is the tallest of her sisters, also the tallest girl in her class, 5’9″ – still does not prevent her from wearing those heels! lol… Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world – MarilynMonroe

Wed: woke up to cheerful sounds of birds chirping outside the bedroom window in this quiet peaceful surroundings. Another beautiful blue-sky-day with perfect temps~74°f/23°c. Feeling like a zombie with a splitting headache, will not tempt fate to attend #4’s RegionalTrackMeet knowing&remembering how long these event can last, but will cheer for her in my thoughts…

Also miss her presentation on Gender Equality – pix credits to 1st-born.

Thu: productive 3+hrs!@Walmart after 10hrs of sleep last night! Amazing Night of A Thousand Strings year end concert with #3-Cello/HighSchool, #4-Bass/last year of MiddleSchool, #5-Viola/MiddleSchool+their colourful lighted-up-bows bringing Star Wars Theme in full Force. Apologies, but this phone camera does not do justice to the real effect, must start bringing the camera!

Lovely evening ended with a bite@Chick-fil-A, one of my favourite fast food places.

1 May – Happy May Day/Labour Day
5 May – Happy Cinco De Mayo
6 May – Happy Bdays WONG WaiKit & Jan SOSA
7 May – Happy Mother’s Day
10 May – Happy Bday Andrew LAM
13 May – Happy Bday Susannah LAM
16 May – Happy Bday LAM JenWen
17 May – Hurra for 17mai
18 May – Happy Bday Helen VICKERY-YEO
19 May – Happy Bday Paul KRAUSE
23 May – Happy Bday Yasmine AMEEN
27 May – Happy Bdays LAM SuiChang & Karen LIM
28 May – Happy Bday Vanessa LAM
30 May– Happy Bday Hans Kristian HUSTAD