I love the festivity of the major holidays.  It is a great time to reconnect with family and friends.   There are always surprises, thanks and celebration.  Food is good and fun.  Family gathering is intimate.    Although spending time with relatives and friends can bring tension, I find cooking relieves stresses and calms the busy moment.   The themes of the major holidays bring a moment of self reflection.   It is a time to stop what I am doing, to review and to inventory the way I’ve spent my time in this past year.  There could be improvement.  There are happiness and thankfulness.   I love the idea of giving during the holidays.  I believe gifts comfort people and gifts can warm someone’s heart.  Gifts, when are done within our means, encourage and brighten people.   Receiving a greeting or a gift is a joy.    Each person in this world can use some warmth and attention of others.  Do not be cheap on passing on blessing to others when you can because you know in your heart how much that will also mean to you.  You like anyone else want to know you are not alone and you are loved.

The official first day of summer was humid and rainy.  Upon reviewing the upcoming weekends for the summer months, I realize how short summer is going to be.  There are so many things to do outside in the warm weather.  Summer produces are also wonderfully delicious.  I can’t help to just stop doing what I am doing and to just take a deep breath.  I close my eyes and try to experience different senses in this summer season.  I love summer.  Thanks God for bringing summer back every year.  Thanks God for the promises of taking care of human beings even though we aren’t worthy.  Thanks God for providing what I need endlessly.

Here is a short highlight of my summer.

• Taste Of Randolph
• Taste Of River North
• Chicago SummerDance
• Latin Street Salsa Congreso
• Farmer’s Market
• NYC Vacation
• Chicago Gourmet

My nephew

I can’t decide whether I like stress or not.  Sometimes it seems that I have no choice.  Stress comes by itself.  Sometimes I feel I should be in control of my own stress level.  I tell myself to relax and let things work them out by themselves.  I come out with a list of things regarding stress.  What do you think?

• Good things: loose weight, focus more on God not humankind, learning to “let go” and “trust”
• Bad things: lack of sleep, unclear skin, mind wonders, lots of worries, can’t concentrate

It is like a tease.  Spring this year has come and went.   It was hot like summer on 04/10/11.  The humid 85 degrees weather was really welcoming.   I put on my short sleeves shirts and headed to the local garden.  It was very enjoyable to be outside.  Then, this past weekend, it went back down to around 30s during the night.  There were lots of tornado disasters in other Midwest states.  I am thankful that nothing major has happened in Grand Rapids.   The sunshine promises to come back the next few days.  I hope winter is really gone and spring is finally here to stay.

It is amazing how God works in my life.   He always knows what I need the most, and He provides.  Jack’s message was a good reminder to me.  It is ashamed how easy I can lose my focus to God.  I worried about lots of things.  I thought I was praying, but I wasn’t letting God to take over my worries.  I lose sleeps.   The message really helps me.  I slept much better last night.   I feel peace in my heart after I decide to hand over all of my worries.  Lord, please be patient with me; please stay with me; please lift me up like You always have been.  Thank you very much.

More than 15 inches of snow fell from the sky over night on February 1, 2011.  Thanks God for the warm house.  We were lucky to not have power outage.  It took over two hours to clear our drive way with the snow blower the next day.  The view was spectacular.  I loved how white everything were.  Trees and roof tops looked so much like cake frosting.   It was fun to walk on the fluffy snow, but I would never trade it with sunshine and summer.  This blizzard once again reminded me how powerful nature could be and how weak humankind was.

2011 is a milestone for me, age wise…  I am racking through my brain to list out things that I would like to accomplish for this year.  I hope to use my time wisely.

• Exercise regularly
• Practice dance regularly
• Be a good showcase performer
• Learn basic Spanish
• Cook and eat healthier
• Take over at least 30% customers
•  Get business processes done and documented
• Spend more time with friends and families
• Get will done
• Save and plan retirement funds
• Clean up house clutters
• Buy a Chicago property

子曰：吾十有五而志於學，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而從心所欲，不踰矩。

According to Confucius, I am at the year of no doubts.  It is a big statement.  I feel that life and knowledge are still very much a mystery to me.  There are much to learn.  I believe life becomes unmanageable when one stops learning.  But, I like this quote.  It provides me goals and time line to reach the goals.  It slices life up in different stages which allow me to focus my energy on.

I love soft shell crab slightly fried and cook with Japanese method. I used to order the same dish in every new restaurants I visited. This year I finally stopped doing so. I order this delicious soft shell crab dish at my favor Japanese restaurant, Kamehachi, on 1400 North Wells street in Old Town Chicago only. Kamehachi owns 5 restaurants in Chicago area. But, in my opinion, if you want the best soft shell crab dish, you will want to head to the Old Town location.