And the winner is!

I had to do a quick post so that everyone knew which property we selected.  Photos too!


The Belvedere!!
We loved the views and the whole ambiance of this place.  Not to mention it was decorated pretty cool.  We liked that we could walk to green space and the beach too!  And, it is walking distance to the school we liked for E.  The Eton House International School.  Oh yeah, all bedrooms have window seats.  I have always wanted a window seat!

 The view from the Living Room

 View from the balcony

 From balcony to LR and private elevator 

 Guest bath ( you want to come visit now don't you!)

 Kitchen

 Kitchen other side (oven!)

 Dining room

 Pool and Playground 1

 Walkway to pool from condo

 Bedroom 1 (Not keeping the cool rocker, too big.  Although, we do love it)

 Bedroom 2

Looking down from balcony to walkways and Koi Pond

Playground 2

Unfortunately, we didn't have any good photos of the Master Bedroom.  Some things do need to be kept private (Right?)!

Calling Dr. House!

It's been 3 days since our return from Singapore and think my body is finally getting back on track.  Sleep is an amazing drug!


So, the missing part of the story on our Singapore travels is the fact that my hubby was sick pretty much the whole time we were there.  The medical mystery starts with him getting petechia on his ankles.  We had walked several miles in the heat the day before.  Keep in mind that the hubby is very fit and exercises regularly.  I wouldn't have thought that this would be a major factor.  Although, he had been traveling the week before in China and Hong Kong.  After the petechia showed up he got a fever and then became weak and lethargic.  He could barely walk.  We went to the Emergency Department while in Singapore.  At first they thought it might be the Dangue Fever, but his labs didn't show this.  They gave him some antibiotics saying that he more than likely had some sort of infection.  He took his antibiotics and ibuprofen (to keep the fever at bay).  In a day he felt slightly better, but then his joints started hurting and the petechia/purpura showed up on his knuckles and elbows.  His joints also started swelling and become so swollen and painful that he couldn't use his hands.  He couldn't open a bottle of water or button his shirt.  His knees hurt to the point that it was difficult to walk.  Back to the ER.  We had to get him checked out before we embarked on our 24 hour journey back to the states.  They gave him some celebrex for the joint pain and got us in touch with an Rhumatologist / Immunologist.  This Dr. felt that it was either a virus or infection that had manifested as an inflammatory response.  He prescribed a steroid.  After a couple doses of this the hubby felt somewhat better and the swelling in his joints went down.  


Back to the states!  (Thank God!)


So, we get back home and all seems good.  At 4am E spikes a fever and is feeling bad.  We all spent Sunday laying around watching movies.  Everyone was sick except for me.  (I was praying that I didn't get sick, so that I could take care of everyone)


Monday:
E had a doctors appointment and was diagnosed an ear infection and put on Antibiotics.  
The hubby went to his doctor and they ran a battery of tests.  Results to be back in a day or so.  On his way home from work his calf started hurting and swelling and the petechia started again in his ankle.  In my mind I saw "blood clot" written all over these symptoms.  So, back to the ER.  This time we waited 4 hours in the ER!!  Maybe Singapore has a better system, as we never wait over 2 hours total there.  They did some labs and an ultrasound of his leg and didn't find a clot.  Sent him home with the diagnosis of "inflamed calf".  (Like that tells us anything.)


Tuesday:
Hubby's lab results came back and there were some abnormalities.  (I won't go into detail to protect some of his privacy)  Nothing that really explains all of this though.  He goes back to the doctor today to have another Ultrasound of his leg (it is still swollen and painful).  


So, what now? We don't know yet.  I am thinking he needs to see a specialist.  All of this is quite overwhelming right now.  Like we needed to add this to our already complicated life.  Right now we are still preping to put the house on the market.  (planning for next week)  But, all of that could change.  What I do know is that we are taking it easy this weekend and getting some much needed R&R.  


Dear God, please look out for us and shed some light on all of this?
I'll try and keep blogging so that we can keep everyone up to date.  
  
Where is Dr. House when you need him?

Making a house a home

How does a country girl who loves gardening, hiking, camping, and the outdoors in general end up in an urban Asian city? Good question! The good thing is I love culture, diversity and trying new things. That is what is going to make this adventure a good one!

We started the house hunting process here in Singapore. Let me correct myself, apartment or condo hunting process. Having a house here (landed property) is an amazing luxury. Homes of any sort are outrageously expensive to buy. (Millions! Even for a small condo) Therefore, we will be renting. Rent is also quite expensive ($5000/month for a decent 3BR/2BA). We have a great agent. Richard is originally from Poland, but has lived in Singapore most of his life. He has really tried to help us find "the right" place. We have looked in several parts of town: West, Holland, Bukit Timah, River Valley, and East. It appears as though you get more for your money in the East which is good since we like that area.

A few things that are standard here are: marble,granite, wood or tile floors(no wall to all carpet here); small kitchens (many with NO oven or dishwasher) and a maids quarters (includes an all in one bathroom and a small closet for a bed) I'll elaborate on that another day for sure!

We saw an amazing property in the West the first day. It was brand new and had lots of space (1500sqft, big on Singapore terms) A huge balcony, which we loved! One major drawback is that it was in the West. Not where we want to be.

Most of the properties in the central area were smaller and were not as updated as we would have liked. The central area also poses some walking issues. We thought that you would be able to walk out of the building and out to the street to shops or restaurants etc. Like in NYC, but honestly, this isn't as easy as we would have thought. Central Singapore is not always pedestrian friendly and not at all bike friendly. Busy with lots of traffic, at least in the central areas. The botanical garden is great though and is walking distance from several properties.

There were a couple properties we liked in the central area:
Tanglin View - walking distance to a waterway walking trail that takes you to the Clarke Quay area. Although this was the smallest at only 1100sqft.
Duet - our favorite in this area! Had lot of space (1700+ sqft)and a balcony overlooking the pool that spanned the entire frontage of the apartment. This property was over our planned budget though.

The East provided more options. We have determined we really like the modern look and feel and we really would like to have a decent sized balcony that you can actually use. A nice pool and kids play area are a must as well. I really want an oven (need to be able to make cc cookies!), but could do without a dishwasher. (can't have it all)

Our favorites (all in our budget):
The Belvedere - it is decorated very modern, comes with decent furniture, great views (Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore flyer), nice balcony, updated kitchen w/oven, private elevator, and great decorating and window treatments. The bedrooms are a bit small and I didn't see a lot of little kids while visiting. Although, they have 2 small playgrounds one right next to the pool. Another great feature is that it is right next to Katong Park, you can walk to the underpass to the beach, and I think we can walk to the Eton House school.

We also liked Waterplace - the pool here has 2 kids pools and a waterside and play area for the kids. It is fairly modern as well and has an oven. It is a little darker inside and the views face the pool and not the city. There isn't a balcony either. It is a little further walk to the park, underpass, and school, but you can walk to the arena area where there are restaurants and entertainment.

One Amber is another option - great layout with a more open kitchen, modern updated interior, small balcony. It was not as close to the school, park and beach. It also had a lot of built-ins that were odd looking, obstructed the view in the master, and were plum colored (strange color choice).

So, those are our best options all of which seem pretty good! For some reason I can't post photos from my iPad, but will when I get home. We leave Saturday am here and get back Saturday evening there. We are pretty exhausted, but feeling good about our options. We'll have made our choices by the time we are home and can fill you in on that later.

Can't wait to get home as we miss our little E tons!!!!
See you back in the states!

Schools, schools, schools?

What school, where to live, and how to get around? Those are the questions we have been asking ourselves.

We visited the Singapore American School Monday. The students are currently on summer break, so there was a lot of work being done. The school was impressive! Lots of students and amazing opportunities for learning. E would be in their K1 class this fall. They don't have any openings yet, but she would probably be able to get in next year sometime. Americans get priority, so that's good. The kindergardeners will have iPads to work on next year; how cool is that? I think E would love it here and would fit right in. Only drawback is that it is in the north end of town. About a 45 minute commute if you live in the central city area. We are interested in the East area, which would make the commute even longer. They have a bus service here (yellow bus) that comes and picks up the kids, but a 45 minute bus ride for a 5 year old seems long.

We also visited a boutique preschool called The Thinking Box. Neat place. We liked their way of teaching and the people there. They teach both Mandarin and Japanese as well as art etc. This preschool is located in a shopping area. Strange as the kids have to walk down the hall to do some of their activities and the biggest drawback is they have no outside space and not a single window in the place. Not sure what to think about that.

We visited the British school Tuesday. Tanglin Trust school. Their wait list is even longer. They can't get E in till August 2013. The school was nice, but a bit stuffy and stiff. Must be the British influence. Our tour guide didn't like my American questions and seemed a bit put off. She almost seemed to push us toward looking else where. Not a good vibe if you ask me. You would think they would be interested in informing us of how great their school is. Not to mention their student to teacher ratio is the the highest we have seen.

That takes us to Wednesday. The hubby wasn't feeling well,so I did the touring. I visited the Eton House International and the Holy Family Catholic Preschool. Both are in the East side of town, the area we think we will like. The moment the taxi drove to that part of town it felt good! Eton House was great! It is an international school but is much smaller than SAS and TTS. E would be in their K1 class this fall. The school year starts in August and follows the US calendar pretty similarly. They are an IB school and follow the British curriculum. The vibe there was great and everyone seemed so nice. The kids seemed happy (it was their last day of school) and they had a good bit of outdoor space. The school goes to year 6 which is US 5th grade. This gives us a little more time and would allow E to be in an International school for a few years before going to SAS. (if we are here that long) they teach 3 languages: mandarin, japanese, and Hindi. Just felt good there. Although, their uniforms are red and green plaid. Can't say that would be my favorite, but then again, you can't have it all.

Holy Family was cute and seemed like a good school. Much cheaper than the rest. They also teach Mandarin and pretty much the same subjects as the other other schools. Much smaller and of course there is the Catholic component, although the preschool isn't as integrated with the church as I would have thought. One major drawback is that they follow the local Singapore school calendar. This means the school year starts in January and E would end up being a grade ahead. Doesn't seem to fit well if we decide to send her to SAS in the future.

Lots to think about!

What's great is that E will have amazing opportunities, will learn a new language, and will have international friends - all in Preschool!

“Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.”
John F. Kennedy, Former President of United States

Now, we just need to make the choice and then find a place to live. And on to the next posting ....

Take a deep breath ...

... And leave the rest up to God.
That's what a friend of mine emailed me the day before I left for my visit to Singapore. I felt like I was spinning! Making arrangements for The hubby's Mom to watch our daughter, preparing to put our house on the market when we returned, and packing for my first adventure to our new home city. Honestly, I wasn't sleeping well (I think due to the full moon) and was some what stressed. I hadn't flown by myself in some time. Funny to think, since I used to travel for a living.

The flight over was long, but relaxing. The leg to Chicago began with the flight attendant asking me my name and requesting to see my boarding pass. She said that "they didn't think I was supposed to be on that flight". I think it was someone wanting to get on that flight (they overbooked). I'm sure little ole me sitting in first class brought suspicion and someone wanted my seat! I kept my seat and made it to ORD. Then business class to Hong Kong. Good flight. Watched 3 movies, read, played angry birds on the iPad, listened to music and tried to sleep. I think I got about 3 hours on that 14 hour flight? Thank God I was in business class. Much more comfortable! I took my Lovenox (blood thinner) before my flight. For those of you that don't know, I have a blood clotting condition(FVL). I shot up on the plane again about 1/2 way through too. I'm sure the worry of it all kept me awake. I walked a lot, constantly was moving my legs and feet, and must have went to the bathroom at least 10 times.

I met the hubby in HK. Then off to Singapore! Another movie and another meal and then we were here. I felt like crap! Reminded me of when I worked night shift at the hospital or had been on call for a week. That sleepless, groggy, achy, out of sorts feeling. After 7 hours of sleep I woke still feeling crapy. After a hot shower, hot coffee and breakfast I was read to roll!

So we did the tourist thing today. Marina Bay Sands boat thing on the roof tops. Amazing views and the coolest looking infinity pool! We had a cocktail and struck up a conversation with 2 young ladies from Norway who have been traveling for several months in Australia. They were off to Malaysia.

So, my first impression of my new home City?
An amazing melting pot of people and cultures!
I can't wait to see more and see how the locals live. We start our school tours tomorrow morning. Till tomorrow .....

The Written Word

I have come to the realization that as our world changes and grows we sometimes lose things that have shaped and changed us, our culture, and our lives. Case in point, the lost art of letter writing.

I have been digging through my stuff, as I noted before, and have found remnants from my past. Everything from mementos, diplomas from grade school, photos of times past, and letters. Letters written to me from friends, pen pals and lost loves. When I came across them I was amazed: first that I saved them all and second that there were so many!

I found letters from my big sister in my sorority. She recounted her life after graduation trying to find a job, looking for a place to live, and moving beyond college life and loves to a new place.

I also found a letter from one of my teachers from high school. I must have written him. Doesn't surprise me, as he was a pivotal person in my senior year of high school; helping get through the grief from my sister's death. His words were wise, telling me to listen to myself and not to get caught up in all of the college antics to study and remember to take care of me. What great advice.

Ah and John, his letters were so fun to read. Young love blossoming! I was in high school the summer before my senior year. The poor boy must have really liked me. (I think I liked him too by the way.) Unfortunately, at a time when I had other things in my life that took my emotion, heart and soul away. How can you fall in love when you have a broken heart and your family is forever changed.

Then there was my first boyfriend. I had went off to college and he was at home. He was older than I, but didn't go to college. All of those thoughts and feelings came flooding back to me. I saw the anticipation in his words waiting for me to come home on the weekends in the first letters. As time passed I saw the letters change as did our relationship.

Then there were letters from many that I didn't even know had written me. Oh, how easily you forget. Your life changes, grows, and moves forward. The past is forgotten and we forge ahead to a better place.

So, I know you are wondering, what did you do with all of them? I tossed them! Yep, what else to do. Honestly, it felt good. Purging those letters from my life. It felt like painting a wall in my home or cleaning house by wiping those cobwebs away. Making room for new!

I also realized why I am where I am with my life. Understanding that I wouldn't be here if it weren't for all of that. I have grown and changed and become the person that I am. Many love relationships failed so that I could be here with my hubby now in this amazing place.

I think I have also decided to write some letters while I am a world away. Some on paper and many on email. Calling friends won't be as easy and skyping might not fit the bill for everyone. There is something about letters that makes you more vulnerable in your writing. It allows you to be open and to capture detail that might not show with the spoken word. It allows you to see the progression of events and the changes that transpire as you read them.

The written word - a gift!

To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.~Phyllis Theroux

http://www.newsweek.com/2009/01/17/the-good-word.html

Always with you!

Have you ever had that feeling that things connect and things happen just the way they should. Or, maybe coincidences lead up to something that give you just what you need when you need it? I haven't gotten spiritual in this blog, but today I need to add this. Mostly because it is the spiritual connection that led me to creating this blog.

Back in January I signed up for a Living Your Strengths workshop at my church. Later that month I went to a Mom's group meeting at my church. In that meeting I heard a woman speak (Kathy). In her presentation, she talked about God always being with us. Always there in the good and the bad. I know I have heard this before, but didn't always feel it.

After taking the Living your Strengths workshop I learned that 2 of my strengths are Connectedness and Communication. During that workshop I saw how important it was for me to get my feelings and thoughts out there. It was something that I just needed to do! Part of the workshop included a coaching session. My coaching session was with Kathy, the woman that did that talk at the Moms group back in January. She also had similar strengths that I had; making it easy for her to relate to me and my strengths. At one point Kathy suggested I start a blog. She wasn't the only one who had suggested this. It seemed that several people thought I should do it. What was holding me back?

When I found out I was moving to Singapore I was very emotional. My parents had just come for a month stay in a retirement community with the thought of moving here. Knowing I would be leaving, I was so overwhelmed with guilt and sadness that most of my family would be here where I am now, yet I may be moving to the other side of the world. I couldn't seem to find a good place in my heart. In that meeting with Kathy she reminded me that God is always with us. She asked me, do you feel him with you? I said "No". How do I feel God's presence? Then she reminded me of other times in my life when I had great adversity. I have had a lot of that in my life and as I look back I remember getting through those tough times. So, yes, maybe I did know and feel that God was with me. Didn't these things make me the person I am today? Didn't I make it through with grace and perseverance? Maybe all of these things gave me the tools and skills to do what God wants me to do in my life. Get me to where I am, go the places I go, experience the things I do!

So yesterday, my Mom called me to ask me if I had read my devotional yet. She said that it was something just for me. I thought it must have to do with moving or traveling or something like that. I didn't get a chance to read it yesterday, but I read it today. How profound! How things seem to come full circle. The theme was God is always with you! The devotional reads "God's spirit will be above you and below you and next to you. He will be there in good times and in bad. He will embrace you always. You can count on it".

So, here I am today sitting here writing on my blog (The one that I was afraid to start,) feeling the fullness of my life and knowing that everything seems to connect and direct our lives to where they are supposed to go!

The Facts!

For all of you that want to know the low down on our big move here are the facts:

• Hubby was offered a promotion with his company. The job is in Singapore.
• He accepted the offer and we will be moving sometime at the end of the summer or early fall.
• We are selling our house; hopefully putting it on the market at the end of June.
• We are planning on keeping our uptown Condo here and using it as a home base here in the US. (honestly we are pretty excited about this. It is such a cool Condo that it will be fun setting it up)
• A friend of ours will be checking on the condo and assisting with managing our other rental properties in exchange for using the uptown condo from time to time.
• My hubby's company will be packing us and moving us. (Thank God!)
• We are having a yard sale this weekend for the 1st purge. We will have another once we know when we are moving and where.
• My hubby and I are taking a trip to Singapore in June to look at schools and looking for a place to live.
• Blue will be moving to PA to stay with Grandma and Grandpa. : ( (see previous post)

Anything you want to know? Just ask!

It's just Stuff!

My stuff! It is everything I own, have collected, been given, and have accumulated over the years. And, to be honest, there is a lot of it! I think I have come to learn that my stuff is my nemesis. How in the world did I get all of this stuff?

I have been cleaning out my home and have found things I didn't even know I had. I think the most interesting and sad part is finding all of the unfinished projects or projects never started. The quilt that I started, but never sewed. The Christmas ornaments that I had planned on making. The clothes pins that I thought would make something cool (even though I didn't have a project in mind). Not to mention all of the fabric that I have collected. I must say, I LOVE fabric. I love the way it feels, looks, and smells. I love sewing it and the amazing feeling I get once I have created something. Yet, I have loads of fabric that I never did anything with. No particular project in mind, nothing that was deserving of the beautiful colors and texture. Ah, what to do with it all. So, in my purging I will sell some, give some, toss some, and keep some. I have picked my favorites and made a small box. Gone will be the scraps and large pieces that I "just don't need". It doesn't help that my hubby works for a company that manufactures fabric. He brings me home fabric, yarn, thread that I "would and should like to use". I thought in Singapore I would have some time to actually sew and use all of the fabric, but as I learned yesterday, I can't take my sewing machine. Something about the power. So, I guess if I haven't sewed my fabric in the past 5 years, I doubt I will now.

Oh yeah, so we were talking about stuff. Not only did I accumulate crafty stuff, I have accumulated so much more! Picture frames, books, tote bags, exercise equipment etc. etc. I have gifts in unopened packages. Things that we just didn't need or want for that matter. There is something about getting a gift you don't want and can't return that is sad in a way. I hate to get rid of it (it was a gift), yet I don't want it. Humm!

For those of you that know my family well, you know we live pretty simply anyway. We don't accumulate that much compared to others. We try to buy used and reuse/recycle as much as possible. I shop consignment and try not to add extra things in this world but, that doesn't exclude you from having extra stuff. We all have it and we know it! I remember one year where my hubby and I were going to tell our family to just not give gifts and if they did to give us something that has been recycled or repurposed. I really do hate the idea of adding junk to this beautiful world of ours. Our plan didn't come to fruition. It's hard to get people to understand our thinking on that one. (see link to the video at end) Oh well, we had good intentions. That counts doesn't it?

I think one good thing of this move will be living only with what is important. I love the thought of just having what I need. No extra baggage, no extra clutter, no extra anything! Can we stick to this I'm not so sure, but I plan to try!

The yard sale is Saturday everyone!! Come on by to get a good selection! And, if you miss out on this one there will always be the final sale once the house is sold (or maybe before).

As I close on thoughts of my stuff today, take a look at this video. I found this a while ago and remembered it's profound impact on me. After watching, now I know that it really isn't all my fault!

And a word of the wise to all of you: Keep it simple and purge often!!!

http://www.storyofstuff.com/