Mom.Dad.Chat

Recently, a friend of my husband who is single was asking us what is the best gift for a woman he is courting. To me, one gift comes to mind. It is flowers which I think is simple enough and yet most women would appreciate it. However, his friend disagreed.

He thinks flowers are a little too expressive and women these days don’t really like receiving a huge bouquet from a man who is still merely a casual friend. He asked if a heart pendant jewelry might be a better gift.

Personally, I think jewelry is only suitable when the relationship has progressed from friendship to dating partner. Not all women would be comfortable receiving an expensive jewelry when the relationship is still at the “just friends” stage. Unless of course, the woman is receptive and ready to start a more serious relationship. Then, that’s a different story altogether.

I used to subscribe to many RSS feeds, thinking it it much more efficient to stay in touch with others write on a daily basis. But then I realized that having too many feeds actually make you less inclined to read them because of the sheer number. You become kind of lazy going through each one of them after a while.

Maybe this is why you can become overfed, all because of feeds!

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Right now, one of my bathroom faucets is leaking and I have placed a container underneath it to collect the dripping water. I have told my husband to get someone to come and repair it but he has said that perhaps it is time we replace that bathroom faucet.

I guess that may be a better alternative as our current one is pretty well worn out. If we were to buy a new one, I would certainly like one which has a better design. At least, it must be easier to turn to adjust the hot and cold water combination.

Style is secondary to me as long as it lasts with ease of use. I certainly don’t want another dripping faucet problem and we are back to calling the repairman over to fix it up.

If you have split up with someone 16 years earlier without maintaining contact and that person happens to live in another country, what are the chances you will end up together again? Almost nil, right?

But recently, I read a news item that such a case has turned to be a reality for a couple. Both met when they were studying. The woman was an exchange student in the US and they were engaged after a year together. Later, the woman left to go back to Europe and they split up.

A few years later, the guy sent a letter to the woman to try to continue the relationship. The letter was sent to the woman’s mother’s house and it was placed on the mantelpiece. However, it got lost when it slipped down the back of the fireplace and was forgotten. So, the woman didn’t know about the letter at all until 10 years later when the fireplace was removed for renovation works.

Only then she got to read the letter and decided to call the man who was once her fiancee. The result? They ended up falling in love all over again and getting married after reuniting.

Now, tell me. After more than a decade, what are the chances that you will find a long lost love letter hiding somewhere in your home? And after 16 years apart with no contact, would you still call an ex-lover? Would you expect him to be still available? What are the odds that both of you still have that chemistry when you and him have no knowledge what the other have been up to for the last one and a half decades?

Maybe this is what people call fate. If that person is yours to share your life with, then he will be yours one fine day, even if it takes years for it to become a reality. It’s just like one of those love stories in the movies, I guess.

If you have a RV vehicle, you will know that repairs for mechanical breakdowns can really cost you an arm and a leg. The good news though is you can get yourself covered for all these repairs by getting an extended service plan.

This means should you experienced a breakdown for your RV, you can send it to any service center and call your insurer. They will take the hassle away from you by discussing the repairs directly with the service center and then pay them on your behalf once the work is done.

This type of coverage actually compliments your RV warranty and you no longer have to worry about mechanical breakdowns. So, if you have a RV, do consider taking up this type of plan to cover the high repair costs for any breakdowns.

My husband was mentioning to me the other day that his eldest sister is a little dumb. The reason being she tells everything about her married life to their mother. To him, he feels that there are certain things about one’s spouse that shouldn’t be told to other family members. Going by his logic, quarrels and dissatisfaction between husband and wife should be kept private between the two people concerned.

Well, in my sister-in-law’s case, she is not having a particularly happy marriage. There are a lot of problems between her and her husband. So, each time there is a quarrel or disagreement, she ends up telling her mother because she calls her often to chat. What happens then is my mother-in-law begins to see only the bad side of her daughter’s husband. Remember these are only one-sided stories from her own daughter because the son-in-law are not there to defend himself.

The problem is when you already dislike someone, each subsequent negative comments that you hear about the same person would only strengthen your dislike. Therefore, every complaint from my sister-in-law now about her husband would naturally attract anger from her mother. Furthermore, it is difficult for a mother not to side with her own child in any dispute.

The result? My mother-in-law ends up making the problem worse by pouring fuel into the fire. If your mother agrees with every bitter word you say about your spouse and adds in her own negative comments, don’t you think you will be even angrier with your spouse?

So, that is why my husband has this opinion that his sister is a little silly to tell everything to their mother. Close family members, especially parents, have the capability to influence your thoughts. To tell them all your marriage problems and complain about your spouse could potentially hurt your relationship because of the negative comments they may make that can influence your emotions and thinking. In other words, they can stoke the fire.

I know a lot of people do have much to share with their parents and siblings. The question is how much about your spouse and marriage problems should you reveal to those closest to you?

It’s been some time since I owned a car but the last one that I had was a Toyota model fitted with chrome accessories that gave it a really nice look. When I was trying to sell it, many buyers who came to view the car actually admired it because the accessories made the car looked a little more classy and dazzling.

If you fit your car with good quality chrome accessories, they do last and the shiny quality does not really fade with time. So, if you want to sell your car, try fitting in these accessories and who knows, you might be able to entice more buyers and fetch a better price. People are naturally attracted by look and even if you don’t intend to sell your car, these accessories will cause others to give it a second glance as you drive past. It’s about the style.