Hikkilurver says:
“Life is like an ice cream cone – very short-lived but an amazing experience with every lick. Why does that sound kind of dirty? I swear I didn’t mean it that way… “ (my note: I didn’t think it was dirty until you mentioned it, lol!)

JiaYing says:
“Life is like a bowl of shaved ice. it’ll short lasting and will melt if you don’t make use of it and waste it away…”

Joanne says:
“Life is like a bag of winter squash! Tastes good no matter how you cook it.” (my note: Especially if it’s kabocha, baby!) 

Emily from The Experimentarion says:
“Life is like an APPLE, too! Sometimes it has bumps or bruises, but still tastes delicious.”

Snackface says:
“Life is like…a box of crayons. Emotions and events are colors, and you can’t predict the exact shade it will be, or that you’ll need. Only until you give a crayon a test drive can you really figure out what’s right.”

Twizler2 says:
“Life is like a kitchen where God is the chef and you are the soup. The chef adds spices as He cooks, all the while making the soup taste better. And while the burner may be hotter at times, Our chef is attentive and will eventually take the soup off the heat he says so.” (my note: This was my personal favorite…can you guess why?)

Jolene says:
“Life is like an ocean – there are ups and downs, and some people ride the waves, while others drown, but if you don’t jump in, you won’t get wet.”

Holly says:
“Life is like…treasure map. You never know where you are going, inevitably you have turn around and start back over, getting lost is the norm…but you always make it to the treasure in the end.”

Maria says:
“Life is like pizza. You have the free will to choose your own toppings/decisions, and the right combo will make it delicious/meaningful!” (my note: let’s see…kabocha, figs, brie, goat cheese, bacon…)

Lisa says:
“Life is like playing the violin in public and learning the instrument as you go along! So true…there are going to be mistakes and failures but there is also beauty and success and happiness.”

Carolyn says:
“Life is like a bowl of stew. Sometimes it looks a little murky, and you can’t quite tell what you’re getting into. But if you dig deep enough, you find something delicious and memorable. “ (my note: Katharina agreed!)

Seth says:
“Life is like… a jar of peanut butter. We go through life surrounded by nuts, and then we finally realize that even we ourselves are a little nutty on the inside (and that is what makes us fun).” (my note: laugh my freaking ass OUT!)

Nicole says:
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

There were many more, and I tried to stick to 5, but I just couldn’t help adding more in. Please take a look here for other fantastic comments, or add your own!

That said…today has been sort of weird…a really somber mood came upon me, especially as I heard some gloomy news, and the weather was not helping by being all dark, chilly, and drizzly…not to mention that I am 100% certain I bombed my mid-term today…

But one of the news that made me sad and reflective was one from my parents, who informed me that one of the spiritual brothers at church back in Virginia was at a terminal stage for cancer…In fact, it was clear he wouldn’t survive through the week…He is not even 40, and he will be leaving behind a young wife and two little kids…

How coincidental that my last post would be about life and its quality. Today, I can’t help thinking about life and its end. And being reminded again that life…it’s precious. And so, so, so short and limited.

Here’s another more serious metaphor: Life is a gift. It’s not a privilege. You’re only given it once, and not because you deserve it, but because it’s an exclusive, unconditional, loving, benevolent gift from God.

Sure, life is not always sweet— but continuous sweetness just ends up sickeningly cloying and saccharine, and I think every one of the bloggers up there would agree that all in all, life…it’s worth it, and it’s damn precious. I liked Mimi’s quote here from Nietzsche: “At the moment of your death, all you want to do is live your life over again, because despite all the pain and mistakes, it was worth it.”

Speaking of gifts…An absolutely, delightfully generous blogger, Leianna, sent me a jar of home-made, home-grown organic salsa!!
Absolutely brilliant, and adorable jar! Check out the little fairy angel!
 Handmade by Ladybug~~
Chock-full of ripe, vibrant-flavored tomatoes, black beans, carrots, corn…With a bit of spice!
This was truly the best freaking salsa I have ever tasted!! (She sent me a few other goodies, but I’ll keep that to myself, since I don’t want to go overboard with the flaunting)

Stir-fry the garlic and onions until fragrant, then add in the tomatoes and zucchini. Cook for awhile, then toss in the turkey and stir until cooked through. Add in the salsa, season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Toast or heat up the waffles. Spread the refried beans over each of them, and set them on a serving dish. Ladle all the turkey-salsa mixture on top, sprinkle with cheese. Top with fried egg, sprinkle with more cheese, and add a few drops of Tabasco and black pepper.
Obviously, my recipe had to include a runny egg and cheese!
This was a total winner. I’m still drooling thinking about it, and I won’t mind having this over, and over, and over again!
The most thrilling climax is when you pierce that yolk…
My drool was dribbling just like that yolk was oozing out…
How in the freaking world can someone eat only egg whites? (Tra, you listening?)
I loved how the crisp waffle just soaked up all that juice…
Obviously, the turkey-salsa mix was freaking good. I love how the flavorful salsa took care of everything, and I didn’t even need any kind of spice!
Thank you, Leianna, for this fantastic meal! I toasted to you as I chomped ferociously into this!

Oh, and another gift I received from a very, very, very dear friend of mine in Hong Kong…

This friend, let’s call her HappyCao…sent me a surprise package in light of the recently passed Moon Festival. Check this out:
The traditional mooncake, but pumpkin and taro flavor!
Unfortunately, I did find out it’s a bit too sweet for me, but it was great enjoyed little by little…

And yet another Asian goody… 
 Green tea cookie rolls!
  Sort of flaky, gleefully crunchy, and not too sweet—Yum!

And a pink moon festival lantern that brought so much nostalgia!
I used to play with these things back in Singapore all the time! (And setting fire on it, tee hee!)

Well, well, this world is just full of generous people! I’m just so damn thankful. Today was a grave, reflective day, but in the end, all I could do was just give thanks…Give thanks to the Lord for everyone, for everything, and most particularly, my precious life.

So what if I failed the mid-terms today— at least I have the physical ability and energy and intelligence to actually take the test, and get that “F”!

So please, remember that your life is a gift, and treasure it, and enjoy it with thanksgiving and praise every moment of your life.

Question of the day: What random thing are you thankful for today?