How To Make Pizza Bread Breakfast Kid, Teens and Tweens love.

Ok. This doesn't look like much but the moment these were ready, my kids rushed to serve the food while I prepared tea. By the time I got to the table with tea, the piranhas had emptied their plates. They looked at me eagerly and asked for seconds.

1. Pour a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into the grilling tray.
2. Spread the oil over the tray with bread.
3. Arrange the bread on the tray and sprinkle dried organo leaves on the bread.
4. Place slices of ham on the bread and sprinkle more oregano on the ham. Add sliced capsicum and mushrooms and salami if you have these on hand. I ran out of all these so had to make do without them.
5. Arrange smoked cheddar cheese over the ham.
6. Add grated morazella cheese
7. Grill at 180 degrees for 10 minutes.
8. Cut the "pizza" and serve.

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In The Navy - Muppet Show Childhood Memories

As I ran on the treadmill, the music sent me back to the days of my youth. The song went

In the navy. We can sail the seven seas..
In my mind's eye, I saw the macho pigs from the pigs in space segment of muppet show dressed as sailors.

The chorus -
We want you as a new recruit..
had the entire cast of the muppet show chanting in my head, with a ship as part of the back drop, in the grand finale of a typical episode of muppet show.

Was I even a teen back then? Memories of my own childhood flooded me as I was whisked back to those evenings with mom, dad and my little sister in the sitting room in our bedok flat, watching our weekly fix of muppet show.

Life was so simple back then. No worries about paying the bills. Only study, friends.. in a way, I miss those carefree days.

I'd spend an afternoon playing the piano. My dad would whisk my mom off her feet and dance. A waltz, cha cha.. or whatever ballroom dance appropriate for the music I played.

Music.

It played a huge role in my youth. My cousins and I could spend an entire day composing music. Most of the Wee cousins were musical, playing one instrument or other. Kev played the guitar and drums. Angie once sat on the swivel chair with 2 synthesizers, a piano, an organ and a flute for a performance in church. She played all of them in one piece, putting down the flute to play both synthesizers, swivelling over to play the piano.. boy did she look stressed.

Fast forward several decades.

I'm no longer a teen. Now I have two sons - a teen and a tween. Both my kids are musical. I'll be taking them for their piano exams next month. The older also plays the trombone and guitar while the younger mixes music using the computer.

They were musical since small. The elder boy danced to Pacabel while he was still in my womb.

Music runs in their veins.

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My Optimistic Late Grandpa

I was reading a booklet about optimism. One thing that struck me was the optimistic mindset of survivors. In face of adversity, optimists take action while pessimists stand around passively as they give up hope.

My grandpa was an optimist.

His favourite catchphrase, which kept playing on in my head was, "God helps those who help themselves"

During world war 2, when the Japanese troops occupied Singapore, Chinese men were rounded up, lined up in front of their graves and shot. My grandpa was one of those selected for slaughter.

In pitch darkness, he waited with the other victims uncertain of the fate that the Japs had in store for them.

While others waited for his death, he took action.

He prayed to God, whom he had heard about. Then he ran for his life. From the slaughterhouse to Katong. Across half of Singapore from what I understand.

Miraculously, although Japanese soldiers were posted at every gantry, no one stopped him. He made it all the way home, where grandma, dad and my uncles (was my aunt born yet?) were praying desperately for him. Grandma was crying.

Once the fugitive arrived, tears stopped, joy came and the entire family packed minimal belongings, and fled.

My grandpa lived to the ripe old age of 91.