Squigglesss

3 weeks gone

2012-01-31T20:25:00.000-05:00

and am back with some juicy randomness to make up for my once-again-negligence on my poor blog…

Week 1

Crystal & Pat's VISIT to Mason City/ Clear Lake

Did some thrift shopping, antique hunting, Chinese/American food, museum exploring, picture taking,

wii gaming, crafting, sewing and EVERYTHING ELSE that spelled F-U-N!

Now, can’t wait for summer to go fishing and hopefully cruising with them.

Week 2

Engagement/ Wedding of Asela and Dinesha

Officially pronounced husband and wife after a straight forward exchange of vows, this lovely couple will have their traditional wedding ceremony in Sri Lanka. So the ‘engagement-slash-wedding’ meant to emphasize a BIGGER celebration that awaits their homecoming probably at the end of the year.

Congratulations and best wishes again Ayya and Dinesha!

Week 3

Skirt ALTERATIONS worked on!

FINALLY found time to sit down and get to this long-ago-planned project. I wish I had taken before and after pictures but oh well… That's them, the thrifted pieces I patiently altered to fit my petite figure.

The year that was-

2012-01-09T19:31:00.000-05:00

NOT SO FRUGAL!

But who could resist these babies???

Seriously...

Obviously, NOT ME!

So just hoping for a better penny-pinching 2012... Tehee.

Stuck

2012-01-03T21:19:00.002-05:00

US after our anniversary dinner...

… with you for 5 years now.

… had our fair share of drama and bliss.

…wasn’t always fun nor easy.

…but we endured and made it through today.

And if I had to do it all over again,

I’d probably walk a more exciting route

but would definitely choose to hold hands with you again!

HAPPY 5 YEARS NIN!

Thank you for being my dependable husband, instinctive lover,

best friend, worst enemy, awesome shopping buddy,

constructive critic, precise navigator and driver, innovative cook

and an ever arty photographer.

You are an amazing all-in-one package

that the Lord has blessed me with.

I will always be grateful for the life and love we share
and looking forward for (n * 5) more years
of adventure with you.

Happy 2012...

2012-01-02T19:09:00.002-05:00

with LOVE.

Awwww... Aren't they cute? This was actually taken during the Christmas program. It's so precious, I thought I'd share it for Ruby Tuesday. And sweet, my first entry for the year!

Midweek Randomness

2011-12-21T16:33:00.006-05:00

We’ve moved!

Our new HOME...

Yes, again, but not much driving as last year’s move from the horse to the food capital.

All it took us was to toss our stuff out of the window this time and shovel them in to the apartment downstairs. Sounds easier but equally laborious! I’m just glad that we’re finally settled and nestled in our new little habitat.

Celebrated 1 year!

Parmesian Shrimp Pasta

This little lady couldn’t be happier than working for her current employer

with a gifted team of engineers and such an inspiring manager.

Please excuse this possibly worst picture in this blog.
The waitress did her best...

NLT’s Christmas program...

CRAZY shot of the MIGHTY CAST

Two Sundays ago the Sunday School department did an excellent job in making it a-play-to-remember.

Four days before Christmas!

Our little Christmas tree

I wish home is just a jeepney ride away so I can easily hop in to my mom’s doorway

and spend Christmas with my family..

Anyway..here's to wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas

and a blessed new year.

RED-dy

2011-12-12T20:14:00.000-05:00

for a Merry Christmas...

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-30T22:22:00.000-05:00

I am GRATEFUL for…

the GOD in my life-
WHO has blessed me with so much.

our FAMILIES- for all the love no matter the distance...

a good HEALTH for myself and my loved ones...

a few old genuine FRIENDSHIPS and the few new real ones...

wonderful CHURCH FAMILIES-
those from afar who are continually praying for us

and our new church family here

who made it all easy for us to adjust to this new-found home.

a JOB- that taught me to embrace
and be contented with all its difficulties

as much as I love and enjoy the perks that come with it.

multi-purpose TRIP to windy CHICAGO- that made us accomplish

the renewal of our Philippine passports

and explore the city more than what was planned

frequent TRIPs to MINNEAPOLIS- that reconnected me

with a great friend from MUM

through our never-ending chats, laugh trips,

wii games, swimming, short walks, shopping and food.
I miss you, Ma’am!

quick VISIT to Nanay Linda, Crystal and Pat..

the superb 3-Oh SURPRISE from my amazing man!

and a LOT more.

I am GRATEFUL.

Post 3 Ohhh!

2011-11-18T21:36:00.004-05:00

Because I was born in the Philippines,

this entry is two days late and

my celebration yesterday was belated as well.

REGARDLESS...

I was overwhelmed and still am

with so much joy in my heart.

The amazing man that I married

talked me into eating lunch with him at home,

RATHER than going Mexican as originally planned.

I agreed only because-

1. I was expecting some lovely packages,

which he informed me earlier have already arrived,

and 2. He seemed flexible about postponing the Mexican plan for dinner.

The apartment smelled some YUMMY-licious seafood!

As my tummy angrily growled,

I quickened my steps

to uncover what’s for lunch…

But surprise, surprise!

Thanks to my mahal... ♥

Hubby sweetly prepared
a candlelight lunch.
Too ecstatic and extremely impressed

with his amorous tendencies,

I was speechless.

Hastily opened some more sweet surprises,
posed for some more shots

and hurriedly got back to the office,
without actually opening the most awaited packages

that I went home for.

At night...

we went to church for

a revival service with the Romaines

where the Lord’s awesome presence

was evident, so sweet.

Then capped off the day with
a slice of my red velvet birthday cake
and a toss of red grapes sparkling juice.

VERY GRATEFUL
once again!
Thank YOU Lord,
thank you all,
THANK YOU
for all the L♥Ve!

I am BLESSED.

Randomness!

2011-11-16T23:20:00.000-05:00

I’ve been slacking again- all for the love of work.
I’ve been wrestling with two issues from different customers.
Both demanded my undivided attention,
often calling my name even in the wee hours of the night
when I’m supposed to be relaxing and refilling my vitality.

Okay, before even getting uberly exaaggg,

all I really wanted to say is-

I was BUSY, I’m SORRY.

But I promise to itemize as much stuff as I can

to share/log bygone highlight of events to date.

NLT Fall Festival 2011

NLT (New Life Tabernacle) is our church family
and their existence in this expanse of the world
compensates the sometimes lonely
and tough reality of being far from our loved ones.
And of course, the warm and sincere friendships
sure made a difference in coping with the extreme cold here.

PAC is the MAN!

Photo courtesy of www.bleachreport.com

Manny Pacquiao bagged an almost unbelievable victory

against the Mexicanos’ pride, Juan Manuel Marquez, last Sunday.

Although he did not make every Filipino

or even fans worldwide as proud this time,

I am one of those who believe that Pacman

doubtlessly deserved this triumph over Marquez.

Just because this opponent seemed to be the hardest of them all

doesn’t necessarily mean that

our Pambansang Kamao (National Fist)

ought to be mocked for being declared the winner.

Go figure the ringside punch stats

before even starting to whine

with his overall performance or

comparing it to his previous fights.

I can hardly muster enough enthusiasm

for boxing even if it is Pacman’s fight,

neither am I an avid fan.

However, I have enough respect for the man

who earned more than enough merits for our country.

And I am glad, so glad,

Pacman WON.

Our Little Friends

Pictures taken from their first visit
to what they call a Filipino house of ours.
These are the Miles and the Fancher kids.
It was challenging but fun-filled Sunday afternoon with them all.

G-R-A-T-E-F-U-L

VERY. I have to emphasize,

not just because it’s thanksgiving month
or because it’s my birth month.
Just very grateful
for everything and anything I can think of
and all else that I can hardly remember.

Thank You thank YOU, dear Lord.

Relaxing and...

2011-10-04T23:45:00.000-04:00

enjoying the beauty of autumn after church....

Sunday happiness

2011-10-04T09:40:00.001-04:00

Loving the REDness

of my handmade dress,

my oh-so-LVoely purse,

and my vintage-y pumps.

Learning to...

2011-10-02T22:51:00.000-04:00

PLAY my new toy....

Sweetness overload!

2011-10-02T19:51:00.003-04:00

I love my job!

And

one of the reasons

IS the frequent

ABUNDANCE of treats

in the breakroom...

stwabewwy glazed icee cweaamm

after the engineering department's all-hands meeting

PLUS

some chocolateeyy cake with reese's peanut butter cups

brought by an office mate

(who is in QUEST of making the best chocolate cake)...

But the SWEETEST

of it all is being

BLESSED with

A GREAT MOTHER

who we will forever

LOVE so dearly

and whose beauty and strength

we'll always look up to.

Happy, happy belated birthday Mang!

Disclaimer: This post is a bit late due to issues encountered in uploading the pictures in this entry..

Officially Fall

2011-09-23T18:57:00.003-04:00

Today is unbelievably the first day of fall.

Already.

I am supposed to be excited with the pretty foliage of the season.

Okay, let’s just say I am…

but really,

the bitter cold in this part of the country,

at this time of the year,

makes me fickle-minded about it all.

Thank goodness for the abundance of coffee

and tea in the break room downstairs

that welcomes me

with a delish aroma

as soon as I enter the office vicinity.

Every time.

A mug of lemon-ginger tea

pepped up with a drop of honey

livens up my sleepy brain cells

in the morning

and

all throughout my 8-hours

in the office.

Too much energy,

I must say,

that I got too captivated with my tasks

sometime this week.

Time went by unnoticed…

I quickly disengaged myself

with whatever I was doing

as soon as I realized

it was almost 2 hours

past time to go.

It was not surprising

to find my car

(and only handful others)

in the parking lot.

How about today being Friday?

That makes life a lot better

and

totally sweet.

How about some grapes,

as we welcome the weekend?

Have a wonderful weekend y'all!

him busy...

2011-09-12T21:30:00.000-04:00

tinkering...

and riding...

his new toy.

Bittersweet Sunday

2011-09-12T18:23:00.001-04:00

Remembering 9-11 of 2001 undeniably stirred pain in my heart.

Why can some people be so heartless to commit such atrocity?

Have they,

by any chance,

been bothered by their conscience,

at all?

Church service went on as usual yesterday except for a few video tributes to 9-11.

My tears were uncontrollable while watching them.

I just hope that everybody else including the visitors were at least teary-eyed-
to keep the cry baby in me some company...

On a happy note, yesterday was Grandparents’ Sunday.

Kids sang for a special tribute to their papaws and mamaws.

And although it is not the time of the month yet,
we had our church potluck yesterday.

I brought this fab very easy-to-make pickle wraps…

This recipe is from a friend, Crystal, at Life Church in Ottumwa:

Ingredients:

baby dill pickles

cream cheese

thin slices of ham

Steps:

Drain pickles then pat dry.

Spread softened cream cheese on a slice of ham.

Wrap pickles with ham and cheese on step 2.

Cut into half an inch.

Optional: Insert a toothpick on each piece for ease of picking.

Dress MODESTYfied!

2011-09-10T13:37:00.003-04:00

While laziness has not struck me yet,

I’ll grab the chance to share another outcome of my incoherent attempts in sewing…

This dress came out a bit short at first….

with my not-so-little siblings- Nica and Junjun

This picture was taken after our church service in Danao City, Philippines

- a few days after Papang's cremation.

You'll see it hit right to my knees but gets waay above when I sit down.

Now, that wasn’t very comfy for me.

SO I decided to modestyfy it by adding the pretty light purple silk extension
that even sitting on a rock can be easy.

posing with Nin right after church service...

Sewing 101

2011-09-09T17:35:00.007-04:00

I have thought about doing some sewing tutorials here at one point.

But after realizing what a messy trying-hard-seamstress I am,

I resolved to just show pictures of my so-called finished products.

I must say I am fairly new to sewing.

In fact, I got my refurbished sewing machine not too long ago.

I first got myself hooked into this due to my frustration in finding a dress of my size.

I thought...

if I’d sew my own dress,

I can not only choose my own style

but most importantly

procure the perfect size that will surely give me comfort.

This was the first dress I experimentally sew...

and...

bravely wore to my MS graduation ceremony.

I was surprised and say, flattered with my friends’ reactions.

Those very sweet and kind compliments inspired me!

And so I thought I can make another outfit with the same bolero I used for my graduation dress.

I decided to make a blue pencil dress to add a twist to the previous.

I can’t give an excellent grade to any of them but I still must say that

nothing beats the satisfaction and pride felt from wearing something you made.

I won't promise.
BUT
I'll TRY my very best to post more of my projects.

4-day work week..

2011-09-09T12:38:00.003-04:00

..went by really fast.

picture courtesy of http://www.businessweek.com

I thrive better when Tuesday is the first work day of the week.

I had accomplished more than I would normally have with Mondays.

Wednesday came dragging but

the scheduled mid-week service somehow revived this sleepy head.

Thursday was quick when only half of the day was spent with work

and another half with a training which is more like play.

Voila, it’s Friday!

So, here I am pretending to be busy

and hoping the day goes by quick…

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Labor Day..

2011-09-08T22:08:00.007-04:00

..has gone by again. And being the unofficial end of summer brings me a bittersweet feeling. Fall is around the corner again. Sweet. But with winter right behind it? Yeah, snow is wonderful but the cold? Uhuh!

Anyhow, just popping to share a few pictures over the weekend.

1. Celebrated Ate Delia's 52nd birthday

2. Got to hold precious Mckaia

3. Had another great Sunday with

wonderful people of God

4. Lastly, drove far and beyond

to nurture my cravings for...

a. ultimate red velvet cake cheesecake

and my most favorite...

b. white chocolate caramel macadamia nut cheesecake

60- something

2011-09-01T22:08:00.000-04:00

That would have been your earthly age!

But there's joy unspeakable in knowing

that you are celebrating

a happier birthday

up there...

I love and miss you Pang.

An afternoon with the Howards

2011-08-29T21:15:00.001-04:00

I know this is a bit late

but just wanted to share

this picture of us

with a wonderful family

we are privileged

to get to know...

PTOs filed!

2011-08-29T13:04:00.000-04:00

Not mine though.

Labor Day is coming-
which means long weekend.

I’m sure excited about it.

But I simply wish I can spend all my
PTOs with my family.

Ho-hum..

Mondays sure make me sleepy.

And nostalgic!

Home alone

2011-08-27T09:07:00.003-04:00

means

peace and

quiet...

missing my tanin tho'.

The weekend that was...

2011-08-11T20:54:00.003-04:00

AWESOME!

Not only did I get to see my girlfriend Dinesha again

BUT we also…

revisited the rose garden

Flowers are always lovely to me

regardless of the color, form and smell.

I just love flowers.

To me, they are like girls that need TLC and

don’t deserve to be taken for granted.

That’s why it somehow broke my heart to see that

most roses in the garden were consumed by bugs.

Left me wondering...

why would somebody plant all those roses

and not take good care of them?

went swimming

It was a quick but fun one!

FYI- Nell, myself and Dinesha d
o not know how to swim.

AT ALL.

So for the most part,

we actually just hung out

at the shallow 3-feet part of the pool-

listened to Dinesha’s swimming lessons,

laughed at our tenacious attempts

in swimming and floating

and braced ourselves in the placid cold of the pool.

went shopping

Oh yeah, my favorite part of it all…

Let the picture speak for itself.

revisited the sculpture garden

The cherry on top of the spoon bridge

is delectably red!

then lavished ourselves

with some Malaysian cuisine

and went Asian grocery shopping.

Random thoughts!

2011-07-29T16:04:00.002-04:00

Friday.

What else can be a better day in a work week?

Especially when I can leave 2 hours earlier than usual…

De Moines bound.

Oh, yes we are!

The very reason I’m getting off work early is the Family Camp’s last night.

I can’t wait!

Sleepy.

Yes.

As always.

Black.

And white.

I need to get back to my sewing project of zebra prints.

And Red.

Simply.

To complete my zebra outfit.

Prioritize.

Organize.

Smile.

Have a blessed weekend everyone!

Oh WOW!

2011-06-30T22:51:00.001-04:00

I can't believe this blog has been idle for five long months. FINE. I do not have any excuses. I was just plain lazy the past months or so. But hey, I'm back!

I see my latest entry was still back in January. There’s nothing special I can recall about February except that it was just another boring cold winter month.

Anyways, March came… I took advantage of my PTO and took a day off without worries for the first time. Headed to Des Moines carefree as a bird with my beautiful birdgirlfriends from church and made lots of mall hopping plus shopping in between. Fun! But the great part of it all was my second time to attend the Ladies’ Conference here in Iowa. It was wonderful seeing old faces and getting to know new ones.

April is Nell’s birth month. Bought him a new pair of oxford shoes that I can tell he loves so very much and is now his new favorite I assume. What turned out to be his birthday getaway was the SPARK seminar that we attended with two other couples from church. As the name implies, it’s supposed to ignite our marriages but the good students that we are ended up cutting classes on the second day. Ok, to justify that- it was a long triiip home compared to where most participants in the seminar were from so we really needed to leave early.

May is the best to date. We went to Chicago with the main objective of renewing our Philippine passports. Secondary to that is to celebrate our 10th year dating anniversary. I’ll have to write another blog entry for this trip, otherwise, this will turn longer than I wanted it to be.

Today is the last day of June. As a good start for this month, we went to see Dinesha in Minneapolis. The short period we can spare was not a hindrance for our bonding & catching up. We’ve had good quality time strolling, picture-taking and eating just like the good old times at the university.

Mr. Sun shows up most of the time this month but hides himself unexpectedly as thunderstorms become unpleasant surprises. Sometimes it feels like winter up here seems longer than forever. We still get cold days and nights up to now as opposed to supposedly scorching hot summer days at this time of the year. I am not complaining though. I do not have too much meat on me to combat the cold but I still really prefer it better than the fiery season. I just get scared of tornado warnings…

Catching Up

2011-01-09T15:34:00.004-05:00

Christmas 2010 was our first without Papang. Rather cheerful, it became a lonely season for our family. While battling with the sting of loss, I came across the poem below that somehow brought comfort to my apprehensive self, thus I shared it with the rest of the family.

I especially love the last three lines:
"...don't shed a tear

Cause I'm spending my

Christmas with Jesus this year."

On a lighter note, Nell and I engaged ourselves in crafting our very own snowman
to the best that we can
from Christmas eve to Christmas day.

The by-product of our efforts and perseverance
in the cold
is almost as tall as I am!

New Year ’s Eve service was cancelled. I was all excited to have fellowship with our new little church family. However, Mother Nature wasn’t very cooperative with our Pastor’s plan. She made us stay in the apartment and sleep early instead.

Happy 4 years to us! I am grateful for a great lover and a best friend I found in my husband.

Cheers to N more years of marriage & friendship!

Work has been pretty busy leaving me not much energy for blogging, facebooking , ebaying, sewing , cooking, baking and all others I consider therapy for homesickness, sadness and the like... I am loving it though. I’ve never been this enthusiastic with work so hopefully this feeling will stay for long if not forever.

I think my so-called LVoely purses accumulation is

just too much for 2010...

considering I got all three in the span of just 4months.

It bugs my conscience, I promise you… but here I am again hunting for the next one.

Hopefully I don’t get too lucky this time.

I am so ready for spring to be here! I can’t wait to wear light clothing and flaunt my fitflops at the same time. And yeah, so looking forward to stroll by the lake…

First Week High

2010-12-10T19:17:00.003-05:00

Who would have thought I will resign from my previous job? With the recent economic turnaround, I always saw myself being laid off one day. Worse comes to worst, I may not even finish a one-year contract. Not that I am looking forward to it but I was always anxious of my job.

Despite the pessimism though, here I am today- sitting by myself in a little habitat labeled with my complete name. It is the last day of my first work week in my new workplace. Not as busy as the first day, but equally overwhelmed.

I am too blessed! This job is truly an answered prayer.

Thanksgiving '10

2010-11-24T12:18:00.016-05:00

It’s this time of the year again!

What am I grateful for this year?
My 2009 list here
PLUS
all the BLESSINGS great and small
that were beautifully unfolded this year…

1st Quarter:

Wedding anniversary trip to Gatlinburg, TN-
it’s our 3rd year!
T’was one freezing but extremely fun celebration.

Looking forward to N more years of us…

2nd Quarter:

Graduation trip to Fairfield, IA- finally got my diploma!

Had a great reunion with old friends from the university

and loved to see my little church family there.

3rd Quarter:

Unexpected trip to the Philippines-
this may sound too ironic of me.
Yes, that’s right.
There’s no amount of pain reliever that can soothe what
I and my family went through
but hey, God is good!

And He remains oh so good regardless
of the circumstances we’re in.
In everything, give thanks
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you..
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)

It is most difficult to comprehend His words

at this most difficult time in my life.
But who am I?
He is God and He knows what He’s doing.
And I choose to trust and hold on to His promises.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,

to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (KJV)

4th Quarter:

All-expense paid trip to Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN-
stayed in a nice hotel,
ate sumptuous meals,
drove around town
and all for free!!!

My 29th birthday- another year to celebrate life.

And a greener pasture to thread on…

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,
saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil,
to give you an expected end.
Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)

There goes the highlights.
Hope your actual list of items
to be grateful for
is endless like mine.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE...

Welcome Gift

2010-11-13T14:07:00.001-05:00

Lord, I don't want to miss your blessings
just because
they are not packaged as I expected...

Random 7

2010-10-22T16:28:00.001-04:00

APOLOGIES!!! I have been really lazy, too bland to blog something.

My heart’s still in the process of recuperating from our family’s loss. I miss Papang everyday… And when weeping ain’t good enough, I resolve my grief to good memories. That’s all I have of him.

I wish some people are sensitive enough to know or realize that I am still hurting. And the least I could take is to hear them complain about life…

Things happen... Life changes… Constant reminder to self: God remains all the same- a great good God! And for that, I remain grateful.

I love fall and everything that comes with it- cooler days and nights, comforters, boots, turtlenecks and the lovely foliage of the season.

I am enjoying our frequent trips to thrift shops these days. I find pleasure in getting great stuff for less.

Thank God it’s Friday. J

House renovation...

2010-09-10T13:35:00.000-04:00

... was one of the things that kept us busy on our last trip to the Philippines. I decided to push through with this project without thinking twice.

The budget was limited so have to set our priorities accordingly. As per Mamang’s request, first on the list was to install fences on the extra lot and ensure that Papang’s multicab can be parked within. Next was the house interior that seemed gloomy adding sadness to our hearts as we remember Papang. After tossing all the mess away, double walls were mounted and painted to my favorite shades of light blue. It felt a lot better and surely, some western decor will give it a refreshing ambiance. The kitchen came next and was extended to accommodate the fridge and cabinet, also giving extra space for both our dining and living rooms. The bathroom was our last priority that didn’t demand a lot except for its wall finishing.

It has always been my dream to get my parents a decent house. My ideal was not a mansion but just a basic shelter to cater our family’s needs. With the Lord’s provision, I got myself a small house with an extra lot as my housing loan application easily got approved without any difficulties. Simple as it may seem, it was a dream come true for me. We didn’t have as much money as we have years and years ago but we’ve never been as happy as we are in this little home.

At Indiana's first...

2010-09-10T13:34:00.003-04:00

McCormick's Creek State Park

Wedding bells ringing...

2010-09-10T11:52:00.000-04:00

Oh yeah, a good friend is getting married! Due to special request that their engagement be kept secret until the couple will formally and personally inform the girl’s parents, I choose to secrete any information of my friend’s identity.

I must admit that I have been doubtful that their relationship will last especially that they only met through cheltenham uk singles online dating. I am a firm believer that long distance relationship never lasts. But despite cynicism, I decided to be a better friend by keeping all my qualms to myself and be supportive of their relationship.

Although theirs wasn’t perfect, they have worked very hard to get to where they are now. I am a witness of how their friendship grew into a commitment of two people devotedly in love with each other. I bet it wasn’t easy. It ain’t even easy for couples who stay in the same roof. What more with distance weighing in- especially over silly misunderstandings and kinda sober fights? I really personally find it too complicated to maintain a long distance relationship where communication is at stake. It’s always better to sit down and talk things over… Don’t you think?

Oh well... they have proven me wrong! I am so happy for both of them and so looking forward for further announcements…

A relaxing evening

2010-09-09T21:54:00.001-04:00

with Little Miss Annabelle...

I sooo love this baby girl!

Labor Day Holiday 2010

2010-09-09T10:24:00.002-04:00

Twas a great long weekend spent with Daniel, Raquel and little Miss Annabelle.

We were warmly welcomed to their humble abode with some Filipino dishes including Sinabaw na Tahong, Ginagmay and Fruit Salad. Rice, of course, can’t be missing. After chitchatting a bit; we were toured by the lovely family around their small quiet town. The place is a lot more relaxing than Lexington, where we the hassle-buzzle of the city can become a pain sometimes. We concluded day 1, with a trip to Lieber State Recreation Area where Cataract Falls is- Indiana’s largest waterfalls. Back to their house, we had a sumptuous dinner of BBQ baby pork ribs, corn and beans. Yummy!

Daniel, Miss Annabelle, Raquel, I and Nell

with Cataract Falls behind us...

Day 2 was a Sunday and there’s no better way to start it of, than a good church service for our spiritual nourishment. We devoured good Asian food at a Chinese Restaurant for lunch. We were too full already when we got home but needed to leave right away for a Filipino get together. A variety of familiar Filipino dishes were served where we took a little bit of anything we wanted to try and still managed to dig up some room in our tummies. It was also nice getting to know a handful Filipinos who were all excited to mingle and have some fun with their fellow Filipinos. Each of us had her own story to share. I enjoyed and learned a lot from the brief and pleasant time spent with them. When it was time to part ways, we exchanged personal networking cards and reminded each other to keep in touch.

Our crazy pose at McCormicks Creek State Park.

However day 2, wasn’t over yet. We visited Indiana’s first state park- McCormick’s Creek State Park this time. We hiked along trails and got our feet soaked in the rivers, caught some shells and crawfishes for Daniel’s aquarium, and took some crazy shots of the four of us. We were worn out by the time we got home but were still very full. We spent a few more hours chatting until I gave up at half past 12.

Brownings, I and hubby with Ate Nelda and Dave...

Ate Nelda was one of the Filipinas we met at the Filipino party. She and her hubby, Dave, invited us to their place for lunch on day 3. Their house was beautifully seated in a country. We picked some veggies from their garden, got to driving and riding Dave’s ATV around their place, feasted on Ate Nelda’s well and especially prepared Filipino dishes and played Wii.

It was indeed a superb weekend and a wonderful fellowship with wonderful people.

Grief and Gratitude...

2010-09-03T14:35:00.001-04:00

Losing Papang is definitely the most painful ordeal that our family has to go through. Emptiness has held me captive to this day, feeling sorry for myself, my siblings and especially Mamang. We will miss him forever. We will miss everything about him- from his little acts of care to the most exaggerated way he showed us love.

This is the toughest of all “toughs” for our family. But the overwhelming sympathy, support and encouragement that came from people, both known and unknown to us, helped us accept and deal with this greatest and unexpected loss. We may have been unable to extend our gratitude to all of you but please know that we do appreciate you all. Indeed, God’s great love and His sovereign goodness continue to reign amidst life’s adversities.

Although I am (and so is the rest of us) still in constant struggle between missing Papang and coping with the pain, I hold on to the Lord’s promises and continuously seek for His strength and wisdom moving forward.

It's your first birthday in heaven...

2010-08-31T21:01:00.002-04:00

As you celebrate it with Jesus

And all the angels sing

Blow those gold candles

Over that silver white cake,

We are sending you our love

And special prayers too...

Happy birthday in heaven Pang.

We love and miss you...

More than words can ever say.

Heartbroken

2010-08-30T17:15:00.000-04:00

It’s been a month and two weeks since our most recent trip to the Philippines. I wish I could tell you how excited we were. Unfortunately, it was an unplanned trip. Too unexpected.

I was in the office that Friday afternoon when I received the bad news. Papang was brought to the hospital. I breathe deeply and got back to work hoping that another email will come soon assuring me that he’s ok. As much as I wanted to convince myself that everything will be alright, I was rather fearful of what could possibly happen.

When I finally got to the apartment, I called Mamang but the update on Papang’s condition wasn’t getting any better. At that moment, I was determined to go home and be with my family come what may. I was perplexed, too confused with what’s happening and totally shocked. I knew I needed to pray but I did not know the right words to say. Tears just flooded my eyes non stop.

My sister together with my siblings-in-law met us at the airport. I squeezed her tight- uncertain who needs that hug the most. When we finally got to talking about Papang’s condition, she held my hand and told me that he passed the night before. I was helpless, I did not make it in time. It broke my heart like never before…

The pain has never gone since then. And I remain doubtful this will ever go.

I miss Papang. I know I will forever do.

Grateful for...

2010-07-09T07:50:00.000-04:00

My professors, classmates and all those

who have inspired, encouraged, motivated
and challenged me to become better everyday...

My church family for all the prayers and love.

My wonderful friends who lifted me up in defeat
and rejoiced with me in my victories...

Nin for being the bestest hubby in the whole worldwide universe.

My parents and siblings for their all-out support, faith
and never-failing amazement in me…

I could have not made it with out you all!

And most of all, Thank You Jesus!
I giveYou the glory for everything You’ve done and yet to do in my life.

Ohhhh....k.

2010-06-11T21:46:00.001-04:00

I humbly admit that my delinquent behavior on this blog may have been inexcusable especially after introducing the idea of Random7. I promise you, I have been thinking about this blog more often than you know. Then again, a lot has been going on lately that I have to juggle my priorities. Unfortunately, this blog landed the least place.

So, what have I been up to?

Tutorials with my not-so-little sister started with a constant battle between my struggle for patience and her timid personality. Although each session usually ends up with my big disappointment on her performance and her self-pity, I regret yelling over the mic every time. I was afraid the tutorials were degrading her confidence rather than lifting it up. If only I could explain to her in a way that she can comprehend things better, I would. Anxiety emerged until I acknowledged my need for the Lord to give me the wisdom on how to go about it and most importantly the patience that I needed most. I see her progressed in many ways now. Maybe I have improved to be a better tutor as well.

My first major sewing project is what’s keeping me occupied on most of my free time. I am 40% done with it and am hoping to beat my set deadline. I will write about it when it comes out to be at least presentable and hopefully wearable. I am so excited about it and thrilled to start another one soon.

Memorial Day wasn’t eventful for us. We stayed home for the long weekend until boredom became unbearable. We strolled around the Arboretum and played with the camera for a little bit.

Modelling for hubby’s experimental manual SLR shots

My most favorite of all

So far…we are doing a good job on keeping ourselves grounded until our trip to Iowa for my graduation. I’m not sure what happens after that but life’s good and God’s always great! ALL THE TIME.

No to Alzheimer’s...

2010-05-06T17:02:00.001-04:00

I thought I’d only see it on movies.

Grandma seemed to have forgotten everything. She can’t remember her name, wonders why she’s there and treats everybody around her as strangers. There’s grandpa, patiently escorting her, doing everything he could to make her remember including who he is to her and some other memories that he thought would help. She smiles, considers the eerie details for a little bit and behaves better. Grandpa stands by her until it’s time to kiss her forehead goodnight hoping she’ll remember tomorrow. The morning comes and she gives everyone a blank stare… Alzheimer’s as diagnosed by her doctors.

My mom informed me of her aunt who has been showing the same symptoms for more than a year already. She doesn’t know her children and every night she waits for her husband to come home, who, according to her is at work but has actually died some years ago. What’s more sad is they live in some rural area in a tiny island province in the Philippines, where no proper treatment can be given to such. I felt sorry for her children especially because they can do nothing about it but only to take care of her as much as they can.

My only idea of the disease is that it comes with aging and absence of memory workout. I know it’s sad news so before our conversation turns out sentimental. I jokingly told my mom that she and dad can’t keep their brain idle. I think they need to do crossword puzzles or anything that would make them think. I really think they should. I suggested that they go online and try funbrain games. It’s educational and entertaining so I think it’s a great and fun way for them to at least exercise their brains once in a while. I, too, am considering to keep my mind operational- to keep it effective even when I grow old. Ha!

Seriously, I hope and pray my parents won’t have to go through that ordeal. I pray for my mom’s aunt’s healing and that her family may find peace and comfort in the Lord.

May 3

2010-05-06T16:50:00.001-04:00

was three days ago!

It's special because it's...

my parent's 29th anniversary...

my closest and most beautiful cousin's birthday...

and

our monniversary... wooott!

It’s getting hot!

2010-05-06T15:15:00.002-04:00

I guess summer is coming sooner than expected. While outdoors can be fun during this time of the year, I still prefer the cold of winter. I really rather freeze in the ice than sweat a ton under the scourging heat of the sun.

Sure, I can turn air conditioning on. But honestly… I want some fresh air with the sweet scent of garden flowers. I wish I live in the beautiful country side of town where I can leave my windows open with gorgeous vinyl shutters on. Maybe it will be pretty relaxing to glance at the some awesome landscape in the comfort of your own yard. I bet the day gets better as soon as you get home from a stressful day at work. Beautiful, beautiful dream…

In reality, we live in an apartment near downtown Lexington. Our little habitat has nothing fancy- not even vinyl shutters on as most houses in the area have. For the time being however, it’s all we need- a shelter.

I dream of bungalows and mansions with a wide lawn, a pool and maybe a gazebo. A garden of flowers and another for vegetables, some fruit trees, puppies and kitties will complete the family. A twin or two will most likely make it home. What a beautiful life that would be…

My first Random 7

2010-04-30T21:46:00.000-04:00

My first random 7

7 because I love the number 7.

I decided that I should at least have an entry a week. It doesn’t have to be about a particular topic because no. 1- I am lazy to think deep and no.2- I want it to be a way of winding out from all of life’s frantic jiffies.

Random no. 1

I am sleepy all day today. Why- because I stayed up late for an auction on Ebay. I went to bed past 12AM aggravated at the loss of the item I was keeping my eye on for a week and the 2hours I could have spent happily in slumber land.

Random no. 2

We had our department meeting this morning. Business updates affirms that the economy is getting better and the company is coping well. Hopefully all will be well.

Random no. 3

I lurve McDonald’s vanilla ice cream cone. That said, I am craving for one now and may grab one from the closest drive thru on my way home.

Random no. 4

Glad and blessed to spend time with Jamar and Ashley last Wednesday. Thanks for the treat guys. We love you all :)

Random no. 5

This is news delayed… But yes, hubby accidentally stepped on my sunglasses that crashed it to pieces so yes, I need a new one.

Random no. 6

I need not only wisdom but patience with this urgent tutorials I’m doing. This isn’t about me Lord. This is all about You.

Random no. 7

No plans over the weekend… just hoping to work on my sewing projects.

I love Fridays! Well, who don’t? Happy Friday people!

It is past 5PM...

2010-04-21T21:17:00.001-04:00

.. but I am still here in the office. This is definitely NOT me. What to do? I came in late today since dear wagon baby broke down this morning. Hubby thinks it’s the battery but all 4 different neighbors suggested that it needs a new starter. Needless to say, the sudden need to replace whatever needs to be replaced will mean unexpected expenses. Oh well… rather than worrying and stressing myself out on this, I’d better be grateful that we still have something to spare for emergency costs like this. Thank you Lord.

And because our bills soared quite high for this month, I was hoping to look for ways to earn online. While surfing, I found thisarticle directory very helpful. I learned a lot of stuff from informative and interesting articles alike. What’s even cooler about it is the opportunity to share your own ideas by submitting your own write-up for free. Ain’t that a good chance to develop anybody’s writing skills and share a talent?

Anyway, I think I need to get back to work so I can get out of here. I’ll wrap up my tasks for the day, pack my stuff and leave. Hopefully, dear wagon will be fixed tonight. Good evening everyone!

Fooling around...

2010-04-19T18:11:00.000-04:00

at downtown Lexington...

Belated

2010-04-19T17:58:00.007-04:00

Happy birthday

to my crazy man...
I U
always forever.

Cincy, take 2!

2010-04-19T17:45:00.000-04:00

Flowers never fail to inspire me of my Creator’s marvelous design of the universe.

I have always wished to visit a flower farm somewhere but the closest we found was...

- just a tulip garden at the Lexington cemetery.

That stimulated my desire to watch the flower festival in Cincinnati to grow stronger.

Unfortunately, something unexpected came up so hubby was not very supportive of my plans.

And so the submissive wife that I am agreed that...

- we visit the Cincinnati zoo and botanical garden instead.

No regrets, I was overjoyed with our decision.

We got wasted watching all sorts of water, land and air creatures

and exhausted ourselves posing with the tulips at every angle possible.

I love ‘em long necks...

Off to outlet stores, shopping was our finale.

Kim and I- recharged to go shopping after a long day at the zoo...

Quiet Friday

2010-04-16T14:08:00.002-04:00

People usually come and leave the office early on Fridays. The knob from work mode is lowered down to relax mode on the last work day of the week. People in the laboratory come and go from every cube transmitting the lazy-to-work-but-excited-over-the-weekend virus to and from each other.

That’s the normal but today is odd. Nobody’s roaming around the lab. I can hear no giggling or boisterous wildcats’ stories. No, I don’t think everybody is exerting too much focus on work. I really think everybody’s gone to get started with the weekend.

And because it’s just 2:00PM, I’m still here sitting in my desk, pounding my keyboard while enjoying the tranquility of my work place.

Happy Friday everyone!

Last Saturday

2010-04-03T12:15:00.000-04:00

..we went for a road trip to Ohio together with some Lexmark Cebu employees who are spending a month or so of training in the company’s Lexington facility. We knew each other for the first time that day, except for Kim who is my ex-officemate in NCR and hubby’s in Infoweapons. Our itinerary was Jeffersonville, Dayton and Cincinatti.

First stop was Prime Outlets in Jeffersonville

Us gurls, fully charged for the day…

Next was the US Air Force Museum…

Smiling but actually worn-out from walking, looking and posing around the 3-building museum

that preserved the world’s history…

At downtowm Cincinatti

Supposedly spring but we’re freezing in a cold winter temperature…

Things didn’t go as planned as we miss going to the Cincinatti Asian store but it was still FUN!

Because it’s Friday…

2010-04-02T18:31:00.002-04:00

And it’s already April… and I only have one entry for March… and because somebody I know have been missing my updates… here’s a brief but ample info of what I’ve been up to lately.

2 weeks old tomorrow…

Dear Sammmy HD is. I received my phone Saturday before last and have been messing with it since. We’ve been getting along pretty well. I don’t have any complaints or regrets so far… I simply love it so much for now!

Refurbished to brand new…

To test Sammy’s wi-fi capability, I ordered a refurbished router from Ebay. It turned out to be defective but the 90-day manufacturer warranty was a blessing. We called Linksys and after an hour of customer service chat, the item was processed for a replacement of a brand new one. Instant bargain, we paid a refurbished price for a brand new one.

Online purchases…

This long skirt deserves to be fought for. It perfectly fits me- from the waist, to the hips and to the length. My workplace is cold so I need a long skirt to keep me warm for 8 hours in the office.

Crocs… I left my rugged shoes in Iowa when we went there for Thanksgiving last November. That’s just the careless me, nothing unusual. Now, since I take a 15-minute roundtrip walk to my desk everyday, I think I at least need decent walking shoes. If that still isn’t reason enough, well…it's on sale and I got it for free shipping.

I know I’ve mentioned unnecessary spending for the nth time in this blog…What to do?! I am a mere human, too weak to resist temptation… Teheee…

Ebay Madness

2010-03-07T20:35:00.002-05:00

This is an overdue tale of my folly over Ebay. My objective to simply hunt for an affordable unlocked handset resulted to frequent bids. The novice bidder in me yearned to win for every item I lusted for. I tendered for unnecessary items that gratified my carnal self without really being able to hit my supposed target. It left me mixed emotions - guilty over unnecessary spending but somewhat happy.

My so-called acquisitions...

I obviously did not achieve my goal. No cellphone was purchased...

Snowy Valentine's Night

2010-02-15T11:56:00.002-05:00

Tired and freezing with my Valentine

after our dinner date
at Panda Cuisine- an authentic Chinese resto

Unproductive

2010-02-13T10:16:00.000-05:00

My laziness stood obstinate over the weekend which did not change a bit up to now. Scrap booking and sewing were both suspended as I kept myself busy over Ebay.

It all started with my precious phone going dead for almost a month. I postponed my mourning after failing on my countless attempts to charge it. Thinking it was just the battery, I placed an order for another one on Amazon. A little hope wailed from within me as I installed the new battery in and turned the phone on. Lights on the keypad flashed a bit and then it went dead again. One more time, I turned it on and another time, the same thing happened. I grabbed the charger hoping it would somehow help. It started charging but stopped in a blink of an eye. Still hoping it was just some loose connection, I positioned the phone quite fixed firmly. It worked, but only for a second. I sat down upset but still not wanting to give up. Hubby tried his own techniques and when he gave up, I too, finally lost hope.

I swore this would be my last cell phone as soon as I got hold of it. It’s a fairly good phone for me and it has served me well for the last 2 years. And even if I had wished for it to have a FM radio, I love my phone just the same. Unfortunately, time has come for it to bid goodbye. I have to accept the fact that this phone is indeed dead and there’s no way to revive it.

And so I started dealing with my loss. Google became my best buddy as I searched and researched for a cell phone that would fill in the void left by my beloved motorazr. At first I was torn between going postpaid and sticking to prepaid. But since I can’t consume a $15 card a month, I picked the latter. With the list of features I want in a phone, I finally found what I wanted. But just when I decided to purchase my dream phone, something else came up. And because I tend to try everything and anything to save some bucks, I am willing to delay my purchase for a couple more days and maybe weeks. What’s ironic though is I have already ordered a leather case for it, which hopefully will be delivered just in time when my dream becomes a reality.

I am continuously lurking on Ebay with high hopes that my dream phone won’t be gone too soon. Not only has this caused my productivity at stake but it led me to temptation after temptation to bid for. Talk about unnecessary expenses now but I am all excited for my items to be delivered soon.

Random Updates

2010-01-25T13:19:00.002-05:00

Well

Yes, I am after finally allowing myself to plunge into a much needed rest on Saturday before last weekend. I seriously wanted to get well very soon so I religiously took my medicines and refrained from going out into the cold except when I need to. I munched orange slices and gulp down apple juice as much as I can, not only to soothe my congested throat but also trusting my acquired Vitamin C from them would be beneficial. My initiative was surely helpful but I believe prayers were most effective. I missed church for two weeks but was told that I was remembered in prayers for which I am very much appreciative of.

Walk

Ah… yes. I am also back to my normal routine. I come to the office between 8-8:30 AM this week and park the car at the back of the building. This way I can do a 10-minute walk to my office desk which totals to 20 minutes a day. I think I am gaining weight although my clothes are not getting tight. Whether this is just paranoia in me or not, I really don’t think one has to gain weight to exercise. Besides, I love walking. I can think, dream, imagine, contemplate or even pray while doing it.

Hectic

Last week has been. I was given an individual task for the first time in my almost 2 years here. Although a bit nervous, I was able to deliver their request and survived the said week with grace. And I again I say, thank you Jesus!

Projects

I have been hoping forever to get some stuff done. Well… at last, I got started with my scrapbook. I did a page of it and realized that it’s an expensive hobby. Although that didn’t change my mind, I have resolved to stick to my penny-pinching techniques to minimize cost for this project. As for sewing, I have already enjoyed my resized sweaters and blouses. I must confess though, I was not very happy with the 1st batch. I blame the material being stretchy and thick to which I am giving myself an NI (needs improvement). Nevertheless, I was pleased looking at myself in the mirror wearing some of those in 2nd batch. I guess I learned from my mistakes with the previous or maybe because the material is simpler to work with. Anyhow, I am planning to start working with the skirts as soon as I can so wish me luck.

That should be all for now 'til my next ~~boring~~ entry.

Celebrating 3 years...

2010-01-09T10:24:00.006-05:00

I got sick from our most recent Gatlinburg escapade and this cold weather is making it worst for me. This, however, did not hinder me from striving to hit my 7AM time in to the office, not just for the benefit of being able to get off work early but also be able to pick a good parking spot. Nothing makes me happier than walking out of the office and see my precious wagon only a few steps away from the main door.

My head is still congested and I hate this dry cough. Anyhow, I'd like to share pictures of our weekend getaway for our 3rd anniversary even if it's already a week late.

At downtown Pigeon Forge, TN

At Gatlinburg, TN

Dinner at Golden Buffet in Lexington, KY

We sure had a blast! But unfortunately, I don't have the energy to elaborate for now nor make this entry any longer. Til then and wishing everyonea happy weekend. xOXo

Goodbye 2009, hello hello 2010!

2010-01-04T17:45:00.011-05:00

The year 2009 has gone by so fast. What started with so much fear in my heart turned out to be a year full of surprises. The Lord has blessed me countless times for which I am very grateful. I am unworthy for the most part but He remained faithful to His promises. Up to now, I remain astounded of how He’s made the impossible so easily possible. What others may see as my achievements, I give Him the glory.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,

according to the power that worketh in us, Ephesians 3:20 (King James Version)

As I look back, there are 3 big things that I consider His greatest miracles/ gifts for me in 2009:

- Lay offs in the company was deafening. I have remained grateful for my job but skeptical and anxious for most times. While most veteran employees in the lab lost their jobs, I was ready-ing my resume and myself for job applications to other companies. I’d rather prepare for the worst than expect too much and end up upset. I prayed about it but that did not lessen my worries. A month before my contract ended, my fone rang- a call from my agency. Before I hit the answer button, I prayed, almost crying like a scared child needing someone’s assurance that everything will be alright. The first statement from my manager was positive but I held back my emotions. I have to know the conclusion before I shout for joy. My manager congratulated me for a year extension. I happily exclaimed “Praise the Lord” to which he laughed. I know it meant nothing to him but I meant to praise my Lord for what He’s done and that is something that came from the bottom of my heart

- “This is the last time.” I murmured during my last final exam for my bachelor’s degree. “This is the last time.” I murmured again when I did my special project for my diploma in IT teaching. “This is the last time.” I murmured the same thing when I was preparing for my comprehension exam for a master’s degree. “This is the last time.” I murmured several times on every major exam in my most recent master’s degree. I am finally done with my last distance education course and yes, I am now qualified to apply for graduation. God willing, this is my 4th degree in Computer Science. This is not the thing I’ve always been dreaming of doing but for all the times that I felt like giving up, His wisdom has kept me sane, His strength has kept me going.

- After the university in charge made it clear that I needed to extend my student visa to keep my status legal by 2010, I crazily freaked out! The last thing I wanted to do is to go back to the university and enroll in another course. My only other option is to get a working visa. I have brought up the topic to my manager on the first quarter of 2009 but I was turned down due to many factors including the famous economic crisis. How am I supposed to open up the same topic to him at the beginning of the 4th quarter of the same year? I may as well sound like a broken record and get the same feedback. But I was running out of time and I have to act on it as soon as possible. I swallowed my shyness, pounded my keyboard to compose an email and hit send. My manager called me the next day or so but he can’t just decide. He has to bring up the matter to his superior. Days turned to weeks. After almost a month of follow up and pressing on, I was given a go signal. I thank the Lord for a positive response from my agency but I knew anything can happen with the rigorous processing of a work visa in this country. A 2010 working visa has to officially start October 2009, my papers were submitted on the 1st week of November. While some people doubted my chances, I too, was pessimistic. The only thing I was certain of was the Lord’s power, provision and purpose. I prayed that my visa be approved but was willing to surrender to His will. It normally takes 3-6 months, probably the longest time of waiting in my life. But beyond human comprehension, God works wonders. I received an email from the university in charge congratulating me of the visa approval followed by an attachment of the approval notice from my employer. Has it been that long? I asked my self in disbelief. It only took 1 month to procure my work visa. God is so good, I can't complain at all.

All in all, 2009 has been a great year and it would take me forever to enumerate what the Lord has done for me and my family to prove that. The world has always been unstable for me. But I am secure in the Lord. I do not know what 2010 holds for me and my family. But I am ready to face it with a bang by God’s grace. He’s held me through it all and I continue to cling on Him as this year unfolds. Happy 2010 to all, may we continue to be strong in the Lord and rejoice in His goodnessJ

Missing Christmas

2009-12-23T14:34:00.003-05:00

The spirit of Christmas in my country officially commences every September of the year, that being the first month with the suffix –ber. It is in this month when FM Radio stations start playing Christmas melodies and jingles; small and big stores display colorful ornaments, assorted sized series lights and various toys for all ages; bungalows and nipa huts glow in the dark with Christmas lights and parols (Christmas lanterns); young and old sing Christmas carols from one house to another; schools, companies and churches organize parties; and kris-kringle (exchanging of gifts) is likely to happen.

While my experience of a white Christmas here is something I would cherish, I miss celebrating Christmas in the Philippines- with my family and friends. Christmas in our family is not anticipating Christmas eve with opening of gifts under a big gorgeous tree. It isn’t about shopping or putting up a Christmas tree with glamorous ornaments. It is simply being together.

As kids, we are usually asked to go to bed early while Mamang prepares a special dinner. My favorite is her own recipe of hamonada (ham). She and Papang will wake us up between 10:30- 11PM for dinner. I remember one time, after hugs and kisses to the kids, Papang carried Mamang to our balcony and shouted Merry Christmas from there. It was funny! We then sit on the table to eat then wait for 12AM to chance on the actual Christmas day. Hugs and kisses again and back to bed.

As boring as it may sound, I miss those times… I miss Christmas with my family.

Anyhow, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Busy but fun Saturday

2009-12-15T09:25:00.007-05:00

I swear, I intended to spare half of Saturday for studying. Now my alibi is- something unexpected came up to which I can’t say no.

I got up late then decided to go with hubby to the Boulware’s house. Sister Bridget needed him to install her new DVD-rom while we needed Brother Raymond to fix our rotors. I knew I would do nothing there but it's too late to regret. I have already wasted my time. When all was said and done, it was time for us to grab our lunch then fetch Kareen.

Kareen is a schoolmate in college. I and hubby are years older than her so we never really knew each other back then. She came here for work-related training but since our schedules were never the same, we never had time to go out together except last Saturday. Hubby and I have already set our schedule to help Brother Thomas feed the homeless and when she learned about it, she gladly volunteered to help. We got her busy and she seemed to have enjoyed doing it.

We went to Golden Buffet for dinner where good Asian food was served. We chat about almost everything, laughed a lot and had a good time. We just drove her around town since it was already dark and very cold. We took pictures of the Christmas lights wherever and whenever we can. Time to drop her back at the hotel came and so we wished her safe trip to the Philippines.

I was already very sleepy by the time we arrived home. I had fun! But now, I also need to cram for my finals this Saturday... Wohoo!

Random busy-ness

2009-12-10T10:48:00.002-05:00

All in all, our Iowa trip for thanksgiving was fun and heartwarming. I was glad to get to see my church family once again and for hubby to have finally met them. Hopefully, we’ll be back on June 2010 for my graduation.

Needless to say, the days following our arrival home were busy. Besides our normal routine of eat-sleep-work-church-home cycle, our to-do list required priority. I’m enumerating (not necessarily in order) them here to help me regulate my time management (ahem!).

Unpacking- almost done. White teddies from Nay Linda are happily sitting in our living room couch. Plants are settled to give life to our little abode. One of the two boxes is now empty. The other one is still sitting in the living room with some stuff that I still need to sort out.

Laundry- done! Many thanks to my great hubby who patiently did them all and organized clothes accordingly. Hugs to my wonderful tanin>:D<…

General house cleaning- not even started. This needs time and a much serious work. Looking to get this done over the weekend.

General car cleaning- seems impossible. Neither hubby nor I would risk our lives, freezing in the cold of winter just to clean the car. This may have to be postponed until Spring. We’ll see…

Front car rotors fix- scheduled to be worked on this weekend. I really appreciate Bro. Boulware for being very helpful with any car issues we have. Hopefully, this gets done this weekend.

Course assignments and lessons- in the process. I am working on this, I promise!

Biko for office potluck- done! I bake sweet rice for our department party. Only about a one-third of it vanished after the party. I am not sure if office people did not like it or because there was just too much food. Anyway, I brought the left over to Brandenburg, to which Ate Doll said it tasted really good.

Visit Ate Doll and Kuya James- done! We drove to Brandenburg after work last Friday. It was one busy weekend. We made a slideshow for Kuya Buboy and Ate Millette’s wedding in Texas. I regret not being able to take a picture of the final output though. My energy was all consumed, I totally forgot!

Christmas cards and gifts- needs to get started with this tonight… I want to make sure we have enough for everybody.

Scrapbook- pending. I want to get started with this before the year ends because when 2010 is here, there will be a lot more memories waiting to be documented.

Sewing projects- was started and needs to be continued. I have many more sweaters and skirts to resize. I’ll get back to this after my final exam.

By the way, I noticed how boring my blog have been especially without pictures. But hey, I am busy. I can’t put off my thoughts and take pictures first before blogging. I promise to post pictures though as soon as I find time…

December…

2009-12-01T14:30:00.001-05:00

I can’t believe it already is!

I can’t help feeling sad as I drove to work this morning.

I miss home.

I wish I could spend Christmas with my family this year.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-01T14:27:00.001-05:00

It is not our first thanksgiving together but it is our first time to actually celebrate it.

Last year’s was only hubby’s third week in this country so we just decided to spend quality time. We drove around town hunting for Black Friday bargains and devoured a lunch buffet at Golden Coral. Nothing much happened the weekend after that except for another amazing Sunday service.

Unlike the previous though, this year is a busy one. I received a text message on a weekend before Thanksgiving asking me about our tentative plan of visiting Iowa for the long weekend. I confronted hubby with a little hesitation but without much ado, we made an impulsive decision of spending this year’s Thanksgiving with our church family there.

We braved the busy interstate highways, narrow motorways, light rain and the wispy snowfall on a cold Wednesday winter night. It was a smooth 10-hour drive until we reached Fairfield when our GPS misbehaved for a little bit. It was twilight when we toured around the campus vicinity. The cold winter breeze caused me to miss the days I spent there and built friendship with crazy but wonderful people. They are the good friends that made it easy for me to fight homesickness.

After introducing hubby to the little university, we headed our way to Agency. It was sort of melancholic driving on the country bounded by vast lands of arid cornfields and some portions of bald sleeping trees. My body was tired but my mind was wide awake, active enough to remember the all those days gone by. My heart was overflowing with gratitude and praise as I thought of where the Lord has brought me from. He is soooo good to me!

Hubby finally met Nay Linda. After the hugs and stories, we went to Crystal’s place for the Thanksgiving dinner. We had a sumptuous turkey banquet and spent the rest of the day with more stories from everyone. Then I finally felt sleepy, I longed to go back to Nay Linda’s place so I can dive to bed.

We went to a Mexican restaurant on Friday and had lunch there. I learned that I don’t like enchilada but loved the hot cheese and salsa mixture for my chips. It was hubby’s first time but I think he was a-okay with the food. The rest of the afternoon through the night was spent at Crystal’s place, decorating her giant Christmas tree.

Saturday was shopping day. We met with Crystal’s friends and ate breakfast at McDonalds. As soon as we got to Des Moines, we hopped from one shop to another and I did my little share of reasonable and affordable shopping. Great bargains in every corner of the shops are too inviting but I was firm enough to avoid swiping. Lunch was at Old Country Buffet which was good food too. We went to a Filipino store to grab some ingredients for our dinner recipes. I and hubby cooked them rice, pancit and chicken curry, to which Patrick and Crystal said were good.

I prepared our stuff early on Sunday. Nay Linda had me choose which of her plants and her white teddy bear collection I want to bring with me. Needless to say, the wagon was stuffed with everything. Then we brought Nay Linda at Riverside Restaurant for breakfast before going to church for the service. I was so happy that Nell finally got to meet most everybody. A little bit of talking after service came the time to leave. It was another 10-hour drive and rain poured more than half of the time. I was a bit worried (as always) but the Lord kept us safe.

We got home past 10PM that night and our apartment is all messy up to now. We’re both still too tired to get anything done….Hohum

Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T11:10:00.005-05:00

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

- 1 Thessalonians 5:18

As the spirit of thanksgiving lingers all around, I want to itemize everything that I am grateful for…

• a great God Who is forever faithful despite my being unworthy of all His goodness

• a joker who endures being a hubby to an unpredictable wife that I am

• my parents and siblings who loves me and supports all my aspirations in life

• true friends that stayed behind when most people already left

• a church family that stands by the principles of holiness, worships One God, still believes in miracles, sings and prays like no other

• the church ministries that are helping me grow as a Christian and appreciate God’s works in the lives of people

• the school that helped me come to US and be on the job that I am in now

• the job that pays off the monthly bills, supplies enough allowance for my family, gets hold of our other needs and still permits me to save a little

• my employer who gave me the opportunity to be part of this company I go to work everyday and agreed to help me with visa matters

• my manager, team leader and teammates who always assign me feasible tasks, are always approachable for anything I need and for conniving to extend my contract

• a good health that had always kept me and hubby going

• a dependable car that comfortably transports me and hubby from point A to B

• my driver’s license that will finally allow me to drive anywhere and everywhere on my own

• my sewing machine that patiently assisted me to resize some sweaters for winter and come up with more projects

• our little but well-insulated apartment that provided us with enough warmth during the blazing summer days and freezing winter nights without having to turn the air-con or heater on

• the food we eat that gives nourishment to our bodies, reminding us of the Lord’s providence

• safe drive everyday that’s proven God’s protection over us

All these and everything else, I thank and give HIM praise!

Random thoughts...

2009-11-24T18:17:00.003-05:00

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).”

In life, we don’t plan for failure, sickness, heartbreaks and loss. In fact, they happen unexpectedly most of time. Sometimes we can handle them, other times they hurt so much, they leave us crippled and helpless. While others are strong and determined to rise and get going, others dwell in darkness and choose stay in the pit they are in. The former is always a better decision rather than being stuck in obscurity and remain miserable. Easier said than done, I agree but then again, everything happens for a reason.

We fail so we can practice some more. It is embarrassing sometimes but giving up will only prove one’s failure. We learn from past mistakes and practice makes perfect. In time, we will master whatever skills we need to be successful in and realize that success is sweetest when it comes from faith in God, hard work and patience.

We get sick so we can take care of ourselves better. We sometimes work too hard even if our bodies are likely to surrender. We prefer junk over the green healthy food just because they taste better. We shrug off the thought of exercise in our schedule, we choose to lazy around like we are always exhausted. Health is wealth but most often than not, it is taken for granted. We do not want for some sickness to make us realize how important health is, do we?

We go through heartbreaks to experience love- be it to love or being loved. It may not always be a happy ending but be blessed with the opportunity of being in the relationship and all the laughter and tears that went with it. Continue praying for the right person, leave the doors open and God will surely send someone, who, He intends for you to spend your happily ever after with.

Losing something we value or someone dear to us is a painful experience. When he takes something away, He replaces it with something better. Nonetheless, this is only applicable to something tangible. Losing someone we love is a whole different story. However we grieve and want to hold on, we have to let go and let God. Everything we have is His. We just have to be grateful He gave us the chance to build memories with our loved ones who are already called to be with Him for eternity.

While we dread life’s unfortunate circumstances, we rejoice in every milestone of success, smile in a hint of recuperation, share hugs to show love and celebrate every victory won. But seldom do we realize that life’s catastrophes are purposely designed for our own good. We often get confused why things happen and the view doesn’t always look good at our perspective. Remember though, that He sees the bigger picture. He knows better and His ways are always higher than ours. We just have to trust in what He’s doing.

Not-so-good

2009-11-24T18:06:00.003-05:00

I made mention about this on a post after my birthday but I suppressed further details of it.

Anyway, I had an appointment for my road test on that day but unfortunately and unexpectedly, the left brake light isn’t working. Thus, rescheduling is my only option. I wasn’t confident I’d pass but all I wanted was to be DONE with it. Waiting for a few more days only felt like prolonging the agony.

I got my permit and insurance cards from the police officer and was asked if I wanted to set another appointment. Without any clue on how the problem could be fixed, I politely refused. I must make sure that the brake light gets fixed before another appointment needs to be CANCELLED AGAIN. While still in the office later that afternoon, I called hubby and he assured me that the brake light problem is nothing serious. The bulb can be easily replaced and dear Taurus wagon will be good to go.

So I called DMV… I graciously reminded the police officer about our conversation earlier. I knew I was talking to the same one who asked me if I wanted to schedule another appointment. Sadly, I was dismayed to hear an angry irritated tone on the other line. This time, it’s him who wanted to have the brake light fixed before scheduling me for another road test appointment. Okay, okay… I understood his point but he can always say it in a nice way, right?

On the next day… I called DMV again, this time hoping that it will be another officer picking up the phone. After a few question-and-answer from the line, another appointment was finally set for me.

I was schedule to take the road test this morning. My plan was to come to the office early and get out for my appointment and come back to render the remaining hours.

At the DMV office… I was nervous but pretended I was alright as we sat and waited for my turn. When my name was called, I went out and started the car as instructed. I silently prayed for a safe drive, recalled Bible verses and sang songs that have given me comfort in knowing that Jesus will be with me in everything I do.

The examiner finally came out, checked on the signal lights and then rode the car. I drove through the spiral cautiously and perhaps, obviously nervous. He started a conversation to lighten up the atmosphere and assured me that it will be okay. He was very kind, he did not give me hard time though he tends to be too friendly and talkative sometimes, I can hardly focus on the road (Lol). After a few commands, we drove back to DMV’s parking lot and I shyly asked if I passed to which he smilingly replied, “Yes, you did.” (WOHOOO!!!)

My cancelled appointment was supposedly on a gloomy afternoon. It rained as soon as we left DMV that afternoon. While the pissed human in me whined the disappointment away, my spirit settled in the thought that everything happens for a reason. I could have failed the test that day because: 1.) I always don’t mind turning the wipers on even when the raindrops have already blurred the windshield and 2.) I easily get tensed driving in the rain which leads me to commit a lot more driving mistakes. So really, what I have considered to be “not-so-good” could have been for my own benefit.

I have been hoping forever to get my driver’s license and today, in His own time, I finally got it! Thank You Lord, I PASSED!!!

No poo

2009-11-20T15:21:00.003-05:00

I love my hair. It may not be beautiful for other people but it is just the most precious for me. I regret to admit though that I have been ruthless in my purest intent to show it some love. It has become a subject to my fancy of well-advertised products as well as my research of home-made solutions.

Supposedly natural, my most recent experiment was to go “no poo.” This simply means eliminating shampoo from my grocery and shower to-do lists. I know, it sounds absurd to take a shower without shampooing your hair especially a long one like mine. My modest investigation with Mr. Google wrapped up into settling on shampoo bars.

While most reviews were positive, I was miserable with my own results. I gave it a grace period of a week to two, hoping it was just the adjustment phase. My hair was overly greasy and it felt dirty. I did not want to think of giving up since I ordered two shampoo bars so I thought I can find a way to get things right. A few more google searches suggested baking soda and ACV (apple cider vinegar) rinse. I was desperate so I was willing try everything just to thrive in going natural. Outcome was not the greatest, but at least, it wasn’t too bad as the previous. I went on alternating baking soda and the shampoo bar and did frequent ACV rinses. Though my hair was more manageable, I was unhappy. It was too oily for me, it felt nasty. I remained miserable freaking out when I comb my hair in the morning and see strands of my most precious on the floor or all tangled in my comb.

I tolerated the effects of no poo for more than half a year until my birthday last Tuesday.

I made up my mind and decided to go back to basic.

I grabbed Herbal essences shampoo and conditioner for long hair.

My hair is soft, feels cleaner and smells way better.

I am happy and hopefully so is my most precious.

The good thing

2009-11-19T22:00:00.001-05:00

Two things happened yesterday- the good and the not so-good. While I want to blog about each of them, I prefer to keep the latter to myself for now and promise to blog about it when the right time comes- that’s when my negative emotions have entirely lost its chances to flare up.

18th is the day after my birthday which is the same day I received my new toy...

- my new sewing machine.

With hubby’s help, I managed to move things around our little apartment to give my dear makina a decent space. He also helped me complete the upper and lower threading to get me started. I ran a straight line stitch on a blouse I picked from a free box in the university for my practice which turned out pretty good (at least for me).

My first project is to resize the sweaters I got from a sweet and kind lady from the church. Then hopefully I can work things around with the pretty skirts too. It already feels like too many of them to work on and too little time. And oh, I need to grab some stuff for my sewing kit!

My 18th

2009-11-17T14:33:00.003-05:00

That was 10 years ago. I was in the 2^nd semester of my 2^nd year in college patiently enduring the complexities of computer science then. While most teenagers plan and hope for a grand debut celebration, I envisioned mine to be one of those ordinary days in my life.

Let me reminisce....

I grew up with lechon (roasted suckling pig) almost always present in my birthday photos with most of my childhood/neighborhood buddies present in them. There were actually no games and prizes to make each celebration something exciting for us kids. All I remember is how my mom would personally organize and manage the menu for the party. She plays chef, my Aunt Celia is the assistant while I and my cousins were the little tasters of their masterpiece dishes and their official errand runners. Three or four of our Uncles play the butcher roles and two of them are in charge of roasting the suckling pig that will serve as the highlight of the celebration. The party starts with me, as the celebrant dressed in a beautiful birthday outfit, posing for a solo shot with all the food on the table. The fairytale-accented cake and the mouthwatering lechon are both scribbled with “Happy Birthday Donnalyn” on them. All my little guests will then surround me and the table for a group picture-taking. After a few more Kodak moments, everybody will sing “Happy Birthday” followed by the most awaited tsibugan (eating) time.

I can picture almost the same scenario on my first teen birthday except that my guests were not so little anymore. I was then given the choice on how I would want my birthday to be celebrated on my next teen years which got simpler each year until my personal preference ended up to treat each supposedly big day of mine to be something ordinary. I went to college in a city far from my family and no birthday celebration is a good way to spare my stingy self from spending my own allowance.

Fast forward to my 18^th birthday…I did not have plans of celebrating it but I wanted to do something special for myself. My hair, considerably long (for the world), became my object of affection. I went to the salon alone and you can figure the rest of the story. Back to my boarding house, I found everyone busy at the kitchen that left me dumbfounded when my landlord declared that we are celebrating my 18^th birthday. To ease the shame I felt, I asked about the expenses and was assured that I need not worry about anything. I can’t remember what exactly was served except that I know for sure that rice was present. Although nothing extravagant, my 18^th birthday was made special by people who cared and that meant so much to me. (This is just one of my best birthdays, by the way. Other meaningful ones, I hope to blog about someday...)

Reality is... that was 10 years ago- when life was a lot less complicated: when all I thought and be concerned about was to maintain a grade point average for my college scholarship, graduate on time and earn a good-paying job thereafter. As I look back, I see how I hurried myself up to get past that point in my life. Though no regrets, I wish that I had the kind of relationship I now have with Jesus as early as those days.

When I laid myself to sleep last night, it finally sunk in to me- I am 28. The increase in my age goes to show in the kind of responsibilities I am dealing with and the concerns that give me great deal of anxiety at times. Life has been tough and still is. Mine is a drama of battles won and lost. Some remain to be fond memories but some needs to be buried to its grave. What keeps life going though is the fact that Someone up there sees me through all the highs and lows.

Life is indeed tough but I claim to be tougher for I believe that “greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world! (1 John 4:4).”

Still in great denial

2009-11-16T15:41:00.002-05:00

But there’s no way of stopping the time… Suffice to say, it is officially my birthday in Philippine standard time. Thus, some of my Facebook friends already sent their birthday greetings by either sending me personal messages or posting them on my wall. Thanks to Facebook for reminding people about it that will hopefully increase the number of my very few birthday greeters (*Lol*).

I am staring blankly at the monitor screen as I force my idle mind to come up with something to blog about. So, I pause and think...one, two, three, four, five times…and still nada! Truth is…It has not sink in yet that it’s already my birthday! I still can’t accept the fact that I am another year older… (*Sigh*)

“I don’t know” was my answer to friends and loved ones who asked me of my plans a few days ago. If asked the same question now, I will still give the same answer. I don’t have any big plans for my birthday except for prayer service tomorrow. What happens after that will be something impromptu.

Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday, happy birthday...Happy birthday to me... Somebody help me sing! I need to convince myself it's indeed already my birthday.

When excitement is pre-empted...

2009-11-13T17:54:00.004-05:00

...agony is prolonged.

That's how I feel! I have been waiting forever for my sewing machine. 3, 2 and finally 1. One more sleep and I get to play with my new toy.

Wednesday, it is! With much anticipation, I immediately tore the box open as soon as I saw my package sitting on a toddler table just beside our apartment door. I noticed the styrofoam broken but my agitation and desire to see and hold my new toy outweighed everything else. I held and cautiously positioned it on the table as if welcoming it with comfort to its new home.

I got the most affordable and which I think, is most suitable for me, so simple yet elegant. As I meticulously inspected every bit of detail in it, I came across the very reason of my skepticism to place an order online. One small part (which the manual refers to as the bobbin winder) is broken. I immediately suspected UPS to be the culprit. They must not have handled the item with care.

Considering the inconvenience of returning the item and believing it to be impossible, I sadly stared at my new toy, hoping the damage is not anything serious. Hubby insisted that I can call Overstock and see. Agreeing it won’t hurt, I dialed their 1800 number and was so pleased, surprised and grateful with the Customer representative that I talked to. Without much ado, she filed a replacement for me. Thank you Lord^..^

I am expecting a call from UPS anytime for them to see or get the item. I cannot deny it though. I am itching to play with the damaged toy while waiting for its replacement. Their tracking system shows the replacement will be out for delivery on the 18th. I can’t wait but oh, I can do nothing but wait! I can't be too excited again and end up upset. Maybe I should memorize the manual for now…

Something am excited about...

2009-11-05T11:30:00.003-05:00

That's a long title! I apologize, my brain is not working.

Anyway....

I have this suppressed jealousy of apostolic girls wearing long denim skirts. I so love to own and wear one. Unfortunately, both my petite body structure and my cute height always give me a hard time finding one for myself. When I finally came across a website online, the skeptical in me took over my desire leaving me suspicious of the length of their skirts. Besides that, the prices plus the shipping and the handling fees are just too much for my budget.

Given that fact, what-ifs toned with my creative imagination invaded my unused brain cells forming the idea of sewing my own skirts, dresses and perhaps tops. This put together a feeling of excitement in me resulting to days of online thrift hunting and nights of contemplation. First, I need to assess the feasibility of projects I intend to accomplish. Are they realistic enough considering my beginner capacity, time and funds? I searched for free skirts and dress patterns online which seemed easy so I gave this a big check on my note. If that is pretty easy, next one’s a bit harder. Which sewing machine suits me best? After reading recommendations and reviews, I opted to go for a used but still reliable one. Craigslist and Ebay did not offer a wide affordable selection so I checked on my last resort. Overstock sells refurbished items in very reasonable prices. A bit doubtful on second-hand items, I was torn between giving this an X or a check mark.

While constantly thinking about my new found wish, I talked to Jesus in between. If it’s just a stubborn want, I pray that He will spare me from wasting money but if He sees it as my need then I pray that He will guide me to spend wisely. Funny, perhaps crazy, but through the course of my relationship with Him, I learned that I can be the silliest; the most stubborn girl that I can be yet He still listens faithfully and loves me regardless.

As I was getting more serious about this, I considered another drawback. What about the fabric, the thread and such little bitty things I need for my projects? Will they cost as much (if not more) as buying actual clothes from Walmart or Target? I thought again. Maybe I should just buy clothes I really need than invest on a sewing machine and experiment for which I am not really sure of the outcome.

After prayer meeting last monday, a sister from church approached me and told me she got some stuff for me. To my delight, it wasn’t just one but five of bags of her slightly used clothes. What a blessing! “You can have everything or choose whichever you like and bring the rest back to church so others can choose from them too,” she whispered as we hugged and bade goodbye. With much excitement, I immediately tried each blouse and skirt as soon as we got home. Most blouses and sweaters were too big (as usual) for me but a few skirts were my size- fits just right! I was so happy looking at the skirts I selected but was bit upset about not being able to pick any of the blouses especially the sweaters, which are what I need most for this chilly weather. I consoled myself with the thought that maybe someone else from church will be blessed with them. I went to bed with a heart overflowing with gladness and gratefulness for the free extension of my cold weather wardrobe. My thoughts formed into modest outfits- my new skirts paired with matching tops. My eyes heavy and sleepy, I started my journey to slumber land with the thought that I need not sew my own skirts now but the question where do I get these tops was at the back of my mind?

Getting up late the next morning, I just picked a blouse I tried on the previous night which sitting on top of one of the bags. Looks big on me but I have no time to change and still hit my 8AM office time in. I was so conscious with what I wore to work yesterday. I kept looking at my blouse as I walked around the laboratory, the hallways and even when I sat on my office desk. I tried as much as I can to figure out on what should have been its size or what can be done to suit my petite-ness. A light bulb flickered into my almost dead brain giving me the brilliant idea of resizing it. This suggests the possibility of doing the same to the rest of the blouses and sweater that were too big for me. Then the concern of experimental sewing resulting to unwanted outcome will not hurt as much as buying new fabrics and everything else needed to sew my own tops.

I searched for ideas on resizing sweaters and such online and realized how simple the steps were. I went over all the used sewing machines I have been looking at since the last two weeks. I was all ecstatic to find one that fits my budget on sale. I took a deep breath and finally placed my order yesterday.

Uh oh! That was one impulsive choice. I totally forgot to consult Jesus about it all. It just seemed that the heavens conspired to put everything in place for me to go for what I want. What to do? All’s done so I just hope I did the right decision.

Fear not!

2009-10-27T16:19:00.001-04:00

Being alone is not something I dread. I am a loner and I love just me and myself moments. It helps me befriend and get to know myself better. It makes me ponder upon things that matter most to me and those that really don’t, enlightening my mind towards better choices. It has become my outlet of emotions that allowed me to unload everything thereby making me feel better during the lowest lows of my life. Alas, I am fearful and darkness is one of my phobias. And although aloneness doesn’t seem to be a problem for me, being alone in the dark is a whole different story.

Being alone in the dark lets my mind wander the farthest it can go only to discover the worst imagination possible. Unreasonable paranoia had caused me sleepless nights. Shamefully, I am no good Christian. Although I continued praying, reading my daily devotions and never miss church, I was overly mired with my fears failing to realize what role my faith and my relationship with Jesus should have played in such circumstance.

One morning I found out that I slept with my apartment door unlocked. Too careless of me, I murmured to myself. I hurried off to work brushing off the thought of how the Lord has protected me that night. My day went on as usual. Weeks passed and I kept elbowing my fear on my own, until the Lord finally poked me in an ordinary conversation with someone from church. “You need not be afraid of anything. You’ve got the Holy Ghost!”

Fear not. That’s what He has been attempting to tell me amidst my fears. Foolishly I neglected to listen; I ignored Him so many times. An article stated that “Fear not” is mentioned 366 times in the bible. That serves as a reminder everyday of the year and that’s more than enough to assure somebody as fearful as I am that the Lord desires for me to overcome my fear and trust in Him. Isaiah 41:10 says “Fear not for I am with you….”

I am still afraid of some things in my life. I have not mastered the skills in dealing with it but I resort to better options. Instead of endlessly whining and worrying about it, I choose to consult to Him about it. I cannot always say the right words but He knows my heart. It does not only contain those silly phobias of snakes and heights. He knows every little bitty thing in it and He knows how to take care of each of them. Sometimes I can talk to Him about it, sometimes I can only cry but regardless, being broken in His presence gives me perfect peace.

Pardon me

2009-10-21T14:00:00.000-04:00

…for I know that I have been slacking off from blogging again.

My alibi consists of the following:

First, I was overwhelmed with what science explains to be the effects of global warming. My mind is satiated with so many thoughts but I just cannot organize them all into one sane blog entry. I am baffled with mixed emotions due to recent adversities happening in different parts of planet earth that left me undecided on what or which to blog about the past few days.

Secondly, I was busy or pretended to be with the following:

My job- It’s treating me fairly well and I’m grateful for it everyday.
DE course- I’m still struggling to overcome my laziness to catch up with the lectures and although I am able to beat deadlines of my home works, I get sleepy going through the power point notes for the midterm exam next week.
Car hunting- After almost a month, we got another car! It’s still a Ford Taurus only a later model and a better one at that. I so love the leather seats and the keyless entry. I wish it has a sunroof but I love it nevertheless…

That would be it and xOXo for now...

Tropical storm Ketsana

2009-09-29T18:42:00.005-04:00

Although there’s nothing serious about the accident last Friday, I can’t help feeling thwarted waking up the next day, considering the steps that we need to sort out to get our car fixed. My thoughts were again clouded with anxiety built up with laziness to do what needs to be done. It was raining. Probably the reason I chose to delay getting started for the day.

While I revel at the warmth of our apartment on the cold breeze of an autumn morning, I sleepily surf through my facebook home page. I was planning to post a shout of gratefulness for the previous day’s misfortune or maybe blog about it. What caught my attention though was a friend’s plea to pray for her relatives and our fellow Filipinos struggling against a tropical storm in the northern part of the country. Since storms are rampant in the Philippines, I paid little concern about it. Yet another friend posted a shout out with a similar content. Out of curiosity, I searched for news about the said storm.

My own worries melted away as we watched the news. I realized how negligible my cares were compared to what my kababayans were going through at that very same hour. My heart felt the anguish of what the killer typhoon “Ondoy” has brought to my countrymen. Houses were torn down to pieces, some of which were dragged by the enraged current of floodwaters. Unfortunately, some people were left with no choice but to hold tight to these very same pieces of wreckage to hopefully save their lives. A video footage showed a family waving their hands, maybe screaming for help as the raging flood hauled them off together with their ravaged homes. Others managed to climb up to their roofs, not only anticipating rescue but also trying to evade the growing wrath of floodwaters- they were drenched, cold and hungry at the same time.

Photos courtesy of Inquirer.net

I know both the national and the local government sections were and are still doing their best to act upon the situation. Yet it is sad that Filipinos always have to suffer before apparent issues are addressed. Floods and landslides have always caused lives of many families due to typhoons but no serious action was implemented to solve the problem since time immemorial. None that I can tell since we always end up listening to the same news stories when the country is faced with a calamity. I understand that this is not the time to point fingers and blame anybody. But I do hope that this will be a lesson to the government- that before savoring that luscious million-dollar meal at a New York restaurant, may these government officials remember the less fortunate people in the country. The agony of our poor fellow Filipinos was prolonged since there were no immediate rescue equipments available. That money spent on a grand restaurant may as well be spent for reliable equipments in preparation for fury disasters that may hit a poor country like ours.

I was teary-eyed watching the aftermath of the recent catastrophe that struck the Philippines- not only for the properties ruined and lost but mostly for the lives shattered especially those of the little ones. As much as I feel sorry for my fellow Filipinos, I am proud of those who went out of their way to help in any way they can. To those who braved the floodwaters to rescue people, I salute you for your courage and to those who donated cash or good, God bless your hearts for your generosity.

To those of you reading this entry, please help me pray for all those devastated by typhoon Ketsana in the Philippines. More than anything they still need to know that God is still good amidst this heartbreaking incident in their lives.

A minor bump

2009-09-28T21:21:00.001-04:00

A minor bump

That’s what made my heart uncontrollably jump up and down last Friday afternoon!

We dropped by Walmart to get a bottle of solution for my contacts. I drove on our way home and as easy as I can, I pedaled on the brake as the red light signaled. Hubby and I were good until we were shaken by an abrupt loud sound that budged our car forward. I turned to look what had just happened and was saddened to realize that a large GMC truck just hit the rear of our poor car.

Hubby immediately went down to investigate how the driver of the truck was. While they made a friendly conversation, my knees were shaking as I reached for the fone to dial 911. I don’t know why now but I was so scared to death! Hubby came back telling me it wasn’t my fault. The truck driver stepped on the gas rather than the brake on the red light. She's an old lady, who wanted to leave after giving us her insurance information. We waited a while and I could tell both of us grew a bit upset when police only showed up almost 30minutes after I called. I was wondering if they would have responded the same way if it was an emergency of life and death situations. Anyway, we were given a piece of paper with case number after the officer wrapped up his mini investigation.

We spent a pretty penny for tune up, oil change and engine oil leak repair last Thursday which we thought improved the car’s condition. Unfortunately, accidents happen unexpectedly. Our car is again in bad shape now. Thankfully, the other party’s insurance will cover the expenses for the damaged caused this time. Even so, thank God nobody was injured or hurt in any way.

Eyes eyes baby!

2009-09-24T10:50:00.005-04:00

I lost my precious eyeglasses on our way back home from Gatlinburg. We turned the car seats upside down but still did not find it. I forced myself to have an eye check up last year to know if there’s anything wrong with my eyes. The right one worried me much. It gets numb when too tired and a vein below it tends to protrude. Not only did it make me look harassed, it also bothers me a lot. Far from serious, doctor said that my eyesight is not that bad except that my eyes may be too strained facing the computer for more than 10hours a day. He prescribed me glasses for that problem and my eyes were cooperative enough to make me feel better.

Unfortunately yeah, because I am CARELESS, they vanished without my blessing. My right eye looked miserable for almost a week without it. I walked in to another clinic for a second opinion. Doctor said that my right eye was weak compared to the left. I opted for contacts and left the clinic with disposables on my eyes for a week observation.

Although the first week was a bit work- putting them on and taking them out every few hours, I love the comfort they give than having to wear eyeglasses. It’s my second week now and I guess I need to order a year’s supply as soon as I can to get them for a cheaper price- not a want but definitely a need!

Officially fall

2009-09-23T19:22:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, it was.

My tomatoes only gave me two immature fruits.

Can you tell how unhealthy they are?

I blame the shades of this big tree on our patio that deprived them

of their much needed sunlight.

With that outcome, I'll probably switch to the idea of planting lettuce

on the same pots next year.

We'll see...

Did you remember my post talking about budget

and my sweet goal to eradicate unnecessary spending?

Well, I have to confess

I did not have any luck on it.

I surrendered to my desires

AND

just swiped the plastic again...

No, not just for one BUT for TWO pairs of BOOTS!

Hubby did a good job convincing me to get both of them since

they're both LESS than HALF the regular price.

I have to agree with him.

It's a good deal

AND

I say

a smart bargain for the cold season.

Burden

2009-09-23T09:12:00.006-04:00

taken from turnbacktogod.com

Meeting with the Manager

2009-09-22T11:32:00.000-04:00

He called a 30-minute meeting yesterday. It was a short-notice so I thought it would be nothing serious, maybe just some information that our department needs to know. Indeed, it was. He enlightened us to put our worries aside and just work. The “budget cut” meetings of the management team has already been put to halt and “lay offs” seem to be quiet these days after a few months of being the loudest issue here.

Although I don’t always feel the greatest about my job, I am more than grateful I have a work to think about and a workplace to go to every day. I appreciate the Lord’s providence that I am able to pay monthly bills on or before their due dates. I thank Him for making me a blessing to my family back home. Though not luxurious, I feel blessed that we can afford short vacation trips out of town or simply go on road trips. We can shop for our needs and spare a little for our wants. These and so many more… A day won’t be enough to blog about the Lord’s goodness and greatness in my life.

Our meeting yesterday was good news. Since my contract was extended, I’ve thought about thanking my manager personally many times. Yesterday seems to be a perfect timing to approach him or maybe email him after the meeting. As usual I was too shy… After agonizing myself about it for a moment, I realized one thing- praise is due to the One makes things happen.

The Lord has turned things around for me countless times. He let me witness His amazing power over what is impossible to my human eye. He is beyond what words can describe. I can never never thank Him enough and I just love Him today!

Gloomy Monday

2009-09-21T14:26:00.000-04:00

Monday, I noticed is labeled to be the most hated day of the week by most. That plus a gloomy one won’t recompense the previous statement.

Unfortunately, today is one of those Mondays.

I received the unpleasant news yesterday and I cannot help being affected up to now. It breaks my heart to know how my parents were disheartened with what happened. I talked to them over the phone yesterday and I stood strong as our conversation went on. At least, I pretended I was. I cannot make them feel how much I wanted to break down and cry. I do not want to add up to their worries. I just wanted to make them feel better. I just wanted to make them smile and assure them that things will be alright. My eyes welled-up with sadness, my voice breaking at times, I cannot remember what else I told them except that I kept telling them to pray about it and let God take charge.

It is raining outside. I love rain drops but I also always pray that it won’t pour. Sometimes God’s will coincides with my plea but sometimes it just don’t. Likewise, with what happened, I pray that He will let this pass very soon. I am not sure if He will, neither do I have a clue on His plans. But I just want to give it all to Him and trust in Him. He still knows better!

Budget, budget, budget…

2009-09-18T15:31:00.006-04:00

Never again will I opt for cheap vacation packages unless certain of every little detail that comes with it. I have requested my debit card be closed after dealing with our recent vacation reservation nuisance. Thus, all our purchase following that was initiated with swiping the plastic again.

I dread using my credit card. I dislike thinking about fees, amount due and due dates. It seems to me like I have no right to enjoy ownership on things that aren’t really mine because I have not paid for them in full yet. No, no. I don’t mean to sound like I have never had debts in my life. Well, at least not for luxurious motives but mostly to accommodate my responsibilities as a breadwinner of my family. I have been there and still am. AND maybe that’s the very reason why I detest the idea of credit cards.

Anyhow, my practice of diligently paying the bills on time and trying VERY hard to wipe out unnecessary spending helped me manage my debts wisely. Although I have not fully eliminated the idea of debts from my vocabulary yet THAT leaves me now with only obligatory monthly dues such as house and tuition loans and utility bills.

I can’t conclude so soon though since I am left with no choice but to use my credit card again. Cash is another option but I am not used to bringing cash all the time with me. SO I decided on coming up with a budget accounting and see how this goes. I am really hoping I will be able to save a few bucks with this idea.

Good bye long dress, skirts, sandals and bags... Byebye shopping and good luck to me!

On going back to Kentucky...

2009-09-11T18:54:00.006-04:00

We checked out early from the hotel on Monday. We stopped by the factory outlet store again to do a little bit more of shopping and dropped by at the free preview of the Titanic.

It opens on April 2010 which appears be a very cool museum for me to which I am excited to visit come its grand opening.

We were supposed to go see two more sites but with the traffic jam, we decided to just get past the one in Sevierville and go straight to an indoor aquarium further away from highway 66. I have never been so frustrated with a horrible traffic here in America except at that time. I got easily irritated with hubby’s giving space to other drivers trying to merge to our lane. Traffic was severely slow and we were hardly moving any distance after one car and another then another was given a chance by my generous husband to go ahead of us. Before I can punch hubby’s face, I diverted my attention to taking pictures. Traffic got a little better until we discovered its root cause.

I got scared looking at the scene.

I thought it was a big bike under the Chevrolet truck, but looking closely at it, it was a car smashed under the big truck. I could hardly imagine any survivor in that small car.

I loosened up a bit as we drove passed it and continued to our destination for a break- Bass Pro Shops. It was an outdoor equipment store.

Most items were expensive but certainly of good quality.

When it’s time to go, hubby told me to drive. I was so tensed, I cannot get rid of the remains of car wreck we just witnessed. I tried driving but I was all anxious. After almost bumping into a van running at 90MPH, I finally told hubby I can’t do it. We again stopped over the nearest rest area which was already within Kentucky boundaries. We took a 15minute break and drove again. We got home at almost 8PM. I thank the Lord for keeping His hand on our trip but I can’t help thinking about the accident.

I searched for news the following morning only to find out that it was a 6-car crash that injured 18 people -2 of them, a mother and a child in critical and the another one in serious conditions. I do not know how they differentiate critical and serious here but I do pray for a miracle among the victims, especially those in terrible state. Some news stories reported that culprit was suspiciously drunk who stupidly tried to escape from authorities.

Labor day weekend

2009-09-09T17:29:00.015-04:00

I hope everyone had a great one!

Despite a few dire circumstances that I have to deal with, I remained resolute to resume our plan for the long weekend. I had a hard time searching for hotels, motels, cabins or anything reasonably priced since most nice affordable places were already fully booked. After so much net surfing and searching, I managed to make my last-minute reservation on Friday afternoon. With our bags packed, we left for Pigeon Forge in Tenesee on Saturday around past 8AM and got there almost 12 noon- checked in to the hotel, ate our lunch, rest a bit then drove to Gatlinburg.

It was a smooth 15-minute drive along the zigzag roads bordered by trees similar to Bohol’s man-made forest. I enjoyed the sweet smell of the woods with a cool serene atmosphere. I wish I could have gone down to pose for a picture with the trees as the background. Cars were unfortunately running fast and it doesn’t seem to be a picture taking spot.

We realized we were entering the city center when traffic started slowing down. It looked like the town was too small for the crowd as it seemed like everybody in America actually spent the long weekend in Gatlinburg. What I expected to be something relaxing has worn me out. The busy streets packed with both people and cars reminded me much of Cebu’s oldest street- Colon. There are several candy stores, wood carving and souvenir shops, ice cream depots, dress and handbag botiques, Ripleys amusement arcades, and a whole lot more. It was definitely a place to spend if not waste a good fortune.

In the meantime, we decided to just drive around town to contain the look and feel of the place since we can park no where. We settled on driving back to Pigeon Forge after a while to get some groceries, go shopping a little at the factory outlet stores then rest to recharge our energies for the next day.

It was past 6AM but it was still dark when we drove back to Gatlinburg on Sunday. It was definitely a better place without the massive amount of tourists. We drove to the mountains for which the view was breathtaking despite the gloomy skies. We drove around town once again to pick the different spots we want to go to later in the day.

We made our way back to Pigeon Forge to prepare for church at Sevierville, a roughly 5-minute drive from our hotel. We were giggling most of the time but we were so blessed with the preaching of the host pastor. He has an incomparable sense of humor!

Back to the hotel, we ate our lunch and got ready for a fun time at Gatlinburg in the afternoon. What was supposedly a 15-minute became a 2-hour drive. I fell asleep while hubby kept his eye on the traffic. It has gotten worst than the previous day. Thank God, we were able to catch sight of a free parking spot immediately then the fun started.

Skylift

I was scared looking at it but I also wanted to reach the top and witness an overlooking view of the entire city of Gatlinburg. Hoping to conquer my fear once more, we hopped into our seats on our turn then up, up and away we went. Thinking about it now, I feel like crazy! I was clinging to hubby as tight as I can, the whole time on our way up and on our way down. I bet you can tell on the picture.

Earthquake the Ride

This is a scary train ride. I wasn’t that impressed but I screamed my lungs out several times. I feel ashamed about it but some parents, with their children, laughed at me while their kids remained calm and composed.

Mystery Mansion

This is a haunted house which I find creepier than the Earthquake ride. I again squealed countless times while hubby remained calm and smiling while we toured up and down the old mansion.

We walk and walk and walk around town

went in to some shops...

then took some more pictures...

until we got exhausted

and decided to just go back to the hotel.

Another lesson learned...

2009-09-08T21:40:00.000-04:00

In connection to my previous post, my account was indeed cleared the next day. What I thought was my request for cancellation was actually the vacation package agency‘s action to reverse the charges they made to my account. I received the confirmation letter which made things a little more dubious for me. A few calls to their customer service advised me that my account will STILL be charged but ALSO ASSURED me that we’re good to go and enjoy our vacation. That gave me a little peace but my instinct kept me searching for more online reviews from their previous customers. I came across a review where the customer was charged more than twice the amount she could have paid for the hotel accommodation without making a reservation through this agency, ONLY BECAUSE SHE AND HER HUSBAND ARE NOT AMERICAN CITIZENS. I dialed the customer service hotline again. After playing the recording of my reservation, the representative found out that I was never asked if I am a citizen. She told me that the manager requested for a full refund of my transaction.

I would have felt better after that conversation but I also read complaints of promised reimbursements from them that never transpired. To make the story short, my account was undeniably charged. I cannot reach them during the weekend so I called them again this morning. Accordingly, the refund request made by the manager has to go through their accounting department for approval. I am hoping for its approval but I also called my bank for the closing of my debit card to avoid future charges from them- better safe than sorry.

Excitement flipped

2009-09-02T15:31:00.001-04:00

Frustration unveiled.

I have been looking forward to the coming Labor Day weekend. I considered the fact of an unpaid holiday being compensated by the great smoky mountains of America sceneries.

After a week delay of making hotel reservations, I finally made a phone call this morning to do it. As always, I was a bit skeptical to give my credit card details BUT remained a fool to give it anyway. I was asking about the receipt and was told that a confirmation email will be sent in the next hour or so. An hour passed me by… then two then three, no email received. Needless to say, I went from a paranoid to a panic mode. I called the same number again and was told that my information is not shown in their database. This time the customer service said that the confirmation email will be sent within 24 hours.

I called my bank inquiring if there’s anything I can do to hinder the charges to my account. Bank representative assured me that there were no incoming charges so far, which means there’s nothing we can do but wait til we see pending charges that I can request to be revoked. As I hanged up, I was hoping to see a confirmation email but still NADA!

I check my online banking account as frequently as I can, until the incoming charge finally showed up. I called the bank again and requested for the cancellation of that transaction since I have not received any confirmation email from that particular vacation package website. SO there are two pending transactions on my online banking account- one is the vacation package charges and the other is my request for its cancellation.

NOW here I am awaiting 24 hours for the clearing of my account, hoping that my request for cancellation will prevail over those scam charges.

Celfone with A Map

2009-09-01T18:04:00.004-04:00

SO he won’t get lost in America. Papang actually meant a GPS. That’s what he wanted for a birthday gift. Of course he was kidding. That would be useless in the Philippines.

I called him this morning. It is still the night of September 1st in the Philippines. I greeted him happy birthday but told him I do not have a gift. He said never mind but reminded me again that he wants a celfone with a map when I come home.

My father has grown old. Neither him nor us knows how old exactly because his birth certificate was falsified by his father long time ago. I bet his mom is the only person that may remember but she’s passed away years ago. So there’s really no one who can tell now. Today is his birthday and he assured me that his father have not falsified the date.

I thank the Lord for this special day of Papang. I am so blessed to serve a God Who can turn around and make things happen. I can’t praise Him enough for all He’s in my life.

To my dear Papang, happy happy birthday! Thank you so so so much for all that you are to me, Nin and our family. I love you so very much.

Stingy me GONE liberal

2009-09-01T17:36:00.004-04:00

Hubby’s tummy seems to be outgrowing his pants’ waistline. He isn’t buying my idea of online shopping for clothes but I succeeded in trying to convince him of going shopping at Target.

Hubby's choices...

I swear.

I was just looking at the purse section…no plans, intentions or anything of that sort.

Unfortunately…

I did not resist!

I just can’t.

I splurge a few bucks on my first expensive chick purse, which he says and I think is worth it.

Then bought another baluyot office bag.

Which by the way, made me feel MORE guilty SO I did not check my online banking account until yesterday and this morning again only to bring me into conclusion that I should have bought the pair of flat shoes I tried on last Sunday at Target...

But no, no, no…I was sane enough to control myself. I really think I spent much already.

Okay now...

2009-09-01T10:46:00.003-04:00

I need to dust off cobwebs from everywhere here… You see my previous post has been sitting in my drafts folder for a week now and SO I realized I needed to post it before it decomposes to something forgotten.

Soo, it’s Tuesday! I had the next longest weekend to our July 4^th one. No, we have not gone on a trip out of Lexington. It started on Thursday, not because it was a holiday but simply because revival service at GFAC started that night. We were blessed to have visiting Evangelist Norman Brian preach on our Thursday, Friday and Sunday night services.

Evangelist Brian Norman

Thursdays is our midweek service. Service last Thursday ran longer than usual. The Evangelist had so many things to teach about that the church can forget about the time and just enjoy his teaching. We had section E youth rally held on Friday night. The church was crammed full with beautiful people of God from different towns in Kentucky.

Saturday was an outreach day which was joined forces together by 54 people. One group went out to visit the backsliders; another group went out to Sunday school children’s parents and another handed out flyers and music CDs to some neighborhood. I wanted to go see the Sunday school children’s parents but hubby was burdened to visit a friend and his family who have backslid in countless ways. We were given three cards, each with the backslider’s name and address. Two of them have no definite address so we finished up visiting only our friend. I got several flyers so we handed them out and inserted some on car wipers in the same neighborhood. Although others showed respect, some of the peoples’ responses were sarcastic. Even our own friend declined our invitation to Sunday service. It is sad but as the Evangelist puts it, it is between them and God. I believe it doesn’t end there. More than the flyers, it needs prayer, fasting and dedication to win a soul.

I regret missing the Saturday evening’s seminar held by the Evangelist on how to pray for someone during altar call. We simply ran out of time shopping and window shopping until the time have come for us to go home, eat lunch then meet Morgan before the circus. We met with other church folks at Rupp Arena and enjoyed the show together. Nobody was too old for the circus show as we laughed, sang and fooled around with Tom the clown.

We went to church early on Sunday, actually way too early than usual. We knew there will be many visitors due to outreach the previous day. Lo and behold, we were not mistaken. Most seats were already taken but we managed to find a spot for ourselves. The church was once again crowded. Visitors came as well as the backsliders.

I cannot put into words how awesome the outpouring of the Holy Ghost was. Like the prodigal son, many responded to the preacher’s call for repentance and sought for the face of the Lord during altar call. It’s amazing how the Father can simply wrap His arms around this son who have failed Him numerous times. He knows the depths of our hearts and yet, loves us the same.

Oh my, oh my…

2009-08-31T21:29:00.006-04:00

I was reminded of hubby’s silly expression as I thought of my blog this morning. I know I swore to update this more often BUT I was again caught off guard with cramming for my final exam and…let’s just say, “work-related” stuff.

Anyhow, here I am again…hoping to blog as much as I can about everything and anything that I can remember.

SO here it goes in no particular order:

Durian

We were supposed to grab just a can of coconut milk at a small Oriental store near GFAC one Sunday. I was staring here and there at cashier’s counter when I came across “Durian $1.79/Lb.” My face lit up with glee as we exited the store carrying about a 4-pound durian. It was frozen so we ended up enjoying an all natural ice creamy durian!

Lengua de Gato (Tongue of a Cat)

These are my favorite cookies back home. I don’t dare facebooking much at work but next to blog-hopping, I recipe-hop a lot. So when I chanced upon this lengua de gato recipe, I worked on it as soon as I got home. I love cooking and so much more with baking. It’s a stress therapy for me.

Blouses and Skirts

I have been surfing/shopping for modest clothing online. Although a bit skeptical about the sizes, I eventually gave in and placed my orders. It wasn’t too bad even if I ended up with some least-favorite items. My most favorite is the long denim skirt. I love it!

UK Arboretum

We went to the Arboretum for the 2nd time this year. It was still gorgeous with the summer atmosphere this time of the year.

Updates… updates....

2009-08-04T17:16:00.007-04:00

"Such a pessimist Donnalyn." That was a remark from my employer's Account manager. It was just the normal me freaking out for a missing time sheet on my Insite account. Needless to say, I worried- called the hubby immediately to share my paranoia with then shoot an email to my employer for confirmation of my gibberish thoughts… But really, with the lay offs still happening here in the office (particularly in the lab where I am sitting at), I think that was JUST SO NORMAL OF ANYONE, especially for a worry-wart like me to have reacted that way.

Anyways…I know, I know. I owe my blog some cleaning here and there. Too many things passed me by and I certainly wish that I'd be able to recollect my every emotions and thoughts on each of them.

Lay offs still continue to crop up in my workplace. The latest news I got today is 2 more people will be dismissed; their last day will be on September 4. Last week, I was saddened by the fact that one of my teammates was let go a few weeks ago. His last day was last Friday and on that same day I received a farewell email from another person who’s work here for more than 30 years already. A month ago, I was shocked by a friend’s report that 4 of them were called by their “Agency”, all 4 notified of their last day at work. A day after that, an office mate sitting next to the desk across me, bade farewell to some guys in the office. It’s sad and it scares me. I have no idea how many more people will be tagged and when this will ever end. I just hope and pray that the economy will pick up very soon.

I wrote a short tribute for her birthday this year. She was a sweet old lady with a very pure heart and with so much wisdom to share. If I remember correctly, it was when we came back from our July 4 trip that she was brought to the hospital. The congregation was asked to pray for her. She was brought home after 10 days as doctors decided they can do nothing for her anymore. Cancer was all over her internal organs. When we went to visit her, she gently nodded as I introduced ourselves as the couple from the Philippines. My fears were overcome with pity; my heart broke seeing her in such condition. We sat by her bedside for awhile. Before we left I went close to her again and whispered, “We love you Ms. Sarah and we will miss you…” Ms. Sarah Lewis passed away at the age of 102 last July 27. A lot have been said about her during her funeral service last Saturday. My tears were contained in my eyes. I miss her sweet little voice that never fails say “Take care sweetie…” whenever I kiss her good bye on Sunday services. As much as I miss her, knowing that she’s with the Lord makes feel alright.

Photo courtesy of prayforcory.com

The Philippines is grieving for the loss of former President Cory Aquino. She stood strong and brave when all else was doomed by the tyranny of late President Ferdinand Marcos. I do not remember much of Cory’s era except for the fact that without her courage and strength, the fire that kept the flames burning for the nation has long been gone. Being the icon of democracy for the Filipinos, I say, she deserves all the love and respect the Filipinos pay even at her grave now. I am not a fan but I do know that I cannot thank her enough for the freedom she fought for the country.

On the lighter note…

July 21 marked my first year anniversary on my job. It is truly a miracle that my contract was renewed despite the prevalent lay offs going on. I truly am appreciative of the Lord’s AWESOME goodness for which I really don’t deserve. I praise Him and I thank Him for everything. I am keeping my fingers crossed and my hopes high for more of His promises come.

Surprise, surprise! I surprised the hubby with a GPS. I secretly purchased an affordable one from Amazon, which was delivered to the apartment within 2days. He enjoyed himself (I think) playing with it, although looks like we need to plan our next big trip ASAP so we can optimize its usage. Hopefully after my final exam ^..^

The hubby and I started our afternoon walks at a nearby park. For the purpose of: 1. to get his butt off the couch after eating, which otherwise, he’ll eventually fall asleep no matter how hard he tries to remain awake; and 2. to get myself back to walking for an exercise. I am gaining weight. I like it a bit but not too much of it please!

Guess ‘NUFF said now… I can’t promise but I really hope I can update my blog more often from now on.

Alive and kicking

2009-07-30T18:16:00.001-04:00

Yes I am.

T'is just that I've been REALLY busy.

Big trip- day 3

2009-07-11T00:59:00.004-04:00

As promised, I cooked Sinigang, our favorite Filipino sour soup, on Sunday morning.

We let our original plan of going back to the inner harbor pass. All of us were too tired to get up early that morning so we went on with the day’s flow. We ate brunch and spent the rest of the morning chit-chatting again. While Nell vacuumed the car, us gurls never ran out of stories to tell each other. We once again laughed our hearts out until it’s time to go.

We dropped by the Asian store to grab some veggies and meat we can’t find among Oriental stores here in Lexington. Our big basket got full and heavy as we paid twice a month’s grocery expense for everything. Not only prices were way cheaper but the veggies were so fresh. It was also our first time to come across pork meat with fats and skin (which makes a good lechon kawali), so we did not let go of the chance. We were hoping to get some green bags from there to preserve the veggies longer but had no luck.

We finally hugged and bade our farewell to each other. I was teary-eyed, pretty sure to be missing them both.

Us at WV rest area

We hit the road the same time we left Lexington for Baltimore so we expected to be arriving home at more or less the same time we arrived Baltimore. We stopped at the first rest area in West Virginia to eat our dinner and steal some of Lerrie’s and Dinesha’s crops from the barn. I drove the first half of the trip but eventually gave up when it went dark. I became so tense I can barely see the road.

It was even harder to see the road when we got to West Virginia mountains since the roads were clouded with fog. Half-asleep and half-awake, we got through it below the speed limit and reach Lexington past our expected arrival time.

Both exhausted, we went to bed at 2AM.

Big trip- day 2

2009-07-10T23:52:00.007-04:00

I am the early bird of the group. I woke up early, dropped by my barn at Facebook, made coffee, prepared my self and prepared packed lunched for the day. We are headed to Washington, DC for July 4 fireworks at midnight and some other free attractions in between.

Crime and Punishment Museum opens 9AM. We got there about 15minutes before their opening so we took our breakfast for the meantime. This is the only museum with an entrance fee on our itinerary that day, but we settled on the idea of trying it since we thought it would be interesting to see CSI labs and forensic bits and pieces for real. While we were introduced to America’s big time criminals, we also procured a mission for extra bucks that forced us to be familiar with other documented crimes to come up with the solution to the puzzle. Aside from preserved evidences to the crime, we were also kept busy with the games we can play with involving crime and punishment. We also took a tour on America’s Most Wanted studio. What we estimated for an hour or two was extended to almost hours.

I was not impressed with the National Arboretum as much as I was with the UK Arboretum here in Lexington maybe because it’s the peak season of summer and most of the flowers seemed to be dying due to the heat of the sun. It was a much bigger place (and looks harder to maintain) but there’s nothing much we saw. I love the bonsai’s though. They were gorgeous and the best of what I’ve seen so far.

The National Zoo was another huge place. The main target was to see Panda bears. I was a bit upset on how the panda’s were housed. I was expecting them to be on outdoors but they were accommodated in a room with glass walls so people can see them. We just hope that those rooms were just their sleeping quarters and that tunnel like opening from the “outside little forest” leads to their dwelling. It would have been sad if all they have is that room space for their habitat. We saw a lot more animals but again did not have a chance to look at all of them. Not just because we ran out of time but we were also running out of energy.

We went to McDonalds to grab our dinner and charge our camera battery for the fireworks. After almost an hour there, another hour was wasted looking for a parking slot. We decided to skip the National Mall as it took us forever to finally eye for a vacant space to which we can finally park the car. As expected, the place was jam-packed and we did not a find good place to spot the fireworks with the Washington Monument on the background. We also missed seeing the Whitehouse and the Capitol close enough but at least we were there…

Time was too short! We need to get running back to Baltimore that same night and drive back to Lexington on the next day….

Big Trip- day 1

2009-07-10T18:38:00.005-04:00

As expected, we were late for our schedule on day 1.

First destination was the National Aquarium. The view surrounding it already took my breath away. The inner harbor was so beautiful with all the ship museums and those colorful dragon-like and plain white boat rides. Tall buildings ranging from malls, museums, restaurants, pubs and the like stood stunning. Sadly, since we were in a hurry, I did not have the chance to take snap shots of everything.

Inside the National Aquarium, we were entertained watching a 3-d movie about sea creatures in the theater. What I thought was ordinary turned out to be almost real as we found ourselves screaming for unexpected strokes and pokes on our legs and backs. Water splashes on our faces come from everywhere. Snow and bubbles also appeared from out of the blue. It was fun but kids got so scared that some parents have to get them out of the theater. It was for kids like us not for the little ones.

My favorite was the dolphin show! I was both amused with what dolphins can do and got real interested on how they are trained. Most of all, dolphin smiles made me want to go as close as I can to them and just hug them. They are so adorable and sweet! I told Nell I want one for Christmas… That was my first time to see them up close and personal. I must admit, I fell in love at first sight with them.

The aquarium itself was amazing! I’ve seen sea creatures I’ve never seen before nor even imagined they exist. There were both colorful and dull-colored creatures, big and small. However, everywhere in the building was so crowded that we really were not able to take a peek of all there is to see. We missed some but I guess we’ve had enough.

My precious camera’s battery went dead as we went out and decided to stroll around. So I again missed taking shots of the outside. After a day’s walk inside the National Aquarium, we tumbled ourselves to the white boat rides to relax for half an hour. It was so cool… It made me a bit nostalgic as it reminded me of my pump boat experience back in the small island province where I grew up.

The next few hours were spent walking round and round, posing for crazy shots courtesy of Lerrie’s camera. We finally headed home when it rained since we decided we needed a good night rest for the next day’s itinerary.

Big trip- introduction

2009-07-10T18:32:00.002-04:00

I have not fully recuperated from my so-called big trip but I can’t wait to blog about it!

It all began with when I initiated an email wondering if Dinesha and Lerrie did any of the laboratories in our Algorithms course. Confirming they both did not, it ended up in an exchange of daydreaming conversations that gave birth to a brilliant idea.

Dinesha asked of our plans for July 4. Having none (except fireworks with the church youth group), I told her nothing really exciting. She asked for the closest airport to my place but we realized it was too expensive. Without any definite plan in mind, we opted to search for flights from Arizona and Baltimore, which was way cheaper than from Arizona to Lexington.

Just a month ago, I and Nell planned to go to Washington to have our passports renewed. Lerrie kindly offered her place for us to stay so we can save bucks than staying in a hotel. It is a 9-hour drive from point A to point B. It must be tiring but is compensated with the fact that airfare is quite expensive compared to gas consumption when we drive.

So if Dinesha says yes, our long time plan will be made real and it will be our first big trip. Without having enough time to think about it, I giddily suggested that Dinesha can fly; we drive, meet at Lerrie’s place and spend the long weekend for our reunion.

The next few days were quiet. The topic was never brought up again. We scheduled days of group study for our midterm exam. On the last night, I asked about it and to my surprise Dinesha already bought the ticket for her trip. There I stood smiling at Nell, ready to spend the rest of the night planning for the big trip…

I got over with midterm exam quite easily maybe because just five days after that is our scheduled trip. I proposed an itinerary to the group, wanting everything set when we get there so we won’t be wasting a single second. Although work got me busy2 days before the trip, my acting TL let go of me early on the big day.We got to Baltimore on our estimated time.

Believe it or not, us gurls spend over night chit-chatting and laughing our hearts out. While Nell managed to ignore our noise and get a good morning sleep, we went to bed past 5AM on the first night.

Oh how I miss them, my beautiful friends!

Kid

2009-06-30T06:04:00.001-04:00

At play...

Happy father's day!

2009-06-21T19:27:00.005-04:00

I called papang this morning to greet him that. I've always looked up to my father despite our chaotic past. He may not be the perfect dad but I am always thankful to the Lord for him and more thankful of what he has become when he completely submitted his life to the Lord.

In this afternoon's church service, I uttered the same words as soon as I bended my knees during the altar call. I greeted the greatest Father of all and began weeping as I pondered on everything He's done for me.

When God ran

How beautiful!
No matter how prodigal we can become, we know He loves us just the same...

Anyway....Happy father's day to all fathers and fathers-to-be out there!

Delirium

2009-06-17T07:50:00.005-04:00

-hubby's favorite ride at Kings Island...