LOVE for 2012

 

My mother told me about New Year Candles about 3 years ago. She found this set of colorful candles sold somewhere and bought one for herself and one for each of my aunts and female cousins. That year, I didn’t get any of these candles as I was still overseas in Saudi Arabia. According to the instructions that came inside the packaging , these candles should be lit all together at the same time thirty minutes before New Year’s Eve, and that would be 11:30PM of December 31st to be exact. There are actually seven candles in colors of red, blue, yellow, violet, green, pink and orange which symbolizes the different aspects of life. The lighted candles should be put off  exactly thirty minutes after it was lighted and that would be the very midnight or the New Year’s eve. The candles should be arranged from the shortest to the tallest after putting it out. The shortest candle with its corresponding symbol represents the greatest blessing that the New Year will bring to the person who lit them followed by the rest of the candles and their symbols in succession.

RED – for LIFE

BLUE – for PEACE

YELLOW – for Good Spirit

VIOLET – for Material Wealth

GREEN – for Money

PINK – for LOVE and HEALTH

ORANGE – for Brightness

 

Welcoming 2011 last year was my first time to participate Mama’s new ritual to welcome the New Year. I had mixed feelings of believing, hoping and somehow just going with the flow of this activity. Nevertheless, I had fun and enjoyed doing it. When my candles were put out and arranged I had the PINK colored candle as the shortest one. I forgot which candle followed the pink one. As a matter of fact, I forgot the arrangement and was just happy with the result of what came out of the shortest candle.

For year 2011, Woody and I got married and became man and wife officially last February of 2011. With that alone, the PINK candle made its point already. Despite having a long-distance kind of relationship, I know I am very much in-love and will always be. Health wise, my family and I had a very healthy year 2011. This marriage has made me feel happy, happier and happiest.

Last Christmas, my Mother gave me another set of New Year Candles. She put it on my stocking and like a little girl, I giggled and got excited to do the activity that comes with it.

At exactly thirty minutes before 2012 came in, I lit all the candles. Together with the blasting noise of fire crackers and the colorful fireworks in the sky from the neighborhood, my New Year Candles gave a beautiful glow as bright flames burns it’s way for the entire thirty minutes.

(My New Year Candles 2012)

See what abundant blessing will I get for 2012? You got it! PINK candle still comes the shortest and so my 2012 will be full of LOVE and GOOD HEALTH  once again and for always!

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Welcome 2012

 

I admit, I was in an “AWOL” state on blogs for the past few weeks. The Holidays just occupied all my time that I left my laptop unattended. As of this moment, I decided to spend the last 30minutes of year 2011 to write this short post to welcome the New Year 2012. Among other resolutions, which I chose to keep to  myself rather than share, I will try to dedicate more time and effort to writing blogs not because it has become an outlet but rather it has been so fun.

From yours truly and my beloved family,

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

Philippines!

and

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

WORLD!

a mother’s fave kind of “ME” time

After months and so, I was able to visit a favorite establishment and have a “ME” time. Tony and Jackey Korean Hair Experts has become my favorite hair stylist for over a year now. They were  kind, polite  and the most accommodating professionals  responsible for my pretty locks via digital perm last February 2011. Yesterday, I had the usual hair rebonding service and as always, I love the results.

Photos  last February 2011: With my “goldi-curly-locks” by Tony And Jackey Korean Hair Stylist

Now, with my newly straight-rebonded hair, I am so ready for all the dazzling, fun and  exciting marathon holiday parties this Christmas season will take me!

Who says a stay-at-home mother like me can’t have my favorite kind of “ME” time. I have my very own mother to thank to though, for watching over my children while I have my precious pamper-myself-day. I thank all the staff and hair stylist at Tony and Jackey Korean Hair Experts for never-failing to give me a very excellent service each and every time!

Package Delivery

 

For over a month, I wasn’t able to go to Davao City, my schedule was just fully booked to do that hour or so bus ride. Feeling anxious to get my hands on those books I wanted from the favorite bookstore, which I wasn’t able to do too not unless I will go to Davao City, I kept myself busy with the computer. I discovered National Bookstore Online and Fully Booked Online. Two of the biggest and most visited bookstores in the country. I was like, “ How come I didn’t know this site existed?” Excited by the newly discovered convenience in book shopping, it made me even happier because the online shopping is powered by myregalo.com- it’s like the Amazon for the Philippines and in addition, they accept Gcash and Smart Money as a mode of payment aside from the well- known credit card charging or ATM card debit. You’ve just got to love www.myregalo.com. To make the long story short, I got this on the mail today delivered by 2GO courier service! Yeheey!

My week started good I can say hoping all goes well for the days ahead. Christmas indeed is for children young and old, specially if older children(like myself?) would get packages like this on the mail even though they got it for themselves!

Happy Reading!

The Little Me

BOOKWORM, one of the many characteristics that I possess. I started reading books when I was young and obviously it is a vice, an addiction that is hard to give up and yet a contagious one. I started wearing spectacles when I was barely a decade alive in this world. It was long long long time ago that I can’t remember anymore what I was feeling when it started. All I can remember was, wearing a pair of spectacles didn’t stop me from reading and burying my face on books that caught my interest. Like the rest of the booklovers in the world, I had my share of collections. I was a great fan of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys and I admit, that I am still today.

My six-year old daughter learned how to read a year ago. This year, her reading improved from three-letter words to eight and even up to ten letter words. She is now interested in finding the meaning of the words new to her and asks about getting a dictionary of her own. I am glad that my children shared this passion in reading with me. Like most parents, I know that learning through reading will lead them a long way of discovery in life. Books are among the things my kids and I never argue about, except when I find my daughter reading under the covers, in the dark with a flashlight!

**Picture from the web

I was furious and somewhat panicked. Growing up, I was told by folks that I acquired my poor eyesight from reading in bed with a flashlight. They said, have I listened then, I would still have a 20/20 vision. I actually don’t know how this reasoning is reliable as the cause of vision defect but in a way I believe in it. I don’t have my own room when I was little, thus resulting to me sneaking under the covers and reading with a flashlight. The mere beams coming from the light gave me a security that folk’s attention won’t be aroused while I let myself catch up with my favorite fictional characters, from girl detectives, boy wizards, talking animals and the popular twins of Sweet Valley. Unfortunately, I wasn’t too good with this activity because I get carried away with the stories I was reading and will be unaware of my present surroundings. Before I knew it, I am already caught by snooping folks and would have to listen to a lecture just because of being up late and ominous warnings of ruining my eyes or getting blind when I already had the eye glasses.

To find my daughter doing the same thing is like watching myself years ago. Just like my folks then, I started with the lectures of her staying past her bed time and warnings of getting her eyes ruined. Unlike me before, she reasons out that she has to read to be able to sleep or other childish stubborn reasons like- what’s the purpose of her learning to read if I am not allowing her to if she feels like it. Reasons like this would just make me more of an enemy of the idea that a supportive parent who should be praising the child for her diligent reading habit.

Last night, I caught her again and her reasoning this time left me asking myself. According to her, how come the characters on the book were reading using candle lights only. She even added that once, she read about the people using candles and torches as their lighting device before the electricity was discovered and everybody seem to die still having their vision unlike what I am telling her about becoming blind. I know I am exaggerating, but being in the medical profession prior to stay-at-home mother, I am aware that the idea of reading in dim lights ruins eyesight is among the famous medical myths that doctors and other medical professionals believed and are most likely discourage and advises the patient against doing so. It causes eye strain leading things to one another and ends up on a damaged eyesight.

I can tell I will have a hard time making my daughter stop dim-light reading. After all, my mother couldn’t stop me back then, besides, even if I have to let her read past  bed time and allow her to have the lights on, the thrill of  having a book read under a flashlight is just different. My daughter, she is The Little Me, not just in looks but in habits too.

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Chicken Soup for the Soul – POWER Moms

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms: 101 Stories Celebrating the Power of Choice for Stay at Home and Work from Home Moms by Jack Canfield

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I left Saudi Arabia eighteen months ago and ended my contract as a Medical Laboratory Science Officer in a Blood Bank Department in one of the largest military hospital in the country, I took with me a hard to refuse job on process opportunity in UAE. I had in mind that a pause on my career is temporary and I will be back on track in no time. When the confirmation of the job offer came, I was so excited and confused. I delayed my replies to the HR department of that particular hospital of my UAE job opportunity. I had second thoughts to leave my children for the second time. In addition to that decision factor, I have personal priorities to settle. To make the long story short, I declined and retract my application. The HR department wants to know why I was willing to quit after I have gone as far as I had with the application process. I told them I have personal matters to attend to which need my presence. They offered a time frame for they are willing to wait up to the given point so I can settle my personal matters and for them to prepare my working visa. Against my will but in favor of my family’s priorities, I humbly said, THANKS, but NO Thanks.

I admit that I was in a state of depression having to turn my back on a job that I so love and I know I am good at. I often wake up in the middle of the night having bad dreams about my job calling for me. It was a hard decision to make and a sad one at my end but it was the right choice and something I will never regret. Having mixed feelings about the situation, I purchased this book Chicken Soup for the Soul- Power Moms. Like I have said on a blog I wrote months ago, it is very inspirational and helpful. It talks about women, mothers and wives like me who in one way or another have made a hard decision in favor of their beloved family and putting aside their own feelings. Slowly, I began to get-over the idea of my situation as a stay-at-home mother and manage to find ways of enjoying and loving to become one. The book gave me motivation and made me see my worth aside from being a woman of a highly demanding medical profession. It inspires me to be at my best just like the women who shared their stories on this book. A self-help tool that is very effective and deserves a five-star rating.

Happy Reading!

View all my reviews

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to love each other or perish…

 

I bought the book 3rd January of this year. I read it twice already. Two days ago, I picked it up from my book shelf and without hesitation started reading it once again…. for the third time.

TUESDAYS with MORRIE

by: Mitch Albom

category: Autobiography – Memoir

published by: Anchor Books, a division of Random House,Inc. NY

Copyright 1997 by Mitch Albom

I don’t know why I don’t get tired reading this book along with other books from the same author, Mitch Albom. I even have a favorite chapter, it is The Fifth Tuesday, We Talk About Family . I was taken back to the familiar pages and favorite lines which I took effort underlining it with my pen and putting markers. I always do this on books that I learn to love specially the inspirational ones and Tuesdays with Morrie is no exception. It talks about people, their life and how well they live it. It talks about good examples and its fruits, it narrates bad examples as well and its effects. Tuesdays with Morrie made me realize and value more the blessing of having a family and belonging to one as much I have before. Since this is the third time, I come up with a list. If Mitch Albom has a list of topics he wished to talk about with Morrie, I made one too of the my favorite lines that I learned to memorize by heart.

1. Learn how to die, so you learn how to live.

Easier said. Because I’m not so sure If I want to learn how to die…not yet at least.

2. Learn to detach.

Morrie made it sound easy, what he meant really  was one should learn how to recognize emotions so one will know how to deal with it.

3. Family is all about Spiritual Security. No one else will give you that, not money, not fame, not work.

Exactly! I will do my best not to take my family for granted for no one will ever watch my back and would never leave. I just home someone will come around and realize this too.

4. Love each other or perish.

The line I like the most.   As Morrie emphasized, without love we are like birds with broken feathers.

It was late and I was already in bed with my book lamp when I finished reading. Like the first and second time, it made me cry…still. I know someday, I will feel the desire to read this book once again and as always I will enjoy it.

—————————-

“Do the kind of things that comes from the heart. When you do, you won’t be dissatisfied, you won’t be envious, you won’t be longing for somebody else’s things”

- Morrie Schwartz

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Man and Woman

 

This could mean the other way around but I like it this way. I always go for GIRL POWER!

Every feminist would definitely agree to this. Knowing how male ego runs though, they would see this the other way around:

one can never be a FEMALE without a MALE

one will never become a MRS without a MR

one can never be a SHE without HE

and a WOMAN can never be without a MAN.

Then would come along the debate on who can’t live without who. Whatever way the individual sees it is what counts I guess. Bottom line is, man and woman are equal. Gone were the days of male chivalry and superiority. I don’t disregard though the fact that in a household, a man is considered the head of the family, but then again, I find this ironic when the woman in the family is the bread winner , right? Man and woman…. they are for each other, period.

“Sure God created man before woman, but then again you always make a rough draft before creating the final masterpiece.”

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Quote courtesy of Auntie Nerie Magno’s FaceBook wall. “Thanks for posting Auntie, it gave me an idea.”

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Daddy (a repost)

 

I saw this posted on my friend, Jack Aguilar Ocampo’s  FaceBook wall:

I salute you Mr. Romeo “Papa Meyok” Cantarona, forever I will be grateful to you and Auntie Flor for raising my children during my absence and treating them as your own. You have provided them the picture of a family with my dear cousins Gerald and Jessamae, not only by taking them in your humble home but also by showering them with love.

My dear husband ,  Wilmer Woods….no words can ever express how my kids and I are so lucky. For giving us all you have and for sharing your life with us as your family. For showing me that it doesn’t take blood line to become a family, neither race or nationality. For all your love, and all the love I can give in return. All my life…..

What’s Your Number???

What’s Your Number tie-in: A Novel by Karyn Bosnak

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Its Funny and entertaining. It’s definitely suited to become a chick-flick. When one wishes to relax, this book will do the part for you. When I bought the book , I told my self  I  have to read it first before I will watch the film which was currently showing that week…. well, aside from the film showing was long over for a week now in cinemas, I don’t think I will watch it anymore.. but then again, I would still love to see the film if it’s on HBO, or Cinemax or FOX movies one of these days. One thing tho.. it will help women realize that a man can definitely be good in bed but totally suck in dealing with reality in life. It is true that when it comes to matters of the heart , numbers will tell only fraction of the story.

View all my reviews