7th

Today is her 7th birthday!

I was called by the teacher from school yesterday to come pick her up as she was having fever. The weather isn’t very friendly for the past few days so I thought she was just reacting to it. Today, she turned 7 years old and both of us stayed in bed as I have to be with her. She asked for a cake and I can’t even leave the house to get one. She wants ice cream and she doesn’t even want me going anywhere except where she is at. Yes, she is definitely not feeling well. When my mom came home from school, I sent her to get the goodies she requested and we had a mini celebration.

Happy Birthday sweetheart! I love you so so much! My baby is now becoming a young lady!

DAD’s Day with Goldilocks!!!

HAPPY FATHER’s DAY

celebrating Dad’s day with Goldilocks’s chocolate pops

My father passed away when I was barely two years old. Through out the years I celebrated Father’s day greeting my uncles who has been the closest father figures I could ever have. I never had a “first nor last dance with  my father” , and I know I can never have one. My father-in-law passed away also long before I ever got the chance to meet him. Any man can get a woman pregnant and have a child but it takes someone special to become a Dad, a Father, a Tatay, a Papa, a Baba. My children’s biological father had parted his way and has a separate life from us long before my children can greet him a “Happy Father’s day”. While I was working overseas, my children grew up with my aunt and his husband who showered my children with unconditional love and care which they badly needed during the first years of their life. With that, I am forever thankful to you Uncle Romeo “Papa Meyok” Cantarona. The words “so much” can’t describe how I owe you.

I finally found someone who knocks me off my feet who dreamt  and longs for a family just as much as my children and I do. The man who accepted me for who I am and for what I have and became my children’s best Daddy. To you my dear WCW, We love you so so much!

Happy Happy Father’s Day Papa Meyok!

Happy Happy Father’s Day Daddy Mer!

We love you both so so much. And to all the daddies in the world, greetings from us!

in a month

 

It has been a month since the last post and with this new entry, I am officially back. What have I been up to for the last few weeks?- a LOT.

If attendance for blog writers is a must, my excuse letter would go— Excuse my absence in the blogosphere due to the following reasons.—

 

- My daughter ranked Fifth Honorable on her Kindergarten Commencement Exercises making me an ultra proud mom and us a super happy parents!

Congratulations my baby Water! Keep up the good work!

- I always believe that chances are given anytime and that it is always never too late for anything and thus—I became a student driver and learned how to drive. My dear husband is my instructor- Right! He’s been told that he is crazy for doing it and not sending me to a driving school instead.

I know that I am a good student but that doesn’t guarantee that I am not allowed to snap at him when I panicked gets frustrated with all the driving instructions and it seems to be like most of the time. Ha! Ha!. I love you WCW, there will be less “tantrums” and I promise to get better behind the wheel. PROMISE!

-  Since kids are off from school and dear husband is home for a short vacation, we treat ourselves to a little outdoor adventure. We went to an old favorite field trip destination when I was small, it is one of Davao City’s landmark – the GAP FARMING. It brought back memories of my excitement as a little girl on a school field trip.  Among all those memories, the most significant was that my 8-year old birthday was celebrated here too.

 

our old photos at GAP FARMING

Latest GAP visit with the famous photo by the giant “KALABAW”

Our little adventure goes a bit extreme too as out highlight for the day became our last stop and that is ZIP LINING with my mom.

 

Extreme Zip Lining experience at Davao’s Zip City

 

- The HOLY WEEK is a significant, traditional and highly religious celebration that is practiced by the entire Roman Catholic population in the country, myself and my family included. As Husband dear’s short vacation is about to end, we offer the entire week to prayers. As the new fire and water continues to light the path of life and shower blessings to my family, we  lift our hands in thanksgiving on Sunday of Easter!

 

In a month of absence from blogosphere, I was able to give the keyboards of my laptop a vacation from my typing fingers. I had a month well spent with family bonding and holidays. I gained weight from all the meals and served food during celebrations and gatherings. I took lots of pictures to add to a fully loaded photo album of stories.

The month is over and everything is back to normal………

JolliBEE in LOVE

 

After swimming lessons this morning, the kids begged for some Jollibee treat. Granting that being so early to be up and about for the day, I haven’t had anything cooked at the house so I gave in. My son ordered his favorite, Jollibee’s ChickenJoy Meal and Burger Steak  for my daughter. Upon paying our orders, the guy handed me a very cute heart-shaped note pad while telling me in his “fastfood crew-fast-manner-of-talking” that for every chicken meal order, comes free Jolly-Love Notes.

Calling in our orders to their kitchen crew he asked me if I liked it. I answered him that I find it cute and I did like it very much. How can I not?? It is free! What is not to like? Right?! Anyways, Stacking up the tray with our food he showed me that there were actually three different designs to choose from. He also offered that he would be glad to change it for me if I decided to choose another design. I opted for the one he handed me the first time and thanked him.

Everyone is soooo in the mood for the big Hearts day already! Little things such as this Jolly-Love Notes will easily get someone who are V-day likers and lovers  hyped up for the occasion. I may be celebrating  Valentines Day away from Husband dear this year but being securely and unconditionally in love with him is more than what gets me to celebrate Valentines day in everyday day of the year!

   

Chinese New Year of the Water Dragon

 

For Chinese, 2012 is the year of Earth Dragon in a Water Element year, therefore they call it the Chinese New Year of the Water Dragon. I admit, I can’t give a very logical explanation with regards to the analysis of Chinese Astrology. As far as I am concerned, my family tree never show a link that would somehow suggest a trace of Chinese ethnicity, however, my mother is fond of Chinese traditional rituals and customs practiced every new year. Most of the time, She doesn’t have a whole bunch of this so-called rituals for good luck but she will always see to it that she has the lucky-charms she thought would be necessary and applicable.

For this year, Mama brought out a Bamboo Designed Table-top water fountain.

FENG SHUI, from the word FENG which means wind and SHUI means water; properly pronounced as “fung-shwaey” or to most Filipinos as “foong-shooey”  is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both heaven (Chinese Astronomy) and Earth to help improve one’s life by receiving the positive element (thanks to Wiki for the description).

Mama has been told that, according to Feng-Shui, water is a symbol of wealth and prosperity and a good use of a fountain is a way of bringing positive energy of the water element to the ones surrounding it. The bamboo or LUCKY BAMBOO as called, is known to be one of the most important Feng-Shui cures and at the same time the most neglected. Bamboo’s vitality and strong growth characteristics together with its ability to live despite being neglected is the factor that this plant is considered lucky. The combination of both water and bamboo together is believed to bring all the positive energy of health, wealth , peace and strength in life.

Forecast for luck and prosperity in life such as what Feng Shui projects may serve as ideas or guides as long as it is use in a good way. For what is worth, I believe that destiny lies in a person’s determination, perseverance, strong will for hard-work and positive outlook together with faith are the key to success, prosperity and happiness.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

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!

Star O’ Bright

Christmas is the most globally celebrated festival. The Philippines is known to have the longest celebration ever. Once the “ber” months begin, and yes, that is September, the Christmas season in the Philippines commenced as well. One will start hearing Christmas Songs and famous Christmas carols played on the radio. Malls and department stores will have Christmas displays and for some Filipino homes, colorful Christmas lights are lit and decors are neatly placed.

Today is the 1st day of December. To officially start the season of Christmas, I made my first step in ritualizing and perpetuating this occasion. For me there is no meaningful way of doing that other than hanging our home’s Christmas Star for this year.

The star is a very popular symbol for most of the Christians all over the world who commemorate Christmas. The star represents the star of Bethlehem which revealed the birth of Jesus to the wise men and to the shepherds tending their flock. The Christmas star is also known as the symbol of high hopes and joy in which the true meaning of the season brought to us. Being a popular Christmas icon, it is exhibited in many figures and forms. In Filipino culture, it is hanged in front of windows or doors of houses as it is believed to bring hope, guidance and love to the family living in the house just like how it’s brightness guided the three wise men to the little manger where Christ the child was born and this is the very reason why I am hanging our star tonight.  I am embracing the reason for this season by having a bright star at our house not just for a decoration but more for its significance. The star is a favorite Christmas tree topper, an ornament, a greeting card image, and many other representations of the occasion.

Christmas comes but once a year. Amidst the parties, gift-givings, Christmas bonuses and thirteenth-month pays, may we give a little time to ourselves to find peace, love and joy in our hearts and a moment to say our prayer of thanks for the best gift of all and that is the true meaning of Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

In my country Philippines, the month of November’s last Thursday is just an ordinary day. Being a Christian country, predominantly Catholic, the Thanksgiving is usually celebrated during the town fiesta which falls on the feast day of the town’s patron saint or the parish’ patron saint. In my home town Tagum City, we recently celebrated the feast day of Christ the King last Sunday. When I was young, aside from what I am used to with the Catholic’s practice, Thanksgiving Holiday existed only in the books that I’ve read, those books with an American setting. I have read about the bountiful harvest and good results of safe hunting. I have read about traditional and heirloom recipes that were passed from generations to generation. The turkey roasting techniques, the pies to bake, the vegetables and fruits, lots of food on the table, the dinner with the family, the prayer of thanks.

November 2007, four Thanksgiving Holidays ago was supposed to be my first American inspired Thanksgiving. I was at Saudi Arabia working at a military hospital during that time and we were invited to a Thanksgiving celebration sponsored by the US Air Force stationed in the country. I wasn’t expecting for the traditional set up like the ones I read on the books because I know that Saudi has limited resources for anything that has to do with celebration not unless it’s their “kind” of celebration. Least, I was excited for a real turkey meal and mashed potatoes and gravy. Little did I know, this Thanksgiving will change my life.

I had a hectic duty schedule that week, since there was an invitation for a Thanksgiving party, I wrote my name and gate pass number on the list of the people attending. I was thinking, after months of working and living within the walls of the hospital compound, it would be nice to be out for a change. The place is Saudi Arabia, no one is allowed to roam around and go beyond the gates not unless you are riding the provided transportation service or scheduled market day specially for female individuals. After the security protocols at the check point and guard houses (there’s three check points to be exact) we were finally allowed to enter the compound premises where the Americans, the British and the French were accommodated. They have special privilege with regards to housing accommodations compared to a Filipino expats like me.  Inside the compound, the women are allowed to be in their normal clothes and can go around without the abaya.

Myself in an ABAYA and full head cover during my Saudi Arabia time.

Abaya- also known as a Hijab, a customary wear for women in the Islamic country. It is typically made in black cloth worn over the regular clothes to cover the whole body

…………………………………………………….

I was the first one  to get off the bus, an American meet us, he introduced himself as Woody and told us where the food was. We ate of what’s left on the table because the party was already at blast when we arrived. There was loud music and to my amazement there’s booze! I was like “this compound really has the privilege considering that we were in Saudi Arabia!” We enjoyed for a while but then it starts to get boring as the US Air Force guys started the bonfire and were burning stuff for fun. I was sitting on a bench with two other Filipina friends and co-workers watching the guys throwing stuff on the fire when Woody approached us again and asked us if we were having a good time. We were obviously looking bored and he invited us to his own unit or his “fortress” as he called it and by that instant the party was moved to his place. For us, that was when the real party started! While everybody got busy having fun, I sat at the end of the bar  trying to stay away from the booze as possible since I have to go to work the next day. Work means 12-hour shift at the Blood Bank, a busy department in a laboratory. Being the proprietor of the “fortress”, Woody was behind the bar making sure everyone is enjoying  and I was having a conversation with him and other two of his friends. I never thought that it was the start of something new. That Thanksgiving celebration is when I met the love of my life and because of that, Thanksgiving has become one of our favorite holiday every year.

Thanksgiving is a celebration of hearts filled with gratitude. On my end, I am grateful for that day given to me, to us- my husband and I, that our paths have crossed to able to share a lifetime together. The last Thursday of the month of November may still be an ordinary day in the Philippines, but for me every Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated by families, by people loving each other, by hearts filled not just of gratitude but of love. Since then, and every last Thursday of November for the years to come, I always say a prayer of Thanksgiving not only for the bountiful blessings in life, not only for the best of health of my family but also for that particular Thanksgiving day four years ago when I met the person who showed me unconditional love and who showered me with everything that I am forever thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving to each and everyone. May the good Lord bless and keep you and from the bottom of my , I love you WCW.

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