New Year's Resolution

Do you have any new year's resolution this year? I do. (smile) I used to have resolutions like to exercise, to study hard, to be more friendly and nice (it's not that I am not friendly and nice).

So here goes my little new year's resolution.

not to be too argumentative with my husband (too often I am right) hehehe
smile often
have more patience (i want to be patient - NOW)
shed off some baby fats ( they dont have a variety of veges here)
be early for the Sabbath School
learn to like the cat that Shaun adopted
be a better person and rise above my common self

May we all be blessed with patience and endurance to carry through our resolutions. Have a great New Year Everyone!

How was the year 2008 been to you?
Was it a bad or a good year?
Have you been a better person this year or became worse?
My 2008 is a memorable year.
It is a year of change, adjustment and one heck of a roller coaster ride. Relocation to a new country, marriage, marriage bliss, marriage woes, unemployment, bills, pregnancy, miscarriage - It all happened this year and I felt like I became 100 years older overnight.

Like the past years, this year has taught me life lesson. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, things wont come out the way we plan it. Shaun and I had plans and our plans didn't get through so the best thing to do was to get over it and to move on. I also learned new appreciation to my country and work when I was already thousands of miles away.

I cried buckets this year but I also had my share of laughters and smiles. Loads of trials came my way but bountiful blessings were showered too. Through it all, the Lord never left me. He has been my comfort and guide this 2008. I thank Him for my husband, for my family back home, for blessing me with friends, my sansan, for shelter, for food, for health, for forgiveness, for Salvation and for love.

Overall, I think I am a better person now, some of my experiences were frustrating and sometimes I feel like giving up but I also believe that it is the darkest before the dawn. The next year will be better.

Best Server. Ever!

I know some people who go to their day to day job bored and tired, their job is a burden for them. I also know some people who find their job inspiring and fun regardless of the salary.

The day after Christmas, hubby and I stopped at Bob Evan's for dinner. There we met a bubbly, friendly, smiling waitress. Her personality is contagious I felt embarrassed for not smiling enough. We told her we were on a budget and she offered us the saver's menu for the ages 55 above! We got our food in less than 10 minutes and our waitress checked on us every time to give us more rolls. We enjoyed a sumptuous meal for a lesser price and a free chitchat with our waitress.

Our world would be a better place if we put our hearts in what we do. An old proverb says "If a work is worth doing, it is worth doing well". When work becomes fun - people can serve better, quality is made better and satisfaction is always guaranteed.

Be it as a surgeon or a garbage collector -

“A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist”

Happy Holidays

How did you spend your Christmas holiday? My Christmas eve started bad since hubby and I had an argument but it turned out good before the night ended. We went to see the lights in downtown plaza. We were surprised to see a lot of people walking around the plaza enjoying the
lights!

On Christmas morning we shared a family meal together with Shaun's brothers and mom and step dad at his mom's house.

And oh, I got Christmas presents...two pair of boots from our friend Mamie!

It's Christmas !!!

This very moment, while I am sitting in front of the computer suffering from dry air and cold, my fellow men back home is celebrating Christmas with fireworks. Sometimes loneliness hit me with much pain and I tend to wallow in self pity as I ask my self what am I doing in this cold and lonely place. But then again I think of the real reason of the season - it is the birth of Jesus. So no matter where we are in the world, Christmas is Christmas because Jesus was born!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!

My Christmas List

It's my first Christmas here in USA. . . what better way to start it than posting my Christmas wish list. Remember the time you make a christmas list with the hope that each every wish in the list will come true? I remember my excitement when i opened my christmas present to see the school bag i wished for. This Christmas, this is my wish list.

A stronger relationship with God
A healthy and happy marriage
To be together with my whole family back in Philippines someday
A fulfilling career in my chosen field
A Job
A Job
A Job
To make a difference, one life at a time
Food for all the hungry
Shelter for the homeless
Education for everyone
No more bullies and underdogs
Cheap but quality products in the store
To see my sansan again
To be able to have a mini-me in the future

And above all, I wish that love and peace will abound in the whole world even for just a while.

Missing Philippine Christmas

Philippine Christmas is like no other. Even in the midst of financial crisis or natural disaster Filipinos were still able to find ways how to celebrate Christmas with cheer. The Christmas decorations need not be luxurious too. When I was younger, my Mother made a Christmas tree by coating a dead branch with white soap flakes that looked like icing! You will know it's Christmas when the wind starts to blow a lot cooler, when the vendors start displaying their lanterns on the side walks, children start making star lantern or parol from bamboo, and in some places, the local government puts up giant christmas trees for everyone to enjoy, some people put up the nativity scene made of corn husk and other indigenous products, and of course - you will know it's christmas when you hear the sounds of christmas. . . the ageless christmas songs on the radio like "pasko na naman", "himig pasko" among others, and the sound of the christmas carolers. Truly, there's no Christmas like pinas krismas.

Christ and Santa Claus

Christmas is here once again but it seems that the world has forgotten what Christmas is all about - and the world has seemed to replaced the reason of the season. Santa Claus and his elves and reindeer became the center of the season. Christ was placed somewhere else. To the younger generation christmas is a a time they get lots of gifts, candy and see santa claus. But Christmas is not all about Santa Claus - It is about the birth of Jesus and Jesus is the reason why we have Christmas. I found this little note about Santa and Jesus online. I do not know who wrote it but I want to share it.

Santa lives at the North Pole.
Jesus is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh.Jesus rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year.Jesus is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies.Jesus supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited.
Jesus stands at your door and knocks, and enters your heart.
You have to wait in line to see Santa.Jesus is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap.Jesus lets you rest in His Arms.
Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is
"Hi, little boy or girl, what's your name?"
Jesus knew our name before we did.
Not only does He know our name,
He knows our history and future,
and He even knows our hearts and
how many hairs are on our heads.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly.JESUS has a heart full of love, grace, mercy and forgiveness.
All Santa can offer is HO HO HO .JESUS says, "Cast your cares on me for I care for you."
Santa may make you chuckle but.
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree.JESUS became our gift and died on the tree, For you and me.
It's obvious there is really no comparison.
We need to remember, WHO Christmas is all about.

We need to put Christ back in Christmas,
JESUS is still the reason for the season.
Yes, JESUS is better, He is even better than Santa Claus.
Merry CHRISTmas

Static Shock

Static electricity shocks -I am so sick and tired of it. My clothes cling to my skin like I'm a big chunk of magnet, my hair stands up when I brush them, Touching the doorknobs give me the shocks, and even touching or kissing my husband is giving me static electric shock.

So what is this static shock thing and why this thing happens? I remember my highschool teacher illustrate static electricity with a comb and shredded paper.

My friend google has this explanation:

Seventy percent of the human body is water and that makes us a walking conductors continuously conducting charges while performing normal activities.
The build-up of these charges in our body increases when air is dry and arid like in winter. The low level of moisture in the air and the dryness of skin does not provide much oppurtunity for the electrons gathered in the body to dissipate quickly and easily.
When a person comes in contact with a conductor like metals, the charge in the person's body gets transfered to the metal rapidly resulting in a static shock.

SOURCE

HOW TO LESSEN CHANCES OF SHOCKS

1. Humidify the air

2. Moisturize your body (lotions galore)

3. Walk barefoot or cover your foot with foil - what??? see source

4. Carry a coin or metal to use to touch grounded metal objects.

5. Use fabric softener on clothes.

6. Use clothing made of cotton or wool.

Black Friday

One of my many "firsts" experiences here in USA is the black Friday shopping. My friend Amy and I left home at four o'clock in the morning..yes 4am to beat the crowd in WALMART. There was a long long line of people wanting to grab one of the mammoth sized plasma tv on sale. Consumerism is rooted deep into the veins of those people I am sure. They do not NEED those plasma tv but they have to have it because their friends has it and they really wanted it. I am thinking what they will do with their old tvs - maybe sell it on a garage sale next spring.
Back to my black friday shopping - I got a vaccuum cleaner (our first brand new one). We were lucky to get out of walmart early and we hit KOHLS next but the queue to the check out counter is so unimaginably long we left without buying anything. Then we stopped at JC penny's and got some tights and winter gloves for me and shirts for Shaun. At 9 am, after five hours of roaming around, we were ready to go home and sleep. There's no guilt feeling for this shopping because we got what we NEED and not what we WANT.

My First Snow

Yesterday the snow poured, they covered the tree branches, the cars, roofs, ground, grasses, everywhere. The snow covered most of the things outside with a cold blanket of white. It's like waking up to winter wonderland :):) They were exactly what I was thinking about - just like the frost on the refrigerator roof.

My First Snow Ball

Nasty weather outside

They look like icicles found in the refrigerator "roof"