LAUNDRY

Laundry time is not always fun for me. I used to wash clothes with my bare hands with the aid of my washing paraphernalias - a big basin, a netbag scrub, Ariel or Tide powder or Speed bar (when i'm on a tight budget) and Perla bar for the whites.
When I arrived in the USA, washer and dryer became my new best friends. The push button capabilities made my life easier. We used to live in an apartment complex and we wash our clothes in a laundromat. It is necessary to have extra cash to do the laundry each week so when my husband and I hit a financial low, I decided to hand wash our clothes. 
Hand washing is a walk in the park. NO! A standard american bathroom is not a perfect place to do "labadami". There is not enough space for a big basin, no space to sit, among other challenges. For the longest time I could not find a basin big enough to soak our clothes in so the tub did the job for me. 

Thankfully, we were able to buy a square container that is deep and wide enough to use as wash basin. I was able to lessen laundry load by washing one article of clothing at a time. Jeans were the most difficult to wash as I just didnt have enough space to spread them on for a good brushing. Drying is done hanging the clothes in front of a blowing electric fan. This process presents a bigger challenge since we were not allowed to hang any clothing outside. 

The task may be daunting and challenging by my efforts paid off and we saved a few bucks :)

Pregnancy and Miscarriage 1.0

October 18, 2008 one day before my birthday, I found out I was pregnant! Tears of joy, excitement, fear, and worry flooded my eyes. I was so humbled by the thought that there was a baby growing inside of me. Worried thoughts of how will we raise the child, are we ready to become parents, what will the baby look like, all thoughts entered my mind all at once. For the next few days, all i talk about are about babies, my plans for her/him, activities we will do together as family, etc. The joy of having a baby overwhelmed our worry and fear of our financial situation. We prayed hard for a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Then four days later, I started to bleed and have abdominal cramps, my husband rushed me to the Emergency Room. After waiting for almost 4 hours in the ER, we were seen by a doctor and after a series of tests they told me something is very wrong. Based on my cycle, I was already 6 weeks pregnant but my blood HCG level is just on the early pregnancy range and they didnt see anything in the ultrasound.

With heavy hearts we went back home and then my abdominal cramps heightened, and I passed out a big glob of meaty tissue and clotted blood. I stared at it in silence and grief while hot tears streamed from my eyes. For two days I stayed in bed. The abdominal cramps was too painful it took my breath away. We went back to the hospital and test results showed that I am not pregnant anymore and that it was a complete miscarriage.

For a moment I want to think It was God's plan, But God doesn't plan to kill people. Deaths, miscarriages, illnesses and all other bad things are the result of sin in general. Losing my unborn baby is painful, how much more painful it was for God the Father to see His son suffered on the cross for humanity.

I am doing fine now, the cramps and bleeding were gone. But the joy that i once felt to be given such wonderful gift and the pain of losing it, still remains in my heart and reminds me that no matter what we go through in life, there is a God who understands our joys and pains because he experienced it

My Birthday

Today I turned twenty seven. To my ears, the sound of that number means maturity, adulthood, seriousness in all life's aspect but my heart is shouting I am still a child. A lot of things happened this year: I got married, relocated to the US, resigned from my 4 year job, and I was given a very special gift that I will write about next time.

I am thankful for today 

and for many other things:

I thank God for the warm rays of the sunrise
and the beautiful glow of the sunset.
For the birds, for the flowers, for the trees and the fruits,
For the air and water, shelter and food.
I thank God for my husband, my family and friends.
Thank you Lord for the 27 colorful years, You always stayed
and will always stay beside me.

Autumn Experience

The trees around me burst into colorful flames of yellow, red, purple, orange, brown, pink, etc. This is my first autumn and I love it. This pageantry of colors is such a pleasant scene to behold.
But why do the leaves change color in this part of the world? So i reviewed my science books and searched the internet and found amazing facts about trees and what makes autumn so beautiful.

COLORS OF LEAVES
Leaves are green because of the presence of CHLOROPHYLL. Chlorophyll is the molecule that absorbs sunlight and uses its energy to synthesize carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water.
Some leaves also has CAROTENOIDS and ANTHOCYANINS but they are masked with the green coloration of the chloropyll.

CAROTENOIDS - produces yellow, orange and brown colors to leaves and fruits
ANTHOCYANINS - gives red color to leaves

WHY THEY CHANGE COLORS
Sunlight regulates the production of chlorophyll.
As the Earth rotates on it's tilted axis around the sun, different parts of the Earth receive higher and lower levels of radiant energy. This creates the seasons. In the tropics the sun doesn't shift up and down in the sky as much. This means that the length of day temperature doesn't vary as much. So countries near the equator only have two seasons - rainy and dry. That explains why trees there bear green leaves all year long - well, except when the leaves die they turn brown.

During autumn, the north pole moves away from the Sun. The Sun rises lower in the sky so the days continue getting shorter and temperature drops. (This happens in temperate regions like North America). The lower temperature and fewer hours of sunlight signal the tree to go into storage mode for the winter. The chlorophyll now starts to break down, causing the green in the leaves to disappear - allowing the carotenoids which was hidden due to the presence of chlorophyll to show through.

The range and intensity of autumn colors is greatly influenced by the weather. Low temperatures destroy chlorophyll, and if they stay above freezing, promote the formation of anthocyanins. Bright sunshine also destroys chlorophyll and enhances anthocyanin production. Dry weather, by increasing sugar concentration in sap, also increases the amount of anthocyanin - thus the red color of leaves we see.


References:
http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/CHEMWEEK/fallcolr/fallcolr.html
http://chemistry.about.com/od/howthingsworkfaqs/f/fallleafcolor.htm
http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/leaves.html

Miracle in a Trash Can

This week was a hard week for me and my husband. Our household economics has gone out of balance - too many bills to pay, too little funds. I searched my wallet for money we can use in the laundry mat, but instead of dollars, I found pesos - then I remembered a heartwarming experience of God's love and care. . .

Although they had a hard time making ends meet, my parents managed to send me to a christian boarding school (South Philippine Adventist College Academy). On my part, I had to budget every peso in order to survive. One day, broke and out of monthly meal ticket, too embarrassed to tell my room mates that I ran out of meal ticket - again, too afraid to get another meal ticket as it means new fees to pay for, I went to class with an empty stomach. Silently, I prayed for a miracle as my stomach growled louder and louder I was sure the teacher heard it. My school had "work education units", meaning, on a certain day, each week, we spent few minutes of "work". I raked leaved and carried them to the trash cans when I saw a brown paper inside the bin. My heart skipped because it was not an ordinary paper - It was a ten peso bill! I told the teacher I found a bill and she put it on the lost and found. At the class period's end, nobody claimed the money so it was mine, that noon, I had a meal of steamy hot noodles. Then I went to college, and God was there with me every step of the way, He sent help in form of friends, a twenty peso bill on my doorstep, and even helped me graduate even though my college fees were not paid yet.

In life, trials and struggles are inevitable but we have a God who cares. He knows our sorrows and troubles. God helped and provided for me in the past and I know that My Heavenly Father will take care of His children who trust in Him.

All things work for our good

though sometimes we don’t see how they could.

Struggles have break our hearts in two

sometimes blinded to the truth.

Our Father knows what is best for us,

his ways are not our own.

So when your pathway grows dim

and you just don’t see him
remember your never alone.

God is too wise to be mistaken

God is too good to be unkind.
So when you don’t understand

when you don’t see his plan

when you can’t trace his hand

trust his heart.

One Brave Little Angel

This morning, I experienced grief, sadness, loss, and inspiration. All these from a story of a family and their darling little boy who caused me to cry for a long time. His story reminded me that life is so precious, every moment we spend with our loved ones must be cherished. It's a story of a boy who at 2 years old became paralyzed, blind and mute because of the KRABBE DISEASE. His joyful and contented spirit reminded me that the trials and difficulties in life could not take away what is in our hearts, those things cannot take away the smile and laughter if we have God in our hearts. Even in his painful situation, he still continue to bring life and love to everyone around him. The little boy only lived less than 3 years but the life he lived will surely be remembered by everyone who knew him. In fact it is true that it is not the quantity of life we live that counts but the quality of life we lived. I hope you will find inspiration and learn to trust God like his parents did as you read about his story and see his videos.

This is Judson's youtube video

THE STORY OF JUDSON

God bless all the children.

RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL

Shining, shimmering, splendid were the words to describe my weekend. (grin). My husband brought me to his favorite festival - The Renaissance Festival in Kansas City, KS. It's like being back to the period of kings, queens, pirates, elves, etc.

I went to London to visit the Queen!

Even the dogs are dressed for the festival

Fair Ladies

The damsels in distress

I finally met Captain Jack Sparrow!

Nose Bleed

Ber months are here. It means cooler breezes and nosebleeds. Last night my nose bled and it scared hubby so much. (poor hubby). So why does we get nose bleeds? Nosebleeds happen due to many reasons and one of them is too much dry heat or cold.

Nosebleeds can occur spontaneously when the nasal membranes dry out and crack. This is common in dry climates, or during the winter months when the air is dry and warm from household heaters.(http://www.medicinenet.com/nosebleed/article.html)

My friends told me that an air humidifier or a nasal spray will help a lot as it helps moisten the air we breathe. In substitute for a real air humidifier, the mist from a boiling pot of water can also help moisten the air thus help lessen the nasal membrane irritation and nose bleeding.

Stolen Purse

On my first few months here in USA a terrible experience happen. Last week, my husband and I stopped by to pick up a friend from her house. We left the car running (and stupidly my purse too) as we were in a hurry. We were not gone for even 1 minute and when we return to the car - my purse was missing! Thankfully, my passports and other important documents or cards were not in it, only some girl 's stuff and souvenirs from Philippines. There are always bad people anywhere in the world sometimes we grew too trusting we forget that these people exist. Here are some reminders i got from a website about crime prevention.

• Make sure that all of the car doors are locked whenever you leave your vehicle.
• Always lock the doors and leave the windows rolled up.
• Never leave purses or anything valuable in the car or or keep it from full view.

My stolen purse is a gift from my mother and I feel so bad losing it. I feel that they also stole the memories attached to the purse. I am still hoping that one day I will find the purse in the dumpster somewhere, In the meantime, I am just thankful that nothing important was stolen, the car was not stolen and no body got hurt. We learned our lesson well and next time no matter how quick we will be out, we will always lock our car door.

Bargain Shopping

I am a cheapskate and I love to shop. Who doesn't? I love shopping for the most affordable and  quality stuff. I love clearance sale, I love 90% discounts, I love renovation sale, midnight sale and all other price off sales :)





Thought I would never find sale galore here in USA - until last sunday
when we went to TJ-MAXX.

I got a Guess Little Black Dress for $3,
A knitted top for $3 and a pair of jeans for $1!!!

It is important how to handle money wisely. People can wear the most expensive clothes and still look crap. It all boils down to style - how to carry one's self. Fashion like all other commodities in life, need not be expensive :)

Nelson-Atkins Museum

Last Friday, Shaun and I visited Nelson Art Museum in KC. We had a great time looking at the giant Buddhas from Thailand, sculptures from Egypt and Rome and Italy, paintings of known and unknown artists, and other stuffs under the name of art. It was a memorable experience but the most memorable of all - is our dinner in the Italian-inspired restaurant inside the museum. The ambiance, the smell of food, the lighting and the water fountain was so perfect we thought for a moment we were in Italy. 
There is one thing there though that Shaun and I love - the beef noodle vegetable soup. We love it so much that we plan to go there every Friday now :)

My San San

Fleas jumped in and out of her fur as the lady handed her to me.  

She was a chubby, black ball of fur, white furs wrapped her dainty little feet like socks. I knew i was in love the first time I laid my eyes on her.

She was a month-old baby owned by an old lady who lived near my grandma's house. The lady wanted to give her to grandma to look after her garden. But for 100 pesos i got her for myself. I paid 350 pesos just to transport her on the ferry from my grandma's to my own place in another island. I named her sansan. 

My family loves her as much as I do. I remember my sister staying late at night to tend for sansan while she was whining due to painful vaccination. I remember walking with her on the cool dewy mornings and hot summer nights chasing big dogs. Some people said she is an ugly mutt, but for me she is the most beautiful puppy - because i bought her with my own money, we spent lots of time together, we are the best of friends.

One year passed, then the time came for me to leave her. I have to go to the USA to be with my sweetheart. Leaving sansan is the last thing I want to do. I cried so many tears thinking about me leaving her. I gathered my luggage and said my byebye to everyone except sansan. She crawled under the bed and curled her legs when I tried to reach out for her. It broke my heart as much as it broke hers. Tears were streaming down my face as I knelt n front of the bed looking at sansan and saying my goodbye to her. I told her to eat well, to take care of her future puppies and that she will always be my sansan bop. She looked back at me as if to say she
understands. Then i got up and left. Just before I went out of our door, i felt a nudge on my legs - there was my beloved sansan giving one wet nose kiss and I know she will be waiting for me until I see her again.

Are You Blessed

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness,
you are more blessed than the million who won't survive the week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle,

the loneliness of imprisonment,
the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation,

you are ahead of 20 million people around the world.

If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment,
arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than almost
three billion people in the world.

If you have food in your refrigerator,

clothes on your back, a roof over
your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change
in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still married and alive, you are very rare,
especially in the United States.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful,
you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand,

hug them or even touch them on the shoulder,
you are blessed because you can offer God's healing touch.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over
two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.

You are so blessed in ways
you may never even know.

-author unkown-

The Music Man

Last Sunday, August 03, 2008, Rose - a very nice lady friend of my hubby invited me to watch a musical - The Music Man at the Starlight theater in KS (my first time to watch a musical show)

It was a melting temperature I have to fan my legs to keep them warm! The music were wonderful but it makes me miss home and my own country's wonderful songs too. When the Old Barber's Choir sang the Star Spangled Banner - my first time to hear the USA national anthem being sang live and saw the US flag on the display screen, it finally dawned on me that I am here in the US soil.

Rose and Eugene Rose

Starlight Theater