Fun Stuff

Fizzy Fun Canon Rebel 300D

if you love paper like i do

bravery in creativity

cool music

web genius na, super maganda pa!

Sunday Goodies

Canon Rebel 300D

Body Goodie

Mind Goodie

Tummy Goodie

Great finds on a fine and quiet Sunday afternoon break.

The Call

Oona speaking long-distance to Mamagrandma & Papagrandpa



I have heard it all my life,
A voice calling a name I recognized as my own.

Sometimes it comes as a soft-bellied whisper.
Sometimes it holds an edge of urgency.

But always it says: Wake up my love. You are walking asleep.
There's no safety in that!

Remember what you are and let this knowing
take you home to the Beloved with every breath.

Hold tenderly who you are and let a deeper knowing
colour the shape of your humanness.

There is no where to go. What you are looking for is right here.
Open the fist clenched in wanting and see what you already hold in your hand.

There is no waiting for something to happen,
no point in the future to get to.
All you have ever longed for is here in this moment, right now.

You are wearing yourself out with all this searching.
Come home and rest.

How much longer can you live like this?
Your hungry spirit is gaunt, your heart stumbles. All this trying.
Give it up!

Let yourself be one of the God-mad,
faithful only to the Beauty you are.

Let the Lover pull you to your feet and hold you close,
dancing even when fear urges you to sit this one out.

Remember- there is one word you are here to say with your whole being.
When it finds you, give your life to it. Don't be tight-lipped and stingy.

Spend yourself completely on the saying.
Be one word in this great love poem we are writing together.



~ ©Oriah Mountain Dreamer, from the book The Call, Harper Collins, 2003


There are tons of gems on this site.
Go visit and get inspired.

Not-so-desperate housewife

It's easy to get overwhelmed.
Really, it is.

Just one look around the house
Can bring a person to murderous thought
Don't even try to mention the laundry
That would actually bring a person to commit murder
Okay. Okay.
I promise to limit my crimes to swatting flies
And vacuuming bugs

I had to learn it the hard way
Growing up spoiled and all
I tried different things
There's the work-til-you-drop technique
Which only made me, yes, drop
I tried the forget-about-the-work technique
Which only made me think about it more
Because it was staring me in the face all day long

Then there was Fly Lady

Yes, the Fly Lady a.k.a Marla can be bossy
She can be anal-retentive
(What with the lace-up shoes and shiny sink theories)
But, hey, try it before you judge it
It just might be the one for you.

God knows it works for me.

I still have a messy house every now and then.
Okay, more like every now and NOW.
But I know that there's hope.
Because I have actually experienced "flying".
And yes, my sink has shone so bright
I could see my smiling reflection on it

As long as I don't have to do the shoes.

Sweaty feet.

The Power Of Weakness

I am weak.

It's not an easy thing for me to admit.
I grew up thinking that admitting one's weaknesses meant admitting defeat.

So I acted strong.
See, acted.

I just looked it up in the dictionary, too.
And this is what I found:

Act=affectation, attitude, bit, dissimilation, fake, false front, feigning, front, performance...

Shall I continue...

Phony, pose, posture, pretense, put-on, sham, show, stall, stance, stunt, sweet talk...

I think you get the picture.

All I can say to that is this:

Tiring.
And not to mention, downright useless.

So I've decided to stop.
Stop acting strong and simply admit it.
Hard as it may be.
And with confidence, too:

I am weak.

But only because I finally realized where True Strength comes from.

The only power that weakness has over us is the power we give it by fearing it. God promises to strengthen us in our weakness if we trust Him and turn to Him. (Isaiah 41:10...Don't be afraid , for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.) ~ Joyce Meyer, Life In The Word




Some of my energy-boosters Canon Rebel 300D

My Religion

My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.

Albert Einstein
US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

This Mom's Life

Tired?




Stressed?





Me?





NEVER.

I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.

Martha Washington
US wife of George Washington 1759 (1732 - 1802)

Cheerful Cherries...Anyone?

I know two girls who would love some...

And yes, I was thinking of them with every single bite.

And spit of a pit, too.








I miss you so much, Mumzy and Zoegrrrl.

The Mall

There once was a lady
Who sat in a mall
On one lonesome bench
In the midst of a hall




They all passed her by
In one steady flow
In all color, shape, size
They all needed to go




Somewhere here, somewhere there
In their paces it showed
There was no time to spare
In this busy, busy mode




There once was a lady
Who sat in a mall
There she sat, and she sat
And she sat through it all

just because...

just because i love seeing them in my blog.

The Picture Company.
great job, you guys!
keep it up.

oh...and many, many, MANY THANKS to my best galpal:

Tina Asuncion-Alafriz! You rock, you girl. Always in connect.

i should be in bed.

Discovery

Sunrise on my window

Your divine potential is the fullest expression of your spirit; it is discovering the depths of your capacity to create and to express love, compassion, forgiveness, generosity and wisdom. Your divine potential becomes more audible as you release your need to know why things happen as they do. It becomes more perceptible as you decide to look beyond the physical plane of life, past what the Hindus and Buddhists call maya, or illusions. Never revealing its full measure at once, your potential motivates you to discover the greater purpose and meaning of your life. You are not born knowing how great an artist or how powerful a heart or how stalwart a friend you could be in this lifetime. You are not born knowing how deeply you can love and care for another. You have to learn to act with courage, self-confidence, and faith. These are potentials you need to discover within yourself. These are spiritual qualities that must be earned. ~ Carolyn Myss, Sacred Contracts

Thank you, Dr. Myss.

Yumwich a la Les

I did it, Les!

Your chicken sandwich recipe is always a hit with the family.
Nice and simple and fast and delicious.
I added a touch of this and that...
Today I chose to put in some red bell peppers and green apples
(you can add whatever looks like fun ingredients for the moment and it'll still taste good)

Yum, yum, yum!

Jack now requests to always have some ready in the fridge
And Sol can finish two in one sitting - without the crust please.

Thanks so much, my dear, dear MumzyLesluveee, for the ChixSand a la Leslie recipe...

...and the Roast Chicken with Herbs recipe, and the Teriyaki Beef with Sesame Seeds recipe, and the Taco Salad recipe and the Adobo with Coconut Cream recipe...and the list goes on and on which I love!
(I'd be happy to share the recipes if you like them. E-mail me. Part of my gratitude thing for simply being able to cook, finally!:-)

I'm so lucky to have sisters who love to cook and share what they know!

I remember the days of garlic pies, crunchy potatoes and bloody chicken roasts
which I served my poor husband who was then my boyfriend.
It must have been true love for him to have stuck around.
That and a lot of dinners out.
(Thank goodness for CPK!)

But that's another tale for another time. ;-)

Thank you so much, Mumzylove. I miss you...and your cooking, too!

Original Chicken Sandwich a la Mumzy Leslie

in a bowl:(measure according to taste)
chicken breast
onions
celery
eggs
mayo
mustard
salt & pepper
& a dash chili powder...for that extra zing!

steam or boil your chicken with some salt, pepper and bay leaves.
cut up in nice, bite size chunks. throw in the rest of the ingredients.
mix, mix, mix and serve with the following:

add on sand:
tomatoes
lettuce
cheese

Yoohoo, PapaGrandpa!

It was exactly one year ago

I started this blog with a bday poem for my dear Daddy
This time I'm posting a bday photo collage for him
Featuring his "paborito" grandson, Joshim
Who he fondly calls Hoisin (as in sauce) every now and then

Hope you like it, Daddy dearest
I'm sure you're missing his early morning visits
Of raiding your fridge and sloppy kisses
And throwing his fits
Whenever he doesn't get what he wants right away
Which grandma and grandpa lovingly oblige to, always

It's been a very challenging "reprogramming" session
With putting back the proper boundaries in place
Thanks to the Grandma and Grandpa, hmpft!
He just gave me a nice, tiny bite on my arm the other day
Which hurt not in a tiny way!

We were shopping at IKEA and he wanted to walk around by himself
Which is not a very good idea around the bowls and glass section of the store
So I put him in his stroller which of course he hated
He cried and kicked and wailed and BOOM
He gave me a good bite on my forearm

It's been almost a week and the bruise is still here
It's a nice, round, reddish brown mark from the little love of my life
Who happens to have quite a mood (Ahem, just like our b-day papa, anyone wanna say emen?! LOL)
And a very big bite to go with it!
Now I don't know about this being just like papa...let's ask MamaGrandma.

Uh...I better end this now.
The thoughts in my head are beginning to gross me out.

Ew.

I love you, Daddy!
This one's for YOU.
Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY again. ;-)









I love you, Papa! ~ Joshim your ever yummy Hoisin Sauce

Goodnight, Goodmorning, Goodafternoon

Jetlagged at Day Two Photo by Baba Jack

"Health is the first muse, and sleep is the condition to produce it. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Man, I can't wait for everybody to get over this jetlag.
Jetlag sucks. It's there and you can't do anything about it except sleep it off.
But you musn't simply sleep it off.
There is a certain school of thought - almost as sucky as jetlag itself - that says one must wait until they reach the very end of their sleepy rope before giving in, read: when you are walking around like a drunk, lest you want your jetlag to stay longer than it should.
Which is fine if you don't have kids with very different body clocks.
In my case, three very different body clocks.
One goes off while another one is just getting up and yet another one is running around like a crazed animal.

In the last week I must have averaged around three hours a night.

May the sleep angels visit my children at the same hour-minute-second each night and be consistent this time.
Or else, I just might pluck their angel wings and mix them feathers in my pillows.

Hence, proof that my health - in this case, mental - is in question from sore lack of winks.
The "first muse" is certainly being elusive towards me these days.

GOODNIGHT!

Anatomy of A Move

PART THREE


The Azimi Family, Photo by The Picture Company, Podium, Manila

I am constantly reminded by the Divine to keep focused on the stuff that truly matter in this life. For a long time I allowed the clutter to crowd out the important things and guess where that led me? Yup, straight to a living hell! No wonder I always felt so tired and confused most times. I was trying very hard to handle, juggle, spin, take care, solve, manage and manipulate everything.

Worry, anxiety and care have no positive effect on our lives. They do not bring a solution to problems. They do not help us achieve good health, and prevent our growth in the Word of God. One of the ways that Satan steals the Word of God from our heart is through cares. The Bible says we are to cast our cares onto God, which is done by prayer. We cannot handle our own problems; we are not built for it. We are created by God to be dependent upon Him, to bring Him our challenges and to allow Him to help us with them. Joyce Meyer, Life in the Word

It does not matter so much what religion or faith one goes by. I believe we all have our own personal ways of dealing with our everyday challenges. We may all look up to a higher power in one way or another. I have learned many different ways of handling things - both the good and the bad - and I find the best and mightiest and most effective way for finding the answers when I need it most is always when I am down on my knees praying for it. It was not in some team-building seminar or peptalk or rally, or intimate conversation with a friend or partner. Not saying that these don't help, oh no, no, no. They certainly and absolutely do. But they only go so far and then what? The same pattern repeats itself and I find myself in an a never-ending cycle of problems with band-aid solutions.

I choose a different path, a way of handling things, this time. One that is no longer just MY owb. But one that I walk with the Almighty. Yes, I know there will still be more challenges that will come my way. But what's different about me is that this time I choose not to carry the load all my own. Why the heck would I want to do that when I can choose to travel LIGHT!

Therefore humble yourselves...casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on HIm, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. ~ 1 Peter 5:6,7

Anatomy of A Move

PART TWO


First Breakfast

It is Day Number Four of having moved back to Toronto. I am beginning to feel just a tiny bit overwhelmed by the changes. The new apartment is much smaller than the last home but much, MUCH more manageable. It's a corner unit so I have a magnificent 180˚ view of my surroundings. From my kitchen sink I can look out onto the balcony and see the horizon! That always helps while doing the dishes. Housework is easier since I don't have a nine rooms to clean. Yay to that!

Uncle Mike did a great job finding this place for us. Thanks and much love to you, Uncle Mikeeeee!!! I love the coziness here, seeing or at least hearing where everybody is, having everything within reach and not having to go up a flight of stairs just to get the baby's bib, and the water pressure...divine!

Now the problem - ahem...correction please: the CHALLENGE rather, of having to let go of tons of stuff to get the new stuff in! I think the Salvation Army will be very happy with us.

There is a new breeze blowing in my life. I am buoyed by its cool and calming freshness. I marvel at how easy it comes and refreshes me each time. I can only be grateful for this Holy Presence that constantly creates miracles in my life now.

And you bet I am never letting go this time. Are you kidding? I want to grow old as gracefully as possible knowing how truly precious I am in God's Love. Besides, I need to be graceful and not lose my head over all the precious housework in front of me which, believe it or not, I am actually beginning to enjoy.

Now how's that for a miracle!


First Sunrise

Anatomy of A Move

PART ONE


It all starts innocently enough at the airport check-in counter...although there is tension in the air...


Sol creatively kills time doing his clay works...


Check-in is taking longer than usual. Sol has now completed the whole collection of Jurassic Park...


Joshim is relaxed, THANK GOD!, in his stroller, milk bottle within reach...


And shown here doing what he does best...amusing others in line...


And yet another familiar scene with our darling Oona doing what SHE does best...


"Mommy, this is mine! All mine, okay?!" Uh...okay.


All is finally resolved after an hour of looking for a solution to airline mix-up...


Jack is smiling that smile...as if he's got something good up his Mr. Fix-It sleeve...


GOD IS GOOD! We get upgraded to First Class - Woohoo!!! (correction:our flight has no First Class. It's only Business Class. But, just the same, Woohoo!)


And arrive safe and sound in Toronto. Time to unpack and get organized!

Thank you, all, for the happy send-off and powerful prayers. Yes, VERY POWERFUL prayers indeed!

In God's Love & Light,
Chiqui