GRATITUDE JOURNAL

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http://instagram.com/p/hSk6UZGsdv/ The photos are blurry because hubby and I were seated way across from them to give the son his "space" with his buddies.

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http://instagram.com/p/hQ8j2VGsf0/ Posing with my brother after hurdling Accountancy at DLSU, April 1989 #tbt A post shared by Linnor🇵🇭 (@linnor) on Nov 28, 2013 at 8:20am PST While most of my friends and classmates at De La Salle Zobel wound up taking Medicine or Engineering in college, I was one of the few who took up Accountancy, because that was what my Ma suggested.  Being a CPA herself, she enticed me by saying I could land a job easily if I were to become one too.  So I did pursue Accountancy, even if I thought I was more interested in the Arts or Architecture.  I guess I belonged to that part of my generation who thought that parents knew best and I just went with the flow. I realized that once I decided on something, I must put my heart to it.  I said yes to this so there really was no room for blame game as what some people do when things take a different turn.  So I studied well and took it seriously. Fortunately for me, even if I was only mil...

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Also printed on the tags are the names of the recipients. Kinda gives that "I thought of you enough to print your name on the tag" impression, doesn't it? Note that I am sticking with the "snowflake" design. That's quite off considering that it never snows in the Philippines, probably never will. And I've only seen actual snow like once on a trip in 2006. Hihi... How are your holiday preparations so far?

http://instagram.com/p/hMrD97GsV6/ I tried, and hopefully not in vain, to be Martha Stewart early this morning after my school run.  Here is my first batch of gifts, boxless and wrapped using eco-friendly materials.   For each gift in the photo, I made use of a 1/8 cut of Manila or craft paper (P2/whole sheet), half a specialty paper I printed with snowflakes design (P2.675/sheet) and 1/2 meter red ribbon (P1.50/meter). Just keeping up with my self-imposed frugal holidays. :)

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http://instagram.com/p/hFJEdpGsWM/ These lanterns were bought last year from a sidewalk vendor. We requested him to mount each on a bamboo pole and to wire light bulbs inside. After a thorough dusting, I'm amazed they still look good as new. They may be simple yet these Pinoy "parols" remind me of my childhood and Christmases in Las Pinas.

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http://instagram.com/p/g9MxhGmsWH/ Either I was squinting from the glare of the sun or I wasn't too happy with my "Dora" hairstyle.

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http://instagram.com/p/g6_3YCGsYd/ Except for what we intended to buy, I didn't want to shop for anything else when we went to check out some upholstery for our little project/renovation.  But when I passed by the linens section, I caught sight of some printed pillow covers.  We didn't really have a need for new covers since the old ones still look okay, but the price sealed the deal for me.  At P50 a piece, the "no-shopping" resolve just crumbled. :P

http://instagram.com/p/g6e5cFmsZt/ He caught a nasty virus a few days into the third grading period.  It's the kind that renders him lethargic during the day and restless during bedtime.  His dry phlegm makes his voice raspy, plus it makes it difficult for him to breathe , which annoys him and tends to make him a bit bratty.  So to keep me from flaring up at his whining or little demands, this is one of the few times he would be allowed to watch tv for hours... Ok, but no ipad and no mobile games on iphone...just tv.  That's this caregiver's order.

http://instagram.com/p/g2jYZ5msWf/ This was taken in the morning of Monday after bringing our grader to school... Seeing it on a clear day, I was reminded to be hopeful and to trust that everything will turn out okay. It kinda set the tone for the rest of my week.

http://instagram.com/p/gz3GxfGsZv/ Photos from last week's ashtanga studio sesh taken by M.  This is also called the "tortoise" pose. From yogawiz.com and yogaindailylife.org-  Beginner’s Tip : If you are new to the practice of yoga and are attempting this pose, keep this beginner’s tip for the Tortoise pose in mind. You can use some props if you find certain positions in this pose difficult. For instance, you might find it difficult to get your soles to touch the floor. In this case, you can put either a blanket ( fold it before doing so) or a high pillow under your leg to support it while it is extended. It is important that you have a trained professional yoga instructor to guide you through the pose. Benefit to Body Part : This pose helps you to stretch your back and your legs. It helps to improve the functioning of the digestive and respiratory systems. It helps to lengthen the muscles along your back. The organs in the abdomen are stimulated during this posture. Th...

http://instagram.com/p/guEWG6GsWc/ The last quarter of the year was marked with significant challenges, the bigger ones being the 7.2 magnitude temblor last October 15 and the category 5 super typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda last November 8.  Despite the calamities we experienced one after the other, the uncertainty of things and the seemingly tough times in the horizon, we won't be skipping Christmas.  In place of the wild merrymaking, the shopping beyond reasonable limits, and the ostentatious display of food and material things, we'll have a somber celebration instead...   Our fellow Filipinos lost so much, almost everything, their pain is unimaginable.  In solidarity with them, our Christmas will be subdued, quiet and reflective.  It will be different but definitely more meaningful this year.

http://instagram.com/p/gpURQDmsQn/ Thanks to my yoga buddy M for the pics on the right.  My shoulder pressing pose is not yet perfect. There is still plenty of room for improvement for me here.  :) From yogatipss.com " Benefits : • Improves the coordination and balance of the body • Strengthens arms and shoulders • Tones up your core muscles • The shoulder pressing pose also nourishes the thyroid gland. • It also boosts blood circulation to the abdomen and the legs. The pose also relives stress by massaging your internal organs. • Due to better blood flow, this yogic asana also goes a long way in removing various pains and irritations throughout the body. Beginner’s Tip : If you are a beginner, feel free to use a bolster or block to support your buttocks. It would also be useful to have a yoga instructor guide you through the poses so as to escape mishaps."

http://instagram.com/p/gnTw4YmscO/ I don't mean to sound preachy but my belief tells me that all these things that happened, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake last October and super typhoon just last Friday, were meant to test our faith....

http://instagram.com/p/gjyAYPmsWm/ It's been quite a while since my yoga buddy M and I went to the studio together.  She had to undergo a minor surgery that prevented her from strenuous activities.  So while she was gone, I did my yoga at home.   Today was the day she went back and just like an old habit, it felt like we didn't skip sessions for a long time.  We went through the sequence like old-timers except that parts of my muscles and joints kinda creaked like a machine that badly needed oiling. When I did my home yoga, I didn't practice the full Ashtanga sequence but would just choose the easier ones, thus, my tightness and slight inflexibilty.  I felt stretched and sore after 2 attempts at headstand.  Ooh. Still, we had a great sesh.  We've always preferred Ashtanga for the sequence of poses that we have already memorized over the many variations of Vinyasa.  After what felt like a thorough work out, we rewarded ourselves with organic brew,...

http://instagram.com/p/gaXWtDGsRx/ My parents and two sons are currently in Manila so we are using their rooms as temporary storage.  We live in the valley.  And with a category 5 typhoon, we can never be sure how bad the rains or floods will be.  

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http://instagram.com/p/gZVw_zmsao/ Though we are busily preparing for the unwanted arrival of super typhoon Yolanda who is currently tracked to have entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), I didn't forget it's Throwback Thursday.  Haha!  This is the time I imagine to hear the voice of my eldest son saying "hmm, shallow". Anyway... As one of my favorite preoccupation these days to pass time, I happened to read back some entries from my old blog. Sharing here a 5yo post and photo which made my day.  I hope it does yours. This was when the sons were aged 15, 12 and 4 years old. Full text here: Going out of the bathroom, I ran to the room to avoid getting the laminated floor wet. The sons were there perched on the foot of my bed while watching MTV. Kyle and Jake were in an argument about why Jake changed Kyle’s cellphone ringtone. “Ah-erm… I’m going to change.” I said, clutching my towel, water from my hair now dripping on the floor. “Hel-lo? D...

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http://instagram.com/p/gU4_MWGsRa/ Cebu and Bohol have suspended classes for almost three weeks to give authorities ample time to assess the effects of the massive earthquake last Oct. 15.   Classes resumed last Monday, November 4.  You would think I had plenty of time to help our third grader review for their 2nd quarterly tests, but no.  It was only last weekend that we began studying again.  The series of shots above were taken today while I was making another go at Language which is scheduled tomorrow together with Math and CLF.  

http://instagram.com/p/gRSn3ZmsaT/ Thank God for the happy get-together and your safe Manila-Cebu-Manila flights! See you three again back in Cebu in December! For now, time to hit the books and get good grades. :)

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http://instagram.com/p/gPzSBwmsb7/ The birthday celebrator turned 50 and we were there to mark the milestone with his family.  He is almost 4 years older than me. He is my Pa's cousin, so that makes him my uncle. His daughters are slightly younger than my sons, his youngest being 5 years old. Upon hearing this, my 20 year old son exclaimed: "I should make 'mano' Sabi's hand!?!" mano - is a sign of respect to bring the back of the hand of an elder to one's forehead.   Hehe... awkward, but how do you deal, right? LOL In our clans, both hubby's and my side, it is common to have uncles or aunts who are the same age or even younger than their nephews or nieces. I guess this scenario is not unusual for big families where the youngest sibling is almost the same age as the kids of the eldest or older sibling. Hmm. Perfectly normal except that addressing younger relatives as aunt/uncle, or older relatives as nephew/niece can actually be confusing at t...

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http://instagram.com/p/gNZk-AGsQK/ ... and loved the chicken caesar and stir fried veggies.

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http://instagram.com/p/gMXjRTGsWw/ When online, I usually pin images of outfits I think I could copy. This was one of them. So this was another use for my almost 10yo wide-leg pants and black tank. I guess the pants pretty much did its job in hiding my wide hips.

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http://instagram.com/p/gJjBoLGse0/ I have done my set for day one but instead of crunches, I opted for the yoga boat pose to avoid repeated strain on my lower back.  Let's see if I could keep up with this challenge.