GRATITUDE JOURNAL

I know we shouldn't be celebrating when a lot of people in the Philippines are in need of donations after typhoon Ondoy but my daughter will not understand the situation. Even if I tell her a million times why we should not celebrate her birthday, she still would refuse to understand because that's just how kids are. Im not saying it's being selfish but I believe her goodness will naturally show in time. Today, we celebrated Zia's 5th birthday with her closest friends. I went to the office at 8am and went home at past 2pm to prepare the food for the party. We had spaghetti, fried chicken (i marinated the night before), sauteed shrimp, breaded cauliflower, spicy adobo (liver and gizzard), and fruit salad. The cake was ordered online. The decorations and giveaways were done the day before. The visitors came on time but I finished cooking a little past the time stated on the invitations which I anticipated so I gave the kids activity sheets I printed (connect-the-dots,...

by Linnor As of this writing, we are glued to the news and we see people on top of houses that are being swept away!  This has been the worst flooding (brought on by typhoon Ondoy) I've seen or could remember in years.  It's so sad that this is happening... Now praying for the safety of people in calamity-stricken areas... My twitter feed displayed the following from most recent to twits 5 hours ago: edebreo I just saw a couple of people riding what looks like a pile of garbage in a flooded marikina river. I hope they got rescued. It's horrible! macelmorph water more than 6ft high omG!! friarminor Power failure adds to Las Pinas woes. Waist-high waters in nearby village drive owners to move cars out of garages. Boo. beabear BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION HOTLINES: 729-5166, 410-6254, 413-8859, 407-1230 beabear Meralco emergency text numbers: 0917-5592824/0920-9292824 beabear National Disaster Coordinating Council Emergency Nos.: 912-5668, 911-1406, 912-2665, 9...

by Linnor On my way back to work after lunch a few minutes ago (late lunch), I drove slowly as I sang along Y101's Goldrush Friday as it played "Don't say a prayer for me now. Save it 'til the morning after"... Remember that song by Duran Duran? Anyway... I was slower than my usual pace because it was drizzling.  The jeepneys on the oncoming lane were unloading as I drove past them. And then "screech!". I instinctively stepped on the brake which sent my Macbook hurtling down from the front passenger seat to the floor and then followed by my heavy purse. I think my heart stopped for a beat...ok for beats! Seconds before that, a small child who was covered by his or her adult companion from the drizzle, alighted from the jeepney on the other lane. Suddenly, both crossed to my lane without looking. The woman was mindful about getting the kid wet but not careful enough to steer clear from oncoming cars (?). Ugh... The passengers and the driver fr...

by Junnie Ch-ch-changes. We can't get enough of David Bowie singing that 70s tunes. That could well be what we are singing these days. There are so many things happening in the domestic front. Autumn has started and that means that colder days are here again. Mama has turned a year older. Zia will have her turn next week. And for the 4th time this year, I will be in Manila... Can you sing the Pointer Sisters' hot tune? "I'm so excited....." Here's a great video of how things look from the same perspective in 1 year. Beautiful to see but we don't want to happen in our lives...all things changing while you remain static in one point :

by Linnor We thank the good Lord for blessing our family with you. We pray for your long life and continued good health. And may all the planned trips we talked about push through. :)

by Linnor It took a few weeks for the plan to materialize. And finally last Saturday, we were off to Tabuelan province of Cebu for an overnight trip to the beach.  It's good to see that the roads up north were all smooth and paved. We didn't feel too shaken after the whole 2-hour drive from the city. Tabuelan is a small sleepy town. There's really not much to see as we drove along the small road leading to our destination. It's because of this remoteness that even my Cebuano husband hasn't set foot anywhere near the place. It's the same reason why he's curious to see what Tabuelan is really like. The beach is nowhere near 5-star in amenities but we loved being there just the same. Food can be brought in or guests could just cook or do barbecue.  If you prefer a more relaxed stay, you may request the resto cook to prepare some native fare for a fee. The room my family and I occupied was sparse. It was airconditioned. It had 2 beds where we cram...

Zia's birthday is coming up and she wishes to have a party. I feel bad because this is the first time I have not planned anything for her. Usually, two months before, I have already started planning either a party at home, school, or some venue nearby. The other day, she showed me a magazine she kept and pointed at the cake she wants. It's a doll cake worth 100sgd. Every day, she asks me "Ma, Sept 30 na ba? Birthday ko na ba?". She is really looking forward to this day and it's so hard to disappoint her. But Im thinking, maybe it will be better to bring her shopping for toys she wants instead of having a one day event. At least, the toys can last a long time and she'll surely enjoy it. Bahala na siguro si Batman. Hanap muna ako ng anda.