Last year, we had a series of tests done for some application. Unfortunately, I had to do a repeat test for the Liver Function. Liver function tests (LFTs or LFs), which include "liver enzymes", are groups of clinical biochemistry laboratory blood assays designed to give information about the state of a patient's liver. Then on the day of pick up (for the result) I also had a "review" appointment with a doctor and he tried to explain to us the relevance of my elevated GGT, SGPT and Alk Phosphatase.

Naku, ano bang malay ko sa mga abbreviations na yan. Masyadong SCIENTIFIC! Buti na lang at may internet dahil kahit papano ay nagkaron ako ng idea at natutunan tungkol sa mga standard liver panel na ito. Itong GGT,SGPT at Alk Phosphatase ay ilan sa mga items ng LFT. O kay LuFeT!!!!

A friend of mine, who is going through some liver problems of her own encouraged me, "Madali lang yan! Ingat ka lang sa kinakain mo". Kumain daw ako ng veggies and fish. Control sa pagkain sa madaling sabi. It's easier said than done. Lalo na sa mga adik sa chicken (na tulad ko), o kaya mga porkchop and liempo lover.

Kahapon dumaan ako sa supermarket after paying off some bills. Dampot ako ng fruits, a pack of crabsticks, 2 kinds of leafy-green vegetables, snob ko ang chicken at kinawayan ko na lang ang mga pork...(hello, ms. piggy!) diretso sa seafood area. Timbang ng lapu-lapu at 12 pirasong hipon. Aba...mahal din.

Panay-panay din ang offline ko sa bro-in-law kong doctor,asking about this stuffs GGT, SGPT at Alk. phosphatase achuchuchu. He's given us a backgrounder that once I have my gallbladder taken out, my liver enzymes will normalise. Kasabay nito ang aming dalangin for the right schedule, the best doctor to operate, and the Lord's provision for the financial side of the surgery/ hospitalisation. He (the bro.) has also advised me to do a little walking (as per advise ng obgyne) ewan ko lang kung me restrictions sa MALL...hahaha. I know the important thing is to keep on moving.

Grabe na ito…wow, 5 hours of non-stop banging, oldies songs and those I can’t understand. You see, may lamay (wake) sa ibaba namin, sa ground floor. Kahapon it was all quiet although you can smell the food. Pero today, dhay! Maloka ang tenga ko….I think it’s the last day of the funeral service. Palagay ko may kaya itong “uncle” na ito (man siya) dahil magarbo ang presentation ng banners, I believe it’s the announcement of the deceased affliations.

From one side of our building to the other side meron siyang mga parang pinagdikit-dikit na tela na may sulat na intsik at meron pang mga naka-mount sa mga metal na bars, parang mga painting ng mga taong nag-mamartial arts or may mga gawain I’m not sure kung ano, puro may glitters ito at nababalutan pa ng plastic cover dahil umuulan. Maganda naman sila, mga 5-6 ito. Bukod pa sa mga quilt na may naka-pin na salita na nakasabit malapit sa mga naiwan. I think I’d ask our church mates ano ang relevance nito.

Ayan nagkakantahan pa rin…o, well, it has to end some time….

has it been a month since my cystectomy operation? time flies...but i guess for us who have undergone an operation, we wish days would go reallllyyyy fast! (...woosshhh!)

the other day though i had some light spotting. not sure if it's my menses becoz it's due next week. i read somewhere that sometimes spotting is normal and that the operation somehow causes our system go haywire. so for now, hubby and i are observing. 3rd day spotting, very light. also got stomach pain, don't know if this is from gas again or probably just hunger.

just praying the Lord will help me through all this. so far, minimal pain (sharp pains sometimes) and healing well. Praise God.

COFFEE PLS...

FIRST thing that comes to mind soon as i wake up is COFFEE. i've been a "coffee-drinker" ever since i can remember. minsan nga naging bansag sa akin ay "miguel"...we had this neighbor before, si miguel. he has downe-syndrome but a very gentle and friendly person. i guess he's in his 30s then...who can tell? pagpumasok yan o kumatok sa bahay ninyo ang unang hinihingi niya ay kape. tapos saka siya nakikipagkwentuhan.

"may kape ba kayo?" o "pahingi ng kape." aniya. BLACK. kadalasan binibigyan na lang namin siya, black talaga...kasi kahit kami sa bahay black din walang cream o gatas. my barkada knew him, kaya pagpumupunta ako sa bahay nila dahil wala naman kaming pambili ng coke o softdrinks, kape ang request ko...thus the name, "oy, miguel...!" (yessss?)

sa ngayon at 44, ang iniinom ko na ay milo kundi ovaltine. yes, may caffaine pa rin daw, not that strong. dahil sa aking kidneys pinagbawal ng doctor. don't worry, they're both fine now, the stones passed. but i'm still off a lot of my comfort foods like peanuts and taho. strawberries...and a whole lot more.

THE REAL THING....

another one i miss is coke...the COLA. natatandaan ko noon pag kumakain sa school, (teacher na, lakas na ng loob umutang sa kantin) yan ang padulas ng pambara (lunch). there was a rumour going around the water was not safe, something that has to do with a cat....(nyeee!) kaya imbes na uminom ng tubig, softdrinks o mineral water ang order namin.

dahil hindi mo namamalayan na pati ang sistema ng katawan ay apektado, kundi pa bumigay ito...saka mo marealize, tama nga sila kailangan nga ng 8 glasses or more of water sa araw-araw. advantages: (1)ganda ng sistema ng katawan, since most of our body is made up of water...replenish! (2)good skin (di tuyot) (3) kidney feels good. sa tutoo lang!


BOOKS..books..books!

after a year here in sg, i realised i spent half of my allowance on books. i frequent fareast plaza, an interesting mall. mura ang tinda nila. they have shoes, bags, belts, clothes and second hand books! but there is a cheaper option. be a member of the national library, one can borrow 4 books/magazines for a fee. this is for a period of 3 weeks per item. ayaw ka pa niyan..laki ng menos sa budget. eh ang isang bagong paperback dito $16+ (SGD) converted, mga P496 din yun...

anyway, madalas ako sa community lib malapit sa lugar namin mula ng nagmember ako (walking distance lang) pwede ka tumambay at magbasa on arts and crafts... photography...news...at kung ano pa ang interest mo. and free aircon din.


SCRAPBOOKING

i can remember mahilig ako mag-gugupit ng maliliit na picture tapos ididikit ko sa notebook o sa album. minsan may photo album ako na binili on sale kasi, P10 ang isang bundle ng refill....ang gagawin ko lalagyan ko ng makapal na cardboard bilang cover at mapaganda ito ng hallmark na pambalot. plastikan...at meron na kaming photo album.

next step, halukayin ang mga naghambalang na mga litrato. idikit sa madikit na refill...at lagyan ng palamuti na pinaggugupit mula sa mga stationaries na luma o yung bang mga pinag-malian. imbes na itapon kadalasan hilig kong itabi. o cute di ba? dagdagan ng mga old bookmarks o mga remembrance na galing sa camp from your camp barkada. kundi naman mga movie tickets, ribbons/string o kahit ano pa man na may relasyon sa pictures na naka-feature dun.

scrapbooking na yun. pero ngayon natuklasan ko ang mga SCRAPBOOK PAPER. heto na ang bumili ako tuwing maliligaw ako sa mall na may tindahan ng scrapbook materials...ang nakakatawa sa akin ay nanghihinayang ako gamitin ang mga ito. bibili ako tapos nakatago sila sa mga folders/plastic according sa kulay at gumawa. meron na din naman akong mga natodas na binili ko for specific projects like my doggy album, birthday and anniversary albums. sa itinagal ko dito hindi ko namalayan ang dami na pala ng abubot ko. may ilang bags na ang laman ay pintura, mga bulaklak, threads, buttons, beads, tela, pens, brushes, etc. mahirap na i-itemize..

sa ngayon, tumigil muna ako bumili ng mga papel at burloloy. hay salamat. pagnaliligaw ako sa mga craft store, pumipikit nalang ako...hehehe.


ARTS AND CRAFTS

Latest project: felt snowman and "caught"... (this is rudolf CAUGHT in a frenzy of christmas lights. lolz)

isa pa sa hilig ko ay ang pananahi. pangarap ko kasi ang maging mananahi. yung designer ba...hehehe. naalala ba ninyo pag panahon ng exhibit sa school sa H.E. o arts class? nagkakandakumahog tayong nagpapagawa sa nanay ng ating mga art projects?nung elementary, ako ang isa sa laging nauna mag-submit at nae-exhibit...hindi siguro dahil sa maganda ang gawa ko, kundi halatang gawa ko talaga...maaring hindi tuwid ang tahi, wala sa ayos ang kulay, o baka nakita lang ng titser ko na magiliw kong ini-submit ang aking gawa.

mahilig kasi ako sa pagkulay (crayola o watercolor), pag-crochet, pagburda, pag-beading. naalala ko nga ang project namin na ginawan ng frame ng tatay ko. isang beaded na fairy (grade 4 ata ako) dalawang beses nabasag ang salamin dahil napapabayaan ko. pero natutuwa naman ako sa tatay ko dahil supportive siya sa mga hilig ko. pagmay natapos akong painting, o tulad ng aking "fairy", i-fre-frame niya. buti nalang marami ata syang frames.

sa nanay pala ako nagmana manahi. noong buhay pa siya ay lagi kaming may ternong damit ni G, ang aming bunsong kapatid na babae. naalala ko siya, tuwing may pagkakataon isinasama niya ako sa palengke. bumibili siya ng tela, ayaw na ayaw ko sana sumama pero dahil ako ang madalas buntot ng nanay, sama ako kahit na masakit sa mata ang kemikal ng mga tela sa palengke. parang ako ang hilig ko tahiin ay mga blouse, pajama, shorts, bags at kurtina. kaya ng nawala na si nanay, ako na ang nananahi ng kurtina, kobre kama at kung anu-ano pang pwede para mapaganda ang bahay. ayun, medyo hindi pa rin tuwid ang tahi at mapusyaw ang kulay...hehehe


INTERNET

nahalata ko noon ang addiction na ito nang kaming mag-asawa ay inaabot ng madaling araw sa pagko-computer. naging member ako sa iba't-ibang site yahoo, hotmail, g-mail, icq, etc. iba hindi ko na matandaan...natuklasan ko na rin ang paglalaro ng mga games (scrabble, text-twist, bookworm etc.) gayundin ang mga trivia online. another form of addiction...

ang kagandahan pala ng may internet connection, any time pwede kang mag-check ng email, at sumulat din. mag-blog, sumali sa mga forums at mag-research. mas mainam kaysa maghulog ng sulat via airmail at mahihintay ka ng ilang araw bago makarating sa kaibigan mo at maka-respond sila uli. eh kung tamad pa sumulat tulad ng mga kilala ko...(ops.... nagpaparinig) baka mamuti lang ang mata natin sa paghihintay.

TODAY: i saw this old draft from my files. thought i'd post it here...thanks for looking

NOW I know how it is when they say, you would SEE YOUR LIFE FLASHING BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES. I was diagnosed with ovarian cysts, on right side the size of an orange (big) 8.8 cm and on the left was 6 cm. My doctor advised us to have them taken out because they have not changed in size after 8 mos. of observation.

I struggled. Hubby and I prayed, and sought others for prayers. I was afraid. A few months ago, a friend passed away unexpectedly from liver cancer. She was my peer in church and I was older by a year. What if it's time for me to check out too? Am I ready? What about E (hubby)? My family? Am I done here? So many questions...

Then as the time for my surgery approached, I received encouragements and prayers from friends by emails. The Lord has given us the financial provision here in Sg, otherwise we had to return to Manila for the operation and without the medical benefits. Can’t just imagine the bills and we have to stay longer. E reminded me, when we had his gallbladder taken out his recovery period was 1.5-2 months.

Finally I had the surgery last NOV 7, 07 at 7am. That morning I didn't have much sleep. But I was ready. The Lord was in control. He will see me through. That time I was lying on the gurney on my way to the operating room, in my head, I was singing gospel songs...praying...(commenting: ANG TAGAL NAMAN! ) then more...gospel songs...verses: even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for YOU ARE WITH ME….

When I came to, I was at the recovery room for the longest time. Next thing I knew, I was in the room with E. Later that evening my doctor came, showed us 2 pictures of the cysts. She told us they were able to take out all the cysts and that they are BENIGN, meaning not cancerous. PRAISE THE LORD! Then she gave us more advises for faster recovery and will come again to check up on me the next day.

I was more than rejoicing when it was time to go home! I was beside myself….(so happy!) makakatulog na rin ako ng maayos...or so I thought...at least now my sleeping time has increased to 4 hrs. (hehehe)

We thank the Lord for everything. For His care, guidance, love and healing power. He has also shown comfort through our family and friends who were praying and encouraging us. We are blessed. Not yet time to “check out”, therefore God has other “things”, HIS purpose lined up for me, as an individual…and for E and I, as a couple.

LOVING LIFE? Guess not, Living Life with a purpose. GOD’S.
A tall order? For somebody who came close to death's door , at one point or another you will ask yourself: what is my purpose in life?

these were questions my churchmates and friends asked me yesterday. i have to praise the Lord for His goodness. i am fine and not experiencing any pain at all. aside from the feeling of being bloated I'M DOING GREAT! sometimes i just feel nauseous because of all the air, parang busog ako all the time and i want to burp all the "wind" inside. hehehe.

seriously, i'm taking things slow. but still doing all my routine chores and my crafts. i love staying at home. this is something my girlfriends here, ask me "how to you do it?" i guess the husbands want to know as well how i cope with my being home all the time.

first, you've got to love your home. hehehe. our home is a small cozy hdb. not all grand and stuff but, we love it. simple and neat (that is, if i get around cleaning the place which is at least 2x a week...hehehe). our landlandy is so cool as well. anyway, we love fixing the place up. and the location is very ideal and accessible to our church, hubby's work and of course, the cbd.

second, got my interests to keep me going. i love to read. our place is three blocks away from the community library. usually once or twice a week i spend my afternoons browsing, reading, sketching, returning and borrowing more books from the lib.

i also enjoy emailing friends and blogging. thanks to technology we can keep in touch with our families and friends (daily). i send emails as much as i can, kahit hindi sila sumasagot. hats off to my relatives/friends for their prompt and fast reply. sarap din mag-blog even if i only have a few things to say.

arts and crafts: i'm in to scrapbooking, drawing and painting, want to go into carpentry...takot lang sa lagari (saw) kaya i can handle mga minor pukpok, screwing (the nails etc), can do a mean dressed up table or chair. sewing now has reduced to LILIP tamad kasi, no more dressmaking or cross stitch. masakit na rin sa mata. but if i need to make a purse or curtain...shorts or blouse pwede pa rin.

now i'm into jewelry making. last time i was home, yan ang naging pasalubong namin sa girls ko. sabi nga ni E, yun ang isang kilo mahigit na nagpabigat sa maleta namin. hehehe. they are more of semi-precious stones, plastic, and metal bracelets/connectors/hooks/blings. at di lang 10-15 pieces but MORE. i guess, i went overboard...yan kasi ang naging libangan ko since march 07 ata. maganda eh, i mean it is a relaxing hobby in a theraputic kind of way...hehehe.

sabi ko nga sa kanila..(my friends) i can think of a lot of things to do at home...kaya i can stay at home and still enjoy my time. hehehe. manuod ng korean drama, ibahin ang ayos ng bahay na pag-uwi ni E nagkapalit na ang ayos ng sala sa dining...ganun bang klase. or mag-telebabad. you know those sort of things.

you have to be creative. now that christmas is coming up you can start your decorations early. hehehe. tulad ng nakwento ko before, my sister and i visualize our christmas setting as early as the months of BER (september). tapos we decorate our house in mkna by november 1. sayang naman ang decors kung dec. lang ilalagay di ba?

o siya, got to run along...may therapy session pa ako sa labahan ko. hehehe... ayun pa pala you can try running, exercising and pilates/aero. coming from a person who haven't exercised in 2 weeks or so...at least i plan to...kailangan lang simulan...PS. umuulan pala, so postpone ang labada (baka hindi maganda ang tuyo). probably just clean up and do more jewelries. i saw this bracelet from the library the other day....lol!

LIFE is so complex as man is. recently, hubby and i had time for a holiday back home (manila). hectic but still had a great time with our families. we had a routine check-up and ultrasound. for this year got a 2nd one, becoz i experienced a sharp pain in my lower abdomen which lasted for a day. my doctor here, advised me to observe. she gave me some pain killers and a referral in case it was appendicitis.the 2nd scan says I have 3 gallstones, 2 kidneystones and cysts in the ovaries.

so we decided to have myself checked out. face my fears. last week, i had 3 consultations: gen. physician who gave us the referrals to a general surgeon (gallstones/kidneystones) and an obgyn.today, our main concern is the ovarian cysts. we are praying that the cysts are benign and they won't have to take out an ovary. they have grown considerably, the left one as big as a baby's head. so the specialist advised it to be taken out soon.

at present, i have so much on my mind. i can't think straight. i am so afraid. but i keep thinking how the Lord has proven Himself in our lives. how good and gracious He is. He is in control of everything and that He will give us the strength to go through difficulties and uncertainties in life. i thank God for the friends who surround us with His love and comfort. We can rest assured that no matter how things turn out, we can always rely on the Lord for He is in control.

singapore is 42 today!

e and i watched the celebration on tv. very festive and exciting. the platform was well prepared and the programme was dramatic. they were able to use the element of water since the venue is surrounded by water at the marina bay, thus the cool landing for the divers and speed boats manuevers. there was the usual air show from the military and the red fox parachute jumps.

we were simply amazed how sg celebrates her birthday year after year. how the schools, the young and old, the government and different agencies come together for this great party. how elaborate their decors, costumes, and fireworks were. i can't help but be impressed with the work they did with the choreography and time they spent preparing for this occasion.hats off to you, singapore!

The Blessing of Life
"Waking up every morning is a blessing" I remember one of my friends say. It really is. How often do we stop and thank God for every breath we take? Or the blessing of just being here...or there?

Yesterday I was faced with 2 very different views. One of my friends, Ana (not her real name) was admitted in the hospital. Hers was a rare case. She have tried different doctors and medications. They say there is no other known case like hers. Yet she is full of life, hope and love. "The Lord sustains me", she says. Amen! Amen! For three years, she's been in and out of hospitals for various tests and scans. Ana and her family have grown closer and faith stronger.

Last night, I received an email from Terry (not her real name, as well) another good friend. "It's like I'm drowning..." she says. She's on the verge of giving up on life. Working 15 hrs a day, just to survive and so as not to be reminded of a life full of grief. In her mind she is "suffering", and would like to simply give up. Of course, I emailed her back ASAP. Prayed that she would seek the Lord who is the answer to all questions and situations.

I told her how I was in the same position a few years ago. I wanted more...More of life. Asking myself: Is there all there is to it? wala naman akong problema, I was happy too, lovelife? mukhang ok naman and family life, as well. Pero alam ko my kulang pa rin. Then I asked, should I die, san kaya ako pupunta? Morbid but these thoughts crossed my mind...

It was then I realized that the Lord sends people, like friends to encourage, and share the love of God...kahit ayaw mo. There were times, tinataguan ko pa si "S" because she was too persistent. Puntahan ka pa sa bahay at tadtarin ka ng tracts. Nahiya naman ako, and I considered her a good friend kaya nakikinig ako. It was then the Word she shared had taken root in my heart and when it was time, I received the Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior and I acknowledged that I was a sinner.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ." Romans 3:23-24

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. Because it is with your hear that you believe and are justified, and it is with our mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-10

I was so happy I was washed as "white as snow" because the promise was ...."I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7) It was like a really heavy weight was lifted from my heart. Knowing that your sins are forgiven and now a child of God.

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will but born of God." John 1:12

My life now, isn't without trials. They do come. But this time I won't be alone. I have the Lord to protect, guide and encourage me. He fights for me and reminds me constantly of His promises of love, peace and hope. Jesus is my Jehovah Nissi, the Lord is my Banner. (Exodus 17:15; Psalm 4:6)

I pray that my dear friend will seek the Lord and for sure she will find Him. Knocking...waiting on her heart's door. (Rev. 3:20) "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.

"Ironic? Here are two different cases. One, desires to live inspite of the physical condition she has and the other, a bright and healthy woman..wants to give up on life. What is LIFE to us?

The bottomline is: It is the Lord Jesus who gives TRUE MEANING to our lives. He is the reason why we live. To worship Him and give him glory in all areas of our lives.
Dear Reader,
If you want to experience God's unfailing love and power in your life, please pray this simple prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. Forgive all my sins. Wash me clean as "white as snow". And I accept You, Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe in my heart that God raised you from the dead to save us. Now help me live my life in You. Thank you Lord you have forgiven me and accepting me as your child. In Jesus' Name I pray, amen.

After praying this:
1. It is important you read the Bible for it is the Word of God. Start with the Gospel of Mark. Then from there you can move on to the other Gospels and the Old Testament books. A study guide can be a great help. Let God speak to you through His Word.

2. Pray. Talk to God...pour our hearts to our Heavenly Father. The Lord wants to know what is in our hearts, our pains, our joys and even our inner most desires. Pray without ceasing.

3. Fellowship with other believers. It is important also that we as believers attend a fellowship with others to hear the Word of God being preached, pray and worship.
Take care. God loves you!
Posted by mindfull reflections at Thursday, July 19, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007

felt great! added one more year last monday. i'm 44!been so busy the past few days. i didn't realize it was the 3rd month already of the year. how time flies....

a few days ago, i learned from a churchmate one of my peers passed away. she was diagnosed with liver cancer only last feb 24. i felt down and grieved for her, our church and her family. i also realized she was with the Lord now, no more pain, no more sorrow.... "...to die is gain..." recalling how she was before and what ministries we were involved in as youths, i found joy and the love she had for the ministry. she gave her all. i know she will be fondly remembered for the warmth she brought to us, her friends, family and the church.

i thank the Lord for exciting year of adventure and opportunities. for good health...and a loving family.

a card left over from last year.
new snowman project.
a pinecone and poinsettia on the background...

setting up the house for a homey christmas atmosphere. i still have to finish a few projects for gifts and cards to send next week. well, if there's not enough time to finish them all...there's always next year!

I'd like to share this article from Os Hillman:

I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me-to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share. - Genesis 14:24

Abraham's nephew was a man named Lot. Lot was part of Abraham's household until the land on which they fed their flocks could no longer support their growing families and herds. Abraham allowed Lot to choose the land where he wanted to live. Lot chose the land of Sodom.Afterwards, four kings invaded Sodom, and Lot's family and goods were taken into captivity. When Abraham learned of this, he immediately gathered his best fighting men and pursued the armies to free Lot and his family. He was successful in freeing Lot's family and the families of Sodom. The king of Sodom was grateful to Abraham for what he did and wanted him to keep the goods he recovered. Abraham had made a decision before the battle that he would only keep what he rec! overed for his nephew Lot, and goods as payment for the men who fought.

Abraham understood the principle of receiving from God. He was a man with great integrity in God. He did not want to be known as someone who became wealthy because of the kindness of a wicked king. He wanted others to know that whatever prosperity he gained was a result of the blessing from God's hand alone. Abraham understood an important principle of receiving from God.Jesus also modeled this principle by receiving only what His Father wanted Him to receive.

God's will for Jesus was to receive based on a carpenter's wage even though He was the God of the universe who had access to all things. Imagine the discipline Jesus had to have, knowing what He could have had. He upheld His own financial integrity in God.Each of us must discern what comes from the hand of God rather than the hand of man. As workplace believers, there are situations that allow us to manipulate, sweat, and! toil our way to profit. There is also profit as a result of hard work done in obedience to our calling to the workplace. Knowing the difference in these two concepts is a sign of integrity before God. Only God receives glory when we receive what God wants us to receive. Are you receiving the fruit of your labor in God? Ask God to show you the difference of these two concepts for your own life.

Indeed all good things come from God. And He has the right to give us as He sees fit.
This message comes timely for us because E and I had to decide on a something major that will affect us financially. We are thankful our Lord uses us to bless our families and friends, thus connecting His Word and love in action. Sometimes it is not that easy especially when circumstances are difficult, but these are real opportunities given to us to express our Lord and who we really are in Him... -mindfull

pasko na! naamoy ko na ang pasko...

kaninang hapon galing ako sa orchard dahil type ko umikot-ikot nangangalap ng bagong gamit at pwedeng project for decors. hindi ko maiwasan ang humanga sa laki ng Christmas tree at sa garbo ng decorasyon sa loob ng isang mall...ang dami ng mga nakabitin na kulay PINK! (o gets nyo na kung saan yan? biggest tree in orchard?? )

lumipat naman ako ng lugar...naghahanap naman ako ng Christmas album ng RAY CONNIF SINGERS. naalala ko kasi ang mga paskong nagdaan sa maynila, madalas akong mag-shopping sa SM mall/s (window o hindi).... lagi ang ganda ng mga tugtog...(ang R.C.Singers...parang galing sa langit) hehehe. lalo na kung umaga mo maririnig... nakaka-inspire lalong tumingin ng shoes...bags...damit...

sayang lang, at hindi ko maririnig ang mga "tugtog-pasko" na yan itong taon. iba ang skedyul namin ng uwi ngayon. marami ata akong mami-miss. pati ang aking bunsong kapatid (GM) at ang kanyang pamilya, hindi namin makakasabay lumuwas. oh well, ok na rin, at least we can still spend time with the rest of the family.... (kuya ko at pamilya ni E, and other friends) naubos na kasi namin ang leaves niya for this year. gusto ko pa naman sana makitang mayabang lumakad ang first baby nila GM, at ngumiti ng nakakaloko....dami na teeth ha!

anyway, heto ang aming kaunahang pasko sa bago naming tirahan...sempre, hexcited din magpaganda ng bahay... sana lang makahanap pa ako ng mga murang decors. sa mga nakita ko kasi kanina......ang kulay na naiisip ko sana ay gold and red...pero wala ko makita maganda. bahala na pagwala- di WALA... o tama na, husto na...ayaw ni E ng OVER!

miss ko din tuloy ang aming ginawang puno nung 2000. 5 ft tree gawa sa chicken wire at pinagkabit-kabit na dahon sa isang mabigat na paso. taon-taon kaming nagdadagdag sa aming kulay gold na balls, o pinecones na may prutas etc...may nakabitin ding puno sa dingding...(para atang hindi ko na tinanggal yun mula ng umalis ako nung march.)...at may bilog naman na wreath. siguro miss din ako ni GM dahil ako ang gumagawa ng decors sa bahay namin noon...na as early as nov. 2 nagdedecorate na kami ng bahay. talo pa ang mall....para sulit naman ang pag-bili namin ng mga dekorasyon 'no.

oo nga pala, may daiso na sa cbd! great news...all for $2!
kaya palagay ko mas maganda ang shopping dito dahil mura at kakaiba!
hay, malapit na pala ang ....silver bells....ringaling!

C and I have been friends since high school. She's one friend I know who will always be there for me no matter what... For a time we've lost our connection. Somehow, I blame myself, because I assumed she's only a phone call away. I knew her contact no. and address. But how time flies and a lot can happen in a month, 6 mos. or a year...

After 2 yrs. I didn't realize we haven't really seen each other, perhaps we're both busy with work, or our schedules seemed impossible for us to set time to meet. She just started a new job, and in a relationship. In the same way, I'm so wrapped up with school work and busy taking care of hubby after office hours. I guess, by this time...we drifted apart.

Last March I came home, I had to see her. I missed our "chika-time". I tried calling the last 2 cell phone nos. I have of her. Zero....then I tried their 2 home nos., wrong number, both of them! I felt sad... I wondered how is it possible for us to drift apart and forget our friendship. Is the advancement of technology to blame? You know how easy it is to buy several sims and change cell nos. in the Phils. I changed mine, because I had to shift to a prepaid one (which is valid only up to 6 mos) and gave up my line since I was leaving the country soon. I thought of going to her house, but I was afraid to go by myself, with all the rumors of bombings... it was a good thing i didn't pursue the idea of looking for their house since they moved to a new home and surprisingly, near our house in marikina.

I tried several means, like chatrooms, search for old schoolmates or the alumni org. of our h.s. .... no sign of her. Later I searched for her at a new, and USO na website (friendster), even wrote some with the same last name... still no reply. I just hoped to trace her back when I go back home at the end of the year.

BUT GUESS WHAT! I searched once more at friendster, typed C's name...zero result. And another name (her sis) thinking she might be a member...YES! right nick, right profile...i found her sister!!! Of course, I inquired if she was so-and-so's sis...who studied in...etc. Then the following morning, I got an email....from my bestfriend and her sister! I was so happy!!!

Now we are emailing each other almost every day. And I hope that we can spend some time this Christmas together and now... i keep a neat record of her new contact nos.... ;)

sa wakas....makakahinga na rin kami.

during the past month or so, a trip to another country...with the option of living there...or not? all these in God's hands. the uncertainties of life...who can tell
what's in store for us tomorrow...the next day...or the next year?

but we (hubby and i) appreciate that God is in control of all things. knowing Him has given us the security that whatever He has lined up for E, who is in the verge of resigning and wanting to move to another job/country has better plans for us.

we were still abroad when his company asked him to renew his "working pass"? our lease on the place we were staying also hanging, because at a moment's notice we thought, we can go and move. we wondered why God has allowed us to view this "country of milk and honey" which we toured for 3 weeks. E, given an interview for a possible job offer. but in the end the final interview didn't push through.

i am blessed by how God has allowed things to happen (or not), making me realize He is indeed in control. like just recently we had to look for a new place as our lease was up, and they increased our rent by $100...wow! that i believe is way too much! anyway, we wanted a place of our own and we decided on a small apartment 2 bedroom with a hall for dining, living room and a lil kitchen. also has a neat toilet and bath...

1 september, we were scheduled to move. but somehow, even a deposit we made was not a guarrantee...2 days prior, we were advised that the apartment was no longer suitable for housing us since there were leaks and repairs had to be done. so what can we do? after purchasing an aircon...scheduling the movers...cutting the phone lines...and settling with the present lease? PROBLEMSSSS....(later we were tipped by former tenants that the company favored another couple over us...how can that happen? to an approved apartment...)

that afternoon i bought a newspaper from a nearby 7-11 store, seeing one area i liked because it was near the city (E's place of work), near our church and home cell...i encircled one ad. as soon as E arrived home, i asked about the details of the cancellation of our tenancy... had a few mins ranting. marvelling about how we could sue the company or ask for damages etc. then i asked E to call the ad from the newspaper, to our surprise, they said we can view the place that same night! and we did, we loved the place and the apartment was very well kept. even the landlady was so nice. so we struck a deal with them! same night we had the news of our cancellation, the Lord gave us another apartment...His best!

this is another new skin...
yep, decided to try out a new template for the time being.

for some time i have not been writing in this blog (just occasionally) because of so many things happening, one was our move from our old apartment: which was "enblocked", meaning, the buildings (5 of them) are either being remodelled or being renovated. our block situated at the very end and facing the main road was first to be renovated, we had to move fast.

we realized that "being enblocked" here is not really new. most old buildings are sold and once the new buildings are done, the owners rent out these apartments at higher prices. E (hubby) and i see the non-stop building of new hdbs (high rise apartments) and condos/flats in this part of asia. we are in awe of how the government can come up with the non-stop rise of infrastructures, coming from a country that a simple road repair takes months to finish.

we have made our move from our old flat to a new one further from the commercial centre.
we've been busy setting things up. buying new stuffs essential for our daily routine. tidying up the place is difficult due to limited space and my many "ahbubot" (scrap stuffs, crafts, etc.).
but the cabinets will have to do. more flat stories next time... ; )

i'd like to share a poem and some
funny stories from another site. in the past, i get lonely bouts ---
you see, i lost my baby a few years ago. but today i'm determined
to celebrate this special day with all women.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Mother's Day Poem and Funny Stories

Three old ladies were sitting around a table. The first says, "I'm getting so forgetful­ I was standing at the top of the stairs and I couldn't remember whether I was going down or had just come up."

The second lady says, "You think that's bad? The other day I was sitting on my bed and I couldn't remember whether I was going to sleep or getting up."

The third lady smiles smugly. "Well, I have no memory problems at all, knock wood."

She raps the table. "Who's there?"

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There was an elderly lady whom was in the waiting room with her daughter.The nurse entered the waiting area and announced for the elderly lady to go on back to see the doctor. The nurse spoke louder but still she could not hear.

The elderly lady's daughter leaned over and said, "mother let's turn your hearing aid up." Then she yelled in shock,"That's not your hearing aid, its a suppository!

The elderly mother replied,"Well, now I know where my hearing aid went!

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A man rushes into his house yells to his wife, "Martha, pack your things. I just won a million bucks!"
Martha excitedly replies. "Shall I pack for warm weather or cold weather?"
The man responds, "I don't care. Just so long as you're out of the house by noon!"

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These are real absence excuses sent to school from the parents of kids at the Wells Branch School District.

Dear school please accuse John from being absent on January 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33.

Please excuse Dianne from being absent yesterday. She was in bed with gramps.

I had to keep Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because I didn't know what size she ware.

Please excuse Johnny for being. It was his father's fault.

Mary could not come to school because she was bothered by very close veins.

Chris will not be in school cuz he has an acre in his side.

John has been absent because he had two teeth taken off his face.

Excuse Gloria. She has been under the doctor.

Lillie was absent from school yesterday because she had a going over.

My son is under the doctor's care and should not take fizaca ed. Please execute him.

Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing part.

My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She spent this weekend with the Marines.

Please excuse Joyce from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday she fell off a tree and misplaced her hip.

Please excuse Ray friday from school. He has very loose vowels.

Maryann was absent December 11-16 because she had a fever, sore throat, headache, and upset stomack. Her sister was also sick, fever and sore throat, her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be the flu going around, her father even got hot last night.

Please excuse Blanche from jim today. She is adminstrating.

Please excuse Pedero from being absent yseterday. He had diah/ dyah/ the sh*ts.

George was absent yesterday because he had a stomach.

Ralph was absent yesterday because he had a sore trout.

Please excuse Wayne for being out yeaterday, because he had the fuel.

Please excuse Sarah for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot.

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Mom, I loved you yesterday, I love you tomorrow and everyday.
You were there for me my first day of school, to hold my hand and give me courage to go.
You listened to me when I needed to talk, you talked to me when I needed to listen.
You let me grow and learn from my own mistakes.
You never left my side when I was feeling down, I knew you would be there to pick me up.
I wish there was a way I could repay all the things you have done for me, but there's nothing great enough to repay the greatest mother of all.

It's Chinese New Year over here! All red stuffs floating about this side of the world... money trees every where... For some it's back to work today-like the malls. Which is a good thing because what is a holiday here in Singapore with all the shops closed? Tourists should really see the shops here...so grand and beautiful! Been here a year and I'd say I caught only a glimpse of some...

One of my favorites now (aside from my fave craft store: SPOTLIGHT) is the FAR EAST PLAZA. I guess this is one place you can get your money's worth, you just have to really search for the stuffs you need like shoes, bags, watches ...for me it's BOOKS! They have 4 secondhand bookshops where you can rent or buy books for less (about $4-6 off the regular price). But for hard to find books one ought to try BORDERS, where you can come, take a seat somewhere and browse through.

Another shop that surprised me the first time I got here was Takashimaya. They have one level devoted for art and crafts. Sometimes I just love hanging around and just letting the juice flow... This is where I get most of my projects from. My prayer is that when it's time to move on to another place or go back home, we can still find similar stores/shops for my projects.

I remember one Chinese New Year at home. Actually, we didn't know it was ... my friends and I just wanted to go to Binondo(our Chinatown) to buy some Chinese medicine for my friend's mom. And after learning we were going, one or two had us buying other stuffs for them too like tikoy or sticky rice cake in a variety of flavors. Next thing we knew we had to go against the crowd, not where the dragon and his band are going. It has been a tradition for them to welcome the New Year with the dragon dance, they go to different establishments like shops and hotels. And the owners for good luck give ampao or the small red envelope filled with new bills.

ok...so i gave in to the Christmas rush! fun day!!
i set out to have a look at the jap shop, Daiso (always $2), indeed! all for items for $2! maybe except for a 135 film which was for $4. nonetheless, i was browsing through before i knew it, i was there for almost 2 1/2 hours just looking around.

one item that caught my attention was this test tube mounted on a wooden block. different...maybe a few of our friends will find them cute, a display in their room? also got a bunch of incense and potpourri here and there....what i really enjoyed were the wooden things: like miniature chairs, utensils, holders and baskets. had to stop myself from buying a lot of stuffs, saying to myself...next time....next time! (maybe a few days after christmas? lol!)

my sched for today: buy christmas wrappers....probably some more gifts for the home cell members. what would you give a family? probably cookies? choco? today i'll target the mall, for some groceries. aha! marks and spencers? we'll see... the queues were not so bad...the secret was you pay for your stuffs and you bag 'em!