2009, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

From my family to yours, peace, love, prosperity, good health, and all things wonderful for the coming year, 2009, and beyond. God bless us all!

*Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. 2008 is history two hours and one minute as I post this. It has been a year of transition, achieving, realizations, beginnings, opportunities. I nurtured, I struggled, I shared, I loved. They all made me stronger and a firm believer. I have taken in stride the challenges that came along. I have learned from them. I am thankful, grateful for the sweet victories, big or small. I look forward to 2009 with an even more invigorated soul, all the more ready for even greater opportunities and successes for me and my family. To say the least, I am excited as always.

There are a lot to be thankful for in 2008 and a lot to look forward to in 2009. Moving on, moving forward to greater heights. I say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Cheers! HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)

*A line from the song Closing Time, Semisonic.

Green

I need a break from all the kitchen works in preparation for New Year's Eve. Let me have a break and post something green as part of my sharing for the Filipino Mom Blogs fabulous holiday finds this week.

This is not my fabulous find but my daughter's. I was the financier...and consultant. We went to a number of shops before her school party last December and she finally picked one that she liked. The whole ensemble of white skinny jeans, colorful shirt with vest were on her mind days before we headed to the mall. I guess if you have a child who is a fan of the Jonas Brothers, you would know where the inspiration came from. As long as it is within our budget and it's in good taste, why not. Our tweens need to make their own decisions too. :)




Happy New Year!

Playing Chef

This always happens when we eat out. My daughter plays chef while waiting for us to finish our dinner or while we wait for the bill. She just loves tinkering with bits and pieces of the left-overs and whatever condiments are on the table. She is making her own concoction and pretty serious about it. :)

I tried taking a picture before our orders were served but obviously, she had enough of stolen shots already.


So I took the chance while she was busy with her creations. She did not mind me clicking away my camera.



The pictures above were taken when we had dinner at Gumbo. I shared the dishes we ordered at Beyond Fried Eggs if you want to take a peek. Happy WS!

Thanksgiving (Not Really A Xmas Post)

Greenbucks is asking about Xmas traditions. I will not be sharing any tradition here as my family do not observe Xmas practices. But instead I will share how I deal with questions asked of me relating to Xmas.

This never fails. Even my colleagues, my neighbors and my friends (who do not fall in the category of close friends or circle of friends, who do not belong in the same church as mine) who have known me for years still ask me the same questions every year.

I am not offended as they are not meant to offend me in any way. My guess is that it's hard for them to grasp somehow that a former Catholic like me was able to let go easily the Xmas practices and beliefs that were supposed to be ingrained in me since childhood. Not to delve on my religiosity and spirituality, all I can say is I have searched and I was answered.

To get on with my sharing, here are the staple questions and my staple answers.

What do you do on Xmas day?
We just stay home. We treat it like an ordinary day. We do entertain visitors. We give tokens or money to the kids who go to the house.

This is one of the opportunities I can pay it forward.

You don't decorate?
No we don't.

Do you cook for Xmas eve?
Not for Xmas eve. But we have some pica-pica or pasta. I also bake (more like try to). Again more for the visitors that go to the house, the kids that will come a-knockin' by the gate. Also to reciprocate the neighbors' tradition of giving food on Xmas eve and the actual day.

Do you keep/buy/give gifts for this occasion?
Yes to all. To my relatives, my god children and to those who are really close to me, they know that I distribute gifts after Xmas or a little after the new year. Perhaps it does not really matter when I give out my gifts, it's the intention that holds more weight to me. Just that I could say this is my personal tradition.

It's more of appreciating a rewarding relationship with the people I love. There are situations that I cannot do anything about like Xmas parties normally held before Xmas holidays. There I am obliged (the act not the giving) to give gift/s to my exchange gift partner/s.

Is it okay for you to attend Xmas parties?
Not to join in any religious ceremonies (which, by the way, no Xmas party I have attended all these years have save for the opening prayer) but to have a get-together with friends and colleagues.

What do you say if you are asked to be a ninang (godmother)?
I don't encourage it but I don't decline when asked. In fact I am elated and I highly appreciate it because it means my friendship is valued or they see something in me that they like. However, I do not attend the ceremonies. There's always a proxy.

Our church has Day of Thanksgiving middle of the year and before the year ends. This is what we prepare for for the whole year.

I treat every occasion in this season as year-end activities. They are all about celebrating the blessings from the year that is about to end and welcoming the coming of a new year with so much excitement and hope. That's what excites me about December, about the holiday season.

Filipino Mom Blog Holiday Get-together

The afternoon party was held at Wenchie's house on Saturday, Decemember 20. Pot luck of course. I brought desserts - pichi-pichi (steamed cassava with coconut) which is a favorite of most of the moms and kids, and a mocha cake.

My daughter and I came in a little late because my commitments in the morning were stretched till early afternoon. We readily helped ourselves with the food served on the table. Everything is good. I specially like the pasta of Cookie. Dear me, I forgot to ask what it is called. It's like baked macaroni only it's a little spicy (at least for my taste). The adobo chicken dish filled me up too so is the pancit canton. Needless to say, we are all full. I did not have dinner at home anymore.

Presenting the FMB Mommies beside Wenchie's Xmas tree. Left to right: Cookie, Wenchie, Cess, Chats, Me :), Julie.


There was an exchange gift for the mommies and for the kids. Here are the kids as they open their gifts.


More snapshots at WS headquarters. Everything and then Some..... posted weekend pictures of the gym. Beyond Fried Eggs shared lunch at Taco Bell.

And I Thought This Will Be a Short List

My thankful thoughts at random.

I am thankful for my husband who just knows how to make me feel more relaxed. We are both tired when we reach home at night but he always gives me a massage while we rest our tired bodies on the couch. This is a routine every night. He knows that massaging my head while we watch our favorite show on television soothes me.

I am also thankful seeing how excited my daughter is going to school the past weeks. I am surprised but happy to share that she woke up by herself really early to prepare for school for two days now. She did not wake me up nor his daddy but helped herself freshen up and dress up. It's exam week and historically, she's all tired to wake up because of marathon reviewing the previous night. I appreciate my daughter's attitude now regarding waking up early for school. Just that this morning, she woke up way too early - before five in the morning. Eager beaver. :)

I am also thankful that our shop's caretaker was able to go to work during lunch time today. If not I would not have a choice but to be there to assist and take a leave from my work.

And while I am talking about my shop, my little business, I want to say thank you for the influx of customers everyday. Thank you for trusting our services.

I am thankful I did not let my mind be cluttered by suspicions. I don't want to go into details because it involves a former team member. Thinking about it, let me take what he said as it is. I told myself maybe it was his way of reaching out. I don't really know and I don't want to stretch it but at least we had a pretty decent conversation even if it was short. I had to run to a church activity.

I am thankful for getting to know more people at the church, getting more at ease with them. I am thankful for the casual conversations we have which help create a bond among us.

I am thankful for the package my mother sent us - her gifts for the holidays. My daughter was waiting for something included in that package. What are the odds, the package was delivered to us an hour or so after my daughter wondered aloud when it will arrive. She was really happy. And so am I.

I am thankful my daughter and I were able to pick a good pair of pants and shoes for her school party tomorrow. It was quite late. There were so many people but we were able to find right away what we both want for her. They all fit in just two tries.

I am thankful I was able to pull of a chicken soup when we get back home. The kitchen wasn't a mess.

I was thinking this post will be short. There were only about three things on my mind when I sat in front of my computer that I want to thank God for. But my fingers just went with the flow of my thoughts. It's not in the numbers, it's how thankful I feel for the little things that made me/makes me feel good through God's grace. It just goes to show that everyday, if we just try to be more appreciative, there are a lot to be thankful for. That leaves a good feeling. Winner, as we say it. :)

Reading what others are thankful about and why is inspiring. That is why I love clicking and reading other posts on being thankful hosted by Iris.

Something Nice and Silver

Filipino Mom Blog's fabulous holiday finds for the week is anything silver. I thought of sharing two of my daughter's accessories. The watch is part of the package my mom sent her. I love the watch with its glittery pink face and pink stones. I will wear it if it fits me.


The other silver is her name band which we purchased middle of the year in one of the stalls selling silver at The Block. If I remember it right each letter costs P25 and the band costs P100.


This band is a good find because it still bears the same silvery shade when we bought it. On my mind it will fade after at least two weeks of wearing it. It still looks new.