me, myself & my life

5 Years of Blogging & of Neglect

2010-09-03T16:30:00.002+08:00

september of 2005, i created this blog out of....jest. yes jest. i figured then how wonderful it is to express without talking. simply, you express extreme emotions by writing.

but i have been a lazy blogger. or better yet, a lousy blogger. i have obviously neglected this space for quite some time that when i checked today, yes today, septemebr 3, 2010, i went like nuts when i realized that this has been in existence for 5 years.

i wanted to start anew, i mean, create an entirely new blog, but the sentimental groove got the better of me. so from now on, i'll blog again.

2010-03-03T16:32:00.006+08:00

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A Birthing Story on Father's Day

2009-06-21T16:11:00.023+08:00

sure it does not jive quite well, right? maybe in the end it will.

my transvi ultrasound says i am due to give birth by nov 12 '08. i gave birth earlier.

i was supposed to have my weekly check-up on oct 23, but the day before, on the 22nd - - - our 7th wedding anniversary (goodbye 7 year itch!), i felt like my baby stopped moving. so as not to make the husband nervous, i suggested that we visit the clinic first before we have dinner outside. so to the clinic we go.

to our greatest surprise, i was already 1cm dilated! it was my first IE. it wasn't as traumatic as i expected it to be. the OB covering my OB (who was in the US that time) did not allow me to go elsewhere but to the hospital. she surmised that it is best for me to be admitted and monitored.

during ultrasound, i was contracting but could not feel it. i was immediately sent to the labor room. the husband and i shared a take-out meal at the labor room's ante room (disclaimer: i figured it's a perk i was allowed because i'm a hospital employee *lol*). come to think of it, we were celebrating our wedding anniversary!

after 7 hours at the labor room, i was sent to a regular room. that was the wee hours of oct 23. i was again monitored that whole day with the same status: 1cm dilated; regular contractions. on oct 24, i recieved an sms message from my OB saying that she's scheduled to arrive manila that day and hope that i'd finally burst so that she'll be the one to attend to me. i hoped so too. so after lunch of oct 24, i was sent again to the labor room. i felt that i was improving because i could feel a little of the contractions. talk about pain tolerance! the residents attending to me were even encouraging me to show pain if i feel it, but man, i still managed to smile.

by dinnertime, i was encouraged to eat but i can no longer get out of labor room. so my bed was placed outside th ante room, where a very anxious husband was waiting w/ a soup from mr. choi kitchen. several hours later and a lot of pee in between (thanks God, the labor room nurse was so caring), my dilation increased to a measly 3cm. i was quite relieved that my OB was patiently waiting for me considering that the following day, she was all set to leave for bangkok. before 12midnight of oct 24, i woke up running a fever! i sensed that the doctors were alarmed. i saw in the fetal monitor that my baby was already bradycardic! she must have been impatient inside.

around 3am of oct 25, my OB explained to me our status w/c i pretty well expected. i still can hurdle another 12-hour labor. but w/ a bradycardic baby, there was no other better way to go but CS. with that finally laid, my OB summoned the husband to get inside the labor room. i was so happy to see him all garbed in fresh scrub suit. he went near me, felt my forehead and asked why i have a fever. my answer was a question: did you bring the camera? *lol* then i heard a burst of laughter around me.

immediately i was preped for anesthesia (the anes has also been at the labor room for like eternity - - bless her heart!) and i was transferred to the delivery room. all i felt was a cold gush of fluid down my spine. all throughout, the father-in-waiting was a feet away from me, clutching his camera. i recited the rosary w/ my fingers and several minutes later.....

i heared somebody say: baby girl out!

i also heared somebody say: kamukha ni daddy! (looks like daddy). i looked at the wall clock but could not figure what time it was. good thing, the new papa took a photo of his watch and this is what he got:

the very minute our precious baby said hello world!

when i heard my baby cry, i also cried. i was the happiest woman on earth that time. my anes kept wiping my tears and i was floored. how sweet of her.

then my baby was put beside me and the husband kissed me. huwaw!

after 5 hours at the post anesthesia care unit, i was wheeled to my regular room and was so thrilled to see our baby inside. she was roomed-in ahead of me!

three's not a crowd!

seeing our baby now, i don't mind the post-op stitch pain and the side effects of anesthesia. our baby is finally home!

and yes, the husband was at his happiest when he was greeted "happy father's day" for the FIRST time.

The Complication Just Got Sweeter

2009-01-31T19:34:00.010+08:00

it all started over breakfast on easter sunday of 2008. dh summoned me to utilize the pregnancy test kit he bought while i was asleep. i went frantic with a why and a hearty laugh. he made me understand that he'd ben noticing nuances, enough to make him suspect that we're infanticipating. i hesitated at first, lest i be disappointed again, for the nth time.

i ask what the nuances were. the list went like: being a worst case of a sleepy head, getting lazier, practicing gluttony that i gulped in one sitting a good-for-four-bowl full of sinigang in kalye juan. and the wost in the enumeration? i don't color pink my lips anymore!

next scene you see me shouting at dh 'coz my head went blank and i couldn't figure out what the two lines meant. even before he could answer, dh literally and figuratively jumped with glee. i digress. i cried. we could be infanticipating.

first sign of life

the following day, the transvi-ultrasound has this impression: single live uterine pregnancy, 6 4/7 weeks by mean sac diameter, 6 6/7 weeks by crown rump length. dh didn't believe at first, prompting the doctor to increase the volume so he could hear the heartbeat loud and clear. what a sweet sound. now it's safe to say we are indeed infanticipating. dh sent sms to almost everyone in his phone's contacts to announce the good news . minutes later, we were bombarded with congratulatory messages.

when we counted back 6 weeks and 4 days, it fell on february 6, ash wednesday, the day we heard mass officiated by fr. joey faller, the healing priest. coincidentally, on maundy thursday, dh and i with his sister and brother in law, went to fr. joey's kamay ni hesus in quezon province. unknown to us then that we were pregnant, we climbed the 500+ steps to get near the statue of the risen christ. we must haven been blessed. greatly blessed.

considerng that we had difficulty conceiving (not minding my age *lol*), i asked that i be allowed to take a leave from work on our 6th month until dear baby comes out. request granted. the next 3 months-in-waiting went like a breeze.

on our 7th month, we learned tht we were having a girl and she's in perfect condition! dh had his hair zapped that day. it was his way of expressing how happy he was. not that he didn't like a boy. he just prefer a girl for a first baby. so that meant we're having a 2nd, a 3rd and so forth? only heaven knows.

at my best

while she was still inside me, we made sure she only hear the sweetest of music and her storybook. i could feel her move whenever we play her songs and we read her her story of a baby who grew up to be a man but remained a baby to her mother. i knew in m heart of hearts that she's happy with what she hears.

and oh, i felt so, so loved by dh. not that he didn't love me the past 7 years of trying to succesfully conceive. it's just that he gave in to all my whims during our pregnancy. maybe, it's safer to say this: i felt so, so spoiled by dh *lol*.

A Whole New World

2008-11-06T20:46:00.003+08:00

after 8 months in absentia, my life takes a sweet, sweet turn to a world that seemed elusive for the past 7 years - - - motherhood.

for sure, there are much better things to blog about this time. only that, i'm relishing 24/7 my new-found joy.

i promise to be back the soonest.

please bear with me dear blog.

For a Worthy Cause

2008-03-15T16:59:00.025+08:00

unsure that i will be able to attend the march 8 fundraiser for the carmelite nuns in tarlac, i made sure that i will be able to contribute some cards as part of the fund drive.

i'm not much of a card person, but making all 15 of these was a breeze.

in hindsight, i think the universe conspires when a purpose is for a noble cause.

to my delight, the universe conspired yet again, because i was able to attend the fundraiser!

i was happy to see both familiar and new faces (for the latter, it meant a thriving pinoy srapping community), watch cabbie & nita's demo, and witness the lee-led auction of scrappy goodies at low, low prices. i couldn't imagine 'til now, that the cricut went to the luckiest bidder at 3.5k. my, oh my, almost 1 yr ago, i got mine at 15k *sigh*.

among the activities of the day was a charity themed-challenge which i joined, using pre-selected kits by the organizers.

this was my entry -------->

which was chosen 2nd place and earned me this cosmo cricket kit
that i so, so love.

<------------------

my luck didn't end there
because i also won a dozen of raffled patterned papers, these ----------->

and shopped these yummies on a discount.
<---------------

all things said, let me congratulate the organizers behind the event. it was really so worth it (especially that i had to traverse the long route from makati to loyola heights - - - whew!).

and oh, thanks a bunch lindy for these ------------>

{Note}worthy Challenge

2008-02-18T19:55:00.012+08:00

whole day of feb 10 was left to me & myself while dh watched basketball & did some 'for the boys thing'. it gave me an opportune time to do my mini album entry for scrapbukan's {note}worthy challenge. i tell you i dreaded tearing apart the oh-so-cutie pie making memories journal, but i just needed the pages w/ the red brackets for my mini album (and i still can use the other pages for some layouts or minis maybe). so from this:
i achieved this:

8 days later, i learned that my mini placed first in the challenge. i'm so happy *blush*.

Urban Lilly Album - A Gift

2008-02-05T20:51:00.000+08:00

i made a 12x12 album for my mother of the '06 del rosario feast in our town where she was the hermana. i tried finishing this in time for christmas, but failed. fast forward to january, i was finally able to dish it out.

i was content with the fact that i was able to manage with white cardstock and the colorful urban lilly papers. oh, i'm so lovin' urban lilly a lot now.

technique-wise, i didn't do much except for cutting, cutting, & some more cutting *LOL*.

the closest english translation i can think of for the visayan word

'padul-ong' is 'to accompany'. the holy rosary image stayed

in our house for the whole year of '06.

the 'padul-ong' in january '06 sort of kicked-off the event.

a breakfast buffet at our garden awaited the participants

9 months later, or 1 day before the last sunday of october '06,
the holy rosary image was transferred from our house to the church,
and again, food was abundant *LOL*

(left LO) still part of vesper day; (right LO) the feast day!

the procession passed by our house

(left LO) procession; (right LO) the con-celebrated mass

still at the church

after the mass, it's dinner/party time!

this LO speaks much of our feelings - - - indeed grateful.

materials used:

cs - white bazzill & dcwv;

pp - UL everyday lilly collection (sushi dot, sushi & blush dot),

happy everything collection (beautiful & forever),

may ella collection (bliss);

chipboard alpha - heidi swapp lemonade & scrapworks;

paint - deco art metallic gold & li'l davis brownie mettalic shades

ink - colorbox chestnut roan;

rubs - mm simply stated;

flowers - prima;

others - mm snaps, colorbok brads, the happy hammer eyelets,

canson tracing paper, rikrak

At Home for Christmas & More

2008-01-13T16:07:00.000+08:00

nothing beats in making my DH & i happy than being with our families. so when i learned that he bought for us pal promo tickets for the holidays, i was rather ecstatic. but a week before christmas, i found out that what we had were business class seats for the manila-tacloban route.

i consider myself a frequent flyer, but have never experienced business class, ever. on dec. 23, i realized that with the fare almost 4x the promo rate, comes many amenities like: no more queueing at the airport entrance & check-in counter, a business lounge to while away pre-boarding time with free internet access & buffet breakfast *LOL*.

i so love the mango crepe...yummmmy!

the feast didn't end at the business lounge, for aboard the plane

awaits a sumptuous breakfast.

i tell you, i am just used to the usual crackers *another LOL*.

after a 1-night stay in tacloban, we headed to home-sweet-home on dec. 24.

after celebrating 2 christmas parties: at my in-law's & ours, our family re-lived a christmas tradition: family portrait on christmas morning. ahhhh, i looked forward to this while i was young, i mean the girly young.

what is sad is that 9 family members are in far-away places. back home, we were a minority. and while we are used to dressing up to the nines for our christmas picture, we went laidback this time.

our backyard is so perfect for our christmas morning picture

on dec. 27, my DH & i, with my BIL & his family, & 2 SILs & their families started our un-planned travel to cebu via ormoc. our group of 7 adults & 4 kids were just enough the hired van from tacloban to ormoc (1.5 hours). in the nick of time, we boarded a huge boat, m/v heaven star. we occupied 2 cabins so that we can take a rest during the 4 hour-sail, but with 4 hyperactive kids, i wasn't able to shut my eye.

i was impressed with the physical facility of the boat. it's very unlike the boats in the '80s.

cool food court

no waves at all

what's so funny about our 1-day & 1-night stay in cebu is that, we weren't able to move around historic spots 'coz the kids' butts were glued at the malls *sigh*. the good part is that we were just enough in the huge family room of royal court business hotel adjacent to ayala mall. talk about bonding time at its best.

while lazying in our beds on our first morning in cebu, came the idea to move to bohol. so to bohol we go on board the speedy supercat (2 hrs.). i was surprised that pinoys were a minority on the supercat lift, a big number of travellers being foreigners. that speaks well of bohol's tourist promotion.

at the port of tagbiliran city, bohol. first impression: it's clean.

we were fetched at the port by a tourist van we hired while we were at the supercat boarding area of cebu pier.

the van was to tour us around bohol for 8 hours. from the port, our first destination was the majestic chocolate hills, and passed by the man-made forest and a private garden where we viewed tarsiers. from the tarsiers, we headed to a private house where my companions viewed a phyton in captivity. i said my companions 'coz i did not dare look. eeeew. we also dropped by the historic baclayon church and shopped at the aproniana souvenier store. we were too tired to go further, thus, the next stop was bohol tropics resort hotel for dinner.

we were not told that food service takes ages at bohol tropics. my DH & nephew couldn't hide their disgust. taste verdict: not good, either.

we at least hoped to stay at bohol tropics for the night. but there was no more room *sigh*, so we settled at the nearby hotel la roca, which is not as physically pleasing as bohol tropics.

after a much-needed sleep, i was again ready for a city tour.

by noon, we were at the pier back to cebu.

after 2 hours, we were in cebu. as we planned to take the boat back to

ormoc later in the night, we went straight to sm cebu to deposit our luggages.

a traveller's lounge is such a cool idea. huge hotel savings here.

by 10pm, we were headed to ormoc on board m/v heaven star, this time we took the suite room. and yes, all of us 9 squeezed in there. bonding time once again *LOL*.

my niece bea was too engrossed w/ her tarsier experience.

she climbed the pole all by herself!

to get myself to sleep, i took a peek at the only souvenir item i have of cebu: a cheap-y pocketbook i found at sm cebu booksale. now i can say i just bought a book in cebu *LOL*.

indeed one for the books

we reached ormoc by 2m of dec. 30. after a 1.5 hours road ride, we were at my SIL's house in tacloban. w/o being told, the kids continued their sleep, much to our relief. by noon, we headed back to home-sweet-home to welcome 2008 with our families.

during my sister's bday party on jan. 1, came the idea to visit our great-grandfather's island, around 5-minute boat ride from the town. the visit happened in the morning of jan. 2.

i so love the virgin green of the island....

....& the pristine waters facing the pacific.

3 male cousins took the challenge to find food, as if to relish how our

great-grandpa survived in his lonesone at the island. true enough,

barely 30 minute after, they came back w/ these:

by 3pm, my DH & i were on the road to tacloban. almost halfway to our destination, our tire blew. it could have been easy to replace the tire had the tire wrench been A-ok. but it wasn't and it was getting dark, and rain was starting to fall. fear struck. as if an answered prayer, the occupants of the only house nearby offered help to find a tire wrench in the next barrio. 2 hours after, our blewn tire was replaced. thanks heavens for kind strangers. lessons learned: check your tools & pray more.

who would have thought this huge tire would blow?

early morning of jan. 3, we were bound for manila, this time, to fly ordinary *LOL*

it was a 12-day breeze, and my only disappointment is that i wasn't able to finish the album i intended as christmas gift for my mother. now, i have yet to finish my 12 days of christmas mini album, and i have accumulated again holiday pictures to scrap. so help me God.

as i unfold our tree back in makati, my thoughts of the year that was

continued to play on my mind. i thank the Almighty for His many blessings,

and i continue to pray for His guidance.

A BLESSED NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!!

Pleasant Surprise

2007-12-16T09:57:00.000+08:00

that is how i felt when i checked what was in our mailbox yesterday - - - a card from ms. marian king.

i just couldn't describe the card she handmade in one word; rather, 2 words best suits it: equisitely elegant.
thank you ms. marian & happy holidays to you & your family, too.

Off to the Post Office

2007-12-12T19:30:00.000+08:00

...to my 'baby' for this year's christmas card exchange among a group of scrapaholics!

i hope to send the message across

What To Do On a Holiday?

2007-12-01T13:18:00.000+08:00

create.

i decided to do something productive on a friday, a holiday.

i remember my sister asked me to make christmas cards to be sold at her store. what, me? mass produce? not quite. i managed to make 22 cards using purely stash. the only things i bought were the envelopes & the protective plastics. i will do some more depending on the demand.

my sister wanted the simple ones, to my advantage :->

for sale here....

and here.
materials used: cs: white, green & red bazzill;
pps: pc slab, chatterbox, mem block 3 & 4, punch studio holiday kit;
ink: tsukineko brilliance black, cb chestnut roan, red & green inkadinkado;
stamps: inkadinkado;
misc: deco art twinkle glitter, ribbons, blings, eyelets;

tools: mm instant setter, coluzzle oval template

so basic, so easy!

7 Random Facts

2007-12-01T12:16:00.000+08:00

...and an ABC about me?

i'm playing along with this tag from arnie.

instructions: each player starts with 7 random habits/facts about themselves. people who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. at the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

7 random facts about me:

1. i'm an OC.

2. i can stand in a place even w/o tv or internet connection. but please, leave me something to read. exception: anything academic.

3. i love grocery-shopping. it's so therapeutic for me.

4. i'm an ambidextrous.

5. i married at 30 y.o. , way, way early my plan to get hitched at 35! it's true, marriage comes like a thief in the night.

6. i earned 2 extremely opposite degrees.

7. i'm more comfortable wearing heels than flats.

A - Age: 36

B - Band Listening To Right Now: none

C - Career: loyal gov't. employee (w/ emphasis on the l)

D - Drink or Smoke: never smoked. used to drink on occasions. now, if cajoled, it has to be bailey's, tequila rose or a semi-sweet red wine

E - Easiest Friends To Talk To: my bestfriend liza p.

G - Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms: gummy bears

H - Have a Boyfriend: husband na

I - In love: hubbyyyyyy!

J - Junk Food You Like: fita w/ spicy tuna sandwich flavor

K - Kids: none

L - Longest Ride Ever: 24 hour drive from manila to samar. i didn't blink an eye or else hubby will drive crazy.

N - Names For Your Future Kids: dannita marialuz & daenna meekaella (oh i wish!)

O - One Wish You Have Now: approval of our immigrant petition (please dear Lord!)

P - Phobias: reptiles

Q - Favorite Quote: "no pain, no gain."

R - Reasons To Smile: family

S - Sleeping Hours: 11pm-6:30am (weekdays), 10pm-5:30am (weekends)

T - Time You Woke Up: 5:30am (it's a weekend today - - - jog, aero & taebo time)

U - Unknown Fact About You: i dont' look it, but i'm so, so easy to please (read: mababaw ang kaligayahan)

V - Vegetable You Hate: none 'coz i love veggies

W - Worst Habit: i buy on first impulse (and ends up being sorry)

X-rays You’ve Had: chest

Y - Yummy Foods: pasta & pizza; veggies

Z - Zodiac Sign: taurus

postcript: allow me to break the instruction to tag 7 others. it seems that everyone has already been tagged. so, whoever gets to read this & haven't been tagged yet, consider yourself tagged.

My First 6x6

2007-11-21T18:03:00.000+08:00

part of the make and take in the may 2007 scrapfest was to create 6x6 LOs about oneself to comprise a SHE album.

i never got to try my hand on this until lately, albeit not of me, but of a person so dear to me - - - my super generous aunt.

my initial plan to make 6 LOs which i thought of putting together with a single ring binder, ballooned to 18 LOs in all which i put in a cutie 6x6 pioneer album. i just couldn't get my hands off my stash. yes, i just used a few left-over papers. indeed, in this craft, nothing is scrap.

here are a few:

materials used: cs - bazzill; pp - mem. block 2, mambi, urban lily, american crafts, chatterbox; eyelets - bazzill; brads - colorbok; ink - colorbox; stamps - inkadinkado; rub-ons - lasting impressions scrappy rubs; pen - sakura, ac white ultimate pen; misc - rikrak, vellum, cricut flower

[pardon the glare in the pix; my sister took the photos w/o removing the LOs from the protective sheets :> ]

It's a Bear-y Merry Christmas

2007-11-20T20:55:00.000+08:00

....in our 2-man home.

cutie yuletide teddys dominate our tree this time.

a 2006 starbucks bearista sits on top billing.

he's just so cute, isn't he?

For Uncle

2007-11-14T22:40:00.000+08:00

hubby and i anticipated the long weekend from the last week of october on to november, so that prior to that, we busied ourselves with our respective backlogs. who would not be, with a b-r-e-a-k waiting for us?

or so we thought.

the night before we flew to home-sweet-home came a shocking news: uncle gerry didn't survive a massive heart attack.

i remember as a toddler, i used to cry on the short but bumpy tacloban-manila plane ride. but on our flight home on oct. 26, i cried because i dreaded to see our once lively uncle, now gone.

my father was to speak in the necrological services in behalf of his 2 sisters. but days before, he didn't assure me that he'd be able to do the task. so i prepared my own eulogy to pitch in for him.

i was glad my father stood up to the podium when his name was called. for sure, that would have what uncle gerry wanted. in ending his eulogy, he said: "this is a joyful day because my brother is already in heaven". oh how brave of him to have said that of his younger brother.

while tatay was speaking, uncle's close-up photo was flashed

in the wide screen. this just breaks my heart.

hereunder is my prepared message. i bet i wouldn't have been able to finish reading it.

---------

good morning.

i am darlene, joseph's daughter, uncle gerry's favorite niece. that's what uncle gerry would say when i am at a hearing distance. i am sure, he also say the same thing to my siblings and cousins whenever uncle gerry is sure that they hear him.

that's our uncle gerry - - - very expressive and never fails to make us laugh.

i learned from my father that even as a young boy, uncle gerry was boisterous; he never runs out of story to tell. and even at times when he'd caught our grandfather's ire for his mischievous ways, he is sure to reason with all the jokes he has mastered. so all of you who know him can now imagine how he was in his youth.

that mischievous boy grew up to be a soft-hearted man and subservient brother. as they say, comedians are always the first ones to cry. that is true of uncle gerry. in a rare gathering among uncle gerry, my father, aunties lina & elen, and our family's tenants in the family farm early this year, uncle gerry in his message, couldn't help but cry when he thanked our family's loyal tenants all these years. that's the other side of uncle gerry that some of you may not have known. uncle knew when and to whom gratitude is due.

uncle is full of surprises. you see, we were scheduled to meet in manila next week where he asked me to have him scheduled for some facial cleaning in the hospital where i work. i never knew that he needed more than that. for the past days, i looked for the answers to the many whys on my mind. of late, i realized, he must have done his share that's why he had to leave us this soon.

i am thankful to have known him. i am grateful for the affection he has shown me and my siblings. sure i will miss his calls to me and my husband, most of the time, just to ask how we are. even while we are geographically far apart, i could feel uncle's concern. there was one time he called, pleading my husband & i to go home quick because he saw on tv that there's a fire in makati. you could just imagine how wide makati is, yet he insisted that we go home. that's uncle. you just have to follow him sometimes.

i will be forever thankful for his thoughtfulness. i have always known october to be a busy month for him, so that when i told him i was getting married in october, i said i'll never take a no for an answer. sure enough, he was at my wedding. i think he missed manning his staff at the civil service exam that month.

for all these uncle, thank you is not enough. i may not have been able to repay you in the best possible way, but rest assured that your memories will not be forgotten. if there's one important lesson from you i wish my siblings and my cousins will learn is this: it's true, tatay and uncle gerry never fought. they were loving siblings in the truest sense that i hope we will all emulate. i think the surest i will miss is hearing you call tatay 'gurang'. and because i hate goodbyes, i'd rather say: uncle gerry, until we meet again. we love you.

My Scrappinmoms Idol Ride - In Brief

2007-11-10T18:18:00.000+08:00

i'm alive. i missed blogging, and yes, i haven't scrapped.

after the scrapfest over a month ago, time flew so fast 'coz of the many things i had to do. not even close to 1/8 of what i need to accomplish, i'm giving myself a break.

so i thought of posting the layouts i did for the scrapinmoms idol contest. honestly, i can't, even until now, believe i made it through the 8 rounds, all in all.

elimination round: scraplift your idol - this is the very first time i lifted a layout. oh my, it's so very liberating. i think i'll be doing a lot of scraplifting soon.

tiffany tillman's shonuff was my first choice.

this is my first time to use rouge de garance papers.

i hope i did justice to tiffany's layout.

round 1: stuck on cardstock - whwaaaaaat? cardstock only?

i figured this picture would do well against a plain background.

this is my first time to create flowers out of my cricut.

round 2: what's your color? sounds easy, right? but i actually had a hard time going monochromatic.

orange is not my favorite color.

but i just can't get off my eyes on this picture of my cutie pie niece, bea.
this is my first time to use a template, and yes, experiment on doodling.

round 3: alter it! - i thought we'd just be doing layouts. i was wrong. the scrappinmoms wanted to us to do more than that. at one point i thought i'd back out because....

this is my first time to alter an item.

and i parted with my favorite, soiled towel *sigh*.

good thing, i was relieved to have created a hanging magazine holder.

round 4: what's in a photo - when i read the mechanics that we have to use a photo of an inanimate object that is of significance to us, my only choice was my books. no less.

aside from this is my first time to use a picture of a non-living thing,

i also used fabric for the first time, as mandated by the moms.

round 5: no photos allowed - what the _ _ _ k? ephemera. we had to use ephemera. it seems that the moms were pushing us to the limits. but who am i to complain?

aside from this is my first ephemera layout, i actually cried while doing this, *another sigh*.

round 6: words from the heart - since we were to use at least 3 enlarged photos in a spread layout, i thought of using a simple sketch.

i think this is my first time to pour my heart out as if to say: life's happiness doesn't always depend on all fancy and beautiful. family matters most.

final round: done for 3, short hours on october 6, 2007.

this is my first layout on an acrylic sheet. since i forgot to bring my acrylic block for stamping, i did some stamping w/o it. ouch!

going though my layouts, i realized i have done so many firsts in my scrapping life. i learned so many lessons along the way, the most important of which is never to be afraid.

so, what do i look forward to now? to do more layouts and.....to eagerly await for the future scrapfest where i can enjoy, watch and cheer the top 12 of the 2nd scrappinmoms idol do the final round.

in parting (w/ the idol topic), i'd like to salute the scrappinmoms and give my two thumbs up to the first ever idol, cabbie & the runners-up au & tin - - - truly my idols!

You Make Me Smile!

2007-09-26T14:57:00.000+08:00

this tag from diane made me smile.

so i'm giving back a smile to those who left a note on my box, and yes,

made me smile: airees, cabbie & ria.

~0~

(bjay & julie: the moment you 'launch' your blogs,

consider yourselves tagged, ok?)

~0~

oh, i'm also tagging my friend bea 'coz she always makes me smile.

Moving to the Final Round

2007-09-23T12:36:00.000+08:00

never in my wild imagination did it ever occur to me that i'd reach the last and final round of scrappinmoms idol contest.

i've never been the adventurous and engaging type, yet i ventured to join on last minute. to have gone through the past seven, gruelling weeks was more than adventure in itself.

the night before deadline day of round 6, i couldn't take a decent picture of my spread layout. hubby had to adjust the droplight above our dining table to provide the correct lighting (as if we know what it is). after several fixing here and there, i submitted my entry.

but lo and behold! while the 14 entries were already uploaded, mine was nowhere. my immediate reaction was that i didn't beat the 1pm deadline (as were the deadlines in the previous rounds). since i'm not good at following instructions, i thought the deadline was moved earlier and i wasn't able to read it. i thought. i thought. i thought.

good thing, april was online and i mustered the courage to ask where my entry could have been. she also didn't notice that my entry wasn't uploaded yet. in a while, she ym'd me that pia was already fixing it (oh, ty dearies!).

that was around past 2pm, thursday, sept. 20.

i got to visit the site again close before midnight. another lo and behold! when i clicked the contestants' gallery, my pathetic ID picture was still there.

my initial reaction? oh, i'm not worthy. my co-contestants from the elimination round of 36 are all amazingly talented, and to have been streamlined to 12 and still keep up, is truly unbelievable. for that, i'm deeply humbled.

in two weeks, i'll be doing LIVE my last hurrah for idol amidst my IDOLS. oh i hope the srappinmoms reserves an ambulance to standby at max's come scrapfest day.

in retrospect, i ask myself: if i can turn back the time, will i join the mom's extra challenge contest? maybe not, considering the self-imposed extreme pressure i went through; or maybe yes, considering the many lessons i learned.....ok, i'm leaning towards the latter because i remembered again TIFFANY TILLMAN's comment on my making it to top 30 after i chose to lift her (blog entry on aug. 21 below). it's truly the best pat on the shoulder an idol can give to a fan. for all these, thank you, thank you srappinmoms!

another retrospect: if i can turn back the time, i'll surely submit a much better ID picture, good enough to last 'til the final round.

~0~

on a lighter note, i've just been to scrapbukan's 3rd anniv. / SE eb at luna gardens - - - in fulfillment of my oath to breath and relax at least before the scrapfest.

true of scrapbukan events, the affair was fun-perfect, what with the shopping goodies, food, games (of which our group didn't win but still worth it), loots & prizes....speaking of which, each one of us get to go home some papers & flower embellies. and i won a raffled brag bag! if she gets to read this: thanks so much for your generosity sahrie!

hmmmm...i'll keep this pretty bag within sight

so that it won't follow the fate of my michael's tote

w/c remained quiet in hiding for 1 year!

One Last Round

2007-09-16T13:47:00.000+08:00

in 4 days, the 6th and last of the scrappinmoms idol rounds would have been posted for judging. i can almost hear the clock ticking real fast, and my mind can't figure what my entry will look like.

i didn't even expect that i'll make it to top 15. i guess it pays to follow what my heart dictates. i can't even say i have my style. my output really depends on my mood, the pictures, the papers....oh everything. i can''t even stick to a decent sketch.

of the last 5 rounds (+ elimination round), my ephemera entry hit me hard. writing the journal brought me to tears. it's never easy going back to a sad memory. i'm just overwhelmed now that i moved to the last round.

now, i need all the guts i can muster.

I'm Two!!!

2007-09-15T00:27:00.000+08:00

i just found out today that this blog actually turned 2 y.o. on sept. 2. how fast time flies.

oh, here's hubby's look-a-like nephew LA, do the sign. peace everyone!

and please dear blog, bear with me.

Inventory

2007-09-08T19:07:00.000+08:00

if there's one thing that a scrapbooker needs to do other than creating masterpieces, and yes, shopping, it would be to learn the art of inventory.

i am guilty of not doing this myself, i mean regularly. the first time i did, i found that, aside from several papers, i haven't used these yet:

my mm setter. why? my hammer comes in handy.

oh, don't get me wrong. this surely do an excellent job.

it's just that i kept it somewhere & totally forgot about it.

so this toy is now within reach so it can do me some action next time.

this cutie-pie tote. but hey, we have the license to collect shoes & bags, right?

~0~

pray God, husband doesn't read this, or else.....

Now on to Round 5

2007-09-08T18:34:00.000+08:00

for the past 4 weeks that i've been struggling to survive the scrappinmoms' rounds, i had the hardest time taking a photo of my object for my round 4 layout - - - an inanimate object. my utter lack of luck continued to my taking a photo of the layout itself. there was an instance that i wanted to quit. good thing, a clear mind and guts prevailed because, yes, i moved to round 5.

now, i'm facing another concept so foreign to my mind: ephemera.

meanwhile, i'll have to enjoy the weekend first. not that i'm not enjoying my idol ride. it's just that i can't sleep 'til i have a definite concept in mind. don't ask now if i was able to sleep last night.

Passed Round 3 - - - Wheew!

2007-09-06T10:11:00.000+08:00

i thought i'd see the end of the line while i was struggling to alter my favorite towel into a hanging magazine holder for the alter challenge of round 3. i guess, the scrappinmoms should re-name this contest to extra challenge instead!

my co-challengers are a creative bunch. my! i'm just amazed. creativity oozed to the max. i'm so proud to be among them, and honestly, i'm humbled. i feel like, do i really belong to this talented group of ladies?

oh well, after pricked and swollen fingers, my reward was a move to round 4. isn't it amazing? i'll be posting my round 4 entry after this. i can only hope for the best.

i'm pretending to be brave *sigh*.

I Survived Round 2!

2007-08-28T12:41:00.000+08:00

i had been meaning to stop posting about the weekly rounds of the scrappin' moms idol contest and just wait when i'll be finally able to post my entries (in the event i'm booted out or after the finals - - whichever comes first, haha!), but i just can't. you see, i made it to round 3.

i'm just overwhelmed considering that i had a hard time with the round 2 'only one color' challenge.

now, i'm on to the alter challenge. so help me God.

My Idol in the House & Moving to Round 2!

2007-08-21T15:49:00.000+08:00

i got the biggest surprise of my life when i opened my mail during the wee hours of wednesday, aug. 15 to see that there's a comment for moderation on my blog. lo & behold....it came from tiffany!!!!! yes, THE tiffany tillman whose work i lifted for the elimination round of scrappinmoms' idol contest.

immediately, i sent her a message to return her sweet gesture. i just had to tell her that i'm deeply honored for her 'visit', & if only for her comment, i'm already a winner.

the 'high' must have lifted me to finish my round 1 stock on cardstock entry to beat the deadline, again.

i belatedly learned on friday afternoon that i moved to round 2 - - - which makes me on top 27! God is sooo goood.

I'm on Top 30!

2007-08-14T14:54:00.001+08:00

not the world's richest though.

but a more rewarding feat - - - you can visit http://www.scrappinmoms.net/scrappinmomsidol/ . the rest of the story is there.

i really didn't plan to join the challenge, but something told me why not? and so, close to midnight before the elimination round deadline, with the 'scraplift your idol' challenge and tiffany tillman ( http://simplytiffany.squarespace.com/ ) in mind, i scoured through my pictures but didn't find among my file that would suit this tifffany's layout entitled shonuff.

exasperated, my eyes chanced upon a picture frame atop our sturdy baul. yes, i got it! i had a picture to scrap at last. to cut the long story short, with the above inspiration, i finished my layout like a breeze, at 2am, deadline day.

2 days later, i learned that my tiffany-inspired layout got me to top 30. i was plainly stunned. thankful. blessed.

as i'm writing this, i have less than 48 hours to create my round 1 'stuck on cardstock' entry. believe me i'm running nuts. but it's fun. i'm keeping in mind that i'm already a winner for making it to the elimination round. and even if i did not, i think i'd still feel the same. because it's no joke to compete with the great scrappers around. to have landed in the top 30 is a bonus. if i'd move further, it will be A BONUS.

note: following contest rules, we are prohibited from posting our layouts anywhere else during the contest period while the contestant is still in the running. so you'll have to search through the scrappinmoms gallery to check all the awesome works of my fellow scrappers.

Layout - Bea

2007-07-29T16:09:00.000+08:00

at the scrapfest last may, the main challenge was to do a 12x12 layout using cherry arte papers. since the paper assigned to me didn't match the pictures i brought, i hurried to the canon selphy booth to have pictures developed. i opted for my niece bea's pictures i took in cagpajo farm.

from there i rushed to honey's buzy bee booth to look for a cherry arte paper. with the time i spent at the canon booth, sorting through buzy bee, deciding how my layout will look like & cutting the paper, it seemed like i wasn't joining a time-pressured challenge. i didn't want to submit an untitled layout so i went home with my unfinished work.

2 1/2 months later, i put on the title, inked the edges & figured, this has to be the finished layout simply titled bea (sweet as sugar) :

materials: bazzill yellow & pink cs, provo craft fuschia cs,

cherry arte angel-cutie pie pp, cherry arte chipboard,

provo craft sticker outline for the latters b-e-a,

sakura pen, inkadinkado green ink, eyelets,

button, dmc thread

He's Finally Mine!

2007-07-20T20:49:00.000+08:00

so you thought i'm having a clandestine affair? God forbid, no.

yes, i have a new "he" in my life now. but he's a machine. a cutting machine. boy, i've long waited for him to arrive. finally, he's here:

my cricut!

with my cricut came more freebies:

fiskars scissors, uhu glue & 360 pieces patterned papers. cool.

[dear uncle, auntie & ching: thank you, thank you, thank you.]

Tickle Me Pls

2007-07-11T20:06:00.000+08:00

that is what i felt when my sister sent me this picture:

a scrapper's haven right in richmond

which makes me wonder with sheer excitement what in heavens did she hoard for me. bwahahaha!

i'm such a geek.

Blues

2007-07-08T22:45:00.001+08:00

not the feeling, but the bags.

last week, two friends (who don't know each other) gave me blue bags: a leather liz claiborne and a sporty girbaud.

happy, happy me.

A Playmate

2007-07-08T22:27:00.000+08:00

that is what husband had over the weekend - - - his 7-month old cutie pie nephew, dwayne.

they look so alike that we wish he is ours :)

Missing My Sister

2007-06-21T16:30:00.000+08:00

...but happy she finally set foot in b.c.

here she is beside the 2010 winter olympics teaser

funny, i used to sing her to sleep when she was a baby. in retrospect, i realized that what i used to do was to carry her and swing my arms vigorously so that she'd get dizzy and...yes, sleep. now, we'd burst into laughter whenever i'd remind her of this ploy.

ours is a typical sister relationship - - - me the over protective and she the pasaway.

oh i'm happy of the many opportunities that lies ahead.

my ever sociable sister: barely 2 weeks,

she already attended the phil. day celebration,

and proud to be a true-blooded waray

What's Cooking?

2007-06-14T14:31:00.000+08:00

the summer season is almost over and i still have loads of memories to put unto thee, my blog.

i'm lazy. no, i'm afraid to upload pictures meanwhile that pc at home is not yet dsl-connected. which makes me wonder: does it really take ages for pldt &/or its contractor (pldt's lame excuse) to do the job? oh well, seems like.

~0~

and what's cooking, huh?

a new baby, er a baby gadget is arriving in 30 days! run forex run. and quick please.

this i don't want to wait for ages.

To: My Man

2007-05-23T16:15:00.000+08:00

...who is a year older today.

your birthday always reminds me of how lucky i am to have you - - -

despite my tantrums, moodswings, shopping binges,

and lots of imperfections, you continue to love, love,

and love me even more.

thank you dear. like i often say, i shall forever be behind you.

may you always be blessed. haPpy bIrtHdaY!

~ your sweety

{disclaimer: i still have to hear husband call me this,

though in his mobile, he refers to me as his sweety :> }

Merry Month of May

2007-05-07T17:32:00.000+08:00

another leaf has been turned yesterday. yah, i'm a year older.

hubby & i, w/ my sister in tow heard mass at shrine of jesus & shared dinner at superbowl of china. of course, their crispy noodles had to be served for 'long life'. quiet celebration huh. and while i was changing into my night wear (yah, i do <"sigh">) & hubby was staring (yah, he still do), he said something to the effect that he has an "old", sexy wife now. hmmmp kapal. of course i didn't like the old part, to think that we are of the same age. in 16 days, i'll have the chance to tell him that i like my older husband more.

~~~

in 2 days, husband & i will be flying to samar again, this time, to exercise our right to suffrage, & to help our aunt win, ehem, again. and since the activity will tire us to the hilt, we opted to stay for 4 days more after may 14, and will fly back on may 19 in time for the scrapfest at makati parks & gardens {pray heavens that PAL will be on time}. and oh, my overseas sister is arriving home this month while another sister is leaving. it's really a mix-full of emotions. truly a merry month!

Look of Summer

2007-04-17T16:51:00.000+08:00

i wish life is like this year-round.

carefree. cool yet humid. laidback.

ahhh....summer here you are!

still, even before husband & i could do our first summer pose, he got busy on the phone. but i wasn't deterred from dropping my jaw. oh poor hubby. i figure it was another office emergency. yes, even when on vacation.

A Marathon in December

2007-03-12T12:32:00.000+08:00

breaking from what appears to be a blog hiatus last month, here is a rather late entry of what i was up to in december. yes, i marathoned a 30-page album in time for my aunt's visit in january.

the pictures means a lot to my aunt - - - during her 3 sons' toddler years, she had them enrolled in music & thereafter formed a band (golden chain - - they were popular in b.c. during the 80's). i had to make sure the album chronicles the band's events (oh, i had a hard time guessing which comes first 'coz my aunt didn't put notes in most of the pictures).

so that explains the lack of journaling (for which reason, i encouraged my aunt to put the journaling herself).

my consolation: she was so happy when she saw the final product. thanks God she's not hard to please. it must be the 'love' i put into the layouts that she saw.

{i beg for indulgence as i have yet to do some marathon learning on how to stitch while scanning; meanwhile, i've to rely on my dependable digicam}

It's Time to Match

2007-02-21T09:24:00.000+08:00

i happen to have a husband who doesn't give roses or chocolates on valentines day. we'd just eat outside & ever since our lives depended on emails, we send each other mails to say how long we have been 'celebrating' valentines together.

this year though, he thought of buying us gifts - - - these:

next year, i bet it'll be a matching squared fossils ; )

A Toothache, a Wedding and a Traffic Jam

2007-01-29T16:34:00.000+08:00

i have forgotten to say HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! may this year and beyond bring us all good tidings.

side note: i had a rich helping of fetuccini & baked macaroni for new year's eve with the hope {coupled w/ prayers} that the year will bring good things. for a pasta maniac like me, a taste of it makes my day. really. so that explains why i had both, to the amusement of dear hubby. as our abode is strategically fronting magallanes, the fort on rear left & paranaque on the right, we had a blast of the pyrothechnics these places could muster. happy new year indeed.

~

on the 5th of this month, husband & i were invited by our 'partners in crime' C & L to a dinner at dencio's harbour view. it turned out to be the 1st day of the 2nd world pyrotechnics show held at the manila bay. sadly, our location wasn't the place to be for that purpose. but our company was more than enough to see us through the night. it took us around 2 hours to get out of macapagal avenue when the show was over. arrgh!

forward to jan. 12, i finally had to have 2 molars extracted. the inconvenience was too much that i had to do it w/o husband beside me. gladly, dra. E was such an angel. i shed a tear because of fear. the morbid thing, you know. i should have not. it wasn't even that painful.

i was up & about 1 hour after the procedure, that i even managed to join hubby at taste asia where he treated his 3 highschool classmates to dinner, w/ the 2nd day of the pyrotechnics show for a background. my meal? a glass of crushed ice. it was supposed to be a chowking halo-halo, but the dippings & ice cream fell on the floor seconds before i could dive on it. another arrgh!

the next day, hubby & i were constrained to accompany 2 of my cousins who came all the way from tacloban to attend their cousin's wedidng. i said constrained for 2 reasons: hubby had to drive & they let us sit-in for the slot of their absentee parents. at the back of my mind something was saying 'the groom will not mind seeing you'. oh how i i hope we weren't labeled as gate-crashers [side kwento: being my first time to get inside mary the queen church, i prayed a wish w/c i'll keep secret *wink*]. that also explains why i wasn't able to attend mg abuzman's class that day. another arrgh!

our way from the wack-wack reception saw us in the middle of a non-moving edsa. yes, it was the final pyrotechnics night. fearing that we might be stucked overnight in edsa, my ever clever husband turned right on estrella, unto rockwell & the very heart of makati that i didn't notice we were right in front of our house, while edsa was kept still. wow! i'm such a proud asawa! while were were at home, we realized that our laundry area had a good view of the pyrotechnics show. good things are really at home, man! so that's a clap-clap to outdo the many arrghs! again, happy new year!

Christmas Spirit

2007-01-03T13:26:00.000+08:00

before i greet everyone a prosperous new year, let me say that as in any home, the christmas spirit starts to beckon the moment decors trim every space there is.

husband & i pulled out our 8 feet tree in the first week of november 2006. we retained our 2005 stuffed toy theme (because christmas is for kids) and just made one big bow. shortly before december, i thought of adding stuffed pink hearts since christmas is about love after all.

the gifts that sorround our tree are for our nephews, nieces and god children. they are just too many that i lost count.

we will continue to have our stuffed toy theme in the hope that in the next christmases, there'd be a mini-me or a mini-hubby to play around our tree. come to think of it, aside from christmas being for kids and love, it also spells hope, right?

When U Wish Upon...Your Aunt?

2006-11-30T13:53:00.000+08:00

sometime in october, i told my aunt in vancouver that i saw in the net that one of scrapbook warehouse's location is in richmond where she lives. the store claims to be among the largest scrap store in canada. one month later, i received 2 separate packages from her. oh boy!, i felt like a kid again, uber excited to see what's in store for me. the pix that i took doesn't justify the stuff i got, which are these:

all scrap stuff, yehey!!!!

my cool aunt even included the receipts, one of which is super looooong. i almost fell off my seat when i totalled the bill to 350 can. $ +.

the cost of these 2 receipts could have gotten me my christmas wish: a cricut!!!!

for her generosity, i'm doing my aunt's scrap album. oh yeah, i love her dearly, w/ or w/o my loot.

5 Years of Happy Misis & Counting

2006-11-14T14:54:00.000+08:00

this entry was meant to be written last oct. 22. but several days before and even after oct. 22, husband & i were in utter lack of precious time. so what about that date? 5th wedding anniversary lang naman namin. thanks God, despite our busy sked, we were able to hear the very early morning mass at st. claire in katipunan & have dinner at moa. i recall, we had dinner at the pearl manila on our 1st, spent 2 nights at manila mandarin on our 2nd, gulfed a huge box of pizza on our 3rd & spent the whole day at the beach in binogawan on our 4th. 5 years hence, the joys of marriage...the joys of going back to our wedding day.

oct 20, 2001 - - - 2 days prior to wedding day (oras, samar)

in the evening, my younger sisters baby & jingle arrived from manila. they had loads of flowers straight from dangwa (read:calla llilies, mums, roses & stargazers) and my 3-layer vienna cake. yes, my sisters hand-carried the heavy, fondant cake. w/ them were auntie lina, auntie elen & uncle ted, all from vancouver. it was uncle ted's 1st philippine visit after about 30 years. i later learned that he carried 1 layer of the cake during the 1-hour manila-tacloban plane ride & 3.5 hrs. tacloban-oras land trip. oh how sweet of him. the cake must have been heavy that he suggested that my sisters better elope next time.

oct. 21, 2001 - - - 1 day more & it's wedding day!

everyone was busy at home (as reception was to be held in our backyard aka remedios garden). the florists from tacloban arrived past noon w/ a truckload of pillars & white life-sized cherubs. oh man, was i relieved? more than relieved. in the afternoon, we attended mass & had confession. the last time i confessed face to face a priest sans the tabing was before i had my first communion in grade 2! it felt like we were going to be executed! the church rehearsals followed & we headed home which proved to be even busier than i could ever imagine.

oct. 22, 2001 - - - wedding day!!!

i think it was about 4am when the dawn serenade passed by our house (read: a band playing soothing music goes around town as if saying 'hey people wake up. it's darlene's wedding!' [side kwento: we learned later in the day that uncle ted wanted to video-tape the dawn serenade, but was too late as the music was almost done when he woke up]).

by 9am, the heaven's poured rain! my tears fell w/ the drizzle. as i watch the rain in our balkon, uncle gerry joined me and said something like it will rain heavily in the morning so nothing will fall in the afternoon. i was relieved by his assurance (as if he can control heaven) . in my heart, i knew God will grant us a rain-free wedding. that very hour, my future husband then, was already being made up & had no choice but to abide by my rule that his preps be as maarte as mine. after his mock-preps, he slept!

my groom gets ready to wed

by 11am, the up-do of my entourage started. the hours ran so, so fast that i saw myself done, made-up & in the center of the standard wedding prep picture-taking session. when i went out of the room, my 3 nephews (anjo-9; jase-4 & jm-3) handed me my bouquet. oh how i love my nephews! my parents' role at this instance was to cover me w/ my veil.

aren't they cute? jm won't even let go of his lollipop!

as i was alighting our 100-yr old vintage stairs w/ tatay & nanay behind me, i couldn't hold back my tears. i'm the first cordero to ever alight that stairs in a wedding dress! (i mean, my grandma from whom my father & his siblings inherited the centennial house, alighted the same stairs in a wedding dress before she married a cordero, right?).

this used to be my giant slide!

as the bridal car (aka my sister's white toyota) was traversing the street across the church, i could see future husband at the church doors as if anticipating my arrival. my heart jumped. oh my! it's for real, i'm getting married (side kwento: i later learned that future husband's heart also jumped the first time he saw the bridal car). so would it not be too baduy to say that 2 hearts can really beat as 1?

the white figure at the church door is dear hubby

the sight of our lovely entourage in periwinkle and our ninangs in gray queuing outside the church made made really, really, really happy. i'm getting married na nga.

i just stayed in the car while our wedding party had their march. and when it was my turn, i had my cue to take my first step when i heard the first key of shania twain's 'from this moment' (read: in 2001, i didn't imagine it would be as gasgas as it is today). from the church door, i could hardly see the 10 faces at the altar beaming at me. 10 priests? yes, 10. we only expected the bishop, the church monsignor and a family-friend priest. the other 7 priests are all friends and their presence was a pleasant surprise. that included fr. nilo, who was vacationing from new jersey. who would not be happy? 10 priests on your wedding day? any bride would feel ecstatic.

2-layered veil barely covered my back!

but aren't the flowers amazing & cherubs heavenly?

i tried holding back my tears as i walked towards my parents. and when tatay 'gave' me to future husband, i could see my parents & future in-laws trying to hold back their tears. the many faces around us were also in tears. so i gave in. i knew i had to cry or else i'd have a heart attack. we will forever be grateful to these priests who blessed us on our wedding

when we reached our seats, futurehusband whispered 'tama na'. it meant, stop crying, the bishop is here. the bishop was all smiles when we got near him. maybe he was naaaliw with my halgulgol.

our wedding ceremony turned out as solemn as we wanted it to be. but in the end, the bishop had to ask me before the signed our marriage contract if i'm sure about marrying husband, to which i just smiled. i think he also asked husband the same thing. cool bishop indeed.

what an honor to have the bishop officiate our wedding!

that's me kissing the bishop's ring

after our 'official kiss', we hugged so, so tight that i could hardly breath. we both cried while the audience applauded. i think the captured picture of our embrace says it all.

believe me, husband never held me that tight. ever.

breaking the heartwarming moment w/ our cutie bearers & flower girls

we reached remedios garden before sunset. the beaming faces who received us were all familiar. what could be any happier than an occasion where family and friends are present. aaah, it's our wedding.

the last to enter, who else?

husband & i opted to say our 'thank yous' during the first part of the reception since we wanted all our guests to hear how grateful we are for their presence, for which reason, i could not help but shed a tear again.

instead of the the dove release, we 'released' candies from a hanging bell to the delight of our kiddie guests.

and oh, our vienna cake...we had it placed atop branches of a driftwood auntie lina salvaged in monbon beach in 1999. i also had a barbie doll in a wedding gown like mine, and a ken in barong stand in one of the branches. we thought the dolls could be our mini-us, but with husband's protruding tummy and barbie's extra-ordinary figure of 8, i doubt! yet still, no one could ever be more handsome than dear hubby that day. and he assured me that moi was all pretty. call that mutual respect (mutual admiration is an understatement).

our wedding cake w/ our mini-us on the right

after a series of 'kuratsa' and 'aminodos', and the sumptuous buffet prepared by the leyte park hotel chef and waiters we pirated for the event, and the overflowing wines, spirits and beer, with an instant sing-along seession on the side, we called it a night; i mean a day at 4am, october 23!

that's the visayan tradition of helping newlyweds start their new life together: shower of money while dancing the kuratsa

and the most important thing aside from the solemnity and privacy of our wedding, and the overflowing love from family and friends, it didn't rain on our parade!

really happy!

end of our wedding story. meanwhile, we continue our journey. so help us God.

there was one time i asked husband what he thinks of our 10th anniversary. he said it's just as simple as reaching the 10th year. but of course! hmmmp. so i go straight to the point: will we celebrate? i mean....you know? he smiled. i smiled back. that's actually how he proposed exactly 6 years ago. only that, now, the roles have been reversed.

a snapshot of our baguio honeymoon. that's me actually convincing husband that we renew our vows on our 10th year! (yes, ganun kaatat)

Home (Again) But Not Alone

2006-11-13T11:38:00.000+08:00

for the 3rd time this year, hubby & i splurged on a vice we couldn't do without: visiting home. but again, i'd have to be thankful that cebu pacific still offers low fares. otherwise, waaaaaaaa....husband's pockets would be in a perpetual state of calamity. so, on oct 27, we flew to home-sweet-home. as expected, our home in paypayon was already in frenzy for the del rosario feast two days later. i was happy to see relatives help us out. as we ardently prayed, heavens afforded us a perfect weather. indeed God is good all the time.

our family was able to breath after oct 29. it was then that we enjoyed food....

manila-based nephew jase, playing around w/ rock lobsterrrr!

....frolic the waves of burakay....
my sister baby, nephews jm & jase, my sister inky & moi

....have good time at the beach even on a monday....
my nephew anjo was glued to his phone that he didn't notice

we were making fun of him, ahihihi

....enjoy the lush greens of our cagpajo farm....

that's our family traversing the san juanico-inspired bamboo bridge leading to aunt lina's bahay kubo

....play in the hanging ropes exclusive for kids.... that's me w/ shannen, jm, inky & jase in the play area

....chitchat w/ aunt lina: the farm queen....

3rd from left is the reason for our visit: aunt lina

....bathe at the falls (locally called pisak ).... that's husband & cutie shannen.
obviously, that's not the falls. auntie had bamboo poles gather water from the falls. so if you are lazy to walk to the falls, that's the other end less the distance. shannen, after bathing at the falls, couldn't resist the hi-tech shower, ha ha!

....traverse the oras river from cagpajo to the town....our family fit in the speed boat, eeer, speed subiran.
i heard somebody say that the oras river is a better version of the loboc river in bohol.

(i noticed that no one cared to take a photo of our picnic. that could be a sign that in our family, food is priority; or matatakaw lang talaga.)

....and after 7 days, fly back to busy, crazy manila.

husband & jase in between their vivid discussion on how to buckle the seatbelt, adjust the seats, etc. barely 9 yrs, jase affirms he'll be able to travel back to oras alone.

our brief home visit also allowed us to spend all soul's day in oras after 13 years. just like the del rosario, nov. 2 was like a feast. my husband's family, the villalons, gathered at my father-in-law's musoleom were food was aplenty.

truly another memorable visit.

The Del Rosario Feast

2006-11-10T09:55:00.000+08:00

[background: the feast of our lady of the most holy rosary (in short, del rosario), has been celebrated w/ flare in our quaint town in samar since the '30s. the daily dawn rosary & mass for the month of october is highlighted by a procession usually on the last sunday, by the del rosario image & ladies in filipiniana ternos (called the reginas) representing the 15 mysteries of the rosary (now, 20). all these is taken cared of by the year's hermana, who chooses the next regina who will replace her position. my mother 'inherited' her regina post from my paternal grandma. the regina draw lots to determine when they will be hermana. nanay got the 2006 slot. during the tedious preparation, my sisters & i realized that we were like preparing for another wedding: a full-color souvenir program/invitation; white umbrellas + miniature del rosario images for give-aways; cutie girls donning wings to shower the del rosario w/ confetti; fresh flowers from dangwa; hundreds of luminaries; the bishop to officiate the mass; a dinner-reception...the list is endless!]

oct. 28 - the reginas & hermana pasadas (past hermanas) coverged at our house to fetch the church's del rosario image (she has been staying in our house since january) w/ a mass at 3pm intended for the deposed hermana pasadas. we got a word from the parish that monsignor japzon will be an hour late. so it afforded our visitors more time for merienda cena & chitchat.

merienda cena at our garden w/ my sister chinky & niece shannen

manning the buffet table.

in gray dress is nanay welcoming her guests.

in background is our 105 yr old paternal ancestral house.

the del rosario image is our own: a gift from my paternal grandpa to my paternal grandma during her hermanaship many years back.

oct. 29 - the procession around town promptly took off at 3pm.

up front is the church's del rosario image, followed by our own image.

the cross bearers led the procession, followed by the color-coded reginas who were sheltered by white umbrellas. thanks to the holy cross studes.

the procession passed by our house where the del rosario images were showered w/ confetti.

in pomelo pink is the lovely hermana (ehem, my nanay) flanked by the out-going & in-coming hermanas.

that's our eldest sister dodit who now, is a regina w/ her really tall, 14 yr old son anjo, my parents' first ever apo.

at center in blue, is the most reverend bishop of eastern samar, his excellency leonardo medroso. for the record, that mass was the last he officiated in his capacity as bishop of e. samar as he is scheduled to hold another post middle of november. the church decor was really oh wow!

what was another oh wow, was the pleasant surprise to see many people join the procession. the church was also filled to the brim, much like standing room only! in fact, the single pew reserved for our family was already occupied by church-goers.

tatay even had to stand at the rear part of the church & i was thankful to see him later seated in a plastic stool. this explains why we were not able to have a family picture at the church: tatay, my bro-in-law jerome & husband had to rush home right after the mass ended because of the influx of people who rushed to the reception. the turn-out of guests was rather tremendous, of which we are truly grateful.

nanay w/ winged b-girl, benyl & shannen: 3 of the 8 cutie girls who showered the del rosario images w/ confetti.

our family.

as aptly put in the souvenir program: our heartfelt gratitude to all those who helped make this year's del rosario feast a success.

Thanking God For Your Birthdays

2006-10-09T13:56:00.000+08:00

i thank God for keeping you both healthy.
i thank God that we are still able to share each other's joys.
i thank God that my young nephews are able to experience spoiling privileges from you.
i thank God for your birthdays.

[my parents' birthdays are just one week apart. nanay is one year older but her looks doesn't show it. both are enjoying retirement, tending to a beach fronting the pacific ocean ]

Foodie Family

2006-10-02T16:59:00.000+08:00

i basically grew up in a family who loves food. i also learned that my paternal grandparents' house is known for it's 'always cooking kitchen'. so that explains why my father is an expert cook. by coincidence, i married a man who both loves to eat and cook. so that explains why i don't cook. simply put: my father cooks, my husband cooks = one spoiled housewife.

but no, i am not about to narrate the chronicles of my being a spoiled housewife. i wanted to say that even during the wake and burial of an aunt, husband's family just had to have a full meal, er, a full blast. and because our departed aunt loves feeding her kin, our acts were kind of justified. after that almost eat-all-you-can feast, i tagged along w/ husband and his manila-based siblings to dinner at a paluto resto in macapagal avenue. cafe latte and crepes at cafe breton sealed the day. whew!

after the burial, came the devastating typhoon. as majority in the metro experienced, my tiny household composed of husband and i, was power-less for 8 damning days. and for that duration, we always had dinner outside. so, milenyo not only wrecked the giant billboards sorrounding our tiny home in edsa, it also crashed hubby's wallet.

the night before the big typhoon, we had dinner w/ cousin jeff a. at the museum cafe in greenbelt, where i gulfed their spicy siam noodles and sweet, sinful tiramisu. i should have taken it as a sign of the days to come. just a food for thought. food, still.

Scrapfest Galore

2006-09-22T08:49:00.000+08:00

see my loot?

over the weekend, i attended the scrapfest in september organized by the scrappinmoms at the makati parks & gardens. thanks goodness i came early because after the registration (though i was pre-registered at #20 at that!), i had all the time to hover the suppliers' booths.

what did i get? loads of paper! and that's not counting the embellishments and stickers i hoarded *wink*.

and since i was too busy booth-hopping, it was too late when i realized that i should have paid attention while the winning raffle tickets were called. what if my # was called?

it was a pity i was not able to join the scrap challenge as i had to leave when it started. sayang, i had pa naman w/ me stolen shots of husband preparing breakfast and watering our plants. it would have been good subjects for the 'stolen moments' theme of the challenge.

but more than the high i got from the loot & demos, it was great to meet fellow scrappers - - the kind of breed i share this passion called paper scrapping. one thing is for sure, we've all been biten by the scrap bug! the casualty? my wallet. but i don't mind. will never.

In Disguise

2006-09-14T16:59:00.000+08:00

i'm not a sucker for forwarded messages. i especially detest those w/c warns the reader of bad luck in case the chain is broken. pathetic, isn't it?

thankfully today, i received a mail that endeared me. read on:

"as you might know, the head of a company in the world trade towers survived 9/11 because his son started kindergarten that morning. another fellow was alive because it iwas his turn to bring donuts. one woman was late becasue of an auto accident. one of them missed his bus! one spoiled food on her clothes and had to take time to change. one's car wouldn't start. one went back to answer the telephone. one had a child that dawdled and din't get ready as soon as he should have. one couldn't get a taxi. the one that struck me the most was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, and took his usual, various means to get to work but before he got there, he developed blister on his foot. he stopped at a drugstore to buy a band-aid. that is why he is alive today. now when i am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone...all the little tings that annoy me, i think to myself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment. next time your morning seems to be going wrong, the children are slow getting dressed, you can't seem to find the car keys, you hit every traffic light, don't get mad or frustrated; God is at work watching over you. may God continue to bless you with all those annoying little things and may you remember their possible purpose. pass this on to someone else, if you's like. there is no luck attached. if you delete this, it's okay: God's love is not dependent on e-mail! (that's the cool part)".

isn't this a good read?

Nursing Alert & Juanbambu

2006-09-04T12:55:00.000+08:00

so you thought i am referring to the alleged leak in the june 2006 nursing board exams.

no. but allow me to vent a little.

last week, an uncle was confined at the hospital where i work. for lack of an errand, i took charge of accomplishing his philhealth forms. at the accounting section which receives the form, i was told to secure a photocopy of the doctor's orders and nurses' notes which show that the procedure arthrocenthesis was ordered and eventually performed, to coincide w/ the doctor's entry in the philhealth form.

alas! when i climbed to the 5th floor to ask for the needed documents, the nurse found that she did not put in her previous charting an entry that an arthrocenthesis will be done. down at the accounting, it was found that there was no entry on the nurses' notes that the procedure was actually done twice!

so i climbed again to the 5th floor (heck, the elevator queue was too long that i could not wait). i asked the nurse again to fix the missing entry. what she did was add the info on the 28th and 30th entries, despite my insistence that the first procedure was done on the 29th. so be it.

back at the accounting, i found that the procedures were done on the 29th and 30th. the doctor himself wrote the dates. so i went back again (!), i mean climbed again to the 5th floor. the nurse who i talked to earlier was not around, i was told by the head nurse (i knew she was because of her uniform). instead of waiting for the nurse, i asked the headnurse to, again, fix the mistake (it was also my way of saying that she should have noticed the lapses of her staff - - - because the headnurse is supposed to check her nurses' charts). after adding the phrase "arthrocenthesis done" on the aug. 29th nurses's notes, the headnurse turned her back on me. just like that. behind her back, i said "thank you miss".

every step i made back to the accounting made me want to cry. i was deeply disappointed. no one even offered an apology. you see, i was in uniform. what could have the nurse/headnurse acted had i been un-uniformed? back at my office, i felt like running a fever, i guess from exhaustion. one question played my mind even after collecting composure: will i report the matter?

the next day, i braved myself and told the big nurse on what transpired. no, i do not want the nurses invloved to be penalized for their negligence. i just want the big nurse to remind the nurses to be mindful next time. i could have reported in writing (& my report might eventually fall on my very lap, which if it does happen, i will surely inhibit in conducting the investigation), bu t i chose to just remind the concerned nurses. maybe, or i hope, we all learn.

~

during the weekend, husband treated me to a dinner at juanbambu in mall of asia. nice food, nice ambiance, save for the defective exhaust of the a/c. it appeared like the goings on in the kitchen were right in front of our noses. ok, i should have not said nice ambiance. sige, nice food na lang.

Too Many Things To Write, Too Lil' Time to Blog

2006-08-23T11:14:00.000+08:00

it has been one whole month since my last entry. i sure have been busy. sorry blog. but these were the reasons for my absence:

ONE. my parents from the province stayed w/ hubby & i for 2 weeks. it meant being out of home most of the time after work & on weekends for their general medical check-up, shopping, shopping & shopping. the great accomplishment of the visit, second to medical concerns, was to have been able to have our family picture.

we used to have us pictured decently on christmas days & new year's days. so i grew up seeing us change (improve & otherwise) in our yearly pix, the latest being in 1999. distance primarily contributed to our failure to continue our christmas tradition. good thing, in oct 2001 during my wedding & the april 2005 wedding of my sister, we were all gathered to pose for posterity.

as is still now, we are physically distant. but thanks to digital thingies & photoshop! we worry distance no more. i just hope blogger will cooperate so i'll be able to successfully upload our pix once the magic of adobe & photoshop takes its course.

TWO. i'm rushing paper works & what-have-yous for an event in october. no, not for our 5th wedding anniv. teka....i wonder what's in store for me. i hope husband gets to read this.

enough said.

Gay Gays

2006-07-21T17:06:00.000+08:00

finally, i got to see carson, kyan, thom, ted & jai in the flesh! yes pipol, the fabulous queer eyes are in manila.

the encounter happened last night in greenbelt. but oh, i wasn't among the "privileged" to have "my own seat". but i managed to have a brief, close encouter w/ carson & kyan when they crossed to nuvo (restaurant), for sure to have a pee. eh, i was at the nuvo door, kaya ayun, i grabbed talaga carson's shoulders. and when kyan came out of nuvo, i was like 12 inches apart from him that i was floored w/ his charm. instead of shouting his name, i blurted "thom!!!" *ha ha ha*

while i was going gaga over these nakakatuwang gays, husband was busy taking their pictures for me. yes, that's how supportive he can get. only that, he never got a good shot. my sister who's physically small (sorry inky) wasn't able to get near them. but we had fun. and i can say that just as how they project in queer eye, the fab 5 are happy & gay. i just love them no less!

~

husband treated us to a trio-flavored ice cream when we got home. i think he's fast learning from jai, the culture vulture. or maybe ted, the food & wine connoisseur. it was such a sweet way to cap the night that i forgot my coffee binge (oops, that should be on a separate entry) .

June Vacation

2006-06-27T14:59:00.000+08:00

you read it right. hubby & i took a 10-day off from work just when the summer season ended. here's a travelogue of sort:

june 9, friday - husband & i arrived tacloban and immediately hied off to guiuan. it was a swifty 2-hr ride, what w/ hubby trying to hit destination before sunset ('coz mano alex's pajero's headlights were very dim). in my auntie's house we found plenty & plenty of relatives - - all attending the next day's wedding. oh, it was great to be w/ family again. the sad part was, my uncle, the father of the groom, got sick and was flat on bed (i guess from stress) that my first order upon arrival was to check if he was ok. he was running a fever w/c made me fret (but didn't show it) because he prepared well for the wedding of his son, the last to marry in the family. from a hearty supper, my sisters & i rushed to the church for a late-night practice. we hit the sack before midnight hoping to catch enough sleep before 5am - the make-up artists' calltime.

june 10, saturday - first thing in the morning, i cajoled my sister baby that we see aura (the bride) at their house for last-minute instructions. sure glad we did. back to our lodging house, no one wanted to have them made-up first so i volunteered. sure glad again i did, because the beautician was not yet tired & i found my up-do nice & appropriate (hmmm....sa ganang akin lang naman).

by 8am, me & my 2 sisters, baby & chinky were at the rustic yet majestic immaculate conception church, hopefully to meet majority of the bridal party who didn't attend the rehearsals. my! imagine the frenzy because we weren't doing the usual march (read: the kaartehan in me rushed in that i was determined to have a non-traditional bridal march w/ the girls marching alone & their partners meeting them at the center; & a closed church door for a dramatic entrance of the bride just like what we did for my sister's wedding. in the province, that's something new). oh how i wished my sister jingle (who's the official wedding planner/coordinator in the family) was there to do it all.

hubby & i were the first to march & lighted the candles along the aisle. when we reached our seats, we surreptitiously returned to the formation, so i can 'coordinate' the processional & for hubby to stand as proxy to an absentee-ninong (eeew). during the bride's parents' walk, i wondered who was attending to the bride! my instinct dictated that i get out of the church & quick! you guessed it, she was in her lonesome in the bridal car. what a patient girl could aura be. if it were me, i would panic. so, i led her to the closed church door for her walk. when it opened, i heard an applause. i had goosebumps. i was sure my cousin was glad to finally see his lovely bride. later, i learned from my bestman-cousin that indeed, the groom was in the verge of tears.

the wedding ceremony went as planned - - solemn, period. i was relieved. my sisters were relieved. the reception was rather laidback, just the way everybody wanted it to be. there, we ate, danced, ate & danced. everybody was happy.

in the post-wedding dinner back at the groom's house (where our relatives converged again over a non-ending buffet), my sisters & i were congratulated for a job well done (hmmmm). for that, my auntie gifted me w/ a big victoria's secret hand & body lotion. i wonder what my sisters got (another hmmm). actually, it was just a bonus. what matters is we helped our cousin & new cousin-in-law achieve their dream wedding.

june 11, sunday - after a 4-hr drive, we were in oras at 1pm. yehey! home at last.

june 12, monday - husband & i woke up early so we can see the independence day parade pass by hubby's home (where we stayed). i was amazed that until now, our flag is still displayed in majority of the houses for the ocassion. i rarely see that in manila.

by lunchtime, the villalons in tiguib, my family in paypayon & compound relatives in riverside were all in burakay. a monday on the beach? sure it was the best monday, ever.

cagpajo river landing

immortalized in burakay

june 13, tuesday - hubby & i just stayed in tiguib & visited paypayon where i started covering my nephew, anjo's notebooks & books (haha, me the dutiful auntie ever!). in the afternoon, we fetched tatay & nanay in burakay (read: they go there everyday. to clean & beautify the place, that is).

june 14, wednesday - we were in burakay again, this time w/ nanay's siblings to discuss important family matters. in between, i walked along the seashore (haaay, sarap!).

june 15, thursday - tatay, nanay, chinky, jerome, husband & i visited auntie lina in cagpajo via a 1.5-hr boatride. for those not in the know, cagpajo is my paternal grandpa's rice farm along the oras river. i remember as a kid, i asked tatay to point to me the extent of the property & he said: as far as your eyes can see. i know it is just a hyperbole. but i know too, that it's really huge. auntie lina (who's retiring there) has a cute bahay kubo at the far end of the place w/c can be reached thru a loooong concrete pathwalk & a high bamboo bridge that cuts along the rice field. aside from her veggie & flower gardens, she also has a tilapia pond & tends a poultry. the visit wouldn't be complete w/o a tampisaw at the waterfalls. purely farm life. surely peaceful.

june 16, friday - after a bried visit to tatay bett's musoleom and a garden lunch in paypayon, we had our first 'official meeting' for the del rosario feast in october. later in the evneing, we had an audience with msgr. japzon. good thing, the parish priest agreed to our plans. that's a great way to start. then, hubby & i paid a 'courtesy call' to auntie delia in the evening.

june 17, saturday - we reached tacloban by 8am after a 3.5-hr drive. husband cum driver was starving, that's why. in the evening, mano alex treated us for a bbq dinner in rtr plaza.

june 18, sunday - husband & i had the whole morning playing w/ bea. we hit manila in the evening as our 4pm cebu pacific flight was deeelayed.

bound for manila

as husband always put whenever we prepare for bed on sundays, we are back to 'reality' again the next day. after our 'vacation' w/c for me is such a blessing considering the 'hard life' today, i try to be enthusiastic on mondays. because i'm lucky i have work w/c keeps me at bay. not everyone gets to have work, a happy married life & vacations in between.

Always a Bridesmaid, have been a Bride

2006-06-21T12:59:00.000+08:00

for the nth time, i stood as bridesmaid. for my benefit, allow me to count:

aug 1991 - maid of honor to my sister dodit;
may 1994 - cord sponsor at my friends, litos & arnel's wedding;
june 1994 - maid of honor to my cousin louie;
june 1996 - cord sponsor w/ ex-bf-now-hubby to our friend elsa;
april 1998 - bridesmaid to ivy in her wedding to my cousin bobbit;
july 1999 - veil sponsor w/ ex-bf-now-hubby at our friends, enan & donna's wedding;
dec 2000 - maid of honor to my friend iris in her wedding to my cousin roldan;
july 2003 - cord sponsor w/ hubby at my cousin, kevin's wedding to minerva; &
april 2005 - cord sponsor w/ hubby at my sister, baby's wedding to jerome.

and that doesn't include my bridesmaid role w/ ex-bf-now-hubby as groosman at my cousin, lalaine's wedding in may 1996, which, sadly, we weren't able to attend.

this time, it's me & husband again. we lighted the aisle candles at my cousin, babie's wedding to aura last june 10 in the historic immaculate conception church in guiuan, eastern samar. that meant travelling again, our second defiance for the year (read: we resolved in january this year to limit our out-of-manila travels). not that i'm complaining because i just love wearing gowns (which also means not having to worry what to wear if i were just a guest).

not only did i stand as bridesmaid, i also coordinated w/ my sisters (minus the official events coordinator in the family, my sister jingle who's abroad) & read the prayers. and oh, during the reception, i helped count the "gala". talk about multi-tasking at its best.

Coincidence

2006-05-24T12:58:00.000+08:00

isn't it amazing that these glass coasters i got at landmark at a really cheap, cheap price look like my blogskin? simple things...simple joys...

To Dance or Not to Dance

2006-05-22T12:45:00.000+08:00

to dance...in obando (bulacan), that is.

early morning friday (may 19) saw us rushing to obando. by us, i refer to husband & me. for those born just today, obando is known for the fertility dance in celebration of the feast of sta. clara. myth has it that those who have difficulties conceiving may ask for the intercession of sta. clara so that they may be blessed w/ a child.

about 2 years ago (during our 3rd yr of marriage & no child yet), husband & i would joke about going to obando. but we remember about it past the month of may, when the annual festivities is held. so when husband reminded me on thursday that the next day will be obando's last day of the 3-day celebration, i was more than ecstatic. honestly, i was happy becuase he was as interested as i am. who would think of a he-man like my husband wanting to join the fertility dance?

amidst a throng of people, we joined the procession to the beat of a dancy tune. i learned that even those whose 'wishes' have been granted still join the fertility dance as their way of acknowledging sta. clara's 'help'. odd but true, a lady who was manning the restaurant we ate in, guessed correctly that we were there for the dance. the way she told us that believeing in sta. clara's intercession is just a matter of faith trailed my ears even as we were leaving obando.

from obando, we proceeded to glorietta to watch da vinci code. tom cruise's character, robert langdon said something like "in the end, what matters is what you believe in". yah, correct. just as what the restaurant lady said.

will we dance in obando again next time? yes. because it's just a matter of faith.

35 na!

2006-05-08T17:29:00.000+08:00

yes, i hit trenta y cinco.

when i reached home from the office on friday, may 5, i immediately told husband about our friend dundee's text asking if i have many visitors the next day. i wondered: visitors? that led to my pleasant discovery that husband already texted our 'close-in' friends for a b-day party. honestly, i just wished to watch MI3 on the big screen and eat out after.

it was sweet for husband to concoct the surprise-that-never-was. you see, he better tell me early, otherwise, we'd have no plate, spoon & fork to use. our spare china & silver are neatly kept that he will not be able to locate. he also made sure that a tacloban lechon be sent by mano alex & rented extra tables & chairs, considering that we only have 6 dining chairs & a 4-seater sofa.

despite the impromtu-ness of the event (at least on my part), it was a happy one. i got to share wine with my sisters dodit & baby, & my girlfriends liza & bingklay. and oh, husband got to bond with his boyfriends, too.

husband & i hit the sack in the morning of may 7, tired & sleepy. but who cares. we had a great time. 35? yes, i'm 35. it means i'm already classified a high-risk if and when i get pregnant. that sounds scary. but reaching this age is an achievement in itself. i am married to the 'right' man for 4 1/2 years; we live in a pretty decent dwelling in urban makati & able to pay rent; we are employed, albeit not that 'gainfully'. we don't have a child yet. maybe soon. we hope soon.

God must have his way of saying that we can't have it all in one setting. yet still, we have to be thankful. and i am.

I won! I won!

2006-04-07T15:21:00.000+08:00

whenever husband & i ride cebu pacific, we get giddy during the on-board games. i see to it that my stuff are ready for the picking once the steward/stewardess shouts "bring me...!" and we also intently listen to every word they say even before the games start. you see, questions may be based on just anything. and there are only 3 slim chances.

in an october 2005 flight to tacloban, the passengers were asked to identify at least 3 ctities w/c cebu pacific flies w/ airbus 320 (fyi: A320 has just been introduced that time). that info was part of the stewardess' intro when the flight started. i eagerly raised my hand w/ nothing in mind. i heard myself shouting "davao, cebu & tacloban". of course it was just a guess. that good guess earned me a small-sized cebu pacific shirt. not bad.

on march 25 this year, still on a flight to tacloban, the passengers were asked the no. of exit points on the airbus 300 we were riding. husband whispered to me "8" & even said that airbus 320 has 11 exits (see how attentive he can be for a prize). but of course i didn't raise my hand because i wanted him to speak out. so we missed question #1. then another question: name of one of the 2 captains. i told husband to answer capt. sevilla. he did not answer, maybe because he was still annoyed at me for not heeding his call on the 1st question. i was also unsure so i did not answer & we missed the shirt. the last question came: to name at least 4 colors that starts w/ the letter P. we were told 'pula' & 'puschia' are not among the correct answers. but of course!

mel tiangco (yes, the kapuso) who was seated in front of us, answered pink, purple & peach. failing to give the 4th color, i raised my hand with pride & shouted "periwinkle!" & recited the other 3 colors. i was declared winner & immediately got another small-sized cebu pacific shirt. husband asked me how i knew. heavens! i reminded him periwinkle was our wedding motif. how can i ever forget. and why did he ever forget.

those small, happy winnings reminds me that it does not harm to try after all. i'm sure husband & i will always try to win a shirt, even if we don't get to wear them. and i hope he does not forget our wedding motif. for what? just for the heck of it.

Happy Misis & Happy Mister strike again!

2006-03-28T13:06:00.000+08:00

our #1 new year's resolution for 2006 is to limit our out of town travels (read: those that necesitates an air ride). obviously, we want to give our finances a breather after 4 trips to tacloban/oras & husband's bangkok trip in 2005 .

PRIORITY being our mantra, we figured, we have to go home only once this year. that said, husband & i agreed that it has to be in october, during which time, nanay will be hermana at the feast of the most holy rosary.

in january though, i received a call from my closest male 1st cousin that he wants husband & I to be part of the entourage in his june wedding in guiuan (a 2-hour ride from tacloban). i didn't have the heart to tell him of our new year's resolution. for sure, it will sound funny & it will disappoint him (read: he recalled that i attended other relatives' out-of-manila weddings in the past). so, I said yes. this early, we are breaking our new year's resolution.

~oOo~

in february, husband & i were reminded by my sister-in-law of her daughter's 1st bday celebration in tacloban. the bday girl, bea, is my goddaughter. after several computations, it appearing that we will not be cash-strapped, we said yes.

husband made sure that we avail of an airline promo rate. instead of the almost P8 thou 2-way fare, we got a P2.4 thou cebu pacific mla-tac ticket & P2.1 thou PAL tac-mla ticket. that's around P5 thou each! not bad.

we had a smooth ride to tacloban on a saturday morning, march 25. for the 2nd time, i won a cebu pacific tee during the fun-flight game. that hilarious experience deserves a separate blog entry.

husband & i were billeted in a decent air-conditioned room at vic-mar beach resort (the party's venue). the room being really big, we shared it w/ my sister & nephew, & husband's brother's family of four. all of them went all the way from oras. it was a good time to bond for all of us.

sunday, march 26 lasted so fast. in the morning, i was designated by the bday girl's mom to oversee the caterer's re-do of the garden venue. while taking snapshots of the venue's transformation, i prayed hard that it won't rain. it did not.

the party started w/ a mass officiated by the same priest who baptized bea. while adult visitors

enjoyed a 6-course buffet + an array of seafoods (read: huge shrimps, crabs...aaaah name it), the kids went ga-ga in their jollibee zoo party. the moment the jollibee mascot appeared, the place was in chaos. if only kids can vote, i bet jollibee will hit it big time in the polls : )

as if the gastronomic treat was not enough, bea's papa & mama hired 2 acoustic singers to liven the party. several intermission numbers of bea's cousins & her mama's officemates also added to the happy mood. will a sing-along machine be left behind? the answer is a big NO. as expected, the party's time limit at 10pm was extended to around 12 midnight.

bea's mom who's on oficial travel to baguio, joined us on our way back to manila, monday afternoon. we checked-in late & had no choice of the 2nd-to-the-last row seat left for us. good thing, we rode a PAL airbus 320 w/c felt as if we were seated in front. we have technology to thank. oh yes, dear GOD the most.

Meet BACH

2006-03-15T13:52:00.000+08:00

The date was August 13, 2005.

I received the good news that our youngest sibling, our only brother, is finally a father. It was not a surprise, much more a pleasant one. But the moment our family was told that our brother's girlfriend is pregnant, we embraced the reality that, yes, a new family member is coming & for the first time, he will be carrying our family name (after 3 sons by our eldest sister).

The moment I laid eyes on this cutie, little boy at the Chinese General Hospital where her mama had to endure a cut, the cesarian section way, thoughts rushed in to 25 years ago, when our brother was just a baby himself. Dear God, my mind said, bless this young family.

His parents named him Bach (pronounced BAK). They say they got this unusual name from Johann Sebastian Bach, the classisist. We insisted that at least a Justin, a Joshua or even a Johann be affixed before the Bach (considering that Bach's parents' name both start with a J & our 3 other nephews' names also start with a J). But our brother was adamant. He prevailed. He's the father after all. And he's no longer a boy.

When our senior citizen aunt heard of Bach's name, she exclaimed: "Ay sus, kadami ng pangalan, bakit talud-tod pa!" (talud-tod is the waray term for likod; likod is the tagalog word for back, right?).

Barely 2 days before Bach turned 7 monhs, he was christened at the Sto. Domingo Church & we, the adults, feasted on an eat-all-u-can buffet in Kamay Kainan, West Avenue. He may not have parted with the yummy treat, but it is with hope that he will grow knowing and feeling that he is much loved by all of us.

Looking at Bach now, I can say that indeed, the best things in life are free.

Holidays in a place called HOME

2006-01-04T13:54:00.000+08:00

Yes, it's right, husband & I spent Christmas and welcomed 2006 in Oras.

It was an spur of the moment decision to go home. After all, we thought, our respective families are there, so to purchase our tickets right away was the main concern. Unfortunetaly, we were not able to avail of any airline promo (argggh!)

It being a peak season, we also had no choice but to go for the Dec. 21 Cebu Pacific extra flight. In my last blog for October 2005, I promised not to ride CP anymore (ha ha!). With this new CP experience, I might wish (again) not to patronize it.

~0~

Dec. 21 - Bad things had it coming that day. The taxi driver wanted a fixed rate. OK, a fixed rate is fine, but not when it's way, way too much the just fare. Like from our place to the airport, a taxi fare will just be around P70; ergo, the P150 the driver demands will drive you nuts, right? As expected, husband was pissed. The driver might have sensed that he was not in for a joke when husband suggested that we go straight to the police precinct, forcing him to use his meter which yielded P63.00 when we reached the domestic airport. Uhm, see!Nevertheless, I told husband to give P100.

As expected, there were too many passengers in the check-in counters. 2 lines were alloted for Tacloban until we heard a CP employee shout that another counter has just opened. When we were finally settled at the departure area which seemed like a market, came the announcement that we will be 1 hour delayed. Ha ha! 99% on time, huh! But the 1 hour delay turned out to be 2!

The ride was rather smooth. Since we were seated in the 1st row, hubby & I could see the goings-on of crew. 1 of the 2 female stewardess turned out to be a trainee, and she was to assigned to close the door!

Considering my proximity to the door, I noticed that the smaller lever was still up. In seconds, the phone rang and the trainee lowered the lever. I heard the senior say " nagalit si captain?". See, I knew that the door was not totally closed after all!

To complete the day, 2 of our 4 baggages were not in the same flight as we were. I was dismayed, rather, utterly dismayed 'coz no one among the CP people at the Tacloban airport seemed to care. It was only after I demanded, no, yelled that I be referred to the manager did I realize that I was in for a lousy costumer service. The male manager did not offer an apology at first even if it was obvious that my baggages were nowhere in sight. He reasoned, it was not their fault, but of the CP people in Manila! How pathetic! Instead, he asked for my address in Tacloban and offered to deliver the 'lost' baggages the next day. But I cried "NO!". I demanded that it be sent that day, wherever it could have gone since 1 of the baggages carry wedding paraphernalias scheduled that very day (truth is: it has Baby Bea's formal dress for her aunt's wedding going on that hour and my friend Liza's mother's gown for a Dec. 29 wedding). I think it was only after I implied to the manager the urgent need of the 'lost' baggages did he make radio calls in front of my face to confirm its location. And yes, it was only then that he offered me a seat!

It turned out that my 'lost' baggages were carried by the flight next to ours. So that's another hour wait. The result? Baby Bea was not able to make it to the church for her aunt's wedding. At the reception in Hotel Alejandro, I whiled the evening on yummy food to forget the mess. Can I shout haaaay!?

~0~

Dec. 22 - Husband & I left Tacloban for Oras at exactly 2:35pm on Mano Alex's pajero (bless this man. We took the Lawaan route 'coz the shorter way was not passable due to heavy rains and landslide. So instead of 3.5 hours, it took us 6 hours to reach home.

After we settled our baggages in my in-laws place in Tiguib, hubby & I paid a visit to our Paypayon home. Tatay was ready for a welcome party that lasted 'til 12 midnight.

~0~

Dec. 23 - I had the whole day to help Baby wrap the presents in Paypayon that need to be settled in the Christmas tree.

~0~

Dec. 24 - In between preparation for the Christmas dinner, Baby, Anjo and I had a hearty laugh as we took photos of ourselves at every corner in Paypayon.

Later that night, during early dinner in Tiguib, "Santa" came to deliver presents for the kids, to the delight of everyone. Husband & I went to Paypayon at past 12 midnight. There, he continued drinking w/ Auntie Lina and some 'compound relatives'.

~0~

Dec 25 - We woke up to a festive mood. Husband & I accompanied Baby Bea to do "house to house". On our way, we were able to deliver gifts to our inaanaks Laieniel, Gabby & Kuliglig.

While I was in Paypayon, Tony & Liza dropped by to tell me that they just went to Tiguib to deliver their gift to us (clap clap clap). At 3pm, we attended mass w/ Mano Alex & Mana Adette. It was while we were queueing for the communion when Rivah said we were in identical colors. It dawned to me that yes, Mano Alex & Mana Adette were in red, while husband & I were in pink! After church, my sisters-in-law & I whiled our time in Tiguib. I was also able to open Tony & Liza's gift - - - a black authentic Guess wallet *yipee* & a blue izod shirt for husband.

In the evening, husband & I went to Paypayon to wish Auntie Lina a happy trip since she was leaving the next day for Manila to take a chance flight to Vancouver. I guess, she really needed all the luck.

~0~

Dec. 26 - In the morning, the Villalons convened at Auntie Delia's house. Yah, she played Santa, that even husband & I were not spared to receive P100 + an imported corned beef *wink* .

At noon, husband & I were invited by Tony & Liza to visit their resthouse. As I was in a short

denim skirt, Liza gave me a Marks & Spencer denim pants *applause applause*. Aaaah, we had a great time eating and enjoying nature, aside from the 'competitive magic singing' that kept us busy.

~0~

Dec. 27 - While I was in Paypayon to see Auntie Dayday who visited us all the way from Guiuan, husband drove Mana Adette and friends to the town's jail to visit an incarcerated classmate. Misa wanted me to see the jail so he fetched me. And go I did to the jail!

After our jail visit, husband opted to have his nails cleaned! Yah, instant manicure and pedicure. See, husband has gone vain, really vain.

~0~

Dec. 28 - I also had my nails cleaned while doing nothing in Tiguib (me too!).

~0~

Dec. 29 - After lunch w/ Anon, we proceeded to Paypayon & found Anjo 'home alone' since Baby & Jerome attended a wedding. Tatay & Nanay were in Tacloban (Tatay was ninong at Homer's wedding). Husband & I had a much-needed siesta in Paypayon. It was a treat - - - worry-free nap to the max!

~0~

Dec. 30 - Baby Meeko, Tony & Liza's 3-mos old 'american' son was baptized w/ a party that followed at Kirum-Kirum. Heavy rains didn't dampen the event.

In the evening, the Villalon boys convened in Tiguib over 2 watercans of tuba! Beat that! The 'survivors': husband, Anon, Jose & Edsel decided to 'bar-hop' in Mucho Beer Garden. Since I was in my pajamas, husband excused himself from entering the bar and promised to come back. Of course, he didn't return *bwahaha*.

We were told the next day that Anon played Santa in Mucho (he shouldered everything that was consumed that night, include those not among his company - - - in hindsight, i should have pocketed all of anon's money!)

~0~

Dec. 31 - After the Tiguib household said goodbye to Baby Bea (back to Tacloban for the New Year), Nanay Luz, husband & I visited Tatay's Bett's musoleum. From the musoleum, husband & I ran to Paypayon to have brunch. As the house was getting ready for the New Year dinner & Baby's b-day, husband & I opted to clean the garden. It felt like we were in Extra Challenge . Whew!

The 'compound' people, Jerome's family & Villalons from Tiguib were all in Paypayon for dinner. Benly & Liezl w/ kids came too. It was our first time to see thier son Wamig, husband's godson. Naughty but cutie Shannen & Sky came w/ their papa & mama.

~0~

Jan. 1 - After I packed our things so I won't cram when it's bye-bye time, we had breakfast in Paypayon underneath the mango tree (oh I miss it!).

~0~

Jan. 2 - By 8:45am, we were off to Tacloban via the usual Bagacay route minus the road slip and landslide. In 3 hours, we reached our destination. By 6:10pm on the dot, PAL flew us to Manila.

We were back to 'reality' by 8pm! I can only praise God for the treat.

On Being Grateful

2005-11-22T13:31:00.002+08:00

This is an account of a wife who was left behind by her husband for 3 days! (mwahaha, OA noh?)

You see, since we got married in 2001 or even before that (9 years earlier), we have never been apart. The rare times that we 'separated' was during hubby's short 1-week work-related trip to Malaysia, and another shorter 5-day trip in November last year when he accompanied Aunt Lina to Oras.

So when I learned that he's off to Bangkok, I made the effort to search for low fares as early as September, hoping that i'd be able to squeeze in (ha ha!). The PAL round-trip was just around P13T that time, but when I got back several days later, the rates escalated to a whooping P22T! I just realized that it was peak season 'coz of the SEA Games here in Manila (grrr!). Because of that, husband was not able to get a Nov. 19 return booking, what with the many delegates coming over.

The new rates being over the budget, I had to beg off. Ok fine.

Hubby said the Rama Gardens were he was billeted was rather imnpressive, better than Hilton, true to its 'hotel in a resort' subtitle. On the 19th, he took a chance flight back to Manila but had to shell out a few dollars for that. He could have just galivant around Bangkok considering that the remaining 4 days at the hotel have been paid, but he chose to go home. Aaaws, that's sweeet.

He had for me a pair of gold dangling earrings which he placed in a fancy jewel box. Bad as it may sound, but I'm not an earrings person. I was hoping for gold bangles, but he didn't remember (haaay). And because I'm such a brat, I went like arrrrgh instead of being grateful.

I soon realized my bad, and really felt sorry. So from the office, in order to make up, I bought him a slice each of sans rival, fudge cake, banana cake & an ube ensaymada at the newly-opened, neigborhood bakeshop, Ella's. To my surprise & embarrasment (haay, torture ito!), he was already home & on our dining table lay a beautiful box of Aggy's brownies. I just hugged him.

Anyway, I just learned another lesson. I realized the importance of being grateful for whatever comes your way.

Speaking of being grateful, hubby said that at the Bangkok airport, an old man claimimg to be a Singaporean approached and told him that he dropped his wallet! The old man patiently compared every human face at the airport w/ husband's ID in the wallet. When the man handed him his wallet, he embraced the good fellow with utter happiness. Oh I thought, thanks heavens for that honest to goodness man. I wish he had at least an email address so we culd have thanked him endlessly, but he don't have.

Now, that's another thing to be grateful about.

10-day October Fun

2005-11-03T09:45:00.001+08:00

I should have blogged the moment husband & I arrived Manila after a 10-day hiatus in Oras. But I got very lazzzy (yah! I just can't get enough).

here's my travelogue:

Oct. 15 - our PAL tickets say 0600 hrs but as early as quarter to four, Nanay, husband & I were already at the centennial airport. After checking-in, I had to find a place to sleep (side kwento: I didn't sleep the previous night; after a brief, crammed, shopping, I realized that I left at the office 'what-should-have-been-our-first-born' [product of miscarriage on 2-13-05], so we had to get it at midnight 'coz we want to have it buried with father-in-law in Oras; by 4am, I was finished packing our things!). The cold steel chairs at the airport didn't prevent me from catching a 1-hr sleep. It was only when i waas awakened did I get back to my senses in time for boarding.

The PAL airbus 320 impressed me. It's sleek as new. Thanks God for Cebu Pacific, otherwise, PAL will enjoy monopoly & not improve their services. In fairness, we took off on the dot. After having travelled so many times to Tacloban, it was my first time not to experience a delayed PAL flight. Isn't it that PAL stands for PAlaging Late?

We were in Tacloban 45 minutes later without the bumpy feeling although the stewardesses remeained stoic, still.

While alighting, a crowd frenzy caught our attention. The banners say: Welcome Jericho! (with the exclamation point in the banners, huh). I found out that it was meant for Jericho R., the actor who was in the same flight. In fairness, he looked good (at least that day, LOL). From the airport, my bro-in-law treated us to a seafood breakfast in a nearby resto. Life must be beautiful!

After dropping by to see my 7 mo old baby niece Bea, we headed off to Oras at exactly 10am. My bro-in-law lent us his pajero and my cousin Kevin & his family of 3 rode w/ us so it wasn't a lonely ride. We hit our destination at 2pm on the dot & found our household in Paypayon running agog for Tatay & Anjo's birthday party later that night.

After a brief nap in my in-law's house, we reported to Remedios Garden to help. To my surprise, we were in for a blast, complete with skirted buffet tables - - you know, the works. Indeed it was a celebration: Tatay's 60th and Anjo's 13th bday. They blowed candles atop layered Go Nuts Donuts w/c we painstakingly hand-carried.

Oct. 16 - we were awakend at 8am by the Holy Cross Academy Alumni parade, led by the pioneering batch -- 1950's (?) that's why they had to ride tricycles! My unconformist Auntie Lina from batch '58 was grinning from ear to ear, while Nanay was in chika-mode w/ her classmate Auntie Estring. Tatay was also with his classmates.

that's my sassy mother in dark sunglasses w/ her hi-school classmates

For me, the best shirt was that of batch '70 that says "batch, miss na kita, txt back" (cute 'no). Batch '85 was also a blast w/ a gay Darna.

When husband's batch '87 came, they were teasing him 'coz he didn't join (here, his mind was willing but his flesh was weak). The culminating dance that followed in the evening was rather enjoyable, what with the older batches' production numbers. I was so happy with for Auntie Lina, Tatay & Nanay 'coz they all participated in their respective presentations.

The night ended w/ a brawl w/c I'd rather not elaborate. Batch '87 'continued' the night 'til dawn of Oct. 17! (that makes it our 3rd no-tulog night!).

Oct. 17 - We hit the sack at 6am, yet still woke up before noon 'coz we were scheduled to see Burak-ay for the first time (background: Burak-ay is a beachfront along the stretch of Burak, thus, the name, inherited by Nanay & her siblings from their father. Tatay started developing my uncle's share last August only). A huge cottage is ready for use & 2 big ones are under way. Two concrete restrooms & an artesian well are already working. In time, it will be open to the public.

Oct. 18 - The previous night, husband & I promised to have a good sleep, but lo & behold, we were awakened by shouting in our adjacent bedroom (background: bro-in-law & wife, the same characters discussed in my Sept. 9 entry). Husband & I opted to leave Tiguib in the morning since we knew there'd be continuing arguments. He headed to the plaza to help coach the Tiguib team in the basketball championship vs. Balocaue (yap! Tiguib won 2-1) while I went to Paypayon. I whiled my time wrapping spoon & fork since it's my only talent. After dinner in Paypayon late in the evening, I had a long conversation w/ my sisters-in-law w/c lasted 'til 3am!

Oct. 19 - It's our 5th day in Oras & we haven't had a decent sleep yet. At 6am, we were again awakened by a brawl (yes, same characters). To my disgust, husband reprimanded his brother & sis-in law! And there was silence & peace.

It's fiesta day! In Paypayon, visitors included my sisters' friends & several others I don't even know; same thing in Tiguib. In the evening, we visited 2 addresses: Auntie Mitang's & Uncle Rady's.

Oct. 20 - We visited Tatay Bett's musoleum. At last, we were able to finally bring to rest our 'what-should-have-been-our-first-born'. From there, we visited our 6mo old niece Chin-Chin. By 12 noon, Uncle Andy was already sending us a message that he wants us to leave for Borongan. And so we did.

I was amazed at how Borongan has become. In fact, it already has a mall & what looks like a decent hotel. The hotel's coffee shop 'Se La Vee' (yes, just as how you pronounce ces't la vie) is a good experience - - - nice place w/ really cheap food.

When we got back to Oras in the afternoon, we headed to Dundee's place for another batch '87 reunion. In the evening, we tried the new Mucho Beer Garden (yah! that's how petty it sounds).

Oct. 21 - Husband promised that he'd have an undisturbed day w/ my 'latest' bro-in-law, Jerome. And yes they did, despite the 1st Balic-Balic Boys Reunion in the adjacent vacant lot & another batch '87 reunion in Tru-Cut.

Oct. 22 - We were awakened early in the morning, thanks God not by a brawl, but by nephew Kobe telling us that it's breakfast time. The Tiguib people reminded us that it's our 4th wedding anniversary! How could husband ever forget! Instead of going back to Manila as previously planned, we headed off to a beach in Binogawan & had a great time.

here i am at the beach w/ my baby niece bea

Oct. 23 - In the morning, we watched the Del Rosario procession pass by our house in Paypayon. Nanay is next year's hermana so we better observe. By 2pm, we (w/ Chinky, Baby & Jerome) were on our way to Tacloban. In the evening, Mano Alex treated us for a b-b-q dinner along Mac Arthur Park.

Oct. 24 - We were supposed to take the 8am flight back to Manila but didn't catch a plane. As if perfectly planned, we instead had lunch at Mano Alex's parents' house in Sagkahan: fiesta time! Talk about eat & run, by 1pm, we were on our way to the airport to make sure we make it to the 3pm schedule.

Cebu Pacific's Airbus 320 was not as polished as PAL's version. Ha ha, after that super bumpy ride, I promised not to ride CP anymore (that, even if I won a t-shirt in their "fun flight game"). I wouldn't trade that for a smooth PAL experience.

By 4pm, touchdown Manila na. Waaa! back to reality again.

In hindsight, in spite the hectic schedule, our 10-day hiatus was a blast. Thanks God for treats like Oras!

Attaining a Secret Wish

2005-10-27T15:07:00.000+08:00

God really answers prayers, even secret wishes (yes, even those that you just keep to yourself!).

Last Sunday, Oct. 23 while Nanay Luz (my mother-in-law) was preparing to attend the mass and procession for the Feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Oras, she handed to me a small white thing, which I thought was a paper - - - a pasalubong from Dada, our auntie-nun who just got from Rome. I couldn't contain my happiness 'coz it's the rosary beads that I have been longing for!!! Wow, nice na the silver packaging, smells like roses pa.

Back in Manila, I texted Dada:

me: good afternoon. i received the rosary beads i longed 4. i couldn't thank u enough Dada.

salamat talaga. i'm blessed!

dada: ok. iyon lang naman kaya kong bilhin. i am glad u lyk it.

It's a reassuring feeling that it was given to me on such perfect timing. Believe me, it's my treasured possession.

October - The Rosary Month

2005-10-08T13:36:00.000+08:00

I love Octobers! I really don't know why....ok, maybe it's because Tatay's bday is in Oct. 3, my first ever nephew, Anjo's bday falls on Oct. 14; October also means going home to Oras for the fiesta, and yes, it now means looking forward to celebrating our wedding annivesary!

I also grew up in a family which prays the rosary as the clock ticks 6pm, even before the adage that "the family that prays together, stays together" became a by-word. And so when my bf then, suggested that we marry in October because it's one perfect month to gather our families, I thought the better reason would be because it's the rosary month, and the rosary means perpetual grace. I am also used to being secured with my rosary beads in handy & putting it beneath my pillow when I sleep. When my mother-in-law gave me luminous rosary beads as her wedding gift, I was ecstatic not only because I think of it as lucky to receive one (rather than buy one for yourself), but also because I feel special since that was also just given to her by her sister-nun. Unfortunately though, I lost it & haven't received a replacement yet *sigh*.

In Fr. Jerry Orbos' column, he wrote about praying the rosary in this context "A folly maybe to some, but the lowly rosary is very powerful. Never understimate the power of the prayer. Pray on. Pray without ceasing. Pray desperately". And since it's the rosary month, our office was 'home' to a statue of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary yesterday. Our makeshift altar was adorned with flowers taken from the hospital garden & I made a little artsy thing to serve as backdrop. I think hubby would have done a really better version, but hey, I'm sure Mama Mary wouldn't mind. Don't you think?

Tatay is a certified senior citizen!

2005-10-06T15:14:00.000+08:00

Last Monday, Oct. 3, the person who fed me, clothe me, sent me to school, loves me unconditionally & continues to support me when the 'need arises' - - -my father, turned 60! To celebrate this milestone, our immedite family members in Manila [minus Joni & Baby Bach who had to stay home 'coz Bach has rashes] had an eat-all-you-can dinner at Kamay Kainan in West Avenue. Absentees were Baby & Jerome, my nephew Anjo who are all in Oras, & Jingle who's in Doha.

We all had a feast, what with KK's 60 dishes. I don't really go for oyster but when Misa soaked oysters in vinegar, I ate at least 3! Because I truly love veggies cooked in coconut milk, I had multiple serving of laing *burp burp*. Despite our appetite however, we all agreed that Tatay has better versions of KK's dishes. Tatay wanted to cook for his bday dinner (as he always do), but we figured that for his bday it was but appropriate to spoil him.

As his present, Chinky & I bought a red polo shirt in Robinsons Ermita & had it wrapped in red too. Misa gave him a Bartlet brandy & patiently looked for a buri bag to go w/ the brandy (I guess, my husband is really sweet).

The next day, the celebration continued in Kamias, this time with our relatives. Highlight was an 'all boaut Tatay' trivia game participated by my 2 nephews. It was a tie :)

I can only thank God for Tatay & look forward to many birthdays ahead!

Tagging myself - Down Memory Lane

2005-09-28T15:50:00.001+08:00

Here's a flashback...

25 years ago...1980 - I was in grade 3 in Divine Word University, Tacloban City. I vividly remember our class adviser, Mrs. Flor Manuel, the epitome of a refined lady who taught our 3-A class many things from GMRC to proper handwriting. That answers why my classmates & I have similarities in handwriting. Ok, I'd have to brag that I'm one of the few left-handed in this world who has a good script *sorry, mayabang lang po*. During our Christmas party, I received a white puppy toy which I didn't like, but I pretended to be 'happy about it' lest I embarass my 'manita'. See, that's fast learning my GMRC! And oh, during that party, I wore a white & yellow dress and a ponytail, geee!

15 years ago...1990 - I was in 3rd year nursing at United Doctors Medical Center in Quezon City. Nursing school was tough at this point but I still managed to have a very active social life (read: gimmick left & right). I remember during a Nutrition class (it was such a bore!), Liza, my bestfriend (who I believe was also bored with Botany in UST) dropped by our class (you see, we had the same uniform cut that's why she easily slipped through the UDMC guards), made a hand-signal which meant I had to cut class with her. Since I was seated in the middle, I passed my bag to my seatmates leading to the door. Exactly when our teacher faced the blackboard, I skipped my way out of the door with Liza holding onto my bag. I looked back & my 'understanding' classmates were all grinning at me!

10 years ago...1995 - I was a bum! After becoming a registered nurse in Aug. 1993, passing the CGFNS in September 1994, my application forms were all over the hospitals in Manila. Despite my good grades *wink* & line of 8 board rating *wink wink*, it proved to be the most difficult period for nurses because of the recession in US & local hospitals had no openings *sigh*. So I opted to undergo a 6 months volunteer job (read: no pay) at Quezon City Medical Center if only for experience. Summer of that year, my friends & I (actually, husband-wife/bf-gf pairs from Oras) opened a canteen beside Unciano Hospital in Sta. Mesa. It was a promising venture at first, but probably because we weren't prepared & considering our respective 'jobs', we called it off after a few months. It was my first taste of entrepreneural skills & learned a lot from it.

5 years ago...2000 - I was on my last year in Law school at FEU. I was mighty proud to graduate among the 'regulars' in April, mourned the sudden death of my maternal grandmother in May & took the Bar in September. On Oct 22, my bf then for 8 yrs & 5 mos, 'suggested' that we marry in Oct 2001. I thought it was just a corny joke (read: in denial 'coz I wanted the proposal to be romantic!). But when he insisted "it's October or nothing" (aba, takutin ba ako?), I realized he was serious.

We had a hard time telling our parents about the plans. Not that they would object, but it was an unexplainable fear. He started off with his sister Adette & I, through my sister, Dodit, who had a hard time telling my mother, who had a harder time telling my father. It was on their first visit ever to a Starbucks joint when my mother had the 'courage' to inform my father of our Oct 2001 wedding plans. His immediate response was to have it postponed to 2002 (until now I have no idea what's good about 2002).

4 years ago...2001 was my year! (read: roller coaster ride). On Feb 29, my bf-then-hubby-now flew to Oras for the 'bat-ul' (tagalog: pamamanhikan; english: is there a translation?, ok, it's when the would-be groom formally asks his would-be bride's family for her hand in marriage *whew* ). The success of the 'bat-ul' was without a blooper. my bf-then-hubby-now fell from our stairs *har har har*. Our first order of the day in Manila was to consult an orthopedics doctor. Good thing it was just a sprain. And the worst is yet to come in May.

On May 5, one day before my 30th bday, the Supreme Court announced the release of the Bar result. My bf-then-hubby-now egged his way to SC while I stayed home. Even before he returned, I received a text message from Mimi (my closefriend in Law school & room mate in Angelo King where we were billeted during the Bar exams): "I didn't make it Darlene. We didn't make it". My world crumbled. I told by-then-hubby-now I wanted to die *so so sad*. Liza called & said she didn't know what to tell me. We both cried. I have never felt so much pain. Several days later, I resolved to set aside (read: hide) my books & things. I realized that my wedding was just 5 months away!

In beween wedding preparations & work at PGH, I slowly recovered from the pain of flunking the Bar *argh!*. My younger sister Jingle took charge of the fashion part of our wedding (read: design, style, fabric & several other essentials), Dodit made the 300+ jelly candles, Baby printed the souvenir tags, Liza shouldered the invites from QP Designs *mwah mwah* & my bf-then-hubby-now worked double hard to augment the wedding fund *wink*. Come Oct 22, we had a rain-free wedding officiated by Bishop Medroso & concelebrated by 9 other priest-friends at St. Peter of Alcantara Parish in Oras. A garden reception at our backyard which we coined Remedios Garden (in honor of my maternal grandmother) completed the event. We wanted it that way: intimate & private. We could never ask for more. Our wedding story deserves a separate space in this blog. So I'll spare you with the details.

After our wedding 'high', a low point closed 2001 - my father-in-law for 2 months died of an asthma attack on Dec 16. We had a blue Christmas.

3 years ago... 2002 - my immigrant petition for the US was approved by the INS on Nov. 15. A day before that, on Nov 14, my cousin Liza A. (who was part of my bridal entourage) said her vows to Mayor Tony at San Sebastian with a reception at Westin Phil. Plaza. Liza P., Meline & I were among the usherettes at the reception. We had a good time.

2 years ago...2003 - in July, I was confined for 3 days in PGH due to severe stomach pain - - - my first hospital confinement ever. I stayed at the pediatric area 'coz I didn't like the infirmary. My Mickey Mouse PJs & Mickey Mouse blanket went well w/ the walls of my room *laugh*. Thank God it was just simple gastritis & my AP, Dr. Labio didn't charge me a cent 'coz I'm a PGH employee *clap clap clap* (discIaimer: case-to-case basis only).

On Aug. 26, hubby & I stood as cord sponsors at Kevin's wedding to Minerva at Sacred Heart Parish in Tacloban & Kanhuraw Convention Center (Kevin was his best man in our wedding). We had a great after-wedding party but had to leave Tacloban the following day since hubby had to leave for Malaysia on Aug. 28 for a 1-week business trip.

Last year...2004 - Husband & I finally decided to have our own space. We transferred to a 2-bedroom unit in Makati on Nov. 1 & painted the cupboard, cabinets & bedroom doors yellow against the all-white walls & ceiling. Our dining chairs are in yellow & black, & we eat in yellow china *smile, sigh*. We find it soothing. It's our space anyway. During the last week of November, he left for a 1-week 'official trip' to Oras. He had to do site inspection of the Cagpajo farm Auntie Lina plans to retire, 'coz he had to design of the river landing, pathwalk & farm house. During that week, Jingle stayed with me at home & whiled her time by making 3 fruit paintings which now hang in our kitchen (I had it framed in black w/ yellow borders in keeping w/ the house motif *wink*).

This year...2005 - In the despedida for Arnel & Litos (who had to return back to Arizona) on the 1st week of February, I was cajoled to drink tequila for the first time. I don't know why, but I just can't stand the after-taste. I guess I did it for the love of a friend who I have't seen for a long while.

In the evening of Feb. 12, I just got back from Rustan's Makati where I accompanied my sister Baby to register in their Bridal Registry when suddenly, my stomach surged w/ intense pain. I figured it was my not-so-monthly cycle. My OB, Dr. Ching Ilao-Oreta's phone was off *gasp gasp* so I endured the pain rather than be sent to the hospital. The next day, a rather meaty substance went w/ the bleeding & I suspected something was wrong. The first order of Feb 14, a Monday (we forgot it was Valentine's day!) was to see a doctor. Since I was in PGH, & St. Luke's is rather far from there, I was referred to see Dr. Aguilar. The pregnancy test strip yielded 2 stripes. My! you can just imagine our surprise. I had to have a trans-V ultrasound the next day to find out if, in Dr. Aguilar's word "something was left". When the doctor said during the trans-V that "it's gone", I cried. God, it felt like flunking the Bar again *sniff*. I didn't return to the office at once as I was really down & out. I just found myself walking back & forth the parking space of UP Manila Pedro Gil wing. At that time, husband was at the airport to fetch her sister. He texted saying how sorry he was for not taking care of me enough. I cried more 'coz I know he's taking care of me more than enough *sniff again*. If only for the thought that I am in fact capable of conceiving, I was relieved despite the diagnosis that I had a complete, non-septic abortion. But the days that followed left my husband devastated *sniff more*.

In the evening of March 30, we started our long drive to Oras. The AUV husband was driving carried dozens & dozens of fresh flowers & loads of apples, pears & oranges for Baby's abundant harvest-themed wedding, so you can just imagine Baby's sigh of relief when we arrived Oras in one piece. On April 1, the clock ticked so fast amidst the busy wedding jitters. After the church practice, we had a surprise shower for Baby complete w/ balloons, a drawing of a giddy bride by Anjo, naughty gifts & games.

As early as 9 a.m., I started decorating the 3-layered white fondant cake w/ fruits while Remedios Garden was in its final sprucing-up stage (read: hubby & my sister Jingle climbing the walls to hang the yards & yards of white tulle to create a ceiling *argh*). By 12 noon, the minutes ticked like a bullet. Before we know it, Jerome (our soon-to-be brother-in-law) was already calling Baby that the Bishop was at the church & we were running late! As planned & expected, the event was a success.

On May 6, I stood as ninang to my cutie niece, Bea Alexa Macato in Tacloban. Yes, it was also my 34th bday. In the afternoon, we attended my cousin Jumbee's wedding to Bing in Sacred Heart. At the reception in Kanhuraw, I met Lilian, Grace & Lorelie - - -3 high school classmates who I haven't seen for ages. Small world indeed! The next day, we went to Guiuan & had a really great time for 2 days (read: cheap seafoods & beachfront).

On July 24, Jingle left for Doha, Qatar where she works as a designer in a fashion line, and on Aug. 13, our brand-new nephew - - - Bach Cordero was born in Chinese Gen. Hosp. c/o my brother Nonoy & Joni.

Yesterday...Sept. 27 - 1 day after my mother's 61st bday & 7 days before my father's 60th bday, was just another ordinary day at the office & went home to a hearty dinner c/o, as usual, dear hubby *huuug*.

Last night...We were not happy with HBO.

Today...Sept. 28 - another ordinary day at the office. I look forward to tonight's 'American President' starring Michael Douglas & Meg Ryan on HBO (I'm a Meg Ryan fan). That's not saying that I'm not as excited to see my hubby dear 'coz I always am.

Tomorrow...I hope it's another good day.

Next year...Aside from a baby, I wish we'd finally be able to immigrate to the US. That's not asking for too much after the petition's approval in 2002. Otherwise, I'll start reviewing for a 2nd try of the Bar in 2007 *fingers crossed*.

5-10 years from now...I pray for good health of my family. If it's not an abuse, I pray that by that time, we are already blessed w/ an improved version of a mini-me or a mini-Misa *he he*. Can I wish that I hope by that time, we are finally relocated in the land of milk & honey?

Now, who do I want to tag? YOU. Try it & see what you've been up to.

My Birth-blog?

2005-09-03T07:18:00.001+08:00

At last I have my own blog. Geee!, I'm excited to write whatever, whenever & no matter how others (who will come across this blog) may find this boring. Isn't technology great?