Tara Na Sa Beach

the weather today is the exact opposite of yesterdays. it's now very sunny and haring araw is smiling brightly at me, parang gustong mag-invite sa beach. hehehehe...

yesterday on the other hand, we had the strongest typhoon that hit manila directly in 11 years. if you can just imagine how it's like, there were toppled trees and billboards everywhere. there were flash floods, landslides, shuttered offices and establishments and flying debris in the metro. we also experienced power outage that lasted for almost 24 hours. there are still some establishments that closed down their operations until today as they have not recovered yet from the damage caused by Typhoon “Milenyo” (international name: Xangsane).

you can hear the strong winds whistling. rocko was even barking at the winds and strong rains. he's probably scared and trying to cover it up with his big barks. hehehehe... arnold and i spent the whole day watching the season 1 of prisonbreak until the battery of the portable dvd player died down. *sigh* then, i went back to reading....

good thing it was not hot and humid last night, we were able to get a sound sleep despite the power outage in our area.

my hubby and i and our dogs are safe in the shelter of our home. good thing that arnold listened to me and did not report for work yesterday.

Back To Friendster

whenever my friends will tell me, "hey! check your friendster!" that's the only time that i will. it's been really a long time since i really really browsed through my friendster account, most especially with my buddy list.

couple of days ago, my friend, erin, asked me to check out my friendster because she made me a testimonial, actually four testimonials since she wants to break number of testimonials i made here. hehehehehe... should you wish to read her testimonials. maricel's friendster

so there, i opened friendster and approved all her testimonials. as i was waiting for more testimonials from erin, i saw the "who's viewed me" section. hmmm... who are these people? hehehehe... so, i went click-click. saw a few new faces, and a few old ones. the new faces, some are surprising because some are my former classmates in high school and gradeschool. boy, they have matured and gained a lil weight! some are married and some are happily single and unattached. i also saw a couple of friends whom i haven't been in contact with for some time, and learned that they are now working out of the country... oh well.... kayo talaga! hindi man lang kayo nagsabi, we should have gone out before you guys left.

i once again became excited with friendster. hehehehe.... lost interest sobrang tagal na, ang bagal kasi nang server nila. hehehehe... i uploaded a few photos from my wedding, our honeymoon in palawan and japan. i also started checking out my friendster account as often as i check my emails.

so there! i'm guess i'm back in the friendster circle.

Photos in Boracay (2006)

photos from our boracay trip last month

boracay 2006

Busy In The Kitchen

my mom left with a lot of kitchen stuff. stuff like pans, baking pans of different sizes and shapes, cooking utensils, brownies mix, muffin mix, seasonings, frozen salmon, frozen beef, etc. question is, when will i be able to use them. well, the frozen salmon and the frozen beef, i have to cook it asap. hehehehehe...

let's start with the salmon. for 2 consecutive weekends we had baked salmon. yes, that's right, baked salmon. i was watching my grandmom bake when they were here last month. but never expected that i'll do some baking myself. hehehehe. when my mom called up, i asked her how to prepare the salmon and how to bake it, what's the temperature, and how long. i never really fond of baking. i used to totally ignore all dishes that requires baking. i dunno... it's probably the oven, takot ako sa fire. btw, speaking of takot... takot din ako sa knives. hehehehe... kaya i never took any interest in the kitchen. anyhow, i tried preparing the salmon, according to mom, all i need are butter, a dash of salt and pepper, and some calamansi. so there, i had may glass pan placed the thawed salmon put salt and pepper and butter, while oven is on preheat at 400 deg F for 20 mins. then, i placed the salmon inside the oven. counting the minutes..... it's now the 15th minute when it hit me, ayayay!!!! i forgot the calamansi!!!!! yikes!!!! so, i removed the salmon from the oven and squeezed some calamansi on it. then, placed it back in the oven and baked it for 10-15mins more. when it's done, i turned off the oven but let the salmon sit in it for a few more minutes. i then, proceeded to setting the table, then placed the baked salmon on a fish platter and served.

i tried tasting it, hmmm.... medyo salty. hehehehehe...

arnold got a piece of my baked salmon and had his first bite. hehehehehe.... salty nga daw...d=(

oh well... my mistake for forgetting about the calamansi... hehehehe..... i didn't throw the baked salmon, when i before i reheated it for the next meal, i already placed more calamansi and some butter and toss it again in the oven. this time, i think my baked salmon tasted better! *wink* and my next baked salmon, was no long salty, but a bit sour becaus of too much calamansi. hehehehehehe... but then again, i was able to resolve it quickly! hehehehehe hopefully, my baked salmon will be perfect on this weekend.

besides the salmon, i did baked my first fundge brownies. i preheat the oven and made the mixture as instructed in the recipe. but while preheating... the oven fire is dying down... bakit??? so, i called for help!!!! called up my friend who bakes brownies for a living. he told me to increase the temp., so i did. i placed the brownies mixture in an 8x8in baking pan and placed it in the oven. as instructed by my brownies friend, increase the temp and baked it for this and that amount of time. poke it with a toothpick, if the toothpick came out clean, you're done. so, i did as i was told. and viola!!!! my brownies went fine! not perfect though, but fine. *wink*

my brownies saturday afternoon was completed with my heavenly cheesecake. this time, instead of having the cheesecake in a pan, i had it on muffin cups. i did not make crusts from crushed graham crackers, i used oreo cookies as my crust. i lined my muffin pan with paper muffin cups, placed an oreo cookie on each cup, then pour my cheesecake mixture on the cups. let it stay in the freezer for an hour and in the fridge over night. it's actually better after letting it sit in the fridge for 48 hours, the cheesecake is firmer. it looks really nice after yon remove it from the muffin cups. btw, i put spinkles on top for a better food presentation. ehehehehehe...

two days ago, when i came home for work, while i was changing to my pambahay, naisip ko, gawa kaya ako nang pasta... i saw a couple of cans of spaghetti sauce in the cupboard, and i have a few cans of corned beef. so, i made spaghetti with corned beef. it's good. seriously!!! hehehhe.... my hubby loved it. my secret to it was my mrs. dash tomato basil garlic seasoning. yummy!!!

my agenda for the weekend.... caldereta and cathedral windows.

walang photos. busy busy sa kusina eh. hindi na ko nakapag-picture-picture. hehehe...

til my next kitchen adventure.

tata!

The Past Four Weeks

my apologies for having no updates lately. been really busy. so, what had happened?

my youngest brother, michael came home on the 1st week of august and left after a four-week long vacation. two weeks after, daddy, mommy, nanay (my grandmom) and my cousin arrived also from ny, and a day after my brother, marc came home from dubai. they all stayed til the end of august, except for my brother, marc who only stayed for a week.

my sister's cremated remains was hand-carried by my dad all the way from ny. he said he doesn't want it out of his sight... si daddy talaga... my daddy loves my sister very much.... we all do. but he still can't really accept why it happened, he still has his what ifs...

a day after my parents' arrival, we held a wake for my sister for 2 days at our home in quezon city. then, we scheduled the entombment on august 20th. the entombment was quite difficult for us since we are all having thoughts of having my sister's remains at home instead. but... it's a no no. pamahiin daw...

couple of days after... my brothers and i with our cousin, leah headed for boracay for a 3d/2n stay. we all had fun, though, i wished arnold was with me then to enjoy the trip. as always... he has to work. oh well... i'll post photos of our trip soon. i'm still finding time to upload the photos online.

after the bora trip, my brother, marc has to packed his stuff, as he has to go back to work already. driving him to the airport was really sad.... a week of being together with the whole family. nakakalungkot... sana magkakasama na lang kami parati... d=(

then a few days after, michael and leah went back to ny. michael has to go back because school starts in a couple of days for him. and leah has a trip to vegas couple of days later.

mommy, daddy and nanay were left with me at home. a week more of bonding time with my parents. we heard mass in manaoag church, they had their tripping in tagaytay, we went shopping, mommy did her gardening, daddy and mommy saw their friends, and did more shopping before they left. mommy had a list prepared for my to-do stuff particularly concerning the house. ayayay!!! do i have a choice? i guess none... it's also my house, right? daddy and mommy reminded me to always visit my sister's crypt and bring her flowers.

they left on september 4th. daddy wanted to extend his stay but there are some limitations on their ticket. don't worry daddy, we still have may next year.

so that's one month for me. it was stressful but fun as well. kahit na nakakapagod, basta kasama mo family mo, masaya pa rin.

back on my endless to-do list... i have tons of things to do at home. it definitely needs some tidying. i only go online the past couple of weeks to download my mails and get to read only the important ones. til now, we're still doing our best to keep the place neat and liveable. our place sure sported the "jungle look" the past 4 weeks. hehehe...

btw, my friend donna is getting married in 6 weeks. so, busy-busy nanaman as i'm helping her out with her preps. wedding preps ulit. hehehe...

this is all for now. masakit na mata ko eh...

take care y'all. have a nice weekend.

Freedom of Simplicity (by Bo Sanchez)

Happiness is not found outside of you. It doesn't come from cars, clothes, cash, or Caribbean cruises. Happiness is found within. But how can you find it if you don't have the simplicity of time and space to discover the most important things in your life?

How can you search the depths of your soul if you are too busy impressing others, acquiring wealth, protecting your properties, and paying your debts?

Simplicity is not about the external either: living in a doghouse, eating in Hepatitis joints, wearing rags.

Let me define what it is: Simplicity is living from the core of your being.

A TREASURE MAP OF HAPPINESS

Simplicity will point to you where and what and who the gold is in your life. Let me share with you the seven powerful lessons I've learned on simple living:

1. LIVE ON LESS, AND DELIGHT IN THEM MORE

Some take their pleasure dining in classy restaurants, trips to Europe, and owning the latest home theatre-equipment. I've chosen the simple path:

If I can simply be with my wife, or take a quiet stroll under a canopy of stars, or play with a child, or read a good book in my home, or laugh with friends over a pizza, I consider myself richly blessed.

Focus on what you have and not on what you don't have.


2. STOP RUNNING AND WALK INSTEAD

Here's the truth: The person who has covered the greatest distance does NOT win, but the one who has most enjoyed the journey does. Stop running around chasing your own tail!

Get off your hurried pace and learn to breathe. Replace doing with being. Learn to say no to invitations, appointments, and commitments, activities and events that will rob you of your focus. Learn to say "yes" to rest, to tranquility, to quietness.


3. YOU ARE MORE THAN YOUR WEALTH

I own very few things today. Because I am more than the brand of my watch, the logo of my shoes, the name of my car. I believe that if in my soul I deeply respect and value myself, people around me will sense that, and they too, will value and respect me-whether I'm wearing Armani or not.

You are more than your wealth.


4. AVOID BUYING ON CREDIT

I don't believe in borrowing from credit cards. (For convenience, I use one card but I pay the whole amount at the end of each month.) If I need something really bad, I save up for it. Sometimes, at midpoint, I realize I don't really need the darn thing and give up the whole idea. The only exception I feel we should enter into a credit is when buying a non-depreciating item, such as housing or land.

I believe we should always live within our earning capacity.

Proverbs 22:7 says, "Those who borrow are slaves of moneylenders."


5. GIVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

If I content myself with P250 shirt instead of P4,000 Lacoste, I can help others more.

Trust me, there is immense pleasure! You will find that the empty thrill of owning a

diamond ring on your finger pales in comparison to the joy of handing a piece of bread to an orphan child.

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8)

The Old Testament of tithing, or giving 10% of your income is a good guideline to follow. The New Testament challenges us to give with a cheerful heart. (When you're cheerful,

you may give more than 10%!) Make it a habit.


6. SAVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

Saving is essential to being good stewards of the money that God "lends" to us. Saving is an important way of providing for our future-both for our needs and to be generous to others. I recommend that you save at least 10% of your income. I can almost hear you now: "Bo, that's impossible!" Oh yeah? Well, how did you live three years back when your salary was one-half its present amount?"

Sacrifice. Many of our needs are actually wants. Is cable TV a need? Will you suddenly die if you can't watch CNN or HBO? Are those new golf clubs essential to your existence? Invest in time deposits, long-term stocks and housing.


7. BUDGET, BUDGET, BUDGET

Make a list of all your monthly expenses, according to categories. Make also a list of irregular expenses-those that don't come monthly. Set up another savings account for these expenses and put in a little money each month. To differentiate this from the savings account, we call ours "freedom account" because it frees us from worrying about them when they suddenly attack. And stick to your budget!


ONE LAST WORD BEFORE WE CLOSE

Balance.

Don't take living simply to the extremes! Living simply doesn't mean living in deprivation. There are special days when my wife and I eat in a fancy restaurant. Or, when we splurge on a vacation. Very rare, yes, but my point is that you take living simply

NOT as a rigid goal-but as a happy process towards the goals of generosity, inner peace and holiness.

GODspeed!!!

7 Ways To Relieve Stress

below are seven wonderful ways to bring stress relief effortlessly into your life.

1) Prepare your next work day before you leave. Take a few minutes to make a to-do list, get organized and clean up before you leave. This will help you not think about work later in the evening. When you do come back to work, you'll feel like you're in control of the situation, and you can handle it.

2) Bring snacks to ease the "Comfort Food" cravings that often go hand-in-hand with increased stress levels. Try to keep three or four snacks on hand. Different items can include peanuts if you like something salty; string cheese if you have a craving for protein; a *small* amount of chocolate for the sweets cravings.

3) Frequently wash your hands. Stress suppresses the immune system, making you more susceptible to cold viruses and other germs. Frequent hand washing is your best defense against these germs and viruses.

4) Put on some music. "Heart," a British medical journal recently published a study that showed slow or meditative music is a proven stress buster.

5) Go jump in a lake! The "International Journal of Stress Management" published a recent Swedish study that found floating in water will trigger the body's relax response. 80 percent of those studied reported improvements in depression and stress from floating in water.

6) Keep your work at the office: The "Journal of Marriage and Family" published a recent study that found increased stress when cell phones and pagers at home spilled over into people's family life. If you can't turn off your cell phone or pager when the workday is over, screen calls and limit work-related cell phone calls. Checking e-mails only during work hours also brings stress relieving benefits.

7) Make like a pretzel and twist: A simple night-time spinal twist can help you get a better nights sleep by alleviating built up tension in your lower back. To do the twist;
- Sit on your bed with legs crossed.
- Place your right hand down on the bed behind you and rest your left hand on your right knee.
- Sit up straight, inhale for four to eight counts and lengthen your spine as you breathe.
- When exhaling, gently twist toward your right hand without straining your neck. - Hold in this position for four more full breaths. With each inhale, lengthen your spine. Gently deepen your twist with each exhale.
- Repeat on the opposite side.