Twenty-seventh Letter to Sofia

My dear Sofie,

It has been so long since I last wrote you a letter here. I have one in my laptop which I have never been able to post. I have been very lazy to blog although I am never lazy to think of you. Your dad and I think about you every day. We talk about you every day too. We imagine conversations with you with funny made up dialogues. We love thinking about you although I most of the time end up crying afterwards. I still blame myself in a way.

We placed your cremains in a nice resting place at the Immaculate Conceptuon Carhedral and we visit it every week right after (or sometimes) before Mass. I like bringing you my favorite flowers of carnation, stargazer and gerbera. You actually had the prettiest basket of flowers last All Soul's Day.

Your Kuya, dad and I are moving to a new home in a new city. It's probably around 8km away from your reating place. We will still visit every week.

I have to go back to packing now. We move on Saturday morning. I hope that the new home will be good for us.

I love you always, Sofie!

Flying hugs and kisses to heaven,
Mommy

Twenty-sixth Letter to Sofia

My dear Sofie,

It has been three years since I gave birth to you, three years since I last saw your face, three years since the first and last time I kissed you. Yesterday was your birthday and the anniversary of your passing. We still miss you a lot. I still think of you every day. Daddy and I talk about you all the time, imagining your antics and your reactions to certain things and situations. We imagined how different your birthday would have been this year. We said that maybe you would have wanted to spend the day at the Manila Ocean Park, that you would have been so noisy and excited at the back of the car.



Instead, Daddy and I spent the day shopping for presents for you which we would give to a needy little girl in your name. We had a quiet dinner with your Kuya, Lola and Lolo and your cousin Emilio and his parents.

I wish I could bring back the day I gave birth to you and kiss you one more time. I miss you so much! I love you always.


Flying kisses to Heaven,
Mommy

Twenty-fifth Letter to Sofie

My dearest Sofie,

It's been a long time since I last wrote you a letter. I have been very busy this school year. I have actually been neglecting this blog too. Anyway, that doesn't mean that Mommy is too busy to think of you. That's very far from the truth. I still think of you every day, and I know I will continue doing so for the rest of my life. Daddy and I always talk about you, and wonder what kind of personality you have. We always argue about who you look like. I just know you look like me! But Daddy keeps insisting that you look like him. 😁

I have been trying to paint lately, whenever time permits and I can't help thinking that had you been here with us, you would be painting some pictures beside me. And you would probably even tell your daddy that it was you who made my paintings! 😊Life would have been so different with you here! So much happier with the sounds of your giggles and shrieks, the sound of little feet running around the house and maybe even the sound of you whining because Kuya doesn't want to play with you. These are the sounds I would never know but will forever wish to know.

Your daddy said he would have called you his little monkey because you would always be hanging around his neck. What I am sure of is that Mommy would have been so proud to be seen with you because you would have been the most beautiful little girl anyone has ever seen.

I love you so, Sofie!

I miss you.

Flying hugs and kisses to Heaven,
Mommy

My Recent Preoccupations

September has come and gone and I was not able to post anything.

My mind has been so preoccupied lately with the tons of writing assignments I have to check. I am handling English for Academic and Professional Purposes this year and I have around 280 students in that subject.  I also handle Business Ethics with 35 students. I only have 30 minutes of recess and 30 minutes of lunch with no other breaks in between. My lunch break isn't even enough for me to clear my head and get ready for my next class.  Sometimes I feel my legs getting numb from standing too long and my chest tightening from sheer exhaustion.

And then I have my clients to attend to in my Sun Life business. I have to find time to call them, to see them, to submit what is needed at the head office and to look for more clients. I have recently made a Facebook page specially for this business hoping to attract more prospects before the year is over and I have been busy thinking of a good content to put up on that page too.

I have recently stumbled on Shopify which I am sure many of you know of.  I am attempting to build a store but I don't know if I will ever be able to finish setting it up. It's just too complicated for a technological immigrant like myself. I am having a hard time setting up the shipping fees, taxes, payment options and all that stuff.  I have, however, already thought of a name for it.

Just last weekend, I discovered  a new love. Hunnybed fetched me from a water spa where some teachers and I were at but the traffic was still too heavy that we decided to wait a while. Hunnybed and I decided to try painting at Sip and Gogh to kill time. This is an art studio where guests can try painting. They have different art works that you can copy and resident artists to tell you what to do. They also serve wine or juice together with some finger foods to their guests.

                      I chose a landscape painting to copy and Hunnybed chose a pair of Kois.

That night was truly one for the books.  It had been so long since I've had that much fun.  I cannot say that I have finally discovered my hidden talent because I do not think I am talented in painting nor in drawing.  I can draw, I can copy and sketch but my work are nothing extraordinary.  However,  seeing my painting that night gave me a feeling of such sweet accomplishment! 

As you can see, the model painting is at my left.

I can't wait but paint again!



What have you been busy with lately?

Beautiful August

August  has been a beautiful month!  There were so many things to be thankful for! 


My son turned another year older on the 4th. 

Hunnybed was the one who took this photo.

My Tootsieroll is my life, my precious gift.  And this year's Buwan ng Wika Celebration gave me another chance to witness his many talents once again.  Among his many accomplishments this August was his essay that bested 500 essays written by his fellow Senior High students.

The smile of a proud stage mother :)

My mom turned another year older three days after my son turned 18.   We celebrated her  birthday with the whole family and by whole family, that always includes my sister, her husband, and their four-year-old son.

Classes opened on the 7th and this year I'm handling 17-year-olds.  It's my first time to handle kids as old as they and I am just loving it.  Being an adviser to them is so different from being an adviser to grade schoolers.  This time, I no longer have to do everything.   In fact, they do almost everything.  :) My student leaders are the best.  They are responsible and dependable.  My students are very supportive of one another too and that's what I love about them.  They are also one of the sweetest classes I've handled so far. 

These are my students after the elimination round of one of the Buwan ng Wika competitions.   I am somewhere in the middle.

I turned 43 on the 26th and I was just so grateful for all the blessings I've received from God.  I went to Mass very early in the morning feeling so thankful that I was born in the faith was born into and feeling so blessed that I could receive the Lord in the Eucharist on my birthday. 

For the first time in a long time, I was the one who treated my family to a sumptuous lunch.

I was just a little sad that day because my sister could only stay for a short time.  I got a little emotional because we seldom see each other and we don't get to talk anymore.  She does find time to be with her friends though so that hurts me a little.

My students gave me a surprise cake the following school day.  I love their thoughtfulness.  I was so touched that they thought of a surprise for me, complete with party poppers, considering the fact that we had only been together for two weeks.

So this is how my August went.  I hope September is going to be just as beautiful and blessed.

I hope you had a wonderful month as well.

Random Thoughts on a Friday Evening

I haven't posted in a long while.  I always remember my blog and always think of posting something but I always end up not getting my laptop out of plain laziness and I don't have any excuse for that.

Tonight I decided not to let this laziness get the better of me once again and here I am sharing my random thoughts to the world.

1.The rainy season has started and school will start in a few days but if I had my way I would go on another trip to the beach.  I'm not a beach bum like most people here are but my recent trip to the beach was just so nice and relaxing that I want to go back.

Our short vacation was actually Ruel's birthday celebration.  I love that he enjoyed his birthday this    year. 

We rented a water taxi for 950 pesos.  I enjoyed going around the other islands although I spent most of the time shrieking because of the big waves.

2. I love how my son got along very well with my high school best friend's son whom he met yesterday when we had lunch with my high school friend.  I'm actually hoping that my friend and I would get to rekindle our friendship and that our sons would be friends too.

3. I need a new laptop for school work and a tablet for my business.  However, I only have budget for one of them.  I'm thinking if there is a tablet which would allow me to work on Exel and Word (I'm not tech savvy so don't judge me if you know there is one :)   )  then I'll be more inclined to get a tablet.


4. My son is going to college in a year's time so I really have to work doubly hard.  And I pray that God will keep our family safe and healthy so that we can continue working for our goals and aspirations.  I also pray that He will send me more clients for my business.


What have you been thinking of lately?

How to Choose the Right Rosary for You : A guest post

Hello friends!  As I am still unable to post something today, I decided to post something from a friend I met online, Megan Dahle.  She's a fellow Catholic from Harrisburg, South Dakota.

How to Choose the Right Rosary for You

For millions, the rosary is something so much more than a decoration inside the home.

If you’re one of those millions, choosing that special rosary that is just right for you is an extremely important selection to make.

Praying the Rosary

The rosary is a set of prayers designed to venerate the Holy Mother. Use of a set of rosary beads when praying the rosary provides a physical means of keeping count of the prayers as they’re recited. Your fingers move along the string of beads as you recite the prayers. This leaves your mind free to meditate on the mysteries of the rosary.

Rosary beads are physical objects that represent a part of our faith. This makes them highly personal. While all the faithful basically perform the ritual of praying the rosary in the same manner, the special connection the rosary brings to our faith holds specific meaning to each of us individually.

Choosing Your Rosary

Rosary beads are a string of beads formed into a closed circle. Each of us has the choice of purchasing a pre-made rosary for our personal use or creating a customized string of beads that symbolizes our private faith. Whichever you prefer, the rosary you choose is important because picking the rosary that is right for you will increase the likelihood that you will actually use it.

Not only do you need a rosary that is visually appealing to you, it needs to feel good in your hands.

When you find the rosary beads that are just right for you, your rosary becomes a motivator that calls you to prayer instead of a fashion accessory or keychain that gets forgotten in a drawer.

Length of Your Rosary

The length of the string of rosary beads can make a difference. Shorter rosaries are commonly adorned with wooden beads linked together with a cord instead of a metal chain. The beads are usually close together with little free space between. Longer rosaries tend to have the beads spaced out a bit more, with links of metal chain providing the space between them.

A shorter rosary may make it more difficult for your fingers to slide along the string. Without a definite space between the beads, your fingers may accidently skip a bead. This will throw off your count of the prayers you’re reciting. Shorter rosaries are easier to tuck into a pocket or purse when you’ve completed your prayers.

The longer rosaries make it easier to count your prayers with confidence because the spaces make it easier to slide your fingers from bead to bead. The space between the beads lets you count without having to look down at the beads. Longer strings can tangle more easily, however, and will require more space to store when not being used. One way to safely store a long rosary is to keep it in a soft pouch.

The Feel of the Beads

How the beads feel when you touch them makes a difference. They should feel comfortable to your touch so as not to distract you from your meditation and prayers. Beads with a smooth surface will flow through your fingers easily. Faceted beads with a jewelry-like structure are usually more visually appealing but won’t move as smoothly through your hands.

Beads with a multifaceted cut will reflect the light, creating a cascade of sparkly points of colored light that may dance around a room. Rosaries made with each bead resembling a precious stone, or glass birthstone rosaries, make gorgeous strings of prayer beads. While looking great, remember that they will not glide effortlessly through your fingers.

The bottom line comes down to this: Do you want a rosary that is pleasing to your hands, or to your eyes?

Basic Design or Fancy Customization?

If you’re thinking of giving a rosary to a new Catholic, a selection that is rather plain and basic may be your best bet. Super-fancy rosaries may be overwhelming to a budding Catholic or a child. A plain rosary is usually characterized by round beads, generally wood or plastic, strung on a slender cord-like rope. These are usually inexpensive, so you haven’t lost a big investment if a child loses his or her rosary.

Remember that the rosary beads are designed to call to you and to encourage you to pray. You’ll need to ask yourself if the inexpensive, plain rosaries will do this for you. Would a more elaborate or decorative rosary provide you more motivation to pray the rosary? If you know that a visually beautiful, ornate rosary will encourage you to use it more often, then your choice becomes fairly obvious.

Special Devotion Rosary

Special devotion rosaries generally have a centerpiece that is associated with a specific saint or a particular devotion. These rosaries hold a special meaning to those holding them. The beads will usually fall in line with the theme of the centerpiece.

An example would be the Divine Mercy rosary that has a centerpiece of the Divine Mercy image of Jesus. The beads in this rosary will usually have red and white swirls to signify the red and white rays that radiate from Jesus’s heart.

If you have a specific devotion that is important to you, a special devotion rosary may help you to focus on these intentions when you pray the rosary.

Men vs. Women

When you’re choosing a rosary for yourself, or looking to give one as a gift, make certain you choose one that fits the person who will be using it. For a man, don’t pick one that is strung with jewelry-like, fancy decorative beads. A man’s rosary is usually made with larger beads in a dark brown or black color. A man’s bigger hands can manage the larger beads better, and the darker shades of beads project masculinity.

For women, consider the age of the recipient. If you’re choosing one for your mother or another adult female, choose a beautiful color that you know she will love. A classic, timeless rosary with an ornate crucifix as a centerpiece is generally a sure hit. A carefully chosen rosary can become a treasured heirloom that she passes down to the next generation.

Visit Megan at her blog today.

Twenty-fourth Letter to Sofia

Dearest Sofie,

I wasn't able to write to you on your birthday and I am so sorry for that! Although I know that my greetings have reached you in Heaven I still feel bad that I was not able to write you a letter. You see, Mommy sees this blog as some kind of portal through which she can send her letters to Heaven.

The month of April was a very busy month for your mom. You should know that your mom can do a lot of things so most of the time people ask her help for different things. I really wish you got to know me, Sofie. I think you would have been proud of your mom. :)

Anyway, I was planning to be absent on your birthday so that we could celebrate properly. But  I was asked to write and direct a play and the play was shown on your birthday. I could not be absent because there was no one else to do the work I had to do.

We had a simple dinner celebration at Contis'. Your grandparents on my side were there to celebrate with us. For your birthday cake, I ordered chocolate velvet but I had already sliced the cake before I remembered that I had not yet taken a picture of it.

We may not have been able to celebrate  your birthday the way I wanted to but I know you had a blast in Heaven.

Remember that Daddy and I think and talk about you all the time.  We miss you so!


I love you, dear Sofie!

Happy 2nd year in Heaven!

Hugs and kisses,
Mommy

Twenty-third Letter to Sofia

My darling Sofia,

You'll be turning two in a couple of weeks.  Even though you are in Heaven I am still excited to celebrate your birthday.  I want it to be special just like last year because you are special and I want
people to know that you matter.

Daddy and I always talk about you.  Sometimes he talks about his plans for you as if you were still around to make his plans come true.   Most of the time, he smells my ears and imagines it's your ears he's smelling.  It's weird, I know.  But in a way, it makes him a little happier.

It's been almost two years but until now I do not understand what happened.  I still don't understand why you were taken from us so soon.  I still don't understand why God gave me a gift He never meant for me to open.  And the sad thing is that I don't think I will ever understand.  Daddy mentioned the other day how you sighed in his arms and I realized that I never even felt you breathe.  It makes me so sad that I never even really felt you except for that time I rubbed my cheek against yours  and kissed you.   Knowing that that memory is slowly fading with time makes me even sadder.  I want so much to remember how your skin felt against mine but the remembrance of it is slowly fading away.

Despite the fact that it's getting harder for me to remember how your skin felt like, I want you to always remember that you will never be forgotten.  You will always be remembered.  You will always be loved, my sweet baby girl.  Mommy will always keep you in her heart.

I love you always, Sofie!  Flying hugs and kisses to Heaven...

Love,
Mommy

Midweek Currently

It's the middle of the week and I suddenly find myself wanting to do a Currently post so here I am!

Thinking:  of the two books I want to write

               One of them is a non-fiction book about my first love, which is customer service.  The other is a romantic novel.  I've written so many beginnings and middles of romantic novels but I have never ended one.  Hopefully, when I get to write this one, I will be able to finish it, if only just so I can have something that's finished (published or otherwise).

Craving: for a bubble bath
     
             I recently stayed in a hotel and had what I only get to have in a hotel -- a long and warm relaxing bubble bath.  Sadly, we don't have a bathtub at home so I only get to take long showers.  :(

Wearing: a light yellow v neck blouse with 3/4 sleeves, brownish/gray pants and flats
           

Feeling: out of focus
            I should just be thinking of school and my business at the moment.  I cannot afford to lose sight of my goal but these thoughts of writing two books and not even knowing which one to write first is making me lose my focus and momentum.

Loving:  a particular teleserye shown every night at 9:30  on channel 7
 
            This light romantic comedy makes me feel young again.  I am neither a fan of the heroine nor   any of her possible leading men (there are four of them), but I just like the story and how it brings back memories of being young and falling in love.

Wishing: I was thinner.

             I think I look a lot older because of my weight so I want to lose some pounds.
Unfortunately, although one of my New Year's resolutions was to exercise and lose 20 pounds this year, I have not done any real physical activity except walking around in the classroom.


So that's what my currently is all about.  I really hope I can focus more and get back on track when it comes to my goals.

10-Year Service Awardee

It's been more than a month since my last post.  I miss blogging but it seems I just can't find time to do it like I used to, specially now that I have another business.  It's been taking a lot of my after-school free time.

I just wanted to share with everyone something that happened in January.  It isn't really big but it was an important milestone in my career as a teacher.  On the 25th of January, I was one of the faculty members who were given service awards.  Dressed in our barongs, we were presented to the students one by one.  I was a ten-year service awardee and I never imagined that I would feel the way I did during the celebration of the eucharist which preceded the awarding.  Mixed feelings of gratitude, humility and joy enveloped me.  I was so thankful to God for blessing me with so much.  Without these blessings I do not think I would have lasted in the teaching profession for this long.

I do not know how long I can still stay in the same institution or in the same profession.  With God's will I am planning to follow a different path after a year.  In any case, may God continue to bless me that I may  continue to be a beacon of light wherever I may be.

To God be the glory!

The Holidays, 2016 in Review and 2017 Goals in One

Happy 2017 everyone!

I've been meaning to post something before the New Year but my schedule did not allow me to do so. I do not know what happened last holiday season but despite the fact that our school break came three days earlier, my schedule was more hectic than usual.   I actually was able to put up our tree ten days before Christmas whereas I usually make sure  it is up on the first of December.

I brought home around 180 exam papers to check and I still have ten unchecked papers.  I still have five gifts yet to wrap!  Please don't judge me now.  I know I am bad and I feel bad enough!

I am proud of the simple feast I laid out in front of my family though.

Noche Buena feast menu:

puttanesca
buttered garlic prawns with chili
macaroni salad
ham
leche flan (Mom cooked this) and buko salad for dessert

Media Noche or New Year's Eve was spent with Ruel's family in Bulacan so I didn't have to cook.  I still made it a point to prepare something though because I was not used to not having anything special to eat after the festivities. :)   We had a family get together on my mother's side the following day.

Overall, I enjoyed every bit of the holidays, although everything flew by like a breeze.  I am thankful to 2016 for many things like family gatherings, dates with my husband, the best Mother's Day celebration I've had so far, going on a pilgrimage to churches with holy doors, my son's moving up from junior high, finally getting to watch Les Miserables, celebrating Sofia's first birthday, attending our high school jubilee homecoming, finding a new friend who is so much like me, celebrating our fourth wedding anniversary in Tagaytay, passing the licensure exam to become a financial advisor, getting a chance to write and direct a mini-play, receiving so many prizes during the institutional Christmas party,  celebrating Christmas and New Year with all the people I love best and so many others.

As I enter this new year, my heart is filled with gratitude,  HOPE and FAITH.  I hope, pray and believe that this year will be one of the best years I have ever had.

Happy 2017 dear readers and friends.  Here's to an awesome year -- a year full of hope, love, priceless moments, and wonderful surprises!  May God keep us all safe, bless  us with good health and grant us prosperity.  Cheers!

Twenty-second Letter to Sofia

Dearest Sofia,

Merry Christmas, my darling! I wish you were here to see the lights and to hear the sounds of Christmas. You would have loved this time of year, just like Mommy does. Do you know that it's my favorite time? It's during this time when Mommy and Daddy got married and it's also during this time when we first learned you were growing inside me! Christmas became more magical that year.  We were so happy and so filled with hope. How I wish I could bring back those moments when you were here and probably do some things differently, so that that this time, you could stay.

I have been in toy stores thrice this month. During those times I saw toys I would have bought for you...so many cute toys you would have loved!

Daddy and I always think of you, always talk about you. We often make up conversations where you are included. Daddy always tries to imagine how you would probably react and how you would probably try to defend him every time he feels I am being unfair to him.  It's funny sometimes. Anyone who overhears our conversation would surely think you're alive. In a way, you still are and forever will be in the hearts of those who love you best-- Mommy, Daddy and Kuya.

I love you, baby.

Flying kisses to Heaven.
Mommy

Celebrating Four Years of Happy-Ever-After

Four years have passed since Ruel and I started our happy-ever-after.  Our marriage, like most marriages, is far from perfect.  In those four years we have had our share of petty quarrels, the ups and downs that married people usually experience and the roller-coaster ride of emotions that couples having trouble conceiving usually feel.  It's been just four years and we already have three angels in Heaven. It's been  a hard four years, yes.  But generally, we have been happy.  There are a lot to be thankful for and to be celebrated.

We celebrated our wedding anniversary on the 2nd of December.  We initially promised to have a yearly celebration in the city where we were wed but I could not leave school last Friday due to the fact that another teacher in my area resigned from work and it would have been harder for the school if I filed a leave of absence.  

We had a simple dinner after school instead.

We went to Tagaytay the next day (the day after our wedding anniversary) to have a proper celebration.  And to me, a proper celebration will and should always include gazing at the Taal Volcano and its surrounding lake, and going to the the church where we were married.

Lunch buffet at the Veranda, Taal Vista Hotel

Four years, three angel babies and ten pounds heavier , here we are!

This is the church where we were wed, less the white building in the background.

We went back to the church to pray for more happy and healthy years together, for a healthy and normal baby and to be more financially stable.


And while we were on our way home,  we saw this rainbow.....I took it as a sign of HOPE, a sign of God's promise.

I look forward to a happier year, with many beautiful surprises and answered prayers, to a brighter future and to many more happy wedding anniversaries.

God is good all the time!

High School Reunion: Remembering the Past, Celebrating the Present

It's funny how some things can change in a blink of an eye and how some can stay the same for decades.  I have not always been as confident and as self-assured as I am today.  When I was in grade school, I was super shy.  I was one of the most well-behaved girls in class.  I hated speaking in front of the class.  My teacher used to say, "louder" all the time whenever it was my turn to recite.   I stayed with my small circle of friends, who, like me, were also quiet and well-behaved.  We were the good girls in the front row and we didn't like mingling with the "cool" crowd who were usually the tall girls at the back.  We were intimidated by them. They were confident and popular.   We were short, quiet and maybe, to the tall girls at the back, we were dull.  I was more or less the same in high school.

Look for the shortest.  That's me.

with my best friend

our senior class....I'm the one on the second row, second girl from the right

It was only when I entered college when I decided it was time I stopped acting as if I was inferior to these type of girls. And since, it was a new school, a new environment, I took every opportunity to create a new me.  A new Claire was born.  As time passed, I grew in wisdom and confidence.  Since then, I have accepted my height, embraced my flaws, and have taken pride in what I know and in what I can do.  I have long stopped being intimidated by tall girls and bullies.  I am proud to say that I am one of the strongest women I know.

Last weekend, I attended our batch's Silver Jubilee Homecoming.  It's been 25 years since our high school graduation and it was time to "come home".  I was excited to see my batchmates but the feelings of inadequacy that left me a long time ago, suddenly came back and prevented me from joining the cool girls in the dance performance that I so wanted to join.  Somehow, I doubted if I would enjoy practicing with them-- girls  I never even exchanged more than one word with when I was in high school.

The homecoming turned out to be fun.  Many of my batchmates  were surprised at the way I spoke and laughed.  While I was different, many of them were still the same.  There were still the bullies who would push you when they thought you had to move or those who rolled their eyes at you every time they thought you were too slow to understand them.  There were still the bright girls who thought they had the right to order you around and reprimand you when they thought you were misbehaving.  And there were still the girls who didn't know anyone except for the girls in their own clique.

Homecoming was really like going back to high school except that the faces you see are older, and that there are so many faces and names that you don't remember anymore.

with one of the nicest girls in class....she had the most beautiful singing voice I have ever heard...I was her biggest fan in high school

with some of our teachers

Even though my closest friends were not able to attend the homecoming because they were abroad, I am still glad I made the right decision and attended the event.  I am now in the process of rebuilding old relationships and it feels so good.

There is so much wisdom to be learned in the past, so many childhood memories to be cherished and preserved. These are the things that made me who I am. It's because of the past that I have so many victories and so much to be thankful for and to be celebrated  in the present.

Currently I'm....

Celebrating:  Teacher's Day.  We were actually pampered by the parents and students today by providing spa services for us. Lunch was also free.  I heard tomorrow would be another celebration.  I hope it will be fun.

                   

Add caption

Craving: for a kind of rice cake from the province of Negros.  Hunnybed and I went to a trade fair three weeks ago and it was there where I tasted it.  It was so good specially with muscovado sugar.

Hoping: for another relaxing time playing archery with my two favorite boys.

We went straight to the archery place from our Saturday make-up classes in school, hence, the outfit.

Wishing: for more time to do this

and this,

                                                   and this .....

Loving: this layout

Waiting: for my period.  I'm one month late and it's causing me a lot of stress.

Hoping: Things would change for the better soon.

Twenty-first Letter to Sofia

My dear Sofie,

It's been quite a while since you last received a letter from me.  You know that's a good sign, don't you? That means Mommy doesn't need to write letters to feel better as much as she did before.  But although I feel so much better now, you should know that Daddy and Mommy still think and talk about you every day. We always talk about you, and try to guess what kind of personality you have.  We think about how you would react if we did certain things.  We wonder about who you look like and we actually always argue about that.  Daddy thinks you look like him but I keep insisting that you look a lot like me.  

Mommy is not yet pregnant so please help me ask for a healthy and normal baby girl from God, ok? I just need another baby to love and take care of.  Kuya needs someone he can be with in the far away future when Mommy is gone and Daddy needs someone who will love him the way little girls love their daddies.  She will never replace you.  Nobody can.  

I hope to see you in my dreams, my sweet Sofia.

Flying hugs and kisses to Heaven,

Mommy

42 Favorites

I'll be turning 42 a week from now.  I thought I could write something fun in relation to my birthday so I decided to  come up with this post.

Here are my 42 favorites in no particular order.

1. Tagaytay
     I fell in love with this place 30 years ago when I first visited it on a field trip with my classmates. Countless visits after that, I am still in love with the place and I still cannot help but goggle at the scenic Taal Lake. If you want to make me happy take me there. I just hope people would just stop building new infrastructures and high rises in the city. The high rise buildings are slowly taking the charm off the city.

2. Song de Chine by Crabtree and Evelyn
    This is my most favorite scent. I discovered it in 2000. Unfortunately, they don't carry it anymore.

3. Crema de Mangga
     This is the dessert I love best. I love making it. I sing in anticipation of eating it. I can actually eat it all day. There's something heavenly about the sweet Zambales mangoes and cream.  If you want to make some but don't know how, you can check out my recipe.

4. Zambales Mangoes
    This variety is one of the sweetest in the world and I'm lucky to have been born with a small Zambales mango farm. Zambales mangoes are so sweet I thank God I'm alive everytime I eat one.

5. Hongkong
    I have visited this place thrice and compared to other Asian countries I have visited, this is the place I want to go back to everytime I think of taking a trip.

6. Jean Valjean
He is my favorite male protagonist. To me, he is the best example of human transcendence.  I just love him!

with 2016 Production's Jean Valjean

7. Les Miserables (novel and musical)
    I first heard the songs 25 years ago and read the novel after a few months. I fell in love with the novel and fell in love with the musical. I loved how the music and songs were able to express exactly the sentiments of the novel (except for the character of Marius whom I hate).

8. Victor Hugo
He had a deep understanding of man, his motives and intentions. Without him, there will be no Les Miserables and therefore, no Jean Valjean.

9. Wuthering Heights
This is the only depressing story that I love. I wish the one who borrowed my copy would return it to me...wishful thinking.

10. Scarlett O'Hara

She is my favorite female protagonist. I don't know why I love her because many people hate her.  She is actually really hateful and while reading the book I hated her too but afterwards I loved her character. Weird huh?

11. Gone with the Wind

I love history and culture and this book has a lot of both.

12. Pesto
This always tops my list be it a dip or pasta sauce. It's very easy to make too!

 13. Christmas
Who doesn't love this holiday? Christmas just fills you with joy and nostalgia. Each Christmas tune or decor or even just the weather brings you memories of Christmas past and hope for what's to come. It's my favorite day of the year which makes  December my favorite month.

14. December
     This is such a happy month for me. First it's the holiday season so there are lots of events to go to. Second, this is the month of our wedding anniversary and the the month when we first learned I was pregnant with Sofia.

15. The town of Taal
      As you have read above, I am a lover of history and culture.  It is for this reason that I love the heritage town of Taal.  Unlike other parts of the country where people have no sense of history and old houses are demolished to make way for modern ones, the people of Taal have found a way to preserve their old houses and keep an old-world charm.  To preserve this feel, atm's, McDonald's, Jollibee are nowhere to be found.  The heritage town is also famous for their balisong, longganisa, tapa and cheap hand-embrodered barong Tagalog.

a bird's eyeview atop the Taal Basilica

16. Taal Basilica

This is the largest Catholic church in Asia.  Each pillar, each stone speaks of history.  I couldn't help but fall in love at first sight.  I've always wanted to visit it and when I finally did, I was not disappointed.  In fact, I was amazed beyond my expectations.

17. lace
   

    There's something about lace that makes me feel so feminine.

18. August
     This is the month of my birth, the month of my mom's birth and the month I first became a mom.

a young mother at 25....(a few weeks before my 26th birthday)

19. buko salad (strips of young coconut meat, with grapes,cherries, pears, condensed milk and nestle cream)

Of all the salads, this is my favorite.  I can eat kilos of it in a day!

20. musical plays
      My dad used to take  us to musical plays when I was a teenager.  This made me fall in love with the theater, most specially with musical plays.

21. Daughtry's Gone Too Soon

      This song is just perfect for parents who have angel babies.

22.  The Accidental Hero
       This movie which starred Dustin Hoffman, Andy Garcia and Geena Davis was a very funny movie.   I watched it in when I was still in college and never forgot it. I loved it so much that I bought a copy of it four years ago. In a funny way, it showed the sad reality that we judge by appearances,  and the inspiring truth that all of us, even the unlikely ones, can all be heroes if life catches us at the right moment.

23.  Ever After
       This Drew Barrymore movie was the best Cinderalla movie for me.

24.  Legally Blonde
      I fell in love with Reese Witherspoon in this movie....one of the movies I love watching again and again.

25. April
     This is the month of my Sofie's birth.  Though it was also the month she went back to Heaven, I will always look forward to celebrating her birthday.

   

Sofia's 1st birthday celebration - picnic in the mountains

26. Makati City
    As a young girl, working in Makati had always been my dream. To the young  impressionable version of me, Makati offered a world of modernity and sophistication which other cities lacked,   specially in the 80's, so when I finished college I never entertained calls from companies without a Makati address.  I accepted an offer from a multinational financial company three months after graduation and Makati became my home for almost ten years--- the place where many of my most memorable  memories were made, where most of my lasting friendships were built.  Today, so many things have changed, I can hardly recognize some of the streets but it will always be special to me as evidenced by the feeling of nostalgia that I always have whenever I visit.
 
 30. White pearls
       The simplicity and elegance of pearls have always been beautiful in my eyes.

 31. Crystals
       Who wouldn't love how they sparkle in the sun?

 32. Carnation and Gerbera
       These are really pretty flowers that can stay pretty for a long time.

 33. Ronan Keating
       A handsome man with a beautiful voice

 34. Christopher Reeve
       He will always be my Superman.

 35. Smallville
       Loved this show...thanks to my husband who introduced it to me.

 36. MacGyver
       He formed many of my ideals and inspired some of the decisions I made in my younger years.
     
 37. Monk and Psych
      These were really funny TV series.  My son introduced them to me and my Hunnybed and we had a lot of laughing-out-loud moments watching them.

 38. Michael Jackson
      Well, he's the King of Pop.  Need I say more?

 39. Body Shop's Vitamin E (day cream)
      It's the best moisturizer for me  -- very light, easily absorbed by the skin and leaves no sticky feeling.

  40. Cheetos Jalapeno
        Cheese and jalapeno are just the best combination.

  41. My son's first story.
       He wrote it when he was six years old. You can check it out here.  On second thought, maybe it was his second because the title reads "Johnny English Part 2".

  42. A post I wrote about Sofia.
        This is the story of her birth and her flying back to Heaven. Check it out here

What are your favorites?