Picture Clusters

Untitled. Aghast

2024-11-02T19:00:00.002+08:00

Summer 2006

Oh wow. Been what...4 years? I mean, since my last post. I think it read 2020. But that shot above was 2006!! No connection. But not irrelevant. 😀

A LOT has happened. Some things am not really comfy disclosing. Some I could definitely talk about, lol. But I can't stop here for long. Just thought I'd drop by, after seeing the bookmarks I had on this computer. I thought ... I don't know. Feels nice to be writing again.

Still. Next time.

Oh, my youngest is now 16years old. Not yet an adult, but old enough to go home by himself after school. hahaha. No more school bus for him because sometimes he needs to stay at school after dismissal, to finish some projects, or just hang out with friends. Gosh. Pretty soon he'll be in college, staying in a dormitory or something...! *aghast*

Well. next time. I know. I already mentioned that above. 😂

Life Is Hard. Crazy. But.

2020-03-09T13:39:00.000+08:00

Most of us have experienced being let down or been disappointed at some point. Nobody is immune from being disappointed, but we certainly have a choice how we react.

Don't be like me. I sometimes - well, honestly, most of the time - get defensive and reactive. Instead, I should just mull over it for a while...and, or do nothing. Because...

People react towards us based on their feelings. NEVER on how we feel. So, if someone intentionally or unintentionally did something specifically to me and it hurt, then I should just let it be. I mean, if that is how they want to treat me, then that is their decision. If that is their perception of me, then so be it. That doesn't mean that I will just do nothing, of course.

One thing that helps: boundaries.

I was taught this the hard way. I was too deeply immersed, and hurting real bad because of the lying and cheating. I needed to distance myself. If regaining my peace meant staying away from certain persons, then... so be it.

It was hard at first. But now...my smiles are more genuine and heartfelt. Sometimes I still feel like I am not being my authentic self, but smiling (the physical act of smiling itself), helps. Big time.

I don't know why. Maybe I am slowly adjusting to my situation. Or maybe I am just crazy. Crazy in love with my life right now. There are still lots of ups and downs, that's for sure, but there is a certain "free-ness" about it, too. 💖

Staying Grateful Is A SuperPower

2020-01-30T06:35:00.000+08:00

It's literally 6:09am right now, and I just arrived. From the outside, after bringing my son to school. They were supposed to be at school before 5:30am, and good thing we got there at around 5:18am.

Back then, I would have panicked. Unexpected things disturb me. So much that sometimes I'd obsess over that one little tiny itty-bitty thing over my mind and get all irritable and impossible the whole time. I must have caused havoc! It's a good thing real people who actually cared -and still care- for me put up with it! hahaha.

Anyway, walking home from my son's school, I decided at first to eat breakfast or stay somewhere and wait for the first mass. It was still too early and most of the shops were close...yup, even the pizza joint that said they were open 24 hours! Well, they were undergoing renovations, so I guess that's forgivable. Decided to buy pandesal and loaf instead, then walk the rest of the way home. There were tricycles, but walking is so much better. IMO, anyway.

Arriving home... everything's dark and quiet. Sat down. Saw the bluetooth speaker, and decided to listen to music. CHRISTMAS music. Peaceful, not the festive kind. ❤

And now you might be wondering: why that title?

Well, today is not my usual day, but I have learned that obsessing and overthinking over small stuffs will never do any good; to me or to anyone else. I stopped thinking about how things might go wrong (we will arrive late, my son will forget something, etcetera), and not a thing went wrong! In fact, our grab car fare was even Php0.00!

There are days when I find it hard being grateful, but when I really look into it: I have lots and lots of things to be grateful for; both the good and bad stuffs. I was just not looking in the right places.

Life, huh? Now, this post does not mean that I am in a forever state of being grateful! I know, I should, but I don't. I'm not there, yet. I hope I will, eventually.

I hope I will reach that state. One grateful day at a time, friends. 💟

How was 2019 for you?

2019-12-20T11:20:00.000+08:00

Nativity scene at home ... and adding some digiscrapping stuffs which i seem to have accumulated years ago.

Honestly, I must admit 2019 is the worst (for me). But it did show me who wanted to stay with me and my family. There's no denying the emotional turmoil we experienced, but at least now the mask has been removed. Now we see who is who. Who? 👉👈👇👆😁

No regrets here on my side. Now no more tiptoeing on eggshells, putting aside your wants just to satisfy someone else's, overthinking, and all that toxic stuffs. I actually breathed easier these past few months. Oh don't get me wrong: I still wish things are different, but. People make their own decisions and one I thing I also learned: NEVER CHASE PEOPLE. If they want to stay with you, they will. If not ... well. Let them go. Hoping that they will be happy where they want to go, and vice versa. 👍😊

Now, isn't that just full of Christmas cheer? lol. 😂

Enjoy the festivities, wherever in the world you are located! 🎅🎄🌟

The Little Things Matter. A Lot.

2019-11-27T13:56:00.001+08:00

Taken today, while trying the DSLR {in other words, the HEAVY camera}. It needs some getting used to. Well, it has been years since I used it ... my eldest son used it quite a lot before. But now, it's just "staying over by the corner of the house" and I thought: "Why not use it again!"
Why, indeed not.

But as you can see, I am struggling getting the hang of using the heavy dslr again. Aside from the weight, the size of the camera is way different from my phone camera, too. Well, duh!

I must have made about 4 tries before the shot came out decent. Since I was using my macro lens, a slight wiggle of my arms would cause catastrophic ripples on the shot ... and that was what just happened. I think i should have posted here the failed shots, but I deleted those from the camera. {A way of erasing one's mistakes, I suppose. I wish it was easier in life. *sigh.} Next time I'll post those failed shots here, too. lol. 😄

But on to our journey, eh? Of getting back our true selves. The person that we want to be. Before life happened. 😁

Still continuing ... still living. And always feeling grateful. 💖

Autumn Is The Time Of Letting Go

2019-10-22T14:15:00.003+08:00

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me,

fluttering from the autumn tree."

- Emily Brontë

...shot taken last 20Oct2019.

Animal Monday ... moving on.

2019-10-07T09:14:00.000+08:00

Another Monday.

And just like the kitten on the shot, we move on. Choosing to move on in spite of the anxieties and whatever-else-is-there-to-stop-you is always a good choice. Not that it is going to be easy. Not that just because you chose to move on, everyday will be cheery and sunny. {But we wish it were.}

Oh, by no means am I an expert in moving on. In fact, I have difficulties moving on. It has been years since I've been in my comfort zone. And believe me, I thought I would stay there forever. But life has it's own plan. That I have to accept. And own.

So for now, I choose to take itsy-little bits of steps to move on. Hard, but definitely doable.

I just wish our neighbor's music isn't so sad, though. Yup, their music is loud. Am used to it by now. 😁

The Person Who Loves You Will Never Leave You

2019-09-29T13:25:00.000+08:00

The title can be interpreted in a lot of ways, don't you think so?

Some people are here for us. But that doesn't mean they will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Sometimes you get separated. Sometimes the other one dies. Sometimes you transfer to another place. But the ones that love you, will always be with you. In your heart.

Life can really be what we feed our minds on what it looks like. I mean, sometimes it's awesome, and at other times it sucks. Big Time. But I believe that life is constantly changing. And our attitude towards those stimulus can determine how our hours will be for the rest of the day. Oh, I am not perfect. In fact, some triggers can make me blow my top so fast I won't even know the words that go out of my mouth! I'd regret it later on, but what can I do? The unwanted deed has been done. I just need to move on. And hope it won't happen again.

That sounded pathetic. 🙊

😝

Happy Days are Here Again.

2019-09-25T19:13:00.000+08:00

These past few days I have felt calm. That is kind of unusual for me. Yep, I am the early-morning-madness and all that jazz kind of person. 😂😅 The past few months, anyway. Oh wait. Years, maybe. I can't be entirely sure.

I would like to believe that I have accepted things. And started to move on. No more jittery thoughts and all that overthinking sh*t. Life is what you make of it. It should not depend entirely on one -or two- person(s) in your life. It entirely depends on YOU (or me, for that matter). Sure, there are days that I slip and take two steps backward, but... I'm not perfect. And during those days, I just rest.

"Sing. Sing a song. Sing out loud. Sing out strong. Sing of good things, not bad. Sing of happy, not sad...." Listening to Barbra Streisand right now. Just me being me.

Happy Days are Here Again. 😊💕

Rain, Rain .... Thank You for Staying

2019-09-20T12:28:00.001+08:00

Some of you might not like me right now ... because I thanked the rain for staying. 💦💧😁

I read that some places currently are close to being flooded and some are already flooded! I am so sorry for the places that are flooded; trust me, I know how that feels! But there is just something about the rain that kind of balances me. I don't know if it is the pitter-patter or the cool temperature. But I do know that watching the rain (without the strong winds, thunder, and lightning, of course) makes me calm.

Oh, I read and finished a new book yesterday. The Bucket List to Mend a Broken Heart by Anna Bell. It was a very light read. Kind of like the "feel-good" movies. I had to laugh in some part of the book since it was so similar to what I have been experiencing these past few months. I mean, guess it is a universal thing. lol. But it definitely encouraged me to make my own bucket list! A newer version. Had one before, but .... you know how your plans sometimes seems to have a mind of it's own. That's the universe telling me something, I know.

Will post a pic of the book next time. The cool weather and the drizzle is making me want to go back to my bed and sleep .... 😄

update: Friday December 20, 2019
... I never did post a pic of that book, did i? 😱

Have YOU been ON PAUSE?

2019-09-12T14:19:00.001+08:00

I have never liked tea as a young child. We were given tea if we were sick. Bad association, huh? Besides, the tea given to us were different from the tea that is available right now. The tea then were tasteless ... nope, not Lipton. The Lipton brand arrived a few years later. I just felt like I was slurping on hot water with black leaves! Being an obedient child, I always drank the whole cup. Couldn't say if it made me better or not, though. 😉

Now as an adult, I must say I enjoy drinking tea more than coffee or any other beverage. My current fave is Twinings (Green Tea and Cranberry). I have always liked green tea, but the addition of cranberry makes it so much more interesting! Plus the health benefits of both the green tea and cranberry are awesome, too.

Sipping tea whatever time of the day always makes me pause. And makes me feel good. 🍵

This is not a sponsored post; but I honestly wish it is sponsored! lol.

How Are You?

2019-08-20T12:13:00.001+08:00

That's exactly what we ask when we haven't been around and bumped into someone familiar along the road. Right? 😊

Well, I have been gone for so long! It would be great getting myself familiar and doing something again that brought so much familiarity, purpose {for lack of a more appropriate term right now} and gratefulness into my otherwise "robotic" life. Oh, don't get me wrong: my life the past couple of years have been very meaningful. Not perfect {nobody's life is perfect, ever}, but it gave so much meaning to the words "Live, Love and Learn" 💖

I still love taking pictures ...

Lunch

2015-10-31T13:03:00.000+08:00

Had lunch a while back with in-laws. Even if we live in one country (lol), seeing them takes planning. They live more or less around 2hours away from us; and that's if traffic is at a minimum. It would have been great seeing them again this weekend, but ever since Inay and Itay have passed on we seldom sleep there (at my in-law's house) anymore. My youngest (and sometimes me, too) gets into a fit when the area is dusty and since nobody sleeps in our old rooms... well, just imagine the dust accumulated after a couple or so of months. ugh. Such a pity. The house needs to be fixed. Unfortunately, that would need some funds, something which is not in abundance right now. :-/

Anyway, it was great seeing them again..even if it was just for a short lunch. After all, nothing can really replace family.

Reflection :)

Getting there ... Soon Enough.

2015-03-19T10:48:00.002+08:00

AGES since I last posted here. Am so sorry, bloggy. Things these days are just not that conducive to blogging anymore. Well, there are still days (like today) when I do get the chance to sit down and blog. But there's always something that takes me away. Like ... cooking, cleaning, sleeping (yes, it does), and other worldly chores. It's summer now. So I can indulge in being a procrastinator every once in a while.

That is ... Until summer ends. :P

Most Days a Week

2014-11-08T12:24:00.001+08:00

Most days of the week I wake up early to fix breakfast for the kids. Nothing terribly fancy, but I like to make sure that they don't go to school on an empty stomach!

My teen has the school bus, while the first grader I need to accompany to the school. They both have to be in school before seven in the morning, so you can just imagine how I feel every school day: harried! lol. But am glad it only happens in the morning ... after I get my first grader to school, I get my "me" time. Actually, it's not totally "me" time, since that's the time when I do the groceries, or do odd stuffs. Occasionally, I do get to do what I really want ... SLEEP! But not for long, though. I've got to be up and running again to fetch my first grader come lunch time!

Shot was taken while I was walking, and I noticed the "banderitas". Must have been a fiesta, or something. But that tall building is going to be one of those condominiums that has been sprouting here and there lately. It is quite tempting - buying a condominium, specially if it is near our son's schools. I am not totally sold out with the idea of living in a condominium (or anything high-rise) at the moment, though. But am not closing the idea, either. If possible, I'd like to live in a building all my own. :)

Gone So Long

2014-10-18T13:52:00.000+08:00

Have been gone a long time. Blame it all on the crappy internet and my recently unreliable computer! I think it's asking for a replacement ... or maybe I'll just have this fixed. The thought of having a new computer is tempting, though. But, not really a necessity. :P

Things have been kind of "unsettling", lately. My mom died; something that I totally didn't see coming. I mean, not this year, anyway. It just made me realize that life is really that fragile and we musn't take it for granted. Her leaving us happened two months ago, and my sons and I were fortunate enough to visit her while she was still earth-bound. Actually, we arrived on a Friday (caught a plane on a Friday, had to let them skip school) and she left us the next day. It was really heart and gut wrenching ... that was how I felt. Still feel, sometimes. Am sure my siblings feel the same way, too .. and we are all coping with it in our own different ways.

Our Papa is also dealing with the pain ... and I wish we can be with him. We're fortunate that we have one sibling who is willing to drop everything and stay at home with Papa. Taking care of an ageing parent is not easy, am sure. We will forever be grateful to her and the sacrifices that she was/is willing to take ... all for the family.

Getting overly sentimental here. I just miss Mama. And Papa. Really miss them so much; already got plane three tickets for our Christmas break at home!

I pray and hope that she is all right wherever she is right now. Huggsss

My Eldest

2014-10-18T13:31:00.000+08:00

My son was given a violin during his birthday a while back, and sad to say, we haven't gotten round to finding him a teacher nearby. Plus, his school activities these days take so much of his time (including the weekends, at times). I know he keeps his violin inside his cabinet near his bed, and am guessing he hasn't checked it in a while. No idea if he is going to need a violin bridge or something similar. He just doesn't seem to have the time to laze around, tinker with his things, and do nothing. When he's here at home, he spends lots of time in front of the computer ... playing. What else is new? LOL.

We miss him right now ... he's at school, in one of this camping school activities. He'll be back Monday. :)

Finally ...

2014-07-14T18:06:00.001+08:00

Well, finally I got to sit down and open my computer! Unfortunately, don't have much time. Actually, while am sitting here and blogging (plus surfing, lol), am also waiting for dinner to cook, helping my youngest with his assignments, and getting updated regarding the incoming typhoon (with the television in the background, am sure, once the school assignments are all done). That might not sound a lot, but for me it is! lol. Oh yeah, almost forgot: thinking of doing the laundry (or maybe I just might do it tomorrow; hopefully the rain wouldn't be a problem). See, am not so busy. :P

Did get to try one of these just recently, though:

Saratoga Peanut Butter (and a pretzel with peanut butter inside)

It tastes nice enough. I could get used to it. It's not too sweet and I just love the crunchy peanut bits! :)

It's great to be able to sit here and update again. :)

PS. I couldn't continue Food Friday anymore, and Nick (from Intelliblog) was gracious enough to continue it for me. Do visit his site and add your food treats there every Friday! I will try to visit every once in a while, when time permits. Thanks to everyone who has shared with me their food posts! There's no need to stop...let's continue sharing our love for food!

Rainy Season

2014-06-09T21:26:00.002+08:00

I know, summer (for this year) in my part of the world has already come and gone. It has been raining almost everyday the past couple of days. But I can't really complain since if it means cooler nights, then so be it. We still turn the air conditioner "ON", of course. Maybe out of habit? lol. But I feel safer at night with the windows close, so....

The heat was totally unbearable this last summer. We had to turn on the two electric fans downstairs every morning, and the air conditioner at it's maximum at night. Am really so happy it is now way cooler at night. Though of course for sunny isles real estate it must feel like the perfect weather out there! :)

School!

2014-06-02T12:25:00.000+08:00

My eldest will start grade 9 tomorrow.

While my first grade will start on the 16th (June).

How time flies ....

Just dropping by, in between household chores and finishing some school stuffs. Life is going to be pretty hectic again. Early mornings, rush hours, late nights, etc.

Life. :)

Food Friday

2014-05-15T23:45:00.000+08:00

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Ms. Winnie, with her post Unique Cheesecake with Homemade Cheese", on her site: Something Sweet.

I love how Ms. Winnie decorated her cheesecake! So fun! Click on the shot to see some more lovely and delicious pictures of her cheesecake (as well as the recipe!).

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Something light and fresh this week: Cauliflower and Pasta (with Coconut Milk and Basil)

Ingredients:

pasta of your choice (cooked according to package directions)
cauliflower
ground pork (optional, if you want to make it vegetarian)
basil cubes (here is how I did mine)
coconut milk (fresh, frozen, or from a can, or powder....whichever is available)
salt, pepper, garlic
arugula

Procedure:

Place ground pork on hot pot with a bit of water. Add salt and pepper. Once water has evaporated, brown the meat for a bit, then add garlic and cauliflower. Mix till cauliflower is half-cooked.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta and keep warm.
Add basil cubes and coconut milk to the cauliflower and pork. It's not going to be a soup, so go easy on the amount. Turn off fire.
Add to the pasta and mix well.
Adjust seasoning, if you have to.
Add a side of arugula (which I drizzled with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and calamansi juice), or any green of your choice.

Enjoy!

I really loved the dish, though my youngest was not so fond of the arugula. Weird combination, but I have never really been known to follow what is tradition. lol. When it comes to food, I have always believed: To each his own! :P

I would like to say, though, that this is going to be my last Food Friday post. Well, I just might post (will, most probably) some more food posts, but it would not be strictly on Fridays. lol. I love food too much. :D

Also, I would love to thank everyone who has played Food Friday! Through this weekly thingy I have learned not only about new (and old) restaurants, new recipes, new ingredients, new ways of cooking, but also about the different cultures and the important role that food has been playing... Again, many thanks! :)

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Food Friday

2014-05-08T23:45:00.000+08:00

This week's Featured Food Friday player as randomly chosen by Inlinkz is ...

Ms. Czjai, with her post: French Toast with a Twist, on her blog, The Rebel Sweetheart.

Now that would be a lovely sight to wake up to! Want to know how to make it yourself? Click on the shot and check out Ms. Czjai's yummy post!

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My youngest and I cooked this a couple of afternoons ago: Devil's Food Cake topped with Almond Butter. Honestly, we had no idea what we were going to add as a topping, so we gathered what we had available, and decided to play. :)

Ingredients

almond butter
cream cheese
honey (organic, raw, and unfiltered preferred)
one box cake mix (we chose Devil's Food Cake because of it's name, lol)

Procedure:

Cook cake according to package instructions.
Let cool.
While it's cooling, mix the three ingredients. Sorry, I didn't measure them. Ugh, my bad.
We were having too much fun mixing things up.
Add the topping only after the cake has cooled. That doesn't mean we didn't eat a few pieces while it was still hot, though. :P

We bought those pretty little shiny candy drops together with the cake mix. We all thought it would look real pretty on top of those cakes. Not that tasty, though. lol. We decided to ditch them and leave the rest of the cupcakes candy-drops free after our first taste. Can't deny it looks pretty! :P

Yes, the cake mix was delicious. Loved the chocolatey taste.

Please don't forget to add a link back to this site (you can get the buttons here; deciding to use text instead of buttons is fine also) to be able to add your posts below. Many thanks and hope everyone is going to have a great time this weekend!

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Food Friday

2014-05-01T23:45:00.000+08:00

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Mr. Nicholas, with his post: Cheaters Smoked Salmon Pizza, on his blog: Intelliblog.

Curious why Mr. Nicholas called this Cheaters Smoked Salmon Pizza? Looks delicious, doesn't it? If you love pizza (like me!), then click on the shot and see how you can make this yourself, too!

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Since it's now summer time here (and my kids are not so keen on summer classes - can't blame them! lol), we have been waking up late. That's why our breakfast these days are usually heavier than our school days breakfast fare (fruit, soft boiled eggs, and juice/hot choco, plus the occasional cereals), which should be done in a flash. lol. Here's our "usual" summer late breakfast food: Eggs Two Ways, is how I'd like to call this. :P

Ingredients

Eggs
Potatoes (diced)
Bellpepper (diced)
Tomatoes (diced)
Chili leaves (or use what you have available)
salt, pepper, garlic, onions
Coconut oil for frying

Procedures

A. Put the diced potatoes on hot pan with oil. Then add the bellpepper, garlic, onions and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
Put everything in the center of the pan, then top with the chili leaves (careful, there might be a bit of oil splashing since the leaves are "wet"). Immediately put the egg on top, some salt, then cover the pan (so that the leaves and egg will cook because of the steam).
I like my egg "cooked" on top (am not a fan of "raw" eggs, though it does look good in pictures. lol), so I waited till it was no longer "red".
Remove from the pan and transfer to a plate. Sprinkle with pepper.

**I added salt on the egg before putting on the cover; you may omit this, if you want. Instead, you may add the salt and pepper together after transferring the whole thing to a plate.

B. Place potatoes on hot pan with oil. After a few minutes, add the bellpepper, then the garlic, onions, and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper.
Remove from the pan once cooked.
If there are no more any oil on the pan, add about a tablespoon. Once hot, add the beaten egg.
Put the cooked mixture on top of the scrambled egg, then some chili leaves. Place on one side only, so that you can easily flip the other side to cover the mixture.
Cook some more, if you want, by flipping the whole thing over.
Drizzle with ketchup, or whatever you fancy.

Both dishes were yummy served with toast and our desired drinks (we all had hot choco that day). It's delicious with hot steamed rice, too, am sure. Yes, I will be serving more of this the next couple of days. Most probably change the chili leaves to whatever I have available! Or maybe add plantain bananas. LOL. Crazy, huh?! :)

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Food Friday

2014-04-24T23:45:00.000+08:00

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Ms. Czjai, with her post "Hong Kong Holiday | The Lucky Nugget", on her site: The Rebel Sweetheart.

Traveling is always a pleasure, in my opinion. Specially if you are faced with new things - including food! Join Ms. Czjai as she narrates a portion of her Hong Kong Disneyland trip and some of the food that they encountered along the way. Click on the shot!

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The last couple of days has been quite hot and humid, so I really didn't do much experimenting when it came to cooking. This was a mainstay for the past few days: Mango Smoothie with Chia Seeds.

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen mango slices (been freezing some ripe mangoes)
1 cup coconut water (chilled)
1 pc banana (or pineapple slices)
1 tbsp raw organic honey (or coconut sugar)
2 tbsp chia seeds

Procedure:
Blend the first four ingredients together till you're satisfied.
Add in the chia seeds, then mix. Wait for a bit till the seeds have bloomed before slurping. :)

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Journey

2014-04-24T21:21:00.001+08:00

Took that mobile shot while we were on our way to Silang, Cavite last weekend (19 April 2014).
Edited using the phone, too. I just wish I can find an app that lets me post here (blogger). It would be way simpler! :)