Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Over already ???

Because I'll return to work tomorrow, and also because Ed has his day off, I decided I should end my vacation with a movie. Taking a cue from Rachel, we went to see "Music and Lyrics". We both enjoyed it. We agreed that one remembers songs longer when the lyrics are easy to understand, and the melodies have that easy, relaxing flow. We also concluded that a fusion of the old and the new is possible for a great result. Another thing we agreed upon today - buying the movie soundtrack!!

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Sunday Revelations

Sunday ritual for Ed and me is to have breakfast and read papers at the same time. Sports section and ads for him and the three magazine inserts for me: Parade, West, and USA Weekend. We read the news sections much later. Today, I found out that: *chocolate is good eats for diabetics because it has a low glycemic index and doesn't cause blood glucose to surge. What one needs to watch for, though, is the weight gain risk from its high calorie content. In other words, enjoy your chocolate but in moderation; *Mark Wahlberg, a nominee for Oscar Best Supporting Actor in The Departed, has been convicted for assault when he was 17; *to make pancakes intriguing, vary the recipe with any of the following combinations: lemon and poppy seeds, orange and cardamom, banana and nutmeg, or, add gingerbread spices for zing, chocolate chips, blueberry or corn for color, and almond for a surprise flavor; *there is now a nationwide concern about cyberbullying - while "90% of middle school students have had their feelings hurt online, only 15% of parents polled knew what cyberbullying was" *Cory Kennedy has a secret life and she's only 17 *one should start wondering if rehab is all just a scam; I wonder who finally won at the golf tournament. Tiger was cut last Friday! (Leonardo diCaprio was so handsome during the Oscars and he didn't win either!!!)

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Daily Rhythms

Everything was fine. I pull up the blinds, turn on the light, push a button, wait for a few seconds and my computer is ready. Everyday for the last three years, that was the procedure that my brain had been programmed to do. Then something happened. I had to hit two extra buttons more!!! Not that I couldn't do it, I didn't want to do it! So my son did something to the computer so I could have the computer ready with 2 hits less. Fine. I was back to my old routine. Then I noticed I couldn't go to my log in page. I tried all possible moves that I could think of. Nothing happens! Then all of a sudden I must have hit something right because the log-in page was there. Eureka! I opened sites, read, commented and read some more with abandon. Then I turned off the computer, turned off the light, pulled down the blinds and went to bed. Today, I couldn't remember how I was able to go to the blogger log-in page again. Arrowed backward and forward, clicked on all buttons that I thought were relevant to my quest, but I still couldn't find the magic page. I can't post this today. Maybe tomorrow. I don't even know if I can save this as a draft! The rhythm was broken.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

I Learned From My Father

Inspired by Mr. Donald Crowdis's blog I thought I should write about my father, too. Dolls in billowing crocheted gowns! To a nine-year-old of my time, that was Barbie! I was so excited to see my Dad that weekend - but more thrilled because his cousins promised to give me a plastic doll dressed in long gowns that they crocheted. Until that time, I couldn't remember having any doll of my own. The gown had a plunging round neckline with a tiny swirl of collar. The bodice was fitted to emphasize two pointed breasts that nothing of today's silicone implants can equal! The waistline was so tiny and almost hidden in the skirt that was so full and billowy. I couldn't wait to be by myself with MY doll. I was munching on a peanut brittle when one of my sisters, four years younger than me, came to the parlor. She saw the doll. All of a sudden I got nervous. She started touching the head, the gown, checked what's under the skirt, and then, with a smile, she asked the most dreaded question: "May I have this doll, Ate Prency?" I looked at Tatay. He was looking at me. My sister repeated her plea. I looked away holding on to my precious doll! She pleaded one more time. I was still looking away, then she started to cry. Why did she have to cry? Now Tatay would get mad at me! But he didn't. Instead he talked to me in a whisper - convinced me that if I parted with this one, he'll tell his cousins to make me another one and that I will make my sister happy and added that she will then look up to me as an ally and friend, not as an enemy. At the time I didn't see the logic of what he was saying. All I wanted was to keep my doll! But I had to do as he said. That night I cried and cried. As I grew older I saw and understood. My father hated to be late. He would always remind us repeatedly that we had to leave at a certain time and we better leave at his "certain time'! Now, I am the same. If someone told me we had to meet at 12:00 noon, then I will be at the meeting place much earlier than 12:oo noon! I always wake up before my alarm rings! Tatay introduced me to "Readers' Digest". He was brushing his teeth one morning and between strokes I noticed he was saying something. When I asked, he told me he was memorizing a poem from a tattered page of the book magazine! "Reader's Digest" is still one of my good reads! It was our wedding day. Everybody was starting to leave. Then it was my father's turn. He took my hand, walked me to where my father-in-law was and said: "Cumpadre, she is now your daughter." Then when he and I were all to ourselves, his parting words were: Everyone in Edgar's family is your family, too. If something goes wrong, you are now part of it. Do everything to make it right. See everything that is good and close your eyes to anything that isn't. Too hard to follow for a new bride, but ...... It was our barrio fiesta and I didn't go home. Actually, I forgot! The following day, I was going back to my dorm from my classes when I saw a familiar figure by the gate. My heart started to thump. When I greeted him he just said: "I am glad you are OK. I thought you were sick so I rushed to see you." He didn't give me a chance to say anything. My father? His was the first face I saw after I delivered each of my children!!!

Thursday, February 15, 2007

My collection (again)

This is the latest I received for my horse collection. A gift from friends, Danny and Nitz Gutierrez, on my last birthday. They had given me a similar one, but with only three horses, this one has nine!!!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

I Love Boys and I Love Flowers

I have the reddest of thumbs when it comes to gardening - but I adore flowers!!! And Ed knows, especially on Valentine's Day.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

ImageChef.com - Create custom images ImageChef.com - Create custom images Playing with computer can make you feel young again !!!!!! "Just do it" yeahhhhhhhhhhh!

Monday, February 12, 2007

My Collection

I always wanted a collection of any item. I started with ashtrays cuz those were very easy to pack with our luggage when we used to work in Nigeria and went to different places. But it died for reasons I am sure everyone knows. Then, 23 years ago, a very good friend attended a seminar in San Francisco and came back with this stallion for me - and that was when my love for horses {figurines} started. Most in my collection are gifts from friends and relatives, some, I bought, and each one holds a moment in my life! (more to come)

Sunday, February 11, 2007

My Yesterday

Sunday morning. A rainy, cold Sunday morning. What to do? Oh yeah - the albums! When the pangs of emptiness hit me, my family albums fill me up. Do this also happen to those whose children have all left home? Does that "missing them" feeling hit them all of a sudden as it is hitting me hard now? Could it be the weather? Could it be that Ed worked last night and is now fast asleep? My albums. Oh, yes, those albums! I'm sure they will console me..... I remember very well. It was Christmas some twenty-plus years ago. We had to wait for the Christmas trees to go on sale so we could buy one, or rather, afford one! In fact, and I didn't know they remember, Mylynn told me that Patrick was so amused to remember that that Christmas tree had to undergo a minor surgery (a broken branch had to be re-attached, splint and all) so it could hold the ornaments until the holidays are over! I can still hear their happy voices and laughter as they played together with the toys they received that happy Christmas day twenty-plus years ago!

My Flower Map

A shot of my web's flower map inspired by Yvonne Russell . I video taped while the flower was evolving. Would be interesting to find out how the process changes next time. (Click on the image for a full screen view.)
Update: (02/13/) I remade my map following Rachel's instructions and what a difference a day makes!

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Quote of the Day

"Life is but a chocolate, without the little bitterness, sweetness will mean nothing!" (Alton Brown during an episode of the Iron Chef)

Only applying what I was taught!

Yesterday was another busy day! On top of picking Jacob from his school, Ed, Jacob and I had to join Jacob's ninang Chelo, Lolo Larry and Lola Fina for a Rosary offering to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to Santo Nino of Prague at Walnut. There were four other couples and each one was praising Jacob for being the perfect four-and-a-half year-old boy. And I praise him, too, for being able to bear with adults for almost three hours!!! And to think that he didn't have any naptime after school!!! Makes me wonder how Joshua would have been (chuckle). But what really kept my day busy, in fact until the wee hours of this morning, was creating my Photosite album of Japanese Magnolia flowers. Having been with Webshots for quite sometime, I thought I find WS steps easier to follow, but I am not satisfied with it anymore so, inspired by one of my goddaughters - Rondah - I decided to start giving Photosite some serious time. I had those moments of almost giving up, but as I saw my album evolved I got more excited to work with PS and the MS Digital Image program together. P.S. Kirby, thanks for introducing me to MS Digital Image2006.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

The Eloquence of Children

I received an e-mail from a friend that I thought I should share. A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think: "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love" Rebecca - age 8 "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." Billy- age 4 "Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." Karl - age 5 "Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." Chrissy - age 6 "Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." Terri - age 4 "Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." Danny - age 7 "Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss." Emily - age 8 "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." Bobby - age 7 (Wow!!) "If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate." Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more of Nikkas on this planet) "Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." Noelle - age 7 "Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." Tommy - age 6 "During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." Cindy - age 8 "My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone alse kissing me to sleep at night." Clare - age 6 "Love is when Mommy see Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Brad Pitt." Chris - age 7 "Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." Mary Ann - age 4 "I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." Lauren - age 4 "When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image) Karen - age 7 "You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." Jessica - age 8 And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said: "Nothing, I just helped him cry." The e-mail ended with this short prayer: "God bless all my friends in whatever it is that You know they need this day! And may their life be full of your peace, which transcends all understanding. Amen."

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Oh, What a Day !!!

Yesterday, I wasn't in the mood to clean up and so today, I woke up to a sinkful of unwashed glasses, dishes and pots !!! (As a morning person, I want to sleep early and wake up early). Before Ed arrived I made sure that the kitchen was spic and span, that I had my shower and the breakfast was ready. As we were having breakfast, the phone rang. It was Patrick. I had to take Jacob to school and attend a 1 1/2 hour-meeting for parents. On top of that, because he would have a date with Lester, I had to pick Jacob from school, too. OK, the meeting was over and I was ready to go home. I turned on the key but the car wouldn't start! I tried again - nothing. Again, still nothing. I was starting to panic so I called Ed and in his sleepy voice told me to turn something in the car. I couldn't understand him so I just told him, it's OK, maybe later it will just start by itself (what a wish!). After I hang up the phone I remembered I had an AAA card so I called. As the man from AAA was coming, so was ED!!! Since it was almost time for Jacob to go home I decided to just wait for him while Ed took my car to the shop for a much needed tuning-up. But Jacob didn't want to go home without seeing his Lolo first so the two of us picked Ed from the shop, then all three of us proceeded to Claremont. Is that Murphy's Law, or what!! Oh, I forgot to tell you, when the AAA guy came, he took my membership card, borrowed my key, went into my car, turned on the key and voila! the engine roared!!!