Until January 9

I remember growing up we took down our Christmas tree after three kings. We start decorating in September 1. Heard Christmas song from September 1 till January. Today I read in the blue book that Christmas season begins today and will end January 9, so why take down your decorations when there is still so much time to enjoy for it.

                                                     MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL!! 

                                      Linking to MACRO MONDAY and MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY

The Last Week of Ordinary Time

Hubby and I went to church at 10:30 am mass. This Sunday is the last Sunday or week of the Ordinary Time. It is also the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ the King. And the reading today comes from the gospel of Matthew 25: 31-46 the judgement of the nations.

In my reflection this is the parable that Jesus tells us about good and evil. That there is really a time when we have to choose the right or wrong. Which in the parable Jesus said put the sheep on your right and the goat on the left side. Now in this generation many tend or tried to tell us that the wrong is right and the right is wrong. One example is about that coach Sandusky, he is a sexual predator, he rape or molested boys and how in the world many doesn't affected on it? Because he is a good coach? The people are blinded by what he is successful but he is rotten deep with in and people tried and tend to not see it. I just hope that if their will be a trial the jury will see and if it is proven that he should be punished according to what he did to the boys because it was not right! 

That is we have to keep in vigil this days. We may be very busy but to keep in mind to say prayers in all times o f the day is the keep to be connected to God and be in our right mind all the time. Happy Sunday to all!

Great Deal!

We were at Michael's last week and look what  I have found. Good deals that I thought I should get many of them most especially the pillow case which is only .30 or .60 cents each. The yellow trowel and shovel is just 30 cents, the candle in tin can is also .30 cents each, the glitter is .60 or $1.

                                                               Here are my pillow cases.

A Picture To Hold On

I was checking my email and when I opened one of my emails a photo popped out. I was struck by what I saw. This is one of the photos that I felt so sad. I just bought a shoes in spite of the many shoes that I have and seeing this one makes me feel guilty and sad. I can't fathom how this man could walk in this bottle foot wear he made. Bless his heart!

Term Of Endearment

I have once asked what is my real name. Well, I have two first names and in the Philippines where I came from it is very common for us girls to be named after a saints, or paternal grandmother or maternal grandmother or aunt or even our mother. That is why some that I have known has more than 2 or 4 first names. When I came here in the US they thought that my other name is my middle name and I immediately told me NOPE that is just my first name. My middle name is different, lol!

However, there is more than that. The so called term of endearment in the Philippines is very common. Oftentimes your 2 or 5 first names will be chopped chopped in 2 or more than 10 times, hahaha. Aside from that if you happen to know a lot of people and you get close to them they had their own name for you or what we call term of endearment. It is kind of fun because you know who is calling you just by the name he or she calls you. Just like my mother she is the only one who calls me "Ging" and no one else in this world. And since she is gone  I don't expect anyone to call me that name because she is the original giver of that name. 

What is your Halloween Costume?

I tried not to buy a Halloween Costume so aside from the Hershey kisses costume that my step-daughter gave to me I come up with an idea to be a cowgirl this time. See how I look?

What's with my laughter

Just recently hubby is appreciating the way I laugh. It was my first time he told me that he likes the way the sound of my laughter, that is so sweet huh! I blushed lol! I was conscious for awhile and since yesterday was my mothers 12th year death anniversary I was not feeling good. The night before that I was already crying remembering the time when we were all at the hospital taking care of her. But she was in coma sort of and I know for sure that the only senses it left her is her sense of hearing. Yesterday, hubby never heard me laugh but today I started to laugh again unknowingly that he loves it. This morning I was laughing at our jokes and he commented again how he loves to hear me laugh, owsss so sweet of him! Blushing! He said there is something in there that excites him and make him happy, oh laban ka?

Good Time

I had a good time with my girlfriends today. We had lunch at her house and she cooked "sinigang na baboy" and fried dried fish, sikwati or "pure cocoa drink" and of course rice is part of the meal too. After we are done eating we make glutenous rice roll or "budbud". It turns our really good and so loving it. I went home around 6 or 7 pm and hubby was kind of worried he called but I told him I am okay. He knew that I am not comfortable driving at night and it drizzled a bit.

I End Up Crying

I don't know if this also happened to you guys and gals but for me if I attend a funeral service I end up crying. Even if the person is not that close to me or I even know her or him it just made me cry. When listening to the priest or pastors talking and the testimony of the people who knew the person the words affected me. Hubby said you have a very soft heart you empathize what the people is feeling. I guess he is right.

Death is a word that in my native country is like a taboo. It is never been talk or an issue that is included in anyone's conversation. But when I arrived here in the US, I attended more funerals than wedding. One time I told hubby  I can count my fingers how many times I went to a wedding and that is less than five fingers, lol but with funerals I can't count them I attended too many. He said I guess because nobody wants to get married now lol! But anyway, going back to the funeral that we attended this afternoon the guy has nine kids with many of grandkids and he was remembered as kind, happy and loving father.

Today, is the 22nd death anniversary of my Papa. And I still remember him vaguely the way he smile and the way he comb his hair. After his first hypertension attack he couldn't go back to work again. So he became a stay at home father. There were time when he get bored, he easily lose his temper but he easily get back to his smiling and happy attitude. Looking back it pained me seeing him like that because through all his life he is a working man he never stops working and when he get sick he can't do anything so we understand him and put our patience to the highest degree. 

I really missed my Dad. So many events that come and gone I so wished he was with us. I guess he never thought I would live here in the US and my brother will become a cop and my sister is on her own. More so, he has four beautiful grand kids that if he live this far he will enjoy being around them. So many wishes so many hopes but he is gone forever. What I hold fast is the memories that he was the one who teach me how to cook. He is the one who teach me accounting, because he is a sales rep and he likes me to help him his paper works. He is the one who teach me how to be kind to people to have a heart to those who are lowly and we got his power SMILE that I can't help  but flash it to anybody. To my Papa rest in peace!

Weekend getaway

I tried to take off from blogging on weekend. I want to spend the two days to my hubby of course, relatives or friends depending to whose party invitation comes first. Tomorrow I am going to a kids party. She is the daughter of a friend and on Sunday after mass hubby and I might go Port Huron or we are going to spend our afternoon at Renaissance Festival. Well see I want to take lot of photos with these people from medieval time and Renaissance Festival has many of them.

What about you guys and gals what's your plan for the weekend. Here in Michigan it is getting cold in fact we are always below in the 60F these several days. I think fall is fast approaching well can't wait then bring them on!! ^_^ Happy weekend everyone and drive safe.

Gloomy day today

After the heat wave that we experienced few weeks ago we are having a good but a bit humid temperature today. But I don't have the right to whine we have a good weather here in spite of the high temperature because for few days now we have rain and looking at the corn field across our house they already had ears!! And we knew that it was planted very late this year since we had too much rain last Spring. God is good HE knew how to balance nature and things. I remember when I was young if a place has a long dry season, the people in that place will bring eggs to a nearby convent for monastery and ask for an intercession to the nuns that they are going to have rain and it did!!! Well why not do it now then???  An extract remarks a north.

                                     

Green grapes

For the past weeks I could say  I am sleep deprived. It's because that I always play games on the Internet and I already heard hubby complaining about it. One thing too that I noticed is that my eye bag is getting dark and I don't like it either. Yesterday at around 2:00 pm I was getting very sleepy. I told hubby I would sleep early and so I did. I was sleeping so tight at night I woke up and heard the rain, thunderstorm and lightning but I like it makes me feel comfortable of the sound around me. 

But before I sleep yesterday I went to the field and look for something that can capture my attention. Well I was having one even if I was the only one at the field because around me are beautiful butterflies and dragonflies and other insects. When I was at the back of our barn I saw grapes!! Yes it is still green but it's grapes and I just love how it look from where I was standing. So I took photos and here it is.

Open house

Last, Saturday bunched of my friends went to my friends house for her daughters open house party. Her house is close to the lake so the party was held there. It was my first time to came to that lake and it's huge too. I couldn't believe how many lakes Michigan had. And when it's Summer everybody is at the beach enjoying the sun. Here's the photo!

Did I hear it right?

I was at the kitchen when I heard in the news that the government is  requiring a person who can do hair braid to have a license??!! Are you kidding me? What is going on with our government now? We are too much regulated it's choking the people. To get a license is to take a lot of money and how much these people can earn just to braid hair?? Geez... I haven't seen anybody braid hair even, lol!!! Something is not right here it's not nice that our government is regulating the people too much it's drowning us, right?

Summer is here

Yes Summer is officially here and I could feel it. This morning as hubby and I are headed to Sacred Heart Seminary the temperature is already 74F and it's humid. For me the humidity makes it more uncomfortable but when we arrived at the school it immediately pour heavy rain, what the heck?? But hubby told me as he goes home that morning it didn't rain his way, I don't understand that, does he mean only in our area had that rain? That was so cool right?
Anyway, today is my second day of school and this is the last week for my catechist class. Then I have to take two classes since yesterday I was absent. Then next week I am going to do the Vacation Bible Class to help Ms. A for this church event. It would be cool to know more kids in the parish and I pray that their will be many kids that are registered this year. That is for now I have to do something outside plant the plants that was given to me last Friday. I am afraid it would die since it's too hot today. Ciao!

I am done for the week.

As everybody  knew ( well to those who visit this blog hehe) that I am taking courses at Sacred Heart Seminar in Detroit for two weeks to be a Certified Catechist. Today I am done for the week, YES!! First of all thanks be to God that for the time that hubby and I traveled the road we arrived our destination safe and sound. Then also the time that spent I am thankful that God provide it for me and hubby generously. As if time goes by so fast hubby told me four hours is so quick. Above all I am happy and thankful that for the past days all the topics are given to us by the facilitator very well said. It enhance and inspire me to serve better and more ^_^. One thing that I noticed is that I love it. Of course there are time that you feel sleepy after lunch and it's excusable I guess but it doesn't feel that it's dragging or feeling blah!! I think because this is one of my passion to serve the people and God told us to be the witness and proclaim the good news. 

We had our lunch time at 1:15 pm and back at 2pm. I had the chance to take picture the front facade of the seminary. 

Two days down...

Since yesterday hubby drove me in the morning and picked me up in the afternoon at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. I am taking formation topics so I would become a Certified Catechist. For two days, we are done with 6 topics and it was fun and a lot of information for two hours each topic. And the good thing is that it's not new to me since I am already a Catechist in the Philippines though in the Philippines there was no formation for the Catechist that is being focus for them unlike here. And I am so impressed of how they took time to give almost 35 topics for the Catechist. 

I come to realize that there is really a need for each and every Catechist in the church to have this kind of formation. First, so as not to teach to kids or adults the wrong Church teaching. Second, you can also gauge yourself which topic you don't understand much and that you have time to learn more of that topic. Third, it's nice to meet other Catechist from other parish and knew each and every one's experienced in teaching the kids or adults. And overall it's nice to learn and see that still in this hard time many do still give time and take time to share their time to kids and work in the Church. And what ever hardships we have we are in one in praying and asking God for help, support and enlightenment. 

Can we trust our priest?

I have heard this question so many times from different people. And they continue to say that "they are ALL child molester or etc.". I am so glad that people ask it and not just to throw judgement to priest. The word "ALL" is not  a reality it's like telling that "ALL" the fathers are child molesters too since many fathers are also raping, sexually molesting, abusing their own children. But it's not!! The problem of today is that the media blow up the story without even digging what happened after the news broke up. Many of the accused priest were just being accused but when it was investigated they couldn't find any proof. And of course their are also some priest who did it and the church never deny it nor cover it up in fact those who are guilty are already spending time in jail. Just like any father who molested their own kids and find guilty are also in the jail. 

The thing with some people is that they generalize what they hear. If they hear in the news that a priest from Pennsylvania is accused of sexually molesting a child....they already generalize that ALLLL the priest are like that and that is not true. Many media also focus on the Catholic church only but what about other denominations? Do they have scandal in their church too, of course there are many.  But here is my take...we are all human and even if we are the president, priest, evangelist, ceo of a big company, a father, teacher, counselor, doctor or what ever label you have if you are sick person you are sick. And that's what we have to look for  a person, we have to open our 5 senses and not be naive. 

I am multi tasking now!

Well right now I am multi-tasking seems like I am getting stress just thinking of what I do first. I am doing the laundry outside is hot and I like to sun dry our clothes. Then I have to finished sorting the papers in the other room for tomorrow is our recycling day and I want that all those old papers or bills will be thrown away. Then have to make some post here for yesterday I was out almost the whole day. And for the next three weeks I will be away I have to do some schooling. I have to do what I have to do but I do feel stress out. Inhale......exhale!!

My back is aching...

Well my back is aching I've been changing the curtains and washing them at the same time for the whole day. But at 8 am this morning I went to a church rummage sale just right here at the corner close to our house. I bought not too many stuff but I was not able to resist the blue plates. And by the way it's only 10cents! Now I wanted to rest and so bye bye for blogging now. ^_^