My Fossil Watch

My friend, Aieen handed me a small paper bag after we fetched her at the NAIA last August 2010. She wanted me to open it immediately and wished I'd would like it. I opened and here it was. A fossil watch. A cute and beautiful token for me. 

I thanked her for the wonderful and precious gift she'd given me. It is a gesture of genuine love and friendship. It reminds me of all the memories we have in this journey of friendship and life.

 

I feel so much joy and it makes me smile whenever someone shows appreciation for all the good things I did. It's really a wonderful world to have people who show you how much you're mean to them. Such a wonderful feeling!

Two Little Angels

A mother's joy begins when new life is stirring inside... when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone”               By Author Unknown

My two good friends, Jasmin and Roni are now pregnant. They are now in their first journey to motherhood. They embrace it with an open arms for it gives priceless joy, fun and precious moments to the whole family, circle of friends and relatives.

Jasmin is currently 8th months pregnant. January 09, 2011 is her due date to give birth. We're all excited to see the coming of the precious baby. They are now preparing all the things needed for that day. Ultrasound result says it's a baby girl. How wonderful!

♥♫♫♥♥♥♫♫♫♫♪♥♫♫♥♥♥♫♫♫♫♪♥♫♫♥♥♥♫♫♫♫

 A great joy and happiness enveloped the whole being of the couple when the result of pregnancy test was positive. God bestowed them a priceless gift  and it's really an answered prayer. At first they can't believe it for they're waited it for a year or two. She even bought another pregnancy test to be sure of the outcome. And still it's positive. She's 6 weeks pregnant. Her due date to give birth is on July 25, 2011. How lovely!

Congratulations to both of you, Jasmin & Roni Rose!!!

Will take a Break

Feeling stressed? Then the best thing that you can do is to take a break. Stepping away from work in small chunks of time will help in releasing physical and mental pressures. It allows a healing mental break and serves as reward for better feeling of oneself.

On this coming week, from Thursday up to Sunday would be my great escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. BFF Aieen invited me to go with them in Aringay, La Union to visit her family and relatives. Swimming at the beach and  traveling up to Baguio City are listed on our itinerary. I'm so enthralled to go walking along the seashore and swimming at the beach. I can't remember when was the last time I went to a beach for swimming that's why I'm so thrilled to feel once again the saltiness of seawater and air. It would be nice also to experience lying in a hammock near the sea while sipping a favorite drink.

After a day or two, we'll be driving up to Baguio City which is only 1 hour drive from my friend's place in La Union. I'm not really excited to visit the place because I've been there twice. Baguio City is beautiful but not as beautiful as before. I couldn't see anymore the abundant pine trees that triumphantly parading on the highways and on top of the mountains. I just feel sad because the natural beauty of the place and the cool weather of the city seems to fade. There are thousands of houses built in the mountainside and it looks like dove houses when you had seen it in a farther view.

But still, there's a lot of wonderful things to be enjoyed at Baguio City. I'll gonna have a chance to visit once again the Baguio Botanical Garden, The Burnham Park, The Mines View Park and a lot more. It's nice to capture  magnificent view and wonderful moments with my friend's family on a place like this. It's also a perfect moment for me to enliven my spirit, rejuvenate and recharge my stressed body and mind. It will also the best time to connect and embrace myself with Mother Earth's exquisite beauty.

For now, I'm so excited and ready for our upcoming travel.

Michelle's Despedida Party

her sweetest smile

 She's Michelle, a staff nurse here in the hospital. We became friends and have been close since November 2007 when my father underwent a prostate operation. That's how our friendship started and the rest is history.

I was a bit surprised and sad when I knew that she filed a resignation. But the feeling of happiness topped it all because her dream of working abroad turned into a reality. She will be leaving tomorrow bound for New Zealand. But before she bids goodbye, she threw a despedida party last evening of August 19 held at Barrackz Bar & Restaurant at Tomas Morato corner Timog.

on our way to party

a perfect appetizer for beer or wine

a cute pose with her

It was a great despedida party. It turned out into unforgettable evening and a memorable one. It was a fun time and we left the bar after midnight. We hugged her and it was the tightest hug we'd for her. We wish her all the Best. It's not goodbye, just "until we meet again."

Happy Birthday, Roni!

Blue is the favorite color of my dear friend Roni. She is celebrating her birthday today. She's having a vast celebration now with her beloved better half at Tagaytay. It is the best time for them to enjoy and capture the magnificent beauty and amazing view of Taal Volcano. And of course, it is the best relaxing treat for their disturbed body and mind.  They will feel refreshed extraordinarily when they feel the cooler climate and fresher environment of the place.

Roni is one of the great friends I've ever known. Nothing can compare to her awesome personality particularly to the boundless friendship we had planted in our heart that blossoms day by day. There is a blessing that's rare and a precious gift that gold cannot buy. That's the gift of a wonderful person coming into my life. And that is, no other than, my dear friend Roni.

A mosaic of borrowed bouquet of red roses and images is exclusively for you. Red Roses symbolize sincere love, respect, courage and passion. That's how I express my friendship for you. May life's brightest joys illuminate your path, and may each day's journey bring you closer to your dreams! Happy Birthday!

Jollitown Bday Invitation

These are the 7th birthday party invitations of Cedie, son of Gelvin and Aieen. His party celebration will be held on August 28 at around 1 o'clock in the afternoon at Jollibee Regalado, Fairview, Quezon City. The party's theme is Jollitown, a magical place. This is where Jollibee and his friends Hetty, Yum, Popo, and Twirlie live.

with Cedie (the bday celebrant) at Jollibee Regalado

I feel great when I had finished my task in designing, printing name tag and pasting individual names on the invitation. The invitation is now ready for pick-up and distribution. ♥♥♥

A Token of Friendship

This pair of earrings is a token of friendship given to me by Daisy, my college best friend and Raul, her fiance. I am so really enthralled with elegant and fashionable jewelries since I was a kid. One of my dreams is to have a collection of fine jewelries well-kept in a beautiful jewelry box. I could still remember my childhood days when my late grandmother used to buy some genuine and fancy jewelries. I think I had acquired  my  fascination with jewelries from her.

a closer look

Because Daisy is working at Dubai, United Arab Emirates, I asked her if she could buy me a pair of earrings and pay her later when she arrives. I felt exultantly happy when she agreed. She then asked me what I wanted and I told her to choose the affordable one. She sent me some details of the two pairs of earrings they'd inquired when they went to jewelry shop one day. I choose the white gold. After a few days, she sent me email informing that they'd bought the 18k American white gold earrings amounting 200 dirhams (AED). I wallowed in so much joy and gratefulness when she told me that they've agreed to give it to me as a gift and there's no need to pay for it. I thanked them for the precious gift and just waited for the package to arrive. I'm so glad when it came and excitedly opened and tried it to wear.

This wonderful token reminds me of Daisy and the great friendship we have. And to you, Daise - A million thanks for bringing precious friendship into my life and sharing moments of learning with me that will be treasured forever. :-)

So Excited!

Three weeks from now, Aieen, one of my best friends, will be arriving here in Philippines to spend her vacation after one year of working abroad as librarian in Yanbu, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. When she informed me that the flight for her arrival has been confirmed, I was so very excited knowing we will see each other again. Not only because I miss her so much but also I'm looking forward to our getaways to La Union up to Baguio City as  what we have planned.

at the airport during Aieen's departure last July 2009

Time really flies so fast. It's just like she has been away for many months since we went at the airport  to send her off. And now she's already counting the days of her arrival and very much excited to hug her family and have a great bonding moment with them especially with her two angels, Cedie and Ashley, my goddaughter.

A Downhearted Friend

It feels like a knife stabbed my heart while reading Roni's post about her most ardent wish of having a bundle of joy to complete her family. I can feel her aching heart, a lost soul trying to find a flicker of hope, solace and comfort just to bear the pain in her pcos journey. Perhaps I couldn't figure out enough to fathom what she feels but I can perceive that there is a melancholy and gloominess in her eyes whenever she sees a pregnant women passing by or a proud mother cuddling her precious child. If only there is something I could do to make her wish comes true I would gladly do it. Despite of my incapability of doing so, I would be very affectionate to offer her a words of encouragement, a tender and loving arms to comfort her, a shoulder to cry on and ear to listen so that in my own little way I could lift up her spirit from the downward spiral of frustration and envy.

Finding hope in the God's protection will be the only certain thing we could do. One way of doing this is by praying and sharing our pain with Jesus. As Jesus says: 

28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Eclipse Movie & Blackbeard's Seafood Island

pose at Eclipse

I'm having a nap when I received a text message from a friend inviting me to watch the Twilight Saga: Eclipse last July 01, 2010. Of course, I said yes. Since new year came, I'm looking forward to watch this movie. We stepped out of the office at exactly 4 o'clock in the afternoon and headed to Trinoma Mall to meet the couple who went there earlier than us to buy movie tickets. We brought some snacks and drink into the cinema theater to enjoy it while watching the movie. We had fun and laughter inside the movie theater.

  

After we stepped out of the movie house, we've decided to look for a fine dining restaurant. We chose the Blackbeard's Seafood Island. They had a live band music in the background. We ordered Boodle Feast Dapitan's Pride, a combination of crispy coco gin shrimps, San Mig clams (cooked in San Mig Lite), grilled tilapia, grilled squid, laing, steamed crabs, grilled liempo and kalkag rice (hibi-flavored rice). We ordered iced tea and dalandan juice for our drinks.
 

 Boodle Feast Dapitan's Pride - served in an oversized, sturdy wooden tray 

covered with banana leaves meant for sharing.

picture taking comes first before eating

I really enjoyed the feast flatter because it satisfied my cravings for seafood. It's one of the favorite food and I want it more and more, maybe in some other time again. Overall, we had oodles of fun going out once again.

Short Talk with a Guidance Counselor

Today, it might be an ordinary day for someone else but for me it's a special one. It is because I had a great short talk with a guidance counselor here at my workplace. I went to her office and we had a closed-door short talk about ourselves, our needs and wants. I get along very well with her that's why I'm confident enough to tell her my feelings, longings and desires of my heart. I felt a sense of relief after we talked because of such words of wisdom and advices she'd given me. I really appreciate her for giving me a fraction of her precious time in listening on my woes. She understands how I felt and she shared with me her past situation she'd faced before just like what I have right now. I thank her for giving me encouraging words and a piece of advice that would lift up my spirit. And she keep on telling me that whichever place or life situation we are in right now is God's will and He would definitely guide and lead us to the perfect place and situation He prepared for us.

Before I bid goodbye and thank her for the time, she even asked me what's my prayer request. I answered her with a smile and by that she understands what I really mean.

Lamesa Grill

It was a bright sunny day when Charisse and Jasmin asked me to be with them in SM North Edsa to look for a swimwear to be used this hot summer escapade. At first, I was a bit irresolute of going out thinking no one will be staying late at the office. But knowing Riza will stay, we finally headed to SM North Edsa. It was a blissful day for us because we had an unplanned chillax. We managed to have a get-together once again after such time we're still in not-so-much available mood.

We strolled around and looked for something we need. After a while, we headed to Trinoma Mall to look for a better and more affordable swimwear. We saw the couple falling in line at nearby fastfood chain. Roni told us they were hungry then we decided to look for a dining place. It was in Lamesa Grill where we dined in and savored the delectable food. After a full plate, we browsed some cocktail drinks available on their menu. Blue Margarita was then our choice. We filled up our glasses and emptied it while chitchatting.

I really enjoyed the day out once again and felt relaxed.