The "I" meme

I was tagged by Ghee, the lovely, to do this meme. I'm a private person, and I don't normally post so much personal things about me. For Ghee's sake, however, here are some tidbits about me, myself and I.

I am a wife; mother of 2.

I want to travel the road less traveled.

I have 2 hands. They are left and right.

I wish I could do above - travel more.

I hate war.

I fear snakes.

I search for the end of the rainbow. There's supposed to be a pot of gold there.

I wonder why I couldn't wander...just wondering.

I regret some things I have done and said.

I love to dream. he he he

I always see both sides. That's the Libra in me.

I am not a snob. I just don't have a smiling face. (Mukhang suplada baga)

I danced. I used to. Hubby can't dance so that's the end of it.

I sing? I can't carry a tune; not even when I hum; not even in the shower. I'm a basket case when it comes to singing. I envy those who can sing.

I cry and I cried when I'm reminded of my parents and siblings; and the times we have had together. I miss them a lot. Getting teary eyed already here.

I write whatever comes to mind. However, some of them are unprintable. Bad grammar, I guess.

I won? I wish, I had won the lotto. Three million dollars is not bad. I could use it to pay my debt, and maybe buy a couple of Hummers, a beach house in the Bahamas and shop till I drop.

I am confused, so very confused.

I need sometime to relax.

I should be relaxing by now, getting my beauty nap. I might still have a chance to become a beauty.

The last thought I go to sleep with is I hope I get to sleep tonight.

The End.

There it is. Done. Who to tag? Whoever wants to do it.

Let there be life

click photo to enlarge

This wicker basket is hanging on my patio pergola. It is now a nest, a pigeon's nest. As I tried to take a picture of it this morning, while the mother-to-be bird was sitting, I startled it and it took off. I took a picture of what is inside the basket, and I found two eggs.

click to enlarge photo

In a few days these eggs will hatch, and the chicks will be chirping with their mommy. Aaaand they will be eating and pooping in my basket. Ugh! One thing good, though, they will be out of reach of predators.

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My Pet

I got myself a cute little tiger for a virtual pet; named him Rex. I adopted him to keep me company while I ponder on what to write about. Most of the time, however, I play with him, and in turn I don't accomplish anything. Ngee! I found out about virtual pet when I bloghopped on Gillian McMurray's blog. It does pay to wander.

Not Cabernet Sauvignon.

My mood swung the wrong way,

'Twas not a good day.

Though not a breeze in the air,

Every which way went my hair.

It was not Dom Perignon,

Nor Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sad, so sad.

That day was bad.

PMS?

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A Friend Indeed!

These were awarded to me by Nona, that sexy, wonderful mother and wife. Nona can not access my blog as she is now in the land of the Great Wall - China. Blogspot or Blogger cannot be accessed there - China - for some reason only known to that place. In spite of that, Nona still reached out and tagged me. (Wala akong ligtas sa kanya. LOL) However, whenever she can access Blogger she would always come to my blog to say something; to comment; to let me know that she's around visiting. It doesn't matter if my topic would be boring, lame, silly, senseless, stupid or idiotic, she still would say something just to let me know she's around. (Kahit, "Kumusta na.") That means something. I on the other hand still visit and say hi to her to let her know I'm there with her.

Take it easy over there, Nona. Enjoy and have fun. It's a great experience to be in another part of the world; to meet and make friends with people there; and to learn a little bit of their culture and language.

Thanks a bunch for these awards. Love you!

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I just hope nobody fell asleep reading this.

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Friendship Meme!

This was a tag from my good friend Vicki.

Circle of Friends*

Anger is only one letter short of danger
If someone betrays you once, it is his fault;
If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.
Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.
He, who loses money, loses much;
He, who loses a friend, loses much more;
He, who loses faith, loses all.
Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,
But beautiful old people are works of art.
Learn from the mistakes of others
You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.
Friends, you and me…
You brought another friend…
And then there were 3…
We started our group…
Our circle of friends…
And like that circle…
There is no beginning or end…
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is mystery.
Today is a gift.

So now, let’s see how many circle of friends we can make by simply adding your link on this Friendship Meme!

1-Catsy Carpe Diem, 2- Catsy Downloads, 3-Out of the Blue, 4- A Day to Savor and Relish 5- A Piece of Idea 6- Write Shy 7- Stupid Wise 8-http://onlinememorylane.blogspot.com/ 9 - http://www.jk-nocargo.blogspot.com/Teacher’s Corner 10- Abby of Mom and the City 11 - Soulful Thoughts 12-http://mahalkaayo.blogspot.com/ 13. Mari - Art and Soul

Whoever wants to do this can do so, anytime, anywhere on your blog.

*Author unknown.

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Candle light dinner

I took 3 of my candles and sat them on the table and lighted each one of them. I placed them by the dinner plates and the piping hot food. I called my husband and he sat next to me. The candles were flickering, throwing lights on our faces and everything around us. My cousin who is with us temporarily sat on my left side. We are having candle light dinner on this cold Monday night.

Earlier, a little before 7 PM, as I was about to call everyone to the dining table for dinner the power went out. Luckily I have just cooked dinner and warmed up some leftovers when the lights went out. Rather than wait for the power to go back on, which we would never know when, it was unanimously voted that we sit and have our meal.

Right after dinner, my husband made a call to the Edison Company to report the power outage. It turned out that there was a burned transmission in our immediate vicinity. Our track was the only one affected, which means only about a hundred homes. My husband having been involved in electrical engineering (construction, installation and design) knew what was to be expected in repairing the damage. He figured it would take the Edison people till morning to replace the burned transmission. So, there was not much we can do.

I stepped outdoors and saw that the moon was out and it lit our track in a soft grayish glow. Our little downtown was brightly lit. They have power down the hill and the track next to ours.

I went back inside the house and sat in the living room with the little candle on the coffee table. There was not much to do. So, me and my cousin just talked; reminisced about the old days; talked about people who have passed on; who are still around and where they are; who was what; who sired who; who was the bastard and so on. Now I know how the tree branched out. My mom never talked about our blood lines. And through my older cousin I can trace somewhat my blood relation with some of my cousins, uncles and aunties. All I knew before was that we were related, but how that came about, I never knew.

Later on we went upstairs. My bedroom's door blinds were opened all the way to let in the moonlight. A little later I fell asleep...I think.

I was startled by the door bell when it rang. (It does that when the power goes on.) Ah, we have lights. I checked my cellphone for the time and it was 5:09 AM. My husband got out of bed to turn off whatever lights were on. The TV downstairs was rebooting. Oh, good, now I can watch some show tonight, and, of course, log on to the internet.

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My Award!

Yippeeee! Finally, I got an award. See that thing above? Yes, that's the one; and it was awarded to me by Pepe, the guy from downunder. My first ever. So now what do you think I am going to do with it. Of course, I'll flaunt it; brag about it. Before I do that, however, I am going to share it with some of my blogger friends; I am going to award the same thing to the following bloggers: Nance, Nini, Vicki, Nona, Ann, Ghee, Photo Cache, Ev, Razz, Tina, and Lady Cess. Come pick it up people!

Happy Valentines Day to All!

Oh, I was supposed to make a speech as soon as Pepe handed it to me, but I'll skip that as I have to go. I have no time for speech writing.

Thanks Pepe for the award.

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A Woman's Work is Never Done.

I'm almost done with my cleaning. All the books I kept are now organized on the shelves and on the rack. My drafting table is still piled with papers, sketches and whatnots; and while shifting through the heap I uncovered a verse written sometime in 2005 or 2006. I don't remember who wrote it. It must've been one of my friends. Holler if it was you - Nance or Nini; or a collusion between you two.


This poem is in Tagalog. It was written during those days when we were chatting online and playing with words.

Kahapon at Ngayon

Laba kahapon, laba ngayon.
Luto kanina, luto ngayon.
Linis dito, linis duon.
Takbo rito, takbo ruon.
Si Manang ay laging pagod,
Pinakahihintay ay magdilim
Upang siya ay maka-idlip
At maipahinga ang kanyang isip.
Ngunit sa sandaling siya ay napikit,
Si Manong naman ay kumakalabit.
Ito na ang kanyang pinakahihintay
Pikit mata siya'y nagpakulong
Sa matitipunong braso ni Manong.
Ay, buntong hininga si Manang.

Nakatulog kaya sila?
Shhh
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Clutter and more clutter

I’ve been cleaning the room I’m using as my atelier. This is where I do my drafting, design work, and my paintings. It’s a small room, 12’ x 12’, and it has my drafting table, a console table, a rack and my easels; and it is now cluttered with a lot of things. I have hardly any room to move around. I have to sort out all the clutter – throw some away, shred some, keep some and organize them. I have an old record player I have to discard. I thought I could still play my old vinyl records, the turntable, however, doesn’t work anymore, and so does the cassette player. The radio is the only one that works and the speakers which are in very good condition. I, however, have decided that it has to go bye-bye.

Old documents I have sorted out careful. Those with vital information I have to shred them. That would prevent identity thieves from stealing them; old magazines, books, others I tossed in a recycle box.

As I sorted through the pile I found a poem written by “Boney.” I’ve been looking for this poem for a long time; and I found an old Christmas card dated Dec. 1993, which was sent to me by a young woman. I met her three years before that. She was a nice young Filipina born and bred back home. She was charming; has so much respect for her elders, always addressing me and my husband with that word “po.” I rarely hear those words nowadays, except of course here in the internet from young men and women born and raised back home. After she sent me that card, she stopped coming to my house. From what I heard she’s doing well. I miss her and I wish the best for her.

I found a shoe box full of old letters from back home, dating back in the 80s. I reread some of them, and then shredded each one of them. Letters from my mother are still tucked away in my closet, untouched.

The books and magazines I kept are now organized on their respective shelves. My drafting table, however, is still cluttered. I am slowly sorting them, and I found some old poems which I have written sometime ago. My sketches will be filed in an album.

To this day I am still sorting some odds and ends. It’s been more than a week already. I thought I could do it in a day or so, but it’s taking me longer than that.

The poem by "Boney."

Stan and Sam

There was a man
Named Stan
Who drove a van
And owned a toucan
Named Fran.
Bored on the road the man,
Drove over a soda can
And stopped his van;
And fell asleep with Fran,
His beloved toucan.
Unbeknownst to him his van
Was unlocked, and Stan,
The next morning drove his van
And heard a voice not of Fran.
The voice said, “Sam, I am.”
He looked around and saw Sam
Sitting behind a can of Spam.
The voice said again, “Sam, I am,
And I do not like Spam,
Please being me green eggs and ham.”
So Fran told Stan
To drive to Pam’s
Where he traded the Spam
For unknown Sam’s
Green eggs and ham.
When Stan returned to his van
With green eggs and ham
To his surprise there was a man
On top of Sam.
For Sam wasn’t a man
But a woman named…Samantha.

“Boney”

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Oh, meme!

I was tagged by the lovely Ghee back in October 2007....aaargh. I put it off due to my sleeping schedule. I gotta have my beauty nap, you know?

The tag is simple. All I need to do is answer a question that she has concocted. So here goes.

Question:

What would be the major 5 things you would do if you were told by your physician that your remaining life is only six months?

1. I would eat all my favorite foods. It wouldn't matter anymore if I gain weight, I might as well indulge on good food.
   
2. I would have a get together, the mother of all gatherings, so I can bond one last time with my family, all my relatives and friends; and make peace with ex-friends. ;-D


3. I would travel all over, as much as I can, and the final one would be back home - the Philippines.


4. I would pick the best dress for my final day...


5. And lastly I would stay home surrounded by my love ones until I heave my final breath.

And as instructed my family would have another great gathering to celebrate my passing on to the afterlife.

There you go, Ghee.

Now whoever wants to do this can do so, without arm twisting from me.

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Meme...meme...meme...

Straight to the matter at hand; no beating around the bush, to get it over with. I have been tagged by both Nona (top) and Raz with the same meme; and I have put it off for a long time already.

So now on with it.

The rules:

1. Pick your nose, err, birth month below.
2. Set in bold letters the 5-10 that best apply to you.
3. Copy to your own journal, with all twelve months.
4. Tag 12 people from your friends list.

My Birth month is OCTOBER.

Loves to chat. Loves those who love them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

Who to tag? Anyone who might be interested in doing this is welcome.

There it is, over and done with. Aahhh!

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JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

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The Year 2008

The old year is out and the New Year is in. This signals the end of the Christmas season. This season always stresses me out. Thanksgiving Day through the Christmas holidays were hectic times for me. I had a Thanksgiving dinner party for family members and relatives (who I hardly see during the year); an unplanned party a few days before Christmas day; and Christmas day itself had me all worked up. Preparing before the event gets me all jittery.


However, with all the food that was laden on the table, I never gained an ounce from it. I think I even lost some, as my pants were a bit looser. That was something I liked about it. But now that it is all over, I'm beginning to have more appetite and eat more. Ugh!


Now, before plunging ahead on the coming New Year, I should look back and make a recollection of the old one. There was the stormy weather; the scary wildfires; the sizzling heat that we had to contend with; the skyrocketing price of fuel (gasoline) that bored a hole in our pockets; the dreaded days; and the gloomy days when things went bad.


There were good days. We were fortunate to have been spared by the wildfires; the kids are fine...doing well; and the geek and I are solid as ever. We laughed a lot and made fun of ourselves more. LOL

It was not a bad year after all. There were no serious problems that we have encountered, unlike others. There were those whose loved ones have passed on; loved ones lost and still missing; properties burned in the wildfires; or lost in other catasthrophe. We were still fortunate, we were intact.

What do I have in store for the coming year? That is yet to be seen. I do not make any more resolutions as I'm very sure I would break some of them, if not all. I've been promising myself, and my husband, that I'd be walking more to lose the extra pounds, but it never happened; I had promised myself to do more oil paintings, but have done 5 only for the entire year (how pathetic?); I am, however, doing pencil sketches to keep my hands busy.

I got here, to the year 2008. Now what? I will see as the days roll by. Hopefully, it will be a promising one--a bright one; hopefully, I will be out of the red (I'm praying for a miracle); and hopefully, I'll still be strong and healthy, and so with the rest of my family.

Here he comes...

She, err, he came strutting down the hall, swinging and swaying to the tune of "Here comes Santa Claus! Here comes Santa Claus! Right down Santa Claus Lane..."

He was given a rousing welcome by all, old and young members of the Philippine-American Association of SCV. Each year the association celebrates the birth of Christ with a party in one of the local churchs' hall; each year it's participated by everyone. The young do their own singing group, while the older members have their own as well.

Of course, there's the usual potluck dinner. We have all the great dishes which included lechon, pancit, lumpia, fried rice, and etc. ; desserts made up of leche flan, cake, fruit salad, and others I couldn't remember the names.

Here's Santa handing presents to the little ones. The older ones have theirs as well. Why not? We oldies want one too.

I made a special request to Santa to give me a car like this one I saw at the mall. It's all set to go, with a ribbon tied neatly to it, polished and so shiny. All I needed is the key and some $$. I, however, do not have a lot of that $$. So, I was thinking that if I ask Santa, he would give me this one request. He said no. All right. I'll try again next year.

Maligayang Pasko sa Inyong Lahat!

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Meme the Third

The face behind the blog.

peek-a-boo

It's getting cooler nowadays. Winter is fast approaching and so is the coming New Year. No resolutions for me to make, as I know I'll never do any of them. Oh, maybe, a couple of weeks, then I'd gradually forget the whole thing on purpose...like, oh, I forgot I was supposed to wake up early today. But, we all know that old habits are hard to break.

Having said that, let me move on to the matter at hand--the assignment handed to me by Nona many moons ago. Why a meme? Who knows? I'm not the so important person that I would have a memoirs. So how many pages would there be if I really write one. Probably about 40 pages or less and in pocket book size, and that would cover from my birth till today.

Now on with the meme.

1st step:
Post a short blog article that includes a photograph, or a series of photos showing the face behind your blog. If you already showed a photo somewhere on your site, such as in your profile, then make your post more interesting and choose a photo that’s not currently online.

2nd step:
Include links to other people that have displayed photos, or include their photos in your post, adding a reference.

3rd step:
Tag as many others as you like to spread the meme.

And now the face...

Oops!

I'm hardworking when I get to it; and would be rolling full steam ahead once I get started. A caring, loving wife and mother of 2. Can't be bothered with frills when dressed; likes simple things; less is more - but more money is not bad at all, if I can get a hold of more, of course. Can be a great friend; trustworthy; and helpful. Don't like show-offs; arrogant people; braggarts; hypocrites and the like.

Who to tag? I don't know anyone who hasn't pasted their photos. I know two friends, but for sure they would not do it; they would go into hiding; or pretend they never read this. Har har har. So, I'd leave it to anybody who is willing to put on their blogs their glamour shots, or unglamour shots.

Anybody?

It Was Raining and It Was Cold

This is the temperature reading in my patio.

When I woke up yesterday morning it was raining and cold. A 50 deg. F (10 deg. C) for others may not be that cold, but it is to me. So, I wrapped myself with layers of clothes and a sweat shirt and went downstairs to have breakfast. It was close to 9 already. (I'm not an early riser. )

It was wet out there and my plants got a good dousing of water.

The rain would let up a bit and then would drizzle again. The ground was wet, of course, and it was good for the plants. I have a plant in the patio that needed watering yesterday, but I never got to water it. It was nearly close to death...I think. The branches were about to drop on the ground. Now, it's watered by the rain and it's doing very well. It's now a happy plant.

As I looked out to the backyard I see mist hovering amongst the trees and ground cover on the slope. Brrrr...it's a somewhat wintry scene. Out on the front of the house, south east side, I can see very little of the hill beyond. It was mostly covered by fog...thick fog. On the west side I can see the bright red-orange glow of the sun as it sets. At this time of year the sun goes down at about 5 PM.

I made dinner early so I can bundle up and watch TV.

The mist creeping slowly as it covered the valley.

The bright red-orange glow of the sunset.

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Today we have a bright and sunny day. It is so clear we can see forever. Hmmm...I feel like singing that song.

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We Gobbled The Turkey...and more.

My Thanksgiving Day little party went well, everyone came, except the one who was invited first. It was that invitation to her that made me thought of doing the party. She accepted the invitation right there and then; however, when I confirmed with her, she was not so sure she could make it. It will depend on her transportation, she said. I asked her to call me back whether she could make it or not. She never called. My husband was not happy. He said he would not ask her anymore to come to any of our gatherings.

Some of my guests came a little bit late. It was alright, we had a fun time. The food was okay. I'm not sure if they liked it, I didn't see them throw up; I didn't see them writhe in pain for ingesting my food. My older cousin brought "turon" which the Anglos loved; another guy brought bread with spinach dip inside its cavity. It was good, but I can't eat a lot of it as the sour cream in it upsets my stomach. Another guy brought pumpkin pie.

My turkey turned out good, it was moist. We almost devoured the whole thing. I gave some to my guests to take home, so I won't be left with so much turkey I would have to have it morning, noon and night. I made turkey soup for dinner last night; this morning I stir fried some then poured a little bit of gravy over it, fried a couple of eggs then toasted some bread and we had it for breakfast. No turkey for lunch. Tonight, however, I made turkey soup again...this will be the last of the turkey dinner. The leftover has to be consumed within 2 or 3 days, otherwise I'm going to freeze it.

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The mad dash for Black Friday had come and gone. I find no reason to wake up so early and line up at a store to get bargains they have advertised. They opened as early as 5 AM, and I heard some have started opening at 4 AM. I once did go to Wal-Mart's 6 AM sale, and, my husband and I got there 15 minutes after it opened and parking was already full. The buying frenzy was already in full swing. Most of the discounted items were all sold out when we got in. We got a sewing machine for half the regular price, but that's about it. That was about 4 years ago. I've not gone to another one of these after holiday sale since.

During these holiday sales people just dash through the door as soon as it is opened and some, I heard, have been crushed to death. Yesterday I watched on TV as this was going on and someone was almost pinned on the ground. Lucky for that person a guy pulled her up to safety. I wonder why they have to rush in when they are already at the door. Why lose an arm and a leg or even life for saving a couple of hundred dollars?

I slept through Black Friday.

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Gobble...gobble...gobble...

I have been a slacker lately. I have made drafts to post, but somehow I have decided not to publish it. I lost the interest to do so, and now it's there lying untouched, unedited and incomplete. I was mostly bloghopping...reading and commenting. So many things on my mind it had overwhelmed me and I can't seem to focus on any of them.

It's now just a few days till Thanksgiving. I have thought of making a menu for my little get together with my, and my husband's, kin that I have lost touch with for quite sometime now. Were it not the invitation extended by my husband to his cousin, which we run into last month, I wouldn't have thought of doing this...the get together. Oh well, I guess, it's about time I dust my house - have a somewhat thorough cleaning; take my glasses from the cupboard; the dishes and linens which sat there unused for a while now.

Having a party takes a lot of effort...for me, that is. I have to do most everything - shopping, cooking, cleaning, setting the table and all that. Cooking is something I'm not fond of doing. Nope...it's not my cup of tea. Neither is cleaning. (Tamad talaga.) I, however, have to invite some people to have a little party, otherwise, I won't be asked to their own gathering. Hi hi hi.

I bought my turkey last Friday. I have to do it way early so I'd get the size I wanted. Last time I had turkey I waited till it was close to the day, and the small ones were all taken. I was forced to get a big bird, else I'd settle for ham. Thanksgiving doesn't seem to be Thanksgiving unless turkey is served.

I'm thawing it now in the refrigerator. It will take roughly 3 to 4 days to thaw. If it's not thawed by Wednesday night, I'd have to do it in cold water.

I hope it turns out good. If it burns, sorry, I'm not a good cook.

Thanksgiving is what is defined clearly by the word itself. There is no point in pulling the dictionary and defining it the way Mr. Webster did.

I am thankful for the good graces that me and my family have; for our good health; for being safe from harm (the recent wildfire); for having good neighbors, good friends and most of all good blogger friends, of course.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

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The Real McCoy

The classic movie buff was a test and here's the real deal...the result of the test, and this one is final.

Tagged by Ev to do the Classic Movie Personality Test and here is my result.

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Har har har...I am an Easy Rider? Alright, I take it the way it is.

Who to tag? Anybody who stumbles on this and wants to do it.

Classic movie buff

I was tagged by Ev back in Oct. 17, and finally, I found the time to do it. So here goes the whatchamacallit.

What classic movie am I into?

I wouldn't consider this a classic movie as it was released to the public in 1996 and that would make it fairly new. I would consider classic as an old one of 50 years or more. I wouldn't want to go back that far. I like a movie that is fairly new, althought the English Patient's setting was in the 1940's, it was made 11 years ago.

Poster courtesy of Wikipedia.

This movie was of romance, which is why I like it very much; drama and intrigue. It had won the 1997 American Academy Awards for best picture; best actress in a supporting role; best director and 7 other categories.

Who to tag? Anybody who stumbles on this and wants to do it.

There you go Ev. I am done with my duty.