After my birthday February 13 comes Valentines day (the 14th) !   When I was a kid, it also crossed my mind why my mom did not wait for February 14 before she lets me out!  Funny and silly thoughts!   Anyway, greetings are a plenty… and gifts comes in two’s.

V-day is working day for me!  Hubby usually give a dozen roses but this year, I told him beforehand not to spend on flowers anymore.   Yah!  Unromantic me!  I don’t know why, maybe because I am already secured with his love and with or without roses don’t make any difference now.  Or  was it because,a day before, I already received a lavish gift for my birthday and receiving another one for Valentines day might be too much?   Personally, I feel that Valentines day is more on time spent together with hubby and I couldn’t care less if I there are no more flowers.   The yearly fine dining date during Valentines day  was scratched from our V-day activity.    Although, days before we were considering of having dinner in Buffalo steak house or in a Chinese restaurant but for some reasons, we accommodated some friends in the house for their Toastmasters meeting.  I gladly offered our humble home for their use and you bet, it was something different this time.  Anyway, each day is Valentines day for us!

A Toastmasters meeting in our place – February 14, 2011

As I end this post let me share you this:

Loving God is the first and greatest commandment and loving your neighbor is the second greatest commandment!

February 1 today and love month has ushered in.

As starter, I am posting this love poem (emailed by a friend) and I am dedicating this to  my tall, dark and dark husband…lol.

Wishing everyone a happy love month!

Finally, all 6 boxes full of  presents were picked up by a cargo forwarding company managed by a friend.  One box will be by air cargo which will take about a week and the rest will by sea cargo- expected approximately 45 days to be in transit.  I am pretty sure it will be worth the wait for my relatives , because all their Christmas presents are there.  Actually, I wasn’t able to send it on time because we were caught up in the Christmas rush and were busy attending gatherings and so I thought of sending them after the holidays.

Aside from shopping,  labeling and preparing the boxes was also tedious .  It gave my husband some sort of back pain just wrapping the whole box with package tape.    We used to do it that way to protect everything inside against water damage and to make it sturdy and durable.   Masking the box will help survive the impact of being hurled into container vans and also protection from mishandling which oftentimes cause boxes to rip apart.

So, I hope they will come to like our presents… t-shirts, shoes, soaps, lotions, and all sorts of knick-knacks.  Now, that it had been picked up,  my storage room is now devoid of clutter but  soon , I will be saving things again for the next Christmas season.

That’s our life as overseas worker, we work, we earn and we share our blessings to loved ones back one!  Good deed, isn’t it?

Yes!!!! After a bout with migraine yesterday, I was up and about and hubby planned to take me out to get fresher air since I was confined in our bedroom the whole day, almost motionless because as I’ve said any physical activity worsens the headache.  I was able to rest and had the chance to relax.  Good, I was able to get over the pain fast. Actually, for me, a tried and tested remedy is  a quiet, dark  and cozy room.  It always work well for me.  Hubby treated me  like a  princess- but a sick princess!   I was not allowed to do house chores but that is only during my migraine period.

Hubby was sure glad to see me well!   He prepared our brunch (breakfast and lunch), we watched the news on our cable TV and he convinced me to go out shopping.  I have told him the other week while showing my worn out pair of shoes that  I needed new pair since my favorite ones had already served me well and obviously for retirement.   Well, he treated me to a big mall and there without complain (surprisingly!!!), he allowed me to buy the shoes of my choice though it is a bit pricey.   I was hesitant to get them but he insisted that I can take not only one but two pairs!  Wow!  It is very strange of him to give in to my indulgence, knowing how thrifty he is!



A treat from hubby….

Oh well, who am I not to obey?  lol… so here I am posting the office shoes that we bought.  Maybe it is a pre-Valentine’s gift …. And hopefully something grand will follow….

Just wishful thinking!

Every Wedding Anniversary, my husband never fails to surprise me.  I am not really the materialistic type but I love receiving gifts.  For me, a sincere gift is a tangible expression of love and it always brings happiness and security to our relationship. I am very appreciative of whatever gift my husband can afford to give. There were great individual gifts that I have received from him as we sail through our marriage – some cheap, others expensive but definitely all treasured –be it a bouquet of flowers, a compilation of my favorite love songs, our picture together or a simple yet heartwarming card.  Gifts were abundant every wedding celebration we had.   His love language is in the form of giving gifts… how thoughtful he is!   I believe that he always put a lot of effort in finding nice presents for me…with such good taste and  generous heart, he loves to give precious gems and expensive watches.   Last year, I thought I have received the best gift ever; it was a pair of diamond earrings, but this year 2011 as we are going to celebrate our 25^th year anniversary, he enthusiastically announced that our celebration will be a romantic getaway in an exotic place- this time it will be an exciting Fiji holiday! You bet! My jaw almost dropped upon hearing it!   Yes, I also love to travel; it is something I love to do!  I have heard so much commendable remarks about the place from friends who just came back from their honeymoon in Fiji  in the South Pacific Island. They were raving on how fascinating and enchanting the place is!

Indeed, I am blessed!  When I reflect on those past years of our marriage, I wondered how we ever clicked together because we were two different individual.    I am proud that we have survived all the battles most couples have gone through in their married life.   And a lot prouder, that we have seemingly became a role model for our children to follow, for having reached a quarter of a century of being together.  So, I also considered being married and staying married for the longest time, my greatest achievements in life.

The silver anniversary is a very special moment to mark in our union together, so we chose to splurge in this holiday trip!  I can’t contain my excitement because soon, we will be able to experience the wonders of Fiji island ourselves.

What about my Anniversary gift to him?  Simple! It is  the Gift of love – unconditional and unfailing love!  Sweet, isn’t it?

What would you expect?  This holiday season, everybody seemed to be in a rush and in a shopping frenzy.  Shopping is done left and right… invitations for parties, exchange gifts, gift giving, food galore are all part of this Holiday season!  Although shopping really excites us no end but shopping for oneself is different from shopping for another person.  If you are going to buy a gift for a friend, there is much thought put into it like you have to carefully consider the receiver’s personality, likes, lifestyle.   But  first and foremost is to consider your budget. 

 Just a wishful thinking-  how simple and meaningful it would be if we could  just blow kisses into a box and wrap it.  Also gifts can be in a form of good deeds- a hug and a kiss, opening a door for an elderly, baby sitting for a neighbor, visiting the sick, giving love and cheers to those who are in prison , in the home for the aged.  Simple things count a lot.  But let us face it, we can no longer get away or others are unwilling to do away entirely with the gift giving tradition. 

Gift giving dated back in our ancient times but during those days gifts, were simple and non-materialistic.   But  gift giving  was no doubt transformed into a modern Christmas celebration with too much commercialism.  There is no disputing that Christmas giving has become a very big, brisk business because there is no stopping people from shopping to give away gifts.  It became a tradition.  Somehow it became a ” SEASON TO BUY”.   To most it brings happiness but disappointments to those who can afford very little.   Our culture changes but the spirit of Chrismas and the giving associated with it, is affected by the modern consumer culture in which we live. 

Well, we all have different viewpoints here.  Actually it is our choice…. let us not overspend…. let us not be a millionaire for a day.  While it is true that it is better to give than to receive,  however, let us buy gifts that is within our means.

I love giving and receiving gifts…

It seemed that we are having strings of medical problems these days one after the other.  I came ahead, followed by my son and now my husband is feverish and with swollen tonsils.  After the heavy sandstorm yesterday, the weather changed drastically.   At night, it was too cold for comfort, big shift from warm to cold temperature.  Apparently, that really triggered the already impending colds my husband has been feeling days before.  And this morning when he woke up, he was sick and sluggish.  However, he still took me to office and reported to his work but went home off sick at midday.  

We did not bother to go to OPD of a nearby hospital for consultation to avoid the long queue of patients who were also seeking medical attention.  Though we knew it is not a good practice but we opted to buy over the counter drugs since it was only few days apart since I got sick and we thought that the meds which worked for my inflammed tonsils will also do wonders for him. 

So far, we can see that he is getting better, can take solid foods with little difficulty in swallowing and he is not so grumpy anymore.   Good… good!

I know by tomorrow he will be up and about and in good mood.  We will see!  Good night then!

Another casualty in the family!  My son alarmed us no end when in the middle of the night, he woke us up complaining of non-stop vomiting, loose stools and headaches and was already having numbness in his arms.  I know that was something that need to be dealth with professionally and so we brought him to the Emergency Room of a nearby hospital.  He was given IV fluids as replenishment and laboratory tests were done stat (at once).  And the result was mild case of food poisoning.  We traced back what he ate the night before and we really suspected that it wast the fish balls that my husband bought from a Filipino store which he cooked and shared with my son.  Time and again I have been reminding my husband to minimize buying frozen foods and to always check labels.  And the unfortunate incident happened. 

The attending ER physician told us my son is for confinement, however we signed a waiver for ”against medical advice” because we opted to take him home with prescribed meds.  I believe I can take care of him while at home since they wanted him to be confined only for observation.  I guess, I wanted to rely on my self as someone who can give him the best motherly love and care.  

The main reason was, it was a month ago when my son was already deleted from the list of my husbands dependents eligible for medical insurance.  And no medical insurance will mean jacked up hospital bills!   It was too hard to decide that time knowing that room rates per day would surely drain our pockets.  So, having medical insurance counts a lot! 

With God’s grace, my son healed and recovered fast!  And it was because of patience, TLC (Tender Loving Care) only a mom can give!

The venue of the wedding reception was a regular school quadrangle ( a basketball court) but it was magnificently turned into a beautiful garden setting on the day of the event.  It took clever and creative minds to come up with nice and interesting ideas and a  lot of resources to transform a vague place into such a splendid set-up.  The walls were draped with green motif with balloons of white and green color hanging from the ceiling.  The tables and chairs were in accordance to the wedding color.   The focal point of the event which is the stage was simple but elegantly designed.   Everything I believe was done to perfection and I really enjoyed being there to witness and celebrate the momentous event in the life of our friends.

This school quadrangle was transformed into a wedding venue

Such occasion like this needs a competent wedding planner or events coordinator.  Usually it took long months or even a year  of careful considerations in preparing the whole event and there is a need  in hiring the services of  professionals to save you a lot of trouble.  Of course, all of us wants to be spared of all the hassles and bustles of preparation but sometimes the budget constraint always gets in the way.   So, if you opt for simple and within your budget means, better consult a friend for good ideas and ask for help from friends and relatives with the preparation.  I am sure a lot will be more than willing to lend a hand.   And be prepared for all the pressures…..

After the presents have been opened and the wedding garments have been put away, it is time for the couple to chill out and relax.

Congrats to Dax and Mau… Best wishes!

We stood as Principal sponsors to the wedding of our office mate held last Wednesday.   We had imparted to the newly weds some words of wisdom that are surefire useful in establishing a harmonious relationship as they venture into their new life together.   In my almost 25 years of marriage with the same man, I held on to the following tips for a happy marriage given to me also by our principal sponsors during our wedding day and I am gladly passing it on to our friends.

Periodic disagreement is an inevitable and normal part of marriage and the resolution of such disagreements has to take place verbally.  Therefore, communication is the key.

However, there are seven things not to say to your spouse:

1. “You never do what I tell you”.  Avoid using the word “never”.    Firstly, it is inaccurate.It is probably not true that your spouse has not once done what was required.
2. “You’re just like your mother (or father)!”  By saying this, you are getting critical of his/her parents.
3. “You are misunderstanding what I’m saying”. This is a subtle way of implying that you are communicating clearly and so the fault must be with your spouse.
4. “I can’t take it  any more!”  In moments of crisis, melodramatic statements like this are common.  Such statements are often an escape from the responsibility to face difficulties squarely.
5. “It’s all your fault.  You’re to blame”  If, through verbal manipulation and domination, you come away from every disagreement absolutely blameless, then only one other person is to blame‑‑your spouse.
6. “I don’t want to talk about it”.  This is a very dangerous stage.  When communication ceases, the avenue for reconciliation is blocked.
7. “I’m leaving”.  Stay and talk things out, no matter how difficult.

Regular communication is a very important element in establishing harmony between husband and wife.  I hope that my newly wed friends will take these words by heart because it worked on my relationship.