Cutty

Everyday I am struck by stories of God's providence.  Each time, I am humbled by how simple others live and how much they are thankful for.  I am ashamed to admit, even to myself, that I always ask for more than what I need.  Yet, He still provides.  Now that our income has decreased because of investments not pulling through, I try not to worry and just trust that He will make a way to even out the injustice in this world. Karma Chameleon lang yan! To be fair to Him and to my husband (who works hard for the money), I try to live simply.  Every time I feel the urge to splurge, I ask if I need it.  You may have noticed that I haven't purchased anything of "value" this year.  Hooray for EQ!  Hooray for me! But, seriously, nakakahiya naman sa kanila noh!

We acquire so many things in our lifetime. Most of which are found in our closet. Not only do women have to keep our wardrobe up-to-date, we'd have to secure items for child-bearing and nursing. I am quite thankful that those living in Manila do not have four seasons to contend with. As I was going through my stuff, I have made piles of what needs to be given away, kept for future use and what may be brought back to the world. Thanks to breast-feeding, I am slowly going back to my pre-pregnancy size. There were some realizations along the way: ...I used to fit into size 8 bottoms or Medium tops. ...It is time to organize another ACS garage sale. ...I am making room for future purchases. ...I am relieved that my shoes are kept in a separate closet. ...I really need to get a closet organizer to fit more items. What was most striking about this process was seeing the watch box that I buried underneath the pile. I have forgotten about it. That was exactly my purpose of burying i...

I received a message just before entering the APO concert. My uncle Mark, fondly called Macksy by his non-Chinese relatives, passed on a few hours after his birthday. Though he is my least favorite uncle, it makes me sad that he left his family so soon. Tito Mark suffered hypertension and diabetes. His very weak heart survived several angioplasties already. Last winter, he flew to Manila to spend the holidays here. His heart and poor health can not bear the harsh weather. A couple of months ago, he suffered a major attack. Knowing that he is no longer a good candidate for a bypass surgery, he made sure that all his affairs are in order. He prepared his children, specially his youngest (Jessica, 7y/o), for his passing. Talking to my Tita earlier this evening, I learned that he even had "habilins" to his neighbors. He wanted to make sure that his family will be okay when he passes on. Though he had a lot of time to prepare, he was still gone too soon. I am forever tha...

Last Saturday was another pleasurable night with music. It was so fun singing along to the music of my childhood. I had no idea what I was listening to then. This time, I understood the music better. Though we arrived late, I was lucky to hear my APO favorites : When I met you Panalangin Magkayakap sa Dilim Batang - bata Ka Pa Mahirap Magmahal ng Syota ng iba Tuyo Na'ang Damdamin Danny's voice was still very clear. He sounded as if he didn't age at all. Buboy showed off his dance moves. Jim was still the pretty boy of the group. It didn't matter if their voices faltered at one time or if they huffed and puffed after every number. Their wit and humor amused the audience. Their over-all showmanship carried them through their 39 years in the business. Of course, they didn't let the night pass without rendering culturally- and socially-relevant songs. Folk and traditional Pinoy music were sung to the tunes of Sting and Van Halen . In their typical...