520 posts. 35,940 stats as I write this.
Just like my blog on my first anniversary, I will just summarize some posts I made the past year. My first year of blogging here was mostly about my journey as a cancer patient, this time though, most of my blogs were about getting on and letting go. Despite the setbacks, life is still beautiful. You can just click the links if you want to read the full article for each quote.
*Spending the early hours in the garden, listening to the sound of water in the pond, greeting the day with a smile while waiting for the sun to rise – these are my morning fix. The simple joys of being alive! My Morning Fix – May 22, 2010
*I love those imported ferns lining the walkway – everything is so eye-catching. I have this big dream of taking them all home and planting them there. Wishful thinking! So What Are You Doing On a Tuesday Morning – May 26, 2010
*Another friend dedicated his blog to me. Wow, I cried reading it. It is so touching and I am glad that in my own small way, I am touching lives too. I am chatting with a friend as I write this, exchanging TBR list and books that we have read, books that touched our lives and books that we would read again and again. And by the way, this month ended my year-long of blogging here.
Goodbye May, hello June! The Merry Month of May – May 31, 2010
*I was lucky enough to meet a famous and talented artist/painter, Manuel Baldemor, last year when my friend Tobbie and I attended the unveiling of two of his artworks, Fruits of Labor and Good Harvest. My family and I have seen the art collections of the late Perdigon Vocalan which were displayed in their famous restaurant, Balaw Balaw in Angono, Rizal. I took shots of Botong Francisco’s murals two summers ago. And I’ve met another great artist online, Ms. Phyllis Zaballero when I made a blog on one of her paintings, The Lake Series I , Geyser #2. She left some comments there and I was pleasantly surprised. And More Books (Part 2) – June 04, 2010
*I saw this handsome and very-nice looking pair of Tone-ups, you know, that kind of ” you-exactly-fit-my-feet-so-I-have-to-take-you-home” way of thinking.I Love My Shoes – June 06, 2010
* When you are sick, you always look at life with renewed faith, trusting and leaving everything in God’s hands. It is quite scary though to anticipate the results of the laboratory tests. And you can only utter, ‘thank God, thank you Lord” once you see that your CEA marker is still within the normal limits. Yes, Lord, thank you! Happiness Is… June 25, 2010
*You are stuck in traffic and there is an ambulance at a distance and you hear this wangwang, a signal for everyone to give way since it is probably an emergency. Then some unscrupulous drivers veer away from the line of traffic and follow the ambulance to save on precious minutes. Isn’t it annoying? Even in our subdivision, I sometimes hear people riding in motorcycles making use of it and they are not even in uniform. I am glad, just glad that P-noy is strictly implementing the anti-wangwang campaign. It’s about time we are taught these simple lessons. Wangwang, Limo, Counterflow – July 09, 2010
*A few days ago, I was looking at the neatly arranged shelf of one of the branches of Mercury Drug Stores while the hubby was in line buying my medications. Imagine that silly grin on my face when I saw a box that reads Tancho Pomade. And I asked myself, “buhay pa eto?”. The last time I saw a jar of that brand was way back in high school because my Dad used it to keep his short hair in place. Time changes things though, because the now generation uses all sorts of hair treatments – from gel to anti-frizz spray to hair mousse to styling wax. But Tancho, yikes, I didn’t even like the greasy feel of it. Guilty Pleasures – July 07, 2010
*The last year has been an eye-opener for me. I discovered that I am strong despite everything, I discovered that the presence of family and loving friends help a lot in one’s healing. And putting your complete trust and faith in a loving God is the greatest thing you can do to help yourself get well. Chemotherapy is no joke, it saps your body of strength and the costly procedures add to your financial worries. I know, I know, they would always say, concentrate on getting well, sometimes though you can’t help but think, you are luckier than most people afflicted of the same illness because at least you have an option to see a specialist and do what is necessary for your healing. It’s My First Anniversary (Celebrating Life) – July 15, 2010
*How many of us cannot let go of our emotional insecurities, our financial worries, our fears of the unknown? How many of us are concerned about having less in life and yet we are still happy because we have enough faith in God? Most of us are fixated on material things that we sometimes forget that life is not all measured by what you have. Life could be whimsical at times, or perhaps full of angst but the best things come when we learn to trust and let go. Tying Loose Ends August 08, 2010
*It is easy to do your bit of random kindness to people around you and you feel a certain kind of satisfaction in knowing that in your own small way, you have touched lives. And the smile that you receive from such act is like a ray of sunshine illuminating your soul. Small Miracles – August 09, 2010
*You make me feel anxious when you darken the sky but there is still that feeling of happiness when I see you just passing through, like bright cotton candies, mysterious figures that brighten my world – for a few moments, for a day, for eternity. They’re Just Clouds – September 01, 2010
*Have you ever wondered how you were able to get by when the use of typewriters, e-mails, texts and such modern way of communication were not yet in vogue? Or shall we say, do you still find it a delight to receive something from the mail, those seemingly heart-stopping-oh-so-exciting moments when the mailman hands a letter to you addressed in bold strokes of the hand, and not just your familiar utility bills? I still do and I still get excited receiving one. The Art of Letter Writing – September 02, 2010
*Letter writing is definitely an art and I don’t mean posting and sending them via the internet, it’s the art of choosing a good stationery, composing an interesting message and writing in a style that would enthrall and fascinate the receiver. I still get excited receiving one via snail mail. There are still people out there who prefer the good old-fashioned way of letter writing
*Memories –
Fleeting moments
You could run a mile
but they always make you look back.
Have I missed something?
Or was it just the thought of you
Running riot in my head? Ah, You Live Again In My Thoughts – September 03, 2010
*Yes, it was not just another birthday after all. It was a day full of blessings and prayers. Three of my priest friends offered masses for my personal intentions, I could not thank you enough. I love all those wonderful greetings from friends and relatives who remembered me on my birthday. It Was Not “Just Another Birthday” After All – October 29, 2010
*Have you ever wondered how a certain smile affects an attitude of a person? Have you ever thought how happy you felt because someone smiled at you? A smile costs nothing really but it gives so much pleasure to the receiver more than the giver of it. Try this experiment – today, smile at someone you don’t know and see how she or he will react because surely, he or she would smile back at you. Smile is something cheap and yet it creates beauty in all of us. Your inner soul is reflected in your smile. The Power Of a Smile – November 06, 2010
(to be continued)
Dreams And Escapes 