Yes, I am definitely counting since tonight is the start of Simbang Gabi, make that 4am or 4:30 am for Misa de Gallo tomorrow. And since I don’t always wake up that early, I usually attend the advance Simbang Gabi masses at the nearby parish. The 9-day novena is something I always look forward to every year, it’s part our yearly tradition during the Christmas season.
Except for our Christmas tree which we didn’t put up this year because hubby is not around, we have put up some favorite Christmas decor and the house smells of lemon wax and newly ironed curtains .These kept me occupied the whole morning. It’s a back-breaking job, cleaning and changing sheets and ironing but it’s part of the preparation for Christmas. I always say, without sounding too preachy that this is a special event that we always look forward to – the coming of Jesus. And it is not only through wrapping gifts, cooking lavish and favorite food, attending family reunions, completing the Simbang Gabi masses that make Christmas what it is, we should also prepare ourselves with a clean and loving heart.
One of the personalities that I so love blogging about is Lucy Torres. I don’t get to watch her often on TV since I am not your regular TV enthusiast but I get a thrill every time I see her lovely face on TV. She and her husband Richard were Kris’ guests this morning on KrisTV. I love her simplicity, the way she expresses herself in front of the camera, the way she writes (I do miss her column at Phil. Star) about life and about her family and the things she loves to do like crafting. She says that wrapping gifts is one of her ways of unwinding and relaxing and dancing of course. And she and her daughter also make bookmarks. I love making bookmarks too and sometimes I buy them in bulk and embellish them with shells, beads or silk flowers. And when I give books to friends, there is always a bookmark enclosed.
And that reminds me, it’s about time I wrap the remaining gifts which I bought a few days ago. A friend once asked me why I bother having boxes and ribbons and nice wrapping paper for gifts to friends and family. Like Lucy, I enjoy tinkering with things like old Christmas decorations that I could incorporate into the box.
OC, you might say but that’s the way it is for me. My daughter invested in some art and craft kits like stamp pads, cutter, craft scissors, linen papers, silk flowers and designs, you name it, she has a whole cabinet full of craft materials. And now she is into bead works making bracelets, earrings and 
rosaries too.
I do have more than a dozen chain rosaries which I made earlier as gifts to friends this Christmas. And do you know that doing crafts is a nice way of bonding with your family? Even my son makes rosaries which he sells in their office.
It’s ten days to go before Christmas, are you done with your Christmas shopping?
Dreams And Escapes 
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