Happy And Blessed 2025

A quick visit to Savemore Supermarket this morning to buy some  provisions for our Media Noche. It is only the three of us so I’ll just cook and prepare pancit, Cream Dory and mushroom soup. I don’t know if Josef will buy our traditional Cassava cake and bibingka tomorrow.

Many stalls sprouted selling all kinds of fruits. There is also this tradition in our country that we have to complete twelve round fruits on the table when New Year comes. I used to do that  but since I became diabetic, I stopped  buying fruits that are not diabetic-friendly. No grapes, no pineapples, no melons. They gave high glycemic index. I bought several apples, pears and guavas.

Some say we should open our doors and windows at the start of 12am to let luck in but I don’t believe in it. I close doors and windows even before the start of the New Year. I hate the smell of firecrackers. We don’t even buy such.

A happy, blessed, healthy, fruitful, peaceful and safe 2025 to all.

Let us not forget the good memories of the past, live the present with joy, smiles, contentment  and laughter and look forward to the future.

Blessings to my family, relatives, friends and all online friends here at WordPress including my followers.

🥰🥰🥰❤️❤️❤️🌲🌲🌲🥂🥂🥂🎊🎊🎊🎈🎈🎈🎉🎉🎉

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Saying Goodbye To 2024

Today December 29 is the Feast of the Holy Family. The Christmas  Season officially began  on Christmas Eve. It lasts until the Baptism of the Lord which is usually the Second Sunday of January. From Christmas Day until January 1st, the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Octave of Christmas. We honor her role as mother of Christ and His Church. There are many  feast days this season, The Holy Family, Holy Innocents and the Epiphany which commemorates the visit of the Magi.

2024 is a challenging year for me  healthwise, with so many laboratories done and several visits to my doctors. I am glad though that I still feel good despite everything. It’s a year of getting in touch with old friends, bonding with family and reading a lot. I’ve done 103 books for this year’s Goodreads challenge. I’ve been at it since 2014 and will continue the challenge next year.

I  am so grateful for all the blessings and answered prayers this 2024. Looking ahead to 2025. May it bring us peace, love and more healthy days ahead.

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Finally, It’s Christmas

It was a lovely four days with Nissa’s family in Gentri. It started with our trip to the place last December 21 and we left it this morning to hear mass at the Manila Cathedral. Like the first time I attended mass there many, many years ago, I am in awe of the place. It has become familiar though because since the pandemic, I have started attending online masses with them regularly and that was almost every day. Nissa always updated me before of Nate’s friendship with Fr. Regie Malicdem and Fr. Kali Llamado. They have watched Nate grow into a young man.

Staying with Nissa, Obet and Nate for the last four days was a lovely dream. I’ve seen how Nate, helped them both either in the kitchen and such chores like cleaning his room, attending to the washing and anything that he could manage to do. Nissa was always busy preparing our meals and she did all the cooking for our Noche Buena. Lots of food with just the four of us. Opening gifts after was lovely. I received a beautiful leather shoulder bag, lotion, liquid soap and a pair of a sturdy Nike slippers from Nissa. Such a joy.

Christmas morning was rainy. A first-time in a long time that it rained on Christmas day. It was so cold outside and colder still when we entered Manila Cathedral. I am pretty sure I gained weight during the last four-day-stay with them. Watched Nate train in Taekwondo last Saturday. That was a thrill watching the kids practice Poomsae and spar.

These were unforgettable days spent with the family. I did an album of the fifty photos I took and posted them on FB. Sharing some here.

At the Manila Cathedral after the mass.

Our Noche Buena meal.

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Waiting And Counting

13 hours and 41  minutes  to go before we celebrate  the much awaited Jesus’ birth as I write this post. I am sure most households are now preparing for Noche  Buena. As usual Nissa is quite busy in the kitchen. She told me to just relax and enjoy  the cold. It is still windy outside and it rained last night. My task? Washing the dishes, drinking glasses, pots and pans after every meal.

I am documenting my short stay here, taking pictures and will collate them later in one Christmas album. I enjoy seeing the Christmas lights at night in different colors. It is so quiet here, residents can even park their cars in front of their houses. I will surely miss this place and of course  Nissa, Obet and Nate when I go home. Now, I have all the time to visit other blogs. What A thrill!

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Lovely

Nissa showed me Nate’s medals he earned in I think four competitions in Taekwondo since August this year. The organizers postponed next competition in January.

He won 3 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals.

So really proud of this achiever young man. In the last three days that I was here, I observed that he helps Nissa even in the kitchen. He prepares the dining table before every meal. He even did the washing of their clothes this morning. They were half-dry when he brought them out to dry under the heat of the sun.

They have converted the family room upstairs into Nate’s little gym complete with soft floor mat and some  paraphernalia for Taekwondo enthusiasts/players.

He was arranging all his Lego collections in his room a while ago and showed me some stuff toys. He is really blessed to have such very supportive and loving  parents in Nissa and Obet. A happy family indeed.

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What Can I Give You This Christmas?

I am reposting this blog which I wrote three years ago.  To all of you my online friends and fellow bloggers, my sincere greetings that you’ll have a blessed and merry Christmas celebration with your family. And may the coming year be as healthy, fruitful, prosperous and happy as well.

Whoa! I am reminded of this song every time Christmas comes. Giving gifts will always be a part of the Christmas celebration and no matter how simple or how small your gifts are, they are appreciated.

♫♫♪What can I give you this Christmas?
Something sparkling to go with your eyes
I’ll give you the light of the Yuletide star
From the cold December skies

What can I give you this Christmas?
Something soft like the sound of your name
I’ll give you the hush of the falling snow
As it settles to the ground”♪♫♪

Are you still excited receiving snail mails during the Christmas season? Do you feel that sudden leap of the heart when the doorbell rings and the postman delivers them? The lovely tradition of sending and receiving Christmas greeting cards has slowly been replaced by more advanced means like e-cards, video calls, Skype, Viber, Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites. It is far easier to get in touch with friends and loved one nowadays via social media. Gone (or almost gone) are those Christmas greeting cards lovingly chosen for their amazing and beautiful messages and for their colorful designs. Hallmark cards are always the best when it comes to buying a good greeting card for all occasions. They have that lovely messages that fit every known celebration be it Christmas, birthday, christening and what not. They always have several designs meant to entice us to buy. Nowadays though, I noticed that the shelves in some bookstores only allot a small space for this .

I still enjoy and I am still excited receiving snail mails be it during Christmas or on ordinary days when I get lucky to get one instead of bills on utilities that I have to pay. My brother who lives in Tulsa religiously send us Christmas greeting cards every year, a picture of the family so you can practically compare how the kids have grown from the previous years. A friend who now lives in Canada still send me occasional letters with Christmas greetings, a sort of summary on what they did and where they went for vacation during the year. It is always nice to hear from them even if we regularly communicate via phone calls and through the free sites like Viber. As long as one has an internet connection, it is so easy to get in touch. One could not replace their physical presence though.

What can I give you this Christmas? My special thoughts and prayers go to all of you my online friends. May your Christmas celebration be a blessed and a happy one.

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At Nissa’s Balcony

Enjoying the soft breeze and the night air at Nissa’s  balcony. Reports say this is the longest night here, it’s winter solstice.

I love this panorama shot taken by Nissa on my phone.

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Fun, Fun, Fun

And here I thought I will not be able to blog because my tab has no connection. Luckily, Nissa’s place has wi-fi.

I left the house before 5am on a Grab car going to their house in Manila.  We left for Cavite before 7am, an hour drive from their place, except for a short stop in one of the branches of McDo to order a take-out for breakfast, it was a very smooth journey sans traffic.

I went with them to see Nate’s training in Taekwondo in the afternoon. It was fun seeing those kids do their kicks and exercises. Took lots of pictures of their garden and at the training center.  Will upload them in separate blogs here.

So nice seeing Nissa’s in-laws too in Manila. Will spend Noche Buena with  Nissa, Obet and Nate, just the four of us here. Fun!

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Merry Christmas To One And All

Excited!

I’ll be able to see Nate again tomorrow. The last time we saw each other was on my birthday last October. Will be spending five days with them in Cavite. Will be back on Christmas day. Nissa told me to just take a Grab ride to their place in Tondo since we will be leaving early to avoid traffic on the road.

Wishing you all a Blessed and Merry Christmas in advance, I might not be able to blog for a few days since my tab has no postpaid  connection when I am out of the house. My cellphone is okay though. I am planning to blog offline then post them when I come back home. I hope you all have a lovely celebration of the Christmas season.

Wishing you all the joys that this season brings.

🎄🎉🎄🎊🎄🎈🎄🎁🎄🎀🎄♥️🎄🎇🎄🥰🎄😘🎄

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Wednesday Blues

I really feel so lazy, neither have I updated my  newsfeed on Facebook nor  visited WordPress to read recent posts  and blogs. The only thing I did today was to clean the house, trim my Fukien tea plants, wrap gifts and play with our Aspin dogs. The three puppies born to Nikki now know how to navigate the garden even following me around while watering the plants.

Last Monday, I had my check-up with my hematologist at The Medical City Hospital. I asked her why my platelet count is elevated again  when during my last check-up with her a month ago, it went back to normal. She said it does fluctuate. She gave me same medications but the dose was lessened, it is now three times a week instead of everyday. Finally, I am getting some rest with lab tests and doctor visits.   By January, I’ll go back  to my nephrologist  and on February, I’ll see my hematologist again.

Today is my youngest brother’s 62nd birthday.  I just greeted him online. Could not understand much when we talk since we are both wearing hearing aids. Nissa invited me to spend a few days with them at their new  house in Cavite. I will stay with them from December 21 to December 25. She wants  me to spend Noche  Buena with them. She and Obet applied for vacation leave until New Year. Josef will work from home starting Monday until the end of the month.

What a blessing! Grateful for Bank of P.I. for sending my cash dividend checks early. Early Christmas gifts. It is now our fourth night of Simbang Gabi, nine novena masses before Christmas. It was specially granted to our country years ago. I am just attending it online so I could understand better.

And it is now seven days to go before Christmas.    MERRY CHRISTMAS in advance. I may not be able to post the following few days.

❤️❤️❤️🌲🌲🌲🏕🏕🏕🎄🎄🎄😘😘😘🎊🎊🎊

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