From My Journal….

I ❤️ you Mary Oliver. I haven’t read about your words as shared by Roger Housden but I am beginning to appreciate them. I love the way you write your poems in paragraphs. They remind me of your book Devotions which was a birthday gift from another friend. Aren’t I lucky I have friends who also love to read?🌷

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Another Weekend

There’s that trigger again reminding me to start another blog post. I feel so lazy. I haven’t visited WordPress in a while.

I had a conversation with a friend from Canada (there were four of us when we were in college). Grace met an accident last Easter Vigil, had multiple pelvic bones fractures surgery which was not successful so she had a hip replacement surgery. Then she got infection in her gall bladder so she went under the knife again. Among the four of us, she is the only one who was not affected by cancer. All three of us had it, the two with breast cancer and me with colon cancer. Three survivors. Grace introduced me to their parish priest who also blogs about all of his homilies. I visited his site and left a few words via e-mail. He answered, how nice.

Last January, Sr. Thea, an FMM nun, told me that she was diagnosed with lung cancer this time after several years of being free from it. I don’t know about Precy since we haven’t gotten in touch for so long now. She changed her cellphone number.

Grace told me to be gentle and allow myself to grieve. Sometimes though, I still feel so low and couldn’t think of something nice to blog about. But I read, I am on my 82nd book this year. I found a book with Japan as the background during the 15th century. Just started so I don’t know yet if it is worth-reading or not.

I was laughing finding this on my newsfeed except that I no longer use a library card. I mostly read e-books nowadays and have my virtual library at Goodreads.

Another image the words of which I find provoking but it’s true. I remember a friend who told me once that the journey to life is not always a straight path.

Have a beautiful and peaceful weekend😘☺💐🌷🎉🎈🎊

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And More Books

Hey friends, I’m back. How are you guys?

I can’t believe I’m done with 25 books as of last night, an eclectic mix of historical fiction, paranormal stories, a bit of romance, book of poems and thrillers. It is about 16% of my goal of 150 books this year. At the moment, I am reading another book by Isabel Allende entitled The Japanese Lover. It was set during WW II. I’ve read about three of her books, I love her writing style. She is a Chilean-American novelist.

Yes, I am updated with what is happening around in our political midst. I don ‘t know why but the Commission on Election who is tasked to take charge and also protect our voters in the whole country is favoring one presidential candidate. So obvious. The other day along with the Phil. National Police, they started removing tarps and repainting murals done by the youth who favors VP Leni. And mind you even if they were done and posted in private places and residences. There is no existing law preventing private citizens from posting those tarps and making murals as long as they are not participants of any political party. It is the citizens’ right protected by the Constitution. COMELEC, DO YOUR JOB. The commisioners of this government body are all political appointees from Davao where duterte hails. His daughter sara (without an h) is running as VP of marcos junior.

As it is, the opponent keeps lying and he insists that he is an economist but the truth is, he failed at Oxford and only spent a year there. He was kicked out. Economics is a difficult course. Lots of Statistics. Labour Economics, International Economics, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Econometrics and Financial Analysis are just the few of the subjects you learn from the course. I should know, I majored in Economics.

I wanna say one thing: LIES NEVER TRIUMPH IN THE MIDST OF TRUTH.

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Another Five Stars

WordPress says it is time to blog again. Yes, I set up a schedule twice a week though sometimes I don’t even follow.

I found this lovely site on Play Store where you can download books, put up an online library and choose what to read. Although I’ve already read most of them, there are still lovely ones out there. Authors are alphabetically arranged so you can find your favorites among them.

I recently discovered Jo Thomas. I love her writing style – talk about reindeer, lovable dogs, rainforests, silence, the Northern lights, meals cooked in woodfire, reinder hides as seat warmer and of course Denmark and into Jo’s snow-filled world. A Winter Beneath The Stars is a heartwarming hug of a story. Beautiful setting.

I am giving another ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to this one.

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Where Do You Belong Here?

This was posted by one Adam Sharp on Tweetdeck:

They are names of people who read a lot.

• Bookworm (English)
• Book flea (Indonesian)
• Library mouse (Romanian)
• Read-rat (German)
• Ink drinker (French)
• Reading horse (Danish)

I’d like to be called a voracious  reader though.  In Tagalog, it means adik sa libro…..

Are you one of those who has insatiable thirst to buy and buy books even if you still have lots of TBR (to be read) ones? Or are you one of those who collects one particular author  because you loved the first book  you have read of her/him?  I am afraid I am one. There was a time when I got crazy over Barbara Taylor Bradford, Leon Uris, Robin Cook, Luanne Rice, Robert Ludlum, Nicholas Evans, Nicholas Sparks (Nissa buys almost all of his books as her gifts to me), Ken Follett and  Rosamunde Pilcher. Now I am into Charles Martin, Lisa Wingate, Richard Paul Evans, Mary Oliver, GGM and I like to read the other books of  Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Amy Harmon and so many more.  I am discovering new books thru Goodreads.

 

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You know It’s Sunday When…..

I am getting quite lazy again. I was supposed to do a little gardening this afternoon  but around this time, it is still so hot outside.

Since Oreo isn’t here, the  house is so quiet. Josef and Jovy have an outing at Baler, Aurora province with their officemates. Baler  is one of Luzon’s hidden gems. Located 231 kilometers (143.5 mi) north-east of Manila, it is farther than our town in Pangasinan for about one to two hours from here. It is a surfer’s paradise because the town’s coast faces the Pacific Ocean. I asked Josef early this morning if Oreo has gone swimming yesterday. He said Oreo loves the water. They bought him  his own life jacket. Imagine a little dog complete with accessories too like that and sunglasses. They are made for small pets like him. This doggie is pampered.  He has his own “baon”,  provisions like Pedigree DentaStix, doggie biscuits, diaper and vitamins.

My goodness, I still love afternoon siesta, I thought when I woke up it is already morning. How lazy could one be? It is Sunday after all.

There are so many changes instituted by the church because of this corona virus. We have to take communions by the hands now, some holy water fonts are empty because they want to prevent contamination, holding hands while saying the Lord’s Prayer is now a no,no, no kissing during Peace greetings. Even the celebration on the Lenten rituals has changed.  Veneration of the cross will now be done by genuflecting.  The Kumpisalang Bayan (a night set aside for annual confessions) is now scrapped. They have it every day instead using the confessional box. Before, you can confess face to face.  It is no longer allowed.

I’ve gotten hold of one more novel. It’s entitled The Golden Son by Shilpi  Somaya Gowda. Getting to know more about rural India.  Love it. It’s my 30th read this year at Goodreads. Seventy more books to go 🙂

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Friendship And Blessings

Out of the blue, a friend who arrived home from San Antonio about a month ago called me up and said she is coming over for a chat.  Of course,I was elated.  Who wouldn’t be? The last time we saw each other was sometime in October 2014. she said her package has arrived and she brought all these gifts for the family. She even gave some cash to Mommy when she found out that Mom is having her birthday on Wednesday.

Two hours of updating on each other’s lives although we always chat on  Messenger in between.  She brought with her a dozen pocketbooks, baking chocolates, Spam, Skittles and M & M for Nate, a box of Pringles and two hardbound copies of two of my favorite authors Mary Oliver and Richard Paul Evans. Upstream is Mary Oliver’s latest book while The Mistletoe Secret was published last November.  To own such copies, priceless. This is my third book  of Mary Oliver, the first two are books of poems while this one are essays she wrote.  I’ve collected several books  of Richard Evans.  His latest will be out in the market in May.

Celebrating friendship – the smiles, the laughter, the serious talk about life itself, the many, many things that make friendship beautiful. This is the only time that she is free because she has come home for good and has many things to do.  Who says online friends are not real?  We used to be online friends at the Catholic site on Facebook where I am one of the admins. it started with just a few chats in  a group which my priest friend, our chief administrator created. We saw each other several times in the past. Every time she comes home, we make it a point to see each other. This is one of those blessed days to renew friendship. Just so happy.

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This Is It

I just received my badge on Goodreads’ 2017 Reading Challenge.  I committed myself to read 150 books this year. Done  with one Just about to start  A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle.  Hoping this book won’t disappoint.  The short summary says: A Year in Provence transports us into all the earthy pleasures of Provençal life and lets us live vicariously at a tempo governed by seasons, not by days.

Reading is such a joy that I could not give it up. Hopefully, I’ll finish the challenge with flying colors.   I feel good at a mere sight of a book. Aside from the author, sometimes the cover is one deciding factor why a certain book is priority on my list. Done with some  classics last year, it is about time to discover new authors.  Good luck to me.

 

 

 

 

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Wishes Do Come True

I am just a simple soul really.  I find happiness in simple things like a new bloom, a smile and laughter of a child, a happy- ending story on TV, and yes, I am ecstatic when it comes to the printed word. My love of reading has not waned  after all these years. Never mind that I change reading glasses every two or three years, never mind that sometimes, I sleep still clutching a book in my hands, being a bit OC because I have to cover a book first before I start reading and no dog ears please, I have several bookmarks in stock precisely for new ones.

Last new year’s eve, my youngest brother and I were talking on the phone and he told me that he will send me  a Kindle, that oh so cool wireless reading device from Amazon which could hold up to 1,500 book titles. How wonderful perhaps to carry your own library with you wherever you go?  So I asked myself, will I ever adjust to reading an e-book ?  A few days ago, I posted my wish list for 2010 and one of my friends Tobbie, sent me a PDF copy of The Pillars of the Earth.  I started reading online, a few chapters everyday, but I find it a little kind of strange not holding a real book in my hands.  Just imagine a 991 pages , 100% zoomed in of course, for my poor eyes but still you can only read so much in one day.

My son  went to Bestsellers yesterday and he bought me a copy of  The Pillars of the Earth.  Wow, you can just imagine my smile and he embraced me and said, “I have another surprise”, and when I looked into the bag, I saw  this wonderful, wonderful book entitled Candle Creations,” a contemporary guide to making and using the most elegant element of home decoration – the candle”.  I simply love it.  I love the smell of new books.  They have that scent that says fun, learning, adventure. Years ago, my former boss at BPI taught me how to make candles.  She owns a craft store now called Craftworld.  How I love the aromatic scent of bubblegum, orange, lavander, vanilla, raspberry, cinnamon, coconut and even chocolate. There are so many variety of fragrances you can choose from and you could blend your candles with different colors. There are a few materials which you will need in making candles and the hobby is so rewarding.

One of these days, when I am well enough to source for supplies, I will try candle making again. And it’s one down my wish list.  Wishes do come true, right?

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