Two Weeks To Go

Cold December is definitely here.

I went out for a while to sweep the street fronting our house and the sidewalk near one of the village gates which is just at the end of lane at the side of the house, there was this cold wind blowing softly.  Not so used though to the cold especially when you are just in t-shirts and shorts.

But I just love the cooler nights. Imagine this, drinking  a  hot cup of  salabat  (ginger tea) while you are reading early at night or watching a nice film on I Want on your tab…what a perfect way to unwind.  Or maybe munching on those crispy peanuts which you bought earlier when you went to mass….heaven.

One of my friends here whose blog Saved By Words  is definitely worth a read recommended an author a few days ago. Elizabeth is all praises for the author. Luckily, I found three of his books online. Allen Eskens is a lawyer and a mystery writer. I am looking forward to read his first book called The Life We Bury. I am excited when I discover new authors on my list. Always  looking out for someone new since most of the first offerings are such engrossing read.

It is December 10 now in our neck of the woods. The Christmas clock say: It’s  14 days,  16 hours and 33 minutes until Christmas.

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Here Comes December

I was suddenly  reminded of the song with lyrics like this: and now the end is near…..

It’s not really all about facing the final curtain which is a certainty for all of us but it is more on changing another leaf in the calendar.

And here comes December….finally!

Photo culled from the net.

Looking forward to the cool December days although the start of the month it is marred by a tropical storm coming in anytime next week. Good thing Metro Manila will  not be  directly affected but it will surely bring more  rain.  Weather disturbances this late in the year are usually strong.  It’s the 20th tropical cyclone for 2019.

Falling in line for quite a while and when it was my turn to transact at the ATM machine located at the mall, it suddenly went unavailable because it ran out of cash inside. Since I didn’t want to use my credit card (cause I already paid the December dues in full), I have to wait for another day or go to a nearby branch of the bank to  withdraw some cash. Mall ATMs are so convenient though, it’s like killing two birds with one stone. And there are those ever present mall sales but I don’t usually buy because of foot traffic and sometimes you end up buying something you really don’t need just because it’s on sale. It’s better to be practical nowadays.

I am trying to catch up on my reading, trying romance books this time. I found a seven-novel-box set from seven different authors, done with two, so far so good. According to some reviews, Romance Through the Ages is an excellent read. They are light reading, some are funny, one is a  bit historical. Just enjoying the days waiting for Christmas, doing some general cleaning. We’re done decorating a week ago.

 

 

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When November Ends

November is coming to a close, gently folding its leaves to welcome the cold December days. Ah, the joys of waiting for Christmas!

According to Christmas clock, there are 27 days, 15 hours, 40 minutes till December 25, 2019.

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The Twelve Days Of Christmas

So I am finally counting, it’s forty three days to go before the big day.

Do you know the meaning  and the symbolism behind the song Twelve Days of Christmas? 

Some of us are not probably aware of it. It is another one of those lovely melodies we play during the Christmas season, right? The 12 days of Christmas is the period that in Christian theology marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6 (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings’ Day). 

In our Catholic calendar, the Feast of the Three Kings was moved every first Sunday of the year, not usually January 6 as we previously knew.  So it ends on Sunday, January 5, 2020. Here is the true meaning of the twelve days of Christmas. CHRISTmas with Christ in it.

(Got  this from a post of a friend on FB). I posted something similar two years ago. Just a gentle reminder why we are celebrating Christmas. 

 

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Monday, Is It?

Haha! No blog post for three days 🙂

The thing is, I was again distracted reading lovely books which I could not put down. When you are focused on something else, blogging takes a back seat.

It’s been a rather busy weekend. Finally, Josef and I are done with grocery shopping which is good until New Year (the first week of 2020). I have to make a list so I won’t forget. Still I have to go back this morning to search for items that I clearly forgot. Now I remember,  I forgot to buy a roll of aluminum foil which I will use for my Embutido.  Another trip to the supermarket  one of these days. Senior moments indeed.

Ah, according to my Christmas clock, there are 43 days more to go before Christmas. We were able to squeeze in putting up some decor over the weekend.  Around this time the past few years, you would notice almost every home decked with Christmas lights and lanterns, they’re now missing though. Maybe it’s because economic hardship in our country is so glaring,  most people would rather spend  on necessities for their daily needs. Anyway, we could always spend the season quietly as long as we know why we are celebrating, right?

The nights are getting colder and we still experience thunderstorms now and then. Looking forward to PAGASA’s declaration of hanging amihan when the Siberian winds bring in the cold weather. Those are the days when you truly remember the loveliest season of the year which is of course Christmas.

I asked Josef early this morning why he was wearing a t-shirt and maong pants. He said that it is a holiday in the US today and since they are working in a US bank, they are allowed casual wear at the office.

HAPPY VETERANS’ DAY  to all my friends who live in the US.

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Buying Gifts And Such

Finally, I was able to squeeze one afternoon buying gifts for family members. You might think it is a little bit OA buying  Christmas gifts this early, at least I am halfway through.

For every gift amounting to P500 and up, you’ll get free wrapping from the department store complete with nice ribbons.  I always save on Christmas wrapping papers every year because of this. I usually buy kitchen accessories for Nissa and Obet for when they would transfer to their new home. The house was already built but there are no divisions yet for the rooms upstairs.  I wonder when everything would be completed. Now that Nate is growing and already knows the value of money, he prefers cash gifts but I still buy something he could open on Christmas Eve which they usually spend here.  Years ago, I gave him an additional gift of a piggy bank and  he was thrilled when they opened it and Nissa counted  the money he saved. It went  straight to his savings account. Teaching kids the value of saving is one gift that you can give them which they will appreciate later on.

I had a nice chat with one of the mall’s staff at the gift wrapping section and he laughed when I said that those gifts are for Christmas. He said it is always a good time to buy early since once November comes in and most employees receive their Christmas bonuses for the year, the  mall is a hive of activity especially at their section.

Back when I was still working at the bank,  I would start  buying Christmas gifts as early as September because back then, I had a longer list. Most of them were officemates and friends. Now it is purely for the family and some close friends nearby.

I  dropped by BreadTalk and bought my favorite Spring in the City slice plus a loaf of wheat bread.  One thing I like about buying there is that, you are always entitled to a full 20% discount if you are a senior citizen. And their products are freshly baked.

There goes my Saturday afternoon. It’s time to read again I guess.  Onward to my 119th read this year.

 

 

 

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Those Days

I just laughed and smiled.

A few days ago, I saw this video on Facebook featuring our talented and famous local artist  Jose Mari Chan introducing some of his new compositions along with old songs that were so popular playing in the air lanes in recent years. He is a singer and a composer, a gifted artist.

And would you believe?

They talked about the BER months saying that it is only a month to go before we start celebrating Christmas. Yes, we have the longest celebration of Christmas on planet earth that starts on September and ends around the month of January. Then Jose Mari Chan sang his famous Christmas songs and I was hooked. It prompted me to go to YouTube and find more, the Ray Conniff singers, the Gunter Kallmann choir and the group called Pentatonix. Of course the version of Bing Crosby’s   I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas tops them all.  It’s a 1942 original version.

Christmas in August, why not?

I have a confession to make. Over the years, I play Christmas songs as early as June and I get a thrill listening to those fantastic voices. There is nothing like a good melody to make you smile and reminisce even of Christmas past –  the family gatherings and reunions, buying gifts for family and close friends, preparing a nice menu for Christmas and New Year’s eve, seeing lanterns on the streets at night, decorating the Christmas tree and of course listening to Christmas music.

The days are long but they move fast. We still have birthdays to celebrate.

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