Loving Life Each Day

Keeping in touch through writing letters is one of my hobbies.  Thank heaven for the internet,  it doesn’t cost me anymore on postage stamps to communicate and have to wait for weeks to get the response.  I am good at this and some of you can attest to that.

When I was in high school, in 1981, I communicated with my HS boyfriend by sending letters almost everyday.  You see, telephone back then is not an option, it was not available. I would walk to the post office almost everyday to drop off my letter.

I was introduced to internet in 1998.  It was through yahoo chatting and e-mails that I met a friend who later became my bestfriend - now almost like my sister.  We emailed almost everyday for several years until I came over.  Occasionally, we still shoot each other e-mail.

I thought this is fun and I hope no one gets upset with me, that I publish one of your e-mail.  I am almost tempted to disclose your name,  but I thought,  it’s up to you to claim which one is yours.   Oh, needless to say, I read your e-mails again and again, especially when I am feeling a little low.

Here you go….

1) Oh dear, dear Chay!!! let me be the first to welcome you to the sisterhood of florence nightingale.and you were right , you tickled me pink…ha!ha!ha!

oh you will enjoy it, my friend!i can feel your excitement from miles away!!!you will love every moment of it.

2) hi, betchik, thank you so much for your card. haha! nakita ko rin ang handwriting mo! hubby got it from the mailbox and son RIPPED it open - he said sorry afterwards (tumili ako, eh, haha!), he said mom, i didn’t know (pano magbukas daw), haha!

thank you for the kind words. you are wonderful, and i am proud to be your friend!

3) Dear Chay,

So good to hear from you. We are right behind you Chay, go for it! I can’t help but admire you for taking control of your life and for having foresight!

Yes, I made a resolution to keep in touch and always find time to “blog” (read, post comments, visit Salitype site, etc.)

Keep blogging (please). I know you will be very busy, but chronicle this chapter in your life, I would be very interested to read about your ***** adventures! You are that person who inspired me to “ramble” and write casually, and for that am grateful. I will pray that you will still find time to attend to your “writing life.”

4)Thank you again, chay!! you’re such a gem of a friend .. such a blessing that i met you here on friendster!! God really does work in mysterious ways, i agree ..

yes indeed!! Salitype is growing in leaps and bounds:) i was just thinking today, if more people keep joining, we all might have to quit our jobs to be able to respond to all posts, hehehehe:) i am already falling behind …

5) HI Chay,

Thanks a lot for the all your inspriring comments, those warm words really give magic to my amateur heart, haha! I actually just take pictures Chay for hobby, it’s a simple happiness money can not buy. Haaahaaa, or money can help? because we can add gadgets to our camera, you see, I do not have a macro lens yet, I just use standard lens, just like you.

6) Hi, Chay! Got to see your comments and other messages you’ve posted on Salitype. It seemed we have a lot in common. Like, loving Michael Buble’s music, being emotional and easy to please. I also like making friends (happy to hear their life stories). Like you, I came from a humble beginning. I love my family so much and the Lord is my Hero. Hope to keep in touch!Take care and God bless!!!

7) Chay, I cannot leave a comment on ur latest blog, for some reason which I frankly attribute to my technologically challenged brain.

So, here I am wishing you a belated but very happy and blessed marriage and a long life of memories together.

Have a great life, u both!

Hi ChaY,

You’re so funny and such a cool friend. Thank you for your intesrest sa book namin ha. Of course naman, gusto mo letter-long pa ang autograph na ilagay ko sa book mo eh. He! He! He!

Hi Chay, I’m not sure anymore if I’ve replied to this message of yours hehehe. But just to make sure I don’t get in trouble, here I am again.

9) Hello Chay! just me dropping by, i just want to ask if you received my e mail with the recipes? if not please tell me so i can send it to you again, tc gurlfriend

10) Thank you Chay for adding me up as well. I do appreciate the comments you left. Don’t mind if you browsed through my profile. No worries really. Take care now. Till next time.

11) .. about the sisig recipe its so simple.. get the pork butt , then pakuluan mo sya for like hmm let say 15 mins , then deep fry mo after that cut mo sya ng maliliit then mix mo na all the ingredients like chop cilantro, chop onions, pepper, salt, lemon and i put some hot chili seeds you can put anything but take it easy sa salt ha kasi hindi sya masarap pag maalat.. try mo yan you will love it.. enjoy and have fun cooking…I will be posting more whinning blogs and about heart aches.. hahahah You take care ..

Hello Chay! I will be having my road trip to Yosemite this coming december…. And also let me know if you want the Filipino style sisig recipe.. You take care…

12) despite the hostile change in the global financial weather, i still survive like a stubborn onion in a veggie garden, always persisting to keep moving on before a pair of feet tramples me like a snail (hehehe).

architecture business in the Philippines is cornered by big architectural firms and big-name architects. so, as a freelance low-profile architect, i am still thankful to have a barely sufficient share of work for my family to subsist. i can feel the unpleasant trend here and am just hoping it wouldn’t be as harsh as what some companies there (i heard) are going through.

it’s so thoughtful of you to ask how i’m doing and i thank you for that concern. i’m also hoping this wouldn’t get worse and that whatever happens we can still live through all these. after all, “life is still worth loving, each day”.

13) I should have told you this before…

YOU ARE MY ‘ONE HUNDREDTH’ FRIENDSTER FRIEND

>  Message number 13 is my most favorite … I saved the best for last.

Your messages are important to me and one of the reasons why I am…

..lovinglifeeachday

This year is my 8th Thanksgiving day here in the US.

As I sat down to write a blog, lots of things just started rushing through my brain.  I was gonna write some serious stuff,  but after writing and revising and re-writing, I gave up !  I will do that later,  but for now, I just need to relax and enjoy this time.  I needed to make a mental note of the things I am thankful for, something to say to our Thanksgiving prayer tomorrow .  I needed to make sure that I have all the ingredients for the foods I will cook tomorrow. I  have to get up early and get the house ready for a few guests coming . Then I worry if I had made enough pumpkin pie and pecan pie to serve everyone.

I found this recipe “Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie” while I was watching the food network channel couple days ago.  This is the first time I made pumpkin pie.  Jeff, who is my official food taster, said it was the best he ever had !

Few days ago, I read one of Che’s blogs about Christmas. The song she mentioned got stuck in my head for days … ” let it snow, let it snow, let it snow”.   Christmas has lost it’s magic in me.  It has been years now, since I left the Philippines. I started missing my family and the foods and the Christmas night masses. I thought, I had to stir it up again. I sang the song over and over and played Christmas carols all day long.  Slowly it came back to me. It was successful. The next thing I know,  I was putting up a tree I bought a year ago. This one plays old traditional Christmas songs, like Jingle Bells,  We wish you a Merry Christmas and a couple more songs.  So my tree is up and some decorations has also been put up.

I emailed my high school friends and urged them to have a “monito-monita” exchange gift. They gave in after so many e-mails I threw in.  We did it even if we were thousand miles away.  We did the raffle and set the rules and we will have an on-line party next month.  Something I am looking forward to.

Now I can sing ” Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere I go ” la..la..la..la.. la..

Have A Happy Thanksgiving to All !

To God… tomorrow as we celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to say, this year is a great one, lots of reasons to be thankful for ! A year I can look back and say I  learned so many lessons and grow deeper in my love and faith in You.  For my family,  old and new found friends, for my job, for a good health, and for all the blessings you have poured in my life … I say Thank You !

To God… I want to say a special thank you for a dear friend, who you sent my way more than eight years ago.  She opened up her door for me,  she shared the food on her table,  she gave me countless free rides, she accepted me like a family,  she taught me compassion,  selflessness, unconditional love.  She is rare find and she deserves only the best… pour more blessings upon her and to that I say Thank you !

…lovinglifeeachday

I started a new project …  Vegetable Garden !

I started this three weeks ago. Today, I was surprised to see how much they changed in just three weeks.  I never thought that it was a challenge to grow vegetables.  Snails and bugs already attacked them as soon as I laid them down.  I poured pesticides all around the area to protect them. Then the next of my challenge is to put a fence all around the area so my dog won’t get into the pesticides.   Whew .. after all that I went through,  I realized it would have been cheaper if I just buy vegetables in the market !

After working in my little garden .. I  realized how plants and friends have a lot of things in common.  From a seed, it grows into a little plant, then it becomes a tree, then eventually bears fruits.  They both require love, care and attention.  They are both an enormous source of joy.

For the fun of it… I name each one of my plants after my new found friends…

Green onion leaves (six of them)

Cilantro ( just one). This is great with salsa !

Yellow squash (two of them)

Cherry tomatoes ( three of them)

Big boy hybrid tomato ( just one)

Strawberries ( two of them )

Sweet Green bell pepper ( six of them) I use this with almost anything I make.

My wish is that our friendship just like these plants would continue to grow and bear lots of fruits !

…lovinglifeeachday

I finally found something that can make my life a whole lot easier.. my new found cleaning buddy - a magic eraser !  I know some of you are clean freak … me.. sometimes depends on the day of the month !

I found some finger marks on our white wall and have scrubbed it with soap and wet sponge,  no luck !   I thought the only remedy was to paint the room again.  Yesterday, I tried this magic eraser and I couldn’t believe my eyes - the marks were gone in seconds.  No wonder they call it magic eraser !

I went around the house and started scrubbing everything I can see that has dark spots on it,  refrigerator handle, drawers, cabinet doors, baseboards.

One piece is like the size of a sponge, it wears out as you use it. I finished the whole thing yesterday and did quite a bit of work.  I got this one as a sample from freebies.com and not sure how much it costs.

Well..  I thought I share this with you.  Anything that can make our lives easier is good thing.

Do I pass as a product endorser now ?  hehehehe

…lovinglifeeachday

Pet sitting exchange is a great idea if you have a pet and you travel frequently.  Pet sitting costs $35 per day in the place where I live.   We have a friend who owns two little dogs, Moo-sho and Chewy.  From time to time they travel and we took this little ones with great delight.

Different dogs have different personalities.  Chewy is a terrier-poodle mix.  He has a great personality, one who can put on a show, but gosh he loves attention.  He enjoys cuddling,  petting and he loves to be around people.

Moo-sho is a female Shitzu, and she is different from the other two.  She is very independent, didn’t want to be cuddled. She is like a police officer on patrol all the time. She watches the two dogs and would bark at them if they go to a restricted area, like upstairs or on the carpet.   She is not very sociable,  and would run underneath the couch when she sees other people.  She hates Jeff, she would run away as fast as she can everytime she sees him.

There’s the three of them - whew ! took me a long time to get all of them in one picture.

There goes my weekend ..  I had a great time playing with the three of them. They are my stress-buster this week.

…lovinglifeeachday

…lovinglifeeachday

A symbol for all that is sweet and good in life – emblem for the 6^th year wedding anniversary.

Be it the 1^st, the 25^th or the 50^th , each wedding anniversary celebrates a moment in the journey of marriage. A mark of the passing of another year together, a deepening of a couple’s commitment, a history of time irreplaceable.

We made our plans a month ago, nothing lavish, just plain fun, simple & memorable. We carpooled and went to work in the morning and got off at noon. For our lunch we decided to re-visit this restaurant where we had our very first date ~ The Elephant Bar ~ a place where dining is an adventure.

We were seated in a booth that couldn’t be more prominent. Jeff ordered NY steak & Niu niu coconut shrimp  (hmmm  … not sure what Niu Niu means).  I had shrimp & chicken jambalaya served with steamed white rice (hehehe I got to have rice !)

Our next stop was LA….. we bought a ticket to watch a musical show “Wicked” in Pantages Theater.  The show is at 8PM and we got there way too early.  We hang out around Hollywood Boulevard, bought some souveniers,  took some pictures, listened to some talents who were singing and selling their CD’s along the Hollywood Boulevard.

We went to Starbucks for our very much needed caffeine as I was feeling tired and weary from walking.  It was still way too early,  so we went to the Chinese Theater and it was good that they still have the movie  Mamma Mia.   Oh my life !!!   I had a great time watching and singing along - with familiar songs of Abba, like  Dancing Queen, Get a chance on me - who can resist not to sing along ?  The island where the movie was filmed was sooooo beautiful - the story was just romantic and the scenes were just captivating.  One of the best musical movies I ever saw.

We had a little snack and head to our show “Wicked” . A  2-1/2 hour of live broadway musical show.  A story about witchcraft and witches and magic. The comedy acts of the lead stars gave a good dose of laughter and kept us all awake.  The stars powerful voices made this show enchanting.  We enjoyed every part of it - no wonder it was so hard to get a ticket !

Something to commemorate our 6^th….

It was the 6^th of September, six years ago

You and me and my bestfriend

No cathedral setting, no fancy gown or organ played

The ring on our fingers and heartfelt vows, spoken that day, stayed

The years have flown by

Unforgettable times, good and bad

Sadness and joy, sickness and health

Poverty and wealth, we’ve seen them all

Through all life’s seasons

Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall

Our enduring commitment

Shines through as we continue our journey together….

I got a card and a ring … and he got a card and a poem !  Fair enough ??? LOL

… lovinglifeeachday

Olympics has been keeping me up late at night almost every night.  Swimming, gymnastics, basketball , volleyball are a few of those I enjoy the most.

Watching these incredible talents, some part of me feels that I share
in them. I think this is a widespread feeling, and one of the reasons
that so many people find the Olympics moving and inspiring.

My thoughts …  we don’t have to be an athlete, at any level, to identify
with Olympians. For sports are a human activity, and the qualities that
go into making a champion — aside from sheer talent — are ones we all
understand. In a million different ways, we’ve all struggled, we’ve all
sacrificed, we’ve all worked hard for seemingly unreachable goals.

From
a God’s-eye perspective, a single mother who for 15 years has
worked night and day, 7 days a week, so that her children can
go to school is as big a winner as Michael Phelps. But because life
isn’t scored as a game, with winners standing on podiums, we rarely get
to celebrate our own achievements. The Olympics, that great
metaphorical stage.

We are all
Olympians, fighting the great fight, wanting to bring home the gold !

…lovinglifeeachday

Love comes from the most unexpected places ….. la.la.la.la..llaaaaaaa remember that song ?  Well, have no intention of blogging about love here,  just a short announcement to check out a new friend who I met here in the blogosphere  - check out my list and look for MJ - I found her through Jo.  We have been exchanging notes  and I just enjoy her so much…. you would too !

hehehehehe the photo says it all…. she must be fun to be around.

MJ, if you chance upon this… can I use this picture for my blog ?   What a *** ,  you already posted it before you got my permission !!!!

hahahhahaha    

… lovinglifeeachday   

Come with me and get to know me … I’ll show you a typical Betchay day.  I didn’t post pictures while I am getting ready for work.  Photos didn’t pass the screening committee, you need parental guidance to view them !

Hooorruuummmm …I normally get up at 6AM and must be on the road in half an hour.

From home this is the road I travel to get on the freeway - a 3 mile stretch lined with cow farms,  farm houses. To me those are a lovely sight… a picture of simple lifestyle, low profile, no rush to get to work kind of thing, no pressure & no stress. Hay sale at $13 a bale sign on the right ! Friends that come and visit us, especially those who grew up in the country absolutely love the smell around this area, the rest of them.. no wonder they have all kinds of excuses every time I invite them over uhm  uhm uhm  ( joke only) !

Then I get on the freeway.  I have traveled along this road hundreds of times, on light traffic, heavy traffic, rainy days, hot summer season. No other route to work except this freeway, I stay here for 25 miles. The lane I was in, I literally call “the FREEway” because it is free to drive here.  Notice the 2 lanes on the left side- next to the yellow spikes, those lanes I call “PAYway” - it is a toll road and would cost you $4 in the morning and $9 in the afternoon (rate varies during the day) cheaper in the middle of the day and at it’s highest on rush hours and goes down again late at night. What do you call that Tes ?   highway robbery  ? LOL

Here…  I am almost to work, after the light, I turn right onto the parking lot. This is where I get on the celphone to report to hubby that I got to work safe.

Beep .. beep..
This is the parking lot and this is my parking spot… psshhhh well no one knows but I own that spot, okay ! I get really upset if I get there and someone park their car in that spot. And oh yes that is my baby… my small red car. Yes !! I almost make it to the middle of the white lines huh. Parking is a challenge, I am telling you Che !

This is my little “home” away from home - what ya say Eng !  Nice and cozy and a little messy !!!  I have tons of paperworks and  this is the best  I can do to organize everything  and pack in one small room. This is my home from 8AM til 6PM.

This is my desk,  picture me there working, on the phone, on the computer, talking to clients, eating, drinking coffee. Name it I’ve done it there - even fell asleep and bumped my head on the monitor !

Hey Alfon - I will show you the architects crib next time !

This is the icing on the cake  ! I get a nice window view <look Jo !>, ya know when I feel like reminiscing or day dreaming - I do it here.  We are a mile away from the airport, I see planes all day long. I love it !  … I’m leaving on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again, oh babe I hate to go  la..la.la.la)  yeah nice memories of traveling !

Anndddddd this is what I am talking about Dollz,Juz,Gemz,Halz,Denz, Profz ! this is the picture of the real gang member  !

Not to embarrass myself any further, this is the inside of my car. I have dumbbells and shoes and all kinds of things that shouldn’t be there. That’s me,  I exercise when I am on traffic and I have to have extra shoes all the time - just in case !

I normally get home at 7PM … and then I turn into a housemaid, a mom, a wife, a dog sitter. I call it a day at 12 midnight… then the cycle begins again…. thanks be to God !

Now you know why I am ……

lovinglifeeachday

I wasn’t into writing anything today, but as I was getting ready to shut my computer off,  my finger made a last final click on the " All Blog Section" of Friendster and some new guys just caught my attention. Joselyn who I found thru Cherie - she called me "Chay" which I thought was another cute name to add to my long list of names family and friends just absolutely love to baptize me- then I called her "Sel" ! Nice to meet you Sel ! I enjoyed reading your blogs today and was so thrilled following you as you leave your mark in mine, Che and Tes’s blogs  !

Another blogger with the name Elizabeth, blogged about Pastor Joel Osteen’s message today on "Recognizing what Battles to Fight ". Pastor Joel always start his message with  "Well God bless you!" Joel asks some
very important questions: What is the prize of the battle? Are you
choosing your battles carefully? Are the battles you’re engaging is
worth fighting for?  (I need to look into my battles and make sure they are all worth fighting for !)

Another lady with the name Cherie, wrote about a beautiful love story about a gentleman in a hospital rushing so he could get out of there quick. He has to visit his wife who is in the nursing home, she has Alzheimer’s Disease.  He visits his wife every morning.  "Will she be upset because you were late ?" The older gentleman replied, she no longer knew who he was and that she had not recognized him in five years now. "And you still go up there every morning even though he doesnt recognized who you are?"  The gentleman said, "She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is."  What a beautiful love story !

Hayyyyy I learned so many things about people today - I loved it and I enjoyed it ! I wish I have more time to sit here and read some more , but  have to prepare for work tomorrow.

Reading and connecting with new friends are some of the reasons why I am…

…lovinglifeeachday

Oh by the way this is not a cooking lesson … this stuff barely pass to being called empanada. I think I overcooked it and made the outside cover a little crunchy, and the inside was just okay !

I am good in following direction !!! errr… sometimes… okay ? Those that knows me well are absolutely shaking their head in disbelief.   Surely, for this one,  I followed the measurement and the temperature setting and the length of time to cook it.  Well.. just that my oven’s temperature was not the same as the one who gave me the recipe…. yep found a good excuse !

Baking/Cooking was on my list of things I wanted to learn this year.  More to come …

I deserved a tap on my shoulder… right MOM ?  She is my number 1 fan  and one of the reasons why I am…

…lovinglifeeachday   

Jeff woke me up with a cup of coffee served in bed,  how sweet is that, pshhhhhhh would have been sweeter if he made eggs and biscuit  huh !  He is so much like his parents. His mom and dad, whoever got up first would make breakfast for the one who was still in bed, but they never serve breakfast in bed for fear of making a mess. They told us a lot of things that kept their marriage fun… for 55 years. The dad  would get the bed ready for his wife, like pull the cover and took the pillows out. The mom was in charge of making the bed in the morning.  They make fun of each other and they giggle like little kids. T’was fun to watch them !

I got up and tackled one of my biggest chore this weekend - to trim the roses up on this arch on the entrance to the rose garden. While I was working, I saw a big pigeon flying back and forth on the arch. It was chirping  loud and I thought she was keeping me company.  Little did I realize that she was sending me a message, when I saw the nest tucked neatly in the middle of the branch, and in it was 2 little ones. She has left her little babies on the nest and she was worried that I will hurt them.

I got as close to where I can see the little babies, they were sleeping peacefully, minding their own business. And there I was,  almost cut the branch that held their tiny home. I was careful not to disturb them and I decided to leave the branch intact to protect their home until they are ready to flap their wings and fly. I will come back in two weeks and check if they are gone.

The mother bird stayed really close the whole time I was there. She was back and forth, sort of warning that she was watching me closely.

I thought about my mom for a second how she watched us 5 kids and made sure we were loved, protected, sheltered, and nourished.

I wonder where is father pigeon … maybe flying somewhere looking for foods for his family, like what a good dad does.

From the bird’s eye…. and me leaving them alone and still…

lovinglifeeachday

Update: Yesterday I take a quick look at the nest where the baby pigeons are.. well they aren’t ready yet. I have noticed for a couple of days now that the mommy pigeon never leave the nest. I guess she is making sure the babies won’t fall off the nest as I had cut the big branches that supports and protects the nest.  I will check again in a week or so.

Woke up this morning and found a package in the front door !  The fun in Vegas didn’t end there - it is still going on as we exchange pictures and souvenirs.
We live in different states, but these guys knows no bound in showing how much they care.

Thank you guys !!!!

Friendship isn’t how you forget, but how you forgive
Not how you listen, but how you understand
Not how you see, but how you feel
Not how you let go, but how you hold on.

Friends
Here’s nothing as nice as someone who shares
your laughter, your secrets, your wishes and cares,
someone who’s there through your good times and tears,
who stays by your side as your friend through the years.

Josie is from New York, Dolly is from Georgia, Gemma is in San Francisco, Halli is in Hanford, Dennis is in Buena Park and me … I am just an email away !

One of the reasons why…. I am…

…lovinglifeeachday

I am wealthy… extremely wealthy. I talk about it, write about it, take picture of it and never was ashamed of it.  I work hard for it and very proud of it. I am surrounded by my wealth, proud to say I am one of the wealthiest person living on earth.

Look… you are too, don’t be envious !

I am talking about my family and friends. They are my wealth and my everything. We can lose our jobs tomorrow or our house or our jewelry, or our car.  We all know that those things can be replaced, but not our loved ones.

I read an article about a wife who was on the beach with her 3 little girls, they were all dressed up like they were going to a wedding.  The guy asked the mom, if they were heading to a beach wedding. The mom said they were not, it was her 10th year wedding anniversary and her husband was at work and that he couldn’t get off. She then decided to celebrate the anniversary with her 3 little girls, they all dressed up and she took the girls out for some fun.

When was the last time you celebrate your anniversary ?  I do mine every year, if we have money we go out of town, if we don’t - we just eat out and celebrate over a nice meal. It is being together, finding time, and giving importance to our loved ones.

Congratulation goes to my friend Dollz who just had her 23rd wedding anniversary, and to Hallz  who will be celebrating her 20th…. I am so envious my friends !!! 

Opppsss, how young are we ???   

…lovinglifeeachday

Let’s come up with a name for our friendship ( My Blogger Friends),  suggested by one and agreed by the rest ! HAH, just like high school huh ?  heck, why not ?  it was fun, besides basketball team has a name, group dancers has a name.

Alright, must admit I am not good at giving names. And here is why… my son, I gave him the name Psalm and he didn’t like it hehehehe as if he can do something about it - well he said, he wanted to change his name !! Sooooo I gave him couple of suggestions, how about Mark ? Luke ? John ? Matthew ?  Judas ?  hahahahaha and he said, no I will just keep my name then - voila !

The next one is my daughter, her middle name is Faith and of course, upon hearing her brother contesting about his name, she said she didn’t like her middle name either. Jeff said Faith was a name popular in the 50’s like Grandma Faith hahahhaha, good try Jeff !!!  Oh well, just say you don’t have a middle name then.

The third one is Kacie (my dog)  he didn’t like his name either and won’t come to me when I use that name, so we called him Cottonball and that name works for him, he looks like one anyway !

Okay, back to my topic … team name ! I went to the park last night to clear my head and to think of a name that will fit our personalities, who we are, what we do, our purpose.  As I was walking, I saw this big gap on the brick on the ground and I thought, this needs a filler !!! <ding> <ding> <ding>  A FILLER ????  yes a filler is that stuff you put in where there is a gap or a space ! "THE FILLERS " Wait don’t raise your eyebrow Che, and stop blinking your eyes in disbelief Tes , and hold your laughter Eng  and make sure you don’t spill your coffee  ! I analyze the word carefully and its meaning.

" A filler is used for filling cracks or holes in a surface."

"It is a copy to fill space between more important articles in the layout of a magazine or newspaper."

"It is anything added to fill out a whole."
"It is the tobacco used to form the core of a cigar."

Are you still with me ?   We are like fillers, we fill the gaps or hole in each other.  We support each other with our messages. 

Okay, my blog is now open for comments and suggestions or revisions.   I wish I can think of more for you to choose from.  "La Pluma" is a good one, but sound hispanic.  I like the "Soul Catchers" too, but the question is … are we ? 

"The Fillers" 

… lovinglifeeachday

Hmmm… I wonder if I have to go back to the park and think some more, maybe I will bring my dictionary  next time.

What makes Betchay happy ?  I pondered this thought one morning on my way to work. I let a car cut in front of me and she waved on the rear view mirror as a gesture of thanks for letting me in - it made me happy !  I got to work and someone already unlocked my office door - it made me happy ! I turned my computer on and there were several messages from my high school friends - it made me happy ! I went home from work and my daughter cleaned the kitchen and had dinner ready for all of us - whoaw that blew me away - it made me happy ! I got on-line to check my emails - my blogs have comments from my blogger girlfriends -  it made me happy !

I realized that my happiness is not in material things, nothing tangible, nothing  that can be stolen from me. Happiness to me is in good family relationships, on friendships built through the years.

Lately in my quest to pass on happiness to others, I found couple of nice friends on line.  Hey you dear on-line girlfriends (Tes, Che & Eng) meet my new found friend "CC" !

Happiness is a choice we make everyday…..

…lovinglifeeachday

"Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live"

… lovinglifeeachday

I am back from Vegas and my mind was still elsewhere… again I will just ramble. Glad to be home. Sad that the reunion we planned for a year was over. Weather in Vegas was 109 degrees. Gained 5 lbs in 4 days. Saw Cirque O - endearing ! Dinner at Bellagio buffet - yummy ! Stayed late at night every night - my eyebags !  We had Portos cheese roll and empanada every morning. Stayed one night at a suite in Palazzo Hotel and had karaoke singing contest - gents vs the ladies - of course the ladies won! Checked  Hoover Dam…weather  was hot - we got there, took some photos, turned around and left. Got an invitation from a nice family who served us arroz caldo, tokwa, lumpia, palabok, and fried penoy.   I will never forget the hostess, she was an entertainer and everything else - rare species in the US ! I deposited $6 in the slot machine and wished at least to double my investment.

I had a great time !  Each one of my friends did something for each other that was so generous - from gifts, free dinner, free hotel accommodation, lots of laughter, and the most touching was they gave up their family time to nurture our friendship. Much appreciated !!!! 

Words are not enough …  " What happens in Vegas… Stays in my heart"

…lovinglifeeachday   

Where did June go ?  seems like yesterday when I wrote my blog about last Sunday in May and today is the last Sunday in June ! We are approaching the second half of the year, and the next time you blink, it is Christmas time again !

Speaking of Christmas..  we were looking for a movie to watch for our Friday family night and  it was my turn to pick a movie. Comedy is my kind of movie and we found this movie " The Stone Family " Jessica Parker, Diane Keaton, etc.  I didn’t realize it was a movie about a Christmas family gathering. Ohh I love watching a big family reunion around Christmas time, it was noisy, it was chaotic, it was busy … suddenly I missed my family . The music added a soft touch - well of course when do you hear a Christmas song played in the middle of the year?  The movie wasn’t all that funny, nonetheless it served it’s purpose to me- I got entertained !

Moo Sho is a dog we will be dog sitting for a week, her owner are on their way to Boston, to chill, relax and do their annual trip. We take turns dog sitting, and this is our turn. Cottonball is having a great time, they play a lot, share food and water and even sleep together. Sure fun to watch them.

Next week, I am heading to Vegas for my High School reunion - the TV ad says "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas "  pshhhhh … we’ll see if I can keep my mouth shut.

…lovinglifeeachday

Today is another record breaking heat… so I thought instead of whining and complaining about it, we made a plan last night to make today a fun day.  Heat is really not the problem, my problem is I get anxiety attack every time I run the A/C. I just cannot afford to pay twice as much on our electric bill.  We bought couple of electric fans and that was helping out a little bit during the day. We turn our A/C only at night when we are ready to bed… it is working out great.

This morning, got up early and tackled my never ending chores … laundry.. dusting..mopping
etc… etc..  When I got done inside, I went outside and finally got into this weeding & trimmings  that I have been wanting to do for a long time. I went through my to-do check list - and yessssssssss  Mission Accomplished at 11 in the morning !

I got on my bathing suit and me and my li’l pooch stayed in the pool all afternoon.  I love dark skin, so I went in there without sunblock and yessssssssss I got the tan I been wanting for months. We were both tired, but we had fun.

After blogging about today,  I would get on Grisham’s "The Chamber" , the suspense level is getting high, just can’t put it down anymore. I was almost tempted to sneak in and look at the ending,  I just didn’t want to lose the excitement … " the lawyer grandson will defend his grandfather who is 4 weeks away from the gas chamber" .

Today, I rewarded myself a generous piece of Buco Pie from Goldilocks, a hefty serving of rice with ginataang laing and sisig. I didn’t make those, we had lunch at a Filipino turo-turo.   

Yup…  today was a warm, fun, whine-free, wet, lovely day. 

Andddddd I never want to end my weekend without reading blogs, today I found a couple of interesting blogs and I bookmarked them so I can go back and sneak back in again.

…lovinglifeeachday

Yup… my favorite… Mango Smoothy !!!  And this is the best part of my summer… making fruit shakes.  I’ve tried mixing mango and banana, strawberry and apple, kiwi and banana, pineapple and mango. They all taste so yummy and so refreshing.

This will be a busy summer for me.  4th of July weekend, I will be heading out to Vegas for a weekend of fun with my high school friends.  This is the second year in a row we will have sort of a reunion. This is my first time for a long time to travel without my family.  We made a reservation to watch Cirque du Soleil.  It’ll be a nice break for all of us !

My step-son Logan and 2 of his friends are spending summer here in our house.  It will be a blast for these kids.  This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Logan’s friends. This is their first time to get on a plane, first time to be in California, first time to be away from their families, first time in Disneyland. They are all so excited that they are jumping off their skin just thinking about it. I am excited too…

…lovinglifeeachday

Quotes and Sayings are few of
those I enjoy reading.  There are sooooo many on line, some are
hilarious, some are easy to relate to, some are inspirational.  I was
looking for a quote for Father’s Day  when I came across this one.  The message hit me hard, I liked it right away, it makes sense to me !

The quote says:

"I have never been a material girl.   My father always told me never to love anything that cannot love you back ".

Isn’t that a nice quote and true ?

Wait… this is where it hit me even harder,  when I read who the quote
came from !!!

Fathers Day Quote by: Imelda Marcos

What ??? LOL .. well…   ahem.. ahem … she sure didn’t listen to her dad, did she ? or could be the author just happen to have the same name… oh well…

…lovinglifeeachday

The man who sacrificed so much for his 5 children. He worked so hard to put all of us to college. He spent countless hours working to bring food to the table, to provide roof over our heads, to give us the best life ever. He made it all and today we wanted to thank you and honor you as "The Greatest Father" we’ve ever known. We thanked God for you and we prayed every single day that God would bless you with more years to live, so that you will enjoy and reap the fruits of your hard labor.

We are who we are today …. because of YOU  ! Thank you Tatay !
You are the best, we love you !!!

Happy Father’s Day To All Fathers !

…lovinglifeeachday

He was my first born. Twenty-three years ago, after more than 2 days of labor pain, a 6-lb baby boy came to this world. He was the first baby in the family. I never had trouble having to find a baby sitter as grandparents, aunts and uncles always came through to care for him - he was very much loved and spoiled ! 

Like any other boy, he was very active, he was all over the place. If he was not sleeping, he was climbing off the ceiling, chasing  my mom’s chickens and ducks, annoying the dogs, running around the neighborhood.   

On most of my company outings and parties where kids were allowed, he was always there. He was my body guard, my constant companion. He enjoyed outdoors and loved to be around people. He was never a shy boy.
   

He was outstanding in school. Scored high grades, got him admitted in one of the best schools "Notre Dame".  On his freshman year, he scored in the school’s test evaluation to have the IQ of a senior student.  I was very pleased and proud of him. 

He messed up in his senior years and hang out with the wrong boys.  In as much as parents wanted to avoid this part, there was only so much we can do. Kids have to learn the consequences of their actions. As a parent, the best I can do was to help him get up and start all over again.

Today, at a young age of 23, he is having a great time of his life, he has found his place under the sun, he is dreaming, he is planning, he is making good decisions.

Our kids will always be kids and no matter what they do, we will always be behind them, either pushing them to move forward or pulling them up so they can get up. 

Psalm 127:3  says, "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him"

Happy Birthday My Son !  I miss the boy that you once were,  the boy who always wanted to tag along with me, the little boy who would come running when I get home digging in my purse looking for "pasalubong" (gift), the boy that made my life meaningful and the boy that inspired me to keep going in tough times.

"My heart will sing …. how great is our God"

…lovinglifeeachday

Today, she graduated high school.  We are so proud of her accomplishment.  With her high school diploma, she has also finished half of her associate degree in college.  She worked so hard to have made it this far, we are so proud of her !

Off to the college she will go…  she wanted to be a nurse !

Congratulations to all "The Graduates" ! You all should be proud of yourself. Keep moving forward ! 

…lovinglifeeachday

Oppsss.. didn’t want to embarrass my lovely daughter, It is not a grade, okay. I had a different title when I realized it all started with letter D, so I changed it. Here ya go, 4 D’s in one day.

Disneyland, Dennys, Dentist, DMV, all in one day ! It’s about my daughter who is graduating high school next week. Their last week was swamped with projects, exams & activities. She was also doing her driving lessons at night. 

The first D is Disneyland - Last night, the graduating class went to "The Happiest Place on Earth".  There were almost 100 of them from her school and there were other graduating students from other schools. The park opened at around 11PM exclusively for the graduating students. She was frustrated that she still has to wait in line to get on the rides, but it shouldn’t be all that bad compared to what happened last year we were there on a holiday. 2 hours of waiting just to get in a ride ! She had a great time, she was tired but it was so worth it !

Denny’s - for breakfast ! I thought it was a nice touch to end their day ???  hmmm… or to start their day ???   Oh well, they had coffee, country fried steak, pancake, hash brown.  Yummy !!!

Dentist - she head to the dentist for her final teeth whitening appointment.  She hit her front tooth with a bowling ball and it turned gray.  I asked,  "How in the world can you hit your tooth with the ball ??  Aren’t you supposed to throw the ball and hit the pins?? " Oh well, I didn’t want to aggravate her further as she had enough of that.  The dentist had to do a root canal and she did a procedure that bleached the tooth from the inside. Interesting but I can’t describe in detail how she did it. It is a lot better now and she can smile real big again, that is all that matters. She might have to do a total teeth whitening to give her the pearly white teeth she once had, and the winning smile again ! 

DMV - The last and final stop for the day. Her behind-the-wheel driving test.  I didn’t like the idea of squeezing everything in one day. No one wants to listen to me ! She got an appointment a month ago and didn’t realize that she has so many things going on that day. Too late to cancel.  I was worried - she wasn’t ! HAH - I failed my driving test 3 times (oppsss yeahhh and I am embarrassed okay !).  My advise was to pretend that I was the one on the passenger seat and not the DMV officer.  I told her she can always take it again if she fails it.   The DMV lady was calm and nice. After a couple of changing lanes, they went to residential area, she was asked to park, was asked to do straight back-up and head back to DMV.   I was praying.   

She is still a kid and has lots of energy.  It was fun to be a teenager and I am glad she is enjoying it. 

Oh anddddddd … She got out of the car in her winning pearly white teeth smile !  She passed the test and  now a licensed CA driver !  How many points did you get, I asked ???  She said, it didn’t matter mom ! hahahahahaha  - she is my kind of girl !

Hayyyyyyyy seems like yesterday .. my little baby, is not little anymore  … That’s another blog I have been wanting to write.

…lovinglifeeachday      

We’ve had enough… probably spent enough to make this sudden decision - go Hybrid ! We are already bleeding on the cost of gas and no signs of relief coming. We started thinking about this last year, and Jeff just didn’t want to give up his truck. He is a big guy and he likes to be in a BIGGGG car - I think it’s a man’s thing, you know,  Power… Speed… King of the road kinda thing ???  Couple months ago, I told him he spent six hundred bucks ($600) on gas in one month !  He  freaked out and  got on the phone and placed his order ! Just like that and suddenly it is my way LOL. 

We waited a month or so,  they have so many orders and the waiting list was long. Today, Baby Prius finally arrived, we were there in a second, signed the paperworks and done in a couple hours.  The salesman had mentioned, that the price of Hybrid car has gone up few thousand from last month. They don’t give away those carpool stickers anymore. I also read,  you cannot claim this on your taxes anymore. For me, it’s okay, all I wanted is to feel a little relief andddddddd  hey it’s all about being environmental friendly - Go Green ! 

I’ve learned to recycle my plastics, cans and bottles. Conserve energy and water. I will start using canvas bags instead of those grocery plastics. One baby step at a time for a greener  tomorrow.  Hey we love our children and our children’s children - they deserve to sniff fresh air and see the beauty of nature. They might not if we don’t do something about  it now !

Doing something is better than doing nothing.. it’s all good !

…lovinglifeeachday

I got a call today from a friend. We used to work in the same office, he was an architect.  When the housing industry started to dwindle, he was laid-off.  We used to have lunch together at the Filipino "turo-turo" restaurant.  I have never been there since he left. Couple months ago, he called me with the good news that he got a job and was doing alright, I was happy for him. Today, he called me with the sad news that he lost his job again and it’s been a month. He had his resume’ everywhere, but his line of work was one of those jobs that was not hiring.  He is going through divorce at the same time, his home on the verge of foreclosure,  he started selling some of his stuff, was very depressed, hopeless & helpless. He said, he checked himself in  the emergency last week, he felt so depressed and wanted to end his misery. He  has to take  anti-depressants and some other stuff I can’t even pronounce. 

When you get a phone call like this, what do you do ?   I listened .. spoke a little .. comforted him and  silently prayed for him. I wish I can do more… I wish I can help… I wish so many things, not only for my friend but to so many who lost their jobs recently. 

I only know one thing …. There is a Big God, much bigger than our trials !  When you hear stories like this, it makes you appreciate what you have…  I truly do.

Tomorrow… I will come to work, give my boss a big hug and thank her for my job ! I hope she doesn’t freak out.

I can help … I can pray for him …   

…lovinglifeeachday

Just rambling today… senseless thoughts are coming from my tired brain.  That’s what happened when I get extra day off. I enjoyed the Memorial day weekend. I sat in front of my computer for hours working on my blogs. I threw away old bills and invoices from year 2002, no wonder my file cabinet won’t open anymore. I gave Cottonball a bath, he hated it. I ran alone because CB had just been neutered and not allowed to run for 2 weeks - I felt so alone.  I started reading Grisham’s "The Chamber", pretty interesting. I spent hours watching a show called Speeders I found in Court Channel - lots of goofy characters with all kinds of excuses when they were caught speeding.  I completely forgot that it rained last week and my car was filthy. Yesterday morning when I got in my car, no gas and couldn’t see through my wind shield. Last night, I came home and gave my car a good wash, felt good after. My daughter who is working on her driver’s license has been driving every morning to school and I am the passenger. I still freak out everyday. It’s all good, someday she can drive alone and I won’t freak out anymore, I hope. Gas is $4.07 per gallon - are we gonna get relief soon ?  A girlfriend told me that she can save gas by driving 65 miles and she is using the cruise control. I drove tonight keeping my speed at 65 and paying close attention not to go over. I don’t know how to operate the cruise control. I felt so embarrassed when other drivers would go around me thinking maybe there was something wrong with my car, I didn’t care, I have to save gas !  I wanted ice cream so bad, but I ate way too much tonight- hmmpp I will wait until tomorrow. I spent hours reading blogs - I enjoyed reading blogs. Oppss 9:30PM- will get ready to bed and Cottonball has been barking at me wanting some playtime.  And oh the picture, I was gonna make green beans/corn casserole.  Til my next rambling…   

…lovinglifeeachday