Pinay WAHM

.... that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

That's how I feel right now. I've been sleeping on time mind you but I still feel like I haven't really slept in days. That's probably because in the past several nights, I've been waking up every hour on the hour. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a good night sleep tonight. It's Holy Week this week. When I was growing up, the week meant going to church everyday of the week. I remember joining processions almost every night then spending Maundy Thursday through Good Friday in church grounds while listening to the old folks read/sang the "Passion of Christ". It became like a devotion for me and my friends to be there every year from the time I was in grade school through high school. I never did learn how to 'sing' the passion but it sure was fun listening to the older people do it. I believe one of my brothers does it now with some of his peers. I miss spending Holy Week in the Philippines. The last time I was able to do that was decades ...

Wow. About a week ago I came across a news headline about banks somewhere charging their customers for something. Not new. It's not too long ago when banks tried to charge us monthly fee for using our debit cards. That didn't last because of the huge backlash they got from that decision. We dropped our old bank because of that actually. They tried to woo us back by dropping the fee [putting back the one they already charged us] after a few days but our minds were made already and we switched. Anyway back to my original topic, I didn't read the whole article thinking it was just one of those non-sense fees that banks like to charge. Apparently not. Hubby read the article and told me about it at dinner. He forgot the name of the country but the article claims that the banks in that particular country charge their customers something like 10 to 15%... for depositing their money. To say I am shocked is probably putting it mildly. Really now. As if they're not making any m...

Isn't that an oxymoron? Sleep is supposed to be rest, right? But I actually had a restless sleep last night. At first I couldn't find a comfortable position so I couldn't fall asleep. When I finally fell sleep I would wake up every hour. I kept looking at the clock everytime I would wake up and that's how I knew I woke up every hour. As a result, I'm tired the whole day. I'm hoping I'll be able to get a good night sleep tonight. Fingers crossed of course. Freeze warning. That's the forecast overnight. Huh? Yep, that's what the meteorologist said a few minutes ago. Oh well...I already have the heat on so that's taken cared of. It's in the 60s the whole day today so I had to turn it on as soon as I got up this morning. I guess this is what global warming is all about?  Extreme weathers? I don't even want to know what summer would be like. It would probably be in the 100s around here. Let's hope not.

The little has a swing that Dad put on a tree when we first moved here. Lately though she's been saying that she wants swing sets that we all can use...at the same time. We saw a few in the local stores here but Dad wants something long lasting and not just the 'run-of- the-mill' kind of swing sets if and when we decide to get something that will be permanent fixture for the backyard. I did some digging  to look for custom backyard playsets and came across a company that makes swing sets norfolk va . I'm not sure if the company does work out of state but it doesn't hurt to try. I'm still looking around hoping to find some local companies but if I don't find one, then we'll probably give these guys a call. The least they can do is to probably recommend a place we can try. It wouldn't hurt to try, would it?

That's probably what's in many people's minds. We were so excited for Spring to come...and it did...but only for a day...here, anyway. Last wednesday was the first day of Spring and it was felt at least here in our neck of the weeds. But then we went to sleep. When we woke up, it's winter all over again. Ugh! I guess I don't have the right to whine about it since many of the states are experiencing much worse scenarios...but I want to whine. Ha! So here I am whining....tee hee... Anyway, it will be cold...err...cool the rest of the week here. It will mostly be in the 60s during the day and 40s overnight. But it will be get better as the weekend approaches...according to the forecast anyway. For now, I just have to bundle up whenever I have to get out there because it really bites when the wind hits me. Good thing I don't have to go anywhere or I would be shivering.

And it's pouring like crazy. This is what I'm looking at while typing this post. Rain...and more rain with a lot of loud thunders and scary lightnings. I can hear our washing machine turning on & off because of the split second power outages. The outages are so quick the power doesn't really go out. I guess we got the better part of the deal because in other parts of the country [and the world], it's winter all over again. I just saw some friends in Belgium & UK posting pictures of their children building snowmen. Huh? At least here, we'll see happy plants tomorrow because of all the watering they got today. My friend in the UK said her flowers were starting to bloom a few days ago...then snow fell. The flowers...gone, of course. Winter in Spring seems to be the norm now. It's been happening almost every year. Maybe they should move Spring already? Ha! Spring is my favorite season of the year even if it's not good for my 'sixth sense...

Wow. That's probably one of the most used phrase in history. But it's true. Proof...our little one will be turning a year older in a few weeks. She's almost a teenager. Not yet this year but I'm sure that it's going to be sooner than I want. I know I can't slow down time but I wish I can. Anyway, she already started reminding us that her birthday is coming soon. She even wrote it on the small reminder board we have in the kitchen. As if we're going to forget. She hasn't asked for anything for her birthday so I have no clue what to get her. Maybe it will come to me in the days to come. Right around her birthday every year I can't help but be sad a wee bit. Maybe because I know that in no time she'll go out there and spread her wings. Out there where uncertainty lies. That scares the life out of me to be honest. I know we're trying our hardest to raise a well-rounded individual but the fear of what's out there is just too strong to ignore...

I was finally able to talk to a friend who recently moved from Texas to Virginia. She's a former co-teacher who taught in TX for more than 10 years. But her husband got a better job in VA which is the reason for them to relocate. Her husband relocated months before her so he had the chance to look for houses they can either rent or buy. There are plenty of options today because of the housing market situation. When my friend arrived in VA a few months ago, they started looking at all their options. It didn't take long for them to find the house they both like. The house they chose is relatively new but it sat idle for a long time so there are some things that need work.  First things first of course so they started with fixing some windows first. I have no idea what kind of state the windows were in when they got the house but they probably needed something like the service of hampton va windows or something similar. From what my friend told me, the house is a 3-storey house s...

Yep, it's another week. Hopefully it's going to be better than the last. This week also signals the start of my favorite season....SPRING! Yep, spring officially starts on Wednesday. I'm sure it won't last long because summer seems to take its place in no time but I'm just hoping that we'll be able to enjoy it. Some states are still having snow though even if it's almost spring but here we can really feel that it's just around the corner. Knowing Mother Nature though, changes can still happen. So I better not jinx it. Again, have a great week everyone.

Because of these hard times, many of the people we know, family and friends alike, decided to move out of state a few years ago. Some of hubby's siblings only returned recently but are not planning to stay for long because they still feel the hard times that drove them away in the first place. Another person who decided to seek greener pasture is a good friend who was one of the first people I met when I first arrived. He and his wife moved to NC a few years ago because that's where work was at that time. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. Just a year or so after they moved, he lost his job. Even after losing his job, they decided to stay there because cost of living there is cheaper than here. The last we heard they're looking for creditor rights bankruptcy attorney raleigh nc to help them sort out their financial problems. There is not much we can do to help since his line of job is very much different from what hubby does. Hopefully they'll be able to recover s...

For the first time in weeks, we're staying put this weekend. It seems all we did the past weekends was run around. We still went out yesterday to get some stuff but only for a bit. Most of the days were spent doing stuff in and around the house/yard. So far so good. Today we had a late breakfast. Since I don't have anything planned I just did what I do best...nothing. Hubby on the other hand did some work in the yard and cleaned his car. He scattered weed killer, mowed the grass/weeds and trimmed some dead twigs. After doing all that, he asked if there's anywhere we wanted to go. NONE. I just want to stay home for today. Maybe next weekend...

Some of hubby's siblings moved down back here a few months ago because their grandparents health was deteriorating really fast. I guess it's a good thing they did because they're able these last several weeks . The move it turned out is not permanent. When we were chatting last weekend, we learned that they've been looking for properties in different states but this state, just like us. Ha! We personally like GA but my sister in law is more interested in moving to NC so she's checked real estate southport nc for some prospects. The other one is interested in TN. Looks like we'll be all over the country once again. At least we'll have family in neighboring state. It maybe a great thing since all we have to do is drive to see them instead of flying.

The past few weeks was somewhat sad for hub's family. Both his step-grandparents passed on within a matter of weeks of each other. They both lived a full life I must say so it's just their time to go. Nevertheless, it's always sad when somebody ~ old or not ~ departs for good. The grandfather was in his mid-80s while his wife was a few years older. His passing came to us via a phone call from his stepson so we didn't really see him before that. We were able to go to his service though where we got to see his very frail wife. Almost a week after that service, her health deteriorated rather quickly. One day she was at the assisted home living facility, the next day she was transferred to a hospice because she was given only hours to live. We visited her last weekend and for the first time in my life, I saw a person on the verge of death. Both my parents passed on while was away. My mother's passing was a surprise while my father's was expected. I was able to ten...

It's now been 4 months since I decided to go back to my daily walking on the Mobia. I went back to it after months of hiatus because my weight slowly BUT surely went creeping back up. I blamed the weight gain to my thyroid condition but deep inside, I knew that's not the culprit. So I decided to go back to my old routine of walking almost everyday. Right now I'm walking 2 miles a day, 5 days a week. I take the weekends off....just like any other job out there. Ha! Did I just call walking a job? I did actually because it takes a lot of work to even get on that thing I tell you. Even putting on my running shoes takes a lot of effort. I still find myself convincing myself to get on it every morning and it's been months. I guess that's going to be the case for now till eternity...haha. Anyway, I'm just glad I'm able to keep it up. I am hoping I'll be able to stay with it for as long as necessary...a lifetime, maybe? Ugh! Oh well...that's life now if I ...

It was drizzling when hubby left for work early this morning. And it was still drizzling when I got up for the second time around at about 7. Needless to say, it's even darker outside at 7 [since it used to be 6 AM] so the little one was still fast asleep when I went to her bedroom. She hasn't adjusted to the new time so I have to get her out of bed for now even if her alarm still goes off as scheduled. I am hoping she'll get used to it ASAP. Honestly, I don't like the time change. From what I've been reading, changing the time doesn't really have that much of an effect as far as conservation of energy is concerned. Isn't that the main reason why it was implemented in the first place...to conserve energy? The only thing this time change is doing is mess up people's routine. I'm positive many people came in to work late on Monday and made this as an excuse. I know one already that did that. Anyway, I hope they stop doing it already. I just don't...

Just a lot of other kids, our little one likes music a lot. Aside from listening to it and singing, she also likes to tinker with different musical instruments. Tinker being the operative word there because she doesn't play any musical instrument...yet. We are hoping she's pick one instrument and decides that's the one she likes to learn but she hasn't as of yet. She has a keyboard in her bedroom which she asked for but she only tinkered with it for a while. She also has a small guitar but it's just sitting idle in the corner just like her keyboard now. Since I play a little bit of guitar, I am kinda' hoping she'll pick that to learn. I even showed her some exciting Fender Guitars online hoping it will somehow make her more interested with the instrument but no. Her Dad really wants her to learn to play at least one instrument. Hopefully she'll make up her mind sooner or later. It doesn't matter when since I know it's never too late to learn how...

That's how long my 'Nanay' has been gone. I still think about her regularly especially lately. I wasn't around when she went. I was hudreds of miles away...a plane ride away....when she departed. I was devastated to say the least but after seeing what I saw this past couple of weeks, I am rather relieved that she went the way she did. Quickly...even if I wasn't around. She was never bedridden. She was confined and couldn't go anywhere without assistance but she could walk around. As a matter of fact, she was still mobile on the day she died. Above all, I'm glad she didn't need any pain medications to get her through each breath. So today, I'm thinking about her and how much I miss her. For now, I'll just say a prayer or two for her and hope that one day when it's my time to go, I'll see her [and my Tatang] again. Wherever that is...

In a sense that's what happens to hubby's grandparents' pets, a dog and a cat. They both passed on recently, within weeks of each other, and their pets are temporarily staying with family. When we visited their house two weeks ago, their dog was still in their house. It's an old dog so it's been using one of those orthopedic dog beds for a while now. Hubby's uncle who is staying at their house taking care of the pets asked if we want to adopt the dog and/or the cat. We of course said no. The little one took a liking to it but we just can't have pets right now. Maybe in the future we will have one, not just now. Anyway, last I heard the cat may have found a home so it's only the dog that needs one now.

I must say...STILL! I tried my wedding dress and it still fits. It's a little tight on some areas but I was able to get into it nonetheless. It's not really a wedding dress. It's a sequined white dress that had to be altered to fit me. Anyway, I tried it on today for fun and I was surprised it still fits...and that I'm even able to get into it. I showed it to the little and she said she likes it. She said she may even wear it some day...haha! No we're not going to get married again. I just came across the dress while I was looking for a dress to wear for something this weekend. Maybe I should just wear my old wedding dress. LOL....nah, I don't think it fits the occasion.

Hubby's older brother and his wife don't have any children. I'm not sure if it's by choice or not but there is no chance that they'll have any biological children anymore. But even if that's the case, they have been some kind of adoptive parents to the son of one of their friends. My sister in law was even the one who helped his Dad look for alcohol treatment programs when son needed to enter in one a few years ago. I only met this young man a few times and I can tell that he really treats my in laws like his second parents because he would go with them when they take out of town trips. I guess that's one of the reasons why my in laws are not really longing for a child of their own. I just hope they will still be part of this young man's life even after he has his own family.

P-I-Z-Z-A! Yep, something sinful. We only order pizza once in a blue moon. This time, it's some kind of a treat for the little one. Why? She was asking me a few days ago why we haven't ordered pizza in a while. I told her because we're trying to cut on the not so healthy foods. She said she really wants to eat pizza and left it at that. I didn't think much about it after that. Yesterday while we were visiting hubby's Grandma at the hospice, hubby's sister asked if the little one wanted to go with her to pick up her granddaughter. She said yes so off they went. While she was at their place, they offered her pizza which they were having for lunch. She politely said no and asked if they had any granola bars instead. They didn't so she ended up with a yogurt instead. When they went back to the hospice she didn't tell us about this incident but my SIL did. She said it was kinda' surprised that the little one would say no to pizza. I guess she remembered...

If you can relate, please raise your hand. I'm sure you can. It doesn't look like there's any change in sight anytime soon. I thought gas price was on the down already since there was that short period when it was coming down already. Then it started climbing up again. It's like that saying: one step forward, 2 steps back, well, more like 5 steps back. The price can go up tens of cents overnight but it takes weeks if not months for it to come down by a few cents. It's just plain cray-cray. It's at times like this I'm glad I don't drive. At least I don't have to deal with gas prices directly.

The temperature is in the 60s right now but Mr. Sun smiling down at us. It seems our weather people are not going to miss this time around. We have no plans of going anywhere today but the hubs is currently at the car dealership because our car needs some TLC. Hopefully they'll be able to take care of it ASAP so we can enjoy this wonderful weather outside of the house. While I'm busy typing away here, the little one is in her bedroom cleaning...I think. I can hear blaring music so I'm pretty sure it's mostly singing & dancing than cleaning. I'm going in there in a few to see how much cleaning has been done. Sometimes she stays in one spot for an hour wiping because her attention is not in the cleaning but in the music. Oh well...at least she's cleaning.

Yep, the most awaited day of the week is upon us...on this side of the globe anyway. If the weekend forecast is to be believed, we will have a GORGEOUS weather. But we're talking about mother nature here so that remains to be seen. Normally, I'm looking forward for the weekend to come. This weekend...not really. The reason being...SPRING FORWARD. That would be this coming Sunday. That means we have to adjust our clocks an hour forward at 2 AM on Sunday. So if I wake up at 8 AM on Sunday, that's actually the "future 7 AM" of that Sunday and so on and so forth. Next week will be equally tough as far as adjusting to this new time is concerned. I'm sure it will take more than a week to get used to it but what choice do I have. Hopefully, I'll be able to adjust to it sooner rather than later.

One of my favorite past times online is checking virtual maps. I guess the husband somehow got me into it since he likes using them to locate some properties for sale. I have a different reason though for using them. I usually look at famous people's houses using these virtual maps. Some of them I know because they're usually in the tabloids but some houses are owned by people I've never heard of like martin hanaka . I just stumbled on his 'house' using a virtual map while I was checking out something else. What can I say, it's fascinating to see how big their houses are even just from an earial point of view. I also check ours from time to time as well as some people I know personally. As a matter of fact I have this friend who told me to look for his friend's house using a virtual map. Why? Because when the picture of his friend's house was taken for the map, my friend was in it. He was parked in front of the house unloading stuff when it happened. The...

I just can't get used to using my tablet. I've had it for a few months now...4 months to be exact but I can't seem to use it like a computer...or a laptop. Hubby got it for me so I won't have to drag my laptop with me when I'm in the bedroom. That's fine by me since it's convenient. The only thing is I don't really use the thing for anything else but watching You Tube or Netflix. Well, I also browse some sites like FB and Yahoo but not as much as I would if I'm on my lappy. Anyway, I don't really see the point of owning one actually. But it's a gift so I just accepted it. I guess it's also my fault because I didn't really put up much of a fight when I was asked if I wanted it for my birthday. Hopefully I'll get used to it before the next 'it' gadget comes out and I'm talked into getting one again.

My high school has come a long way since I graduated. I remember there were only 5, maybe 6 buildings when I was going there. We didn't have an auditorium per se so everything was done in the covered court. Today, the school has several buildings added to it including, yes, an auditiorum. The ground is also well kept and there are now alot of places around the campus where students can go to mingle and study. Every year, they add something new. This year, they're improving the soccer/baseball/softball field. They are in the process of putting up bleachers so I sent my friend the link for aluminumbleachersdirect.com for aluminum bleachers  just in case they're still looking for bleachers. My friend works as an accountant of the school right now and she oversees budget and all thefinancial stuff of the school. With that being said, I'm sure she's always looking for ways to spend the school's money wisely so she needs as many choices when it comes to buying major s...

I have been quiet here. I just don't have the urge to blog much these days. I guess the weather may have something to do with it? It's been very unpredictable as usual so we're mostly indoors the last couple of weekends. We also had to attend to some family matters in the last couple of weeks. It's not 'us' directly but family members. We've lost contact for a while but due to some sad events, we somehow got reconnected. For how long? Only time can tell.

I am always on the lookout for places that sell textbooks online . This is because I homeschool the little one. As as result, we have to buy all of the textbooks that she needs for school ourselves. Needless to say, it's not cheap. Brand new textbooks are very expensive so I've been scouring the internet for used textbooks most of the time. Fortunately, there are a lot of places that do that. Textbooks are only used for a year so a lot of times if the user is careful, the books stay in great condition. The ones I bought online are in great shape that I can probably sell them as well once the little one is done with them. Or maybe I can just donate them at goodwill.

That was the plan last weekend...but it didn't happen. Thanks to Mama Nature. Contrary to what the weather people predicted, it wasn't nice at all as far as the weather was concerned last weekend. It drizzled on both days and the temperature was nowhere near the perfect one they predicted. But that's her prerogative, right? So instead of canoeing, we just ran some errands and visited a family member. As for this weekend. No can do again because it's a bit chilly to go canoeing. We also have to attend something so it's just not in the plan. Maybe next week? Anyway, for more pictures of this park that we visited a few weekends ago, please visit my other blog . Have a great weekend!