Lights of Happiness - Part 2

" How often has the Christmas tree

Afforded me the greatest glee!

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!

Much pleasure thou can'st give me. "

So goes the traditional German carol. A Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree. Since Iloilo is glued to a tropical country where there is a dearth of real evergreens, we have to make do with the artificial ones. Yes, the kind you buy in a store downtown or the mall. The one we place inside our homes and painstakingly decorate it with all the trinkets and love we can find. Well, all the money you can spare if you'd like it to look professionally done.

Lights of Happiness - Part 1

It's the cool and crisp evening air. 

It's the chaotic traffic of cars and shoppers everywhere. 

It's the sound of carols that you often hear. 

It's the twinkling lights of Yuletide cheer.

The Christmas season is definitely on us. Right after they kept the candles and took down the Halloween decor.  To each his own way of enjoying the holidays. Endless parties. Bonuses. Gift checks. Exchange gifts. White gifts. And all the gifts in between.

Damires On My Mind

The whirring sound of the pulleys alerted the people of an oncoming rider. Some have their cameras ready. Others hoist their kids up for a better view. Then the rider zips by. A few break into a cheer but most go back to whatever they were doing - either eating, drinking, swimming, singing or strolling. It's a typical weekend at Damires Hills Tierra Verde, a leisure farm resort in the hinterlands of Janiuay, Iloilo.

Milestones

When I typed in today's blog title, I didn't know that there is more to the word than just the usual very important events in one's life. I researched it (Google of course!) and found this charming piece about the Seven Milestones of Life. According to this article, I'm somewhere in my 4th milestone but the actual numbers of significant points in my life exceed it. Here's an excerpt of Ma Vie:

Striding Down A Different Path

While walking along the usual path of life, a rock made me stumble and almost fall. Letting out a string of expletives (that's !@#$%^&* when written) I kicked the offending piece of the earth's crust out of the way. It flipped under a shrub, and glinted! Strange. And curious. Of course, we know that That C (Curiosity! in case you didn't get it) has killed lots of cats before. But it didn't stop me from reaching for the mysterious glinting rock. And once my fingertips touched its jagged smoothness, it just have to roll away. Curiouser. 

Ramblings

I'm trying to do something. Until I figure out what it is, I will be suspended in time.

I tweeted that to a friend just a few hours ago. It is an apt description of my post meridiem today. I already did a hill of laundry. Sent off Kiki to her class. Fixed the room. Then my schedule just cleared! Well, at least for the next three hours. Like the ray of warm afternoon sun after two days of torrential rains and gusty winds. It's nice and balmy outside. The birds are chirping. I'm losing money in the online casino.

A Different Beat

After a lifetime of waiting, my daughter Kiki finally got to perform at the CAP Building Auditorium. And was she ecstatic! Like a reaching for the stars thing. Being the youngest, Kiki usually trails after her older siblings since she learned how to walk. Always trying to squeeze in everything that they do. Wanting to be BIG so she can catch up with them too. And her lifelong ambition to date was to go onstage at CAP Auditorium like her Nana & RG did before.

Make Your Mom & Pop Proud

Ok. I try to avoid stage mom moments but there are just events that I have to preen like a proud peacock. Or pea-hen if you're gender sensitive. Like school report cards. I just have to share it lest I burst with joy!

Trial and Hairror

Life is an endless struggle full of frustrations and challenges, 

but eventually you find a hair stylist you like. ~Author Unknown

This holds true to date in my entire career as a mom. The trip to the hair cutters were always nerve-wracking. Especially when the kids were younger. All three rendered their own versions of caterwauling on the first haircut. Whoever said that kids must have their first haircut right after the first birthday should be heavily fined. (Behind bars or burned at stake is too mean! :) Succeeding trips ranged from bribery, coercion to the downright threat of being grounded for 2 days! Grounded from tv and video games that is.

First Position

Are you a ballet mom? Do you spend your weekend with a ballet class inserted in your precious schedule? I do. So let's talk.

There are a lot of reasons to send your daughter, or son, to an esteemed school of dance. It could be that their school has a program to offer, or you felt that your offspring should learn basic gracefulness, or that you ultimately believe that your child has the talent – inherited or otherwise – that needs to be explored and nurtured for a possible future in the performing arts. Whatever your reasons are, it starts at an unholy weekend hour of 9:00 am, rain or shine.

Lost in the Cosmos

How are your kids doing in school? I bet their least favorite subject is Filipino or Sibika. Worry not! My kids struggled through it too. Or should I stick to the truth and ‘fess up that I was the one who barely survived the intricacies of our national language? The mere mention of those grade school requisites gives me an instant headache! More so when my kids have a project or theme paper due!

Super Delayed Reaction

Okay, it took me more than a year to get down on this. Real life got in the way of my blogging aspirations. Though on the edge of the recesses of my muddled mind, I am aware that I have signed up for this. It still remains on my to-do list but got shoved down the priority ladder more often than not!

The point is I am RE-starting my blog today. I still hope it will grow to fifty or more entries by the end of 2011. I still pray that it will be relevant to at least 20 people in this earth. And I do wish they will let me know it too.

Live. Laugh. Let's get it on!

Summer by Nana. Pastel Crayons. May 2011.