Merry Chritmas to all!

I have been so excited with Christmas that I have neglected to show off my humble but proud christmas tree that I am so happy to decorate yearly. I love it so much that i have to have it again much earlier next year. I put it up only on the second week of December.

What are my wishes??? How about you? It is a great feeling to make a wish and imagine and hope for it to come true. I sure wish I  have more than a million dollars and and a family whom I can share it with. And  to survive all the trials and tribulations that the use of money can create.

My beloved time of the year is the Christmas season...a day is not enough for me to spend Christmas. It is the

the most wonderful feeling and  is not just to  give and  receive but be  amongst the loveones who truly care and honestly love us. The ones who had given me scars yet because of the lessons are the ones that healed me,too... effectively and spiritually.

May YOU all be Blessed and Be Merry this Christmas and a Prosperous and Peaceful New Year!

Congratulations to Efren Peñaflorida for winning the 2009 CNN HERO OF THE YEAR AWARD!

Thank you all to those who voted for EFREN...HE IS THE CNN HERO OF THE YEAR WINNER!!!

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/archive09/efran.penaflorida.html

Check out this great in-store deal from Canadian Tire on Non-slip and other hangers in SCARBOROUGH, ON

These hangers are really great in saving space. I use the older wooden hanger from old Eatons or ones that came from danier for the wider shoulders such as the suits and jackets.


Check out this great in-store deal from Canadian Tire on Non-slip and other hangers in SCARBOROUGH, ON

10 Ways to Cut Clutter in Your Home

10 Ways to Cut Clutter in Your Home


I am reminding myself...again.

I am a clumsy (unorganized) mom and i am really struggling...i know i am doing better yet i really need to keep at it.
Thanks to articles like these.....it helps to know that I am not alone and that I have hope.

VOTE THE PHILIPPINES HERO!

YOU CAN VOTE AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!!!MAKE HIME WIN AND HELP MORE KIDS READ/ WRITE AND AVOID CHOOSING GANGS AS ONLY WAY OF LIFE!

Going GREEN...

I just bought this Earth Chef this morning at Zellers for $99.99. I cook fast in this kind of pan.I love the lids and handles...so ergonomically nice to handle. My older ones can retire.

I have been wanting to have earth friendly pots and pans and this is the best deal i have seen. I have been using the frying pan for almost a year now and i just love this one brand. If we are mostly eating organics, no/less fat and have this crappy apartment oven....then this is the best partner for our family lifestyle. I want a lot of my everyday chores be easier and wiser done...having this is one of them. Sale ends tomorrow...so grab yours asap.

Swine flu spreads, but still mostly mild

My son is staying home with fever and researched flu symptoms and it's prevention. I found this article and thought I must share it with everyone who is concern like me.

Swine flu spreads, but still mostly mild

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Corrected, Helped and Assisted

I attended the The Scarborough Writers Club again this Past Wednesday after being inactive for about five years . I hugged Eugenie, she is the head and blood of the group and without her continuous love of writing and devotion to the club, our group would have not survive especially in winter time. I excitingly hugged the two guys whom i usually attended to all those times...Frank and Ron.

Ron red his 9th novel....at least the end of it. It is a ghost-mystery story and the fluidity is written allover it. I just wished it has more impact and heart dropping ending whether good or bad. Just my thought. Frank is as usual...he told me he don't remember things and people. He red his poem which is quirky and beautifully phrased as well. I am so proud of them and happy to hear their work again.

I met with a couple of lovely octogenarian beauties. Kitty is a lovely peachy sweet lady who writes poems for her husband long gone. She red it with smile and little nervous but proud voice. It was after all from her stack of old papers turned yellow and ripped form and old notebook. She wrote that poem when was still alive. I think it's just so sweet.

Then there is Margo ( not sure if I spelled them right). She is an 88 year fashionable lady with her very cherry red soft stole and cleavage slightly peaking. She is writing sort of a memoir. She said she is writing her story since all her kids had died or left her(?) already. She moved from a 12 bedroom home and now staying in a smaller place in Pickering. There will be more interesting "happenings" I would be interested to hear from her and Kitty. Their stories maybe juicier and more interesting than ordinary.

I will try to take photos next time. I thought it will be timely to ask this as a birthday present so they won't shy away from my snapping fingers. I am glad to meet them all...and I hope to come back again soon. and be criticized so that my writing will finall make sense to all.

Changing Season of Choices, Hopes & Reasons to be EXCITED again!

It is September and it's slowly getting colder. I haven't even enjoyed the Summer yet I don't mind the cooler and fresher feel of breeze on my walk to work. I feel more liberated when I know my surrounding is changing. I feel like flying in different direction, like a bird looking to get settle on a new nest.

I am contemplative again of how fast days go by. I have to polish up my whole self more as I age more. I am reflective on many things around me and I thank God that I am mostly surrounded by caring people. I love the fact that I chose a lot of good company over the years and good friends that are solid on me. I have had a relationship with a wonderful partner that made it really difficult to look around and find another one... yet moving on is natural like the changing seasons.

My son tells me that I will find a good guy who will truly love and care for me and for them, too.

I will pray for more strength and peace in me before asking for another husband or partner. I can sustain my own joy and confidence yet a partner is one great experience to share my laughter and dreams with and that if I fall, I am not haplessly struggling to get up and ran again.

Autumn is my most loved time of the year.It gives me the fiery energy from it's beautiful concoction of changing colors. The lipstick reds and rusty oranges, the chocolate browns, they are the colors that invites me to change again for the better. That, what is past must FALL and be excited of the change as I treat the fallen wishes and dreams as an opportunity to make new ones , create a new beginning and be excited for the new journey.

Like seasons that change, my perspective and hopes has change. I believe I succumb to much consumerism in the last 7 years. I am still frugal yet I think my collection of shoes made me not proud of poor decisions that stuffed the void in my life with matters of unimportant. They are not extravagant in prices nor made me crawl to pay for them yet i felt trapped in that 'feel good' in accumulating those fashion pieces. Funny, how I falsely elevated my confident walk in life with possession of new shoes.

I have just enrolled on short Interior Design Course and attend my Wednesday's club I used to belong. I am now not wasting my time daydreaming of prince charming and counting my future Lotto wins. I can buy shoes now without guilt as it is not a void filler, anymore. This education and me going back to my artsy life is very filling...and fulfilling.

This is my time to clean up my unruly acts. Be braver in the midst of change. Choosing a partner to be, with compassionate and loving heart for my kids, is a gift I am willing to pray,wish and wait for. Having sweet loyal friends and caring family around is helping me express more creatively and learn the artful way of dealing and solving my miscarriage of trust and judgement to others.

Truly, I am like a bird looking to nest somewhere safer and loved. Looking out for new garden to sing gleefully with love and care... and maybe find a pair of shoes that finally fits good.

Magna Carta of Women finally a law - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

I am so happy for this!



Magna Carta of Women finally a law - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

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MY OWN...

I love writing. I express what can not be by just saying it. There is more to my soulful perceptions and navigation of life's unfolding reality, hopes, lies and truths. I am deeply connected in writing and that the person who reads it may be transported not to somnolent state but to the realm of what being alive feels for me... whether they agree or not yet understand more without asking, without more judgment, without convictions of my weakness and ignorance.

I am just a regular human being with real pulchritude and complex way of enjoying simplicity. I write what my spirit dictates...what my heart aches...what my mind reads...that someone will see more than the physique that is present, that they will feel grace through the eloquence of my thoughts. Flummox by my ramblings or not...I know my readers heart are no innocent in it's spears and non minatory phrases.

Just as my kids gifted title comes partly from allowing them mellifluous creativity without restrictions as part of the discovery that they can do amazingly unique than others who are scared and stunted with fear of expression.

I am still learning and so does everyone else. I am born with this unique thinking and feeling of 'things'. Thinking against the norm ,most of the time though has it's struggles and trying times though now I understand why people think I am weird at times.My brain uses the energy of the ever spiritual part of it's conscience and the sweet sinful things it thrives on pleasure... with all it's GODLY intent hanging over it's head.

The reality is only a concept of how I see and look at it... and mine is a mystifying artful forms and colors of energy that I, at times, won't agree on yet carefully and willingly dance through it's unseen power that either can make or break me. My writing and blogging is just a breath of it all...more word, more feeling and more questions....all, my own.

The Chase... Last Night...

Last night...I continue the chase
to a dream of life in bliss
with you...blessed and content
flowers withered with pride
the grass ..cut with honor
the harvest were all abundant in color
the cloud is clearer and bluer....

Last night.. I remembered the chase
when you loved me more
and my fantasy fulfilled
always abundant in hopes
time and again feeling explored
wishes seems to come true
and the real one, my heart, has found

Last night... I surrendered the chase
when I slept alone
in my dreamland of tears and fears
clasping hope to get away
from the pain and empty waits
alone in the dark i wept
this chase...i learned is such a waste.

Have You Analyzed ME?

Sometimes you can start analyzing a person by just reading their thoughts, beliefs and anything they tend to follow or start in their life. I think I am most vulnerable when I write how I feel and think at the moment those passages were inked. I am raw…my emotions are highly sensitive and at times contradictory. I can be opinionated, very much assured and confident. At times, I can be weak, helpless and clueless. These are emotions that can be fleeting and the essence of what I as a person is bringing in my journey of learning . It is what makes me… ME in the long run. The feelings of the situations I confess about are the water that makes me grow…what I do with it rewards me with maturity and strength to blossom into a well being capable of greater love, forgiveness and understanding.

I would have not have the fortitude to move on sans my writing. It is a part of my emotional journey thru divorce, single parenthood and broken friendships.

This blog is a post of all those heartaches and some victories. My being a parent will remain and new friendships will blossom and be nurtured. There is more to write,to learn and to share. I am happy to teach, to express and to spread the good words, good deeds and good blessings thru my blog. My life’s walks are best journeyed with people who cares and who wants to see me thru all my trials in life…and in return helps them see themselves in my shoes at times. I encourage you to look at those passages where you just don’t hear me but see other people you may know dealing and doing where I am at that moment. It could be you . We are all different but we are the same human with feelings and thoughts that creates our actions and reactions to any given event we are facing.

I encourage you to write your own blog. It’s an online diary of your emotions that your family can read. They will understand you more and may reach out when needed. You friends can take a look at how you are presently doing with your studies, family or lovelife. Blogging is pure. It is the part of the life we are living… full of joys and tears and all in between.

It's just MONEY !

There is something about the possession of wealth which is not good for the soul, perhaps. It places artificial value upon secondary things. A man losing a million metal tokens will put a revolver to his temple and pull the trigger. But he has lost nothing but money. He has deprived himself of life because misfortune has deprived him of luxuries. –Clarence Budington Kelland, The American Magazine

I have this updated...

please read!!!

http://helensrealblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/unnhappiness-fear-of-not-fitting-in-by.html

Where did “Easter” get its name? Where did the concept of an Easter egg and bunny originate?

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=what+is+the+origin+of+easter%3F&page=1&qsrc=0&ab=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christiananswers.net%2Fq-eden%2Fedn-t020.html

Food Served Artfully

False and Urban Legend Stories

You know those forwarded emails with scary messages?
Find it here in snopes.com and learn what is real or not.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/lipstick.asp

Don't get scared quickly, use your gut feelings and smarts before jumping into a frantic move.
Sometimes it pays to think about it, it's origin and your friends who are as gullible as me(lol).
I am gullible and i admit to believing what other person would say...yet I will think about it then research and ask around afterwards. Just because I have learned that people can be as innocent,ignorant or just plain not knowing like me when it comes to these urban legends.

Let's get smarter!!!

Be brave in changing your life

…and everything will be fresh and renewed energy will be more exhilarating to celebrate.

It is your life and no one can change it deliberately right now but you.

Choose a better path to walk and be brave to be uncomfortable and be loss in the newness of what can be the best thing that you have been waiting and wishing for. There is a prize waiting for you and you have to claim it after the fact.

When something is not working for you, change how you feel about it and how you do things around it. It is a matter of being confident and brave in making decisions. Failing is but what happened only because you forgot to be prepared in the downturn and stopped trying…failings are for those who never learn and never changed what they can.

Believe that there is more to you and your life is more than the redundancy of your boring daily schedules and chores. Life is what you make of it not what others expect you to be,to do and to know. Don’t wait for somebody to change your life but be the somebody you long to be,you long to know and believe. Only you can be that inspiration and the bridge to cross for a much needed self mastery and change.

Be prepared for another chapter. Life is a better read with one interweaving story of love, faith and decisions that changes the course of your own history.

Be Brave and Change!!!

words to live by | Edit |

Unnhappiness & the Fear of not Fitting In by Gail Vaz-Oxlade

Social pressure to conform isn't in your imagination. It’s real.

If it’s such common sense to only spend what you can afford, why do so many people spend money they don’t have – use credit, in other words – to buy things they want?

Think about it for a minute? Why did you whip out your credit card and pay for that meal in a restaurant, pair of new shoes, or groceries? Why did you buy that big screen TV on a buy-now-pay-later program? Why did you use your line of credit to pay off your credit card? Be honest. Why?

People want to maintain lifestyles they can’t afford. Whether it is the social pressure to conform, our own sense of entitlement, or a disregard for the potential risk we place ourselves in when we use credit to buy STUFF, we’re delusional.

There are actually people out there who believe that using credit is “normal”, that it’s what they should be doing. After all, their parents did it, their brother’s doing it, so is their best friend. In fact, most of the people they know are doing it.

It’s as if people are afraid to just be. They have to drive the right car, go on an annual cruise, have new leather furniture, watch a high-definition, big-screen television, eat out three or four times a week, drink the best Scotch, or consume store-bought coffee every day. And they’re willing to exchange hours, days, months, years of peace of mind for the momentary high that comes with the new acquisition. Whazzup with that?

Social pressure to conform isn't in your imagination. It’s real. But if you submit, if you’re willing to live a life of smoke and mirrors, if you want it ALL right NOW, then you need to accept that you’re creating a miserable life for yourself. It’s only a matter of time before the piper comes a’knocking.

One way to gain some perspective is to ask yourself (and your partner) what it is you really want in life. If you only had six months left on this sweet earth, what would you want to be doing? Would you be shopping for new furniture? Would the kind of car you drive really make a difference? How about the handbag you’re carrying?

I often talk to my daughter, Alex, about how important it is to live a worthwhile life: A life that brings challenge and love, that allows you to share, to laugh, and to be happy.

So, what are the things that make your life worthwhile? And what are you doing to put more of the things that make you happy into your life?

Want a great book to read on happiness. Read The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt, Associate Professor of Psychology University of Virginia. Terrific book. Lots of great ideas on what makes us happy and what you can do to be happier.

If you love your life (as opposed to your stuff), relish the time you spend working, look forward to seeing the people you share your space with, and feel as if you’re making a difference, I don’t think the kind of car you drive, whether you have a big-screen TV, or how often you eat in a fancy restaurant will mean much. If you can focus on creating the life you want, taking small steps to achieve your goals and finding a way to laugh while you’re doing it, I’m willing to bet you won’t even miss your credit cards.

As Jonathan Haidt’s website (www.happinesshypothesis.com) says, "Happiness is not the shallow state of feeling pleased and chipper all the time. Happiness is the state of a human being that has achieved cross-level coherence within herself, and between herself and the people, challenges, and institutions around her. Happiness comes from between."

TILL DEBT do US PART , Gail-Vaz Oxlade

________________________________________

I think we all owe it ourselves to choose more the joys of breathing and living everyday even with pain and trials and other problems. Life is short..live it kindly, love and laugh!

Other articles that explains more clearly about the Conformity

http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/conformity.html

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm a

Money Managing Tree Hugging Self-Knower

BURGLARY

Last Week of Monday...my apartment has been burglarized. My bedroom has been trashed and all the money and jewelleries on that room were gone.

What did I lost?
Piggy banks money..lots of it...big beatuful expensive jewelries...UNINSURED.

How did I feel?
Lost energy, my knees are like jello...am barely talking.

Police went and came next day because according to him there is not enough cruiser car from previous night. He got some info ,no fingerprinting in the premises and sent me a wrong case number next day.

I did not cry. I did not whine. I did not make a big thing out of it.
I am stronger that I could ever thought I can be and that unfortunate incident made me learn that I am truly unattached to stuff. I have lost at least $10,00 worth of goods and money and I am not feeling depressed and taken by that loss.
I know more now that I am what I preach and that I have reached that higher level of tolerance to material stuff. I am not a slave to the things I love to buy and wear.It is merely an expression of style and outer beauty. It is just a comforting material to own or to know that i own but not real gem for my whole being. I have lost many many many things,money and opportunities.
I have forgiven and forgotten.

I am not allowing that thief to ruin my life and attitude in life. Yes, life sucks most of the time but you gotta' love how we learn from it and enjoy what's left. I am tested many times. I have been hurt deeply. I have been used, neglected and fooled yet I am still genuinely celebrating the life that I have in my own way.

I am calm,collected and at peace ...with this power in me I have never lost anything at all.
Just like what my favorite quote says "Complete possession is proved only by giving. All you are unable to give possesses you.-Andre Gide".

More quotes i have found that hopefully can help all of you in these materialistics time on earth.

Riches do not delight us so much with their possession, as torment us with their loss.
Dick Gregory (1932 - )

Every increased possession loads us with new weariness John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

Some has been fulfilled...and

still fulfilling...
Green letters are now improved,fulfilled and made

Red numbers happens on and off

others are still work in progress....

MY NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS OR IMPROVEMENT AGENDA

2009

1. Be sweeter to my boys.
2. Stop talking too much
3. When offended & ignored do not retaliate by inflicting hurtful insults.
4. Be happier..for myself and others.
5. Be more responsible
6. Do not blame others.
7. Make a no-complaint days
8. Call mom or kids once a month
9. Be more forgiving
10. Get more sleep
11. Rekindle or create new fun hobbies
12. Change hairstyle/look
13. Go out and meet new people
14. Forget the past
15. Be the best I can Be
16. Dance and sing again
17. Learn new language
18. Stop being gullible,be assertive and mean what I say
19. Have family meeting once a week
20. Play guitar,trumpet or keyboard more often to learn more
21. Clean up and redecorate the whole house
22. Genuinely love and care those people who cares and love me truly
23. Give more
24. Accept defeat and be strong
25. LIVE LIFE and LIVE IT GOOD!

I wish this could be better and I wish my kids and loveones will support me for the changes

that I require myself for a better me.

YOUR SIMPLE LIFE

Your Simple, Organized and Carefree Life
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Bsq8Z&m=1h9dWlxxIurpYX&b=W4cjwpv7G1fT4LukHdWzcg

What would it be like if your life was simple, organized, and carefree?

1. Mind set: What does organized, simple, and carefree mean to you? After deciding to simplify your lifestyle, the next step is choosing the definition of the words. I looked up these terms in the dictionary and all of them have many different definitions. For example simple means: easy to understand, not elaborate or artificial, not ornate or luxurious, unaffected, not complicated or complex, sincere, not sophisticated, or naïve. Organized means: to form into a whole from parts, to systemize, to give organic structure, to combine into an organization, or to arrange into a desired pattern or structure. Carefree means: without anxiety or fear, requiring little care, free of worries and responsibilities. So what do these terms mean to you?

2. Identify your priorities, values, and goals both long term and short term: Everyone feels differently about their life priorities. For many of us, it might be our job, possibly career advancement, our family and friends, good health, community involvement, among others. So it is very important to determine what is most important to you. Keep in mind your personal values and also your goals for the future. Always think ahead and at the big picture.

3. Evaluate how you spend your time: Do your priorities match up with your time? One way to check this out is to list your top 4 or 5 priorities and then take a schedule and map your time out for one week. Is there any overlap between the schedule and your list? If not it might be time to look at re-evaluating your time and whether some of the things you are doing are really valuable.

4. Begin simplifying an area of your life: Start small and with one area of your life that will allow you more breathing room and space. It might be your wardrobe which could be streamlined, too much media distractions, your kitchen or meal planning are just simple areas that could be updated. Other areas include paperwork, bill paying, editing closets and drawers, or organizing a room or area within your house that particularly bothers you or takes up too much of your time.

5. Create a personal sanctuary: Everyone needs a space of their own in which they can relax and refresh. It should be a room or even a corner of a room that is your own personal escape. It might be a big comfy chair for reading or even the bathtub for soaking in a nice bubble bath. It should be an area you can retreat to and your family and friends must respect your right to privacy to enjoy sometime with just yourself. Make sure you love it and that it is comfortable--big comfy pillows and throws, pictures and paintings, plant life, and some candles.

6. Live simply, be frugal and maybe even become a minimalist: It simply comes down to the rule 'don't let your stuff own you.' How much stuff does one family or one person need or use? Do you have too much stuff? Do your life, mind, and space feel cluttered? Are you living outside your means because you buy too much? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, re- evaluate all the stuff cluttering your life that is preventing you from living a simple life.

7. Live healthy: Remember to take care of your body, since you only get one in a lifetime. Make time for exercise, healthy food, plenty of rest, and water (the necessities of life). You may be surprised if you follow these 4 simple guidelines how much better you may feel, how much less you may get sick, and your how much your health may improve.

8. Find your inner peace: Living simply is not just about your personal space but also about your mindset and your heart. Live honestly, help others, and be the person you truly want to be. Allow yourself to live life to the fullest. This might mean taking a hard look at yourself and your life. Are you the person you want to be or have things gotten out of control? Find your control and be the person you want to be.

9. Find something you love and do it: Everyone needs to find a creative outlet and something they enjoy doing and can be good at. There is a wide variety of choices that can be made here including gardening, painting, sculpture, and writing, flower arranging, knitting, or sewing among a wide variety of other choices.

Regardless of your definitions of living simply, carefree, and organized, there are always ways you to improve. Remember it is not instantaneous and will take time, but it is possible for everyone.

Learn more from
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=Bsq8Z&m=1h9dWlxxIurpYX&b=W4cjwpv7G1fT4LukHdWzcg

HOW CAN I ????

How can I make those things happen?

1 FOCUS
2. Believe
3. Remember

Think,meditate and pray on it!!! Anything less is futile. I think one of the most crucial thing to do is to be flexible and maintain humor. I can not be angry to myself if I slipped and made some mess.
I have to learn to adjust, repeat and try again. Afterall, If i am seriously set on getting all these improvement list settled,done and fulfilled then I should be clever enough to stay positive, hopeful and FOCUSED!
_____________

This weeks chant(meditation)>>> MONEY MONEY COME TO ME...oommmmmm

This weeks affirmation >>> I am happy and I am loved.
I am glowing with hope and beauty inside out.

As Per My Improvement or Resolutions Agenda

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/090101/health/newyear_britain_health

LONDON (AFP) - Making self-improvement New Year's resolutions often leaves people feeling worse, the British mental health charity Mind has warned.
Mind urged people not to make resolutions focusing on physical imperfections -- such as attempting to lose weight -- because they create a negative self image and lead to feelings of low self-esteem, hopelessness and even mild depression.
And when such optimistic resolutions fail, that could spark feelings of inadequacy and failure, the charity warned.
"New Year's resolutions can sometimes focus on our problems or insecurities such as being overweight, feeling unhappy in our jobs or feeling guilty about not devoting enough time to friends and family throughout the year," said Mind chief executive Paul Farmer.
"We chastise ourselves for our perceived shortcomings and set unrealistic goals to change our behaviour, so it's not surprising that when we fail to keep resolutions, we end up feeling worse than when we started.
"In 2009, instead of making a New Year's resolution, think positively about the year to come and what you can achieve."
Mind suggested resolution-makers focus instead on being active, connecting with nature, learning something new and working for one's community.
_______________________________________
I believe that is what exactly my list are ...realistic and easier to achieve as this new year looks positive in many angle of my life.
I am just so glad I'm not smoking, doing drugs or any destructive behavior/addiction, or drinking or these could be in an actual New Years unrealistic ,unachievable and self-torture list of resolutions(i.e. I think, one yr. is not enough time to have this type of vices controlled and stopped).