A Walk Through Life

I've been meaning to write a gratitude post for every good deed or random act of kindness I've experienced from people. I know I have missed out on a few lately. However, I'm sure that the people I owe my gratitude to knew that I'm sincerely thankful and grateful for all the things they have done for me and my family. Often, I am grateful for all these because they came at a perfect time that we could really use some help. What's so touching about this is that they don't really have to do them but they did. Certainly, it is the Lord that works in them!

Have you been thinking about doing some home improvement lately, hoping to get more inspiration from the sight of a beautiful home? If you ask me, a well-lighted home is a very good home improvement in itself. In fact, I just happened to know one person in the neighborhood who is also practically doing this for additional income. He can really do wonders in your home just by changing and picking the right lights according to your preference. If you can't decide what's best for your personality or your home, he can also do it and come up with a lot of options for you. If you don't want to repaint the entire house for lack of time and you want to make a good impression on your upcoming guest, you can definitely do the trick by playing with the lights and perhaps by also re-arranging the furniture a little bit. Man, you have to meet this neighbor of ours. Very recently, I saw the pictures he posted on Facebook and I shared them on my wall/timeline. A friend of mine saw them an...

Here comes December! Things are going fast, huh! We didn't realize it until invitations to Christmas parties from friends kept coming today. Wow, should we go to all of these parties in the spirit of Christmas? Hopefully, we can, especially if schedule and budget will permit. Speaking of Christmas, I decided to buy the traditional lanterns because they're quite affordable than the ones made of Capiz shells which are sold between one thousand to thousand pesos, although I originally wanted the latter to grace our home this Christmas. However, I wanted to be able to save a little bit more from the decoration expenses for our gift-giving activities; thus, we somehow ended up getting frugal with Christmas decorations. We intend to add Christmas outdoor lights later to be one with our neighbors in keeping the spirit of Christmas alive.

To say that my dad loves listening to music is an understatement. I fully remember he doesn't just want to enjoy and listen to music alone; he wants us (members of the family) and the neighborhood (sometimes) to listen to it as well. Good thing, he's not playing those ear-breaking types as he loves to listen to old and classic songs. More than anything else on his playlist, I kind of dig his love for Beatles. This is why I wasn't the least worried when he got himself a new amplifier some years ago because I believe his choice of music is still cool. I have yet to find out from him though if his amplifier still works fine as I learned some of his appliances and gadgets got wet when water got inside the house at the height of the strong typhoon. Anyway, as soon as I find out his need to get a new one, I will let my brothers know as this fall under their budget department. LOL. :-)

Quite pleased to see our malunggay tree still standing up after strong winds tried to break it or pin it down. Resilience is such a big word these days after that great typhoon Yolanda. That's how people in other countries would describe us Filipinos. Perhaps that's what they really see in us, or maybe that's also their way of trying to motivate those who almost have nothing left with them to move forward. Just like that resilient malunggay, we can get up again after we've been battered by a lot of storms in life. As long as our Maker still wants us to be here, we know there are still a lot of things we have to go through. However good or bad anyone's situation is, let us not forget that everything happens for a reason. There definitely is a purpose for everything.

The other day, a friend shared with me her problem with their electricity bill lately. It appears that they're paying thrice the amount that we are paying on a monthly basis, although their provider is from a different electric company. Moreover, we cannot really compare the amount they are paying for electricity over ours because we also do not have the same monthly consumption. She said they're paying such an exorbitant amount considering that there are only four of them living in the house (the hired help included). However, when she mentioned that they are using motorized water pump for their water needs, I told her maybe that's the reason why their electric consumption is so high. I suggested that since they've been using their pumps for many years, they might want to have it checked for problems. She also acknowledged they've been having technical problems with it lately. A lot of times they would need to call a repairman to fix it and get it to ...

When I learned that the company I work for chose to organize relief mission in Medellin, Cebu, I felt very happy. It's not that other towns/provinces affected by Typhoon Yolanda are less worthy of receiving help because I knew a lot of areas really need all the help they can get. However, this town is quite special to me because that's the town where my dad is. As far as their specific area is concerned, dad told me that they're okay - only that houses needed repair and their electrical wiring needed to be cleared so that they can have electricity back. It was also good to know that their company offered to release half of their 13th month pay but only if they wish to. I would have wanted to go with the troop when they went there on a Saturday but I have a work deadline to meet that day, so it seemed imperative to stay behind and just go with them in spirit. :-) Although I already knew they're not going to be at the barangay where my dad belongs, I am still very h...