Mick's Money Tree from the City of Pines

"Mama, Mama! Look what I got for you!" I heard my son's excited voice as he walked in the door. 

Two months ago, my youngest son went on a school field trip to Baguio City, also known as "The City of Pines" It is about 251 kilometers (156 miles) north of Metro Manila where we live. Baguio is a city situated on a plateau of the mountainous region of Northern Luzon, and is around 5000 ft above sea level. The weather is always cool all year round, with average temperatures ranging from 15-23C (59-73F).

My son Mick had a big smile on his face while he handed me a pretty little dish garden.

"Mama, this is a Money Tree. Its supposed to bring us good luck. I got it near Mines View Park in Baguio." 

Mick during an early morning hike in Baguio 

"Thank you. It looks lovely," I said.

"I also got a miniature pine tree for Grandma. She will love this!" And he excitedly walks over to his grandmother's house to give her his gift.

Mick has always been the thoughtful little one. He always has something for me and his grandmother every time he returns from a field trip.

And so, the little money tree found its way into our home. Did it bring us money? Hmm.. good question. In some ways I guess it did, not because of "magical powers" but the mere fact of seeing it everyday served as a reminder to be frugal and spend wisely. Maybe that is what its supposed to do. 

My Money Tree. 

Beach Fun

Here I am, on the second to the last day of the year 2013. Spending a quiet time on the beach. Getting some sun in December. Oh the joys of living in the tropics! Sunshine throughout most of the year.

I walk along the shore, feeling the small waves tenderly lapping at my feet. My husband walking alongside with me, hand in hand. I lovingly look up at him and he kisses me ever so tenderly. The children start teasing us, "Ewww! PDA! (Public Display of Attention)," "So mushy!" I wave to them in an effort to let them mind their own business. They seem to understand and the boys paddle away on their surfboards. The daughters are having a good time themselves, the eldest minding her husband and our sweet little granddaughter, and the other, playing cards with her soft spoken boyfriend.

A dream vacation, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, no smog, no noise, no stress.

Night came quickly and we gathered together in front of the bonfire. A few beers, hotdogs and marshmallows, and a lot of stories and laughter. It is close to midnight. We put out the fire and gathered our stuff. We get inside our rented cottage and gave each other the warmest exchanges of "Good night, I love you."

I fall asleep, happy and content.

BUZZZZ....BUZZZZ....BUZZZZZ....

My alarm goes off. What the..?!!! 

REALITY! I wake up and I was back in our house, my alarm still buzzing. Its time for me to get ready for work.

ME AND MY WILD DREAMS.

.

Photo credits: http://www.cabana-cebu.com/images/philippines_sunset.jpg

Nostalgic Trip Down Facebook Lane

During my long holiday weekend, I had the chance to read my past Facebook posts and relived those happy, funny, disappointed, sometimes angry moments. Here are some of the best ones. Enjoy!

• Got the month's supply of prescription drugs at Mercury. I noticed that the pharmacists now have name plates. The usual pharmacist that attends to me had a name plate that read "ONDO". And so good old curious me asked.. "what's your real name? why the nickname ONDO?" And the man said.. "Ma'am, my real name is FACUNDO. I would prefer to be called ONDO than to be called FAC".

• My only regret is that my parents never taught me how to lick ass. If they did, I could have been a CEO of some company by now...

• THE MOST FUNCTIONAL ENGLISH WORD is shit...thats right, shit! You can smoke shit, get shit faced, buy shit, sell shit, lose shit, find shit, tell people 2 eat shit, forget shit, some people know their shit and some have shit 4 brains, there's lucky shits, dumb shits & crazy shit, there's bull shit, horse shit, chicken shit, deep shit, the wrong shit, the right shit & not enough shit, weird shit, scary shit, up shit creek without a paddle & sometimes everything you touch turns 2 shit. You could pass this along if u give a shit or not if you dont give a shit. Hope you have a shit free day but remember ........ Shit Happens!!!  Go on pass this shit on!!! 

• "When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." (Franklin D. Roosevelt)

• "People prefer to follow those who help them, not those who intimidate them." (C. Gene Wilkes)

• I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good, either.

• "Take hold of the light of truth and shine it on the faces of those that hide the darkness of deceit" (Engr. Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada, Tomasino)

• To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, BE NOTHING...

• God has always something for you.. a key for every problem, a light for every shadow, a relief for every sorrow, a plan for every tomorrow.

• Another sunrise, another day. One more chance to pray for God's guidance today.

• "Ambivalence about family responsibilities has a long history in the corporate world."  (Rosabeth Kanter)

• What's the difference between "sick of working" and "sick but working"? The first means "burned out," and the second means "crappy attendance policy"

• Just a thought.. On my way to work every night, I noticed that those large, beautiful houses in White Plains, St. Ignatius, and Corinthian Hills look so lonely. There are no lights, there doesn't even seem to have a family living there. I guess there's truth to the saying "IT GETS LONELY AT THE TOP."

• THE BEST OUT OF THE OFFICE REPLY: "I am currently out of the office today with limited access to my email. Rest assured that your email will not be forwarded. Instead, it will be deleted in the order it was received. Thank you."

• SUPPORT BACTERIA. They're the only culture some people have.

• PARADIGM SHIFT: I will no longer look some people as assholes.. from today onwards, they will just be HOLES SURROUNDED BY ASS.

And of course, the "moving on to a new job" inspirational poem that I found on the web:

COMFORT ZONE

I used to have a Comfort Zone

Where I knew I couldn't fail

The same four walls of busy work

Were really more like jail.

I longed so much to do the things

I'd never done before,

But I stayed inside my Comfort Zone

And paced the same old floor.

I said it didn't matter,

That I wasn't doing much

I said I didn't care for things

Like diamonds, furs and such.

I claimed to be so busy

With the things inside my zone,

But deep inside I longed for

Something special of my own.

I couldn't let my life go by,

Just watching others win.

I held my breath and stepped outside

And let the change begin.

I took a step and with new strength

I'd never felt before,

I kissed my Comfort Zone "goodbye"

And closed and locked the door.

If you are in a Comfort Zone,

Afraid to venture out,

Remember that all winners were

At one time filled with doubt.

A step or two and words of praise,

Can make your dreams come true.

Greet your future with a smile,

Success is there for you!

Merry Christmas Daddy

Hi Dad,

I wanted to talk to you today, however, I know that you know how my situation is nowadays. I hope I didn't disappoint you. I'm going to visit again, soon.

I worried about you last night. Is it cold there? It must be such a crappy feeling to be all alone at Christmas. I know that feels. I experienced that. Can't help but cry in a corner. Did you see me long for the warmth of family? I don't want to go through that again. I'm staying put. No more working abroad.

Dad, I wanted to give back some of the blessings I received this year. I made a personal promise to feed a hungry child at Christmas. Guess what? I did not find one single hungry street child. They must have been out caroling. I decided to feed a homeless man instead. I prepared a meal pack containing a slab of grilled pork, some beef steak and potatoes, hot steamed rice and some fruit. I searched the neighborhood for him, I knew he always made a bed for himself in the jeepney waiting shed. When I found him huddled against the wall of the elementary school, I immediately gave him the paper bag with the food in it and said "Merry Christmas! Here's some food for you. C'mon and eat while its still hot." This man looked up at me - the very first time I actually saw his face, and in a very soft voice he said "Thank you." He put the paper bag beside him and fell silent again. I spoke to him once more and said "Please eat." He did not look up anymore. I started walking home after greeting him Merry Christmas one more time. 

I did not know how good it feels to be able to do good to somebody who has nothing in life. Such a small gesture but it feels like I've made a difference in someone's life. Dad, I will be doing this again with every milestone achievement I make in life. I will be paying it forward from now on.

I hope you had a good Christmas where you are. I guess you did. You're with grandma and grandpa, and with your brother and sister. You're at the peak of your health and free from all pain. Most importantly, you are with Jesus and His Choirs of Angels.  I keep forgetting that you are not there in that cold place under the ground. You are with God and all the angels in heaven and that you are watching over us. Your tombstone is just a reminder that you have moved on to a better place.

Merry Christmas, Dad. I love you so much and I terribly, terribly miss you.

Hugs and kisses,

Eileen

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" - Uncovered

On my home from work everyday, I pass by the church to say a little prayer of thanks for the blessings I have received for the day. This particular church, the Pope John Paul II Parish Church (formerly The Holy Family Parish) in Eastwood City is a beautiful little church in the middle of a high end residential and business district.

The Church's foyer has little prayer booklets and reading materials that are given free to parishioners. Yesterday, I picked up a little reading material which really caught my attention. I am sharing it with you.

The Real Meaning of "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

Much more than a haunting melody with nonsensical lyrics, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written by the English Jesuits during the 15th century as a catechetical device.

By Father Edward T. Dowling, S.J. (Source: catholic.net)

I'm sure you have all head the Christmas carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." with its haunting melody. The carol dates back to the 15th century and its precise author is unknown. It has generally been assumed to consist of twelve nonsense verses built around a pretty melody. But in a fascinating article in Our Sunday Visitor (12/20/92), Fr. Gilhooley, a chaplain at St. Mary's College, informs us that the carol was written by the English Jesuits of the 16th century as a catechetical device and it is far from filled with non sensical verses.

The carol is akin to the apocalyptic literature of Scripture that used to obscure symbols to hide its true meaning from the enemy in time of persecution. To understand the background that gave rise to the carol, let us look briefly at the history of Catholicism in the 16th century England.

When Henry VIII was rebuffed by Rome in his bid to divorce Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn, he declared himself head of the Church in England replacing the Pope and demanded that all swear an oath of allegiance to him as such. St. Thomas More, the Chancellor of the Realm, the equivalent of the Prime Minister today, refused the oath supporting the elimination of the Pope's authority and Henry had him publicly beheaded. Catholic convents and monasteries were closed and looted. The situation was worse under his son, Edward VI, and better during the short reign of Catherine's daughter, Mary Tudor. She was succeeded by her half sister Elizabeth I, an ardent Protestant, the daughter of Anne Boleyn. The practice of the Catholic faith was banned. Priests were exiled and forbidden under the pain of death from returning or performing the sacraments. It was a desperate, dreadful time.

With this as a background we can see the need for secrecy and deception 'The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written to educate the faithful in the doctrines of the faith and yet not be so obvious to the persecutors. The numbers are simply a mnemonic to help Catholics remember some basic facts.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" celebrates the official Christmas season which starts liturgically on Christmas Day and ends twelve days later on the Feast of the Epiphany.

"My true love" refers to God and "me" is the individual Catholic. "Twelve lords are leaping" are the twelve basic beliefs of the Catholic Church as outlined in the Apostles Creed. The "Eleven pipers piping" are the eleven Apostles that remained faithful after the treachery of Judas. The "Ten ladies dancing" are the Ten Commandments. The "Nine drummers drumming" are the nine choirs of angels. The "Eight maids a milking" are the Eight Beatitudes. The "Seven swans are swimming" are the Seven Sacraments. The "Six geese are laying" are the 6 days of creation. The "Five Golden Rings" are the first five books of the Old Testament called Torah, which is generally considered the most sacred and important of all the Old Testament. The "Four Calling Birds" are the four Gospels. The "Three French Hens" are the three persons in God. The "Two Turtle Doves" represents the two natures in Jesus - human and divine. The "partridge" is the piece de resistance or Jesus himself and "the pear tree" is the cross.

Fr. Edward Dowling is the author of  Have You Heard the Good News. Reprinted with permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

Say a Prayer for the World this Christmas

Ten days before Christmas and I have come across this video on youtube. It opened up all emotions and tears started flowing down my face. The unspeakable pain of Mary watching her child suffer and not being able to help Him. 

In this Blessed Season, please take a moment away from all the festivities and say a silent prayer of thanks. Through Mary, our Lord Jesus was born to offer His Life to save us from our sins. May we put it in our hearts that in this season of giving, let us share our blessings with the less fortunate. Teach our children to be loving and compassionate towards others.

Keep in mind all those who are far away from their families; the homeless; the orphans; the sick and dying; the victims of war and famine. Say a prayer for the world. 

I am thankful to have been raised a Catholic and I am proud of my Christian faith. I am paying it forward by feeding a hungry child this Christmas. Please do the same if you can.

If you have never thought about exploring religion for yourself, now is a better time than ever. Check out these Living Church of God reviews today to find out more.

My prayers of peace and happiness to everyone. Have a blessed Celebration of Christ's Birth. 

"And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of God shone around them and they were terribly frightened;  and the angel said to them "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that shall be for all people; for today in the city of David, there has been born to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger." (Luke 2: 9-12)

Video credits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbysUxwQqNQ

How I keep my Sanity - A Decade Long Dilemma

I have been working for the Call Center Industry in the Philippines for a decade, and the best way to describe this experience is that everyday is a wild ride. I have made lifelong friends, some of whom have moved on to different careers, while others are now living and working abroad. The younger ones have saved enough money to go ahead and finish their college courses. I have met all sorts of people, some warm and friendly, some funny as hell, others are snotty, and of course, the members of the Royal Legion of Brown Nosers (can't have any company without them brown nosers!) 

A decade of doing the night shift can make you go crazy. Lacking sleep, having to deal with fast food for sustenance, and infinite trips to the coffee vending machine is the norm. I try to make my life easier by having a "touch of home" in my workplace. I have come to a point where I am already experiencing SSA or Severe Separation Anxiety.

In the past three companies I worked with as a Quality Analyst including the present company I work for now, I always have my little stuffed bear with me. I have a reason for this. I call my hubby "Poppa Bear." During those long hours at work, I maintain my sanity with my little stuffed bear sitting on my desk. This is one way to keep the feeling of connection with home and family. 

Another motivation strategy that I use is to keep pictures of my loved ones pinned on my wall. Instead of cluttering my cork board with schedules and reminders, I use most of the space with pictures of my family. Every time I look away from my computer monitor, I see the smiling faces of my angels.

In another company I worked with, my buddies and I had a standing joke about Manny Pacquiao's mispronounciation of the word "ethic." He pronounced it as "itik," a Filipino word which means "duck." Since then, the "WORK ITIK" was born. We had little rubber ducks on our work stations - to remind us of our "work itiks" (work ethics). We all had different kinds, one with a surfboard, one dressed as a ballerina (complete with a tutu). Mine was dressed in a blue printed Hawaiian shirt. I taped a little paper umbrella behind him and positioned him in such a way that it seemed like it was always looking at me, to remind me of the company's work ethics.

Unfortunately, we had a fall out with the way the company was being managed. It seemed that everyday, there was a new "corporate realignment" going on. We lost our best managers. We were stifled with very strict guidelines that would seem beneficial only for robots, not human beings. Slowly, we felt that the company was losing its work ethic. And so, we had to change our desktop mascots to define our sentiment. We named it "The death of the 'Work Itiks'" 

I have experienced working long, long LONG hours. Going overtime even on an 11-hour, 4 day work week. I felt that I needed an intravenous line started, and a catheter and urine bag so that I would no longer have any reason to leave my seat. It was so stressful that my brain refused to process information and left me stumped. For a time, I used the picture below as my desktop wallpaper at work.

It will still be a few more years before I leave the corporate world. My boys are still in college right now and they are the force behind my patience and perseverance. In this industry, most have gone gaga over gadgets, parties, team building activities, or out of town drinking sessions. I am part of the minority. My priorities are still Family, Home, FAMILY. I am proud of being just that - a homebody. I guess that is better than being a "somebody" at work, but a turns out to be a "nobody" at home. Priorities change when responsibility sets in.

It is amazing how workers of the Call Center Industry In the Philippines maintain their sanity. No matter how unforgiving the corporate world can be, at the end of the day, I still come home to the warmth of family life. Happiness and contentment replaces frustration and physical exhaustion.

I have kept a poem sent to me by my colleague when I first started out in this business. In parting, allow me to share it with you:

Midnight coffee,

Birthday pizzas,

Accentuated English,

Dashing clothes,

Irate customers,

Mood music in cabs,

So much money,

but so little time.

Late night parties 

and sunrise beer.

Crush on Team Leads,

The fight for appraisals,

Die hard friendships

and tears for love.

Nothing missing

Just everything!

People call it Call centers.

WE CALL IT LIFE.

Decorating a Child's room: Creativity within Budget

A child's creativity peaks at around the age before he/she starts school. By the time they are of school age, their potential declines as they become more preoccupied with schoolwork. To encourage them to keep their creative juices flowing, careful planning must be done to renovate and decorate their niche - their bedroom. 

Decorating a child's room must be done is such a way to make it more ergonomic, comfortable and cozy. It is in their bedroom where their ideas are formed, when play time allows a child goes into his own imaginative world, where they are allowed to express their feelings.

A reputable company, nurserykidsdecals.com allows us parents to do just that - encourage our children's creativity. They provide beautiful and amazing baby wall stickers in bright colors. I love their nature and animal designs. It creates awareness of the beauty of nature in a young child's eyes. The smiling animals, pretty flowers and colorful trees encourage a child's imagination and happy playtime.

Big Eyed Baby Owls and Butterflies on a Tree design

Colorful tree and colorful animals decal design

As the child grows older, he/she may need a little more personalized design for their room. Not to worry, there are hundreds of baby wall sticker designs to suit every age. There are princess castle designs, robots, and quotes. 

The best part of it is that these decals are outrageously affordable and easy to install. Made of the company's innovative self adhesive woven fabric, these decals are removable and reusable. Simply remove the decal from its backing paper and position on a clean wall. Because there are no special tools, glues or pastes needed, these decals will not damage your walls. Innovative, classy and fun. 

Visit the website at http://nurserykidsdecals.com and choose from their wide variety of baby wall sticker designs and other products. All with a 100% satisfaction guarantee!

Let's foster our child's creativity and imagination. They will, after all, be the innovators of tomorrow.

The New "DO RE MI"

Found this on the web and thought I could share some smiles with you today.

Pretend you find yourself zapped into the set of "The Sound of Music" and you were asked to sing "Do Re Mi"

Here goes:

DOUGH.. the stuff that buys me beer
RAY...the guy who sells me beer
ME...the one who drinks the beer
FAR...the distance to my beer
SO...I think I'll have a beer
LA...la la la la la beer
TEA... No thanks, I have my beer
That will bring us back to..(Looking at an empty mug in hand)
DOUGH!!!

Happy Sunday!

I Love Wine up to the Last Bottle

I love having friends and family at home. I love the warm feeling of belonging and sharing stories about life. I do not mind spending hours in the kitchen, preparing a wonderful meal for my guests. Their compliments on my cooking expertise are just priceless. 

However, as the cliche goes, it is difficult to satisfy everyone. This happened to me once, when a close friend gave an honest opinion about the wine I served. I admit, I rushed myself into picking up just "a bottle of wine" at the local wine store. This dear friend referred me to Last Bottle Wines. She told me about their amazing way of providing me the best bottle of wine for any occasion. Curiosity got the best of me and I started getting online to read about this company. I loved what I saw at the Last Bottle Wines Homepage. Aside from getting up to 75% off the retail price per bottle of wine, I can sign up for my own account and get an instant 2% credit per purchase! Their referral scheme is wonderful! As a client, I could get $20 credit in my account when I refer my friends, and these friends will also get a $5 credit when they purchase! Great deal! I have never received such valued treatment before. That's not all they offer. This company gives me an additional $25 credit if I happen to be the customer who buys the actual "last bottle" of a particular wine being offered. Fantastic! That's not all. Last Bottle Wines also has free shipping when you buy more than one bottle. With these prices, how could you not?! 

Choosing your bottle of wine is a breeze. I can simply go online to see the wine of the day at lastbottlewines.com. I can read about every detail - the wine variety, vineyard source, age, and alcohol content. No shady deals, I would say. Last Bottle Wines sells over 1 million dollars worth of discounted wines a month. However, discounted prices do not necessarily mean that the quality is also cheap. The people behind Last Bottle Wines have spent decades building trust with the best wineries, brokers and distributors giving us the assurance that we get quality wine at the best prices. Being based in Napa Valley gives the company an edge over its competitors. To stand testament to their good business, Food and Wine lists Last Bottle as Top Ten online wine shops. Amazing!

I am totally sold. As a way of paying it forward, I will refer my friends too. I would love to share this great find to them and make their family gatherings a memorable experience. This holiday season, I will be the perfect hostess. My guests would enjoy good food, good wine and good company. 

I raise my glass to Last Bottle Wines!

This is a sponsored post by Markerly for Last Bottle Wines. I have been compensated for my time and all opinions are my own.