You know it's true love when...

A young adult and his father on true love.

Son: Dad, I’d like to marry my girlfriend. I love her very much and I want to spend the rest of my life with her as my wife.
Father: How do you know it’s true love?
Son: Well, it’s true love because when I was kissing her goodbye last night their dog bit my leg and I didn’t know about it until I get home. (this was part of last Sunday’s homily….)

February is commercialists month, the time of year when affection translates to many material things. Every year the same…dinners, flowers, diamonds, and...iphones…(upps not yet! Brack are you reading this? ‘just a heads up).

I don’t understand why men choose to express their feelings on Valentines day where everywhere is crowded, when prices are all jacked-up, flowers especially. Love can be expressed 365 days a year, I prefer it that way. I’m sure there are lots of women out there who prefer to be appreciated and loved every day of the year, not just on Valentines. Yet still, women are women…that’s why commerce rejoices…women loved getting gifts and flowers anytime of the year, specially Valentines, me included.

I remember last year Brack got me tulips. I kept asking how much it was and when he wouldn’t tell me, I told him he should have just given me the money instead. He was irritated and told me he will never again give me flowers. A few days ago while walking on the street with lovely roses sold at the sidewalks, I asked if he’s giving me flowers on Valentines, he said….”if there’s a good deal!” Hahaha!!! I truly love this man!

By the ways, February 2nd is National Wear Red Day. The day when Americans nationwide will wear read to show their support for women’s heart disease awareness. I’d like to wear read this day.

tech geeks' vigil

Christmas is my favorite holiday, it's not only for kids, it's also for moms, for everyone, for tech geeks like me. It is the time to receive (or buy - worst case, LOL) our dreamt electronic products. Fortunately for me, I got 3 of the items in my secret wish list (existed only in my mind - although obvious to Brack and the kids - yet they didn't get for me) as a gift. I got Discovery 655, the ultimate (so far as of this writing - soon passé I know) bluetooth headset . I got this wristlet the only non-electronic item I wished for...and dyarannnn! the bestbuy giftcards. What's so good about the bestbuy gift cards? I can use it for...the Wii, the cool Wii softwares...and this "life in your pocket" gadget that makes tech geeks vigilant until June - the iphone.

The proper artistic response to digital technology is to embrace it as a new window on everything that’s eternally human, and to use it with passion, wisdom, fearlessness and joy. Ralph Lombreglia

What a coincidence, I'm so tech every January...see my last year's January 4 entry :-)

what's in a name?

Baptized Maria Elizarah, I learned I am also Elizabeth when I’m asked to turn-in my birth certificate as a college-graduation requirement. From grade school to high school to college, it was a big adjustment to change names, even if it’s just the first name. To reconcile the records, I turned to older relatives for an affidavit under oath that I am the same person and distributed copies to those concerned.

But despite the switch of first names, I opted to keep my nickname personally and professionally. Even my firsts and last sets of business cards in the Philippines was “Zarah.” When I came to the US everybody was calling me Elizabeth, others Liz, and a few others Lizzie despite my repetitive requests to call me by my nickname. So my old nickname is now history.

I have been “Sweetheart” since Brack and I started going out for until I had Abraham, it was replaced by “Mommy.” Not that I don’t want to be called one, trust me, it’s always a pleasure to hear the kids call me Mommy. Brack calls me Zarah on very limited occasions, one is when he is mad or irritated with me, but believe it or not, it’s still music to hear even if he’s in a bad mood. I don’t know, but I desperately love it when someone calls me by the name I grew up with, it is intimate. I could feel it’s me, just me and my own real person.

why i prefer Mcdonald's cookies

Yesterday, with the kids help, I baked my own chocolate chips cookies...

It was a disaster!

How to start the New Year right (my version)

I’m not really a New Year’s Resolution advocate but this year, hoping 2007 will be better, I have listed down my agendas. Although these are “me-specific”, who knows, one or two might be applicable to you.

1. A quiet welcome – for the past five years we celebrated the New Year at a relative’s house with everybody. This year, we initially planned to do the same but changed our minds the last minute. Instead, we bid goodbye to 2006 quietly with hugs, grapes, and a toss of sparkling cider, just the four of us. Such change is nice.
2. My eyes on the calendars – unlike the past years when I delayed the disposal of previous year's calendars, this time, I stashed the old ones promptly and hang the new ones right away. I’m not really superstitious but I heard from somewhere that doing so, you are giving the New Year an easy access and thereby things will come to you light and easy too.
3. I opted to simplify – simplification to me means removing the clutters and the excesses. The files, magazines, old clothes, accessories, and things I don’t use but still keep, need to go. I realized being sentimental takes up a lot of closet space. I’m sure Brack will appreciate this move.
4. I’m not perfect – and since I’m not, this year I promise to forgive people who intentionally or unintentionally hurt me in the past. I maybe one of the most understanding and caring women you’ll ever know but I hold grudges. And now I have decided to move on and let go of these negative emotions I’ve been keeping inside. Whether or not I’ll succeed in flushing it all out completely, at least, I'll try, and I’ll start.
5. I’ll stretch – which means two things: (a) physical stretch which I really need after feasting on the holiday menus, and (b) exercise more patience and tolerance. I commit to be more resilient. I’ll learn to accept things and people as it is/they are and not how I wanted it/them to be. Will definitely try to be more calm and grateful and not comparing.

So, these plus a couple more tiny things I will embrace starting immediately. Wish me luck!

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.~Oprah Winfrey