From the Mountains of Western North Carolina...

...I received a special birthday greeting from my Honey Bunny BA. Knowing him to always fill my inbox with an e-card and an email during special occasions, I was expecting to get one today and the message that came along with the card definitely put a smile on my face. And as I've said, there was an email too, an email that reminisced what we had a year ago today when he was here to celebrate my birthday with me. How I wish he's here today too to celebrate this day with me but there's nothing I can do about it.

Still, this day is a special one because I know for certain that there's a man out there from across the miles who loves me truly, madly and deeply. Hee hee. And though we are apart this day, there are still a lot of birthdays that we are going to celebrate together soon. Thank you, Honey, for the sweet e-card. Mwaaaah!

Happy Birthday my sweet and precious lady. I love you so much and you truly have filled my world with joy and love making me the one to receive the most special of any gifts. But I still yet have so many special gifts to share with you, and not just of a material nature. And soon, the gift giving will begin, once we're finally together again, forever. I love you Lynndee, my own special li'l cutie Anghel.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY M'LADY, MY FUTURE WIFEY! MWAHUGS! (",)

Here’s Hoping

We really thought that we would be together by October and we're hoping to celebrate our first Halloween together but, unfortunately, things did not work out as fast as my fiancé and I hoped they would. We were a little disappointed but we haven’t lost our hope that everything will turn out fine.

But it would have been nice if the upcoming Halloween could have been the first celebration that we shared together as a family because for sure it would have been fun. We were going to wear halloween costumes and perhaps trick and treat somewhere and maybe party the night away. I actually already had something in mind on what costume to wear. He calls me his li’l cutie Anghel, so, yep, an angel costume would be perfect. And since my fiancé is a big fan of the movie Star Wars, I have no doubt he would have looked good in a Darth Vader outfit. That would really be neat!

But, oh well, maybe next year. We still have a lot of Halloween parties to look forward to so I don’t think I need to fret, do I? Besides, there’s still Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year to look forward to in the next few months, times of wonderful family celebrations, and hopefully by then we will experience the beginnings of creating our family memories.

The Red Pots Are So Hot!

They were very red, beautiful and stunning! Guess what I am talking about? Well, I am referring to the new set of enamel cookware that my fiancé bought yesterday. He's been contemplating for a few days before that if he was going to wait for me to be there before he went shopping for kitchen stuff but he figured that he will not wait for me any longer. We still don’t know when I will be able to fly on to eastward to join him and if he waits, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy his favorite vegetable soup because his old cookware is about shot.

That's no problem with me, though. Seeing the set really delighted me. It was really awesome and seeing it made me feel so excited that I can hardly wait to try cooking in it. Well...soon. So watch out for me red pots!

A Wonderful Web of Wonder

At the factory I’m employed at, I do morning rounds on a daily basis, checking the perimeter for problems and taking readings off all the meters that control our life, such as electric and water. At most times it’s just a boring excursion, doing what I like to call Mickey Mouse paperwork. Though important data, it truly is mind numbing work, but it has to be done, and so it is that I am the chosen one to do it. And once completed, all the info has to be entered into spreadsheets, a computer database, just in case someone ever asks to see it, which has never happened. And I thought computers were supposed to do away with so much paperwork. Instead, we now not only have piles of paper records that go back for years ad infinitvm, we also have digital copies. But if asked for, and it’s not there and available, it’s a “Ruh row, Shaggy!” moment; we could be in trouble. Oh well; ya do what ya gotta do, follow all the government rules and regulations to stay in business.

There are times, however, amidst the dull-routine rituals of a work day, an unexpected jewel will sneak up on you, if only you take the time to open your eyes and see. And I was fortunate to have been given such a gift the other day. It was a pleasantly cool, damp morning after an overnight rain when I almost walked right into Mr. Spider’s creation. If not for all the droplets hanging off the web, I would have had my face full of the sticky stuff, and Mr. Spider would have been jumping with joy at the big un’ he’d caught…..(“,) In looking at it, though, I was spellbound by the beauty and perfection of his work, and I’m glad I didn’t accidentally destroy it. Though at times I am tough and cynical, when necessary, I’m always struck by the wonders of nature, revealing the real soft side of my persona. And ironically, this digital age I was just bemoaning gave me the ability to capture this natural work of sorcery by using my cell phone cam.

And so it was, on this gentle summer morn’ in the mountains, I began my day being thankful that I not only had a job with boring tasks, but also thankful for all God’s creatures, great and small, that fill our life with visions of beauty. Thanks Mr. Spider; keep up the good work, ol’ boy, weaving your wonders of majestic magic.

A Honeymoon Trip Destination, Maybe?

My fiancé was born and raised in North Carolina and among the many things that he so wants to show to me is the beautiful beaches and resorts at the Outer Banks of North Carolina at the Atlantic Ocean on his east coast. It’s only about an 8-hour drive by car from his city but he assures me that the long trip is definitely worth it because I'll be able to see the diversity of his entire state, from the mountains, to the piedmont, to the coastal plains.

He actually already has a plan about a dream trip for us. We would stay in one of those Outer Banks homes that are situated near the ocean so we wouldn’t only enjoy the breeze of the ocean but the breathtaking view as well. We both love the beach; that is why going there is on the top of his list.

Just thinking about it now makes me so excited that I want to take wing on to eastward to North Carolina right now; If only I had wings, that is. LOL. Soon, soon, soon! Patience for me!

All in a Day's Work

Yesterday was quite a hectic day for me here at home. The workers from our out of town project arrived to load materials needed for the project. There were fifteen of them and they arrived around noon so we needed to feed them lunch. I'm glad mom was here to help me. It could have been really exhausting if I had been the only one attending to their meal.

There were a bunch of materials to load like stainless steel drums, cement, steel bars and lumber, but since there were many workers on hand, I thought they would have had the work done by late afternoon. But much to my dismay, they weren’t able to finish the work until 7 o’clock in the evening so, as expected; I had to feed them dinner.

That was really tiring but at least everything’s good to go now. Our place is nice and neat since all the materials are now gone, and all the dirty dishes created by the extra cooking we had to do have been washed. WHEW! A woman's work is never done.

And I Love You So

Whose heart would not melt with this?

An e-card was waiting for me in my inbox when I got up this morn and this is what's inside it... a video of a very heart-warming song plus a very romantic message that truly melted my heart. (",)

Yes, how well I know the loneliness of life, and there are times that I've felt I was living in the shadows; until I met you, that is. And now my life is so full of joy and hope and dreams, all because of you, and I thank you for the gift of your wonderful love. I love you, Anghel, and only you, and the rest of my life is dedicated to giving in return to you all the love and happiness you've blessed me with. Soon, Lynndee; soon; our journey to forever together will truly begin. MWAAHUUGS! (",)

Waste Not, Want Not

I do believe that we are all pretty well aware that some people don’t seem to realize the importance of nature and the abundance it brings us to the point of abusing it totally. Like for example, when there is plenty of water, people tend to overuse it and never think of saving at all. Case in point: car washing everyday or perhaps twice a day; washing the dishes with the faucet running; doing small loads of laundry everyday; and etc., when in fact all can be done in such a way that they can save water and also money. Maybe they just don’t realize that some people in some parts of the world don't have much water at all due to drought conditions - wars are actually waged over water rights -and yet here they are wasting water.

Saving water can be done in many ways. Apart from those cases I’ve mentioned above, we can also save water when flushing the toilet and that is by using Dual Flush Toilets. This technology gives you the option of a rinse flush as well as a full flush, each one using less than the usual amount of water than the normal toilet; so much less that a swimming pool of water can be saved each year; amazing! That being so, you won’t only save water but money as well. They are eco-friendly and those who are responsible for introducing the dual flush toilet should be commended for a job well done.

Well, isn’t that ironic? There are people who are doing the best they can to save our Mother Earth yet there are also some who just don’t seem to care. Maybe they would realize things once they get in the situation that water is scarce or totally unavailable. I am hoping they won’t wait until such time before realizing things because by then, it might already be too late for all of us.

This Old Cold Has Got to Go!

With the unpredictable weather that we have now, the sun’s shining brightly one minute, and the next minute a heavy downpour cascading down, a lot of people are becoming ill because of this environment. Fever, coughs and flu are rampant during this kind of weather and I am among one of the many who have been unfortunate enough to be caught by this rampaging cold virus. I don’t have a runny nose anymore but I am still having a bad cough and my lungs are congested with phlegm which gave me difficulty in having a decent sleep last night. I was having a hard time breathing smoothly and I almost felt like I was going to pass out any minute. This is one of those times when I think of how important health insurance can be. If I don’t get any better soon or if my sickness gets worse despite the medicine I’m taking, I will consider going to the hospital as my last resort. And I don’t have to worry a thing about it because I am covered.

Same goes with having social security disability. I definitely know its importance because we absolutely enjoyed its benefits when my late husband got ill and had to apply for disability. We enjoyed it in the sense that it helped him in regard to his medicines and treatment during his illness. It would have been much harder for us without it, and though he never recovered, it is something that we were thankful for, making our life easier to deal with during that trying time.

So if you find yourself facing more than just a bad cold, don’t delay; seek the help you need. As for me and this cold that chased me down and caught me, I’m going to give it the boot and chase it away; wish me luck!

I’m Anxious, Honey; Hurry Up!

For the last couple of weeks, there hasn’t been a day that a laptop was not the main focus of mine and my fiancés topics for the day. He is going to buy me a laptop but we don’t want to hurry before reading all the laptop reviews we can find. And we have been asking friends what’s the best one to get. There were a lot of suggestions which confused us even the more. I know there are a lot of high end laptop computers out there but we have to deal with a budget. If we only had enough money to buy the latest, then there’d be no problem.

I can’t even remember how many reviews we’ve read and sites we’ve visited. But for sure, we will be able to decide on which one to buy pretty soon. Just a little more research and we’ll be good to go. I can’t wait to have my laptop – my red laptop to be exact, with a matching red laptop case. Nice!

A Summer's Dream

A special song for my Anghel, which I first shared with her in our beginnings on “Anghel Disc #8“, from Chris Rea, an overlooked but fantastic British musician from those long-lost 80's, which was mostly a musical wasteland. And though we never got any closer to the beach other than overlooking it at the Sarangani Highlands, sharing our first lunch together, when I soon return to her tropical paradise, we will once again explore and “hear the melody upon the summer wind”, revel in the the mystical “secrets of the summer…”, and sift through “the sands of time” as we truly begin our journey to forever, together.

Am I a dreamer? You bet I am, for within the magic of the music, and the dreams, is a reality that can be touched, if only you open your eyes, mind and spirit to what is out there waiting for believers. This one is for you, Lynndee, one of the many I have yet to share with you on the odyssey that lies before us. And soon, it will be more than just a dream. MWAAHUUGS! (“,)

A Dream of a Cream

I don’t consider myself vain when it comes to beautifying myself. A dash of lip gloss or lip stick is fine with me. I don’t wear make-up though I do use moisturizer for my face. I only get facials when I feel like it, unlike other women who do it regularly. I seldom go to the spa for body treatments, nor do I go to the beauty parlor on a regular basis for hair treatments. I only have a pedi once every two weeks and there are times that it actually goes beyond that. It totally depends on my mood. So, I am not at all vain, am I? (“,)

But I must admit, I am particular when it comes to skin care. I consider myself lucky for having inherited good skin from my mom. Taking good care of it is effortless, if I may say so, since I don’t need to use lots of skin products just to make it look good. Using my trusted Lubatti skincare products is plenty enough for me. I’ve been using them for years now and my skin always looks good and actually seems to look better each passing day. I wouldn’t try any other skin care product other than Lubatti. They are good for my skin so why bother checking for something else?

And before I forget, I already ran out of Lubatti cream so I need to get some now before they run out of stock which is the last thing that I want to happen. A day without my cream is simply not a complete day for me.

Captured Moments That Will Last Forever

Special occasions, momentous events and memorable gatherings, either with family or friends, happen all throughout the year – events that should not be missed which then become treasured memories. That is why my friends, my family and I always see to it that our digital cameras are always ready, rain or shine.

There were occasions that we only used digital cameras, but then there were times that we thought digital cameras weren't enough to capture those moments, especially during my son’s preschool graduation where we actually had a video camera hire to record the entire event. My son was among the speakers and that moment could not be captured by a digital camera alone. That is why I made sure that a camcorder hire was employed and on the spot to capture the moment for posterity. And I'm so thankful that I did because the memory of that special day will be forever at our fingertips to feast eyes on, not to mention that after my son grows up, he will be able to see how well he did on that day and even be able to share it with my future grandchildren.

I can’t thank Camerent enough for creating a camera hire business. Buying a camcorder or a video camera is not in our budget yet and that is why I am so glad for Camerent. Their canon lens hire is simply the best anyone could think of, not to mention, very budget-friendly. Another occasion is coming soon, my brother’s wedding, and that being so, Camerent will be a part of the festivities again.