Japol's Maine Adventure - Day One

After all the trouble that my baby brother caused me, I was still so excited to see him and show him around my "other" home - Maine.

@ Parsonsfield Seminary

He arrived about half an hour before midnight. Since the following day was a Monday and my itinerary for him was already messed up we just went home from the airport instead of driving straight to LL Bean which was the original plan if his flight wasn't cancelled the day before.

My Beloved Philippines

I am a Filipino even if my passport says otherwise. I may have denounced my rights as a Filipino a couple of years ago to be a citizen of my adoptive country but it doesn't change the fact that I am still a Filipino in my heart and in my mind.

We all know what happened to my beloved country a couple of days ago. It's all over the news. And for us Filipinos living outside the Philippines, we can only feel for them but we cannot truly say if we really know how it feels to be in their situation.

I shed tears when I saw the devastation brought by the typhoon. In my mind, I can rest assured that my loved ones are safe because they are all in the bigger island where they only experience strong wind. I felt relieved to be honest with you. But I cannot rejoice either knowing that in the other part of the archipelago, thousands of people have to suffer and die as a result of Mother Nature's wrath.

I am half across the world right now. The only thing I can do is to pray for my beloved country and my countrymen. I can only hope and keep the faith that God is watching my Philippines. And that more kind-hearted people will help them.

My friends, please think of a moment and be grateful for all the blessing that we have. Now, let us think of some ways we can reach out the help my countrymen in the Philippines.

Here are more links where you can send help:
1. Huff Post: Following Philippine's Typhoon Haiyan: Here's how you can help
2. World News: How to help: Organizations offering relief to typhoon Haiyan Survivors
3. USA Today: How you can help Typhoon Haiyan survivors


Photo Credit: Japol

In times like these...

In times like these... [high prices - food, rent, mortgage,education, gas and all other necessities] can people do anything and practically everything to get freebies and have fun at the same time?

Life is already tough as it is but we shouldn't we consider the fact that having fun wouldn't cost us anything? In fact having fun makes tough life bearable, right? We could whine all we want but hey, it's your life and you can do whatever you want with it.

I went home straight from work today. I didn't go for a drive around looking for possible yard sale over the weekends because I still have to go to work tomorrow. I wanted to save gas. But since we are running out of bread and eggs I took a quick stop at the grocery. The price went up again, it seems.

When I got home, I wasn't in the mood for lunch since I got some free donuts at work so I feel that I can get by until 2PM today. So I went to check my emails and check updates on my Hubby's FB. [Shhhhhh... I hacked his account. LOL] Today I found out that a childhood friend of mine died of a heart attack. He was only 48 with 2 kids and a wife. So sad.

That sad news made me hungry [guess the donuts were not enough, huh] so I found myself making a ham sandwich which I chowed down while browsing more updates on FB.

Then, I found this video shared by one of my Sweetest's FB friends and decided to share it here. This is hilarious and awesome at the same time and I can't help but share it here. Although it went viral more than a month ago I still want to post it here because this one really made my day.



Did you like the video? Isn't it so nice to see happy people? Having a few laughs will make a difference. Oh boy, if only I got that talent I would do that every time I need a gas up so I can save money on gas.

Anyway, this video lifted me up and I pray that my old friend will find peace in the arms of our Creator.

Thank You for the 5 years

Hubby and I celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary last July 7th. I know, it's already August and this is kinda late. I have good alibis for that.

1. I was away and on vacation in the Philippines.
2. Internet access was slow back home.
3. I was too busy catching up with family and friends whom I have not seen for 5 long years.

Yes, we celebrated our 5th Anniversary apart. I left Maine on the 26th of June and didn't come home till the 6th of August.

Yes, I left my Sweetest here in Maine. It was the very first time we have been apart that long [7 weeks] since we got married.

And yes, I missed him so much. I never thought I would feel homesick when in fact was - home.

Dearest Sweetest,

Belated Happy Anniversary my Sweetest. Thank you for the wonderful 5 years of being there for me. Thank you for the patience... the thoughtfulness... the sweetness.

Thank you for trying your best to do the things you hated because you know that they make me happy. Although there are times I feel that you are doing them just to shut me up. wink*

Thank you for keeping your cool when I am in my usual nagging mode because you know that there is no way you can win. Although there are times that you wished I was the same old woman you married who would just kept quiet in the middle of an argument and cry. Oh how you wish I have not learned how to open my mouth because when I did, I never shut up. LOL

Thank you for saying "sorry" even if most of the time, it was my fault. Although I know that it was very unlikely of you to say the "S" word before, but you were able to learn how to say it because you know it calms me down. You made me feel really special and loved. wink*

Thank you Sweetest for the 5 years. Let's work for the next 100 years, okay?

Love always,


Your Sweetie

It Definitely Sucks!

I was up at 4:30 am this morning getting ready for work only to realize there is no work today. School is closed today. Kids are not going to school today. And I have to stay home today. We have another snow storm and the weather people gave warning that it will be a dangerous commute today. That sucks!

I still feel edgy when there is a snow storm. The car accident is still fresh in my mind and even if I am driving an AWD car now, I still feel nervous every time I drive down the road where I had the accident. Well, I know it will take sometime before I totally get over it. And it sucks!

I just got back from the driveway [as of this writing] to scrape the 3 inches snow on my car. The snowfall had stopped tonight but it is still freezing out. I have to scrape the snow on my car now because I don’t want to do it at 5 o’ clock in the morning. I have to scrape the snow on my car because I don’t want it to freeze out and turn into block of ice. Winter really sucks!

Improvised Curb

I practice my backing everyday. I need to. I desperately want to pass my driving test the third time I will take it. I am already tired of going to DMV and torturing myself with anxiety and possible nervous breakdown. Hahahaha. Just kidding.

So, I have to practice hard and I have to practice religiously. But there is a problem. There is no safe road where I could practice my backing. There is no street-less-travelled nearby where I could practice backing up. And there is no curb in our driveway too. So how will I know that I am backing up straight and not backing up to the traffic? I improvised.

I laid all those slabs of woods that Hubby is using as staging for his carpentry work on the ground and there you go… I have my curb. What a brilliant idea!

the Making of a football step-mom

I’m still raging about the football game last night and even dreamt about it. The Patriots lost big time to San Diego Chargers and 3-30 was the final score when I saw it in the news this morning.

You see, I already changed the channel when Matt Cassel wasn’t able to touch down at 1 yard. It was crazy. In fairness to Matt – I know he is pressured because of Tom Brady’s good reputation. But the least he could do is use his common sense. C’mon, I don’t know anything about football but I know when the game sucks. It sucked big time. Hubby was already passed snoring at that point. He was not saying anything but I know he was pissed when he saw how the Patriots played in the first quarter. So I was alone fuming.

Oh well, there is one thing for sure… if Sarah Palin is a Hockey Mom… I will surely be a Football Step-Mom.hahahaha

Cemetery Field Trip

Today I went to see my friend again and continue with our photo sessions. Well, of course, that was after we first had our all-Pinoy-Feast “pig-out” part 2. Today, I cooked “sinigang na baboy” [pork and veggie in tangy tamarind broth] with sliced fresh tomato and “bagoong” [sautéed shrimp paste] sidings. It was terrific. After lunch we went for another walk and this time we went to the cemetery. Hahahaha. Yes, of all places… we decided to have our picture taking in the cemetery.

Unlike from where we came from, cemetery here in Maine is not scary. I found it peaceful, serene and breathtaking, figuratively speaking [not literally.] So here are the photos of the cemetery.

My friend's daughter Maya imitating the angel.

Porter Cemetery.

Amazing maple trees at Porter Cemetery.

[fairy] Godmother and Nursing Degree

My friend’s daughter Elise has been working in a Home Care for couple of years now. Though she has no formal training in health care she was able to get necessary short courses provided by the Home and that qualifies her for the job. She likes her work and she is proud of it. This year, my friend said that Elise decided to pursue her college education for a more stable future. And we are all happy for that decision, of course. She wanted to take up Nursing because she knows that it is a very in-demand profession we have today.

Well, as a [fairy] Godmother, I was asked to help her look for the right school so I waved my magic wand online and searched for a nursing school that is close to her home so that she can save on board and lodging. Then we found this cool website that provides lots of information about Nursing. It has list of all the Nursing Schools by Locations and even those schools that provide online courses. They also have lists of comprehensive descriptions of all the Nursing Degrees that each individual schools provide to guide the applicants on what kind of degree suits them. And more importantly, they also have Career Resources page that has important articles to read about the course that provide important information on the career decision they have to make.

My Goddaughter Elise finally chose and applied at Andover College because it’s near her home and work too. My friend was a bit emotional when Elise was finally got accepted but I understand. I know I would feel the same way too if she were my own child.

The crunchy lasagna

One of the dilemmas of housekeeping and husband-keeping [I know you housewives will agree with me] that we housewives have to go through every single day is to come up with extra-ordinary meal every mealtime to make sure that our family will be well fed. Other than that, we also don’t want to waste food or worse case scenario… eat the meal we prepared all by ourselves because Hubby can pursue plan B [when needs arise] and call pizza delivery, that is.

I made lasagna last night for supper. Hubby was in a hurry to go to school [he is taking adult education course on GED] so I had no choice but to take the lasagna out of the oven 10 minutes earlier. As excepted it was not done yet. But he was so hungry [and didn’t even have a time for plan B] so he took the risk. The pasta was crunchy. And that was an extra-ordinary meal, wasn’t it?

This morning my friend Aida sent me this e-mail about food. And again, I want to share it with you housewives out there so that you will have an idea what kind of food we should give our family so that they will be healthier. And save us lots of money on medicines and doctor’s visits.

God's Pharmacy! Amazing!
God left us great clues as to what foods help what part of our body!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex.Walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Oranges,Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

Amazing indeed! So there you go housewives, I hope these will give you a different way of doing your groceries and cooking your meal. I know this is another challenge that we need to deal with but… knowing the importance of our family will compensate for all the efforts that we put up with. Happy cooking! By the way, I don’t suggest that you try the crispy lasagna… but Hubby had 2 more servings when he got home from school.

A wife’s present disposition

I’m still not done with my lay-outing/designing/customizing/re-installing/and-what-not mood. If you have noticed, that is if you are one of my frequent visitors [I know I have many… hahahaha… because my PR increased again, yehey, thanks my friends] I have a new page outlook again… and this is the Nth time I changed it. I almost lost the content of this page a few days back and I freaked out like hell. I also lost my PR2 when I bought this blog its own domain and that caused some problem with my Advertisers. And to top it all the other blogs I made for my brother suffered the same fate. So I went crazy googling for solutions here and there. And the result is – 8 new templates for 8 blogs that I am currently managing (and 5 more to come). Thanks a bunch ourBLOGGERTemplates.com for the FREE Blogger Templates. They’re awesome… easy to install… and user-friendly.

Anyways, after I posted my latest rant about my faulty “operating system Husband 1.0” a week back, the “system” needs some scanning again to function flawlessly to my command. It did help a bit for a couple of days but for some reason… since Football Season started and The Patriots are having a hard time in the field because Tom Brady needed a major knee operation… Hubby is grumpy. So I am in a dilemma between grumpy Hubby and my blogging because I haven’t taken any monetizing opportunities for a week, I have tons of blog backlogs and my PayPal account has not gained any income lately. And the result is – more whining and ranting geared towards Hubby. Good thing we tend to schedule our ranting disposition lately… meaning when he is not in a good mood… I give way and vice versa. It works for us… sometimes.

I’m still not done with my chores too and that one is a major disaster. I am not in any mood to do anything at all but blogging. But who cares? Any wife deserves to be a slob once in awhile. Any wife has the right to be lazy and do nothing at all. And any wife can indulge and eat anything to her heart’s desire without guilt. And that… is my present disposition.

Technical Support to Operate… our Husbands

Last night Hubby and I had a little LQ over a TV show and a back-scratching-com-rubbing errand that I used to do while we are watching TV. You see it has become his habit to ask me scratch and rub his back while watching TV. And yes, I ask him the same thing too. Why not, we have a saying… scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours, right? But last night he was complaining that his back hurts because he worked all day on the roof and he asked me to rub his back. I said no. Then, towards the middle of the TV program, my back itched and I asked him to scratch my back and he said no too. So I decided to sleep in the other bedroom last night. But he kept bugging me 3 times and asking me to move back to our bedroom because he said he can’t sleep without me by his side. I was surprised, because he would sometimes bitch about my snoring. He said it’s too loud he cannot sleep despite the fact that he too snores like hell [and I had it on video to prove my point].

Anyway, I didn’t want to rub his back because I think it’s not right anymore at this time. He complains about his back when he is working… but when he walks 5 to 10 miles or climb trees when deer hunting and coming home late, he never complains about his back. His back never hurts when he is out hunting. His back only hurts when he is working. And his back only hurts when he is at home doing errand like taking out the trash. So, I boycott the back-rubbing altogether last night and brought my protest out of our bedroom. But then, of course on the 4th time he asked me to move back to our bedroom I raised the white flag.

This morning, when I checked my inbox my friend "Red" sent me an e-mail about husband. And I thought of sharing it here with you housewives out there who are in the same predicament as I am in. This is to let you know what kind of situation we are in and how to handle it.

INSTALLING A HUSBAND

Dear Tech Support,

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a distinct slow down in overall system performance, particularly in the flower 3.5 and jewelry 2.0 applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0.

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as
• Romance 9.5 and
• Personal Attention 6.5,
and then installed undesirable programs such as
• NBA 5.0,
• NFL 3.0 and
• Golf Clubs 4.1.

Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system.

Please note that I have tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail. What can I do?

Signed,

Desperate.



DEAR DESPERATE,

First, keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while Husband 1.0 is an operating system.

Please enter command: ithoughtyoulovedme.html and try to download Tears 6.2 and do not forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update. If that application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.

However, remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1. Please note that Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will download the Farting and Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT under any circumstances install Mother-In-Law 1.0 (it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources.)

In addition, please do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0-program. These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0.

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend
• Cooking 3.0 and
• Hot Lingerie 7.7.

Good Luck Babe!

Tech Support

There you go my friends. Maybe we really need to upgrade our system and have a special driver scanner to detect which program software we need to use when needs arise. But then, our husbands are not computer [I wish they were because it will be easier to sign off or log off when they hanged or malfunctioned] and so are we.

my driving skill sucks

I am still not feeling well. After my major disaster at DMV, I am taking things easy for now. I am still not happy about the whole road test thingy. After all the pressure I put up with my driving practice, I still flunked my first road test. And I definitely am not taking everything with a shrug. After all I do need my driver’s license. So, I’m back to my driving practice in our drive way.

Contrary to what people say… parallel parking is not the worse test I have to deal with. I passed that test with flying colors. The drill sergeant [a.k.a DMV driving instructor/officer] was impressed with my parallel parking. I did a great job with that. But apparently, that is not all there is to driving. I need my backing ability… my speed control… my over-the-shoulder rear view… and what not.

I am totally pissed… at me, that is. How could I have been too confident? How could I have been too complacent? How could I have been so stupid! Oh well, those scrappy thingy in life is inevitable so I got to deal with it. And though I consider that failing in that road test as not my mainly good season so far I still believe that there is hope. Ain't that the spirit or not?

I already mailed my request for a new re-exam schedule so I have enough time for my driving practice.

I just hope I get it this time. And I hope I will not have the same drill sergeant to give me the road test. She scares me so.

Hubby's Baby is back!

After 6 months of painful separation and cruel longing, Hubby’s baby is back. I saw in his eyes how happy he is once again. I saw in his eyes the same glow that used to be there. I saw in his eyes the same old affection that he used to have for his baby.

For 6 long months I know how much he missed his baby. I know how much he missed washing her body. I know how much he missed filling her up. I know how much she drives him crazy. And even if he found a new baby to replace her... he was still thinking about her.

Now they are back in each other’s arms. They are back to where they both belong – to each other. They are a handsome couple again. Soon they will be travelling together again... hunting together again… creating special memories together again… while I take the back seat.

I cannot be jealous. They have been together before me. Their relationship has passed the test of time. They have gone through a lot of good and bad times. I cannot be jealous of Sierra because as a wife… I have to understand.

Hubby’s baby is back. His GMC Sierra truck is back. As I said before… old trucks don’t die… they just get hauled away. Now, she is back. With a new motor… she is ready to drive him crazy once more.

word for word

Hubby was watching news last night about some Chinese Nationals in Maine who are teaching Chinese language to Mainers. As usual, he asked me why I won’t do that. Why would I? There is no requirement for Filipino language (Tagalog) tutors around here. [Trust me, I looked already.] Why would there be? There are only few Mainers who actually know where the Philippines is. There are not a lot of Mainers who think that Tagalog will be useful to them. And there are only a handful of Mainers who actually need to learn the language like those who are married to Filipinos (Pinoys) and/or their own kids. But with my own observation among Pinoys here in the US, that is not much of a problem.

Teaching Tagalog to American kids or husbands alike is easy because, Pinoy mothers/wives will always mumble Tagalog words every now and then when they are talking to their kids/hubbies especially if they are giving them a hard time. Trust me, when Pinoy mothers are having a problem with their kids/husbands they will always express their anger, frustrations and sentiments in their own language and kids/husbands will always pick them up. They know when mommy/wifey is in a bad mood because… she is saying, mumbling and hollering those weird words again. And that I believe is a transition that every Pinoy abroad has to go through. So, I don’t think they really need a proper school or an accredited tutor to learn the language? Trust me, one way or another, they will learn it - the hard way.

With my Hubby, I have tried to teach him some Tagalog phrases [like Mahal kita (I love you), Maganda ka (You're beautiful) and Kelangan mo ba ng pera? (Do you need money?)] but he keeps forgetting them specially the last one. (Hehehe) He would struggle so hard with the pronunciation and would eventually give it up altogether.

Oh well, there are few words that he knows and that I think will equip him enough if we decided to go back to the Philippines for a vacation but trust me… those words will surely get him into trouble back home. What do you expect? The only words that he learned by "heart" are… Tanga (stupid), Gago (foolish), Tamad (lazy), mabaho (stinky) Maligo ka (Take a bath). However, I didn't teach him the other you-know-what-words-that-Pinoys-instanteneously-utter-when-they-are-really-really-pissed-off because I reserve that "one" for myself for those not-so-good-moments that I mentioned above... so that he wouldn't react so bad when I can't control myself to mumble it. Wink*

my fast and furious weekend

Hubby and I went to see his friend David raced car. This is actually the second time that we watched him raced. The first one was last year. It was also the first time I was introduced to car racing. I was then not so excited because what do I know about car racing? I didn’t even own a car myself. And I think, car racing is all about guys, so to speak. So I didn’t really care much except for the food and drinks.

An hour earlier: I drove down Gray (about 30 miles and 40 minutes drive from our place) to meet Brandon’s biological mom for their weekend get-together. After the usual cliché, I went to gas up and headed straight up the Turnpike and drove all the way to Scarborough at 70 mph with the crazy rushing traffic that really scared me out of my wits. Well, I did make it to the Beech Ridge Motor Speedway few minutes before the first car race and was able to squeeze into the long queue of car races fans getting something to munch and gnaw while going crazy over the cars circling the oval track in hasty driving skill.

Car racing is such an “amazement” to me. I think it is crazy and a waste of money, time and gas. And with the price of gas nowadays… car racing is the kind of Sports that never burn the athlete's calories except fuel and precious resources. But I think I am alone for thinking that way because all those people there who shed dollars to watch the races have high hopes for the Sports… or maybe not.

Fast and Furious metals

There are all kinds of people there and they are real avid fans. There are moms and dads with their little ones in tow. There are moms with babies in strollers and baby food, feeding bottles, pacifiers, ear muffs and blankets in huge bags. There are grandparents with their entire clans cheering for specific car drivers. There are teenagers who are not really there for the hot cars but for the hot babes and dudes. And an 80 year old (she looked like one) Grandmother who came all alone geared with a cushion seat padding and snack of hotdog roll and hot coffee. She greeted everyone who passed by and everyone seemed to know her. She must be a regular, so it seems. In other words... the Speedway is a place to meet people and friends to share another precious moment of ear- deafening-tires-screeching-motor-roaring squabbles with Nascar fans.

As the races progressed and events came after another, I got a vague idea on the technicalities of the Sports like… when someone get off the track by accident, the car has to go out of the track and get a quick fix while the rest will be waiting for that car to get back on the track and re-arrangement of the line-up will be done with the help of the guys in white and blue jumpsuit. And that the last drivers in the line-up are actually the ones who got big points and the first cars in the line-up will not always come out as the winner. And the winner can keep the black and white checkered flag symbolic of his achievement. Well, those are only some of my observations and nothing really technical about it.

Eventually, after the Pro Series finished the 30 laps, the Wildcats Event started right up. David’s friends and family hoped that he makes it to the top five. But accidents do happen every time. And when you are in the race track, you have to predict it. David almost made it to the top five if he didn’t get tangled up with 4 other cars in fender-bender collision that set the track smoking and reeking with burning tires and fuel. People gone wild as the wild cats collided with one another sending one off the track into the ditch and another smashing hard on the concrete curb while the rest went crazy speeding passed the finish line.

David's hot wild cat... number 29

David finished up sixth place without bruises. And if my guess is right… as of this writing… he is now in his garage fixing his baby for the next race.

like kids in a candy store

My one and only Filipina friend here in Maine called me a couple of days back and asked me if I want to go with her to the city. Well, what do you think I will say… "of course, at long last I will be able to leave the house and have a social life". This is one of the rare indulgences of being a stay-at-home wife… to be able to leave the house… on her own… off-the-hook… care-free… having fun… and spending dear hubby’s income.

So, Medy (my Filipina friend) picked me up around 9 AM and off we droved down to the “crazy town”… [that’s what Medy’s little girl, Maya calls Portland].

Oh well, when you are in a foreign land and miss the company of another person of the same race, culture, taste, language and orientation… where do you think you will go? Of course, Asian Store! Yup, we went Asian Store hopping yesterday and went crazy over those Pinoy products that we miss so much. We were like little kids in a candy store going “gaga” over the bagoong… toyo… Mama Sita mixes… Mang Tomas Sarsa ng Litson… Lucky Me Pancit Canton… Nagaraya Craker Nuts… and the list go on and on.

We went home by noontime and I was happy with my loot. I have a stock-full of pinoy goods and I am happy, indeed.

a weekend with Steamer

We had a big storm yesterday that caused Route 114 to close down due to the fallen trees and electrical cable wires. But today is a very nice day. You know that kind of day after a storm, when the sky is still gloomy? Well, the over-all ambience is not that too blissful either. Brandon, Nana and Grandpa left early for their scheduled trip to the animal farm. And staying and bumming at home is not an ideal weekend activity. So, Hubby and I decided to check out the 43rd Clam Festival at Yarmouth.

Steamer, the Clam with the "hot" fightfighters of Yarmouth.

Big Wheels

The amazing Fire Truck of Yarmouth.

Waiting for the Parade at the 43rd Yarmouth Clam Festival.

Well, as expected I had my usual “fried dough and lemonade” and Hubby had “fried clams”. I’m not too crazy about clams but I’m crazy to see Steamer, the Clam. And just like any fair, it’s crowded and parking space is expensive too. We checked a lot of craft booths but didn’t buy anything. Had a few pictures of the event and went home 50$ poorer. Gosh, that was the most expensive lunch we ever had so far not to mention the fuel that we used going up there. Good thing it’s warm and sunny at Yarmouth and that compensated for all the trouble of going up there.

By the way, I drove the car to Yarmouth and back. And not a single nitpick from Hubby.

surviving Mother's Day

Hubby and I went fishing last weekends. We had fun going from one bridge to another trying our luck with some river trout or bass that might bite our freshly dug earthworms. We stopped by every bridge that we found going up north and he would cast his fishing pole under the bridge while I just hangged around taking pictures. It was fun as always. He caught a river bass but let it go after I took the picture.

My hubby is a loner. He enjoys doing things himself. But when I came into his life, he enjoys doing things with me. I enjoy it too even if he wouldn't talk and would spend hours waiting for the fish to bite. He is not really a talker too so I couldn't complain. But since the miscarriage, hubby didn't want to leave me alone with my thoughts because he knows that I would cry anytime. And I did when we were under the bridge while he was just about 30 feet away from the boulder where I was sitting on. He came back after 45 minutes and found me crying. So we packed up and we drove home. He told me to get our "get-away stuff" and off we went back up north.

We spent the night in a hotel in Augusta, Maine's capital city, about 3 hours drive from our place. I drove. It was the day before Mother's Day and he knew it was a very critical day for me. All his kids were with their mothers and I have no one. So he knows that staying at home will be a bad idea. I enjoyed the weekend with him. We visited the State's Capitol Building and parked our car at the Legisleture Parking lot. I enjoyed the thousand colorful tulips lining the Capitol Building's stairway.

This is my first Mother's Day as a married woman. And since that I am still grieving for my recent loss, it was so difficult for me to face the day knowing that kids have prepared something for their mothers on this day. But then, I had to accept the fact that this is my reality and I had to move on. Life is beautiful and full of mystery. Maybe next Mother's Day... it will be different.

I still feel a bit of loneliness inside me but with my hubby's love and care, I am doing alright now. I am moving on. And I am getting all the love I need to carry on. As they say, there is always a second chance.

God is good and with Him... hope springs eternal.

my little angel will watch over me

A couple of weeks back, I was so happy and excited when I found out that I am having a baby. You see, I am 43 years old and I married late. And this wonderful news is a "no brainer". I was the happiest woman in the world. I have given hope to a lot of "40-something" women who are dying to have a baby (mostly, my friends and some relatives) just as I did too, when they heard that I was getting married last year.

This is supposedly my first pregnancy. This will be a high-risk, as I was told by my Family Practitioner because of my age. And this will take a lot of precaution and care. But yesterday, my hubby had to bring me to the hospital because of my persistent cramps and bleeding. I LOST THE BABY.

It was really sad. I cried a lot in the hospital. But not as hard as my hubby did. But then, I had to accept it. I know things happen for a reason. I am thankful though... that, for a short period of time, I felt how it feels to be a mom... and a woman.

I am hopeful. And I am happy because I know I have now a "Little Angel" watching over me and there are more blessings yet to come. I have faith, that after this storm, sooner or later... I will be blessed with another life inside me.