Dessert Fork

Father Bill's homily two Sundays ago still resonates in my mind. Sometimes I prefer not to hear the 1215 mass since this is usually the children's mass which means a lot of kids (duh!) and its the children's choir. Cute as they are, their voices are all over the place. The good thing about hearing the children's mass is the simplicity of the homily. The priests make a conscious effort that their homilies will be understood by little kids. The homily two Sundays ago was no different. I don't remember much what the reading much but its his homily that stuck with me.

At the beginning of his homily, he held out a fork and asked the kids what it was. Knowing kids they had more to say than just fork. But it wasn't any ordinary fork. It was a dessert fork and Fr. Bill said it means that "the best is yet to come". He mentioned about dessert being the best part of the meal and I agree with him. I bet all kids have been through the battle during meal time - not eating the veggies, not liking the food, not eating enough etc, etc. But once promised with dessert all of a sudden, veggies tasted good and we eat them right away. The long road and journey may be a bumpy one, a confusing one but knowing that at the end of it all there is something nice to look forward to makes all the challenges along the way worth it.

It was so fitting that this was the mass after the Ms An Maglipayon event and all those issues surrounding prior to it. The homily placed a lot things in perspective to me. It made me go "yeah, it was a stressful and challenging road but it sure was worth and fulfilling at the end of it" Fr. Bill added that we must not be sad, you see the best is yet to come. I think, feel and truly believed that after all these things, ATASC has a lot of things to look forward to. Our journey is just beginning. It wont be without road blocks and bumps but knowing that at the end of it all, there is something to look forward to makes all of it worthwhile. Again, much like dessert.

Hoping that things will be better is really what tides us over each and every bumps, road blocks and corners that we encounter. Fr. Bill made a cute story about 3 sisters - Faith, Hope and Love. Faith got disappointed and refused to trust again. Love got hurt and refused to love again but then Hope held on to Faith and Love and told them that there is a "light at the end of the tunnel". That sure we have been disappointed. Sure we have been hurt but there are still a million and one reasons why we must go on. The reasons may not be evident now but its there. Hope springs eternal indeed.

So next time that it feels like a struggle to get through the meal, just think that there is dessert to look forward to. I guess this is why dessert is served at the end of the meal. It just doesn't feel the same when we do backwards. I dont think theres a person who looks forward to soup or salad or appetizer.

updates...updates

Happy Birthday to my big, little brother!!











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I really have to do something with my sleeping pattern. Its been crazy for the past few days. I get that I am trying to gain back the little sleep I have had the past few weeks but really what or how I am doing it now isn't helping much. I wake up early (between 430-5 AM) to go to work then when I get home at around 5 or 530, if its not a gym day, I plop down my bed and takes a power nap which isn't really a power nap since I end up waking up at 9 or 10 then I have dinner. Then because I slept I am not able to sleep now at the time I am supposed to, ending up sleeping around 12 or 1. Then the cycle continues. I think I should stop myself from plopping down my bed when I get home and do something else instead, no matter how sleepy I am. That should bring my sleeping pattern to what is normal at least.

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Who says a girl cant buy herself flowers? I did last Saturday when B and I went to the Flower District to buy the flowers for the centerpieces. I got a bunch of sunflowers. The sunflowers were big and yellow and just so beautiful and radiant like the sunshine. But, alas in my hurry I forgot it at the house where we made the centerpieces. I left it too without taking a photo of it first. Oh well on my next trip I will buy myself again and take a picture of it this time.

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I am obsessed with food blogs lately. I have been reading a lot of them. Some of my faves are : Burnt Lumpia, Wandering Chopsticks, Monster Munching, I Can Do That, Maybahay and One Wall Kitchen. They've opened my eyes to new cuisines, new restaurants and new recipes that I cannot wait to try. Burnt Lumpia, Wandering Chopsticks and Monster Munching have listed restaurants in the L.A. and OC area which are so close to me. I have tried one that I read about from Wandering Chopsticks - KyoChon. Its Korean Style Fried Chicken which is out of this world delicious. Will make a review of it soon. I've seen recipes that I cannot wait to try. Reading through their blogs is making me miss baking and cooking so much. Contrary to what people think, I do know how to cook and bake. I just haven't done it in a long time. Maybe when I have my own kitchen. I actually will trade a big bedroom for a big and state-of-the-art kitchen. The only other thing I care about in a house other than the kitchen is a big, organized walk-in closet. Give me a big kitchen and big closet and I will be a happy girl.

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Is it really difficult to find a bank or its just me? I have these printed out papers in front of me comparing the many different accounts and different banks. I have narrowed it down to the three that are the most accessible to me. Am I over thinking this? Choosing a bank is a big thing for me, its my money after all. But must it be this complicated or am I just making it one? hahaha If I were back home, I don't think it will be such a predicament. Papa is there to help me through it. He used to work in a bank. My godfather works in a bank too so its not as such a big thing as it is to me now. back home it would just either be my dad's former bank or my godfather's bank or other bank whose manager my dad will surely know. This time around, I don't have Papa to help me through it so I have to choose wisely. Its such a grown-up thing to do. *sigh*

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You are all probably wondering what ever happened to the event that I have been posting a lot about. The cause of my stress and anxiety - the An Maglipayon Coronation Night last November 10. Well, it went well. It was very successful based on the compliments that I have gotten from people. All the hard work sure paid off. It wasn't perfect, and I wasn't expecting it to be or nor wanted it to be, but it went smoothly. The candidates and the officers got to eat which don't usually happen with all the things going on. The AVPs, projector worked well. People liked the program because it was short and classy. I had to give a lot of time to dancing. It is a dinner-dance after all. The centerpieces were simple and elegant. My "problem" candidate came on time. It took her a long time to dress up thus delaying the coronation segment but whatever I let her be. I wasn't going to let that little detail ruin everything. She was cooperative for a change which is all I wanted. Everyone seemed to have a good time. The DJ was good. The dance floor was hardly empty which was my goal. The food was superb. The dessert-cheesecake was so good. Everything is still a blur to me and it may seem like I wasn't satisfied with it which is so far from the truth but I have a slight problem with "tooting my own horn", "magbitbit ng sariling bangko". People have been praising me about it and I don't mean to sound like an ingrate but I have difficulty handling compliments because it wasn't like it was all me. People, a lot of people helped and I feel taking the credit means taking the credit away from other people. They have told me that sure people helped and cooperated but it was me at the helm of it so I really do deserve the praise but I don't know I am just iffy with it. I guess it still needs some getting used to.

Silenced

I was humbled and silenced by my almost 3 year old niece last night. Ali is going to turn 3 this December but she continues to amaze all of us with what she knows and what she says. I haven't seen her much lately so I was pleasantly surprised to see her last night at my aunt's house. She has gotten chubbier from the last time. This picture was taken a few months ago. She has gotten taller and chubbier but still as adorable as ever. So going back to last night, her dad asked me to help her with her shoes, I was about to only to be told by Ali, "I can do it myself." In those exact words. Okay, I just watched her put them on. But then that wasn't it, as she was leaving and I couldn't help myself, I hugged her so tight and told her dad that she looked like she was inflated. "No." was Ali's quick reply. "You only inflate balloons." *thud* that was me falling off from wherever I sat. How did a three year old know what inflate mean and to associate that with balloons? Beats me! All the "adults" in the house were speechless. We were all silenced by this little girl who is not even three yet. I cant imagine, actually don't want to imagine what else are we going to hear from her as she gets older. But I do know one thing, I don't think this will be the last time I will be left speechless by this adorable little girl.

I wish I could tell you but I won't...not yet anyway

I was inspired by Gail's post that I went ahead and did one of my own.

The rules are simple: List (20) things you want to say to 20 people but know you never will. Don't say who they are. Don't ask I am not going to tell. Please dont guess either. Those are my additional rules.

1. What does she feed you that you take her side even if she is in the wrong?
2. Ang labo mo. Ang labo ng utak mo.
3. If you have something to ask me, ask me. Don’t ask people about me when I am right beside you. I don’t bite.
4. You tell people to forgive and yet you are the very last one to give it.
5. Why do you tolerate her so much? Is it because you love here or is it because of them?
6. You were there in my darkest hour and I will never forget that.
7. You like to power trip well you can have it because it seems I still have the last say anyway.
8. You have given me wings to fly and yet kept me grounded with my feet firmly on the ground.
   
9. I am very, very glad that you are here with me. Thanks! =)
10. Stop spinning lies and stories because one day you will be caught in your own web.
11. Just because you share the same DNA doesn’t make each and everyone of you the same.
12. I am glad you are who you are. I am the way I am because of you.
13. Deny it all you want, it is so clear you have your favorites and annoying part is they bask in it and you let them.
14. You are younger than me but wisdom sure don’t come with age because there have been times that you were wiser than I ever could be.
15. I am happy for you but I cant help but feel abandoned.
    
16. I am glad that you are different from people your age; you don’t let yourself be caught up with all the hype.
17. It doesn’t hurt to care a little bit about other people.
18. Stop acting as if you are better than everyone else.
19. You deserve more credit and appreciation than people give you but you don’t seem bothered by it. I admire that about you.
20. Stop insisting on things that never were, never is and never will be.

Try it! Its cathartic!