Anything goes...

I have not been much of a reader nor a writer in the past few years. Read, yes. But I would confess, it's not as always as it seemed to be. I hated the fact that I can no longer read a full book in one sitting. My latest book is A Man Called Ove, and I have not even finished t yet.  I have a friend who always gives me e-books, I ask him for e-books and yet, I just have them ready in my collection. Even the real, tangible books I have are quite ignored for some time now. For some reason, I have become lazy. I have become the person I didn't want to be, maybe because of the busy schedule at work, or have I been too complacent with a lot of stuff? Just this morning, as I have always planned it to be, I finally got the urge to get my Bob Ong box of cards. This Bob Ong's Aba! are a set of cards with questions or tasks that you can answer or that you can follow. I vow to at least answer one card every week, or the most often that I can do it because I need to sharpen my brain cel...

A friend sent me this message earlier last week: Albert Einstein spelled out his formula of success this way: A=X+Y+Z where A=Success X = Work Y = Play Z = is keeping your mouth shut. In my present world where I work, I have found very disappointing instances where you see different kinds of actions and reactions only for the competition. I am not making myself clean here, but in the government, there are a lot of people who will continue pulling you down because you are performing better than they do; there are a number of co-workers who will accuse you of this and that without having to check how things came to be. I find that in the government, very minimal people give true value to work, and oftentimes, they are the ones who are just in the background. Those who are the noisiest are those who do less. I may not be the kind of person who will keep working and be content in little rewards, but I want to give justice to those who have worked really hard enough and yet keep their ...

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.” -Dalai Lama-

Okey, this is gonna be short and sweet. I hate people who, when asked about a certain thing and will have to reply a confirmation, sends you a text with just a single letter- K. Arghhhh. Is it that difficult to key in some formal answers so you could at least know what better information the other end should know? There are really some people who are like this, i dunno if they are just plain lazy or ignorant of the fact that the SMS is some sort of communication and it better be answered with formal replies other than K. Baka pwede lagyan na rin ng O para OK? Mas clear! Di ba? K? Grrrrr... Wala lang, somebody just texted me that. It irked me enough to make me post a blog about it.

1. busy 2. scared 3. anxious 4. excited 5. agitated 6. tired 7. lacking 8. broke 9. doubtful 10. nervous What the heck, all these are what I feel. What a pity. I need prayers for strength.

It was only last year when we have experienced Kinilis and the beauty of its nature, and the people there, and everything about them. We have witnessed how passionate they are in serving nature and in helping each other build better lives. We, together with the Rotary Club of Polomolok, went back there last December to share our Christmas love and the children were very happy. I am awed at their love for each other, and their want for education that I and some friends have planned on giving something for the Kinilis children this coming schoolyear . Note: Please read related stories on link provided. And this time, the thought is becoming a reality. South Cotabato Tambayan has donated 50 sets of these school supplies, and there's a lot more pouring in. We will be sending them off before June comes. If you want to help us in sending these kids to school, kindly let us know by emailing me at sdumalay[at]yahoo[dot]com. This is for the children in Kinilis...

I fear death. Who does not? Death is the end of enjoying all things you like to do, and the end of seeing your dearly beloved alive, kicking and breathing life. But death comes as a thief in the night, or even in the day. Rey is a healthy guy, or so I thought. He is chubby, at his forty, with a wife and two sons, and a budding personal business in t-shirt printing and garments industry. No vices, no drinking, no smoke. He is our neighbor and friend; we just talked last week, and on Monday, I was informed he was admitted for high blood and ulcer. The following day, he is gone. He left his two young kids and his unemployed wife to leukemia. His death came as a surprise, and a realization hit me. His work killed him. he has been doing his job as a shirt-painter for more than ten years. It is what fed his family. But the poison he breathes with his paints slowly crawled into him, eating him up. His work got the best of him. This comes as a reminder. Never take your health for granted. Alwa...

Well, let us accept it, we are definitely not getting any younger and even younger ones have a way with memory, because sometimes, our memory fails us. It is like a tire that is being used everyday, and so the tire has to wear out and sometimes, flattens, balds over time, and in due time will have to be sent to the shop for a check. The same way goes with our memory, thus in order for us not to bring our memories to the shop, I will share here ten steps to boost your memory. I found this while de-cluttering our house on the first day of the year and has become helpful to me. I considered this as a sign to a good guide to 2011. I hope this guides you as well. 1. Get yourself a sleep. Sleep deprivation lowers your immune system, weakens your defenses against sickness and leads you to mental fatigue and poor memory. 2. Set your body clock. Maintaining a regular body clock is just getting enough sleep. If you go to bed early and rise early, keep it that way. It easily coordinates your bod...

"Only in this life can we do good, in the next, there is no retake. " ~ Alice O. Montilla She's a retired Department of Labor Officer, one I never had the chance to work with. She left the office for a major decision, health. She took a leave and rested just when I was about to enter the institution but, her words and words about her made me appreciate her more. Last January 12, we went to see her, on her testimonial dinner and her words of thanksgiving caught me glued to my seat just listening to her, thanking the people she had brushed elbows with and those who made an impact in her life. This inspired me a lot to do good, more good deeds, for it is indeed true, in the next life, we can never have a retake of what we failed to do in this life. My dream of becoming one like her roots on being good, on being the best, on being compassionate to others, for there is nothing more fulfilling than having to offer goodness to others.

A friend of ours, wife of hubby's distant relative died last Sunday. The news shocked us all because, first, the last we saw each other was June 6, burial of a relative also. She was really healthy that time we saw each other, we thought she was feeling all right. Second, she is only 34 years old, so young at that age, and she left her 5-year old only child to the husband. According to stories, it all started last April, she had been feeling headaches, and recurring headaches the following months. The husband said she had been attacked by head-splitting headaches that she could not sleep, area around her eyes were already very dark. According to him, of the 24 hours, she only had 2 hours of sleep. And that was her daily routine. In two weeks time, her pains and sleepless nights plunged. She became blind partially, then totally. The doctors could not decipher the cause of all these pains and agonies she's felt. The tests, MRI, CT-scan and other lab results showed negative. The h...

I have a photographer for a husband. And yes, I am thankful for that. The Lord has given me a very creative husband who understands me inside and out and knows me very well that I am not, NEVER fond of modeling for him. But GandaEverSoMuch has this really challenging photo contest, and I have to join, hence I wouldn't have that much coveted red Opera shirt I have been eyeing for, from my friends. So I budged the hubby as to what we will be doing for the contest, and knowing his creative juices do not run low in supply, he made me do this: That really heavy set of gorgeous colors came from HK, and it was actually the first time we opened that box, just for the photoshoot. The brush and everything else, including the face having my glasses on are just his ideas. Oozing with creativity, we did this all one very hot afternoon. While having to carry that set of colors, he was maneuvering his camera way up above my head, hoisted on tripod and his hands on the remote. It was a number of ...

I'm kinda' queasy today, for tomorrow, my daughter will be heading to school already. This is her first ever formal schooling, we had enrolled her on summer classes before, Vacation Bible classes too, and the teacher who dealt with her in school recommended her to mid-morning session (the A section). Tomorrow is my daughter's first day of school. Tabebs is entering Kinder 1, we have decided not to enroll her on Nursery because we decided on teaching Tabebs everything that they teach in Nursery. We gave her books and at 3, she already knows how to write her name, better than those who have passed Nursery. She can already count from 1 to 20, and has memorized every color in the color wheel, and even knows a little of addition. But why am I anxious for tomorrow? Because for the first time, Tabebs will be settling for school. And she, being our youngest is still a baby for us. Biboy is entering Grade 4 tomorrow. Look how fast time has sped. In due time, I will be guarding him, ...

Hey guys! I may be busy but I sure visit you as often as I could. Today, we did something good and am proud that we did. By we, it's my son, Biboy and I. My son's old pairs of shoes he wore in Grade 3 are already too small for his feet. He and I decided to give away the pairs and I promised him I will buy him a new one, once his dad and I can let our pockets breathe. So last week, we bought him a new pair of leather shoes, just timely for the opening of the school year. When we were home, he reminded me that we should give his old leather pair to someone in need. The shoes were really strong, and it would seem as though it was not overused. It was branded so the pair was really a durable one. Today, I brought the shoes to our office and gave them to our janitress. It was for her son. I can see the smile she gave me, full of delight and gratitude while saying her thanks. She was really overwhelmed that I could see her eyes swelling with tears. I did not want to see her cry so I...

Ten years. We survived ten long years. It seemed so fast. It was only yesterday when we were walking hand in hand enjoying the cool blue sky, and dining at barbecue restos after office hours. It was only yesterday when we got to the church and vowed ourselves bonded by a love so unique, only the two of us can feel for the other. It was only yesterday when I carried a bundle of joy, and we were trying our best to become good parents. And then came another bundle of joy after six years. And was it only yesterday too, when our marriage was blessed with a house, and God blessed us with a car? Ten full years, and today, we are a complete family with two cute kids completing our lives. A home we could cherish and a relationship to strengthen. Ten full years of love, only love. Ten full years of steadfast love.Our love may have been tested, but look, 2 days will pass and we're back to okay. I have never gotten mad at you for a deep reason. Well, other than not answering your phone often ...

I was editing a manuscript for Reading Grade 3 when I chanced upon this story. The story got me that I just have to share it with you. I hope you get the lesson I have also learned. One thing I have to say, it always pays to have good friends. The rivers were a disgruntled lot. They had started out as tiny clear streams high up in the mountains and meandered through valleys and plateaus and plains. Their waters had swollen up during monsoons and had then reduced to a trickle during summer. But on the whole, they had flourished. And now, at the end of their journey, they had to merge with the sea. They would lose their precious freedom forever. And yet, they couldn't stop themselves from flowing, could they? So they flowed till they reached the sea. "This is too unfair!" they said sadly to each other. "It's bad enough that we have to merge. It is worse that our sweet and drinkable water becomes terribly salty and tasteless when we merge with the sea....

Something important came up, the reason for my silence the whole week. I am supposed to post the mechanics for my birthday giveaway but I have to spare my time for a serious review. Tomorrow and Wednesday, I will be hurdling a government examination. If I pass the exam and the interview, I get to be employed nice and good. A beautiful job awaits me if they find favor in me, nice pay, and something that will really utilize my mind. I would like to ask if you could spare me some prayers for this exam. I am being positive about it, but I know it is God's will that must be honored as always. So I am just praying that I will hurdle this to the best of my knowledge and ability and that God will guide me when I take it tomorrow. This is actually what I'd call, my dream job. I am crossing my fingers. Please cross yours for me. Thanks so much everyone. sHenG

Lord, thank you so much for what the year has been, all the blessings, the gifts, the flow of strength and all that was showered upon us. Thank you also for the trials, the storms, the floods, the weaknesses that we hurdled. We became stronger because we trusted in You and knew we can survive because You certainly won't leave us. Thank you for friends, close friends, neighbors, officemates who have made life better for us because they are around. Than you for online friends who continue to read our rants and raves even if we are only bonded by this special thing called the Internet. Thank you also for those people who made our lives difficult. They may be the annoying people we have to deal with but they shape our character, and hopefully, they shape it for a better one. Thank you for the work we still have while others have none. Thank you because you have shown us the importance of working hard in order to feed our mouths and not to steal. Thank you for Mother Nature. We may have...

The year 2009 has brought me and my family a lot of things to be thankful for. You have all been aware of what my life has been, and what I and my husband have done in order to survive this leaving year, and I am just glad that although life has been full of ups and downs, the ups always rule, because even when we are down, the Lord always picks us up. Before I say goodbye to 2009, let me share to you the things I am thankful for. We moved to the new house because of the robbery. The robbers got the mattress yet, the Lord didn't take sleep away from us. We could always rest with our minds at peace. The robbers may have taken with them the electric fan, but we still can breathe fresh air. The Lord has breathed in us the hope in pursuing for tomorrow. We have the new (second hand) car. Thank you Lord, but there were some instances when we need the car fixed, and during those times, we had nothing. But I thank the Lord that those times may be tough, yet, we survived. I am thankful tha...

Snagged this from Sir Gilbert's facebook post, and i thought it was well worth sharing with you guys. Tears swelled in my eyes as I read it, enjoy! No Charge Our little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and he handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his mom dried her hands on an apron, she read it, and this is what it said: # For cutting the grass $5.00 # For cleaning up my room this week $1.00 # For going to the store for you $.50 # Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping $.25 # Taking out the garbage $1.00 # For getting a good report card $5.00 # For cleaning up and raking the yard $2.00 # Total owed: $14.75 Well, I'll tell you, his mother looked at him standing there expectantly, and boy, could I see the memories flashing through her mind. So she picked up the pen, turned over the paper he'd written on, and this is what she wrote: # For the nine months I carried you while you were growing...

I am guilty of some of these principles, many of us are, many of us crave for recognition, we become jealous, we interfere with others' concerns, we procrastinate, we do things we regret doing. I know it is but sad that many of these principles have a high chance of getting a disregard, but for us who know and experience the harsh realities of life, these ten may come in handy for future use. This is shared by a person I admire in his writing, his life has been so open because he writes what he sees, feels and illustrates what he has experienced, Blogusvox . A piece beautifully written, these ten (negatives) are the things that you may call a major drawback in your life for moving on, so in order to live a peaceful life, one that means sleeping peacefully at night with nothing to rush to the following day, take these ten as your major approach strategies in everyday living. 1. Do Not Interfere In Others' Business Unless Asked: Most of us create our own problems by interfering ...