My Sweet Haven: March 2008

Monday, March 31, 2008

Highschool Life

I got a tag from Jana. Thanks for this, girl!

I didn't have a very much memorable highschool life back then 'coz my parents are very strict but I'm gonna try to remember something about those years.

What section were you?
It was a Catholic school so our sections are from the names of saints. 1st - St. Thomas, 2nd - St. Lorenzo Ruiz, 3rd - Can't remember! 4th - St. Augustine

Who were your seatmates?
I'm sorry I can't remember!

Still remember your English teacher?
Mrs. Fontanoza - 4th year

What was your first class?
If I had remember it well, the advisers are always the first class so I'll have to say History, eh?!

Made friends to the lower years?
Yeah, I have lots of friends from the lower years.

How was your class schedule?
It was okay. Sometimes, I was late for my first period.

Made any enemies?
I guess so! Hehehe

Who was your favorite teacher?
Our biology teacher, Ms. Victoria Longos.

What sport did you play?
I was not into sports.

Were you a party animal?
Definitely not. My life back then revolves around school and home.

Were you well known in your school?
Yeah, I'd like to believe so.

SKIP CLASSES?
Yeah, a few times.

Did you get suspended/expelled?
Thank God, Never!

What was your favorite subject?
It has always been English and Biology.

Did you go to the dances?
I don't think so.

Where did you go most often during breaks?
Canteen and Library.

What did you do on the last day of school?
Had chika-chika with classmates.

LOVE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS AWARD

This is my first award and I'm thankful to my friend, Lira. I'm new to blogging and I never expected to gain friends while I'm here. It's wonderful to blog but I think it's more rewarding to have new friends all over the world. I truly appreciate the friendship. I enjoy reading your thoughts about different matters in life. I wanna take this opportunity to thank my friends online who were interested to know me better thru my blogs.

I am now forwarding this circle of friends award to Francine, Borski and Nai and Monica. Have a nice day, guys!

Saturday, March 29, 2008

What You Love The Most About Your Husband/Partner

In this blog, you will learn a special part of me and Jeff. Thanks to my friend, Francine, for this tag.

When you fell in love with someone, sometimes it's hard to define the emotion and explain the reason why you felt this way towards a person. As your relationship blossoms, you start to learn the person in depth and you realize that these are the specific reasons why you love this person. Human as we are, we have flaws, but it is when you choose to still love them despite the flaws that makes you appreciate the love that you have for them even more.

What I love the most about Jeff is that:

He loves to give me flowers even if it's only an ordinary day. To me, that makes him so romantic and loving.
He considers me and our relationship the most important things in his life. He puts so much value to it that even for one second, he wouldn't even consider doing something to damage it.
He loves my family and he understands the value of having a family.
He is so expressive with his love for me. He always tells me "I love you" and he kisses me countless times everyday.
He respects me more than anything else. He never yells at me even if he's upset with me. He treats me like his equal and supports me in whatever endeavor I'd like to take.

There you go, friends! Now, it's time to share your thoughts. I'm tagging Lira, Sweet Lullaby and Jana.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Thank God It's Friday

This has been a long weekend for me and Jeff. For 3 days in a row, my tummy prob keeps on bugging me. I believe this is what we call as "kabuhi" though I haven't been diagnosed by a doctor yet. Putting on "efficascent oil" on my tummy and lying in bed with a pillow gently pressed on it make me feel better. It makes the "bad air" goes out of my system. (*blushes) On the other hand, Jeff had to work for overtime today. He usually has Fridays off but it's company call that they have to report on Fridays until at least summer. This is beneficial to us financial-wise, but at the same time, it took a little of our time on weekends together. Not to mention that weekend days off is what he needed after tough days in the plant.

Anyway, tomorrow's gonna be an exciting day for us. We'll gonna go shopping for a few kitchen small appliances as replacements for the old stuff that we have here. I did some research online so I kinda' know in particular which brand and kind that I'd like to get. But the most wonderful thing about it is I'm gonna be driving us to the department store. This will be my first time to drive this far on a busy city like Fort Smith. Hubby thinks I'm ready though I don't have a license yet. Personally, I am a little nervous about it but deep inside I know I am ready and I'll be able to do it. I hope and pray that it'll just be a smooth 45-min drive to JC Penney.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

"Our Handsome Bugoy"

Meet my tisoy nephew, Brennan Carlyle Miller. He'll be 3 yrs. old in June. He's the only son of my sister, first 'pag-umangkon' in the family and he brought us so much joy. He's such a sweet, funny, energetic and loveable cute lil boy. They are living in Illinois right now and I've seen him thrice eversince I got here in the US. These photos are taken recently and I'm so amazed of how much he has grown from the last time I've seen him which was last Christmas. We're looking forward to visit them again in IL and spend Thanksgiving Day with them.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Santibañez-Aldama Nuptials

She was a picture of a radiant bride. He was a picture of a dashing groom. They were better known onscreen as Sergio and Marimar/Bella. Their love story was so inspiring. It had withstood all trials, so it is but fitting that theirs has to have a happy ending. After a 7-month run on national television, Marimar ended with a big bang. The soap opera that had captured the lives of so many Filipinos finally had to end. But the production team made sure that it'll be a remarkable finale. The network spent millions to make this wedding a dream come true to all the Marimar fans.

Right after the elaborate wedding scene held at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila, Marimar turned live for the wedding reception scene held at the Studio 3 of GMA Network where Marimar (Marian Rivera) and Sergio (Dingdong Dantes) professed their undying love for each other. Joining as part of the entourage and guests were big stars like Rufa Mae Quinto, LJ Reyes, GMA Films President Annette Gozon-Abrogar, Ricky Reyes, German Moreno, among others. Real-life couple Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid sang the theme song during the wedding ceremony.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Easter Egg Hunt and more

We were invited to attend a Filipino Community gathering yesterday. It was actually an Easter Egg Hunting for kids but part of it are the chika chika, meeting new friends and eating wonderful Filipino meals. I never thought that there are lots of Pinoys here in Arkansas and it was such a joy to be with these people who are mostly Bisdaks and what a pleasant thing to hear them speak my native dialect, Bisaya. After the egg hunt, we went straight to another Filipina friend's house. There we eat again, talk and of course sing. Unfortunately, both me and hubby can't carry a tune so we were just contented with being audiences. We had a great time. I hope we can meet them up again some other time. We went home late and tired but we don't mind doing it again!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

10 Recent Things That Made Me Happy

This is my first tag from my new friend, Monica. Thanks for this, girl! Another friend of mine, Francine, tagged me with this, thanks to you, too, sis! There are a lot of things that inspire me and make me happy but most of it are just small stuff that sometimes I just take them for granted. But this tag helps me appreciate the beauty of things and people that surround me and give meaning to my life.

1. I've been researching the best Treadmill Machine 'coz we would like to get one and I am super excited about it. It's been a while since I went to the gym to do cardio exercises.

2. The 3-day weekend with hubby makes me happy. It's never been easy to be alone and missing my other half.

3. My mom's improving health makes me glad. She's been sick for the past couple of months and the last time I talked to her which was yesterday, she sounded happy and healthy.

4. The amount of earnings that I got from a lot of GPT sites that I am a member of.

5. I talked to my youngest sister in Cebu. She shared to me new chika and I got a kick out of it.

6. The Holy Week. It reminded me of my salvation. Who wouldn't be happy about it?

7. Meeting new Filipina friends this Sunday for the Easter Egg Hunt.

8. Ramiele Malubay's strong stint in the American Idol contest.

9. I wrote a script for my sister's school play. She's a nursing stud. She told me my script was part of the Top 10 best stories out of the 28 sections that participated.

10. Seeing the face of my langga every morning and knowing that we're both in love to each other.

Now, I wanna here from my beloved blogger friends out there! Lira, Lou, Lis and Borski.

Spread the LOVE!!!

Featured Friends For The Week

Hey there! My blog was featured as one of the top 5 picks of the week by Borski and I will do the same for 5 other friends. When you feature your friends’ blogs, you will help increase (hopefully) their page rank and yours. You can read more on this here and here. So keep the ball rolling, make your own 5 featured friends. To return the favor, make sure you include the name of the person who recommended you. Example:

1. Amor is one of our featured friends.

2. So when Amor will make her featured friends for the week, she has to include my name and she will pick 4 or 5 more from her own list of friends.

3. She will inform ALL her featured friends to keep the ball rolling.

If you use Blogger, you can add your featured friends using the new page element ‘Link List’.

My Featured Friends Blogs are: Amor, Lira, Monica, Francine, Lara, Princess-2 and of course Borski. Keep it going!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Yummy Dinner

After the terrifying tornado warning experience yesterday, I treat myself and hubby with a yummy dinner. I got this recipe from my sister in Illinois. She has a knack on cooking fancy American meals. Most of my recipes are from her and my mom. Anyway, I tried her Pot Roast Beef recipe after days of eating straight Filipino meals like dried squid, fried tilapya and sauteed squash with pork. It turned out to be so mouth-wateringly delicious. I ate it with rice. Yeah, I just can't eat without rice at all, lol. Included here is the recipe in case you'd wanna try this too.

Pot Roast Beef

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon unsalted butter (stick)
1 tablespoon sunflower oil (vegetable oil)
1 large onion cut into wedges
3 lbs. boneless pot round or rump roast
3 carrots peeled and thinly sliced
3 medium white potatoes cubed
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon salt
2 envelopes (1.4 ounces each) onion soup mix Lipton
1 tablespoon cornstarch

1. Heat the butter and sunflower oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and beef. Brown the beef on all sides. Transfer the beef and onion to the slow cooker.

2. Arrange the carrots, potatoes and bay leaves around the beef. Sprinkle with salt. In a heat-proof bowl, or measuring cup, combine the soup mix with 3 cups boiling water, stirring until smooth.

3. Pour the soup mixture over the beef and vegetable in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until the meat is very tender about 4 hours. (I cooked mine about 7 hrs., depending on how tender the beef you would like to be)

4. In a medium sauce pan, combine the cornstarch in about 1 teaspoon water, stir to form a paste. Add 2 cups hot liquid from the slow cooker and bring to a boil, stirring until the gravy has thickened. Slice the beef and serve with vegetables and gravy.

Bon appetit!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Tornado Warning

I have a very scary experience to share with you today. We are having a very bad weather right now with heavy rains, gusty winds and small size hail. The weather forecast includes flash flood warning and tornado watch in our County. Probably, the safest part of our house, in the event of a tornado, is only the bathtub since we don't have a basement or a storm shelter. I was told what to do, if and when a tornado will be spotted in the area but I think you really can't be prepared enough for this kind of natural calamity. The feeling is indescribably intense, now that I had actually experienced it myself.

The tornado siren sounded this afternoon and it drove me nuts. The thought that our town is in imminent danger seems to be so powerfully scary. I called hubby at work twice 'coz it seems like its the only comforting thing to do at the moment. Of course, I cried. I was so scared. I prayed so hard while I brought our flashlight, telephone, my immigration papers and thick comforter with me in the bathtub. It felt so silly doing it but it's the most logical thing to do. For a moment, I thought about going back to the Philippines 'coz we don't have tornadoes there, but hubby reminded me that we have earthquakes and super typhoons in the PI. Anyway, I am glad that it's over now and that I'm safe though my insides are still shivering a bit. It scared the hell out of me!

Monday, March 17, 2008

The Letter "I"

Another tag from sis Lira again! Thank you again sistah!

I AM… hopeless romantic, shopaholic, sensitive and easy to get along with.

I WANT… to buy a shiny Red Pontiac Vibe.

I HAVE… Filipino channels on tv both GMA Pinoy TV and TFC.

I WISH… I could visit my most favorite place, Venice, Italy.

I HATE… roaches and crickets.

I FEAR… losing any of my loved ones.

I SEARCH… the face of Jesus in my life.

I WONDER… if I could be the best mom for my future babies.

I REGRET… not taking up pharmaceutical course in college.

I LOVE… GOD, my family and of course my wonderful husband, Jeff.

I ALWAYS… read suspense novels and watch pinoy soap operas on tv.

I AM NOT… snubbish and unfriendly, i'm just typically shy.

I DANCE… to the tune of upbeat and techno music (lupet!).

I SING… Kyla's I Don't Want You To Go in the bathroom.

I CRY… easily especially if I have tampo with hubby.

I WRITE… blogs and journals because I love to express my thoughts and emotions.

I WON… first prize in an interschool oratorical competition back in Highschool.

I AM CONFUSED… with the Southern accent especially here in my town, Ozark.

I NEED… to just save this as a draft 'coz Marimar will be on air in 3 minutes.

I SHOULD… have the courage to take the driving skills test this month.

THE LAST THOUGHT YOU GO TO SLEEP WITH IS… how lucky I am 'coz my babe loves me and is forever faithful to me.

Now, it's your turn, girls! I am tagging my friends Amor, Scotty's Princess, and Monica.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Stability Ball

A month ago, while we were buying stuff at Walmart, a mass display of Cory Everson's Pilates Set worth 20 bucks held my interest. This includes (2) 2 lb. toning balls, workout DVD, exercise wall chart, light resistance latex band and of course, the 65 cm. anti-burst stability ball. We bought it but after using it twice, I became lazy and forgot about it. It wasn't until this afternoon that I notice it again, resting idly in the corner of the computer room. I thought I should start using it again, afterall, there's a lot of benefits that this ball has to offer. It can improve muscle strength and endurance in all of the major muscle groups. Training with the ball can improve muscle tone, increase muscle endurance and strength, restore or improve flexibility, enhance spinal stability, complement one's resistance, help lose weight, and lastly, improve your balance, posture and coordination. The ball is also ideal for stretching and offers additional options to traditional static stretching. Traditional stretching usually requires you to stretch on the floor and it can be difficult to move into and out of stretching positions.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

8 Things You Don't Know About Me

I got tagged by my friend, Lira. Thanks for this, girl! I'd be happy to share some bits of information about myself thru my blog. Here are the rules.

* Each blogger must post these rules first.
* Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
* Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
* At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
* Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Now, here's what you don't know about me:

1. I love to read suspense novels before bedtime. Kiss The Girls by James Patterson is on my bedside table right now.

2. I am scared of roaches, crickets, grasshoppers, and any other insects of these kinds.

3. I am a solid fan of the Asia's Songbird, Ms. Regine Velasquez.

4. I am the eldest of three but I don't think and act like the eldest sister. I don't boss them around and I don't let the pressures of being the eldest get into me.

5. I've read the whole Harry Potter Book Series and I've watched all of the movies.

6. I am so shy around new acquaintances that those who don't know me well often mistook it as being snubbish and unfriendly.

7. I love to shop like most girls. I shop like 2 to 3 times a month here, more often than what I used to do back in the Philippines. (*rolling eyes*)

8. I like the colors pink, white and black.

I am tagging Francine, Lis, Monica, Ethelbert, and Island Paradise.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

First Check from Cash Crate

I just wanna share this exciting news with you. I got my first check from Cash Crate yesterday. I joined them for 2 days last month and I earned $20.30 by completing free offers online. Well, I know it's not much but I'm still happy that I'm being productive even if I just stayed at home and face the computer most of the time. I could have earned more last month but I found this site only a few days before February ends. I'm looking forward for this month since I'm also a member of Thissiteisforreal, and I'm currently having $60.00 for the month of March. You will be amazed of how easy these sites work. I only spend like a maximum of two hours each day for Get-Paid-To websites 'coz I also do my blogs and update my personal sites. The prospect of earning while blogging makes me excited as well. I can't wait to get more blessings this month.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Nightmares

It is not unusual of me to mutter, grunt, scream, kick or sometimes even talk in my sleep. I'm not proud of it but it's something that me and my family back home had gotten used to. I don't know what causes the bad dreams that had triggered the action of muttering and screaming but it's not probably stress like what I've read online. I couldn't be stressed out every day in my entire life, could I? As much as possible, I tried to get rid of bad thoughts and I normally say my prayer before I go to bed. But I don't know why weird and ghastly things visit me in my sleep. I'm starting to get concerned about it because Jeff usually had a hard time getting back to sleep after he'd get awakened by my shrill screams. I feel guilty already because it's hard to report for work deprived of a good sleep most of the time. I even suggested that I'll just sleep on a separate bed just so I won't disturb him, but of course, he's not wild about the idea. He said we'll find a way but definitely sleeping in bed without me is not one of them. Guys, do you have tips on how to make me behave in my sleep? Do you have sleeping problems like mine too?

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Those were the days!!!!

It's been 18 long years!!! My memory of our beloved YLAC Elementary School Graduation seems so faint and distant. Of course I still remember these faces but I couldn't exactly recall what happened on that day. Too bad, eh! I don't even think that I still got a copy of this picture back home in PI. We've moved three times and a couple of super typhoons have hit us and I guess that's how we lost the old pictures.

Anyway, I grabbed this pic from a friendster acccount of an elementary classmate and friend of mine, Jessica Jenny. I'm happy that I still get in touch with at least 4 of the faces in this photograph. I showed this pic to my hubby and I was surprised that he recognized me right away. He said it had something to do with my eyes and the way I look at something. Amazing, isn't it? Btw, to those who didn't recognize me, I am that second little girl from the right on the first row.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

White As Snow

Today, I had a wonderful snow experience in our little town, Ozark. Having lived most of my life in a tropical country like Philippines, snow is one of the things that I look forward to when I got here in the US. I used to think that all parts of the country get snow at least every winter. But to my dismay, March came and still it hasn't snowed in Ozark, Arkansas. I was about ready to forget my little heart's desire to make snow angels and snow man, and to stroll around the neighborhood while everything looks beautifully white. But amazingly, we got our share of snow today. The childlike nature within me couldn't wait to be satisfied. Hubby had this incredibly surprised and confused look on his face when he saw me open our front door in my silky, hot pink jammies with a camera in hand. (*huh) I know that was foolish of me to get out of the house not perfectly dressed for a very cold weather like that. But who could blame me? I got carried away with the beautiful site unfolding before my eyes.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Ramiele Malubay made it to the TOP 12

Obviously, she's my American Idol this season. Not just because she's a filipina and she's cute but its because I've seen in her the talent that some of our local singers possess but just didn't get the chance to make it big to Hollywood. The results night for the Top 12 was nervewracking for me. It felt like I was a relative or something 'coz I had been so sure that I'd be so devastated when she couldn't have made it to the Top 12. Hubby was right beside me positively saying she's gonna make it while I was covering my eyes not wanting to see Ramiele's reactions if Ryan will say she didn't make it. But fortunately, she did make it to the Top 12. I couldn't be any happier. I really really hope she will choose the right songs for the coming weeks and my next wish is that she's gonna make it to the Top 3. (*wink*wink*wink)

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Let There Be Snow

I've checked on the weather forecast for today in the internet and West Arkansas has a winter storm warning. No wonder it's such a gloomy day outside. Early this afternoon, rain started to fall out from the sky. There's even a snow forecast for Franklin County today but I don't wanna keep my hopes up. Two days ago, it snowed a bit here in Ozark but it didn't last long. My little heart was so stricken. Eversince I got here 5 months ago, I've never experienced thick accumulation of snow yet. I've always wished to have a picture while I make snow angels and lay spread-eagled on the snowy ground. But I ain't got lucky yet!

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Do You Feel Blah Sometimes ?

Today is just one of those days that I don't feel motivated. Yeah, even if I just stay at home, use the computer, watch tv, read books and do chores most of the time, I still need some motivation, you know! For me, the most uneventful thing you can ever do in your lifetime is to be a house bum, hahaha! True, it's nice to do nothing at times but gosh, it's frustrating as hell when you do nothing everyday for several months. Lately though, I've occupied myself with doing stuff online with the potential of earning $$ but today I just feel so uninspired. Wish there's something new to do for me.

No little Jenn or Jeff yet, so it's kinda lonely in here when hubby goes to work. I'm not sad or depressed today though, I just feel blah. You know what I mean, like everything is plain and boring. I'm thinking of taking a walk to the park later with hubby 'coz the weather is great but even that, I'm not sure if I have the motivation to do it. Hmm, let's see how would I feel later. Sorry about the ranting, guys! I just needed to release my negative vibrations. Anyway, I'm looking forward to watch American Idol again tonight, hehehe! I hope I'd have the chance to vote for Ramiele this time. I so love this season of AI. See ya'h!

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