This morning, mom, brother, and sister went their way to La Union for the All Saints and All Souls Day celebrations. I already went there last week, and because I will be on a trip with my friend K on Sunday (02 November), so I am currently home alone.

This afternoon I went to the mall to withdraw money and to buy toiletries. Oh my gosh, the mall was so full of people! I didn't realize that today was the Trick or Treat around the mall, so so many kids and parents all over! And also, this was the last day of work and end of month at that, so the lines at the ATM was so long! Good thing I was able to withdraw. I am always afraid of inserting my ATM card because it might get eaten by the machine, or the machine might run out of funds. Yeah, I am so paranoid.

Anyway, after withdrawing my funds, I went to the supermarket then ate lunch at Goldilocks. It was so funny when I went there, I was supposed to order bopis and rice, but when the clerk asked me what to order, I blurted out "Pancit Malabon." Well, I guess God loves me so much that He didn't want me to eat bad foods. =) Thank you, God!

I went home immediately because I prefer to just stay at home. I was able to chat with my Cookie after a week of not chatting, and I was happy that I was able to talk to him again. I will be missing him for ten days when I leave for my trip with my friend K. Well, there's still cellphone, maybe once in a while I will be able to chat with him.

It's now 10:42PM and normally, I am sleeping soundly, and I am sleepy now, but I just cannot sleep. Oh well, I guess I better go now.

*** Jenn ***

Liza, me, Jobi and Mailyn at Tom's World

Yesterday, I received a text message from an anonymous person asking how was I doing. After answering the question, I asked who the person was and I was surprised when "she" told me she's part of my high school clique. I already had Liza and Mailyn's numbers, and Jobi's in Saudi Arabia, so I thought it was our other friend Girlie who has been living in Mindanao (south part of the country) for 10 years now. At first I was shockingly excited at the thought that it could be Girlie for we have lost communications with her since she moved. However, I got afraid when the person who sent the message asked for our land phone number. I got scared for a while because it might be a bad person pretending to be good. So I made up reasons and stories.

It turns out, Jobi's trying to play a prank on us because she's currently in the country taking a vacation. I have told her I was still in the province (when she asked for my land phone number), so when I made sure it was really her, for a while I had a hard time telling the truth that I was actually home (I got home from the province that morning).

I started sending messages to our other friend Liza, who said Jobi was calling for a get together. Liza will not be available this week because she's a teacher, and this week's the only available time for me because this coming weekend I will be having an out of town trip with my friend K. So I was left with no choice but to meet them that night.

Coming from my Singles for Christ CLP, I met up with them at the nearest mall, then we ate dinner at Kenny Rogers (big thanks to my co-SFC member Jomai for the discount) where we caught up with each others lives. We were always noisy when we're together, so we decided to go somewhere else after the dinner. We went to Tom's World - an amusement park in the topmost floor of the mall where we chit-chatted the night away.

We live quite close to each other, but we rarely meet. It's only Jobi who can gather all of us together, and I am just so happy to see her again. Being with the girls are something so wonderful. Jobi said she will be back in Saudi on November 15, and since I will be home from the vacation on November 12, for sure we all would meet again before she leaves.

*** Jenn ***

I received an invitation from Joy in my other blog asking me to join the new Meme she's starting, and at first I was a bit hesitant to join because we don't really have that much toys in the house. My siblings and I didn't grow up in toys, and the very few toys we have currently might not be enough to feed the meme. However, as the name of the meme suggested, it's a toy hunt. It didn't specifically say that I can only use my own, so might as well join. I think this would be a fun challenge for me because I might try knocking on our neighbors' houses to hunt for toys, or I might go the toy store to take pictures. =)

I received the invitation over Le Kulitszie Familie - our family blog, but I decided to put the meme here because hunting for the toys would be a very personal thing, and I just have to put it here in my personal blog. I am kinda neglecting this blog, too, so I just have to find a way to update this blog as well.

Here's my toy for this week:

This week's challenge is to look for a "toy that sings." We don't have anything like that, so I asked our neighbor if they have a toy that sings. Charmy said that this worm is the only toy they have that sings, and I gladly borrowed it for some pictures.

This worm toy was bought by tita Cora (Charmy's mom) July 2007 when she and my own mom went to Singapore for a four day vacation. My dad died March that year, and since tita Cora was invited by her daughter Charo (the one who works in Singapore) to come to Singapore and tita Cora was afraid to fly alone, she invited mom to come with her since she thought mom needed a little diversion from dad's death. When they came home, tita Cora gave this toy to Hero Miel, her grandson. This worm not only sings, it also dances. Just tap the base in the floor, and it will sing and dance - a very cute sight because the worm's body sways left to right.

Big thanks to our neighbor for lending us their toy, and thanks to Joy for the invite. If you want to join, just click on the button.

*** Jenn ***

This flower was taken from our Aunt Lorie's garden when we dropped by in their house last March. The colors are bland because I only used my cell phone and that it's nearing sunset, so the lighting wasn't that bright.

Anyways, this rose plant is occupied quite a chunk of land and space in her garden and seeing the pink roses bloom is like being the secret garden. Too bad I forgot to cut a stem of the plant so I can plant it in our garden, too!

*** Jenn ***

This is my first time to join Week in Pictures meme, and although I already have a photo blog of my own, I decided to do this meme here because pictures are more of a personal level. Here are my pictures this week:

05 October 2008 - This is probably one of the most poignant weeks in the Christian Life Program. After the ceremony of praying over the participants, Ecko asked me if I could take a picture of something, and the five of us positioned our fingers to form a star. Clockwise from the one with the ring: Randolf, Ella, Joy, Ecko, and I.

06 October 2008 - While writing on my planner, I decided to take pictures of myself and this is what I loved the most. Sometimes, whenever I am in a middle of my writings, I would take breaks by taking self-portraits. Some of those I delete right away, some I keep.

07 October 2008 - All people who play the guitar know this. Fingertips cracked and dried because of too much guitar playing. Ever since brother came home with his guitar, I have been playing and playing it. I am not really that good in it, but I do know how to play. Currently, I am always playing the songs "The Fear You Won't Fall" by Joshua Radin, "Steep" by Lauren Christy, "I'll Stand by You" by the Pretenders, and "I'm a Believer" by the Monkees.

08 October 2008 - The Litratong Pinoy meme for this week was about "old already," and since mom had this blanket covering her bed, I decided to make it my entry for the week. Thanks to mom for taking this picture.

09 October 2008 - The blouse I won from my friend Anne's contest was delivered this day. However, when the Fed-Ex truck arrived, I forgot to take even my cell phone with me, so I wasn't able to take a picture of the delivery man. When they left, I hurriedly ran inside to get the camera, but this was the only shot I was able to take. Bummer, but still good, I think. =)

10 October 2008 - Sister came home late last night, so it was just today that I was able to take pictures of her wearing the blouse that I won. Even before I joined the contest, I already told Anne that I will be giving my sister the blouse should I win because it would be too small for me. This blouse is big, actually, but I would look like a mummy and I want to keep my word so I gave it to my sister.

11 October 2008 - I am always intrigued with these pink flowers in our neighbor's, so when I had my free time, I took the camera and took pictures of their flowers. I don't know what's the name of this, but it really look good.

This coming week will be a bit hectic for me, but no matter how busy I may be, I will surely take pictures of anything and everything that fancies me. Have a great week ahead, everyone!

*** Jenn ***

It's that time of the week to list up the things to be thankful for! I really love this meme because I could get to appreciate my life in a different level. Well, apart from the staple things to be thankful for like being alive, food, shelter, clothing, good health, Internet, and all those, here are the things I am thankful for this week:

• I finally was able to confess my sins. As a Catholic, it's really important to confess sins in a priest, and the sacrament was really overwhelming because I don't get to do this often. I am thankful that I finally mustered a courage to speak up and own my sins.

• I got to personally talk to Dee-Jay minutes before he and his mom fly to Singapore to be with Rianne. It was sad that Rianne didn't survive the coma, but being able to talk to Dee-Jay was a great feeling for me because I was able to send my "pat in the back" through my words. I wasn't able to see him and give him my hugs personally, but I am sure he has felt it through my words.

• We've come to the point in the Christian Life Program wherein it's time for us to receive the power of the Holy Spirit. In this part, all our concerns are lifted up to the Lord and we ask Him to empower us with the Holy Spirit. One line that made me cry so hard, and that is "God has accepted us for who we are." I am thankful that I joined the community, and I am thankful that I have gained new friends who are trying to change for the better as well.

• I received a text message from Ran, one of my co-participant in the Singles for Christ. He asked me if I would want to come with them at the Grotto Church in Bulacan before attending the 10th talk of the CLP on Sunday. I was touched because being five years older than most of the participants, I thought I would be having a hard time being friends with them because of the age gap. I am so thankful for them to consider my company. Thanks for the invite, Ran. Hope we could go to the church on Sunday.

• A day after his sister's death, I was able to chat with Dee-Jay. I am happy to be talking to him and I am happy that he is sharing his thoughts with me. He said that they will be coming back from Singapore next week, and I am more than welcome to attend the funeral in their hometown. I am now preparing my things because after dropping by for Rianne's funeral, I will be heading to my dad's hometown to visit his grave, too. Normally, Filipinos go to the cemeteries every November 01 and 02 to light a candle to their departed loved ones, but since my friend K and I will be going on an out of town vacation starting on November 02, I will just visit daddy earlier.

• My scrapbook friend Joyleen is having a spring cleaning, and I was able to grab her yummy plastic storages for only 600 pesos all in. I know storages like that cost way more than that, so I am very thankful that I got to see her post and was able to have it reserved for me. In a similar topic, my money has been transfered from PayPal to my ATM card, so that means, I can meet Joyleen this Sunday to get the storages. Yey!
  

• Mom bought a roll-away mattress for me. Ever since I started sleeping in our living room floor (long reason), I have been sleeping in the carpet. The mattress not only gives me comfort, it also makes me feel more loved. I easily fall asleep in the living room than in my room so I opt to sleep on the living room.

• Just this morning, I received the blouse I won from my friend Anne's contest. She recently had a contest in her blog, and I won! The top was small for me, so I will just give it to my sister.

Still a lot more things to be thankful for from the past week, but I guess this will have to do for now. Thanks for stopping by here. To God be the glory!

*** Jenn ***