2 Chronicles 25:9

Amaziah asked the man of God,
"But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?"
The man of God replied,
"The LORD can give you much more than that."

that cracking sound

i didn't have one until today
since arriving here 11 months ago.

a stapler. yes, i can be happier.

no wonder bears hibernate in winter

caught my 8.19 train.
learned that a very sunny morning does not translate to a warm one.
but when it is raining, i can be sure that the dampness and wind will chill.

thankful for jumpers, long johns, jackets and brollies.

simpliciTea

i got a hug from the tailor who altered my jeans:
"how are you today, doll?"
"i'm very good, thank you. it is a very chilly morning though."
"here let me give you a hug."
i gave him back one.

mouldy

when i cleanup, i really cleanup.
during the scrubbing time, i usually find myself taking pride in my "clean"manship.
then i remember mama, from whom i learned this ability.
mama, who categorizes hanging clothes, thank you.

a commoner

i love wooden pieces of furniture and
a recycled pine timber magazine rack for the toilet tops my recent list.

thankful lem installed it for me.

joel

he used to buy hardy boys and nancy drew books.
then later, he'd borrow books and bring them home
and share them with me and ivy.

he did not deliberately share them ---
he'd just leave them for us to read
and he most probably returned them late
for the benefit of the slow reader that was me.

he is older
my only blood brother
and he taught me to read.

thank you.

waldorf salad

1 red apple
1 green apple
1 carrot
1/4 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon lime/lemon
3 tablespoons sour cream (half of the 300ml tetrapack)
cilantro (optional)

cut apples in cubes and add lime to keep apples from oxidizing
cut carrot in cubes
mix all ingredients in a bowl
refrigerate and serve cold

thank you tita florence for the recipe :)

isang talata ng buhay

this week has been showers and more showers have been forecasted.
this morning, however the sun came out and is still hanging out.
like an exclamation point that brings a surprise,
or a respite, like a comma, in a very long sentence.

on the train, thankful that when i looked out the window
i saw trees and not me
thankful too for the light, that enables me to see.

uniden

tet called me up on the landline.
we chatted for an hour
it was a delightful time

we laughed about work circumstances
growing up and still being children
being in a new place and braving the cold.

thankful sydney doesn't really freeze.

even more so

i haven't had extreme lack of sleep for the longest time.
i slept 5am this morning. woke up 8ish.
thankful my sister is my friend:
a friend who stays up for a chitchat, regardless of the distance.

unbeanie

my hair only gets blow-dried
1. after a haircut
2. during weddings (or other occasions) when my hair gets done by a pro

last night, after swimming,
i discovered the joy of the hair dryer:
a dry hair means less chill when walking in freezing evenings.

approx. 18 pieces

happy independence day
dance in celebration
but no chacha please

i am grateful for my motherland ---
may you find freedom in independence

excuses excuses

for someone who is so eager to minimize my carbon footprint,
i waste so much water and electricity when taking a hot shower.

it is the one vice i indulge myself in:
it soothes a tired soul and it relieves headaches.
i know i should be getting that 4-minute shower timer.
i can finish in less than that actually, but
there's always the extra 5-minute indulgence of just standing in the shower.

thankful i can compensate though:
i don't use a heater much in these cold days:
i put on warm clothes and recently got myself wheatbags from ebay.

difficulme

sinagang pork ribs for dinner.
thankful for ate josie,
who introduced me to tamarind paste in a jar.

what's the difference between a long soup and a short soup anyway?