I Know My Redeemer Lives

I can do all things through Christ

which strengtheneth me.

-Philippians 4:13

Friday Quotes 13

Pray that your loneliness

may spur you into finding something to live for,

great enough to die for.

-Dag Hammarskjold

When I am so down and on the verge of giving up, I always remind myself that the Lord will not give me more than I can handle, and that He has good reasons why He's allowed trials to come my way.

Being away from my family and the people who care for me is very hard but I am blessed that I have friends who give me moral and spiritual strength.

The quote above serves as a motivation for us to consider our loneliness and the problems we are facing as stepping stones, rather than roadblocks, to a more purposeful life.

Amoy ng Tuyo

Filipino: Amoy

English: Smell, Scent

dried fish (tuyo, uga)

Gourmet Tuyo

Ang nakikita ninyong tuyo at Gourmet Tuyo ay galing pa ng Bacolod na pinadala sa akin ng nanay ko nung nakatira pa ako sa Hawai'i. May nakikita rin kayong pansawsaw na suka, sili at bawang. Sa amoy pa lang, malalaman mong masarap na masarap eto. Iba talaga ang pagkaing Pinoy!

The dried fish and Gourmet Tuyo that you see in the picture came all the way from Bacolod courtesy of my mother. She sent them to me while I was still in Hawaii. You can also see in the picture a bowl of vinegar mixed with chili and garlic. You can tell from the smell that my food is delicious.

Wordless Wednesday: Two Roads

Coconut Creek, FL

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken

Ten Favorite Movie Moments

1. Minsan, Minahal Kita, a Filipino movie, is one of my all-time favorite tearjerkers. This is a story of an emotionally battered wife, Dianne (played by Sharon Cuneta), who found love in Albert (played by Richard Gomez).

The movie's finale: Dianne and Albert (who haven't seen each other for many years) were driving in a busy street of Makati.  They saw each other and their eyes locked. Then, the light turned green and they had to go. The movie ended with Barry Manilow's song, "Somewhere Down the Road". The movie has an open ending..... 

2. The Bridges of Madison County is another all-time favorite. A bored and love-starved Iowa housewife (Meryl Streep) met a National Geographic photographer (Clint Eastwood) who was in Iowa to shoot its covered bridges and a love affair developed between the two.

The "final goodbye" scene between the two lovers is the most poignant part of the movie.

"Oh, no!" The words were inside of me,

"I was wrong, Robert,

I was wrong to say, but I can't go.

Let me tell you again why I can't go.

Tell me again why I should go."

I heard his voice coming back to me:

"This kind of certainty comes

but once in a lifetime."

3. One of my favorite Mr. and Mrs. Smith scenes is the fight scene towards the end of the movie, where Brangelina fought side by side against the bad guys.

4. The ending of The Godfather where Kay (Diane Keaton) was asking Micheal Corleone (Al Pacino) about his involvement with the mob (of course, he denied).

5. The "rain scene" of The Notebook. Very romantic.

6. The scene of Robert de Niro at the opium hall in the finale of the movie, Once Upon a Time in America. This is a mob movie with a heart.

7. Milan, another Filipino movie, tells about the plight of Filipinos working in Italy. I can relate with some of these scenes because I, too, have experienced how hard it is to be in a foreign country; however, we Filipinos always stick to each other and that eases the difficulties of being away from home.  The movie stars Claudine Barretto and Papa Piolo. <3

8. My Cousin, Vinny is a FUNNY movie from beginning to end. All the scenes are hilarious. Here's a sample:

9. My most memorable Hero scene is the one with Jet Li walking away butt-naked (his muscular booty is soooo cute). Unfortunately, I cannot find a video of that particular scene.

10. La Visa Loca, starring Philippine movie's Bad Boy, Robin Padilla, is a story of a limo service driver and certified nursing aid/caregiver who dreams of getting a visa to go to the U.S.   I can't pick a particular favorite scene because they are all hilarious. This movie makes fun of the Filipino dream of coming to America.

I have a few more favorites, like Kill Bill. Unfortunately, I am only asked to name ten. :)

Customer Support

Online retailing is popular these days with more and more people preferring to shop from the comforts of their home. One of the more effective ways of providing customer support to online shoppers is through live chat where customers can interact online with the company's customer service personnel. With the simple click of the mouse, online customers can contact customer service for immediate assistance in locating a product, checking out, or for other questions or problems about the product.

One of the secrets of a good business is the ability to provide excellent customer service. Therefore, it is very helpful for online retailers to invest in a live chat software if they want to provide effective customer support to their clientele. Providing immediate attention and assistance to customers will help boost their confidence, which in turn, will result to customer satisfaction and loyalty. That'll translate to good business.

Helpful Everyday Tips

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold.

For easy deviled eggs, put cooked egg yolk in a Ziplock bag. Seal and mash until they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing, mixing them thoroughly. Cut the tip of the bag and squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw the bag away when done for easy clean up.

Take the bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic. If you want a stronger taste, add it at the end.

If you seal an envelope and realize later that you need to reopen it, just place your sealed envelope inside the freezer for an hour or two. It unseals easily.

Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove. Set the heat to medium low and heat until warm. This keeps the crust crispy instead of soggy.

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Peppers with three bumps at the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Those with four bumps are firmer and better for cooking.

Get rid of ants by putting small piles of cornmeal where you see them. They eat it, take it "home", but cannot digest it, so it kills them. It may take a week or so especially if it rains, but it works and you do not have to worry about pets or small children being harmed.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To make scrambled eggs or omelets rich, add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2 with apple cider vinegar, and two drops of dish washing liquid. Mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever.

Use a wet cotton ball to pick up the small shard of glass you cannot see easily.

To reduce static cling from your clothes, pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. The same thing works for slacks that cling when wearing pantyhose. Place pin in seam of slacks and the static is gone.

Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Then dump out the hot water without drying the cup. Add your ingredients, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Use hair conditioner to shave your legs. It is cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It is also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like.

To avoid foggy windshields, keep a chalkboard eraser inside the glove compartment of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser. Works better than cloth.

If the heating unit of your dryer is not working, take your dryer's lint filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush. The dryer sheets cause a film to build over the mesh which can cause the heating unit to burn. The best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time and keep your electric bill lower is to clean the filter at least every six months.

I got these tips in email and found them useful enough to share.

If you find them helpful, please pass it along to your friends.

The Feral Iguana

The term "feral" is used to describe animals that used to belong to someone as pets or livestock, but now live on their own as wild animals.

Feral iguanas are common in some parts of southern Florida. These wild green iguanas in Florida are a mixture of former pets and the offsprings of these animals. Because of their tropical nature, pet green iguanas that have escaped or have been released by irresponsible owners have thrived in southern Florida, and their population is growing rapidly in some areas. While some people find wild green iguanas to be a beautiful addition to the Florida ecosystem, not only may they have harmful ecological impact, they are also becoming a serious nuisance species in some areas.

Source: Green Iguana Society

The Window to the Soul

It has been said that our eyes are the window to our soul. It expresses our emotions, feelings and thoughts. Our eyes are usually the first thing that people notice when they look at our face, and through which they sometimes judge the kind of person that we are.

Beautiful and sparkling eyes are one of a woman's best assets; therefore, they should be properly taken cared of.

A diet rich in Vitamins A and C are helpful in maintaining healthy eyes. Wearing sunglasses with UV protection is also a must to protect our eyes from sun glare. My doctor has always reminded me never to rub my eyes. For women wearing eye make up, make sure you do not use those that would irritate or cause allergy. Avoid smoky places, and get enough sleep.

The skin surrounding our eyes are thin and very delicate; therefore, the first signs of aging can be easily seen there. Wrinkles, eye bags, puffiness, dark circles, crow's feet- they make us look unattractive and old. Although we cannot stop the aging process, the good news is, we can protect or lessen the aging effects on our skin. There are eye cream products available in the market to help us with our specific aging concern. This, coupled with good habits and healthy living, will help slow down the aging process and help us age gracefully.

Equus

The equus ferus caballus, or commonly known as the horse, is trained for many purposes: sports, leisure, entertainment, and work. It is widely seen not only in competitive sports like dressage, show jumping, polo, racing, and rodeo; it is also used for fox hunting. In the old days, horses were used in warfare, and although we have stopped using them in this present age, we still see them during military ceremonies and parades, and for police work like crowd control and other patrol duties. In some places, they are still being used for transportation and farming purposes.

These animals may look strong and sturdy, but they also need our tender loving care. That is why we have a variety of horse supplements so that we can properly provide them with the right diet and vaccination, proper grooming, brushing and cleaning.

The essential joy of being with horses is that it bring us

in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit and fire.

-Sharon Ralls Lemon

Sailing

Yesterday afternoon, my good friend Sylvia, picked me up at my volunteer work at a law firm in Boca Raton. We went to an Asian store at Deerfield Beach to browse around for some goodies. When she called her husband, he was going out to sail and we decided to join him.

Sailing is very popular in South Florida (sometimes called the Gold Coast) where the weather is always sunny and warm even in the winter months. Everyday, one can see boats cruising around the coastal waterways or canals surrounding this part of Florida.

We started out at Pompano Beach where their boat was docked. Our first stopover was at the Lighthouse Point Marina where we chanced upon George and Marilyn who also joined us. We sailed around Hillsboro Canal and the intracoastal waterway in Deerfield Beach. The weather was beautiful and I even saw a rainbow.

It's not far down to paradise

At least it's not for me

And if the wind is right you can sail away

And find tranquility

The canvas can do miracles

Just you wait and see

Believe me

It's not far to never never land

No reason to pretend

And if the wind is right you can find the joy

Of innocence again

The canvas can do miracles

Just you wait and see

Believe me

.... a beautiful Friday afternoon.

Perfect for cruising around.

Sailing

Takes me away

To where I've always heard it could be

Just a dream and the wind to carry me

And soon I will be free

.... the perks of living near the coast

Fantasy

It gets the best of me

When I'm sailing

All caught up in the reverie

Every word is a symphony

Won't you believe me

.... open up. Here we come.

It's not far back to sanity

At least it's not for me

And when the wind is right you can sail away

And find serenity

The canvas can do miracles

Just you wait and see

Believe me

.... the sun is going down. Time to go home.

-Chris Cross "Sailing"

Be Safe than Sorry

Since I was introduced to the computer way back in 1999 (thanks to my mother who bought me my first computer set), it has become an important part of my life. Now, I do more typing than writing. In school, I prefer to take down notes during lectures with my mini laptop rather than do it the conventional way with the use of a pen and paper.

Computers have become an essential part of our lives. They are a must in every workplace. Offices and schools are now going "paperless". Our professors are advised to send out assignments and notes via the internet rather than handing out hard documents. In some courts, attorneys are now ordered to go online to schedule a setting.

We also store important files in our computer. Important files like work and personal documents, business and financial documents, digital pictures, notes, music and other stuff which we cannot afford to lose. However, we also know that storing them in our computer is not an assurance that they will be safe from any possible loss as a result of hard drive failure. When our computer is attacked by a virus, or it bogs down beyond repair, it may result in a total loss of our important files.

How do we protect our important files? By backing them up. It is easy to back up small files with the use of handy external drives which can even be carried around. How about if we have plenty of files to back up? The answer is online backup. It is important that we avail of online backup services because no matter how safe we think our computers are, problems do happen. And sometimes, they cannot be resolved. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Thank You

This song brings me to tears. I am reminded of my church family back home. One of my happiest moments were the times I spent doing church and missionary activities. I miss those days. Life here in Florida is so different. My Sabbath days are no longer what it used to be. However, the Lord knows what is in my heart and I am sure that one day soon, He will show me the way.

Have a wonderful Sabbath everyone!

Friday Quotes 12

It helps, I think, to consider ourselves on a very long journey;

the main thing is to keep the faith,

to endure, to help each other when we stumble or tire,

to weep and press on.

-Mary Caroline Richards

The Beauty and the Horse

I like watching equestrians perform their routines, especially the female riders. They look pretty, regal and confident, sitting straight, their faces bereft of any expression, while the horses jump over a series of obstacles.

I guess what makes these riders attractive aside from their graceful movements is how they dress themselves up- from the helmets, jackets, shirts, gloves, to their breeches and boots, and even the way the ladies arrange their hair. Having the right equestrian apparel contributes to the rider's overall appearance.

Masinop

Filipino: Masinop

English: Frugal

Nung nasa Hawaii pa ako, naging kaugalian ko ng ipunin sa isang trash bag ang mga lata ng soda at bote ng tubig na inom namin sa bahay. Pag may marami na akong naipon, dinadala ko eto sa recycling center. Bawat isang lata at bote ay may halagang singko sentimo. Usually, umaabot sa $25 ang kinikita ko, minsan sobra pa. Marami na akong nakain na cheeseburger sa Burger King sa perang kinita ko sa mga pinagpalit kong lata at bote. LOL!

When I was still in Hawaii, I had the habit of saving all our empty cans of soda and water bottles inside a trash bag. When I have collected a lot, I would bring them to the recycling center. Each can and bottle is worth 5 cents. Usually, I would get $25, sometimes, even more. I have eaten a lot of cheeseburger from Burger King from the money I earned. LOL!

Snake in Our Pool

First came the iguana, then came the snake....

Yesterday morning, I found a snake, about 2 feet long, swimming in our pool. Fortunately, our neighbor, John, was out cleaning their pool, and he had his son come over to scoop the slimy creature out of our pool and threw him out in the lake behind our yard.

Ten on Tuesday: Guilty Pleasures

When I came to the U.S., I gave up a lot of guilty pleasures (like excessive shopping, movies, weekly manicure, pedicure, hot oil and body massage). My life here is simpler now because I am not working and do not have the money to splurge.

Chocolate (the darker the better)

Cafe World

Ice cream (even early in the morning)

Internet

Mafia Wars

Playing Pathwords and Scramble until my eyes hurt

Pathwords

Scramble

Chicken skin and "isol" (butt)

Fatty portion of the beef steak

Blogging (when I am supposed to study)