Outreach Activity with Classmates

In celebration of our 25th Silver Year Anniversary as graduates of La Consolacion School Hinigaran and now known as Madeleine Academy, my classmates and I conducted a christmas outreach and medical activity for the children of Bulubito-on Beach in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental. Eighty (80) kids were given a gift pack and slippers each during the gift giving activity and sixteen (16) were circumsized. Snacks was served and lots of goodies were given away during the games and raffle event.

old clothes, books, toys and rice were gathered for the children

packing day

the kids dancing the Oppa Gangnam Style dance

My nurse classmates doing what they do best...so proud of them!

  

My classmates and I with the baranggay staff...tired but happy!

Thank you classmates for sending us cash donations and used items. My heartfelt gratitude to those who came and served. Love you LCS Batch 1988!   

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Ceci & PJ's Christmas Party

Every year my kids' school hold their primary and intermediate christmas party outside of the school. At the same time, an educational trip is included such as a visit to the orphanage or a museum. This year, a visit to the Red Cross was made and they're off to Campuestohan Highland Resort for their party.

Ceci and her classmates showing off their gifts received
from their manita or manito (special person)

PJ, friends and classmates

Bonding with classmates and friends

Clowning with Santa

Campuestohan Highland Resort is a new mountain resort found in the highlands of Talisay City. This is my second time to visit the place and the development still continues. However, the mountain ranges and scenic views never ceases to take my breath away. Campuestohan is such a beautiful place.

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Christmas Wedding

December has always been full of invitations and events for most of us and weddings are one of them. Recently, my daughters and I attended the wedding of a dear friend and officemate, Lenie. My daughter Michelle was one of the bridesmaids and as always, she's one of the prettiest ^^ .....

with the newly-wed couple, Mr. & Mrs. Roque Ben and Lenie Camarines Ayubo

Took this shot at the lobby of East View Hotel while waiting for our transport.

My take on the wedding entertainment.
Memory gap! I should have stayed in my seat! Gosh!

 

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5 STEPS TO MAKE CARAMELIZED SUGAR FOR UPSIDE DOWN PINEAPPLE CAKE

STEP 1 - Pour sugar on a baking tin and cook directly on top of a gas stove

STEP 2 - Melt sugar using low heat if you're a first timer

STEP 3 - Add butter so as not to harden the sugar

STEP 4 - Stir continuously until sugar and butter is melted
into a not so liquid consistency

STEP 5 - Add desired toppings

This is the Butter Cake Mixture use in the Upside Down Pineapple Cake

Pour batter mixture on top of the caramelized sugar and bake

The final product. Yummy!

I got this technique from my cooking class teacher, 

Mrs. Monina Jodit of Bacolod City National High School.

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COOKING LESSON

I recently enrolled in a General Cookery class with a friend of mine in our city. The class is being held every Saturday at the Bacolod City National High School and is conducted by Mrs. Monina P. Judit. Every year the BCNHS offers various special classes such as General Cookery, Cosmetology, Dressmaking, Driving and Automotive. The whole course costs P250 and will take us around 15 Saturdays, more or less. Quite cheap and we have to contribute every Saturday for the food ingredients for P50 or more.

So far, I learned how to make the chiffon cake, white cloud (gelatin), morcon, mango cake, butter icing and tuna fettuccine. I am not an expert in the kitchen so attending Mrs. Judit's class is an eye-opener for me. Especially for the baking session since I own an oven and a mixer but I haven't make use of them fully. I did try to bake a cake and some muffins based on a recipe book but I lack the technique, so I find the cooking class really helpful. For one, I don't know what a soft peak and a hard peak for beating eggs is until now.  

Me, sifting the flour mixture

Our group's finish product - Chiffon Cake

Morcon

Our group's Baked Tuna Fettuccine

Our finished Mango Cake ready for chilling
and with my daughter Ceci 

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HOBBY EXPO 2012

SUPER FRIENDS

MY FAVORITE STAR WARS COLLECTIBLES

THE HOBBY EXPO SIGN AT ROBINSON'S PLACE

PREDATORS' COLLECTION ITEMS

BARBIE DOLLS IN DIFFERENT FILIPINIANA COSTUMES

PJ & MANANG YAN-YAN IN FRONT OF THE SUPER FRIENDS

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TWILIGHT

I've been reading the Twilight series lately. I’m done with Twilight and New Moon, and now I’m starting with Eclipse. It helps that I’ve seen the first two movie flicks. It is easy to picture out the characters, Forks, the Swan and Cullen’s house.

It’s been awhile since I’ve read my last novel and the Twilight Series (thanks to my daughter Michelle, she was able to get hold of all four books of Stephenie Meyer) proves to be an entertainment during Sunday afternoons when it gets boring.

I admire Stephenie Meyer’s imagination and I wonder where she got her inspiration to write these books. Vampires and werewolves, well, one can do research about them but to weave it into a love story with a human. How is it possible? Bella’s character certainly is a product of psychological studies on human behavior.

Ms. Meyer succeeded in making the novels suspenseful but less of a horror. That’s what I like about her books since I don’t like horror stories. I don’t even have nightmares about vampires and werewolves. The movies even have the same effect. Not horrific and very much entertaining.

I like Alice Cullen’s character, she’s so into Bella and ever supportive to her brother Edward. Training oneself not to be affected by the smell of human blood, become a vegetarian of sort in the vampire world and be able to merge with humans on a daily basis, Carlisle Cullen is one most admirable vampire there is.

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La Salle Bacolod Fun Run, Walk, Bike 2012

I recently joined the opening salvo of my college alma mater, the University of St. La Salle Bacolod, in celebration of her 60th anniversary.  We made to choose on walking, running or biking on separate locations that ended at the football field of the university.

I chose run since I've been doing walking for quite sometime now and I'd like to test my endurance on running. Well, I ended up doing the half run, half walk thing. We started at the New Government Center of Bacolod City and had to navigate the sea of participants that joined in. It was fun, especially when you're running with people you know from the university. 

with Arlene and Joemarie of the USLS Alumni Association

running buddies

the throng of runners mostly students from USLS

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MAY 2012

The month of May 2012 proved to be a month of outings for me and my kids. Our company celebrated summer at the Northland Resort in Manapla, then,  I was fortunate to be invited by my friend Grace to join their company outing at the mountains of Patag in Silay City, and the promised Manila trip for my daughter Michelle courtesy of her father. Such is the life of a solo parent ^^

My children with their cousins and Mama Mel during our company outing

Ceci & PJ celebrating their 11th and 9th birthday ^^

My beautiful friend Grace during our Patag outing

Lucky me, joining the weekend outing of the
Sagay Central Bacolod staff and their families. 

Happy to have met Bro. Bo Sanchez personally with my daughter Michelle.
 Its SOP that he signs books/autographs and pose for souvenir
pictures after the feast at the PICC every Sunday.

View of Rizal Park and Luneta on the 22nd floor of the
Manila Pavilion. Awesome!

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson 

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Tree Planting at Don Salvador Benedicto

I was fortunate to have been invited by a friend of mine to go on a tree planting activity in the mountains of Don Salvador Benedicto. I have nothing to do over the weekend so I immediately said yes and happily joined the group of teachers from Fr. Gratian Murray Integrated School of Brgy. Granada. We left Bacolod City in the early morning with teachers from other government schools of the city.


I planted three (3) saplings of mahogany tree and I am so delighted to have done my share of preserving nature in the mountains of Negros. 

CHOOSING MY SAPLINGS

CAN YOU SEE THE TREE I PLANTED?

THE HILL WHERE WE PLANTED OUR TREES
I WONDER IF THE 1,000 SAPLINGS PROVIDED FOR
THIS ACTIVITY WERE ALL PLANTED...HMMMMM

MY FRIEND MARILYN CHOOSING HER TREE

AFTER THE TREE PLANTING ACTIVITY, PICTURE TAKING AT THE
 PINE TREE FARM WHERE WE ATE OUR LUNCH WITH MARILYN AND LYZA

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MY "HAPPY EVEN AFTER" LIST

After the expected and long awaited separation from ex, here is my "Happy Even After" list:

• I am able to regain my dignity as a person
• I regained my self-confidence
• Realized a full emotional support from family and friends
• Gained new and real friends during the healing process
• Able to enjoy short vacations with kids without a KJ or an alcoholic person around
• Not bothered with "are you going home or not?", "don't bother to go home" and all the other emotional blackmails used when insecurities and alcohol mixed
• Spontaneity fully realized
• Learned to take care of myself
• On the process of rediscovering myself 
• Getting comfortable and being used to doing things alone
• Able to go on dates with myself 
• Appreciating the company of girlfriends during girl's night out and ladies only events
• Able to proved that a solo parent can manage to maintain a household on a single income albeit with some sacrifices but nonetheless able to survive financial difficulties
• Able to proved that faith in God does make a difference in ones uncertainty
• Angels does exist in the form of generous, thoughtful and caring souls 
• Possibilities present itself continuously
• Opportunities to improve one's situation are aplenty
• Passions are realized little by little
• Expanding horizons
• Able to sympathize and connect with individuals who have the same concerns as mine
• Able to help others through sharing one's experience 
• Being an inspiration to someone without knowing it 
• Now, looking forward to another chapter of my life with a renewed spirit and confidence

What's your "Happy Even After" list?

MY COPY OF THE "HAPPY EVEN AFTER: A SOLO MOM'S JOURNAL"

I recently acquired a book entitled "Happy Even After: A Solo Mom's Journal" made specifically yes, for solo moms like me. The journal has inspiring short stories and tips from famous solo moms in the Philippines and one of them is somebody whom I admired most, award-winning children’s book author Jean Lee Patindol.

I found the journal very helpful and inspiring. Reading how solo moms managed theirs and children's lives alone. I learned that there's a Solo Parent Act passed by Congress. And, I am able to reflect on how to have a "happy even after" life for me too.

I already started jotting down my random thoughts on the blank pages of the journal and I am looking forward to more readings such as this. Who knows? Maybe soon I will share my own Happy Even After Story.

To Miss Jean, thank you for my free copy. Truly I'm blessed. 


    

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