WHEN AUGUST COMES, DECEMBER CAN'T BE VERY FAR BEHIND

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A friend called me up on the phone just to say.... "Len, pasko na! Asan na pamasko ko!?" (Christmas is hear! Where's my gift!? ) ... and gave out a huge hearty laugh almost blowing out my eardrums! That's a Pinoy for you! The country is the only country (I think) which runs the longest Christmas celebration on the planet. In fact, check out the malls and you will find (this early) Christmas items and trimmings on sale lining their shelves. Sometimes a Christmas song or two rolls out on their sound system filling up the halls non-stop till your ears drop.
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Since I was a kid I hear of ... Winter Wonderland. I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas, Here Comes Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Let It Snow ..... Christmas songs from the land of Uncle Sam and winter snow. My favorite? - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
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I remember Tagalog Christmas songs, too..... Pasko Na Naman, Pasko Ay Sumapit, Sa Paskong Darating, Pasko Na Sinta Ko, Mano Po Ninong, Paskong Anong Saya. My favorite? - Pasko Na Naman.
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Truthfully, Christmas is my favorite time of the year. Have you noticed that at this time of the year people smile so much more and often --- that people become so much kinder and giving --- that even strangers out on the streets have that happy glint in their eyes --- that streets, buildings, houses are all brightly lighted up with Christmas lights (whether they can afford it or not) --- !!! That everyone and everything is spelled --- g-e-n-e-r-o-s-i-t-y! That's the best part of the season that I love. Everybody is... feels... becomes... so GIVING. So generous!
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Now I won't take any argument about the kind or of reasons for the giving because I don't care. Simply put, I'm just a big sucker for a person who gives and gives...... even if it hurts their pockets, egos, hearts, minds, and time. And I like it best when someone is kind to others by saying the right things not because he or she is smart but because the other person needs to hear kindness and love. It's beautiful to see kindness and generosity in others... and lovely to strive to grow in generosity in our own.
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The idea that you are able to give of your time.. of yourself -- that already is a big deal to me. Though I have been chided plenty of times that I will be disappointed just as much. I know and I have been hurt dozens of times then and now because of generosity under false pretenses. Meaning that the giver cares more about self than about others. It's still the I, ME, MY, and MINE of things that eases quietly or loudly into life and living.. But of course I know that.... we know that, don't we?
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Still that won't change the message of the season, that is... giving and being happy about it.
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The Christmas spirit can be very contagious. Indeed! It's that spirit lovely to see all year round. Maybe we can; it's up to us.
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But of course we all know the main REASON for the season. I'll reserve that for another post.
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Enjoy these times of the maybe slow (oh yes, some people can still be so impatient about this) but the sure unfolding of..... Christmas! God bless you with lovely days and precious memories.

FRIENDS DON'T LEAVE - THEY COME BACK. BY GOD'S DESIGN

 

 

 

 

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A best friend from high school back in Tacloban City sent me a private message here in Facebook. She stumbled on my fb page but was hesitant for a bit quite unsure if I was the girl she once knew. So she cruised down the Photos and saw that picture of my kid brother and his girlfriend. That then sat the wheel in motion of forgotten-friendship-now-found.
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'Forgotten' wasn't really anybody's fault. Life as its nature always takes people away from each other and into different adventures, directions, and pursuits. She had hers and I had mine. The friendship took a backseat as we wrestled with our challenges and with our lives, respectively. But who would think that our paths would cross again several years after.
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As expected, we threw questions back-and-forth at each other.... about family, children, old friends, joys, sadness, travels, frustrations, successes, and every other stuff best friends would talk about. Then she asked me if I was still designing dresses, gowns, particularly. I replied that it had been quite a long time that I hadn't done any. In fact, had forgotten all about it. It was a hobby that was indulged in whenever the mood presented itself or after homework was done with back then. I had also lost my sketches in the big flood which hit the city in that particular year. Everything was swept away or destroyed by the rains, my high school photos included.
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Occasionally though I would take up a pencil and sketch pad and leisurely do a sketch or two in the years that followed. But not as regularly as I should have because life gave me other things to focus on and do.
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She asked.. "Have you some in your file now?"
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"Nowww?... why do you ask" I countered with my interest tweaked.
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"Well, there's an event I'm preparing for and I'm looking for something to wear." "I'd like to see them." she wrote.
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Okayyyy... I'll email them to you." I offered.
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"No! Now. Here in fb." 

Gosh, she hasn't changed a bit. Just like an old song goes.... 'whatever lola wants --- lola gets'.  But other than that she's a darling. And she doesn't mind my writing about it. I even suspect a chuckle or two from her right now.
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So bear with me, folks, just for this post and for my friend. But wait.... I think it would be nice to share the sketches with everybody, too. So here they are.
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By the way, friends don't leave (even if life takes them to America); they just wait for the right time to come back into your life again. By God's design.
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Blessings, everyone!!

BOOKS, MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, ARE YOUR BEST FRIENDS

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A rainy weather doesn't give you much to do if you plan for outdoor activities. But indoors, that's a different thing. I have about a few things lined up for this kind of weather i.e. arrange my closet (which I have been doing for the __th time because I mess it up just as quickly as I arrange it)..... sort through old clothes and move it to the donation box (the kids do the same)..... sew the frazzled seams of my favorite maong shorts..... scrub the bath tub (baking soda is a good cleaner) but I think I will dish this for another time because it's too much effort, so then na-ah to this one..... do some Tai Chi moves in lieu of the regular morning walks...... or clean up the shelves of my small personal library of selected treasured books. All three shelves filled with books I keep coming back to again and again.
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The last item on that list won over the rest, for obvious reasons.
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I love books. Mom's words and my favorite line from her was..... 'You don't stop learning just because you're done with school. Books, more than anything else, are your best friends. It won't let you down.'
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It never has. What classrooms didn't teach me I have learned from books. What teachers failed to expound upon, books gave me its better explanation or version. Confusion, fuzzy principles, insufficient insights were eased up or resolved by the right books on that subject or subjects. And if I wanted to delve deeper into the secrets of the universe certain books easily would take me there. If the what-why-where-when-and-how-or-who of life and living seem like a huge puzzle to me, books would gladly lead me to its understanding and clarity. If I wanted to know my God better to grow my faith, the bible would gently take me there. And if all I ever wanted was to be entertained, there were the word puzzles... adult coloring books... Sudoku... humor books... travel books.. hobby books... and DIY (do it yourself) books.
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Through the ups-and-downs of life's journey books have always kept me company. Mom was right.... "Books, more than anything else, are your best friends. It won't let you down."
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How did I get to be this way? Credit goes to Mom, a teacher by profession; she started us young. Mom would buy us books, picture books when we were kids. We could easily say 'railroad track' and point to its picture while the other kids in nursery were just learning their A-B-C's. (Even before we got into nursery.) As students, we would hie off to the school library at the slightest chance we could get. That love affair with books continued in and through our adult years.
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One love affair that is forever.
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May God bless you with all things good .... and great books to last you a lifetime. 

 

 

 

YOU MUST AND SHOULD INDULGE YOUR GOD-GIVEN GIFTS OF TALENT - IT'S GIVEN YOU FOR A PURPOSE

 

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If only to prove my point that you must and should indulge your gift of talent, I am posting here paintings (in watercolor) which I did the past few weeks or so. I am showing you that talent is a gift from a magnificent God who simply wants you to enjoy life through expressions of your heavenly gifts.
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Now this gift which I speak of varies from person to person. Things such as the gifts of song... of writing... of poetry... of dancing... of designing... of needlework.... culinary skills perhaps.... of creative ideas which turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Or the gifts of leadership... teamwork... compassion... kindness.... vision.... management... teaching.... healing... organization... of being a visionary... an inspiration... an encourager... a brilliant builder.... or being simply a Pollyanna to the world.
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These gifts are not there or given you just for the heck of it. They are given you... or us... to serve a purpose. But I'm not going to tell you what your own purpose is because I think and believe that Somebody up there will lead you to discover it yourself. As He had given me opportunities to discover mine.
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With no formal training in the art, one day several yeas ago I decided to give it a try armed with just a simple desire to paint. My daughter seeing that I had more free time in retirement gave me a huge nudge or push to get things done pronto before and to quote her.... " the desire gets lost or vanishes in thin air." Yeah, it was a push I could no longer ignore. I guess its time had come. And so I did!
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I can't tell you in sufficient words the satisfaction and delight felt in accomplishing something you thought you never knew or had. Through the years that followed paintings in watercolor came out from my first fumbling steps and on to honing my newfound craft while growing too with every canvas finished. And now trying my hand at acrylics. Still so much room to learn and grow... and happily at that. Thank God.
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I urge and encourage you to seek out your gift; it's there waiting to be discovered. When you soon discover your God-given talent, do remember to share the precious moment and experience with us, your friends. We'll be expecting it. :-) God bless you.