Today's blog is completely dedicated to my grandpa.  Most people connect New Year's to Dick Clark, but I connect New Year's and New Year's Eve to Yeye.  His birthday was January 1st and so as people count down to midnight and are partying it up, I always think of my grandpa around this time.  He would have turned 99 tomorrow, and although I had hoped I could brag about Yeye making it to 100, he did make it to 98 and I'm thankful for that.

Interestingly enough, the night before Yeye passed away, I was in our living room telling Kevin that I thought Yeye could qualify for hospice, meaning he had "6 months left to live".  When I told Kevin that he exclaimed, "Are you kidding? Your grandpa isn't going to die soon. He's going to live at least two more year." He was so strong for his age, like the iron man of life, so much so that I thought and I'm sure others thought might live forever.

I miss my grandpa and have missed him throughout these past few weeks alot, but today I really really miss him. My dad asked me on Christmas what I remember most about my grandpa.  There are so many memories, especially considering that he was one of my housemates for 20+ years.  The thing I remember most though is that he loved me a lot and I was very very special to him.  Of course there are other memories, but that was the message I got throughout my 27 years with him.  Here are some of the other memories:

New Year's Eve - When we all lived together, my sisters and sometimes my cousins even would count down with Dick Clark to midnight and right after we yelled "Happy New Year!" we'd stampede up the stairs to my grandpa's room and give him a big hug and kiss and wish him happy birthday.

Checkin up - This past year Yeye would often call me to check up to see how I was doing with school and everything.  It's nice having someone check up on you often.  I'd use a lot of energy to talk extra loud so he could hear me, but he would call at least once a week and tell me if he missed me and of course, he ask me when I was coming to visit next. He told me that if I was busy, not to visit, but I'm glad that I never listened to him and visited as often as I could. My friend Sooz told me in college that "Friend are always more important than homework," so I use that same principle with Mama and Yeye.

A little sweetness - The reason Ye and I got along so well could have been the fact that he always had sweets on him. He had a stash of Snickers and chocolate and cookies in his room and I was highly supportive of that.  He believed in sweets and classics like Snickers and Coke and he valued the power of sugar.=)

I guess part of growing is experiencing the reality and truth of life...that people don't live forever, things fall apart, and we need God.  I'm sad to not get to see Yeye and wondering when I'll see him next, but I thank God for so many good friends and family, much laughter, and an excitement for life as I wake up each morning.  God has been sooo good to me.

What Each Day Holds

Rather than starting on the 1st, I've started listening to the Daily Audio Bible a few days ago.  I feel like I need the bible, the direction of it and the calmness and peace of God throughout my life, especially in the next year.  I know I'm no longer sick now because I woke up this morning with all sorts of ideas in my head:


What am I going to make for my friends coming over today? Didn't we invite Kev's mom over tomorrow? How am I going to find time to spend with my cousins if I do that? I want to learn how to crochet something more than scarves.  Should I train for a marathon? I need to call this person....


When I'm well my mind races and it's a sign in the morning of how much I need God to just set me straight, so like I said I decided to listen to the Daily Audio Bible.  What I remember is that I need God and each morning, I really don't know what each day holds.  There are some days more intense than others and deep within in me, I want to be prepared for anything that will happen. Some days I wonder if something crazy might happen to me at work or if I might faint unexpectedly, etc. I remember I thought this on the morning of October 22nd.  By the way, did you ever notice how nice and symmetrical that date is (10.22.10)? Anyways, it was a Friday morning and I remember wondering how the day would pan out.  God knew and he gave me an inkling that I needed to be prepared for quite an intense day.  So much so that that morning I decided to take a extra mini walk to the end of my parking lot and back just because I felt like the fresh air and short physical activity was all I was going to get, but was much needed for the day.

And before that I had read a short devotion and this was the only verse that God gave me on that morning. It said, "Be strong and courageous and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you.  He will not fail you or forsake you..." 1 Chronicles 28:20 (NLT).

God prepared as much as he thought I needed to be for the day with his word and I'm thankful for that. As I drove over to Lins House that morning, I was frantic because I knew something traumatic had happened to my grandpa, sad, and yet together because I had that verse written on a post-it note to remind me to do the work on that day, I was going to "do the work" and just be there for my grandpa and grandma.  I really didn't think Yeye would die on that day, but God really knew what I needed. The interesting thing is that the second part of the verse "He will not fail you or forsake you" was a verse I had given Yeye a little while back. It was the main verse that I thought of when I thought of him and I had given it to him because someone I worked with reminded me that when you get really old, death is nearer and what is ahead of you can be scary and uncertain, so for older people sometimes they don't need verses like "Love is patient and kind..." or other verses they've heard multiple times, they need to know that whatever happens, God will always be with them and they will never be left behind.

It was almost as if God had given the verse to both myself and Yeye.  The first half of the verse was a reminder for me to remember to be a blessing and the second half of the verse was for Yeye as went on to what is pretty uncertain. Yes, heaven, but how many of us really know what it's like? We will truly see what unfolds today....

I've been feeling pretty horrible, but I think the medication I was given may be starting to take some positive effect so here I am, listening to Hiram Ring and eating Kevin's bread crust that he decided to leave on his plate.  I made fresh bread with our bread machine today and Kevin charmingly ate all the soft and warm bread on the inside and left the big thick crust on his plate.  

Pineapple and Milk

These are two things that I bought this week that convinced me that Safeway must in fact be the new Santa.  Each day for the past two weeks Safeway has had a daily deal and when I can, I jump right on them. Ironically, I had no idea what the daily deal were this week.  On Sunday night, I wanted to buy the smallest container of milk, less than 1/2 a gallon (because typically I don't drink enough and it spoils), but it must have been divine intervention for my Ovaltine story, because the one daily deal on Sunday was 1 whole gallon of milk for 99 cents!!! So of course instead of spending one dollar and some change on a liter of milk, I went for the gallon because 99 cents for milk is steal!  Kmart can't beat that. Target can't beat that. Shoot, even the dollar store can't beat it.   

Next day, I went back to Safeway and got a pineapple.  Yup, 99 cents.  A real good Christmas gift. (Kevin, I'm buying new shoes..hehe) Okay, back to Ovaltine. 

Ovaltine

As I've mentioned before, I try to do something every day to remember Yeye.  The month my grandpa passed away someone gave him Ovaltine as a gift.  Being a devoted drinker of Ensure at the time, Yeye tried to give it to me.  Most young people are really afraid to take anything from old people (mostly because they're just afraid of old people and think they're sickly). I've observed that people are afraid of taking food especially, which is sad, but I guess I understand. Ye was very adamant about giving me his Ovaltine though, and because it wasn't open, I took it.  When he gave it to me though, he laughed and told me in Chinese that it'd be good for me because I run, but that it can make you fat.  I think he was actually complimenting me and saying that I wouldn't get fat because I run, but that for anyone else aside from me, it would make them fat.=) 

Anyways, I brought it home and of course, Kevin did not want to drink it.  It's been there for about a month and just this week, I decided to peel open the container and give it a shot. That's right!  I haven't been running for the past 2 or 3 weeks so I could very well get fat I guess, but I figured Ovaltine has a lot of nutrients that I probably don't typically get from natural foods, not mention it helps me get some calcium/milk intake.  So in the beginning of the week, I drank Ovaltine for breakfast with 99 cent milk and remembered Yeye.  Maybe that's what got the tears rolling again.

"Crying may not bring the person back, but sometimes it can bring us back."

One of the bereavement (grief) counselors at my work told me this yesterday and I might have to agree. We had a 5-10 minute time of remembrance at our office for staff who wanted to remember any family or friends they lost and I went, but of course, as you might of guessed I was a basketcase. I intended maybe to shed two tears, but I couldn't hold it back and the grief counselor who also is the sweetest coworker who led this remembrance told me not to... so I listened.  It's amazing how work and life can keep you busy, yet when you sit down even just for a few minutes and remember how much you loved someone it can choke you up and just make you cry.  To let go of my tears at work yesterday was such a blessing.  It's so common to be at work in body, yet hide how we feel deep inside our soul from those around us.  While I don't cry throughout the day at work typically, it's comforting knowing that if and when I do, it is quite okay.

Since it is the Christmas season, I leave you with a picture taken many Christmas' ago. Not sure what this Christmas will be like without Yeye. My heart sinks knowing he is not here, but here's to remembering that he sure loved me.   In the picture, I'm wearing a skirt my sister Priscilla made me for Christmas, and holding a bag I had just crocheted (which I kept for myself=)). 

I'm signing off to continue multiple doses of honey lemon tea, salt gargling, warm compression on my throat, and medication. Hope to feel better soon.

A Catch Up of Sorts

Has it been that long? I guess I have been quite occupied lately, so this posting is going to be an assortment of many seemingly random thoughts I've had recently, just like an assortment of chocolate or something like that. They're all different and taste real good. Pardon my cold and my voice. I've got an extremely sore throat.=)

Old man

Today I went to return something at Filene's basement.  As I was walking into the store an old man, clearly past his 70's, was passing out flyers for the store.  His hair was white and he wasn't standing up straight enough to convince me he was younger. Is it just me or does that make you sad too? Sure I was happy to get a coupon from Filene's because they rarely give me coupons, but to think that a man that age has to work and can't have retired altogether. While there are some seniors who want to work and are quite active, I doubt any of them prefer to work in a clothing store.  My heart broke to see that.

Christmas Coupons

Right after going to Filene's, I went into AC Moore, an arts and crafts store, to buy some sprinkles for Kevin's cookie decorating with his class on Thursday. I had a 50% off coupon, but while I was picking up the sprinkles and lingering around, I heard this lady say to the girl behind me, "Do you need a 60% off coupon? Does anyone need a coupon?"  If you know me and my coupons, you know that I responded to her request. What a nice person though! She had printed out 10 coupons because she said that she couldn't see herself paying full price for anything, and so she didn't want others to do the same.  And to add to that, she cut out all 10 coupons that she printed. How super duper nice!

Long Road Trips

I took a road trip to visit my good friend in Ohio last week. Drove about 7 hours both ways and I have to say that driving is good for my soul.  What I love about going on road trips myself is that I get to roam around the country, stare at God's creation, pray, and just be in solitude for hour after hour.  There's no other place I can go, and nothing else I can do.  After working so hard these past few weeks to finish up school and having to run around from work to internship to UMCP, those drives really were so healthy for me.  Ironically, I haven't run or exercise for around two weeks (that's a record), but really driving is so healthy for me.

A First

You should know that about two weeks ago, I probably had one of the worst days I've had in awhile.  Losing my grandpa was emotional and sad, but it wasn't the worst horrible day because I saw signs of God working and these signs were very clear to me.  Two weeks ago, however, I did not see God working at all!  Did I just say that? Okay, he was working, but I experienced what I call a slam from Satan.  Came home on a Friday night and the girl who lives below us decided to have the most smoky and loud party ever.  I was ready to go down there and do something!!  Next thing I know, Kevin discovered that our bathroom floor was wet and our toilet overflowed. While trying to clean up the overflow, a drop of liquid fell on my shirt. I looked up and realized that our toilet hadn't overflowed, but the toilet in the condo above had some crazy issues.  We saw it leaking a little bit more and so Kevin went upstairs to talk to the owners.  Somehow it happened that they flushed the toilet and did something with the tub, but forgot that I was downstairs in the bathroom holding a dinky trashcan. That's right, I got peewater all over me.  No need to tell you everything, but long story short, I was pissed off and so exhausted that I went to sleep without taking a shower. Kev went to sleep at 4am and did an excellent job of disinfecting the bathroom. Sometimes being OCD comes in handy. He really is a nice man and a great husband.

What I really meant to tell you about is that this year I, I mean, we, have our very first Christmas tree!!  And yes, I bought it with a coupon from Michaels!  It's small and cute...and fake, but it's really charming.  Really enjoy having Christmas lights in the house.

Final thought... while in Ohio, I bought a book from the grocery store.  I'd never do that, #1 because it's more expensive than Amazon or somewhere else, and #2, because you just don't buy books from the grocery store!  Well, I had just gotten angry at my poor husband, and somehow while at Krogers read a small portion of the book "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff".  It's not the bible, but it must have been some sort of translation of it, because it made me call Kev and apologize to him for being a butthead.  I was going to walk away from the book and just put it back on the shelf, but I'm into doing new and crazy things, and I felt a calling to pick it up and glean more lessons from it, so yup, I bought a book from the grocery store and I feel really darn good about it!  I truly believe that I'm part of a small percentage of people who have EVER bought a book from the grocery store. Oh how good it feels..hehe.

Next time I'll talk about Ovaltine.  Stay tuned.

Oh my DAD

I think my dad may be much hipper than I thought! Um, yes, my dad has TWITTER. Are you seriuos?    Do I even understand how it works? Not really.

Sadly, he also got facebook before I did.  Makes me laugh=).

I cannot believe how much shopping I have done recently.  I've treated it as a study break/early graduation celebration for myself.  This is what you get when you decide not to go to graduation! Instead of spending money on a really ugly oversized flowy gown, I decided to buy some new things to look nice=).  As someone who lives off of handmedowns, I really do feel like I'm spoiling myself.

I had a great Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving weekend.  In fact, although I still have work to do, I decided that I was not doing ANY work this weekend. How good that feels!

This Thanksgiving was really quite different. It was the first time in a long while that I did not run the Turkey Chase. Do you know how much money it costs to register this year? Yes, another reason I don't feel horrible for shopping.  It was different though waking up a little later and not getting my endorphins going like I ALWAYS do on Thanksgiving morning.  What I love about the Turkey Chase is that it reminds me to be thankful for the healthy body God has given.  This year I feel like it was just as important. Reminded me to be thankful for a healthy body and I guess to be thankful for just being alive.

This past Thursday was also the first Thanksgiving without my Yeye. When you've seen someone alive for your entire life, it makes sense why it's so traumatizing seeing them still, and really with no life at all.   I thought this Thanksgiving would make me really sad, but I really had a great time and think it made me even more thankful to have family. I still really miss him though.   And what makes me the most sad is when I realize that I really won't see him anymore.  People keep comforting me by telling me I'll see him in heaven soon. Soon?  Looking at my genes, it'll be another 60-70 yrs until I see my grandpa again.  That doesn't sound like soon to me.

I took another 1 hour and 15 minute walk in remembrance of Ye Thanksgiving morning in place of the Turkey Chase. That was refreshing.  It helped me see more into Yeye's life actually and how much solitude, peace, and fresh air he must have gotten when he went on his daily walks.  Two years ago, Yeye was actually considering walking the 2 miler for the Turkey Chase at 96 years.  Can you believe it? The only thing that kept him from doing it was that at 96, he had his own schedule and there was no way I was going to get him up early enough to eat and be ready to walk at 8am.  I always think how cool it would have been if he could have done it. He totally would have put so many people to shame. He walked at least two miles every day I'm thinking.  1 hour and 15 minutes...Everytime I ran the race though, Ye would always laugh because years ago when I first started running the Turkey Chase, I told him how at the start line, the Turkey is on a car, and then once the race starts, it is driven away before anyone can even chase him. Ye would always crack up about this.  Again, in memory, here's a picture from my sister's wedding about 10 years back.  I can't say I've seen my grandpa make this face ever really, but it made me laugh. Love it!

Ice cream, cookies, and belts.

Today I got the best email from Baskin Robbins. They sent me a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream in celebration of what, yes that's right, my half birthday!!!  To think I almost forgot that today was my half birthday!

School has been consuming me so blogging tonight is a great relief.  Did I mention that I had the chance to exercise too? My blood has been boiling due to lack of exercise.  I have nothing for Kevin to eat for lunch tomorrow besides carrots, shredded cheese and frozen tater tots, but I think he's going to be okay and tomorrow's Friday so I'm letting go.  I cannot wait for the weekend, even if it means I'm still doing a lot of work.

Still been doing things in remembrance of Yeye.  Have you ever had a cookie from the Bean Bag in Rockville? I had to order a platter of cookies for a work meeting yesterday and when I ate their oatmeal cookie, um, can I say DEEELICIOUS.  I mean, delicious and very fresh, it was obvious.  Yeye loved oatmeal cookies and so eating that cookie made me wish that Ye had gotten a taste of this cookie sometime in his life.  I guess heaven must have better cookies, but I think he would have liked to taste a gourmet fresh oatmeal cookie if I brought him one as opposed to the grocery store cookies he always ate.

Now, I prefer not to take model shots of myself, but in this case, I wear this outfit very proudly.  Last Monday, I started off the week and went Yeye style by adding one of his old belts to my work ensemble.  Why in the world would you want to wear your old grandpa's clothes?!!?? I know.  Well, as someone who does not like to waste and as someone who also quite enjoys hand-me-downs, his belt gave me a lot of joy especially since I was the only one who knew where I snagged this fashion accessory from.  Made me feel safe and I enjoyed wearing a part of Ye around with me for the day.  So I wear his belt proudly and also was happy to know that it couldn't have clashed too much because my boss even gave me a complement and she's pretty hip for her age!  Just wait for when I break out Yeye's scarves=).  This is a style you can't steal...unless you too wear your grandpa's clothing. Am I starting a new trend??

Eating Jo's fruitsnacks with my grandma while working on my MPH project. (I think this might be a good way to give her some vitamins.)

She just said to me in Chinese, "Once you graduate, you have to have a baby."

A live shot of Mama sitting while sharing with me her one wish.

My Two Confessions.

Slideshows and oatmeal cookies.

Good morning and welcome again to my blog.  I can't believe I hit another Saturday morning.  While you may be a fan of my blog, interestingly, I am too=).  Since Yeye passed away, I confess that I watch the slideshow from his memorial service at least once everyday. It makes me cry, goodness!, and reminds me of how much he meant to me. It also reminds me how much I meant to him.  

One thing I hate is how when we go through our days, sometimes you forget about important things because you are so busy with the everyday of life.  This week I thought less about Yeye because of work/school work and well I don't like that feeling. I guess this is the natural process of loss, but I don't like it at all. So whether it's through taking an hour and fifteen minute walk, visiting the cemetery, lighting a candle, looking at his slideshow, or reading notes to me where he started off with "my dear Isabel", I'm going to continue to remember him.  I'm sure many others will easily forget him, which is natural, but I've saved him a spot in my days to come.  

Ye waving "farewell" before going off for another afternoon walk. 

This week to remember Yeye, I ate oatmeal cookies!  And of course, Kevin remembered with me.  That's right. Yeye was OCD about making sure he always had a good inventory of oatmeal cookies. Oh my goodness, they were a main staple in his life.  When I was cleaning up his stuff after he passed away he had about 6-7 unopened packages of oatmeal cookies...Giant brand, Trader Joe's, everything (we each took home a bag of unopened cookies).  And even with a plethora of cookies, he'd always ask me to buy him another pack as if he were running out. We finished the whole pack of cookies this week and while Ye couldn't be here to share with me, I'm sure heaven has a much better supply of cookies and dessert.  =)

Coupons

My other confession which seems random is that I have been stealing my neighbors Sunday newspaper coupons lately and plot to steal them again after this Sunday's paper.  Our recycling/trash area is shared and a few weeks ago I spotted an untouched pack of coupons.  UNTOUCHED, uncut!  How could I resist??  Anyways, Sunday is coming up soon, so I anticipate a new inventory of more cost-saving coupons.  I hope never to get caught.=)

Titled "Yeye"

Officially went back to work today. Wow.  I felt so much love and support from my coworkers. And is it just me but did winter come a little too quickly?  Maybe it is the dramatic change coming from Florida to here, but man I've been freezing!  Yesterday when I came off the plane I was still in my Soffe shorts. Yes, I changed into long jeans right away.

I can't believe that it will almost be two weeks since Yeye passed away.  A few days after Yeye passed away, I decided to go on a walk in remembrance of Yeye.  Basically, I needed exercise and was also missing Ye so I decided to walk just as long as he always did...one hour and fifteen minutes.  You would not believe how long that can feel, not to mention how amazing it is to know that Ye walked that much in his 90's.  Goodness! I'm wondering how he got hooked up with such a great body!

Just wanted to share something I wrote for his memorial service last week.  While this piece probably highlights many memories of Yeye, I have so many more unwritten memories.  Once I graduate, maybe I can write some more! Okay here you go, a piece titled "Yeye".

Yeye

I don’t know where to start for where do you start when someone has lived such a long life?  98 years. 

If you really knew Yeye you knew he was humorous, sharp, and had a vitality and strength about him, almost supernatural for someone his age.  Up until his stroke at 97, he was a walking machine and literally walked in our neighborhood for over an hour everyday, except on Sundays.  If he were here, he’d probably correct me and state exactly the number of minutes he walked on a particular day.  Typically it was “one hour and fifteen minutes” (stated in a British accent).

If you really knew Yeye, you also knew that he wasn’t always doing well and tended to have a pretty bad temper on certain days. It might have been the challenges of aging that made some days very rough, but whatever it was, I still loved him and knew he loved me with all his heart. 

I used to always say that Jo was my dad’s favorite, Priscilla was my mom’s favorite and that meant that I was Yeye and Mama’s favorite.  My grandpa treated me like his little princess and up until his last day I know I was his grandbaby girl. He unfairly gave me special treatment and our relationship was truly something special. 

When I was little, especially in elementary school, I used to run to my grandparent’s room and plop myself down next to Yeye as he would watch TV in his big comfy recliner chair.  He sat on the left and Mama would sit on a chair to my right and we would watch TV together.  Yeye introduced me to Price is Right, and of course, Bob Barker, and let me get away with watching much more television than I was supposed to.

Growing up, my favorite Chinese snack was “Chun pei” or dried orange peel and Yeye always had a stash for me.  Sometimes he’d offer me an oatmeal cookie or Wheat Thins, and if I was brave enough to ask, he would give me a mini Snickers.  On Saturday mornings, my sisters and I would watch my grandpa prepare his huge breakfast and our mouths would water as he cooked his Ramen noodles or “Goong Jigh Meen”.  Yeye was the only person I knew who used the whole pack of seasoning.  I was always told the MSG was bad for you, but Yeye continued to enjoy his fully seasoned Ramen and I laugh seeing how many extra years it gave him.

Over the past 27 years, Yeye has always been my watchdog or a protector to me. He called me often to see how I was doing, he prayed for me, and when I used to live at Jo's, he literally would be waiting at the door for me every time I came home.  On one occasion, Kevin and I were coming back from an out-of-town wedding and when we pulled into the driveway at around 3am in the morning, we saw a huge fog-like light coming from my grandpa’s window scanning back and forth across the lawn. My grandpa was waiting to make sure I came home safely.

I’ve heard people say that when girls don’t receive that deeper love from their fathers, they often look for love in all the wrong places. God has blessed me with a loving father, but I also believe that he has blessed and protected my heart ten fold by giving me a grandfather who showered extra love on me.  Having sported big plastic glasses, puffy short hair, old uncool clothes, and a fairly dorky attitude throughout my teenage years, I really believe that Yeye’s special treatment kept me from having major self-esteem issues.  And while I was a typical teenage girl, I never felt the need to chase boys or date any but one and I credit my grandpa for much of that.  Yeye enabled me to have a confidence and love for life.  He showed me that I was precious in God’s sight and I could not be more thankful. 

Much love to you Yeye.  May you see God face to face and may you relish in God’s love and goodness.

The Beach

Been at Clearwater Beach for the past few days for a conference.  The beach is so beautiful, the weather warm and breezy. Tonight we walked one of piers at night and it was so amazing to see so many fish swimming actively in the water even after the day was almost over.  It was so dark though and scary to be so far out in the ocean, on the pier of course. Beautiful but fearfully beautiful.  Kind of how God must be like. He is beautiful, but he has a lot of scary powers too.  

Yesterday was probably the first day I haven't cried in the past week or so.  I've been taking my grandpa's death pretty hard and so naturally, there have been many tears. The beach has had this calming effect on me, the sounds, the water, the sun.  I thought the beach might be able to heal my sadness completely, but I should have figured that loss is not something that goes away quickly.  I can feel the feelings and the sadness overwhelming me again just knowing that I'm going home tomorrow.  I've always thought about what it might feel like when Yeye would pass away. I knew and already felt previously how hard it might be at the moment I heard he passed, but I never imagined or even was able to imagine of what life must be like without him afterward. That's what I can't figure out quite yet.

I realized tonight that one of the best things I loved about Ye is that when I talked with him, he always wanted to hear what I said. He always was excited to hear me talk about how far I ran and would respond as if what I said was always interesting and important.  Not that other people are less caring, but in today's world, you don't typically get that type of special attention. Something I'll miss.

Signing off from Clearwater Beach.  Tomorrow Kevin is going to wake up nice and early to fish.  And next time Kev and I come back, we're going to visit Sawgrass Lake and see some alligators.=)

The Slideshow of the Week

When you're young and days just go by, I think you tend to forget how precious life is. Today we held my Yeye's service, not a funeral, but moreso a celebration of his life. I cried, for sure, but only because God blessed me so much through the life of my grandpa. The church was packed and I was happy to realize that though I was blessed, I was not the only one. 

Yeah for Races!

I am ultra stressed, but I was blessed this weekend to enjoy a day of fun, excitement and relaxation with some friends and my family.  I ran the Baltimore Marathon Relay on Saturday. It was the first time I ran a relay and while it was tough waking up so early only to run about 5 hours later (I KNOW!), I loved being amidst other runners and cheering them on.  The relay allowed me to participate in a run but also gave me the chance to see the elite and top runners, something I miss when I run most races.   Some highlights?... meeting new friends on the shuttle bus and in the line for the portapotty (thankfully the friends I met were willing to skip the portapotties and use the woods instead!) and of course, running the 4th leg with TEAM BATS where I  followed three other speedy running friends of mine.

Today I am thankful to be able to wake up early and get some work done. I'm also very thankful because Kevin and I (or moreso just myself this morning) celebrate our 1 year and 3 month wedding anniversary.  This is enough to help me through the day and to remind to keep on trucking through the next month and a half until I graduate. Lord-willing, I will graduate.  I'm trying to remember that everything is in God's control and with his help, this whole stress ball will be over!!

My Personal Etsy Site

I know a lot of people starting their own businesses, specifically on etsy.com.  I've always thought about starting my own greeting card company (since I was in high school in fact), but since that idea hasn't come into fruition, this past weekend, I thought of a new goal for myself that shows the frugality in me.

My awesome dream is to use all the decorative and card paper I have to make as many greeting cards as I can.  On display today are my first few cards of October 2010.  I might have used less than 5 sheets of paper! I love PAPER!

FYI- the flowers from most of the cards are remnants of table cards used at my wedding. That's right, reuse and recycle!

Shoes

These past few months have been a turn around time for me. I've been trying for years to be fashionable and in style and I believe I am really gaining some ground.  First of all this summer I changed the color palette of my shoes from faded black, brown, and tan to bright BLUE, white, and silver.  I've never had any shoes of true color. A few months ago, I was with friends in the fashion capital of the U.S. (NYC) and caught sight of the Aerosole Saavy.  I was about to walk away to save some cash but boldly went for the buy!  (This is uncharacteristic of me).  The whole transaction, less than $20 and I didn't even have to pay taxes and they made my running toes look cute in no time!  By the way, these shoes are in different colors and are now on clearance at Aerosole's website, some for even $9.99! I got the bright blue, you can get green or a few other choices.  Can't beat that.

This past weekend was another turning point. I went to a bridal shower of a friend who might I mention is quite the fashionista.  When I walked into the party, I quickly found myself surrounded with women wearing high fashion, cute, colorful outfits, hair down, and heels about an average of 3 inches tall. Might I mention I was already the shortest one there? And mind you, these were not just young girls at this party, the heels were widespread even to the aunties all around. I was wearing my cute yet flat shoes that day and I had on one of my cute outfit which turned out pretty bland to the rest of them.

I was highly inspired by this shower. 20 minutes after, I detoured on my way home to none other than DSW. What did I buy? A pair of knee high black boots with a thick three inch heel on the bottom. Let me first mention that oddly, I really hate heels. In fact, for my oldest sister's wedding, I chose to wear sneakers and actually passed through without notice.  The second sister's wedding, I wore flats, only because when I tried to wear sneakers, my friend (coincidentally, the one whose bridal shower I recently attended), refused to allow it and helped me find flats from Payless for the occasion.  So really, a pair of heels is one thing. And let me tell me you, boots are another!  Knee high ones, I might add.  I think I might their big debut may be this upcoming weekend!  

In regard to shoes, I also made a huge discovery today. I've had this pair of shoes I bought maybe 3-4 years ago and I've wore them maybe three times. Why? They killed and scratched my feet up. (This is why I choose not to buy shoes on impulse anymore.)  Apparently a high quality of shoes, however, they scared me away because every time I wore them, they were so annoying and hurtful to my feet.  #1001 why I really do hate heels.  About two weeks back, my sister from Singapore gave me these "no show" dress socks and interesting they helped relieve SOME of the foot rubbing that made these shoes uncomfortable.  From that I learned that fashionable women do have secrets. My sister told me that she saw a lady once use wax to prevent shoes from rubbing and hurting the feet.  I learned the secret of wearing bandaids to help prevent some rubbing.  How come it takes me so long to learn all these beauty secrets?  Well, this morning I made the most amazing discovery. When I wear full socks, my shoes can last a whole day.  What do you know??

I'd also like to brag that today I added a belt to my work outfit, blew dry my hair last night, and wore my hair down for the majority of the day.  And last week I painted my toenails...blue!  That's what shoes can do.

Love Sundays

Many people use their Sabbaths differently. My sabbaths involve resting and reflecting (synonym: blogging).  Blogging is my therapy and if you haven't noticed I haven't been blogging lately so I'm clearly almost going insane. I've been dying to share things on my blog, but haven't had the time to so Kevin's been taking the brunt of all my stories.  Bless him.  He is a darn good listener! 

My love for candy. 

If you know me, I love candy.   When I was little, I would steal candy politely from my piano teacher's house and wherever else I saw a candy jar and in middle and high school, my second moms would always spoil me and bring me candy on a weekly basis.    

I was hungry the other day at my internship and seeing a container with hard candy in it, I was of course tempted and ate a piece. It was good so I ate another only to find later on that I was eating "Preggie Pop Drops". Their key function? You'd never guess...easing morning sickness! 

Fridays After Five

Kevin has been consumed with his work lately. As a good wife, I decided I'm going to help him get out and have some fun doing things he enjoys.  People say that you should do something you enjoy EVERYDAY and so I am taking on the responsibility to make sure my husband gets his fun on during the school year.  This also eases my stress level.=) First on the list of things to do was to visit the Baltimore Aquarium.  First things to note... noone, absolutely NOONE should ever enter the Baltimore Aquarium at regular price! It is way too expensive, especially if you plan to eat anything later on.  If you do go, you had better go when they have their "Fridays After Five" deal. $5 a ticket!  While the aquarium stops selling tickets at 8pm, they actually let you stay in the aquarium until 9:30pm. And that is exactly what Kev and my friend Wing did this past Friday.  

I don't think I have ever cared much for the aquarium until this time around.  My theory is that after going to so many fish stores AKA aquariums with Kevin, the Baltimore Aquarium is much more amusing and amazing. It was so much fun to see the sharks, little tiny fish, squirrel fish, and just to see the sea creatures!  Baltimore's nightlife and the harbor were beautiful too!  I splurged and ate a $5.25 ice cream (which I now feel guilty for) but had a good time being out of Montgomery County for a change.  I love seeing new places, especially if they're near by.  Can't get comfortable with the routine.  We need some change and excitement all the time.  

Oddly, I didn't have any picture of fish on this trip. This will have to do.

Distractions...many distractions

The main reason I've been so busy is because my overseas sister is visiting from out of town. I'm supposed to be doing my school work and a whole lot of others things, but I can't help but be distracted by my out of town visitors. That's my sister, my brother in law and my cutie niece, Charis! My work will get done, but my family won't be around for much longer.   

I brought them to a Lake only 5 minutes away from my house and we took a little walk along the water. Meet my family!  

My Husband the Farmer  

Kevin grew up in city pretty much, but I always felt like he's meant to live out on the farms.  Here he is growing crops on our balcony. Check out that red tomato!  And while we were on our walk at Lake Frank, he ventured off to catch fish. What a man!  

  

Update

I'm not creative enough tonight to think of a good title. Update will have to do.

A Personal Record

This past Sunday if you were in Maryland, you would have known that it was pouring rain all morning. It was also the day of the Parks Half Marathon, a race I've been anticipating for months or you could say two years. I was supposed to run it last year, but didn't make it, which is unusual for me especially considering the fact that I already signed up for it!  

So back to the race.  With the crazy rain, I was hoping to just finish under 2:00 which is a decent and consistent time for me.  I had been wearing glasses all week because of an eye injury and didn't have high hopes for this race since I thought I might have to run with my glasses (ugh) or drop out so basically just finishing under 2:00 would have made me happy.  

My friend, Andrea, and I woke up bright and early that morning and before we left to the race, we prayed in the car for God to give us mercy.  You'd understand if you saw us running to the car under a poncho!  We're runners man and tough, but I did NOT want to run two full hours in rain!  I've done it before and it can make you feel 20 lbs heavier.   I tend to pray before races and before anxious and dreading moments because I really think God can hear my prayers. And hear he did!  When we got to the race, the rain had stopped and it was only raining on and off throughout the run. I didn't mind the mud, nor the temporary rain falls. In fact, the rain made it quite cool. 

Although I felt like I could have run faster at the end, if it weren't for a cramp in my side, I finished the race right behind Andrea in 1:53:39, much better than I could have imagined!  That's a PR for me baby! The last time I ran anything close to this time was literally FOUR years ago when I ran with a speedy friend of mine. She literally pulled me through the race and the only reason I didn't stop was because I didn't want to be left behind in a random street in Baltimore city.   I love having a good run and I won't lie. I am disciplined in training not to finish, but I train to be fast!    

Here's my muddy shoes and some shots after the race to prove my PR!  Andrea PRed as well!  

Verse for the day in paraphrase

When we stock up on knowledge without applying it to our lives, we are actually sinning.  When we gain knowledge about God, without responding to him or assimilating his truth into our lives, then it is not a good thing. According to the Bible, it is sin.

- Francis Chan (James 4:17)

Someone broke into Kev's car today.  You know, every morning when I wake up, I pray and ask for God to help me through the day.  Most days you feel like you know what the day is going to hold... nothing too exciting really. It was a shocker when Kevin went to leave for work and found the car broken into, but oddly this incident was not a crazy stressor.  Thank God.  Both airbags were stolen and the theft I tell you was really done well. No scratches, no broken windows. A clean steal.   I don't care much about airbags anyways...well except when they're worth thousands of dollars.   You know, I don't think anyone would ever have stolen the airbags in my Saturn 95.

It's been a while since I've blogged so here are a few things I'm thankful for, not just today but the past weekend:

1. I found out I have conjunctivitis after going into the urgent care at Kaiser.  I got eye drops that should help my eye heal by this Sunday, race day for my 1/2 marathon.
2. My glasses, though not as comfy as contacts are much more stylish than my 1980 frames. Noone complimented me for them but most importantly, noone looked at me funny for wearing them.  (I'll have to post my first pair of glasses sometime).
2. My sister and my little niecie Charis were able to come to my place after the breakin and drove me to work. It's really no fun driving to work alone. It's much more fun not having to drive and having a cute muffin and my sister with me.
3. Kevin and I ate Urban Burger for dinner and ate on our balcony since we were just tired from the day!
4. We met some neighbors who we always see but don't talk to. The car breakin gave us reason to talk to them. Yay, new friends!
5. I got a lot done at work in a very short period of time. Just crazy!
6.  Ate a Dunkin Donut at work! Boston Creme.
7.  Kevin's mom for lending us a car to drive so we have no need for rental.
8. Kevin and I got late night Mickey D's last night. Chicken nuggets, fries, and ice cream and ate it in the parking lot. Hit the spot!
9. Went camping in our living room this weekend.  First camping trip.
10.  A nice boss who was alright with me coming in late to work today.  Very understanding and asked me "how are you" when I went into work.
11.  Geico. I spoke to 3 or 4 people from there.  So nice!
12. Father Ong fixed my bike and for the first time I will be riding a bike with shifters!! Delivered the bike to our place even!
13. Wore my new white shoes today.  A good day to break them in.

Something to share

The busy year is just about to start.  Does it really need to get any busier? I really have been enjoying this summer. Having Kevin home more often, going to the pool, going on a road trip, less traffic on the roads!  I'm starting to get pretty overwhelmed by my schedule and all the things that will need to get done this fall. I won't even list everything out to you because I'm afraid I might stress YOU out just thinking about these things.  I have realized that I'm an "ideas" person. Basically, it means that at all times I'm thinking, brainstorming and imagining ideas for my first new business, the new idea I'll propose at work, my new book, the way I'm going to redesign my house, the new hobby I'd like to try.  Lately, I've been waking up and before I can even consciously say good morning to myself, my mind is flooded with so many ideas and thoughts I don't even know what to do.  It can be dizzying and extremely tiring at times.

Sometimes I think that's why I need to run. Number one to get rid of all the energy I have inside me (Kevin says I need to talk to the doctor about jittering), but secondly to just have time to focus my mind on ONE thing and not get distracted by so many other things.  Woke up and ran 14 miles on Saturday morning. Woke up before 6am and because of my "ideas" disease, I had no issues waking up, meaning I was pretty chipper for an early hour.  My goal is to qualify for Boston.  (Please help me convince the man in my life to let me run more marathons!)

Today at church, I heard a sermon on being prepared to give our personal testimony. God commissioned us to tell others the gospel and share our stories with others and sad to say, I think I've failed miserably in this area. I do feel like God has been reiterating a number of messages into my head this year and sharing Christ with others (verbally) I think is definitely one of them.  Typically, I veer on the side of just being kind and not verbally sharing the gospel so that I don't have to offend anyone, but I think I've realized that you can be extremely sensitive to people and preach and share your testimony at the same time.  It can be much more loving and effective because people don't just see your actions, but they really hear how God has been moving and real in your own life.  The real reason I don't share my testimony is mostly because I'm afraid of what people will think of me. I also have not taken the time to prepare a testimony that I would be able to share with others.  These things do need practice and intentionality.

Clothing Swaps
As many people know, I absolutely love clothing swaps. Why? Because I hate spending money yet I love clothes. What a great solution right? Yesterday hosted a great and fun clothing swap. What a way to  hang out with friends.  Here's a picture of Kevin and I on our way through Corning, NY....and of course, there's me wearing a shirt I acquired a previous clothing swap.

When You Don't Have a Hammer

I honestly have no idea how Kevin and I have managed for over a year in a new home without a hammer.  For the time being we've been using Kevin's weights, yes the kind that build muscle.  Unfortunately, the lack of a hammer is probably why many of our frames are slightly crooked.  The good thing though is that I've learned that I can always find easy replacements to get a job done.

In addition to creative replacements for every-day tools, I was pretty proud of my latest fix-it project. Do you remember those "Aerosole Soulmate" shoes that I was raving about a few months back? Apparently, they don't deserve a five star rating because part of the shoe's decor started coming apart.  I was getting some stares at work because the dark silver beads were hanging off the flower design part of the shoe.  So I took it upon myself to fix this.  When all else fails, use Gorilla glue.  I tell you, it is the absolute best and strongest glue ever.  What I didn't know though was that the glue dries not clear, but white, and it expands to triple the amount.  TRIPLE the amount is pretty accurate What did I do? I used a good ol black Sharpie!!! Take a look at them shoes now.=)  I love it!

Been behind on posting because last week I was in Brooklyn on a short term mission trip with Kevin and a team from my church.   Here's one of my favorite/least motivated 1st graders. His name is Kevin=) and he has a twin brother with a much faster metabolism then him. He was precious though.  When I asked the kids if they knew what heaven was, Kevin anxiously preceded to tell me about this movie he watched where werewolves were taken to heaven!!

Clutter and mess

Time feels like it's flying lately, but I'm enjoying life and finding exciting new things often.  Last Saturday, Kev and I were driving on a familiar road about a mile or less away from home when we saw this road that veered off the main road. We always just drive by but that day we decided to do something adventurous and take a detour down that road!  It actually led to a nature center in our area and interestingly enough to a cemetery as well. As we kept on driving, we discovered a nice little getaway in the community that we thought we knew really well. There was huge mansion, I'm not sure what it was used for, with beautiful grassy fields surrounding it. Someone was even getting married there. We even discovered a new park with tennis courts that are literally about a mile away from home.  It was beautiful and a huge piece of land I never knew about.  Doing things like that keeps my life from being too boring. Sometimes I drive different ways home just to get away from mundane habits in life.

Bird by Bird

I haven't been able to read as much as I'd like, but I've been dying to share this great quote from "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lammott.  The book is about writing and about life, but when I read this quote, it reminded the OCD side of me to just let go more often.  Here's a quote to all you perfectionists and for those of you who need everything to be nice and neat, the 2nd paragraph is for you:

"I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping stone right, you won't have to die.  The truth is that you will die anyway and a lot of people who aren't even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they're doing it."

"Besides, perfectionism will ruin your writing, blocking inventiveness and playfulness and life force...Perfectionism means that you try desperately not to leave so much mess to clean up.  But clutter and mess show us that life is being lived... Tidiness suggests that something is as good as it's going to get. Tidiness makes me think of held breath, of suspended animation..."

That's quite a challenge, huh? Updates on our anniversary still to come!

I have a really hard time getting up in the mornings. Saturday morning, I pulled myself out of bed (slow motion) and forced myself as always to rush to my running group for a long run.  I'm not a morning person, but I am a runner, which is why waking up around 6am on Saturday mornings to go running can present quite a conflict for me.  I never know which one to choose, which is why I always show up to run, and why I always arrive late.

Saturday was a 12 miler and let me tell you, it rained on us for the whole two hours! Can you imagine? It was honestly, horrible, yet wonderful at the same time.  The wonderful part was that although the humidity was pretty heavy, the rain was my saviour.  To add to that, I got to crash many puddles on my run and got soaked from head to toe. The bad part? I felt horrible and wanted to walk often. In some ways, I think I am quite a wimpy runner.    

Recently started a new job working for a hospice.  The orientation today was really long, but very interesting at the same time.  I've already had a number of people comment about how working in hospice is so hard and I'm sure at times it is, but from my little experience in the working world, it seems that the jobs that are hard work and seem less appealing to others can oftentimes be the best jobs to have.  Some people have asked me whether it is depressing to work in a field where people are literally dying daily. I had an inkling that the opposite was true and I have barely worked at this place for a month, but honestly I'm convinced it is quite the contrary.   

Granted my job does not work directly with patients, this opportunity, I have a feeling, is going to be quite worthwhile.  Today in orientation, I learned from one of the counselors, the art of being present.  I think one of the joys of working with old people is that you don't often have to pretend or impress them.  Just being with them is good enough.  I think this is especially the case when you work with people who are frail. When I used to volunteer at the nursing home in Houghton, I used to visit this one resident who I could barely understand. He was bed bound and literally half the time I just stood there or sat with him.  Mostly because I was young and didn't know what to do. But after four years of doing that, I became pretty comfortable just sitting and making some conversation when he wanted to.  And that was good enough!  Okay well dinner time is calling me.  More to come...

Yay for pizza dough!

My friend, Sooz, I mean DR. Sooz came over to visit for a day trip from PA a few weeks ago. What a special treat!  I love  seeing and catching up with friends. Best thing about the day is that we did NOTHING.. and that was okay.=)  I'm definitely the type of person who doesn't need to travel far to enjoy my life.  I could sit on the steps outside and literally stare at the grass.  I could take a walk in the neighborhood. I could try new things in my home.  I could walk around Safeway just for fun. And all that makes me perfectly happy. What makes me happier is when I can do all those things with friends. In some ways, you could consider me a lazy host. One day I'll take people to the museums or zoo when they visit.  So let's see we went for walks in the trails, brought Sooz to try dim sum for her FIRST TIME, walked at a lake nearby, took a nap (for realll), and most importantly, Sooz helped to save my first attempt at making pizza dough. 

You would think that when you have a breadmaker, making pizza dough would take less time.  It took an hour and half for the machine to make the dough (only?!?!?) and then I had to do all this punching and kneading.  I honestly thought it was a flop.  Thanks to Sooz and all her experience and her mom's experience with pizza dough, the pizza dough was saved and perhaps I may try it again (not in the near future...it's too much work).  Unfortunately, Sooz didn't even get a taste of the pizza, but props to her for saving my pizza dough!  You have no idea how horrible it feels when you try and make something and you spend all this time in anticipation and then next thing you know, everything flops and you're left with a lump of dead dough.  

The new things I've been making this year... ham and potato chowder, bread, almond jello, a baguette that took me way too many hours to make, meatloaf... it has been an exciting year. Thank God for my friends and my sister, Jo, for being a hotline that I can call when I don't feel like reading the directions.=) Actually, even I do, getting live instructions to recipes seems to work best for me.

Adding to that... Thank God for an extra day before heading back to work.  Not working on Mondays is pretty fantastic.  

When Summer Breaks Free

I think Kevin's enjoying his summer so far.  I found this and many other pictures on my Macbook.  Props to photobooth for the amount of fun he appears to have had when I am at work.  After spending one year living with a teacher, I can tell you that teachers (at least this one) work a years worth of hours into ten months and definitely deserve a summer break.

The Honda Fit, No Joke of a Car

I'm taking off from fun tonight and instead of going to hang with people, I decided to hang with myself. Not a bad deal because I happen to enjoy being myself at times.  I've been reading "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lammott and I'm so inspired to write more...if only I could write without being distracted by dirty dishes, dirty laundry and just mess.  I've realized lately that my anal neat freak side was not only characteristic of my college years...it is still alive in me and it's coming back!  And might I mention, it kills me at times.

The 2010 Honda Fit

As I promised I wanted to give a review of the Honda Fit. I, for one, think it is the best car ever and it has been faithful to our family for the past 6 months that we've had it.  Now if my recommendations aren't valid enough for you, check out the real critics and you'll find that the FIT is the right car for you. Listen, edmunds.com named it one of their "Top 10 Most Noteworthy Vehicles of the Decade" ...did I hear DECADE?? And Kelley Blue Book named it one of its "Top 10 Green Cars".  Honestly, you can't go wrong with being green.

While the car looks small on exterior, it is extremely spacious inside.  The storage space is AMAZING where you can fold seats up with literally one finger and fold the entire seats down in one second, so that you have an enormous amount of trunk space.  A demonstration will sell you.  We were able to move a file cabinet via the FIT so easily because the seats can fold down flush.  Moving it via my parent's van would be much more of a hassle. Why should you have to take your seats out to move things if you don't have to?

I was hesitant to get a hatchback initially because people have told that small cars aren't as safe.  The logic makes sense, but I figured that if the car has good safety ratings from big name critics, then I could be okay with a compact car.  Might I add that it was the most economical deal out there??  We were thinking of getting the CIVIC, but honestly, everyone and their mom has a civic and it reminds me a big frumpy animal and it's just too big and ugly.  It's also more expensive than the Honda Fit and it doesn't have as cool as name.  In 2001, the Civic was pretty attractive, but I'm turned away by the look of it now.

Other pluses of the FIT?  It has great turnaround capabilities so you can maneuver in tight spaces easily. There are great color choices...although dealers tend to be limited in color choice.  It has a hidden compartment under the back seat to hide your things.  You can adjust the steering wheel at different heights and most importantly, for short people like me, you can drive without having the steering wheel block your vision.  This car makes you feel tall.  Oh and I did mention great mileage?  On average in stop and go traffic, we get 36 MPG.  Let me tell you, you can't get cooler than this.

Yeah, Almost Sleeping

So I'm officially a blog addict. Some women think about men, some about what outfit they'll buy next, some about the weather.  I think about what I'm going to blog especially when I'm driving in the car.  It's almost 12am and I told Kevin I'd go to sleep soon, but what started off as a simple snack has become pineapple, expired easy mac, and chocolate covered pomegranates from Costco.  Add to that a late night blog session and this is definitely a guilty pleasure. I'm enjoying it though.

From a conversation with a friend last week, I've decided that from now on anytime I look fat in pictures or  a little chubbier (which may end up happening tomorrow after this late night snack), people are going to think I am pregnant.  That's flattering!  My friend said she saw a picture of me on vacation and I must have looked a little rounder because she honestly thought I might have a baby in my stomach.  Speaking of babies, my grandma told me for the 97th time to hurry up and have one because they are fun.  Babies are fun, they really are and cute, I agree, but nieces and nephews are pretty cute and fun too!  I can barely be responsible for myself, so I'm going to have to wait.  In all honesty, I'm hoping my grandma will live many more years because I do want her to see my children.  

MY next RAVE will have to be a personal review of the HONDA FIT 2010 and more.   Today was Kevin's last day teaching for the school year and tomorrow is his last day of the school year.  Praise the LORD. We're going to celebrate! Signing off...=)

Hot Hot Hot!

The heat is on!  Just came back from a 9-10 mile run in the trails! Beautiful out there and to add to that, my band (husband!) woke up early this morning and joined me on his bike the whole time as an act of love.  It's the first long run he's ever gone on with me and it was nice to have him serve as my First Aid, Security, and GPS.  Honestly, I wouldn't have been able to run in the trails without him because I don't run in the trails alone. If I hadn't run in the trails, I would have seriously melted or drowned from sweat by mile 3. So props to my man for being extra supportive.  

I really enjoyed raving about some of my favorite things last month, so I think I'll have to continue that in future blogs.  Before I do, there is something that I really got a kick out of last month. I was about to toss it out, but it was too funny not to share.  

Last month as I mentioned, I went to one of my good friend's bash, I mean wedding!  Anyways, when I got to the hotel, they apparently could not find my reservation.  Why? I guess the person I reserved my room with couldn't hear me. Not only did they mess up my address, but they totally screwed up my name!  "Tongue"?  At least they could have spelled it "Tung" considering that was the bride's name.  Gotta love homonyms right? The hotel was beautiful by the way!

Saturday Raves!

Now that it's Saturday, you have some more time to pay attention to the neat things I write about on this blog.  I have a number of things to rave about, but here's just one for now.  

1. Forgotten God by Francis Chan - I've only finished Chapter 2, but thus far I've found this book to be very intriguing, challenging, and full of truth.  In all my days in the Christian community, I feel like I've never really learned much about the Holy Spirit.  If the HS is part of the trinity, I figure he must be pretty important, but I always assumed the HS was simply a synonym for "God" and "Jesus". Isn't it?  This book begs to differ and is really challenging me to see that the reality of God on earth is really seen through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is literally with us and in us helping to guide me, counsel me and walk with me each step of my day.  He nudges me and if I listen, He surely can bear the fruit in our lives that we need to see more in Christians. 

A Few of My Favorite Things

If Oprah gets to choose what her favorite things are, I decided I should be allowed to too.   Here are some reviews of my favorite things.

1. The Baskin Robbins Birthday Club - It really means it's your birthday when you receive a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream from Baskin Robbins. Do you have any idea how much a free scoop usually costs??   I definitely went in for my free scoop of ice cream two weeks ago and while the lady there kind of gave me a dirty look because all I did was get my free scoop, I loved every minute of it.  I've been a member of this club since I was a kid. What's better than free stuff?? Of course! Free ice cream!   I'm also a member of the Coldstone Birthday Club, but unfortunately did not get to redeem my coupon this year. I'll rave about it next year.

2.  The Aerosole Soul Mate - On my search to find shoes for my wedding day, I came across these and was ecstatic and sure that it was through divine intervention that I found my "soulmate" during my pre-wedding season.  If you know me, I am picky about shoes and will not sacrifice my comfort for vanity.   Unfortunately, I didn't ended up wearing these for the wedding because I was told I needed taller shoes, however, I've been wearing these for almost a year.  If you're like me and can't wear heels gracefully, you have got to get a pair of these shoes.  They match with about everything...which might be why I find myself wearing them everywhere, to church, to work, on errands...and believe me they're comfortable!

3. Old Tomatoes Recipe - Too weak to throw my old tomatoes away and fascinated by this simple recipe, I tried it out and boy it was a winner.  Way to revive wrinkled tomatoes right? You will do more than revive them!  This recipe which I randomly found on someone's blog tastes like bruschetta and is super easy to make.   Teamed with a fresh baguette, it can be quite a treat. Don't forget to use the mini Cuisinart, which makes things easier.  The mini Cuisinart is probably the most used kitchen appliance in our household. If you're planning to get married soon, add this one to your registry. There's really no need for a juicemaker, a George Foreman Grill, or a waffle maker.  A Cuisinart, however, you need that
http://figsandwigs.wordpress.com/2008/11/24/what-to-do-with-old-tomatoes/