Cheap treasures.

Talk about a treasure hunt?

Only one place will always come to my mind - thrift store!

Looking in thrift stores is an ultimate thrill. I always go in looking for anything cool, fun and edgy. Sure it can be a bit overwhelming seeing so many things all at once.

Yeah, I know any classy department store have the same effect, except this one doesn't make you spend more.

I would normally start at one rack and slowly work my way down the other. But who ever said that searching for treasure was easy?

But it become easier if I go with my favorite shopping buddy. I always go with my mom or our friend Linda. Of course it's not always that I find stuff I want, but there have been other times when I found the piece of my dreams. I found this one wallet which has never been use because it was still wrapped in its original paper and I have been looking for one where I can put all my cards and what-nots.

When I do find something I love, it is like it was waiting for me all along.

I can't wait for my next hunting expedition...

Friends forever.

I know my blog had been dormant for a long while, sorry. But things had been very hectic here the past days. Fortunately it is settling down nicely hence I can again find time to write.

What happened today inspires me to start writing again.

You see, I just exchange messages today to an old pal I have not been in touch with for a very long time.

Someone from my town. Someone I've been friend with before I moved to the city.

Like most anyone, as I leave my old town to dive into my career and pursue the path to dream fulfillment, I also left my old friends behind in the dust for a while. Maybe it's because I met new friends that fit more readily into my new life.

But now I realize that somehow they are never good replacements for the ones I grew up with. They may have the ability to share a future full of laughter and fun with me, but they will never have the history that my old chums have with me.

Fortunately, there often comes a time when I and my old pals get back in touch with one another and rebuild the friendship. That's why I always like attending high school reunions. And there is one looming in 2013, yehey!

Indeed, it's amazing how my friends and I seem to understand what happened, so there is no need to apologize or explain. We can simply go on, picking up right where we left off years ago.

I am thankful that I remain friends with several of my own friends from youth, even though we had that typical break in the middle. For the most part, we live quite a distance from one another, but with the age of technology, we are able to keep in touch and continue the relationships with ease. An email every now and again goes a long way in letting them know that I am thinking of them and we keep each other abreast of what's going on our life. Whenever we do, we fall right back into the old patterns of the friendship and we never seem to miss a beat.

As we chat and catch up, retelling the stories of our childhoods together, I feel the freedom and the love that is only existent among old friends. Even if the days are busy, I still make the time to nurture these relationships in the simplest of ways.

I do this because they are the truly important ones.

And there is no greater reward than a dear, old friend.

Sealed and delivered.

I sent a Balikbayan box to my family last Sunday. Yehey!

But that's not the real cause of my jubilation. No no.

It's the sight of seeing Ken's puzzled face on how I was able to fit so many things inside a single box. He could not believe that those items he saw scattered on the floor in my room could be crammed inside the box.

Oh, unless you are a Filipino you probably don't have a clue what I'm talking about when I mention about a balikbayan box.

Okay, the word "balikbayan" is actually a combination word coined in the 1970s. "Balik" means to go back and "bayan" means home town or home country. So "balikbayan" is someone going back to their home country, but it only pertains to people going back to the Philippines.

Therefore the term "balikbayan box" refers to boxes shipped by Filipino overseas via cargo containers to there loved ones back home.

Mind you, it is a box that Filipinos eagerly awaits from family members, relatives or friends living overseas. The box contains from canned goods to clothes to shoes or any items requested from a Filipino recipient that can fit inside a Balikbayan box.

It is a good thing though that shipping boxes to the Philippines is much more economical than one might expect because there is no weight limit. I simply need to pack all I can get into a Balikbayan Box without ripping it off and ship it for one price! No extra cost.

You see the Balikbayan box has its social role and significance. Tied to it is the pride, joy, love, anticipation and hope of each balikbayan. I admit I want to put so much stuff inside because I want my boys and relatives to experience all that I saw, tasted, touched, smelled and felt in this country. And nothing would give me more joy than the excited ‘ohhs’ and ‘ahhs’ of those who will be present when they open the box.

Ken put his stamp on the box by carefully and meticulously tying it up so it will get there in good condition. Aside of course from sending all eleven pairs of his running shoes he had bought but never use inside the box.

Yes, the Balikbayan box is not an ordinary thing. It’s where you can find love, pride and joy – where else in the world can you find that in a box?

Being a Christian.

I guess it is safe to say that the national religion in this country is sports, not Christianity.

I say this because sadly when I enter the beautiful churches here I see just a few people along the pews during a service. But if I sit through an NFL games on a Sunday, I see the stadium packed to the rafters.

Philippines is predominantly a Catholic country. I know.

That's why I noticed the difference of how Lent is celebrated here in the US. If I am back in my country I will be among those women who go around the subdivision reciting the passion of the cross. My house will be among one of the 14 stations, hence there will be table outside my gate with candles and crucifix. I will abstain from eating meat starting on Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays of Lent. I will ask my children to give up something during the observance of the Holy week, like not using their cellphones as an important part of repentance and renewal.

Also this is the time of solemn reflections.

And my thoughts tell me that what was true in the days when Jesus actually walked the earth is still true today. Men and women still hurt one another. I still ask the huge "why" questions and demand answers. Life continues to be a mystery to me and I want answers that science can't find. I still need to know that there is something greater than myself and I know for a fact that it's not the Internet. I need to be assured that I go somewhere when I die. I need to know that someone cares for me when it seems no human does.

I'm old enough to have suffered some very reals pains in life and I have felt and known the comfort that can only come from God. I've had some very extremely lonely moments in life and have experienced the presence of someone greater who carried me through those dark moments.

I don't go to church very often becoz here I need to drive to go there and I can't drive just yet. But my faith and belief in God grow stronger.

I am a Christian. And for me, it is strong and vibrant and alive.

Pray it won't happen to movies as well.

If your life is a Reality TV, would you watch it?

I know I have talked about this subject in my previous post. But the trend toward reality shows is disturbing to me.

At first it was fascinating. Throw together a few regular people and watch them interact.

But it's grown into something else entirely!

Singers and dancers aren't real anymore. They're the results of television polls. I see half naked club kids in hot tubs. Person pitted against person for money and not an honest game of trivia. Now it's backstabbing and arguing that make the big bucks. There's a show about rich brats having birthday parties. Of families swapping wives so the world can watch them traumatize the children.

These shows basically promote the worst behavior in people. Lie, cheat & steal for money. Where does it end?

Do viewers watch tv now to see people in public mental collapse? Or do networks programmed us to descend into this state?

When did we as a society decide that filming a group of people arguing, hooking up, and throwing fits was a good substitute for a television series with a script, a plot, and some substance?

I agree that sometimes it's fun to just kick back and laugh at something stupid someone said or did. Besides, real people were so much more interesting to watch. We could identify with them. They looked like us! No glamour or make up, just real people.

That was then...

Now, instead of these 'real" people we could identify with, it's buff men and women in bikini or tight shirts strutting there butts and tits in our living room screen.

Even Reality TV has become Hollywood...

Spring has sprung!

Ahhh, Spring.

The sun today is strong enough that I can feel it's healing warmth deep within my skin as I sat in the car on my way to work.

As his usual, Ken took the lake route today thus giving me a peek at the new wildlife making its way into the open. We saw among other things five eagles perched on the tree along the lake. The ducks and geese swimming and resting after a tedious flight from I don't know where. All I see are flocks of them flying in from every directions.

The birds are chirping and it seem to me that the snow is already a distant memory as green grass and trees will soon be ready to burst forth their glorious shade of green.

I saw chickadees flitter around on one tree, bluejays bop in and out of sight, crows fly overhead and the sparrows seem to take such utter pleasure doing what they do best, singing.

This is beauty.

This is peace and tranquility.

This is one of those moments that sustain me through the long winter days and nights and I am so grateful that even with all of life's up and downs, twists and turns, I am able to see the beauty of a new life and truly appreciate all that IS around me.

There is a newness of life in the Spring air. I can smell it and hear it in the sounds of the birds that have returned.

This is one of my Forever Moments.

So I will watch and enjoy this moment for as long as it remains as it is right now. I am sure there are many things I would be doing today.

But those can wait. This will not.

Tomorrow it will not be the same. Tomorrow the colors will be just a bit more mature. The birds melody will be slightly different as different birds flit in and out of this one place on earth and the left over snow may melt overnight.

So, there I was inside the car with Ken sitting quietly while watching National Geographic from the car's window.

Goodbye Papang.

It was my dad's funeral yesterday. I wasn't there to see him laid to rest.

But I am there in spirit.

My father died peacefully on Wednesday morning - Philippine time. When I received the news I didn't feel sad but was rather relieved that finally his sufferings is over. I just prayed that the Lord will give him safe passage to heaven.

Having been diagnosed with inoperable colon cancer my father was immediately resigned to the fact that he was going to die. He opted not to go under the knife, no chemotherapy, no medicines, but rather chose to spend the little strength he has left with the family. At that point it was just a matter of taking care of himself.

Aside from my aunt Ellie and my uncle Butch my sister Nenet assume primary care responsibility for him during this painful time. They were nurturing, patience and pretty much give my dad whatever time he has left to be about what he wanted. Maybe these, and his desire to live to see how his children, his grandchildren and the rest of the family is faring day in and day out had allowed him to live for four years after the diagnosis.

But as the final weeks and days went by, the father has become the baby. My sister has to spoon fed him and has to bring him to the bathroom. Eventually, he lost his appetite for food, he became so frail and weak that it is painful to watch his strength slipping away. The truth is, it become more and more difficult to watch the struggle for life when we knew death would bring final release.

When he drew his last breath, I am certain he wasn't alone. My brother was there waiting with outstretch hand. They are once again reunited in death and that in itself is a gift.

My father was, and will always be, a hero in my eyes. He did not accomplish great deeds. His name will not be found in the history books.

He was just my Dad.

And I will miss him terribly.