Our Whirlpool Washer Technician Stood Me Up

It has been a couple of weeks of washing clothes that I have to manually fetch water from the faucet in the kitchen to the washer. Which is just a meter away from each other, so it isn't really that bad. We have contacted our accredited technician, but he did not show up on the agreed date. Talk about manual labor on a supposedly fully automatic washer! What an irony! :D

An Event for Church Leaders

As a pastor who pioneered a mission church in Makati I look forward to events that help me Find out more about how to expand God’s Kingdom through the ministry that God has given us. Events like leadership seminars, church strengthening conferences and the like are what I am talking about.

An event that I hoped was available here in our country is the first annual Theatre Church Conference to be held in Silver Spring, Maryland on October 22-23, 2008. You can Find out more about this through this url: guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=260896a3-e9bf-4f96-899b-a7aa00d2e6ac, just copy and paste it in your browser’s address bar to Find out more about the said event.

I am pretty sure that this will be attended by leaders and pastors of innovative and growing churches as they discuss the future of theatre worship. And it is good to hear that church leaders are willing to participate in this kind of event as they make every effort to make their ministry more effective.

And this is also one of my goals as a pastor – to make our church more effective in fulfilling its purpose. And we are willing to make every possible effort to do this. As I live by this thought provoking verse in Mark 8:36, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

Preppin' Up for the Holidays

Christmas in October? Why not.  That will have to apply for our household, carry it on to November until early January.  Talk about maximizing the holiday season.  I posted an entry on how our family decorated our home for Christmas last night.  And as bare as this tree still is, it sure have jump started the holiday air in our home.  

I also made my very own potpourri jar that is just right for the season - Cinnamon Holiday scent.  Love it, especially the scent it covers our home.   

The Everything Techie Site

I am one techie momma. One of the things that I make sure before we purchase anything techie, is to browse through websites that contains reviews of gadgets. I have always believed that there is no other way to know how an item delivers better than those coming from the users themselves. For items from universal remote control to network media player, even online back up services reviews, there is one site you can bookmark – GadgetAdvisor. Com.

Fall 2008 TV: dNeero-ites want to know

Many, many good questions from dNeero-ites about TV shows and viewing habits ... '24', House, genre, time, hi-def ... we'll do more in future convos.

100% Free People Search Engine

I have been thinking of tracking some old high school buddies and I know from the technology we now have, that task to locate someone is made possible. I am not sure if you heard about LookupWho.com. It is a free people search engine and all you really need to do is type in the name of the person you are looking for and the state. 

I have also encountered sites that claim to be free but would later on charge you for the information. This site is completely free. If you are from the United States and Canada, you might want to take advantage of this great site and actually be reunited with an old friend, albeit via the internet. 

Chores Done

Four loads of laundry.  Met my online quota for the day.  Cooked Jasmine rice for the hubby and me and currently cooking my son's organic red rice and also Viand for supper, Sauteed Veggies.  But I still have a lot of things to do!!!  I want to take a cat nap, but I can't.  Am I one burnt out girl?  

Hardly.  I really just need to get my rest that's all.  Oh and I am just reminded, I have not even sat down yet with my boy to study.  I am in trouble.  But then again, I am just overwhelmed.  Just allow me this time to contradict myself.  I am tired after all.  

Seafood Cook Off

It is almost like a given when the hubby defines a special dinner then it has to do something with seafood. By that, it also means that shrimp must be present. It is almost my frustration that this is the one thing that I hardly prepare for the hubby in our almost seven years of being married. I only tried one special shrimp dish and that is “Gambas,” and I hope to learn more shrimp and crab dishes. We all know how pricey all those dishes are when served in our favorite restaurants. I might as well do it myself.

This is why when I browsed through the Great American Seafood cook off, I really had to spot one recipe that could be the first for me to try out. The recipe Louisiana Shrimp and Andouille Cassoulet by Brian Landry of Louisiana. I also saw one crab recipe that the same chef has presented and I also hope to try them out. The recipe ingredients look kind of easy to get a hold of. I know there is no more better time for me to try these recipes out but very soon. It’s I and the hubby’s birth month and I hope to be successful as I try them out.

It is always best to prepare your very own domestic seafood. You are assured of freshness and it suits your taste. You have to check out www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookOff.com and I am sure you will love the recipes by those incredible chefs who joined in. And while you’re at it make sure you vote for your favorite recipe to win a trip to New Orleans!

One Month and Four Days

Here are snapshots of the car before it underwent major body repair and during the repair when the hubby went to visit the project. Today the hubby leaves to retrieve it from Malabon. It took the hubby's long lost uncle exactly one month and four days to finish the project. I know it's more of a vintage car project and we don't really mind, this is the best that we can do for now. Maybe in time the Lord might entrust us with a brand new one. :D

Our car before the California Project

Shot from the rear left

At Tito Adolfo's house when repairs began

Body repairs almost done


With the primer

On the way to its first coating (this is not yet the final body color)

Major Car Repair

The car was finally taken by the hubby’s uncle early this morning. It is a blessing that things got delayed or else we could have settled for someone who will not do a good job in fixing the old car. It probably rained the whole month of July and if you are from the same part of the planet that we are you would know how bad the rains were. It was a pity to have the hubby’s beach towel get soaked inside the car every time it rained. We prayed about having this car fixed and later have its car insurance cover. We had no choice. If only the Lord will provide a down payment for a brand new one then that will be sweet, but for now, we have a great deal in having the car fixed.

You would not believe all those rust eating up the car. The engine is good all right, but of course we could help feeling pity over the car. We always have to take care not to get nicked and bruised by those wayward rusty steels all over. Yes, we are more than thankful that we can finally get the car fixed. But more than a luxury, it has become more of a necessity to get it fixed because it is almost raining as hard inside as it is in the outside when it does. We are all thrilled how the new face lifted car will look after a month and a half. Yes, that’s how much work it needs! You could just imagine!

He is Able

If there is anything that can be pretty obvious in family to create chaos and conflict it is this – financial matters. It is one of the major reasons why most families are double income. Meaning both the husband and the wife are working, leaving the children in the care of their grandparents or even nannies. Although this is not the ideal set up, for so many decades after the baby boomers era, this has practically been the norm.

It is not easy to go against the flow. This is what I did when I left the corporate world some six years ago to be a full time help meet to my husband who is a pastor. You will be surprised how different local pastors are compensated compared to those from different regions. It is understandable. We live in a very poor country. So despite the intelligence and abilities my husband has, he has put in his heart to do what God has called Him to do – against all odds and for me to embrace this reality and struggle with him in the ministry and otherwise.

It goes without saying that the majority of our struggle was that of the finances especially when our little guy arrived. But the Lord has been truly great to have allowed me to use my gifts in coordinating weddings and even the little that I know of writing to help in the family income. As much as availing of a cash advance payday loan gets into our mind sometimes, we go back to the things that the Lord has shown us in the past and see that He will be faithful in the concerns we go through everyday.

The Caifornia Project

In a couple of days the old beat up car that we have been using since 2002 will be subjected to a month long of major body repair. This is long overdue and we are thrilled that the Lord has allowed for us to afford this project. :D

Our Seafood Jig

The hubby especially likes seafoods. This is the primary reason I had to get myself to learn different seafood recipes. I used to not like seafood so much, especially because I don’t like having to debone fish. But I later loved them all especially, mussels, crabs and oysters! As a part of our family’s quest to live healthy, we have tried to add seafood in to our regular meals. It is healthy to eat seafoods, they are rich in iodine. You just have to make sure that you know the source and the seafood is fresh.

We hope for the most deserving to win that Great American Seafood Cook Off.

What if Cartoons Got Saved

Sharing a fun old video of Chris Rice's Cartoon Song. I just had to post this one when I see it in youtube. It brought me to the days when the hubby would play the drums to the song back when he was still the youth pastor of our mother church. :-)

My Victory Hair

Pick up lines never became a hit to me. I always thought they were downright trashy, maybe because those I heard them from were not subtle enough and probably did not fit their personalities. Lol! I guess some guys resort to using these nasty pick up lines because they are just not confident enough to show their true selves. More like a façade of some sort. But truth to tell, I have heard some pick up lines that are really sweet. The hubby still uses some lines on me from time to time. ;-) If you’ve heard about the new Ultimate Flirting Championship game by Extreme Style by VO5, you know just what I am talking about. Go grab the widget below, paste in on your blog and have some fun entertainment. I just found this stuff interesting even as it brings me back to the dating games of my single days.

This game is obviously sponsored by VO5, the leading expert in hair care. I have always patronized VO5. The first step for that Victory Hair is the right hair formula. I love being able to walk around with the confidence of having my hair flow the way I want it. It’s really either that or I have a bad hair day and when I have a bad hair day, things just seem to fall apart. This first and ultimate step will lead the hubby giving me that second look all over again.

Toxic!

First, I am more than glad that I am over with the two loads (thank goodness it's just two!) of laundry for the week. It's probably because of the cool weather lately that the hubby and our son didn't change clothes as much. They both change clothes twice a day during more humid days. The sun shone today and I found it best to do the laundry. Before I finished the laundry I have finished an $8.50 job, which was not so much, but is still something. I did it in less than 10 minutes. I just thought it really is a blessing to be able to stay home and get my juggling skills honed. :-)

I originally planned to get the beddings and curtains washed as well. But I figured I have got to prioritize the things that I have yet to do. Clean up my closet and pack away things to be given away. Okay so that's still in the list of my backlogs! This can really get me pressured. And now another assignment is due. This one is worth almost $11. Lots of things in my shoulder now, but I am okay and good. These are a few of the reasons why I begged off from going with the hubby as he officiated a wedding this morning. I was just too tired and still have lots of backlogs to work on. See you around later! ;-)

Beating Deadlines

These last couple of weeks have been really tiring and hectic for me. I find myself cramming to beat deadlines. This is something new for me. If the hubby rises when in pressure, my tendency is to get rattled but still focused. Because so far, I have just a two more assignments left to do. With the load that I currently have, I sometimes feel that I’m working on a Doctoral thesis of some sort. Two days ago, I had eleven. Can you imagine! I really felt everything piling up on me by the day. At one point, I had to ask the hubby help in writing an essay. But he then declined and I understand because there are things he is occupied with.

Aside from my assignments, I also have been really busy turning the house around. Sorting closets full of clothes, which I honestly believe I have to give out half of it. Most of them I have not used in so long a time. It can be hard though. Because I don’t really go shopping for clothes and my weight seriously jumps from 95lbs to 105lbs in a snap of a finger. That’s normal for me. It has always been that way. So my point is, my stock of clothes are for the thin me and the heavier me. Like last Sunday for instance, I had to change four times, because I end up looking like a sausage with my ultra fit clothes. Because I gave away most of my bigger clothes, I am now having a hard time getting the right clothes for my current size.

Oh well, I will have to figure something out soon. For now excuse me as I go back to doing some coursework essay that is soon due.

Get Paid to Try

One of the prevailing interests that keeps me up in most days as a work from home mom is look into more options to learn online. Aside from writing for advertisers, I recently just found out that I could also venture into the likes of GetPaidToTry.com. This platform pays opinions and surveys. If there’s anything, their quick sign up bonus is something, unlike most I have seen that only offers $5 for a sign up bonus, they actually give out $20 straight to your account, with no obligations that you should purchase. You do not get asked for your credit card information and what’s sweet is payment is done via PayPal.

Internet is now accessible to just about anyone in this generation and for sometime now it has been the advertisers channel to get their products and services get that needed buzz. Last year alone advertisers shelled out $259 million for online advertising. I’m sure bloggers would not mind to get that piece of that pie. I have only been around doing this for more than half a year and I am making decent money from it. This came as a totally unexpected blessing, which we are really grateful for. So, if you’d love to try it out… Click here to begin your journey towards making money online.

Yard Sale in the House

We have launched our garage sale last week, but we decided to get it relaunched last Saturday. We will open our garage again this coming Saturday and will add on some more stuff that I dug out from our house, that have been in hiding for the longest time. Several ceramic decoratives that are just gathering dust, no matter how pretty they are to look at they just have to go. I want more space and I don't want to stick on clutters anymore.

One of the major stuff I am had the hubby carry outside is the black entertainment rack. It used to house amplifiers, VCR player and recorder and an old DVD player that fails to play anymore. Agh! I don't know why we kept it for so long. It should have been junked a long time ago! Now our CRT TV sits pretty on what used to be our little guy's baby closet. Nope, I don't think it's an eye sore. We had to take the baby closet out of his room to make way for his brand new study table that his father is painstakingly working on. :-)


I am getting busy today to do some more house clean up. I will just finish some online jobs then I'm off to getting rid of half of the clothes that are just in the closet.

Great Eyewear

With the recent eye strain I have been experiencing, one good news I could use is that of those incredible stylish new frames from Zenni, primarily because they are ultra affordable. Imagine, Zenni Optical $8 Rx Eyeglasses, now that's a real steal. No wonder Zenni Optical was on FOX news!