These Days

We went to the Salcedo Market last Saturday, and Legaspi Market last Sunday primarily to look for the yogurt that Em wanted to buy.  Unfortunately, we didn't find it in both markets, but we did try out a few new things. We've been to the Salcedo Market a lot of times before (practically every Saturday when we first moved to Makaati) but there's a lot of stalls so it never gets boring.  I always look forward to trying something new every time.  We tried the paella negra from Margarita.  Yummy!  The rice was soo soft and 'creamy.'  We also bought (the usual) fried cuapao with pancit filling, taho and lumpiang hubad. Last Sunday was our first time at the Legaspi Market. We don't usually go there because it's quite a long walk from the condo. But being a fan of Salcedo Market, I wanted to check it as well.  The area is smaller but they have more non-food wares like books, art, health and beauty products, etc. Jamming at the park. ...

Three days with the new sofa, Richard decides he didn't like the height.  He actually didn't see the actual model at the store before he bought it.  There was just one similar model at the showroom but it didn't have storage.  He ordered the one with storage, and was not informed that it would be more elevated. :( Since we are in the Philippines, I really thought we were stuck with the sofa.  But Richard called Blims and they said we could exchange it for another model.  Yay for Blims!  So we looked at other designs Tuesday, and we got the new sofabed yesterday.  It's lower so better for Neil, converts to a good-sized bed and still has storage underneath (though smaller).  So, I think we're happy with this one na. :)

I woke up from my siesta yesterday and found this sofa in the sala! Daming s-a words. :)  Finally, we have a decent sala furniture, after 10 months in this condo. It feels more a little more homey now. We used to have just a mattress here and it served as a multi-purpose area for Neil.  I think he doesn't miss the old setup. The great thing about this sofa is the storage under the seat.  Finally, we found something that's multi-purpose.  We've been scouring the furniture shops for something like this months ago, but they didn't have it then so we kinda gave up on the sofa quest. Then one day, Rich came home and told me he ordered a sofa. Without me. Waah! I wanted to be part of the decision, too! Anyway, he brought 3 color swatches for me to choose from. That's my contribution, the color.  But I have to say, he did a good job choosing the style.

Carlos Celdran's Intramuros tour on September 4!   I learned about his tours years ago and it has been on my mental list ot things-to-do, but just haven't gotten around to doing it. Finally, the date has been set.  The best part is that it's free. :)  This is a consolation prize of a contest that he ran on his blog .  Yey! I am going with my sister. :)

I bought a new Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens!  I bought it on ebay.ph on August 11, paid for it on the 12th and received it on the 13th. :)  Cool! I wanted a lens that has a wide aperture.  I also read somewhere that this is the next good lens to buy, after the kit lens.  I have been practicing with it for the past few days.  Getting used to the fixed focal length. Here are my first few shots: I don't know what this flower is called... Neil up-close. Jump! This is over-exposed because I did not have time to set-up. Open area at the condo.

I was doing so well with my one-book-a-week reading plan until April this year.  Somewhere along the way, this got deprioritized.  I just managed to finish my 17th book for the year - The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder. For a Gaarder book, this was an easy read.  It tells the story of Joachim, a young Norwegian boy, and a mysterious and very old hand-made Advent calender.  Advent calendars are opened every day starting December 1, leading up to Christmas Day.  (I would like to start this tradition in my family).  Anyway, the calendar that Joachim got had folded notes for each day.  They tell the story of a young girl named Elisabet who was traveling back in time to Bethlehem to the day that Jesus was born.  Her journey started when she followed a sheep.  She was then joined by an angel, more sheep, shepherds, more angels, the 3 wise men and kings. The mystery in the story is that a girl, also named Elisabet, disappeared in 1948....

A few months ago, I started to draw again. I don't remember the last time I drew but I just decided to pick up this hobby. It was something I've always wanted to do more consistently.  I've been keeping a stash of drawing supplies at the back of my clothes cabinet. One day I brought them out, and so starts my return journey to drawing. It's something I want to get better at, and practice makes better. :) I have a few books on drawing, bought years ago. I'm rereading 'Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain' by Betty Edwards and this time, also following the exercises. I'm also reading 'The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron. I've been drawing on and off, depending on my free time.  This is my most recent exercise.  The next assignment is to draw another hand holding an object.  I'm still considering my objects. :)

Remember how I said that we need to make date afternoons more regular?  Another opportunity came up yesterday.  Richard and I attended the Biblical Money Management talk at Greenhills Christian Fellowship.  Not a typical thing to do on a date but this counts as one in my book. My sister Em informed us about this last week.  We decided to go.  The speaker was Matthew Kok, a HK-based banker and elder of the Evangelical Free Church of China. The Bible is full of lessons about money.  We were given handouts with the outline and reference verses.  Kok is a good speaker and I appreciate his examples and anecdotes.  We thought it was time well-spent.  It's really great to do this with Rich (he was feeling a little sick) so I don't have to relay the information to him.

After one very hectic day work day that did not end so well, I realized that I did not offer a prayer for the work day.  I take it as God's reminder for me to start the day right, be centered with a prayer.  I looked for prayers on the Internet and the one below appears in most sites.  It's a beautiful prayer.  I don't know who wrote it but I thank the person... My Heavenly Father, as I enter this work place, I bring your presence with me.  I speak Your peace, Your grace, Your mercy, and Your perfect order into this office.  I acknowledge Your power over all that will be spoken, thought, decided, and done within these walls. Lord, I thank You for the gifts you have blessed me with.  I commit to using them responsibly in Your honour.  Give me a fresh supply of strength to do my job.  Anoint my projects, ideas, and energy, so that even my smallest accomplishment may bring You glory. Lord, when I am confused, guide me.  When I am wear...

We don't have date nights, we have date afternoons (and still have to work on making it more regular).  We time it during Neil's nap so  he doesn't miss us (and we don't miss him) too much. :) Last Saturday's date afternoon consisted of an errand, a movie and some book browsing.  I had new glasses made because because I lost mine last week.  I realized it wasn't with me Thursday evening on the way home from work because I wasn't seeing so clearly.  I thought maybe I left it at my desk so I just went straight home.  I looked for it the following day but it was nowhere to be found... It turned out to be good news after all because my eyesight has improved from 150 to 50.  How did that happen when I'm infront of the computer all the time at work?  I receive it as a gift from God. :)  They couldn't finish the glasses in time for the movie though... We watched Salt, the Angelina Jolie movie.  This is officially our third moviehouse m...

Double Calls is the current Victory preaching series.  It started last week with "Abraham, Abraham" and continues this week with "Moses, Moses."  God's call to Moses happened while he was tending his father-in-law's flock.  He saw the burning bush and  turned aside  to see why it was not burned up.  Then he heard God's call to free the Israelites from slavery and lead them into the promised land... Verse: Exodus 3:1-14 1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up." 4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!...