I miss Settlers Way!!!! Settlers Way is a long street in Sugar Land where one of Gables’ fine apartments called Edgewater is nestled. Don’t you think it’s a coincident that we lived along SETTLERS WAY Blvd. when in fact we are couples who settled in a new colony, after several months advised to return home after hubby got furloughed to fend off illegal charges on our status. Now,  we are a couple trying to find the right way again to our own haven?? …. Wherever it is! Wherever is our destiny! I often contemplate on that, you know. Somehow, one or two of our friends in Houston gave me a clue of what kind of family life we might also have. Hubby’s work destination depends upon where the demand is, so basically, we are nomadic, unless we really decided to live separate lives, where one stays put and the other works overseas or when hubby embarks on a new business.

Speaking of business….. hubby and I are mooting over a new venture. We are indeed weighing it carefully because by doing so, that would mean giving up his overseas job. We are in the process of gathering info, shouting “we need to find HELP!!!”, and keeping our fingers crossed that we will find answers elsewhere before my husband cries out “I QUIT!”

This has nothing to do with impatience but certainly this has something to do with insanity – MY INSANITY!! . . . . nahhh In reality, it is a drug treatment center. You may give me a short shrift on this one, please forgive my folly, but I am just playfully thinking about investing on a some kind of Residential Drug Rehab like the California Drug Rehab. I’m just pulling your leg,..you know… but why not? If only we have the money and the resources, I could have suggested that to hubby. We all know that there’s a great number of alcoholic people, drug addicts and co-occurring mental disorders region wide. By catering to these people in need, providing drug treatment and drug rehabilitation, we won’t be just earning a living but also helping them and their families beat addiction.

My “if only” list is getting longer each month . . . maybe I should start making a “GRANTED” list. In that way I wouldn’t miss a blessing given by God in a day. Now I’m thinking if this is some form of whining because if it is, then I would give myself one hard slap on the face. I know, it’s an act of violence but sometimes I need that every once in a while to wake up and get on track again. Pre-menstrual syndrome excluded, more often than not, my family and close friends know me as “the disoriented” who often jumps from one subject to another without giving any clue. I don’t know but they can pretty much handle our conversation maybe, it’s because birds of the same feather, flock together?? Bits me..

It’s been almost a week since hubby and I left the States. Jet lag kept me down and drowsy for several days now but I’m pulling through.

We miss our friends already in Sugar Land but we aren’t leaving them for good. We learned to love the place but for now it’s best for us to take advantage of the ample time we have – so we  went home, be with our families, take all the stress out and BABY TIME, indeed! (keeping our fingers crossed!)

I’m also back working in my clinic again. It’s wifey’s turn to work! I often chaff hubby that it’s his turn to stay at home, but home now is Batangas so I reckon it’s a little bit unfair on my part because when we were in Texas, I was really sooo home alone, doing everything on my own (no regrets, mind you..) but now that it’s his turn to wash the dishes, somebody can now do it for him?!?! Hehhehehe

Anyways, we are now more relaxed and just waiting for the Oil and Gas Industries to pick up. Funny, it doesn’t just feel like juggling, we are actually jugglers of the settlers. Ohhh how I wish soon we will find our own haven. I just remembered maybe if we hadn’t left the States, we would consider seriously getting a vacation package at the nearest Myrtle Beach Resort. All of these Myrtle Beach Resorts seem to really make oneself feel at home and that’s why right at this moment I really feel like calling the Myrtle Beach Accommodations … este… the Myrtle Beach Accomodations. Wishful thinking!!

I don't know what's with mail boxes that I so love! Each time hubby and I drive around the neighboring villages, I would always look for that very familiar box outside which the only job it holds is to endure the long wait arrival of Mr. Postman.

My favorite ones are the column mailboxes. The mailbox is actually housed in a column placed near the driveway or somewhere at the front yard. The column follows the house design, built to create a unique figure among other residential mailboxes.

Surely nothing beats the fast sending mail via emails – days are gone for letters holding stale news and telegrams outdated by text messaging system but you know what??  I, personally would still like to get REAL birthday greeting cards and handwritten letters from families, friends and relatives – AND I miss getting a headache trying to read their letters!! Please exclude the pesky advertisements, announcements, bills, promos, coupons (COUPONS??? Oh,.. not the coupons!!) and etc. etc. etc. …… the everyday clutter we find in the commercial mailboxes of the apartment complex. But last Christmas, I have retrieved two special greeting cards from two different special people in our life amidst the jumble of envelopes inside it and that made a lot of difference!

Have a great weekend everybody!! Out here today is below freezing and we’ve got hard freeze warning till Sunday.  Pringles keep me away from going outside our flat. So, you too, stay warm!

I got a text message from a regular patient of mine back home who is asking about dental veneers, how long it gets to be done, how much it would cost her and the most important question of all is WHEN's the earliest time I can see her. The first three questions - no problemo, amiga!! But the last one almost drove my patient out of her wits plus a lot of charges from the series of text messages I got on my Globe roaming mobile and the overseas texting on my T Mobile.

My plane will leave on the 19th of January to fly me back to my homeland. Since jet lag works like an overdosage of caffeine for me, I would be like that battery operated dog toy I see at 290 Premium Outlet wagging and working my tail off in the clinic one full day after my arrival date. I get a sick leave a day after I exhausted myself too much and my secretary, already familiar with my body clock, would skip a day of accepting appointments. So, then I can see my patient on the 21^st but she’s supposed to go abroad on the 23^rd and she wanted to get a porcelain veneer for her slightly hypocalcified central incisor. It will not work since lab processing for porcelain veneers normally takes about 4 days including the delivery. My suggestion is to fabricate a composite veneer instead – that’s the edge my specialty course in Cosmetic Dentistry gave me; it’s a tedious process on my part and requires manual dexterity but DENTISTY is all about DEXTERITY so I told her, there shouldn’t be a problem on that because I can do it in just one seating.

And she agreed. I’m already excited to see her as much as she’s excited to get a new smile. It feels good to be able to help people, satisfy their needs and get paid. It’s called fulfillment. That I cannot trade for more.

It's New Year's Day today, although my blog says it's 2:10am of January 2 - the time is still patterned at Philippines time but it's ok. I missed my family's New Year's celebration back home, with all the firecrackers and the food prepared on the table and pigging out at 12 midnight while everyone is busy talking about our own and the neighbor's fireworks display . . laughing at each other's bloopers as the roaring BOOM!! of a Super Lolo shaked the ground while the noisy crackles of a Sawa almost shattered our ear drums. It only happens once a year and that's what makes New Year really very special.

Hubby and I did not fail to call home on New Year's eve (Philippine time). We've made our own countdown too. How many countdowns did we make, anyway? PRECISELY, 3. One at 10am in sync with Philippine time, another at 11pm in sync with NY's celebration at Time Square and the last was Texas' own countdown - HURRAY!!! We've finally got to pull the strings of our party poppers!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

My 2010 began with not much fireworks to see and the eve was robed only with the chilly breeze of midnight air outside. But there's always too much food to eat . . each household brought out their collections of copper cookware for the finest display and food presentation. Ruffoni, I reckon. Ruffoni Copper Cookware. What's nice is that Ruffoni Cookware includes a set of Ruffoni Copper molds for cakes and pudding!! Here's the picture of my favorite . .

Very nice, isn't it?? This year is the year for the water born signs!! Plus, it's the year of the white tiger and I am both born under a water sign and a tiger. Could this be my lucky year???????? Or rather,.. OUR lucky year since hubby is also a water sign.

*wish*    *wish*

Good luck everyone!! Although I don't believe in New Year's resolution but it's really helpful if we make change one step at a time.

 

I’m on my reprieve . .  in between sips of coffee and bites of bagel topped with strawberry jam on sunny but chilly fall afternoon, home alone accompanied with just the monotonous dull sound of automatic heater, I’m finding solace and balance in silence in the middle of uncertainties hubby and I are facing right now. A thought suddenly crossed my mind, reminded me of what Fr. Michael from the Sacred Heart of Jesus church in Houston said to me during my confession that Lent. He said, “maybe God wants you to be a Warrior of Love. “ As such, I know now the priest’s words were to encourage the deepening of Agape Love and through the three main ingredients FAITH, HOPE and LOVE, where Love is known to be the greatest, one can transcend the infallible realm which the mind frequently missed.

Pondering on the circles of this thought, it animates my inert fighting spirit and strain to become a true co-warrior of our own battles, sustaining hope, flaming the torch of faith each time we tread on dark passages and upholding the trust, never to question God’s plans for us, while hubby, on the other hand, leads the way, answers all our needs – always at the frontline, clearing the way amidst the thicket.

More often than not, especially when not-so-good things started falling everywhere from nowhere in a day, we tend to speculate over a lot of things and it usually does shake the grounds we are standing. Like just last December 8^th when what seemed to be beads of bad luck on a string hit us, disclosing a series of BAD NEWS at work, putting our lives and plans on hold and landing a big branch of tree on our Honda Si  (which we dubbed unjustly BUKNOY – it definitely outshines Acura Integra!) and which is also right now in Houston Auto Repair shop for a lot of body repairs, oil change and tune up!! Good thing the insurance will cover the expenses, Buknoy will in no time be at it’s handsome shape once again.

Trials or without trials, we will never be the same person everyday. I just realized that because we normally amplify bad incidents, a lot of us fail to appreciate the gifts we receive everyday. We forget to be a child, we all once were. Some never grew up, trapped and failed to transform. Either way, distress will come, kicking in.

True, it’s easier said than done, but the truth remains. We all just need to drop everything, embrace life as it is, enjoy the so called JOURNEY and learn from what it teaches. Hopefully I won’t be as resistant as before. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.