What Am I Doing New Year's Eve?

What am I doing New Year's Eve? No, I'm not sorting through the thousand invitations I've received. I'm doing the Resolutions List, and blogging about them. Either I'm being brave or I'm being stupid. Nevertheless, here goes:

1. Buy Filipino. I'm so guilty of colonial mentality, and easily tempted by the lures of shopping malls when I'm abroad, whereas there are so many local brands to be proud of. I resolve to exercise my shopping skills in local retailers and stock up on homemade products.

2. Invest wisely. Some people my age have finished paying off their insurance, health care, and pension. This is my backlog.

3. Use my talents, and throw my excuses to the wind.

4. Believe in myself. After all that God has accomplished in and through me, I should be less prone to stress and anxiety, and more relaxed and focused, especially on my job.

5. Give in to discipline. Having a time in/ time out schedule at work is strange for me, but it's for my own good and I should exert more effort in this area.

6. Express love more. I've always thought, "If I love you, what's that to you?" More and more I realize that expressing love increases love.

7. Seek growth, not just wait for it. When people offer to help with my healing process, I should cooperate and not obstinately refuse to open up.

8. Be a radical Christian in a new way. I keep saying this and I've tried to yield to where the Holy Spirit had guided me in the past. This year I'm excited at what's in store, what kind of service I'll give, and what kind of lessons I'll learn.

I posted this before my year-end review, which requires more introspection. But 2007 helped rebuild me in many ways so that I enter 2008 with more hope than there ever was in me.

I wish you all a very blessed, prosperous, and wonderful New Year. Cheers!

Promises Like Pie-Crust

It's poetry time again.

Promises Like Pie-Crust
by Christina Georgina Rossetti
(1830-1894)

Promise me no promises,
So will I not promise you:
Keep we both our liberties,
Never false and never true:
Let us hold the die uncast,
Free to come as free to go:
For I cannot know your past,
And of mine what can you know?

You, so warm, may once have been
Warmer towards another one:
I, so cold, may once have seen
Sunlight, once have felt the sun:
Who shall show us if it was
Thus indeed in time of old?
Fades the image from the glass,
And the fortune is not told.

If you promised, you might grieve
For lost liberty again:
If I promised, I believe
I should fret to break the chain.
Let us be the friends we were,
Nothing more but nothing less:
Many thrive on frugal fare
Who would perish of excess.

Tiguls at Metrowalk

About six or seven years ago, we were together almost everyday in Lingkod QC - serving God, growing in our prayer life, and enjoying one another's company as friends.

God had taken us to different paths since then but it's still a joy just to get together and laugh, to be silly and remember "Friends ", "Harry Potter", the Service Council, countless meetings and fellowships, heartaches, and victories.

We are aging together, the Tiguls and I. "Mga Tigulang", we are called, especially with new Lingkod QT's in their early 20's, who can also dance hiphop, hit the high notes, and love God in a radical way.

We tried last night to stay up longer, but at 11 p.m. those with children to go home to, and/or work to attend to the next day, could no longer keep their eyes open. We just remembered fondly those days when we would go home at 5 a.m. and be up and ready for a Lingkod activity by 9 a.m.

It's time for the new generation of QT's to keep the fire burning.

Secrets Christmas Party

We used to call ourselves Secrets and now we're stuck with the name. We are ninongs and ninangs of the Secrets children, although some are not in these photos. We had Tita Tess as special guest.

Thanks to BJ for the professional quality shots. I grabbed these from his Multiply site.

With Juan, Martha and BJ's handsome son.

Here I'm carrying Ava, my goddaughter by Arvin and Anj. In photo with me are Arvin and Martha, who were my classmates from grade IV to grade VI. Martha and I were also schoolmates in high school (Manila Science) and college (U.P. College of Business Ad).

Juan couldn't make it to this picture as the baby was fast asleep na. Ava gamely posed with ninangs, parents, and tita.

Christmas Greetings

We're scattered around the globe once more, but from my family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Hyde Park with Mama

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Originally uploaded by galadriella2007

Mama and I at Hyde Park, with St. Mary's Cathedral in the background.

Papa with the Jacaranda

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Originally uploaded by galadriella2007

Papa posed with his favorite lavender tree when we spent an afternoon at the park.

Ella's Dress

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Originally uploaded by galadriella2007

I went with Ate to the bridal shop and found this one I liked. Too bad I don't have an occasion to wear it yet.

Cheers!

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Originally uploaded by galadriella2007

Christmas is for family, but most of mine are far, far away. This photo was taken when we had wine tasting during our November trip to Australia.

To Ric and Celeste who are in Germany, Lani and Danny who are in Sydney, and Mel and Josh who are in Phoenix, Cheers! Maligayang Pasko!

Two Sisters and the Groom

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Originally uploaded by galadriella2007

On the Second Day of our Sydney trip, we went to see the Blue Mountains. In photo with me are the bride and groom, Danny and Lani.

Belated Happy Birthday, Ate Lani!