Halu-Halo

Good Things Happen in 3's too

1.  Three books in 3 weeks,  

I was working on the Isabel Allende novel for a while now, and then finally finished Ines of my Soul the first couple of days of our moving extravaganza.  Isabel again weaved a masterpiece in my eyes, but in truth, her novels are so intricate and intense, I can only usually read a chapter or 2 at a time.  I often put the book down and take a deep breath, as if to swallow what I had read.  Ms Allende is one of my literary heroes.  I imagine that if my Lola (grandmother) Eppie were alive, she would tell me similar stories in the same tone  and language.

Anita Shreve surprised me with A Wedding in December.  I read her first 2 books but felt the endings were anticlimactic, and while I felt like I again did not receive the closure I needed I found that the mini plots she developed brought me through to the end.  Lots of talk of adultery in this book, I forewarn you.

Rise and Shine was probably the most entertaining of the three, with Anna Quindlen totally knocking my socks off with her humor and wit, not to mention with the uncanny way she  introduced turns in the plot.  This was my first go at one of her novels and I plan to look for her next time I am at bookstore.  I took a chance at this book because it was in the bargain bin.

2.  Mailed three days late- a doll quilt for a summer swap, completed while on the move.

Designed prior to baggage pick up and cut with the self healing mat on the floor.  Sewed and quilted while standing up.  I was proud of myself for getting this done despite the challenges.

A big lesson learned with this one: Not all muslin are created equal.  As I was quilting, I noticed that the muslin became so so sheer that the folded printed fabric showed through from underneath the fabric. I hope my swap partner won't be too disappointed.  I have however, already decided to send her a fall doll quilt (using better muslin).

3.  And Finally --- my sweet R is now Three, or as she says :  "Fweee".  Her first dollhouse...

 

I cried on her birthday, as I do with every one of her birthdays.  With her birth all of my Faith strengthened by a hundred-fold.  I am sad she is getting older; some of you might find that ridiculous.  When I look at her, I see innocence and beauty, and I want to protect her with every part of me. 

We finally received our household goods yesterday.  Time to arrange the chaos.

Thanks for looking!

Pook Pag-asa : A Hopeful Spot, a Place of Hope

A family of 5 plus dog + 2 vehicles + 22 hours behind the wheel = A long road home

But well worth it. 

Our dear friends in Alabama gave us shelter to break up the drive, but otherwise Hubby and I were focused on getting Home.

Pook Pag-asa (a place of hope) is what we named our new piece of land and home.  It has a nice ring to it, and just the perfect message and declaration as we face the long Army-life road ahead.  Because the Home should bring Hope, right?  Thank you Daddy (my father) for bringing her walls to life with her name.

We still sit in camp chairs and wait for our baggage.  I am typing on the floor, but our home is already filled with the spirit of our family.  The kids' noises already have well been heard outside its walls.  We have fully occupied and trampled on the front and back yard. 

Might as well break it all in before the boxes come and the unpacking commences.

And thankfully, sweet Sugar has decided that she likes it here too.

And if you must ask - I have one of my sewing machines here to keep me occupied :) . 

Texas, we are home.

Covered with Moss.

I've always envisioned myself as this rolling stone.  I have been uprooted countless times, as a child and now as a military spouse.  Whenever it's time to move, I even have visions of myself as this unbreakable boulder (a feminine one!) rolling into a new town and just rolling in the town for the few years, then rolling out with extra rolling little rocks following after me like ducks. 

Cliche as it may seem, I even subscribed to that whole not-collecting-moss theory. 

What I didn't realize is that I am a very porous boulder, and that I have this sticky substance around me, called sappiness and attachment that somehow, despite all of the rolling I have been doing, has gathered a little bit of moss wherever I have been.  And while I am not hindered in my rolling (after all, I still am.  Rolling, that is), I am, indeed, covered with moss.  Completely. 

And.  What's so bad about moss?  Moss is living, breathing.  It is soft, cushioning my travels.  It will grow over time, nurture and keep me warm.  It colors me happy.  Gives me texture.  Protects me from elements.

Because even feminine boulders need love and companionship, and not just from her immediate boulder/rocks.  And if she can take a little bit of everyone wherever she goes, she will never be lonely.

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Just completed, a quilt for a sweet friend who is about to have her first baby...M is a gal who I met almost 10 years ago at Officer Basic Course...and we clicked so hard the first time we spoke to one another.  She is good Moss for sure.  Whenever we talk, we always have "stories".  :0)

A little Kaufman, Michael Miller, Pagianelli, my favorites.  I'm really loving green this summer.

This is Crib-Sized, with a pieced backing and pieced binding.  I was really committed in working with the remnants I had on hand. 

 

And stippled once again.  I am really getting the hang of listening to my machine and getting more even stitches.  My next challenge is to be able to quilt through within some kind of uniform distance...in some areas my stippling is so wonderfully near and close, and in other areas, one can tell that my mind was wandering haha.

Made with love - so hopefully, that will be enough.

Thanks so much friends for being here.

You know your husband loves you when:

1.  He comes home with yet another package of Hazelnut Coffee.  Hazelnut is my flavor of choice these days, and he enables me by bringing home a different package of coffee until I proclaim that is it *it*.  But don't worry, no coffee is ever wasted in this home; I promptly finish each bag before he gets me a new one:

Eureka!  I think he got it at the 4th try.  If you haven't tried 8 o'clock brand coffee, you're missing out!  It is smooth and yummy, and doesn't make my jaws cringe when I take that first sip.

2.  He tries to quell your stress by bringing home this: 

Please, health conscious nuts, turn your eyes away!  Yes.  I admit it.  Spam is a comfort food.  Fried spam with fried eggs over rice.   But yo, my husband doesn't eat spam and still he buys it.  He is a good man, I told you so!

But I promise you - it will be more healthy than drinking!  A plate full of the spam/egg/rice dish is enough to make me happy for a week, and hence this ability to do a blog post even though I am amidst boxes and papers.

3.  He takes the lead in repainting my color-crazy project I undertook a year ago. 

Bless his heart.  And he did need to prime.

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He does this just so I am able to do a couple of fun things before we skedaddle out of here:

How's that for accountability?

See why I need that Hazelnut coffee?  And as much as I know not everything will get done, I have to at least try.

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Frak

 (Battlestar Gallactica Spoiler up ahead.  It is 12:13 AM EST 14 June)

Unlike how I feel after I watch an episode of Lost, Battlestar Gallactica always leaves me with some type of closure. And while I wish every episode was more than an hour long (I have finally decided that an hours time is simply not enough to even skim the surface of the meanings and lessons each episode offers), each Friday night, a bulb lights up in my miniscule brain, and an 'aha!' moment soon comes shortly after.

Gallactica finally finds its way to Earth.  There is a ravelry of cheering and celebration on the ship.  Humans and cylons shake hands in spirit of peace.  And they live happily ever after.  Or so we think.

Frak, Earth is a mess. It is desolate, destroyed, and any inkling of civilization or even, the remote possibility of survivorship on the planet is dim, and the credits start to roll.

We have to wait for next season (and in this case - the Fall) to find out what comes next.

But what is next for us, on this Earth?  Today as our televisions mourned Tim Russert (whom I liked as a commentator and journalist), Iowa is under water.  Japan is the most recent affected by Earthquake - and here you might have thought that San Franciscans (former, I know) like myself only had the pleasure of dealing with them.  Last week I found myself in a middle of a hideous lightning storm, stuck in my van in gridlock with 2 of my children, and praying for us to be spared..though what I endured was a smidgen of what those Boy Scouts found themselves in.  Gas is over $4 a gallon, and a movie about mass suicide begins to show in theaters. 

Frak.

What's going on these days? 

Or more importantly, are we ready as individuals to face these challenges?

Hubby and I sat in front of the computer today - together, with me on his lap - and read through the news; we were silent.  Mother Earth is angry at the moment, as we humans collide and war, take life for granted, and waste.  We are in our bubble, we think all this around us is never ending...the water, the trees, the food, the daily opportunities to show love and appreciation.  But we only have one Earth, and one Life.

Let's not waste another minute.

(comments are off, because I write this for myself as an affirmation to live authentically)

California Dreamin'

Though we have called many places "home", The Bay governs my heart.

The rolling hills, the temperate climate, the easy spirit of its people.

Its ability to be able to house cultures without judgement.

You can see it in the people, their attitude, their acceptance.

An almost fairytale, where tattoos mix with Ralph Lauren and bikers mix with mohawks, reds with whites, with blacks, with browns.  All walking together.

We had 5 days to visit, meet and greet, and kiss and hug, and giggle while catching up.  There was a Wedding, a coffee date, a day in the sun, and many meals with loud talk.  Tagalog and English, flashbulbs all around, tuxes and barongs, flowers and fresh fruit, church bells and dancing.

I do believe that the shortest trips make for the best memories.

Kasal : (n) Wedding, Marriage

I have decided that once this move is over, I will put myself through a cleanse to rid myself of the caffeine my body has been accustomed to having.  We have now entered what I call: Zone of Stress.

Move across the country + Wedding to attend across the country right before the move = Zone of Stress

My brother is getting married.  We have been honored to have the entire family take part in the wedding: the boys as ring/coin bearers, R as a flower girl, and Hubby and I as secondary sponsors, to take care of the veil and cord.

In my stress, I spent last night packing, and refitting clothes, only to find this:

Of all of the shoes in my closet, somehow, a little gremlin decided to take this specific one...my favorite (and expensive) party shoe...the. One.  I was planning to wear to the Kasal.

I rubbed my eyes to make sure that it was in fact my shoe that was so torn up.  I even picked up this shoe and inspected it, to make sure it is mine...as if another 30-something woman lives in this home.

The suspected gremlin:

I am ashamed to say that I was so upset that I said out loud, "You're lucky I love you more than my shoe!"

And she is also lucky that I had my brother and his future wife's quilt to bind, because my fingers were so busy that it somehow worked the frustration out of me...and after 5 episodes of Army Wives, I was able to stop, take a deep breath, and actually smile at the completed quilt.

 

This is using the Yellow Brick Road pattern, in a lap quilt size, but you can see that it just covers the top of our queen bed.

The fabrics I used are a perfect Kasal of both feminine and masculine fabrics, which I thought really brought out what I was trying to convey to my brother and his new wife.  Marriage is a journey after all.  And a unification of sometimes 2 different people, cultures, and families.

The stippled throughout, and the backing is white muslin.

I bound the quilt feverishly, and now my pointer finger is numb from handling the needle.  I didn't think of using my thimble, because I was consumed with not just getting my aggravation of now having to buy another shoe out of my system, but I was heavily into Army Wives.

I think I may be the last to see this show, but after I placed my initial hesitation aside, I realized what a great concept it was.  I applaud them for attempting to portray the Kasal of spouses and service members, of the different cultures the military brings together in its communities. 

I think they have found another fan....

But the rest of the episodes will have to wait, because we have shoes to buy, and a wedding to attend.

There's no turning back, now :)

The sterilite containers are out of the attic, and they are being filled by the day.  The kids climb on top of them, excited at all of the commotion, but I wonder how it will be once the movers are here in a couple of weeks, or when we start to repaint their room back to the stark white.  Mama's a little nervous this time 'round.  The babes are older, it's a whole different ballgame.

But I do remain positive, because I am so excited myself.  Moving has become so much of my life, that last year, at the 2 year anniversary of our move to this area, I started to yearn for this madness.  I wanted to start anew in a brand new space, and create new memories, and plant new roots.  I have accepted moving as part of our reality and I am excited by it.

A few weeks or so ago, the "goodbyes" started coming out of the mouths of my coworkers, and almost immediately, I found myself saying, "Please, I don't do sappy.", "Let's not say goodbye, let's say 'I'll see you later'" . 

My protection.

Well, last Saturday was my last day of work at the hospital.  I noticed quite a few people bringing in food, but this happens occasionally and didn't think to ask why.  I was called later to the conference room, and found a room full of my coworker-friends, and a table full of food. 

It was for me.  I was met with hugs, talk of memories, and wishes of good fortune.

Later, I cried in the bathroom.

Because while the future is bright, the past is never forgotten.

And there's no turning back from here...

Hedgies!

Done!

And it's the in the mail :) .  It took more than a couple of weeks, but what matters is that it is in transit.  Insured, of course. ;) .




The hedgies fabric is a japanese fabric, and I did a very simple courthouse steps



it's a fair sized quilt, just shy of a twin, enough for two toddlers to sit and play on, or to snuggle into.



This was great fun :)

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My friend Tia tagged me to share a little about myself, so I'll play along :)

Rules first.

I need to answer 6 questions.I then tag people and post their names here, then go to their blog and comment to tell them that they have been tagged and to visit here to find out the rules. I must then let the person who tagged me know when I have posted my answers.

What was I doing 10 years ago?
   I just graduated from Nursing School!  And just received my Army Officer Commission.  I can tell you that exactly on this day I was cramming and stressing out, studying for my RN license board.  G, my husband was already stationed in Germany, so I was hurrying to take my boards so I can meet him for the summer before I went off to an Army school (Officer Basic Course) in San Antonio.

5 things that are on my to do list for today?
    I've completed a lot today thus far!  But some more items:

1. Have G sign the water dept form for our new house
2. Start cutting into some fabric for another babe who is almost in college (J/K...it's only been about 5 months - ha!)
3. Workout
4. Answer some emails for fabric I am selling
5. Work on my brother's wedding quilt.

Snacks I enjoy
    Chips and Salsa
    Cinnamon Rolls
    Pita and Hummus

Things I would do if I was a billionaire
    Give half of the money away up front
    Create a homestead    
    Secure me, Greg's, my parents' and his parents' retirement
    Secure the college funds for each of my children
    Give the leftovers away

Places I have lived
    Philippines
    San Francisco CA
    Vallejo CA
    Mannheim/Heidelberg Germany
    Columbia, SC
    Watertown, NY
    Northern Virginia

2 people that I want to know more about 
    Bubba Chic
    HeatherK

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I hope everyone has a great day!

Memorial Day 2008

 

Today is just one more day that I thank God for all of my blessings.  I live in a free country, I speak my mind, I pray to whom I choose, and I can love whomever I please.

While I am Pinay (Filipina Woman), I am an American, and I am one because my Grandfather came to this country and despite his color, a Jewish Family took him in to help raise him.  He then joined the first Filipino Army under MacArthur during WWII.

I am a granddaughter of 3 service people; my Grandmother was an Army Nurse.

I joined the Army at age 17 and remained committed for 9 years to show the same reverence.

I am still an Army spouse, loving my husband unconditionally and supporting his calling to be a soldier to this country.

All this in memory, all this in respect.

I wish you peace on this day.