Goodbye... Hello!!! [2010 - 2011 New Year Countdown]

Can you believe that it's the last hour of the last day of the year 2010 as of this writing?  Where did the time go?  It seems that time went by so fast... another year of work, play, travel, joy, sorrow, love, happiness, trials and victories, and the list goes on and on.  What are you thankful for this year, my friend?

I have a lot to thank God for the year 2010.

January:  I thank God for a month of celebration.  Many of my family & friends celebrated their birthdays on this month - my brother and 2 sisters-in-law among many others.  Another reason for celebration was my 1st Year Wedding anniversary!  My husband & I celebrated 2 weeks of wedding anniversary bliss after being apart for 4.5 months!  It was also a time to assist my sister abroad after she was diagnosed with a problem in her lumbar region.  I thank God for work and work/service opportunities as a Pediatrician and Medical Acupuncturist.

February:  Month of love... lots of it.  Our church celebrated its Church anniversary and my father was installed as a Pastor.  Isn't that great?  God is so good!  My sister came home making it all the more special.  My nephew and 2 cousins celebrated another year this month.  Oh, how I miss my nephew!

March:  Another month of birthdays and celebration for the family.  'Twas my sister, parents, mother-in-law's birthday and my parent's 43rd wedding anniversary.  My parents-in-law came to visit and I was able to go with them to a nice vacation trip to Cebu.  This was a very interesting month because my mom & I discovered a new hobby.  We attended a seminar on "How to build your business" (for her) and "Jewelry making" (for me).  It was fun doing new things with mom.  Oh... I went back to school this month:  took up a certificate course in Phlebotomy.

April:  ohhhh... my birthmonth!  I got a dozen of pink roses from my hubby from Island rose.  I always love their roses but since it was a very hot and humid summer, the roses got kinda dehydrated.  I informed their customer service about it and they sent me 2 dozens more! - thanks, guys!  I thank God for allowing me to travel with my mom and visit my sister abroad.  It was a nice time for bonding among us, girls.  Then it was time for the Pediatric annual convention - it was great to see old friends and meet new colleagues. 

May:  I received my certificate of acupunture from my mentor.  I thank God for his dedication in teaching us the skills that we needed to do it.  It was also my husbands birthmonth.  I surprised him by flying in on the day of his birthday... it was an awesome surprise!

June:  this month went by fast!  I watched my first professional baseball game and our team won ☺.  I started my craft blog:  Cabbycraft.  I started making cards and other crafts to keep myself busy.

July:  I went on a roadtrip with good family friends to Texas... my first time!  Awesome!

August:  the month when we filed our papers.  I got immunized for MMR (against my will but no choice).  Met with our very nice lawyer and did this and that.

September:  I witnessed my first marathon on 10-10-10!  Great times with great friends!  My first to go apple picking!  This month, i started to do crocheted hats... and never stopped since then.

October:  I experienced my first Fall season... it was so nice to see the colors of autumn.  Definitely a month for many photos.

November:  my first time to spend Thanksgiving in America.  I missed my family back home.  Sad time for losing my dear friend back home who passed on so suddenly.

December:  we had our papers approved, praise God!  Many firsts this month:  first time to see and feel snow!  My first time to spend Christmas away from home and our first Christmas as husband and wife.

And now... it is our first time to spend the New Year together.  It just makes me cry with tears:  missing my own family back home but now spending it with an additional family and making memories with my "own family - my husband and I".  God is so good... yesterday, today and forevermore.

MAY YOU HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR 2011, MY FRIEND! 
God bless you!

Finale Date [Dec. 30, 2010]

I love it when my husband takes me out for a date.  Both of us have a passion for food and desserts and we really enjoy eating out.  Lucky for him since he seems to metabolize food fast... sorry for me for obvious reasons. 

For our finale date for the year 2010, we went to a Japanese resto called Sakuma.  It was a nice place - very cozy, friendly staff and delicious food. It was a little pricey but hey, it's good food.  The Chef (and owner), the man standing behind the bar) made the sushi and sashimi.

To start off, we ordered the Maui Island sashimi:  Yellowtail & tuna tartare with scallions and Chef's sauce.  At first glance, the food presentation looked weird but very intriguing.  Hesitantly, i got the small spoon and a small piece.  Oh my... it tasted wonderful!  There was a wonderful play of flavor and texture - you could feel the crunch of the fish roe, taste the tangy, sweet, salty sauce and smell the freshness of the tuna.  Very appetizing indeed. 

On to the entree'.  I got the Beef shogayaki:  marinated sirloin beef with onions.  It was similar to beef terriyaki but not as sweet.  Hubby got the Beef skewers a la Sakuma.  Both dishes were yummy and the portions were enough for a hearty meal

Dessert was a choice between vanilla, red bean and green tea ice cream:  red bean for me and green tea for him.  Creamy, not so sweet ice cream.  Sarap! (Filipino term for Delicious!) 

Whew!   There was a lot to celebrate this year as a couple and we are looking forward to a lot more this coming year 2011.  Happy New Year!  Here's to more dates with my husband ♥.

My USPS Day

Yes, you read it right!  Today is my USPS day.  I had been busy with crochet for the past weeks and it was time to mail them today.   I always enjoy receiving mail, well, except for the junk mail.  Anyway, we ordered several boxes from the USPS website a fews ago and it was delivered right to our doorstep - for free. 

I mailed 1 each of a flat rate small envelope and box today - US$ 4.90/box which is ok.  Then, i bought 20 Christmas stamps at US$ 0.44 each.  I like the stamps in the US because it has a sticky back, in contrast to my homeland where it's a "licky" back, haha.  Nevertheless, i enjoy sending and receiving snail mail.

Two and a half months ago, i sent my sister a photobook through USPS however, the address was lacking so it didnt reach her.  I called the USPS but since the package had no tracking number, they had no way of knowing where it was.  So, it was a waiting game.  I hoped for the best - that the package would get back to me instead of being opened by someone else.   After the long wait, the package finally came back to me today.  Oh, such a relief to see my slightly battered package travel to Hongkong and back. 

There you have it... here's to more happy mail!  ☺♥☺

Appetizing appetizer [Crab rangoon recipe]

When it comes to food, I like it fried. I love foods with a 'crunch.' I love hearing food pop inside my mouth. I know it's bad for my gallbladder and my weight but hey, we all need a little treat once in a while right?



One of my latest favorites that fit in this crunchy criteria is Crab rangoon. My husband and siblings-in-law have introduced it to me and i owe all the calories and cholesterol to them ☺. The name sounds foreign and complicated but it's really easy. The recipe that i used was from Asian cooking made easy (http://youtu.be/PYApf9Om3MQ).

Ingredients:

8 oz pack cream cheese (I used the less fat variety)
6 oz or 1 small can of crab meat
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
garlic salt
1/4 cup spring onions
wonton wrappers (i used vegetarian wonton)


Procedure:
Combine softened cream cheese and crab meat. Add the worcestershire sauce, spring onions and seasoning. Place about 1 tsp of filling on the wonton wrapper. Seal 2 adjacent sides with water and fold to form a triangle. Fold the triangle one more time and join/seal opposite ends together. Fry the crab rangoons in very hot oil - it will take half a minute for them to be crunchy.
Serve while hot and crunchy. You may dip the rangoons in sweet and chili sauce.
Have fun!

T.L.C. 10-31-10

It's the last day and Sunday of this very special month of the year 2010, 10-31-10. Special in many sense. First, the numeric date is nice - this happens once in a lifetime right? It was also a great month for my husband and I because of the many blessings that we have received.
Trust.
We have been married for 1.9 years but technically, we've been together for about 10 months in total. It was challenging to be separated by distance for a long time but it taught me a lot of things, mainly to trust and wait in God. Now that we are physically together, there is more waiting to be done.
Patience.
I remember an anecdote of a man praying to God, asking for patience: "God, please give me patience. And I want it now." Isn't that funny? Funny but very true. It's never easy to wait - whether its waiting in line for our turn at the grocery counter or at a doctors office, it's never easy. Oftentimes, it is easy for us to get down on our knees and pray but we get impatient as we wait for the answers to our prayers. I have proven that God knows His perfect timing... I have proven that time and time again.
Love.
Love makes the world go round and round. There is so much love to give... to family, to a friend, to children, even to those who are difficult to reach out to. I had been praying for God's grace to help me reach out to the people whom I have hurt before and He answered this month. It feels good to be released from the burden that I've been carrying.
Hope.
As we approach the month of November and the final 2 months of the year 2010, we can only hope for what is best. There is so much in store for all of us... Our hope is in God. Apart from Him, we are nothing.
May you have a blessed month ahead, my friend.

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Insights on Psalm 139

Oh my... it's been almost a year since i posted in this blog. I guess I better start writing again.
How are you, my friend? Have you ever felt that the world is crashing down on you? ... That no matter what you do, things never go YOUR way? I've been there a couple of times before and still experience such every now and then. Let me share with you what gets me through it...

My devotion today was on Psalm 139. Again, i am reminded of how awesome God is! He knows us, our "inmost being" which is "literally our kidneys, as the center of a person's emotions and conscience" (quoted from Quest Study Bible). It is amazing that no matter how much we run and rule our life, we will never have a perfect one unless we allow HIM to steer us. It is only by God's grace that we can maneuver through life's difficult course.

Blessings to you, my friend! Cheers!

PSALM 139
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways
4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand before me.
6 Such is a knowledge too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can i go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If i go up to the heavens you are there; if i make my bed in the depths you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me'"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they will outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, your blood thirsty men!
20 They speak of you with evil intent, your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts,
24 See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.