Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Today, we remember how Mary said YES to God, that despite being an ordinary person, God's grace will always be gifted to those who are humble enough to accept it.

Photo taken in 2009 at the Vatican Museum in Vatican City in Italy.

As a friend priest in Japan, Fr. Resty Ogsimer puts it:

The lowly handmaid of the Lord who, like us, was a person in pilgrimage on this earth and who because of her openness to God was ever growing. Like us, her complete faith also involved the chalice of suffering and the daily trials of life. Mary's Immacute Conception shows what God's grace is: gift, not reward!

Wherever we are in the world, our faith remains. May the Immaculate Heart of Mary continue to pray for us. May we, like her, be able to say YES to God's will and not our own.

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Laternenfest 2011

Laterne, Laterne, Sonne, Mond und Sterne... so goes the song that my little girl learned last year at the Kindergarten during the Laternenfest.

I am so excited for my little girl's Laternenfest this year. She really had fun at last year's Laternenfest and I am not surprised why.. It's scheduled on the 8th of November, Tuesday at 5:30 in the evening. I know my little girl is excited too and I know why... because it means creating our very own lanterns. There are so many craft ideas available online and I can't wait to create a lantern or two for my little girl. I am even tempted to order some books so that it will be easier for me and my little girl to choose.

There are some really good books that I found on the Internet and I am very much tempted to buy them. Although they are in German, I think I can manage to follow the instructions. But then again, there are also free instructions and patterns available on the Internet so I might just as well make use of them. I can even use my own creativity to create something original for my little girl. Last year, I went to the Kindergarten to make our very first lantern there. It was an Indian girl that we created and it was fun making crafts with my little girl although I did most of the work.

This year, I am planning to do it here at home. All I need to do is buy the materials from a craft shop.

I don't know what kind of lantern we will be creating this year but the following are my options:

An owl:

A pirate:

A princess:

A giraffe:

A Halloween Witch:

Or this cute monster:

Which do you think will my little girl like? I know it will be so much fun creating whatever lantern she decides we will make. I am looking forward to it. But first, I am off to the craft shop to check some materials out! Will post some photos when me and my little girl are finished making the lantern. It should be fun!

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All Is Well

A few weeks ago, I really had this pain in my lower abdomen. I thought it was just gas and just ignored it. But it was persistent and when it didn't go away in the next couple of days, I went to my doctor for a check-up. It not your ordinary lower abdomenal pain and she recommended that I go to see a gastroenterologist and a gynecologist so that everything will be covered. It could be my appendix, my large intestines, my kidney or my reproductive system.

Luckiy, I got an appointment for an ultrasound scan at the gastroenterologist clinic. Everything looked good and normal, the specialist said except for my right ovary. It was a bit enlarged, he said, so that I really need to see a gynecologist. Just hearing the word "enlarged" got me worrying to the nth level, and so did the husband. The also checked my urine and the results were normal. They also took some blood for further tests. On our way home with my daughter, I had the sudden fear of the unknown. I was already having thoughts of all the what if's that I had to stop myself. I had to stop thinking about all the nonsense because I know that God will always be with us and He won't forsake us.

So I got an appointment for my gynecologist last Monday. By then, the pain has thankfully subsided and nothing can be seen when another ultrasound scan was performed. My left and right ovaries all looked normal in the scan. The doctor could not explain why I had pains because he cannot see anything. He mentioned that I could be pregnant but that it was still too small to be visible in the ultrasound scan or I could be not.

At least my mind was already put at ease, knowing that everything inside of me is functioning well. Right now, I am entertaining the idea that I could indeed be pregnant but that still remains a question. I am still too reluctant to do a home pregnancy test because I don't feel any symptoms yet. But yes, all is well. God has always been and is always with us.

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Happy Fronleichnam!

Today is both a national and religious holiday here in Germany, and in some other European countries as they celebrate Fronleichnam or Corpus Christi. Here in Germany, it is celebrated on the Thursday after the Trinity Sunday and in some places, on the following Sunday. Corpus Christi or officially known in the Catholic Church as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ does not commemorate an event in the life of Jesus Christ but celebrates the Body of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. I guess that is the essence of this celebration.

Text translation: "Jesus, strengthen our faith."

While it is of religious origin, Germany still celebrates it to this day although I doubt that many understand the meaning of the celebration nor do they know the reason behind this day being a "holiday". One can see though the Catholic and Anglican churches having different religious activities to celebrate this day. And in some "Dorfs" or small villages especially here in Baden-Wuerttemberg, this religious tradition is still very much celebrated in a colorful procession or parade. They even have very colorful flower carpets with different religious images and messages.

Photos: Freiburg-Schwarzwald.de 

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Cool Tees

If there is one fashion clothing that never goes out of style, that will have to be tees. It has evolved so much in the last hundred years or so and yet, it has always remained popular and is one of the best-selling in the clothing industry. Perhaps it is because it has become the basic when it comes to clothing.

But basic need not be boring. Shirts can be cool and funky too, especially if you have custom t-shirts whose designs are unique and have personality. That is why I love retro tee shirts. They never fail to amuse, entertain, and make a statement.

Shirts are especially popular in the summer, when the sun's heat can really put you down if you aren't dressed accordingly. There are now lots of options when it comes to shirts, even personalized clothes. You can have them short-sleeved or sleeveless or as a tank top. You can make or choose your own designs. And because most tees are made of 100% cotton, they are always comfortable to wear. They also come in various colors, with white being the most popular because you can always play around with the designs.

Shirts always go well with just about anything too. Match it with jeans, skirts, capris, leggings, or shorts and a good pair of sneakers and you are sure to look and spell cool.

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Station of the Cross for Children

So it is Holy Week. I wanted to do something spiritual for a change but I let the opportunity to attend a recollection pass. It was scheduled yesterday and I opted to just stay home and do housework instead. There will be a Pabasa on Thursday and Friday though and I know that we will be there to attend it. It really is different how they observe Holy Week in a foreign land. It is very much different than in the Philippines and although there are some areas that really do observe the Holy Week and perform Passion plays, the atmosphere is just different from what I have been used to as a child.

Looking back at the Catholic traditions that I have grown up to, I feel so blessed and lucky. I also want my daughter to grow up with such kind of experience because it is an important part of our being Catholics and Christians. I guess now that she is a bit bigger, I can slowly teach her about the bible and about who Jesus Christ is. And this Holy Week, I want to do the Stations of the Cross with her. I found this series of videos on YouTube that will just be the perfect material. Then we can all pray together as a family come Good Friday.

Here's the second part of the video. For some reasons, the uploader disabled the embedding of the first and third parts.

Here is wishing everyone a blessed Holy Week and a beautiful Easter celebration.

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CC: Lost In The Black Forest

It has been a while since I made an update and a CC entry for this blog. It's high time that I start blogging again, don't you think? Yesterday's theme for Couple's Corner is just the right timing and although late, here I am typing my entry away.

 

Us before we got lost in the middle of the Black Forest.

It was June, the summer of 2009 when we went for a drive and visited Baden-Baden, near the Black Forest. Because we had a navigation system, it was quite easy to get to our destination even if it was our first time to go there. We went sightseeing the entire day and booked for an overnight stay at a Gasthaus (local hotel) near Freudenstadt, a small town south of the Black Forest. And because it was summer, the sun would usually set at around 9:00 PM so we had ample time to drive through the forest for our hotel.

 

The hotel where we stayed for the night. 

We were finally able to check in at around 11:00PM. Whew!

We were almost near our destination when we made a wrong turn. Perhaps the GPS can no longer recognize the dirt road that was leading up the mountains so it just kept saying, "Please follow the arrows on the display." And followed it, we did. We saw a billboard showing the vicinity map of the area and that was when we knew that we were lost. And it was in the middle of the forest! It was getting dark so we still continued to drive. I started to panic when it was already really dark and all we could see are the logs piled at the side of the road and the trees and the road that were made visible by the car head lights. We went back on our way and luckily found a local restaurant in the middle of the forest. Strange, huh? Good thing the staff can speak English and told us which road to take. They also told us to come back if we still can't find our way so that they can call a taxi that we can follow.

It was really a very scary experience. Hubby and I could only look at each other's eyes as if in agreement that we had an invisible passenger that night who wanted to be dropped off in that area. Thinking about that incident still gives me goosebumps.

And that is my share for this week's Couple's Corner.

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Can You See Clearly Now?

Wouldn't it be great if you could save as much as you can on any item that you buy? I have always known that products that are nicely displayed in shops are priced higher than those that are being sold directly. But of course, buying direct and buying from local shops have their own benefits and disadvantages. What if you buy eyeglasses then? Would you rather buy them from a local optical shop or buy them online?

For all of you who are using eyeglasses and are considering on buying your next pair, then I would recommend Zenni Optical. You must have been hearing a lot about this online store that sells prescription glasses at a very cheap price. Would you believe the cheapest pair would cost you only $6.95? You better!

How can you get your eyeglasses for cheap? All you need to do is an updated prescription from your optometrist and your PD or pupillary distance if you want to order prescription glasses from Zenni Optical. You can also order eyeglasses without a prescription just because you want to include it in your wardrobe. If I were you, I would order multiple pairs at once because the shipping fee is only $4.95, regardless of how many pairs you order at one time. With about 5,000 frames of different colors, size and frames to choose from, you can choose a pair that will suit every mood and occasion. If you don't believe what I am talking about, you might as well check the article and video here.

I want to say this again, Zenni Optical is your smart choice when it comes to eyeglasses. Now, let me upload my own photo and try on some of the frames. I want to order a few pairs even if my opthalmologist has said that my eyes are fine. Just because. :D 

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Nada Te Turbe

I learned about this song from an aunt friend here in Germany. I haven't heard of this one before so I looked it up on YouTube as she suggested. The song is in the form of a chant, that is why it is famous among the younger generation.

Song:

Nada te turbe, nada t’espante

Quien a Dios tiene, nada le falta

Nada te turbe, nada t’espante

Solo Dios basta.

Translation:

Let nothing disturb you, Nothing dismay you

All things pass, but God never changes

Whoever has God lacks nothing

If you have only God, you have more than enough.

-Teresa of Avila 1515 – 1582-

The choir is composed of monks of the Taizé Community, an ecumenical Christian monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. It is composed of about 100 brothers who come from Protestant and Catholic traditions. The brothers come from about 30 countries across the world.[1] The monastic order has a strong devotion to peace and justice through prayer and meditation. It was founded in 1940 by Brother Roger Schutz.

The community has become one of the world's most important sites of Christian pilgrimage. Over 100,000 young people from around the world make pilgrimages to Taizé each year for prayer, Bible study, sharing, and communal work. Through the community's ecumenical outlook, they are encouraged to live in the spirit of kindness, simplicity and reconciliation.

Perhaps hubby and I can visit one of these days. Have a good weekend everyone!

Source: en.wikipedia.org

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My Little Girl's Imaginary Friend

Does your child ever talk about someone very fondly but you don't know of? Chances are, your child has an imaginary friend.

I really am enjoying the stage where my little girl is right now. She has come to have an imaginary friend she calls "Baby" and she usually comes out before we go to bed or everytime we come inside the bedroom. It started a few weeks back when husband and I decided to be strict on our little girl's TV-time. We have observed that she had been watching too much cartoons since the Christmas break and it was getting difficult to get her to sleep at night so we had to firm with her. Thankfully, it worked thanks to Baby. She was actually the one who imagined "Baby" and she would take care of her as if it were her own child. Before we sleep, she would change Baby's diapers, telling me, "Mommy, Baby Kaka macht." Kaka means poop and macht means made or did. She would make faces as she removes the diapers, an indication that for her, the poop stinks and it really is so funny. Then she would lay the Baby on her pillow and then pretend that she is setting the dining table in time for lunch. This scene is familiar to her from the Kindergarten so I can make the connection.

If ever your child has an imaginary friend, just let her be. It is part of their growing up and is an indication that your child is very creative. It could be a venue for you to understand how her mind works too, if you only observe at how she relates to her imaginary friend. Don't contradict your child by saying "stop pretending". Nor should you go all the way and include her imaginary friend in your world. Just let her enjoy the company of her friend; she'll probably grow out of this common childhood phase by around age 5.

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CC: Why Are Bad Habits Hard To Break?

Now there's a good question that has got me really thinking hard. Why, indeed are bad habits hard to break? I do believe that it all depends on the individual's resolve to break such a bad habit. If you are really serious in changing that something that is not helpful and healthy in your relationship, then you would by all means rid it out of your system, by hook or by crook.

One of my bad habits is spending too much time in front of the computer and not really getting anything serious done. That's because there are lots of distractions. Facebook is one of them. So if I really have deadlines to meet, I do not open my Facebook account until I am done with my online tasks. And if I want to do something other than doing my online tasks, I try to keep away from the "office room".

Bad habits are hard to break because we do not look at them as bad in the first place. We always tend to find an excuse, petty excuses at that,  for doing them, like the reason "I just want to relax for a while so I want to connect with my friends online" or "It's just a treat for myself." Sometimes though, we forget the essentials like quality time, communicating in the real sense of the word, and prioritizing.  If we learn how to prioritize and know what's really important to us, then breaking bad habits won't be as hard as we thought it would be.

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CC: Our Old Bad Habits

It has been a while since I last joined Couple's Corner. Since I am still on vacation, I might as well make good use of my free by updating my blogs. I have been neglecting this one for some time now and have also been missing months posting for this lovely meme, Couple's Corner. Since it is also the New Year, I would like to do things right by regularly joining the memes hosted by my Marces and also updating my blogs on a regular basis (fingers crossed!)"

The Year 2010 is definitely over and as I still enjoy the first few days of the year  2011 in blissful rest and spending it with the family, I am also given the chance to look back to the year that was, thanks to this Wednesday's theme: Our Old Bad Habits. Indeed, it is the good old "bad" habits that are hard to break and me and Hubby have some of those that I hope will be corrected and turned into a strength.

You all know me as the OC type and one of my bad habits is that when I want something done, I want them done PRONTO! This has been a source of little LQs and I hope I could be more patient this year. I also have this tendency to forget what I am actually supposed to do and so I end up starting lots of things but never managing to finish even a single one. This leads to Hubby not finding his socks at the closet and his shirts still all crumpled. In other words, I am easily distracted and this is the reason why I am oftentimes late. While I take pride in myself for not being an impulsive buyer anymore, I still find it hard to say NO if my Hubby wants to buy something for the house. So we end up broke in the process.

What of my Hubby? I don't know if I should be publishing this but let't just say he is like any other husband who loves to leave things where they please, especially on top of the kitchen sink. He also has this tendency to not stop researching for something online, comparing prices and product features until he can reach a decision and he could not sleep for some days unless he has already bought it. He likes the house clean but he doesn't like to see me all busy cleaning the house when he is around. Which leaves me with the question, "how am I supposed to clean on days when he is not around especially now that I also have classes?" 

Oh well, I hope we could both work something out. After all, it will always be the two of us until the day Our Heavenly Father will take us away from this world.

Here's hoping that no matter what the differences we wives and our hubbies have, we will remain strong in love and will always try to work things out. Wishing everyone a very happy, healthy, peaceful, and prosperous New Year!

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