|
|
| Saturday, 14-Aug-2004 00:00 |
Email | Share |  | Bookmark |
|
Remembering Lourdes
|
 |
|
Jerry, posing in front of the Rosary Basilica
|
|
 |
|
On our way to the baths together with the pilgrims
|
|
 |
|
Taking our fill of the miraculous water
|
| | View all 6 photos... |
|
| Quote: | I urgently appeal to all of you, dear brothers and sisters, to do everything in your power to ensure that life, each and every life, will be respected from conception to its natural end.
Life is a sacred gift, and no one can presume to be its master.
- Pope John Paul II during his Aug. 14 trip to Lourdes, France |
The Pope's 104th foreign visit is in Lourdes, France, the site where the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Bernadette Soubirous in the mid 19th century. A mass was concelebrated to mark the 150th year of the proclamation of the Immaculate Conception.
Last year, Jerry and I were fortunate to have gone to the very same place in Lourdes, where we took an early morning bath in the holy waters of the grotto.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Friday, 13-Aug-2004 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Photo Friday: TRANQUILITY
|
 |
|
Ouchy, Lausanne, Switzerland (click to enlarge)
|
|
|
| Quote: | "He has great TRANQUILITY of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of men."
-- Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850), French writer |
The work front has been rather hectic for most of the week. Being in between 2 bosses - 1 outgoing and 1 incoming, a lot of judgment calls had to be done. A series of turnover meetings too are in the pipeline.
The quote above is very apt for me these days as I try to align my department with the plans of my new boss. From what I've seen so far, I'm just glad this new boss is the type who wants and gets things done. Our team will be busy ironing out the 7-year kinks left behind by the previous one.
It feels like it's my 1st day at work. Everybody is trying to start on the right footing and hoping to create good initial impressions. As for me, I just do what I have to do.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Wednesday, 11-Aug-2004 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Happy 5th Month Jake!
|
|
Looking at Jake now, I find no trace at all of the once 2lbs 11oz baby born at 37 weeks, who was too tiny he was being fed using a syringe in the NICU. It's amazing how, even if I spend 12 hours a day caring for him (night-shift), I still feel he is rapidly changing right before my eyes. I recently asked hubby if I'm not spending enough time with Jake to which he replied "Of course not, you are!".
I know I am. I just needed to hear that to be assured that indeed I am only witnessing the changes that Jake is going through. And it's happening really fast that I need to savor every moment I am with him. *sigh*
My boy is growing up beautifully, isn't he?
Happy 5th month my butterball* !!!
*butterball came from my nephew John who once described Jake as looking like it... The word sounds cute... Hehehe...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 10-Aug-2004 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Face-Off
|
 |
|
Jake to Matt:"Hmm, one little spot here. Another one there..."
|
|
 |
|
"Quite a few tiny bumps you have there bro..."
|
|
 |
|
"Ma, will I be getting zits too?"
|
|
|
11 year-old Matt is not too happy with his skin's condition at present. Though not officially a teenager yet, he is now having pimple breakouts on his face. His once smooth and supple cheeks are now dotted with a few red spots. 
I hope the Neutrogena facial soap, we bought for him, does wonders to his sensitive and oily skin and arrests future skin infections such as acne.
*Sigh* The travails of teenhood...
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Monday, 9-Aug-2004 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Stand Up For It!
|
 |
|
"Ok now... Knees are a little bit wobbly..."
|
|
 |
|
"Uh, a baby step forward to keep me balanced"
|
|
 |
|
"Whoa there! Hey look Ma. I'm standing!"
|
|
|
Every Sunday is our midwife's day-off. Thus, I find myself babysitting Jake for most of the day, with Jerry taking over when I need to rest a bit. Last Sunday was no different. Jake now spends shorter periods of sleep time, so I have to think of ways to keep both of us busy while he is awake.
As I was tinkering with my digicam and looking at Jake busily "munching" on his fingers, an idea popped. Hmm, why not a photo project using Jake as the subject?...
I came up with the fotos above... 
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sunday, 8-Aug-2004 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
My Desktop
|
 |
|
Check out my desktop/screensaver... (click to enlarge)
|
|
|
Hey, look what I found! It's an interactive screensaver where you could post virtual sticky notes, to-do lists, calendar, pictures and what-not, very much like with a corkboard. It's my present desktop/screensaver. It could be password-protected and locked down so you do not worry about anyone tampering with your sticky-notes/reminders while you're out for lunch. 
I don't make money with this, but go ahead and check out this nifty little application. You could find some good use for it. 
Find it here >>>: http://www.mycorkboard.com/.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, 7-Aug-2004 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
What to Do?
|
 |
|
"Ahia Matt, discuss in detail the functions of the liver..."
|
|
 |
|
"Di-hia Kyle, talk about the respiratory system..."
|
|
 |
|
"Uh-oh, I'll be in their shoes in no time..."
|
|
|
After a harrowing week of month-end and weekly report deadlines... what are we to do with three days off? There's an invitation for to the boys to spend Friday with cousin Michael, there's a Saturday dinner invitation, there's the usual Sunday with A-ma (Granny), aunts, uncle and cousins. How about a swim in the pool, a good movie or a trip to the beach? Or how about vegging in front of the computer or play station for some games, read a good fiction?
Nah! For Matt & Kyle, it's time to hit the books. Next week is their first quarterly exams and these three days off is what you call the proverbial "calm before the storm"!
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Friday, 6-Aug-2004 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
The Week That Was
|
 |
|
"Ma has been uptight lately...
|
|
 |
|
...blame it on work?"
|
|
 |
|
"Whatever! All I know is I'm Ma's best stress-buster..."
|
|
|
Last Friday, I was visited in Cebu by our CFO from Manila. This was supposed to be a surprise visit but it didn't happen that way. When a few "angels" let me in on this planned visit last Tuesday, I felt a surge of panic and paranoia. I thought, "Hey wait a minute... This is highly irregular for him to single me out among the Finance Managers... What did I do?".
I must admit I had sleepless nights thinking about my entire department and how we functioned in relation with the other sections in the company. Did I miss anything? Apart from a few kinks brought about by my lean manpower or some VERY minor lapses (nobody's perfect!), I really couldn't think of anything that could warrant a surprise visit from my functional boss.
From Tuesday up to the minute my boss walked in last Friday (yes 3 agonizing days and nights), I was still blank as to the reason for the visit. However, I have already prepared myself for any questions he might have. Long story cut short, we discussed a lot of things.
The items for discussion were not really major and career-terminating as I initially feared. It was a venue for me to air my concerns and to offer solutions to benefit the company. No reprimands or verbal tussle ensued. End result was his approval of my recommendation to hire 2 additional accountants and the transfer of our office (within the building) where the Regional Accounting would have enough space for record keeping. What a relief!
It turned out that his wife, who is a VP of a chain of banks, was also in Cebu on official business and my boss, who went with her, might have just wanted to make his trip more productive and thought it best to see me.
Geez! What a worry-wart I've become!
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Wednesday, 4-Aug-2004 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Monday, 2-Aug-2004 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
