Surprises Early Christmas Package- Thankful Thursday

    "Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below" (line from a song I"m singing while making my Thankful Thursday).
   Last Saturday was a day of surprises and great blessings. I went with my husband to their farm in Kilabong, Dalirig, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. That was my first time to go with my hubby. Upon arrival we were welcome with the scent of my favorite fruit "Durian".It was a surprise because we were expecting harvest time on October yet but the ripe fruit just fell down ready to be eaten. Wow! I indulge eating the meat which very "malagkit". I also enjoyed the "marang" and the pineapple picked from the rejected harvest of Del Monte farm. What I enjoyed most was I ate them with my hubby and my best friend Pike! Thank you Lord for that great experience.

A ripe Durian fell from the tree! "Smells like hell taste like heaven"

See those fruits hanging! Waiting for those to fall down! Yummy but when that fall on you  Ouch!

   When we reached home another surprise waiting for us. Upon reaching the door, my youngest daughter Hannah rushing towards us to tell us excitedly that the package from Tatay Tony  (a friend given to us by the Lord )  has arrived. Our expected time for that is still on the 14th of October as what he told us but it came ahead of time. I recommend budgettruck  the fee does not depend on the weight of the cargo but the size of the box. To our delight many surprises was inside that box an early Christmas gift.

These are just among the things inside the box

    Thank you Lord!

Word filled Wednesday, Wordful Wednesday

CC-Hardest Days of Our Marriage

    Every marriages has gone through lots of storm. Ours is not exempted, we also had great intensities of tremor in our journey as a couple. And these situation proved that our's have surpassed the 11 years of turmoils and we "SURVIVED'.

    It is not because we are good enough but it was God who caused it in our lives.

   We got married last December 1998. We were working by then. My hubby as a "x-ray technician" in a private Medical laboratory while I was teaching on a private school. But March of 1999 there was stream lining in their company and he was one of those who was laid -off. After that month the school where I taught was notified for closure because they have not seek to renew the contract in the Dep-Ed.We felt the world fallen on our shoulders but those situation was used by God so we can see His hand working. Lesson learned -"Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding."

   February 2001- a month after this I will give birth to Juwella but an infection near my anus had occurred. It brought me pain and fever. We were worried because the infection might harm our baby. The infection was worst that from Camiguin I have to be transferred to Cagayan de Oro which means I will be crossing sea and travel by land for an hour with mys situation. Hubby was worried about me and our baby. But he looked at God for mercy. I underwent a minor operation so the doctor could remove the infected tissue and pus. God was gracious. I am still alive and after a month gave birth to a lovely baby through ceasarian operation. Lesson learned God knows every situation in our lives He allowed it for a purpose.

  January 2002- My hubby was bitten by a mad dog. It happened when we were financially drained. He has to be given an anti-rabies dose. It it will cost as much plus the anti- tetanus all in all we need more or less 20,000php for that. We were in trouble we do not know where to go but the Lord had provided. He uses a friend to refer us in a Health Center where we can avail 80% discount. Lesson learned God is our provider he will provide according to His riches and glory!

  There were many more hard stories of our lives and these experiences allowed us to grow and learn more of who God is in our family and even as the Lord of our wife-husband relationship.

Me and my hubby!

For more entry of Couple's Corner  visit Rodliz Nest of link here

Ecko Red Women's Sneaker for Ruby Tuesday

  Our Tatay (Father or grandfather) Tony  Merrill sent us a package from Arizona USA, along with the box is a Red Ecko box with woman shoes on it. What is nice about this product is they do not only make you look trendy but it will also make your feet comfortable so you can be always "on the go" !Get one now!

  You can browse Workofthepoet for more entry of Ruby Tuesday or if you want to post  Ruby Tuesday

Blue Monday- Cheering!

This was captured by my friend Joshia during their MUST Intra murals 

(MUST Mindanao  University of Science and Technology). This is the 

Education Phoenix, who  won First Runner up in the Cheer Dance Competition! Go blue Go!

Smiling Sally with a big smile welcomes everyone to post Blue Pics and link to Blue Monday

6th Yummy Sunday, Mellow Yellow Monday

 

Chocolate Cake Delight

God is faithful! He allowed us to celebrate AZ's 14th Birthday! It was a surprise because we do not plan anything to celebrate it and besides we really are financially tied up that time. But God provided.  All glory belong to Him!

This cake is from one of our favorite cakes and pastries outlet.

Goldilocks

For more of Yummy Sunday and Mellow Yellow Monday just link! Enjoy!

Proudly Pinoy on Glee Club

    Charice Pempengco a talent that every Filipino must be proud of. Many people from all over the world was stunned by her voice Oprah was one. And now the newest member of the  Glee Club where is was gladly welcomed.
"Welcome to glee clubWith these words, McKinley High’s Glee club coach Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) invites Filipina exchange student Sunshine Corazon to join his group, New Directions. He has been suitably impressed, after hearing Sunshine's soaring vocals in a rendition of the song “Listen," originally sung by Beyoncé.

Charice Pempengco, a guest in the second season of "Glee," which premiered in the Philippines on Wednesday, during a party last Sept. 7 in LA. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

One member of the team, however, is less than enthused about the whole thing. Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), lead singer of New Directions, sits with a forced smile throughout Sunshine’s audition, despite the standing ovation and wholehearted approval from everyone else in the group.

Sunshine Corazon is played, of course, by Pinay singing sensation Charice Pempengco, who has gained international fame through appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show, the release of her hit single “Pyramid," and collaborations with Celine Dion and other big names in the music industry.

Charice made her debut in the first episode of Glee, season 2, in black-framed glasses and pigtails, a petite girl with an astonishingly full voice. She is set to be a recurring character on the show.

The Glee season 2 premier aired in the Philippines on Wednesday at 4 p.m. on the ETC cable channel, with a replay in the evening on free television. —Larissa Mae Suarez/JV, GMANews.TV

About Me!

Mary Junneth Estilo  Llesis, a teacher by profession, a mother and a wife who's greatest passion is to know God and Him crucified. A beginner blogger who is willing to learn the art of blogging! Though I coached pupils in writing news, feature, editorial article I know I have to learn more from  my friends in this blogosphere. I also would like to earn through the article I write. I am willing to work hard for this!

#5 Mellow Yellow Monday

  Flowers all around but Yellow dominates all. This is one of my trip for free.I love this most for many reasons: it is for free since I have to accompany my pupils to the National Press Conference, this was my first time in Baguio, we were having tour to Benguet and most of all I have seen fresh strawberries here. Unfortunately I cannot find a picture of strawberries.

A pose in one of the flower farm in Trinidad Benguet. How I wish I was able to capture
a focus view of the flower for my MYM!

Post something with yellow and link it to Mellow Yellow Monday

Yummy Sunday- "Sinuglaw"

Filipinos Love this. It is a raw fish blended with spices like onion, ginger. You see a green lemon and calamsi on the top and with  grilled meat.

Your mouth must have been watering now! So click here and join Yummy Sunday!

#Nostalgia- Moments with Mom!

Moments with my Mom. We attended a Seminar Workshop in Davao me
wearing orange, faith in the center and my mother. She has been a wonderful
Mom, friend, boss, mentor!

      I have a little view of this word "nostalgia" I have to consult Webster first so I can write my nostalgic moment.
    My bittersweet longing for a person and place. I still recall most moment with my Mom, they are still fresh to me. My mother raised us 4 kids alone. She worked hard to earn so she can send us to school and build a house we can call our own. She really have to work like a cow to meet both ends.
    I remembered, she has to do part time teaching so she could earn extra money. She has to do editing of thesis and advising. I knew she was tired but never heard her complained. She was such a loving and caring mother.
    Although my mom rose to rank but her salary is not high as the rank she occupied. So. there were times we have to eat rice savored with salt or soy sauce. We sometimes bragged about it, we were still young those time and we never yet know why? We thought  she is just too fugal but I realized that she is just living within our means. My  greatest legacy from her " to live within your means. Never commit loans or made debt from anybody if necessary". "Maski wala mi sud-an dili gyud mangutang akong mama  maski sardinas sa abay nga tindahan" .( Though we don not have viand never my mom told us to beg or make credit from a neighborhood store). My young mind rebelled about this, asking "why can she not do it just like others are doing". Why can she afford seeing us eat without viand?But,  this time when I become a mother I understand. Mother's heart always want best for their kids. But there are times that you have to harden your heart for their own good. If mom was not thrifty enough, she might not be able to send us to school she set aside some needs for our education and of course to pay our house mortgage. 
     After my graduation, she was able to save money to buy a wooden sofa set. Then after months she again bought  colored  TV set as a substitute to a very old black and white TV.  I remembered, mom acquired it yr. 1988 when she got paid from endorsing a detergent bar. After a while a  brand new refrigerator as a substitute to our hand me down from a friend, she just had it repainted and fixed. Mom said "Be satisfied with what God enabled us!"
     Another,  she instilled in my mind the principle of "doing first things first before the other. Means prioritizing things. Know your priorities in life act on it by God's help and guidance.Never leave something undone. Give your best in whatever you do.
    We may not have those material things that everyone can boast of when we were yet kids. But I was grateful that God enabled our mom to get us a house. A house I always longed to visit after I was married. Thankful mom was able to send me to school.
     Now, she's gone I missed the house where our dreams were fulfilled. Where our laughs were heard and where our cries were comforted.    

    My mom has left me a great heritage that I also want to pass to my generation and the generation next to me.

Enjoying her "apos" grandchildren in the house she dreamed to keep us together.
New Year of 2007 before she was diagnosed to have Cervical Cancer.

#1 Shoot Me -GT Green Up Close Me Teacher,Dancer, Coach

Recording Scores on my Class Record!

Our School one of the Cultural Dancer. My costume!

The compensation of  being a coach! accompanying kids to the National Competition." National Press Conference, Baguio, February 2006".

Green Gold Growing

    "When I was a kid I always believe the saying "at the end of a rainbow is a pot of gold" that is why in my young mind I always searched for that end of gold. Until I matured and found the end of my quest. Did I find the end of it? Definitely you know the answer!
      Many are still searching for gold but not finding. Others even have risked their lives under a tunnel of uncertainties. But this one is certain. Many said this has been the secret of our Muslim brother in the Southern part of the Philippines. What is it? It will not be a secret if  I reveal, but if you persist on asking then I will spill the bean.
       The secret according to many is all about this Green Gold treasures that they have. Many Muslim brothers were able to buy luxury cars, build beautiful mansion and of course own wealth. They just buried this green gold even under their houses.
       Oh! I see your eagerness to know the secret!....... I must tell you now! This is  "Jakarta Ginger".
        This kind of ginger is big and is easy to maintain. All you need is a small space of land and organic materials. If you are interested then here are more information in growing and propagating this "green gold".
      The common way is to plant it in a pot or a small potion of lot. Dig a hole and place a small piece of ginger that has already a node on the hole. This is the common way. But we miss the way of letting grow more. We should have covered the new sprout nodes with organic soil so it can propagate more.
      Do not be so excited, of course you need many ginger that have sprouted. How to do have it. Some agricultural store sold this. But if it is hard to find one. You can have your own "seedling". All you have to do is to buy mature ginger and soak the gingers in water mixed with Amway Organic hormone overnight.Then remove the ginger from the water and drain it 'til it's almost dry. Place the ginger on a large cellophane, sealed it tightly so that the moist of the plastic will help the ginger to sprout.  Then you have your ginger "seedling".

A ginger seedling, ready for planting.

       

       We can also grow by sacking. Good for backyard gardening.
1. Prepare an empty sack (cement, rice, pellets and other sack.)
2. Place a little  organic soil ( decomposed chicken dung, rice hulls) in the sack about a span of your palm
    thick.
3. Plant the sprouted ginger on the soil.
4. Then place the it on a shady place.
5. Just wait until another new sprout node comes out. Then cover it with organic soil evenly. The node will
    develop into a leaf but instead it will propagate another branch of ginger.
6. Repeat step number 5 until the sack is filled with soil to it's brim.
7. After 7 months you will be digging the green gold out from the sack. A small piece of it if properly cared it will yield 10-25  kilograms per sack.

Preparing to plant. Put organic in the sack!

Planting the seedling.

New leaf appears!

One month old ginger!

     Underground planting. Advisable for those who have bigger lot or farm
1. Look for an area which is not swampy. A cliff where water cannot stock to it.
2. Dig a rectangular area about 1 x 3 meters (length 1 and width 3 meters) and 1and 1/2 deep.
3. Put corn shells about 1 foot evenly on the pit. About 1 foot thick organic soil and rice hulls.
4. Then place 10 kgs. of sprouted ginger on the pit. Leave it that way.
5. Cover the pit with a plastic cover or something that cannot be soaked with water (vinyl floor mat is
    preferable. This cover should have  been prepared before planting.
6. After that, cover the top with soil. To be sure that water cannot penetrate under make a canal around the
    hilly part.
7. After a year you will expect to harvest 1,000 kilogram from 1 pit.
Unlike other plants, you have to manage it and apply  fertilizer on it within a given period. This ginger does not need much maintenance. It does not need fertilizer.All you have to do is to peep in the ground every after 2 months just to make sure that your green gold is okay You just let it grow under. Just like waiting to dig bars of gold.
   You don't need much to grow farms of ginger. One pit will just cost about 5000 php. In a pit you will expect to  harvest about 1000 kilograms and sold it on a market for let's say 30.00 php a kilo the least market. 1,000x30=30,000 php.See will expect to gain more than 50% of your capital. 
 Now you know why I say Green Gold Growing! It's just like digging gold. And you don't have to risk your life!

Combat Dengue Fever

"Dengue" rocks our nation (Philippines) because victims and fatalities keep on increasing daily. According to Department of Health (DOH)  Secretary  Enrique Ona, dengue cases rose to more than 62,500 as of August 21, the highest recorded number of cases in the country with 450 death recorded this year.
    This is alarming because we can or our children are also susceptible to be affected by the bite of this deadly mosquito.
What causes dengue?
     We all know that a bite of a certain mosquito "Aedes Aegypte"  carrying virus caused this unwanted disease. When it enters our body and our glands, it multiplies and can enter our bloodstream. When a person who's immune system is weak he/she can be infected with Dengue. This is not a contagious, a person cannot pass it directly to another.  

Who can be affected by this?
      
    Regions with tropical climate are at high risk with Dengue Fever. It is "endemic" to certain places like Southeast Asia and China. This is also affecting other regions like: Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East, South and Central America and the Carrebian  Island and Australia. This mostly occur during or shortly after the rainy seasons. This commonly affect children under 10 years of age.


How will I know if my kid is already infected?


    Based on my experience (My youngest daughter Hannah) a high fever had occurred for 3-4 days and then on the fourth day it subsided but as I felt her she still is feverish and complained of muscular pain and tiredness. It was a sign that I have to bring her to the doctor for a check up. She have undergone series of CBC (Complete Blood Count) then the physician confirmed she had been a victim. Signs and symptoms may differ from one person


How can we combat this Deadly insect?
        
    There are several activities and habit we must follow to combat this. In the Philippines the DOH advertised the 4 o'clock habit. What is this? This are series of activities one should be engage in to eradicate if not control the  soaring population of "Aedes Aegypti". First, make sure that no rain water of clean water is reserved in an open container that can be a nesting place for this mosquito. Be sure to change the water in our flower vase every other day so the eggs could not fully developed as an adult. Second, make sure that our surroundings are clean and free from stagnant canals or dikes. Third, Cover all empty container and water container so it will not serve as breeding and nesting ground for them. and of course do not forget to apply mosquito repellent especially to the kids.  


       This must be a tedious task but as the saying goes an "ounce of prevention is greater than a pound of medication". Let us not be lazy in doing the habit. Definitely, we would not want to see our kids bleed to death. 

        
    

Mellow Yellow Monday and Tuesday Ruby-Mugs Collection

   


     Mugs is one of the most affordable collection in town. My kids love to collect mugs especially the promotion of Milo they always reminds me to  buy it with free mug during the promotion period. They wanted to complete all 5 the collection. Hannah, my youngest  favorite among their collection is this yellow mug. Perfect for my MYM.

When they helped me do the house general cleaning last Saturday. Hanna was assigned to wipe dust out from these mugs. She asked me to get picture of it.

She Said Hannah's mug is Yellow. Ate Juwella's mug is orange, the blue one is Papa's.

Having fun! Playing with mugs and tea cups while cleaning.

Hannah said, "Papa's mug, he likes blue!