The State of my Hands

There was a time when my hands were nice. Many people told me I was lucky to have long fingers, long nail beds. There was a time when I had a manicure and foot scrub every week. My nails were buffed and uniformly filed. I could look at model nails in the magazines and be very happy comparing my own. Those were the times when choosing nail polish colors was the biggest problem.

In Manila, a complete manicure-pedicure service cost P100 pesos ($2)--and the manicurist came to the house. In the salon, it cost more, maybe $10 (for feet and hands, too). In the States, it is expensive, maybe because I am still converting. I scouted around and the cheapest manicure rate is $8 in a small nail salon, operated by Vietnamese. I have been tempted to have a manicure since I got here 2 years ago. But look, 2 years without a professional manicure turns your nails into a sad and gnarly picture:




Two of my fingernails are chipped from the middle of the nail bed and I am waiting for it to grow out so I can trim them without cutting my flesh. I felt a sadness at how nails and my hands look. In fact, I feel like crying. They look like they have aged and gone through severe chores, maybe just like all immigrant hands. Last summer, I made a mistake of wearing sandals when my toenails weren't polished. When people glanced at my feet, I winced and curled them in tightly. I also look at my hair--which I cut myself (at least in front). I notice 90% of my days are ponytail days and the grays are certainly showing. My hair needs a good cut and a good professional coloring.

My friend in NJ said she cried the first time she had a manicure in the States. I think it is because she felt her self-worth here again, when our tendency is to forget. A immigrants, we just concentrate on working and earning and fighting home-sickness. She has not gone without one since and she promises, it's worth it--to see your nails polished, to get a good haircut, and to have your hair colored at the salon.

The state of my hands and hair reflect my life. I tend to forget about looking nice, and when I remember, I don't have time nor the motivation to do it. My SF friend reminded me that looking nice is a gift that we must not take for granted. He said that we should use all the gifts we were given--inner and outer gifts--and not be afraid of our light.

I have a tendency to not want to shine, to blend in the background, to not call attention to physical appearances, rather I put a premium on kindness or generosity. With the children, I tend to put myself even last. I have to examine those values and see if it's time to change.

I must get my grays colored. . .

Home-Made, Hand-Made BREAD!

Making bread has been a challenge for me. I almost gave up when I tried this simple recipe for whole wheat bread. I don't even have a bread-making machine so I always knead by hand. I tried to use as little flour as possible when kneading this batch.

At last, success!! Check out the yummy results:





The nice thing about making bread is how the house smells. Bread aromatherapy seems to make the kids calmer, the house homier. It just smells of good memories and fun thoughts. I even made an extra loaf to give away. My mom said the bread was soft and had a mediterranean taste to it. My friends delighted at the half-loaf: "Oh, it really looks like bread!" turning it upside down in disbelief--half-looking for proof that I didn't pick it up at an artisan bakery.

When you eat home-made bread, meticulously sliced, with even just butter or jam, you will wonder how you could have eaten the commercial bread from the grocery. Now I know why they call processed food junk. There's hardly anything in the commercial bread. Home-made bread is bursting with cracked whole-wheat and a nutty taste. You know every ingredient there is in it, and it does not include presevatives, dyes, or chemicals you can't pronounce.

You can almost feel and smell the fiber, in a good, wholesome way. The texture is rougher and the color is darker than any whole wheat loaf I've known. Plus, it came out of your oven a couple of hours ago. I don't know of anyone who makes bread at home, but I will continue to bake my own bread and maybe share with the community.





If you want to make your own, check out the recipe
Mother Earth News. You will need to set aside time and muscle to do it, though. There's something about watching the dough rise and then punching it down. It is simply satisfying to watch the dough rise through the oven. Eating something you made or something you grew is just twice the joy. I find that slicing the bread into 1/4" slices, with ham and mayo was delightful. But the bread was so hefty, just PB and J made for a treat!

Holding on to flexi-time schedule

(photo by jbonnet of flickr.com)

When we migrated to the U.S., I started with no other job but to tend to the house and the kids, watching my garden grow. I liked this simple schedule but finances were too tight to hold on to this lifestyle. So I applied for a freelance writing job with the local paper and after many weeks of waiting and following-up (almost giving up!), my first article got printed in the The Antioch Press. I am paid per article so it took about a year to get myself stable in that set-up. There were times I would run to the driveway early in the morning to fetch the paper and nothing was printed, therefore I had no pay, therefore the grocery budget shrunk and there was not going to be new clothes and toys for the kids. I toyed with applying for a full-time job then. But I truly did not want to trade in my precious flexi-time schedule for more money. So I applied for a home-based online research job for a grant-writing coach and author Dalya Massachi. This job paid me per hour. But remember, home-based is the key word and priority.

Soon, my editors Rick and Dave started to notice me (I think specially after my photos got more vivid. Thanks to my Canon Rebel!) and started not only to print me more, but to actually assign me to more frequent stories. Now, I have an average of 3-4 articles a week--printed. And just about the same time, I found my bearings with the research job, learning deeper Excel and gathering data learning about non-profit organizations, and gaining more hours a week.

Just when I felt my financial contributions to the house budget was already substantial and I gained, at the least, more grocery-buying freedom, (I even afforded a carpet for the living room), my husband was laid-off. . . .

Mom, is It Christmas?

"Mom, is it Christmas?" my youngest shrieked as she opened presents from Manila. My husband had just arrived from a one-month exploratory business trip. But for Filipinos, our culture dictates that you make "padala" or send a gift back. And judging from the number of presents my husband had for us, I can declare that we do have many generous friends and relatives.



We reveled in knock-off bags, cotton blouses and t-shirts--and accessories galore. There were beaded bracelets, polymer rings, bangles, brass necklaces--showcasing the creative prowess of the Pinoy. Some of them I was tasked to sell.



My friends also sent my kids toys, dolls, DVD's. Some have sent (through my son last December) the girls pretty t-shirts that they love to wear. And those Filipino sweets and snacks. Yum! My favorite was the Blue Kitchen Palillos Joe--pie crust strips with sugar merinue on top. My tita sent us Excellent Ham, dripping with honey. Too bad, it stained some of the girls' pictures.




My husband was able to rummage through our things in Manila. He brought me some of my old shoes that I am surprised I had because they were name-branded. It's been a long time since I have seen those. And he brought my favorite red denim rose bag.

He also had my favorite watch restored. It was quoted to be repaired for $200 but he got it done in Manila for $20! He gave it to me 15 years ago. We have taken it scuba-diving and mountain climbing. I think I will wear it all this lifetime. He also got me a vintage watch. After wearing my $7 watch from Walmart (which I kinda like in fairness), having my husband arrive home safely, and all the opening of presents and finding things you like--it sure feels like Christmas.



And to my friends and relatives, any many thanks for your generosity and thoughtfulness--and giving us an extra Christmas Day!

Good things happen in small spaces

Personally, I prefer a small home. Too much space overwhelms me--maybe because space breeds clutter, and houses things that I tend to keep but don't need. I feel I can keep a small space pretty and cozy and today, I found a couple of kindred souls.

Check out Tiny Homes, Big Ideas in Oprah.com. And though a little too extreme (even for me), Jay Shafer, founder of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, says living small is a luxury—and when he says living small, he means it. Jay's entire house is only 96 square feet! "It's the smallest house we've ever seen," Oprah says.

I think I can live in Jack Sammis's home. Check him out in his barely 7-foot wide Virginia flat, which Ripley's calls the narrowest home in America. It has a full-size bedroom and bathroom and lots of storage. The best part, though, is the garden. He can have 1 or 2 guests.

Designer Nate Berkus learned to prioritize after his most challenging make-over--a 250-foot Manhattan apartment. He utilized every inch of space to be functional. "I mean, how much space do we really need?" he says.

Speaking of Nate, check out his own 550-sq ft. New York City apartment make-over here.



I am so inspired at what you can do with small spaces. It sure beats a regular house with lots of space but with an unusable garage filled with things you don't even know about. You can't have guests over when your living room is filled with clutter and you technically have no storage space too, if your closets are busting out with clothes you haven't worn in years, and your dressers brimming with expired lotions and makeup.

My goal towards retirement is to keep downsizing and tossing away what I don't need instead of growing them into clutter. It feels freer, and the energy feels more positive. New things also have a way of coming into your life when your house is organized and clear.

The Best Burrito in town

After running my errands, I was walking to my car when a woman who pointed Taqueria Numero Uno out to her friend, saying, "They have the best burritos in town!" I tried it out for myself for lunch--and the woman was right!

The regular Carne Asada whole burrito (that I can't seem to ever finish by myself) measures about 8 inches long and about 4 inches wide, filled with marinated grilled and chopped steak, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, refried or whole beans, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and rice, in wholesale quantities, on a soft flour tortilla, all for $4.29. The steak is soft and full of flavor, the beas are tender but not mushy. Sometimes I like it with rice, no beans. On the side is their very own red or green hot sauce (not for novices!) I like this taqueria because of their lovely raspberry iced-tea (not to mention their exotic beer collection) to quench the edge away.

My husband and I like to sneak the burrito into the movies. When we have to share, we get the large burrito for $6.25--our dinner for 2. Somehow, these burritos taste better in the dark! We have tried the Carnitas (grilled shredded pork, like lechon kawali) and we still have to try the Pollo Asado (grilled chicken). I am loyal to the Carne Asada so I don't know when that will ever be. I don't think I will get around to the tacos (corn tortillas) and tostadas (deep fried flour tortillas)in the menu.

Lunchtime teems with Latino construction workers with paint on their overalls, along with the ladies who lunch. There are never any tourists here, only locals and Latinos at that. Dinnertime and week-ends coax the couples and families in.

Frugal Furniture Art

Well, what do you know? I thought I wouldn't have the time to paint anything. But I realized that the crazier my schedule is, the more I find time to "escape" and paint something. This is a $5 chair I bought from Salvation Army many months ago. It was a plain wooden chair.



After sanding and priming it, I painted it turquoise to match my batik-inspired Asian elephant.





I was ready to purchase a quart of paint for about $7 but when I looked at the "OOPS" section, where paint mixes were made in error, I found a turquoise shade that was very close to what I needed and bought the can for $1 (my favorite price!).



So the cost of the whole chair is $6. But working on it has given me invaluable solitude, peace and clarity of mind.

Chair: $6
Peace: priceless
And as the ad goes, "And for everything else, there's Master Card."

To Receive Graciously

One major part of starting over and migrating is the humility to accept gifts that I know I cannot reciprocate. When you are starting over, every gift is meaningful. Gifts given to us seem always bigger, more expensive. It takes a lot to accept that my Christmas gifts are simple, and not expensive.

Relatives and friends gave us hand-me downs for the kids that we really needed, specially for the winter. My mom and aunt gave me barely used pretty sweaters, jeans, coats. Generous grandparents and godparents gave the kids toys that we could never buy for them. My Chanel cousins showered us with the highest-end lipsticks and make-up gifts.

My friend gave me cash for my birthday. This is the first time anyone gave me cash (aside from my parents) for my birthday. Her husband thought it would offend me. But my friend reminded him of how deep our friendship was. There was a time in Manila that my friend was in financial stress. And there was time when she had poor, without a nice coat, in NYC herself. So she gives me money to buy myself a coat. I held the money in my hands and cried.

Out of joy, because my friend remembered my birthday, out of relief that I will retire my 10-year old coat, out of humility that I needed help to buy my own coat.

My husband needed a place to stay in LA and crashed with my cousins. We are a close-knit family and my cousins are like my brothers and sisters. I reminded him to bring something as a gift and he brought hopia and pastillas. He stayed with my cousins for 2 nights and when he returned home, my cousin sent my kids gifts: posters, new girly knap-sacks (which I knew she had to go out and buy as she had no daughters), and an Obaji skin-care kit for me!



I called my cousin and told her she didn't have to send those gifts as my husband crashed at her place and that was a big enough gift already. And she insisted that the kids enjoy the gifts

My friend, N and I discussed receiving gifts here in America, from cousins and friends that have hurdled the "starting over" phase. They now own their homes, their second homes, their many cars, and are in no way as financially tight as we are. (I suspect, though, that they went through worse times than I did. And I am thinking, where was I when they were struggling?)

Since we cannot give lavishly yet, we have to receive graciously. My friend said he felt worse when people gave him because it reminded him of how poor he was. (I don't!) Then he realized that the giving had nothing to do with him but had everything to do with the giver. Giving teaches the giver empathy. He has been there and he feels your "poorness." To allow the giver to give you in full glory is something we are both learning now.

"Simon helped Jesus carry the cross," said N. Jesus didn't have to let Simon help but he did. And now, all of Simon's descendants live good lives, according to the Bible. And we realized that the giving is also a gift for the giver, as his giving sets out a cycle of receiving more abundance.

Our conclusion? Be humble and gracious enough to receive. Be humble but not humiliated. B gracious and appreciative and don't think of reciprocating the gift. Don't say "Don't give me gifts anymore" as you are depriving them the glory to give. For then, you give the giver a sense of pride and allow good karma to fall upon him.

And when we can, we should always give, and it doesn't have to have a price tag on it. I specially like homemade gifts. My cousin said she sent me the gifts because I visited her son in the hospital after his surgery in San Francisco. And then she said something so wise: "Ate M, don't worry about my gifts, they are just bought with money."

I am so touched that she remembered that day when I got lost in the Muni on the way to the hospital, walked 2 whole uphill avenues, was under dressed for the weather, and thought I would be mugged!

Give, give, give and you shall receive. Receive with grace and think of the giver fondly. Your good wishes will actually do him well.

On the Go with Toes and Broken Glass

I think I may have found someone busier than me. I met Annette Day at my daughter's free preschool program. Miss Annette is Monica's art teacher. I liked her at once because she reminded me of two of my best friends, M and J, all at once--with the short, pixie-cut stylish hair and hip outfits. Chatting one day, she said she set up Toes On The Go--her pedicure service, geared for anyone but mostly seniors. Her mom succumbed to cancer last year and she then been exposed to many seniors.

Divorced and orphaned by her mom in the same year, she tended to her 2 kids, did her pedicures, taught at the YMCA, does mosaic tables for the cafe downtown, and is part of the Brentwood Arts Commission. It's a wonder I pinned her down twice for an interview and pictorial.

"Everyone loves a pedicure," she said. "Everyone loves the reflexology with tons of lotion. And all those hot shades can really lift up your mood. I also like working with seniors, they are so wise and generous."

It's been almost 2 years since I had a proper manicure/pedicure, which I had almost weekly in Manila. And why not at $5 for both hands and feet? (versus Annette's $26 for the feet only!)

I ache for trim toenails and neat cuticles. And I salivate at the thought of a foot massage. At least, Annette's toes look nice all the time--zebra stripes, rhinestones, hot pink, polka-dots:



And I am here, taking a sneaky ceative break, blogging, while inputing data in an Excel sheeeeeet. . .

And then Annette is off to art classes with the tots. They have learned painting, colors, messing up, glitter, clay, and cutting and pasting--all in fun. Then she goes home and paints her kitchen cupboards red and her wall trims blue. Then she works on her mosaic--mirrors, tables, countertops.

"When you are artistic, it will eventually find a way out of you," she says. "I love, love, love mosaic."



What a privilege to be creative most of the time. Julia Cameron of the Artist's Way said that you are closest to your God when you are creating.

No matter how busy we are, Annette is a reminder that we must pursue our creative selves, otherwise we are not as full, not as deep, and maybe, not as happy.

I remember my cousins who wanted to be architects, or my son who wants to sing and act. May their creativity remain blessed.

Between my 2 jobs and my 5 kids, creativity takes a definite back seat. I am very worried that I have not crocheted in a week and that I have to grab my pints of paint from Home Depot soon. I am worried because I don't like to lose balance--I don't want too much work, too much money, with no time for play or for the small things. I guess that is why I have stayed away from a career or from a full-time job. And that's why maybe I may never be super rich. . .

My shelved projects await--I want to finish a chair into turquoise blue to match my turquoise elephant found at Target for $9.



Hope to get to it and post it soon!

All clothes for a dollar

Nifty As Is accepts donations of gently-used brand name clothing. They then sell any piece for a dollar and the proceeds go to the physically or mentally challenged members of the community, who man, clean, and operate the store.

I think it's the best deal ever. The concept is truly nifty, saves landfill space, attracts lots of bargain-hunters, (I found a blue Tommy Hillfiger sweater, with the tag still on--the one I am wearing in the pic! I wear it all the time!), and helps provide livelihood for those with cerebral palsy, mental retardation, or just plain wheel-chair bound. In fact, the cashier was the friendliest I have met. She is always smiling and she is likes being asked.



Check out my friend's Harry S., article about it in the Antioch Press.

Y. Syrel had a ball, fishing out clothes for a dollar. She bought a bag full for her relatives in Bacolod, and spent just $12.



I discovered cuddly teddy bears for 50 cents. Gently used and nice and clean, these I will send to Bearsfor Bicol for their February shipment, along with the other bears I have been collecting from the Fil-Am community here.



Nifty As Is has hooked us as regular customers. A level above ukay-ukay in Philippines, even above Salvation Army and Goodwill, Nifty is the greatest deal in town!

Frugal in the City

My in-laws came to visit us in SFO. We got to stay with them at Parc Hotel, smack in the middle of Market St., across Nordstrom, Gap, Forever 21, and the cable car boarding station. They rented a room for all of us and we got to spend after Christmas in the city. This is also a good time for post-Xmas sales and pre-New Year sales, with every store offering up to 75% mark-downs.



I also marveled at the new Westfield Mall, home to Bloomingdales, opened in SfO just a few months ago. Wonderfully designed building, with winding escalators. But the mall was just too full for comfort (because of the mega sales), I couldn't even begin to look at things. I tried to check out the coat I needed, and saw some interesting ones in BEbe ($120) but I guess, not today. . .




Market Street, though, is interesting with unique finds on the sidewalk. There were the usual exotic earrings and jewelry, scarves and bonnets. But I met an artist (fond of Filipinas--"You are all beautiful!" he said.) who made charms out of spoons. He decoupaged style icons like Jackie O., Bruce Lee, or even Mao Tse Tung, Elvis, even Disney Princesses on spoons and added beads or charms and looped them into a string for an instant necklace, all for $5.



I also found the Korean woman who crocheted her wares on the spot--bonnets ($10), floral scarves ($18) and attachable crochet flowers (3 for $5) in all colors. It took a lot of will not to buy those cute flowers as I convinced myself that I could make those myself. Isn't this every crafter's dream--to sell her wares?



In Old Navy, I got a fur-lined vest in beige by--from $34, on sale at $16. I like the way it feels plush and the way it slims my upper torso. I also bought hoop earrings studded with black tiny rhinestones from $12, which I will wear when I have to look dressed.

Shooting pictures and window shopping were next. The trend for women seems to be baby-doll cut dresses and tops and empire waists. Sounds good to me because I have no waist and this cut sems flattering and feminine. Forever 21's specialty is modern fashion with an edge. The store also has very elaborate chandeliers for ambience and the cheapest accessories (bags from $20, costume jewelry from $4). And if my snapshots look like "snatch-shots," well, that's because they are. (I didn't know if photos were allowed to be taken).




Last stop for me was Sephora. Before getting drunk with all the designer fragrances, I started from the back-end of the store and found the Philosophy line of fragrance and skin care. Their fragrances were natural and fresh: Falling in Love, Pure Grace, Amazing Grace. Their skin care simple and straightforward. My husband treated me to a small bottle of Amazing Grace.





I realized this is why we chose to settle off San Francisco--the city is vibrant, but not as confusing and littered as New York. The weather is always nice and there are so many things to see. The people are a nice mix, lots of Asians. Food selections are endless. We grabbed clam chowder on sourdough for lunch at Fisherman's Wharf and ate in wonderful authentic Chinese and Vietnamese restos. We even convinced the in-laws to try Johnny Rockets for diner food and ambience. We did have room service a couple of times when they were too tired. (Yipee!)

Arguably, San Francisco has the best cuisine in the world as the immigrants surely brought with them the best of their culinary skills and the Coast allows us access to great seafood. Plus the fact that California is still basically agricultural, with a wine valley to boot, rounds out our place for food pleasures.

Locals never really venture out to the tourist areas. But we totally enjoyed all the sight-seeing and eating that lasted about a week. I never thought eating out everyday would tire us out. We were treated to dining out and movies worth the whole year--Rocky Balboa, Happy Feet and Night at the Museum (IMAX), and Pursuit of Happyness. It's time to go home to good ol' Antioch, though.

We were just as excited to come home to good ol' homecooking of sinigang and corned beef and egg for dinner when we got home. . .Yum!

Our Frugal Christmas Tree

In the Philippines, we had a taller tree, with coordinated decor and accessories from the export overruns we source from the VV Soliven building.

Here in the States, the tree of choice in a perfect world is a fresh one. My Tita Lou had a 15 ft fresh tree with long pine needles last year. And it was grand, decked out with reds and golds and the loveliest pine smell.

Back to reality, we have opted to buy a small 6-ft plastic tree, complete with 1000 lights last year, for $9.99. I scoured dollar stores and craft stores for some close-out decor. Out cute tree is so small, that when our family comes infront for a group picture, you can hardly see the tree!

This year, our tiny tree seems fuller, with more personality, regardless of its size. I get comments from my friends about how cute our tree is, devoid of sophistication, but full of life. "You can almost hear your kids' laughter," said my friend. (That's also because cute tree is also made photogenic by creative angles and slow shutter speed causes the sparkles! Thanks to my friend Rikky A. who taught me how to do this).

Since our theme is whimsical toyland, all the small stuffed toys of my kids went up there. We also got a white elephant present last year of carousel animal decorations that blended nicely with the theme. My kids love carousels! In Salvation Army, I got a bunch of wooden toys for $1. And in an interview I did with a former teacher, she handed me a box full of wooden toys--for free. She was even glad she found them a "good home," she said.



I also gathered my kids' arts and crafts to put on. My favorite is the popsicle frame my youngest and I put together (decked out in beads) in her free preschool class. We put a picture of them in there, and look, it makes one of the best decor in the tree!




The most expensive accessory on this tree is the ice-cube snowman that changes colors for $3.99 but it was worth it as it is the kids' favorite as they remain fascinated with the LED bulb that changes from green, to pink, to orange, to red. . .



It is hard to find a belen here, or a parol. And the Christmas traditions my children will remember will different from mine. We won't be able to join my other relatives in my lola's house and I have lost my chance to attend Simbang Gabi. Here, Christmas Day means brunch and opening the gifts--less stressful than Manila's frenzy of dinners and Christmas parties. Different, a bit lonely, but a chance to catch your breath.

I like grand Christmas trees and I hope we can buy a bigger one, or a fresh one next year. In the meantime, our frugal Christmas tree is just as beautiful to me.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Don't forget the Spirit. . .

A Frugal Vacation

My husband chanced upon a free hotel voucher from his cousin. So we took off for Seascape Resort in Santa Cruz.

Since the key word was FREE, we were overjoyed by this manna from heaven that befell us: a vacation to recharge and reconnect. We decided not to bring the kids and take advantage of this bonus.

The suite was charming, with a stocked kitchen, living/dining room, and with a view of (hold your breath!) the Pacific Ocean. At night, we fell asleep to the sound of powerful waves. In the morning, we woke up to the smell of the ocean and the most crisp day filled with sunshine.




Our luxury of choice was time. I tried to catch up on reading a novel but fell asleep again. So we lazed around until noon and ventured towards lunch. I wanted to be smart about spending for lunch because my husband was planning a real dinner in a real bistro. So we gawked at the soup and salad bar, cheese selection, and sandwich deli at Gourmet Food--a specialty grocery store/deli. We bought a tub of New England Clam Chowder $2, split a Lucky Seven sandwich(with layers of ham, cheese, and pesto) $7, Ghirardelli chocolate blocks, and Iced Tea. Total cost: $12 for two.









We drove to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk--a carnival by the ocean, lined by beach-volleyball and strollers. Sounds romantic but we came from California Adventure last year, where they have a glorified replica of the Boardwalk, that well, is a better version.




Refusing to be frugal the whole day, my husband's more upscale appetite led us to Bittersweet Bisto. He enjoyed his cod thoroughly and promised to move to Santa Cruz. I was happily twirling my Pasta with meatballs (only because it was a specialty of the house). Yum!

The next day, we had to debate whether we would toast our baon bagels with cream cheese again. Since we were on vacation mode, we explored the Brunch Buffet of the resort with no contest. And at $20 per head, we ate what we could to tide us all the way to dinner. Considering it was the only meal for the day, I think we did well. . .

I combed a couple of antique shops (got a 40-year old divider screen for $10) while my husband checked out the boats at the nearby marina. And then we took the scenic route home. That was 2 more hours of road trip, filled with conversations between 2 people, not 2 parents!

But what we really gained from the vacation is the connection, the energy, the clarity to get back to the routine that can really dull the mind and spirit. I felt like we went on retreat because it has been a long time since we took a vacation without the kids. We were able to talk about deeper stuff about ourselves, our dreams, our fears. I realized my husband's strengths all over again. I re-confirmed his kindness, his generosity, and his sense of humor.

Watching the sunset made us miss their vacation house in La Union--the one we took for granted. Sleeping late was a luxury I can almost never afford. And when we came back, the room was clean, the beds were made.

The best vacations are those that give you back your strength, your purpose, your resolve. And so regardless of the free price tag on the suite, what we took with us when it was time to go was simply priceless.

I urge my mom to take her promised trip (with me!) to Lourdes! And for anyone caught in the dull routine of life, please. . .take a vacation!

Trigger Happy

More picture posts from an experimenting and frugal photographer. (I keep reminding myself to take as many pictures--look, no film!):

Columbian jewelry made from seeds, nuts, shells, and tagua nut found in the Amazon jungle

Experimenting with my former wide-angle lens



Of course, tomatoes from the garden . . .


Wines from local vineyards around Brentwood

Happy, happy, picture-perfect day!