MY VALENTINE....

 to know that you are part of something special. To know that you can feel what love really is, to know, to feel, to love...


This is how we celebrated the Hearts Day.


Saturday February 12, 2011
Ennis Leisure Complex                            

The family decided to spend time at the complex for an advance Valentine bonding. While Mommy Arsie, Sylvia, Fiona and Deidre are playing bowling at the other side, the babies with the Mommies,  Angel and (me) Tonie are  minding them. 

Liam's fun time in the pool of balls while mommy is sipping coffee at the nearby table. Mommies chatting away, kiddos playing. Everybody happy! :)

Liam is playing along with cousins, Sinead, Shannon and Aiofe. They had a great time throwing balls. No worries of bumping and stumbling which is such a relief.

Kyle and Francis joined in the fun,feeling like babies themselves. The babies got excited having them there. Goes to show, the more the merrier! Even I feel like diving in he he he. This play area is for under 3's. It is great  to be 3 again! ha ha ha.

Sinead with Mommy Angel moments. Sinead enjoyed being in the pen for awhile, but then started to cry... Mommy to the rescue! She enjoyed walking around the wide area more than in confined one, and there goes the pretty smile again...

Even though we haven't got the chance to take pics with the rest of the gang, all and all it was a great bonding time. Mommy Arsie said that Deidre plays bowling real well which is such a revelation. Fiona and Deidre have this love of the sport which is such a good thing. Sylvia along with Claire and the kiddos went to slide, climbed up and down. Fergal, Francis and Kyle played the arcade games. Surely being with kids makes you a kid again. Oh yeah Kevin, Sean and Bob stayed behind for needed break and rest. :D The last ones to leave, Angel and I tried the slot machines which is such pure fun! Got home, ordered take-away and dinner at Fergz. That sealed the advanced family valentine.

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Sunday, February 13, 2011

The family: Kev, Deidre, Kyle, Liam and I headed to Limerick City. 

We went to the famous Hunt Museum at the Custom House Limerick.The museum is the personal collection of the Hunt Family with 2,000 collection of art and antiquity. Periods of the past from the Stone Age to the twentieth century that came from ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece and Rome. The Hunt family generously donated their collection to the people of Ireland. Taking pictures was not allowed, hence the only photo from outside and visitor guide. 

For lunch we ate at Woking, our fave  chinese resto in O'Connell St. Limerick. The food is always good, reasonably priced, service is fast and i like the modern minimalist ambiance. Photos while waiting for the food.

Yummy food:Sweet and Sour Chicken with Chips, Pork in sweetened bbq sauce and Spicy Beef with veggies and boiled rice.

On the way home, just being silly. Had a great day with the family.

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The VDay: Monday, February 14, 2011

simple dinner: Jap soup , Penne pasta with garlic bread, chocolate fondue of bread sticks, marshmallows, apples and strawberries... and a bottle of West Cooler Rose' Wine.

Vday Pics:

Cadbury Chocolates, fondue and a glass of wine near the ( electric ) fireplace on a chilly night. :)

While I'm at it might as well take pics around the house. I want the Modern Asian minimalist theme. The living room stuff. I painted the brick red wall myself by the way. I love how the red wall compliments my stuff. Rich, romantic colours.

all in the living room: big black modern clock - fall sunrise painting - cherub mirror - tea lights - mirror on fireplace mantle

I love simple, modern, romantic, practical things. Mirror and the metal stand at the hallway - steps upstairs, and yes i have a big rosary - candle shelf - masks i bought in  Boracay Philippines - fake orchid :) a little drum i also got from Boracay and my Japanese lampshade

lounging around

Indeed it was a great weekend and Valentines day. Hope you had a grand time too.

R O M A N C E ISN'T D E A D . . .

Valentines is here again.. If you come too look around, malls and shops  are decorated with hearts and cupids... there are hamper of chocolates ,teddies,  fresh flowers and cards all to remind us of  hearts day...  
sigh, everything is red.

 A confessed romantic that I am, I'm  already  thinking of ways  on how to  spend it. To some people it is just an ordinary day. That I cannot argue with, maybe there are reasons why they feel that way and I respect that. But  that is just sad.  If I have my say that shouldn't be the case. In this fast paced world, we do need to feel a bit of romance once in awhile don't you think? The tingling feeling all over, the goosebumps, butterflies on our stomach. floating in the air sensation, blushing and giggling, that silly grin on our faces... the feeling we get out of it is just incredible!.. I just don't know about the guys.. do they have this sort of experience as well?

 It takes a skill to be romantic, it is not as easy as we may think. It is to prove beyond doubt how the person means to us as we go to an extent to show it. The feeling  doesn't always end up being reciprocated but still it is expressed.I believe being romantic is also a God given gift, either you have it or you don't.  But I do hope that you do and is willing to learn how  to. Just think about it, you would brighten. liven up somebody's life.

Why do you think romantic novels and films sell? Why do we love listening  to romantic songs? Why do we watch  our favorite romantic movies over and over? It is because of the natural high that we get from it. Imagine yourself giving that to someone, just by being romantic. You can never go wrong! We must take into consideration the  sincerity and intention, must come from the heart  and not for the sake of it.

One must be creative and original. Stop with the usual flowers and box of chocolates! If you do though, do it in style. You know you can do better than that. Add a little touch of your own, make it personalized, add an original poem maybe or anything that would make the gesture less ordinary. Think people! The reward is priceless I tell you. 

The right timing. Everything comes down to the perfect moment. What's more romantic than a walk in the woods. If you just look around there are loads of things that you could do to make the journey worth while. Just pick out a wild flower and hand it to the person and say..." Just because".  Just make sure that you are familiar with what's poisonous or not :) Now if you are not a forest kindda person why not a stroll at the beach... sunset as a backdrop, come face to face say how the sun compliments  his/her eyes.  If it doesn't work, that person is not worth your time ha ha. 

All you have to do is listen. If you are into a person it is given that you know his/her interests, faves, loves. It comes in your conversations, if you happen to listen or asked. Please ask, it shows that you care. :D Coming back from somewhere and now you are in the car, pop in the CD and there it goes his/her favorite song playing... sing with him/her. The most memorable  are being surprised by little things that you didn't know that he/she even remembered. 

Keep it simple. I don't know about people who gauge love and romance by the price tag. Well that works for them, not necessarily to all. I think the simpler, the more sincere and heartfelt. A note that says how much they are missed, cook for them, take time to say " i love you" at least once a day, turn off techie gadgets and have a mug of coffee or hot choco sit beside each other and talk... really talk. You'll never know what happens next ;)

Romance isn't dead... it is in our hearts... just dig deep. feel it... express it. One of the required ingredients of romance is your  time, it is just a matter of how you spend it.

Happy Hearts Day :D


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Photo: tungphoto
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1708

waiting for superman....

Was watching my daily doze of Oprah Show and Oprah's episode is about "Waiting for Superman" on the challenge about having a good education for our kids and our future.

The title itself  waiting for superman just hit me right there and then... because it does  not only apply to a specific topic but in general really.. was overloaded with thoughts that  i  want to blog.

Waiting for superman.

 Superman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon.

A Superhero.

Some point in  our lives, we waited and wished for a hero who will  rescue us from our pain, from the  situation we are in, to somehow change the course of the path we have taken.  In real life how funny it is to even believe there is such thing as a hero. Maybe out of desperation or need.

a young child walking miles and miles on  muddy road just to go to school... with no slippers on.

a person locking oneself in a bathroom stall  crying having been humiliated and bullied.

a party girl high on drugs trying to walk at the side of the street but end up sleeping at the gutter.

a mother  desperately trying  to figure out where to get food for her children.

a father overworked and underpaid managing to fit wage  for his family.

distraught, sobbing from a heartbreak a lover caused and no one to turned to.

the feeling of hopelessness.

being unloved.

alienation.

Human as we are, emotions can eat us up to the core no matter how strong you project yourself to the people around you, no matter how you pretend that you are OK, when in fact you are not. The wanting to be saved is a normal feeling when you are down . When you can't pick yourself up no matter how hard you try.

Where is Superman? 

As we do ask above for help and guidance, He answers prayers in such a  clever way we never thought would happen. Too clever sometimes that we miss it. If we just center what is important, what matters, maybe we will see  and feel it. We should know that sometimes the people who takes notice are our heroes. We never have to go far.

You may find this a bit heavy... but i just write what i feel in the moment... and what matters.

 This is what matters to me at this moment.

I hope you found your Superman.

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Fact: Wikipedia

Photo: Simon Howden

www.freedigitalphotos.net

f a l l i n g . . .

you heard it in the radio... seen in films.. read in  a book...discussed about it.
you felt.......you fought
you cried... you laughed

L O V E

Defined as a warm affection, a deep feeling of attraction.

It is a common topic to talk about, yet still very interesting. Even the coldest, hardest person must have felt it somehow in his/her lifetime.

But how can one truly define love?

Can we truly grasp its truest and deepest meaning? How can we differentiate it with infatuation or lust? Love is so vast and as deep  as the ocean, no matter how  far you go the mystery  remains untouched. 

Let  us try to get a better understanding.

The Greeks defined love in four categories:

1. Agape love is unconditional love. It is love by "choice" even if you are not pleased. A good example is "God loves us with our faults."

2. Philia love is the dispassionate virtuous love, guided by our likes or our healthy or unhealthy needs and desires.

3. Storge is the word for family love and the physical show of "affection", the need for physical touch. Sometimes the love between exceptional friends. 

4. Eros is the physical "sexual" desire, intercourse. It is the root word of erotic, and eroticism.

Now do you  know where you are? : )

Hold on, let's get Physical and Chemical.

Do you wonder why we get sweaty palms, shaky knees and general restlessness? No I'm not talking about  hunger, drug or health issues here  :) ... it is the common symptoms of love... caused by a natural chemical called Phenylethylamine ( hard to pronounce isn't  it? ) well commonly called as  the `love molecule'. It is release from the brain can be triggered from  simple actions like the meeting of the eyes or touching of the hands. Heady emotions, racing pulses and heavy breathing results, and all these are (unfortunately) clinically explained as an overdose of this chemical. A very interesting thing is that chocolate is known to have very high level of this chemical…perhaps that’s the reason why it is considered a perfect gift. (take note people).

Infatuation - this is supposedly the first stage of love.. an unbearable attraction towards someone.  The combination of natural chemicals along with adrenalin makes our world go round, our eyes sparkle and our heart beat faster. Our entire existence then depends on the sight of the person who triggered these reactions to begin with, and as the addiction to the chemical grows stronger, our attraction becomes greater. At this stage we commit foolish mistakes, where the puppy love stories came about.

When infatuation subsides, another chemical takes over, which is responsible for intimate relationships. These chemicals are created by endorphins. They make a relationship steadier, intimate, dependable, warm and a great sharing experience. They do not induce a giddy high, but calmness and stability…hence are the reason why people stay married. The longer they are married, the longer two people stay together, because this chemical is addictive. It is endorphins that trigger grief on a spouse’s death or long separation, those yearnings for togetherness. 

The two types of attachments can be summed up as follows…Adrenaline Love is being in love with the idea of being in love . While Endorphins, we like loving someone.

Hmm now we know why : )

There  are some of humorous signs when someone is falling in love. They vary, of course, from person to person and woman to man. In general they are easy to spot and hilarious to witness.

1. The Dreamy Gaze:

 For men the dreamy gaze is virtually unblinking. As men need to blink far less than women they tend to look like crazed stalkers which may be disturbing to  some. For women they tend to gaze blinking often and slowly giving them a fluttering/ batting eyelashes look.

2. The Goofy Grin:

 Men will make utter fools of themselves when falling in love, and the goofy grin that comes over their faces when they get their lady love to laugh for the first time is priceless to witness. In women it is more like an expression of total rapture. Their skin glows, their eyes sparkle, pupils dilate and they smile ever-so-sweetly, completely unaware how becoming love looks on them.

3.The Breathless Dizzies: 

Remember to breathe, people, especially when finding love. It's rather important, yet it's the one thing we all seem to forget to do when love is in the air. You'd think Cupid was sucking all the oxygen out of the room just to make us dizzy, but it really is us just forgetting to use our lungs.

4.The Nervous Twitch:

 Even the most confident among us have come down with bouts of nerves when we are falling in love. We get jittery, our palms sweat, hearts quicken and clothing somehow feels uncomfortably warm and too snug and all because we really are starting to like that person across the way. We long to be close to them and yet are scared, too.

5.The Perfect Posture is a Sign of Someone Falling in Love:

 Nothing improves posture as well as a good dose of love. Men stand up straighter, chest out, stomach in, shoulders back, head held high. Throw in a drill Sergeant, and they'd be ready for the Marines. Women too throw their chest out, their shoulders down and back unconsciously throwing their curves into better silhouette, but they tend to lean forward as if unwilling to miss one syllable from their guy's lips and to get closer. An eager female is so becoming to a man.

6.The Taciturn/Chatterbox: 

Men may speak more or less than usual when the love bug bites. Women aimlessly chatter or sit in mute fascination listening to every boring word spewing from their guy.

7.The Twisted Tongue: 

 when love strikes.

This is why we fall and how we fall in love. Then again it  is an experience that does not happen everyday , you can love someone but you are not in love with them, so if you happen to find someone to fall in love with , then you are lucky to have experience the feeling of falling in love. 

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Facts:
Wikipedia
Kanika Goswami/buzzle.com
Glory Lennon/life123.com

Photo:
Graur Razvan Ionut
www.freedigitalphotos.net