twas thisclose

((i'm not even sure if i'm supposed to write about this.))

it all started with this piece of drawing.



and things blew into unknown proportions...



it's weird how you're stuck right in the middle of a sticky sitch.
between your dear sister and a dearest friend...
you spoke your mind. thought about it for the umpteenth time.
but right beneath you, you know that it was the right thing to do.

and so you did it. and it reaped a whole bunch of unforeseen consequences.
it was more than you can chew. but it'd eat you up if you kept mum.

bothered for days. weeks even. and then you tried for a resolve.
tearful explanations of this and that. played 'damned' scenarios in your head.
thought of the worst case, heck, it can't be done. no way.
BUT thankful that things turned up, as everything was divulged.

was it worth it? at least you know, that what you have is real.
tested through fire. a gem of a friendship was catalyzed.

for what it's worth. i am deeply sorry, but you know that i just did what i had to do.

note: this was a done deal. things are waaaay beyond us. we're the 'bestest' of friends. and we definitely proved that. hug!
one more note: even when you say, it's business... it's hard to do it with friends. involved parties should always deem to be the bigger man, willing to understand so as not to hamper your friendship, on top of everything. that's what matters, come sundown. :)

(more than) grateful...

"i never realized sharing your blessings could move me to tears..."

my sisters and i agreed to give our cousin, ayii, a birthday treat. we've been craving for that good old italian meal at DonHen - it's been eons since our last dining experience, so we tagged them along and rekindled some gastronomic "memory". hitting two birds with one stone.

we were excited. our kid cousins were more elated. you can feel their jitters. and we all ate to our hearts' content. it warms my heart to see kuya botch giddy. ayii was overwhelmed for such a simple surprise. i guess any 5-year-old would feel that. strangers singing to her, sharing the joy of "adding" another year to her life. she couldn't speak. i thought she was going to cry...

to cut the long story short, we ended the day with huge smiles on our faces, and tummy-filled hoorahs! ^^ (ang sarap kumain kung sama-sama...)

the aftermath...
*never realized this simple treat had a huge impact on ayii's life.
case in point: she bragged about the whole experience to my sweetie kax. and she gave a blow-by-blow. in a knowing manner. (awww. i could just imagine!) - wahahaha. that's a winner!
*...that, this too, had an impact on our tita lyra's life...
what goes around comes around. it was totally unexpected. she stepped upfront, one sunday at church. and shared how much they've been blessed - ayiii celebrated her (1st) party outside the family, how much our dear cousin's very grateful for the whole experience. yaddah yaddah.

then she started to shed a tear. this totally moved me.
i guess she's just so happy for us. how my sisters and i, chipped in, just so we could give ayii that sweet bday treat. everything still fresh from memory, i remember her mouthing these words, "i'm just so thankful for their generosity... they could've fed the whole "clan" with that treat..." - ohman, we were totally soaked. tears were flowing. a super awww-experience.

come to think of it, we really could've fed more than 9 people with that sum of money.
it did burn holes in our pockets. but it's all worth it, knowing that this could forever be part of ayiii's fondest childhood memories. :)

gives much more meaning to sharing. we're just returning the favor, tita lyra^^
(thanks, tito jojo! hindi rin namin makalimutan yung libro mo samin nung bata pa kami)
next time, kayo na ulit ang taya! mukhang kailangan munang mag-regroup ng finances namin. hahahahaha. >.<>

simple pero rock! ^^

something for a post celebration.
04.13.2008

my parents were out for FOUR full days.
THEY turned 25 last April 10th:)
and went away for their silver wedding anniversary...
(yes, it was great of them to leave their fab daughters behind:/)

so we conspired and gave them a hefty surprise.
well, it wasn't "GRAND". but we're pretty sure it did rock our parents' worlds.

a challenge. we tried to cook something up on a budget. literally.
worked with tons of creativity. EFFORT. and a whole lotta teamwork.
prepped a 5-course meal. from scratch. yup, from appetizers all the way to dessert!
twas a first for us three, and i tell you... it was hard to work in the kitchen with the three of us around (we almost fought and all. haha).

thank God everything came out smoothly. SUCCESS! :)
(tough luck, my cam broke down during THE day, so much for documentation)

every bead of sweat and every ounce of effort paid off.
our parents didn't realize we could do something like this. my mom didn't think we could cook this well... my dad thought it was pretty neat altogether "fine dining right there in our garden..."

i love my folks. i heart my sisters. i love my family... to pieces.

creds: thanks to my sister, Ross , for putting this vid together.

C'EST LA VIE: fifteen days and counting...

Bum-ber days and beyond...

this is the life. for now.
i'm spending my 15th day or about a couple of weeks++ of bumhood.
(FYI: got out of work last March 9th.)

yup, i said bye-bye to my hectic days at work, been at it for 2 years and plus plus months. and HELLLOOO to infinite hours of sleep. maxing my waking hours... "productively". how? hmmm. (1) by turning my brain into mush: spending endless hours on dvd marathon, and/or (2) catching up with series i've missed, alternating it with (3) meaningful time spent by hitting the books for my "literary" thirst. AND IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. i've pretty much (4) ate to my heart's content. (hello, weight gain?!? ohgahd, no!).... so much for "reflecting-slash-soul-searching" right there. yes, i so know what's running in your silly minds. i would definitely get my act together. just give me this month-long indulgence to keep my sanity. i'm sure you'd say, "she definitely needs this breather" if you know what i've been through. (overworked is an understatement.)

i'm so loving this.. and that's what counts come sundown...


and if it doesn't get any better. my fab bum-ber days are shared with "numerous" eaglets right there. nothing beats sweet time with mi familia! talk about purrr-fect timing. ^^

and yes, we're sort of rekindling our then-summer days. when we used to lounge at each other's houses. ransack the fridge of whatevers-left. talk endlessly about anything-under-the-sun. critique on the nitty-gritty details of our "favorite shows". then bade adieu. only to find ourselves do the same things the next day. and days after that...

simple as things are. i'm grateful that i'm given the chance to savor such a sweet time. and i thank God that He gave room for me to cope with QTT with my fab family. yes, i know how it feels to be a bum (right about now).. and it does seem so liberating. but this is so not going to be a permanent thing for me. promise.

creds: photos and the stories behind 'em.
above-> babysis, me, and mai sharing scoops of strawberry ice cream from tekie's stint. (yes, it's blurry)
then-> "sisters" living the life. we've never been this complete in ages! waiting for the "house" re-run. mai. babysis. midsy. lai. and tekie (poses?)

shoutouts to:
boinky, who shows up every now and then.
mikky, welcome to the club! taking the breather before medschool. ayos:D
boo and pampy for showing up once. do more than one okay?
so where in the world is... ram? (still in school? probably. or is just so stuck at home.)
do you guys still remember kakay? who the hell is she? oh snap, WHERE the hell is she pala?!?
how about our boys?

i heart my cousins... to pieces :*