This is the month of Christmas. If you have read a post I did on Christmas last year, you would know that I grew up listening to the Christmas songs of Alvin and the Chipmunks. I bought the cassette tape version of A Chipmunk Christmas and I listened to the storyline every night while I dozed off to my dreamland.
The story told of Alvin whom unselfishly gave his golden harmonica to a very ill boy, Tommy, in the hope that he would get better. Isn’t this the true spirit of Christmas? A time of giving to our family and friends and especially to strangers we have never met. And yes, I do agree that the spirit of giving should be all year long and not only during Christmas.
Last year what my friend and I had done are to pool some money to buy presents for the poor children in her community. We did not have a lot of money but she and her cousins managed to buy a lot of presents. They had a great time shopping and wrapping the presents. She told me that the children were really happy to receive all those presents. And that made me very happy too. However, sad to say I would not be able to do much of that this year. How about you, what would you be doing this Christmas?
If you have no idea, maybe you would like to be involved with this great ecookbook idea from Patricia Wisdom; her creative way of helping to spread word on UNICEF. Do hop over to take a look.
Since Thanksgiving is just a few days away. I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Let us remember to give thanks and to express our gratitudes to our family and friends. As Ella Wheeler Wilcox said,
“…blessings are like friends, I hold, who love and labor near us. We ought to raise our notes of praise while living hearts can hear us.”
It certainly makes more sense for us to give sincere appreciation to our family and friends while they are still around. Life can be really fragile and we are not always guaranteed of tomorrow. There is little room for regrets in life and we must generously lavish our family and friends with gratitude and thanks throughout the year. And perhaps, along the way, we can also reach out a helping hand to others who are in need too.
Besides expressing our gratitudes for our family and friends, we must also give thanks to the environment which has been providing unconditionally for us. And what would be a better way to give thanks to our environment than to protect it.
What are you thankful for this year? What would you be doing this Thanksgiving? Would you be doing anything special this year? Although I am not observing Thanksgiving here, it would be great to share your joy. Wishing you a Bless and Happy Thanksgiving week!
Thanksgiving by Edgar Albert Guest
Gettin’ together to smile an’ rejoice,
An’ eatin’ an’ laughin’ with folks of your choice;
An’ kissin’ the girls an’ declarin’ that they
Are growin’ more beautiful day after day;
Chattin’ an’ braggin’ a bit with the men,
Buildin’ the old family circle again;
Livin’ the wholesome an’ old-fashioned cheer,
Just for awhile at the end of the year.
Greetings fly fast as we crowd through the door
And under the old roof we gather once more
Just as we did when the youngsters were small;
Mother’s a little bit grayer, that’s all.
Father’s a little bit older, but still
Ready to romp an’ to laugh with a will.
Here we are back at the table again
Tellin’ our stories as women an’ men.
Bowed are our heads for a moment in prayer;
Oh, but we’re grateful an’ glad to be there.
Home from the east land an’ home from the west,
Home with the folks that are dearest an’ best.
Out of the sham of the cities afar
We’ve come for a time to be just what we are.
Here we can talk of ourselves an’ be frank,
Forgettin’ position an’ station an’ rank.
Give me the end of the year an’ its fun
When most of the plannin’ an’ toilin’ is done;
Bring all the wanderers home to the nest,
Let me sit down with the ones I love best,
Hear the old voices still ringin’ with song,
See the old faces unblemished by wrong,
See the old table with all of its chairs
An’ I’ll put soul in my Thanksgivin’ prayers.
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It has been an uneventful weekend for me and I hope that you have a good weekend there. However, I couldn’t say that for some of our Philippines friends who were badly hit by the tropical storm Ketsana (Ondoy) over the weekend.
According to a report from AFP, “At least 73 people were killed and more than 330,000 others displaced after the heaviest rain in more than four decades plunged the Philippine capital into turmoil…
The nine-hour deluge across Manila on Saturday submerged houses, washed away shanties and turned roads into raging rivers, forcing terrified residents to seek refuge on top of homes or cars where they waited for more than 24 hours.”
It is the worst extensive flooding that he has seen, according to Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro. The rainfall sets a record high of 41.6 centimetres (16 inches), over the previous single-day record of 33.4 centimetres in July 1967.
Philippine Red Cross chairwoman Gwendolyn Pang said rescuers were struggling to reach many areas, with highways rendered impassable.
“This has never happened before. Almost 80 percent of metropolitan Manila is underwater,” Pang told AFP.
For those of you who are reading this and want to make a donation whether in term of money or relief goods, you can do it through:
2. And if you are in the Philippines, you can also access this list for all the locations where you can drop off relief goods for people affected by Ketsana (Ondoy).
3. If you are in Cebu: Victory Cebu at 3/F Dacay Building, 72 Escario St., Cebu City. Operation: 10am - 6pm, Monday - Sunday.
4. If you are in Bacolod: Victory Bacolod at 3/L Robinsons Place - Bacolod. They are accepting donations in cash and relief goods (bread, “mamon” brownies, cookies/biscuits, juice, energy drink, bottled water, medication, clothing, slippers, blankets,etc.). Contact no. 441-0703.
Update:
The Filipino Association in Singapore (FAS) also announced that it is accepting donations in kind for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy. Donations may be dropped off at:
i-Remit Singapore announced that it will waive remittance charges for donations to the Philippine National Red Cross. Remittances to the Philippine National Red Cross may be sent through:
i-Remit Singapore
304 Orchard Road
#03-69 Lucky Plaza
Singapore 238863
LBC announced that it will waive remittance charges for donations made to the following organizations: ABS-CBN Foundation, GMA Foundation, Philippine National Red Cross, and the National Disaster Coordinating Center. Remittances to these organizations may be sent through:
LBC Singapore
304 Orchard Road
#04-77 Lucky Plaza
Singapore 238863
Wishing everyone a bless week ahead!
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Thank you Patricia from Subjective Soup for passing me some awards. It is truly my honour. Thank you and have a wonderful weekend.
Last week, a friend was talking to me about watching the Disney-Pixar’s movie UP and we were planning to watch it over the weekend but due to a slight miscommunication, we did not manage to catch it. Frankly speaking, I am not really a fan of animation these days but there was just something special about UP.
Around June, I read a story about Colby Curtin, a 10-year-old with a rare form of cancer, who was staying alive for one thing – Disney-Pixar’s UP. Over the weekend while catching up with my friends, we were talking about it and I was quite surprised that all 7 of them have not read or heard about the story of Colby. Then again, it may not be a surprise, knowing how much more time I am spending online then them. Have you read about the story?
“From the minute Colby saw the previews to the Disney-Pixar movie UP, she was desperate to see it. Colby had been diagnosed with vascular cancer about three years ago, said her mother, Lisa Curtin, and at the beginning of this month it became apparent that she would die soon and was too ill to be moved to a theater to see the film,” according to a news report in Orange County Register.
A family friend started to make cold-call to Pixar and Disney to see if someone could help. She guessed a name and the automated telephone answering system transferred her to someone who could help her. The message was received by Pixar officials, who agreed to send someone to Colby’s house the next day with a copy of UP for a private screening.
Colby’s mother, said she had asked her daughter if she could hang on until the movie arrived.
“I’m ready (to die), but I’m going to wait for the movie,” she said her daughter replied.
The Pixar’s employee arrived with the DVD, stuffed animals of characters and other movie memorabilia.
According to Orange County Register, “Colby couldn’t see the screen because the pain kept her eyes closed so her mother gave her a play-by-play of the film. At the end of the film, the mother asked if her daughter enjoyed the movie and Colby nodded yes, Lisa Curtin said.”
Colby died with her mom and dad nearby later that evening.
It was a sad but yet very heartwarming true story that could have happened somewhere near you. Sometimes we can be overwhelmed by all the negativities happening around us and bringing us down. It is story like this that set everything in the right track and renew our beliefs in the goodness in people. The strength of Colby Curtin had touched my heart and I hope it will touch yours too.
Disney-Pixar’s UP is one movie that both kids and adults can enjoy. There was a little girl about 3-4 years old sitting right in front of me during the movie and she was clapping and cheering throughout the movie; it truly thrilled me to see how happy she was.
There were subtle messages in the movie which I thought was pretty thought provoking. Sometimes in life, we may have to put a stop to our dreams temporary so that we can help others achieve their dreams. And eventually our own dreams too will come true.
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Special thanks to Becki from Harmony in Motion for passing me the Loyal Friend and Visitor Award.
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It has been an uneventful weekend for me and I hope that you have a good weekend there. However, I couldn’t say that for some of our Philippines friends who were badly hit by the tropical storm Ketsana (Ondoy) over the weekend.
Last week, a friend was talking to me about watching the Disney-Pixar’s movie UP and we were planning to watch it over the weekend but due to a slight miscommunication, we did not manage to catch it. Frankly speaking, I am not really a fan of animation these days but there was just something special about UP.
