Grace @ MindSay

Yeesh, I feel like it's been a year since I last blogged. It really hasn't, but I have just been so crazy-ass busy, it seems like it. Therefore, I am blogging all the things I wanted to blog about in this one blog. All of them. This will be loooooong. I am warning you in advance, in case you're super busy, you might want to stop back later.

 

Okay, here we go.

 

We'll begin with Friday, January 2. My Alabama cousins and aunt traveled from Tuscaloosa to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl. Their beloved Tide were in the game versus Utah. As for the game itself....well, let's just gloss over that. But they were out a-drinkin' in the Coco Club on Bourbon Street and I think they got a little silly:

 

                            

 

There's Mike in a great hat!                            And Sara....who is apparently now a shriner.

 

So it looks like the trip was a good time, even if the game was--oops, forgot we weren't mentioning that!

 

Moving on.

 

Saturday, my friend Kelly came over in the afternoon to take knitting lessons from my mom. I had called Kel the night before and pretty much begged her to bring the kids. She left Victoria at home napping, but she did bring Christian for me to play with. We had an absolute blast, my sister Emily was there and got to meet him and I fed him his first contraband Candy Cane.

 

       

Playing with Emmy--he seemed to be fascinated. Eating a snack with Kaye.

 

     

Giving kisses to mommy.  And sitting on my lap eating the candy cane, he was trying to watch himself eat it, like he just couldn't believe he got to do this.

 

And this is probably my favorite pic of all....he is delirious over the just finished candy cane and you can see how green his face is after eating it (it was pear flavored and green, not peppermint).

 

Then, Saturday night, I saw Kelly, again as I met her and Mark for drinks. I also had Emily and Chad come with, and her brother Wayne and his wife Cassie were there as well. We were a jolly group out in the midst of some terrible, icy, weather. But it was a great time. One of the highlights of my evening (other than beating Mark at trivia) was the very end as we were getting ready to go. Kelly, who is a very hard working mother, in addition to being a full-time teacher, and she doesn't get out that often. Because of that, she sometimes gets a little, well, loopy is the kindest word for it, when we go out. She was cuddling up to me and falling asleep at the table, so we decided to call it a night. Everyone got up and got ready to leave....and then we had to wait. Kel had a wee bit of difficulty putting her coat on. It was hysterically funny. And I've got pictures! Man, she is going to love me for this:

 

She picked up her coat and seemed to have trouble telling which way was up. So she began to struggle....

 

...and here it looks like she's got it! But, alas, something went wrong with the system and her arm got stuck in the hood and she had to start over.

 

Now, Mark has decided to help and leans across the table to straighten her out. But, she shakes him off, because she knows she can do it herself. At that moment, around the chuckling, she really reminded me of her 2 1/2 year old daughter, Victoria.

 

Still having a bit of trouble, but she finally got Mark to leave her alone. Such a struggle, I would imagine after a battle like this (this has been several minutes at this point) she would probably be pretty tired....

 

...looks like I'm right! After finally getting the jacket on, she felt she deserved a little nap as a reward. And thus completed my evening with laughter. Thanks, Kel, you're such a good time! (Seriously, Kel, this was nearly funnier than the dance video....which lucky for you is stuck inside my phone!)

 

And so we move on to Sunday.

 

I headed back to work at Hamline, after a two week hiatus. Yes, it is nice to be off over the holidays, but I did still have to work my other job and I wasn't being paid while I was off. So, it isn't as great as it sounds. But I managed to squeeze a ton of fun into those two weeks, as you could see if you've read my blog with any regularity. So I worked until 4 and then headed home to my final Christmas of the season, with my nephew, Simon. We didn't get to see him the week after Xmas, so we were all pretty excited. Plus, it was our first ever Xmas with him.

 

Here he is digging in to the pile of presents. He started with the Cabbage Patch doll I bought him. Which he doesn't seem to like much, but he still likes it more than his dad (who is the guy looking on...my brother Nick) who made fun of me for buying a doll for a boy. I think Simon will grow to like it, and besides, it is good for kids to play with dolls, even boys.

 

He is quite the little multitasker, as he was sitting with grandma, playing with the new puzzles Santa brought him, when he picked up a ball and started a game of catch with his Uncle Zack (the gray blob on the right), but he still made time for me when I pointed the camera at him. A new trick, by the way, two weeks ago, he would turn away from me when I pointed a camera at him, for sure he wouldn't smile, but suddenly, he is just mugging it up.

 

I was keeping an eye on him for a bit, and he was playing with the stuff on one of grandma's tables when he took a moment to stop and check out the haps with the Vikes game. They lost.

 

Caught him! He figured out that by pushing the step stool over to the counter, he could reach the candy bowl. And here he is, with his little fingers in the bowl, snatching candy (this was after he was told that he had had enough!).

 

This was the closest he came to sitting still during his visit (you'll notice the blurry hands....he was still a bit in motion) so I snapped a quick portrait. But he wouldn't smile. Little bugger.

 

And that wraps up what was only one weekend. Yowza. And then, today, I found a little gift in my email. My friend Elena sent me a new snapshot of her baby niece, Grace.

 

Here is little Gracie, wearing a darling "I heart my auntie" onesie. She is a cutie! It is nice of her to drop by.

 

Last but not least, I have a non-photo related topic to mention. (Can you tell how much I love my new camera phone?)

 

I was watching t.v. today, just idly flipping channels. With absolutely nothing on (daytime t.v. SUCKS!) I headed for my old standby....GAC. If you're not in the know, it is the country music video channel. I don't watch it, because their programming is pretty terrible, but when they're showing videos, which is more frequently during the day than at night, I enjoy it. So I flip to it and there is a video playing. First off, it was a song that I have never heard before. That is weird enough, but I didn't know who was singing it either. Didn't recognize the voice at all. I was going to move on, because the song was terrible but at that moment, they showed a close-up of the singer. And it was......(c'mon, you had to figure I was going somewhere with this, didn't you?)..........Kevin Costner! Hand-to-God, Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves, Field of Dreams, Bull Durham) is now a country singer. Movie actor-turned-country singer, I guess.

 

Am I out of the loop or something?

 

Did I miss the transition? The media alert. I don't think so (well, I did find that ONE article). So, I actually sat through that whole video (mostly dealing with NASCAR....yuck) and that whole song--really, really bad--just to see if the credits would explain. Maybe it was for a movie, or a charity, or as a duet with someone; only to find out that apparently he, Kevin Costner, has an entire CD out!

 

Wow. All I can say is wow. Wait, no, I thought of something better than wow.

 

Why? Seriously, Kevin, what were you thinking? Make another baseball movie, those seem to work well for you, anything but this.

 

Okay, I think that just about catches me up on the blogging. I know it was long, but for those of you who hung in there until the end....good for you! You should be very proud of yourselves.

 

As for me, after about 3 hours of composing this message (well, I was working, too) I am ready to file it away. Thus, for me, the holidays are officially over. Welcome to the new year.

 

 

I thought I would repost my poetry, since a lot of you may not have read it.  I didn't even realize I had this one or I would have reposted it at Thanksgiving, so I will start with it.  Hope you enjoy. Please comment!

thanks

 

 

tree of life, you sustain me

 

haven of rest, I adore thee

 

all in all, you free me

 

nothing in my search could have told me, how

 

knowing you now, would console me, and

 

stillness and peace both enfold me

 

  thanks

bonnie, thanksgiving 2006

about Ms. GRACE ANN CUSTODIO

about Ms. GRACE ANN CUSTODIO

short description/story about APPLE.. lol

GRACE ANN CUSTODIO (you can call her Grace,

Apple and Mansanas)paano nga ba yun?? hmmm..

Ayun naalala ko na, first heard her name kay MILLIE

nung kinakamusta ko drama guild sa kanya nung

june o july ata yun?? Meron daw bagong thespian na

magaling mag act at may experience na sa theater

so sabi ko "ok sana ma meet ko soon..." Una kong

bisita sa Drama Guild, thursday yun if i'm not

mistaken ok naman yung mga thespians, nandun si ELTON pero wala

pa si MILLIE, tapos nung dumating na si MILLIE kasama ni KENJO nakipagkwentuhan

ako sa kanila maya maya dumating si JEDD at RALPH nangangamusta. lol eh naalala

ko nung umaga nagkita kami tapos mga bandang 9pm nakita ko si Jhoy me kasamang

girl, binulungan ako ni millie cya yung GRACE, so ako parang ahhh siya pala (LATE!!)

tapos pinakilala cya sa akin ni JHOY, akala ko nung una Staff ng SM kasi galing

daw sila SA knowing Jhoy na tga SM, tapos akala ko old student na si APPLE naisip

ko pa na siguro FA (fine arts lol) to tapos nalaman ko ND (Nutrition) na freshmen lol

i was like REALLY?!? sa utak ko naglalaro na di cya mukhang freshman lol considering

may pinsan akong freshman anywei nagkwentuhan kami (ako, kENJO,JHOY at c APPLE)

aboutsa ZTE (LOL pati problema ng bayan pinagusapan LOL!!) tapos ginather na sila ni

ELTON sumama na ako, may "project" that time ang drama guild na "performance poetry"

(cool!!)niyaya ako ni ELTON sumali, sabi ko muna pagiisipan ko muna. NUng next meeting

Drama guild sunday yun, wala si ELTON c MILLIE late pa. lol 7 ata ako dumating nun nandun

na si CHARITY, si SESS pati si APPLE, kinukwento ata nun ni SESS na lagi akong nag g

GM sa globe. LOL (FLOODER ng mga quotes!!!) nagexchange kmi ng numbers ni APPLE

tapos nakakwentuhan ko na ata siya nung the following meeting ng Drama guild (nde ko alam

kng tuesday o thursday) tpos nakatext ko na siya ng thurday at friday ata. lol..

nde na ata short to.. wala pang 1/4 lol. anywei fast forward tyo. sumali akos sa

performance poetry ng Drama Guild (LAKAS!!!) hehehe hirap ng nka base sa AUP tpos sa

Unilever napasok lol. hehehe.. may program ata sa aup noong sumunod na nagkasama kmi

actually i me meet ko yung friend ko, c AIZ FIRMANTE, balak nmin magkwentuhan pero

eh ang nangyari me nagpapaturo sa kanya ng math hehehe luckily dumating c APPLE ang

layo pa lang may sigaw na "KUYA GEMMMMMM" eh diba malabo mata ko nde ko pinansin

baka kasi nde ako. lol!!! ayun c APPLE nga kilala nya si ROCHELLE, kapatid ni AIZ

classmate daw nya pati si JADE kilala nya din, ayun nanglibre ata c APPLE sa talipapa? tpos

afterwards nagkwentuhan kmi iniwan nmin sila LOL nagpunta kmi papuntang FOOD FAC dun

ko siya naumpisahan makilala, dami nyang kwento hehehe.. tpos umikot kmi pabalik sa

GATE papuntang ACADEMY pabalik ng GYM papuntang kubo napagod kami. hehehe...

tapos nandun sa kubo si ROCHELLE pti si JADE kwentuhan lang tpos dumating na si AIZ

pinag SAMPLE namin si APPLE ng piece nya pra sa "MOVING WORDS" (title ng

performance poetry ng drama guild) tpos mga bndang 2 naguwian na kmi tpos bumalik ng 3

pra sa practice ng Drama Guild.. anywei monday ata nun nagpunta kmi ni Apple sa balibago

ang main reason ko pagpunta ng Balibago ay ang pagkuha ng pera siya mamili ng food para

sa performance poetry at mag ukay ukay. lol ayun malufet dun sa ukay ukay may tig 5 pesos

na damit ASTIG!!! dun din pala nagka bible sharing kmi ni APPLE, her beliefs pti kung anu

ano, ayun after that bumalik na kami ng AUP tapos nagka problema pa sa BREAD

hehehe!!! dun ko unang nakitang umiyak c APPLE ayoko pa naman ng may umiiyak pero

thank GOD bumili ng burger at tubig si DAVO pra ma lessen ang pag iyak ni APPLE nde pa

kasi kmi naglulunch hehehehe... Thank God din kasi nakabili si ELTON sa allure ng BREAD

yun nga lng mahal.. hehehe... so ok na... nung araw ng performance poetry hahaha me mga

nangyari pa sa food nde ko na sasabihin kung ano. hehehe.. anywei ASTIG ang " THE

SPIDER and THE FLY" ni APPLE, hehehe LAKAS!!! SAMPLE!! SAMPLE!!! tapos pano ba

kami nagkasama ulet? ahhh si ROCHELLE nagpapaayos ng PC eh nandun si APPLE sa

kanila lunch time ata ako nagpunta dun pa ako talaga naglunch, luto daw ni APPLE yun,

masarap! nde k lng sinabi kasi la laki ang ulo (LOL!!!) dati kasi nagdala yun ng Spaghetti sa

meeting pinagkaguluhan nila, nde ko tinikman paubos na kasi kulang pa sa kanila. lol anywei

ayun naayos knti yng PC tpos the next week hehehe sira ulet... tsk tsk tsk, nagkataon n

nandun ulet c APPLE nde ko pa din totally naayos.. tpos friday ng gabi nun, as usual

nagpapahinga lang ako sa bahay biglang dumating c APPLE to make things easier PLEASE

READ MY BLOG ENTITLED "WEEKEND WITH ELTON AND GRACE") tapos nag end up na

magkakasama kmi nina ELTON at GRACE till sunday. eto yung link

( http://silentriver.multiply.com/journal/item/44/Weekend_with_ELTON_and_GRACE )

post ko na din... LOL!!!

 
(

Last friday vesper pinuntahan ako ni GRACE sa bahay kasama nya si ROCHELLE (sis ni aiz

firmante) patambay daw. LOL (halatang nde ako nagsisimba ng vesper LOLZ)  Hindi pwede kc

dito sa amin sa bahay nandito kasi ang uncle at auntie ko so we went kena JEDD,   nangulo

lang naman kami ng buhay ni JEDIDIAH LOL (kwentuhan at naki internet si GRASYA) eh

biglang umulan. DAMN! so imbes nakauwi agad si MANSANAS eh ayun na stack up kmi

kena JEDIDIAH...  Nung tumila na yung ulan we decided it was time to go home. (napilitan pa

nga eh) paglabas namin ng pintuan ni JEDD nkita namin yung anino ni ELTON sa kwarto

nya.. (shadow?!? hehehe) so tinawag namin mag hi hi lang sana kami tapos pinaaykat niya

kami. He was watching WILL and GRACE nung dumating kami. Chit chat for a while then

nagyaya siya na dun na lang si GRACE matulog (in short  nakisali lang ako hehehe..)  ayun

nag kwentuhan kami ng nakakatakot at kung ano anu pa nanonood  din ng kung anu ano..

(sila lang LOL) tapos ayun mag momorning na kami nakatulog hehehe.. then

 after a couple of hours umuwi muna ako nagpakita sa uncle took a bath went to church then

nagpnta  kena ELTON ayun tulog pa din. hehehe so i decided to crash ulet ke JEDD w/c is

gising na nung time na yun kwentuhan lang ulet tpos pumunta na ako kena ELTON ulet ayun

gising na sila kwentuhan after that we had lunch (coffee at pandesal hehehe) after a couple of

hours (sa amin na lang yung ibang nde pwede ikwento hehehe) we went to balibago ate some

kwek kwek na DAMN! TATLONG PISO NA!!! Grabe ang mahal na.. grrrrrr... nag ukay ukay for

a while then bought chicharon (sila lang kumain) went to sta rosa to eat goto,  lugaw,

arrozcaldo. hehehe then we went to GRACE's place ayun kakatuwa mga

 Grace met her ates, dad, mom and her lovely pamangkin. kung paano niya dinescribe cla

ganun talaga... (muntik ko ng makalimutan ARTISTAHIN c MANSANAS sa sta. rosa kung

san san kami napadpad na lugar laging may kakilala hehehe) nakinood ng tv till around 9

(movie na mgulo sa star movies then pinoy  idol tpos PDA/bitoy's at the same time) dun na

kami nag dinner  cool. sa jeep pabalik nakatulala  si GRACE, (sabi nya nakatitig lang daw

siya dun sa girl na katabi ni ELTON, SAMPLE!!!) tpos ayun  nung nakasakay na kmi ng jeep

pblik ng pk bumuhos yung ulan (medyo malakas..) then i went straight  sa bahay nagpaalam

na dun matutulog nag dala ng soya hehehe... nanghiram pala kami ng dvd kena

grace sadly madami ng kaskas yung dvd, mganda p naman sana yung silence of the lambs

tinry naming panoorin pero nka 1/4th lang kmi ni ELTON at tinulugan kmi ni GRACE. (x_x) so

we decided to sleep na din... tpos after a couple of hours later may nrinig akong nbasag dahil

sa kaantukan ko nde ko pinansin yun pala yung salamin ni ELTON nasipa ni GRACE hehehe

ayun nabasag yung isang side nun. hehehe nung umaga na ayun umuwi ako sandali, naglaba

then balik ulet dun kwentuhan ulet kumain ng breakfast, fita at corned beef hehehe then kmain

sila ng lunch sa WOODBRIDGE (ksabay ko kasi si JEDD  kumain kaya nde ako nakasama

hehehe) ayun afterwards binalak nming manood ng JUNO pero malas talaga

ayaw. hehehe.. ksabay ko umalis ng bahay nila ELTON si GRACE,

c GRACE nagpunta kena ROCHELLE ako kena JEDD... It was a fun filled weekend thnx

GRACE and ELTON... (n_n)



)



hehehe after that, monday di ko alam kung eto yng day na may sinabi ako ke APPLE

something about my health pero ang naalala ko gumala kami nun sa paseo eto po yng link ng

blog  pra d ko itype..

( http://silentriver.multiply.com/journal/item/45/AUP_DGs_destination_PASEO_8408 )

post ko na din. LOL!!


(

Hmmm.. It all started when GRACE and I (GEM) bumped into ELTON and DOTHY across the

hallway papuntang dsf.. Nagyaya sila papuntang PASEO. At first ayaw ni GRACE though

ganun she joined us.. We saw a tricyle at si mamang driver ay nagtanong "san kayo???" so

we said PASEO.. Ayun nakalabas kami ng AUP. (sa amin na lang yung ibang nde pwede

ikwento LOL) When we arrived sa PASEO we went to BPI, DOTHY withdrawed money from

her ATM. As we were waiting for it, ELTON thought of a PENGUIN WALKING RACE.

(cyempre kasali ako si DOTHY  at si GRACE) We raced at siyempre ako nanalo. LOL after

that we went to BLUE CORNER kumain kami ng CHICKEN  ni DOTHY at SISIG sina ELTON

at GRACE after eating nagikot ikot kami then ELTON suggested na we should go

to NATIONAL (NBS) but when we arrived there we saw the CAROUSEL hehehe

nakipagtawaran kay KUYA CAROUSEL (30 kc per person) eh wala namang kasing

sumasakay ayun pumayag 90, apat kami.. (see the videos sa video section) super saya kahit

na nakakahilo grabe. hehehe.. nakadalawang sakay kami dun sa carousel (meaning

2 times hehe pumayag si KUYA CAROUSEL hehe) yun after that we went to NBS and tried to

look/browse for books.  Pagkatapos we went straight(muntikan ng mag starbucks kaso may

exam c GRACE) sa jeep ayun sa jeep hyper pa  din kami. hehehe... pagdating ng AUP

bumaba ba si DOTHY at GRACE at kami ni ELTON sa tapat ng ALLURE... (n_n)

)


haayy. ang saya naging close na kami ni APPLE ewan ko bakit ganun, parang ang bilis ng lahat

tpos (eto na yung part na secret) hehehe... tawa na lang. may mga magrereact siguro.. wag

na lang... i'll try to define(pti ba naman dito programming pa din LOL!) her.

She's sweet, simple, maingay, makulet, maasikaso, mabait, maganda,(walang kokontra(x_x))

masarap magluto, iyaken (joke hehe), masarap kakwentuhan, masarap kasama, lahat na ta,

matakaw nu pa ba? magaling sa halos lahat ng bagay. SAMPLE!!! SAMPLE!!! i love her smile.

OHA! OHA! OHA!! miss ko na nga to... balita ko nanalo sa declamation... hands down...

lufet... minsan ko na nga lang makausap. hehehe.. ayos lang.. alam ko namang ok siya.

sige... yun lang naman.. till we meet again.. see yah around. ingat ka lagi mansanas.(n_n)

Love’s Grace

 

I marvel at the grace of love

at the astounding forgiveness it holds

at the happiness it brings

and the desires it unfolds!

 

I wonder at love’s desire

at the fineness of feelings bold

at the joy of redemption

and the depths to which it goes!

 

I behold the grace of love

at the astonishing magical repose

at the ecstasy of reciprocation

and the Power to which it knows!

 

The completeness of our being

is understood in terms of love

It’s this love that knows no bounds nor treaty

except to those it holds!

                                                                        TGM

 

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