Oh My Tomatoes!

I've been so engrossed with gardening lately. True enough, it is so gratifying specially if you are now harvesting the fruits of your labor . . . .

it all started with these baby tomato plants . . .

in a very short time, buds and flowers began to bloom . . .

flowers eventually turning into plump tomatoes . . .

and now we are enjoying

a daily harvest of fresh and crisp tomatoes!

Of Moon and Prayer

The moon was so radiating the past few nights. I couldn't help but say my prayer for its beauty and everything that God has bestowed on us:

We give you thanks, most gracious God,
for the beauty of earth and sky and sea;
for the richness of mountains, plains, and rivers;
for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers.
We praise you for these good gifts,
and pray that we may safeguard them for our posterity.
Grant that we may continue to grow
in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation,
to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer/Book of Divine Worship

Jinky's 2011 Top Emerging Influential Blogs

My entry to last year's Search for the Top Ten Emerging Influential Blogs made me $100 richer. Sana maulit muli he he he :-D

For this year's search for Top Ten Emerging Influential Blogs Writing Project, here are my choices:

Eat’s Terrific
need I say more? one of the best bloggers in the whole universe
a blogger with a very big heart and I miss him so much!

Bookworm of Gensan
a blog of a very smart and intelligent person I idolized, miss him too!

Kikay Much - a blog of a 100% certified fashionista!

Mother’s Instincts - a blog of my co-public servant ... a must read blog for all moms out there!

I Am Ariel Lalisan - a blog of a person na sobrang lalim! hats off to you, sir!

Pinay Travelogue - a blog you won't get tired of reading over and over again!

General Joana – again, a must read blog! reading her posts would make you conclude, gosh, this girl is so intelligent!

Libotero – if you want to smile, visit this blog!

Markable Me - a blog of a very promising, young lad! and

last but not the least, my very own

Jinky’s Kitchen World – my food blog. This blog is very me. It features simple and affordable but yummy recipes.

BIG thanks to the following partners of Ms. Janette Toral: Cyber Monday Deals, TRIbeca Private Residences, How To Videos, Palawan Beaches for Sale, Green and Natural Lubes Philippines, Philippine data center, Philippine online shopping, Singapore Jobs, and Pinoy Party Food.

My T4th Birthday

I celebrated my ___4th birthday yesterday. It was a day with lots of realization for me.

I left my previous age with several heartbreaking events and several worth remembering dates.

• I started my day yesterday with a solemn prayer inside the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish church.
• As usual, a busy day in the Office but still I had the chance to do some reflections.

I have been telling everybody that I have moved on after what had happened to my brother,Allan, and a dear cousin, Alice. Truth of the matter is I haven't yet. My heart is still broken and I still have once in a while that empty feeling inside of me.

But the outpouring love and concern I received yesterday made me realize that there is no reason for me to be still living in a bad dream. Many people care for me and they do deserve to be taken cared of also. You are worth my while and for the times I have forgotten you, my apology.

My day ended with a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to our Lord almighty for the infinite love and all the graces he has bestowed on me.

To you, my friends and loved ones, you are the reason why I have this very thankful heart now. I am moving on, definitely, because of you....
thank you very much!

A Repost : The Eden Project

I saw this morning my tomato plants starting to bear fruits and upon opening my e-mail I saw this piece sent by a friend (tnx, Ms. Vivian!) and I find it so timely and very much worth sharing. . .

“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4

In Cornwall , England , you can visit a place called “The Eden Project.” The Eden Project attempted to build the perfect environment in which plants and trees could flourish. Obviously named for the Garden of Eden, this collection of “biomes,” huge domes, provides a tightly monitored atmosphere with a perfect temperature range and humidity. There are no insects and there is no pollution. What more could a tree want?

But there was a problem.

After this wonder of science was built, the scientists on the project noticed something strange. The leaves on the big trees were beginning to wilt and the branches were starting to droop. Puzzled, they consulted a tree expert. After studying the situation, he reported, “Your problem is that there is no wind in the environment. It’s the wind that pushes and moves the tree fibers forcing the nutrients and moisture to be drawn up from the ground. Trees need the stress of the wind or they won’t thrive!”

How much is that like our lives? A lot!

Given a choice, we would construct our own little “Eden Project” around our homes, our families, our dreams, and our futures. In our bubble, we would have just the right emotional climate—a controlled and restricted atmosphere where we could click the delete button keeping out unwanted news and pain. Trouble would be carefully filtered before it could reach us, keeping us well protected from the “pollution” of suffering and heartache. In our dream world, we would no doubt think that designing this stress-free environment would provide a spiritual climate in which we could thrive!

Right? Well, not really.

James points out that our lives need a little “wind” if we are going to grow and mature. In fact, we are called to choose an attitude of joy in the face of life’s storms, trusting by faith that God is going to use them to help us grow. James says that the trials you and I face, whatever shape they take, test our faith. They are there to reveal whether or not we really believe the things we say we believe on Sunday mornings at church.

As your faith holds, strong perseverance—your ability to “hang in there”—enables you to stay faithful and steady in the face of the divine storm. And, as you patiently stay under the stress of the “wind,” God will make you “complete, not lacking anything.”

It’s the wind of life that stretches and presses the spiritual fibers of your heart to bring nourishment and vitality to your soul.

“Strength for the Journey”

WB Journal

A Race with Alcris

I had a great time with Alcris, the young son of my late brother Allan, last Sunday morning. We found a nice place to jog on. It was on top of mounds of sands inside the resort premises.

I've been missing my brother a lot and the quality time I had with his son somehow compensated for the longing in my heart. . .

small steps racing. . .

am ahead of you . . . eat my dust :-D

the winners!

gratifying feeling. . .
feeling of contentment and peace abound. . . .

Miss you, dear bro!

My eyes are green with veggies

Gardening, aside from cooking, keeps me busy nowadays. Enemy bugs are now my friends :-D (Tnx to Mam Ding and Sir Nick!). I realized that organic farming is not that hard after all. All I need is a little help from friends who know about gardening.
Now I know that we can eliminate small pests with a mixture of water and dishwashing liquid.
Plants as they grow need support (just like us...) they need water, sunlight, tender loving care and most of all, they need us to to keep watch over them.

Everyday I am surrounded by greens and frankly, I'm loving it!

holy basil (if you care for some basil tea,
please feel free to drop by our simple abode :-D)

plastic twines being readied for the string beans

the bitter gourds (ampalaya) on a race to the top of the bamboo stick :-D