THANKFUL

my dad attended the 9AM service at pioneer with me yesterday.



yes. i have been praying for this for two years.
(or more i think.)

"believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved--
you and your household."
- acts 16:31

God answers prayers.
from the littlest to the biggest ones.
from a simple chocolate craving to my family's salvation.

wow. i am just blown away.
i'm trying to be coherent
cos there is so much i want to say.
(true to form, my eyes are getting sweaty)

but i rest in the fact that
God loves me
and he loves my family.

oh, i know, it doesn't end here...
rather, it's just the beginning

thank you, Lord.

three things to be thankful for this year

i missed last night's leadership group @ pio. they were asked the top three things that they were thankful for in 2008. harry blogged about his list here.

i was thinking abt blogging this for a couple days now, but there are just tooooo many things to be thankful for, and narrowing it down to three would be quite a daunting task. somehow i managed. hahaha

so, without further ado...i am thankful for:

1. ...the learning process. this year, i learned--and am still learning--about God, life, love, relationships, myself. it was way different from the things that i learned the past few years. pretty much everything ain't all that it's cracked up to be.  i also am learning how to cook, how to bake, how to handle money God's way, how to appreciate children, among other things.

2. ...blessings. and there are so many. as in. there are a lot of them. i repeat myself too much. but yeah. the list would go on if i enumerated them. minsan kasi, akala natin wala, pero meron talaga. right perspective lang. diba?

3. ...being part of the youth ministry. don't know what else to say... haha naks! i think this topic deserves another blog.

so there. the three things that i am thankful for this year.

how about you? what's on your list?

thanksgiving thursday, music, and randomness

today is thanksgiving day in the US, which means no work for me tonight. after three and a half hours of sleep, i've spent the whole morning eating oatmeal, listening to umbrella on repeat, reading blogs, and laughing out loud (at the blogs).

okay, i'm turning off umbrella now. ella ella ella ella...

i'm sure by now you've heard the filipino rendition of this song (payong ayong ayong ayong?) funny but it didn't last quite long as much as i would've liked.

okay. i digressed. i've digressed a lot already. haha. maybe i should go back to sleep.

trip down memory lane

makes me feel like i was twelve years old again! bwahaha

Tuna Pasta Remix

Description:
It's still the same Tuna Pasta recipe, but with a slight twist! =)

I borrowed some of the "processes" from Iris, and they are worth trying out for yourself!

Ingredients:
* Half a bag of Safoco twirly vegetable pasta -- or any pasta you'd want, really
* About half a bag of Clara Ole tomato sauce
* About half a bag of Clara Ole Three Cheese spaghetti sauce
* One can of sliced mushrooms, drained
* Two-three cloves of garlic, sliced
* Half an while onion, chopped
* One can of Blue Bay Tuna with vegetable oil
* One teaspoon of butter
* Salt and pepper to taste
* One bag of onion flavored Bread Pan


Directions:
* Boil water. Melt butter in the water. Cook pasta till al dente, and set aside. The butter makes the noodles yummier =)
* Sautee garlic till golden brownish, and add onions. Sautee onions till translucent.
* Add tuna--oil and all--and mushrooms. Cook tuna till most of the oil dries out. Make sure the tuna's still got some moisture in it ha!
* Add the spaghetti sauces and mix well. Let it simmer. Add salt and pepper according to your liking.
* Serve! Munch with Bread Pan

what's your blog personality?

The analysis indicates that the author of http://thekaressness.multiply.com is of the type:

ESFP - The Performers

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.


Check it out here

Oh, and a little reminder from the site here: writing style on a blog may have little or nothing to do with a person´s self-perceived personality.

thekaressness, tagalized

click here and have a good laugh! i certainly did!

thanks Ms Marie for sharing this!
(check hers out, it's hilarious!)

one reason why gmail rawks

gmail has SNAKE!

oh and the gmail people said they've installed colors and themes already, but i've been checking my inbox settings and the functionality hasn't been installed yet. i'm excited to have my inbox tickled pink! squee.

that's a fact

people fail us, hurt us, disappoint us, crush our hearts, turn cold, spit at us, keep us trembling in the dark. that's a fact. Jesus knew that fact. his friends are a classic example. one friend decided to dump him. the other one denied him, thrice. the rest plainly disappeared. he knew about betrayal, hurt, and pain--he experienced it firsthand.

Jesus could have struck them dead or exacted gruesome means of revenge, but he decided to love them anyway. he forgave them, kept no tabs at them, didn't make chismis abt them. he trusted them enough that in spite of their boo-boos, they were given the power to change the world. and that they did.

yes, people will always hurt us, offend us, disappoint us, etc etc, whether they mean to or not. but are we willing to move on, and forgive 490 times?

for all the single ladies out there

more animals

AHAHAHAHA

11.15.08

* Christmas decorating @ the Torculases!
* Iris's birthday celebration
* Baking fiascos (my fault XD)
* Lots of eating, drinking (Armin's yummy hot choco), newfound friends, and laughing :)

who cares?

I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen
my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul. :: Psalm 31: 7
NLT

What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care
for him? :: Psalm 8: 4

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. :: 1 Peter 5: 7


who cares?

he does.

this has been going around and i'm joining the bandwagon XD

the top seven things i want to do before i get married:

1. finish my degree
2. earn my MA in literature or creative writing
3. learn to cook
4. learn to bake
5. visit my mother in the US
6. go to a cross-cultural short-term missions trip
7. learn to ride a bike

ikaw? what's yours?

just for kicks

1. Who was the last person to call you baby?
my eldest sister

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
i don't know where to return it eh

3. Are You Single, or taken?
singular

4. Has someone ever sang a song to you?
yes

5. Do you play Sudoku?
ack! numbers! noooooo... (fade out)

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness would you survive?
i hope so. haha!

18. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you would do?
let my nephew be far away from the house as possible

19. Who was the last person you shared a bed with?
iris

20. Who do you text the most?
iris, bea, kitch

21. Who last said they loved you?
my second-to-the-eldest sister (awwww...hahaha)

22. What color are your eyes?
they glow in the dark! kala mo?

25. Do you like your parents?
i love them too.

26. Do you secretly like someone?
erm... i don't like them "secretly."

27. Why did your last relationship end?
what relationship?

28. Who was the last person you said you loved on the phone?
bea

29. Favorite ex?
what ex?

30. Where was the farthest place you traveled?
leyte

32. Do you like mustard?
nope

33. Do you prefer to sleep or eat?
SLEEP

34. Do you look like your mom or dad?
both. pero mostly mom daw

36. Can you do splits?
nope

37. What movie do you want to see right now?
HSM. hahahahahahahahahahaha

39. What did you do for New Year's Eve?
greet my mom a happy birthday, watch fireworks from my office window

40. Where will you be celebrating your new year's day next year?
at home

43. Was your mom a cheerleader?
not an actual one, but she was a great encourager

45. What's the last letter of your middle name?
Z

47. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
8-10. SARAP

48. Do you like Care Bears?
yes!!!!!!!

49. What do you buy at the movies?
errrr... tickets?

50. Do you know how to play poker?
no

51. Do you wear your seatbelt?
always

52. What do you wear to sleep?
comfy pambahay clothes

53. Anything big ever happen in your town?
siyempre! mandaluyong rocks!

54. Is your hair good?
naks

55. Is your tongue pierced?
no

56. Do you like Liver and Onions?
sometimes

58. Do you like funny or serious people better?
it depends

59. Ever been to L.A.?
i wanna go there

60. Who is on your mind right now?
my mom

61. Any plans for tonight?
celebrate iris's birthday! yay!

62. What's your favorite song at the moment?
lucky by jason mraz & colbie calliat (impluwensiya ni kitch)

63. Do you hate chocolate?
NO

64. What do you and your parents fight about the most?
when i do stupid things

65. Are you a gullible person?
unfortunately

66. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy?
no way man. and so do you.

67. If you could have any job what would it be?
admin person , writer, events coordinator

68. Are you easy to get along with?
answer this question for me

69. What is your favorite time of day?
sleeping time!!!

70. Are you a generally happy person?
yes

Level Up - 11.14.08

'Twas one awesome Friday night at Pioneer :D

Pre-, during, and post-service happenings. Includes a bonus photoshoot at the end XD

trust

father catch me i am falling
in your arms the child is calling
father hold me forever
in your arms, tell me what could be better?
i place my life inside your love

i place my trust in you
i place my trust in you
all i am all i do i trust in you

i'm watching too much 'happy slip'

so i was hanging out with some friends last night. i haven't seen them in a while and was really excited to talk to them.

and then C told me that he got a promotion...

karess: WOW, that's great! ang galing! (insert more gushiness and eye-widening here)
C (sheepish): eh, by designation lang yun, hindi by salary...
karess: kahit na! still, you got a promoted!






...yep, i am watching too much happy slip.

who makes it easier when life gets hard?

the best person who knows you is the one who made you.

a reply to kitchie's post

happiness.

a good night's sleep. a long shower after a tiring day. sipping mint tea on a rainy afternoon. curling up in bed on a rainy morning. a day off. chips delight soft brownie cookies. being online. children's laughter. friends' laughter. having dinner with friends. spending the night at a friend's house. the wind blowing in my face. cats. surprises. a hug from someone you haven't seen in a long time. an unexpected phone call. touching makahiya leaves. watching the sun set. singing songs from my childhood. new books to read. cornflakes with bananas and raisins. cooking. a secret smile. a long walk on a sunny day. grocery shopping. learning something new. meaningful conversations. ice cream. chocolate. pink things. the smell of sauteed garlic and onions. hearing my mom's voice. flowers. instant messages. birthdays. christmas. new year. fireworks. school supplies. popcorn. cheap thrills. siomai. chicken  feet. white meat. comfortable shoes. being with young people. being a young person.

i can go on.

cuteness has reached a new height

thanks for posting this, davs.

why i love the morning shift

i have been working in a call center for two years and running, and the most common shift that CC employees have is the graveyard shift. thankfully, i had been transferred back to the morning shift, and am just so... loving it. really.

here are some reasons why:

getting to sleep in the nighttime.


having the feeling of being refreshed and rejuvenated. nothing beats relaxation the natural way!


walking in broad daylight with the wind blowing at your face.
(okay walang wind but... you get the picture. no pun intended )


seeing the sun set from your office window. ang ganda!

hay... gotta love working in the morning!

Tuna Pasta!

Description:
this was originally posted on my blog page, but i've moved the recipe here, thanks to Darwin and Caleigh :D you guys rock!

Ingredients:
* half a bag of Safoco vegetable pasta
* one, uh, bag of Clara Ole Onion & Garlic spaghetti sauce
* one can of Century Tuna in Brine
* half an onion
* three big cloves of garlic. if your garlic is small, 5-6 small ones will do.
* cooking oil
* salt and pepper

Directions:
* Be in a good mood. :D Cooking in a bad mood doesn't work at all!
* Cook pasta til it's al dente (nuks!). Marvel at the colorfulness of the pasta (yes Safoco pasta is makulay!). Set aside.
* Chop garlic and onions. Don't make them too small.
* Drain tuna of its water. Chop the tuna to smaller pieces.
* Put cooking oil in a medium saucepan. When the oil's hot, make gisa the garlic.
* When the garlic's okay, add the onions. Cook onions til they appear transparent-ish and smell really good.
* Add tuna. Sautee (yun pala!) the tuna with the onions and garlic. Mix them well. No need to fry the tuna!
* Add spaghetti sauce. If the mixture is too thick for you, you may add some water.
* Simmer for a few minutes.
* Add salt and pepper according to your liking.
* Serve!

habang hindi pa nagwawala ang batirya ni laptop...

i want to share to you how my day went.

it was very good.

really really really good.

how about you? how was your november 3rd?

Laughing Baby

malabong cute! bwahahaha

it's the same name meme, with a twist

Since everybody seems to be doing it...

If you call me Karess, you know me. (FYI: it's pronounced KAAH-ress, not ka-RESS.)

If you call me Ka-riss, you're one of my teachers back in high school.

If you call me Kookook, you're either a family member, a friend from high school senior year, or someone I met when I hit college.

If you call me Kooks, you're an ID 102 DLSU Comm Arts major.

If you call me Kookie, you're my best friend Bea (and she, only she, can call me that!!).

If you call me Kook, you're probably my Ate Den, my Dad, a relative, a male friend in college, or Raymond Golez.

If you call me Kookaress, you're probably Arvin Marifosque.

If you call me Karkar, you're probably Jeff Cueto.

If you call me Kookster, you're probably Donna Arriola.

If you call me KareKaress, you're probably a busmate from preschool.

If you call me KooKlooxKlan, you're probably GP So Chan.

If you call me Kookadoodledoo, you're probably a fellow Features staffer of my college paper, or someone who used to be in my Yahoo Messenger list.

If you call me Kooka, you're probably Meryll Yan.

If you call me (The)Karessness, you're part of my Multiply friends list, from Pioneer youth, or both.

If you call me Rubrico, you're probably one of my professors, or CAT officers.

If you call me Ruberico, you're my sophomore-year speech teacher.

If you call me Ocirbur, you're probably Jefferson Palma.

If you call me Koby, you're probably my Ate Kat.

If you call me Dahling, you're probably my Mom.

If you call me Little Girl, you're probably my Dad.

If you call me Mine, YUCK! Ang cheesy mo hahahaha!

ten things that recently made me happy

  fyi: i was tagged to do this march 16th. bwahaha. pambihira.

1. talking to my sister this morning
   
2. spending time with iris, eca, and kitchie last night (choco fudge! )
   
3. being transferred back to the morning shift (hooray!)
   
4. that chocolate incident
   
5. this one thing i really wanted to happen suddenly happening!
   
6. listening to awesome podcasts (ptr steve's comfort or cross, ptr joey's worry and restlessness, ptr paolo's hope, and ptr joe's uncommon God)
   
7. doing things that should have been done a long time ago
   
8. realizing things that should have been realized a long time ago (hey, no regrets here... there's really just a time and place for everything, s'all)
   
9. grocery shopping, cooking, doing laundry, dishwashing. yep, i'm turning domesticated
   
10. being under the learning process!
    

i tag YOU, YOU, and the BOTH of YOU! nyahahahaha