For still the vision awaits its appointed time;it hastens to the end—it will not lie.If it seems slow, wait for it;it will surely come; it will not delay.
After many years, we finally had a visit to our relatives in Nueva Ecija. As far as I remembered, ever since I started working as a teacher we never visited the place as a family. It might have been 11 years since my last visit. It appeared that we had an extra budget this year so visiting the province was made possible. Praise God! <3 It would be nice to do this every year, I thought.
We stayed at our relatives' house for 3 days and 2 nights. We were provided with delicious and native food during our stay. Adobong manok, ginataang manok, tinumis and binagoongang karne were my favorites. The meat was all fresh from the pen, we ate native chickens! There was quite a difference in the taste compared to the 45-day chicken we usually bought at the market in a city. Native chicken meat absorbs flavors better and richer.
I also missed the espasol my sister and I used to eat whenever we went to Nueva Ecija during school vacation when we were just kids. I was delighted when my father bought a tub of espasol and kalamay. Espasol is the best, not too sweet, just perfect, and the texture is chewy not too soft or hard, just perfect as well. Perfect score for the superb espasol!
We also had a chance to drop by at Farm Villaronte at San Antonio, Nueva Ecija. The place reminded me of the Sirao Flower Garden of Cebu. There was an entrance fee of 50 pesos per person. We were supposed to visit the ancestral houses at Gapan City, the newest and latest attraction in town, but that did not happen because we were always sleepy early at night and I preferred to sleep. haha We will and should visit it next time.
There were different kinds of flowers but Zinnia got me the most. They were everywhere even our relatives had those flowers in their backyard. I wanted to ask my father to bring at least one plant of daisies, but we were pretty cramped up in the vehicle so I decided not to push through with my wants. Maybe next time. I must say that Farm Villaonte is a nice venue for a prenup, hehe, a good recommendation for those who plan to get married and have something like a prenup photoshoot.
Beauty and wit are noticeable concepts at Farm Villaronte, perfect for people who are fond of posting Instagrammable pictures. We felt like we traveled to some famous places in the world, and encountered replicas of a few iconic and historical items. There were also some funny memes in the area, haha, one is a swing for the singles which I didn't even attempt to sit on. haha
Lovely Zinnias <3 I am in love with God's creation, bless your eyes with these picturesque photos of flower power! haha To be honest, I thought they were Daisies and I was wrong. They are actually Zinnias, thanks to Bixby Vision I double-checked the name of the flower before publishing this blog entry. haha
Paying a visit to our relatives in the province was a bit nerve-wracking on our part except for my father. The last time we went there was a misunderstanding among adults. Time healed everyone and God's timing made it all possible. My father so wanted to come and see his brothers and sisters and cousins and friends. He was excited and couldn't hide it, just how the song said it. He missed them and the home he used to live in. It was just sad that a cousin of ours passed away during this festive season that urged us to push through going to Nueva Ecija. All went well for good by God's grace, and we ate the best ulam during our short stay.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
December is the Christmas Party season and I recently attended one. The truth is I was really nervous. It was a face-to-face gathering and most of the attendees were people I first met via Zoom.
Kale, Mitch, and I tagged along on a ride with Kuya Jan and Ate Cha. Instead of taking the busy main road to Tagaytay, Casile Road is a shortcut and a good alternative to reach the venue in minutes. I don't know the name of the place but I remember it has a few golden yellow Bahay-Kubo.
The food was good and my favorites are Bulalo and Pork Sisig. When lunch was over the exchange gift and games liven up the mood more than it already was. The people I encountered beamed with energy, they are positive energy. As for me, I am on the calmer side of the planet or I have an intermittent connection with the world, or maybe, it is the 'tita' in me that is gradually emerging. Seems like tita moments are here to stay. haha
I realize I do not have the energy I used to have in my early 20s. Now, I allot my time and energy to things that really matter.
The Coffee Project at Crosswinds was supposed to be our next stop for another round of fellowship and games, but there was no more space for parking. There were a lot of Pine trees which I don't have any pictures of. The place gives off Baguio vibes. Around the area of Crosswinds, Windmill Lausanne is a new restaurant that attracts tourists for a Tagaytay experience, so we went there instead.
Matcha Latte at Windmill Lausanne is pricey at P240 for 12 oz. The restaurant offers Italian cuisine based on its menu, or probably Swiss (visit the place, you judge). The place looks expensive so as the price of the food. I doubt if I ever return and order anything from there, the prices just do not fit in my budget honestly. But for those who can afford and love to visit places like Windmill Lausanne, please do visit, the place is nice and you'll love it definitely. Just be careful not to disturb the residents of the subdivision where the restaurant is located, some are really private persons.
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| Photo Credit to Mitch E. |
The ride back home was a fun and purposeful conversation. Life or more like spiritual lessons blessed my heart and mind. "Feeling blessed like I should" was a lyric of a song that bugged me after that Christmas party. I really should.
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| The Windmill Lausanne, Tagaytay Photo Credit to Mitch E. |
Sunset signals the end of the day. It is breathtaking scenery when the sun bids goodbye to the naked eye of every human being. The sun seems to never get tired of showing up in the morning and bidding goodbye in the afternoon. Is it contented with what it does every single day? Does it ever get bored with its routine?
The sun only rises and sets.
Some people may have wanted to say goodbye permanently, unlike the sun who keeps on showing up to everyone every morning. These people want to permanently stop showing up to people who may have cared for them or not.
No one, not even a single human being, asks the sun to rise and set. It is just simply doing its purpose that is embedded in the deepest part of its core. It knows its purpose and it does what needs to be done.
The sun does not care about the complaints of human beings when it is too hot or too bright as long as it does its job. It focuses on its work and emits the light that is delivered to planet earth for the living things. It is doing exactly what it is made to do.
There might be less drama if humans work their purpose the way the sun does. Rise. Set. But it is fact that a human being is a very complex kind of creature. The human race is a complicated being.
It cannot be denied that they are made in the perfect image of the Creator, the masterpiece of His powerful and wonderful hands. He spoke life and the first human was created. He saw the sadness in the human so He gave him a partner. The first human, Adam, is in charge of everything that was created on earth before him. The Creator may have also witnessed tiredness on his face that is why He created a co-steward for all His creations. The second human, Eve, is a partner to co-manage all of the things entrusted to them.
The complexity inflated when the monumental and wretched encounter occurred in the garden of Eden. A great separation complicates the situation, specifically the relationship, connection, and fellowship humans have with the Creator. The purpose got blurry and confusion was engraved in every human heart. Human's will versus God's will has been going on since immemorial time. The birth of sinful human nature brought destruction to the alignment of will between the Creator and creation.
The existence of a relationship in the face of the earth began between the first human and God. Though the relationship is currently severed which is a big problem for everyone, He extended His grace and gave everyone the only solution, the only One: the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
Patch up things with God only through Jesus! Find the purpose in Him.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Hey! It's Not About Us is a new book I want to share with all of you. I have posted a blog entry about it already and you can know more about it here.
I just finished formatting the book the other week. I don't know if you're aware, but I also write stories, poetry, and prose aside from writing reviews and other entries here on my blog, and I self-published them, my own written books. hehe. For now, this kind of setup is economical for me and my craft, but of course, I also dream of hiring or having professionals to touch my books but now is not yet the time.
I would like to share the process before I release a book. I only came up with three simple and basic steps.
How to Self-Publish Your Book
1. Write your piece
Either you like to write fiction or non-fiction is up to you. You can't publish a book without written works. As for me, writing is an outlet for my emotions and thoughts. It helps me process my feelings most of the time and I also want to write stories that inspire other people. Right now, I haven't written any story like a novel and I have 3 pending series that I must and want to continue, but I haven't, I can't, or maybe I just don't have the right inspiration for those pending works. I've been meaning to finish them, but... just but... I just can't, for now.
And for my draft, I usually put them on my phone and laptop for offline and on Wattpad for online. The pieces included in this book were written from the year 2020 to 2021.
2. Create Book Covers and Illustrations
I use the Canva app and website for book covers and illustrations. Most of the book covers of my books are from Canva, thank you so much Canva! So for my latest book, I got these illustrations and photos from Canva and put a little personal touch, as in super little. haha. On the copyright page of the book is where I put the credits for Canva. Big thanks Canva! Love, love, love!
3. Layout and format your book
Using Microsoft Word, I format my book with the size 5 by 8, use a font style and size that are pleasing to the eye and also readable. I convert the final document to pdf as an e-book format of the book.
And now finally, It's Not About Us is out, today, September 14, and free for all of you to download, just click here and get 3 other books for free. Get them all for free on this special day!
Special shout out Pinunong Pablo! Happy Birthday!
You and the whole SB19 and your story inspire me to pursue my dream. Thank God, for your lives!
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
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