they're not just words on greeting cards

I realize I've broken one of my own rules and neglected this blog for a little over two weeks. I made it my personal mandate to think and write at least one happy thawt per week, but hah, what's a happy thawts blog worth if I can't even break my own rules for perfectly good reasons, right?

The lack of new posts isn't because of a scarcity of happy thawts. On the contrary, my life has been filled with back-to-back happy thoughts lately. I am in fact still in the middle of enjoying them all, and haven't gotten to the business of translating them into coherent paragraphs yet.

Let me describe all this by stating two rosy words that seems to be resonating in my heart right now:

p e a c e and j o y

image from here

I know that kinda reads like a Christmas card, but I really have no other way to describe it. It's just great.

A friend I haven't seen in a while texted me to ask me how I was; I answered that things were going great, even almost perfect. I wasn't so sure about the almost perfect part, so I asked the Hubby if he agreed. Well, he seemed to think so too. Though if anyone looked at our life from a logical standpoint, it's kinda far from perfect: We aren't living in our dream house - not even close; we aren't working our dream jobs or earning big bucks or anything like that, we don't even have enough cash to but everything we need for most days. But for some reason we both feel quite content. Peace and joy - there you go.

I don't know how to explain it, but it's not quite an emotional state. I don't feel hunky-dory every time (in fact I had some slight dysphoria and slight depression lately), but I am hunky-dory beyond the feelings.

There's this overwhelming-but-sweet sense that everything's going to be alright. And not even just alright, but astoundingly, exceedingly wonderful. It's not just optimism, but a solid assurance within me that things will get better from now on.

I somehow even feel as if something big and good is on its way to greet us, and that the Hubby and I will be part of something big and good.

And just can't stop thinking about it. :)

girls talk: my comfort food

Yumyum :) What a delicious topic for this week's Girls Talk.

Ice cream and chocolate are probably the easiest choices for most ladies (including myself!) so I won't be sharing about my fondness for them right now. I will instead share about my two other go-to foods for comfort.

(1) dried mangoes

Dried mangoes are slices of heaven on earth! I like eating fresh mangoes too, but there's just something extremely enjoyable about the chewy, bite-sized, textured and sugar-added sweetness of dried mangoes.

We Pinoys ought to be really proud of this product, I hear westerners go crazy about them.

(2) cute cupcakes

Not just ordinary cupcakes, mind you; they have to be the cute, iced kind with sprinkly bits. They're not just yummy to eat but lovely to look at too, so they really make me happeeee. Forget about using a fork - I'd much rather sink my teeth into them!

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Another loverly entry for

Brought to us by the enjoyment of life in

i, night person

Artwork mine.

It's not that I can't function well during the day, and not even that I don't have the discipline (because I'm quite certain that I do) - it's just a matter of preference.

I've been told it's a health hazard to habitually stay up late, but i.m.h.o., it's only bad if you deprive yourself of sleep. In my case, I don't really have to wake up early for anything so I can sleep in a bit (I am totally enjoying that right now, because sleeping in is not likely a privilege that I will have forever, so I might as well take advantage of it).

I appreciate the silence and the cool of the night and find it more conducive for thinking. There isn't much ambient noise to shut out, no one trying to get my attention, no schedule to hurry for, no annoying videoke-ing neighbors. Besides all that, I have the laptop to myself and enjoy a better connection speed.

I've often found myself more creative at night time, particularly after midnight. I still am creative during the day, but after it gets dark and everyone else has quieted down, my thought processes are unobstructed and my mind is thus granted more freedom to explore. Which is why - though most of my activities are done in the day - I sometimes (just sometimes) prefer to write, pray, make accessories, read or do stuff that requires thinking after everyone has gone to bed (Like what I am doing right now).

two happy thawts in the same minute

My dad came home yesterday and provided me with two happy thawts within the same minute:


(1) My dad has just been promoted.

I think that's really cool, considering his age. I'm just a bit worried about his blood pressure and stress levels, but he assures us that there will be less stress in this job because he will have a lot of people working for him. Besides that, he gets to do less but will be paid more.


(2) He came home with something for me, from my ninong

The last time I saw my ninong was on my wedding day almost nine years ago, and the last time before that I was still a kid. Well, yesterday he handed his camera to my dad and said to give it to me, and now its mine. :) It's not a DSLR or anything, but it's a 12-megapixel idiot-friendly point-and-shoot. In a lot of ways it's more convenient than always having to borrow my sister's bulky 8-megapixel semi-DSLR.

Papa says my ninong must have been feeling guilty for not being around all these years, but I don't really mind. I don't mind either that he gives me a second-hand camera; I'm happy that he thought of me, and that I have a convenient "new" cam.

girls talk: a picture i'd rather hide

It's been a while since I last joined Girls Talk (I think my last entry was months ago); since the Hubby has had to do a lot of work at home, I didn't have chunks of time to have the computer to myself.

Well, anyway, today's fun topic is a picture you'd rather hide. And this is mine:


This was taken in the late '80s, when I was nine years old. I was actually looking for my graduation picture with the super-teased hair courtesy of Aqua Net, but I couldn't find it anymore.

First of all, the hair. Spikes were really in those days, okay? And it was a really bad haircut. My mom cut our hair herself to save money, so it's not exactly a parlor-finished look.

Secondly, the teeth. This was before I had braces.

Thirdly, the bushy eyebrows. Thank goodness I learned how to use tweezers in high school.

And fourth, that bug-eyed look I have.

So there! :D


Another cute topic by