1 Peter 3:8 (MSG)

Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing.
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focusing on the good news about the country

One of today's trending topics on Twitter and FB relates to the recent blunder committed by a local Senator whose name I need not mention, concerning his stand against the Reproductive Health bill.  I admit that I myself have contributed vitriol over this embarrassing [EXPLETIVE DELETED], but I'm not going to talk about that here.  On this blog dedicated to positivity, I'd like to forget about that whole fiasco for a moment and focus a bit on current good news about our country.

Before I proceed, lemme just make it clear that I've never been a unicorns-and-rainbows type of person who instinctively looks at the bright side.  I just think that it's better to celebrate the good things (no matter how insignificant) than fixate on the bad.

So anyway.  Here's the latest good news about the Philippines:  The economy is apparently improving, the peso is growing, and we are currently experiencing a period of prosperity.  We've gone from "the sick man of Asia" to "Asias's Bright Spot".   See these articles for the details:

Philippine Economy Grows 5.9% in Q2
Philippine Economy Grows Faster Than Estimated
Why the Philippines is Asia's Bright Spot
Philippine Economy Set To Become Asia's Newest Bright Spot

I'm not about to say "it's all good", but there's something definitely good going on, and we ought to give it more attention.
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Image by me.

bless my book-wormery

Earlier today I thought about how much my books have been a source of joy for me these days.  Then as I checked my Blogger feed tonight, by happy coincidence, I found these lovely artworks in two of the blogs I follow: 

fifi-lapin.blogspot.com

cinderellaincombatboots.blogspot.com

Cheers to that! I've been a sort of book-lover since childhood, even though reading often gave me headaches.   Well I still get headaches sometimes, but since after college I've set a goal to read at least 20 titles every year .

I decided to push myself  for 2012 and I hope to exceed 50 books this year (with at least 20 each of fiction and nonfiction).   So far so good.  ^_^ Since discovering the used books store (the one with good titles) last summer, I've faithfully read at least one book every week and am enjoying myself.  

I  just finished ...
a compilation of mysterious phenomenon published in 1982 by Readers' Digest (and not so mysteriously, some of those "unexplained" occurrences are no longer so these days).  

I'm currently reading ...  
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Alende.  The first few pages are delicious.
* I started on The Brothers Karamazov, but I decided to shelve it until I could find a non-compact copy with larger print - I admit, my eyesight is  beginning to deteriorate so I tend to stay away from tightly-laid out pages.

Next in line is ... 
The Life of Pi,
Epicenter, and
Kite Runner.  

How 'bout you? Any reading lists or reading plans you'd like to share? What about a list of recommended titles?  

Speaking of lists and recommendations, I recently came across the the following on the NPR site:

• Top 100 Science Fiction / Fantasy Books 
• Top 100 Killer Thrillers
• 100 Best Young Adult Novels

And a final thought: After seeing the above artworks, I thought maybe I should employ my artistic skills in making my blog entries more visual.  Actually, I've been thinking that for more than a year now, and it's about time I actually do it.  It's not a matter of great importance, but I should I should.
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home de-cluttering

I am once again at that juncture:  'tis the jolly season for de-cluttering (hooray!).  After watching a few episodes of Biography Channel's Hoarders,  I felt the impulse to clean out my closet, my shelves and most especially that unruly conglomeration of file boxes, doodads and whatzits squatting in our hallway.  I've already cleaned all those up in the past, but clutter tends to reproduce asexually when no one is looking, and you can end up with twice as much junk at the end of the year if you aren't careful to keep everything in their respective bins.

So here I go:

home de-cluttering tips

1. Take one room at a time, one day at a time.  Depending on your mess, you may take several days, so pace yourself.
   
   I started with the easiest room - the bedroom.  Then I slowly conquered the hallway.  Then I took a break and made strategies for the living room and dining area.
   
   Still strategizing.
   
   
2. Set up three huge boxes (or garbage bags).  Label one as "THROW AWAY", another as "RECYCLE", and the other as "DONATE TO CHARITY" or "GARAGE SALE".  You may even want another one marked "GIVE AWAY TO RELATIVE".  Pitch things in accordingly.
   
   
3. If you haven't touched it for more than a year, let it go.
   I gave up any illusions that I will someday fit into that slim pair of jeans.  Bye. I found a couple of dresses I wore back in college but can't possibly wear now without looking like I'm desperately trying to appear young.   Bye . That pair of shoes that always slices into my heels.   Bye. That cookie canister that has long been empty but is just too cute to throw away and is now eating shelf space. Bye. Silly useless kitsch gifts.   Bye .   Bye .   Bye .
   
   
4. If it's gross or useless, throw it away.  Especially if it's a health or fire hazard, forget sentimental value. Don't even think about fixing it up.  If you're having second thoughts about something, think about how you'll keep chancing upon it every time you clean the house, and how you'll always wonder whether to throw it away, so you might as well do it now.
   
   
5. Give stuff away.  I've previously said elsewhere that giving away your stuff is an antidote to selfishness (try it, it really works!).  If there's someone else who could appreciate it more, give it to that person.
   
   While I was sorting the old clothes in the garage, our driver picked up this sun dress saying how his teenage daughter happens to love that particular style.  I never was able to use that dress since I acquired it, and I gave up trying to fit into it a long time ago, so it's time to pass it on.  Not to the driver, ok - his daughter.
   
   Old clothes: Take them to your church.  Most churches have ongoing charity collections. But nix on the ball gowns and party stilettos.
   
   Old books: Donate to a library.
   
   
6. Hold a garage sale.  If you have a lot of stuff you no longer want but are still good, and it would seem too much of a waste to throw/ give them away, sell your second-hand items to your neighbors.
   
   It depends on your neighborhood, but you generally have to price things incredibly low, or they won't sell.  Unless of course they're genuine antiques or items of special interest.
   
   
7. Employ smart storage solutions for the stuff you do keep.  Candy-colored plastic storage boxes come in various sizes.  There are also a lot of sleek Ikea-ish shelving aids, and nifty things like pegs, racks and bins. 
   

... And after several days of going through our stuff, I'm still not done.  But it feels grrrrrreat to have more space in my closet already.  And I'm so proud of the fact that I singlehandedly defeated the evil dragon of debris that has been living in our hallway, using only a broom, some trash bags and storage bins. Now I'm thinking about painting the interior of the house a crisp, fresh white ...