More on TM

http://www.tm.org/emailing/2010_04_28_blog.html

Going Green in 2012 and On

I saw this article on-line and knowing or even, not knowing, which are recyclables or compostables and so on, thought I'd share.

The reason why I don't know which is which, really, is because many times when I throw my trash and look where to throw it as there are pictures to describe them, the bins are filled with all sorts everywhere, like, yeah, nobody knows where to put where either. One time I was at a street fair and in almost every 2-3 blocks there were bins with clear words, RECYCLE, COMPOST and TRASH. Not only that, there was a seat for every bin for Volunteers, it said, on electric posts behind the bins. And I thought, "Wow, finally, they have people to explain them."

The problem was, there were no volunteers to be found. They were too busy going around the street fair themselves.

http://littlesilver.patch.com/articles/12-simple-steps-for-going-green-in-2012-ca6539f6

TM Magazine, Issue 4

http://issue4.tmmagazine.org/four-things-to-know-about-stress.html

Oprah on TM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6K9l2nywFE&feature=player_embedded

This is me when I'm calm, cool and collected.

Yeah, right! - When??

15 Minutes!

"Just 15 minutes a day!" - that's all I need to get me going... and keep going! Then I'll be on the right track!

What's all this about?? Something personal, something sacred, my friends - a secret! I put it here as a reminder for myself. You understand. Someday when I revisit here, say 400, 500 years from now, in my old old age, I'll remember when I made this decision and say, "Aah! I remember when."

Love ya'll!

A Gentle Reminder

... for the unthankful heart -

Estonian Proverb

Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.

Frank A. Clark
If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get.

Let's be grateful for what we have, big or small -

Meister Eckhart

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you,' that would suffice.

THANKSGIVING

H. U. Westermayer
The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.

COUNT OUR BLESSINGS

BE GRATEFUL

AND BE HAPPY!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Word of the Day

BLOOM

Bloom where you're planted.

Going Inward...

REST is the basis of activity.

This fall-winter season, as the days get short and nights long, and cold, dark, dreary, can be depressing too, as they call the "holiday blues", try not to be overtaken by these moods. Instead, take the time to go inward and rest. Meditate. There is power in inwardness... In rest... It's healing, rejuvenating, transforming, as it prepares us for the next season, bright, sunny, lively spring and summer.

The holidays are here, which means busy schedules - traveling, shopping, celebrating, drinking, dining - all sorts of activities! And while it's all fun and exciting, it can also be exhausting and overwhelming!

Balance is the key to life. Go inward and rest...To the degree that we're rested, to the degree can we accomplish and achieve!! 

Enjoy the journey within... as you enjoy the Holidays without!!

And not just during the holidays but everyday of our lives -

Enjoy the journey inside and out!

On Being

Brenda and I were talking about buddhist centers in the bay area over lunch yesterday. She said there were some she didn't like 'cause, apparently, some speakers talked too much instead of just having silence. They're "too busy being somebody instead of just being."

I like that! I really like that - One is a waste of time; the other, timeless.

Talk more about Being, Albert Einstein says -

http://www.tm.org/blog/enlightenment/albert-einstein/

Check This Out!

Dr. Robert Herron, author of the new study Over 5 years, the TM groups’s physician expenses decreased by 28% (view enlarged chart) Michael P. O’Donnell

Study Shows Medical Costs Decrease 28 Percent Over Five-Year Period Former faculty researcher Robert Herron published a new study in the current issue of The American Journal of Health Promotion. His study found that people with consistently high health care costs experienced a 28 percent cumulative decrease in physician fees after an average of five years’ practice of the Transcendental Meditation® technique compared with their baseline. “This article has major policy significance for saving Medicare and Medicaid without cutting benefits or raising taxes,” Dr. Herron said. “Now it may be possible to rescue Medicare and Medicaid by adding coverage for learning the Transcendental Meditation technique.” Dr. Herron compared the changes in physician costs for 142 Transcendental Meditation practitioners with 142 non-practitioners over five years in Quebec, Canada. The subjects in the control group were selected to match the profiles of the Transcendental Meditation technique group according to age, sex, and region. Data was provided by the Quebec Health Insurance Agency, the only health insurance provider in the province of Quebec. “This study addresses an important issue that will be of interest to our readers,” said Michael P. O’Donnell, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Health Promotion. “The manuscript is well organized and clearly written.” This study’s findings were similar to earlier ones. In a previous Canadian study, the medical expenses of the Transcendental Meditation technique group were 5 to 13 percent lower than controls each year for six consecutive years. In addition, in a sample of American health insurance enrollees, the Transcendental Meditation technique participants had reduced rates of illness in all disease categories. An 11-year study found that subjects age 45 and over who practiced the Transcendental Meditation technique had 88 percent fewer hospital days compared with the control group. Their medical expenditures were 60 percent below the norm. Dr. Herron is the Director of the Center for Health Systems Analysis in Fairfield, Iowa and author of New Knowledge for New Results: A Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Skyrocketing Medical Costs. Dr. Herron was the first to describe the impact of the Transcendental Meditation technique on health care costs as a PhD student at MUM. As an independent researcher and consultant, he has conducted extensive research on how to improve medical system effectiveness and reduce national and corporate medical expenditures.

This is me when I'm sleeping... 

I wish!

Today

Today is 11/11/11!

Wow!

Calmness

Brenda hung out at home while waiting to do some personal business. So while she rested on the sofa, I did my TM for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, I got a call to come to work earlier than usual to help out with the on-going shift. I went after Brenda left, expecting a busy stressful day, and it was, but for some strange reason, calmness took over me. It was so deep, so profound, I suddenly remembered the times when I worked at my old jobs with such ease, no pressure, no stress. Right there and then, something in me whispered, "I can do this." - I can work the way I used to, where nothing ever bothered me!

I realized then that the reason why I'm so stressed out at work is not because it is stressful. It really is, so much so that I thought TM didn't work for me anymore, but rather, I haven't been doing TM regularly due to my work schedule. I didn't have a good TM program today. I thought there were too many interruptions. Yet as Maharishi says, "Even a shallow dive will make you wet."

TM did help me tremendously today.

AMAZING!

"Quote of the Day"

It's never too late to be what you might have been!

Something to Share

Thousands Buddhist Monks learn TM

http://www.tm.org/blog/author/bob-roth/

http://www.tm.org/meditation-techniques?leadsource=CRM421

http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/religion/jbuddhis.html

What a Feeling!

WOW! To leave work and go home before sundown... it's just so natural to the body, so in tune with Nature! I was so thrilled I decided to go to Starbuck's for a cold drink, (which I normally don't drink), and chill out. I really hope to work days more.

What a GREAT feeling!

Flowing...

Today I worked day and it was nice. Really good! Everything seemed to just flow naturally, the way it should. I like it. I hope to work days more.

Today

Today is 11/1/11.

Epiphany

An inner voice told me, "(It) Doesn't take much to become great! Start from within... at whatever level."

WOW!... WOW!!

Once in 800 Years!

Whether it brings money or not, a good luck wish is always good!

Happens only once in 800 years!

Chinese numerology and Feng Shui for 2011.
This year we are going to experience four unusual dates: 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11, and that's not all; Take the last two digits of the year you were born and the age you will be this year and the result will add up to 111 for everyone!!!! This is the year of MONEY. Also, this year, October will have 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays & 5 Saturdays. This happens only once every 823 years. These particular years are known as Moneybag years. The proverb goes that if you send this to eight good friends, money will appear in the next four days, as is explained in the Chinese feng shui. Those who don't continue the chain, won't receive. It's a mystery, but it's worth a try. Good luck to you. This only happens once in 800 years.

The Other Side of Steve Job's Passing

Still on the topic of health and wealth, a musician friend's comment on Steve Job's death got me into deep thinking. Remembering his life, we think about his genius, his legacy and more. The other side of the coin is, with all the money he had and the best doctors he could afford, they couldn't save him. Although, yes, they did prolong his life a few more years considering pancreatic cancer is fast and deadly.

His billions of dollars can definitely help in research for the cure of cancer. Too bad he won't be there to see the dawn.

Indeed, Health is Wealth! Nevertheless, Steve Jobs lived his life to the fullest and it was time to go.

Good bye, Steve. Thank you... a billion, trllion, zillion times!!

Talk About... Health & Wealth

HEALTH IS WEALTH.

There's no greater wealth than perfect health!

Feeling Inward

Today I have deep feelings of quietness, patience, peace, wellness, stillness and bliss and I'm savoring it all. Between 2 auspicious days in the ancient Vedic texts today, Day of Dhavantari, bestower of Perfect Health, and Day of Mahalaksmi, bestower of Wealth, Prosperity and Bliss, on the 26th, it's an amazingly deep inwardness I am experiencing as I write. I had a yagya done for me and my mother on these days and I'm sure that had an effect on me inwardly. Hopefully, my mom felt the same way.

BEAUTIFUL!

Related topics you might be interested in:

http://www.maharishiyagya.org/yagya/

http://www.bhawnayagya.org/

Maharishi Says,

"Speak Well of Others

Speaking ill of others means first transplant the wrong of his heart in our heart, transplant the wrong of his mind to our mind, and then let that plant grow into a tree until it comes out. Many-fold it comes out. The whole process is dragging to evolution. It drags us down.

If you have not spoken out any wrong of anyone, that means you don’t have any wrong in your heart. This is a measure. We never think ill of others, because if someone has done wrong, why should we bring it in our heart and make our heart impure? It’s not necessary. But if our heart is already impure, it will be picking its like from here and there and strengthening its quality.

There is that proverb: “Birds of the same feather flock together.” If there is filth deposited in the heart, then it will collect more filth from here. Birds of the same feather flock together. And then whatever has been flocked together, it will start to fly out.

One can’t say, “Oh, how can that man behave like that, when he is a meditator?” That means we don’t know how much good has increased in him. We didn’t see him three years ago. There is always an improvement.

We never think anything negative of anyone, particularly because once we are meditating, our thought force is increasing very greatly. And if with this increased thought force we think low of someone, we are pushing him down to be that low.

Never do we think any wrong thoughts of others, nor do we speak them out. Never.

It’s not necessary to use our time and energy of thinking and speaking on something that does not improve our life, that does not help us to grow. It’s not worthwhile.

So spend your energy and get joy, happiness, evolution, more ability to enjoy, more ability to create. In this field this is how we spend our energy and time."

Maharishi

Thank you, Maharishi.

Laughter, the Best Medicine

Got this from email and love it!

Women are like phones:

They like to be held, talked to and touched often.

But push the wrong button and you're disconnected.......

Respite

Yesterday, I went to see Dr. John Hagelin speak at a science conference up north. I've been meditating for nearly 30 years now doing transcendental meditation (TM), but with my job right now, I'm so stressed out I decided to give myself a break from work and see him along with other TMers.

At My Thai Restaurant having dinner and fun! Just what I needed!

Post Script

At way past midnight now, I better get some sleep or at least go to bed and settle in... and start counting sheep till 4, 5, 6...

Re: Women's Health Quiz

Saw this article on last Sunday's SF Chronicle and some questions were so interesting I thought I'd post them here -

4. Which piece of Mom’s advice has been scientifically found to reduce stress in females?

a)“Eat your vegetables.
b)“Stand up straight.”

c)“Wear clean underwear.”

d)“Call your mother.”

Correct!

(d). “Call your mother.”
Recent research from the University of Wisconsin sug­gests that simply hearing Mom’s voice at the end of the line can boost a child’s levels of oxytocin, a bonding hormone that helps reduce stress.

No wonder, no matter how late and tired I come home from work, e.g., just talking to my mother on the phone simply de-stresses me.

5. How many hours of shut-eye per night do women need, on average, for a long, healthy life?

a)6 hours
b)7 hours

c)8 hours

Correct!

(a). 6 hours
A 14-year study by the University of California, San Diego, found that when it comes to ­longevity, the sweet spot is ­between five and six and a half hours each night—any more or less could shave time off your life. Scientists say the results should allay anxiety for women who fear they aren’t getting enough zzz’s.

Thank God, with my schedule nowadays, it's good to know 5-6 hours of night sleep is enough. The question is, what good is 5-6 hrs of sleep when I'm awake the whole night and finally get to sleep at 4, 5, 6 in the morning?

13. Which of these is an actual medical condition caused by a women’s fashion trend?

a)Heavy Purse–itis

b)Tingling Thigh Syndrome
c)Stiletto Toe

Correct!

(b). Tingling Thigh Syndrome
Skinny jeans are often to blame for Tingling Thigh Syndrome, a temporary condition that occurs when the nerve running across the outside of your thigh becomes compressed, causing your leg to feel as if it’s gone to sleep, says Dr. Gary Gronseth, chief of neurology inpatient service at the University of Kansas Hospital. You might want to buy those jeggings one size up.

Enough of those tight jeans for me! I remember Maharishi once said that jeans should be thrown into the Atlantic Ocean.

http://www.parade.com/health/quiz/parade-womens-health-quiz.html

Oprah Visits Fairfield, Iowa

http://maharishi.posterous.com/oprah-winfrey-meditated-in-fairfield-iowa-ton

http://www.oprah.com/own/shows.html

AWESOME!

TM Magazine, Issue 3

http://issue3.tmmagazine.org/theory-of-everything.html

MANNY MOKA

http://socorrodecastro2.blogspot.com/2011/10/manny-moka.html

No-Show!

Darn! I could have seen the Blue Angels from my deck but I chose to go down the hill to experience this year's Fleet Week up close and personal, and the show was cancelled - too much fog!

Last night, Norman and I decided to have dinner at the Marina and at first we thought it was a mistake going there 'cause there were so many people in the streets after the Blue Angels Show; hence, crowded restaurants everywhere. But it was a nice night and it was actually great rubbing shoulders with the crowd so alive and animated! Cool night yet warm and ambient!

After today's cancellation, glad we went out last night!

Thank You, Steve

Timeline photos

Thank you. Rest in peace now. You've lived your life to the fullest! Thank you for your greatest gift to mankind and to the universe. The universe awaits you now.

News of the Day

Brown Signs Shark Fin Ban

http://www.sfgate.com/c/front/00_frontpage.pdf

Remember my Shark Fin Soup story?... YEAH!

Epilogue

Trying to look for inspiration, I simply made the decision to be happy. I've just changed the lyrics of the song, IF YOU WANNA BE HAPPY -

If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life

Then just be happy for the rest of your life

And from my personal point of view

There is nothing else you need to do.

How's that!

As a great Russian writer said -

Talk About... Happy??

Just when I thought I had settled into my job, just when I thought, "Finally, I am enjoying," work has become sooooo stressful again - short staff, sick calls, pto's, name it - Yes! Grrrrrr!! 

We were discussing things on how to reduce stress at work, and one colleague said, "Just think we have 8 hours to do the job." 

I thought that was the greatest advice I've ever heard! Except that 2 hours later, he panicked,"It's so stressful here! Much too much!"

Need I say more? 

WELL...

Inspiring... and Inspired!

When I was 5 years old, my Mom always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down "happy." They told me I didn't understand the assignment and I told them they didn't understand life. - | iDigApps – Create Your World

AWESOME!

"Quote of the Day"

‎'' There is no reason not to follow your heart...'' Steve Jobs

"Quote of the Day"

‎"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary" -Steve Jobs-

STEVE JOBS

A genius, a visionary, an icon, a legend, a phenomenon - a great man! Thank you for your legacy - to the whole world and the entire universe! Rest in peace, Steve. We love you and we'll miss you.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/05/us/obit-steve-jobs/

Brother Jesse's 10th

Today is my brother Jesse's 10th death anniversary. Rest in peace, my dear brother. We love & miss you. I did a little something for you to commemorate your 10th. Hope you like it.

Post Script

I know I've posted this before but here it is again. A great reminder!

10 COMMANDMENTS

10 Commandments. Great Reading. Someone has written these beautiful words. Must read and try to understand the deep meaning of it. They are like the ten commandments to follow in life all the time. 1] Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout. 2] So a Car's WINDSHIELD is so large & the Rear view Mirror is so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, Look Ahead and Move on. 3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write. 4] All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either. 5] Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold! 6] Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end! 7] When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities. 8] A blind person asked St. Anthony: "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision!" 9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you. 10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES, it takes away today's PEACE. If you really enjoy this, please pass to others. It may brighten someone's day... " Our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us."

The Living Bridge

http://www.snotr.com/video/7331/The_Living_Bridge

AMAZING!

MILESTONE

It's my brother, Tony's, "Big _OH" birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BROTHER! HAVE FUN, BIG TIME!!

(Family has a big surprise for him! Shh... He thinks they're going to Fort Bonifacio for dinner with just family, but the big bash is at Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club with about 100 guests waiting for him. I'm excited! Wish Mike and I and our families were there!)

Dimsum Lunch

It was another girl-bonding with high school classmates, some since grade school, today! Two classmates, Jeanette and Mel, from Manila are in town so we treated them to a great view of the city from BofA Building, from Craig's office. Thanks, Craig! Then lunch at City View Dimsum. Viveca joined us, too. So good to see her 'cause she can't always join us for gatherings. We weren't able to join the rest for the walk through Chinatown, cable car ride, Fisherman Wharf, and the Crown and Crumpets Tea Salon, due to work. Darn! But it was just great to spend time with everybody. Getting together with childhood friends is a gift that "... never ever gets old... just like us!" as Mila says.

Luv ya'll, ladies!

http://supernanniesdayoff.shutterfly.com/5

Shark Fin Soup

On the same bus today, there was an advertisement on shark fins. You know the famous Chinese Shark Fin soup? I've seen a similar ad about it before and I'm glad I saw it again today.

There's an organization, http://www.wildaid.org/sharks, that works on global shark conservation.

I remember when I was a kid growing up in Manila, the family was always invited to big Chinese weddings, banquets, known as lauriats. Corn soup was the most popular then - until shark fin soup was "discovered"! It was deliciously expensive, so expensive that only privileged Asian families could afford them! And that to be invited made you members of The Elite! And I was so proud to be part of it...

Looking back now, grown-up, more health conscious, vegetarian... how cruel were those who cut off sharks just for their fins! And they still do it today. Shame!! Me included! All I could think of then was that I must be rich to be able to rub shoulders with the so-called, Manila Socialites! Birds of the same feather flock together, right! Riight.

Mia culpa, mia culpa, mia maxima culpa... Lord, have mercy.

Day-Off

Just when I was ready to go back to the gym, walking what seemed like a longggg walk after not having gone for a while, the gym was closed. Darn! I'm off today that's why I had all this planned... Oh, well!

I took it easy. Did a lot of paper work, trying to catch up, if I could ever.

Talk about paper work, I've been seeing and hearing the word, journalism, these days. Just today, on my way to the gym, there was a young guy soliciting for a non-profit journalism organization on the street. Then on the bus, I saw an ad on journalism. Then on my email, there was an article on journalism again - all in one day! Wonder what it's all about, what's it for me. I know there's something about it though. I feel very strongly about it. Lord Nature hints again -

I hear Ya! I just have to figure out and have a clearer picture. I'll get there... Thank you, Lord.

Why Do Cats Purr

http://www.metaphoricalplatypus.com/ArticlePagesCats/Why%20Cats%20Purr.html

I love cats but I'm allergic to them. Twice I had siamese cats, and twice I got very sick, I had to give them away.

Interesting article! This must explain why cats have 9 lives.

On a T-shirt...

Hard work pays off later

Laziness pays off instantly

AWESOME!

Post Script

What a powerful prayer! Serene... yet so deep and powerful!

Talk about change...

Prayer of Serenity

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to accept the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

And a beautiful translation -

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, 

The courage to change the one I can, 

And the wisdom to know it's me." 

               

                                        ~Author Unknown

... And Cathy, too!

Wow, what a special day today, celebrating different occasions! It's one of my closest friend's birthday.

Beauteous like a goddess

Lovely human being

Beautiful soul 

Pure spirit and

Transcendence 

That's Cathy -

The epitome of beauty.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY DEAR FRIEND... LOVE YOU!

Thanks for a beautiful friendship.

Also, Remembering Deena Today

Today is my mother-in-law's 4th anniversary of her hereafter.

ONE YEAR TODAY

WOW! I made it - one year today at work! Looking back to my struggles when I started last year, (having been away from the field for a lifetime), rereading my posts from time to time from last September 2010 on till today - boy, did I learn and grow a lot! I'm proud of myself. Had my first annual evaluation and I did well, happy to say. The highest praise I got was from the lab manager, "I've never met anybody who cares so much for her patients."

From processing job into joy, here I am a year later... indeed, enjoying!

Thank you, Lord.

Excerpt from 9/11

Here's an excerpt from my post, 9/11, I wrote in 2009 -

I've just called up my cousin, Zenaida, in NY. Every year, I call her on this day. She's one of the survivors of the WTC attack along with another cousin, Joe, from the 81st floor of both towers -

When we finally connected on the phone, the day after the attack, I learned from her that the elevator she took coming down was the very last elevator that made it to the ground floor. All the rest had stopped!! She said when the announcement to evacuate the building was made, she rushed to the elevator.

In 1993, when the WTC was bombed, she was there, too. She and thousand others were stranded inside the building for about 5 hours before they were allowed to leave using only the stairways. It took her and others from the 88th floor about 2 1/2 hours to reach the ground.

This is why on 9/11, without hesitation, she took the elevator. That's how she got out. When she saw the 2nd plane hit the South Tower from the street where she was standing, she knew... she knew, at that very instant, that the plane went through her office right through her corner desk on the 81st floor!! I asked her how she knew from the ground what floor was struck, she said, "I've worked there for 15 years, I would look thru my window everyday and know exactly the angle at which the sun hits which building, the heights of the surrounding buildings on my floor, standing at my corner, sitting at my desk, looking up at my office from the streets from all sides..."

Sure enough, when the news came out later, "... the 2nd plane went right between the 79th and 83rd floors of the South Tower."

One day, months later, my cousin told me, "In any disaster where you're trapped in a building, DON'T EVER TAKE THE ELEVATOR!!"

"But it saved your LIFE!!" I literally yelled at her.

"DON'T EVER TAKE THE ELEVATOR."

I kept telling her it saved her life!

Looking back, her voice cracking on the other end of the line, she softly said, "what if...".

My other cousin, Joe, to this day, will not talk about 9/11... I respect his silence.

I wrote a music composition entitled, DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, in memory of 9/11/2001. It's in my debut album, Socorro. You can download it on iTunes.

Remembering... 9/11

I can't take it... I can't take it anymore! Watching the news, documentaries, surfing channels on TV in between commercials so not to miss anything on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 are way too much. It's utterly unbearable! Unimaginable! Unthinkable! You'd think even the worst of all evils couldn't do this!... They thought it and did it!

To all the victims and heroes of 9/11, here's remembering and honoring you... To my cousins who survived, I love you.

(I wrote a music composition entitled, DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, in memory of 9/11/2001. It's in my debut album, Socorro, on iTunes.)

NEWS : 'Estate of Mind': - The UK's Meditating Village

http://www.t-m.org.uk/meditation-news/2011/08/estate-of-mind-the-uks-meditating-village/

A Gentle Reminder

"Take it as it comes." - Maharishi ( from this weekend's videos)

DEEP REST

Just got back from the mountains up north, again for a much-needed R&R! Deeper than just beauty rest, it's deep deep rest and silence for both body & soul. What a wonderful Labor Day Weekend! "Soulful", in the truest sense of the word.

Thank you, Maharishi.

Jai Guru Dev.

Sweet!

IF YOU HAVE A BROTHER WHO HAS MADE YOU LAUGH, PUNCHED YOU, STUCK UP FOR YOU, DROVE YOU CRAZY, HUGGED YOU, WATCHED YOU SUCCEED, SAW YOU FAIL, PICKED YOU BACK UP, MADE YOU STRONG, AND IS SOMEONE YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT & SOMEONE YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON....RE POST THIS IF YOU HAVE A BROTHER YOU LOVE :D

(posted on FB by my niece, Yabs, again. I think it's so loving. Ain't she sweet! I just had to share this)

"Quote of the Day"

‎" I cheated on my fears, broke up with my doubts, got engaged to my faith and now I'm marrying my dreams." - Rachel Estavillo

ASTOUNDING! UTTERLY ASTOUNDING!!

"Quote of the Day"

"Divine Love, Pure Love finds its delight and its satisfaction in itself. There is no need for it to be received and to be appreciated nor to be shared--It loves for the sake of loving; even as a flower that blooms. To feel this love within oneself is to possess immutable happiness." -- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

"Quote of the Day"

"When things don't go right, go left!" - Ysabel "Yabs" Maralit

From my 10-year old niece! What a genius!

Mother Nature's Doing a Number

... And now one of the most powerful hurricanes, Irene, in the East Coast reaching up to far north from the south, devastating lives and properties, causing power outages, a ripple effect on the air system delaying flights up to West Coast, Europe, everywhere, affecting thousands of travelers, etc., etc.!

Is Mother Nature gone mad with planet earth?? With all the global warming, pollutions, karmas, the bad, of course, the "sins of the world" as our religions tell us, is God, Our Father, punishing us? Or is it just one of Mother Earth's natural wonders? I remember a friend who "loves earthquakes!" And she means it! She says it is earth's way of cleansing itself. I believe it. It is the buildings and infrastructures, and so on, which scare us all, naturally, but otherwise, the sound of earthquakes is magnificent - GRANDIOSO!!

For Mother Nature, earthquakes, hurricanes are just some of her song and dance numbers. Beautiful or not depends on the kind of audience She has!

EARTHQUAKES

Earthquakes in both East and West Coasts yesterday?? A nephew said he thought he had exchanged earthquakes for tornadoes, hurricanes when he moved to the East Coast! What are all these telling us?

Hmmm...

TM Magazine, Issue 2

http://issue2.tmmagazine.org/david-lynch-offers-change-from-within.html

Girl-Bonding!

Last week was our usual get-together with my high school classmates, and it was a blast, always a blast! Especially with Jeanette visiting from Manila, she's hilarious! Most spouses were there but they left us girls alone, and we left them alone, too.

Nothing beats girl-bonding! It's simply precious. So special... there's nothing like it! Our host Dodit, the food, the company - superb! Laughter and picture taking - non-stop! And gosh, there must be at least 3 topics of conversations going on simultaneously, either one-on-one, or with a few, or with everyone! God, were we loud and noisy, as if we had not seen one another for ages, and we get together almost every other month! Anyway, every once in a while, "an angel would pass," meaning, total silence - a split second, whenever we were looking at the photos... Then all of a sudden, "WOW!", "BEAUTIFUL!", "NO, not that!", "Yea, this one... that one, put that on facebook!"... and more boisterous laughing!

Didn't I just say, "Laughter is the best medicine," a few posts down?

Oh, love you, guys... oops, girls!

Girl Talk!

Good girls chatting at work! Mainly about guys, what else? Then it's bad girls chatting! Nope, on the contrary, it's classy ladies talking about men!

And it wasn't so much the topic, but the camaraderie we had while sharing bits and pieces of our lives, the laughter, the fun - it was great! Really, I should say it's one of those moments when I realized that it's not all work - at work. As Donna always reminds us when we sometimes get overworked and stressed out, "It's only work."

So true. Many times we forget and we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by our jobs. Not worth it!

And it's also one of those moments when I value more the sweetness of every person I work with - it's simply grand!

It started when we were questioning what men are all about, why they are what they are, and Janice remarked, "Bakit why??"... and Yesa answered, "Dahil because!!"... and the laughing and chatting just kept going!

Oh, men!... Omen!... Ah, men!... Amen.

BIRTHDAY BOY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAY, MAHAL! LET'S CELEBRATE!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...

Rewind -

Saturday, 13th, the city is busy with big events everywhere - music fest at the park, street fairs and more! I'm going to work and buses are packed, at least 2 buses just passed by, and now, they're arriving later and later! @#$%^&*! I see a lot of young lovely girls at the bus stop - teenagers, in their early 20s! Obviously, they're going to the music fest as it's a techno, hip-hop rock music festival. As aggravating as it is waiting for the bus, I enjoy watching these young ladies - their looks, their style, their behaviors. There's one girl who is calling MUNI right now and I expect her to scream at the operator for late buses, etc. You know how teenagers, sometimes, can burst in anger! But wait, she asks, "What time is the next bus coming?" casually, I can't believe it! She's cool, really cool!

Then there are these 2 groups of young ladies, one more quietly waiting for the bus than the other, but they're all having fun, whatever they're talking about, perhaps, boys - what can be more fun! The livelier group is entertaining themselves by taking pictures of each other and all of them with their iPhones. Then all of a sudden they decide to hitchhike! They give the thumbs sign to passing cars but no one is taking them 'cause there's 3 of them, too many. They walk away and take a cab instead.

The bus finally comes, still packed, but at least it stops. After standing inside for a while, I finally get a seat. Now I hear another group of teenagers talking not just about boys, but sex and more sex, and loud and matter-of-factly, at that! And as juicy as they think their stories may seem to be, what peer pressure these girls must have that they have to boast of their sexual prowess and compare notes - in public places, too!! Unbelievable!

STOP REQUESTED - bus says! It's their stop.

WHEW!... Boy, did I learn a lot about girls today - good girls, and bad! Boy, oh, boy!

Moving on... life goes on. Indeed, it does... for all of us, the good, bad and all the rest.

Forward -

Today, Saturday, 20th, hubby's birthday!

... shh, he's asleep... Goodnight, my dears, it's past midnight... Sweet dreams.