January 31, 2009

“If God had told me some time ago that He was about to make me as happy as I could be in this world, and then had told me that He should begin by crippling me in all my limbs, and removing me from all my usual sources of enjoyment, I should have thought it a very strange mode of accomplishing His purpose.  And yet, how is His wisdom manifest even in this!  For if you should see a man shut up in a closed room, idolizing a set of lamps and rejoicing in their light, and you wished to make him truly happy, you would begin by blowing out all his lamps; and then throw open the shutters to let in the light of heaven.”

 

~Samuel Rutherford

A Little Something For My Generation January 26, 2009

more about “Hulu – Saturday Night Live: Digital S…“, posted with vodpod

 

You’ve gotta love it!!!

Free Rice January 22, 2009

 

Do you like learning new vocabulary and helping those in need at the same time?  Click here.

Tribute January 17, 2009

…let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

 

 Image taken from www.nba.com

Happy Monday! January 14, 2009

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Grab a sandwich, this is going to take a while January 9, 2009

I hope you had a great Christmas season.  Ours involved lots of snow, lots of food and lots of family and friends.  I enjoyed myself too much and didn’t really take many pictures.  Nevertheless, here are the top 5 highlights of our vacation:

 

1) Arctic Blast 2008!  We really did have a winter wonderland.  Pros: fluffy snow, unexpected time off from work (due to bad traveling conditions), time together at home, taking walks in our ‘hood and seeing people with their skis, toboggans and sleds in the middle of the street.  Cons: cabin fever, church was cancelled and we didn’t get to see Portland friends before we went home.

 

We ended up getting about 18 inches of snow!  That’s a lot for people from California.  

 

At Whole Foods to get some essentials before the weather got even worse (and boy, did it get WORSE)!

 

Hanging out with K Dave (from SF) at Cafe Umbria.  Thanks for the coffee and snacks K Dave!

 

Fran in the middle of chipping away at the snow/ice on our car.

 

2) Going home for the holidays!  We were in the Bay Area for 13 glorious days.  We were so glad to spend Christmas and New Year’s among our nieces and nephews, sisters, brothers, parents, aunts/uncles and surrounded by the Bay Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge and Coit Tower.  

 

Getting stuck in the old phone booth after tea at the Fairmont Hotel.

 

Showing me their Judo moves

 

Mom taking a break from cooking our favorites and having tea together at The English Rose. I highly recommend the rumbledethumps!  

 

One of the many meals shared with family.  This one was at Cafe Cacao.

 

Her prayer for us before we left:  ”Heavenly Father bless Tito Fran and Tita Olive…bless this house so it will not be ruined or dirty.  Bless Tita Olive so she won’t have hiccups.”

 

3)  Connecting with friends over coffee, a meal or french fries (with sweet chili sauce).  We finally got to meet our friends’ baby boy.  We finally got to talk face to face instead of Facebook, IM or blog to blog.  We packed it in, but it was refreshing to meet up with friends and catching up.   I even got to see old friends from HCS.  The last time I saw them was 16 years ago!

 

Highlands ‘92 in the house! (actually in Hong Kong Flower Lounge)

 

 4)  Thomas and Donna’s wedding in Half Moon Bay.  It was elegant, heartwarming and such a joyful occasion.  

 

Glowing bride, exquisite dress

Two such as you with such a master speed cannot be parted nor be swept away from one another once you are agreed that life is only life forevermore together wing to wing and oar to oar.

Robert Frost

5)  Spending lots of time together.  Arctic Blast 2008 and Christmas vacation helped Fran and I to really slow down and chill.  

Happy New Year!!