Autumn Is Late And The Christmas Card Project

I think I said "autumn" too soon. It's been an uncharacteristically warm October. I'm still walking around wearing shirts and blouses. It's strange because even the trees are looking lackluster compared to the fall foliage we've had the past couple of years.  It's also been a dry season as we haven't had one of those soaking, cold autumn rain that makes you want to crawl back to bed even in the middle of the day. This dryness is fostering my annoying rag weed allergies.

Our little autumn corner.

A week ago, we saw Ann Patchett's interview conversation with the witty and funny Tom Hanks. Our tickets included a free copy of his book, "Uncommon Type." (I still have to read it.) The interview was witty and the views expressed were profound. He is a well read person. I was quite surprised to learn that Mr. Hanks collects vintage typewriters and has about 200 of them.

My favorite quote from the interview is, "If you're so disgusted about the present, go read something about the past. Because people in the past were so disgusted with their present." This quote speaks especially about my sentiments of the current affairs of US politics and the danger it is posing around the world. Enough said about that.

With October coming to a close and the fall festivities arriving soon and fast, I am starting my Annual Christmas Card Project. I am so excited! Every year,  I send over a hundred cards through snail mail. Even if it's easier to send greetings electronically or through Facebook, nothing beats the beauty of a handwritten letter or card with a good old stamp on it. This is my small way of spreading Christmas cheer. If you'd like to receive a Christmas card from me, send me a note and your address at misskayni at gmail dot com or leave me a message at Facebook.

These Christmas cards will soon be traveling to different parts of the world.

However, before anything else, Halloween is just two nights away. The cobwebs and spider are up, the ghosts are floating underneath the Cherry Blossom tree, the screaming mat is plugged ready to scare kids, and the candy bowl is overflowing with sweets.

Daisy supervising how to put the Halloween decorations.

A peaceful and blessed Undas, Philippines.  Happy Halloween, US.

Waiting For Christmas

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more! (Dr. Seuss)

After I submitted my research papers this fall semester, Kepi and I got busy with decorating our home.  Here's our Christmas Tree.

This year, I decided to bake cookies and muffins as gifts for our neighbors.  These are the chocolate chip cookies.

Blueberry Muffins with crumbs.

After they've cooled down, I packed them in Christmas boxes with candy stripes liners.

Each neighbor got ten chocolate chip cookies and four muffins.

I love the candy stripes liners.

This is the set up of our dining table.

I think we're ready for our Christmas dinner.

Simple centerpiece - a red lamp and jars of red and silver ornaments.

Yes, I've been so excited for this year's Christmas.  I have so many reasons to be excited. First, I am getting nearer my one year re-birthday for my bone-marrow transplant.  Second, I have a beautiful home blessed with a loving husband and two pets who love me unconditionally - Dizzy and Daisy.  Third, I have the unending love and support of my family and friends. Fourth, I will be another year older next month.

Truly, Christmas doesn't come from a store, but lives in the heart of each and everyone.

A Thanksgiving Update

Today is the last day of fall semester. It's been a tough journey.  

After my class tonight, I really should start writing my final paper on Russian Revolution and start enjoying the Christmas season. Besides, I still have cards to write, gifts to wrap and shop orders to take care of.

 Snow ushered quietly the day before Thanksgiving. We had a quiet dinner at home, and Kepi cooked a perfect Turkey.

 After our Thanksgiving dinner at home, we visited Brigit's house to have more Turkey and Filipino treats. Here's Kepi attacking the Turkey again.

 Ridiculous! This is how the mall looked like on Thanksgiving evening. People were out shopping.

 Black Friday! Kepi and I love the bargains on Black Friday.  We did hit our favorite shops. The lines weren't that bad. I was able to get some sweaters and movies. I'll start watching these movies once this semester ends.

 I also bought a Santa to put near the fireplace. It was so funny because people were looking at me and Santa riding my shopping cart. I think it's also because Santa has this bell on his hat that kept ringing while we rolled inside the shop.

Christmas Trees! After Thanksgiving, houses came alive with lights and wreaths and even cars came bearing with Christmas trees.

 Kepi and I visited our local home and garden center and picked our tree. The lights are on, but I haven't had the time to hang the ornaments yet. Our tree is about 7 ft.

 The snow stayed a few days. Here's Kepi and Daisy going out for a walk.

Crazy Daisy loves the snow.

 I baked these sugar cookies for Thanksgiving and they're a keeper. Crunchy on the outside and chewy in the inside. That's the way I love 'em.

 I baked these Blueberry Streusel Muffins two days ago. Kepi loves 'em. I'm testing out recipes as I'm thinking of giving baked goodies as Christmas gifts especially to our neighbors.

Gobble Gobble

It's gobble gobble time of the year!

On Saturday, we decided to go shopping for our Thanksgiving dinner. The town shop, usually dead, was busier than usual. There was a lot of frozen Turkey at the freezer section. If majority of the shoppers were rummaging for the biggest bird, we were the opposite. Since there won't be many people eating the Turkey at home, we wanted a small one. The smallest one we could find was 10 lbs. That is still too big!

We got a Butterball, and this will be Kepi's first time cooking a full bird at home. We've usually spent our Thanksgivings in Atlantic City. This year, we'll be celebrating at home.

I sold my first batch of Chocolate Chip Banana muffins. I have a couple more recipes I'm working on, and I'm excited.

Yes, I have started my Christmas shopping and some are already wrapped. Some of these will be traveling via mail.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. (John F. Kennedy)

A beautiful Thanksgiving to all!

Ciao 2013! Aloha 2014!

A few hours from now, a brand new year begins.

What can I say, 2013 was a difficult year. Yes, I used "was" because I am so ready to leave this year behind.  It seems auspicious that my treatment begins on January 1st signaling that 2014 would be a year of hope and healing. I pray that 2014 will be a kinder, more generous and fulfilling year.

I don't specifically hate this year, but it is a year that I cried the most and spent a lot of time in hospitals. However, I will try to find the good things about it because the good things "always" outweigh the bad.

• I got married - May 3rd
• I came to know the courageous part of me
• Got closer to God, family and friends
• Sold my first home at Vision
• Paid off my credit cards
• Bought a new home with my husband
• Felt the support of family and friends
• Found the support of coworkers and my firm
• Met a kind, understanding transplant doctor
• Took several road trips - Niagara Falls Canada, New York, New Jersey, VA Beach etc.

Thank you 2013 for all the blessings you have brought and the lessons you have taught.

Wishing everyone a blessed 2014! Thank you so much for the love and support.

Love,

Kayni

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

Waiting For Christmas

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more! (Dr. Seuss)

I thought I'd be spending the holidays getting chemo, but thank God I spent Thanksgiving with family in Atlantic City and will be spending Christmas at home with my husband and parents.  When my doctor said we'd have to move my bone-marrow transplant to January, I was a bit disappointed but then I also felt happy that I could still spend our first Christmas at our new home and still get to decorate and prepare for Christmas.

The Christmas Tree was the first that went up, as we thought we'd decorate early due to my unpredictable schedule. We got a new 6.5 feet tree this time. We still have my smaller tree that we used for the past 5 Christmases, but we might donate that to a thrift shop soon.

Our Christmas Tree this year.

This is our decoration on the fireplace.

Each ornament, except the edible chocolates and round ornaments, represents a country we visited or an event in our lives.

Peace candles and the Nativity Scene.

 Our red "Parol" or Filipino Christmas Lantern.

 The red one is facing the entrance street. I feel so happy whenever we light them up at night.

 This is the gold colored Parol.

 I love this gold color and I'm thinking of getting a silver one too.

 We got this from one of the Christmas Tree shops in the neighborhood. It's made of real pine branches, pine cones and holly. It's quite heavy - about 3 lbs.

 It smells really good and it's a welcoming sight to anyone who comes to the door.

Although I don't feel well these days, Christmas has been a great diversion to my upcoming treatment. It's tough not to get negative thoughts at times, but I'm glad that I have a supportive husband and a family whose love is overwhelming.

With the decorations and the lights, let's not forget that Christmas is all about the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Our Christmas Tree Is Up

We have so many things going on at the moment, so we stayed up late on Friday to make time putting up our Christmas Tree.  Having the tree up really makes the house cheery.  It also signifies the beginning of the exciting wait for the birthday of Jesus Christ.

Although most of my Christmas shopping is done, I can't celebrate yet as I am still preoccupied writing my second 15-page semester paper.  It's getting harder and harder to focus on school as everything - from brightly lighted houses to Christmas sales at the mall - seems to be on Christmas break already.

Are you ready for Christmas?  I think I am. I just think it is coming too fast and I'll surely miss it when it's over.  This is my favorite time of the year.

Thanksgiving In New Jersey

Source here.

 Happy Thanksgiving to all!

We're only working four hours today, and since the year is winding down, work is slowing down as well.  I still have two final papers waiting for me, but I'm taking this little break to update my blog.

I am THANKFUL that my bone-marrow biopsy went well even though I suffered some sort of anesthesia withdrawal afterwards.  I was too sick to do anything after the procedure.  My hip still hurts from time-to-time, and I am hoping it will go away soon.

We will be doing something nontraditional for Thanksgiving.  Since it's just the two of us, Kepi and I will be spending our Thanksgiving at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, NJ.  I've been to the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas so this is my first time visiting this sister casino in AC (not sure if they're managed by one company).  I'm actually excited because they offer a special Thanksgiving buffet at a very good price.  I'll blog on that when I come back.

Another exciting news, we'll put up the tree this weekend.  This is one of the things I look forward to every Christmas season.  Also, the countdown has begun for our trip to Spain next month. I am excited.

Kayni's 2012 Christmas Exchange Gift Party

It's here! It's here! Kayni's 2012 Christmas Exchange Gift Party :)

Image Source here.

Christmas Wish List Guide

• Something you use everyday:
• Something soft:
• Something sweet:
• Something you need for work:
• Favorite colors:
• Favorite flavors:
• Something you collect:
• Something you want:
• Share you most important wish this year:

Please note that this list is just a guideline. It's Christmas and whatever you put into that box will surely make me happy as long as it's packed with cheer and kindness.

If you'd like to exchange gifts with me, leave a comment on this entry, post your Christmas Wish List by November 15 and leave me a link of your blog post.

I'd like to finish shopping early, as I'll be on vacation on the first two weeks of December.

Santa Skis At The National Harbor

One of the things we did during the Christmas weekend is watch the water ski stunts at the National Harbor. What's intriguing is that the skiers were in Christmas costumes. It was so chili that day that Kepi got sick the next day. Obviously, the water is cold at this time of year and I was impressed how the skiers took the waters and went on with their show anyway.

The National Harbor Christmas Tree. This is the area where the water skiers performed.

A dog elf.

Frosty the snowman on a boat.

The water skiing reindeers.

A flying elf.

An elf sky skiing.

This is the Grinch, who couldn't get his jet ski started.

Of course - water skiing Santa.

Santa did well skiing. My only comment is that this is one fit Santa.