ESSENTIAL TRAITS FOR A HAPPY LIFE

Over the years when I was in my mid 30's, I came across a featured article which highlighted a summary of interesting tips for a happy life.   I've cut out the summary and have since kept it with my assortment of interesting clippings.  Today, while browing through my collection of various inspiring cut outs, I decided to post it---to remind myself of these useful tips.

Love of Learning - taking an interest in acquiring new skills--and daring to "rediscover"

                                  yourself.

Creativity - trying new things even just for good fun and producing something surprising

Humility - recognizing your own abilities and appreciating those of others

Humor - being able to find something amusing in difficult times, and helping others

              do so, too.

Persistence - working through goals and working hard to achieve them despite obstacles.

Gratitude - being thankful for what you have and sharing them with others when needed

Forgiveness -- being able to let go of hurt and anger

Vitality - Keeping a healthy mind and body for an energized feeling, and lastly....

Spirituality - being conscious that there is one true loving God, your Creator, who listens

                       in times of loneliness and happiness.

 

                

 

Mushroom-Sauced Pork Chops

Description:
This is quite easy to make and ideal to serve pork chops with a difference!

Ingredients:
Pork loin chops, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 2 pounds or 1 kilo))
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 10-3/4-ounce can reduced-fat and reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)


Directions:
-Trim fat from chops.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
-Add chops; cook until browned, turning to brown evenly.
-Drain off fat. Place onion in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker.
Add chops. Using a mortar and pestle, crush tapioca. In a medium bowl, combine tapioca, mushroom soup, apple juice, Worcestershire sauce, snipped or dried thyme, and garlic powder; stir in mushrooms.
- Pour over chops in slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on
-If desired, garnish with thyme sprigs.
Test Kitchen Tip: If you prefer to use a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, use 6 pork loin chops. Leave remaining ingredient amounts the same and prepare as above

Les Miserables - Another Worthwhile Performance of Lea Salonga!

Rick and I went to NY today to watch a 2:00 pm showing of Les Miserables at the Broadhurst Theater on 44th Street.  What a beautiful 3 hour show...what wornderful performances, especially of our very own Lea Salonga.  She was terrific - the audience gave the cast a standing ovation!

Her last performance will be on Sunday, Oct. 21, and Rick wanted us to be able to catch the show with her as Fantine.  The changing of the backdrop, the props, the music, costumes were all beautifully created. 

Before the show, we had lunch at the Bubba Gump's Shrimp....a fascinating restaurant where your waiter will ask 5 questions about the movie Forest Gump....and if you answered all 5 correctly, you wiill be served free appetizers!  Too bad, we  only got 3 perfect answers...so no free appetizers came! 

What caught our eyes was the way the waiters served tall drinking glasses stucked and piled together in a pyramid fashion (see photos)...the  glasses had grooves on each  base  - and to make it easier for the waiters to serve the as many as8 orders at one time, the glasses were hooked to each other on one side.  It was really novel...and so I asked Rick to take photos as another table was being served.  

Anyway, the food and service were good and surely, we will remember to bring Yani and Anne here (with the kids, of course) next time around they are in the U.S.!

 

 

 

An Hour and a Half of Listening to Pure, Beautiful Voices.

Last Sept 9, Sunday, Rick and I went to watch the much-awaited Philippine Madrigal Singers Concert held at St. Vincent Ferrer Church in New York City.  This is a church built in the 1800's which is still well-maintained and big enough that can seat more than 400 people. The "natural" acoustics of the church was put to a huge test that night----and the audience was not disappointed.  There was no need for microphones---the sounds were loud and clear!

The concert started promptly at 8:00 - the opening spiel was made by Cecile Rebong, our very own Consul General based in New York.

Prior to the concert, I "indoctrinated" Rick about who this group is, their achievements and that I really love listening to their music.  Since Rick himself, is a tenor, having been once part of a barbershop quartet called the "Copper Tones" that performed more than 400 times in Legend City in Phoenix, plus he used to sing solo in weddings having been a voice student himself, I was sure he would take an interest in watching with me. Well...we were both not disappointed. Rick was all praises and said inspite of the group's voices singing altogether, the sopranos could "float" their own above the rest... when it was needed.

The crowd was a mixture of caucasians (20%) and mostly Filipinos, but of course!

The Madrigal ladies were dressed in their bright orange Phil. gowns, while the men wore their greyish Barong.  These were their numbers:

Part I:

Pater Noster composed by John Pamintuan, a young Filipino composer, who also watched. I believe this was one of their most recent award winning renditions in a competition in Spain.

Revoici venir du printemps by Claude le Jeune - a secular French song

Jadlied -another French rendition that was about a Hunter's Song.      

We Behold Once Again the Stars -from the Divine Comedy of Dante (Inferno Canto)

Kaisa-isa Niya - a children's game song from Maguindanao, southern Philippines which employed foot-stamping, clapping and shouting as part of the music's playful character. This was composed by another young Filipino composer, Nilo Alcala, who also watched that night.

Comme d'Habitude - This sad French song sings of an unrequited love -reworked by Paul Anka in English, famously sung by Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra...commonly known as "My Way."  Of course, we all loved this popular rendition.

Paraiso  composed by our own Ryan Cayabyab - speaks of a dark and dreary environment where scavengers are free to make what they get from a garbage pile, yet dreaming of hope and paradise.  I felt goose bumps on my arms...while this was being sung--Beautiful!

I'm Gonna Let It Shine - An African-American spiritual song popularly known as "This Little Light of Mine."

Part II - during the intermission - people rushed to the lobby to buy CD's which were sold. I bought 2 cds...a little expensive, but worth the price.

Song of Dawn - This rendition made use of "voice layering" -speaks of the beauty of dawn.

Cebuano Medley -A medley of Cebuano folk songs, the most famous of which was " Si Pilimon-" among others.

Hanggang - a love song that was super beautiful --soloed by Wency Cornejo who has a fantastic singing voice.

Love of my Life - widely known as performed by the rock band "Queen" written by Freddy Mercury, the lead vocalist of the group --he has a superb singing high voice one would want him to sing over and over again.!

Ire a Santiago - This was inspired by a Spanish poem sung with rhythmic vitality.

Soul Bossanova - purely instrumental sang in a "jazzy" style - no words---just different sounds of musical instruments by using the Madrigal cacophony of different voices.

Va Lontano (Go the Distance) - This is the theme song from Walt Disney's "Hercules" ...was their last number but the audience shouted "Bravo, Bravo",,,and clamored for more, more.!

Three more songs for their encore---and the final one was so beautiful too---What a Wonderful World...."

We boarded the train at 11:30 ---was home by 1:00 a.m....tired but pleased to have watched this  one-day concert.! 

I will post one of their cd's here...later!

 

 

 

 

Rules of the House

Came across these rules---and thought they made sense and can be useful to others...just like we (Rick and myself) think so.:

               RULES OF THE HOUSE

If you sleep on it.....make it up.

If you wear it...hang it up.

If you drop it....wash it.

If you spill it..wipe it up.

If you turn it on...turn if off.

If you open it...close it.

If you move it...put it back.

If you break it...repair it (or at least try to)

If you empty it...fill it up.

If it rings...answer it.

If it howls....feed it

If it cries...love it!

NY Trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art & Hard Rock Cafe

Here are some photos taken today as we viewed a lot of interesting forms of arts in this museum.  It is a huge museum with different wings showcasing American, Asian, Chinese, Japanese, African, and Egyptian artifacts dating back to b.c and a.d. years. 

You wil also view some photos taken inside the Hard Rock Cafe where we had lunch.  Here you will see the drum set of Ringo Starr, the motorcycle of Billy Joel, various costumes of Elton John, Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, James Brown, etc.and various guitars of famous performers.

Hard Rock's burgers are the best.  We both said that they are better than Fuddruckers!

 

 

For Grandmas and Lolas

An officemate of mine gave me a copy of this article, and I feel it is a beautiful story.  I am sharing it with all grandmas, and future grandmas.  Remember, that for every child born into this world, there is also a  grandma! 

Grandma’s Hands

 

Grandma, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench.   She didn’t move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands.  When I sat down beside her, she didn’t acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat, I wondered if she was okay.  Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her at the same time, I asked her if she was okay.

 

She raised her head and looked at me and smiled.  “Yes, I am fine, thank you for asking,” she said in a clear strong voice.

 

“I didn’t mean to disturb you, Grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were okay,” I explained to her.

 

“Have you ever looked at your hands?” she asked. “I mean really looked at your hands?”  I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them.  I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making.

 

Grandma smiled and related the following story:

 

“Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well through your years.”

 

“These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life.  These hands  braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor.  These put food in my mouth and clothes on my back.  As a child, my mother taught me to fold them in prayer.  These tied my shoes and pulled on my boots.”

 

“These held my husband and wiped my tears when he went off to war.  These have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent! “

 

“These were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn child.  Decorated with my wedding band and showed the world that I was married and loved someone special.”

 

“These wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse.”   These have held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn’t understand.  These have covered my face, combed my hair, washed and cleansed the rest of my body.”

 

“These have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw.  And to this day, when not much of anything else of me works real well, these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.”

 

“These hands are the mark of where I have been and the ruggedness of life.  But more importantly, it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home.  And with my hands, He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ.”

 

I will never look at my hands the same again.  God reached out and took my grandma’s hands and led her home.  When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and husband, I think of Grandma.  I know she has been held by the hands of God.  And I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.