18 years and counting....

                                              the staff of Italiannis' -Abreeza singing for him :)

and the birthday dessert! thanks Italiannis' for "surprising" him

Kuya turned 18....( this was last July, so kinda late posting but still its just a few months late and he's still 18 )
the baby I used to stare at while he was sleeping..i loved to do so because he smiles and giggle from time to time while asleep, I believe those were the times his guardian angels were playing with him...ah, even Jay loved to stare at him while he's asleep...Jay can just lie down there and stare and stare for hours,and then when the smile creeps in his face, ah perfect moment! "kodak" moment talaga yun....

Many years passed by, I believe he has not outgrown his being such a sweet, jolly, and caring person....i know he is a man now and all that, but somehow, his innate kindness, goodness, and sweetness just can't help but burst out of him....that's why Janelle misses him so much...and I miss him too.....

Proof of this was during the day of his birthday- he accompanied me to the doctor for my check-up (i was down with very bad cough and flu-like symptoms, well more of that in another blog)...he patiently waited with me at the doctor's clinic, after seeing the doctor, we bought my meds...and he never complained that I had to hold on to his hand as we walked even in a crowded place like the mall, at times he is the one holding my hand ...ah, so gentleman of him.

So after that medical errand, we had lunch together at his favorite (well, one of-) restaurants- Italiannis' and ordered baked ravioli for appetizer, quatro formaggio, carbonara classico, and frutti di mare....quite a feast, but he managed to finish them all (as I was sick, I didn't have much appetite that day) and then there's the surprise dessert with matching singing by the waiters and staff (I had to whisper to them that its his birthday, did it when he went to wash his hands before eating )...thanks Italiannis' for helping me make that birthday lunch a happy one for him....

Happy 18th...and may you improve what you have to improve but never lose that sweet, kind,& jolly ways of yours....

Missing Something

Before FACEBOOK, there was Friendster- it provided a venue for me to write about my day or just about anything that I fancy or suddenly thought of; there were times, I wrote there what I was feeling, or what I went through in retrospect....with FB, I wrote less and less, and became content with status updates mostly one-liners or one-word shout outs. Lately, many thoughts have been forming in my mind that needs to be written, or just expressed, not necessarily for others to read, but just for my own writing pleasure, and somehow serve as a vent  because, admit it, not everything can be said, and not everyone is willing to listen or are even there to do so...so now, I will try to start writing again, just about ANYTHING, ANYTIME....

TWO CORYs IN MY LIFE

by Ivy Guinto Fernandez on Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at 8:36pm

Its a coincidence that two Corys will share August 5 and will be forever etched in my memory...the first Cory as we all know- our former president- will be laid to rest on this day...while the other Cory in my life- my mom- will celebrate her birthday..these 2 Corys have some similarities- both are Chinese-looking, both have Corazon as their real names, and both are exemplary as mothers....just as Tita Cory is to her children, my mom has always been there for us..she always put us before herself- our needs, our wants..we have all the latest in shoes and in clothes while she is content in having just her basic pieces, buying only if really really really needed. She is very very simple while we her children have craved for more complex things. She is also a devoted Christian and have a very strong faith in God. I remember her saying that the legacy she wants to leave us is the love and devotion to God, aside from the good education she really worked hard (together with our dad) to be able to give us. She has also been there for other people sometimes putting them before us, even giving to others what we have worked hard for in order to give to her. With her everything has a solution as long as it is brought before God in prayer. She believes the best in everyone....
As the nation bids goodbye to Tita Cory...I give my loving greetings to my mom. Thank you for these two Corys who have made tremendous impact on my life- especially in the area of love, faith and devotion to God. my mom Cory...short haired also and curly...

" I work with all my might. I pray with all my heart. The rest I leave to God." - by Cory Aquino ...truly inspiring and worth emulating

PLANTING 101

by Ivy Guinto Fernandez on Monday, August 17, 2009 at 9:12pm

I would like to quote here a few lines from Mr. Francis Kong's recent article "The Story of the Seed":
"Scriptures say whatsoever you sow you shall reap.
Plant honesty and reap trust.
Plant goodness and you reap friends.
Plant humility and reap greatness
Plant perseverance and reap contentment
Plant consideration and reap perspective
Plant hard work and reap success
Plant forgiveness and reap reconciliation
Plant faith in GOD and reap a harvest.
I guess the question is what are you planting now?"

Hey you, I hope you realize what people around you have been going through just by listening to you. Yup, you may have a point- a good one- but hey, because of how you say it and talk to us or to them, somehow the message doesn't get through, but what leaves a mark is the hurt you leave after you've said your "right message". For how long will you go on like this? Going around talking to people, pointing out their mistakes and at the same time hurting them by the tone of your voice or even going to the point of being insulting already just to stress your point. I am afraid time will come that you will meet somebody who will do the very same thing to you (you know telling you the right message in a wrong way), as much as I would not want to see you go through that and be spared from experiencing what we experience from you but yet the law of sowing and reaping is very real...so every night I whisper a prayer for you to be gentler and kinder, and to give us the strength everyday to make listening to you bearable...o be careful little tongue what you say and how you speak...God help us!

CHRISTMAS SPELLED PROPERLY

by Ivy Guinto Fernandez on Friday, December 24, 2010 at 10:22am

I just can't help but feel sad whenever I see people write XMAS, for I really can't see any sense in writing it- how should one read it? Isn't XMAS read as it is? X-MAS? When did the letter X ever sounded like Christ? When did X ever mean Christ? Isn't it we were taught to write as we pronounce it when we were still little tots who can barely write or spell properly? So even if I try and try my best to recall when did X ever sounded like Christ I really can't ....or did we remove Christ from Christmas since we X-ed him out of the word that was coined because of HIM? It seems most people have lost the real meaning of Christmas - thus the word is written haphazardly or carelessly as X-MAS.....has Christmas been so commercialized that we have forgotten that the focus is not the parties nor the gifts nor the rituals or traditions associated with it but rather the focal point of Christmas is CHRIST's birth- His coming into this world to save us!

Parents, let us teach our children the true meaning of Christmas and let us start with writing it correctly..there are no shortcuts to Christmas- it took all of God's love and mercy towards us to send His only Son Jesus Christ, so let us show respect and deep gratitude for what God has given us and for what Christ has done for us.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Hope to see less of X and more of Christ in all of our posts.....

God bless us! Indeed God is merciful and kind and has shown mercy and grace towards all of us!

May the Spirit of Christmas be always in our hearts!

Promises to A Man Who I Once Knew As My Baby

by Ivy Guinto Fernandez on Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 4:12pm

To my one & only son, as you go & expand your horizon, I promise that I will keep on praying for your guidance & safekeeping...I will not worry so much because I know that God will be there where I cannot reach you, He will be your comfort at times when you need a hug, His loving arms will surely be there to soothe you, I may not always be there to talk to you when you need someone to listen to you rant or complain, but God will always be there, He listens, and He hears everything and will always have a ready word for you, you just have to listen closely because sometimes He just whispers softly. Of course, there's the cellphone, and the internet for us to communicate...but really there are moments that you will need a ready ear, and the person with the biggest ears who will hear you anytime is God alone, so just keep talking to Him.

I know you will do your best while in Singapore, I have seen how passionate you are when it comes to your work/studies...though you show your passion in a weird way- loud music blaring in the background while studying that makes me wonder how on earth can you understand whatl you're reading when there's rock music playing so loud!!! Oh well, you are after all my son, for I also cannot work  in the office when there's no music playing- our difference, yours is rock mine is acoustics/mellow/soft rock....ah yes, somehow I share your love for ColdPlay songs...

For a change I will not write here instructions for you to do while in Singapore for I know you are already old enough to know what to do, so I will just tell you what I promise to do while you're away. I promise to continue my daily workout even if you're no longer around to jog or walk with me because I know it is for my own good...need to do it for my cholesterol level to stay down, and of course, yes, I will remember to take my medicine daily even if you are no longer around to remind me to take my "drugs". I promise to keep my self healthy and not get sick so that I will be able to keep on visiting you as long as our funds permit. So as to ensure that I'll have funds, I promise to bring "baon" for lunch to the office as we have talked about so that I can save, and lessen my shopping urge so as to contribute to the travel fund for visiting you often.

I promise to be a good tutor to your sister Janelle specially in Math since you won't be around to do it for her, but I have a feeling that Janelle will always be online chatting with you on how to solve a math problem, or maybe use math as her excuse to keep you online and force you to talk to her and do your usual rituals- talk about things and laugh out loud together.

I promise that I will not cry my heart out because of the fact that I will miss you, but rather, I promise that I will keep on praying for you, and rally you on as you  face new challenges and battles in a foreign land. I will not think of my own misery and loneliness, but rather, I will put in my mind that you too will have your own bouts of loneliness thus I need to pray to God for your comfort and that may you find joy and peace in your heart knowing that God is with you at all times though your family is physically apart from you.

In summary: I love you too much thus I am letting you go to explore territories outside the comfort of our home, I have confidence in you not only because I know you, but because I know our God, that He promised that He will not leave you nor forsake you, and  I know that His plans for you  are for your prosperity and well-being.

Hugs and kisses.

Ivy

Just Asking...

by Ivy Guinto Fernandez on Monday, November 16, 2009 at 5:08pm

When will life with you be calm, peaceful, & not as if we have to be on our toes always, worrying what will make you mad next? Its as if there's always a bomb ticking, we don't know what to expect, sometimes the things we expect to make you mad won't have that effect on you, and what was pure fun for us surprisingly will be irritating to you.

When will it be that nothing will get under your skin?

When will it be that you will not sweat the small stuff?

When will you learn to just grin & bear it, just like what WE do when you're in one of your bad moods?

When will you accept the fact that some situations cannot be changed anymore and that to keep mentioning of the past decision & how it affects the now is just tiring and useless- why can't you just accept that that's it, it is THE NOW now so learn to live with it, just as we are learning to live with you everyday.

We are not perfect and i definitely know you are not also, so why can't you accept that fact? that we are different from one another?

If we know half as much as you know, then we would be you already, that's why we have different names because we are not you!

Look back, haven't you committed any mistakes? any wrong decisions? wow, if you haven't, then maybe you are indeed perfect.

JUST ASKING...no need for answers because we know how to grin and bear it :-)...as they say when life throws you tomatoes, make tomato juice...want some?