A Place for Thoughts

Skywatch Friday No. 40

2009-04-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

We took our youngest baby to the park one day. He gets bored easily because all his older siblings are in school.

Going to the park with him is a must.

It's such a clear day, there wasn't much character in the sky. So, you get to see two of my boys instead.

Climbing Baby

2009-04-14T00:31:00.000-07:00

Two of My Favorite Boys

2009-01-28T12:16:00.000-08:00

I admit that I am very partial to my boys. I have 4 boys and a husband. That's five. I think they're the best!

Sky Watch 1

2008-09-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

Pictures taken by Sony Ericsson 2 MP phone camera.

Photo Hunt: Beautiful

2008-08-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

This one's my only daughter. She's almost eleven, straght A student.
This is my second child. He's 9, and an avid computer gamer.
This is my 3rd child and he's almost 7. He's practically a genius in Math, but was on special Ed for a few years because he talk very late.

This is my 4th child, and he's 4 years old. He's really excited about going to school. He writes with both hands.

This is my 5th child, and he's two. I think he doesn't know that, because he takes on big kids at the playground if he thinks they're not being fair. He takes on his big brothers and sisters too, and he tries to order them about.

For me, beautiful means my children. I'm sure all parents feel that way about their children.

My Brother

2008-08-18T07:40:00.001-07:00

Right in Union Square, he tried this trolley. We didn't ride one because it's always full!

Playing Tourist in San Francisco

2008-08-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

Taken across our favorite fast food, Jollibee!
It was really fun when my brother came from Las Vegas and spent Saturday and Sunday with us.

Wordless Wednesday: Why Go to La Estrella Beach Resort

2008-04-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

La Estrella Beach Resort and Diving is a great place for tropical vacation. The accommodation is fantastic! There's tons of things to do. The rates are great too.

Here's what you'll see when you go diving. A little part of it.

Underwater Spider

Shrimp

A Word on WW Below

2008-04-08T10:05:00.001-07:00

This is one of the rides in Six Flags Over Texas which is guaranteed to soak you by the end of it. I find it perplexing why in the midst of winter, people lined up to try this ride. They come out soaking and shivering but always with smiles on their faces. How about that huh? I haven't tried it myself because I keep thinking how it's not fun to walk around slushing in my shoes. Maybe when it's really hot I will.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-04-08T10:02:00.001-07:00

Photo Hunt: Glass

2008-04-04T22:59:00.000-07:00

Look at the glassy surface of the water. This is one of my favorite walking trails. I wish that builders have thought of building waking trails in all the neighborhood pre-70s. If they had, I wouldn't have to drive to get to the nearest one. The water makes for a pleasant view while sweating it all out.

Famous Filipino

2008-01-28T00:36:00.000-08:00

I have no idea!

Some are quite yummy!

To Wet To Play

2007-12-16T02:50:00.000-08:00

We did not go to Six Flags last Friday. It was too wet. Also, I couldn't find my baby's jacket. I almost went out and bought one, but it was not convinient. There was no backyard to play, it's all wet. During the piano lessons, the other children were so loud, the piano-playing kids were not getting quality lessons at all. I think I might need to sit down and practice piano with them again.

All To Myself

2007-12-10T10:14:00.000-08:00

I finally get to try out the ride called Runaway Mountain in Six Flags Over Texas. The line is always long, and they have this rather scary groaning noises which comes at regular interval.

It's also my son's favorite ride. Last night, when it was raining lightly, and the temperature at 30 degrees, the party is practically empty. All bundled up in layers of clothing, we went to the part. No lines anywhere. We can repeat rides whenever we want. Except that those rides we really want to try were close because of rain and possible lightning.

Last night, I get to ride it 3 times, before I had to stop for fear of throwing up. The last bend is what makes me so dizzy.

The Weather

2007-11-28T10:20:00.000-08:00

When the weather is never the same, it's worth a post. Where I live, I can never completely pack away summer clothes. I need them in the warm Indian Summer of December. Yes, in the middle of winter, I get to wear tank tops and shorts. Today, the day I scheduled to fix my yard, it got too cold to do so. I'd rather sit home and read. Besides, there's always something to do inside my house. I'd dearly love to see my flowers in bloom again. But that can only happen if there's water. I'd love to watch my flowers in bloom sitting in a patio like this one on the right.

Gift

2007-10-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

Buying a gift is scary. Selecting a gift is stressful. Deciding which one to buy, tiresome. Really. I'd almost want to clean every inch of my bathroom with a very small toothbrush. At least I'd have the satisfaction of knowing I got something clean. I've accomplish a little thing. With gift giving, I'm not even sure they're going to like what I bought.

Shocking, Not so Shocking!

2007-10-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

I'm size 13. I know how it happened too. I've been really enjoying food. When I focuse on food instead of books, this is what happens. I get fat. Yep, really fat. That's why my butt can't fit into a size lower than a 10 because I am fat. I need to be slimmer because I am so short, any extra pounds, I look round and fat, even though technically, I am not really that fat. I am happy, but I want slim and happy. Seriously, it's easier to be fat...but to get slim, it takes a long long time of hard work. My lovely babies are worth it, but really, I need to be a little slim.

2007-09-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

Sex is Good

2007-09-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

I read somewhere that having regular sex is good for the body. One of the advantage is the improve sense of smell. It's true. After sex, there's a surge in hormones which makes you smell better. That is, you can have an improved sense of smell. Does that mean that it's more important than ever to jump into the shower after sex? Who wants to smell?

Dangerous Feeding

2007-09-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

Doesn't it become dangerous when feeding a baby with his full set of teeth? It's like skydiving without a parachute, all excitement and fear. It's also very rewarding because you're nurturing a child. Those teeth are certainly dounting. It's like feeding with a gun trained to you. Scary.

Shocking, Not so Shocking!

2007-09-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Homework

2007-08-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

How important is homework? Usually it is 10% of the grade. So, if you make straight A's at school on test and practicals, you can basically avoid homework. Why do teachers send homework anyways? Students are in school the better part of 7 hours, surely they can do what's needed to be done without having to inflict homework on students and parents too. Come on, let's face it, homework is design for parents to do with their children, at least sometime. Why don't the school make that clear instead of getting mad at your child later on because their parents just happen to be very busy to do homework.

Bad Motherhood

2007-08-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

I've always wondered if it makes you a bad mother if you pursue your happiness first and foremost. Sure you have children who need their parents to stay together, but really, shouldn't a mother take care of herself first? I know a person who did just that. Of course the family gets broken and the kids end up in daycare full time when they could have been at home with one of the parents, but who cares about that huh? If the mother is happy, then the buck stops there. I don't agree, but there it is.

Some Cute Pictures of Kids

2007-07-05T09:09:00.001-07:00

Thank for the Flowers

2007-06-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

and the trip to check out floors and the trip to get an oven, which reminds me I need to get a stove top too.

This one's a nice shower area, except we'll probably go with something less expensive than this price-tag...for now. I didn't realized they were all wearing yellow.

I Love You

2007-06-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Sleeping beauty!

Sapphire, Chana, Cassidy and one of her teachers.

Yoav and Yossi on a bench outside.

I am with my little ones..this is the life

Thank you for all the things that you do so I can do the things I do easier.

I am

2007-05-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

so sleepy today. This is usually what happens when I start getting 7 hours of sleep instead of my usual 4. From now on, only 4 hours of sleep, I am perkier that way.
First and last possing for me.

Mr. Nancy and Baby at their courtyard when we went for a piano lesson at their house.

Wish You Were There

2007-05-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Abba,

It was a little scary to take the kids out today all by myself. It made me miss sister and Mama. I didn't know how much I rely on them for family outing. Turned out that Jovy was there, and she helped a bit with #4 and #3.

I rode the merry-go-round, train and tilt-a-whirl. I am reminded once again that those type of things are not for me. I was dizzy and clammy for three hours afterwards. All the kids seems to have a great time though. Except for the baby, everyone enjoyed the dizzy, scary ride. I think the baby was afraid of the short train ride. He spent it face pressed to my lap. Halfway through his merry-go-round ride, he jumped to my arms and stayed nestled there the rest of the way.

#2 have a habit of closing his eyes on scary rides, but he rides them one after the other. He loves golf and finished all 18-holes. I was done for by hole 1. #4 picked up a golf ball which roll very closed to his feet. Some jerk ass shouted at him to put the ball down. It scared him silly, he insisted we left the golf course right away. I could see from his face that he was mortified and scared all at once.

We had fun at the arcade with driving game, I pedal he drove, which is not at all bad for an almost 3 years old.

Love,
Mommy

A Letter, duh!

2007-05-17T02:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Abba,

I thought I'd write to you from here. I know you see this every day...what could be a better place huh? E-mail me if you think this is a good idea. This is just a try.

I haven't gotten back to sleep. I swept the floor and washed the dishes, and folded some laundry. It seems that I find myself really happy to just do these house-wifey things when the kids are not screaming at me.

This is 1 and 5 in our room in front of the small bed.

I think our #5 is on the screamy/screechy stage. All of them goes through this state. I can't wait til he grows out of it.

I am going back to bed, I think. My alarm is set to wake me up at 6AM. I would set it earlier, except I can't cook. My stove is broken. Control Valve needs replacement. I hope I still have Sears thingy on it.

This is 2 inside a limo after his birthday party. 4 was in the background securely belted. He wasn't too happy about that.

The A/C guys from SEARS did not show up again. If I had waited for them to fix my air conditioner, we'd be in a sweltering puddle for over a week now. I think I'll try to have them give me my service money back since they didn't come at all. That's two appointments they have blown.

I have two sets of people coming today. One with floor samples and one with paint samples. They're going to give me a bid and I have 30 days to reject or accept. This is going to be really interesting because I have never seen a job bid before in my life, ever.

Love,
Mommy

Can Aluminum Cause Alzheimer's Disease?

2007-03-12T22:50:00.000-07:00

by Melvyn R. Werbach, M.D.

Senile dementia is a progressive degenerative brain disease associated with old age. Its symptoms include short-term memory loss, slowness in thought and movement, confusion, disorientation, depression, difficulty communicating, and loss of physical function. Alzheimer's disease accounts for about half of all senile dementia cases. Although there are many theories about what causes Alzheimer's, the fact is, its origins remain poorly understood.

One theory proposed that the common occurrence of being exposed to aluminum could cause Alzheimer's dementia. Aluminum, the theory postulated, becomes concentrated in the characteristic lesions (senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles) that develop in the brain during the course of the disease. At first, medical scientists thought this theory was absurd. Aluminum, they believed, accumulated merely as a result of a destructive process caused by some other factor.

In recent years, however, the aluminum hypothesis has been gaining respect. For example, studies have discovered a direct association between the level of aluminum in municipal drinking water and the risk of Alzheimer's dementia. One study found aluminum in drinking water was related to only this specific type of dementia;1 another found that the probability of the association being due to chance was only 1 in 24, with a 46 percent increased risk for people drinking water with the highest aluminum levels.2

The use of aluminum-containing antiperspirants--but not the use of antiperspirants and deodorants in general--has also been associated with a risk of Alzheimer's dementia, with a trend toward a higher risk corresponding with increasing frequency of use.3 This relationship does not extend to aluminum-containing antacids,4 which may simply be evidence that the aluminum in antacids is not absorbed--the process of absorption through the gut mucosa is quite different from absorption through the skin.

We also know that serum aluminum concentrations increase with age. Aluminum may accumulate slowly over our lifetimes or we may absorb it more easily as we age. Moreover, there is evidence that people with probable Alzheimer's disease have serum aluminum levels that are often significantly higher than those of people with other types of dementia, as well healthy people of similar ages.5
Further evidence that aluminum fosters the development of Alzheimer's dementia comes from a scientific (placebo-controlled) trial of desferrioxamine, a drug that removes aluminum from the body by binding with it. While regular administration of the drug failed to stop the disease from progressing, desferrioxamine did significantly reduce the rate of decline in the ability of a group of people with Alzheimer's dementia to care for themselves.6

Although the aluminum/Alzheimer's link remains unproven, I believe that waiting for definitive proof before taking a few easy and protective measures is foolhardy--and more scientists are starting to agree.7,8 Perhaps one person in 10 age 65 or older suffers from dementia; by age 80 that figure rises to one in five. This is too common an illness to ignore preventive measures until we can know for certain why it develops.

Ways To Avoid Aluminum

Here are my suggestions for minimizing your exposure to aluminum.
* Drinking water should be low in aluminum. Some bottled-water companies provide an analysis of the aluminum content of their water. You might also find out from your public water company what the aluminum level is in the local drinking water.

* Aluminum-containing antiperspirants can easily be avoided, as can aluminum utensils and even, to play it safe, aluminum-containing antacids.

* Commercially processed foods such as cake and pancake mixes, frozen doughs and self-rising flour are sources of dietary aluminum, so their ingestion should be minimized. Watch for and avoid sodium aluminum phosphate, an ingredient in baking powder. Pickles and cheese should also be avoided.

* There is a close relationship between silicon and aluminum in Alzheimer brain lesions, as the two substances bind together to form aluminosilicates.9 High levels of silica in drinking water in the form of silicic acid do seem to protect against the adverse effects of aluminum ingestion, and silicic acid ingestion increases urinary aluminum excretion.10,11 Whether silica supplements protect against the development of dementia has yet to be determined.

* Besides minimizing aluminum exposure, taking the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of calcium, magnesium and zinc should help to protect against aluminum accumulation.12-14 Deficiencies of these important minerals are common among the elderly.15 Yet, unless there is laboratory evidence of a zinc deficiency, I would not recommend zinc supplementation to help prevent Alzheimer's disease, for two reasons. First, beta-amyloid protein, the major substance found in the brain lesions (usually in a liquid form), binds with zinc. At concentrations only slightly higher than those normally found in the brain, excess zinc may convert the protein to the solid form that is found in Alzheimer lesions.16 This suggests that, at least in theory, excess zinc could actually promote the development of the disease. Second, there is a lack of adequate research demonstrating the efficacy of zinc supplementation in preventing Alzheimer's, although in one study all six relatively young dementia victims had some memory improvement following supplementation with zinc aspartate.17

[Source]

On Mothering

2007-03-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

- Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

The Invitation

2007-03-02T01:55:00.001-08:00

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living
I want to know what you ache for,
And if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love,
For your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow,
If you have been opened by life's betrayals or
Have shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain
I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own;

If you can dance with wilderness and let ecstasy fill you
To the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful,
Be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself,
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.

I want to know if you can see beauty
Even when it is not pretty every day,
And if you can source your life from God's presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine,
And still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair,
Weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the Fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself,
And if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

ORIAH MOUNTAIN DREAMER, Native American Elder

Birthday Blessings

2007-02-26T06:51:00.000-08:00

Instead of counting candles,
Or tallying the years,
Contemplate your blessings,
As your birthday nears.

Consider special people
Who love you, and who care,
And others who’ve enriched your life
Just by being there.

Think about the memories
Passing years can never mar,
Experiences great and small
That have made you who you are.

Another year is a happy gift,
So cut your cake, and say,
"Instead of counting birthdays,
I count blessings every day!"

By Joanna Fuchs

Civil War Haiku

2007-02-26T06:45:00.000-08:00

Only a horse died
Before the white flag fluttered
Over Fort Sumter

Eighteen sixty-one
April came in stormy then
Four-thirty, the twelfth

Pre-dawn it shattered
The uneasy peace they knew
When long darkness came

The blue and the gray
Made a hundred shades of red
The colors of war

There is no hatred
Deeper than between brothers
So close the distance

Wicked is the edge
That divides the human heart
From that which it loves

Loud days upon them
When war whispers turned to howls
And all were made deaf

War is failure's price
When words cannot sway the will
Currency of blood

Enfilade sweeps far
Merciless arcs through the line
Cleaving open souls

A nation born free
Yet to embrace enslavement
Had to be reborn

Vessels can be weak
Their ship was unseaworthy
They were seamen still

Defeat's patina
Of melancholic brooding
Is theirs to cherish

Valor on both sides
Is honored in human hearts
That grasp the horror

Though rebellion shown
Courage worthy of respect
Their deaths not in vain

Defeat assured us
Of a strong United States
Safe from division

Boys' hands hold aloft
The fragile rag ennobled
Death will make them men

The flag was sodden
Wet with blood and morning dew
Cloth so creased with pain

Only yesterday
It whipped the air unaware
Of its frailty

When the stripes and bars
And stars and colors flying
Unfurl no more

Bullets and disease
Twin conspirators of death
War's dark handmaidens

Dry and hard as bone
Hardtack, spit-wet to choke down
Their staple of life

A sizzle in fat
"Worm-castles" when vermin -filled
Such is nourishment

Shoeless, cold, in rags
These no gallant uniforms
Not so handsome now

No jaunty marches
But leaden boredom and dread
And hungry half-sleep

Hear the roar, the roar
Rebel yell, Yankee cannon
The death of silence

Battlefield names
Once towns innocent of blood
Tinged now with horror

Fredericksburg's ghosts moan
Cry out across the freeways
Faint amid new noise

They can still be heard
The decibels of anguish
Humming in the din

Tattered, shattered air
Shrapnel whipping through bowed trees
A bruised sky, wounded

Through murderous paths
And biting pointed acres
Courage propelled them

On and on they came
It is sad to kill such men
Brutal tasks of war

So many limbs fell
Some with leaves and some without
Mingled on the ground

Mangled on the ground
July's high beauty besmirched
With bird song and sobs

Sherman hated war
"It is all Hell, boys" he said
Man-made Hell on Earth

"Make it bad enough
To make it over sooner"
An orgy of death

Bodies know the rage
Of disease which is war too
Fever took his son

To anguish Sherman
So hated and beloved
In his pained madness

What Lee said was true
"We shall grow too fond of it"
The glory of war

The best it brings out
"Good that it be terrible"
Hate's lustful passion

In the wilderness
The madness and the horror
Where is glory then?

It lies in knowing
There are things worth fighting for
Worthy of valor

Two days at Shiloh
Earthly days to rival Hell
Amid peach blossoms

Bereft of mercy
Lay carpets of the dying
'Til tears turned to rain

Shenandoah screamed
From Sheridan's ruthless torch
Embers drenched in blood

"Dead on the field"
Such words to echo in air
Heart-breaking Autumn

The bloodiest day
Antietam's harvest of souls
And shamed victory

Cold Harbor, cold heart
Chilled by time's swift, blunt slaughter
Breath-taking carnage

Guns with no bullets
Caused Chamberlain's fearful cry
For the bayonet

Faced the wicked slope
Of hot, roaring raging air
And go in to it

To be in Hell then
Could be no worse than that day
On Little Round Top

Oh, doomed Sultana
Victory could not save you
From water and flame

And proud arrogance
So the waves took you under
To perish unsung

Six - hundred thousand
Did close their eyes forever
The future not theirs

Not to see the start
Of a new United States
Without slavery

And without these men
Who slept in their early graves
So much treasure gone

They killed each other
With ecstasies of hatred
Tornadoes of rage

After the battles
They would have to meet again
Now as countrymen

And look past raw wounds
Past anger, shame and fury
This took valor too

Through their pain and death
They erased geography
And made us one land

Now to make foemen
Be as brothers once again
Tragedy must bind

Chastened by fire
A nation made more sacred
By its suffering

Our national wound
Young bones moulder in old graves
We still bear the scars

Pioneer nation
Our infant experiment
Freedom's light on Earth

Our America
Withstood her great upheaval
From her knees she rose

A solemn purchase
The price was blood and sorrow
To weld a nation

And make it unite
Through common pain and healing
Unbowed, free and one

Beginning

2007-02-06T00:18:00.000-08:00

Head on over here :)