do not pity me, i prefer solitude

(these were my thoughts last christmas, and a year has passed.)

i have no plans for Christmas.

i am OK with being alone.

it's not the first time, and i was OK then too.

i live alone. being alone is not the problem.

the problem is that some people will not stop pitying me for being alone, no matter how many times i tell them it doesn't bother me.

it's as though they want me to be miserable, so they keep asking if i don't have someone to be with.

as if being with just anyone would have to be better than what i have planned.

then again, they are the ones who stay married to a man they don't like very much just because they’re afraid of being alone.

i know from experience that being with just anyone solely because it's christmas is a recipe for disaster. never again.

i spent christmas alone last year, too. it was fun. i gave thanks for the fact that i wasn't forced by tradition to spend the day with anyone i didn't like. i didn't spend a nanosecond feeling depressed or lonely.

so here, i am writing something about spending christmas alone that isn't depressing. all you ever hear or read is "spending christmas alone is hard."

i say it isn't, and there's no reason to wallow in self-pity just because society keeps telling you there's something wrong with being alone and content.

Merry Christmas!

counterfeit anything, anyone?

with the first crisp and cold days of near december upon us

and the holiday rushes well underway,

it's time for a counterfeit coffee break -

this time courtesy of nescafe

(let's sip and talk a while, in the one world of nescafe)

really?, i ask.

the brown powder that simulates fresh brewed coffee

when hot water is added?

yes, really.

but with a twist.

nescafe has a new ad campaign accusing starbucks,

whose own trademark has been copied far and wide,

of knocking off nescafe's infamous instant coffee.

(at much higher prices)

of course, the corporate baristi behind the starbucks via ready brew

are well aware that you can't be held liable for copying a mere idea.

even a bad one.

as for me, i am still collecting my stickers!!!!

i want that planner!!!

and as for F.A.R.M. ,

the choice is always on the wearer,

whether you wear the genuine

or the counterfeit,

is totally up to you!

when F.A.R.M. hits the limelight

from its humble beginnings,
F.A.R.M. has slowly caught the attention of the nation,
having been featured in a lot of
eco-friendly fashion and lifestyle
news, and magazines,
the latest of which is a lifestyle feature in
abs-cbnnews.com

for its success, i must acknowledge
my F.A.R.M.ers,
without whose support and love,
it is impossible to reach the heights
and make the climb
a fun, meaningful and unforgettable experience.

i cannot take all the credit,
i share my success with you, jane,
you have been the wind beneath F.A.R.M.'s wings.

my one and only sis, teresa,
for being a staunch and devoted F.A.R.M. forerunner.

and to the community of F.A.R.M.ers around the globe,
whose roots can all be traced
to our beloved town baao, camarines sur.
(i beg not to make a list of all of you,
but i strongly believe you know who you are)

i have not been wrong, all along.
i revel and exult in being a daughter of baao.

OK Bikol is definitely OK

i enjoyed the four days in Manila.
this was the OK Bikol Trade Fair held anually
@ sm megamall, megatrade hall
and included young, budding entrepreneurs in the bikol region.

it was a first for me!

the fair showed a wonderful variety
of handmade craft,

from fashion accessory

to home furnishings,
food to wine,
tourist destinations
to massage services.

christian and jam came with me to manila to help me on those four hectic days,



and, again,
i came away wondering
how we were able to pull that one off,
with flying colors and fuller pockets.

and the occasion provided such a great excuse

for lots of F.A.R.M.ers to converge
and enjoy the company of good friends
from our beloved hometown of
baao, camarines sur.

with jane, jet, sheila, and emily's sis

sarah, jane, bidibidi, gladys

jay, monette, juvinil, jane, bidibidi, jonathan

for me, it was a triple treat
as i was invited to guest in a tv program
“shop talk” hosted by pia hontiveros,
with global viewership.
such a rare chance for a budding entrep like moi.

thanks to all of you for supporting my button world, my advocacies and my love – from the button of my heart. . . and like with any good read, the next chapter in the book of F.A.R.M. is just about to unfold. .

jasmin, adie, marivic

manoy johnny, manay connie & me. . .
jane, bidibidi, jun, jen, kirby

adie, monette, bidibidi, sarah, jane, gladys, iris

sarah & gladys with inay

"beauty begets beauty":
monette, sarah, iris, gladys, jane, bidibidi

matt, louella, bidibidi

the bth group:
rommel, jonathan, charina, mia, bidibidi, gladys, adie, sarah, iris, perfect, jane, louella, matt

mia, jonathan, charina, gladys, iris

rugi ann, gina, rudy & giru

doyi & kristine & rona mae

happiness - i make my own

on occasions, happiness comes easily and unexpectedly
sometimes, it’s very elusive. . .

like a fluttering butterfly
or a magical starfish wandering by in the sea water.

it’s not always easy to catch sight of it
. . .often eludes you;

but if i am unrelenting, i just might catch a glimpse of it. . .

flitting, floating, drifting, roving. . ..




i know people who just don’t want to be happy.

they dwell in an abyss of confusion, uncertainty, ambiguity. . .
sadness, sorrow and perpetual discord with themselves;

and they blame their unhappiness on someone or everyone else.
sometimes their toxic and venomous behavior and words are like poison to the happiness of others as well.



each of us has a responsibility to ourselves to make our own happiness.
to that end, i recite this mantra. . .
a gentle reminder for a little lift.


because, i and only i, am responsible for making my own happiness; i must lift up my head, lift up my spirits and make a commitment to myself to enhance my own happiness each and every day.

i make my own happiness - a mantra

i make my own happiness.

only i am responsible for my own happiness.
i am committed to being happy.

i am the keeper of my laughter.
i can let it out or bottle it up inside.

i am the creator of my own joy.

i can allow myself to experience it or to stifle it.

i am the designer of my own fun.

i can bring the fun with me or leave it at home.

i am open to true love.
i can keep my heart unguarded or refuse to take a chance.

i control my expectations.
i can expect less and enjoy more or expect more and enjoy less.

i keep an open mind about life and new experiences.
i can be a flexible thinker or narrow-minded and bored by the status quo.

i am willing to share it with people who appreciate an environment of happiness.
i am also willing to walk toward the sunshine alone if they refuse to see its brightness.

it is my protection, my barrier, my shield, my salvation.
i enable myself to appreciate the ability to simply experience happiness.

i make my own happiness.

this past visit @ La Huerta

i have been so busy these past few weeks,
and i have not been to my farm, as a result.
i even missed the harvests of the peppers,



the pumpkins,



the lettuces, the beans



and the tomatoes.



oh, my! those are the things that i love doing the most – harvesting. . .
and trying to decipher the mystery of nature in the beauty of a harvest. . .
what has come between us?

so, it was a pleasant surprise to have a friend who came for a visit.



la huerta has become my venue for entertaining visiting family and friends.

the farm ambiance is still unparalleled



and the sumptuous meals served by virgie is definitely a knockout.



it still feels great to walk the paths of la huerta.



now, there are more new paths. where there once was only Rosario’s path,



now there are a few unnamed treks.



and there is still much beauty to be found.





i have always been a firm believer that a well-planned landscape is one that looks great all time of the year,
and this is what i did at the farm.

the visit was short and brief but the changes i noticed at the landscape,
as a result of the seasons,
reflect clearly my belief.

and i walked all the paths of la huerta,
both old and new
and they all lead to my dear old balinese hut –

where life stories are told. . .