A Matter of Perspective Chronicles of my married life down under Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 0 0 48 4630

Articles from A Matter of Perspective

Wishful Thinking 2007-09-28 00:05:00 Ah yes, what I would give to go on holidays right this instant! Sometimes, we all need to step back, take a break and relax to reenergize ourselves. For me, that time should be anytime soon. Our trip back home is nearing and going on beach holidays with the entire family is definitely in our agenda. We'll make sure to also consider spa holidays to get ourselves some well-deserved massage! But before we can make all that a reality, we'd need to book us cheap flights first lest we forget. I am so looking forward to this much awaited trip! ...

My Desktop 2007-09-27 20:26:00 I've used the first (and last so far) digiscrap layout I made a month ago. Gosh, was it only just last month? It feels like eons! Anyway, there are actually lots of pictures to choose from but I really like this dark look. I've always been drawn to the color black for some reason. Lots of icons too as you can see but most of them are useless. I prefer to use quick launch because it's more convenient. Most used icons on my QL is Outlook Express, Internet Explorer, YM, Nero and Real player.Alright, I'm tagging Jean, Mik, Via, Era and Jacq. :)Note: Copy Starts Here!Desktop Free View Instruction:A.Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop. It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun. You can do a screen capture by:[1] Going to your desktop and pressing the Print Scrn key (located on the right side of the F12 key).[2] Open a graphics program (like Picture Manager, Paint, or Photoshop) and do a Past ...

Spring cleaning 2007-09-27 04:55:00 It is spring time here in Australia. That only means one thing. It is also a time for cleaning! In our house, the part that needs cleaning the most is our garden. Weeds have sprung everywhere and there are so many bushes to trim! There are also paths to clear. It would be nice to install some landscape lighting along them so we won't be stumbling in the dark. As you can see, there are lots for us to do. This definitely calls for some back-breaking gardening, especially on J's part. ...

Contemplating About Q.E. Again 2007-09-27 00:39:00 Yes, you heard me. Remember my post on QE? Well, J and I are thinking of having ourselves booked once again. We thought we were doing fine with Erin in the last few months. But recently, she's been very difficult with us and it is so hard for all of us to get a good night's sleep.We were watching the first episode of Parent Rescue on SBS last night and we could relate so much to one couple who's baby had basically the same settling issues as Erin. After watching the show, J and I now think that maybe trying QE would not be such a bad idea at this point. But still, it will be our last resort.I have bought the Sleep Right, Sleep Tight book to see if we can manage to employ the same settling techniques on Erin on our own. If this still doesn't work, then I'm afraid we're off to QE for good. Wish us luck! ...

Getaway 2007-09-25 03:01:00 As you can see, I've got tons of things that I've been putting off since Erin came into our lives. Sometimes, the daily grind can be tiring and all you want to do is escape from it. J and I would certainly love to have a little couple time once in a while. Getting away and staying at a private resort or in a Pennsylvania bed and breakfast would be great. That would be the life!Alright, time to burst that bubble and go back to reality! I need to tend to Erin now. ...

19 Somethings To Say To Your Children 2007-09-25 02:50:00 I got this in my inbox the other day. I'll definitely keep this in mind!1. I love you! There is nothing that will make me stop loving you. Nothing you could do or say or think will ever change that.2. You are amazing! I look at you with wonder! Not just at what you can do, but who you are. There is no one like you. No one!3. It's all right to cry. People cry for all kinds of reasons: when they are hurt, sad, glad, or worried; when they are angry, afraid, or lonely. Big people cry too. I do.4. You've made a mistake. That was wrong. People make mistakes. I do. Is it something we can fix? What can we do? It's all over. You can start fresh. I know you are sorry. I forgive you.5. You did the right thing. That was scary or hard. Even though it wasn't easy, you did it. I am proud of you; you should be too.6. I'm sorry. Forgive me. I made a mistake.7. You can change your mind. It's good to decide, but it is also fine to change.8. What a great idea! You were really thinking! How did you ... Children

Looking Back 2007-09-24 18:41:00 When J and I were planning our wedding back in 2004, one of the first things we took care of was purchasing our wedding bands. We both wanted something simple and nothing too flashy. I must admit though that I initially wanted one with diamonds but come to think of it, I'm glad I did not push through with idea . With all the chores to be done here in the house, all those precious stones could have fallen out in the process. Now that would have been such a waste! ...

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things I've Been Putting Off 2007-09-24 17:14:00 It's time for .Organising Erin's stuff - The little girl has accumulated loads of stuff over the months and I have yet to sort them all out into these categories: to put away in boxes (for future use [?]), to give away, and to use ASAP. Read my books - I still have tons of books to read. I just can't seem to find the time to read these days. :(Clean! - I'm such a neat freak so it bothers me a lot when things are a mess. As much as I would want to partake in the cleaning duties in our home, sadly these days, most of them are delegated to J.Do some gardening - Before Erin was born, J and I regularly did some gardening on weekends. He was (still is) in charge of weeding while I trimmed the bushes and trees. We find the activity therapeutic.Going home to Manila - Understandably, with Erin being so young, we won't be able to come home to Manila for the holidays. We're postponing our trip to next year, after she turns a year older.Pamper myself at a salon or spa - I'm doing this when ...

Back in the Green 2007-09-24 05:47:00 My maternal grandfather is a health buff and even at the age of 84, he still tries to keep himself fit by personally managing his farm in the province and hitting some balls at the driving range in spite of the arthritis in his knees. He has been a golf aficionado ever since he retired from work as an engineer. I suppose the reason why he is contented with just his daily trips to the driving range instead of to the golf course is because of the limitation presented by his arthritis. I wish I had the cash to buy him a golf cart and spare golf cart parts to boot so that he can go back to playing the sport on the green. I’m pretty sure he’ll be smiling from ear to ear when that happens. ...

In The Hood 2007-09-24 04:42:00 Time for Erin to strut her stuff once again. I just love her smile in this photo! :)I bought this number when I was still pregnant with her during our vacation in Manila last Christmas. It was on sale (50% off) but was the only piece left for baby girls. I purchased it nevertheless because it was of a good brand. It is a size medium so it was only now (last weekend to be exact, when we went to the mall) that Erin got the chance to wear it. ...

Preparing for the Future 2007-09-23 21:36:00 My mom used to work as a life insurance agent when she was younger so she was constantly pointing out to us how important it was to get insurance because we do not really know what the future will bring. She was successful in convincing me because I got my own policy at the young age of 24. I reckon getting term life insurance for myself has been one of the best moves I've made, especially now that we have Erin. ...

My Poor Thumb 2007-09-23 21:16:00 Lately, I have been complaining to J about my sore thumb. It started around three weeks ago, a day after one of our trips to the mall when I had to carry Erin around because she did not want to be seated in her stroller. I've tried not putting too much strain on it but this seems to be an impossible task to follow with all the chores to be done. The fact that Erin is growing heavier each day is not helping either because I really do need to carry her once in a while.My impression is that I may have De Quervain's tenosynovitis. When I was still working in the clinic back home, I used to get a lot of patients with this condition, often referred for splinting. I noticed that most of these patients were housewives and I suppose that constant trauma to the tendon due to everyday chores is really the culprit. And being a homemaker myself, it is not entirely impossible that I also develop it too. *sigh*Medications are definitely out of the question at the moment as I am still breastfeeding ...

Photographic Memories 2007-09-21 02:20:00 With Erin these days, it is a must for us to have our cameras on stand by. You just don't know when she'll show a great big smile or achieve a new milestone. She's growing up so fast that we make it a point to keep up with her to capture all those moments on photographs.At present, we just have the regular point-and-shoot digital camera. I bought this two years ago when J and I were still planning for our church wedding. Right now, we are drooling over the Canon EOS 400D with the twin lens kit. It is not exactly within our budget right now but I'm pretty sure someday it'll soon be ours! Call it wishful thinking if you must! :) ...

Feast One Hundred & Sixty One 2007-09-21 01:53:00 AppetizerWhat is your favorite type of art?I have always been a fan of abstract art. It is very subjective though. Its randomness in strokes or method can turn out to be very appealing for some people and at the same time off-putting to others.SoupWhen was the last time you got a free lunch (or breakfast or dinner)? Who paid for it?We were invited to eat dinner at my sister-in-law's house last weekend because some friends from Manila, Sydney and Canada were in town.SaladOn a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how emotional are you?Ever since Erin was born, my emotions have been on a rollercoaster ride. It could be due to hormones or I could just be overly tired from taking care of Erin. So I guess it's a 10 for me now. :PMain CourseApproximately how long do you spend each day responding to emails?I check my emails everyday so it does not take me long to do it. I respond to emails directed at me immediately so there is no backlog. Total time spent each day devoted to emails alone wo ... Amp

Catalog Craze 2007-09-21 01:18:00 One thing I noticed here when I was just a new migrant more than a year ago was the numerous catalogs that fill up our mailbox once or twice a week. I am a sucker for catalogs, especially when it's free. Among my favorites are those from department stores and furniture shops. I love a good buy so the catalogs are a good source of information of where and when the major sales take place. Catalogs are not only in print form. There are also heaps on the internet, like the online furniture catalog of Boyles which make furniture shopping so much easier.I wish finding money to pay for all that shopping was also just as easy. But now, that's a whole different story. :) ...