my apologies

WARNING: THIS SITE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

For some valid reasons... I am reconstructing this blog. I wanted to come up with a lay-out that is unique to my personality and come up with the kind of blog that will represent the theme that fits my title.

In this regard, I want to apologize to all my friends, especially to those who are already in my Blogroll that due to my "stupid" exploration, I deleted the blogroll. My Bad! But rest assured that you will be linked back as soon as I was able to finish up with this project. So help me, God!

not surprisingly Maine

Since I came here in Maine, there are lots of things that really surprised me. It’s more than culture shock. It’s more than cultural disorientation. It’s more than cultural perplexity. It’s so much more that I begin to realize how mysterious life can really be.

Okay, so much with the drama. After a year of getting used to a lot of things here and there, I am no longer surprised when I see creatures and critters alike pop up from nowhere. I am no longer stunned when I see the sun still bright at 8 pm. I am no longer astounded when the weather changes every 5 minutes. It’s just Maine.

And here are some of the amazing things I really need to get used to here in Maine.

Eating the best lobsters in the world.

Strawberry picking in Summer.

Apple picking...

... and pumpkin in Fall.

Colorful maple trees and wood covered bridges.

L.L. Bean

Amazing sky after an afternoon downpour

A buck in our backyard in Winter.
A swallow having lunch.
Glistening icycles by the roof.
A chipmunk in a snowbank by our window.
A bonfire at the frozen lake to keep us warm.
A bouquet of flowers from my sweet Hubby.
And the budding tree that signals Spring.

changing seasons

This is the last day of spring. Tomorrow is [officially] summer in our calendar. My four seasons in Maine is now complete. So what else do I need to expect? Here are my changing seasons.

WINTER

SPRING

SUMMER

FALL

It was indeed amazing how these maple trees in our front yard look different in each changing season. Just like life - full of mysteries.

an AD paid with XOXO

THIS IS A PAID ADVERTISEMENT OF GREGOIRE Construction. This is an advertisement paid with LOVE, HUGS and KISSES by the Advertiser. This is an advertisement published for the "Love of my Life".

Hubby is a simple guy. He is a carpenter by vocation. And he builds with passion. He loves what he does. Carpentry is not just a work for him but a special talent innate to him. He has no special education in building and construction and he learned the craft by watching. He has been building for more than 15 long years.

Earlier he was trying hard to search the internet about a website hosting where he can promote his expertise to attract more clients. Hubby does not only build houses… he builds dreams too. He wants to go global this time. He wants to take advantage of modern technology. But the problem is, he is impatient with a few things. Exasperated, he gave up and just watched TV. So I took over. I found a free website for small business and made his personal website to promote his skill.

And so this is an Advertisement published as a Father's Day gift and an act of love.

Kitchen Goddess no more

I pride myself for being a good cook. I’m the Queen of Leftovers because I can transform and recycle any leftovers in the refrigerator into a new and exciting dish. I am good in experimental cooking. And I sealed the deal with my Hubby with my effortless ham and cheese omelet [sort of]. I can cook even when I am sleeping. I can cook without complete ingredients and still come up with a tasty dish. I am a good cook. I am a “brag”. I am the goddess of the kitchen.

Yesterday morning, I made Hubby his all-time favorite ham and cheese omelet and poached eggs on toasted wheat bread for breakfast. There was only 1 egg left so I decided to boil it and to make an egg salad for his sandwich the following day. Then, I went to work in the computer and got lost in my thoughts. I was suddenly brought back to my senses when I heard our smoke detector sounding like crazy.

I jumped from my swivel chair and headed straight to the kitchen. The egg! The lone egg! The poor egg! There it was sitting helplessly in the middle of the casserole where I first carefully laid it on swimming in water. There it was sitting powerlessly in the middle of the casserole which was drained of the water. There it was sitting impotently in the middle of the casserole burnt, bruised and scorched.

That poor egg ruined my credibility. Now, I am thinking of retiring.

Guess who cut dinner last night?

I already cooked chicken thighs - adobo style. I was planning to deep fry the chicken for supper and have the broth of the chicken for my spinach stir-fried in sesame oil. But hubby came home with a grocery bag full of chicken wings, spicy sausages and Chinese sausages. He grilled them for supper. So I just kept my chicken and saved it for our supper tonight and enjoyed my hubby's grilled sausage and chicken wings galore.

My hubby never cooks. He only brews coffee and toasts bread. But last night he thought of giving me a break from cooking and grilled the babies himself. I love the Chinese sausages. It reminds me of “longganisang hamonado” back home.

Oh, I think I need to go for a run now.

running out of food

I went for a run today. After five days of bad weather, finally I was able to go for a run again. After a week of eating rice, I gained back the 15 pounds I lost so I got to go for a run again.

Yup, I gained weight. My hubby loves everything Pinoy [food, people and everything else in between). Last week he asked me to cook rice because he said he is already tired of potatoes (boiled, steamed, mashed, deep fried and what not). So being a good wife as I am, I did cook rice and all those Filipino food that I was craving for. And the result, we both gained weight.

Hubby was complaining this morning that the new shorts that I bought him last month won’t fit him. I told him that I will return it to Wal-Mart but he said... No!I will lose weight instead. So I asked him... Should I stop cooking rice and Pinoy food too?He said... No! Just don’t make it too yummy." "Are you kidding me?.. was all I said.

And how will I do that? Here are the culprits. You be the judge.

The Giniling (Sauted ground pork with potatoes, carrots, bell pepper and raisins)

The Pork Adobo (Pork cooked with onion, soy sauce and vinegar)

The Menudo Espanol (Pork, potatoes, vienna sausage and carrots cooked in tomato sauce)

The Pancit (Sauted veggies and pork in chinese rice noodles)

And the steamed rice.

a racoon in our backyard

Brandon (my step-son) came rushing to our bedroom [one weekend] mumbling something about an animal in our backyard. He sounded so worried, scared and excited all at the same time. He has a hint of tears in his eyes and his checks were red like an apple. I was already used to that kind of expression. He usually gets that look every time he is excited or discovered something he is not familiar with. Brandon wanted his dad to bring out his hunting gun to shoot the animal.

His dad went out to check what he was talking about. It turned out that it was a raccoon. Being a nosey me… I went out too to check it out. It was my first time to see a raccoon so I was so excited and a bit scared too. The raccoon was lying down on the ground motionless. Though, I can see his eyes moving and his stomach rising and falling from breathing. He looked so weak and sickly.

Hubby said that the raccoon was already dying. He could be sick or was hit by a car and found its way in our backyard. He didn’t do anything with the raccoon for fear of getting rabies so the best way was to call the animal control guy to take care of it. And that was our weekend with the dying raccoon.