"Seasoned"

After the ladies Bible study at church yesterday, I had the "seasoned" ladies come over for lunch at our place. Seven of them came, including our teacher who is the pastor's wife. I made the famous Minnesota Chicken Wild Rice Soup, Poppy Seed Lettuce-Strawberry Salad, Olive Rosemary Breadsticks and my favorite Oatmeal Raisins Vanishing Cookies. I am glad I got to do this to these honorable women. They have all been my great source of encouragement. I tried to make the little luncheon very special for them. I had my Royal Albert Old Country Rose Bone China set out. I got to use the very pretty Turin set for the soup for the first time. We got the said china set from the inheritance that Paul received from her grandmother who passed away last year. We wanted to buy the set to remember how beautiful grandma Dick was. We also get to talk about her Christ-like life when our guests notice the pretty china.

The Royal Albert Old Country Roses Turin

Paul bought these roses for me the other night. It was nice to have this arrangement as the center piece when the ladies were over for lunch yesterday. They asked me if the roses were for a special occasion, I told them that my husband is a sweet guy, he likes to bring me flowers from time to time when he comes home from work. And they said, "ohhhh!"

Trick-or-Treat

"Trick or Treat" is the greeting the children in costumes say when they knock on doors to ask for treats- usually candies, on Halloween. They are supposed to play tricks on those who refuse to give them treats. We didn't allow our daughter to participate in it on the night of October 31. Paul and I made our stance against Halloween. We have decided not to celebrate it.

Roughly two weeks before Halloween this year, we were invited by friends from church to a Halloween party at their house. We never expected them to hold a Halloween party and so we asked them questions what they do at the party. They told us it isn't really a Halloween party but a party on Halloween. They seemed to be offended that we questioned their party. We explained to them that we wanted to make sure what kind of a party it would be being that we don't celebrate Halloween. They assured us that it would be nothing Halloweeny. But when we got to their house, it was a Halloween party in absence of ghoulish costumes. They were handing out candies to trick-or-treaters saying, "Happy Halloween!" The kids were dressed up in their own favorite fiction charaters and also went out trick-or-treating. They came home carrying their own pillow cases that were full of candies. My two-year-old daughter thought it's a night to feast on candies!

Here are the major reasons why we don't celebrate Halloween...

1. Its pagan and evil roots!
2. Trick-or-Treating sends a message that to be greedy (asking for more candies until their sacks overflow with them) is okay. And that it's okay for kids to act like spoiled brats that when they are not given what they want they could threaten us by playing tricks. Oh, man!
3. Candies are not good for our daughter's health. Sugar is cancer's food!
4. We don't need to have fun when the world is having fun.
5. We can't stand sugar-coating a pagan holiday by dressing up as angels.

I want my daughter to learn that to be obedient to Christ sometimes means being different from our neighbors and the world—and that's a good lesson to learn.

Weekend Blurb

It was quite a weekend. We were supposed to be at 6 events/parties in two days. But that would not be possible. So we trashed 4 invites. It was time to prioritize family and meet new people. On Saturday, we drove (I was driving, actually) to Goodhue, an hour away from our place to be at a baby shower for one of the Filipino-American ladies I got to meet recently. It was super fun. I felt like I've been part of their group for a long time. I was so busy meeting and talking to them that I forgot to take pictures. My husband and daughter also felt so "in" with the group. Yesterday (Sunday), we were at the water baptism of my husband's sister-in-law and two of her children. We thought we missed the Pastor Appreciation Day at our church but we got to squeeze in a chance to meet and thank him personally right after our brunch with my husband's side of the family. The rest of the day was spent on watching football, playing boogle and watching more TV with the whole family.

Congratulations, President Obama!

I knew he would win! The night before the Election Day I had a dream that Obama was declared the new president of America. Somehow, I was already emotionally prepared for that. My husband and I were disappointed but life must go on! It's not the end of the world (maybe!) God is still seated on His throne and He is still sovereign! So we decided to leave the issues on the campaign period behind and to move on and do the right thing. The right thing I am talking about is to honor the people that God placed as our leaders. To support them. And the best thing to show our support is to pray for them so they govern in righteousness.

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4 KJV

By the way, Norm Coleman, John Kline, Tara Mack and Michele Bachman won! That was great!

Hubby with Tara Mack! Yes, Tara Mack and not Diane Ristau for the record. I know she looks like Diane before she cut her hair short.

Hubby with John Kline

Hubby with Norm Coleman

Global Warming?

It's been really warm these past several days. I may have to convince myself that Global Warming is really not just an invention of some pinheads. LOL! Realistically though, it takes a lot more than this warm weather now for me to even consider than there is such a noun phrase as global warming. But anyway, I am not really into looking for a fight right now against the GW advocates. I just wanted to say that my daughter and I have been enjoying this warm fall weather. God must have remembered that a Filipino fella is in Minnesota. Honestly, I am not ready for the cold weather yet. But for the sake of the Minnesota Wild Rice and Chicken soup I guess I'm fine even if the temp drops to 10 today. We took some photos of ourselves outside the Olive Garden last Sunday to celebrate the warm November 2.

This is Hilarious!

A friend of mine, Noemi, posted this one in her blog. Oh, I just can't ignore it. It is hilarious. It is so fun to see the different personalities and beliefs of these popular fellas. So read on and have fun!

Why did the chicken cross the road?

SARAH PALIN: Before it got to the other side, I shot the chicken, cleaned and dressed it, and had chicken burgers for lunch.

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN McCAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little Chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to Ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not the chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's' intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens!

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the r oad. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released "eChicken 2008", which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of "eChicken 2008".
This new platform is much more stable and will never crash or need to be rebooted.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

Scenic Sunday

Sunset at a Crystal Lake, Lakeville, MN. This is probably my second sunset photo at Scenic Sunday. I just love the beauty of it.