October 26, 2008.  Sunday.  When we woke up yesterday and looked outside the window, Travis noticed that there are a few snow showers that only seemed dust.  Is it safe to consider it as the first snow fall for this winter?  I was doubtful.  It wasn’t that much and it is just a wet snow.

I spent the next couple hours cooking Pancit for the Retirement Party of our On-site Manager – Betty.  I am not used to cooking for a lot of people so I must admit I am a little bit stressed out.  While I was working my way to finish my dish, Travis called out to me and said, “more snow”!  I looked towards the glass door and true enough, it was snowing.  Big snowflakes that if the ground is not warm, it would already stay there.  I really got excited to see my first now here in the US!  And surely I will see more of it in the next coming years.

That snowfall yesterday was just the beginning.  Looks like I will have lots of snow to fill my heart’s contentment.  For as early as now, it has just begun…

I am not a material person.  I prefer affection and attention more than tangible things.  But it would be hyprocrisy if I say I dont’ want gifts.  Who doesn’t want to receive gifts?  Like they said, it’s the thought that counts so every little thing whether it’s a collected dry leaf from autumn or a random stone from somewhere, as long as they are given, it will be greatly appreciated and it would make me very happy.

While I was buy cleaning the house the entire day today and making the house almost smell like bleach, Travis was on an errand to buy me a Birthday Card for a friend who will be celebrating her birthday tomorrow.  I know it’s gonna arrive late for her but as they said, “Better late than never”.  When Travis arrived home, he surprised me with two little gifts that means something to me.  He bought me a Pumpkin Carving Kit so I can carve my first pumpkin ever.  Then he bought me a Peace and Tranquility Oil Burder Set which I have always wanted.

Small little things that are very precious for me.  It is what these gifts represents that matters to me.  It is the fact that he thought of me each day and giving me something without occasion.  My heart is filled with joy and I feel loved!

Taking a nice warm bath after a long day is just perfect!  It makes you relax and give you some quiet and peaceful time.  The bathtub is the most common place where we would always go to unwind from all the activities of the day.  Setting the ambiance with scented candles and even adding bubbles or petals will make the experience more than just cleansing the body.

I have been wishing to have a nice warm bath since we moved in.  But one thing is stopping me, our bath tub has got a stubborn gray stain.  It is actually not bad and it may be tolerable for others but not for me.  Before I can enjoy a romantic and or relaxing ambiance, I have to put my cleaning gloves on and deal with it first.
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Yesterday, I was listening to the radio with Christmas songs playing all day long.  Although our apartment is still bare and empty, I can feel the Christmas spirit already especially that the drop of temperature is usually associated with Holiday season.  Our dinner was inspired by the said spirit.  I cooked what I usually prepare on Christmas Eve – Bacon Chicken Spaghetti in Alfredo Sauce.  Travis loves it!

The Holiday feeling remains even when we are about to retire for the night.  To satisfy myself and get this Christmas thoughts over with, I went online to window shop for Christmas Decorations and even Christmas gifts.  I fingertips brought me everywhere and jumping from one site to another, I could not remember which site has the item that I wanted to buy.

Then a blessing came, SHOP.COM!  The website contains a consolation of the best collection of the stores, brands and products at the best prices.  That means you don’t need to go to Target.com and to Ace Hardware separately to check or buy products.  So, it is a one-stop convenient shopping place.  I was able to compare similar products from various stores and pick out the best price in just one site.  Aside from getting best prices, customers can get more savings with coupons.  And the best part is, there are even free shipping offers!

I was delighted to come across this site.  That is why I’m sharing this with you.  It is like shopping in the stores without leaving the comfort of my home.  Right now, I’m on the site browsing for my Christmas decorations since I’m skipping the Thanksgiving decor this year.  This is just amazing!

I grow up where public transportation is such an ease.  Walking is the least option to get to your destination.  Even going to the nearby market, there’s a choice of riding either a “tricycle” or the “tri-sikad”.   For long distance, there’s the public utility jeepney and for longer trips, there are buses which has frequent scheduled trips.

When I went to the Netherlands, public transportation is laid out pretty good that makes it very convenient for a commuter like myself.  The trains and the buses are very reliable and their schedules synchronize perfectly.  Bicycles are an accepted and integral part of the transportation system.  If you don’t have a bike, walking is an option with the short distance to endure which is just right for a daily exercise.

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One of the best things in the morning is waking up to the chirping sounds of the birds.  Birds tippy-toeing on my patio are a delight to my sight.  Inviting them to stay and visit more often is challenging but I should say a rewarding pastime.  One day, I scattered bread crumbs all over my patio floors just to attract them and encourage them for more visits.  Such technique works and at least 6 of them were enjoying the free feast.

In the wintertime, food can be hard for birds to find, especially smaller birds like chickadees or finches.  So I decided to buy a Bird Feeder for my feathered friends.  Providing a bird feeder allows them to survive the bitter cold and food-poor season, and is a great act of charity on my part, as well.

I will be setting up my Bird Feeder first thing in the morning.  This is my other way to commune with nature and provide sustenance to the avian population in my area.  I’m so excited to see how many dinner guests are coming.

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My frustration to take a good picture from my camera phone has led me to check on my comatose- Kodak Point and Shoot digital camera.  To my surprise, there is still a little bit of life left in it.  Luckily, I was able to take pictures of the the lake view from our apartment (the same view from the bedroom and living room).  I tried to take a picture that would closely capture how I see it.  This is the closest it can get.

In the picture you will see the private dock of the complex.  I made a zoom to capture the thin stretch of island that I mentioned in my previous post.  All of the pictures are taken inside our unit since I wanted you to have an idea of the view that I always stared at from the inside in our living room or in our bedroom.  Don’t mind the glass doors, those will be gone and will be replace with new ones this week.

I did not bother to take pictures inside the unit.  It still looks empty and we are slowly buying furniture one at a time.  Right now, it seems like a Japanese setting with black-brown contemporary wooden tables.  Our temporary sofa air bed gave up on us today.  Instead of an elevated sofa with arms and back rests, it is now one layer flat on the floor.  Travis’ huge office desk is dominating the dining place.  My kitchen is an asset.  It is small, pretty and functional with its contrasting black and white accents.  Which reminds me that I have dishes to take care of.  I do have a dishwasher but I wash our silverware, pots and pans by hand to avoid corrosion and maintain its non-stick function.

Let your imagination wander as to how our unit looks like. The same way you let it wander for the lake view.  Is it how you expected or imagined it?

September has almost come to its end.  The entire month really gave us a roller-coaster ride.  We were happy, pleased and excited for one moment and before we knew it, there’s the big drop that literally brought us tears.

Travis and I were excited of finally being able to get our own place.  It’s yet another step closer to our dream.  We went to look at several places and when we found the one that we like with a wooded view, we did not hesitate to make an application.  Little did we know that the management of the said apartment are too critical about credit rating/score.  Unfortunately, we got rejected and that time we feel defeated, sad, and on the verge of depression.

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You might notice that I have not been blogging much this week. Travis and I have been looking for an apartment of our own. The contract on this apartment that we shared with a friend is up until the end of September.  Our friends just bought a house for themselves so they won’t sign another lease.  Travis and I need to find our own place.   We were playing tug-of-war on one apartment unit and we lose it to someone else.  The reason?  Credit Score!

TS’ credit score got screwed up because of his stupid student loans.  When he was between jobs, he put a hold on his student loan payments to prioritize on the more important bills.  He has been prompt in paying all the bills except for that one.  And this particular one screwed up his credit score.  And someone like me who has no credit history could not help him at all.

Right now, we are waiting for the decision of the other apartment that we  applied to.  If we get it, we’ll be staying here in Minnesota and continue what we have started.  If not, we will be forced to go back to Florida and live in Mom’s house until we are able to fix that damn credit score so we can find a place to stay if not afford our own house.

Whatever will come up, I know there’s a reason for it.  If destiny will take us back to Florida, I will embrace it wholeheartedly.  Afterall, I already got 2 calls from Convergys in Jacksonville for HR position.  However, TS and I will continue to long for Minnesota that we both love so dearly.  So, wish us luck!

Well, it was not just an apple a day.  I have been feasting with apples everyday after Travis and I harvested a bag of it from Grandpa and Grandma’s backyard.  All those times I’ve been visiting the Budke’s Bend (that’s the name of their place), I didn’t realize that those trees that I’ve been mowing around last year are apple trees until today.  Now, all of those small trees are adorned with beautiful red apples.

The looks of it somehow reminded me of our Christmas Tree from way back when.  I could still remember when we had our Christmas tree adorned with real apples.  We were home alone then… me and my 3 other elder sisters – Manang Rorie, Manang Rema and Madon.  We were just laying around letting our imaginations roam while staring at the Christmas tree until our hunger strikes in.  We were so hungry (add laziness to that too) that we can’t afford to get up.  So, we just decided to pick the apples in the tree and ate it.

Now, for a little info on the apples that we got, it is actually the Honeycripsâ„¢ Apple.  The Honeycrispâ„¢ apple (Malus pumila cultivar Honeycrisp) was adopted as the state fruit of Minnesota in 2006. The apple was produced from a 1960 cross of Macoun and Honeygold apples, as part of the University of Minnesota apple breeding program to develop a winter-hardy tree with high quality fruit. The original seedling was planted in 1962. Now, millions of honeycrisp apple trees are grown across the U.S. and Canada and as far away as South Africa and New Zealand. Honeycrisp apples are about three inches in diameter. Their skin color is 60 to 90 percent mottled red over a yellow background. The fruit surface has shallow dimples and numerous, small dots with green russeting at the stem end. Honeycrisp apples are characterized by an exceptionally crisp and juicy texture. They are harvested from mid-September to mid-October; the optimum harvest usually occurs the last week of September.

The marketing slogan and proverb addresses the health effects of the fruit: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” though this adage was likely the result of farmers encouraging higher sales of produce in an effort to counteract the belief that it was an apple that was the forbidden fruit which Adam and Eve ate. Research suggests that apples may reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. Compared to many other fruits and vegetables, apples contain relatively low amounts of Vitamin C as well as a several of other antioxidant compounds. The fiber content, while less than in most other fruits, helps regulate bowel movements and may thus reduce the risk of colon cancer. They may also help with heart disease, weight loss and controlling cholesterol, as they do not have any cholesterol, have fiber, which reduces cholesterol by preventing reabsorption, and are bulky for their caloric content like most fruits and vegetables.