changing seasons

We have accumulated over 10 inches of snow already before it was officially declared winter season here in Maine. And before the first day of winter season, we had ice storm and a couple of snow storms that caused a lot of damage to people and properties.

Winter season officially started on the 21st of December, a Sunday… a week after that ice storm that caused massive statewide power outages that left more than half of a million Maine households in the dark and bitter cold weather.

Winter season used to be my favorite season of all because it is beautiful. Coming from a tropical country, I have dreamt of White Christmas since I was a kid. I had my first White Christmas in 2007 and it was awesome. Last Christmas was also white but it was not that awesome anymore. It was still beautiful and picture-perfect because of the snow. But since I had that car accident last December 17, the week before Christmas, I officially announce that I hate winter.

The black ice, sleet, and slush which are synonymous with winter season made it a non-favorable season. I am still in shocked up to now knowing that I almost missed Christmas due to the accident. But I am still so grateful that God gave me a second lease on life.

Winter season is just another season for me now. The changing seasons of Maine are still amazing as far as I could tell. The changing seasons of Maine will always be a part of my life because this is my home now. And the changing seasons in Maine will still be a process and a transition that I will still look forward to because after all, Maine is beautiful in all other aspect.

Additional Information:
Ice Storm

Thanksgiving Day is not just about the turkey… or the American History… or family gathering. No, Thanksgiving Day is not just about being grateful about good harvest and the blessings. Thanksgiving Day is also about Macy’s and Black Friday too.

Yep! Black Friday is synonymous to Thanksgiving Day. Black Friday is the aftermath of Thanksgiving Day. And in my personal opinion and based on my observation, people get stuffed with food from the Thanksgiving meal to prepare them for the long wait at the stores like Macy’s, Walmart and Best Buys [just to name a few] that will open at 12 midnight or 5 in the morning. Hahahaha. Of course I am just joking.

But seriously, I can’t help but notice that during the Thanksgiving meal, my step-daughters and in-laws were talking about “sale this and sale that”. During the Thanksgiving meal, they were already talking about the Christmas presents that they wanted to buy for each member of the family. During the Thanksgiving meal, they were already comparing wish list. And after Thanksgiving Day meal they were getting ready to go to the store and wait till the store opens.

Photo courtesy of CBBC Newsround

Likewise, somewhere out of the State of Maine… somewhere more specific like… New York… a festive parade was held. A parade that New Yorkers and foreigners alike are looking forward to every Thanksgiving Day. A parade that shows that the we should be grateful… for the good harvest… for the blessings… and for Macy’s. A parade that signals that Black Friday is a day to be grateful for because, all items at Macy’s are on sale. Consumers should be grateful that they can buy their Christmas wish lists at discounted prices - 50% or 75% off. And consumers should be thankful because Thanksgiving Day is not complete without Macy’s Parade.

Oh well, we indeed have lots of reasons to be thankful for. We should be thankful that we have some money to spend for Black Friday despite the ailing economy and recession. We should be thankful for Black Friday because after all Christmas will never be postponed.

Additional Information:
Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade History

Photo/Video Credits:
CBBC Newsround
Watch You Tube of Charice @ Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York

One of my favorite seasons here in Maine is the Apple Season. It’s yummy. It’s crunchy. It’s sweet. Hahahaha. It is still summer but Apple Season came early this year. It is now time to go to the orchard and pick the apples yourself.

There are lots of apple orchards around Maine. Most of these orchards are family-onwed and have been in the same families for generations. Most orchards are operated all year-round and they don’t just sell apples but produce a lot of products made of apples like cider vinegar, wine, juice, and jam just to name a few. And there are different varieties of apples that you can find here in Maine like the most famous McIntosh, red and yellow delicious, cortland, and empire just to name some.

Normally, these orchards are open to the public for apple picking. And apple picking is normally a family activity here in Maine. Kids enjoy this kind of activity because they can climb the trees and pick their own apples directly from the tree. But since most apple trees are low and can be reached from the ground you don’t have to climb them at all. But the most important part of apple picking is the part where you can eat as much apples as you can and you don’t have to pay for it. You only pay for the ones that you picked and you put in the bag. But for those apples that you put directly to your mouth down to your stomach… they are free and you don’t have to pay for it.

Additional Information in Apple Season In Maine:
To find the different Apple Orchards in Maine…

go to Apple Gazette
go to Northern New England
go to Apple Acres Farm and
go to All About Apples

One of the most important activities that I enjoy during summertime in Maine is shopping. Well, shopping for a true-blooded shopaholic is an all-year-round activity and perhaps a whole-year-round season. But for me who is a former shopaholic convert I only look forward for summertime yard sale because I can get a lot of value for my dollars.

I enjoy “treasure hunt game” when I was a kid and now that I am a grown-up I apply that skill I learned from childhood in my yard sale hopping and shopping spree. I love to challenge myself with my sense of creativity to convert or transform old things into something new and useful. I love the feeling of victory when I can find things under the rubble of piles upon piles of old stuff. I love the feeling of triumph when I stumble on some really new things that owners didn’t have the chance to use because they didn’t actually realize they have them until it’s time to dispose them. And most importantly, I love yard sale because I don’t feel guilty spending my money on my splurges because the stuff are really cheap.

So summer is almost over in Maine. It’s also about time for cleaning-up-the-mess season too. And during this time of summer, it’s my turn to go “gaga” over yard… garage… or barn sales that I can fine all over the place. And last weekend, my friend and I went around town yard-garage-barn sale hopping the whole day and end up with lots of stuff that added up to my accumulated earthly possessions.

Ceramic Picture Frame: $1

Satin and Beads Picture Frame: .25 cents

Never-been-worn dark blue and white Sling-Back Heels: $5

Liz Clairborne Leather Wallet and Check Case: $2 and 10 cents

But garage-yard-barn sale in Maine is not just for cleaning up the mess. A lot of those sale all over the place are there for charity reason and fund-raising. Items for sale are donated by Mainers. Items are mostly not priced and bargain-hunters are just asked to make donations… like these ones I found at the parking lot of the Health Center in Sacopee Valley.

Mini Grater and…

… Delicate Porcelain Leaf Tea Cup and Saucer: $3 (donation)….

…fun… time… and moments I spent with treasure hunting: PRICELESS

As my Hubby will always say – somebody’s junk is someone else’s treasure. And for me, I found some treasures in somebody else’s junk, so to speak. But on the hindsight… after checking all the stuff I brought home and admiring them for awhile… I was thinking maybe next year… it’s my turn to stage my own yard sale because I did accumulate a lot of stuff that I don’t actually use and maybe it will be more useful to other people. Perhaps my junk will also become somebody else’s treasure.

More Information about the topic:

Maine Township

Today, the 29th day of August – is the feast day of St. John the Baptist. Well, not everybody who is reading this may understand what I am saying so let me explain it further. I am a Catholic. I came from a Catholic country. I was born and raised as a Catholic. And I studied in Catholic Schools too. Though I don’t consider myself as a very religious person, I can say that my values are mostly influenced by that religious orientation. And the Philippines, being the only Christian country in Asia… being baptized by its first colonizers, the Spaniards have adapted a lot of early Christians’ religious customs and traditions that are still being practiced up to this day, like the Fiesta.

Today is the 2nd time I missed our Fiesta. I love Fiesta. Fiesta in Liliw means food… food and more food. The entire town anticipates and waits for this special occasion to have reasons to stop dieting and start rejoicing. This is the time of the year to come up with an acceptable excuse [but not necessarily truthful] to be absent from work. This is the time of the year to make up a convincing reason [but not necessarily factual] to be out of town on a business trip. And for the students, this is the time of the year to come up with a really bad colds or disease [but not necessarily contagious] to play hooky. Because today is the day to eat… drink… and be happy.

Today, 10,000 miles away from where I am and half around the world… in a small town in Laguna, Philippines… the Feast of St. John the Baptist is celebrated with usual festivities, bountiful food and drinks, and warm camaraderie. But not everything about today’s celebration is about food and festivity. This is also a day for religious obligations and rituals. Though the traditions may have changed through the years, Catholic Liliweños still start the celebration in the Church and with a Mass.

The century-old St. John the Baptish Church

Today, series of Mass services are being celebrated for thanksgiving… for a bountiful year… and for a good harvest. Masses are celebrated in the same old brick church built more than a century ago by the first Friars who came to the town and who baptized its people… the first Liliweño Catholics… our forefathers. And masses are celebrated to baptize new members of the church… mostly new born babies… how are the next generation of Liliweños who will continue this festive religious tradition.

CREDITS:
All Photos here are courtesy of my brother Japol… you can check it at his Multiply account.

More Information about Philippines Festivities and Celebrations: Go to… Welcome to the Philippines
More Features and Photos of the Church: Go to Vantage Point and southbound.ph

I grew up in the province of Laguna, in a small town called Liliw at the foot of the mystical and legendary Mt. Banahaw, which is one of the few mountains in the area which is not yet spoiled by kaingin [a term we use for illegal logging in the Philippines]. Though our town is small, it is a bit congested because houses are built close to each other. Though our town is small, the roads are well-paved even the one going up the mountain. And though our town is small, it is already considered as a bustling business district due to the booming slipper industry and the presence of McDonald’s in the plaza. And for these reasons, if you really want to commune with nature, smell the flowers, and be carried away by the magnificent scenery… you either have to go up the mountain or go somewhere else to do just that. You can seldom see trees in the town proper because of those big houses and mansions that my rich town-mates have built for their abode. You can rarely see animals roaming around freely because they are all caged, chained or in the slaughter house. You can hardly have peace and quiet because of the earsplitting sound of the tricycles passing by. But don’t get me wrong. I love my hometown. I love its people… its scenery… its noise. And I miss it so bad.

Hubby strolling at Liliw Resort

Hubby in front of Liliw century old Catholic Church

Liliw’s century old St. John the Baptist Parish Church

A Holy Week Procession in Liliw, Laguna Philippines

I have been away from home for more than a year now. Living in Maine for more than a year now… I can say that I am adapting well to its changing seasons… its way of life… its culture. Being in Maine, I can say that I found a great opportunity to be one with nature… to be able to smell the flowers [in the real sense of the word]… and to be carried away by the magnificent sceneries around me. And being in Maine, I can also say that animals around here enjoy the freedom they rightfully deserve.

During the first few months of my stay here, I was so amazed by a pair of nosey chipmunks and a prying squirrel seemingly checking me out while I was raking fallen maple leaves in the backyard. I was thrilled the first time I saw the deer circling the lone crab apple tree in the middle of the yard outback. And I had fun following a rafter of wild turkey a month before Thanksgiving Day apparently looking for a place or a tree to spend the night. During my first few month here in Maine, I had to get used to the idea that our backyard or the entire state of Maine is an open zoo. And during my first few months in Maine, I realized that wild life – is the Mainers’ way of life.

The nosey chipmunk.

My first snow fall… my first deer sighting.

Turkey family enjoying their stroll at our backyard.

Being able to have the chance to live in two different places… with two different cultures… in two opposite sides of the world, I won’t dare compare them. Though there is much obvious difference between the two, still I can’t choose which one is the best. Though one could have more importance to me, the other has specific significance too. And though I could choose both as my favorite places in the whole world… sadly, I could only live in one… or the other.

Additional Important Information:
About Kaingin - meaning, pictures, solutions and news
For Mt. Banahaw… go to Bundok Philippines
For Laguna Province… go to WOW Philippines
For Liliw, Laguna… go to Bulatlat and Backpacking Philippines and Asia
For Maine Wild Life… go to Maine.gov Wildlife and Plant Life

It was autumn. It was my very first autumn in Maine. It was in fact, the very first autumn in my entire life. I woke up to a nice cloudless sky with the sun peeking out from the almost leafless maple trees in the backyard. I supposed to be happy because that was an indication of a nice day where I could go out and enjoy the breath-taking scenery around me. I supposed to be happy until I heard the weather newscaster announced on TV – foggy morning… scattered rains and showers in the afternoon… possible thunderstorm. Then my positive outlook went down south because I know what it means. I wonder – “what the heck is he talking about?” the sun is already up and bright. Then Hubby said, “you’ll see.” Then, I sulked.

I sulked because I know Hubby has a point. I sulked because I know Hubby was right. I sulked because I know Hubby trusts the weather but not the weatherman [because I thought he is cute and Hubby is jealous. *wink*]. Hubby trusts the weather so much because his work depends on it. He watches the news everyday just for one particular reason… to know the weather. And 98% of the time, the meteorologist is right. And so I have no choice but to wait and take note and hope that the weatherman will fail this time.

After a few minutes fog started to loom outback. It was foggy alright but it did not last that long. Soon enough it cleared up and I was able to see and enjoy again the beautiful autumn landscape. The rest of the morning was really a fine day. It was still sunny until noontime. And it did not rain as I expected because the sun was still bright and up till 3 pm. I went inside the house to get something to drink but when I got out again with my cold cranberry juice in hand, the blue cloudless sky was already clothed in dark, thick and heavy black cloud. It instantly turned that one fine day into seemingly cold night at 4 o’ clock in the afternoon. Soon enough thunder and lightning dominated the black sky and at that instant I know that it was smarter to stay inside.

For a solid hour of thunder and lightning and heavy rains I remained inside and calm. I remained calm because I know the thunderstorm will soon be over after an hour. I remained calm because I know that thunderstorm in Maine is surprisingly predictable. I know that soon enough the thunderstorm will be over and I will be enjoying the rest of the day watching the sun sets behind that monochromatic red hue backdrop. Soon enough the rain stopped. Thunder ceased sounding. And lightning stopped striking.

Almost instantly, the sky cleared up. The sun started to show up again. The thick black clouds vanished into thin cold air. The thunderstorm was over. And I was able to go out again and have a drink.

Welcome to Changing Seasons @Today.com. This is just one of the many blogs I presently manage. This is another product of my impulsive and prolific thoughts. Hope you like what you read here.