Congratulations, Tori!!!!

Days like these must never be passed over - though it did not happen to us personally - but to someone dear to us - Birthdays, Anniversaries, Graduation, etc.... and this just HAPPENS to be one of those days....

CONGRATULATIONS, Victoria Ewing, for having recently graduated from the University of Chicago (with HONOURS even!!!)....Really cannot believe how time flies.... seems only yesterday we were hearing from Mary, and from your Facebook, about your first Crush in HS.... your plans for college.... doing the DANCE REVOLUTION with you in Las Vegas.... your Travels in India.... joining the Hockey Team.... AND I LOVED IT ALL!!! It was a way of keeping up and being close to you both - though we are miles apart.... as I have said in my Previous Blog: "You are one of my Heroes/Heroines!"

Wishing you all the BEST in the days, months, years to come.... looking forward to hearing what you do next, as I know you will continually WOW US ALL.... and in the IMMORTAL WORDS of Dr. Seuss: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own.
And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go.”

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Got my first XMAS Gift in the mail today... and I could not be HAPPIER..... just too cute and soooo Perfect for how I like decorate my XMAS tree - in white and silver.....It is an "oh-so-cute!" White Reindeer with Silver accents from TY... been a long time since I got anything from this company... hmmm.... now I better DIG UP my others....

Thank You, Mary!!! Love ya!!!

Happy Birthday, Miss Mary!!!

I do not need to even say anything, right? you already know how I feel... (^_*)

LOVE YA MUCH, Mary E!!! Happy Birthday!!!

and then there were two!!!

Just as when I was about to fill up the first display showcase completely (45 in all) - Mary (BAD BAD MARY!!! (^_*) hehehehehe) went and sent me more for XMAS that required me to get a 2nd display showcase.... good thing they happen to be ON SALE!!!

so am back to, basically, square one, trying to fill up the display showcases.... LOLs!!! Aaaaah.... the JOYS of COLLECTING.... to my delight though - Juliana is also on her 2nd displayer... MISERY LOVES COMPANY, indeed!!!!

a very Be@rbrick XMas...

...thanks to you Miss Mary!!! got the BOX today - totally UNEXPECTED.... love them all - Just Perfect as I do not have any of these Be@rbricks in my collection yet.... they certainly will LIVEN UP the display case....

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, Mary!!! Love Ya... Always!

An Angel In My Mail

Wednesday morning, end of September - I took a break from helping Lyn & Shaun move and went to the Post Office to check my Mail Box.... and to my SURPRISE - a care package from Mary E was there waiting for me... I could not wait to sign for it; get it in my hands and run somewhere to sit so I can tear into it... I knew the FARRAH mags I asked about in a previous blog were going to be in them... I wanted to flip through them and see photos of one of my most beloved icon who recently passed away...

Not only the People Tribute was there, that Mary told me she had alread gotten for me... There was also a VANITY FAIR tribute issue that I did not even know existed... plus, just in time for the WINTER COLD FRONT, BLISTEX for my lips.... hehehehehe... am safe again for another Cold Season.

Then it was time to open up the beautifully wrapped package, within the package, from Mike Dawson... another good friend... he was the only one able to get me the TV GUIDE and to save him on shipping costs to me - I ahd asked hiom to go ahead and send to Mary so they can travel all together... I was a bit puzzled as the package was heavy and a bit large for just a TV GUIDE issus!!!... when I carefully opened - as I wanted to save the wrapping - I found not 1 but 2 copies of the TV GUIDE plus another People Farrah Issue!!! But wait, there's more... there were something else wrapped separately... another magazine... NOPE!!! They were GLOSSIES of beautiful photos of FARRAH from different years.... from a College girl in Texas - through Pre and Post Charlie's Angels years... some of the photos of course, being an avid fan, I quickly recognized but there were other outtakes too from different shoots.... some I ahve never seen before published anywhere... WHAT A TREAT!!!
Mary & Mike - I could not THANK YOU GUYS enough for sending me this WONDERFUL package... it is not everyday one gets an ANGEL in the mail (^_*)... WIll Love and Treasure them all -- even more so, as they came from you guys!!!

Rest of the Photos Here

a very nice thing to wake up to....

A Beautiful Voice, A Beautiful Song, A Beautiful Man!

One of my all time fave, John Borrowman singing "I made Mt Through The Rain" --aaaaah what I would give to see him sing LIVE once again!!!

Thanks for the LINK Miss Mary!!! Love Ya!!!

Last Words For June

Last day of June - depending on where you are it is either the beginning of Summer (Taiwan); the middle of the Summer (USA) or the end of Summer (Philippines)... No Matter where you may be, I only wish that you are all well - and all is going as smooth as they could be... and that you are finding Happiness...

On that note, I leave you a couple of quotes on LIFE & HAPPINESS... words to ponder over - words to live by...

-from the Dalai Lama:
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions."

-and this one from my very good friend, Mary E:
"...if you're able to find some happiness for yourself and bring a little happiness to others, then you're living a good life."
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-and my very own stance on Happiness:

"Find happiness in anything and everything you do & see in life... no matter how small or simple they may be.... as sometimes, the small things in life is what gives us the biggest pleasures."

Tori, Tori, Tori

Since we are on the subject of Heroes, I got to thinking about one of my current Heroes: Tori Ewing

Tori is Mary's daughter - first met her at IFDC a few years back.... she was still in High School and doing sooo well academically... I remember during the course of the week, both David and I, felt that she is one of the most mature, most focused, people we have ever met. She did not talk much in crowds, but you can tell she listens and absorbs everything... we also thought how cool it was that she can hang out with her Mom, and her Mom's kooky friends -- US!!! Over the years we get to know her more - through what Mary updates us with, as well as, talking with her in CyberSpace, or other conventions we are both in attendance... At one of the last ones in Vegas, I recall how much fun it was to watch her do the DANCE REVOLUTION that I was coaxed into doing so, too.. I figured, with her next to me, doing it at the same time, am in great hands... it was one of the most fun times I have ever had at a convention. I admire so much in her that she can hold on to her youth, in the midst of all the growing up she has to do -- after all, the transition between girly to a young woman can be very awkward... if she did feel such pressures, she surely did not show it.

Then, suddenly she is in College -- only a year finished so far and already she has accomplished sooo much.... in the coarse of a year, she managed to excel in her classes... take so many electives.... joined and performed on stage with a Modern Dance Company... etc... and seeing her in a couple of her performances with the company gave us such a thrill -- it was as if we were also in the audience, proud as can be.. proud to tell everyone around us that: "That is Tori up there... our firend, our family!"
(FEET OF FLAMES : Tori & Company)

(Modern Dance)
So far, having just started her 2nd year, she has already joined the Girl's Hockey Team and is contemplating now on becoming a Lawyer.... we are sooo excited for her... and know that there is nothing that she cannot do -- from sewing her dollies little dresses to battling it out in the courtroom -- if she sets her mind to it.
(Tori as Speed Racer for Halloween '08 and trying on her Hockey Uniform)

Halloween Comes Early.... a tad bit anyway....

Got an email from my dear friend, Mary today.... just our usual "dropping you a note" type emails - as we do on a regular basis... today she attached a photo of her Halloween themed desk at work - see above photo... gave me that excited feeling, warm fuzzy feeling as most calls it, I always do when I see displays of any sorts -- for any of the many Holidays I would normally go all out doing displays for...

Needless to say, it made me recall all the FUN Halloweens I used to spend in San Francisco... dressing up and hanging out with friends.... walking up and down the CASTRO St to admire all the costumes - elaborate or not so elaborate; and revel in all the excitement and festivities...

Aaaah.... Halloween, along with Dia De Los Muertos & XMas, is possibly one of the Holidays I miss most.... well, at least I have my very own little decoration here, all the way from San Francisco - courtesy of another good friend, Juliana....Thank God for friends who always remind me of all these simple things in life I love most....
PS: This one is Mary's Halloween display at home... Love It!!! Just got it today, Oct 23rd... brightened up a bit my otherwise GLOOMY DAY... Thanks Mary!!