Thebarefootfoodie

Happy, Happy B-lated Birthday, Jeff   ( Posted on 23 Apr 2011 ) More than a flash in the pan, J illuminates the way for the uninitiated and the lost; More than a friend in need, J encourages and exalts the defeated in spirit; More than a fuddy lecturer,  J goes beyond the letter and challenges mindsets; More than a father to many, J provides spiritual leadership and direction; More than a flashy dresser, J blazes the way and sets the trend; More than a flutter of the heart, J is hopelessly devoted to C; More than a facebook tweet,  J bares his soul with words of insight and knowledge More than the first to take on a dare, J has conquered Jerry’s and Buckaroo’s More than footprints in far off lands, J has left behind a legacy of the Good News More than faith expounded, J’s life is one of faith demonstrated, tried and tested; More than food for thought, J has fed the hungry with words of life; More ...

From John C. Maxwell - Today Matters Putting Time into Perspective... To know the value of One Year, ask the student who failed the final exams; To know the value of One Month, ask the mother of a pre-mature baby; To know the value of One Week, ask the editor of a weekly news magazine; To know the value of One Day, ask the wage earner who has six children; To know the value of One Hour, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet; To know the value of One Minute, ask the person who missed the plane; To know the value of One Second, ask the person who survived the accident; And to know the value of One Millisecond, ask the Olympic Silver Medallist....

Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word - Part 2 Turning back the clock.   I'm a little girl with big dreams. I came home from school one day after a class session on "What do you want to be when you grow up?" It seemed natural to share it with Mummy. I told her. She laughed out loud and thought it real funny, without meaning to be cruel. BUT it was CRUEL. When I grew up, I never came close to that path I once thought I would take. If only she'd said SORRY... Growing up, my face was fertile ground for acne attack. The more intense the attacks, the more self-conscious I got, and the more I withdrew into the world of books instead of social networks. Mummy would chose those moments to remind me about the zits on my face as if I did not know they exist; and give timely advice about washing my face ( isn't 3 times a day enough? ) and refraining from chocolates, chilli and other "heaty" stuff which I could only savour in my imagination. If only she...

Sorry Seems to be the hardest Word , Part 1   On Monday, A. broke the news in the car that she missed the passing mark for her Math Semester Paper - by a big margin. It did not help that the outcome of her Science paper is also hanging by a thread. Something snapped inside and I turned into a raving, ranting, screaming lunatic.( no full-moon required! ) I did not pause to reflect on A's comment that more than half her class suffered the same fate. I became  the mother of all broken records. Only when A was sufficiently humiliated, deflated and her spirits reduced to smithereens did I let up. Happy at last to let it out of my system. I did not stop here - D got it from me as well. I continued the rhetoric with a lecture on what a poor role model he was, and his sister is right behind his tracks. No fury hurled like a mother's unmet expectations! On Tuesday, I had a brief conversation with K, my sis-in-law, who is a primary school teacher. She mentioned in p...

On ageing etc. The Measure of a Woman Youth is a commodity squandered recklessly by those who have it, and yearned lustfully by those who have lost it. At 40, I was given a timely reminder by the postal service when a package arrived, declaring my eligibility for ELDERSHIELD. It brought a lump to my throat. I felt truly, deeply, utterly sorry for myself. The moment of truth has arrived and delivered without a tad of tact. There are many challenges for people in the era of the  quarantaine . Whether this is in part due to French humour or in reality, some people do check into a quarantine when they hit a certain age,  ( life is over! ) Go figure. Just a few days' ago, I was browsing at the magazine section in a local library when a geeky-looking sort walked up and asked me for the time. Once upon a time, I would have thought the person may have intentions of other kinds, BUT now, face it, Auntie, he IS just asking for the time. Besides having to get used to bein...

FACE TO FACE IN DAVAO CITY  ( FEB 2011 ) Connections T his is the introduction of my journey to a beautiful land and people who have touched me in such a way, I can never be the same again...  Giving is a good thing, but it does not meet long-term needs. The hungry has to learn how to make bread to feed themselves. First, we help them buy the ingredients, then provide the instruction manual. There were many faces of people I met. There are faces you put to names you've heard, and they turn into acquaintances, then friends, and every once in a while, people you simply know will be alongside you for a long, long time because they share the same vision and faith. There is the face of someone dear to me, whom I have not seen for months. He has grown a little thicker around the waist, but also taller to compensate for the spread. Older, and mature beyond his years, yet he has not lost that impish boyishness that makes the whole package uniquely special. There are ...

Borders or Not - Musings on 20 Feb 2011 Without Borders...Going Border-less...No, these are not euphemisms for globalism or some pre-electorial hyperbole. It's saying a sad goodbye to the impending demise to my favourite bookstore - the one that made browsing for books as delectable as shopping for a new outfit, or bag, or shoes...Girls - own up. It seemed like Borders had been here forever, but in truth, only one year after my son was born. He spent much of his early childhood ( followed closely by his younger sister ) being lost among the shelves of the children's section, and later on, the history section, while mummy sneaks off to do her own thing. Mummies - time to own up as well. What better way to while away some minutes to browse at the latest fashion magazines or to finish a whole novel, chapter by chapter after a few repeated visits. More guilty hands coming up! Darren is coming to 15 this year, and Andrea, 11. Goodbye Borders - you have been great...