What Faith Can Do-Kutless

a great song!

Kutless - What Faith Can Do
From the album It Is Well

Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You do have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

Label: BEC Recordings

Sidewalk Prophets - The Words I Would Say

my new favorite song!



Sidewalk Prophets - The Words I Would Say
From the album These Simple Truths

Three in the morning, and I'm still awake
So I picked up a pen and a page
And I started writing just what I'd say
If we were face to face
I'd tell you just what you mean to me
Tell you these simple truths

Chorus
Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You're gonna do great things
I already know
God's got His hand on You
So don't live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don't forget why you're here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

Last time we spoke you said you were hurting
And I felt your pain in my heart
I want to tell you that I keep on praying
Love will find you where you are
I know 'cause I've already been there
So please hear these simple truths

Chorus

Say from one simple life to another
I will say come find peace in the Father
Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope

You're gonna do great things I already know
God's got His hand on You
So don't live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don't forget why you're here
Take your time and pray
And thank God for each day
His love will find a way
These are the words I would say

Label: Word / Curb / Warner Bros.

The Blessing - John Waller

My friend's mom passed away recently, and this song helped me when my stepdad passed away, so I wanted to hear it again.

Third Day "Born Again"

When this song comes on the radio, it brings me peace.

Britt Nicole-The Lost Get Found

Another good song!

More Beautiful You-Johnny Diaz

I like this song, because of it's lyrics -- basically, you're just fine the way you are.

More Beautiful You

Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn’t straight her body isn’t fake
And she’s always felt overweight

Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are

There could never be a more beautiful you
Don’t buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

Little girl twenty-one the things that you’ve already done
Anything to get ahead
And you say you’ve got a man but he’s got another plan
Only wants what you will do instead

Well little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would come
You starve yourself to play the part
But I can promise you there’s a man whose love is true
And he’ll treat you like the jewel you are

So turn around you’re not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It’s not too late you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear they can all be washed away
By the one who’s strong can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light He will show you truth
And again you’ll see through the eyes of a little girl

Hmmm.....

I've been so busy helping my sister and family with their move into their new "home" - 4 old apartments renovated into one 6-bedroom/2-bath apartment -- that I haven't had time to do any 'fun' stuff. But i'm not sure what kind of fun stuff i would have done this summer anyway. I enjoy spending time with my sister and her family, so even though it's been hard work, and painful at times, i'd rather be here than most places. i would've liked for them to come down to California to visit our relatives there for a while, so, maybe next year. Comic Con anyone??? Bruce might be there!!!!

Been Busy!

Haven't posted lately because been busy with stuff -- nurses' alumni, FANHS, Spokane move, etc.

here's my nephew, the Boxhead!

Shaun Groves-After the Music Fades

When I'm procrastinating at home, I listen to the music I have on my 'puter and look up music videos and lyrics - and sometimes I feel like posting what I find. So here's one I like!

Dead Bird at Chukchansi

While I was walking back from parking my car in the casino parking lot, this bird dropped dead right in front of me! Dropped right down from the sky and struck the sidewalk - almost like someone threw it at me! I wasn't sure what kind of omen this was. But, I won after that, so I guess it was a good omen!

I told the valet dude about it and he went out to clean it up - said the heat has been so bad, that that might have been what had happened to it. I don't know, the other birds were busy flying all over the place and didn't seem to be affected by the heat. Oh well.....

Red Lobster= Eating for Free!

Tonight we got to eat an early dinner at Red Lobster, for almost free! We get "free" gift cards for it by doing mypoints.com and using the rewards bonuses from Discover card.

I like to maximize my rewards, so instead of getting the cash back from Discover, i turn them into gift cards and gain an extra five bucks!

and using mypoints.com takes an extra 5 minutes a day to click on advertisements, (and a lot of extra junk email), but when the points add up, i get free gift cards to several different places - but i usually go with Red Lobster and Pizza Hut and Burger King! we used to choose Chili's, but since they might close down, we'll stick with Red Lobster - which also can be used at Olive Garden and other places.

I like eating for free! or almost free! yum!

Philips, Craig and Dean - You are God Alone

Like it!

Fresno Scraper

The Fresno Scraper - an implement that you hitch up to a horse and then it drags across the path to smooth it out, for making a road. My uncle says my grandpa used one of these on Abuelita's property back in 19quaco, to clear a roadway.

This scraper is at the Bowers Mansion in Nevada, on the way to Carson City. We visited there recently after leaving Reno. It was an interesting place, and I got to learn about my own family history as well.

Memorial Day

Here's a picture of my great uncle, Pacifico Yongque Juanitas (left), July 4, 1943. He was in the 1st Filipino Infantry-Medical Core during WWII.

My thanks to him and to all the rest of my family who served in the military!

Barlow Girls - Never Alone

one of my favs! like the song, like the music, like the message! and when i want to rock out, this is what i play!



"Never Alone"

I waited for You today
But You didn't show
No no no
I needed You today
So where did You go?
You told me to call
Said You'd be there
And though I haven't seen You
Are You still there?

[Chorus:]
I cried out with no reply
And I can't feel You by my side
So I'll hold tight to what I know
You're here and I"m never alone

And though I cannot see You
And I can't explain why
Such a deep, deep reassurance
You've placed in my life

wooo
We cannot separate
'Cause You're part of me
And though You're invisible
I'll trust the unseen

[Chorus]

We cannot separate
You're part of me
And though You're invisible
I'll trust the unseen

[Chorus]

Newsong-Red Letter Day video and lyrics

I got to see this group a while back at Stockton's Asparagus Festival. They were great!



[I do believe it's gonna to be another red letter day, it's gonna be another red letter day]

Every day before the rush gets started
I get down on my knees
And I pray, Lord, I need You here to guide me
Please speak to me
And something happens that I can't explain
His Word starts talking to me and
I'm out to face this world again

I do believe it's gonna be another red letter day
It's gonna be another red letter day
I do believe it's gonna be another chance for me
To take His Word and walk by faith
I got a smile with every step I take
Knowing He is here with me
It's gonna be a red letter day

I had a friend call me up and tell me
How he, he struggles through each day
I told him that I didn't have all of the answers
This world's a crazy place
But I've learned to hide God's word in my heart
So I can have it with me when the pressures of the day start

repeat chorus

I do believe

So many hidden treasures in God's Word for us to find
The mysteries and secrets that are there to bring us life

I do believe it's gonna be another red letter day
I do believe it's gonna be another chance for me
to take His Word and walk by faith
I got a smile with every step I take
Knowing He is here with me
It's gonna be a red letter day

I do believe it's gonna be another red letter day
I do believe

Jeremy Camp-What it Means

Like it!



What It Means lyrics

I've been here a thousand times before
Face down on the floor
Wondering how I even reached this place again

But, You have shown so endlessly, how Your love pours over me
No picture can re-create the beauty that I see

[Chorus]
Show me what it means, to live my life a sacrifice
If only I would realize how much it took to pay the price
I know I'd always give, everything to You

I want this world to always see
Your perfect majesty
Reflecting from my life this brilliant poetry

Written all over this place
The signs of all creation that You breathed
Words can't even state how much You mean to me

[Chorus]

I want to face my very crime
Of not giving all of mine
But I can feel the hope You bring to me

Show me what it means, to live my life a sacrifice
If only I would realize how much it took to pay the price
Show me what it means, to live my life a sacrifice
If only I would realize how much it took to pay the price
I know I'd always give, everything to You

Bruce Campbell and Old Spice

Here's one of the TV commercials that Bruce has done for Old Spice. I remember my uncle use to use Old Spice, but I can't remember what it smells like. Doesn't matter - I LIKE BRUCE!

Cary Grant-Monkey Business

One of my favorite Cary Grant movies, also starring Ginger Rogers! Check it out on youtube or rent it! or see it on TCM from time to time.

Free to Be to Me - Francesca Battistelli

Great song! Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1YLXWANhvI

Thunderbeast Park - Chiloquin, Oregon

As we drive several times a year through Oregon on Highway 97, we pass this monstrous creature and wonder what it is and why it's there. We knew it must have been a left-over from some roadside attraction in days gone by, but what? The Hub City Chrome signs are new, in the past 8 years or so, so now it's easy to search the Internet and look the place up. I found a nice article on the Roadside America.com site which explains the place and has additional photos!

We travel a lot and on highway 97 there are several places that look to be the shambles of old roadside attractions and it's too bad they weren't kept up. But, it's nice that someone has recorded the history somewhere!

Bruce Campbell-fab fav actor!

One of my favorite actors, going back to 1993, is Bruce Campbell. I first saw him in "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr" - a great series! I was disappointed when it went off the air after 2 seasons, but then he starred in other shows - Lois & Clark, Xena, Hercules, Ellen, and then his own series "Jack of All Trades". Of course, he was already a cult hero before I discovered him, making his Evil Dead movie series starting in 1981. And now, he's in the popular USA series "Burn Notice" - yippee!

Anyway, at the San Diego Comic Con in 2006, Bruce was there promoting the DVD release of Brisco County Jr., and I was lucky enough to shake his hand, twice! It's a long story, but every time I think of it, I smile!

Here is Bruce and Julius Carry signing autographs. Look, he's a lefty - like me!

Potlatch Tree Farm in Oregon

Every time we drive to Spokane on I-84 and go past the Irrigon exit, we pass a huge farm of hybrid-poplar trees. It's probably about a mile wide and who knows how far back it goes. It was a mystery to us, as we drove by, wondering what all those trees were for - rows and rows and rows, all the same, only a slightly different (where the branches started growing on the trunks, some groves lower, some higher). We could see a name from the highway, or just a big sign -- "Potlatch". Then one day, a section of the trees disappeared and a sign read "Harvested 2002". Hmmm.

So, one day, I got off the nearest exit and followed the signs that said "office". As I drove down the small paved road, going deeper into the forest of trees, a clearing appeared and there were trucks being filled with the trunks of newly chopped trees, and then I saw the trucks that were chopping the trees down.

Finally, I saw a huge warehouse, with trucks going in and out, and a smaller building, that must be the office, so I pulled into the parking lot.

As I got out, a scruffy looking fellow walked near me, so I asked him what was this place. And he told me the trees were an experiment for paper pulp. They were trying to find a fast way to grow trees to make paper pulp quicker, cheaper, and in great mass. He also said there was a creek that ran through the property and there were lots of wildlife there -- deer, elk, small animals and even cougars/mountain lions. The man was nice, he was even from my neck of the woods - he did have a hard-luck story to tell, but now he was happy working there - it was seasonal work, but good.

Anyway, now, as we drive by, I know what it is all about. I can tell when new trees have been planted, harvested, and in the winter, you can look down the rows and see inside the mystery forest.
BTW - now it has been bought out by another company, Greenwood Tree Company. Google it.

Teabag Folding

Well I mentioned in the last post how I like to do teabag folding - here's a video on doing the craft with round paper instead of squares - it makes an interesting medalion. Then browse around there at youtube and you'll find more videos on folding. I plan on making some as ornaments, maybe, later this year. I have a huge supply of books and paper, so I need to do something with it! Most people make cards, (like in the photo) so I want to do something different.

Making Mandalas

I like doing paper crafts -- teabag folding is my favorite -- but I found that making mandalas out of my photographs is a lot of fun too! I like the kaleidoscope-looking of it. I haven't printed any out yet, because my printer doesn't do photos well, but I like looking at them. The link in the title goes to one of the many how-to pages on the internet. Try it! You'll like it!

My Gambling

Me and my mom go gambling a lot - we go to area Indian casinos and have a lot of fun! And when we drive up to/back from Spokane, most times we stop at the casinos on the way. On I-5, there is the Rolling Hills Casino in Corning, and the Seven Feathers near Ashland, OR. On highway 97, there is Klamoya near Klamath Falls, OR. Then there is one called the Wild Horse Casino near Pendleton, OR, but that's off the regular route.

We mostly play blackjack and I play paigow now, and only do the slots a few times - they're kind of boring.

Most times we break even or lose, but there are times when we do win. You can't make a lot of money doing this - only if you win the big bonuses in paigow - so, we won't be getting rich!

But we have fun and it's a way of relaxing for us.

Now, we aren't gambling away "needed" money - we've done our budgeting and we've alotted a certain amount for this gambling fun. There aren't many other expenses that we have that are "fun", basically just traveling, so gambling is what we do. So no lectures please!

When I want to discover what casinos are on the route we're taking, I check this website -- Indian Casinos.com - and then search for the state we're in.

That's it.

Some Boring Stuff

How did I spend my day yesterday? Well, first I had to go to the county hospital to have my yearly mammogram and was late because there wasn't anywhere to park! They sure didn't make their parking lots convenient for the patients there, just the staff. And then, of course, I get all painfully squished during the procedure - i'm glad it's just once a year!

then, i picked up mama and we went to the post office, and went to eat at La Cabana - our favorite Mexican food dive. No one else makes a good chicken quesadia (sp?) better than this place, except for another place here, but it's downtown and it's hard to find a parking space - but its food is just as good, but a tiny bit more expensive.

Then we went to 2 banks to deposit stuff for the nurses and fanhs, then to Long's drugstore - which has been bought out by CVS Pharmacy. So, now, the coupon book we have for Long's is going to be obsolete and we won't be able to buy the Long's brand of facial scrubs anymore - which were so much cheaper than Buff's, plus we always got them 50% off with the coupons. well, we'll try to stock up before they pull it off the shelves.

went to Safeway and CentroMart for groceries - eggs were only $1.09 a dozen at Centro compared to 1.99 at Safeway, but milk was cheaper at Safeway, as well as soda.

Got back home, put stuff away, then made rice crispy treats and discovered our tablespoon measuring spoon is missing, so just guessed at it. it came out a little bit more gooier than usual, but still tastes good!

Then worked on fanhs treasurer stuff - need to get year-end reports done for our meeting next week.

Watched TV during all of this (while at home, of course) and was wondering why all the Thursday shows were reruns, except for CW shows, which I watched.

Then I watched Burn Notice - you know, I got to shake Bruce Campbell's hand -- TWICE -- at the 2006 Comic Con! Love that show and love the fact that Brucy is on TV again!

Surfed the internet, checked my facebook, gaia, and other stuff - while watching TV. Then read my MacLife magazine until I fell asleep at 3AM.

That's a typical day for me - except for the mammo, thank goodness!

Funny Photographer

Here's an app that I downloaded to use with the new iSight webcam on my new refurbished computer, since Apple's PhotoBooth didn't come with it. The app lets you take photos with different effects - pretty cool! And it's freeware for Mac OS X 10.4. Fun! check out the maker's website by clicking the title above! (http://homepage.mac.com/spillnerclan/fabian/funnyphotographer/Funny%20Photographer.html)

Dr. Who

One of my favorite shows to watch! Every Saturday on BBC America now, since it's finished on the Sci-fi Channel. I am eagerly awaiting its return, sometime in 2010, I think. But, even though I like this show, I would not buy the dvds of the series - too expensive for me - but I've seen each episode at least twice, so, that's good enough. See it!

The Big 5-0

Well, we turned 50 today, it sure doesn't feel like it! We spent the day, or the past two days (and tomorrow too!) using coupons for free meals we got by email. we also took advantage of the area restaurants that offered free meals for your birthday, or free dessert! I feel bloated!
Here we are at 5 months at at 50 - we've flipped sides in the photos.

Mary Esteban Peres

This is a photo of my grandmother, Mary Esteban Peres, with her four children, in 1933. She left Spain in 1912/13 with her parents and brother, and went to Hawaii to work in the sugarcane/pineapple plantations. They came to California in 1916/17 and settled in Oakland, until coming to Stockton in the early 1920s. She met and married Cirilo Juanitas in 1924 and raised 4 children, until her untimely death in 1935 during childbirth. We had a chance to visit her birthplace in Spain in 1996 and the birthplace of my great grandparents. Spain was a nice place to visit.

Cirilo Juanitas

This is my grandfather, Cirilo Yongque Juanitas, who left the Philippines in 1913 to work in the sugarcane/pineapple fields of Kauai, Hawaii. He was around 21 years old. He came to California in 1916, worked various jobs - janitor, fieldwork, chain-gang, etc., until he settled in Stockton in the early 1920s, married in 1924, raised a family, became a labor contractor and business owner, and passed away in 1980, at the age of 88. He had eight kids, and a whole passel of grandkids and great grandkids.

Left: 1939? Treasure Island, SF, World's Fair
Right: 192something, Ravena, CA, while working on a railroad chain-gang.
(I don't have my genealogy research with me, so I'm not sure of the years.)

Happy New Year!

Here's wishing you all a very happy, productive, and safe 2009! So far, I've spent it freezing my arse off! But it has been productive - we took down the Christmas tree and various decorations around the house - we're all ready for 2009!