I have to apologize for not posting much in December. I do have good excuses...although they are excuses. Is there such a thing as a good excuse??? Is it an oxymoron? I'm not sure. But anyways, you judge for yourself:
#1... Beginning on December 16th, we had Simbang Gabi, a 9 day novena beginning at 4am...wakeup time is at 2:30 or so because you have to get to the church by 3:15 to get a seat. Then, the rest of the day is as usual. Excuse #1...I was tired, man!!!
#2...We had flooding and typhoon warnings. Shortly after Simbang Gabi began, we had a day and night of heavy rains that caused major flooding here. We spent lots of time moving everything up to the second floor of our houses and lost power. Then, we had typhoon warnings for December 24th!! A b ig typhoon did come into the Philippines, but not by us. Once again, we had lots of extra preparations to make to be ready for a possible storm. No time for writing and no power for a few days, excuse #2.
#3...Just like you, I'm sure, as we got closer to Christmas, all of my time was spent in the kitchen preparing for the big day. I made sugar cookies for the poor people of Sohutan, empanada gift packages for our benefactors here in Borongan and lots of food for Christmas itself: cinnamon bread, pizza, fried chicken, ribs...Excuse #3...I was up to my elbows in flour and chicken and cookies!!!
#4...Aside from the "normal" Christmas goings on, which included Christmas caroling almost every night before Christmas, getting us to bed late (and then up early for the novena, don't forget), we were also preparing for our December 29th Christmas Mission Outing to a barrio up in the mountains. This took a lot of preparation, as you will see when you read my upcoming blog about it. I was more concerned about giving and preparing for 150 children who wouldn't have a Christmas without us than writing...wouldn't you be?...that's excuse #4.
#5...We spent most of the past two weeks in Sohutan where one of our mission houses is, Providence Home. Sister Minerva wanted one of the mission houses to be sort of a retreat place, a calmer, quieter dwelling, so there is no internet there. Excuse #5...for most of the past two weeks, I have been in a home with no internet...no internet=no blogging. Can't argue with that one!!
#6...Aside from Simbang Gabi, baking and cooking, flooding and storms, outreach missions and internet availability, Christmas and New Year's celebrations...New Year's Eve is also my birthday, so that just made things that much busier and more to do, prepare for, get tired from!!...Excuse #6.
So, you see, it really isn't my fault that I have been so lax in my writing. But I am about to make it up to you by blogging all about our holidays, holy days, birthdays and goings on. so...happy reading!
And Happy New Year, by the way!! I hope and pray that 2017 will be a wonderful, peacefilled, joyful year for all of us!!! xxoo
