Raining dogs today

An abandoned pitbull with mange and respiratory infection. That was in the morning.

Two cute puppies from a very nice stranger. That was in the afternoon.

Three dogs in one day. I got them...and sacrificially gave them away to dog-loving neighbors due to space, time, and budget constraints. We already have two grown-up dogs under our care.

I pray that these three dogs will have a happy and healthy life in a loving home.

Introducing Angela

Angela, our adopted stray kitten, is growing up fast. Well, she has a healthy appetite -- if you catch my drift -- and this fast growth thing should be no surprise.

I'm glad that we didn't even have to do some potty training on her. As soon as we set up her personal toilet (an old shoebox filled with sand with fragrance), she already knew what to do.

She is already in that stage wherein she likes to play a lot. You know, the running, rolling, and biting game. It is so wonderful to see her happy and healthy in our home.

There are other stray cats -- and dogs -- out there in the fields. But we can't save them all, and that is a sad thing.

The power of encouragement

It had been a very hectic semester for me at the university. There were tons of schoolwork to be done -- from weekly readings to online class discussions to field observation reports to term papers. I never thought I would be able to finish all the course requirements on time -- I was enrolled in three rather demanding education courses (9 units) -- given my frail health condition and challenging family situation. But I did, and I really thank God for this.

Just this weekend, I got a pleasant surprise when I logged into the university portal last Saturday night, and saw a nice message from my favorite professor. I spotted her reply to an old inquiry of mine, which I posted on the course site way back (I was asking for advice regarding professional teaching). Her message was short yet sweet:


Hi, (my name)! You can teach first -- perhaps for a year, then get the diploma. With your PTC (Professional Teaching Certificate) and passion for teaching, you can well be a literature/English teacher. If ever you take the other diploma, it would be just to enrich your skills/knowledge. Am sure you will make a good teacher...based on your posts and performance in (name of course).


My heart jumped for joy upon reading this message. Her words meant a lot to me, especially since I know for a fact that this professor is a good teacher -- and writer.

Such perfect timing. God knows I needed that encouragement.