I got an email from a friend with an attachment about 2011 predictions and I got a little curious about how our year is going to turn out so I checked out some of the Chinese horoscope websites and got some confusing and contradicting information

Some of the websites said it will be a difficult year for me, I’m a pig (that should not be take literally of course, its purely coincidental that I’m fat and my Chinese calendar year turned out to be the Pig.  Quite unfortunate  ) others say I will excel this year.  My husband is a rabbit and some say he will have a glorious year with travels and career growth while others say it is a year for caution regarding travels and business will be at a stand still. So…. I am not sure what to make of it.

In any case I think I would believe the one that tells of good fortune as it will give me a positive outlook and bring out a better me whereas if you focus on the negative you will become stagnant and probably be depressed for a year until the Rabbit hops out and  the Dragon makes it grand entrance in 2012!

The moral of the story is… Your life is what you make of it, you get what you give and if you want a better life then get up and get it because good fortune, unlike rain, does not fall from the sky.

I’m posting here our good horoscopes so that positivity will rub all over us and we will be blessed for 2011!!!

My Husband’s (Year of the Wooden Rabbit)

Well, his time has come! The charming Rabbit in 2011 year of the White Metal Rabbit will definitely feel the planetary support to eveything, even to his most ambitious undertakings. In this period, representative of this zodiacal circle, the favorite of Fortune can relax – his business is unable to be shaken even by the most brutal all-out crisis. He can rest, take a trip or just take good care of himself postponing the solution of insignificant problems for the indefinite future. Rabbit can change image, learn Japanese language or go to university – this year he has to do something that brings joy to his heart, and which can expand the horizons of the future. In love, Rabbit will as always be aloft, the only mistake he can make is to experience a large number of romances that will not transfer into quality sensuous relationships. All that is needed by Rabbit in 2011 year of the White Metal Rabbit is a wise attitude to love, because not feeling satisfaction, being tired of intense relationships, Rabbits have every chance in the end to be disappointed in this feeling and remain a bachelor for a long time. Only seeing meaning in relationships, only dialogue, not monologue, can give a Rabbit an unforgettable experience of interaction with a partner. Fate makes generous bets, because it exactly knows that the winner of problems this year will be the Rabbit.

Mine (Year of the Pig)

The Pig loves to have fun and socialize with family and friends and on this front, the Year of the Rabbit will not disappoint him! He may not have been the life of the party recently, but in 2011 his social network will greatly increase with April, May, July and October being the most enjoyable months.  The Pig parties hard and works hard and in the Year of the Rabbit he will be bringing in the rewards for all his hard work. For any Pigs who wish to change jobs or who want to climb up the promotional ladder, there will be quite a few opportunities this year to do either. But they must act quickly, ensuring they have made all the right inquiries and connections. March, April and September will see work developments happen, but they must be ready to pounce at any time during the year. The Pig will be feeling good in 2011 and would like all manner of wonderful things to happen – all at once! He must learn to pace himself and go along with the more leisurely speed of the Rabbit year. Otherwise, he may burn himself out. Overall, 2011 will be a progressive and enjoyable time for all Pigs.

I’m a grown up… Yup! I just realized that yesterday when I found  happiness and contentment in just seeing my family for Christmas.  As a kid (and believe me I was a kid for a loooooooooong time) Christmas for me was receiving gifts and looking forward to noche buena with loads of hotdogs and ham.

Yesterday I came home to where I grew up, it was after noche buena and way after all the gifts were opened.  I felt really good just by being in the company of people who I knew loved me and my family unconditionally.  To see my Mom and Dad smile because we came home, to be with my siblings, nephews (I have a lot) and niece (isa lang sya but she’s a handful! my other nieces are in Saipan) was something that was more gratifying than getting new clothes and trinkets.

Real happiness came in a different form… from seeing my kids share rowdy activities with their cousins to hearing my husband utter a short prayer of thank you Lord after eating meager instant korean noodles on Christmas night, of feeling contentment emanating from him even if I did not have the energy to cook anything else but instant noodles, of seeing smiles from all around especially from someone I do not know.

So I have moved on from seeing Christmas as a day of gifts and food to a day for being thankful for all the you have instead of praying for all you that want.

All my life I’ve always thought that rice terraces grew rice, well, with the name rice terraces what else can it grow? Last March 2010  my husband and I went to Sagada and we passed the scenic town of Bontoc, famous for its vegetable terraces. You read right, vegetable terraces, it grows all kinds of cool climate crops like broccoli, snap beans and cabbage.