We invite all Clan members and close Friends to post any news or opinions about anything that would interest our family and friends alike. You could post it by sending the article as a word document to my e-mail address at ...rudls54 @optonline.net Please don't hesitate to attach any pertinent vsiuals to accompany your story or article but make sure the .jpg file is not too big so as to fit in the posting. So, what are we waiting for ? Go on and start shaking your brains and let the ideas and thoughts pour out of your inner feelings ....
Chapter 1
Adelle ran through the forest, blinded by tears. She did not wake up in her cozy room. Instead, she was surrounded by very unfamiliar surroundings. She knew that she would not find her way back. She ran and ran. Each second seemed like an hour, and each hour seemed like a day. A day would be eternity.
Running out of breath, Adelle sat on a tree stump. She stayed there for a long time, hopeless. She put her head to her hands, her long, black hair swaying in the wind. Adelle sobbed, her breath coming out in rasps.
Then she heard something move in the plants. There was a deafening silence, and the air seemed to go still. She stood up, her eyes darting from place to place, observing her surroundings carefully. She took a step forward.
Suddenly, a woman in shimmering robes appeared. Her pale skin seemed to glow, and her hair was the same color of the sun. The woman stared into Adelle’s golden eyes. “Do not be afraid. I am here to protect you. There are evil forces at work. Do not stray far from safety, young one.”
Adelle took another step towards her, but the woman had already turned into a blur. “Wait!” she shouted, but she had disappeared.
Chapter 2
“Adelle? Honey, wake up!”
Mrs. Stansen, Adelle’s mom, shook her awake. She pulled the covers over her head. “Don’t want to wake up. Too tired,” Adelle groaned.
“But it’s your first day of high school!” Mrs. Stansen protested.
Realizing this, Adelle quickly got up and pushed her mother out of the room to rush to her bathroom.
Adelle picked up her toothbrush, squeezed some toothpaste on it, and started brushing. It went back and forth, up and down, and into the nooks and crannies of her mouth. Then she gargled and spit it out. Wiping her mouth, Adelle turned on the faucet again to wash her face.
She splashed some water on her face, and then put on some soap. “Don’t want any acne on the first day of school,” she said to herself. Adelle scrubbed her face, gently stroking it with her palms. She then rinsed her face and went back to her room to dress up.
She wanted to look decent on her first day of high school, but she didn’t know what to wear. Knowing that she would be late if she thought any longer, she just slipped on a shirt and jeans then went downstairs to eat breakfast.
Adelle didn’t have much of a breakfast. She knew it wasn’t very healthy, but she was always late. She ate a spoonful of cereal, and then stuffed a packet of crackers into her backpack. She slung it over her shoulder, bode farewell to her mother, and then sped off on her bike, since her school was close. The ride was only fifteen minutes.
Her pale skin shimmered in the early fall sunlight. She was very satisfied with the warm weather of South Carolina. She biked along silently, going fast. She was going to meet up with her friends, Melanie and Charlotte, at the entrance, but knew she was going to arrive late.
As she went faster, she caught up with her two neighbors, Hunter and Aaron.
Hunter was a tall, pale-skinned boy, and had jet black hair. His eyes were as dark as night. He was always quiet and never really talked. She had never heard him say more than one sentence at a time.
Aaron was just as tall, with intense, green eyes. He had a mop of brown hair and was a bit tan. He was the complete opposite of Hunter. He never stopped talking! “Late, as usual!” he said.
Adelle pretended to scowl, and then started to laugh. “It’s impossible to be angry at you!” she said, not actually mad at him. But it was true!
Hunter only smiled. She frowned. “How come when you’re supposed to laugh, you smile, and when you’re supposed to smile, you don’t? It’s annoying!”
Hunter flashed a larger smile at her, and asked, “How’s that?”
Adelle nodded. “You should smile like that more often!”
She didn’t know if Aaron and Hunter were exactly her friends, but she was pretty sure she was off to a good start with them. The three “friends” biked together all the way to school. They parked their bikes at the school, and then departed.
Adelle ran to the entrance, seeing that kids were already streaming into the doors. Cursing, she called out her friends’ names. “Charlotte! Melanie!”
She pushed through the crowd, still not finding them. As she moved forward, she heard them calling out her name. Adelle smiled, then ran towards the voices. “Hey guys!” she greeted.
She looked at Melanie and Charlotte, discovering that they had changed a lot since last year in eighth grade.
Melanie’s bouncy, blonde hair had been cut short, and she started to wear make up. Seeing her looking at her, Melanie said, “I wanted to look nice for the first day, you know, more mature!”
Not counting her new and improved appearance, she was still her same, cheery, self. She was always happy, and she had never seen her sad. Another opposite of Hunter!
Charlotte’s long hair had more bounce to it, and it wasn’t flat. She had no glasses, either. She had also gotten tanner. “I went to Dominican Republic, and I got contacts,” she explained.
Charlotte was also her same self. She was still shy, but probably even smarter than last year!
The three girls walked to their separate classes when the bell rang. They were not in any of the same classes. They would just have to meet during lunch in the cafeteria.
As Adelle was walking to her class, Aaron and Hunter caught up with her. “You going to history?” Aaron asked.
Adelle nodded. The two boys smiled. “Good, we’re in the same class.”
She was a little confused. Although they were neighbors, Adelle had not really spoken to either of them. All of a sudden, they were actually talking to her. “Why are you guys all of a sudden making contact with me?”
Aaron looked at her, confused. “Why can’t we? After all, we’re your neighbors!”
Adelle was about to protest until they had reached class. They sat down, all upset with each other.
For each class, Adelle was practically bored to death. Her teachers’ words were like an endless buzzing. Finally, the bell rang, and it was time for lunch. Adelle tried to talk to her neighbors, but they walked faster to the cafeteria. “Look, guys, I’m sorry! I just thought it was strange that you were suddenly talking to me!”
Hunter stared at her with cold eyes. “If you think it’s so strange, we won’t talk to you anymore. It’s your loss. We were trying to protect you!”
Adelle froze, confused. She stared at them as they walked farther and farther away from her reach. Why would they want to protect her? Noticing that she was the only one in the hallway, Adelle ran out the exit.
She wasn’t sure why she had left, but she loved the feeling of freedom. It wasn’t exactly freedom, but as she was running in the forest by her school, it almost felt like it. That was until she heard something by the trees. Adelle was terrified. It was exactly like her dream. The only difference was that there was no beautiful woman. Replacing her was a large wolf. It growled fiercely.
She backed away slowly, not wanting to startle it. It was very hard not to scream. But as she took one or two steps backwards, the dog charged.
Adelle screamed, and started to run. She did not know how they got there, but Hunter and Aaron were at her side. “Do you know see why we are protecting you?” Aaron shouted.
She was speechless. She kept on running, knowing that if she went even just a bit slower, she was a goner. But then she saw the beast claw at her friends’ backs, making them wince. A great anger boiled up inside her. She started to float. Amazed, she built up more of the energy. The boys looked at her, discovering that her eyes were glowing gold. They gaped up in awe.
The anger was converted into an inhuman strength, and the boys watched in terror and wonder as she slayed the great wolf. Before she attacked, she let out a scream of bloodlust, and then sprang forward.
She hit the dog hard, making him howl in pain. Adelle then pounded him into a tree, making him crazy with pain.
The monster slammed her into the ground, making her cough up blood. She quickly got up, but she could feel her energy slowly fading away. Determined to save her friends, she let out a bloodcurdling scream. Adelle ripped off the branch a tree nearby, and then floated towards him. She stabbed him right in the heart, making him shriek until it got quiet, leaving him dead.
Adelle was not in very good shape. Her breath came out in gasps as she slowly floated to the ground, until she fell into Hunter’s arms, unconscious.
(\__/) (\_/) (='.'=) ('.'=) (")_(") (___)o
Sent in by Manny DLS ...
ANG SARAP MAGING SENADOR!
Miriam Defensor Santiago was featured in
"The Correspondents".
Maganda rin naman ang naidudulot ng pagiging prangka ni Senador Miriam Defensor-Santiago. Ayon kay Santiago, marami ang tumatak-bong Senador dahil sa laki ng budget na ibinibigay sa kanila kada buwan.
Lumalabas na P35,000 suweldo nila kada buwan ay pakitang-tao lang sa milyun-milyong budget ng bawat senador. Kada buwan ay may Fixed Monthly Budget ang bawat Senador ng humigit-kumulang P2 Milyon.
Sa opisina pa lang nila ay humigit-kumulang P500,000 ang budget nila sa Maintenance and Operating Expenses (Rental, Utilities, Supplies at Domestic Travels) at P500,000 para sa Staff at Personal expenses. Kaya para makatipid ang ibang Senador, kaunti lang ang staff na kinukuha nila. Nagtataka ka pa kung bakit mayroong mga Ghost Employee?
Bukod diyan, may P760,000 allowance pa sila kada buwan para naman sa Foreign Travel. At ang masakit pa nito, hindi na kailngan i-liquidate ang mga resibo ng mga gastusin 'yan kundi Certification lang ang Requirement.
Heto pa, lahat sila ay Chairman ng mg Komite sa Senado. Ang Committee Chairman ay tumatanggap din ng budget na sinlaki ng tinatanggap ng mga Senador na humigit-kumulang P1 Milyon din! Hindi sila mawawalan ng Komite dahil 24 lang ang ating mga Senador at 37 naman ang Committee sa Senado. There's food for everybody 'ika nga! Lumalabas na doble ang kanilang benepesiyo at kita kapag sila ay nabiyayaan ng Committee Chairmanship.
Sa P200 milyon na Budget para sa Pork Barrel ng mga Senador bawat taon, awtomatikong may 10% na S.O.P. o kita ng Senador na P20 milyon. Ito ang porsiyento na ibinibigay ng mga kontratista sa mga Senador na nagbibigay sa kanila ng mga Infrastructure at Livelihood Project.
Bago matapos ang termino ng isang Senador, kumita na siya ng P100 milyon sa Pork Barrel pa lang. Yung ibang Senador mas gahaman, hindi lang 10% kundi 20-30% ang komisyon hinihingi sa mga kontratista.
Pansinin niyo na lang ang pagbabago ng buhay ng ilan sa ating mga Senador simula nang manungkulan sa puwesto. Kung dati ay simple lang ang kanilang pamumuhay ngayon ay nakatira na sila sa mga eksklusibong subdivision, maraming bahay sa Pilipinas at abroad at mahigit lima ang sasakyan.
Ngayon nagtataka ka pa ba kung bakit gumagastos ng daan-daang milyong piso ang mga Senador sa kampanya para sa isang posisyon na P35,000 lang ang suweldo kada buwan? Bawing-bawi pala ang gastos kapag naupo na!
ANG SARAP MAGING SENADOR!!!
PLEASE FORWARD TO AS MANY OF YOUR FRIENDS AND LET THE WHOLE COUNTRY KNOW THAT ELECTION IS MORE OF PUTTING AMBITIOUS PEOPLE IN POSITION WHO ARE GREEDY IN POWER, WEALTH & PRESTIGE THAN OF PUBLIC SERVICE...ANG MASAKIT PA PERA NG BAYAN PA RIN GAGAMITIN SA ELEKSYON MALUKLOK LANG SILA SA PWESTO!!!
George Carlin's Views on Ageing
Article sent in by: Luchee Burgess
Do you realise that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about ageing that you think in fractions.
'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key
You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.
'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life .... . You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony.. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!
You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'
Then a strange thing happens.. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!' May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mal l, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER : Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
And if you don't send this to at least 8 people - who cares? But do share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each day!! Worry about nothing, pray about everything!!!
“I am Me. In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me. Everything that comes out of me is authentically mine, because I alone chose it -- I own everything about me: my body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions, whether they be to others or myself. I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears. I own my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes. Because I own all of me, I can become intimately acquainted with me. By so doing, I can love me and be friendly with all my parts. I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other aspects that I do not know -- but as long as I am friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look for solutions to the puzzles and ways to find out more about me. However I look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever I think and feel at a given moment in time is authentically me. If later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought, and felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard that which is unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new for that which I discarded. I can see, hear, feel, think, say, and do. I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive, and to make sense and order out of the world of people and things outside of me. I own me, and therefore, I can engineer me.
I am me, and I am Okay.”
5 NUNS IN A BAR Posted by Manny DLS ...
Sisters Mary Catherine, Maria Theresa, Katherine Marie, Rose Frances, & Mary Kathleen left the Convent on a trip to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City and were sight-seeing on a Tuesday in July. It was hot and humid in town and their traditional garb was making them so uncomfortable, they decided to stop in at Patty McGuire's Pub for a cold soft drink.
Patty had recently added special legs to his barstools, which were the talk of the fashionable eastside neighborhood. All 5 Nuns sat up at the bar and were enjoying their Cokes when Monsignor Riley and Father McGinty entered the bar through the front door
They, too, came for a cold drink when they were shocked and almost fainted at what they saw.
W O W L E G S ! ! !
Death of the Sweets
By: Gabrielle De Los Santos
When you go to lunch each day at school, do you crave for a cookie? Or a doughnut? Do you wonder why they are gone? Well, mean old Governor Corzine took those privileges away! He just took them away from sweet tooth kids! I think we should get our cookies and doughnuts and other delicious stuff back to our grasp! I have NEVER, EVER eaten a doughnut in a long time.. Just because of Governor Corzine!
I want sweets back because I always crave for something sweet, my school either has fruit or other healthy stuff! I hope and hope there will be something at least a little sweet when I get home, but there is just the same thing! I have to suffer EVERY SINGLE DAY! At least maybe Governor Corzine could let us have sweets on certain days, then I wouldn’t be that anxious.
I also want sweets back because I get hungry because I don’t like the food at my school. (It isn’t sweet). If I am hungry, I cannot focus. This means if I am taking a test, I will get a lower grade then I would have got just because I was HUNGRY! It was all New Jersey’s Governor’s fault!
So if you have the same problems I do, don’t blame your school for it’s food. Blame Governor Corzine! I can’t even believe why I voted for him!!
M A Y B E . . .
Posted by . . . Manuel U. De Los Santos
Maybe. . we were supposed to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that, when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift.
Maybe . . when the door of happiness closes, another opens; but, often times, we look so long at the closed door that we don't even see the new one which has been opened for us.
Maybe . . . it is true that we don't know what we have until we lose it, but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until it arrives.
Maybe . . . the happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
Maybe . . the brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; after all, you can't go on successfully in life until you let go of your past mistakes, failures and heartaches.
Maybe . . . you should dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go, be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you dream of, and want to do.
Maybe . . .. there are moments in life when you miss someone -- a parent, a spouse, a friend, a child -- so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real, so that once they are around you appreciate them more.
Maybe . . . the best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.
Maybe . . you should always try to put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that something could hurt you, it probably will hurt the other person, too.
Maybe . . you should do something nice for someone every single day, even if it is simply to leave them alone.
Maybe . giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart; but, if it doesn't, be content that it grew in yours.
Maybe . . . happiness waits for all those who cry, all those who hurt, all those who have searched, and all those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of all the people who have touched their lives.
Maybe . . you shouldn't go for looks; they can deceive; don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.
Maybe . . you should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy
Maybe . . . you should try to live your life to the fullest because when you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling but when you die, you can be the one who is smiling and everyone around you crying.
Chapter 1
I ' am M e . . . by:
I am me, and I am Okay.”
M A Y B E . . .