Two Sundays ago, I was at the Los Angeles Hertz Rental Car parking lot in my assigned white Jeep equipped with NeverLost GPS. Ready to sprint through my one week break! Upon checking out at the exit, the parking attended asked, “Your driver’s license please?” Eyes bigger than usual, I replied, “I think I just…
Category: Seeing God’s Hand in Daily Adventures or Misadventures
The Outtakes from An Interview Between Tokaya’s
Last year when I volunteered in a church magazine, I ended up under my namesake (tokaya), Karen (Galarpe)’s group. Several months later, she came to the shop to try out the food. She came twice more and mentioned that she wanted to interview me for GMA News Online! Please click here for the published interview….
Impromptu Sharing
I’ve lately been absent at many of our weekly group bible studies due to my work schedule. Today, God brought my bible study to me when my dear friend, Edith came with her mom. It became an impromptu devotion exchange. Edith shared with me insights about keeping faithfulness with God despite difficult situations. She said…
God Sends A Care Package
Last week, my friend, Mylene said she was going to where my kids are and I can send something for them through her. Within a couple of days, I went to the big supermarket near me and walked along aisle by aisle thinking what might delight my kids, what would make them know that I thought…
Mommy Exchange and JJ Crafternoons
It was a mommy lunch among two empty nesters and two young moms when my designer, Joi Cutter, came with Candy Tanchi McComb and Jennifer Tanchi yesterday! The laughter, food, and chika brought me back childhood memories of tea parties specially when we shared some strawberry juice in itty bitty mason jars 🙂 The last…
The Gift of Access
By 7:15 tonight I was still cooking clam chowder for April Macadangdang and her friends. Afterwards when my kitchen team was all set to bring out all the rest of the food orders and I bade goodbye to guests, I headed for the KUHL Concert of Kuh Ledesma thinking maybe I could get one faith…
Grace for Bailey
Bailey is our Beagle puppy. She loves to chew on my shoestring and shoes and the wooden stool that’s sometimes near her territory. And my apron buttons when I come home from work and forget I still have my apron on! She’s so gigil! She can’t contain her excitement to bite them. Does she know…
I Haven’t Attained It
Finally, my white blouse (which I happened to be wearing) is in Meg Magazine! And DJ (our beloved hundred year old oven) is in it, too! When I posted the preview photo last month of the fun photoshoot at the shop, friends were drawn to… the blouse! Heehee. The Meg team is a great, hardworking, inspiring team. But their…
Blessings from Guests
Annabelle has been coming to the shop regularly (praise God for her contribution to our rent money heeehee). Last week, she described to me a Crispizza flavor she wanted and so this Smoked Fish Crispizza was born with home-pickled cucumbers, scrambled eggs, tomatoes, whispers of red onion, smoked milkfish fillet, green onions, cream cheese, and…
Thankful for Faith Family
Last week, one of the special occasions at the shop was for this lovely group of ladies:  I know them as the Tuesday Ladies because they met on Tuesdays while I was with the group that met on Wednesdays with the same  bible teacher, Beth Sanders, who was a missionary in the Philippines for many…
BUTTERFLY IN THE SPRING 