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DEAR XANGA FRIENDS ... I want to share my latest post from WordPress.  Most of you don't know that much about me, so I thought I'd share a little.

I love to meet friends from around the world. When I saw this visitor app, I thought ... perfect, I can now keep track of where where my friends are all coming! I couldn't find how to embed HTML code into my site. I kept trying different things, but without too much luck. I'd hoped to use it on FB, but learned that they do not support this program (though they used to do so). On my Xanga account (in the old days of Xanga), I knew how to do all sorts of stuff like this. Now on this new site -- WordPress, I feel lost. I don't "get" lots of stuff like badges, widgets, embedding, pressing, pinging, posts vs pages, etc. There is so much to learn (just in the terminology) that it can be overwhelming! 

I grew up as a child of missionary parents in the Philippines. For many years, I felt that although I am an American by birth, that I had more of a connection to the country in which I grew up. I felt closer sometimes to people of other cultures as well, or to other people who had grown up in a culture other than that of their parents' (& thus their) citizenship. There is a term for this: "3rd Culture Kids" If you are interested in more information on this, you can click on this link to take you to a Wikipedia article on it.

Some of the things that I realized about myself when we came to the U.S. to remain were that I was “different” from most of my American friends my age – as a teen, as a young adult, and even today as a senior citizen. I just don't have the same cultural input as others of my age: same memories, education, experiences, etc. I grew up without t.v., movies, popular music, malls, values, etc. (Not saying any of this isn't good ... sometimes better!)

During my earliest years, I was the only white/American child in my town and church. During my years from 9-14, I lived on another island, and I had more friends from around the world when I attended a school for children of missionaries.

When I came to the U.S. in the late 60's, I didn't "get" the whole "race" issue that seemed to be such a big deal in this country, especially at that time. I had always been the minority, and especially in my earliest years nearly all of my friends were various shades of brown, and I was perfectly happy with that "norm."  Furthermore, the first year we were back in the U.S., both Martin Luther King, JR. and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated! I wasn't so sure about this "new" country where I had come to live!

  I grew up in the three islands named: Cebu, MIndanao, & Luzon.The country of my birth,                                                                                                                                             and where God brought me to live out the rest of my life (as far as I know).

Tonight I served a Filipino meal (not an unusual thing for me), mixed with some American things as well. Pictured: pork adobo, rice, tomatoes, and an American gulay (i.e. - vegetables).

 I close with one of my favorite picture - quotes with my philosophy.

I recently began a blog over on WordPress, and for the most part, I am copying some of my posts from here over there. However, I also am taking part in a weekly photo challenge (Fri. through Fri.), and this is the third one that I have participated in (but the 4th photo ... one can post more than one each week).

Many things can be considered as treasures, and the theme for this week is "Treasure." I will probably add a second one later, but this is the one that I posted on Valentine's Day.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Treasure – I

I have a question to ask of you,  my Xanga friends.  Do you prefer to have me respond to your comments on my blog (as I have been doing), or on your blog? Since I am specifically commenting back to you (but you don't know that I am, or may forget to check back here), would you prefer that I comment back on your site?  I aim to please! Please let me know. Thanks.

Well,  that is it for this post! Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day.  Have a great weekend.  Blessings to all of you my friends.