Charmed Life by Gretheline Bolandrina

When I last wrote about “Grace” on my wish list is the book, "The Unmistakable Touch of Grace" part spiritual memoir, and part-self-help book by Cheryl Richardson. I have since found the book at home, in our study. I don’t remember buying it, I think maybe I said it out loud that I wanted it so, the universe provided :)

I completed chapter one and I’ve taken a pause to follow what was suggested about having a “Grace Journal”. You know you’re borderline “nerdy” when journaling excites you! But, call me nerdy, this promises to be rather exciting. My first week of keeping track of anything and everything “Grace” related, I get to book a dinner date with Fashion Designer Grace Edwards and Grace Labaguis of Unlimited Events and Marketing and our good friend Luis Pedron. We all met at a place called Krystal’s (69-02 Roosevelt Ave. Woodside, NY 11377 718-426-8676). They had a small cafe downstairs (they have a wide selection of Filipino pastries, Yum!) and a large dining area upstairs. The place was packed yet we had a comfortable corner spot. We dined on scrumptious ginataan laing, lechon, pork barbeque, lumpia shanghai, pansit, bulalo, sisig and white rice. There was even tapsilog to share. Turns out, Luis and Grace Labaguis both turn a year older and wiser the following day, so with desert came two birthday candles. A slice of ube cake, sansrival and brazo de Mercedes along with halo-halo and sago gulaman completed the meal. We happily sang, “Maligayang Bati”.

Grace Edwards came with her hubby; I with Joe and Grace Labaguis also came with her hubby. We had a fun photo op in between bites. I recounted how I stumbled upon Grace Edwards when I Googled yet another Grace (Padaca) two years ago. Grace Labaguis I came to know through a business contact, who (also) happens to know Luis. The world just gets smaller every day. We did updates and plans for future projects. Everything is so fresh and exciting.

The quote I picked above is from a Sephora product I had gotten for my Ate a few months back. The whole product packaging also had a longer “blurb” which I would like to leave you with. And add a challenge, find Grace all around. . .

“How you climb up the mountain is just as important as how you get down the mountain, and so it is with life, which for many of us becomes one big gigantic test followed by one big gigantic lesson. In the end, it all comes down to one word grace. Its how you accept winning and losing, good luck and bad luck, the darkness and the light.”

Feel free to e-mail me reactions, comments and or suggestions for ideas to ponder. Contact me at Gretheline@aol.com or through Carousel Productions.