This week on Sunday Best. On the first Sundays of the month, we hear Mass sponsored by the Sanbayan at the Church of the Annunciation in Rosedale, MD. Hubbie sings in their choir. This is one of the two choirs he sings with, the other being the Joy In The Spirit (JITS) Prayer Community choir in their Mass every third Sunday of the month at the St. John the Evangelist Church in Pasadena, MD.

After hearing mass at the Anunciation, hubbie and I had a quick lunch at the Hibachi Buffet in Glen Burnie and then headed out to St. John the Evangelist Church for our prayer meeting. July 2 marked the first death anniversary of our dear friend, Myra. We held a novena for her during our prayer meeting where we invited her daughter, sister and friends to join us for the prayers and the small get-together after. Losing a loved one will never be easy. The amount of time since their passing doesn’t actually diminish the hurt of losing them but the pain just gets a little manageable to bear as time passes by. I guess, for Catholics, it eases the sorrow knowing that their loved ones are with the Creator in heaven and the prayers coming from friends makes one think that they are not alone in their grieving. It was heartwarming to see Myra’s daughter, Leiza, and sister, Imelda and her friends. I always pray for their well-being.

Myra’s date with heaven will always be memorable to me and hubbie because we lost her on hubbie’s birthday. For hubbie, it was the last gesture of Myra to let him know that even in her parting, she will always be his comedic and karaoke partner and she won’t ever make him forget that.
Yes, it was hubbie’s birthday yesterday (July 2). He was off from work but I worked from home. He got busy cooking for our picnic on Wednesday. We just went out to buy some more equipment for the picnic and that was it. We plan to celebrate instead on the 4th during our picnic.
On a lighter note, aside from being able to say our weekly praise and worship with our JITS family, seeing them all every Sunday is something I look forward to. Hubbie and I have been part of them for about 4 years now. Of all the Filipino groups we’ve seen, shying away from most of them, we felt an honest camaraderie with the group. Despite the individual imperfections, just like family, defending and standing up for each other will always remain.
And since it was Sunday, I, of course, have to show my “Sunday best” for this special day. During summer, this jumper/dress I got at Zara is always a staple. I got this on sale at their store in Towson. The light silk texture is a welcome attire during these hot, summer days. I wear this jumper with a white shirt or blouse under. This time, I wore a Mango mid-riff t-shirt that I bought in the Philippines. I just wish they put up a Mango store here in Maryland somewhere. The nearest one here is in New York. That’s why when I go home in Manila, I have to go and visit their store.
I completed my ensemble with a nice choker in blue and aqua and my off-white pair of slingback sandals pumps.
Have a wonderful week!

The once named “godmother of the Philippine Blogosphere”, Gigi Manaloto-Refugia, known by her pen name “Ate Sienna” has been blogging since 2002 in her old pansitan.net community where she housed famous bloggers. She now writes about being 50-something and shares her tips on fashion, makeup, skincare, travel, food and thrift-store diving.
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