I know, I know, it's been ages since the last post and I've been terrible at keeping track of time. There's just so many things that I WANT DONE, and time is the one thing that we cannot keep, stop or extend, so I had to prioritize.

Actually, a decision has already been made a few months ago to consolidate our online writing efforts and most of you have been personally informed about that decision and to expect an invitation to move to Parenting Journey and follow us in Hubpages (as Mama Sez and Papa Sez) and Island Travel. The plan was to delete Daily Happiness Tips, WannaBeHappyNow, Daily Laughs, Happy Quotes Happy Images and Fatherhood Adventures. Late last year, our analysis points to the need to also focus on our strengths as professionals and so Insect Experts was launched.

But I am failing in some parts of the execution of that decision. It's really difficult to just delete what we've created (especially those that have also gathered some momentum and following). I am particularly attached to this blog as it was my very first attempt at online writing, so there's sentimental issues involved (naks!).

In this busy new year, Plan B has been cooked up to execute the decision to consolidate and focus. As it involves investments in time and money, it's been relegated to the back burner again.

Now, I should not promise when it's gonna happen but it must happen or we'll be constantly spread thinly without much success.

Therefore, my friends just hang on and bear with me for a little while longer. For the meantime, more blogging is happening in these sites:

By the way, you might have noticed the change in template of this blog. It's part of the baby steps towards consolidation and focus of our blogging efforts.

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I can't believe that the second quarter of 2010 is gone. The first quarter ended in a frenzy as the family embarked on our island travel adventure with an early good start.  However, plans got off-tracked when we encountered a bump in the road, literally and figuratively speaking, on the first day of the second quarter.

Not a good start and as Mama Sez pointed out, we better listen and open our eyes as there's an important message in this incident that we cannot afford to ignore.

The month of April went by with us dealing with the consequences of the accident as well as trying to keep the kids and ourselves occupied with summer activities that did not involve long travel.  Indeed the kids got to spend more time with the relatives in Laguna and got to do summer stuff as well.  Blogging activities slowed down to almost a complete halt but we managed to published these:

UPLB Museum of Natural History and IRRI Rice World

Papa’s 73rd Birthday Celebration, a belated post on an event that happened before we left Davao City.

DAILY HAPPINESS TIP #68- Keep Your Word, which reflects my exasperation in our dealings with parties involved in the accident.

Happy Quotes Happy Images and Daily Laughs continued to post as scheduled. But it was zero posting in Parenting Journey and Hubpages.com.  Our circumstances really did not allow us to sit down and do any writing.

The month of May found us walking our talks about keeping one's word as we went on with the awarding of prizes to the winners of our promos/contests despite the interruption of our travel plans.  In the final days into the 2010 National Elections, I decided to go public with my preferences for certain candidates for the national posts primarily on the issue of trust, and exhorting readers to go out and exercise their right and duty to vote.

The decision to stay in Los Banos, Laguna was also finalized in May brought about by developments that opened up as we interacted more with relatives and friends in the area.  So blog posts In Island Travel became more about what's happening in Los Banos as the month of June arrived:

The First Rain

Top Five Signs that the Rainy Season is Here in Los Banos, Laguna

An Extended Vacation

These were later followed by features on the Romualdez Museum as we start to write about our summer travel, and a post about southern bias of certain travelers.

The month of June, of course, saw articles/blogs about school (School has Began, School Bag Designs and Style Trends, Is a Trolley Bag Really Necessary for School? and Fear of Failure), Father's Day (Fatherhood is a Blessing), and change as President Noynoy Aquino takes the country's top leadership position (Inertia and Change in a New Philippines and Taking Small Steps towards Change).

The second quarter was challenging not only because of the disruption to our original plan and the stretch it demanded of our impatient selves, but more so because of the decisions that had to be made and immediately implemented.  Change always brings discomfort as new situations had to be dealt with, particularly the unexpected ones.  But we look at the second quarter as a necessary phase, a transition to better quarters that we can look forward to down the road.
 
Today, a new quarter begins.  Will it be a quarter for writing and blogging?  We'll soon find out.

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It was a tight competition to the top spot, and at the final whistle around nine votes separated Thanksgiving Every Day from the top hub.  The article placed third only garnered 11 % and even less for the next two to round up the five new HubNuggets.  So you may say that it was a one-on-one contest (40 vs 33%) and we did give 'em a scare!  You may see the results here.

I’d like to acknowledge the support of Mama Sez, friends and readers of Fatherhood Adventures.  As I am new to HubPages, in fact that was my very first article, I am guessing that a significant proportion of the votes I garnered were from non-members- meaning you, my friends, and your referrals.

As I cannot show you yet the congratulatory email I mentioned in my previous blog, let me just repost this HubNugget “trophy” from a previous hub of one member of the HubNugget Team.  Here it is:

For all it’s worth, at least to me and my writing adventure, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the all-out support.  I know I can count on you.  Cheers!

P.S.  My second hub is related to the first: The Science behind Daily Gratitude Ritual.

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