12th

Today is my dad's 12th anniversary of his death. Has it been that long?

I miss you, Pang, I love you.  Rest in peace.

Pure Innocence

... Indeed! My niece, Cehz, was putting her little girl to sleep when her baby asked a question. This is her story -
One night, I was so sleepy... I was putting my 4 year old daughter to sleep,when she asked me, "Mommy, kelan ako pwede magboyfriend? Sa Monday o next week pa?" Ay sus !!! Nawala ang antok ko!!!!:)

Precious Moments With My Mom

Hugging her, sleeping with her, and she covers me with blanket from my toes up to my ears and neck, making sure no draft of air penetrates inside so I'm warm and comfortable. (I do the same thing for her.)
Giving her a massage, combing and brushing her hair after bath, walking with her at the front yard for her morning excercise... Eating with her, drinking Coke with her, her favorite drink ("Cheers!")... Chatting with her, joking, laughing! 
Playing Besame Mucho/Quizas, Quizas, Quizas, on the piano for her and singing them with her. (She played and sang "do re mi fa sol la ti do" for me in perfect pitch!) 
Looking at family photo albums and sharing memories together, and more memories and more memories and more...

On my last day at home, I knew, the minute she looked at me and kept looking at me wherever I was going around the house without saying a word, that she knew I was leaving that day. That look in her eyes... on her face - it was UNBEARABLE! 

My mother has dementia. And like the past years, all I can do for now is to call her overseas as often as I can just to hear her voice over and over, and for her to keep remembering me...  until my next trip home again.

I miss my Mom! I love her soooooo soooooo much.....

Brother Jesse's 10th

Today is my brother Jesse's 10th death anniversary. Rest in peace, my dear brother. We love & miss you. I did a little something for you to commemorate your 10th. Hope you like it.

MILESTONE

It's my brother, Tony's, "Big _OH" birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BROTHER! HAVE FUN, BIG TIME!!

(Family has a big surprise for him! Shh... He thinks they're going to Fort Bonifacio for dinner with just family, but the big bash is at Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club with about 100 guests waiting for him. I'm excited! Wish Mike and I and our families were there!)

Also, Remembering Deena Today

Today is my mother-in-law's 4th anniversary of her hereafter.

Sweet!

IF YOU HAVE A BROTHER WHO HAS MADE YOU LAUGH, PUNCHED YOU, STUCK UP FOR YOU, DROVE YOU CRAZY, HUGGED YOU, WATCHED YOU SUCCEED, SAW YOU FAIL, PICKED YOU BACK UP, MADE YOU STRONG, AND IS SOMEONE YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT & SOMEONE YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON....RE POST THIS IF YOU HAVE A BROTHER YOU LOVE :D

(posted on FB by my niece, Yabs, again. I think it's so loving. Ain't she sweet! I just had to share this)

BIRTHDAY BOY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAY, MAHAL! LET'S CELEBRATE!

MILESTONE

MY AUNT'S 75TH BIRTHDAY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TITA HELEN! CELEBRATE BIG TIME!

Any Given Day

Yesterday, I decided to open a new account, a memorial fund, at another bank in memory of my late brother, Jesse. July is his birthday and this year marks his 10th year death anniversary. Jesse was the family banker, and one day while visiting here, we passed by the bank and he asked if I had an account there. I didn't have any and he said I should open one.

I've been postponing it for years, waiting for the right time, right day, an extraordinary, significant, meaningful day, a very special occasion. Everything had to be PERFECT. Yeah, right!

Well, finally, I did it. And doing it made me realize that any day was the right day. No special occasion, just an ordinary-mundane-nothing perfect-nothing exciting-blah day. No horns blowing from the heavens. No announcements, no ads on billboards. Simply, I was ready.

Any given day is a new day, indeed!

Beautiful Dream...

Lola Ceria was giving me a small box of Vicks Vapor Rub for my allergies. And even though I had one already, I accepted hers 'cause there was so much love and caring in her giving. When I opened the box, there was no Vicks; instead, there was a round piece of mamon (sponge cake) nicely wrapped in plastic...

What she gave me were really symbolic of her love for me. There was so much warmth from her. My dream was so real it reminded me of Bambi's dream about Mama around her birthday, giving him a loving hug, "feeling warmth and love from her, so strong, so pure, so beautiful, nothing else mattered!"

It's the same emotions I felt with Lola.

Thank you, Lola, for the 'visit'. I love you and I miss you.

A Tourist In My Own Country

Every year since 2000, I go home to visit friends and family, especially my mother. I always time my trip around her birthday in March. I go home to be with her 24/7. This time, on her 95th birthday, a milestone, Norman and I decided to go together. We stayed at my aunt's beautiful condo in Eastwood City, a world-class city in itself, for a week. I tell you, going places was a treat, I felt like a tourist in my own country!

First, the condo was so close to the shopping mall, restaurants, theatres and and more, Norman and I were simply entertained. Norman especially enjoyed going back and forth to the cafes and restaurants, and, man, I tell you, Manila's got some Good Eats! San Francisco and New York cannot brag of their best foods in town anymore. Manila can compete with them and the rest of the world for its stunningly superb cuisine - Filipino, Asian, international, and all fusion! Great dining everywhere we went! Quite impressive, I tell you that!

The condo was also right in front of a chapel that took care of my religious obligations, especially this Lenten season. Mindful of our Catholic tradition, land developers, architects, et al, have included in their blue prints to build chapels inside or around shopping malls. And that is nice! Knowing how Filipinos or Pinoys love to eat and shop, yet still not forgetting their Sunday obligations, having chapels inside or close to shopping malls are convenient. However, I must confess that although, yes, there is nothing above and beyond God, when you're at Shangrila chapel at the atrium on Sundays, for example, it's very difficult to focus on the altar alone. With so many floors of shops, restaurants and people all over, yes, there's definitely everything and anything above and beyond the altar... Oh, well.

We went to Makati Greenbelt, the Ayala Museum where we performed as guest artists for the JAM FOR JAPAN CONCERT, drove by Bonifacio Street High at the Fort, all part of the Ayalaland, and what awesome architecture! And simply world-class shopping and dining! Filipinos have such appetite for food and life the city doesn't sleep anymore. Norman says, " It's like NY!" And with all the high-rise buildings, commercial, residential, especially condominiums, which seem to be the style of living for city dwellers nowadays, I don't see poverty anymore! Of course, there is, and a classic distinction between the rich and the poor, at that, but it seems to be hidden by all the newly-built skyscrapers and infrastructure everywhere! Unbelievable!

I got a chance to revisit Tagaytay Highlands. This was Norman's first visit. Nestled in a beautiful high-level countryside overlooking the world's smallest volcano, Taal Volcano, this resort and country club brings leisure and luxury to the next level. Philippines now abound in so many beautifully-developed resorts for balikbayans and foreigners from all over the world, tourism has become a popular global leisure activity here in the country.

My CHS high school classmates treated me to a superbly delicious lunch at Kanin Club at the Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati. It was a row of different restaurants and every bit was full to capacity and then some outside. Don't Filipinos cook at home anymore??

And as an alumna of the University of Sto. Tomas, I am glad I had a chance to revisit my alma mater on its 400th year celebration! I went to see our church, the museum and bought some souvenirs from the kiosks.

And of course, music is ALIVE in Manila! I got to jam at Scarlet Jazz Kitchen with one of the city's famous big bands on Timog in Quezon City. Timog Street is happening ("gimmicking"as they say)!

"Filipinos are EXPLODING with talents!!" as Cameron Macintosh once said when he was in Manila many years ago to audition talents for the musical Miss Saigon. There's Lea Salonga, Miss Saigon herself, Charice, Arnel Pineda, Cheryl Burke, and so many you see everywhere, on American Idol, You Think You can Dance, and so on! You will always see a Filipino in arts and entertainment!

Philippines is a beautiful country and the Filipinos are a beautiful people! I'm very proud!

To All My Wonderful Sisters In Life!!!

Every now and then I get something on my email that I like sharing here 'cause it's so true! It's about being a woman and being "with the girls!!" Yes, we have our families. We have our friends. And that's beautiful! But there's something about womanhood - our girlfriends, be it our Mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, all the women in our lives who create a bond, the Sisterhood! It's special! The love and support are extraordinary! It's fun! It's pure! It's such a joy! No one can take that away from us! This is a keeper. Here's an excerpt -

This says it all...

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day,

drinking iced tea and visiting with her mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.

'Don't forget your sisters,' she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them.'

'Remember that 'sisters' means ALL the women...your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. 'You'll need other women. Women always do.'

What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought. Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup!

Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!'

But she listened to her mother. She kept contact with her sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her mother really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, sisters are the mainstays of her life.

After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:

THIS SAYS IT ALL: 

Time passes.

Life happens.

Distance separates.

Children grow up.

Jobs come and go.

Love waxes and wanes.

Men don't do what they're supposed to do.

Hearts break.

Parents die.

Colleagues forget favors.

Careers end.

BUT.........

Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how

many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away

than needing her can reach.

When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you

have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life

will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on,

praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on

your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the

valley's end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk

beside you....Or come in and carry you out.

Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters,

daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers,

Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended

family: all bless our life!

The world wouldn't be the same without women, and

neither would I. When we began this adventure called

womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or

sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we

would need each other.

Every day, we need each other still. Pass this on

to all the women who help make your life meaningful.

I just did. Short and very sweet:

There are more than twenty angels in this world.

Ten are peacefully sleeping on clouds. Nine are

playing. And one is reading her email at this

moment...

Happy days!

Don't break this; it's working.

"Sin... &... Sinful"

And the words, sin and sinful, I heard a lot these days! I had a Christmas luncheon gig in a posh hotel in town the other day. The program director had to interrupt my piano playing several times because of speeches, toast, raffle tickets, etc. At the end of the party, he apologized for doing so and he said, "Your music was fantastic, I hated to interrupt. Doing it was like a sin."

I didn't really play well, believe me, I was tired from a sleepless night after work but I just liked his line, "... like a sin."

Then last night, at a classy Japanese restaurant, my brother-in-law who is in town visiting with his fiance said about dinner, "This is so good, it's a sin. This is sinful!"

Consequently, I asked Norman, "Is it sinful to eat a piece of the Swiss chocolate they brought us or shall we wait till Xmas?"

So far, we haven't committed the sin yet. Perhaps on Xmas Day when it's no longer a sin!

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, one of the  most significant Catholic doctrines about the Blessed Virgin Mary. I have a very deep connection with her from a past life especially related to this doctrine. I was so blessed! And always so blessed! I am not a religious fanatic. On the contrary, I stopped going to church for a long time before. Ironically, it was transcendental meditation (TM), which many people thought was another religion, that brought me back to my religion, back to my Catholic faith.

The reason why I am writing about the Blessed Mother right now, aside from her feast day today, is that I've been missing my Mom so much so that I've been praying to Mother Mary to heal her, keep her company in Manila, visit her often and take care of her while I still can't go home to take care of her. After a week or so when I called up my mother, out of the blue, she said over and over, 

"I love Mama Mary." 

"I love Mama Mary." 

"I love Mama Mary."

"I love Mama Mary." 

"I love Mama Mary." 

"I love Mama Mary."

"I love Mama Mary." 

"I love Mama Mary." 

"I love Mama Mary." 

"I love Mama Mary."

Initially, I didn't know why she kept saying it until I felt an overwhelming sense of calmness in me, an assurance that, yes, my prayer was answered. Mother Mary has been visiting my mother, healing her and taking care of her in Manila. That's between her and me.

Thank you, Mother Mary. I love you. I'm so blessed and humbled...

Blessed are Those Who Serve

Elsa brought me a bowl of ginatan, a bag of fresh pandesal, and 2 packages of mung bean cake today. She's so sweet! That's Elsa. She was the nanny to my brother Mike's 4 children for over 10 years at least, from the time they were born until the family moved to the US. Then she followed them here after getting married to an American. Elsa is an angel! She's always there for the family. She's now living comfortably in style, living her piece of the American dream. Yet when she's with us, all she does is serve. She'd cook, bake, baby sit the new additions in the family, she'd simply do what she knows best, and that is, to serve!

Freda is the same way. She was one of our family's household help in Manila. Now here in the States and living a comfortable life with her own family, she still remembers us and treats us the way she did when she was with us, that of service! And she proudly mentioned it as her profession on Facebook where I discovered her, even mentioning the family's name. It was so touching, so humbling to read! Again like Elsa, when they're with the family, they only live to serve.

Remembering what Gandhi said, "Live simply that others may simply live", with people like Elsa and Freda, however, whenever they are with us, they simply live that I may learn to live simply.

Thank you, Elsa. Thank you, Freda. I am humbled. I love you both.

One Year Ago Today

Last year, on this exact day, I wrote a post, 29 de Agosto, (August 29, 2009), because of its significance, its influence, personal and social, and so much more, in my life. I invite you to revisit. You'll get to know me more. It's like introducing myself again today. Hope you like it.

Happy Birthday, again, Richel!

Mmmm...

Hot water with fresh mint and lemon - delicious! At a fancy Italian restaurant -great food, great company, great birthday!

Birthday Boy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAHAL!!

Belated Happy Birthday

I totally forgot my late brother M. Jesse's birthday last July 23rd because of our CHS GRAND ALUMNAE REUNION Jul 23-35.

Sorry, my dear brother. I love you. Rest in peace. Dasal nyong lumakas si Mama ha. Love to you and Papa and everybody on the other side.