Home Alone

I was by myself last Saturday, and I felt I'm free to do anything that I wanted. I didn't have to cook lunch which would sometimes take an hour or so, then a half hour to wash dishes and clean up. So, there I was contemplating what to have for lunch. In my fridge are sorts of left overs. There was the quesadilla left over when I had lunch at a Mexican fast food restaurant; left over Pasta e Fagioli, an Italian dish I made the other night; and 2 pieces of moldy chicken that I don't know what dish it was. I decided on having the pasta dish. I warmed up some of it, and put some aside, in case someone looks for it. I was out of grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over it, so I got a stick of mozzarella cheese and sliced it into small pieces and tossed on top of my pasta.

This is the leftover I put aside in the fridge.
Click image to enlarge

When I was done eating, I still felt hungry. I opened a box of crackers, and munched 6 pieces of it.

Still I was not full. I thought I'd have a handful of potato chips.

I devoured it in a few seconds. It was salty...too salty. I needed something to get that salty taste off of my mouth. I opened my fridge, and found nothing there. Then I found ice cream in the freezer.

Eureka! This is perfect. Ice cream! I scooped about half a cup of it and put it in a small bowl. Hmmm....yum! I was about to finish it when I started feeling guilty. I've been eating all this junk, and now I felt guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! I dumped the rest in the sink, and I drank a glass of water.

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I love this pasta dish. I copied it from a magazine some years ago. It's very filling; always a welcome dish at home, especially when we get tired of the usual pinakbet, adobo or sinigang.

Pasta e Fagioli

Ingredients:

1 carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 can (8-ounce) tomatoes*, cut up and undrained
1 can (8-ounce) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups cooked macaroni
1 can (15 1/4 ounces) dark red kidney beans**
Parmesan cheese, grated

Procedure:

Saute vegetables in olive oil until onions are transparent, but not browned. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Add macaroni and undrained kidney beans. Simmer 20 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve. Makes 4 servings.

*I have searched all over for an 8 ounce can of tomatoes, but could not find any. So, I buy the big can (15 1/4 oz or 16 oz) and use half of it. I wonder why it said 8 ounces can when there is none.

**This also comes in 16 ounces can.

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Someone up there...

I woke up the other morning and found this work of art by Someone up there.

And the award goes to...ME!

From: Ev.

Ev

To: me.

This lovely award.

I thank Ev; and the academy, the producers, my director, my mentor, the crew, the caterer, the drivers, and...and...

Just playing.

I am passing this to all my sweet blogger friends (laging nilalanggam) and you know who you are. Grab 'em, steal 'em, copy and paste 'em, or whatever way you can, just do it! You hear! I mean, you read! :-D

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I hope I got Ev close enough. My printer ran out of ink and I had a hard time referring to her photo.

Death of a grape.

Click image to enlarge.

Not wanting to become wine,
Freed itself from the vine.
Down it came falling
But alas, now it's dying.
Landed on a sharp blade
Of a leaf, this young grape,
Met its death with an orchid.
One less fruit for me, or the kids,
Or the birds.

How sad!

I can't bear to see it impaled right through its heart...this seedless green grape.

Award

Thanks to Ev for this wonderful award. I am so honored. My acceptance speech will follow soon, if I ever make one. har har har.

This award was created originally by Arte y Pico and to be given to bloggers who inspire others with their creativity and their talents, also for contributing to the blogging world in whatever medium. When you receive this award it is considered a "special honor". Once you have received this award, you are to pass it on to 5 others."What a wonderful way to show some love and appreciation to your fellow bloggers!"

I pass this award to the following creative and nice bloggers: Nance, Jeannie, Nona, Pepe (you must have this one already, but just get it and display it on your shelf) and Caryn.

Come on guys, get to work! LOL

Thanks

So long, my friends...

I tried to recall as much as I can how these
ladies looked like, as I do not have any picture
to copy from. I hope, I got them as close as I can.

I was scrolling down my cellphone's contact list the other day, and found a name that I didn't need anymore. I deleted it, and then deleted another one.

The first was Leila B's name. I met Leila about 6 years ago through another friend (Carrie). She and Carrie lived in the same apartment complex. Whenever I would go to Carrie's to work on artworks for the church's fund raising, Leila would stop by to say hi; or we would call her to have lunch with us.

She was a petite lady - about 4' 11" in height, weighed about 90# +-. She was perky and always greeted me with, "Hi, Mari. You look good." And one time I said, "Lei, I would like to lose at least 10#, if I can. I'm overweight." She thought I should not and that I'm perfect as I am. Of course, I am not. Her reason for thinking so is because of her physical condition: She was underweight.

She told me that many years ago she was as tall as my 5' 2". She was in a car accident which almost took her life; had to undergo physical therapy for a year before finally getting her life back to normal...almost. She fractured a bone which caused her to lose some bone density and thereby shrinking her height. I've forgotten the name of the bone, and her scientific explanation.

Although she had been ill for quite some time, her spirit, however, was always up. There was always a smile on her face.

She passed away 4 weeks ago.

The other name was Ritsuko's. She was from Nagasaki, Japan; petite, just like Leila. I met her through Junko San, about 3 years ago. She had had some major surgery; and had been living on borrowed time.

She played the shamisen and showed me pictures of her in her kimono when she was young. She spoke English very well, with very little accent. She was bright, funny and witty; photogenic and very fashionable. She always wore color coordinated clothes with matching shoes and purses. She loved to wear hats.

She passed on 4 months ago.

Their names were deleted, but they'll not be forgotten. I'll miss these two nice ladies. May they rest in peace.

What a hairstyle!

Well, Nini, my friend, I'm sorry to disappoint you. It wasn't Arnel Pineda I drew. This one I've just finished had a wild hairdo, one that was ahead of his time. Some of the young men nowadays sport similar hairstyle. They don't carry combs to groom their hair anymore; they don't need hairsprays to keep it in place. Those days are gone. During those days, however, this guy sported the style of today; of the 21st century.

Why him? George Clooney is too good looking. And, so is Brad Pitt...and other Hollywood cuties. Albert Einstein had more character, and he was also cute when he was young.

Walk this way~~~>

Top of the world...

Sunday night my husband and I were watching the second game of the NBA finals when it was apparent that the team we were rooting for was losing. It was the third quarter and the L. A. Lakers have a deficit of 20 points behind the Boston Celtics. We were getting disappointed. My husband started flicking the remote from channel to channel. We thought we would rather watch another show...something to enjoy. Then he remembered the set of Journey album I just purchased earlier. It has 2 cds of their old and new songs; and a dvd of their recent Las Vegas Concert. He put the dvd on play; we sat back, relaxed and watched.


The album.

In this album our own Arnel Pineda was introduced as the new lead singer of the group, the Journey. By this time everyone knows the cinderella story of Arnel; how he landed the coveted part in a legendary group; and his life as a struggling singer back home, the Philippines. For Arnel it must have been like a dream; like a story from a book, or something from a G movie.


The Journey with Pineda in the foreground.

As we sat watching the concert, we were amazed at how energetic Arnel was; his showmanship was at par with other singers; and his voice was great. His transition from high to low was so smooth. I've heard of how he's being compared to the past vocalist of the group. It is to be expected. And others have mentioned his accent. I couldn't detect any. That could be because, I have an accent myself. But then there are other singers out there whose accents are very evident even in their songs. Take for instance Andrea Bocelli. He's an Italian tenor, and when he sings some English lines the accent is there; Sarah Brightman's Italian lyrics shows her American English accent, and there are others still, like the late Pavarotti and Julio Iglesias. Of course, we all have accents when speaking a language not our own.

This is my first time to really listen to all the songs of the group. The truth is I never heard of them before, though some of their songs sound familiar to me. I like most especially their latest one - After All These Years. Arnel sings this one tenderly, passionately.

Click here to listen --->After All These Years

I wish him more success in the coming years.

In the backyard

This was my apricot harvest this year. I had more left in the tree, but the birds helped themselves to it. It did not have a lot this year, but they were much bigger and sweeter this time. I planted the tree some 20 years ago, a year after we purchased the property. I love fruit trees and apricot is just one of them.

And here on a shell 'parol' a hummingbird refurbished an old nest which was used by another, or maybe the same hummingbird. The bird is now incubating the 2 pea-sized eggs it has laid.

Last year there were 2 eggs in that same nest, but another creature attacked it and ate the eggs which left the mother bird mourning for her loss. Hopefully, this time, it will be out of reach of a predator.

This hummingbird is so aloft. Every time I step in the patio it takes off. But there was a time, when I was watering my plants it hovered around me, checking me out perhaps. I could hear the wings whirring. It came as close as 4 ft., staring at me. That was the closest it got. But I could never get that close to its nest. The nest is about 12 feet away from the pigeon's nest/basket.

From my kitchen window I could see the bird come and go to its nest, and it's a delight to watch it.

To meme or not to meme?

My meme.

I have so many in mind to post, however, I can't seem to pick the best one to do at this time. I can't crank up my brain to do some work, and meme is right here, and a good filler. This one was a tag from Nona.

Here goes:
Memoirs of my 4th year of high school. How much I remember and how much of it I regret.

The section I am in.
There were only 2 classes in my 4th year of high school: the morning class and the evening class. The lower years have more sections. Since I am not a morning person, I took the evening class. Another reason for it is that maybe I could find a part time job during the day, like some of my classmates.

My seatmates.
I was seated in the front row, on the left side facing the board. On my left was cousin Jess, and on my right was Claudia.

My English teacher.
Her name was Miss Pagulayan. Years later on I heard she became a principal of the school.

My first class.
English...I think.

Friends in the lower years.
Yes. Some of them were good friends.

My class schedule.

It was a regular class with not too many extra curricular activities.

My enemies.

None what so ever.

My favorite teacher.
My English teacher, Miss Pagulayan.

Sports I played.
None in school. I played badminton at home; basketball in my back yard; and swam in my backyard.

Was I a party animal?
We would usually have a party in our backyard. When it would be somewhere else, I would go, with my parents' consent; and my cousin Jess was usually my partner/escort.

I was well known in school.
Since it was a small school, it was easy to be well known. I was one of the officers of the student council and did classroom to classroom campaigning; a muse of something on a float; a muse of another thing on a float; and I'm so amused on a float.

Skip classes.
Not in my senior year.

Suspended or expelled?
Nope.

Can sing the Alma Mater song.
I don't think we ever had one.

My favorite subject.
Literature.

Went to dance parties.
Yes...yes...yes.

Where I would go most often for school breaks.
In the campus, or me and my friends would walk to the public market, where some stalls were still open at night, and buy snacks.

On the last day of school.
I hanged out with my classmates and we talked about where we were heading; what school we were going to; what courses we were going to take. We never seemed to realize that after we graduate we would hardly see each other anymore. After graduation the reality set in. We went to different schools, and once in a while we would run into each other.

My best friend in my sophomore year passed away right after graduation. She lived some 4 miles away from my home. Her mother knowing that I was her best friend, let me know of her passing away. During the vigil I was always introduced as her best friend, although, we had not been hanging out with each other when I transferred to evening classes. Jasmin was her name, she was in the morning class. She would wait for me, when I would go to school in the morning for my library work. She was a nice, pretty young girl.

Regrets?
None at all.

Okay, it's done. I am not going to tag anybody. Any one who would like to do this is free to do so.

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Walk this way...

...and come visit him.

ENTER

Visit His Holiness.

Take any mode of transportation, get there any way you can. Walk to the door and knock gently. Enter (click here) walk softly and say hello to His Holiness, The Dalai Lama.

...And there's more!

About a week ago a couple of pigeons were making trips to and from atop the brick column of the pergola, a few feet away from the basket. They were building a nest. A few days later, while watering my plants I found one of them sitting on the nest already. There is a drawback though about the place. It is easily accessible to predators. There is a grape trunk winding its way along the column to the top of the pergola. The nest is in danger of lurking cats, lizards, rats and other rodents. There is no way we can protect the nest.

Click photo to enlarge.

Three days after I found the nest, I went back to check on it...and...gasp...it's no longer there. The place was clean, no trace of the nest at all. I looked down and there it is the remains of the nest, right down below, strewn on top of my plant.

Oh, sad, so sad. A predator got to it before the eggs were hatched. The attacker must be that big cat with bushy gray unkempt fur, walking nonchalantly in my backyard. Why that f&%c$#i&n%g? I am so mad at these cats who stroll in my backyard like it's their own. I should get a big dog to chase them out of my property.

I only hope that the birds find a good safe place for their next nest.

On the other side of the pergola, there is good news.

The eggs in the basket have hatched!

The chicks are tucked under the mom or dad.

What I have observed with this kind of birds is that the couple share the responsibilities. They build the nest together; they take turn brooding; and perhaps feeding the hatchlings. I have seen one of them fly in, and takes its turn; and the other one takes off.

To this day, mom or dad is still brooding the chicks.

There is a lot of activity going on in the backyard, if I look close enough. Aside from the pigeons that have been nesting in my pergola, other birds have turned to shrubs or trees.

I have noticed recently that a small bird keeps flying in and out of this juniper shrub. I thought I would satisfy my curiosity by looking in the thick foliage.

And, voila, this is what I found...a small nest with some eggs. To me they look like quail eggs.

I'll keep an eye on it, and shoo away creatures on the hunt for food.

New Occupants

I noticed a week ago that there were birds coming and going in the basket. There was a time there were 2 of them. One sitting inside the basket and the other perched at the edge. I have wondered if these birds were just visiting or resting.

A couple of days later, as I was going out of the door to the patio, a bird was flying towards the basket. As she or he took sight of me, it took a detour and landed on the wrought iron fence. It waited there for a while. I looked at the bird and I noticed that it was carrying, in its beak, a piece of twig. It must be refurbishing the old nest then, I thought to myself. It is the same kind of bird, a pigeon.

Days went by when I took a peek at the basket and there was a bird inside. It seems it's laying eggs, just like the other bird. My basket is a popular place for these birds; and they picked the biggest one. They must think it as a mansion. I have other baskets on that same pergola, but they are smaller.

Here is the new tenant, caught in the act of laying eggs!

I'm now giving this basket to the birds, it's full of poop anyway. LOL

It pays to wander...

As I bloghopped to some fave spots of mine, I stumbled on a giveaway by Indiaartist. As she had mentioned the first commentator, in her post, will get an oil painting from her. I made it to the first, and others who were not lucky enough, didn't jump in anymore. Days, weeks and more weeks passed by and no sign of the painting coming my way. And then, finally, it came. Beautiful painting, a style of her own. I wish I could do the same.

The lovely apple...is right here.

Little Birdies Flew Away

The mother hen with her chicks.
(click photo to enlarge)

I was quite busy since that time I took a peek at the nest and found those 2 eggs, and I never got the chance to get a shot at them. About sometime last week I noticed that the mother seem to be feeding her little babies. They have hatched then! I thought I would take a peek and if the mother would fly, that would be it. She, however, sat there staring at me. So, I aimed my camera high above my head and took several shots. I got her with her chicks huddling by her side, keeping warm on that cold early morning. They have tucked their heads underneath her.

About an hour or so later, I noticed that the mother was not there. I stepped on a chair again, and peered above the basket, and there they are the chicks. They have grown so much already. They are no longer the teeny weeny little chicks, that are almost bare of feathers.

The chicks
(click photo to enlarge)

When I first found those two little eggs, I thought I would record their progress when they are hatched. But I've been busy lately I never got the chance to do it.

Yesterday morning my cousin told me that she didn't see the eggs. She wondered what happened to them. I told her, "Well, they have flown away then. I mean, the chicks are gone."

And she stared at me and said, "You mean they have hatched and grown and flown?"

"Yes, manang, they are big enough to fly already. They have flown."

And they left the nest with their poop - those dark grey little round stuff with a speck of white in them. That I have to clean for the next tenant.

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The "I" meme

I was tagged by Ghee, the lovely, to do this meme. I'm a private person, and I don't normally post so much personal things about me. For Ghee's sake, however, here are some tidbits about me, myself and I.

I am a wife; mother of 2.

I want to travel the road less traveled.

I have 2 hands. They are left and right.

I wish I could do above - travel more.

I hate war.

I fear snakes.

I search for the end of the rainbow. There's supposed to be a pot of gold there.

I wonder why I couldn't wander...just wondering.

I regret some things I have done and said.

I love to dream. he he he

I always see both sides. That's the Libra in me.

I am not a snob. I just don't have a smiling face. (Mukhang suplada baga)

I danced. I used to. Hubby can't dance so that's the end of it.

I sing? I can't carry a tune; not even when I hum; not even in the shower. I'm a basket case when it comes to singing. I envy those who can sing.

I cry and I cried when I'm reminded of my parents and siblings; and the times we have had together. I miss them a lot. Getting teary eyed already here.

I write whatever comes to mind. However, some of them are unprintable. Bad grammar, I guess.

I won? I wish, I had won the lotto. Three million dollars is not bad. I could use it to pay my debt, and maybe buy a couple of Hummers, a beach house in the Bahamas and shop till I drop.

I am confused, so very confused.

I need sometime to relax.

I should be relaxing by now, getting my beauty nap. I might still have a chance to become a beauty.

The last thought I go to sleep with is I hope I get to sleep tonight.

The End.

There it is. Done. Who to tag? Whoever wants to do it.

Let there be life

click photo to enlarge

This wicker basket is hanging on my patio pergola. It is now a nest, a pigeon's nest. As I tried to take a picture of it this morning, while the mother-to-be bird was sitting, I startled it and it took off. I took a picture of what is inside the basket, and I found two eggs.

click to enlarge photo

In a few days these eggs will hatch, and the chicks will be chirping with their mommy. Aaaand they will be eating and pooping in my basket. Ugh! One thing good, though, they will be out of reach of predators.

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My Pet

I got myself a cute little tiger for a virtual pet; named him Rex. I adopted him to keep me company while I ponder on what to write about. Most of the time, however, I play with him, and in turn I don't accomplish anything. Ngee! I found out about virtual pet when I bloghopped on Gillian McMurray's blog. It does pay to wander.

Not Cabernet Sauvignon.

My mood swung the wrong way,

'Twas not a good day.

Though not a breeze in the air,

Every which way went my hair.

It was not Dom Perignon,

Nor Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sad, so sad.

That day was bad.

PMS?

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A Friend Indeed!

These were awarded to me by Nona, that sexy, wonderful mother and wife. Nona can not access my blog as she is now in the land of the Great Wall - China. Blogspot or Blogger cannot be accessed there - China - for some reason only known to that place. In spite of that, Nona still reached out and tagged me. (Wala akong ligtas sa kanya. LOL) However, whenever she can access Blogger she would always come to my blog to say something; to comment; to let me know that she's around visiting. It doesn't matter if my topic would be boring, lame, silly, senseless, stupid or idiotic, she still would say something just to let me know she's around. (Kahit, "Kumusta na.") That means something. I on the other hand still visit and say hi to her to let her know I'm there with her.

Take it easy over there, Nona. Enjoy and have fun. It's a great experience to be in another part of the world; to meet and make friends with people there; and to learn a little bit of their culture and language.

Thanks a bunch for these awards. Love you!

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I just hope nobody fell asleep reading this.

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Friendship Meme!

This was a tag from my good friend Vicki.

Circle of Friends*

Anger is only one letter short of danger
If someone betrays you once, it is his fault;
If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.
Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.
He, who loses money, loses much;
He, who loses a friend, loses much more;
He, who loses faith, loses all.
Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,
But beautiful old people are works of art.
Learn from the mistakes of others
You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.
Friends, you and me…
You brought another friend…
And then there were 3…
We started our group…
Our circle of friends…
And like that circle…
There is no beginning or end…
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is mystery.
Today is a gift.

So now, let’s see how many circle of friends we can make by simply adding your link on this Friendship Meme!

1-Catsy Carpe Diem, 2- Catsy Downloads, 3-Out of the Blue, 4- A Day to Savor and Relish 5- A Piece of Idea 6- Write Shy 7- Stupid Wise 8-http://onlinememorylane.blogspot.com/ 9 - http://www.jk-nocargo.blogspot.com/Teacher’s Corner 10- Abby of Mom and the City 11 - Soulful Thoughts 12-http://mahalkaayo.blogspot.com/ 13. Mari - Art and Soul

Whoever wants to do this can do so, anytime, anywhere on your blog.

*Author unknown.

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Candle light dinner

I took 3 of my candles and sat them on the table and lighted each one of them. I placed them by the dinner plates and the piping hot food. I called my husband and he sat next to me. The candles were flickering, throwing lights on our faces and everything around us. My cousin who is with us temporarily sat on my left side. We are having candle light dinner on this cold Monday night.

Earlier, a little before 7 PM, as I was about to call everyone to the dining table for dinner the power went out. Luckily I have just cooked dinner and warmed up some leftovers when the lights went out. Rather than wait for the power to go back on, which we would never know when, it was unanimously voted that we sit and have our meal.

Right after dinner, my husband made a call to the Edison Company to report the power outage. It turned out that there was a burned transmission in our immediate vicinity. Our track was the only one affected, which means only about a hundred homes. My husband having been involved in electrical engineering (construction, installation and design) knew what was to be expected in repairing the damage. He figured it would take the Edison people till morning to replace the burned transmission. So, there was not much we can do.

I stepped outdoors and saw that the moon was out and it lit our track in a soft grayish glow. Our little downtown was brightly lit. They have power down the hill and the track next to ours.

I went back inside the house and sat in the living room with the little candle on the coffee table. There was not much to do. So, me and my cousin just talked; reminisced about the old days; talked about people who have passed on; who are still around and where they are; who was what; who sired who; who was the bastard and so on. Now I know how the tree branched out. My mom never talked about our blood lines. And through my older cousin I can trace somewhat my blood relation with some of my cousins, uncles and aunties. All I knew before was that we were related, but how that came about, I never knew.

Later on we went upstairs. My bedroom's door blinds were opened all the way to let in the moonlight. A little later I fell asleep...I think.

I was startled by the door bell when it rang. (It does that when the power goes on.) Ah, we have lights. I checked my cellphone for the time and it was 5:09 AM. My husband got out of bed to turn off whatever lights were on. The TV downstairs was rebooting. Oh, good, now I can watch some show tonight, and, of course, log on to the internet.

***************

My Award!

Yippeeee! Finally, I got an award. See that thing above? Yes, that's the one; and it was awarded to me by Pepe, the guy from downunder. My first ever. So now what do you think I am going to do with it. Of course, I'll flaunt it; brag about it. Before I do that, however, I am going to share it with some of my blogger friends; I am going to award the same thing to the following bloggers: Nance, Nini, Vicki, Nona, Ann, Ghee, Photo Cache, Ev, Razz, Tina, and Lady Cess. Come pick it up people!

Happy Valentines Day to All!

Oh, I was supposed to make a speech as soon as Pepe handed it to me, but I'll skip that as I have to go. I have no time for speech writing.

Thanks Pepe for the award.

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A Woman's Work is Never Done.

I'm almost done with my cleaning. All the books I kept are now organized on the shelves and on the rack. My drafting table is still piled with papers, sketches and whatnots; and while shifting through the heap I uncovered a verse written sometime in 2005 or 2006. I don't remember who wrote it. It must've been one of my friends. Holler if it was you - Nance or Nini; or a collusion between you two.


This poem is in Tagalog. It was written during those days when we were chatting online and playing with words.

Kahapon at Ngayon

Laba kahapon, laba ngayon.
Luto kanina, luto ngayon.
Linis dito, linis duon.
Takbo rito, takbo ruon.
Si Manang ay laging pagod,
Pinakahihintay ay magdilim
Upang siya ay maka-idlip
At maipahinga ang kanyang isip.
Ngunit sa sandaling siya ay napikit,
Si Manong naman ay kumakalabit.
Ito na ang kanyang pinakahihintay
Pikit mata siya'y nagpakulong
Sa matitipunong braso ni Manong.
Ay, buntong hininga si Manang.

Nakatulog kaya sila?
Shhh
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Clutter and more clutter

I’ve been cleaning the room I’m using as my atelier. This is where I do my drafting, design work, and my paintings. It’s a small room, 12’ x 12’, and it has my drafting table, a console table, a rack and my easels; and it is now cluttered with a lot of things. I have hardly any room to move around. I have to sort out all the clutter – throw some away, shred some, keep some and organize them. I have an old record player I have to discard. I thought I could still play my old vinyl records, the turntable, however, doesn’t work anymore, and so does the cassette player. The radio is the only one that works and the speakers which are in very good condition. I, however, have decided that it has to go bye-bye.

Old documents I have sorted out careful. Those with vital information I have to shred them. That would prevent identity thieves from stealing them; old magazines, books, others I tossed in a recycle box.

As I sorted through the pile I found a poem written by “Boney.” I’ve been looking for this poem for a long time; and I found an old Christmas card dated Dec. 1993, which was sent to me by a young woman. I met her three years before that. She was a nice young Filipina born and bred back home. She was charming; has so much respect for her elders, always addressing me and my husband with that word “po.” I rarely hear those words nowadays, except of course here in the internet from young men and women born and raised back home. After she sent me that card, she stopped coming to my house. From what I heard she’s doing well. I miss her and I wish the best for her.

I found a shoe box full of old letters from back home, dating back in the 80s. I reread some of them, and then shredded each one of them. Letters from my mother are still tucked away in my closet, untouched.

The books and magazines I kept are now organized on their respective shelves. My drafting table, however, is still cluttered. I am slowly sorting them, and I found some old poems which I have written sometime ago. My sketches will be filed in an album.

To this day I am still sorting some odds and ends. It’s been more than a week already. I thought I could do it in a day or so, but it’s taking me longer than that.

The poem by "Boney."

Stan and Sam

There was a man
Named Stan
Who drove a van
And owned a toucan
Named Fran.
Bored on the road the man,
Drove over a soda can
And stopped his van;
And fell asleep with Fran,
His beloved toucan.
Unbeknownst to him his van
Was unlocked, and Stan,
The next morning drove his van
And heard a voice not of Fran.
The voice said, “Sam, I am.”
He looked around and saw Sam
Sitting behind a can of Spam.
The voice said again, “Sam, I am,
And I do not like Spam,
Please being me green eggs and ham.”
So Fran told Stan
To drive to Pam’s
Where he traded the Spam
For unknown Sam’s
Green eggs and ham.
When Stan returned to his van
With green eggs and ham
To his surprise there was a man
On top of Sam.
For Sam wasn’t a man
But a woman named…Samantha.

“Boney”

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Oh, meme!

I was tagged by the lovely Ghee back in October 2007....aaargh. I put it off due to my sleeping schedule. I gotta have my beauty nap, you know?

The tag is simple. All I need to do is answer a question that she has concocted. So here goes.

Question:

What would be the major 5 things you would do if you were told by your physician that your remaining life is only six months?

1. I would eat all my favorite foods. It wouldn't matter anymore if I gain weight, I might as well indulge on good food.
   
2. I would have a get together, the mother of all gatherings, so I can bond one last time with my family, all my relatives and friends; and make peace with ex-friends. ;-D


3. I would travel all over, as much as I can, and the final one would be back home - the Philippines.


4. I would pick the best dress for my final day...


5. And lastly I would stay home surrounded by my love ones until I heave my final breath.

And as instructed my family would have another great gathering to celebrate my passing on to the afterlife.

There you go, Ghee.

Now whoever wants to do this can do so, without arm twisting from me.

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Meme...meme...meme...

Straight to the matter at hand; no beating around the bush, to get it over with. I have been tagged by both Nona (top) and Raz with the same meme; and I have put it off for a long time already.

So now on with it.

The rules:

1. Pick your nose, err, birth month below.
2. Set in bold letters the 5-10 that best apply to you.
3. Copy to your own journal, with all twelve months.
4. Tag 12 people from your friends list.

My Birth month is OCTOBER.

Loves to chat. Loves those who love them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

Who to tag? Anyone who might be interested in doing this is welcome.

There it is, over and done with. Aahhh!

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JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

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The Year 2008

The old year is out and the New Year is in. This signals the end of the Christmas season. This season always stresses me out. Thanksgiving Day through the Christmas holidays were hectic times for me. I had a Thanksgiving dinner party for family members and relatives (who I hardly see during the year); an unplanned party a few days before Christmas day; and Christmas day itself had me all worked up. Preparing before the event gets me all jittery.


However, with all the food that was laden on the table, I never gained an ounce from it. I think I even lost some, as my pants were a bit looser. That was something I liked about it. But now that it is all over, I'm beginning to have more appetite and eat more. Ugh!


Now, before plunging ahead on the coming New Year, I should look back and make a recollection of the old one. There was the stormy weather; the scary wildfires; the sizzling heat that we had to contend with; the skyrocketing price of fuel (gasoline) that bored a hole in our pockets; the dreaded days; and the gloomy days when things went bad.


There were good days. We were fortunate to have been spared by the wildfires; the kids are fine...doing well; and the geek and I are solid as ever. We laughed a lot and made fun of ourselves more. LOL

It was not a bad year after all. There were no serious problems that we have encountered, unlike others. There were those whose loved ones have passed on; loved ones lost and still missing; properties burned in the wildfires; or lost in other catasthrophe. We were still fortunate, we were intact.

What do I have in store for the coming year? That is yet to be seen. I do not make any more resolutions as I'm very sure I would break some of them, if not all. I've been promising myself, and my husband, that I'd be walking more to lose the extra pounds, but it never happened; I had promised myself to do more oil paintings, but have done 5 only for the entire year (how pathetic?); I am, however, doing pencil sketches to keep my hands busy.

I got here, to the year 2008. Now what? I will see as the days roll by. Hopefully, it will be a promising one--a bright one; hopefully, I will be out of the red (I'm praying for a miracle); and hopefully, I'll still be strong and healthy, and so with the rest of my family.

Here he comes...

She, err, he came strutting down the hall, swinging and swaying to the tune of "Here comes Santa Claus! Here comes Santa Claus! Right down Santa Claus Lane..."

He was given a rousing welcome by all, old and young members of the Philippine-American Association of SCV. Each year the association celebrates the birth of Christ with a party in one of the local churchs' hall; each year it's participated by everyone. The young do their own singing group, while the older members have their own as well.

Of course, there's the usual potluck dinner. We have all the great dishes which included lechon, pancit, lumpia, fried rice, and etc. ; desserts made up of leche flan, cake, fruit salad, and others I couldn't remember the names.

Here's Santa handing presents to the little ones. The older ones have theirs as well. Why not? We oldies want one too.

I made a special request to Santa to give me a car like this one I saw at the mall. It's all set to go, with a ribbon tied neatly to it, polished and so shiny. All I needed is the key and some $$. I, however, do not have a lot of that $$. So, I was thinking that if I ask Santa, he would give me this one request. He said no. All right. I'll try again next year.

Maligayang Pasko sa Inyong Lahat!

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Meme the Third

The face behind the blog.

peek-a-boo

It's getting cooler nowadays. Winter is fast approaching and so is the coming New Year. No resolutions for me to make, as I know I'll never do any of them. Oh, maybe, a couple of weeks, then I'd gradually forget the whole thing on purpose...like, oh, I forgot I was supposed to wake up early today. But, we all know that old habits are hard to break.

Having said that, let me move on to the matter at hand--the assignment handed to me by Nona many moons ago. Why a meme? Who knows? I'm not the so important person that I would have a memoirs. So how many pages would there be if I really write one. Probably about 40 pages or less and in pocket book size, and that would cover from my birth till today.

Now on with the meme.

1st step:
Post a short blog article that includes a photograph, or a series of photos showing the face behind your blog. If you already showed a photo somewhere on your site, such as in your profile, then make your post more interesting and choose a photo that’s not currently online.

2nd step:
Include links to other people that have displayed photos, or include their photos in your post, adding a reference.

3rd step:
Tag as many others as you like to spread the meme.

And now the face...

Oops!

I'm hardworking when I get to it; and would be rolling full steam ahead once I get started. A caring, loving wife and mother of 2. Can't be bothered with frills when dressed; likes simple things; less is more - but more money is not bad at all, if I can get a hold of more, of course. Can be a great friend; trustworthy; and helpful. Don't like show-offs; arrogant people; braggarts; hypocrites and the like.

Who to tag? I don't know anyone who hasn't pasted their photos. I know two friends, but for sure they would not do it; they would go into hiding; or pretend they never read this. Har har har. So, I'd leave it to anybody who is willing to put on their blogs their glamour shots, or unglamour shots.

Anybody?

It Was Raining and It Was Cold

This is the temperature reading in my patio.

When I woke up yesterday morning it was raining and cold. A 50 deg. F (10 deg. C) for others may not be that cold, but it is to me. So, I wrapped myself with layers of clothes and a sweat shirt and went downstairs to have breakfast. It was close to 9 already. (I'm not an early riser. )

It was wet out there and my plants got a good dousing of water.

The rain would let up a bit and then would drizzle again. The ground was wet, of course, and it was good for the plants. I have a plant in the patio that needed watering yesterday, but I never got to water it. It was nearly close to death...I think. The branches were about to drop on the ground. Now, it's watered by the rain and it's doing very well. It's now a happy plant.

As I looked out to the backyard I see mist hovering amongst the trees and ground cover on the slope. Brrrr...it's a somewhat wintry scene. Out on the front of the house, south east side, I can see very little of the hill beyond. It was mostly covered by fog...thick fog. On the west side I can see the bright red-orange glow of the sun as it sets. At this time of year the sun goes down at about 5 PM.

I made dinner early so I can bundle up and watch TV.

The mist creeping slowly as it covered the valley.

The bright red-orange glow of the sunset.

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Today we have a bright and sunny day. It is so clear we can see forever. Hmmm...I feel like singing that song.

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