Eavesdropping

There's a mother-son tandem on the other table. Both in the prime of their lives. Mom pays for their date. Son collects all unused table napkins and gives them to his mom. 

 The waitresses know them. They ordered some more. This time for take out. They take their time. He waits patiently. Mom is enjoying the ambiance in a hospital resto. 

She is served a new order. A platter of fruits. He smiles at his mom fondly. He asks for a clean set of wares. 

Another waiter comes. This time with the bill. He gets it. With a smile. Reviews their order. Mom gets her wallet from her bag. He says, "mamaya na"...

Who among Ana's sons will do this? I am seeing a scenario in the future when Ana will be older than my age now. 

My order came. 

Vitty loves daing na bangus. 

More people came as it was an hour before lunch. 

Someone wearing a mask entered. I am freaking out. The guy on the other table sneezed very loud. It scared me. 

I realized that i am in a freaking hospital restaurant. 

And I am behaving like a nervous, psychosomatic old woman! 

Time to go. The son who accompanies his mom is looking at me. I checked if I have rice in my chin or cheek. 

I should be more discreet when I am eavesdropping. Maybe he thinks that I have a crush on him! 

My daing is not cooked the way I like my daing. Golden bronze. Is there such a thing? Tostado then. I can't eat pale in a hospital restaurant.  Half of my daing was for take out.  Left hardly touching the other half. 

More people are coming in. Got to go.  Appointment at 11:30. 

Wings are ok in the right place

I was inspired by my grandchildren's big appetite for painting this morning. I gave them warm up on bond paper. The value they put on the quality of paper is not the brand, not even its thickness or weight- it's the SIZE! The bigger, the more awesome.  In the end, i gave them special paper for my contentment. Not theirs. It did not change the mood at all. 

While the last page of my watercolor paper was torn from its spring binding, i was more than satisfied to do a demo on a recycled paper ( i use the back a lot and very often i would have 2 paintings in one). 

When the session was over, they ran outside the garden to pick some flowers while jacob chose a small shovel to dig some "crystals".  I am glad that I recently followed on IG an artist who paints crystals and he got more inspired when i showed him the photos. 

Finally "alone" when they left the table, I continued to add more details to the demo wing. 

At the back of this painting is a forest study that i am not too keen about. 

I love this exercise. Free and easy. I did not have to lift weights. Just right for someone who had a flu and therefore is praying that her trainer will not show up on Monday.  But then i also know that my bat wings will not even make me fly. 

The Jungle

My heart has been heavy lately with the news of children harshly dying physically or emotionally.

Children should never be separated from their parents nor parents to be separated from their children. 

The most tragic casualty of war are the smallest and youngest humans. They who are born purely innocent and trusting that the world will take care of them. 

Our hope is squandered and mutilated. Either they are homeless, hungry, cold, abused or dead.

Today I had 6 gremlins  in one room. I can't complain. Yes i did a little. Thank God there's cartoon network, disney channel and national geographic. Baby Robyn is happy with bites of protein, some scoops of mango, some serious conversation and a lot of peek-a-boo. The rest were unblinking in front of the tv except for Ka Justo who has a different set of requirements. This dude requires human interaction.   Lucy was with parents and came up when everyone has gone home for their naps and after I have taken a long and refreshing shower. 

Everyone accounted for. No one got hurt and my military tactic worked. They obliged with sauteed camote tops and green papaya for lunch. 

It may sound lame or maybe useless but I offered today's chaos and strife for the Syrian children and children around the planet. Grateful to have my gremlins all in my arms. Grateful there are no waves to snatch them from my embrace. Glad to be of service too.  Relieved we all survived the day! 

I hope their parents turned off their phones and gadgets when they got home. I hope that all mommies and dadas give undivided time looking at each child attentively today and everyday. Except for when fathers are overseas working. Yes they need to skype or face time. It is a must!! 

Now i am alone blogging with this wee little toy that is keeping me company. 

I will say big time prayers tonight. I hope to wake up to a sweet day tomorrow and wish you do too! 

Ziva's Philosophy

Ziva wildling: part frog, part dog or dino, part gremlin, and a bit of an alien. 

Prefers to go barefoot in the sandy, humid and exceedingly dirty flooring of Starbucks. 

An alien who came before all of us. 

Highly developed brain but does not grow- just turns a year older every year.   

For example: this is Ziva at one year cute, weighing 9 pounds in my estimate. 

One year and a half cute weighing 10 pounds. This frog-dog is not really a happy turtle.  People turn their heads twice or thrice to confirm what they saw and heard. 

First look:  oh what a pretty baby!

Second look: did I hear right? She  talks like a colegiala? 

1O lbs. at two?

Hangs out under tables, on top and the edges of any piece of furniture, ledges, rooftops if she can.

First crime: snowboarding on the floor with the intent of escaping through a concrete wall. 

Mark: scar on the right brow. 

Second crime:  mountain escape wearing a pair of big ballet shoes while a uniformed, unarmed guard yaya tried to catch her in slow motion. 

Mark: scar on the forehead

Long tongue and 11 pounds. 

Legs and arms 1-lb. 

Tummy- 4 lbs. 

brain inside the cabeza- 6 lbs. 

Special skills: tricks her mommy and gets away with it.  

Wears goggles and shark's hat for camouflage. 

Looks unbelievably helpless and dependent but can make her daddy and ate cry. 

Weakness: extremely loyal to her organization. She cannot be pirated. Not for overnight or circulation. 

And she is 4!  Oh 4 years resident on this planet. 

11.1 lbs. Pedia auntie Anne is happy for the weight gain. 

Favorite food: lumpia wrapper, chicharon, crispy chicken

Requirements: not to stand on wobbely stool

Sleeping by maself!!!!

Needs to "hydrate"

Charged Ipad of mine that does not really get charged at all. 

Crayons, paints, markers on ANY paper

New ballet shoes

Original idea: calligraphy clouds 

Favorite Movie: Transformers 1 the Revenge of the Fallen

Pet Peeve:  kumon or maybe more of her earth mom's? 

Favorite song: Let It Go

 

Other interests: insects like ipis and langaw that we are prohibited to swat, robots, dinosaurs, boys' games

Spirituality: buddhism/hinduism/christianity + her own

Philosophy: Talk to Strangers (especially cute guys) 

Favorite color:  green forever

Our favorite national day is Ziva's birthday!!! That's today!!!! Yey! Happy happy birthday Vazi!