Love is the Greatest Energy

I am about to finish a painting I abandoned a few days ago but any excuse to not to is more than welcome. So i distracted myself from the moment's goal and decided that i will blog instead. 

Since today is Valentine's Day, I am remembering all the people (past and present, dead and alive, active and inactive) I love and who love or loved, me. 

I look past the moment now and remember with longing and gratitude those who loved me the most while they were here with me. 

Today, I visited my daughter for a healthy breakfast of granola, hopia, fried egg and banana and to return the gremlins who slept over in my house last night. 

Marie brought her funny girls while Yaya Lyn brought Lucy to visit too. 

And I thought that seeing and being with all the gremlins and funny girls is a testimony of love in action which brings joy and nourishment and gratitude. Knowing that I tried to be a good parent and seeing my children try their best in being good parents is a Happy Valentine's day for me. 

I'm sure about my old and on-off valentine and the partner I chose to raise this family with know that we are blessed. 

Ziva contemplating on life and intensely sending loving thoughts to her Daddy. 

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! 

96: sponge Bob

I do not sit down to watch cartoons with the gremlins. I have truly grown too old for such things that I have not even watched Sponge Bob!  Or maybe because I have gotten rid of the television in favor of other things. 

Thank God I was so famished after an hour of circuit training by the ruthless bf3 who sadistically put me in such torturous routine.  Famished and very tired!  I am not complaining because i got to watch with the gremlins while i wait for a meal with wings since i was partially paralyzed!

Sponge Bob, max chicken and a promise  of ms body beautiful!  Panalo!

My State of Affairs

Here is the front door where wild ferns are growing. They will just be there until they tire of invading. 

This is my prancing reindeer topiary. But look, the antlers are like elephant ears now.  It needs pruning and re shaping. Calling Edward! Not you. The one with scissorhands. 

The newest addition is a grand piano from the grand lady who recently moved on to another dimension. It needs repair and tender loving care.  This was passed on to her youngest daughter now to my son's first child, Lucy. 

An empty breakfast table. In a few minutes, the pack will all be coming. I am cooking torta, tinapa, and fried bananas. 

Blessings to all. I am on a holiday. 

Bedtime story

Ka Justo was angry at his Impo because greatgrandma died.  He declared that he is eating no more!! If he refuses food, he thinks (which is correct) that it will prevent him from growing old.  Mommy told him that yes he will not grow old because he will die young. He sat up on the bed and could not believe that there is no way out.

He asked his mommy if she can watch him sleep and instructed her to go ahead and text and never to fall asleep before him. 

And Oh! Before that, he recommended that his Ors ( grandpa) moves in with them. Because he said that in their house, he will not be able to binge on hotdogs and bacon and sweet ripe mangoes. 

He is an adviser and consultant for hire. I am the manager.

Musings from Lucban

That there's a preferred road to every destination- in fact several roads you can choose from.

That there's a favorite time to travel- early morning is right for me except for one inconvenient truth. 

That people travel either alone or with company. Bad company or good company. I choose young and old. It is always nice to travel with a baby. Babies who are not my responsibility.  It is amusing and entertaining to travel with children. They are full of wisecracks and they keep the driver awake with their noise.  

Today i travelled with Ka Justo, the old stock and photographer, his mommy Ana, the soap maker and Vitty, the builder and pizza man. 

That I love the roadside, the little towns, churches, houses, sari-sari stores, remains of a fiesta, sleeping dogs, cows, carabaos, horses and goats on foot because the pigs and chickens travel by jeeps or small delivery trucks. ;(  the joyrney to my destination is very precious to me. 

That the market in every locality is the soul of that place. Markets are like people who wake and get up from their bed as they are. No masks and no pretenses. It is a hub for both sinners and saints. 

That I always end up buying baskets and bags made of native materials.  Quite plenty this time as i think of the girls in hedcen who probably don't look this way and fail to appreciate the hands of those who make things-that probably there's one or two unique souls who would choose these bags or baskets for their books and notebooks. :/  I got little baskets too for the little girls in school to play with. 

That I am not a foodie the way people are foodies. But i like to check if the town has sand-roasted peanuts with shell, or if they have in their local bakery the humble pan de coco -the bread baked to perfection and the filling moist with cane sugar and grated coconut. I just have one quirkiness when i see flies inside the "escaparate" or the display rack. That automatically disqualifies the panaderia or bakery.  Pan de coco in a 'sosyal' bakeshop rarely qualifies too. 

Oh and by the by, on your way to Lucban, make sure that you get the most delicious rice bibingka (cake) generously mixed with buko, topped with  cheese and prudently slapped with margarine. It is packed in a beautiful basket woven from green and fresh palm leaves.  

This last slice is free for grabs as i have had three- whole bibingkas! 

What's your glue?

If there's food, there's company. 

If there's tv, you've got a peaceful group. No bickering and definitely nobody's running around. 

Games guarantee fun or someone losing at the end but definitely worth the lessons learned. I am talking of physical or board games. 

Music seldom brings out bad temper. It's either the group is dancing, singing or listening. 

Books can be a source of common interests because generally, stories catch most everyone's attention especially if told or written by a good storyteller. 

Friendship had been forged because of books, music, games and food. I think that in any family get-together, for as long as there is a venue for communication, understanding and bond strengthen.

Well, until one or two or more discover that cell phones are better social tools than engaging in eye to eye or heart to heart contact, or gadget games that bring hopeless future to ever building families closer. 

 (Photo by Ana)

Perhaps this idea is not true in all circumstances because when the value of sharing becomes the essence of any activity- there will be love, trust,  camaraderie and generosity. Such is the spiritual bonding  that sharing brings.  

Summer's Eye View

 May 20-June 5, 2013

 While we missed Antipolo, we also had a good time on the other side of the earth.

a shot at the famous golden gate

family reunion at Concord

meeting Lily Pad for the first time

my brother's garden in Stockton

we went for a walk to a beautiful Japanese garden after a hearty lunch

believe it or not!  this is a 20 year-old pair of Indian moccasin walking the streets of San Francisco

 Ta-ta!  to Oaksville Grocery next time.

Dear Marites

Dear Marites,

This is like going back in time when you were in high school and was a classmate of my dear brother, Edgar.  You do not know this, but I looked up to you, Carmencita and Bella.

You see, my brother had a very funny way of admiring some girls in his class.  You will not guess if at all he actually had a crush on someone because whether he actually was interested with someone or not, he would always with endearment say something contrary to how he felt.

One thing I am sure though is the fact that he enjoyed being with his old friends from high school.  I don't think that he made any close friendship with his college mates and found anyone worth his while with colleagues from work.

It is a great pleasure for me to have reconnected with you and some of his friends.  This is one way of keeping his memory alive.

Now, you told me that I do not write that much anymore.  I have not posted any entry in Frogglerocks lately but have been writing in my site in WordPress.  That blog is interesting because it is a different material.  You might want to discover my dark side.  It is all over that blog!

Thank you for sending this old photograph of me and your brother Cesar in our JS Prom.  Or was it some other occasion? (Whew!  I got stuck with the spelling of that word.  Thanks to auto correct!)

Let us keep each other posted.  I hope that this letter will make you smile tomorrow morning!

Fondly,

Emma

waking up to beautiful Taal Lake

The weekend before my son Juaqui's wedding brought the entire family to an extraordinary house.  Called T house, this was a family abode that was a dream home built by the owner himself.   It was dark when we reached the place so we did not have the chance to look around.  We had no idea what was outside.  No idea at all!

Morning came and behold, this was what we saw!  We woke up to scenic Taal Lake where the volcano sitting on a volcano was serenely waiting for us!

 Instantly, my heart whispered a prayer.  There could only be but a happy wedding for Juaqui and Anne and a happy life too.

 The house was extraordinary! It was one of the most beautiful sculptures that I ever saw.

These pictures say a thousand words.

Juaqui in reverie

We were quiet and content.  Filled with beauty and great anticipation of the wedding, we sat and enjoyed the company of family.