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.  

Flower breaths

Musings take only a few minutes or seconds just like the breaths we take.

Raising good parents in modern times

taken after the baptism of Justo and Ziva (seated l-r) Sugar with Justo and Sofia, Mommy Eli with Ziva, me with Jose and Jacob,  Vitty & Marie, my sister Eleanor, Juaqui & Anne, Lloyd & Ana

What did i know when i was a young parent myself? Not as much as i do know now but i let my heart and love for my children and how i was raised guide me.

1.  I know intuitively that the best way to teach is to show them how : how to be brave when they are afraid and hurt. 

2.  To laugh till they burst at the seams and not to take themselves seriously. Who is perfect anyway? Laugh together and remember to tell good stories- fiction or factual, but always tell the truth. 

3. To give their best effort on what's important to them especially on things that will be important to others. 

4.  To eat their food and to waste not. 

I watch my grandchildren grow and i am a witness to good parenting by my daughter and two sons as they raise their own funny and wise and brave little ones. 

Old Stock

Some children are born with a past.

That's why they are called "old souls".  Old soul or  old stock,  I am suspecting that I have several of them noisy and funny when awake and still noisy and funny when asleep ( they have such active minds that they sleep talk and even converse with each other).

The difference with one "old" soul I know is that he remembers some of his past it seems.

This little person is like someone old from the province- like some people I have met before.

He started his words earlier than 11 months.  These were English words.

He stopped talking before he turned one.  When he re-started, he spoke in Tagalog.

'Thank you Salamat!"
"Ang init! Uulan!"
"Usok" "Palaka" "Gunting" are words that are normally spoken in the household in their English translation but he prefers the tagalog words.

One day, he told his Daddy:  "Alam mo, hindi ikaw and Daddy ko.  Patay na ang daddy ko. Ang Daddy ko ay lolo na." (you know, you are not my Daddy.  My (real) daddy is already dead.  He is an old grandfather.)

One afternoon he told me this: "Ima may gustong sabihin mga aso mo.  Hirap na hirap na daw sila.  Di sila happy." (Grandma, your dogs want to tell you something.  They are having a difficult time.  They are not happy.) "Narinig mo sabi ko sayo?" (Did you hear what I just said?)

And today, during Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, he advised my sister-in-law not to bear the fight:  "Kung natatakot ka (manood), uwi ka na lang?" (If you are scared (to watch the fight) why don't you go home?)

There's another one. This one is perhaps a nun in her past life:  Sister Ziva who is 2 weeks younger than 3-year old "Ka Justo" ( a title given as a sign of seniority to someone old ) advised the same sister-in-law: "You know when I'm scared of the movie, I pray!

Ziva and Justo hardly talk to each other because of language difference.  They just hold hands. Yet there is something in common...

This musing was so badly written that i had to rewrite and revise. Brain malfunction happened after the Paquiao fight. 

This Bridge

This is the coolest area. Yes it is breezy, and it rocks!

I hung a hammock on this bridge some years back when all i could do was to keep myself suspended due to an illness. This is a vantage point. One can still spy the rest of the house from here. 

It is a historical bridge because of the countless "celebrations" that have happened here.  Announcement of pregnancy, overseas calls, family meetings (you know how these things turn out at times), and babies lulled under spell by the beautiful song birds and the giant tree ferns.   This is also where Golda and Keira take their dog naps. This is also the cat's port where she imagines a pair of wings caught between her jaws and hears her conscience whispering "no Marmalade!" denying her very nature.

I am snacking on my chia pudding here this afternoon. Meanwhile, i am content that  i have Aurora on my lap! 

photo by Justo

                   

Idle mind wandering

Pauses are little pockets of air time that allow me to mull and ponder over the track i have covered in my life.

Oh it was also bumpy like most people's lives and i suffered from great hurts and disappointments too. In fact when my thought wandered drifted to where i would mostly be mad, i would prick my finger with this dastardly needle! 

My mind wanders then i go back to stitching prayers again.

What is growing in your garden?

photo by Sofia

          
Snails, some tadpoles, spiders in suspension?

Lichens, ferns, lemons and some scraggly lettuce?

photo by Sofia

                  

If you look deeper into the root of all,

there's energy that supplies life to everything and that energy's absence discontinues growth. 

It is the highest form of spiritual Being, the Energy,  that orchestrates life in my garden including mine.  This Energy manifests in all things imaginable and unimaginable.

My macopa tree promises abundant harvest in a few weeks. 

The rambutan trees are getting ready. We are blessed! The birds are happy and so am I.