Sometimes it is hard to get back one’s muse. I’ve put aside blogging for the past week because I don’t know where to start again. Blame it on the erratic weather we have here and the things I need to do a week after the monsoon rains left us – a garden that needs attention although it is not that immediate, plants that need trimming, a pond that needs to be brushed of dirt and needs repainting.
I have this blasted cold for almost a week now and for the past three nights I find it hard to sleep because of bouts of coughing. It’s that time of year again that almost every one you meet on the streets has colds. September is about to end and we are experiencing hot and sunny weather early mornings and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Son says to set aside today for rest, he specifically told me to just relax and not touch anything in the garden. The only relaxing thing I could think of is to catch up on my reading but I get sleepy most of the time, probably the effect of the cough syrup I am taking. I seldom watch TV or DVD for that matter, I have no patience with watching telenovelas but I listen to the news every day.
I got a nice surprise early this morning while watching the dogs having fun in the garden. I saw two Gardenia blooms, the flowers wide open and the sweet scent made my morning. For the past several years, the only time I get to see gardenia flowers in our garden are during the months of May and June. What a nice surprise. And I remember this touching story I read and I blogged about a few years ago, about a girl who receives a gardenia every time she celebrates her birthday. When her mom died, it stopped coming and that’s when she knew that it was her mom who gave her all those blooms. Today, my daughter turned 32 but her family was not around to celebrate with us. They attended a 7th birthday celebration of one of Nate’s cousins. My brother who lives in Tulsa opened a family group chat on Viber and it is always a joy to exchange a word or two (longer if we have time) and talk about anything under the sun. That’s the kind of bonding we do have nowadays because it’s been years since we last saw each other. You would see spur-of-the-moment postings on what-do-you-have-for-breakfast-today. Crazy you might say but it’s fun and the joyful moments are priceless. He craves for Filipino food, rice specially, I am contented with left-overs the night before and Nissa has her own breakfast regimen at the office. We hear the laughter ringing through our phones sometimes and it feels great being with the family. It’s nice to know that they are always there when you need them most – to laugh with, to cry with, to reminisce upon the happy times when we were staying in an apartment when the kids were small.
We are celebrating the Feast Day of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila today, our first Filipino saint.
I hope you feel better. The weather here is erratic too as we go into Fall. My friend has bronchitis while I still have a trace of the cold I had two weeks ago. A garden never fails to surprise us. Enjoy it.
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Thanks Lou, I’m taking a lot of fresh calamansi juice from our trees in the garden and plenty of rest too. I’ve set aside gardening for a while.
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A nice contemplative post Arlene. You seem to be in the same blogging doldrums that I found myself in recently. I am really beginning to think that the weather affects our moods more than we give it credit for.
Best wishes as always, Pete.
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Now that you said it, I think that the weather really affects our moods. I love the gentle pitter-patter of the rain but I get worried when it becomes a deluge.
Anyway, I am looking forward to October, my birth month, who knows, something nice might be in store.
Thanks Pete!
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It is very difficult to feel creative or energetic when you are ill. Just concentrate on feeling better as the chores will wait and the muse will return when your body is up and running at full speed again.
I live away from my family as well so I can relate to your techno visits with your family. Modern technology allows us to connect with family and friends we might not otherwise see again. It is the modern day version of visiting and I am glad that it is an option for so many of us whose path has taken us away from home. Rest, drink some hot tea and just feel better. Gentle hugs to you and many prayers.
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I am feeling better now Tina, thank God. I guess it helped that I was able to take a siesta, read a little, listen to old, old songs on the radio and eat.
I am grateful for taking advantage of this what we call modern technology, sans the real faces of my family, it’s the perfect medium to get in touch with each other every day. We take pictures on our phone so it compensates for not seeing them personally.Thank you so much again for your inspiring comments. Hugs back to you. Be blessed always.
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