Tuesday Musings

Imagine yourself awake at 4 am. Up with the lark so they say.  Imagine yourself holding a broom (walis tingting) and a dustpan in front of your house  sweeping the street with cigarette butts, candy wrappers, plastic with straws thrown by unscrupulous passersby.  Imagine yourself sometimes seeing a whole bag of Jollibee or  McDonald’s trash thrown by people in cars just passing by our place.  How dare they do this, it pollutes the environment and a sight for sore eyes.  But they are undisciplined. One of the reasons why sometimes we get flooded when it rains hard.  You can’t help but shake your head in wonder. Don’t they clean the surroundings of their homes? Are they just happy throwing their trash everywhere? It is a case of, “as long as it is not in my backyard, it is okay”.  Really!

Nowadays, it’s my daily routine, waking up early, meeting the dawn and the sunrise and sometimes enjoying  few precious moments in the garden. I sleep early too. Around 8 pm, I couldn’t get my eyes wide open enough to read a few more chapters. I feel so sleepy.  Maybe that’s what’s growing old is all about.  The routines are comfortably  and necessarily observed and followed in our lives.

I am getting nostalgic again. I think of the younger days trying to recapture those moments of bliss.  See what the morning brings? Nostalgia  🙂

“People leave traces of themselves where they feel most comfortable, most worthwhile.” 
― Haruki Murakami

 

 

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And You Wonder How Life Is?

I found this lovely photo on my news feed at Facebook. Oh yes, I am a reader and I was born in October. How’s that again?

I am really not that old yet but I am getting there somehow.  October is my birth month and I’ll be turning 62 by then.  Others say it is not polite to admit your age in public, I am proud of it though. So proud to be turning 62 in 33 days to be exact. Short of saying, I am growing old. I’ve always said time and again that age is just a number besides your name. How you enjoy life as you do now all depends on your attitude and maturity. Waking up at an early hour, going to sleep even more earlier. They have somehow become routines. Meeting the sunrise, dreaming of another lovely day, watching the sunset and it hues of purplish orange.

You look at the mirror, scrutinize your face, some lines are there, more prominent now and the white hair on your head. Ah, sign of old age? I am letting my white hair show through nowadays, no hair dye, I want it all white when I reach 70. I was talking to Fr. Lovell one day via texts and I told him,” I  have white hairs now mostly at the front of my head” and he answered, “me too, and they even show in pictures”. I laughed.  But having a premature graying of hair does not always speak of old age.  Some have colorless hair strands even at a younger age.

Ah, your skin, no matter how much moisturizer you put on, it would somehow show ageing too. It couldn’t be helped.  And you remember those lovely days. Memory moves you and you appreciate how your life has been, warts and all. When you are happy, it’s a big, big bonus.

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The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane

Ah, when you think  of books, you also think of the many  possibilities that you’ll meet a new author, be inspired by his/her words then you enjoy reading.  It’s my first time to read a Lisa See book  and  really, it’s so hard to put it down.

More than the very short  plot in the story, I was caught by the lovely cover of the book and the title itself. 

I searched for Lisa See’s website and I found this. It is a short summary of the wonderful story.  A look into Chinese history, family relationships, traditions, tea and life in rural China. A beautifully woven plot.  I am still in the middle of reading it but I can hardly put it down. I’ll surely rate it five when I’m done reading.

“Maybe our lives are like gigantic jigsaw puzzles. You find the right piece and suddenly the whole picture has meaning.” 

 

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Piggy Keeps The Change

I was looking for some loose change early this morning for my tricycle fare in going to the church to hear mass. It has to be exact so I could avail of the 20% discount for senior citizens. Haha, some drivers are honest but some take advantage, not giving enough change when you pay in peso bills.

Then I thought of my piggy bank. Actually, I’ve  separated the five-peso and ten-peso coins from the one-peso coins in two  empty round plastic jars of hand and body cream from The Face Shop. I haven’t got around yet to buying a new one since  I threw the old one two years ago. Last December, on top of the transformer toy I gave Nate for Christmas, I also bought him a big plastic piggy bank. It was  the first time he owned one so he requested all of us at the house to fill it with coins. It is the easiest way to teach kids  the value of money. Piggy or coin banks are the first steps that would teach you how to save.  Before you know it, they’re  filled up.  They come in several designs although  most of them are in the shape of pigs, different colors too. Most piggy bank nowadays have those inner bottoms that you could open when you are in need of loose coins. Reusable!

Have you ever owned one? They come in handy at those moments that you need coins.  They also come in designs of big pencil cases or  in the shape of tin cans.

I am planning to buy something like this, if I could find one in pink.

I often see some big jars in malls where they ask for donation for loose change to give to some charitable institutions. When paying your purchases, you could donate your change . It could be in paper bills or coins It is actually voluntary. Believe me, some are just happy donating even in so small amount.

When I started working in the bank, I learned to arrange bills in my money fold or wallet from the smallest denomination to the big one. Usually during December, you could have your big bills changed into twenties or fifties, crispy new bundles from the Central Bank.

Reward yourself at the end of the year, with all those loose change you can even buy something in your wish list. Happy to save  🙂

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Kindred Spirits?

I went back to my doctor this morning so he could check the result of my lab test. Thank God it’s normal.

While waiting for my name to be called, I had a good chat with three other patients. We each shared our journey to healing and maintaining our health.  Come to think of it, as we grow older, we normally feel those aches and pains that  also grow with age.

It was always the case, at least for me, ever since I regularly visited the hospital to visit my OB Gynecologist years  ago, I always find it easy to share with people  I have just met while waiting for the doctor to arrive. Is it because one is safe behind the anonymity of it all? Is it because you know at least that you would only meet them once in your life and  you have the same journey to go through? Is it because  you can also relate to what they feel  inside? Meeting them for a few minutes or even an hour, unburdening yourself and they listen and share their plight too. Unbelievable isn’t it?  You feel you belong and you’re not all alone on what’s ailing you.

Normally, it is a little hard for me to open up and talk to people unless they are close friends and I feel comfortable with them.  It takes a while, right? But in a hospital setting, you feel that someone really listens.

My internist now is so open sharing about his family. This morning, we talked of growing old and he  told me about his father who is as old as Mom. Usually, there will always be a drama when he thinks of his wife who is staying in the province.  I just smiled and told him that mom is getting a little forgetful and  always nags about going home again now that she feels well.

I am listening to The Beatles while writing this post. Oh yes, I am singing along with them. I love their earlier songs. Shake your head, clap your hands, sing 🙂 Smile and be grateful for small  mercies and show of kindness from other people. It makes life wonderful.

 

 

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Never Again

I was trying to look for  previous posts if I ever blogged about the Martial  Law years. Nada!

Except for a little mention when I blogged about the Aquino family, there was nothing about the martial rule. Forty six years ago,  Martial Law was declared by then president Ferdinand Marcos suspending the civil rights and imposing military authority. It was declared on September 21, 1972 but was officially announced on radio and TV on September 23. I remember that was a Saturday and we had our PE class. One of my high school classmates used to bring a small transistor radio which we often listened to in between our PE and Music classes. That day, September 23, we couldn’t find any live music station and all we got was static. We were not aware that Martial Law was declared then and so many personalities who were against the government were put to jail and some just vanished without a trace. One of whom was of course Sen. Ninoy Aquino who was my personal hero.

I was already working in Makati  City when rallies were daily occurrences in the afternoon  after Ninoy died  on August 21, 1983.  We threw confetti, watched live programs/rallies in front of our building at the corner of Paseo de Roxas and Ayala Avenue. It  was there I saw so many freedom-loving people, personalities opposed to the Marcos regime. The Marcos family fled to Hawaii during  the EDSA Revolution back in 1986.  They came back lording it over again, this time Imelda, (the wife), BBM (the son) and Imee (the daughter). We never learned from history. We allowed them to come back. With those billions of loots they got from the Philippine coffer, they are back in  Philippine politics.  Marcos trolls are everywhere. They want to unseat our duly elected VP Leni Robredo by contesting the results of the 2016 election. BBM is relentless.

The latest report was that Imee made “sumbong” (complaint)  to Duterte regarding the COA (Commission on Audit). The COA is ” is an independent constitutional commission established by the Constitution of the Philippines.  It has the primary function to examine, audit and settle all accounts and expenditures of the funds and properties of the Philippine government”.  

COA found out about the anomalous transactions  at the turf of Imee  And she is not happy about it. Duterte is not happy about it. COA is now the only institution that does its functions so well.  How’s that again? It was Duterte saying “ihulog sa hagdan ang COA auditors”. Don’t wonder if he said that, he has a foul mouth.  He said at the beginning of his presidency that he hates corruption but almost all of the people he placed in the government (alipores as we usually say) are corrupt.

We say NEVER AGAIN. Never again to  Martial Law. Never again to  dictatorship.

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Hey, I’m Back

I just got online. Two days of no internet connection Globe said they were under maintenance.

Anyway, I think it was a blessing in disguise because I was able to finish trimming the carabao grass and pruning some plants I planted earlier. Now, the garden is clean and looking fresh. I have missed blogging though and reading posts even if it was only two days since I  was  not able to visit WordPress.  Read two more books after my post on Maya Angelou.

I found this lovely title called The Book That Matters Most. The story is about a book club whose members chose books that  made impacts in their lives. It was nice to know that among the eight books they chose, I was able read five.  Isn’t it nice when you can relate to the book you read?  You’ve been there, read them too and you had your own  memories of them all. You remember the characters and the stories.

 

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Remembering Maya Angelou

Can’t believe I reread a book without remembering I’ve read it before. And it’s only been three years. What am I thinking? Anyway, I enjoyed reading it again just the same.

It’s been a few years since I read a Maya Angelou book, an autobiography of Maya  Angelou called I Know How the Caged Bird Sings.  I am wondering where I shelved that one, the last book  I read of her. then I found this, Letter To My Daughter. 

I hope I’ll enjoy this book too but knowing  how Maya Angelou writes, I am sure I will. Her words dance and swim before your eyes, those seemingly inspirational thoughts that get you somehow.

“A friend may be waiting behind a stranger’s face.”

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” 

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

If you won’t be touched by these words, I don’t what will. By the way, this is my 121st book for this year.

 

 

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Monday Blues

The sun is hiding its face again. It is so dark outside but it is not raining.  Early this morning, I saw a lone sparrow  atop the electric line of Meralco. I wished it was nearer so I could take a photo.  I seldom see those sparrows now. When we still had our avocado tree, I used to hear them sing every morning.  I miss the sounds of the early morning. Just fixed the branches of our Bougainvillea which were  toppled by the winds. One branch is presently flowering.

I harvested Calamansi and Blue Ternatea flowers for our neighbor whose husband died a few days ago. We talked of so many things – about life and dying, our kids, the economy and the events of the past days  during her husband’s wake. I taught her how to cook blue rice and add  few drops of vinegar when cooking rice so it could last for at least day without refrigerating the unused portion.  The small cap of the vinegar will do.

I am waiting for my Blue Ternatea to produce  pods so I could also share them with some friends. The bright blue flowers are nice additions to the garden.

 

 

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Typhoon Ompong

Had a shut-eye at 9 pm. Woke up at 11:30 pm to wait for Josef and Jovy to come home since they had overtime work. Had dinner around 12 am. Went to bed for a while then the rains came. And the alarming winds.

I didn’t anticipate this. These winds are definitely stronger than I imagined. We are only under typhoon signal no. 1. I worry about those kababayans in the north, some provinces are under typhoon signal no. 4.  I talked to my brother in Pangasinan last night and they didn’t have electricity.

I watched the news until around 4 am, when I woke up at 5:30 am, there was no cable. I forgot to buy batteries for my transistor radio. The internet is the only reliable source of news. Kudos to our weather bureau PAGASA which  updates us with the typhoon  every three hours and hourly news at their online site. This typhoon covers a wide range of provinces in the North and Central Luzon, it includes Metro Manila too. In the Visayas and some parts of Mindanao, they are having  monsoon rains at the moment.

Praying that this will end soon.

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