Of Late

Relaxing a bit after a busy morning. Would you believe, Oreo has been with us since March this year but this is the only time we had our photo together. Josef took this shot  just a few hours ago. Last photo for 2018.

Really getting old. Look at the graying hair, the double chin…haha 🙂

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Last Two Days Of 2018

Wet, cold and rainy Sunday afternoon. Or maybe this would be a blessing to us so we won’t have to smell those toxic chemicals from the firecrackers occasionally lit by some residents who can’t wait for the new year to begin. At least the air is somewhat balmy. And maybe, it would be nice if the drizzle holds until tomorrow night to lessen the smog. There’s a storm  and the rains are affecting Metro Manila too.

We were blessed and lucky early this morning to have Auxiliary Bishop Nolly Buco. He officiated the 6:30 am mass here at Our Lady of Light. He used to be the Parish Priest of said church. Although his homily was a bit lengthy (as always), I learned a lot from it.

Last night Josef gifted  me with a kilo of  this Sevona dark chocolate compound  for baking. It’s made by Beryl’s from Malaysia. I don’t plan to bake chocolate though for home consumption.  Since it will expire two years from now, I still have lots of time to use it.  They are still at it, baking cakes which are  additional orders.

 

I am planning to bake Granny’s Apple Crisp tomorrow for Media Noche, the only sweet I plan to serve aside from the fruits. Mom loves salad, any salad will do so I’ll make potato salad too. Some recipes are ready. Yesterday I made the lumpiang shanghai for frying, siomai and embutido (again) for steaming. Got to cook spaghetti too so I could give some to the neighbors.

Even if we don’t expect visitors this New Year, I’ll be glad to prepare something for the family. It is always nice to see Mom’s reaction when she sees the spread on  the table.

 

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New Year Greetings

Do you keep promises?

How are you at fulfilling promises? Either they’re promises to yourself or promises to people you love.

Back when I was still working at the UST Library during my student days in university, I met this guy who told me casually with a smile on his face, “promises are not made to be broken”.  Every time I am about to promise myself of this and that and assure my friends of something that I have to do, I remember those lines. I am more familiar with the lines, “promises are made to be broken”. 

New year’s resolutions are quite similar. They are promises to yourself that you wish to fulfill but sometimes forget in the process. They are words that played in your head for so long but you can’t keep. I’ve said before that I am not good at new year’s resolutions. I don’t make a list of them.  It would be nice though if at the end of the year you have fulfilled some promises to yourself. It would be lovely to look back, think of the struggles you have made and tasting the bliss of triumph in your soul. It would be beautiful when they make you smile and make you inspired to go on with life the way it should.

I saved these lines which I find so uplifting and try to post it every year when New Year comes. A good reminder on what life is all about.

Roy Lessin  from his book Meet Me In the Meadow

HAPPY AND BLESSED 2019 everyone!

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Thoughts On A Friday Morning

Etna.

A friend and a former office mate at Bank of the Philippine Islands posted some wonderful photos of Etna. The family travels every year to far off places in Europe.

And it’s Etna this time. I felt quite embarrassed to ask where Etna is so I just googled the place. It is where one of the most active volcanoes Vulcano Etna is located. My gosh, the picturesque views are just so awesome.  When you are lucky enough to travel the world, you’ll find wonderful places on the map. Some places you could only dream of visiting.

Italy is lovely. I’ve been  reading memoirs and some fiction books about it. I love how the authors described the place – the vineyards, the rustic chalets, the food, those endless mountains and valleys that arrest the senses. One good thing about books is that you can imagine the place. You can feel like you were there with the characters.

Friday.

Finally it’s Friday and this early I am thinking of what to cook for  Media Noche. Nothing fancy though, just maybe something hot to greet midnight and 2019.  This time of the year, some people are too busy buying fruits even if some are not in season just to complete the tradition of having 12 or 13 kinds of fruits on your dining table. I don’t plan to buy that much though. We still have some left over ones that we haven’t touched last Christmas.  Last year, I went on a frenzy and bought so many round fruits  and we ended  up eating fruits every day for almost a week.  Anyway, it is part of our traditions to serve something sweet and sticky come New Year.

2019.

Are you looking forward to it too? I don’t want to touch on politics this side of town but we’ll have another mid year election next year. Twelve candidates for senators down to the lowest barangay captains and councilors. I just wish people would stop electing those who are just too easy with words but not in deeds. Experience did not teach us anything, people continue to choose corrupt candidates who empty the country’s coffers for their own ambition.

Wish you well. Today is the fifth day of Christmas. In the Christian concept, the twelve days of Christmas  have their meanings.

2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments

3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues

4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists

5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the “Pentateuch,” which gives the history of man’s fall from grace.

6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation

7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments

8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes

9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit

10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments

11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles

12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed

The partridge in the pear tree, naturally, represents Jesus Christ.

May you always be blessed. It’ll be 2019 in a few winks.

Wishing you a pleasant Friday.

 

 

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Celebrating New Year The Filipino Way

via Celebrating New Year The Filipino Way

Would love to share again how we celebrate New Year here in the Philippines. Posted this blog back in 2011 and I still recall it vividly.  For those who found this blog  years after,  welcome to our world of celebrating New  Year the Filipino way.

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Three French Hens

This song was playing in my head early this morning. Today is the third day of Christmas.

♫♫♪♫On the third day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.♪♪♫♪

(Photo culled from the net)

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The Year That Is About To End

It was a quiet year. I know I should go out more often but then again family obligations take precedence over everything.

Mom is here with me and you can’t leave her alone for long. She feels insecure and tells me to open the grills at the garage and dirty kitchen  when I go out even just for a while which I don’t of course. She’s old, almost ninety by a few months.  When she’s alone in  the house with Oreo for company, I don’t stay long outside.  It’s one reason why I attend mass early and we do our twice a month marketing early too.  During weekends though, I usually go out doing some errands and grocery shopping. I no longer enjoy staying long at the mall just walking around, I’d rather spend my time reading or doing anything at the house.

Walking and staying outside too long tax my strength. Since I’ve been ill, my immunity was shut down.  Like I’ve said before, I still wear face mask when I go out  without the car. Commuting is quite hard. It’s a good thing we have nearby convenient stores and malls which just take a tricycle ride.

The year is about to end and I look back.  Yes indeed, it was a quiet year.  I am not being anti-social. Friends come over to visit me instead. I enjoy those moments, not worrying about how to get home because of the traffic. I enjoy preparing food for them and cooking when I am not too busy. I enjoy the chats and conversations  and the laughter in between.

I challenged myself to read a hundred books this year by again joining the 2018 Goodreads Reading Challenge. So far I’m done with 152 books – a couple of classic books, some memoirs, a spattering of YA books, winners of the 2018 Best Books and a lot of fiction mostly about new authors and different genre. I seldom read love stories but when I find some good ones, I read one or two.

Blogging has been and always will be a lovely pursuit in writing. I earned a lot of followers this year, my stats has increased tremendously and my posts are close to 2,500, 2,493 to be exact including this. So glad that I  found more lovely blogs to follow. So glad to  interact  with fellow bloggers in the process. It is always a thrill to see that a few of them are avid in writing comments and clicking like to my posts.

Those monthly visits from my daughter’s family are a great joy for me too. Nate has become a smart little boy. There is always something new to learn about him every month. His young voice over the phone is always welcome even if he’ll just say “hello Nonna”. 

Josef and Jovy have started a small home business and it is thriving well. We need another ref or maybe a larger one to keep those cakes fresh before delivery. Though it is a hard task considering they both have day jobs, we’re happy they have steady customers.

2019 is about to show its face. I hope it would be a good year for all of us.

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Something To Think About

He is the reason for the celebration!!!

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Those Moments

I know I said I am done with my last post for Christmas but I like to share some snippets of  some behind-the-scene moments  that we simply enjoyed.

Armed with the two empty boxes of Olay, Nate started singing some Christmas songs of old. We urged him to go and sing for mom and his tito Josef while Nissa and I were laughing so hard because Nate felt so hesitant to sing in front of them. All I heard clearly was “thank you, thank you, ang babait ninyo, thank you”. A typical line I always hear from street kids during Christmas. I laughed when he said “there is five thousand pesos there” referring to the 500-hundred peso bill that he got. He counted the new crisp twenties and he was happy. I remember last year I also gave him a big piggy bank and he said that it is almost full. I told him to make a habit of saving.

We had our snack around 4 pm and Nate finished two big slices of pizza. He said he loved Hawaiian flavors but I doubt if he really knows the difference. As long as it is pizza, everything is fine with him.  They waited for the dream cake to bake and brought home a tin together with two boxes of our native delicacy we call bibingka.

Obet and I were both craving for green mangoes  so we had one each. Loved it with sweet spicy bagoong.  A officemate gifted Josef with a jar of crunchy garlic in soybean oil. Perfect for dips with kalamansi and soy sauce.

It’s the second day of Christmas. ….♫♪two turtle doves and a partridge on a pear tree♪♪♫. Oh, I feel like singing.

Always strive to be happy. Joy comes when you are.

 

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Glancing Back, Looking Forward

Just done cooking something for dinner. It’s Pasta Bake with broccoli, cauliflower and diced ham cooked with a little cream then baked with quickmelt cheese on top. It would be a good partner for our steamed chicken siomai and fresh fruits.

Funny how we don’t even taste wine or any type of liquor here.  Just fruit juice or hot coffee will do.

It’s been a quiet day compared to yesterday’s celebration. We heard mass this morning at the Church then reheated some left over food last night for lunch. It is a quiet day to contemplate and think of the next year to come. It’s 2019 folks in a week’s time.

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