Things Remembered

A few days ago (I think last Tuesday to be exact), Josef and I looked at the moon when he went out of the gate to go to work.

“It’s so big. Take a photo”, he said.

I just gazed at it and remembered those days when my brothers and I were still staying in the province. When it is full moon and the surroundings are brighter at night, we would visit some relatives near our place usually after dinner. I was always in awe of the bright moon above, how it shone clearly. I always  wondered though lots of times why it seemed to move and travelled with us. Where we were, it was right there above us. And except for a few clouds that hid it somehow and the dark shadows of trees along the rough road, it kept lighting our way.  You won’t really need a flash light nor a torch to guide you.

There seems to be something mysterious while you are gazing at a full moon. You think of so many things and remember those moments of the past when playing tug of war or hide and seek with friends and cousins was the order of the night. Back in the province, the silence was  broken with shouts of laughter and joy.

Nissa’s family is spending a few days in Baguio City. They went there yesterday since Obet has a one-day teaching engagement/guesting with some employees of Bank  of PI where they both work. Monday is a holiday here so it would be an extended road trip for them.  Going to  Baguio is not complete without taking  souvenir shots of this lion’s head, an entrance to Baguio City.

 

At Lion’s Head, Kennon Road, Baguio City

I was talking to Nate a while ago. He asked me what I want for pasalubong. I told him to bring home “walis tambo” and veggies. It’s cold out there  (around 13 C°) but they are planning to swim at the pool later today. Anyway, it is heated.

 

A typical Nate pose.

Oh yes, the cold mornings are back but it is definitely colder in Baguio.

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What Life Is All About

I’ve been awake since 2:30am. Crazy, isn’t  it? I had a shuteye though this afternoon. It rained early this morning but Josef and I did a quick trip to the wet market despite the rain. I was lucky to find a  fresh bundle of young garlic. What a joy, just perfect for a rainy day.  I’ve been on the lookout for this ever since I tasted it a few months ago at my son-in-law’s house. Although it is more expensive than the matured ones, it is best mixed with soup, a simple recipe of Chinese sotanghon and ground pork. The nutty flavor of the sliced young garlic is just so yummy  I wish a bought a kilo instead of just a little bundle.  You slice it thinly as you would an onion, sauté it with celery stalk  and pork, adding a little salt and pepper then the sotanghon last. It’s best while  it’s hot.

A productive day for arranging books , transferring some notes to my journal, blogging about Nate’s trip to Siquijor and Dumaguete, a little gardening this afternoon, what more could one ask, squeezing a little of everything in one day.

I was looking at the pictures that Nissa sent thru Viber earlier and I was thrilled to see our little Nate enjoying his four-day vacation with his mom and dad. He must be wondering where they were,  different places, lovely scenery, lots of swimming to boot and a wide playground where he could roam around. This particular picture made me smile, I could imagine that hammock swaying gently through the breeze. What an adventure for a two-year old boy.

It must be fun to just be here, with nary a thought of anything but the joy of the moment, the touch of the sand on your toes and the sound of the ocean waves nearby.

Have you ever tried reacquainting yourself with children’s books? I did while I was covering Nate’s books this afternoon. Another weird thing to do but an enjoyable one.  I am into e-books again. Let me correct that, I am alternating reading my loot last August and some short stories in between. I want to reread another favorite since I was in college.  A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, published in 1943 and was written by Betty Smith. Have you read it?

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Cats’ Day Out

And I’d rather call this album, the language of cats. We used to have three  cats in the house. They multiply rapidly so one time I even thought of having them neutered. We never got the chance to name them properly except that  they were called  Uno, Dos, Tres.  Not very original I guess, but the easiest to remember.

Yes, they were all females  and they all answered to the name Miming. They are all gone now, they just upped and left, one by one. I wonder why, in all the years that we had cats as pets, we never saw them die inside the yard. An old friend said that if they fall ill, they  leave the house and stay somewhere else. All we have now is an all-white kitten which my mom adopted a month  ago when we saw it lodged near our overhead water tank, crying and probably looking for food.  I have around fifty pictures of them, taken at different days but I love the following shots when they were not just sleeping or staying in a corner at peace with the world but busy  climbing our ampalaya trellis and exploring.

What’s in there?

I am all alone here, they won’t see me….

Then there were three. This is a favorite place, our concrete garden set where I sometimes read and update my journal.

Looking for what?

And she said,  “better make it good” when she saw me with a camera.

Don’t disturb, can’t you see I am having a nap?

Oh no, don’t….I am camera shy!

This is my space…..

Ah, the adventure begins!

Uno said, I can do it…I can climb too, better than you can….

Tired finally and the cats’ day out is over.

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