Cold at Six

Brrr….it is always cold at night most especially in the early mornings. And I wear socks….haha😄

When Josef reports at the office three times a week, we usually wake up at 4:30 in the morning. I unlock the gate and wait for his officemate to fetch him while he is busy dressing. He leaves at 5am. You might think it is a little early but they start work at 6am. I play with the dogs while waiting. Sadie is the most gentle and touchy of them all. I love it when he raises his two front paws and scratch my back. He always wags his tail when I’m around.

6am is still dark. These are those months from December to February when the nights are long. Pretty nice to just stay in bed and drink a hot mug of tea before going to bed. I don’t do much reading nowadays except for that lovely book by Roger Housden analyzing words, poems actually of those ten talented poets. Not so much familiar with the others but of course, Mary Oliver is a favorite. Read a few poems last night from her book Thirst. She could speak of ordinary things and turn them into a vista of something beautiful.

Speaking our town fiesta, they have another event today, a fluvial parade in honor of the Sto. Ñino will be held today. They call it the Balsa Festival. Balsa is a Pangasinense term for raft. Can’t wait to watch it.

The house is so quiet, even the dogs are still asleep.

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Life

They always say, the journey is better than the destination. Do you agree?

Life is a long road to journey through. We may encounter some glitches and difficulties along the way, it may not be a straight path to our destination, it may be one difficult trail of stones but we struggle through. Who says life is easy maybe avoiding the truth.

We cannot hold time. The hours of the day and every day of the month pass us by. Some become lovely memories that we treasure. I am always of the thought that we carve our own destiny. Our positive outlook in life is a big factor to succeed.

Do you still observe new year’s resolution ? For me, not anymore because anytime of the day, resolutions break. I just tell myself to do the best I can and look at life as challenge to overcome. My health hasn’t been good for forty years now. It started with my preeclampsia before Nissa was born. She was not a full-term baby. From then on, I had high BP and chronic UTI.

Visiting the hospital and doctors’ clinic were more the norm than exception. I learned to adjust to what life is like when you are not hundred percent healthy. The good thing is we have a lovely gift in the person of Nate.

Josef and Jovy came home in time for New Year’s dinner last night, Nissa our photographer was not around so we didn’t have a family photo. It was only the four of us – mom, Josef, Jovy and me plus our two pets Oreo and Cookie running around under the dining table. I took shot of our simple meal with only lime juice as chaser.

Adobo, macaroni salad, pancit palabok, grilled pork and roasted chicken with yummy ensaymada for dessert.

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Things I Miss

A warm welcome, smiles, tight hugs from a friend, endless conversations over a cup of coffee or tea, reminiscing about dreams that came true and did not, laughing about simple jokes that may not be laughable to some – these are the things I miss today.

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Happiness Is Within Your Reach

She looked –

As the sun merges slowly with the thin cloud

What would this morning brings, she thought.

Will it be better than yesterday?

Will it bring heartaches again?

She held the cup of almost tepid tea in her hands

Thinking of tomorrow.

The tea leaves have spread at the bottom of the cup.

And she wish she could read what’s written there.

She likes to believe happiness could be hers again.

Maybe tomorrow

Maybe in the future

She wish she could bring the smiles on her face again.

The tea leaves say,

Get up my child, dream on.

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It’s Our First Simbang Gabi

Most Catholics here in our country waited last night with so much anticipation on the start of our celebration of Simbang Gabi (mass at night) and Misa de Gallo  (dawn or rooster mass) early this morning. Simbang Gabi as we usually call it is a nine-day novena before Christmas.  It is a lovely tradition we observe every year. I miss going out at night to attend it this time of pandemic.  Almost every church go online though. Attendance is still limited when you attend personally at the church, receive communion and participate in the prayers and participate in the singing. That is the limitation of attending masses online but you can choose which church and service you want to listen to.

I think, those in-charge of  tracking this Covid pandemic only allows 30% capacity of these celebrations in churches. There is even a directive now starting today that wearing face shields and face masks are mandatory. It used to be where face shields are only seen in malls because they are required by the establishments when you enter. Now, once you leave your house and go to a public place, you have to wear face shields as well with the face masks.

My goodness gracious, they are blind to the fact that most people wear both when they go out. And we’ve been doing it for almost ten months now. Some government officials break their own rules. The present chief of the Phil. National Police even had his mañanita birthday celebration at the height of ECQ some months ago. Are they doing anything? I bet…waiting for available vaccine which is even reported to have been purchased from china.

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Thank God It’s Friday

I was looking for the maintenance crew of our subdivision if one  of them could help me with weeding outside our perimeter  fence but one of our neighbors said that the management of Midtown removed them.  I am willing to pay their daily wage. Sad, for the plight of those who really need help to make both ends meet.

So I started uprooting and weeding unwanted grass early this morning. It still needs a little improvement. I was able to  transfer some snake plants though. Snake plants are so costly here, around P250 to P300 per pot. Sometime last week,  a lady older than I am just uprooted some without  asking for permission.  I hate  it when people are so presumptuous, that is equivalent to stealing, right?  I was in the garden pruning some plants when she passed by. Years ago, we used to have climbing roses in that area but every time they bloom, some passersby even bring scissors to harvest the flowers. So annoying.

My news feed is full of  unwanted sites posting some titles of books listed this year as worth-reading.  Haven’t heard most of their recommendations. Even those which won at Goodreads are so unfamiliar to me. I have two books in mind though to cap  off the year 2020.

These have been on my TBR for more than a couple of years now. They’re next.  Their Eyes Were Watching God is a 1937 novel which is considered as a classic of the Harlem Renaissance. A Wild Sheep Chase is my first book of Murakami.

Have a lovely and blessed weekend to all of you.

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Solitude

I  had a  more-than-an-hour-lovely chat  with a an online friend last night.  She is based in Bacolod City in the southern part of the Philippines and we both belong to the group chat of Sambuhay Interaktib.  We touched on so many subjects like our online Kris Kringle at Sambuhay Interaktib that  includes twelve priest friends and seminarians who are active at the site.  I wonder what mechanics they will do to make it successful.

We touched on  religious books we have read before. Her sister is a Trappistine contemplative  nun so the latter suggests books for her to read. She loves Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen and Mary Oliver too. I told her to look for the works of John O’Donohue, a former priest, poet and writer who died last January 4, 2008. A great loss to the people who love his works like I do.

Solitude.

It’s a favorite word for this newly-met friend. She told me that she would have entered the convent too but it didn’t materialize.  Solitude may have different meaning to some but that kind that we crave being in the company of our thoughts, those times that we need to contemplate about life and find meaning in the everyday things happening around, those times that we need to be alone and just enjoy life as it is.

Solitude.

Being alone but not necessarily lonely. Being alone and feeling lonely are two different things.  We can grow more comfortable with just being ourselves. It gives us an opportunity to plan our lives. I always experience that lovely communication with God and nature when I am in the garden, uprooting weeds, pruning and planting some seeds or deadheading flowers.

You can sit quietly in a corner, listen to some music of old and before you know it, you are uplifted. Sometimes it even comes to a point where you sing too and you remember lovely memories in your life.

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Tuesday Musings

Oh my, what are those spam comments for? I received ten spam comments overnight and I erased all of them a while ago.

Spam comments are even rampant on Facebook and they paste them on religious sites too. Bitcoins, what are they for except to lure unsuspecting individuals who believe in instant money.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Catholic calendar. I shared a photo of Mama Mary on my wall at Facebook and a short write-up on why I venerate her.

“O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

Last night, I reread one of the two books that I have of Rod McKuen.  His words are always inspirational. They are like a balm to my heart. I wish I could find more of his books. 

Happy Tuesday everyone!

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Street Photography

Eight years ago, I tried taking shots of the denizens of Antipolo Cathedral after attending an afternoon mass.  This  was my first time to try street photography, something that tells a lot about ordinary  and everyday life of our “kababayans”.   The whole album resurfaced today on my Memories page at Facebook. I have chosen four of them here to share with you.

The various images of Sto. Nino (baby Jesus)

A guy selling whisk broom made of Tambo.

Hello Manang. I signaled to her that I will take a shot and she obliged.

Selling Sampaguita garlands. So common in front of Catholic churches here. She is probably counting how many more she has to sell before going home.

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Take A Bow Mary Oliver….Once Again!

I missed blogging yesterday.

It was cloudy here and it is still cloudy now. I got lazy and just read. What would your  reaction be if you find more books of  one of your favorite authors?  Take a guess. It’s Mary Oliver of course. I finished Felicity in one sitting  and I got so inspired reading. Just started on Blue Iris.  It is a slow read though because I like to imagine those places and things  she described in the book. It is a  rich collection of  poems,  essays, and of Mary Oliver’s classic works on flowers, trees, and plants. When these words uplift the soul, one feels blessed and happy. I am re-posting some poems from her Felicity book.

This one is entitled The Gift.

Be still, my soul, and steadfast.
Earth and heaven both are still watching
though time is draining from the clock
and your walk, that was confident and quick,
has become slow.

So, be slow if you must, but let
the heart still play its true part.
Love still as once you loved, deeply
and without patience. Let God and the world
know you are grateful.That the gift has been given.

Then there is this short one called  Everything.

Everything that was broken has
forgotten its brokenness. I live
now in a sky-house, through every
window the sun. Also your presence.
Our touching, our stories. Earthly
and holy both. How can this be, but
it is. Every day has something in
it whose name is forever.

Got this third one online:

There are still so many lovely words there and I am keeping them deep in my heart. I have seven books of Mary Oliver now including the lovely and thick hardbound copy of Devotions.

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