Nothing Doin’

Sometimes, when I have much time on my hands I end up with even more time  doing nothing.  Does that make sense?

Well, there are days when I have nothing to pre-occupy my time-- all errands done, no friends or places to visit, not even a meal to cook.  So I sit and ask myself, “what shall I do today?”

Suggestions come to mind.

• What about finishing the bead work around a bottle I started a year ago? It sits forlorn on a book shelf.

• The bookshelves could do with a little straightening up.

• Did I notice how the mint needs a little pruning?  My hair is getting to be on the long side too.

• Will I ever finish the cross stitch project you started when you first got pregnant?

• Maybe now I can finish that book I  have been reading for the last two months already. (It’s still under the bed)

On and on a litany of possibilities pour in but not attractive enough to move me to action.

Daddy can you hear me?

Hi Daddy,

Remember how stressed out you were when you got a phone call that I had bit off my tongue as a result of being side swept by a provincial bus? Do you still remember the relief that went through you when the doctor told you that I would be alright?  Did you laugh to learn that it was not my tongue I bit off but it was the hotdog I had been eating at the time I crossed the street?

Free to Be

I celebrated Independence Day with my kiddos.

My son had been living on his own for 10 years now while my daughter is a newbie and is still learning the ropes of living on her own.  When I hear them talk and compare notes about water and electric bills, I get nostalgic. Was it not only yesterday, when they were chasing each other around the house—with water pistols?!?!

“What do you feel like eating?”, my daughter asked.

It was mid-morning and we had time to kill before my son joined us for a late lunch.

“How’s about a visit to a pastry shop where we can have good bread and sit around?”, I countered.

Guided by a magazine article on out-of-the-way eateries on the edge of the business district, she declared,  “I think I know the perfect spot.”

Green Tongue

For a whole week I fretted.  Every time I sat at my terrace and happened to look up, I apologized.  Was it necessary? Could it not wait—another week, a month, a year? The questions of the guilty.

But in the end, with the rain clouds darkening the blue summer skies, it had to be done.  There was no telling the extent of the damage that could be caused in the event of a strong typhoon.

Hello Again

Over the years since I retired, I have made it a habit to start my day by attending the 6:30AM mass at my nearby parish church.  Doing so puts me in a positive spirit that would serve me well throughout the rest of the day.  These daily ritual has also afforded me the chance to make the acquaintance of several parishioners.  Mostly senior citizens, a sprinkling of empty-nesters and working folks who have time to spare before rushing off to work.

Two for the Road

A few weeks back, my husband surprised me with an invitation to spend a weekend at Tagaytay. This, I considered, was a major road trip.

Now if you know my hubby, you will just be as surprised.  For the longest time now, he would rather stay at home than go out and smell the gas fumes.   Traffic, weather conditions, house security— there was always a reason not to go out.

Giving Thanks: Pulilan Style

It is said that there are more fiestas being celebrated in the month of May than there are on any other month of the year in the Philippines. 

 And more often than not, St Isidore Labrador (San Isidro) holds sway over the celebrations.  This is with good reason for a country where a big number of the population depend on agriculture and their Catholic faith.   San Isidro is the patron saint of farmers and his feast day falls in May.

It is with reverence that farmers pray to this saint to intercede for a bountiful harvest.   In return, the farmers and their families offer gratitude in a multiple of ways during the saint’s feast day.

Fly Away

I was ecstatic when my daughter came back home after a year of being abroad.  (If interested, click HERE and HERE  for the stories)

Once more, she was my constant companion. We talked, we argued, we ate, we cooked, we stayed close by to each other.  At the back of my head, I knew she would soon go back to join the work force.  And indeed, with a strong intent to hit the ground running, she took in several assignments on a consultancy basis before shortly agreeing to take on permanent employment.  

A Love Affair

My love affair is a wondrous thing

That I'll rejoice in remembering
My love was born with my first tea set
Then came crystal bowls and fine Chinaware...... (adapted from the song “Our Love Affair”)

Yes, I admit. I am one of those women who continues to have a love affair.  Not the sordid kind but one just as spell binding. 

When the Living is Easy

The sea was very close to where I grew up in Cebu.  So close was the pier to our house I could hear the deep and lonely blast of a ship’s horn late at night as it got ready to leave port.  If I imagined hard enough, I could hear the ship’s porter’s warning call, “pwera besita, pwera besita”.

With such close proximity, it was only natural for my parents to bring us to the popular public black sand beaches of Talisay (famous for pinasugbo- bananas dipped in dark and thick sugar glaze) or brown sand beaches of Liloan (famous for whirlpools and rosquillos- a round, scalloped edge sweet biscuit) in the summer. 






 In the 1970s, when barges made it possible to cross over, the white sand beaches of Mactan Island became our favorite summer playground.