Simple Joys of Midlife

A DIVISORIA EXPERIENCE

2011-11-30T20:19:00.001+08:00

The last time I went to Divisoria was in December, 2008. This was followed just this month when my daughter and I bought items for our corporate give-aways. I was quite amazed at how the place has improved since I last shopped there in 2008.

In previous years we always opted to park at Tutuban Mall but we'd find it so burdensome to walk the distance towards the Tabora area where the heart of Divisoria is located.

Today we have the 168 Mall parking where it is so conveniently located. One can easily traverse Juan Luna, Tabora and Ylaya from this point.

168 Mall Car Park

The above carpark is reserved for late shoppers I guess. It only opens when the basement parking has been fully packed. The first time we came last November 9, we were directed to this automated parking.

For those who plan to go to 168 Mall, here's the route to take: If you're coming from Cubao, take the CM Recto route, turn right at Jose Abad Santos, make a U-turn, cross CM Recto to reach Reina Regente. Or from CM Recto turn left to Masangkay, turn right to Soler and left to Regente.

When you are directed to the above automated parking there is a check-in counter where one can temporarily deposit packages after each shopping while one continues to make purchases for other items.

I enjoyed shopping at Divisoria. Now that parking no longer present any problem, I would probably be visiting the place more often now.

A FULL-FLEDGED NEUROLOGIST AT LAST!

2011-11-27T08:31:00.007+08:00

After all the long years of Medical Study and Residency Training, my daughter has finally made it to become a Fellow of the Philippine Neurological Association (FPNA) by virtue of the induction held on November 26, 2011 at the Shangrila EDSA Hotel during the 33rd Annual Convention of the PNA. Three years prior to that she was also inducted as a Fellow of the Philippine College of Physicians (FPCP). In layman's terms, she is officially an Internist-Neurologist.

Noreen with her colleagues, the 2011 newly inducted

Philippine Neurologists, singing a tribute song to their mentors

There has been so much hard work involved on her part, not to mention the "costly" sacrifices that we, her family, had to contend with. With God's help however we all had been able to conquer all difficulties and challenging obstacles. With Him all things have become possible.

To all the newly inducted PNA consultants.... more power and good luck!

ON POT BELLIES & SOUTH BEACH DIET

2010-07-30T08:01:00.012+08:00

Today marks the 9th day of my South Beach Diet and my weighing scale registered at 138 lbs this morning. A far cry from the 149 lbs I had when I first started Monday last week. I can even use a belt now as shown in the photo below taken this morning at the office.

I lost most of mid-section fat even without the benefit of exercise. In fact it is not advisable to undertake strenuous exercise during the 1st two weeks of the SB diet since the body is bereft of the high carb food which gives one the required energy for such regimen.

Excess weight around the waist line, according to Dr. Agatston, is an indication that our body has acquired the Insulin Resistance syndrome (refer to my previous entry), a condition whereby our natural insulin can no longer properly help our body cells to absorb glucose or blood sugar. The 1st 2-weeks of south Beach diet automatically corrects this problem and thus the number of pounds one loses during this period is mostly coming from the mid-section. That is how I managed to lose a few waist inches in just a matter of days even without exercising.

According to Dr. Agatston: " .... eating bad carbs makes you hungrier, and that on a diet of good carbs and good fats (the vegetable omelet combines both) you'll want less food later. . . . Eating bad carbohydrates - especially highly processed ones - creates cravings for more bad carbs, which ultimately is responsible for our epidemic of obesity. It's hard to overstate the connection between bad carbs. obesity and bad cardiac health."

Do you want to lose your excess weight in your mid-section without having to exercise? Dutifully follow the prescribed Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. It is guaranteed to make you shed excessive inches off your waist line.

INSULIN RESISTANCE AND SOUTH BEACH DIET

2010-07-29T07:34:00.008+08:00

Day 4, Phase 1 (July 29, 2010)

This morning my bathroom scale registered at 142 lbs. That is an average of 1-2 lbs a day being lost. I believe this is the norm during the 1st week. After the Phase 1 period the loss will be on the average of 1 or 2 pounds a week.

Dr. Agatston in his book "The South Beach Diet"writes: "One side effect of excess weight, we now know, is an impairment of the hormone insulin's ability to properly process fuel, or fats and sugars. This condition is commonly called insulin resistance. As a result, the body stores more fat than it should, especially in the midsection."

He further writes: "Decrease the consumption of those "bad" carbs, studies showed, and the insulin resistance starts clearing up on its own. Weight begins a fairly rapid decrease, and you begin metabolizing carbs properly. Even the craving for carbs disappear once you cut down on their consumption. Finally cutting out processed carbs improves blood chemistry, ultimately resulting in lowered triglycerides and cholesterol."

I guess this is the reason for the drastic weight loss that I experienced these past three days. I had an insulin resistance syndrome and by totally fasting on the "bad" carbs for 3 days caused the dramatic loss of fat in my mid-section. At the speedy rate my waist line is being restored to its ideal measurement, I might just be able to fit into my denims and old pants two days from now.

So what did I have for my meals today?

I don't mind having omelets for breakfast. It is the only way I can eat eggs minus the bread. But the omelets should have meat and vegetables in them. For today I combed the fridge for left over foods that I could use. I found the pork tenderloin steak and some steamed veggies so I mixed them with two whole eggs. Presto, I now have a delicious omelet.

The other day I was looking for the ready-to-cook Monterey beef teriyaki fare at the super-market but they only had the pork teriyaki. So my lunch today consisted of that and 2 servings of sauteed bean sprouts.

For dinner I had the left over pork teriyaki plus a plateful of salad greens consisting of romaine lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper, hard boiled eggs, onions, tomatoes and pineapple tidbits. I cheated relative to the last one - the pineapple. All fruits are not allowed during the Phase 1 period. For my salad dressing I used the one I bought from Sonya's Garden.

Tomorrow I will be going to Tagaytay with some friends to do an ocular visit on a certain retreat house where we plan to have a seminar/workshop. I hope we could find a resto which serves South Beach friendly fare for Phase 1 dieters like me.

SOUTH BEACH DIET, THE RIGHT CARB DIET

2010-07-28T10:57:00.013+08:00

Today marks day 3 of my SB weight-loss regimen.

The first thing I did upon getting out of bed and after a visit to the bathroom was to get to my weighing scale. It registered 144 lbs.

Dr. Arthur Agatston, in his book wrote that "the SB Diet is not low-carb. Nor is it low-fat. The South Beach Diet teaches you to rely on the right carbs and the right fats - the good ones - and enables you to live quite happily without the bad carbs and bad fats. As a result, you're going to get healthy and lose weight - somewhere between 8 and 13 pounds in the next 2 weeks alone."

When I first undertook the regimen about 5 years ago I lost 8 lbs after two weeks on the program.

The diet is not actually about limiting (weighing calories and all that) the amount of food that you take but rather avoiding the bad carbs that tend to create hunger pangs just a few hours after meals. It has been proven that the more we consume food high in sugar and refined starch, the faster we grow hungry. So the tendency for us is to gobble on foodstuffs that cause our bodies to store excessive fat especially in our mid-section.

I can personally attest to the fact that just after the 1st week (or even less) on the diet, your cravings for pasta, cakes, and the like will not be as great as when you first started out. Actually your appetite for them will just eventually disappear before you know it. Trust me.

It is just unfortunate that I do not have the culinary gift to prepare South Beach-friendly-fare. I make do with what is available in our fridge. Since I love all kinds of omelet, I stick to the same menu while I am in the Phase 1 diet or while I can't have wheat bread yet for breakfast.

So for my first early meal today I concocted my own version of the Spanish Omelet consisting of two whole eggs, strips of left-over steamed veggies from last night's dinner, a slice of low-fat, low-salt luncheon meat (Spam) cut into small cubes, a dash of pan salt and a small amount of tomato sauce.

My own version of the Spanish Omelet

I had toasted cashew nuts for my mid-morning snacks.

My lunchbox to the office on the other hand consisted of the left-over chicken breast adobo and a plateful of salad greens.

Another serving of toasted cashew nuts for my mid-afternoon break plus one piece togue lumpia ordered from the factory canteen.

For dinner tonight I had grilled fish and adobong kangkong. But just before bedtime I was "forced" (and I allowed myself to be tempted) to eat one piece of Godiva chocolate that Nikki was dangling before me. "C'mon Mom it won't harm your diet to cheat once in a while."

GOING THROUGH THE SOUTH BEACH DIET... AGAIN

2010-07-27T12:09:00.017+08:00

I had gone through the South Beach diet twice in the past and I always found it a very effective means to lose undesirable belly fat. The problem was I never follow thru the Phase 3 maintenance diet once I reached my desired weight hence I always regained my unwanted pounds back.

I noticed I have been gaining weight these past few days and I realized I could no longer fit into my denims and slacks. I decided against buying new apparels because I know it won't solve my problem in any way. And so yesterday I made a firm decision to start Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet once again after I recorded my weight at 149 pounds (ugh! I hate admitting it but it is so obvious in my recent photos). I need to get back to my ideal weight of 130 lbs. asap.

I hope to be able to record my progress in this blog so people who would want to undertake a weight-loss regimen on their own could take a tip or two from my own actual experience.

This link would show the list of foods allowed and disallowed during the 1st two weeks (Phase 1) which is the most crucial part of the weight-reduction plan. I can personally tell you, based on my past experience, one is guaranteed to lose 8 to 12 lbs (mostly belly fat) after the 1st two weeks, if one follows the diet very strictly.

Phase 1, Day 1 (July 26, 2010)

For breakfast I had coffee with muscovado for sweetener [I didn't have a stock of nutra-sweet] and prepared a two-egg omelet with onions and tomatoes . [I didn't have any other vegetables in my fridge at the time. This is why I had to rush to the supermarket yesterday morning to buy vegies for my SB diet.]

I had some peanuts for my 10 am snack. [Note: It is advised that even if you don't feel hungry you have to take a mid-morning snack as suggested here.]

For lunch I had a plate-full of green salad (romaine lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper) with pesto-vinaigrette seasoning and Century Tuna Spanish style sardines sauteed with lots of onions. I had one hard-boiled egg for my afternoon snack and a cup of coffee.For dinner: pork tenderloin steak and steamed vegetables consisting of sayote, baguio beans, cauliflower and carrots (tho' I avoided eating the carrots since they are not allowed during the phase 1 of the diet) garnished with pepper and unsalted butter.

Phase 1, Day 2 (July 27, 2010)

Again I had a two-egg omelet with crab meat, onion and tomatoes plus a cup of coffee for breakfast today.

I forgot to take anything for my midmorning snack this morning because I didn't realize it was time to take my snack. [Read: I didn't feel hungry but that is a no-no actually. One has to take something even if one does not feel a need to have one.]

My lunchbox to the office consisted of: The left-over pork tenderloin steak of last night and two cups of cooked beansprout with strips of cabbage sauteed and seasoned with oyster sauce. Yummy!

For my afternoon snack: one hard-boiled egg and a cup of coffee. (Tip from my Neuro physician: 2 cups of coffee a day prevents dementia. So there.)

My dinner tonight consisted of chicken breast adobo and steamed vegetables. I had a Ricola Swiss Herb hard candy and I took one piece for dessert. Hard candies are allowed if they are sugar-free but the hard candy I took may not have been one so I may have cheated on that one.

It's been two days. I feel great. No hunger pangs. I hope nothing prevents me or distracts me from achieving my goal....

A TRIP TO CUENCA, BATANGAS

2009-05-05T10:38:00.011+08:00

I first learned about Marge's invitation to their newly built retirement home in Batangas scheduled for May 1 via Facebook courtesy of Cynthia. Initially I said I wouldn't be able to join them as I had previous appointment on that day. But then, my children were one in encouraging me to go on a "gimmick" with my friends once in a while. I had to set up another date for my prior arrangement to make this event possible.

Lily called to say Malou would be picking us up at Petron station along EDSA corner Connecticut St. at about 6:30 a.m. that Friday. The arrangement was for Noreen to drop me off before proceeding to TMC in the morning but at 5:30 a.m. she was still soundly asleep. She was "from 36 hours duty" the night before so not wanting to disturb her I woke up Nikki instead.

I was at the meeting place very early - a few minutes after 6 - so I texted Lily who said she was on her way as well. We waited for quite sometime for Malou's van to come. They finally picked us up way past 7 a.m.

We proceeded to South Bay, Paranaque, Cynthia's place for the assembly. Breakfast, consisting of sinangag, scrambled egg, dried fish (danggit & tuyo), spanish sardines, pandesal, queso de bola and brewed coffee was so temptingly delicious that we couldn't avoid over-eating.

T'was too bad Toots opted not to join us because Jim couldn't make it that day.

So we were nine (9) in the van: Malou with two of her children (Mario and Ann), Bituin, Lily, Heide, Cynthia, Tipin and I. We picked up Tipin on the way who was waiting for us in Laguna.

Our destination was Brgy Bigain in Cuenca, Batangas. Marge and her husband Jun were waiting for us there.

I personally love their place. It is indeed a vacation home away from the "maddening crowd".

Great landscape and fruit trees all around too!

The event was also meant to honor the birthday celebrants: Marge, Cynthia, Heide, Malou and Ann and thus the table was laden with sumptious preparations.

Rosemary grilled chicken, Pasta Linguini, Bangus relleno, Inihaw na Tilapia, Hinalabos na Sugpo, Atcharang Ampalaya, Cassava Roll and many more... Yummy!

(L-R): Cynthia, Bituin, Tipin, Lily, Heide, me, Marge and Malou

I am glad I chose to go with the group and in the process met new friends like Heide and Tipin. After an exciting day we left Marge's place at 5:30 in the afternoon professing to come back some other day....

DIARY WRITING IN THESE TIMES

2009-05-03T08:54:00.004+08:00

Nikki, my daughter gifted me with a new Acer E-Notebook last Christmas so I could freely blog away my thoughts anywhere I'd go. But that never happened. I had not updated my blogs even with my E-Notebook around.

Yesterday, she lovingly reminded me: "Mom, I gave you that E-notebook for your blogs and not merely for Facebook..."

Yeah, I guess I have been simply getting too addicted to Facebook I no longer find time to share my thoughts or write my daily journal.

In my younger days I always had fun writing to my "Dear Diary." My diary was my best friend with whom I could share all my secrets: my heart's desires, my secret loves, my innermost thoughts that I wouldn't normally share to anybody because I trusted that my diary wouldn't spill them to another soul. In these times of the BLOGS however you can't keep anything a secret anymore.

When I got into the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement (1988) I started my spiritual journal or my "Dear Jesus" diary. I poured out all my worries and concerns to Jesus. In the process I would be doing all the ACTS (Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgivings, Supplications). It was also a sort of therapeutic treatment for me whenever I was depressed. Or when I needed some guidance I would feel Him truly giving me some directions.

Then later - around year 2001 - the "Dear Jesus" diary was replaced by my Daily Bible Sharings which found their way into the internet. I started sending these to my internet friends. These in turn gave birth to my "Pilgrim's Reveries" blog at http://pilgrimsreveries.blogspot.com/. But due to a personal crisis in my life I lost all inspirations to continue in this work and thus my other blog has not been updated either. With God's grace I look forward to revive this activity soon.

I hope to write in my blogs as often as I can again instead of spending so much time playing Mindjolt Games, Know-It-All Quizzes, Soduko/Word Challenges at Facebook with friends. But you know what? Facebook is really great!

"BISITA IGLESIA - 2008"

2008-03-22T09:37:00.041+08:00

On Holy Tuesday, March 18, Nikki and I joined the annual "Bisita Iglesia" organized by our parish. I have been joining this annual lenten activity for the past 4 consecutive years. The first year I signed up, we visited Bulacan-Pampanga Churches. This was followed by the Cavite-Tagaytay area. Last year it was in the vicinity of Bulacan-Pampanga-Tarlac. This year we took the route via Bulacan onwards to Nueva Ecija.

Nikki and I were assigned to Bus No. 2. There were a total of three buses.

All Aboard!

Departure time was supposed to be at 5:00 a.m. but the time of departure as listed in the flyers that were distributed had it at 6:00 a.m. Those who have not been listening to the announcements being made during Mass celebrations were of course late in arriving. As a result, we finally left Vista Verde at exactly 5:30 in the morning.

We occupied seat no. 1 & 2

Inside Bus No. 2

Glo led the Morning Prayer, Rosary and Marian hymns as we started on our trip.

In contemplation....

It was Tuesday, still a regular working day for most people. Traffic was already heavy in some parts of Metro Manila. At exactly 6:15 a.m. we arrived at the NLEX (North Luzon Expressway) Toll Gate. A number of vehicles were already lined up as one can see.

1st Stop [6:55 A.M.]: St. James the Apostles Church, Plaridel, Bulacan

1st Station: THE LAST SUPPER

Reflection: "Let us relive what Jesus has done by sharing our food so that others may eat and continue to live..."

The interior of St. James the Apostle Church

Beside the Church Marker

Historical Marker of St. James Parish

The pilgrims generously gave "love offerings" at every church stop-over.

With open hands and open hearts

Recording each activity...

2nd Stop [7:50 A.M.]: San Isidro Labrador Parish, Pulilan, Bulacan

2nd Station: THE AGONY IN GETHSEMANI

Reflection: "When a person is lonely, he needs company. He needs someone to give him comfort. He needs someone to boost him up from despair. But it is only in solitude that a person can see deeply his/her inner self, potentials, limitations and weaknesses... How beneficial and meaningful to us is Christ's self-surrender and obedience to the father's will: to die for us on the cross!"

The interior of San Isidro Labrador Church

3rd Stop [8:40 A.M.]: St. Augustine Parish, Baliuag, Bulacan

3rd Station: JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH

Reflection : "Many are condemned because of others' rash judgment. This happened to Jesus. Shall we do this toward our neighbors?"

The interior of St. Augustine Church

Outside there was a scamper for "Chicharon."

4th Stop [9:55 A.M]: San Juan de Dios Church, San Rafael, Bulacan

4th Station : JESUS IS SCOURGED AND CROWNED WITH THORNS
Reflection : "Oftentimes we hurt others by our words or actions as we are also hurt by others. But we should remember that when we hurt our fellow human beings we are hurting Jesus."

The interior of San Juan de Dios Church

Historical Marker outside the Church

5th Stop [10:55 A.M] Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, San Rafael, Bulacan

5th Station : JESUS CARRIES THE CROSS

Reflection : "Our daily little crosses usually consist of our daily duties and obligations. If we patiently carry these, we will not be sad. Jesus carried his cross; therefore, we must carry also our own crosses."

The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church

The interior of the Church
Diocesan Shrine Marker
Nikki and Glo inside the Sacred Heart Church while waiting for the other pilgrims...

6th Stop [11:35 A.M.]: San Ildefonso Church, San Ildefonso, Bulacan

6th Station : JESUS FALLS
Reflection : "Life is not always victory or prosperity. There is a time for joy and a time for sorrow, crises and struggles. But we should not lose heart. We must strive hard to uplift the condition of our lives and be faithful to our Christian values and principles. Every day is a call to conversion, for a new life in Christ."

Inside San Ildefonso Church

The pilgrims had the chance to venerate the relics of the Saint

7th Stop [12:15 Noon time] : San Miguel Church, San Miguel, Bulacan

7th Station : SIMON OF CYRENE HELPS JESUS CARRY THE CROSS
Reflection : "One of our Filipino custom is the 'Bayanihan.' This is one of our best qualities as a nation. We can easily offer our sympathy to a bereaved family or to be compassionate toward the needy. We do all these because we are a loving people. Christ offered his life for us because he loves us. It is a beautiful response to him if we continue to practice the 'bayanihan' and 'damayan.'"

The facade of San Miguel Church
Church marker
The interior of St. Michael's Church

It was long past lunch time and we were all hungry. We were to have our lunch at Walter Mart, Gapan, Nueva Ecija.

At the boundary between Bulacan and Nueva Ecija....

We arrived Walter Mart at exactly 1:00 p.m. We were to be back inside our buses by 2:00 o'clock....

8th Stop [2:20 P.M.]: Three Kings Parish, Gapan, Nueva Ecija

8th Station : JESUS MEETS THE WOMEN OF JERUSALEM

Reflection : "The favorite words for many of us are 'I,' 'me,' and 'mine.' The self is exalted and made as standard to measure others. The question we must ask instead is, 'What can I do for others?'"

The interior of 3 Kings Church

At the side of the main altar can be found the Shrine of Nstra. Senora Virgen Divina Pastora

9th Stop [3:10 P.M.]: Sta. Rosa Church, Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija

9th Station : JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS

Reflection : "Human beings want to be respectable. All of us want to appear presentable, at least, if not beautiful. The externals are important to us. But not for Jesus."

Fr. Gerry reading the Gospel according to St. Matthew 27:33-35

On the way out of the church ground....

10th Stop [4:10 P.M.]: Diocesan Cathedral of St. Nicolas de Tolentine, Cabanatuan City

10th Station : THE FORGIVEN THIEF

Reflection : "Why do we frequently let one mistake cover ten good deeds? ... Jesus, instead, forgetss the dark spots in people's lives and he forgives. Should we not imitate him?

The beautiful sanctuary of the Cathedral
The pilgrims...
The Parish Personnel offered snacks for the hungry pilgrims. Please take note of the 50-year old Kalachuchi tree in the background.
Enjoying the taste of "putong puti and Zesto juice."

"Here, Nix, eat your food..."

11th Stop [5:20 P.M.]: San Isidro Labrador Parish Church, Talavera, Nueva Ecija

11th Station : MARY AND THE BELOVED DISCIPLE AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

Reflection : "To be given a mother is a great legacy... Jesus entrusted Mary, his dearest Mother, not only to the disciple whom he loved but also to us. She, too, is our Mother."

Lining up for the veneration of St. Isidore's Relic

Praying in front of the Saint's relic...

St. Isidore, pray for us...

12th Stop [6:25 P.M.]: San Sebastian Church, Munoz, Nueva Ecija

12th Station : THE DEATH OF JESUS

Reflection : "There are two realities in life that we find difficult to accept: aging and death... Death, however, is the door to being with God forever. It is the gateway to our true home. Why should one be lonely when death is approaching?"

The main sanctuary of San Sebastian Church

The interior of the Church

13th Stop [6:55 P.M.]: Sacred Heart of Jesus Shrine, Munoz, Nueva Ecija

13th Station : JESUS IS LAID IN THE TOMB

Reflection : "Sometimes, we only realize the value of a thing when it is gone... Jesus left his disciples when he died but his teachings and his works made him very much alive to them... Let us make Jesus and His teachings alive in our own lives."

Inside Sacred Heart Church

At the entrance...

The church facade silhouetted in the darkness of the night...

14th Stop [7:35 P.M.]: St. Joseph Cathedral, San Jose, Nueva Ecija

14th Station : THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS
Reflection : "Jesus is risen from the dead! Is there a greater joy than this? In life and in death, Jesus was obedient to the will of God. . . Is the direction of our lives leading us to God and is it according to the path shown to us by Jesus?"

The interior of the Cathedral is simply awe-inspiring!!!

The cathedral's facade

A "Kumpisalang Bayan" was going on inside the main Church so we were ushered down the basement, at the mortuary/columbarium chapel where Fr. Gerry celebrated Mass. It was 8:00 in the evening.

Praying for one another...

Fr. Gerry praying over those who needed healing....

Time for the ride back home.... It was 9:00 P.M.

The pilgrims stopped-over for "Gatas Kalabao" (carabao's milk) at the above store, in Talavera, Nueva Ecija. It was way past my bedtime and I was overcome by sleep.... We finally had our late dinner at the NLEX at past midnight.... By the time we reached home, it was 2:30 a.m. early Holy Wednesday morning.

End Notes

1. Reflection Excerpts were taken from the leaflet "Making the New Way of the Cross Meditatively" by Fr. Ruperto C. Santos, STL, Daughters of St. Paul, 1992.

2. Photos courtesy of Nikki, my official photographer.

AFTER MORE THAN 35 YEARS.....

2008-02-25T10:17:00.007+08:00

There is something about get-togethers with college friends that bring back the nostalgia of by-gone years. From out of the blue flashes of memory about your awkward young adult years, of teen-age romantic flings and of puppy loves bring wide grins to your faces. Somehow you can't avoid reminiscing the thrill of being love-struck and the pain of experiencing your first broken heart... After almost 40 years, nothing of these seem so significant anymore. But somehow it makes you feel young again...

This was what happened when Norma, Lily and I met for lunch at Shangrila's Claw Daddy last October 27, 2007.

Norma (L) and Lily (R)

Norma and I had not seen each other since our sophomore year when she transferred to another school. It was such a delight to know I was going to meet an intimate friend (she was my best friend in our freshman years) after almost 40 years. I was contacted by Margot and Lily, my other close friends in college, to say they had been in touched with Norma and would I care to join them for lunch? But as it turned out, Margot could not make it that day and so there were only the three of us who finally got together.

Actually I have not been in touched with any of my college friends for years now. It was a surprise when Margot called me up via my cell phone. Somehow I got connected with Margot a few years back through Lily. It is always Lily who'd go the extra mile to call me every now and then and share news about old friends and classmates whenever she gets the chance to. And for that I will be eternally grateful for her efforts to keep me always connected with our other college friends.

And so another opportunity for me to get connected with long-lost college friends and acquaintances came last November 10, 2007 at the invitation of, who else but, Lily again.

I was informed they have this regular get-together activity attended by her highschool batchmates - a combined group from the Ateneo and Sta Isabel. Since most of them were my own classmates in college I was most welcome to join them. In fact I have been officially adopted by the group, so to speak.

Ipe was a classmate from Grade 1 to Grade 6 together with Ric. Both transferred to Ateneo in highschool because at that time La Consolacion only accepted boys in grade school. However we were reunited at the Ateneo during our college days.

Pete was a classmate from 1st year to 5th year. We were both enrolled under the AB-BSBA course, a 5-year study program. I also remember being in the same accounting classes with Jimmy. He was also a BSBA student. Melvin only stayed a year because he took up Law in Manila so I only got to meet him in our freshman year. Well, Toots took his college studies in Manila. Tho' I had often heard about him in college, we only got to personally meet that night. Of course, Noel must have been enrolled in the same subjects as I was in some instances but at the moment I can't remember a particular class we were together.

Margot and Cynthia were my favorite classmates in my Chemistry classes. They stayed at the Ateneo the 1st two years. They later proceeded to Manila to pursue a Bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering.

I remember I was always in their group during our Chem lab sessions. Both of them had always seemed to enjoy laboratory activities while it was always an agonizing moment for me every time. I must say, they were a great help to me during those difficult days. Chemistry, if I should say, was a subject I never learned to like......

Lily and I graduated at the same time. Though we belonged to different program of studies we were both enrolled in 5-year courses. I met Lily since 4th year high. We belonged to different school for girls but somehow got connected when we were both contestants in the BACS (Bicol Association of Catholic Schools) Meet. Our friendship has gone a long way since then.

Bituin and I were classmates in most of our accounting classes. I remember her to be a very congenial person and always fun to be with. She still continues to be a delightful friend.

I am looking forward to more interactive get-together with these long-lost friends and more of them the next time.

OF MATERNAL AUNTS AND COUSINS

2007-11-18T07:42:00.001+08:00

My mother was the youngest among four siblings, all girls. To my knowledge my maternal grandfather married again when he got widowed when Mama was only a year old. The second marriage produced another set of three daughters: Tia Puring, Tia Rosing (who remained single in her lifetime) and Tia Long.

L-R: Delen (my mother), Choleng, Mameng and Sor Paz

I never got to meet any of my maternal grandparents though.

All sisters were pretty close to each other. Every one has gone to the life beyond except for the youngest, Tia Long, whose 80th birthday we celebrated last September.

L-R: Me, Tia Long, Dinah, Peng

There is something uncanny when the above photo was taken. For one thing everyone was saying we were replicas of our own mothers. I just realized that my cousins and I found ourselves taking the same sitting position that our respective mothers before us had when they had the above old photo taken: My mother and me, Dinah and Tia Choleng then Peng and Tia Mameng. It was a perfect representation of the first generation.

In the above photo, Tia Puring was now represented by Jesusa who came late during the birthday celebration.

1st Row, L-R: Me, Jess, Malu.

2nd Row, L-R: Violet, Peng, Serena, Tia Long, Dinah, Lolit, Salve and Clemen.

This birthday celebration was one of those rare occasions when maternal cousins had the chance to get together again and reminisce memories of childhood years.

In fact it was this gathering that finally prompted me to start the "San Buenaventura Clan" at Yahoo group.

BIRTHDAY 2007 CELEBRATION

2007-11-12T11:52:00.001+08:00

One thing significant during my birthday celebration last May 25 of this year was the fact that it coincided with our housewarming and the enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Ten days before that, on May 15, we had the house blest with only family members in attendance. We did not want to spend the night in the new house without it being blest. So right after we transferred we called in Fr. Gerry, our parish priest to bless the whole place.

On the day of my birthday, I decided to have the image of the Sacred Heart enthroned. The early visitors who made it to the enthronement were Nards' classmates coming all the way from Candaba, Pampanga and members of my TOC Community in Project 4.

Fr. Gerry giving a short homily during the rite.

Standing beside him is my husband...

The view from the loft....

A prayerful moment....

My TOC Community came in full force....

With my siblings and cousins ( L-R): Manay Lolit, Violeta, Manoy, Bebot, Malou, who came with her son.

With friends, cousins and siblings. Seated (L-R): Remy, who served as my caterer for the occasion and Serena. Standing (L-R): Malu, Mila, Peng, Manay Lolit, Bebot and Violeta.

With Glo and Edil, close friends from the village.

Noreen and her colleagues at The Medical City

With Nards' highschool buddies...
More highschool classmates from Pampanga

And more.....

Pretty nieces in a row.... but Salsa is the prettiest of 'em all!

Salsa was well-behaved at the loft area....

I was not supposed to blow any birthday candles. I had no intention to. The cake was brought by my TOC sisters. I even forgot to blow my cake while visitors were still around. When only my two sisters, Bebot and Serena were around - that was when I remembered I had a birthday candle to blow.
There is no chance to hide my age anymore.... It's all there for everybody to see... But I have never tried to hide my age anyway. After all I don't feel growing old. I am always young at heart.

And then there was nobody around except for Serena and family. They were going to sleep over for the night because they were leaving very early in the morning for Fontana and Nikki was going with them...

THE GRADUATION OF A RESIDENT PHYSICIAN

2007-11-12T10:59:00.001+08:00

January 11, 2007 was Noreen's graduation day from her Residency Training Program for Internal Medicine at The Medical City. It was especially significant because she was one of those who were awarded Most Outstanding Resident Physicians. And as luck would have it, it was she who was assigned to give the graduation address in behalf of her colleagues.

The presentation of graduates...

I am reproducing her speech in its entirety:

"Distinguished mentors, colleagues, dear guests, good evening. I would not wish to take the limelight from my fellow graduate, Dr. Paolo de Vera, who is truly deserving of the honor being given to him. To have even been considered for this award is a great honor and affirmation for me. As circumstances prevented him from being with us today, I welcome this opportunity to give this address on behalf of my fellow graduates.

Noreen speaking before her colleagues, mentors and parents....

"We are going off into the world in the most challenging of times; when defensive medicine threatens the idealism of medicine as an art; when patients are more well-informed and critical of their physicians; when we witness the exodus of doctors as nurses. These are different times indeed, in great contrast to the glory days of our profession – when being a doctor was a sign of prestige, and when the physician was always held in high esteem.

"What does it take to be physician during these times? I have always viewed Medicine as the science of love – it had been born out of, and always will be, molded in love. I figured that herein lies the simple answer: In this world, during these times, the challenge before us, as physicians, is to render service to others first and foremost as an act of the sincerest love. We are called to imbibe love until we become it. Everything will build from there.

"Training within the walls of The Medical City these past three years, I have gathered experience from and with my mentors, my teammates in the health-care team: the nurses and medical staff, my co-residents and my patients. These experiences – both glorious and sad, both enlightening and disheartening – have made it possible for me to come to this realization: In loving the art of Medicine, commitment, loyalty, dedication and excellence in our profession will follow.

Dr. Alran Bengzon, the Chairman of TMC

"In loving our associates, we bring about a sense of fellowship that affords respect and concern to present and future colleagues. We are very interested in inspiring and guiding the younger physicians, so that they may also dedicate themselves to loving the profession and promoting it to the highest level as pillars of society.

"In loving our patients, we have become solid guardians of their health in all aspects; we have been transformed into strong-willed physicians who take charge and fight for their patient’s welfare, no matter what it takes. In loving our patients, we dedicate ourselves to the endless pursuit of truth – even if we may need to learn, re-learn and/or un-learn knowledge for their benefit – even if our own egos should shatter in the process.

"Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, summarizes this ideal with these words: "Wherever the art of Medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity."

"Since earning my degree, I admit that I’ve achieved only a fraction of what I initially intended. Thus, there is still a long way to go and a lot of chiseling and shaping to be done. At this point I find what is essential is our struggle for excellence.

"We are not perfect now, but we must strive to become so. We must strive to help bring back that image of the highly-esteemed physician of days past, and to even exceed these expectations. We must strive to become outstanding Filipino physicians, each of us in our own way, not mainly for our own interests, but more so for the sake of others – our present and future colleagues, our patients and the people of the world. The challenge before us, is for us to give of ourselves until we have bled ourselves dry!"

I continue to pray that she will live up to her ideals and hopes as all parents do for their children's careers and professions. Remember, our children's achievements and successes in life are our own as well.

SALSA, OUR PET DELIGHT

2007-11-11T14:38:00.002+08:00

Once upon a time, there were three Pom-Spitz puppies born to Musho and Mulan, both pomeranians taking up residence at the Reyes' house. Born last Oct. 16, 2006, Suki, Salsa and Sasha finally went their separate ways on December 30, when they were about 2-1/2 months old. Sasha remained with her parents. Suki was adopted by the Menina's while Salsa came to live with us.

The Tangcuangco household was never the same after that. The little puppy became the "baby" of our family. She simply became the center of our attention.

Then one day we caught her frolicking at the beanbag.

"I'm too sex-eh!! for this beanbag too sex-ehh!!

for this bean bag it hurtsss!!

ye-aahh!! Huh? May paparazzi!!"

She also got interested with physical fitness for awhile and tried her paws to reach for the dumb-bells at every chance she had.

Salsa working out with Ate Noreen

After a day's work-out, she'd get tired and fall into deep slumber. And to watch her sleep is pure delight!

Sssh.... A baby is sleeping...

And then she'd indicate her desire to be bathed and be refreshed.

"Look, this is my bath soap.."

And when her wants and desires are not met she goes into a corner and sulks.

"Hey, Salsa, don't you want your bone?"

But when she's contentedly happy she rolls and rolls on the floor.

D' Sailor-Dog

She also likes to be cuddled close to our chests. Maybe she loves to hear and to feel the "pitter-patter" sounds in our breasts...

With Ate Noreen after a bath...

And Ate Nikki

And me!

She can also be an angel. . . only an angel in disguise... because underneath her winged apparel lies a creature that is "impish" and unwise.

Feeling like a real winged angel puppy...

Then last March 16, on their 5th month birthday,the Pom-sisters had a reunion at Tiendesitas. It was obvious they were all glad to see each other again.

From left: sasha, Suki and Salsa

They displayed a little "coyness" at the start but soon easily adjusted to each other's presence.

Their "dakilang yayas" were there to keep them company ... ever patiently.

A charming pose for posterity...

Feeling like a "Guard-dog"...

See? I am a good dog....

The entire roof deck is Salsa's domain. In this area of the house, she reigns supreme. Here, she earnestly begs Nikki, her disciplinarian and mentor, to set her finally free. She promises to be an obedient dog, this time. "I promise," she whispers in her ears.

HERE'S THE FINISHED PRODUCT!

2007-11-08T12:09:00.002+08:00

This is the house that the Lord built for me and my family. Believe it or not - it took almost 20 months to finish. Indeed it took such a long time although construction never stopped at any given point. Since we were totally dependent on the Lord for provisions, it was perhaps providential that the contractor was taking so long to have it finished. Money would propitiously come when we needed it so we were never short of it. Without God's help it would have been impossible for us to build this house.

Finally we were able to transfer last May 15, 2007.

It is not as big as one may think it to be. The building (yes, they say it's a building!) stands on a mere 160 sq. meters lot.

REMEMBERING MY MOTHER'S LAST DAYS...

2006-11-13T08:10:00.001+08:00

Today, my family celebrates our mother's 10th death anniversary. I have always wished I would one day dream about her but I never did since her death. I believe she is really at peace with Jesus now.

Mama stayed with me from April, 1996 until the day she died. My sisters and I asked her to come over to Manila so she could have a thorough check-up because she was always complaining of gas pains and hyperacidity. It was then that she was diagnosed to be suffering from cancer of the ovary and that the disease had already spread to her other organs.

She was in and out of St. Luke's hospital starting May, 1996 because water had started to invade her lungs and liver.

On Nov. 6, after our 1st Wednesday mass in the evening, I had to request for an ambulance to bring her to the hospital. She was getting very weak. I used to read to her the psalms especially when I'd see that she was in pain. In the Poem of the Man-God, Jesus was shown reciting the psalms while St. Joseph lay dying on his death bed. I also made it a point to have the rosary tape turned on the cassette every time so that she could listen and pray with it.

Then about 4 or 5 days before she died, she started seeing visions of the suffering Christ, of Our Lady (Miraculous Medal and Mater Dolorosa), of God the Father. I knew she had started to hallucinate. Each time she was at this state, I would cover her eyes with my palm to find out if she would blink. She never did and it did not seem to disturb her either. She continued seeing the visions even when my palm was covering her eyes. I would ask her to describe what she saw. Always it was the crucified Christ, bowed down with thorns on His head (half body only) and hands outstretched but without the cross.

"He does not look at me.." she'd say. At another time, she saw Jesus sleeping on his side with his right arm underneath his head. At another time, I heard her uttering: "Divino Nostro" and she was staring blankly ahead of her. Again, once I saw her straightened up in her bed and positioned her arms and hands like the image of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and kept pointing with her lips at something I could not see.

"Si Ina (Our Lady). Miraculous Medal."

One day I asked her who it was she was seeing again. "Si Ama (the Father)." Then she started praying, entreating earnestly: "Ama, patawad, patawad" (Father, forgive, forgive...).

Once I asked her to describe Jesus. She said "Pogi" (handsome). Then I asked her to say hello to Jesus for me and she smiled.

Only once did she spoke about my father and my aunt (her sister who was a nun) being there with her, keeping her company but never saying anything to her. She said they were just there quietly keeping watch over her. I guessed they were probably praying for her.

On Tuesday night, Nov. 12, she was really in agony. But at the same time, I surmised, she was getting a glimpse of what seems to be heaven. At one point she exclaimed: "Ang ganda!" (It's beautiful!)"

"What is it?" I asked. "Heaven". What ever it was, the experience lasted only for a few seconds, because she was in agony again. I believed she was experiencing her purgatory and she was eagerly longing for heaven that was why her suffering was more intense in that respect.

At one point she wanted to remove the intravenous connections and I asked my nephew who was with me to help me hold her down to prevent her from grabbing the tubes. When she saw the nurse on the act of replacing the bottle of dextrose, she was motioning for her not to do so anymore. "Ang tagal naman.. (It's taking too long!)" she kept saying and appeared very impatient.

When I heard her saying this, I started to pray the psalms again and some prayer of surrender and I made sure the rosary tape was loud enough for her to listen to. I knew that at that moment she was being severely tempted by the evil one and I had to cast out every evil spirit around her.

After being in agony for so long she fell asleep. She never woke up again. At 4:00 in the afternoon of Wednesday, Nov. 13, she finally expired. She died on a Wednesday, the day of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, whose habit she wore because she had been its devotee for the past so many years.

Death should never become a fearful reality for us. But I believe that no matter how spiritual a person has become, one will always feel some amount of apprehensions thinking about it. Somehow, separation from anything we love always causes pain. That includes our love for our earthly life. So I guess it is really necessary for us to ask God for the grace of detachment, the grace that will deprive us of our affection for the temporal goods of this earth and our affection for this earhtly life.

REMEMBERING 40 YEARS AGO....

2006-11-05T07:11:00.001+08:00

Last night I was reminded by a cousin who was also my classmate in highschool, when she called me up via cell phone, about the class reunion we will be having on December 29 and the Alumni Homecoming the following day, Dec 30. Batch '66 of La Consolacion College in Iriga City will be celebrating its 40th year this year. Also another classmate sent me a text message that I am supposed to be present being the Class President and Valedictorian. At the Alumni Homecoming I am supposed to give a 5-minute speech and so I shouldn't be absent.

From the time I graduated in 1966, I only managed to attend an Alumni Homecoming once and that was when I was still in college at nearby Ateneo de Naga. After I left Bicol in 1971 and resided in Metro Manila, I never had a chance to attend class reunions anymore. I would get to see some (2 or 3) of my highschool classmates when ever I'd go home to visit my parents but which was seldom and since my parents died, I had not gone home for the past 10 years.

This morning I got hold of my old 'CONSOLATA 1966' yearbook of which I was Editor in Chief and it is somewhat nostalgic going over its pages.

"Faded photograph

Covered now with lines and creases"

My highschool graduation photo.

In my class uniform

Members of the Consolata Staff with me at the helm.... My younger sister, Serena, 2nd from right at the 3rd row of photos, the girl with eyeglasses...

When I was preparing the layout of this yearbook, my eldest brother who is an artist by profession was home on vacation at the time and so I hired him as 'guest artist' for the yearbook. It was not very surprising then that sketches of images all over the pages were replicas of my and my sisters' faces....

I had a chance to show my acting prowess when I was in 4th year high. I never knew I could act until I was cast as Tony (I am the handsome fellow seated at the extreme right in dark suit which I borrowed from my cousin) in the play 'New Yorker in Tondo'. Wow, that was an experience! It was there that I experienced or learned to smoke cigarettes. As Tony I had to actually smoke on stage so everyday I had this pack of menthol cigarette (I think it was Kent) in my pocket during the whole duration that we were rehearsing for the play. I remember the Mother Directress could not reprimand me each time she'd see me smoking inside the campus for then I would tell her, "Mother, I am only practicing how to smoke for the play, remember?".

I also remember the whole cast had to go to Manila with our teacher-play director, then Miss Rebecca Ocampo, to watch New Yorker in Tondo having its run at the FEU auditorium to give us an idea what the play was all about. Becky is now a popular Manila socialite (you will frequently see her inside the society pages nowadays) by the name of Becky Garcia, wife of a well known cosmetic surgeon. [Now that is a piece of trivia.....]

I remember I was holding my diploma while I was delivering my valedictory address and I was saying: "Inscribed on it are my sweat and tears, my joys and satisfactions.." That was probably true. I spent 10 years at LCC. Modesty aside, I was consistently at the head of my class and during that time when you were at the head, the teachers and the nuns expected much from you. Much responsibility was given to me and I had to be faithful to those responsibilities. Very early in my life, as early as 7 years old, as a grade 1 pupil and class president, I learned what service, leadership and commitment was all about. The Augustinian Nuns taught me that....

Trivia #1: Had my mother not intervened I would have belonged to Class '65 instead of Class '66 thus I would have gotten ahead of my original batch. By mid school year when I was in Grade 1, the Mother Directress recommended that I be accelerated to Grade 2. For two days I sat uncomfortably in the Grade 2 class. My mother did not approve of it and she did not believe in acceleration. She believed I needed to go through the regular process of education step by step so I had to go back to my original class which I loved. During my time, there was no pre-schooling as we have it now so I think I understand where my mother was coming from.

Trivia #2: There were three of us who were accelerated at that time and one was Jimmy Fabregas. Yes, THE Jaime Fabregas of showbiz fame. We were classmates in Grade 1 but after he was accelerated he transferred to Naga Parochial School and on to Ateneo de Naga. He was the typical atenean, bespectacled (I remember) and very good-looking. I would not be surprised if all the colegialas 'swooned' over him.....

Trivia #3: In all probability if my mother had allowed me to be accelerated I wouldn't have graduated ahead of my class. Jeanne Frances I. Illo had always been the better achiever. If I am not mistaken, she is presently a professor at the ADMU and she is an international figure having been a past president of the Women's Studies Association of the Philippines. And she is also a cousin on my father's side. We would have competed for honors in the class but I perfectly knew she was the better student.

Sor Esperanza Molina, OSA, the Mother Directress who was super-strict but I liked her. She was strict but always fair and just. She gave credit where credit was due. Besides she never reprimanded me when she'd see me smoking in class. I only had to tell her I was practicing out my role and she had willingly obliged me. Now, that was naughty of me, yeah! But I never abused the privilege. After the play was finished, I was also finished with my alibi. Besides I never got to enjoy smoking, so there....

There was one incident in one Religion class we had with her. At the start of the class she asked us to open our text book, "My Catholic Faith". Oh my, on that particular day I forgot to bring my book. I was waiting for her to reprimand me that as Class President I was setting a bad example to the whole class but she didn't. She requested all those who did not bring their books to step out of the room. Every one stepped out of the room except two of our classmates who had their books with them. We were asked to stay at the Library, adjacent to our classroom, in a kneeling position while she continued with her class with only two students present. And what did the rest of us do? We had fun playing with the "Spirit of the Glass" huddled together but still in a kneeling position. Hahaha! At that time we were hooked into the game and probably our parish priest had been tired listening to young students asking him at the confessional box as to whether playing the game just for fun was a sin.

The City Mayor who was among the guests of honor at the Graduation rites congratulating me.

I should owe some of the values that I learned during my growing up years to the Augustinian sisters. Their mission is to instill Gospel values in their young students and transform them into morally upright citizens, God-fearing and cognizant of the fact that all our talents and resources are to be used to promote God's reign in this life. It is not incompatible with the way of life that I have chosen, which is, the Carmelite way.

I tip my hat off to you my dear mentors: Sr Esperanza Molina, Sr Caridad de Sacramentado (did I get her name right?), Sr. Exaltacion, Sr. Consolacion (I wonder where they are now), Sr. Adelina Segismundo (she was the one who advised me to make the 7 Sunday Devotion to St. Joseph to make sure my college boyfriend at that time was the right guy for me). I understand Sr. Adelina is the incumbent Mother Superior of LCC at the moment so it would be nice seeing her again after all these years. Just the prospect of meeting her again would be enough motivation to attend the Homecoming and not to miss out on the fun....

COLLECTIONS OF PERIODICALS

2006-11-04T11:02:00.001+08:00

Since I am preparing for our transfer to our new place hopefully next month before Christmas, I am now in the act of sorting out tons of files, records, collections of various objects or junks accummulated through the years. I need to decide what to discard and what to keep for posterity; what would be useful or deemed useless because I would not dream of bringing them with me when we transfer to the new house. The new house is supposed to have a 'minimalist' look and I wouldn't have any place for all these junks. I have this tendency to horde things you know and it is becoming difficult for me to do away with them. It is now time I guess to practice detachment from all these non-essential things in life.

There are however some periodicals that I have painstakingly collected 20 years ago that I cannot do away with. It is full of historical value so I plan to have them book- binded for my library.

I have a complete collection of "MR & MS" which first came out at the height of Ninoy Aquino's assasination spanning through the snap election between Cory Aquino and Marcos. Very historical indeed....

Other 'underground' tabloids later emerged like the "We Forum", "Veritas" and the "Philippine Inquirer' which were all interesting reading so I kept them all in files.

I have always been interested in history. It is always good to look back the way we were and compare it with the here and now and reflect, have we truly learned our lessons of the past? If you ask me - I don't think we did.... It is sad but Filipinos never learn......

SIMPLE THINGS THAT DELIGHT ME...

2006-09-23T10:13:00.003+08:00

What gives you 'joy'? What gives you 'delight'? I have listed down simple things that give me delight and I have come up with the following items listed at random... My objective actually was to come up with 100 things that delight me but I just realized I can only come up with 70+. Try to come up with your own list and see how far it will go....

1. Raindrops on a sunny day.

2. A park or field of flowers like the one I saw at Keukenhof in Netherlands.

3. A zoo of animals.

4. Atop a hill overlooking a valley and I am surrounded by the beauty of God’s creations…

5. Fireworks on display and viewed from afar.

6. A cool breeze touching my face and I try to close my eyes and savor it's freshness...

7. Driving my Nissan Sentra especially when it is shiny and newly waxed and smelling like brand new courtesy of California Newport New Car Scent.

8. A well-paved road (always a motorist’s delight).

9. Driving thru EDSA, Ortigas and C5 without the traffic. How exhilarating it must be!
10. Eating breakfast while reading my emails and messages from my computer. It's like hitting two birds with one stone....

11. An early morning Mass and an inspiring homily. It's always a delight to start your day nourished by God's word and the Eucharist...

12. A toothy grin from a small girl during the “peace-be-with-you” portion.

13. A “God-bless-you” from an old beggar after handing her biscuits through the car window.

14. Exchanging corny jokes or silly talks with my daughters.

15. Listening to the unstoppable, animated tales and ‘forum gossips’ from Nikki. You've finished with your meals and she has not even touched her food because she cannot stop from 'blabbering' out her 'stories'.

16. Listening to Noreen’s hospital adventures.

17. Reading my favorite book in the comfort of my CR. Kaya nga 'comfort room'.

18. Those few hours before bedtime when I find myself alone in my bedroom having my quiet time with my Lord and my God and I realize it is indeed so quiet because I have fallen into deep slumber....

19. Fuji apples, ‘miniature ponkans’ (whatever do you call them?) and rambutans.

20. Twin Popsies and rocky road ice creams.

21. Eating ‘Razon’s” halo-halo in Ortigas. [Nikki and I have been frequenting this outlet whenever we needed to 'refresh' and we end up shivering in the cold]

22. Having an occasional (very rare) breakfast with Noreen or whenever she needs to be treated out to some meals outside of her hospital surroundings. She really needs to be treated out once in a while these days....

23. Baguet bread or any 'hard-crusted-soft-inside' bread.

24. All kinds of omelet especially Spanish omelet which is a favorite.

25. Green salads.

26. Brewed coffee for breakfast.

27. Playing ‘dynomite’ on my computer and seeing that my score has surpassed that of Nikki’s. (Hey, that’s truly delightful!)

28. Playing ‘text twist’ on my palm pilot during ‘waiting periods’…. It prevents me from getting bored.

29. ‘Bloging’ my thoughts, ideas, reflections about life, people I love….

30. Watching ‘Game Ka Na Ba’ while having my lunch. It helps digest my food as I digest the various educational data I get to learn in the process.

31. Watching “The Buzz” on Sunday afternoons when I happen to be home.

32. Receiving calls from friends: best friends, long-lost friends, and long-time friends. I enjoy talking with people on the phone for as long as they do not try to sell me things I do not need. Maybe I should be in ‘call centers’, eh?

33. Sitting beside Nikki while she is posting on the ‘Shout Box’ of her On-line Forum and inter-active message board trying to ‘peep-in’. I always enjoy her repartee to the group.

34. Browsing over photos and photo albums especially Nikki’s self-portraits. I am the president of her personal fan's club....

35. Receiving meaningful gifts from friends and relatives: functional items that I wouldn’t care to buy but which I wouldn’t mind receiving.

36. Watching “feel-good” movies… that of Sandra Bullock, Reese Witherspoon, Meg Ryan, Hugh Grant and a lot more…

37. ‘Dell’ and ‘Penny Press’ Word Puzzle Magazines. I'd need them to exercise my brain's capacity. I'd hate to have Alzheimer's disease in my old age...

38. A full moon on a cloudless night. [It's my time to 'fly'...]

39. A starry, starry night… (not the Van Gogh painting).

40. The sounds of the sixties: Beatles, Neil Sedaka, Paul Anka, Herman’s Hermits, Cascades, etc. It always makes me feel young...

41. Abba and the Carpenters.

42. CD piano selections and music for meditations ….

43. Listening to Arnold Clavio and Ali Sotto on DZBB on my car radio especially their ‘jeng-jengan’ portion while driving.

44. The big ‘barquillos’ being sold by street hawkers.

45. My Hedgren shoulder bag - very compact.

46. My palm pilot (but of course! It's my dependable 'girl friday'.)

47. My cell phone. who wouldn't delight in this 'techie' item?

48. My books and DVD collections. It's a given...

49. Hearing Christmas songs being played in September.

50. Ding Dong mixed nuts. Crunchy, crunchy delight...

51. Receiving affirmations from friends who really matter... 'yung totoo lang!

52. Chatting via YM with friends and family. Kadalasan si Nikki lang ka-chat ko.

53. Reading ‘Yes’ and ‘Kris’ Magazines (babaw talaga!)

54. Doing sing-along with Magic Sing especially when I get a 97+ scores....

55. Green fields and verdant mountains and I get to breathe fresh, fresh air...

56. The sound of birds chirping outside my windowpane as the morning sun starts to peak in...

57. A view of the sunset... from the roof deck....

58. Falling leaves and shooting stars. I still have to experience real autumn tho'. That would be a joy to experience...

59. A young white rabbit. I would want them eternally young and small....

60. Colorful Christmas lights.... and blinking....

61. A barely ripe banana of the ‘saba’ variety coated with cornstarch and fried until slightly brown. It's a bicol delicacy... Or the fresh fruit of a pili nut tree, blanched in a hot water, peeled, and the pulp dipped in patis with calamansi.....

62. ‘Best buy’ sales especially when I needed to buy things and I didn’t know they were discounted and on sale until I have paid for the items and discovered I paid less than what I expected to pay. It’s a delightful feeling.

63. Discovering new things and new ways with and in my computer…

64. Knowing and learning that other people are touched and moved by my bible sharing in my blog and knowing that I am able to help them in their own spiritual journeys…

65. Taking photos with my Canon camera to be used for my blogs.

66. Daydreaming once in a while about whether God would one day make me a ‘doting grandmother’ and I find myself singing "Que Sera, Sera"; whatever will be, will be....

67. Sharing and discussing insights with my few ‘spiritual’ friends. How I wish there are more of them...

68. Every time Jesus makes me feel He loves me via all the little miracles I experience day by day… and via answers to all my prayers….

69. Knowing I have made somebody happy…

70. Those occasional (very rare) moments when the Lord grants me the grace of devotion....

71. Every bonding moments with my fellow Lay Carmelites....

72. Annual Family Reunions (D' Corporal's)... when I get to see my grand nieces and grand nephews....

73. All birthday celebrations... especially my own spent with close friends...

74. Christmas Eve celebrations.... It is always a joy to contemplate Jesus' birth...

75. "Happy Feet" the movie animation. How truly delightful!

76. Having lunch with my best friend in Freshman college whom I have not seen for the past 40 years and knowing our friendship has remained intact inspite of the years in between. It is such a delight reminiscing the fond memories of years gone by...

77. Competing with Noreen, Nikki and my sisters at the Word and Sudoko Challenge and the various Mindjolt Games and Know-It-All Trivia Quizzes in Facebook....

PRESENTING PINOY DVD.COM

2006-09-19T16:22:00.001+08:00

Hey, just got the two DVDs we ordered last night from Pinoy DVD.com. It's great! They deliver in less than 24 hours.

DVDs by Warner Bros are on sale at Pinoy DVD on-line and also at the different AstroVision and AstroPlus outlets. However we couldn't find the 2-disc special edition of Robin Hood and the limited edition 2-disc set of Miss Congeniality 1 & 2 at the Megamall and Podium so Nikki and I decided to order from PinoyDVD On-line. It is really 'good buys' - like 50% discount or even more!

Two Disc special Edition of Robin Hood now selling at P350

The 2-disc set of Miss Congeniality (1 & 2) plus a VCD copy of the movie's sound track for only P350. Great buy!

PLAYING FAVORITES - Chapter 2

2006-09-16T09:50:00.001+08:00

HOBBIES

Aside from reading, which is the main reason why I love to buy and collect books (see Playing Favorites, Chapter 1) the next favorite pastime that I have is watching movies, whether in my favorite theaters or in my home via DVDs. This is also the primary reason why I have started to collect DVD Movies with the help of Nikki who would conscientiously advise me of DVD sales at Amazon.com and Pinoy DVD.com. (I only buy when DVDs are offered on sale).

When we were kids we were only allowed to go to the movie house and watch movies after our parents have watched them that is if my mother wasn't sure what the movie was all about. So the movies that I got to watch when I was growing up was limited to religious movies and those for general patronage.

When I was about 13, I saw the movie "The Carmelites" (based on the opera 'Dialogues of the Carmelites') starring Jeanne Moreau. It was about the 16 Carmelite Nuns who were put to death via the guillotine during the French Revolution. That movie had touched my young impressionable mind and probably had planted the first seed of my Carmelite vocation.

From the time I had my 1st Internet connection I started looking and researching where I could possibly procure a copy of that film produced in 1962. Just a few days ago, I chanced upon an email at Amazon.com from a Swiss guy who claimed he has a copy of the original film. However it turned out his copy is a French film produced in 1960 and it has no sub-titles.

I am trying to look for that English movie starring Jeanne Moreau. Anybody there who knows where I could get a copy? I am willing to pay any price to get a copy of that film because it is something I need to have.

I am also on the lookout for a DVD copy of the TV Series "ROOTS". Oh, how I loved that movie. I also have the book with the same title written by Alex Haley and how he was able to trace his roots to Kunta Kinte. There are copies of the said DVD available for sale from individual sellers. However I would want to buy only direct from Amazon for security reasons.

The original "Love Bug" was bought from Amazon. It is not available locally. I am also trying to collect award winning films, especially the old classic ones.

"A Man for All Season" , a movie about St. Thomas More had to be ordered from Amazon as well because I couldn't find a copy at the local stores. And so with "Gone With The Wind", two of my all-time favorties.
I love Musicals. The 40th Anniversary edition of "The Sound of Music" is a good collection. I would also love to have DVD copies of "My Fair Lady", "Oliver", "West Side Story", "Moulin Rouge", "Mary Poppins", "The King and I", "Chicago", "Thoroughly Modern Millie", to name just a few. WOW!

There is something about movie-making that fascinates me. That is why I love the 3-disc Collector's Edition of the "Titanic". James Cameron is superb and simply great.

"Ben Hur" and the "Ten Commandments" would always be among my all-time favorties. I can watch these two movies over and over again without being tired of them. Charlton Heston has been my favorite actor since I was in highschool.

Above are some of my favorite contemporary films.

A peek into our DVD Collections. Included are Nikki's personal collections like her 6-seasons of Friends, Lord of the Ring Trilogy, Buffy, collector's edition of Wizard of OZ, Harry Potter's complete series and the 4-disc Godfather Trilogy in a box set.

I hope to expand my DVD collection to include ALL biographical films about the saints, artists and great leaders of our time. Some day I hope to organize a small (five at the most) weekly group of movie enthusiasts to gather at my home for a weekly movie discussion forum. Why not?

THE POEM OF THE MAN-GOD

2006-09-12T07:10:00.000+08:00

I had my first volume of Maria Valtorta's book sometime in 1991. Touched and inspired by so much insight just reading them I started promoting them to my sisters in the Charismatic prayer group. The books have given me so much insights on the Gospels and the great miracles performed by Jesus. I especially love reading again and again the miracle story on the multiplication of the bread and the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Awesome! Also the conversion of Mary Magdalene, the Passion of Jesus and the lamentations of Mary, the Nativity and the hidden life at Nazareth, the adoration of the shepherds and the Magi, the election of the Apostles, insights on the person of Judas and Peter, and so many aspects on the Gospels.

Here is an official description of the five (5) Volumes: This detailed description of the lives of Jesus and Mary - based on over 700 mystical visions and dictations granted to Maria Valtorta in the 1940s - was given a verbal Imprimatur by Pope Pius XII in 1948. Volume 1 describes the hidden life of the Holy Family - the birth of Mary, Her childhood and betrothal to Joseph, the birth and early childhood of Jesus, the death of Joseph, and the first year of Jesus’ public life. Volumes 2, 3 and 4 recount the second and third years of Jesus’ public life, including His teachings, conversions and miracles while journeying through Palestine with His apostles and His disciples. Volume 5 describes the raising of Lazarus, Jesus’ Passion and Death, His Resurrection and subsequent appearances, Mary’s suffering, Her Motherhood of the early Church and Her Assumption into Heaven, and finally gives seven important reasons for the gift of this great work.

Surfing through the internet I got this valuable information:

"Nor is Medjugorje unconnected to Valtorta's Poem, since on separate occasions two of the Medjugorje visionaries, Maria Pavlovich and Vicka Ivankovich were specifically requested to ask the Madonna about it. So in 1985, e.g., Maria Pavlovich upon hearing someone ask about the Poem, stated that two years previously a Franciscan friar had requested her to ask the Madonna about it. The visionary then became serious and said:

Maria Valtorta! All true: The Poem of the Man-God. The Madonna said two years ago: all true! dictated by Jesus!

Likewise, in an interview with Attorney Jan Connell of the Pittsburgh Center for Peace on January 27, 1988, Connell asked the visionary Vicka Ivankovich if there were any other books Our Lady had told her about. Vicka replied:

Yes. The Poem of the Man-God by Maria Valtorta, ten volumes. Our Lady says The Poem of the Man-God is the truth.... Our Lady said if a person wants to know Jesus he should read Poem of the Man-God by Maria Valtorta. That book is the truth." (http://www.bardstown.com/~brchrys/Valepic.htm)

Athoritative Testimonials

His Holiness Pope Pius XlI, February 26 1948 "Publish this work as it is. there is no need to give an opinion about its origin, whether it be extraordinary or not. Who reads it, will understand." The names of the three Servite priests were listed the next day in l'Osservatore Romano as having had the private audience with the pope: Fr. R. Migliorini (Maria's spiritual director), Fr. C. Berti, professor of Dogmatic and Sacramental Theology at Marianum, Pontifical Faculty of Theology, in Rome, and Fr. A. Cecchin, Prior of the Servites International College. Fr Peter Mary Rookey, a well known healing priest based in the Chicago area, had a conversation with Fr. Cecchin in the 1990's who recalled that the pope did indeed order the work to be published, but that the pope also advised them to try to find a bishop who would give it an Imprimatur.

Archbishop Alfonso Carinci, Secretary of the Congregation of the Sacred Rites (1946): " There is nothing therein which is contrary to the Gospel. Rather, this work, a good complement to the Gospel, contributes towards a better understanding of its meaning."

Fr. Dreyfus, of the French Biblical and Archeological School, Jerusalem (1986) "I was greatly impressed on finding in Maria Valtorta's work the names of at least six or seven towns, which are absent from the Old and New Testaments. These names are known but to a few specialists, and through non-biblical sources... [...] Now, how could she have known these names, if not through the revelations she claims that she had?"

John Haffert, author, (1995) "I have the 10 volumes of The Poem of the Men-God in Italian and French. It is the most wonderful work I have ever read and I consider it a blessing of God. I'm in my seventies. And in my entire life, among all the books I've read, The Poem of the Man-God is the one that has done me the most good in my spiritual life."

Msgr. Ugo Lattanzi, dean of the Faculty of Theology of the Lateran Pontifical University, adviser to the Holy Office (1951) "The author could not have written such an abundant amount of material without being under the influence of a supernatural power."

Fr. Agostino Bea (future Cardinal), Jesuit, rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute and advisor to the Holy Office (1952) "I have read in typed manuscripts many of the books written by Maria Valtorta [...] As far as exegesis is concerned, I did not find any errors in the parts which I examined."

Fr, Marco Giraudo, O.P. Commissioner of the Holy Office in 1961, to Fr, Berti, representing the Order of the Servants of Mary, and made responsible for her writings by Maria Vallorta herself (1961) "You have our complete approval to continue the publication of this second edition of Valtorta's Poem of the Man-God"

Sister Monica Foltier, Cincinnati, Ohio (1987) "lt is fantastic. I could hardly let it out of my hands. After I finished it once, I immediately began to read it again. It is going to have a terrific impact on those who wish to live a more religious life."

Jean Aulagnier, specialist in ancient calendars, author of a book on Valtorta's work (1995) "Having established a scientific chronolgy of all events and occurrences in Maria Valtorta's work, I cannot but say it remains unexplainable otherwise than by divine intervention."

Wayne Weible, International reporter and Christian preacher, South Carolina (1987) "I must tell you that I consider this book to be the greatest book I have ever read outside of the holy scriptures. It is a full amplification of the gospel stories of Jesus. I am forever indebted to Maria [Valtorta] for this tremendous work. I am promoting it as the best source for details of the life of Christ and His BIessed Mother. Everywhere I speak I recommend it."

Roulie Stadelmen, Great Modowa, N.J, (1987) "The Poem of the Man-God, I LOVE IT. My only regret is that I have not read it before."

David Ottman, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada (1987) "The Poem of the Man-God should be put into the hands of as many sincere people as possible [...] It is a wonderful book and I have been so deeply touched by the simple beauty of the account of Our Lord's Life."

Msgr. Macchi. private secretary of Pope Paul VI, to Fr. C. M. Berti OSM, in an hour long interview (1963) "When His Holiness (Paul VI) was Archbishop of Milan, he read one of the books of The Poem of the Man-God. He told me how he appreciated it, and had me send the complete work to the Library of the diocesan Seminary."

Msgr. Gianfranco Nolli, director of the Vatican Museum, author (1971) "Whoever reads The Poem of the Man-God is favored with spiritual blessing and inner peace."

Fr. Gabriel M. Roschini, professor at "Marianum", Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Rome, famous mariologist, author of 130 books, and advisor to the Holy Office (1972) "I must candidly admit that the Mariology found in Maria Valtorta's writings, whether published or not, has been for me a real discovery. No other Marian writing, not even the sum total of all the writings I have read and studied were able to give me as clear, as lively, as complete, as luminous, or as fascinating an image, both simple and sublime, of Mary, God's masterpiece."

Dr, Vittorio Tredici, geologist and mineralogist, Italy (1952) "I wish to underline the author's unexplainably precise knowledge of Palestine in its panoramic, topographic, geological and mineralogical aspects."

Fr. A.S. Rosso, ofm, missionary, professor, editor (1974) "I always find something new in it, even after reading it eight times."

Prof, Fabrizio Braccini, University of Palermo (1979) "What constitutes the finish line for others, so to speak, is, on the contrary Maria Valtorta's ascetic starting point."

Fr. Gabriel Allegre, Servant of God, OFM, , Macao/Hong-Kong (1970). Father Gabriel was the first to transtlate the entire Bible into Chinese. He started the first Biblical institute in China. The title "Servant of God" shows that this pre-eminent scripture scholar has passed the first test in the process of becoming a recognized saint of the Roman Catholic Church. Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world."The finger of God is here. As for theological justification of a book as convincing, as charismatic, as extraordinary even from a merely human point of view, as is Maria Valtorta's POEM OF THE MAN-GOD, I find it in St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians 14,6 where he writes: Take me, for instance brothers, of what use could I be to you, if I were to come to you speaking tongues, but without revelation or knowledge, prophecy or doctrine?"

H.E. George H. Pearce, s.m., former Archbishop of Suva, Fiji, now active in Providence, Rhode Island (1987) "I first came in contact with the work of Maria Valtorta in 1979 [...] I find it tremendously inspiring. It is impossible for me to imagine that anyone could read this tremendous work with an open mind and not be convinced that its author can be no one but the Holy Spirit of God."

Fr. Gino C. Violini, Calgary Alberta, Canada (1987) "lt is the gospel proclaimed with new vigor and detail. It is a powerful light beamed on the person of Jesus Christ and his eternal teachings. Indeed this work appears to be the only true vision-and-word revelation on the gospels ever granted to mankind."

Rev. E. Vitchkoski, M. I. C., Thompson, Connecticut (1987) "I have read the story of the Adoration of the Shepherds... at least 8 times... to individuals, small groups, and even a group of 24. The reaction is amazing. All are touched profoundly. [...] All are enthusiastic. I believe that this is the age to know more about Our Lord and Lady. The time is ripe and the people ready and thirsting to know and love."

Fr. Brendan O'Keefe, St Louis, Missouri (1987) "lt seemed to have a mystifying effect on me bringing a deep inner peace."

To know more about Maria Valtorta and her writings please visit http://www.bardstown.com/~brchrys/index.html

PLAYING FAVORITES - Chapter 1

2006-09-10T08:58:00.001+08:00

Books

My taste in books changed as I matured through the years. When I was in grade school through high school I combed our school library shelves of children's adventure books: Bobsey Twins Series, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Mystery Books, etc. In college I shifted to Barbara Cartland paperbacks, Mills & Boone, Denise Robbins and the Perry Mason/ Ellery Queen Mystery novels.

As I was about to graduate I began to love the novels by Taylor Caldwel and Harold Robbins (did I get the name right, perhaps?). After college, in the early ‘70s I started to outgrow my taste for fiction novels so I started collecting non-fiction, especially biographies and autobiographical books. Today I only buy non-fiction books. The only novel/fiction I have read in recent month is “Memoirs of a Geisha”, and that was after I had seen the movie of the same title.

I love reading non-fiction especially those dealing with the lives of the saints or individuals who has gained some element of greatness at one time in their lives, about the way they have overcome difficulties and conquered them, about their coping mechanisms, about their success stories, about real gripping dramatic events occurring in the world, about the making of movies (Titanic and the Making of James Cameron).

A sample of the books that I have bought but are still waiting to be read

I love spirituality books (I have so many of these especially dealing with Carmelite Spirituality) and how it can guide me in my spiritual journey. I have complete collection of Thomas Green S.J. books. His early books, ‘Opening to God’, ‘When the Well Runs Dry’ and ‘Darkness in the Marketplace’ have especially aided me in the 1st stages of my spiritual journey (when I got into the Charismatic Renewal Movement in 1988) and in my initial formation as a Third Order Carmelite in 1991 onwards.

Books authored by great saints. Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux remains a favorite. I have read it thrice. The same goes with the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila. The volume on the Letters written by St. Therese is very insightful.

I also have a wide collection (more than 20) of Fr. Nil Guillemette's God Tales for Young and Old. It is very good spiritual readings for all ages (my children love them and the lessons that are taught and learned) formatted like fables and fairy tales. A few years back when I first started out with my Bible Sharing apostolate I used to share some tales from these books after getting permission from Fr. Nil himself. We had exchanged a few letters for awhile. No he doesn't have an email so it was via snail mail. I still have his letters for posterity.

The best collection I have however is the complete volume (5 books) of Maria Valtorta's "The Poem of the Man-God". It is truly magnificent. Maria Valtorta is an Italian mystic who died in 1961 and the book is the recording of her visions and dictations by Mary and Jesus. The Gospels come alive in her books. It is awesome! I would advise one who is really serious in following Jesus to read them.... I shall write about these books later....

I still have books presently in the "currently-being-read category". It is taking a long time for me to finish them because I am reading them simultaneously and only when I have the free time to do so, like when I need to go to the comfort room.... Then there is the book "Conclave" by John Allen Jr, and deals with the politics, personalities and process of the papal election which I bought last year and it has become a permanent fixture in my car. I like to have a book with me at any given time of the day just to make sure I would have something to read in case I am stranded somewhere in time in some deserted place. Books have always been dependable and loyal companions since I was a child. But today they have become second only to my palm pilot....

The books I have been trying to read simultaneously since so many months ago resulting in not having finished any of them (hahaha!!)

My all-time favorite next to the Bible (but of course) is Thomas A. Kempis’ “Imitation of Christ”.

It has accompanied me in my journey through thick and thin (take note of its battered appearance), through various falling and rising up again and again (that's why it appears battered and looks more like a battered book). Before retiring at night I’d ask Jesus to give me a message and I’d open the book at random and read a chapter. Always the chapter I open to answers my spiritual concerns at the moment – God truly speaks to me through that book.

Magazines

At the moment (since we’re into finishing the construction project) I love reading “My Home”, “Real Living” and various magazines about interior designs and the like.

For entertainment, I buy “YES!” mags and yes, very recently I discovered “Kris Magazine”. I am a fan of Krissy. I like her guts, her personality, her commitment and attitude towards her profession, towards her various possessions, something that should probably be emulated by other showbiz personalities. I am glad to know she has also turned more spiritual in her outlooks in life. See, I can also be a showbiz freak…like every one else.

Newspapers

We subscribe daily to ‘The Philippine Star’ but you know I have gotten tired reading about the latest news in the front pages so I’d only look for Ricky Lo’s entertainment column and it always makes my day. Kidding aside, I like reading Conrado de Quiros’ columns and I do it via the Internet because he writes for another newspaper….

Today is Our Lady's Birthday...

2006-09-08T08:42:00.001+08:00

So today is the Blessed Mother's birthday. Happy birthday Mama Mary!!! Yesterday I couldn't leave home (Nix had my car) when I suddenly remembered I was supposed to buy some flowers for our Lady. So I called up the office and tried to 'make bilin" to Nikki to buy one for me before going home. I was met with a barrage of complaints "Mom, I have this throbbing headache" (she's got a TMJ and she's scheduled today for the installation of her splint by her dentist); "I wanna go home na; besides I don't have money - I only have eighty pesos in my wallet" (poor girl!); "my gum is hurting so badly" (she's got this impacted wisdom tooth and the gums around it has swelled to enormous proportion and she's scheduled to undergo dental surgery on Monday. Tsk, tsk poor poor Mei Mei - chinese word for 'bunso'.)

So I got to church this morning without any flowers for Mama Mary. I prayed and offered her the remaining years of my life to be spent in service for her Son, Jesus and in imitation of her contemplative-active life. Isn't it said that the highest form of devotion is 'imitation'? So I guess the highest form of devotion we could show her is not so much the offering of physical flowers but the flowers of our spiritual life lived in faithful imitation of her virtues.

Everyone appeared to be carrying flowers and I didn't have one but I believed Our Lady already knew of my sincere intentions. Then the Ph 3 coordinator approached me carrying a basket of flowers and distributing them to Phase 3 homeowners "para sa mga taga phase 3 lang..." and she handed me one. Mama Mary provided me with a flower to be offered for her - can you imagine that? Thank you dear Mother!

There was going to be an 'agape' at the Lay formation Center after the Mass but I needed to prepare breakfast for my husband.....

A CEO TURNS 60....

2006-09-07T13:50:00.001+08:00

September 5, Tuesday was a red-letter day for our employees: it was the big 'BOSS' 60th birthday. As they had expected, there was going to be a celebration. Though just a simple one, the workers knew there would be food, lots of 'pulutan' and drinks and of course the expected 'sing-a-long' that would last until midnight (at their discretion of course) because they knew they were expected to report back to work the next morning....

Nards began his day by attending the 7:00 a.m. mass with me at St. Joseph. What better way to thank the Lord for all the blessings received. Then he was off to the office while Nikki and I had to run errands later in the morning. But as luck would have it, my car battery chose to conk itself out (I never expected it, tho' I just realized it's been 17 months since I bought it. So it was indeed time to replace it...) while parked at Robinson's Metroeast. We were finished with our groceries at 2:30 pm. but we were stuck at the basement carpark and it took quite sometime before my 'mechanic' arrived to lend me a car battery so I could go buy me a new battery for my car. Meanwhile, the two bags of tube ice had began melting at the baggage compartment and my matting was dripping wet. And Nikki's head was throbbing - probably from the fumes we were inhaling at the basement carpark...

Equipped with a new car battery we had to go back to Vista Verde to pick up the 'lumpia shanghai' that Belen had prepared. It was already 4:30 by then. By the time we got to the factory, it was 5:00 p.m. and time for the planned "Merienda Sena" to be served.

Food was simple (I had'nt the luxury of time to prepare Molo Soup) and consisted of Sotanghon (Goldilocks), Pansit Malabon, a mere 2 kilos of Lechon Cebu (Robinsons supermarket had ran out of stock), Lechon Manok, Lumpia Shanghai, Kalderetang Kambing (prepared by Ronnie, one of our factory workers) and 'papaitan'.

The ladies were given the privilege to get the first servings....

Tangcor celebrations are never complete without the ever-dependable "Magic Sing". Everybody looks forward to showcasing their singing talents every time. I'd never thought our workers had other talents other than machining, grinding, polishing or welding. Lahat sila magaling kumanta. All of them including all the guests had to render some songs before they could leave.

Serenading their "Boss" with the Happy Birthday Song - 'sa yo ang pulutan....'

The birthday celebrant singing his signature song "My Way

.... and my signature song "Top of the World"

Nikki, Del (our secretary), Benny (Sales Manager) and me.

Del with our lady assemblers. Benny and Egay at the back

Nards with some of our client guests

Our factory staff with Dante (in red, in-charge of operations) and Henry (3rd from left, a consultant & friend)

Birthday celebrations and the company christmas parties are occasions when staff and employees are made to feel they belong to one family. We do make them feel 'they are family.' Nards always make them feel he's 'the boss' while at work but 'a friend' outside of work.

The Beauty of F.I.Y.

2006-09-06T08:49:00.001+08:00

DO-IT-YOURSELF or D.I.Y. is the in-thing nowadays and we see these at the various D.I.Y. shops like Ace or Handyman outlets. For some of our house requirements however we have the "F.I.Y." or FABRICATE-IT-YOURSELF. Yeah, there is fun in fabricating these home furnishings. After all we have the necessary machinery equipment and skilled workers to do them. As a mechanical engineer by profession, my husband could easily design and manufacture them.

He had wanted to design and fabricate the range hood for my kitchen. He wouldn't want me to buy one, again to save on additional or unnecessary expenses.

My Range Hood-in-the-making at the factory site

He designed and fabricated a towel bar that goes with a rack from various scraps of stainless tubings used for one of our products. He would want to install it in the Master's T&B but there seems to be no place for it there. It's unfortunate that he designed and had it fabricated without first consulting with me because it doesn't fit in the design that we have for the Master's T&B. So I am going to install it at the T&B in the loft area for the guest room instead.

The Towel Rack made of stainless steel

My husband had been saving all stainless tubing scraps from our water purifier project and he had accumulated so much scrap materials enough to meet our requirements for the railings at the roof deck and the loft and even for the fences. Tho' we still had to buy new stainless materials it is saving us a lot of money for these installations because of the scraps left from various prrojects...

The railing to be installed at the loft area.... Who would ever think this came from scrap materials?

One of the factory workers 'grinding' (or is he rather polishing it?) a stainless bar... Take note of the 'oblong-shaped stainless tube'. I doubt if you'd find a similar one in the market. That's my husband's idea and design.

One of our factory welders specializing on stainless steel working on the railings for the Roof Deck....

I have also asked my husband to fabricate a stainless "Dumb Waiter" to be driven by a pulley to transport heavy objects (or garbage) from the ground floor to the different levels of the unit and vice versa. And I am thinking of stainless shelves for the vanity area of the Master's T&B....

Our company, TANGCOR MANUFACTURING CORP., by the way, is into the manufacture of various metal and plastic products. We manufacture all kinds of jigs, fixtures, toolings and various (plastic, blow, etc) moulds for other companies but we do have our own products like the water purifier system and the various TANGCOR poultry/piggery equipment, to mention a few: Plastic Tubefeeders & Galloners, Plastic Eggcrates, Plastic Layer Cages, Plastic Flooring Slats, etc. needed for Chicken Broiler, Breeder and Layer Farms and piggery. Hey, we're joining the EGG SHOW at the SM Megatrade Hall on Sept 15-17. Come and visit our booth.

THE NIGHT WITH THE CASCADES...

2006-09-02T16:12:00.001+08:00

On June 17, 2006, 8:00 in the evening at the Ynares Stadium, Antipolo, I came face to face with the "Cascades". Yeah, THE CASCADES, none other!

Glo and Edil had free tickets to the concert and had accommodation for another two so we invited Josie to come along with us. We were like young swooning school girls in the 1960's lining up for the artists' autographs.

Majority of the crowd were in their 40's and 50's - but of course!

It was back to the days of "Shy Girl", "The Last Leaf", "Was I Dreamin'" - the sounds of the Cascades. Obviously the people were familiar with all the songs and were singing along with the Cascades.

The Cascades were obviously older now. John Gummoe (lead singer) has gone bald. I liked Gabe Lapano (at the Keyboard) best. He has a powerful voice especially when he sang Tom Jones songs and imitated him.

Gabe singing "Delilah"

Gabe and John

There was a long line of autograph seekers but we waited patiently in line... really.

That is Chuck Crews (Lead Guitar, in black shirt). "I like the color of your blouse. It's baby pink!" He tells me. Tony Grasso is the guy with the cowboy hat.

Glo, Josie and I posing for posterity behind Gabe and Chuck

The Joy of Building a Dream House...

2006-09-02T14:05:00.001+08:00

The two-bedroom bungalow that we built in 1984 had become too small for my family. Besides it had been heavily infested with pest and termites after we vacated it in August 2000. For sometime we utilized the building as "bodega" or stockroom for TANGCOR inventories.

In October last year Nikki and I thought of demolishing the old house to build a condo-like residential unit in its place since the lot is very small. Nards would not want to go along with the idea at first because he would rather that we sell the property. We have another residential lot in Antipolo where he would really want us to take up residence. Noreen and Nikki however had wanted to retain the Vista Verde property for sentimental reasons (it is where they experienced their growing-up years). I had to consult the Lord in prayer: should we or shouldn't we? Besides we did not have the money at the time to build it. Would P300,000 be enough? Please Lord, give me a sign, so I prayed. I trusted and believed that if the Lord should indicate very concretely that I "Go for it!", He would surely provide me with the funds to sustain the project. He did give me the sign I was waiting for...and He continues to provide us with what we need in finishing the project...

The facade facing Barcelona Street. That is me with Marissa from KICCO. Please note that my Architect had the site entirely covered. He would not also demolish the old fence structure until after the whole construction is finished.

The facade facing Saragossa Street

At present we are in the finishing stages… and am caught in the middle of so many choices to make… Oh my! Since Nikki and I have decided to try our hands at interior designing (we decided not to hire an interior designer to save on costs) there is these endless arguments and discussions about what tiles and flooring materials to use, anong kulay nitong room, etc… etc... etc.

Then I discovered KICCO Kitchen whose factory is located just a few blocks away. The family who owns it lives in the Village. I have contracted them to design and make modular cabinets for my kitchen, pantry/utility/laundry area, entertainment/family room and home office, wardrobe cabinets for the walk-in closets. They design for free, by the way.

This is the loft area (3rd level) where the Family/Entertainment/Home Office area would be located.

This is the Living/Dining Area

This is the Hallway leading to the Master's Bedroom

We love windows so we have lots of these but definitely no grills please. Nards however would not think of not having grills around for security reasons. A compromise has been reached. Nikki and I have to agree to have grills installed in his Den/Study at the ground floor.

The children and I would want a compact, low-maintenance residential unit. It should be easily maintained even without the presence of maids and helpers. [Right now I do not have any live-in maids to help me around]. I personally would not want to be so pre-occupied with unnecesary cleaning, floor polishing, etc. because I would want to be spending the remaining years of my life in active service for the Lord. Hence, all available spaces in this unit should be functional and organized and free of unnecessary clutter. It is going to be minimalistic.

My Once-A-Year Annual (!?!) Event

2006-05-28T08:25:00.001+08:00

May 26, 2006

It was meant to be a small affair with only ‘close’ friends, relatives and ‘sisters-brothers’ in community in attendance. Not every one of those invited could make it however because of conflict in their schedules. I invited about 30 people; only 19 could come.

Elbow Room at Metrowalk is a place where you can hang out with your friends; play billiards while listening to a live band. “Metrowalk” in fact is the latest “gimmickan” of ‘yuppies’ these days.

I booked VIP Room 1 (from 5 to 9 pm) to give guests the chance to play billiard in private and ‘sing-along’ with gusto or just plainly enjoy an array of Elbow Room food. Food was great! I needed to say good-bye to South Beach Diet for a while.

That's me...

Noreen displayed her singing prowess...

The same way Aimee, my niece, did...
...while Aileen tackled her billiard stick with ease...

It was a chance to meet with long-time friends whom I seldom get to bond with. My friendship with Remy (Noreen’s godmother) goes back to more than 30 years when we were office mates. We have gotten in touched only very recently again. She has been missing in my birthday celebrations for the past three years. I was glad she could come this time.

Remy & me sharing funny memories....

Glo and Josie (friends from same village since years ago) are the kind of friends whom I rarely get to see or even talk with on the phone (due to my busy schedule with TOC activities) but whenever we get around to seeing each other, we take off from where we left off the last time we saw each other no matter if the last time was a year or so ago. No gap of any sort is experienced no matter if we’ve been incommunicado for so long. I think these are the friends that matter most at the end of the day. They are faithful; they are true. They remain my friends no matter what I do.

Glo (extreme left) and Josie (extreme right)

One such friend was not around to share my joy yesterday. Dinia and family have migrated to the States last year. She was supposed to have called up the house last night while I was at Elbow Room. She called up later in the evening but I was having some dizzy moments in bed right after I got home so we were not able to talk. I returned her call this morning though.

Dinia and me at my b-day celebration, Red Box, Makati, last year...

It was also a time to share my special moments with sisters-brothers in my Carmelite community. I only invited my co-workers in the National Office and three came (Joe, Sally and Elvie). Joe came with his wife, Mila, who is also a friend. The three Friars I invited could not make it because they were attending the inauguration of the Carmelite Spirituality Center in Ormoc City. Only Fr. Pete and Bro. Arnold, a student friar made it to the affair.

Missing in the picture was Joe....

From my relatives, only my sister Salve with my pretty nieces (April, Aimee and Aileen) could come. I only invited my two sisters but Serena and family had begged off. Besides the fact that they reside in far-off Cavite, Dada and Tina (again two pretty nieces. All my nieces in fact are pretty and lovely) had to contend with office work. They had wanted me to move the affair to Saturday but I was going to have my whole day fraternal visit to four TOC Communities in Bulacan the whole of Saturday and Noreen is leaving for Baguio City for a Doctors’ Conference this Sunday.

My sister and her daughters...

My two daughters were there to join in the fun with me. Unfortunately my husband was derailed in a business meeting with clients.

Nikki (my official photographer that night) and Noreen

Once in a while we need to pause from our busy schedules and re-create ourselves to avoid suffering from ‘burnt out’. Birthdays are such occasions to enjoy life when we still have it and to thank God for all the blessings being showered on us. It is indeed a day of thanksgiving for all the blessings we have received and to share those blessings with people who matters most in our lives. This is the main reason I always try to celebrate my birthdays... while I can still enjoy them....

My Birthday Ponderings....

2006-05-25T10:31:00.001+08:00

My cell phone beeped with an incoming message at 2:30 in the morning and it suddenly wakened me up. The birthday message came from my daughter, Noreen, who was on hospital duty. I couldn’t get myself back to sleep afterwards.

I remember falling asleep at around 9 last night. It was too early for me to get to bed. My regular bedtime is 11 or 12, so that explains why it was so difficult to go back to sleep at 2:30 a.m. I have had at least 5 hours of sleep. Generally 5 hours of sleep is enough for me. Sign of mid-life I guess? Sign of getting older? Hey, I still have three years to go before I could own a senior citizen’s card, you know….

I celebrate my birthday every 25th of May but my birth certificate shows May 28 to be the date. I came to know about this when I applied for my very first passport in 1981 and I had to secure a copy of my birth certificate. My mother however was very emphatic that I was born May 25 but that the midwife only filed for my birth certificate on May 28. That probably explains the reason for the discrepancy in the dates.

I learned today (during this morning’s homily at Mass) that the great Padre Pio’s birthday was also the same day as mine. And today is also the great feast of one of the great Carmelite Saints, St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi. How I wish we could visit St. Mary Magdalene’s shrine in Florence, Italy when we go there this September. How I wish…

My cell phone has been beeping non-stop with birthday messages since early this morning. The very first greeting came from Dinia, my best friend who has migrated to the US last year. The message registered at 9:52 a.m. Florida time so probably the text message came at 10:00 p.m. last night when I was already asleep. Oh yes, there were advance greetings sent to me yesterday from my classmates in high school. Thanks God, they still remember…

We’re having our grand 40th year class reunion this December. I wouldn’t want to miss out on the fun… but it seems to coincide with our own annual family reunion. Let me see how things will turn out… Will I be able to make it? I hope I will….

My Birthday Wish-List

2006-05-24T08:54:00.001+08:00

Tomorrow is my birthday. Great! Another year to look forward to. Another blessing to count among the many others that have been showered on me by the Lord. Thank you, Lord. You have been so good to me….

My birthday wishes? Let me see…. Let me think…. Let me count….

GOOD HEALTH

Good health would be number one on my list; not only physical health but emotional, psychological and spiritual health. With good health I would be able to actively serve God and Carmel and my family in the best way I can. Of course this is not to say that if God were to give me poor health I would not be able to serve Him anymore. In whatever state I am, You, O Lord will always be my Master, my King and my Lord! Nevertheless I would still wish for good health on my birthday.

GRACE OF CONTENTMENT

This is not to say I don’t have it now because I do and I wish that God would continue to bestow it on me for the rest of my life in this world.

People make the mistake of wishing for material possessions and more material possessions hoping that such possessions would bring contentment. But aspiring for earthly possessions moves one to aspire for more. The more one aspires for passing and temporal things, the farther contentment is realized.

GRACE OF DETACHMENT

Detachment from temporal and worldly goods would only be possible thru God’s grace. God has given me to a certain extent the grace of detachment from my material possessions but not completely; not totally. To see how still attached I am to certain aspects of my life can be gleaned from my reactions when certain valuable things are inadvertently taken from me or when I am unjustly criticized or when my good intentions are not properly recognized. So I wish God would abundantly shower me with the grace of detachment from earthly goods including my “FALSE SELF’.

A FAMILY UNITED AND A HOME AT PEACE

My home and family is important to me. I wish that love and peace would continue to reign in my home. I wish for the grace of unconditional love for my family. Without this “unconditional love” unity and peace would not be possible.

My Preciousssssss....

2006-05-23T09:47:00.001+08:00

Photos have a way of bringing you back to memory lane, as they say. For me personally, photos have a way of bringing back precious memories of my children’s childhood years….

BEFORE

25 years ago

Nix at one year in 1981

NOW

Nix, trying to act out a make-believe commercial for IPOD

BEFORE

30 years ago

Yen at 10 months...

NOW

We were dining out at a Thai Resto one time and Yen tried to act out a make-believe commercial for the Thai Hot Sauce called 'sriracha'..

"SRIRACHA!!!!"

BEFORE

Nix & Yen in 1984...

...and in 1981

TODAY

They are my precioussssss.....

Yen & Nix

Nix & Yen

My Beauty Secrets????

2006-05-07T06:30:00.001+08:00

May 7, 2006
Sunday

You would think it's too presumptuous of me to write about my 'beauty secrets'? Yeah, y'er right. But yesterday during my fraternal visit to the Las Piñas-Cavite TOC Communities - for the first time in my life - one TOC Aspirant asked me to share about my beauty secrets. Wow! That was flattering for a second but somehow the Lord made it clearly understood to me (before vanity could seep in, I guess...) - 'hey dear child, she means ' inner beauty' not 'physical beauty', okay?

That is the beauty of midlife. At midlife I have finally learned the art of "letting go and letting God" so I believe I could say that's my beauty secret.

Ten years ago I'd try to practice "letting go and letting God' but in reality my 'self will' would always get in the way. Indeed in reality it was so difficult to 'let go and let God' years ago. In fact it is always easier said than done. But today at midlife I have somehow learned the art to perfection.

When one has reached Midlife, when one has undergone varied trials and tribulations in life, when one has experienced God's love to the fullest and life-long faith experiences - you come to that full realization that God is indeed the Author and Creator of life. The Father knows best. And He loves you and yes, you only have to completely TRUST in His love and your life will become 'worry-free'. Your face thus emanate a certain peace, joy and contentment from within you. Then from out of nowhere somebody asks you: "What's your beauty secrets?"

Yesterday while I was driving home after the meeting along SLEX and C5 from Alabang I started conceptualizing about this 'blog' on the 'Simple Joys of Midlife'. I still don't know how this will progress but I'd just 'let go and let God'.