Pretty Women

We were classmates in grade school- or elementary school as we knew it. We were graduates of the year 1966- the era of the twist, Elvis and the Beatles.

There are eleven of us in the group which we call Batch 66. Abeng, Alice, Elvie, Guy, Liza and I make up the girls. The boys include Hermie, Lito, Bandong, Geny and my hubby, Ding. Among us girls, Abeng is our designated Nanay. Most of the time she brings us to places she’d been to and she feeds us the specialty of the place. She is the most kalog among us . Her one-liners always elicit a lot of laughter among us girls. ( Funny how four years short of being senior citizens, we still call ourselves GIRLS) Alice is the tagatawa. All jokes are a hit with her. She always brings us her specialty-adobong mani with lots of garlic. Guy used to be the sakitin in the group. I grabbed the title from her. ( 3 hospital confinements in 6 months, kaya nyo yun?) Now she’s our doctor. She’s armed with a med tech degree, anyway. She and Abeng are sangang-dikit. But no worry, there is no space for jealousy in the group. Liza is the wife of an OFW. In her husband’s absence, she spends her free time for church activities. Elvie used to be a teacher like me. But for health reasons, she decided to retire early. Now she works in her hubby’s engineering office. ( Parallel lives kami. I also work for my hubby, but it’s about time I quit. So stressful. The only bonus is I get to sleep with my boss).

We girls make it a point to meet regularly-with or without the boys. And we so enjoy each other’s company. We each have our own individuality, but together, we are one in terms of caring for one another and sharing each other’s highs and lows. God really has a way of giving us what we really need. At this point in our lives when our candles are slowly being consumed, He gathered us altogether to make the light brighter as we go along our way. Life may really be coming full circle for us now.

In pictures, from the top- Saling ( your blogger), Abeng, Alice, Guy, Elvie & Liza, the pretty women of Batch 66. Pictures taken at Abeng's Rennaisance condo unit in Ortigas July 27, 2009.

my jewels

In January, 1978, God gave me a garnet. The following year, in February, 1979, He gave me an amethyst. Finally, in November, 1980, God gifted me with a topaz. They are no diamonds nor gold, but they are God's most precious gifts to me. I love my jewels- beyond the stars!

Desiderata

My father was a man of few words. Yet, he spoke to me eloquently in silence. Through his deeds, I learned so many good things. Through his barely spoken words, I learned to learn.

I wanted very much to be like my father to my children. Sadly, I can never duplicate the man who molded me to become a good human being. When he died, I knew I could never show my children the goodness I saw in him. He was not a preacher nor a teacher, but he ably taught me the whys and the wherefores of life.

I can hear my father's voice as I listen to a poem set to music by some musical geniuses. The poem Desiderata has everything that parents should be able to impart to their children. If only children could recite the poem by heart, they wouldn't lose their way.

-- written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s --

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

sick and tired

It's been eleven days since my last post. I would have written about any topic of interest to me had it not been for the very bad cough and cold that i caught. Last weekend, I was placed under observation by my doctor and on Monday, it was determined that I had dengue. So, it was time again to check in at the Padilla Resort and Spa in Plaridel, Bulacan ( he he he). I stayed there only until Wednesday afternoon. Whenever the doctor does his rounds, I always tell him I am ready to be discharged. Nakulitan siguro, pinalabas na din ako.


It's my third confinement in six months, first in January, after Amang's burial, for hypertension, then in late May, for hypotension and now, for dengue. Seems like I am becoming a good specimen for medical students. And Dr. Padilla is getting richer and richer because of me.
Seriously, these latest experiences make me think that I am probably in the last stretch of the race. At the risk of sounding morbid, I have become so courageous of facing the inevitable, yet, i still pray that I be given enough time to finish what I want to do before my time is up. Some of those things I can't do by my lonesome self. I need the cooperation of the significant people in my life. At this point, I no longer desire material things and any form of validation. I simply wish to smell the flowers once again.

my dogidogs- (6) Bonnie (Tyler)

This will be the last entry in this series. And this is about a very special dog. Her name is Bonnie. I also call her Tyler. That's because she has a very husky voice similar to that of her namesake. Bonnie has been with us for only a few months now. A man, who introduced himself as the dog's owner, was selling this dog for two thousand pesos since according to him, he had to pay the machine shop, where Ding was at the time, for some work he had asked to be done. The original buyer did not come as agreed. Ding got interested because it was a lovely dog- a siberian husky with brown and blue eyes. He has not seen any other dog with two different colors of the eyes. Ding further interrogated the man, and later, convinced that he was the real owner, he haggled and got the dog for one-five.

We are still in the process of discovering the traits of Bonnie but what struck us was her gentle ways despite her enormous size. She was the kindest big dog i've ever seen. ( Oh, I suddenly remember Rotty, our dalmatian who died three years ago. He was also very big and very kind). Bonnie, though, refuses to be touched in the head. We surmised that where she came from, she was never considered a pet, just a guard dog. She is not in good terms with Bugaki but her constant companion is Purlak. Both of them stay outside in the laundry area and goes to and from the back garden. They seldom go inside the house. that is not their territory.

The very little Bitoy always barks at Bonnie whenever he sees her. But to date, there has never been any major war between the outsiders and the insiders.

my dogidogs-(5) Purlak

Purlak is an all-black aspin. She is a daughter of Lupin, a descendant of my dear Puti. We gave Lupin to my sis-in-law and it was in their place where Purlak was born. She was meant to be raised as a guard dog in a bodega which we are renting. Somehow, we learned to like her despite her being difficult. She has bitten at least two neighbors who came into our house. One was a little girl who asked for some research materials from my daughter and the other is our electrician. Both times, I had to shoulder the expenses for their vaccinations.

Purlak had the habit of biting into the hem of my housedress whenever she sees me. She wont let go of me so that wherever in the house I'm going, she goes with me, with her teeth glued to my housedress. She considers it her playtime with me. Because of that, I and Purlak have a special bond. Now, she listens to me whenever I tell her to be still. Despite her being a difficult dog, Purlak loves to bathe. And like the rest of my dogidogs, she likes the sound of her name being sung to the tune of the happy birthday song. No other words for the lyrics except her name.

Her crib is the old billiard table that we placed outside- near the very dirty kitchen and the laundry area. She loves it there and seldom enters the house. But the trouble is -the billiard cloth has to be replaced again and again.

my dogidogs- (4) bitoy

in mid-2008, we were in grief due to a very difficult trial that befell our family. that very sad episode in our life does not deserve a post in this blog. many people not worth mentioning are involved, hence. it is best to just pray that the sad memories will soon be forgotten. As someone said wisely, "Like wild violets, some memories are better oft left untouched." However, in the midst of the said trial came a very beautiful, loveable creature- a small, long, wiry haired dachshund we called Bitoy.

Of all our dogs, only Bitoy came with a price. By normal standards, he was cheap- only Php3,000.00. But when I first saw him, I thought, how could my children have parted with their 3thou in exchange of this very little creature that doesn't know how to bark? And his hair- yuck! Little did I know that this little doggie would bring gigantic joy in our life. Bitoy, like Kotong is very makiya. I was so impatient waiting for him to grow up. Today, a year later, he is still very small. But he is so huggable and cuddly.

Bitoy is so afraid of Kotong, but he is best friends with Chuchay. While i'm busy in the kitchen, I would hear the two of them playing like children. Perhaps that's the greatest joy I derive from having them around- in the absence of my children, when I have no one with me at home, Chu, Bitoy, Kotong and Gaki and the two other dogs that i will introduce later, keep me company. And I feel safe and secure having them around.