Yesterday once more

"As long as we have memories, yesterday remains..."--this  quotation had no source at its end and came from a forwarded email a cousin sent when she shared a video of horses running free.

I found it the apt intro to this series of photos of ex-Brookside babies in various locales from Baguio to Los Baños to Malumanay street, Teachers Village, Quezon City. The last was where the yearly Christmas reunion of the Lolarga, Romero and Valdellon families used to be held, hosted by Uncle Esting and Auntie Linda (Col. Ernesto and Dr. Erlinda Lolarga).

Lola encouraged family fellowship, a tight-knit one. The closeness was forged in Baguio. So not only were our cousins cousins, we were and still are friends.

All these photos are from Lola's scrapbooks and photo albums.

Shown are Auntie Pacing (standing center), her six Romero children and an interloping niece. From row from left: Sonny, Babeth Lolarga, Tessie, Ferdie and Henry. Back Row: Toots and Rose. James Dean must've been at height of his fame, which explains Sonny and Henry's pose.

The Romeros again (from left): Ferdie, Tessie, Henry, Sonny, Toots and Rose. Behind the younger ones is Auntie Pacing.

I imagine this scene on the hill behind Lola's house. The girls are Allyn and Telly Valdellon, the boys Henry and Sonny.

The young girls are Aunties Grace and Shirley Cariño with Lola Purang behind, an unidentified woman and Apo Loly (Flora Cariño), Lola's younger sister who served for decades as a nurse at Baguio General Hospital.

Sonny was a good declaimer at Lourdes School Quezon City and was our pambato at impromptu programs at the Brookside house.

That's cousin Tess with the flowers of May behind her and what can only be a pair of Gregg shoes on her feet.

Sonny and Henry by the lake with their wooden swords

In another Baguio located in San Juan, Rizal,  a birthday party at the Valdellon residence in Little Baguio with (from left) Tess Romero, Telly, Beng and Allyn Valdellon

When her grandchildren would reach their cutie pie phase (toddler-hood), Lola would sometimes borrow them for a few weeks or months as in the case of my second of three brothers, Dennis. Here he is in Lola's garden.

A startled-looking Dennis (he must've just woken up that morning) with his yaya and older sister Babeth in cut-off shorts

Lola enjoys a dip in a hot spring with Tessie, Ferdie, Henry and Sonny.

By this time the older cousins Rose and Toots were in college but still spent their summers in Baguio. Dig those eyeglasses! That's the main door to the house. Unknown little girl there

Lola also welcomed her grand-kids' friends into her house. Here she poses with Rose (second from left) and college gang. The house was unfenced and directly faced M. Roxas street.

Christmas season was also when Lola would visit her children and their families in the big city. Here she's carrying baby Eleanor. On the wagon is Boysie, now Boise, Lolarga, surrounded by his sisters Minnie, Eileen and Louie.

The big Christmas lunch on Malumanay street was always followed by a program before the distribution of gifts. Here the Romero children sing accompanied by Henry on the guitar. From left are Tessie, Toots, Ferdie, Rose and Sonny. Eleanor Lolarga is held protectively by Ferdie.

Lola (third from right) with her children and daughters-in-law in Teachers' Village (from left): Uncle Celso, Daddy (Enrique Jr.), Mommy (Nene), Auntie Fe Valdellon, Auntie Pacing Romero and Auntie Linda Lolarga

Lola with daughter Fe and our younger cousins Nini Valdellon and Jing Lolarga