Scraps from a rainy day

Yesterday's and the other day's strong afternoon downpour succeeded in keeping us indoors and drenching plans of going boating on Burnham Lake (a child's simple request this summer, but it still has to happen). This situation was aggravated by short power outages, no cable, no Internet, dead landline.

Our resident Mary Poppins took this opportunity to go through the detritus of 30 years of her sister's conjugal life. She cleaned and filed, set aside what still looked useful and threw away what must long ago have been discarded if someone like me had a knack for good housekeeping.

Last of the April rains that made May flowers possible. This rain is gentle compared to what's now hitting southern and northeastern US.

Among the finds was a bag full of documents (SSS, BIR and Pag-ibig membership numbers--can't lose or misplace those as I approach 60), UP Diliman class cards from '73-'77 with encircled final grades, pay slips from various employers, a media ID card that allowed me to cover John Paul II's first Philippine visit, Christmas cards and the inevitable stash of precious letters. Two stood out: a postcard from Beijing from my journalism professor, the late Raul R. Ingles, and a letter composed on an electric typewriter from a friend in Chicago who I've lost track of.

There's the thread of a story from all these finds, but I'm not predisposed to draft one. I'm just happy for throwback moments like these.

The elegant penmanship of Raul R. Ingles

I still have to encounter an email that reads as good as this typewritten letter from Ogot Sumulong dating back to Jan. 20, 1982. Photos by Babeth Lolarga