Fab at 88

My old office stood at 88 East Capitol Drive. The bungalow on an elevated lot that used to house Raya Media Services Inc. is gone, and in its place is Shine Special Education Center, Inc. Sharing a space in the Shine building is Rub, a ribs and manly fare place that Mom likes to call in for orders of their baby back ribs with sidings and extra barbecue sauce when she's in no mood to prepare a meal for her hungry hippos (that's us her children).

When I think of mom and many things I associate with her, she really stands for the appeasement of hunger. I don't think we ever had to go to bed hungry in our lives in the years we've spent with her. As for intellectual and spiritual nourishment, we each follow what gives us bliss.

The feeder in the family just had to cut short her "staycation" at the Linden Suites courtesy of her youngest born Gigi because she had to attend again to the food preparations (to welcome the stuff she had pre-ordered, not to cook) for the Sunday celebration of her 88th jubilee.

Photo by Gigi Lolarga

When my sister Embeng asked what words should be iced on Mom's Hizon's mocha cake, I didn't have to think twice: "Fab at 88 Mommy dearest."

Mom had a contingent of willing candle blowers to assist her: youngest grandchild Bianca and great grandchildren Kai, Max and Jared.

Photo by Embeng Trinidad

It's still your birth month, Mom. Enjoy enjoy And Joy!

Bienvenue, mabuhay and kain na!

The origin of Lolikins, I do believe, is traceable to the Christmas cards/tags the family of Shorty and Lita Server used to attach to their gifts to the family in the '60s. Loli refers to our Dad, Enrique Lolarga Jr., who got the monicker Loly from his medical school classmates. So he was known as Tito Loly on Mom's side. Add Loly's eight children--we emerged as the kin. This Hizon's mocha cake, diabetic-friendly, welcomed the family of Enrique Lolarga III (that's Junic, wife Amy and their kids Sara and Christian) who're based in Calgary, Canada. Expect this week and the next to be a whirl of expanded, stuffing-our-faces reunions.

That's Junic on the front row, top almost gone, with our sister Embeng Trinidad and Bruno on her lap. Family matriarch Nene Lolarga, a.k.a. Mommy, Lola Mommy, Mama Mermaid, is between them. Second row (from left) are: Amy, Christian, Suzy Lolarga, Ida, Kimi and Kai Fernandez. Last row: Dennis Lolarga holding Bogart, Marga and Machiko Susi, Sara, Jared and Paolo Susi. Easily four generations gathered at our 38-year-old home in Pasig City yesterday.   Photos by Babeth Lolarga