Still on the back roads of my mind

I revisited my blog, brooksidebaby.blogspot.com, to search for old pictures of the late Mercy Fabros that her daughter May-i requested. I sent her links to blog entries where her Nanay was mentioned or quoted.

I am posting these three pictures of Mercy. The first two show us attending Viva Voce's "Complicated the Concert" in 2014 at the former Lopez Museum and Library on Textite Road, Pasig. The building that housed said museum and library is no more. It will assume another form in Rockwell Makati, but when that will open, I am not privy to that info. It just adds to the grief over lost people and lost stomping grounds in one's life.

Viva Voce's Camille Lopez Molina and Myramae T. Meneses bookend me and Mercy Fabros.

Color-coordinated! From left: Joseph Uy, Mher U. Nival, Mercedes Fabros, Ivan Niccolo Nery and me

In that concert, Mercy and I heard Raymond Yadao sing Julian Celis Bautista's kundiman "Parang Maghapon Lamang." We felt the hair on our arms rise. In the blog, I wrote that the Levi Celerio lyrics told of youth wasted: "Even if it feels like the length of a life, whether it ends at age 27 or at age 88, is long in earth-time, in the eyes of Eternity, it is only the equivalent of an afternoon."

Ang buhay ko’y maghapon lang pala

Tila isang saglit sa akin ang ngumingiting umaga!

May awit ang ibong tanda ng pag-asa!

Pagsapit ng hapon, ay!, kay lungkot sa puso kong nagdurusa!

Kung katotohanan ay ganyan,

Bakit sinayang ko yaong unang sigla ng aking buhay!

Di na magbabalik kahit na kaylan man

O! ang buhay pala ay parang maghapon lamang!

The third photo shows Mercy cradling my grandchild Kai. My daughter Kimi Fernandez had just "graduated" from Lamaze class with a successful childbirth, Dr. Melendre Araos as her attending OB-GYN.

My gratitude to Mercy and Melen is as boundless as the mysterious love that binds sisters together.

Fish on Good Friday

Going home exhausted one day and about to join the tricycle queue to get to our gate, I saw a vendor selling these goldfishes. I was annoyed that these beauties could be held captive this way and treated as merchandise. Memories of Finding Nemo swiftly bubbled in my head.

Another time my grandchild, the not so Wee One Kai, brought home a goldfish in a similar plastic bag. Apparently, it was a party favor from a birthday celebrator in her school. Her mother Kimi and grandpa Rolly looked for a container, a fishbowl, for it, but it didn't live long. Mother and child decided to buy another fish to fill the bowl's emptiness and Mr. Fish has been swimming happily along. Kimi, Kai or our help Macky take turns feeding the new family pet. When the water gets milky white, it's time for a change.

The point being fish belong in ponds, the sea, the ocean. If we are to make them a part of the family, this requires commitment--yes, the way we commit ourselves to our husbands and children. This makes me rail against dogs in small cages, birds in cages, etc. I guess I'm a big believer in being free to be you, to be me. (With thanks to Marlo Thomas for the last line)

Photos by Babeth Lolarga

Before we take this tree down

"Do not despise these small beginnings for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin..." - Zech. 4:10

One of 10 or so angels

Red reindeer

Santa, of course

Mr. Whiskers

Frosty has pride of place

Star and angel, heralds of Christ's birth

We have this tiny tree, one of those things my husband loves to collect. As early as November last year, Rolly, my sister Suzy, my daughter Kimi and granddaughter Kai set up and trimmed the big and little trees. When I came down for breakfast, the job was done. I have a charmed life some of the time.

The little tree featured the miniatures my daughter bought as a pack some years ago Rolly misplaced the box of trimmings for the big tree, ornaments that I had collected over the years as our kids were growing. I thought that they'd make a nice legacy so I was collecting two of each item.

The small tree is special. It makes me think of e.e. cummings' Christmas poem "Little Tree" about how a tiny tree found "a special little place that was waiting for him all his life."

And so it is with our lil Christmas tree and those tiny things hanging on its bare branches.

It's the little things that count--I hope we all remember that in the new year.

Big shadows cast by little Christmas tree

The tree itself Photos by Babeth Lolarga

Goodbye to almost all of that

A birthday, once you're entering the age of wisdom, becomes occasion for mortal thoughts. One thinks about conserving one's strength, preserving one's health, lessening or avoiding outright the prohibited in one's diet (the sweet and the salty).

But not yet, not while mint chocolate gelato, the authentic kind, can now be had in Baguio at Amare La Cucina.

Here's the Little One enjoying it unabashedly. Thanks for the Sunday and early birthday treat, Rolly/Tats/Grumps!

Photos by Kimi Fernandez and Babeth Lolarga

Doing the Romi Garduce journey vicariously

Nobody was more thrilled about my being part of Romi Garduce's journey to the making of what we hope won't be his first and last book than my daughter, Kimi Fernandez. 

Kimi, her friends and many more who have slept over or crossed the threshold of our homes in Pasig and Baguio are all alumni members of the UP Mountaineers (UPM). But you never actually call them "alumni" because once a UPM member, always and forever na. 

I had to squelch Kimi's enthusiasm and tell her firmly to save the excitement until the book was done, as in published and launched and distributed and read by many. As you can see, I am pre-empting her! Sorry, good daughter of mine, but I'm asserting my seniority.

Kimi wanted to tweet and announce in her social media outlets over the summer that her Nanay, whose physical exertions involve carrying her grandchild or walking to the nearby park with the little 'un or doing head and shoulder rolls after hours spent before the computer, was combing through Romi's manuscript, commenting, editing and finally, proofreading (any typos or editing oversights I claim as mine alone).

Kimi was sworn in as UPM member while dressed in her swimsuit atop Mt. Pulag in Benguet. Sinag de Leon, then UPM president, swore in the members of Kimi's batch. Sinag introduced me to Romi very early this year. Sinag is also godmother to our family's Kai/Butones. Interlocking lives, but that's what makes it more fun in the Philippines. 

Now how Romi, a BS Math major from the University of Santo Tomas and an information technology professional, became a UPM, I can't disclose. You'll really have to get hold of a copy of the book for some of the funniest experiences I've read in a long while.

Romi's a decent chap, what we call in parlance as "magaang dalhin." And he has to be and remain that way because of the life beyond the office walls that he has chosen. It's one thing to climb a molehill and imagine oneself as Maria von Trapp singing "The hills are alive...." It's another to carry half or equivalent of your weight to the most weather-beaten and highest mountains of the world. Emotional baggage is not allowed in the check-in area of any airport.

The launch of Akyat! Journey to the Seven Summits was also a refreshing departure from other book signing events. One of Romi's sponsors, Juice Jab, served only beverages, extremely healthy ones made from the juice of several vegetables and fruits and milk extracted from nuts. Not only healthy but good for detoxing the body of all negativism.

By putting out this book, Romi again shares with a grateful nation his/our story that yes, the Filipino can!

The secret to how he did it: "Struggles & Defeats and not giving up to win."

Macho Romi likes to pose this way in many of his shots with fellow mountaineers.

The author in a t-shirt that says it all for every rare person who summits the world's seven tallest mountains: "To climb is human, to summit divine. Akyat!" 

Addressing a crowd of dressed down book buyers (a.k.a., the mountaineering community)

Tada! There's Romi's first-born child and his birth attendants: his Tita Babeth and book designer Kerwin Nicolas.

And now for my shameless plug. Romi is giving this special offer, and I have highlighted it on this space: 

Get 20 per cent discount when you order 10 copies or more. Sell to your friends or use as personal giveaways. Note: shipping cost will be added in the total price. Email your order to romi.garduch@gmail.com. Available in the Philippines only.

If you want to buy online, go to Central Bookstore website, beginning this month, or for those living overseas, Createspace/Amazon (soon).

April loves

Kimi, my eldest daughter, chided me last month, around the time I was quietly bearing a low mood swing but appearing brave and normal on the outside, that I hadn't gotten around to blogging about her own daughter's latest milestone--second birthday. 

I did take pictures of that Saturday in the small open space near the house where the koi and frogs thrive in a pond that was recently widened. Our Baguio friends and neighbors came to celebrate, including violinist Lolo Guido who played the birthday song and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to an awestruck Kai. Mira Abaño also brought her guitar and showed us her strumming and singing chops.

First encounter with a violinist

Luchie Maranan captures singing pre-teener Mira on her phone's camera

The April born and her cake

There's nothing like a Kai to help one have a reason to get up and get going, no matter the compulsion to stay like a big lump covered by a woolen blanket and not face the day while wishing for a longer night. Thank heavens for little girls, indeed!

I think what helped me heal little by little was the company of another young 'un, my niece Bianca L. Susi, and forever young at heart, my sister Suzy, who has been a committed preschool teacher for over 20 years. Suzy is also good at organizing a house, that is, separating the unusables from the reusables and recyclables. Good thing she didn't throw me out during an unproductive (writing-wise) period!

One afternoon, family head Rolly treated us to lunch at Sizzling Plate, the Cariño street branch. Kai colored away while awaiting her order of sizzling bangus (as usual, she ate only the belly portion while I consumed the rest of it). It was her first time to try the restaurant's airy sans rival, and she cleaned up her plate. Same with Bianca and Suzy. Rolly got the hint--a couple of days later, he bought an entire cake that lasted less than 48 hours.

Keeping a toddler occupied at a restaurant

Having bangs trimmed

Now for the hair at the back

Quiet and still at the salon

Finishing touch

That same afternoon, I treated Kai to a haircut. She was a cooperative client, bowed her head forward or sideways, following the hairdresser's instructions. We spent the rest of the day at Burnham Park where Kai enjoyed her first boat ride on the lake. She almost refused to leave the boat after the 30-minute ride around the lake. We went around the Orchidarium to pose among the flora on exhibit and for sale.

Beautiful afternoon on the lake

Sunny dispositions

Someone's thrilled to be in a boat.

Little passenger wants another go.

Bianca's thank-you letter, received last week, summarized how we spent April in Baguio:

Dear Aunt Lizzie,

Thank you for allowing Auntie Su and me to have a more than one-week vacation in your cozy house. I really enjoyed it there, especially eating in Mackenzie's kitchen (my ice cream sandwich), playing with Kai, watching at Mayumi Cinema, the beautiful places we went to and most especially Baguio's fine weather. I also enjoyed our 2-day letter writing. Oh! I loved it whenever we would play jokes with each other in funny ways, specifically The British Accent. HAHA! Okay, I guess that's about all of it. Thank you again!

Love,
Bencky

Aunt Lizzie and Bencky were our codes for one another when we went through our British period (speaking with that accent associated with Queen Elizabeth and Dame Judi Dench).

I miss April, but not my brief low point. 

Till summer of 2014!

Just turned 11 Bianca and her niece by a yellow bamboo grove

Big kiss from Auntie Bencky

Photos by Babeth Lolarga and Bianca Susi

Cool Baguio chick

That's the only way I can describe Kai/Butones as she grows before my eyes. She's learning to get along with other kids and slowly weaning herself from her Mamay, although she can throw a mean mini-tempest if Mamay is not within sight for hours as she works online in her little home office. "Work" is also a word Butones is being introduced to so her mother's temporary absence can be explained. Meanwhile, when the two are together, my heart flitter-flutters with grandly maternal love.

Trick or treating with her Kuya Uryen

Warmly dressed couple

Instagram photos by Kimi Fernandez