Textiles and textures

In recent days and the past week I found myself in places I normally don't frequent: malls! Official volunteer duties required that I be there to help document preparations leading to tomorrow's La Cenerentola at 8 p.m. at the Meralco Theater. In between listening to live music from the Manila Symphony Orchestra conducted by Darrell Ang and focusing my old camera on the looks and gestures of musicians, I would, as they say, window-shop with no intent of bringing out my wallet.

My camera did the work for me. Among my Pinterest boards ("pinning" to me is more fun than waltzing from shop to shop) is one dedicated to Patterns and Textiles. Here are some embroidered textiles I found at a tela shop at Glorietta 5. They make you wanna reach out and touch.

My gardening twin

I first met this woman in Pinterest, and she's pinned in one of my boards under the title "Pretty Illustrations." I still have to find out the artist's name. When I took a close look at the woman, I realized that she could be my doppelgänger. From the graying hair to the eyeglasses to the crazy quilt outfit to the stoop of her shoulders down to the Crocs-shod feet, she reminds me of my possibility as my husband's co-gardener. Sorry to say, I'd rather add more pins to my new board, "How Does Your Garden Grow." Pinterest has lately brought me to the garden of Castle Linderhof, Germany, the garden paths in Liverpool, England, jardins de Provence. Tomorrow I visit Versailles. Luv my online life!

'Staycation' is the way to go

Her list of summer activities outshines mine (I can timidly claim reading a couple of books, getting hooked on the TV series Sherlock Holmes and Game of Thrones, occasional handwritten letters, increasingly rare walks, flower appreciation, snacking at odd hours).

Kai has learned to cut and prefers to do it alone, plays catch ball with her elders, swims with abandon in a small sea of balls, gives her water toys a full bath and squeeze until sneezing point from exposure to the cold, snaps "dragons" in the garden, indulges in pretend play with her stuffed toys, joins the doggy walk morning and afternoon, sings "Letting Go" from Frozen full throttle, watches four Hoopla Kids videos on YouTube (strictly rationed, same for TV hours unlike her Booboo). Daily summer phonics class is now part of her routine.

I can add to my list the photo documentation of her summer. I still dream of going to the beach, of feeling sand under my feet or even swimming in a warm pool before monsoon season arrives. My travel is limited to Pinterest sites of dream getaways and the TLC channel.

Meanwhile, our "staycation" is going splendidly, and we feel blessed each time the sun is out. I've grown to accept that this is as good as it gets.

Enjoying each moment Photos by Babeth Lolarga

Modified bucket list for middle-aged couples

I drew this up when my life partner and coach turned 63. I made it so that each bullet point is possible in real time, real space.

The images come from my "Must Do Someday" board in Pinterest. 

• Watch the sunset with a glass of wine in each of our hands.
• Dance the tango on a street in Malate.
• Go tubing or white-water rafting in Cagayan.
• Zipline in the eco-park in Danao, Bohol.
• Go up on a hot air balloon in Clark, Pampanga.
• Rollerblade on Burnham Park.
• Spend the night by the Pacific Ocean.
• Live by the China Sea for a week.
• Go on a Southeast Asian cruise.
• Try the hiking trail at Camp John Hay.
• Ride the roller coaster at Star City, Pasay City.
• Roll the dice at Thunderbird Casino and Resort in La Union.
• Attend Latin High Mass.
• Go on a non-speaking retreat with a Benedictine abbess as spiritual mistress in a monastery-like setting.
• Sing in the rain.

I can dream, can I? Even Joanne Woodward seems to agree.

Gardeners of the soul

While scouring through the pins in Pinterest, I happened upon this quotation and lively poster and remembered those people who have unfailingly brought a smile on my face or made my cry-laugh, snort-laugh, hyena laugh, and took away my many, oftentimes imaginary, burdens and cares. Many are dead, still a lot more are living, in my life, I'm grateful to you all.

Gilda Cordero Fernando is Queen of Sassy and Sexy Seniors. Friends Anna Leah Sarabia and Neni Sta. Romana Cruz agree.

These are the girls I often bump into, often deliberately, too, at concerts and similar events. Seated from left: Julie Lluch, Mercy Fabros, Princess Nemenzo and art-coholic Norma Liongoren. Standing are Anna Leah and Sinag de Leon.

I like hanging around musicians, especially singers like the young soprano Myramae Meneses (a name to watch), her maestra Camille Lopez Molina and DZFE's Bert Robledo. If the late Odette Alcantara was the Queen of Puns, Bert is no doubt the king. Just listen to his program "Bravo Filipino" every noontime, Mondays-Fridays. Young Myramae will have a solo recital with Mary Anne Espina accompanying her on the piano on Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. at Ayala Museum.

Yvonne Chua (in purple shirt) is our (Pablo Tariman's and my) Vera Files bossing. At the media organization's Christmas party last year, Pablo and I felt we were the most ancient at Mom and Tina's function room. We loved the turkey. Pablo, I have a pun: a pablo by any name is still not a turkey. Turkey was the main course at that lunch buffet. 

Yes, sir, they're my bibis, no, sir, I don't mean maybe, yes, they're my babes--Rolly and Kai--forever and a week.

Myriam Benito and her husband Steve are already based in New Zealand. Now and then they come home. Another wit and punster, Del Tolentino, and I make sure we're a call away when the Benitos are in Baguio.

These are the ladies who lunch rarely but well: Ester Dipasupil, Corito Llamas, Angge Goloy and Chato Garcellano. I guess this blog is an unconscious atonement because I can't be at the quarterly lunch on Monday. I'm with the Baguio garden tenders of my soul. Sounds lame, but it's the truth.

At Baboo Mondoñedo's launch of her essay collection Stepping Stones early this year, writers who drink, recite, sing, dance and whatever else makes life worth the living got together at Cafe by the Ruins. That's Baboo in stunning yellow, Luchie Maranan, Laarni Ilagan and Merci Javier Dulawan.

Linc Drilon (left) can be counted on to sing at weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers. Des and Auring Bautista (between Rolly and me) lay out among the most generous tables in Baguio where talk can go on from 12 noon to 12 midnight.

Three generations say, "Heart you all!"

Why today is writ large and larger

I've stored and expanded my collection of elephant images in my computer files for a number of years--make that since the time I earned the monicker "'Phant" in my family. 

Coincidentally, for the last two days, the house dresses I've worn had elephant prints. Two hours ago, my daughter announced, "It's World Elephant Day," and asked if, as Nanay 'Phant, I was going to treat her somewhere. No, not on Typhoon Labuyo Day, not when I haven't earned my day's wages yet. But yes, she can expect peanuts and fruits from Nanay 'Phant tomorrow.

For this gray-letter day (ha ha), I'm sharing some 'phant images saved from the Internet and lately, Pinterest, where I have a board for Animals. Lately, I've been cat-obsessed and "pinning" pictures of kittens and cats to my board. Let this not get in the way of paying homage to the gentle giants that still roam freely in parts of Asia and Africa.

Here's to the day when "ivory" will be heard only in Paul McCartney's song, his duet with Stevie Wonder, and not turned into piano keys, chopsticks and jewelry (where I first beheld ivory and its "uses").

Here's to the elephant large and larger. May our herd increase!

What a beauty even in its mother's womb!

Best kind of love: a mama's for her baby

Thanks for the boost, Ma.

Young 'phant, you don't have to throw a tantrum while Mama with a cool head watches detachedly...

...when you can tell her a pat on the head will do.

An elephant adds more majesty to an African sunset.

He ain't heavy, he's my doggie.

Envious about Elie's taut skin

This is the part in Disney's "Dumbo" that makes me tear up.

For an octogenarian, Babar is still smartly dressed; more importantly, he gives lessons to young readers.

For more info on the significance of this day, go to http://worldelephantday.org/news/press-room.

How do you gild your Saturday?

"What do you do to gild the day?" Or in Norwegian, I think this question reads: "Hva gjør dere for å forgylle dagen?"

Call me crazy, and here's my number, but this blogger has seen it fit to add a Norwegian blogger in her play list. That blog is located at: http://glambibliotekaren.blogspot.com. I've relied on Google Translate so I can comprehend her entries. Today I think the Glamorous Librarian (How can I not like her? We share a love for Audrey Hepburn) is off to an adventure to celebrate mid-summer. 
 

Image of Ms. Hepburn in various hues of blue found in Google+

I make it a point religiously, piously to follow her and other bloggers in my list, and when I miss a new entry, I make sure I'm up to date. Such is my other life in the virtual world.

Of course, I have many things to gild my Saturday with, chief of which is to write what I call a livelihood article. Earlier preparation required mindful reading, then re-reading with a yellow highlighter that I had meant to gift my grand-daughter since it's recommended for kids when they travel. But she's too immersed in Lego world to miss it.

If you've followed me until this paragraph, it is clear that I'm practicing procrastination again, a bad habit of some who live by and with the word. So let me end with this Writing Goals Pyramid that I found in Pinterest. I intend to share it with my students next week, just to make them see that writing, like fashion, is "not for sissies" (thank you, Project Runway, for that line).

On closer look

Home-bound by choice for much of this summer, I've looked for some activities with which I could fill up some minutes while waiting for the Internet signal to return before it goes off again after giving me a small window of 15-30 minutes. The customer service person/s of PLDT must hate the sound of this complaining customer who dials 172 (for DSL connections) or 173 (for landline service) at first light.

I figured why not start looking at the little things at our home office with new eyes during those interim minutes. These photos are partly inspired by my current interest in Pinterest and partly by photography professor's Ernie Enriquez's photo-a-day posts back when I was still active in Facebook. I also recall my first photography teacher, Tita "Tata" Velasco Lim, who motivated our class by insisting that  the true snapshot takers never run out of subjects.

I'm not giving these snapshots titles yet. Let me just tentatively call and file them "Still Lifes in a Home Office."

Photos by Babeth Lolarga