Our 2011 Christmas Celebration

Our Happy Birthday cake for Jesus. Jeremy, my nephew bought it


Our Christmas dinner table. We all did our bit. Merle did all salads and fish spring rolls, Cyn cooked noodles while her husband Rene glazed the ham, Daisy cooked the fish and prawns while I made the vegetarian spring rolls.



My sisters and I



Mum and us





Us with Mum and my brother Art



Brett's (with purple wrapper) and Pearl's gifts to me


As a kid, I got so thrilled as early as October because I know it wouldn't be long and I could already smell the scents of Christmas season: halaya, Christmas chocolate and pinipig.

Then when it was already December, I used to begin counting the number of sleeps (I still sort of do up to this day!) away till my most-awaited day comes, not December 25 which is regarded to be Christmas day, but the eve of this day.

What was so special about Christmas Eve then? This was the special night when we as a family gather together to pray, sing and eat a special meal which we called Noche Buena. For me this meant a table of festive foods, lighted candles, flickering colourful lights on our Christmas tree and of course as always a brightly coloured and lighted parol (a lantern). It also meant singing Christmas carols and exchanging gifts.

The most memorable moments in our celebrations were the times when we just turned off all the lights except for the lights on our Christmas tree as we sang Christmas carols with lighted candles helping us read the lyrics of Christmas carols we do not know by heart.

When I became a committed Christian and also my other siblings, Christmas had a deeper meaning in my heart. It meant more than foods, gifts and Christmas carols. It meant God’s giving to us the greatest gift He had ever given not only to us but to the whole world, His only begotten Son, Jesus. In His great love for us, Jesus, in His full deity, became a man and was born to an earthly virgin woman.


Christmas is the birthday of Jesus. If it was His birthday, then we should also lit candles for Him. Consequently my siblings and I all agreed we should include on our Noche Buena table a cake with an inscription “Happy birthday Jesus.” From that moment on, this became our tradition year after year.

24 December 2011, our Christmas Eve celebration was pretty much the same, except that some of our siblings and families were not with us, but in addition, however, we have our niece and nephews and their special someone and also other friends.


We did not sing Christmas carols, but we have Christmas songs played all throughout the celebration. I wish we did. But it was okay. Anyway, my father was not here anymore to sing the bass part. My two brothers were not around as well as their families. Besides, I had accepted that Christmas celebration could never be the same ever and so there was not any point to have any sentimiento de azucar. Times change. In fact there were Christmases that it had only been my younger siblings and I that we had decided not to have noche buena but gave away food to the poor (in our efforts to get a pat on our shoulders from God).

Some of our guests were preoccupied with their own interests. The younger generations were playing games, others having their own conversations. Interestingly enough (thanks to present-day technology!), we talked on skype with Nimrod and his daughter JA who were in another state in Australia. We wanted to talk to Rommel and his family too, but the time difference deterred us from doing so.


Overall, our celebration had been good!

Kindred Spirit

I was pleasantly surprised when I got a Christmas card from Rey Ignacio Diaz and family. Rey was our class valedictorian when we were in high school. As imaginative as I was, I thought from hindsight how I could have felt if he had sent me a card during our high school days. My! He was the brightest and the most popular student in our class then and I probably admired him subconsciously. I could not be definite that I admired him consciously because I had learned to suppress my emotions then in compliance to my father's rule--books first, boys last. Oops, but I was not hundred percent compliant. No, I did not fell for any of my classmates as commanded but with the man next door (and my father knew it!). This man looked like Mike Nesmith to me and whose business was renting out comics. So needless to say, I became an avid comic reader which necessitated me to wear prematurely a pair of eyeglasses. Unfortunately however, he did not have his eyes on me, but on the older girl next door with whom he eloped eventually! Waah...COL! (Cried out loud)!I spent my Klem biscuits and Sarsapilla money on his stupid comics and he eloped with someone else? My father, knowing how broken-hearted I was took me and my other siblings to the park, bought us ice cream and I was back on track.

Before I could wildly imagine a story byline, a few days later, I got a card which says on the envelope from Mr David Rigg. My goodness! Brett would surely wonder who this is! I won't because I know perfectly this was from Lorna Canlas who is married to Mr Rigg whom I have not met (but have seen him now only in picture). So that's why Petty, another kindred spirit, asked for my home address. Mmm. It was good I did not have reservation to give it to her. I normally would not for security reasons. Having been reconnected with my high school classmates is one of the beautiful thing that the cyberspace has given me. I did not have much memorable interactions with them then, because I was extremely shy and insecure. It is in fact like getting to know them better in a much more beautiful level: Petty, Haydee,Myr, Amor,Dollih, Sally Fe,Lita, Edith, Loida,Evelyn, Rick, Chito, Manny, Edison (nice name. He reminds me of Thomas Edison) and many more. One thing remarkable, nevertheless, is that unbreakable connection. We technically grew up together in the same neighbourhood and in the same primary and secondary school. We probably have equivalent ideals and aspirations so we could always pick up from where we left off. I thank God for them. They add new dimension and colour in my life. I thank Rey and Lorna for the cards which will now be part of my precious memorabilia. I'm sorry for being slack because I still have not drop them a line to say thank you in a personal way nor send a card. But I know I will be forgiven, anyway.

The Joy of Answered Prayer

When I was new in the faith, the pastor said that God answers prayers in three ways: Yes, No and Wait. He also talked about the joy of answered prayer. I thought to myself then, indeed there would be joy if God’s answer was Yes. What about if God’s answer was a No and Wait?


I think it is fair to say that I have done a lot praying through the years since I became a Christian and have been hoping since then to learn the secret to the joy of answered prayer.


As Jesus taught the disciples, I normally direct my prayers to the Heavenly Father. Although I should confess that I have also prayed to Jesus directly—heaps of times,even more when I was in the grade school. Simply because the teacher had taught me then that Jesus was my friend and because He was my friend, I had talked to Him a lot of times.


As I grew in my faith and in the knowledge of the Bible, I have often prayed now to the Heavenly Father (and of course still talk to Jesus). This is what the Bible teaches and it is also written there that we ask all things in Jesus name, ie as there is power in His Name.





In Jesus Name, lame walks, blind sees, mute speaks and deaf hears. And in my case, He healed me of the many scary nodes that the ultrasound revealed on my thyroid gland. How could I ever thank Him for delivering me for the fear of going through a surgery.


I am almost inclined to think then that In Jesus Name was like a period to every prayer. Hence, in a corporate prayer, everyone else say Amen when the leader or the last one to pray say In Jesus Name. I found out later in my own personal prayer that it was not so.


As I pray, I find myself oftentimes saying In Jesus Name even if I am not necessarily ending my prayer. I wondered then why I do this all the time. I wondered also why I just sigh or cry not being able to say a word when I am in prayer. My wondering stopped when I came across what is written in Romans 8:26-27, NIV



In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.


God has a will for me or everyone else in heaven, Jesus taught the disciples to pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God’s will for us in heaven is for us to have hope and a future. He does not plan for us a calamity. His plan for us is to be joyful, successful and prosperous (Jeremiah 29:11). His will and his plan for us, if I could say it, is already written in heaven. My long-time question then was why do I still have to pray?

Without being doctrinal, it is His command for us to pray. In my on-going relationship with God, I came to realise, talking or praying to Him is a natural course of friendship. When i accept Jesus as Saviour and Lord, I became God’s friend. Who on the earth would not want to talk to his friend? Also, I have realised in a personal way that God wants me to experience the joy of answered prayer. If I do not pray, how could I ever know this joy.

Indeed God has given me this many times and in many ways that I could literally even jump and dance because for joy because He has answered my prayers.

Thank you, God. Bless you Jesus. Holy Spirit thank you for being here.

Spinach and Winning over Brutus

One cartoon character that amused me when I was a kid was Popeye the Sailor. I was amused and at the same time amazed that he so skinny could win over his muscular rival Brutus in capturing Olive Oyl’s heart. The source of Popeye’s super strength as we all know is spinach.
In spite of being brainwashed by the countless episodes of the paramount importance of spinach, I only ate spinach (as well as sweet potato tops) then when forced and watched closely by my father during meal times.
The story changed however when I became a health freak. Knowing that spinach is rich in calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, vitamins C and A, and etc., spinach now is a regular constituent of my diet.
I do not have to shop for it because it grows like weed in my garden. My father planted it in my backyard and told me to take care not to lose it come what may. I wondered why, I don’t look now so he said when I was in college like a hanging skeleton in the air. Or did he want me to grow really big biceps like Tyson?
The type of this spinach is what we Filipinos called Baguio spinach. When I asked my father how I’d cook it, he said I could steam it like I do with the sweet potato tops or else put it in sinigang na isda or ginisang mungo.
Having eaten a different species of spinach when I was a kid, I was not really familiar with Baguio spinach. So on one occasion when I had a court interpreting job, I called in the State Library of New South Wales and research on this spinach. I learned that it is also called New Zealand spinach. I went away with photocopied material about the vegetable including some recipes of how to cook it.
I read most of all that this particular spinach should not be eaten raw. Why, because it is abundant in oxalates which could interfere with the absorption of calcium. Reading other materials on spinach, I read that one can benefit from it if it is cooked properly. One thing common with many recipes I read is to squeeze as much water from it after steaming it.
As this vegetable is hundredfold more abundant in my yard, I gave away heaps of these time and again to my church mates and also few neighbours who in turn also grew it in their yard. Funny, however, at a later stage, a few of them told me how this spinach grows uncontrollably in their yard that they had to kill it. I did not say anything. After all they have the liberty to do as they please in their backyard. My friend Goodie, however, since she was living on her own grew it in a pot and told me with satisfaction how she just cut few stems to cook. As for me, I just let it grow as they please in my yard giving most of it then to my sister-in-law who makes really beautiful quiche out of them.
As I grew tired of eating it steamed or in sinigang na isda or ginisang mungo, I explored other ways I can use it for cooking. So I have used it time and again in making omelette, quiche, spring rolls and later in making pizza and gozleme.
Apparently, have I loved eating spinach? Yes, by compulsion. I regularly eat spinach now-- that I feel all sorts of pain in my body and weakening of my knees.
So I make time to pick it from my garden once or twice a week, go through the tedious chore of selecting only the nicest leaves, washing each individual leaf in running water till I could not see any more grain of soil in the basin that collects the water from the tap. Afterwards, I store them in the fridge or even freezer by batch so that I could just take them out when I need it.

As I happily work in my spinach station, I always tell my mother (who technically does not eat this as she is on warfarin), it is important for me to eat spinach because Popeye eats it. If I don’t how could I win over the Brutuses in my life.
As my mother does not seem to have any idea of what I am talking about, I always repeat myself and say... you know Popeye as I sing Popeye’s theme song...

Me Singing to Myself Billy Joel's Just the Way You Are

I watched all the programs there were to watch on TV. Surprisingly enough I did not sleep in front of TV. Probably because I drank too much caffeine, so I started writing on my blog. I also made this video where I sang my favourite song of Billy Joel called Just the Way You Are. Preferably, I would want Brett to sing it to me because I want him to give me the assurance that it is okay to leave my greying hair as it is. Unfortunately, Brett could not sing the way Billy Joel sings this song, so I gave it a go singing it to myself. I want to give me the assurance that black or grey, I should like myself, be happy with myself and love myself. Furthermore, I should also be kind to myself and just relax, and to stop striving to achieve. Why? Because there there is a time for everything...

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to save, a time spend
A time to work, a time to rest
A time to study, a time to play
A time to relax and just sit under the sun
And watch life goes by---
And by the same token,
enjoy it no matter what happens

Come what may...

I am pretty confident I did not have wasted years. When it was time for me to study, I studied. I followed the advice of my parents. And by the grace of God, I think I have given the best shot of all there is about living my life year after year. So I am telling myself again and again...it is time to relax and take things easy.






I included in this video my most favourite photos which my family took and also pictures of the sky I took myself during one lazy late noon of autumn 2011

Loving Myself Just the Way I Am Over the Years

I celebrated my 2011 birthday on November 21st. I felt good reading through the birthday greetings of family and friends on my facebook and on also on my inbox. Two people greeted me Happy 21st. Ahh... I wish I could always stay as 21. However this is far, far away from reality. As years go by, I grow older and older. My hair declares it. With each passing year I know my head will soon be grey. My siblings were so concerned about my greying hair. They said it’s time to dye it. A lady doctor with whom I worked occasionally at the Outpatient, Blacktown Hospital when I was still working even prescribed to me a type of dye that is non- allergenic, ie after I told her I have strong reservation in dyeing my hair because of my allergenic makeup, so to speak. A young doctor friend prescribed to me a hair dye of plant origin called Henna which Indians normally use to colour their hair.

I have not taken on board any of these suggestions. Part of me is saying I could not wait till I turn 60. If my hair is coloured, how would I look like 60? With a few strands of grey hair, two young men had even given up their seats for me in the train and in the bus. When they did, however, I grieved a little bit inside: My, am I too old now to be given this kind of chivalry? I never had this experienced since I came to Australia. At the same time, however, I felt glad because of the comfort of commuting being seated rather than standing.

Why do I want to be 60? Simple, I will be officially a holder of a senior’s card. What’s the big deal about it? Technically, I could avail of all the discounts a senior’s card holder is entitled to. On the second thought, I told myself, Why, i could always use my mother’s senior card anyway as she is always with me whenever I go shopping..

Ageing is inevitable as the years go by. It is a normal course of life. I told to myself—black or grey—I should love myself just the way I am. I should not worry too much about my hair colour more than I should about my health. When I read through all the signs of ageing in medical terms from the organismic level down to the cellular and molecular levels, whoa, I worry somehow. I could not imagine being in the hospital treated for complications of diabetes which I now have or for a possible stroke or heart attack or a fall. I am scared to death to go to a hospital.


I could see some signs of deterioration. I spilled grains of coffee on the table. Whenever I do, I told my mother. My! I am growing older. All the years I worked in the laboratory I never had any chemical spillage or glassware breakages. NEVER! Everything was perfect. My supervisor even commended me for this. I had perfect muscle coordination. I could even dissect out without the aid of the microscope organs of insects. Now, I am like you and Father when he was still alive.


What could I do? Nothing, except to accept the fact that everybody grows old, older and older as years go by. So I would not feel too bad and disappointed about ageing, all I have to do is to think about its positives. For me, it means slowing down and having more time to relax, to sit under the sun and watch life go by. I was once young and full of energy. I worked very hard to achieve the state I am now in. I would not like to go back and be 21 again. My! What was I doing when I was 21? Struggling very hard to establish a career! Endlessly studying to earn more university degrees and earn a promotion at work. Yes I worked day and night. I did not even had time to watch TV or go to a theatre, that sometimes people regarded me as coming from another planet, not knowing the names and faces of famous celebrities in the world of cinema and popular music. I always tell my mother, I couldn’t imagine staying up to watch TV. I had never done this in my whole life until now. That’s why when I was talking to a 21 year old friend who wanted to be 16 again. I strongly told her, not for me! I would not like to take again all those school examinations. I do not like to have nightmares of failing my mathematics or physics examinations. I am finished with all these.


Furthermore, rather than worry about the greying of my hair or the lines on my forehead and the wrinkles on my hands, I thought I should concentrate on successful ageing. That is, to stay as healthy as possible by eating well and doing a bit of exercise and at the same time exercising and sharpening still further my cognitive functions. Needless to say, I should also maintain a healthy relationship between God and myself, as well as others.

The above I know is easier said than done. However, it is worth a try by discipline, determination and dependence on the grace of God.

I got my first basket of potatoes..

This is my first basket of potatoes. The basket on the right contains baby potatoes which I will throw back in the garden.




This is the Christmas record of Richard and Karen Carpenters which I was listening to as I worked in the garden





Yesterday, I was not able to do all the work I want to do in the garden in the morning because my Mum and I went out with Daisy who gave us a lunch treat.
After I watched a midday movie, I thought it would not be a bad idea to do some gardening so I would not have a great backlog. So I would be inspired while working I put on the phonograph Carpenters Christmas Portrait and turned its volume up.

I added compost to one of the garden beds I made after all the construction work at the extension of the house and which I particularly made to grow chillies. I also started pulling out weeds when I caught sight of two potato plants which just grew possibly from the potato peelings I threw in the garden bed. The plants were overgrown and were unsightly. I thought these would just overcrowd and deprived the chillies nutrients so I pulled them out mercilessly.

To my surprise, few potatoes of different sizes started rolling down from the sloping garden bed. I dug out for more potatoes and found more and more potatoes. Oh, WoW! I was not expecting I would have this many potatoes. The soil in this garden bed was not as good as the soil which the tradespeople used with the broken concrete to construct an elevated driveway. I was not thinking the potato plants would have tubers because the soil I used to make this garden bed was from the soil dug outside so I could grow Swan River daisies next to my fence. In fact I asked the man whom I paid to dig this out to just throw the heap in the bin. He advised me however to keep the soil.

I heeded his advice. After all, the man was the brother of the agriculturist old man who used to work for me. It paid off listening to veteran gardeners or agriculturists. I got my first basket of potatoes effortless in my entire career in gardening. Yippee!

It's Showering Purple Blooms ...

November-- the month when my huge jacaranda tree starts showering purple blooms in my front yard. I think this is one beautiful episode in my garden. Instead of snow flakes, I have purple flakes all about me in my little world.

I get so amazed year after year with this phenomenon. That's why as always during this time of the year, I usually step out of my front door in the morning. Oh, wow! So amazing-- because all I can hear is silence and the thumping of my heart. And all I can see is my towering jacaranda tree as it dances gently with the morning breeze. This is one kind of a priceless moment indeed!

I lingered for awhile and just watched my jacaranda tree shower my yard with its purple blooms. What a lovely thing to watch as every bloom that falls add up to the purple-ness of my lawn. I told to myself, it won't be much longer. I’d be counting each day and hopefully when my birthday comes, I might be walking on a totally purple ground. Yay!! It was good I had already called the mowing guy to cut the grass two weeks ago, hence, his machine would not disturb the stillness of the purple bloom.

I whispered to God once more how happy I am for His gift to me on my birth month year after year. I also thank Him for the strikingly beautiful blessing.

As each bloom falls to the ground, I think of one blessing after another God gives to me day after day, year after year. I could not count them all. He is someone who gives generously and not grudgingly. ...How could I ever thank Him enough?


Just then in the midst of my sweet meditations of Him, a bird flew by. Did I hear it sing a song? I thought I did. Or was it my heart singing a song of praise to Him?
Yes, it was my heart singing Alleuia, alleuia...


God alone deserves my praise, my highest praise. Praise you Father... bless you Jesus...thank you Holy Spirit for being here with me.

Rain, thunderstorm and De-cluttering with a plus

A weird weather this week-- rain and thunderstorms with interludes of sunshine throughout this week. I thought I should really be welcoming this kind of weather because I am compelled to stay indoors most of the time as I get mountains of chores to do. The main thing is to clear the clutter from both my house and its extension.
As I went through my files, I find it quite hard as always to let go, but then I keep reminding myself I could not cling forever to stuff. I was glad to find the printouts of my early web pages about dust mites and my Christian webpage called Reaching out... touching you. I wish I still had these web pages up and running.
While I know that one of my strong characteristic is faithfulness, I’m afraid this isn’t true with my extra-curricular activities so to speak. I was challenged to do my early web pages only because I wanted to see whether I could do them from scratch using the HTML language. When I got them up and running on the internet, I maintained them awhile for a few years and then just let them slip off from my agenda.
I was glad to find these pages in my file. I decided to keep them. Having done this however, I told myself the second time I should learn to let go if I indeed want to de-clutter. If not easy to achieve, I feel like it will take me ages, by the same token, to achieve this, though—as I often get stuck reminiscing details associated with even a single note from a friend. I assured myself it is okay.
Looking at what I had done each time give me some pleasure. I’ll sure get there sooner or later—particularly in days of weird weather of rain and thunderstorms.




These are my new bookcases. On top of them are two large scale paintings of my brother Nimrod. During moments I could not go out in the garden, I take delight looking when take a break.

During interludes of sunshine, I go out in the garden and take photos of beautiful blooms such as the following:



This is the Chrysanthemum my sister Merle gave our mother last Mother's Day. I transplanted it to a bigger pot. It died back. Thank God, it is blooming now.



Merle's husband gave this hippeastrum to me since I bought my house. The bulb seemed to be temperamental. I had transplanted it in different spots in my garden. It seems to be doing very well in my bed of roses under the crepe myrtle tree. I hope they grow in mass soon.



This is the nth time I took a picture of this bloom in my garden. I could not help it as it is so beautiful.

You might wonder why I added a plus in my title. The plus is the interlude of sunshine and the beauty of my garden after the rain

Birds in my Backyard

(This is a picture which Brett took when we were in the balcony of my house. I took two other shots which did not turn out so good because I was so short and my camera's zooming feature is limited. That's why Brett took this shot for me)


As I am at home all the time looking after my mother, I entertain myself by doing different things. One thing I love to do and find it interesting is bird watching. I need not go far to do this because the birds are right before me. In fact, when they are around me as I work in the garden, I always tell my mother, We are in good company, Mother.Different birds visit my yard: lorikeets, cuckatoos,pigeons, crows and magpies and two other birds unknown to me. These birds have made my backyard their home. I need not feed them because there are ample foods for them to feed on--fruit trees, vegetables and seeds I just throw on the ground to grow. Also, I got huge trees which they make as their resting place.


I was at the extension of my house doing some work on my desktop computer when I caught sight of this lone pigeon. I stopped and stared at the bird, then decided to go out of the house to take this photo.


As I stared at the lone pigeon, I wondered where could its friend or family be. My, wouldn't it be lonely to be just by itself? Brett talked to me about two families of birds which made his backyard their home and how happy they are--sharing the fresh water and food he provides for them...

After a minute or so, I saw another pigeon alight,not next to the first pigeon but on the adjacent lattice. Hmmm! What's going on? They seemed to be at odds...

I watched a bit longer and soon the bird that just alighted flew next to the first one. WoW, now they seemed to want to talk... about some issues?.. Perhaps! If they wouldn't, life would definitely miserable not just for them but also the other members of their family.



After a while or so... things must have been settled.. they could but just hang around each other--each doing their own thing. How good was that!



Yes, good on them! The bird business was finished and I thought I better go inside and finish mine.

Spring in Full Bloom

(These are pictures of the creeping roses my beloved late father planted. There are tens of thousands of these around my yard which to me represent his enormous love for me and my siblings)


(I will propagate this beautiful bloom in my backyard. I'm glad it bloomed. At the moment it is just alone in a pot in my front yard)




(This is one of the rose varieties in the rose garden Brett made for me. I was singing in my heart a traditional hymn which says I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses . I almost lost track of time breathing into my being the beauty of these roses. During the colder days I removed daily the aphids attacking them. My effort paid off. Such beautiful blooms!)





(This is one of the two varieties of Hibiscus which my friend Goodie gave me. I wasn't able to trim it in winter as I usually do. I hope it will give me great number of blooms till summer)


The rain has stopped. I thank God for watering my garden. For the past few days I days I did not have to do this because it had been raining. Needless to say, I stayed indoors all the time with my mother.

I have missed touching and talking to my plants and my trees so while my mother was still sleeping this morning, I went to the garden and took the photos above.

How the blooms brought delight to my heart! How glad and at the same time sad I was as I immersed my eyes and my thoughts breathing in the sweet scents of the creeping roses my late beloved father planted around my yard when I first bought my house. How I wish he was still here to see all of these beautiful florets.

I thank God for the comfort and the calm He overflooded my heart before I could flood the whole garden with my tears.

Yes, God gives me unspeakable and incomprehensible joy--both in good times and bad times.

I praise Him for all the beautiful and fresh flowers in my garden. Ahh... what else could I ask for in this life? He has given me all things that could not be bought anywhere but are free to those who are willing to receive and appreciate.

God is the Great Giver...and He gives generously. I praise Him and thank him for eternal life which is mine because of the shed blood of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

Just the same, I thank Him for my garden which creates in me as always sunshine of happiness and spring of hope. Hallellujah!! Praise the Lord!!!

Five-and ten-Cent Coins--What is their Worth?

This morning as I was having breakfast with my mother, I caught sight of a ten-cent coin at the base of our mug holder. I chuckled because this coin used to be in the kitchen sink for ages. I moved it from there because I finally got tired of it being on the way every time I clean the kitchen sink. Poor coin! No one seems to have found any use for it.
As has been my custom, I usually take out all other coins except gold coins from my shoulder bag. All the five-cent coins I put in the blue dolly bank and all the ten- cent coins in the Mickey Mouse girlfriend's bank, the twenty coins and fifty coins altogether in a wide-mouthed wooden container so I could easily get them as needed.
As my piggy banks for the five and ten cents are full, I just put these wherever I happen to be when I take out coins from my bag. If these fall on the floor, I never really bother to pick them up. Needless to say, these coins would stay forever on those spots or wherever they end up after I sweep the floor.
I remember the time when I went to shop for souvenirs to send my relatives overseas. As the shop assistant was handing me the change from my purchase, I asked her to put these also in the bag. Her reaction was a thousand words to paint. Unsure whether she heard me right, she asked if I really meant that she put the money with the bagged items. I said yes.
I could laugh out loud. Was it really weird to have the loose change with the bagged souvenirs and not in my shoulder bag. Why, these were just coins... five, ten, twenty and fifty cents!
I asked my mother whether she remembered the comedy show where Dolphy, a poor unestablished man was always the subject of his mother-in-law’s ridicule and insult where the latter always put on airs by asking her maid to sweep the floor for money. I told my mother, we could also sweep our floor technically for money—not for notes though, but just for five or ten cents.
Do I really regard these coins valueless that I would not bother to even keep them in my coin purse?
As we oftentimes find five-cent coin on the path when Brett and I take a walk, I asked him why he thinks people don’t even bother to pick it up. Just right then, he told me the story of a five-cent coin.
I could re-tell the story, but I may not give justice to it. The moral of the story is—as little value has a five-cent coin, we can not underestimate what it can do to us in the long run.
True indeed! If my bus fare is short of five or ten cents, the bus driver would definitely not let me in the bus or give me a ticket. The consequence is disastrous--I would not be able to go to my destination or miss my pay as a contractor. As I know exactly where to find the five or ten- cent coins around my house, I just pick these coins to add up to my bus fare. That’s why as valueless as these seem to be, I don’t vacuum them.

I don’t know how long that ten cent coin would stay at the base of our mug holder because I don’t take the bus anymore—ie I could not leave house now as my mother needs a high level of care. I’m positive, though, it’s going to be of use to me one day. Ït just has to be patient--as I always tell myself.

My Books-My Best Friend and All-time Companion

I probably have accumulated tons of books over the years since I began to love reading and also when I develop the desire to articulate my mind through writing. As I consider my books as my best friend and my all-time companion, I have tried my best to look after them and protect them from their enemies—worms and water (in my personal experience). Another enemy, according to Brett, to which I definitely agree with --is people who borrow books from you and never return them.
It was unfortunate however, that I was not able to protect my books when I left Manila to migrate to Australia. When I returned for them, I found them already damaged by flood, if not by worms. I wish I could take with me the books that have been of great help to me as a student and a person like Genetics by Strickberger, Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges, The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale, Holiness by JC Ryle, my few books on writing and journalism, and my two art books on landscapes and seacapes, as well as my Scandinavian cooking books-- but all these were badly damaged. As much as I wanted my book called Joni by Joni Eareckson, I knew this was quite an impossibility because I had lent it to someone and never got it back.
Anyway, my coming back for my books was not a total disappointment, because, as worn out as it was, I went back to Sydney, with the pocketbook that helped me a lot when I was studying Radiation Genetics and Radiation Biology. This book is called Atomic Radiation and Life by Peter Alexander.
As I left my house in Park Homes during that homecoming, I consoled myself with the thought that I could always buy copies of these books I once had. Anyway, I have already accumulated books since I arrived in Sydney. For documentation, the very first book I bought was Ryrie’s Study Bible, the New American Standard Bible version. I wanted to buy it very much then when I was a theology student, but couldn't--because I could not really squeezed it in my budget.
Today,23 October, I should really be having delivered the three bookcases I ordered from a local furniture shop. Since Brett and I walked into this furniture shop two weeks ago, I had been wishing that days would be shorter so I‘d get these bookcases (two measuring 3x5 and one measuring 3x6). I wanted them very much so I could organise all the books that had been lying for ages on the floor of the extension of my house. Everytime I passed them by, I always told myself I should not be treating these books like this. Even if these books, except for my cooking, gardening books and The Purpose- Driven Life by Rick Warren, could be classified as already archivable, I still enjoy browsing or skimming through their pages every now and then. I thought jsut as I regard my old friends as priceless, I should regard these books just the same. As old as these books are, they had contributed to my growth as a person. That's why I bought these bookcases to give these books their proper place.

However, I was not thinking the bookcases would come earlier than I expected them. I thank God I had become wiser, ie by having just put the minimum deposit. I remember what my big brother Nimrod told me when I was stressing out chasing a piece of furniture I paid in full because it never got delivered on time. He said to me then, don't pay anything in full until it is delivered. Everybody knows that! (except me?)
I needed these extra bookcases because my archivable books have no more room in what my sister refer to as Lilian's Library (which is actually my study). The custom -built bookshelves that run from the floor to the ceiling were full-packed. These housed most of my favourite books in theology, arts, literature and medicine. I also have in this room copies of the Marquis Who’s Who in the World, Who's Who in Science and Engineering where I am one of the biographees, my thick Ph D thesis and my newly bought, thick Macquarie Dictionary (Australia’s National Dictionary). I used to have in this room also my thick Webster Dictionary which I bought as soon as I could because I was not able to bring back the one I got in my house in Manila. I have already brought Webster down to my extension so I'll have one good realiable dictionary here.
It could have been better if I could just have all my books in one place in my house because at the moment I got books everywhere. I have all my devotionals, Sabbath school lessons booklets somewhere else, ie in a spot which I thought should be a place where I could do my meditations.
The present arrangement of my books suits me perfectly at the moment. When I could not fall asleep or could not go to sleep after waking in the middle of the night or at dawn, I could easily walk into my study which is just next to the room where I sleep.
During day time I spend most of my readings and writing in the extension as there is so much sun in this room.
Technically, I know could get rid of all my books because all the information I might ever need are at my fingertips by just surfing the internet. However, I prefer to keep my books. I like the feel of them. I love the colours, the cover designs and of course their contents.
The three little books I particularly love in a special way are my own two books Strings of Words and Solitude which has perfect binding and green cover, Love Across the Sky which is cloth bound and has purple cover. The third one is called Italian Dreams which is also cloth bound and has a dark orange cover. At times I take them out of the shelves and group them together as shown in the picture and just take delight looking at them. Sometimes I wish I was the one who wrote Italian Dreams because I like its cover, it presentation and the pictures inside them. One dream I have in fact is to be able to publish something like this little book.
I’m continually organising my books so that they could be at my service when I need them and also, if I may put it, give them the due respect I owe them. Why? because my books have made me wiser, more knowledgeable and happier. Through my cooking books, I am now able to confidently cook chicken curry. Through them, I am also able to give my mother foods that are not harmful for her medical conditions. If I need to be entertained, my books are just there always waiting to serve me and make me feel good.
Hmmm! It is good to be a bibliophile. My books is my best friend and all-time companion. With them, I never feel alone.

Breathing in Fresh Country Air

What could be lovelier than to breathe in fresh country air early in the morning! That’s just what Brett and I did last Sunday. Brett came to my house just right after I had my water therapy. As his car rolled away from the street where I lived, I could see the moon smiling at me. Ah.. it seemed to be telling me, "You've been kept in the house for awhile. It's time for you to be out in the open where the grass might be greener and the sky bluer. It is time for you to breathe in fresh country air.

We drove for quite sometime until all that my eyes could see were just rows of open fields, paddocks, meadows and hobby farms. I had a vague idea where we were heading. But I needed not asked. I had been going for a drive other than the Westfield or McDonalds with Brett. Besides, I could read the signs.

As usual, we did not drive a long, long way as he needed to take his young son to the library later in the day. As we drove along the small and big roads, it occurred to my mind the poem of Dorothea MacKellar. I used to know it, but could not recall the lines. Brett knows it by heart so he started reciting it...
I love a sunburnt country
A land of sweeping plains
Of ragged mountain ranges
Of droughts and flooding rains...

I went to a dreamful state and time stood still. When I first arrived in Australia and was able to save my first $5000 dollars, I wanted to buy a hobby farm. I was not thinking it would require hard work because my plan was just to go over there in the weekend and jsut throw some seeds of fruit trees and leave all the work to the God of Abraham. Anyway, it did not materialise. Mainly because my siblings thought I was crazy to ever dream of it. Who was going to take me to this hobby farm when I don't drive? Not them as they got their own families to whom they are responsible to.

I forgot all about the hobby farm and just continued saving until I had enough to buy not just a hobby farm but a country house in Mudgee with two dams. The same question came up. HOw would I manage to live in the country when I don't even drive.

The solution I reckoned was to learn to drive. So I bought a car, sat for the written test which was like eating peanuts having passed it at one go. When the actual driving test came, however, I failed. Pastor Smith, who is long retired now and the one who helped me negotiate with the caryard people to do more work on the hatchback Nissan car I picked to buy, advised me to take the test again. He said if I could finish a PhD, then I could surely pass the driving test. How I wish na nagdilang angel siya' (literally that he's got the angel's tongue)! '

As I expected it,though, I failed the test again. Pastor Smith said it was odd and surprising that I could probably finish another PhD and yet could not even pass the driving test. He wondered if I was too intellectual who do not even have any mechanical ability.

I did not waste anymore money getting a driver's licence. Needless to say, I realised it was crazy to pursue my dream so I just let go all about my farm and country house dream.

After driving in a circle as was his custom and having enough of the country air and scents, Brett pulled his car over at the Warragamba Dam.

My, that was good! I wanted to take the pictures of the cows, the sheeps and the vastness of the plains. How could I with Brett's car running up to 100mph. Further, Brett could not just really pull over his car on those spots. I was sorry having missed the chance to take pictures of fat sheeps.

Thanks to Brett, however. At least I could take photos of the dam and its surrounding areas. I really wanted to take photos of nature for future posts on my Pray and Praise Page on facebook.

After taking photos of the dam which was one of the largest dam in the world, Brett pulled over so I could take photos of one country house. WoW! That was a dream house minus all the horses.

The highlight of the day of course was breakfast at my favourite Maccas. I don't know why but I always crave for McDonald's big mac, fries and Sundae. Ooops. But it was only breakfast time....

So I just settled for the pancakes and cappucino. What a lovely day! I had an enjoyable time. Thank God and thank Brett too!

God makes me smile

I had spent most of my life pursuing an academic career so I had missed out on some of the things which make life more interesting. One of these is gardening which I only got the chance to do at a later stage of my life when I bought a house here in Sydney.

Over the years I dug and created garden beds consisting of beautiful geranium blooms. I was overjoyed because geraniums were so easy to grow and the splash of colours they created in the garden was fantastic. If I could say it, these are plants you cannot kill unlike the African violets I killed when my lady boss went for an official visit to India.

While I focused on geraniums, my parents were more concerned about planting vegies and fruit trees. When they became older and became afflicted with myriads of medical conditions, I began to involve myself with aspects other than watering our vegetable gardens.

Where did I begin? As bookish as I am, I began by reading gardening books and magazines. First, I grew tomatoes--which became frustrating at the first instance having been besieged by enemies. If I would apply pesticides, I could not see any point why I had to bother growing them. So I practiced cultural method of control--bagging the fruits and treading under my feet the bugs. My! that was laborious and painstaking!

I resolved I should change the manoeuvre--sow ten thousands seeds and pick them while the fruits are green. Statistically, I should have more than enough and the surviving pests by the same token would have their share and the rest go back to the ground. It worked beautifully for me! Soon I was harvesting basketsful of tomatoes!! Unbelievably magic, Yay!!!

What do I do with all the hundreds of tomatoes? I made pasta sauce and freeze them, cut them into rings and freeze them too! Consequently I never run out of tomatoes till the next growing season.!

I never thought that my fine hands which I thought were only suited to dissecting out organs of insects could do wonders on the macroscopic level!.

What more can I ask for in life? Could there be something else fulfilling than to enjoy the fruit of your labour? Yes I had worked so hard to become an established biologist, but then there is more to life than the prestige of being in the academia. Thank God I realised this when I was not older older.

I am glad I chose to give up my career to look after my aging mother. Having done this meant getting out of the rat race. Further, it meant giving up a life driven by the clock. It meant going beautifully through a seachange, being able to relax and just watch the sun go by---and ?do more gardening.

In the garden is the absence of loneliness...because God is there to make me smile.


N.B

Six weeks ago, I went to Westfield to do some brisk walking then as my blood pressure was a bit up. When I was done, I walked in Go- lo. I was not aiming to buy anything, but then I saw the rack full of seeds. I read through all the packets of seeds.

What could I plant in my garden? I asked myself. Snow peas? Would I still get a harvest? When I visited Julie, she showed me her vegetable patch and her snow peas were almost finished. She said she had already got good harvest and the ones left were for sowing next season.

I thought it was quite absurd if I would still sow seeds of snow peas. As I was not familiar with the other vegetables, I picked a packet of snow peas. I resolved it would not hurt if I still sow some seeds.

When I went home, I prepared two rectangular tub and threw in all the seeds in the packet indiscriminately, not bothering to read the instruction for example of how deep and far apart the seeds were to be sown. I watered them as often as I watered my broccoli, celery and mustard.

In no time, I saw some growth. I watched the seedlings grow each day. One day in midSeptember at the shop, I met my friend Julie and showed by my hand how tall my snow seedlings were. She replied she was actually pulling out her snow pea plants because the season was now over.

Well, I got no idea if I would see some pea pods in my garden. I continued to water them and watch them grow. Soon they were bearing flowers. Hahaha! would these turn into pods soon?

Yes they did!!! Yay! Each day I picked a handful of baby peas to put in my noodles. It is now mid October. The peas are still growing taller and continually bearing flowers. Needless to say, each early morning I am bringing in not just a handful of the snow pea pods to freeze for later use. Am I not blessed? Indeed God makes me happy.