tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-111105082012-02-16T07:36:11.072-08:00lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.comBlogger3241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-87140916029128204222011-02-04T23:47:00.020-08:002011-02-05T00:16:49.676-08:00

My relatives had many stories of firsthand encounters with wildlife in the forest. It was fascinating to listen to such stories, but I'd never want to be in a similar situation. I love the mountains, not the wildlife, particularly those that can potentially harm humans. I'm okay with non-poisonous spiders, ants and harmless little critters... Mt. Makiling has all of those and more. Snakes, for

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-74484249378136000662011-02-04T13:35:00.010-08:002011-02-04T22:29:17.634-08:00

As I said previously, my grandfather had a four-hectare homestead on the slopes of Mt. Makiling just beyond UP Los Banos Animal Husbandry. It was thickly forested and had all sorts of tropical fruit trees. Mango. Guava. Lanzones. Sampaloc (tamarind). Coconut. Langka (jackfruit). Rambutan. Guyabano. Santol. Sintones (oranges). There was a sintonesan section dedicated to oranges. There were coffee

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-32682859289662181162011-01-26T19:19:00.013-08:002011-01-27T04:49:45.823-08:00

My mother got married at age 20. Her father, Bonifacio, got married at age... 15! His wife, Manuela, was also 15. That's just the age of my youngest son Markus. Even though that was the turn of the 20th century, when young men were plotting and joining the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish conquistadores, I find it hard to imagine two 15-year-olds settling down like grown ups. It's

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-54081178195889956242011-01-24T12:44:00.005-08:002011-01-24T15:12:58.892-08:00

If there’s any place in the Philippines where I felt most at home next to UP Diliman, it would be Laguna, a province southeast of Manila. My mother's side came from a town there called Los Baños, famous for hot springs, buko pie and other things. Even if I was the only one among my siblings who wasn't born there, I felt an attachment to Laguna just the same. We have so much family history in that

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-32125349871684553182010-11-07T10:25:00.010-08:002010-11-08T07:14:02.839-08:00

I like traveling long distances. I'm very much a homebody, but will quickly jump at the opportunity to travel beyond Greater Vancouver, or outside Metro Manila back when I was in the Philippines. But I'm not a jet-setter. I don't travel in style. I haven't been on a cruise nor joined a package tour. I often travel on a shoestring budget. Even less. From early on, during trips to my parents' or

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-68050008344517887532010-10-30T19:01:00.004-07:002010-10-31T09:21:33.877-07:00

A few months ago, I went down to our laundry room in the basement and was greeted by a huge mess. Clothes were everywhere--on the floor, on the dryer, behind the dryer, in baskets and spilling over hampers.  Some were damp, others dry. Others had been there for ages. That's it. I've had it! I thought to myself. I gathered dry clothes into baskets, perhaps clean and dirty together. I couldn't

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-65398945133460572552010-10-30T11:24:00.002-07:002010-10-30T13:36:31.348-07:00

"Mom, would you have been more girlie if you had daughters instead of sons?" Gino, my eldest, has asked me this twice that I can remember of. He was probably wondering if I would be more into makeup, fashion, shopping, accessories, crafts... typical "girlie" stuff. Chores aren't girlie. Not in my house. NEVER. Everyone has to do his own laundry, wash the dishes, clean up his room, etc...

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-61649179449082087022010-10-12T05:44:00.014-07:002010-10-12T12:17:44.614-07:00

(This is final part of this travel series.) With only two full days in Rome, we decided to follow Rick Steve's suggested 2 - 3 days Rome itinerary to make the most of our stay. We did not strictly adhere to it but we were close.  Here was how our two days went: Day 1: The Colosseum, The Palatine Hill, The Forum, Capitoline Hill, Trajan's Column, Vittorio Emmanuele Monument, The Pantheon, Piazza

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-9124793475371120672010-09-22T18:52:00.001-07:002010-09-22T18:54:07.585-07:00

Leaving Sorrento, my husband and I took a Circumvesuviana train (fare was €4) to Naples, where we got off at Napoli Centrale to get another train to Rome. Our original plan was to have a quick visit of the historic center of this major Italian city before proceeding to the Eternal City. On the train to Naples. Bye Sorrento! But fatigue had set in. We wanted to focus our remaining energy,

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-25041328685597037392010-09-19T23:22:00.026-07:002010-10-11T09:04:06.798-07:00

Day, 3, took a day tour to the Isle of Capri. We had reserved a boat, with a boatman, for the whole day for €300. This was the cheapest I found online. You can probably rent one upon arrival in Capri then negotiate the price right there. Different kinds of boats for rent As soon as we got into the boat, the young ones excitedly proceeded to the bow and sat there. The oldies cautiously followed

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-8071477836969011912010-09-18T23:41:00.048-07:002010-09-20T07:25:59.477-07:00

If there was any place hubby and I wanted to visit together in Italy, it was the Amalfi Coast. It had been on our bucket list for the last few years. The stunning coastline, picturesque villages clinging to cliffs overlooking the azure waters of the Mediterranean.... Ahhh, breaththtaking! When our group was deciding on whether to go to Italy or Spain after our time in France, hubby pushed for

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-28577990919104229322010-09-16T13:47:00.007-07:002010-09-19T23:48:43.966-07:00

If you are planning on a France-Italy trip without the aid of a travel agent or outside of a package tour, compare prices. I was surprised to know it was cheaper to fly out of Paris to Naples than to take the train between these two cities. Our Paris-Naples flight on EasyJet cost us $155 US each for a flight that took a couple of hours. The train ride would have cost us $210 US each and 18 hours

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-44523239060362573362010-07-27T18:53:00.003-07:002010-07-30T17:13:42.226-07:00

I'd like to share the most important shopping lesson I learned in France: READ THE FRENCH PRINT. They’re not even the fine kind. At least try to understand the words whenever you see them and save yourself some moolah or embarrassment. As the saying goes, buyer beware. This is a no-brainer, but in the midst of the excitement of seeing nice things, and mentally converting from euro to Canadian

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-73197772311841841842010-07-19T23:17:00.015-07:002010-07-27T18:54:31.323-07:00

(This is hubby's third and last write up in this series on France.) Our day trip to Saint Malo was pleasant and unhurried. The bus ride was quite interesting because we had a bunch of noisy teenagers tormenting the passengers with their repertoire of French and English songs half-sung and half-screeched. One could be easily annoyed but I chose not to sweat it because after all, I'm on holiday.

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-85982669607161940142010-06-27T06:39:00.069-07:002010-07-26T21:44:38.412-07:00

(This is the continuation of hubby's write-up on Mont Saint-Michel. Thanks to Warren and Michelle for photos.) As I push my way through the crowd of wide-eyed visitors, I try to imagine medieval life in the abbey-fortress-village and imagine away the tourists and the numerous shops and restaurants that line the narrow streets that lead up to the summit, the abbey of Saint Michael. The

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-41599617074252850412010-06-22T00:23:00.014-07:002010-06-27T09:31:47.926-07:00

(Another post by my guest writer hubby. Thanks, tweet...) I had preconceived ideas of Mont Saint-Michel (Saint Michael's Mount) from mostly pictures in travel magazines, tourism promos, TV. I kinda knew what it was, a church on a hill (Wrong. Church on an islet). I was familiar with the silhouette, I knew it was in France somewhere, but I'm just terrible at geography, I have a really bad sense

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-89969025465271941682010-06-10T20:09:00.039-07:002010-06-22T02:17:02.762-07:00

After three nights and two days in rainy Paris, I was looking forward to our next destination--Rennes (|ren|). We didn't know much about this city except that it was going to be our jump off point to Mont Saint-Michel and Saint Malo. We also didn't know it was in Brittany and not Normandy as we originally thought. I admit, I didn't even know there was a Brittany in France. The things you learn by

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-66789619882512345662010-06-04T12:39:00.047-07:002010-06-18T13:04:54.216-07:00

May is one of the best months to visit Paris. That's according to various websites and our own travel agent. The weather is supposed to be mild and warm, and the city is not yet overcrowded as in July and August.But ever since we arrived on May 9, it had been drizzling or intermittently raining. And it was chilly. Shucks, like I never left Vancouver, I thought. I always wore layers. If I knew I'd

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-18638314305163539512010-05-31T23:13:00.046-07:002010-06-07T21:18:11.166-07:00

After a most pleasant loooong walk along the city's most-est, mentioned by hubby in the previous post, we reached the Louvre Museum. Contrary to what we thought, it was open on Mondays. Closed on Tuesdays.Except for Nikki and Noemi, who did some errands, the five of us quickly decided to get tickets and spend the rest of the afternoon inside it till closing time. The main entrance to the museum

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-59298162553704874772010-05-30T22:21:00.030-07:002010-06-03T23:22:27.981-07:00

When in Paris for the first time, you'd like to see the most famous tourist spots you've only read about or seen on TV or in the movies. This was my second time, but I was only too willing to retrace the steps that Gino and I had taken before. I don't think tourists like me will ever have enough of the city. I thought it would be good to have hubby, a first-timer, write his impressions of Paris

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-56803540544967343762010-05-28T01:44:00.019-07:002010-06-02T00:38:50.521-07:00

The night hubby and I arrived, Nikki took our group to Palais de Chaillot, also named Trocadero, situated on top of a hill, for a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower.I think the Eiffel Tower is a must-see at night. It is a must-see at daytime too, but at night you'll see the lofty Tower in all its sparkling glory. You'll be scintillated when the lights flicker for 10 minutes on the hour even as

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-66858364958972181862010-05-26T05:20:00.043-07:002010-05-29T15:09:10.335-07:00

A few weeks ago, six family members on my hubby's side traveled to Paris where a niece is finishing her MA this year. These included my sis-in-law and her daughter from the Philippines, a nephew and niece from the US, and hubby and I from Canada. There were more of us originally in this reunion of sorts, but things came up and others backed out. Seven was still a good number and a lot of fun. We

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-66280265316464136342010-04-14T18:28:00.013-07:002010-04-14T20:15:17.574-07:00

Guess what I have in common with Beyonce, Liv Tyler, Marisa Tomei, and Michelle Obama. The hula hoop! But that's as far as the comparison goes. They already have the figures I can only hoop for. I first became interested in the hula hoop after reading an article online about its health benefits. I immediately went to Wal-mart."Do you sell hula hoops?" I asked the saleslady at the sports and

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-8745945567897778022010-04-05T22:34:00.014-07:002010-04-06T07:46:31.652-07:00

(This is the last of this series.)Saturday morning. We were preparing to go house hunting again with the few leads that we had. Upon learning of our plan and predicament, Al, a part-time receptionist at the Y, suggested that we check out the rental suite that was recently vacated on the street where he lived in Surrey. He immediately called the owner, his neighbour, on our behalf.Al worked

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-40049213935365940452010-03-14T21:29:00.064-07:002010-03-15T14:32:48.546-07:00

If the YMCA hostel had no vacancy when we arrived, we had no definite Plan B. Find a motel perhaps? Then work our way up the room rate ladder?Traveling to a foreign country with 4 small children without a sure place to stay was not what we wanted. If time permitted, hubby might have flown ahead to scout the area for accommodation, which other immigrants were and are doing. Or we could at least

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-85800118645551992062010-03-12T23:57:00.008-08:002010-03-15T14:08:42.339-07:00

Our flight was booked with Philippine Airlines for March 12, only two days before our visas expired. This was practically pushing it to the limit. But it was the best we could do, and just pray and hope that airline personnel wouldn't go on strike, or the military wouldn't stage a coup. March 12 still gave us a little allowance considering the time difference between Vancouver and Manila.Thank

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-65272227548198186622010-03-11T20:31:00.024-08:002010-03-13T11:08:24.011-08:00

My husband and I first thought of moving to Canada after watching the movie Anne of Green Gables shortly after we got married. We fell in love with Prince Edward Island. We knew very little about Canada, but seeing such a lovely place as PEI was enough to make us dream about it. Ahh, Canadaaah...We made a few job inquiries from government agencies in PEI, but did not pursue it any further. We

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-87250171364291261282010-03-02T12:36:00.011-08:002010-03-04T06:36:33.489-08:00

The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics are over. Sighhh... Vancouver is feeling the blues.It was a spectacular, action-packed 17 days like we never had before in beautiful British Columbia. A big international event like this close to home may never be repeated so I enjoyed it while it lasted. Donned my reds and whites, visited celebration sites, and watched the games daily on at least three TV

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-49709941661695506892010-02-16T12:20:00.031-08:002010-02-19T01:37:15.659-08:00

Before the 2010 Winter Olympics, I hardly paid attention to this international event except to watch some figure skating. But now that it's being hosted right here in Vancouver, I'm so into the Olympic spirit. I cannot be prouder.My appreciation for winter games is growing by leaps and bounds. The 2010 Olympics has introduced me to sports like mogul, luge, skeleton, bobsleigh, biathlon, snowboard

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-43062800271491286172010-01-23T10:37:00.022-08:002010-01-24T16:33:36.683-08:00

"Boys, let's go skating," I told Gabriel and Markus in the car yesterday morning as I drove them to school. "It's free at Robson Square." After nine years, a refurbished ice rink reopened in Vancouver in November last year in time for the coming 2010 Winter Olympics.The glass-domed below-street-level open-air GE Ice Plaza on Robson St. (photo from planeteyetraveler.com)"I don't wanna go skating.

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-13232519987234137902010-01-15T22:47:00.009-08:002010-01-23T23:31:48.130-08:00

Yesterday, I drove by the Fraser Golf Centre going home from work. I started laughing to myself as I remembered the time I brought my boys to this driving range."Boys, you have to be really quiet. People don't want noise around here," I said as we walked to a vacant bay with a bucket of golf balls. Gabriel and Markus were probably just 10 and 11 years old then and they couldn't keep still or

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-7926390219516170982010-01-01T15:38:00.021-08:002010-01-04T12:39:53.549-08:00

Our garden wedding would not have been possible without the help, generosity and cooperation of family and friends. My mother-in-law offered to shoulder the cost of our clothes. My choice was an off-white semi-formal dress rather than the traditional white wedding gown. I wanted to be able to mix and match it, and wear it again and again. Our rings were the gift to us by one of my sisters-in-law.

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-90363304960481137452010-01-01T15:15:00.027-08:002010-01-04T12:47:49.427-08:00

(As I mentioned, this is now the conclusion of this series. However, I had to cut it in two parts because it's rather long).Outdoors. Intimate. Nontraditional. Simple.These were what we wanted for our wedding. And one that would not burden our parents financially or otherwise. With creativity and resourcefulness, we believed we could still have a garden wedding somehow. Forget the gazebo, the

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-23642079107134401712009-12-30T01:21:00.021-08:002009-12-30T13:36:20.671-08:00

(I'm picking up from where I left off in part 6)In three years…That was what we said when people asked when we were planning to get married. My mother thought three years was too long. We were already in our mid-20s. Other people said the same. My mother, especially, thought that women should get married and start having children before 30. They had to think of their biological clock.In the days

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-70248134845255599062009-12-28T09:49:00.008-08:002009-12-28T11:34:45.475-08:00

(Hubby obliged to write this post in this series. Thanks a lot - tweet.)Who's That Girl?The first time I ever laid eyes on That Girl was back in '78 at the Campus Crusade tambayan (hangout) at the College of Arts & Sciences building, UP Diliman Campus. It must have been lunchtime. I was sitting near the entrance to the tambayan making up my schedule for the week. I looked up and there she was.She

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-22332968949981190592009-12-22T16:19:00.021-08:002009-12-27T10:07:05.259-08:00

Nestled at the foot of Mt. Makiling is the UP Los Banos campus, a premier institution in agriculture and forestry. I loved its rustic charm. I spent many vacations in the area where my parents had a house outside the campus and my grandfather tended a homestead on the slopes of the mountain.At the entrance of UP Los Banos campus(photo taken from flickr\misha1976)My plan was to take This Guy on a

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-79539442754889520782009-12-20T16:40:00.011-08:002009-12-20T19:52:19.694-08:00

When This Guy and I started seriously getting to know each other, I lent him my past diary to fast-track the process. I wanted to make sure he was not under the impression that I was a typical church-going choir-singing conservative girl who walked around with a halo. NOT! I wanted him to know early that I did not have it all together, I had screwed up here and there, had made poor choices and

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-2582927338352365402009-12-19T07:03:00.010-08:002009-12-19T12:20:08.268-08:00

How do you know if you've found the RightGuy?In my case, I had entertained a number of WrongOnes to know what wasn't working. Wrong timing. Wrong motive. Wrong status. Wrong priorities. Wrong whatever...But what about what's Right?Fortunately, This Guy came at a time when things were back on track in my life, when I was open to God's leading. Surrendered would be a better description. I was done

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-21855447085072201142009-12-17T09:30:00.025-08:002009-12-17T14:27:31.456-08:00

Rewind, 1981..."Hey, you might know this guy who's now attending this church. Younger brother of Ate Becky. You went to the same university. Fine Arts graduate," a girlfriend excitedly told me. A welcome addition to the single churchgoing male minority?"No, I don't know him," I replied. But I knew Ate Becky.One Sunday morning, this same friend pulled me aside as I was preparing for choir behind

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-88819000542959931732009-12-15T19:14:00.008-08:002009-12-15T20:02:18.709-08:00

The morning church service was over and the sanctuary was almost empty. I was sitting at the back pew waiting for someone or something."If I were to marry someone from this church, it could only be him," I thought to myself as I watched This Guy walk across the front aisle.What a strange thought. First, This Guy and I were not close friends even though we had known each other at church for three

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-22701620260717973832009-12-12T11:31:00.005-08:002009-12-12T12:28:07.021-08:00

"Lord, I want to get married this year," I remember uttering New Year's Eve 1985.It was more a sigh, a wishful thought, a fleeting feeling I threw in with other more pressing prayers as I spent the last minutes of '84 locked in my room while waiting for the countdown. Those days, I liked to spend the strike of 12 with God, thanking Him for the past year and praying for the new one. I'd be in my

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-31676628551354775982009-11-15T09:10:00.022-08:002009-11-17T07:50:10.224-08:00

I am attracted to anything ethnic. Garments, trinkets, musical instruments, baskets, hairstyles, makeup... For me, these--not designer shoes, clothes, perfume, jewelry, etc.-- are the closest to what can be called my fancy.I still have bamboo flutes and other native instruments that I've collected since my teens. The nose flute and mouth harp are my favourite. When Kontra-Gapi, an ethnic music

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-47237896745387513462009-11-13T09:17:00.009-08:002009-11-13T13:48:02.853-08:00

(part 2 of 2)"So Mom, how's your makeover going?" Gino asked me about a week ago."Well, it's still going. I just haven't decided on my haircut. And I'm running out of clothes," I replied. "I don't know how long I can sustain this.""Wear a mini-skirt, black stockings and high heels," he said. I didn't say I wanted an extreme makeover. Just a makeover."I already did that. Well, it's not really very

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-12432112597903949932009-10-30T16:58:00.013-07:002009-11-01T20:52:30.684-08:00

(Part 1 of 2)“I want a makeover,” I told my husband recently. I don’t know if this was triggered by the change of season, or it was now my season of change.“Sure,” MrB said without hesitation. He had heard this from me a few times before and he always approved. I hardly followed through though. I know, I know, other ladies are probably going, Shop till you drop!“First, change your hair. Get

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-42422264619752825192009-10-04T13:07:00.007-07:002009-10-04T13:42:56.031-07:00

"Mom, you know what I'm going to do when I have a one million dollars?" Markus asked me yesterday as I was cooking breakfast.Take a grammar lessons? "No, what?" I replied."I'm gonna put $950,00 in the bank and spend $50,000 however I want.""What about giving? How come there is none for giving?" I asked.Markus paused for a moment. "Okay, I'll put $850,000 in the bank and give to charity.""What

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-74410519363056649292009-09-20T21:27:00.016-07:002009-10-03T08:52:53.146-07:00

(tenth and last of a series)Shortly before leaving Makeni for Bo in the southern region of Sierra Leone, a few people, including 2 pastors and their wives, arrived at the staff house to see us off. They wished us traveling mercies. Our host prayed for us and then we took off in the same bus that brought us to Makeni. We loaded less supplies this time. But we now had my suitcase, which arrived

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-65578770394191856532009-09-12T07:42:00.011-07:002009-10-11T14:28:00.814-07:00

(Ninth of a series)The night we arrived in Makeni, it was quite dark at the staff house/office we would be staying at. The little battery-operated white lights above the dining table were weaker than a 5-watt bulb. It took my eyes a little while to adjust to the faint lights over a meal of bread and cheese for dinner while having a team meeting on the work ahead.Afterward, our hosts prepared our

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-43781851960281473332009-09-09T05:31:00.008-07:002009-10-11T14:26:56.766-07:00

(Eighth of a series)I had the opportunity to attend two churches in Makeni. The first one was an indigenous church established 10 years ago by four young men without help from missionaries. The pastor, who was involved in our project, invited me to attend there on my first Sunday in Makeni. My two American colleagues attended the church of our dialogue director.I went to this church after my

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-76475747953538267492009-09-06T16:23:00.012-07:002009-10-11T14:25:57.968-07:00

(seventh of a series)On our first day at the radio station where we rented an unused studio for our project, I got to chat with the production manager, an old Themne man in his 60s. He was very eager to talk about Sierra Leone and to show me around town."You should come with me to town one day," he volunteered. Our staff house was in the outskirts so I had not seen the town center. Then he said

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-88212750509016249832009-09-05T20:59:00.015-07:002009-09-09T09:40:20.050-07:00

(sixth of a series)We did our recording project at a local radio station located on top of a hill. Every morning, we hiked up around 10 minutes from our base on a rugged path. This made me really sweat and pant. My younger colleagues and the locals didn't seem to have the same difficulty. It took me a few days to adjust to the routine. Ugh, here we go again... I will walk and not faint... I can

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-83580010019428918012009-09-05T10:50:00.012-07:002009-09-05T22:40:13.206-07:00

(Fifth of a series)Riding through Freetown's busy streets, I noticed how much trade was going on, a good sign that the country was picking up from the devastation of of a horrific rebel war (1991 - 2002). Many people were selling goods along the streets.A Freetown residential streetOn one street where we spent a long time in traffic, a steady stream of vendors, more men than women, peddled their

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-13083803900271643262009-09-04T10:41:00.008-07:002010-02-17T11:31:30.306-08:00

My team had been in Freetown for two days but my luggage was still nowhere. The plane expected to bring it was diverted to another airport due to a thunderstorm.Because we had no time to wait for it as our project was outside Freetown, I asked to be accompanied to buy some clothes and toiletries. Aminata, a local Sierra Leonean lady, graciously agreed to take me to the Freetown Central Market."Do

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-9681253281042221542009-09-04T10:10:00.007-07:002010-02-17T11:26:16.970-08:00

I woke up a little chilly because of the A/C in my room. I freshened up with baby wipes and headed down to the hotel lobby. After exchanging greetings with the receptionist, I asked if water in the washroom came at a certain time. The lady was very apologetic about the lack of water at the hotel. The city was having a problem, she said. I think a main water pipe was damaged in a road construction

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-42914681589300937062009-09-04T09:10:00.012-07:002009-09-04T10:39:06.001-07:00

It was around 10 pm. I sat in a small room at the Freetown-Lungi International Airport in Sierra Leone waiting to report my lost baggage. The airport worker was an old man who was manually filling up a long form. I watched him insert carbon paper in between sheets. Carbon paper! I had not seen this in a long time.More passengers started streaming into the room. One Caucasian guy with a thick

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-52637347943763979732009-09-04T08:03:00.007-07:002009-09-04T11:44:30.637-07:00

I finally realized my dream of stepping on African soil when my office sent me to Sierra Leone, or Salone, on a project last month. Sierra Leone is on the west coast of Africa north of Liberia and south of Guinea. What an exciting opportunity!As office SOP, I visited a travel clinic and got some shots. Yellow fever. Typhoid. Tetanus. Meningitis. Hepa A & B. Oral vaccine for cholera. A weekly

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-32994593863031662472009-08-04T09:11:00.006-07:002009-08-04T12:22:03.282-07:00

I feel I should continue the Pampered series because I wrote to be continued even with the maybe in my last entry. So here's the last part.Young and restlessMy childhood was a blast. The campus we lived in gave me a wide playground which included lots of open spaces, people's yards, university buildings, public structures, and so on. We kids played outdoors most of the time. Tumbang preso. Sipa.

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-78393487156505399062009-07-04T04:25:00.012-07:002009-07-04T21:41:07.899-07:00

While my father nurtured the smarts in me, my mother did the girly mother-and-daughter things. She dolled me up, fixed my long hair in different ways, and made me feel I was truly beautiful. She was very generous with praise, hugs and words of affection.Picture, pictureAmong my earliest memories was going to a photo studio. Nanay (mother) liked dressing me up and taking me to Mang Pecto's studio

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-15282150898973109302009-06-30T22:39:00.028-07:002009-07-04T04:38:55.526-07:00

As the youngest of 5 children, I was doted upon by both parents. It was both a boon and a bane, depending on the circumstances, but for the most part I loved being pampered.I had a close relationship with my father, who would have turned 85 today. I had an attachment to him like an invisible umbilical cord. This isn't hard to understand.Baby, BabyMy mother said I was such a cry baby. "Masyado

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-3661328955798586532009-06-20T09:25:00.017-07:002009-06-24T04:43:54.895-07:00

I grew up surrounded by older men--my father, one brother, several male relatives from both sides of the family--all in the same household. So I was used to having men in my life from as early as I can remember. I believe their presence gave me a sense of stability and security. Over the years, I've had male friends in my closest circle. I've enjoyed their friendship and company in a different

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-31178289182907035582009-06-14T09:40:00.013-07:002009-06-15T23:40:39.646-07:00

So how did our first week of cooking and eating dishes off a restaurant menu go? Hits and misses.First, the hits.The spicy prawn linguine served with garlic bread turned out well. "Worth repeating," MrB said. I thought it was a bit too spicy, but my boys liked it that way. Oh yeah, there was one suggestion. Remove the tail. My boys don't like eating unshelled shrimps. I thought tails were okay.

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-51080574601433311252009-06-05T17:15:00.005-07:002009-06-06T05:44:44.160-07:00

I saw a stack of menu in our office kitchen yesterday that was left there to promote the grand opening of a grill & bistro in the area. I browsed through one and had what I thought was a great idea. I took a menu home."Guys, all of us will choose one item each," I told Gabriel and Markus first. "This will be our dinner for the week." They were confused at first. Are we eating take-out? Are we

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-36782438372867652992009-05-30T15:09:00.012-07:002009-05-30T23:00:55.043-07:00

Earlier today, I was watching our dog Sherry as she laid down on our deck and enjoyed the sun. A little later, she came in and laid down on the living room floor. Then out again to the deck. Not a care in the world!Meanwhile, I had been up early, brought the car for servicing, prepared breakfast, washed tons of dishes, gone grocery shopping... I will trade places with Sherry this moment."Ang

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-51009884370982089802009-05-23T23:03:00.033-07:002009-05-24T17:08:22.641-07:00

If you love the mountains or you love hiking, you'll love British Columbia. They are all around. That's why we love it here. Supernatural British Columbia indeed!Hiking is one of my favourite outdoor activities. My hubby enjoys it too and has gone to more hiking trails around here. Hiking is a good form of exercise, brings us close to nature, provides scenic views, and is free (except for minimal

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-75557366927071325922009-05-07T17:18:00.006-07:002009-05-08T03:05:53.649-07:00

Two days ago, I blogged about looking for a missing SD card at home. That night, I continued searching in likely and unlikely places. Pencil holders. Basket of due bills. Recipe box?SD card, where are you? Pleease God help me find this thing!!!Even as I was feeling frustrated, I was glad to find things that I had been looking for at some point, or things I might need in the future, or things that

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-44059563691287882952009-05-05T12:34:00.003-07:002009-05-05T12:55:27.019-07:00

I think you might relate to this. You hide something so well that even you can’t find it when you need it. Sounds familiar?That’s what happened to me last night. I bought a digital camera that was the same brand as the one that broke on New Year's Eve. I chose the same brand because I wanted to use the same SD card. Think savings. Unfortunately, I could not find the broken thing. Nobody knew

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-4970309575803876042009-04-29T13:06:00.012-07:002009-05-02T01:23:44.862-07:00

"Mom, the birds were singing this morning!" Markus exclaimed as I dropped him off near his school recently. He went on to imitate the different sounds he heard while walking our dog around our complex. He sounded quite delighted."Oh, they're having a worship service," I replied.After my usual parting words ("Bye, take care, lab-lab"), I drove off and recalled one of my nature walks at Green

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-89231332711336210592009-04-20T12:16:00.017-07:002009-04-22T16:47:46.733-07:00

I blogged about starting a 1,500 piece jigsaw puzzle in Puzzled last February. I wanted to do something new and mentally challenging in my spare time. It didn't take long before I realized that this one was way too challenging! I wanted to give up. Not once, nor twice, nor thrice... Arggghh! Will I ever complete this?... Stupid jigsaw puzzle...Although I was overwhelmed at times, I was challenged

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-21842725082186615732009-04-12T09:56:00.004-07:002009-04-12T18:43:00.696-07:00

I had a dream when I was a little child. I must be 7 or 8 years old then. I dreamed I was in front of God's mansion. It was huge and beautiful. I so wanted to go inside, but the big doors were shut.I stood outside the door wondering how I could somehow get in. There was a balcony, and I thought if I could just climb it, I might have a chance. Fortunately, there was a big tree with branches

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-71037075788265741182009-04-07T22:06:00.007-07:002009-04-08T23:05:52.133-07:00

...who happens to be somebody else. I'm on the receiving side. I like getting tips and advice from real gardeners who know what they are doing. Last September, I came across a great article by Anne Morrison entitled "September good for gardening" and decided to email her some gardening questions. Below is her reply, which she let me post here on my blog. Hi,Some of your herbs are evergreen

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-49083519387063097522009-04-02T12:44:00.009-07:002009-04-03T10:34:04.148-07:00

Three of my 4 sons have a distinct hairstyle. One has dreds, the second has a one-sided hair, the third has mohawk."Mom, look at my hair," Mickey told me early this morning in our hallway. He is my 21-year-old Oriental looking son who has one-sided hair."Wow!" That was all I could say when he switched on the light. Mick's hairstyle has the right side of his head shaved, the top part sticking out,

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-21033261543165691972009-03-23T19:53:00.004-07:002009-03-23T22:46:07.461-07:00

My friend Peachblossoms asked me to help out with a mother-and-daughter event at our church called What Not To Wear. "I don't think that's for me," I told her. "I have no daughter and I'm not interested in fashion." I am hardly the person who will strike you as having a great fashion sense."No, lerryblossoms, that's not the point," she countered. "You dress decently... What we want to get across,

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-5165984369354784692009-03-13T20:29:00.007-07:002009-03-15T08:43:51.587-07:00

A friend invited MrB and I to their house last Saturday for a small gathering, which we found out later to be his birthday celebration. "Tayo-tayo lang." (Just a few of us). He said there was going to be karaoke. Yay! Sounds like fun! We practiced on our Magic Mic before we left the house.We were the first guests to arrive. While the husband, who was a great cook, was still baking or roasting

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-21905074409627661132009-03-05T09:43:00.016-08:002009-03-05T14:48:58.771-08:00

I can still remember my very first dance with the opposite sex. I was in Grade 3 and it was our Christmas party in our classroom. Our teacher told the guys to ask the girls to dance. She taught the boys to extend their right hand and say, "May I dance with you?" We giggled. Everyone felt a little awkward. When the music started playing, Mr. Smarty Face was one of the braver ones who led the guys

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-40246548368466239872009-02-27T17:56:00.006-08:002009-02-27T18:07:14.778-08:00

Once in a rare while, I get to attend a dinner and dance around Valentine's Day and a few other special occasions. I go primarily for the dinner, and after I'm happily fed, I will most likely want to dance. Last Saturday, MrBlossoms and I attended a couples' post-Valentine dinner and dance organized by the Filipino group from our church. The deejay started with some slow music. Two by two,

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-13808484462729269662009-02-18T12:43:00.004-08:002009-02-18T17:24:07.949-08:00

Recently, I told my mother that I had been sharing her and my father's letters here on my blog. She was quite pleased. Then she regretted that these were the only letters she had kept. All the others from their pre-married years were gone. "Sayang at sinunog ko," (Too bad I burned them) my mother said. It seems that my father was quite a letter writer. A very romantic one too. You can tell.So why

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-50464647331991509992009-02-16T23:09:00.003-08:002009-02-17T00:09:20.279-08:00

My father usually sent letters to my mother through town mates working at U.P. like himself. This letter was hand-carried by a certain Ilyo (probably a nickname for Virgilio). In it was enclosed 20 pesos for my mother to pay some debts and buy a hammock for Junior.Finally my mother was going to join my father in the city. And they will be together once again--until the birth of the next baby...10

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-52192933514637123302009-02-14T15:47:00.005-08:002009-11-29T19:59:05.308-08:00

One month after giving birth, my mother was still staying in Los Banos and slowly regaining her strength and going back to a normal routine. In those days, recovery took a long time, and there were many do's and don'ts both for the mother and the newborn. Meanwhile my father continued to work in the city and yearn for the love of his life.During this time, my father finally finished the dresser

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-25560713345087447062009-02-12T12:25:00.010-08:002009-02-12T16:43:00.545-08:00

In case you didn't know, I'm publishing my parents' love letters (3 more to go after this one) from 1949 to 1952 in honour of their unshaking, exceptional, deeply committed, for-better-or-for-worse, till-death-do-us-part love and devotion to one another that spanned a total of 59 years till my father passed away almost 5 years ago. It is a marriage that I am blessed to be a product of, and it's a

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-33710875614532359152009-02-10T23:15:00.004-08:002009-02-11T05:29:58.346-08:00

The day after the previous letter, my mother gave birth to a son, my only brother, who was affectionately called Junior by my father in this and succeeding letters. My father went home to Los Banos and spent a few days with my mother before going back to UP Diliman. When he went back to U.P. he was greeted by a problem arising from a misinformation that had reached their chief, a very stern and

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-23496764134408896932009-02-09T19:58:00.004-08:002009-02-09T21:53:09.775-08:00

My father was originally from the northern province of Isabela, more than 300 kms. north of Manila. He moved to Manila and lived with relatives in search of better opportunities. I remember him repeating that his life would not have improved had he stayed in the province. In the following letter, he talks about his father and siblings coming from Isabela and La Union, another northern province,

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-71862309975701490332009-02-07T15:33:00.005-08:002009-02-07T16:38:51.415-08:00

Shortly after my mother and sister joined my father in U.P., my mother got pregnant with their second child. Close to her due date, she and my sister stayed in Los Banos to wait for the baby's birth. In those days, women commonly gave birth at home by "hilot" or local midwives. Meanwhile, my father stayed in U.P. working and waiting for word of my mother going into labour.In the following letter,

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-22894172562824444552009-02-06T12:38:00.015-08:002009-02-07T10:25:08.795-08:00

As early as I can remember, my mother and father were almost inseparable unless my father was at work. After he came home in the afternoon, they would have coffee then went to the U.P. Coop store to buy groceries. When my father repaired TVs on weekends or evenings in people's homes, he brought my mother along. When he went to Manila to buy electronic parts from Raon St., they went together too.

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-83730116063063396042009-02-05T18:45:00.010-08:002009-02-06T10:26:55.050-08:00

Sometime between the last letter and this one, my father's work situation changed. He, along with a group of townmates in Los Banos, were recruited by another townmate, Mr. Arana, to provide security in the still to open University of the Philippines campus in what is now Quezon City. Here is what the U.P. website says about that:The U.P. Diliman Police had its roots from a group of pioneering

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-16653798444166909932009-02-04T16:45:00.008-08:002009-11-29T20:04:48.533-08:00

In 1947, my father was 23 years old. At 23, he had been orphaned by his mother at 11, sent to live with relatives and served them in exchange for board, lodging and education, had done odd jobs, joined the army, fought in World War II, became a POW, survived the infamous 97-km Bataan Death March, gotten married at 21, and had a child at 22. Now he was taking responsibility for raising a family

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-81029958516429634042009-02-03T19:24:00.023-08:002009-02-03T21:44:37.366-08:00

This being the month of February, I am serializing love letters between my parents when they were newly married. I want to preserve them for my clan and family so that we will always remember the kind of lovers my parents were.The letters were written between 1947 to 1952 when my father, Fred, moved to the big city (Manila) in search of a job. Meanwhile, my mother, Emma, stayed in her hometown of

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-50635400484679931862009-02-01T15:53:00.008-08:002009-11-29T19:57:41.784-08:00

On New Year's Day, hubby bought me a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle. It came in a really nice box you wouldn't think it cost only $5. I was totally okay with a jigsaw puzzle gift at $5! Better than a $50 perfume I will hesitate to use. Sayang!That same night I started working on the puzzle while everyone else was either watching TV or eating Media Noche leftovers or playing on the computer. Occasionally

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-27036119763453288362009-01-23T21:45:00.019-08:002009-01-25T08:29:00.373-08:00

Almost four years ago, I wrote about my cutting all of my sons’ hair here in Canada. Since then, Gino and Mickey, now 22 and 21, have graduated from high school and from Mom’s “salon”. They are free to get their own haircut from whichever shop they choose--but only on their own dime. Gino has had a perm, and after that, dreadlocks. He asked me to cut his hair only once in between when he didn't

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-44512837969915091012009-01-21T03:09:00.006-08:002009-01-21T22:42:06.943-08:00

Go ahead and hit play. That's Earl Klugh on the guitar playing Driftin' from his album The Spice of Life released last year.Earl Klugh is one of my earliest favourites. I got to know about him through Pretty World in '79 - '80. I was just beginning to like jazz then. Over the years, my fascination with Earl Klugh grew and waned and grew and waned as my love for jazz gave way to lullabies and

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-550058277643686622009-01-15T22:35:00.005-08:002009-01-16T00:05:30.091-08:00

The other night, we had a long chat with a couple, both very good friends of ours. The wife related how she fell flat on her back when she slid on their icy driveway recently. She was very thankful to God she did not break any bone nor suffer any head injury with that nasty fall."My life could have changed in an instant," she said. So true. Life is so fragile and uncertain...and short."We

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-40348735732952462792008-12-22T20:53:00.006-08:002008-12-22T21:22:10.790-08:00

From the Blossoms fam

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-39996013584721704022008-12-21T20:48:00.007-08:002008-12-21T23:59:15.471-08:00

Meet Sherry, the newest member of our family.We took her into her home last Thursday. We are all very delighted to have this adorable dog around the house. My boys had been wanting a dog for a long time, but I was not very open to the idea. If you read an old entry in this blog, I set several conditions before getting a dog. I said it had to be free, has had shots, toilet trained, etc.To find one

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-20352233323815096872008-12-17T04:31:00.003-08:002008-12-20T08:52:08.060-08:00

"Mom, if you could be a fictional character, what would you be?" Markus asked me as I was driving him and Gabriel to school one morning. Before I could answer, he continued, "Me, I'd like to be Santa Claus so I will work only once a year.""Not really," I said. "You make toys the rest of the year.""No. Santa doesn't do it. He just says, 'Yeah, you make toys.'" Right, Santa has many helpers."Then

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-56105123884184149062008-12-13T14:46:00.011-08:002008-12-15T17:50:41.672-08:00

These past few days, we've been noticing a growing number of fruit flies in our kitchen and dining room. There are always fruits in the house but it seems that whenever we have grapes, the flies aren't far behind. And these flies multiply fast.This morning, Gabriel got a flyswatter and started swatting these pesky creatures on the walls and mirror. I was at the dining table, checking emails on

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-26613182922698154092008-12-12T11:46:00.006-08:002008-12-12T17:14:56.533-08:00

If you happen to visit the Philippines at this time of the year, you will see many groups of children and adults alike caroling on the streets at night. They are singing for a little gift of cash for children, a bigger amount for adults. I don't know what is considered acceptable these days. During my time, we were happy to get 25 centavos from a house.Caroling is one tradition I grew up with

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-54898393741014253782008-12-06T15:54:00.009-08:002008-12-08T12:06:56.956-08:00

I was talking with my sons one morning about young girls stalking guys. "Be careful," I said. I think, to a normal degree, most teens go through a "stalking" stage--following their crush around, trying to get a good view of the girl or guy, trying to get noticed or unnoticed... Or maybe this was back in my time? In this Internet age, you can easily find people online.Going back to stalking, do

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-55841985814066778742008-12-04T23:07:00.010-08:002008-12-07T09:17:25.651-08:00

OK, I have 18 minutes to blog. That's the time remaining for my cake to bake in the oven. I promised the boys I will bake something tonight. Choco chip cookies, Markus said. But we don't have choco chips and we ran out of eggs. So I'm making this No Egg Chocolate Cake recipe that I found on the Internet. I hope it turns out well.Here I sit, making sure I don't forget I have something in the oven.

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-39253923737745420902008-12-01T00:14:00.012-08:002008-12-02T07:13:05.803-08:00

Two weeks ago, our pastor challenged us to observe a day of rest or Sabbath each week. I will not attempt a theological discussion here of the biblical Sabbath or mention all that was brought up in that Sunday service. Suffice it to say that I came away from the service agreeing that, yes, having a Sabbath is a good idea.It does not have to be Sunday or Saturday. Whatever suits your schedule,

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-85257925914390909802008-11-28T04:30:00.020-08:002008-11-29T11:22:27.380-08:00

I am reading through the Book of Acts in the New Testament these days. I have read it many times before in different English versions. Now I'm reading from The Message which uses contemporary language. It appeals and speaks to me in a fresh way.Lately, I've been finding myself crying as I read the lives of these first century Christians.I cry as I read about the early disciples and apostles. I

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-26046835879329267172008-11-24T04:42:00.003-08:002008-11-24T05:46:48.843-08:00

I learned an easy stress relief tip this morning as I was perusing Dr. Oz's website RealAge. According to a Dr. Amy Wechsler, "humming has has been scientifically proved to boost nitric oxide (NO), a nifty little body gas that, in small doses, has a stress-reducing effect."I like that. I'm a natural hummer. I've blogged about it before. I hum a lot especially while I'm working."Mom, do you know

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11110508.post-12837457654830557562008-11-21T09:36:00.008-08:002008-11-22T21:02:33.905-08:00

...the less we know."Isn't this the truth? It seems that with knowledge comes ignorance. You realize that, hey, you are not as smart as you thought.The other day, I was talking about car maintenance with a female colleague who's only a year older than my eldest son."When I graduated from university, I thought I knew everything. And then I found out I really didn't know anything. How sad!" she

lerryblossomshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02223953218784938596noreply@blogger.com0