I’m 49 years old and loving it

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noemidado1thumb.jpgToday I will indulge in the joy of celebrating my 49 years. For too long, I have been hard on myself. Others have spilled their negative energy on me. I know it had nothing to do with me. I am a gift to myself and to the Universe . I am a child of God. I do not have to try harder , be better, be perfect , or be anything I am not. My beauty lies in me just as I am each moment. I will celebrate that.

I will take time to pause, reflect and rejoice my accomplishments. For too long, I have listened to admonitions not to feel good about what I have done lest I will fall into the arrogance trap. Celebration is a high form of praise of gratitude to God. To celebrate is to delight in the gift, to show gratitude.

Today, I will also celebrate the lessons from the past and the love and warmth of friends and family. I will continue to enjoy the beauty of others and their connection to me. I will celebrate all that is in my life and all that is good.

I will celebrate me.

( That’s the photo for my high school online yearbook. The yearbook committee required a glamor shot . I don’t know how to emote a glamorous look. I just want to look like myself hence no updo or drastic makeover. )

A Date and the Sunset of Manila Bay

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signa.jpgsunset2a.jpgMy husband’s office is in Intramuros and we often date at the quaint old coffee shops like the Illustrado . As students in the late seventies, we went as far as Luneta Park just because we were broke. Old Manila and its splendor enraptures our heart . The atmosphere is just romantic for sentimental couples like us. During all the years we’ve been together, we never caught the [tag]sunset[/tag], overrated as it is, my daughter often says. So who cares? It’s the company you keep. When I fetched Butch at work last week, we dropped by the boardwalk just to stroll. No we were not broke. We just wanted to walk and talk. Sadly, the boardwalk was closed or abandoned. Corny as it is, the sunset was breathtaking especially since I was walking hand in hand with the love of my life. I couldn’t get a clear shot because the ship and the boardwalk covered the sun.

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Death in the Time of Hepatitis

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Reuben LardizabalThat’s my younger brother , Reuben who died on June 11, 1990 due to fulminant Hepatitis A. He left behind a young wife, a three year old and a three week old infant son. There is more to his death than just an illness. This feature article written by my sister Belen thirteen years ago explains it more. (Read here and here)

Reuben Veloso Lardizabal, 28 , was a young family man, a writer, a labor ogranizer, and a law graduate student. He was in other words, full of promise and conviction. But death spares no one. He is the Hepatitis epidemic’s first casualty.

Last May 1-4, 1990, our family helds it’s first reunion in Cebu City, including our children, husbands, and wives. Little did we know that this joyous occasion would also lead to one of the saddest moments in our live.

Three weeks after our reunion, I, my brothers David and Reuben, my sister Lorna , and niece Lauren were struck down with Hepatitis A, a viral infection of the liver transmitted through fecal contamination of ingested food or water. We were unaware initially that several other residents and neighbors in the Lahug district, Cebu City had also been suffering from hepatitis since May. Surprisingly , most of the victims were from middle to upper income bracket.

On June 11, 1990, my dear brother Reuben succumbed to the ravages wrought on him by acute viral hepatitis. Our family held a second reunion- this time , for Reuben’s funeral. (Continue reading here and here)

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The family photo taken during that fateful reunion in May 1-4,1990. It was a reunion for my dad who we thought was dying (dad died 13 years later though)

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My husband, my co-homemaker

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My husband is quite a character. I thought I knew him so well. After all, we were steadies for 7 years. Living together revealed an unknown facet of his personality. He likes to market in the palengke (wet market) and do the grocery. Not only that, he is very nurturing and more motherly than me. A fussy father er mother. He loves washing the dishes and even doing the laundry (when the laundrywoman is not available). This was quite a surprise revelation and a minor irritant at first. He can even iron clothes. I can cook, bake, organize and clean the house but I don’t relish the idea of laundry or ironing chores. When the kids were sick with asthma, he stays up all night and monitors their breathing, and give their medication. I grew up in a family where dad was the sole breadwinner and left household chores with the females. My 3 brothers were spoiled by their sisters and my mom.

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Couple Spa

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spa.jpgFriday and saturday were stressful days for us. Butch and I commemorated our son’s 6th death anniversary by embarking on a new mission which will unfold in the days to come. After we had settled with our new mission, we thought of exercising at the gym and then having a massage together at a [tag]couple spa[/tag]. Romantic bonding moment. The couple spa is also a perfect retreat to replenish our body , mind and spirit. The kind manager offered us a complimentary milk bath after the massage.

The masseuse started with our session. Hmm, I loved the citrusy aromatic oils while the chirping bird music in the background lulled me. Butch seemed to be drowsy too. This is relaxing, so I thought. Then I heard a faint “meow” sound interpersed with the tweeting sounds. “GROAN” Stupid message ring tone (the actual meow of our Siamese cat). I forgot to turn the cellphone into silent mode. It “meowed” 4 more times. Never mind the text messages but the meowing sound stuck to my head. Almost throughout the massage session, I imagined a cat meow together with the bird’s chirping noises. So much for relaxing. I forced myself to zone out of the “meow sound” and just let it be.

spa1.jpgThe massage invigorated our bodies but we didn’t have enough time for a milk bath. The tub looked inviting. Maybe some other time, right? We sipped mint tea and just sat together to enjoy the ambience. I always make it a point to have couple time every week whether we’re stressed out or not. It’s not cheap but that’s the price we pay for love.

Cook for Mom day

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koreangrill3.jpgkoreangrill.jpgThe love of my children are enough to see me through any day. A kiss and their love greeting is a wonderful gift. I managed to survive all these years inspite of losing a son because I still had to take care of 2 girls. During those bleak days, they somehow were a reminder that I had to live for them . In honor of Mother’s Day, I was spared the job of cooking for lunch. Butch went to the grocery to buy some meats and vegetables for our [tag]Korean Grill[/tag] lunch. Even if it’s not [tag]Mother’s day[/tag], my husband does the marketing. He loves doing this task every sunday.

The beauty of using a portable oven on the table is a lot of conversation as one cooks their meal. It takes longer to eat the meal due to the cooking time involved. Ingredients used for the Korean Grill are : sesame oil, Kikkoman soy sauce, shrimp, beef, garlic, mongo sprouts, onions, green onions, mushrooms, and more. Really good dish. It’s also a great way to entertain visitors. So now, I have to go to the gym to exercise and pamper myself.

21st wedding anniversary

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married for 21 yearsTwenty one years ago, I married my boyfriend of 7 years. We’ve had 21 years of [tag]marriage[/tag] and 28 years as a couple. Inspite of the catfights, diverse personalities and the death of our precious son, we are still together. How did we do it? I don’t know. It must be the hopeless romantics in us that keeps us together. I credit my husband for never giving up on me during those times I gave up on him. We celebrated our [tag]wedding anniversary[/tag] with a simple dinner at Via Mare with our 2 daughters. Before dinner we attended the book launch of “Journey beyond the Great Wall” at the National Bookstore , Shangrila Plaza Mall.

oystersFor appetizers, Butch ordered oysters. I whispered “aphrodisiacs” .

” But I can’t eat them“.

Too bad, Butch suffers high uric acid. I ended up eating 5 oysters.

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In fitness and in health till…

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fitness firstButch signed up at Fitness First today. One disdavantage of having a lifetime membership is one gets complacent and postpones visiting the gym. That’s what happened to my husband’s lifetime membership at Slimmer’s World. He’s been a member since the early 1990’s and barely uses it. I’ve been a member of Fitness First since May 2005 and I visit the center everyday. It’s like I have to take advantage of the services and facilities because I pay 2,300 pesos ($45) every month .

After we kissed and made up after our spat, he thought of transforming his negative energies into physical workout. I think he got envious of my transformation and happier disposition. He also noticed that my arms are stronger now. Hehe, I wonder how he noticed. Was it because I carried more grocery bags?

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After our workout, I feel refreshed and bubbly. He seems to be eager to go out of the gym because of his hunger pangs. I never get hungry after a workout.

hubbyHe grins at me because he has a craving for “Gonuts Donuts“. His silvery hair glistened as I took this photo. Hubby has premature gray hairs inspite of the fact that he is two years younger than me. I barely have any white hair. He reminds me of American Idol contestant , Taylor Hicks. Unlike Taylor Hicks, hubby only got his premature gray hairs in his mid -thirties.

butch
Anyway, “Gonuts Donuts” have a lite version which contains 1 gram of sugar and lesser fat. Hubby orders 3 lite donuts for me. How sweet. My sweet tooth is always wrecking havoc on my weight loss management. I still think they contain evil carbos which stimulate my fats to become even more resistant to weight loss. How can I resist?

Happy Resurrection Day

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“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” (John11:25,25)

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I’ve written this many times before. My 6 year old son placed so much faith in eternal life. A month before he died, he bounced up and down on his bed and yelled out loud. With joy and excitement…

“When I die, I will be alive again”

It gives me hope that one day Luijoe and my family will be reunited in heaven with God. [tag]Resurrection day[/tag] or [tag]Easter day[/tag] reminds us that we will have life after we die – a resurrected life in heaven for eternity with Jesus!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)

Do you believe in eternal life? Do you believe that our life on earth is a temporary place and our real home is heaven?

May today remind us not only of our Lord’s resurrection but also that of our precious children. Happy Resurrection Day!