"WALK THE ENVIRONMENTAL TALK"

Here's an environment and health friendly drive which I personally consider as feasible, realistic and inexpensive. A big salute to all the organizers and we're rooting for the movement's success.

'Walk, Baguio, walk' set to be launched
By Ramon Dacawi

A CAMPAIGN that would hopefully convince more Baguio residents to walk the environmental talk -- literally and otherwise -- will be launched on Monday with a flag ceremony and program at the Baguio Athletic Bowl in the morning.

"Walk, Baguio, Walk", as the movement is dubbed, will encourage people to walk to and from work, or take the jeep or taxi, leaving their private or official vehicles at home or office motor pools, initially for at least one day of each month until it becomes a practice...click HERE to continue.

MY SAY FOR JULIE'S QUERY

Teacher Julie, one of Philippines' and Pinoy Moms Network's successful blogger, launched a new site she calls GreenBucks. I received an invite from her to join her "Weekly Question For Your Post". The title speaks for itself and participants are privileged to blog "however" they want it. Isn't that a good idea for us who sometimes can't think of anything to write?

Here's the question for this week:

If you are married would you know if your husband is reading your blog?
If you are in a relationship, would you know if your partner is reading your blog?

Dinakdakan

What a timely question from Weekly Question For Your Post. Wondering why Teacher Julie's first has "the husband" on it? Unaware or not, maybe it only shows that love comes number one above all.(Deng, getting gooey again over here hehehe...) Well, I like the idea if my guess was right.

Back to why its timely. Il Oumo(man)(obviously my husband hahaha...) turned 34 last Saturday, May 24 and we had the celebration last Sunday, the 25th. For the record, he insists he is 33 so that he'll be a year younger than me but I'm up for a big protest if he'll keep insisting(laugh,laugh).

Oumo had to work night shift on his birthday. He came home the next day saying its one of his worst night at the hotel. He was locked out, his zip was irreparable and one mishap leads to another. Poor husband of mine, misfortune didn't end even when he joined me on bed for a short sleep that morning. I told him I already "made" his 'Dinakdakan', one of the dishes we'll serve our family and friends later that day.

I did most of the cooking Saturday night leaving the husband's "territory" which is the grill and the 'dinakdakan'. Thinking he would be very tired from work, I convinced him that I'll just boil the meat for the said dish and he'll do the rest. Goshh... the pig's ear came sloppy and over cooked.

Panic... Midnight, I was grilling the "ruined remains"(lol) of the dinakdakan's meat. Sliced it in strips and ready for the raw onions, ginger and other ingredients. "Kunak gamin nga siak yan"(see, I told you so), the Oumo said and that doused the humor of AGING. No pictures and video to mark the year of having an obstinate wife.

Before I write ten pages and tell you how I marinate my barbecue, to answer Teacher Julie's first question...Yes, the Oumo reads my blog. How do I know? Most of the time I make him to, for grammar purposes(ssshhh...subtle way of dictatorship hehehe). Better yet, if he tells me tomorrow, I should have not written this, then he is really reading my blog!

CARTOON CREDIT:Shock Cartoons

FORWARDED MESSAGE

Are you one of those who hated reading "Forwarded Messages"? Those who delete it at once and don't even give the courtesy to thank the sender? I'm not, I love reading them. But first, I scroll down with the cursor and read pass fast if its a chain letter. If yes, then straight to the 'cestino'(waste basket)it goes. Sometimes, even from simple notes comes the summary of what we should learn our whole life through. Here's one sent by R.Gorostiza:

THE DONKEY

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.


As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

MORAL :Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up.

Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less

You have two choices...smile and close this page, or pass this along to someone else to spread the fun. I know what I did!!

THE FATHER IN THEM

BlogPatrol, the traffic blog counter of this site tells me that Yahoo and Google Search had been leading net surfers here with "Felix Cabading" as the tag. Three from Canada, ten from the USA had visited us already and more are yet to come.

To us all, what a great lost of a friend, a relative, a father and how ever we may consider him. For my prior post here: MY UNCLE FISCAL FELIX CABADING , I'm sorry for not writing that Uncle Felix died of massive heart attack.
I'm sorry for not pointing up that he is Benguet's Provincial Persecutor.
That he was once an aspiring priest at the Saint Francis Seminary.
I did not tell you how he loves his Kalanguya culture. The tribe he was very proud of and in any way he can, tried to foster.
My apology for not enumerating all his achievements in line with his profession.
The list goes on for the many things I should and must have written.

I can only write why I held him close with the memories I want to remember such as these:

My father got preoccupied with our health when my mom died. Six girls he takes in turn for medical check up at Notre Dame Hospital. We always see uncle Felix who also takes any of his children to the doctor. So with our old family dentist, My Dad and Uncle Felix are regular "stage fathers" at Dra. Cutiyog's clinic. Most of the time, after our appointments, we give Uncle Felix a lift because he doesn't have a car.

Sometimes, he surprises us and arrives at our door in Tublay with his wide grin. He and my Dad would stay outside our home talking seriously while my Dad massages his fighting roosters. I wish I knew what they were conversing about. Dark falls and Uncle Felix would sleep over and always uses my old room.

Christian is one of his son who graduated from PMA. Among Uncle's Felix' children, only him became close to us and my sisters. When he was sent to Mindanao for his first assignment, his father always speaks of his worries and fears for his son. Missing him makes it even worse.

When I was in Malta, my sister Sharon phoned me that Christian's troop was ambushed. Uncle Felix who was holding back his tears as he tells my Dad, he had dreamt of his son before the incident. He continued that during the encounter, Christian was spared by the dead bodies of his troops that covered him. He got unconscious from his wounds and the enemy left knowing everyone was killed.


The Military man Christian had become is my Uncle's pride but frails him as a father. He would always and always talk fondly of his son when ever he sees my Dad or my late Uncle Alex, his co-seminarian back in the old days. Even when his son Christian got married, he came to my dad and asked him to go with him at his son's wedding in Mindanao. "Naka embaeng ngay ni naikamangan Christian, andi numan e maipanlastog ko"(Makes me shy facing Christian's in laws, I have no wealth to brag), he once said.

That's I guess the father in him...in them, always thinking they are not giving enough to their kids when they had given their all. Like my Dad said, "Felix and I may not be good husbands but our children matter most. We are not perfect but we are trying".

MY UNCLE FISCAL FELIX CABADING

In loving memory....

Atty: Felix T. Cabading June14,1948 - May 13, 2008

As a little girl, I thought his name was Fiscal. People call him that and I did too. Which, my Dad often corrects me, "Its Uncle Felix...!". But, I grew up calling him, "Uncle Cabading", and still was corrected to say, "Uncle Felix".

It was his beautiful eyes with the shade of brown so light or hazel sometimes, aside from his mestizo looks, made me want to be related to him. Its what we are NOT that we want to become, I convince myself on this part hahaha...

Wednesday morning, I received a text message from my sister that Uncle Fiscal is gone. May 13, 2008, he was called by the Greater Fiscal above. He was 60 years old.

I want to knock myself off for not writing this piece while he was still around to read it. He deserves to be "written". Not because he is my Dad's cousin from my grandmother's side of Buguias Benguet but for being a fair, honest, humble good hearted public servant. The ideal traits of a lawyer - a judge, that this world needed in more amount.

"Sig-ato bangat e Fiscal a agbinmak-baknang"(HE IS THE ONLY FISCAL WHO DID NOT GET RICH), my father often tells us and with that I often doubt if he is really a lawyer. Back when I was in college, our cousins from Trading Post in La Trinidad had to "pass the hat" to collect money for his medications. He had a heart surgery back then.

One thing I remember most was when my Dad came home after his visit from the hospital. He said, "Ay apo numan si Felix, maasyanak ngay. Naalambrian ima napugsat a tsinelas tu. Enak intunggalan adi."(How I pity Felix. His slippers(flip-flops) were tied with wires. I went to buy him a new pair). Then my Dad said he feels embarrassed for my Uncle Fiscal when great lawyers and politicians see him with those old and "wired" 'tsinelas'.

Maybe he is the only Fiscal who doesn't have a car. My Dad often ends up to be his driver and also our many other cousins with their vegetable hauling vehicles. From trucks, to elf and jeeps. Uncle Fiscal too, believes its cheaper to have friends than to own a car - just like my father in law.

My sister's husband was swindled with a car-napping scam and God knows, in clear conscience, he is absolutely innocent. Her Aunt who's helping him had already paid almost half a million for this case. She went to Uncle Felix and told him, instead of paying those corrupt "public servants", why don't he get the money and help fix the mess himself. " 'Padrino' system will surely help", she added. Then my uncle said, "Natken taku met ngamin aramid sa. Pasensya."(That's is not what we are used to. I'm sorry.) and gave her legal advices instead.

I hurt for my Dad. losing a cousin who is more than a brother is heart wrecking. For the passed two months, Uncle Felix had been tagging along with my Dad every Saturday and goes everywhere my Daddy goes. He texts or calls him saying, "Dagasen yu ak a"(come and fetch me). Now we know, it was his way of saying his farewell.

So much more to tell but it all leads to a person who died a poor man who is wealthy of wisdom and good principles. Still, he leaves my father feeling small during my uncle's wake, "Piman si Felix, his house was not even double walled and its not painted."... And for all these, I am more than proud to be related to him.

__________________________________________________

Fiscal's body lays at their residence at Kesbing, La Trinidad Benguet. He will be finally laid to rest in his hometown, Kapangan Benguet on Wednesday, May 20, 2008

FLORICOLTURA DA NATASCIA

I thought of narrating this entry with Lukie blogging. I have to give it to him, posing for my clicks with out the usual bribe of Haribo or Mentos. Overstimulated(hehehe) by pollens, perhaps.

Here are some or our flower talks and shots. Its the time of the year for it's turn to flourish. If only I could upload all our flower pictures...it would be "tending" exaggeration(lol) so I forced my self not to.

The flu season gave us a full blow before summer will completely take over. I caught it first when we went to Lukie's Pediatrician for his Medical Certificate (a school requirement before he goes back after his Chicken "Pops"). I thought it was just an allergy (pollen "springs") because at the same day, we went to buy flowers from Natascia. We're all fine now, except for Dylan who's in medication for mild Bronchitis.

Less than ten minutes walk from our home, there's these greenhouses for vegetables and two(greenhouse) were set aside for flowers. Which during spring and summer, they open for business. Its a small flower farm with an aura of - the owner just wants to share her hobby.
I asked Natascia what's the name of her 'negozio'(business) and told her I'll blog about it. "Floricultura Da Natascia", she told me.


She's one SuperMom. Before heading home, it was kind of her to drop all the plants we bought. Then another sack of soil and more plants the next day with her sleek car, a Mercedes Benz, not fit for dirt hehehe.

Natascia amazed me when she lifted the 15 kilos sack of soil from her car and I told her to wait for me as I was coming out of the house. We both laughed when I told her, "mama mia, che forte"(how strong)! She was even sorry for bringing it late because she has to water the plants, go shop for their food and get the kids from school. HooWaa! She's got all the right to be late for me hehehe....


Next post would be our flowers at home. See you there!

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UP CAME THE SUN

It had been raining today after teasing us with a sunny and cool week end. Our weather is undecided if it wants to be spring or a "displaced autumn". It should have started to warm up last month but was gloomy and the rain falls most of the time.

My family can't wait for summer, so, we dragged the season last Sunday. It must be the sun, everyone was out like thieves taking advantage of the freedom from the verge of a long winter.

These are some of the reasons why we are all rooting for the warm and bright sun to finally make up it's mind and stay. And, we all did and had it last Sunday.


Barbecue which Lukie associates with "festa"(party). He will ask whose birthday it is every time the grill is smoking. He also adds, "are we having friends?"

Little Dylan gets the bone and he stays quiet savoring every grease hehehe...

Spring cleaning slows down blogging and these has to be painted before hanging the geraniums.

Our walks at the beach specially moon watching at night. Just don't mind the sand on the bed so rough even though every one took a bath before jumping in.

At least Dylan knew now that the 'sabia' (sand) is not edible. Unlike last year, you can hear him with that 'eeky' sound grinding it with his teeth.

More outdoor activities for the kids to help mamsy and papsy shake off those fats.

One of the best part... for Lukie(lol)... is the 'gelato' (ice cream). Strawberry ding-dang doo, chocolate and stracciatella, YUM- YUMmmm.

Dylan says he wants ice cream too as he cries with out tears and turns green like Incredible Hulk.

Lukie and his fading chicken "pops" doesn't want to share his "icy" saying, "Dylan is still a little boy, he doesn't know!"

You can't get enough of so many things to do this coming months. Then it just passes so fast and you'll never know, winter is here again.

IZMA

The first time I visited IZMA in her nook,the Firefly In July, I saw this impressive and awesome video she posted. She's our CPA blogger, by the way, and my sister Noeda's batch at San Jose High School along with Hannah and Jane.

I'm posting your video Izma, a reminder that life goes on... keep on blogging my dear...for Perere.