September 24,2022
10pm
My 53rd birthday celebration started at 7am of yesterday.
A devotional time with my siblings online was engaged into with a bit of tentativeness. Internet was unstable for one or two, but, the hiccups didn’t hinder us from going through with it.
Sibling #2 was able to join us post devotion.
If she didn’t remind me, I would have totally mixed it up with another date and time. Praise God I was able to get her notice in just the nick of time.
An online appointment at 5pm with Elvira Acapulco of Usana was just another breath of fresh air that I needed to boost my waning spirits and body, tired from the years of faking it, till I make it.
Authenticity is not cheap, nor is it a welcome commodity in an otherwise unforgiving world of unrealistic expectations and dashed hopes.
Hubby came home with some Chinese take out from our favorite North Garden in University Crescent. Was not inclined to cook since I am still recovering from a flu bout that got me down for 3 days last week.
The full stomach and tiredness was enough for me to be sluggish yet wide awake at 9pm.
I suggested to the girls that we watch the Home Sweet Home Alone movie latest version.
Before half way mark of the movie, I got a call from my dear sister in the community announcing a “ something” to be dropped off. She lives nearby and we get to receive a lot of stuff from her every now and then for the past two years, especially food stuff that not only warms the belly, but the heart as well more importantly.
She reminds me so much of my sibling #5.
As we were almost done with the call, hubby receives a call from another sister in the prayer community…sounds like they were going to drop off something as well.
This got me into autopilot mode and tried to put order and pick up the otherwise Friday frazzled look of the house, that forgot to be a magazine cover home.
In 10 minutes, I was ushering Cely and Albert from the 2nd day of Autumn 11pm night cold- crisp air in my thin red blouse into our downstairs lobby, to the elevator, into our “eclectic, practically furnished “ apartment of two years and 5 months.
Then, after they had hot tea drinks in hand, Teena, Marlon and Marie came bearing more gifts of food and a lovely white with pink blush orchid plant and yummy pancit and garlic giant soft pretzels. Brother William followed after a while.
The girls kept raving about how good the pretzels were, while I have been enjoying the pancit till today and relish the view of the flowers on our altar.
Sept 25,2022
12:07pm
I abandoned my writing last night and gave in to distractions in the internet. My 2nd born Ana Marcelina a.k.a. Lilli kept asking me to sleep with her.
I gave in after 3 or more nudging.
First born, Victoria Marina or Mari is off to do some driving practice with dear Jane, my friendly 72 year old neighbor who has decided to make us family.
She prepared bagels and 2 different cheese spread and eggs for breakfast before she left.
Ruel cooked scrambled eggs with lots of yellow and red tomatoes ( courtesy of the generosity of some friends and office mate’s garden harvests.)
Yum!
After some other tasks, here I am trying to resurrect my blogging/writing pursuits… which was my armchair mental health therapy of long ago.
It worked once…I am sure, it will work it’s magic again.
So, I am now basking in the love and care certain friends and family showed me for my birthday.
I will do a thanksgiving list t now without the initially planned blow by blow timeline:
1. Jane, she baked me a very heavenly delicious German Chocolate cake with toppings of pecan, coconut and 3 purple candles. She asked Mari to put a dollap of Hagen Daz vanilla icecream in each slice ( which I had to beg off from).
2. She then gave me this wonderful card that says this:
3. After reading , I opened a beautifully wrapped small box that contained a sleek white 2 plastic blade miniature fan, very good for the hot flashes that comes with a deadly surprise now and then.
4. A silver shiny wrapped box came next, floating candles!
5. Jane then asked Mari to get something from the bedrooms, and a wow glass jar was presented to me with lovely green butterfly candles ( which matched my blouse c/o Mari) and 3 yellow wooden shavings flowers. Beautiful!!! Guess, finally, I will treat myself with a bubble bath with these floating candles keeping me company! Good idea?
6. Wrapped myself with a grey Ikea throw blanket from Celedonia.
7. Reaching for Mari and Lilli’s gift bag….another TREASURE found, a lovely book by LM Montgomery from a dreamy place already on the top of our bucket list.
8. Lilli read the post-word about this classic book and Jane exclaimed, this looks like those Victorian parlor room reading sessions….and we delighted ourselves in the moment.
9. 4pm-530 pm saw us in the loving care and generosity of Father Ani of Holy Cross parish. He treated us to another amazing experience. After the 4pm mass where he asked our family to do the offertory and showered us with holy water, he invited us and another couple to join an Eritrean family and friends in festivities for the baptism celebration of their first born daughter. The food and the dancing was such a novelty. We teased Marina over something that made her get tickled pink during this whole interesting experience.
10. Their traditional costume and music and food was such a wonderful unique and curious attraction.
11. 8am CT-12 noon, a handful of high school classmates and I started our mini reunion with bible reading on Sept 24, 2022 gospel readings and our very own Father Tim gave us his thoughts. Then we proceeded to share our own thoughts and thanksgiving. Claire from Ireland joined us around 9am already. We got to share our struggles and triumphs while we remembered those classmates who passed on and those who are challenged with health issues in prayer. Looking forward to another chance to meditate on God’s word with them again soon.
Praise God, the lack of sleep and head ache was manageable with 2 power naps.
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