FROM MANILA TO ILOCOS AND VICE VERSA.....

My Aunt Estring, Years Ago.....





My Aunt Irene With The Young Ones.....





My Aunt Estring With Her Daughter, Manang Beck and Guests.....





With Aunt Leoning.....





With Aunt Betty.....





Cousins, Nieces And Nephew.....





More Cousins Joining The Fun.....





The Cakes Gallery.....





All Smiles After Blowing Out The Candles.....





"Apo, Sayaw Tayo!"





My First Twin Nephews With Their Aunt Oping And Sallie.....





"Akin Lahat Ito!!!!"





Handing Out Raffle Numbers For The Raffle Draw.....





Number 8! Deal Or No Deal?!?





Hitting The Pot.....






My mom is in town! After staying in the U.S.A. for nearly four years without vacationing, she decided to come home and be with me and my brother for a few days. The last time that she was here was a difficult moment in our family's history as she suffered from stroke not once but three times! I had to look after her since I realized my father wasn't doing a good job at it (perhaps due to his age). She got well from her illness and the rest is history!

This month of August has not been cooperative to me. My mother's stay isn't that long and the rain has prevented me from achieving my main goal as long as my mom is here, that of having her checked up. I wanted to make sure that she is in good physical condition. I have to have a baseline of her blood works, chest xrays, and the likes. It has been four years since her last stroke so I am just being cautious. And to go to Manila on a scheduled appointment while it is raining cats and dogs, getting drenched in it and subsequently having great difficulty in getting a ride home is an experience that I didn't want me and my mom to undergo. Sadly, we did.

And because of the rain, I had to undergo a backbreaking travel tour that never in my wildest dreams shall I undertake; that of travelling to and from Ilocos in a span of 3 days! Meaning I had to accompany my mother to go to her hometown of Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur on a Thursday (straight from her doctor's office at the Philippine Heart Center), return to Manila in the afternoon of Friday (after eating an earlier scheduled lunch), send her off to the airport as she goes back to the U.S. on Saturday morning then returning to Ilocos right after that! Why is it important for me to go back to Ilocos afterwards? It's my Aunt Estring's (my mom's eldest sister, matriarch of my maternal side of the family)birthday, being celebrated a month ahead since my Fil-Am nephew and niece are in town while they are on vacation from school in the U.S. Of course, these kids wouldn't be able to go travel here without adult supervision in the form of their dad and their dad's sisters.

It was great to see my cousins and of course my "imported" pamangkins as well. We had great fun during this day and my cousins even made sure to share their blessings with the less fortunate by way of a raffle where people can win items ranging from imported shirts to pots and pans to small ticket electrical items. They even held a kiddie version of "Deal or No Deal", where in it's the kids turn to earn money but playing for it. But even if some of the kids didn't win, it was heartwarming to see the joy in these children's faces as they participated by cheering, coaxing and teaching the contestants on whether to deal or no deal.

For her part, my aunt always loved big celebrations and enterttain everybody. It seems that organizing such celebrations is her way of touching base and reconnecting with immediate relatives and friends. As the head of my maternal clan, her presence and sage like wisdom is often sought by family members and even by people who just knew her from days of yore. She may be 80 years old but has achieved a lot in life. For even in her advanced years, she held various positions in governmnent from a barangay captain to a top vote getting kagawad and our town's vice mayor. She is well loved by all of us and it will truly be a loss for our clan in general if God decides to call her back home. WWe do love you Aunty Estring! Hope you shall have more years ahead of you.

My mom would have loved to stay a day longer just so she can attend the affair. But she didn't want to pay additional charges for it, instead, she instructed me and my brother to go in her behalf! If only my mother can find her way around a computer and the Internet perhaps she can see these pics that I have posted! Hope you can see these pictures mom!