Father And Son Bond

Saturday is by far one of the most quiet days in my neighborhood.  Most of the cars are at home along with their owners who are probably catching up on sleep.  But the bikes were out for the early birds who want to exercise. 

I've changed my routine this last week, I now walk in the morning since it rains in the afternoon.   Early on, I thought that walking in the morning would make me tired and sleepy that I won't have the energy to supervise my store.  But I was wrong, in fact I feel more energized and very much awake after taking a shower. 

Photo by zero creatives/ Getty images

This morning, I saw a father and son enjoying their bicycle ride; the boy was around seven years old; both were in their complete biking gear.   His dad was doing a manageable pace but the boy worked on his pedals double time and was logging behind by a meter or two.  His expression couldn't hide his joy and pride that he wasn't left behind.   They passed by me twice and this scene touched me so. 

I recall when our son and two girls were around that age, my husband got them a bicycle each.  Their grandpa was  always there on weekends to encourage them to bike on their own sans the balancer.  

"I thought that grandpa was holding my back so I don't fall, but then when I looked back, I realized I was doing it on my own", my older daughter said.  

There was no problem with our son for he is sports savvy, he learned easily after my husband gave him the basics. 

One summer when our granddaughter turned eight, we bought her a bike.  She wanted a fragile pink one so much, she was insistent to get it but my husband said that it won't last and put his foot down on a more sturdy one. 

"Did you have a bike mama?", my granddaughter asked her mom.

"Yes!  My bike was red and the brand was B-M-X."

"Really? I had forgotten that", I told my self, but the children remember. 

Walking further down the street, I saw another father and son,  washing the car, the boy was around nine in my estimate;  they were talking and smiling but I couldn't hear them since I was a bit far, but It looked like they were having fun. 

I thought: 

"There are so much activities to do with children if only one has the imagination and the willingness to take time to bond with them.  These are things they would remember and will forever cherish in their lifetime.  

Picture from pinterest

I believe that our son is very much aware of this, that on weekends and holidays, he starts the day playing with his one-and-a-half-year-old son;  urging him to play with his toys.  After breakfast he would bring him by the pool to walk or at the botanical garden.  When his  bath and nap are over, they often go swimming at the American club.  

I'm sure that my son is enjoying this much more than his son right now,  his son being too young to recall this later in his life, but the bonding is established.

From what I recall, my husband did the same as well.  Aside from teaching our son to bike, he was patient to drive him to his swimming lessons.  They also biked to the next village to buy bike accessories since there's where the only store with such during those days.  

One summer, my husband decided to manage the neighborhood basketball team after we found him one day asleep on the coach, tired going around the neighborhood with his buddies soliciting contribution for the participation fee, as was the tradition. 

"That's it, I'll take care of the fee", he told me. Then he rounded up the kids, giving them pep talks and coaching them, though his ultimate goal was to encourage our son in sports.   

After that summer our son gained so much confidence in sports that he became the star in his high school basketball team and upon graduation, he was awarded best in sports as well as the champion in debate.

When he started working, father and son used to play golf on Saturdays.  Later on, during our 25th wedding anniversary, he said in his speech: 

"Dad, you did not only teach me the game of golf but the game of life".  Wow! That was surely heart-warming. 

As I turned on the next street towards home, there's always this elderly lady walking on her cane.  As I greeted her today like I always do whenever I meet someone in the street; 

"where do you live again?", she would always ask.

"Oh, just around the corner", I'd answer back. 

As I got  back home, I wrote this while enjoying my coffee in the backyard.  That's one bonus whenever I walk; ideas hit me and I couldn't wait to get home to write them. 

Our Backyard Is A Calming Oasis

The on-line advice in dealing with backyards is to first identify it's purpose before even attempting to do anything.  I believe that  my husband and I have no doubt about what we wanted out of it;  we do agree in developing an outdoor entertainment area principally for ourselves and also for family and friends whenever they come to visit.   We love eating and drinking coffee alfresco.  At the same time we can indulge in our passion for gardening. 

Now that the basics of our outdoor living area and storage shed are completed, our next step is to integrate all of these into the garden. We intended to make it a safe haven where we can relax and focus on what truly matters.  It should not only be a calming oasis but a productive one as well. 

Just this week, we put a brick flooring under the mango tree for a sitting area. 

Here we are enjoying our morning coffee right after our walk.  Notice our griller on our right.  

Later I even brought out my oatmeal for breakfast at the same place. 

We love the outdoors;  but we are not the adventurous type who love hiking in the woods; climbing mountains or canoeing in the river.  For us, just  being outdoors; breathing in fresh air and feeling the gentle breeze is already pure indulgence. 

Ten years ago, we bought a farm which is 3 hours away from the metro.  We thought that we could fulfill our dream of creating a garden for our favorite vegetables and ornamentals and subsequently reap "the fruit of our labor" literally that is; eat our produce and enjoy the ambiance.  For practical reasons however, we didn't like the 3-hour commute so we junked the idea and sold the land.  

But our passion for gardening never left us.  In spite the limited space, we found the possibility of doing it in our small backyard.  We realized that it is even a bonus to have the garden right here at home where we can enjoy it 24/7.  The challenge though is incorporating everything we want in a limited area without cramping the yard; so much so that every square inch of space is premium.   

We intend to put only edible plants;  the leaves and fruits must be edible or may be used for cooking like the herbs.  For now the only exceptions are our 10-year old "dapo" (bird's nest fern) placed near the shed but we hope to relocate it as soon as we find the appropriate place; and  the Chinese bamboo in pots to screen from view the laundry area. 

We brought along the pots of herbs from the  pocket garden in our former home.  As soon as we settled, my husband planted them in the ground except the oregano and the tarragon that were blooming well.  

Pot of tarragon

Oregano

On the ground, the basil adopted easily.  It was so prolific that I've used lots of its leaves for my granddaughter's tomatoe-herb pasta and twice I had to make pesto because of so much leaves. 

One harvest yielded three cups of leaves. Afterwards i stuck the stems back in the soil to propagate. 

There's also an existing malungay tree with abundant  leaves that we used for chicken broth.  When we first occupied the house, there were about ten aratilis (Jamaican cherry, Panama berry or Singapore cherry) trees about a meter high, we left two and now they have reached the roof. We can't wait for them to bear fruits so that our granddaughter can pluck and eat them.  I wonder whether she will like it. 

More on the development of our backyard garden in the next blog. 

 

 

Chasing Daylight

There is only one day left, always starting over: it is given to us at dawn and taken away from us at dusk

--- Jean-Paul Sartre

It has been raining intermittently at odd hours for the past week, most often in the late afternoons that I couldn't do my daily walk.  Yesterday, the rain was on and off that I almost gave up walking; however thirty minutes passed my walking time, it stopped raining.  I hurriedly put on my walking shoes, snatched my umbrella and off I walked. 

Though the neighborhood is safe, I still did not want to be out in the streets alone after dark.  I accelerated my pace so I could cover more ground.  There were dark clouds that threatened to fall and they covered the sun. 

As it was almost dusk, I saw houses had lit their porch lights giving me a welcome feeling as it seemed to beckon me in.  Some homes were dark though and I presumed the owners were still out, enjoying the weekend. 

I walked on a more familiar neighborhood this time and while some homes hadn't turned on the outdoor lights, I see their kitchen lit, obviously, they were preparing dinner.  I even smelled some of their cooking that made my mouth water and I felt hungry. 

I didn't see people outdoors or someone tending the garden, as is usually the case on weekends. "Its late",  I told myself, "besides rain may fall anytime".  But I enjoyed taking in the fresh air and the familiar smell of the outdoors (especially under the trees) after the rain and it brought back childhood memories.   I recalled how happy I felt going out of the house to play after the rain, when everything was fresh, the rain having washed away the dust from the air. 

I did not complete my routine yesterday, nevertheless, I developed a sweat and I felt good, it was still early after dinner but I couldn't keep my eyes open, so I turned in for the night.

Change, like sunshine, can be a friend or a foe, a blessing or a curse, a dawn or a dusk.

William Arthur Ward

Today I Made Sisig

Sisig is a pampango delicacy.  I first sampled this sumptuous dish when my sister and bother-in-law brought us to a row of open air food stalls in Pampanga, a province north of the metro.  These stalls only operate at night.  There used to be a U.S. Military base there and they thrive since they were patronized by U.S. military personnel. 

After we placed our order, we waited awhile, and our drinks were served.  They then broiled the pork on open charcoal grills. All around us, we heard the thud of thick and heavy knives on pork being chopped on wooden boards, yes, they don't use a food processor, they do it manually.  But it was always worth the wait because when you taste it you would usually crave for more; it goes well with soda and taste so much better with beer. 

Today I boiled pork face with spices: bay leaf, cinnamon bark, star anis, pandan leaf, pepper, garlic, fresh oregano and fresh tarragon after washing it thoroughly with baking soda, rinsed and then calamansi juice(local lime) and another rinse. 

The pork pieces were broiled over charcoal.  When done, I put them in my food processor together with onions, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. 

That was dinner tonight with a toss salad of Japanese cucumber, romaine and tomatoes in balsamic vinegar vinaigrette dressing. 

My Beautiful Sunday

I'm beginning to appreciate Sundays again;  it's looking like it is becoming my favorite day.  I haven't experienced such relaxation in forever, a respite on life's merry-go-round.  Most of the time we don't have definite plans, so we just let the day play out for us, we're happy just chilling out at home. 

Nowadays we always start Sundays by going to the 6 AM mass, (there's this nice feeling I've always experienced since I was a child after hearing mass; like I'm being enveloped by a comforting warmth all day).   Most of the attendees are senior couples who really dress for church.  The homily is always inspiring with a hint of humor  that sets our day to a great high.  

Just this morning on our way to mass my husband said:

"Why was it a hassle to go to mass in our former home?  It seemed like we lose the whole morning doing that."  I can say the same,  since this new place feels like going to mass is a breeze and we still have the entire morning ahead of us.  

A leisurely breakfast follows and the rest of the day will depend on our mood.  My husband would often go to the front garden and soon I would hear the sound of his cutting shears;  then the scent of cut grass reaches my nose.   Humm.....that smells so good and refreshing.   After sometime I hear him at the backyard tending to his ornamentals, veggies and herbs.

I, on the other hand goes about inside the house putting things in order or arranging things to give it more warmth and comfort.  This is also the time I fix my stuff in the closet. 

In between the day's activities, I catch up a lot on my reading, run through Facebook posts, reply to emails and write my blog.  I sometimes sit in front of the TV and watch whatever my husband is watching.  I even put in a catnap or two whenever I feel like; I listen closely to my body and succumb to what it dictates, that way, I feel more relaxed. 

After the afternoon siesta and a snack, I put on my exercise gear and walk for about an hour around the neighborhood.  My view is varied, as I choose different paths every time. The sight is always interesting especially since I'm still gathering more inspiration to improve our outdoor living space, hoping to stumble upon some ideas that I have not seen on-line.  

When I see many cars along the streets, it is a holiday or a weekend.  On Sundays, unlike on weekdays, most of the cars are at home, their owners maybe catching up on sleep or just resting; bonding with family and preparing for another week in the "salt mines". 

Families who have more than two cars leave the rest on the street.  On such a day like Sunday afternoons I see guys cleaning their cars on the street while listening to blaring music from the car radio; their children are also outside playing games, biking, skate-boarding or just hanging out.  A  nanny or two push their ward's stroller while mommy stays put watching the entire drama unfold. 

Some helpers are tending the lawn or the front yard.  I enjoy looking at well-kept yards, each has its own unique style, some use a lot of stones in different colors, while others put drift wood or tree trunks and the rest are mostly grass.  I slow down or even stop awhile when I reach this interesting house whose front yard is full of bonsai, the entire frontage is like a miniature "forest" of bonsai trees aligned in zigzag one after the other while their branches are touching and inter-twining. Here, let me share this shot I took. 

When I pass by an old house with over-grown trees and bushes, it means that it is left behind; while in another, I see wilted plants, the grass turned brown and part of the roof is falling.  Seeing a house like that makes me sad, isn't it sad to be left behind when others have moved on?  Then I remember our former house and I begin to worry whether the guard is keeping the plants alive for the new owners to enjoy. 

But the beautiful houses take my breath away and vanish my sadness.  I see interesting front yard landscapes with rare plants, colorful foliage and flowering bushes with different textures of ground cover; just by looking makes me ten times better, maybe even a hundred.  Furthermore this inspires me to work more on our outdoor living space.  

Then I take deep breaths while the cool afternoon breeze brushes through me and I savor a good outdoor feeling.  My steps become brisk like there's spring on my feet as I walk back home before the night falls.  

"Do not let Sunday be taken away from you.  If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan"-----Albert Schweitzer

Sundays are beautiful. 

I Enjoyed Making Pesto Today

My husband's basil looks over-grown so I was prompted to make pesto.  I used to put them in tomato-herb pasta for my granddaughter but she had enough of it already, so the alternative is pesto. 

I brought out my Braun multiquick 7 kitchen machine again today.

I decided not to use the food processor which I used yesterday for my burger but the third part, the Liquidiser goblet.  It can mix, chop and cut but in smaller quantities; can blend soups, milk-shakes, baby food, etc.; hot or cold with a maximum load of 750 ml. 

I first went to the nearby grocery to get cashew nuts.  My sister in Florida sent me almonds when I mentioned that almonds and most  imported nuts are quite pricy here, so she took pity on me.  However, I'll still get it in a week's time and I had to harvest the basil already so I settled for the cashew for now. 

My basil harvest which gathered approximately 3 cups of leaves after I cut off the stems. 

The ingredients I used. 

It took me about 10 minutes to come up with the pesto.

I let my maid taste it first and as usual, she was impressed, uttering praises of how yummy it turned out.  I spread some on bread and that was our morning snacks. 

This afternoon  I cut up the French bread, drizzled the slices with olive oil and sprinkled fresh rosemary leaves before I popped them in the oven.  That would go well with the pesto for our afternoon snacks. 

I'm sure my younger daughter will be happy to hear that I'm using her gift.  Thanks again Trace, this is really wonderful, it simplifies our food preparation.  Truth to tell, I didn't look forward in using such gadgets earlier, (then I had simpler machines though) for I didn't want the hassle of bringing out, washing and putting it away afterwards.  But I know one person nowadays who is happier, my maid,  who takes delight in watching me work the machine and is spared the time in cutting and slicing. 

Enjoying My Kitchen Gadgets

Today I used the food processor, one of the three major gadgets of my  Braun multiquick 7 kitchen machine that my younger daughter and her husband gave me for my 70th birthday. 

I felt like eating lumpiang Shanghai today; they're mini rolls, deep-fried minced meat processed with carrots, celery stalks, bell pepper, spring onions, egg and seasonings rolled in rice wrapper.  They will go well with sweet chili sauce dip or even just ketchup. 

This recipe is also good for meat loaf; (just add pickles and hard-boiled eggs inside) as well as meatballs for spaghetti bolognese, siomai (meat wanton) and burgers or sliders.  It is a convenient way to prepare four dishes in one; and to let the food processor do it all in a jiffy is so time saving, the answer to every housewife's dream.

My maid was so thrilled to see how quick the chopping, mixing and blending happened in less than 5 minutes.  She is spared of grating and cutting up the ingredients. 

"Oh, this is also thoroughly mixed", she said when she saw the result.  

"And the mixture sticks together well", I said, no need to refrigerate. 

To test if the seasonings blended well, I had my maid fry three thumbnail-size burgers to taste like I always do; a must to every chef.

"Ma'am, it's so delicious", she said when I made her taste one.   I ate one, blowing it a bit as it was still so hot and It tasted just how I wanted it.  My husband was in the garden and I brought him the third piece.  "It's good", he said.

"Now, shall I cook two medium burgers for your breakfast?"

"Yes, I hope we have Dijon mustard", he replied. 

This afternoon, my maid will roll the mixture in rice wrap for our dinner.