Saturday night, we went out to see The Avengers. Alex had seen it with her school friends on opening day because, well… she had to be among the first. It’s a Robert Downey, Jr. thing. She’s smitten. Speedy and I, on the other hand, hate seeing any movie on opening day. We don’t like jostling ... (more)
The trellis, the sampaguita and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Posted on May 7, 2012 · 10 Comments
When we were living in the city next to my grandmother’s house, Sam and Alex spent a lot of time in my grandmother’s garden. Alex was very young then, just learning to talk. Sam was already the most talkative toddler ever and she liked to christen the plants and flowers. Because it was the Disney ... (more)
A sad day in Casa Veneracion
Posted on March 26, 2012 · 19 Comments
On Saturday, after lunch, we were watching TV and Sam had her guinea pig on her lap. Pepper, our cat, came in, sprawled on the floor, Sam picked her up and decided it was bonding time for guinea pig and cat. She called me over to show how the two were getting along. I got ... (more)
The rocking chair for breastfeeding or sipping a mojito
Posted on March 22, 2012 · 11 Comments
Sam was born on August 20, 1992, exactly two months before my 29th birthday. And for my birthday that year, Speedy gave me a rocking chair. He had this idea that if I held Sam in my arms, sat on the chair and rocked gently, she would soon be asleep. Well, it worked when Sam ... (more)
This little pig is all we’ve got this weekend
Posted on March 16, 2012 · 4 Comments
We already knew that Sam wouldn’t be coming home this weekend because she’ll be out of town on a photo shoot. We were, however, expecting that Alex would be home. In fact, because she doesn’t have classes on Fridays, we made preliminary arrangements to pick her up on Thursday afternoon. But she couldn’t come home ... (more)
No one should ever feel too old to play
Posted on February 16, 2012 · 10 Comments
The night we went to see the Sherlock Holmes sequel, we were two hours too early for the last full show at the Eastwood Mall. We had had dinner already and we weren’t sure how we’d pass the time. We ambled around, spent some thirty minutes inside the bookstore then did some window shopping when ... (more)
I miss them already but not the mess they make
Posted on January 3, 2012 · 15 Comments
Speedy drove the girls back to the condo late last night. The third term of the school year officially begins tomorrow, January 4, and the girls were supposed to spend today clearing up their class schedules and finalizing their enrollment. As I watched the pick-up pull away from the front door, a wave of sadness ... (more)
Dear Alex, congratulations on the success of Hedda Gabler
Posted on December 19, 2011 · 2 Comments
In the sticky rice congee post, I mentioned how Alex got really ill after a hectic theater production. The production was Hedda Gabler. I offered to write a review, I think Alex was worried that I might lambast it, she said no review, so I didn’t. There were certain aspects of the play that I ... (more)
Body parts, math and science in the kitchen
Posted on December 11, 2011 · 9 Comments
In the previous post, the recipe for sticky rice congee with chicken, lemongrass and quail eggs, reader Candice commented: i just read the recipe for lugaw with premature eggs and saw the picture of the innards… i’ve never even seen those parts of a chicken in my whole life! forgive my ignorance but did all ... (more)
The midnight bakers, and my Christmas and New Year digest
Posted on December 6, 2011 · 7 Comments
Alex has a potluck affair in school later today so, late last night, I baked a huge batch of butterscotch cookies with white chocolate morsels for her to bring (I will post the recipe later). But Sam also wanted to experiment with a marshmallow frosting so, after the second tray of cookies came out of ... (more)
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