How My Packing Is Going

Preparing for a New Chapter

Life in the ol' apartment is winding down.  Half of my belongings are packed.  Give me two more days and then everything will be in boxes.  On Friday, I will be signing my life away.  Yes, I will be a homeowner!  A walkthrough will happen just an hour before, to make sure that nothing in the place is out of the ordinary - appliances taken, etc.  I'm sure it will be fine - I'm not worried.

There are so many other things I'm worried about...

On Saturday, the cable guy is coming.  After exploring my options, I'm going to bite the bullet and stick with Comcast for my cable, internet, and a phone line.  Can you say "highway robbery?"  Part of me wants to cancel the cable part since the only time I really do watch it is during football season.  If I do have it on, it's mostly noise or Netflix streaming from the internet via my BluRay player.  It's going to be $160+ per month.  Honestly, I could think of better ways to spend my money.  We'll see.  I might have to go back to my no television - internet only days.  Stay tuned.

A visit from a cleaning lady will also take place this Saturday.  In the operating room, our housekeepers do a "terminal clean" meaning top to bottom disinfection.  That is what I want for my place.  Old germs out, my germs in...

The big move happens on Sunday afternoon.  Hurray!  Movers have been booked.  The Yelp reviews were good, so we'll see.

Then the real adventure begins --- making it uniquely my own.  I have some ideas...  It will be fun to see what develops.  Stay tuned!

Happy Heart Day!

Beyond The Wall is Love

Quiet morning

Peaceful solitude

My walls come down

Leaving me vulnerable

If I'm not careful

Simple thoughts

Love of family and friends

All my blessings

Stir my Soul

Bring me to tears

No one has seen this before

I dare not tell

Who would understand

I Will Always Love You

Whitney Houston 1963-2012

This is how I will remember her...  Rest in Peace.

Love Letter

In anticipation of my move to a new home, I have started packing up my apartment.  Since I have some time, I've been going through boxes to see if there is anything I can purge.  Occasionally, I come across an item that I just can't give up.  One such object has been with me since college:  a love letter from an old boyfriend.

It was my sophomore year, probably a Thursday, when I was enjoying an evening out at Murph's, one of the bars near my college campus.  I knew most people who were there, which isn't saying much since, at that time, my university had a small residential campus with most students being commuters.  As I made my social rounds, I met Brian, a fellow sophomore and a member of the hockey team. I'm not sure how we started talking (was it the beer?), but we hit it off immediately.  That night he asked me out and I accepted.

When I told my friends that I was going on date with him, they warned me that he was a heartbreaker.

"Brian has a bad reputation, Marji," they told me.

I replied, "I'll take my chances..."

One dinner date turned into several dates.  Always treating me with kindness and respect, I waited for him to turn into the guy with the bad reputation.  That side of him never appeared.

I knew things were getting serious when he wanted to introduce me to his friends on the hockey team.  We were to meet them at a party.  As it turns out, I was already friends with them!  It was a good sign.

Brian and I had only been dating for a couple of months when it was time for Christmas Break.  He returned to Vermont where he grew up and I went to the southwest suburbs of Chicago.  Communication was mostly over landline telephone.  Very little privacy...  The world was a different place back then.  This was before cell phones and text messaging.  Even e-mail was not used like it is today!

After one week of separation, a letter appeared in my mailbox.  I was surprised since we were talking on the phone almost every other day.  It was one of the loveliest letters I have ever laid eyes on.  With the utmost sincerity, warmth, and affection, Brian expressed in sweet simplicity how much he missed me - our long talks, and just being together.  I was overcome with a feeling that I had not felt before; it was the feeling of being loved by someone other than family.

Yes, this tough guy hockey player actually loved me.  And he put it on paper.

I wish I could say that we stayed together for a long time after that, but alas, it was not so.  For some reason, I let go of that relationship several months later.  In fact, I broke his heart.  What compelled me to do this, I'm not sure.  I know regretted it afterwards.  Live and learn...

Even though I was the one who ended things with Brian, this letter has been lovingly stored over the years as a reminder of the sweetness of love, what I once had, and what I hope to find in my next relationship.

Maybe I need to find another hockey player!

Love Story

It is Valentine's Day weekend.  As much as people poo-poo this "holiday," somewhere deep in the psyche of humans in the modern world, the desire to be loved is stirred.  Let's face it.  We all want our own love story.  If we are lucky enough, we know people who have one.

Sometime in the 1930's, there was a young lady, the daughter of a well-to-do patriarch, in the province of Quezon, a rural area, outside Manila in the Philippines.  Raised as a devout Catholic, young Purifcacion Bustamante, or "Puring" as her family called her, attended church every Sunday and during religious weeks.

It was at the town church where she met Edmundo Ilagan.

He was not from the wealthiest of families, but he was handsome, kindhearted, and charming.  The two shared the same religious background and life values. Although they both knew each other as children, it was not until they blossomed into young adulthood that they discovered a connection.

At first a friendship developed through church activities.  Then this evolved into Love.

Puring's older siblings watched as this relationship grew.  Out of spite or jealousy (I mean what else could have it been???), they reported the "mismatch" to their father.  The brothers and sisters thought it inappropriate that their youngest sister was spending significant amounts of time with a man beneath their status.

Heeding the advice of his other children, the Bustamante patriarch sent the obedient and shy Puring to live with her sister in a distant province, unbeknownst to the man she loved.  And just like that, Edmundo and Puring were separated.

Puring's sister watched her every move.  There would be no letters sent, no telephone calls made, and no messengers summoned under the watch of her sister.

How could this young couple ever find each other again?

Through ways I'll never know, Edmundo discovered where his beloved Puring was hidden, and by miracle or luck, found his way to her.  They both knew their love was strong enough to handle any obstacle.  Of course, Edmundo's presence infuriated Puring's sister who sent word to their father of this reunion.

Immediately Puring was summoned back to her hometown for an audience with her parents.

"Do you love this man?" asked her father angrily.

Being of pure heart, Puring knew only one way to answer her father, whom she respected, and that was honestly.

"Yes, I do love him."

Like a judge passing a sentence, he ordered that they be married, but under one condition --- that it happen quietly, with no attendance from the Bustamante family, in the wee hours of the morning before anyone was awake.

Dressed in a simple but elegant white lace dress and veil, at three o'clock in the morning, Puring met her love Edmundo at the altar of the church that brought them together.  Led by a parish priest and a few of Edmundo's family members to bear witness, the two exchanged vows for better, for worse, til death do they part.

Of course, happily ever after did not come right away for Edmundo and wife.  Puring's family, to her dismay, were cold towards the couple.  Essentially, they were cut off from the bosom of the Bustamante clan.  Somehow, Puring did not foster disdain or hatred towards her parents and siblings.  She often prayed and hoped that they would find a way to open their hearts to her and Edmundo.

Finally, when Edmundo and Puring were blessed with children, a connection was re-established with the Bustamantes.  Through the years, the ice between them melted.

With no support from Puring's wealthy family, Edmundo and Puring were poor for many years.  Through their faith in God, hard work, and resourcefulness, they made it through very rough times.  With his charisma, charm, and work ethic, Edmundo was able to provide food, clothing, shelter, as well as secure educations (including university) for all six of their children, plus three of his brother's children, whom he and Puring raised.  These offspring would grow to be independent, successful, and generous individuals who would raise families of their own.

From their love, Edmundo and Puring created the close-knit family that I am lucky to be a part of today.

Now that's a real love story.

Celebrating 96 Years of Good Living

Daughter of Well To Do Parents

Raised as a Devout Catholic

Married Poor But Loving Man

A True Love Story

Gave Birth To and Raised Six Children

Raised Three Children That Are Not Her Own

Provided Education To All Nine Children

Grandmother To Nine

Great Grandma To Two

Hard Worker

Generous Person

Independent Woman

Full of Love and Wisdom

Happy Birthday, Grandma (Inay)!

I LOVE YOU...

Moving in the Right Direction

Once upon a time, probably six or seven years ago, I took hula lessons. Actually, it was more like Polynesian Dance since it covered both Hawaiian Hula and Tahitian Dance. I truly enjoyed it, however nursing school eventually monopolized my schedule. My hobbies had to take a back seat.

Now I've returned. While brainstorming over alternatives to the gym, I thought about dancing which has always been fun and challenging to me. Swing and Lindy Hop were out of the running because 1) I need a dance partner and 2) I can't stay up past 10PM if I want to be productive at work the next day (most events start at 9PM).

What else could I do sans partner?  Belly dancing? Been there done that. I would never perform in public! Hip hop? Nahhhh... My aching knees can't take all that bouncing around. Zumba? No thanks. Polynesian Dance seemed like the perfect choice.

My first lesson was last Wednesday. Even though it didn't appear that I moved around a lot, my abs, back, butt, and thighs are telling me otherwise!!! No pain, no gain.

Time to get moving and practice my hula basics...

* * * * * * * *

Speaking of moving, my condo loan was officially approved --- 3.75 interest rate locked! Booyah! Time to schedule my closing... My lawyer will be contacting the necessary people and will get back to me with possible dates.

Oh my goodness... Is this really happening!!!

I have got to get organized. Lord, help me!!! I'm already tired...