Philippines - Monday, March 25-26, 2007

Sunday, March 25

Summer is perpetual here. When you're here for a while, you can understand the tradition of closing the shop for a few hours around noontime so you can escape the heat. With the advent of air conditioning, fewer establishments follow that tradition.

Calvary Chapel of Dumaguete has been having some work done on its regular facilities recently (a non-air conditioned location), and the two weeks I'm here will mean two hours each Sunday in air-conditioned comfort. After church and lunch yesterday, we went downtown to a local department store for some needlework canvas for Erica (who wanted to sew like Grandma), and the store was packed. The air conditioning was wonderful; and like many others, I would have loved to have spent the afternoon there, making my way around people and racks of goods, just to feel that cool on my skin.

Monday, March 26


Today was the target day to begin sewing for Erica, one of the things I wanted to be sure to do while I was here. So after our walk this morning, Donna set up the sewing machine and all the other goodies, fashioning a cutting mat from a cardboard box, and I picked out a few pieces of fabric to get started. Erica was pleased with today's efforts.

Tomorrow, Donna has decided to team up with me. She'll cut out outfits, and I'll sew. Donna wants me to take her sewing machine home with me; and if she has no sewing machine, that means there's no need for fabric. I surely don't want to bring any more fabric home than necessary, so I need to convert this fabric into wearables! That's good motivation for me to work fast! It will be fun to work with Donna in this way.

Philippines - March 20 - 24, 2007

March 20
The day finally came for my trip to PI. This is the first time I have traveled such a long distance alone, although traveling by myself is not foreign to me. Fortunately, the flights were all on time except for the commuter flight from SAN to LAX, but United did pull through and get me to LAX on an earlier-scheduled flight which turned out to arrive at LAX later than my reserved flight was scheduled to be there.

March 22 - Arrival in Cebu
Donna, Todd, Nathan, and Erica met me the airport in Cebu; and we headed directly to the hotel where we would spend the night and catch the only daily ferry that travels between Cebu and Dumaguette. I couldn't have asked for better timing.




March 23 - Home in Dumaguette

On the way home from the four-hour ferry ride, we stopped at the Persian Palace for a good hearty lunch to get us started on our day of getting organized as a temporary family for the next two weeks.


March 24 - A Typical Saturday

Donna and I awoke early and went for a walk this morning before the heat of the day arrived. I was surprised to find that we are only a few blocks from the sea. Now that we've been there once and know how long the walk takes us, next time maybe we can sit on the boulevard and I can watch the early-morning fishermen take their boats to sea.

Everything here is altogether wonderful - I'm sure all I see and hear and feel is colored by my joy at being with family here.

Soon after breakfast, we drove to the Farmer's Market. It's just a few blocks in another direction, and it happens every Wednesday and Saturday. I was able to get a few pictures there.

Driving in downtown Dumaguette is always colorful. It seemed everyone was in town today.

Rehearsing for travel ... playing what if

No matter if I'm sleeping or awake, I'm playing the what-if game as I get ready to travel to the Philippines. As a North American, I'm allowed two checked-in bags at no more than 70 pounds each. According to Cathay Pacific, all persons except those from the Americas (both continents) are allowed only 44 pounds in each bag if they're traveling economy, as I am. However, there's no maximum on the number of bags they can check in.

My initial thoughts went something like, "Wow, that's great! I surely can't handle more than two checked-in bags by myself, and I can stuff them full!" How funny that thought seems to me now, as I have realized, after packing and repacking several times, that 70 pounds feels like 70 pounds no matter how you distribute it in the luggage. And 70 pounds is too much for me to lift more than a few inches off the floor, using both hands and all my newly developed core strength. All those years of carrying five grocery bags on each arm has only a little residual years later, even after my last 6 months of working out with a trainer.

Playing what-if is a good thing because it helps me plan ahead.

What if I can't lift those bags off the luggage delivery system and get them through customs? That question took me on a search for PH pesos. I had to go to the bank, anyway, so I could have some USD to carry, so I asked about foreign currency. I found that I can get it from my bank, but I need to order it in advance. Too late for that. The teller told me about a new currency exchange place at North County Fair; but, alas, when I got there, I learned that you must order in advance from them, too. However, now I know the place exists, and it will be very convenient for exchanging any PHP I bring back with me. Their rates are supposed to be pretty good. So, plan foiled, but my knowledge is increased. Check!

The next question, then, is what if I can't get PHP at the airport before I arrive in Cebu, and the answer is to use USD for a tip for the porter, hoping that's acceptable. Mavash says her custom is to use USD and it seems to work well. Checking my wallet, I found that I had very few smaller denominations ($10 or less), and what I had was pretty shabby. Lauren exchanged some bills with me this morning. Check!

What if there's fog in San Diego tonight and my commuter flight can't leave on time, making me late for my flight out of LAX? I guess I can't do anything about that one. I have to put that one in the uncontrollable event list.

What if I can't find my way from terminal 8 at LAX to Tom Bradley? The solution is to get on the Internet and find a map of LAX, then read and study the system so I'll know which bus to catch. Check!

What if United doesn't check my bags through from San Diego to Cebu? That means LAX might be a problem. I need to make sure I have USD in the right size bills to pay a porter on both ends of my LAX transfer - arriving from San Diego and departing to Hong Kong. The wallet looks ok for that one. Check!

What if sitting that long time, from LAX to Hong Kong, (15+ hours) is too much for my posterior - even with frequent ups and downs from my seat? So I modified a soft pillow to create a travel size and stuck it in my carry-on. I can sit on that and it will help change the pressure points. That, and special socks to keep my legs compressed to prevent swelling, should help alleviate the legs-hanging-down-from-the-seat problem. Physical resilience is a fond memory, not a reality. Check!

What if, what if, what if. I've even rehearsed what I want to do while I'm there and mentally checked off the contents of my over-stuffed luggage - books to enjoy with Erica, coloring books, fabric for little girl clothes (with patterns) or a four-year-old sized quilt - or maybe both; threads, elastics; needlework for me to keep my hands busy; books that Donna, Amanda, and I might like to read; an origami book plus plenty of nice paper for folding, along with glue sticks, scissors, pencils; nice lotions and shampoos to leave with Donna; small presents for everyone; vitamins and some of my special foods (things I can't buy there) that help to keep me healthy - oh, and yes, clothes for me! My hope is that I have packed well enough that I will be able to return with my smaller checked-in bag nested in my larger one.

Traveling in the RV has spoiled me. Just throw it in back packs or plastic storage containers and take off. Stop at Wal-Mart (our Wal-Mart Rand McNally points out ALL Wal-Marts close to the freeway) and pick up what we forgot. Store unneeded things in the "basement" of the coach. Any travel in the U.S. is simple, by comparison. Everything is familiar, no matter where you are. Use the cell phone to keep in touch. Ask questions when you're unsure of something. Piece of cake!

I'm excited. Playing what-if prepares me; and by the time I get on that first plane this evening, I think I'll be satisfied with the things I can and can't control. I've done what I can now, and I'm ready to go!

The Rites of Spring

It's here, officially here. I know it is. Never mind the calendar!!

This morning, it was throwing off the blankets time when I realized that I had been sleeping too warm last night. No getting up and donning the sweats. At my first awakening, I knew that short-sleeves was the order of the day. And all this means get ready for spring cleaning!

Washable jackets pulled from the closets, overstuffed bedding slipped from the beds, crispy clean sheets, washer chugging along ... the mandate comes from without and seeps to within, and it's good.

I wonder if spring brings a natural renewal to everyone. Stories from around the world indicate that it does to cultures as a whole.

In India, spring means Holi. (Interesting word, isn't it, at least in its phonetic sense.) Color is the order of the day as celebrants commemorate the triumph of good over evil.

For Iranians, spring means No Ruz, the Persian New Year, where all things must be readied for visits by guardian angels and a celebration of all that is good.

Christian thoughts of spring mean Easter, the triumph of life over death in the resurrection of Jesus. In the Western world, formed by Christian thought no matter the religious following, spring means easter with a lower-case e in thought, if not literally, complete with the traditional bunny rabbit, easter-egg hunts, new clothes, sunny bonnets with ribbons. Here's an interesting site listing a number of spring traditions: http://www.religioustolerance.org/spring_equinox.htm.

The rites of spring seem to be universal and involuntary. Our spirits quicken, our hopes spark, our bodies react. Even if we are not religious, we experience a religious event. Just as there are no atheists in fox holes, I wonder if there can be atheists at the advent of spring. Spring shouts holiness to the world - for a while, all things are born again as spring sweeps us up in its zest.

Friends are lovely

Mavash called today just to chat, and her smiling, loving voice reminded me that it's just so wonderful to find myself, at this stage of my life, with such lovely wonderful women friends. It's not that I haven't had women friends throughout my life, but I have been so work and task oriented, my friendships have nearly all been work related. Not that they weren't close and exciting friendships - they were. Tackle a tough project, raise the standards, strive for excellence with a team, capture the gold, and you create some wonderful and memorable friendships - of both genders.

But it's not the same because we all know we will be moving on at some time in our careers. You never forget those people. You forever celebrate their excellence and are happy to be counted among them all your life. But friends to have and to hold forever? A rare thing in this busy age.

(Thank you, Lord, for the friends in my life - those friends whose path I shared for a while, and those forever friends, to have and to hold! I am blessed.)

Oprah did a piece on women's aging issues today, and it was fun and nice. She had Dianne Carrol, Nora Ephrom, and Gina Davis on the show, plus some clips from Diane Sawyer, Susan Sarandon, Gail Sheehy, and others. No topic was taboo; and it seemed that most were very candid, making the show fun to watch. Diane Sawyer has always been a favorite of mine - to me, she's perennially young and she inspires me. There's nothing she won't try at least once. Her lack of fear (what I always say, when I say it of myself, her lack of smarts to know you shouldn't do that) lifts me up and frees me. She's Judy's age, so a little younger than I.

I didn't know anything about Nora Ephrom, but I was aware of her name because her book, I Feel Bad About My Neck, has been on the best-seller list for quite a while. After watching her today, I ordered the book from Amazon to take with me to Donna's. Ephrom is a funny, funny woman, and I think Donna will enjoy the book. Nora Ephrom is my age - almost to the day!

In my second retirement, I have a sort of goal for each day - to actually do something other than stay in my own head and work on my projects (which I could do forever). A lot of my goal is targeted at doing something around the house. Lauren is so competent at handling everything and anything, and I tend to let him. He has certainly spoiled me, and while I'm not willing to become totally unspoiled, it's good that I lend a hand to help our community of two stay alive. Little by little, it's taking effect.

Today, I actually took a huge bag of clothes and a bedspread down to the RB Presbyterian Church thrift store (we have been accumulating these for some time) instead of waiting for someone to leave a flyer in the mail box that they're picking up donations. Good for me. This was a good step. I also stopped by the automotive shop to make an appointment to get the air conditioner fixed in my car. Another "good for me." I usually look at Lauren with puppy dog eyes and he takes pity on me and makes sure anything and everything gets done. Shame on me! My only excuse is that he's so good about taking care of everything.

I also have a habit of having lots and lots of good intentions that end up being partial projects. This weekend, I remade a pair of purchased capris - I had started taking these apart three months ago!!! They fit really nicely now. I even used the serger on them. Golly, I like that thing. And to think I never wanted one. I have this one only because my friend and neighbor who passed away a couple years ago had one in her estate, and I purchased it at a very reasonable price - and I wouldn't have done that had Donna not mentioned one time that she wanted a serger.

Encouraged by my success at finishing an old project (I start and finish many interim projects - it's just these not-so interesting ones that I neglect), I tackled another pair, which required only a couple tucks; piece of cake. Goodness, I might actually work off my backlog if I keep this up!

In my "to do" basket, partially complete, from 3 plus years ago:

• A doll that needs stuffed, face embroidered, and hair sewn in


• A smocked dress for the doll that needs stuffed


• A quilt top for Donna, made from Mom's slacks


• A California king size bedspread (two twins pushed together) for our bed, started soon after I retired in 2001 (cringe)


• And a variety of other smaller projects
  

I made a quilt top for each of Mom's surviving grandchildren after Mom died in 2003. Everyone's is finished and delivered except Donna's (Donna's mom just hasn't gotten around to it, but everyone else's Mom was on the ball). I designed and machine embroidered all the grandkids names and birth dates and a little stick-figure sketch of all the places where they lived during their (just short of) 60-year marriage.

The bedspread is a paper-pieced pattern - an experiment in quilting that was encouraged by my sister and expert quilter, Judy. The pattern is simple - something I adapted for paper piecing from a pattern in Quilters Newsletter Magazine. I nearly have the top quilted, and I have the sash made and partially quilted. I'll use a method from Beautiful Quilts as You Go, by Keryn Emmerson, to attach the sash to the top.

This is the first doll I made in 2001. She's wearing a smocked dress I made. I made another doll and gave it to a friend, and then started a third. I use some special weighted material with the filler so the body has some substance to it - I like that. Her hat is a lovely crocheted piece designed and hand-made by a woman in Hungary. I had the good fortune to stop in her shop when we were there a few years ago, and I couldn't resist bringing home another woman's hand work.

This little gal sits on my piano and usually wears earphones. I took them off for this picture. My Yamaha piano has a silent piano added to the standard acoustic setup. You can plug earphones in and switch from the acoustic to a sampled Yamaha grand and play silently (and in tune, even if the acoustic piano isn't in tune - which it isn't right now) and never disturb anyone. So when I play the piano, there's my little friend.

I received a beautiful note from Susan today. She is one of rare people who pick up pen and paper to communicate. It's such a treat to receive one of her notes, to hold it in my hands, and read through her thoughts. She creates paper art, and her note is enclosed in a card she made.

Mavash's warm milk and other delights

Ahhhh, soothing comfort food! Who would believe such a simple recipe could produce such a wonderful feeling of well being. Warm a cup of milk (nonfat is good) in the microwave, stir in about 1/8 cup (or to taste) of honey, sprinkle generously with cinnamon, stir, and sit back and sip. Mavash made this for us many times this past weekend. Instantly relaxing, warm, and with the first sip, you know you've been craving this delight for a long time!

I subscribe to the sockknitters group in yahoo, and I learn so much reading the posts from these knitters - young and old. Here's a site I found on the list this morning:
http://www.fluffbuff.com/2006/07/tubular_caston_without_the_was_1.html

This particular page isn't the most fascinating for those who aren't interested in learning the Italian way for a tubular caston, but if you click Main and begin to explore the blog, it's pretty amazing. Crafts are not dead in America. Young women, as well as older women, are knitting and sewing and exploring in depth! So encouraging. There's so much satisfaction in working with your hands. I would encourage anyone to give it a try, whether it's with paper, fabric, yarn, or whatever. I am amazed at the works that are out there now - just amazed!

UPS called yesterday to make sure we would be home to accept a signature-required delivery from Florida. We knew it was Donna's birth certificate, required for the courts when the adoption proceedings go through for Erica. I stayed home all day waiting for UPS to come, but nothing happened. When Lauren arrived home we learned that UPS had been here, but our doorbell no longer works and so I didn't know it.

We were on our way to the movies, but decided to stop by the UPS store, nearby, first. We learned that Hector, our neighborhood's UPS driver, would be stopping at the store around 6:00, so we hung around and, sure enough, Hector drove up about 6:30 and had the package. Hooray!!! Delightful that Hector knows Lauren and had no problems locating the package and no hesitation to let Lauren sign for it and accept it on the spot. The certificate is now on its way back to Florida, to the Secretary of State, who will add the additional certifications required to present to the courts in the Philippines. I hope I get to hand carry the authenticated certificate to Donna. Wouldn't it be swell if the adoption were finalized while I was there with them? I hope it happens soon. It has been so long in the works!

Amazing how much time I can spend putzing around with this or that and let the time fly away. Yesterday, I decided to stay on target with one task - to rip out a white muslin lining from a shrug I made a couple years ago (the lining looked so tacky - but who would have guessed that I would end up liking the shrug!) and replace it with some complementary print instead. Much, much better. I did it one better this time, too, and interlined it with some cotton batting. I need to do some machine quilting to hold the layers together better, but I think I will enjoy wearing this much more than I did with the muslin lining.


Now, if I just don't postpone finishing it!!! In the meantime, I'm off to market (Joann's Fabrics, Kohls, Henry's, Stater Brothers, WalMart) ... another day on the way!