Swirly July

It was a happy month marked with a number of celebrations starting with the birthday of ED. My girl is on the throes of womanhood but is still very much my child. As in the past, birthdays are celebrated by sharing a modest banquet in the choice resto of the celebrant... Tradition was still observed with some minor adjustment. School work prevented us from celebrating her birthday on the actual day and it had to happen some other day .....

After a few days, MD and I were off to the Golden Wedding Anniversary of the parents of a dear friend.  She and a sibling who are based abroad weren't able to go home for this special occasion. They planned this surprised bash for their parents who didn't want a celebration if the family is not complete.  The guests including us were already in the venue and were getting instructions from the children of the celebrants who have become friends through the years.  We used to hang out in their place because of its proximity to our school and because of Nanay's superb culinary skills  ...... I just love eating in their place which is so homey .... Tatay, Nanay and my friend's siblings have been like family to me and our other friends who frequented their old place  ....  This is one important occasion I wouldn't miss ....

This lovely couple takes pride in their great sacrifice to bring up their family despite their modest means.  Tatay was practically overseas all the time while Nanay performed the dual role of father and mother to my friend and her siblings.  Tears of joy were shed as the celebration progressed....  their children talked about the challenging times ... I felt a deep sense of joy inside me as I celebrated with them their long years of married life and secretly yearn for something amiss .......

One of the highlights of the month was watching the musical, Cats, with ED and MD, and some friends. Tickets were bought months ago. We always look forward to watching musicals as as a deviation from our daily grind. Watching Lea Salonga performing the classic, Memory, was the highlight of the show. Her 15 minute or so appearance was worth all the hard-earned money we paid for the show. The rest of the cast gave a rousing performance... made me regret missing Miss Saigon during its Manila run ....

On July 13, Typhoon Basyang which unexpectedly turned into a howler as it changed course made most people in Metro Manila and neighboring towns miss sleep as its killer winds tore rooftops, toppled trees and lampposts... I was one of those who missed a lot of winks fearing my glass door would be shattered as gusty winds kept slamming it. Electricity was cut for about four days in our place. A fuming President Aquino fired the Pag-asa chief in the aftermath of the storm for the agency's failure to accurately predict the typhoon's path. The government said that there was not much damage considering the strength of the storm. Oh yeah .... what about collateral damage... For one, hubby and I failed to report to work two days after the storm came to pass as we run out of water. We had to give way to the kids who were going to school.  There was no source as electricity needed to draw water was cut. I had to send a SOS to my friend V... who was out of the country so that hubby and I could take a bath and fill up some water container with the suddenly precious commodity. Electricity was restored in her place almost immediately...

One of the worst consequences for us was the death of many of our full grown kois. Suddenly, our koi pond looks so ghastly as it reeks of the stench of death. I didn't want to look at it anymore ..... Our flower horn showed signs of distress after 3 days without oxygen. We had to buy battery-operated pumps to save him and the remaining kois. A few hours after we made the purchase, electricity was restored in our place. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief as we started getting back on track ...

The last day of the month was marked with another celebration as MD, MS, and I attended a debutante ball in one of the hotels in the Metro ...  It was the birthday of the eldest daughter of a friend.  We used to be colleagues at work and we've seen each other through various phases of life .... from our swinging single selves to being wives and to being moms .... We have celebrated important occasions in our lives... birthdays, weddings, baptisms, anniversaries and spent holidays with our families together.  But when our careers took different directions, these gatherings became rare.  We would still spend important occasions but mostly without the kids.  I saw the debutante as a shy kid who was always clinging to her mom, my friend.  Now, I see a young lovely lady about to conquer the world .... It was a lovely party but more importantly, it was good to bond with old friends who still gives me the comforting feeling of the familiar ....

and July with all its swirls and thrills came and was gone like a thief in the night  ...........