A Surprise Visit from Agnes Apeles, President of MI, Inc

Yesterday, Macrine and I had a surprise short visit from Agnes and Flo Apeles from Calabasas, California. Agnes and hubby Flo were visiting their cousins in Elk Grove about a 30 minutes drive to our residence. They were on their way to Red Hawk Casino in Placerville and decided to drop by for a short visit. Agnes is the current President of MI, Inc.

In our younger days, Macrine and I were very active with the projects of this charitable organization. Macrine was President of MI, Inc, from 2004 to 2005.

 https://hubpages.com/politics/medical-mission-of-love-to-marinduque
Medical Mission of Love, MI, Inc 2004

The following are some photos during Agnes and Flo's visit:

Agnes also took a picture of my potted pineapple plant decorating our front porch entry and welcome sign of our residence.

Agnes presenting the award Plaque for Leadership to Macrine-former President of MI, Inc (2004-2005)

My Potted Pineapple Plant and Recent Okra Harvest

This is the current status of my potted pineapple plant. The fruit is getting bigger every day.

Side View

I am also happy with my 4th and recent harvest from my potted Okra Plants. I can hardly wait to saute it in butter with shrimp paste ( bago-ong) and a little vinegar.

Happy Gardening to All! Every thing Grows with Love!

Mother Duck and Her Six Ducklings

Yesterday,I was surprise to see a mother duck and her six ducklings in my front yard. I tried to give her food scraps, but she ignored it. She is not as tamed as expected but for the last hour she and her family of six cuties were enjoying the sprinkler water in my lawn and the shade of the bushes. I hope they eat the food leftovers and stay for another day. I enjoyed watching them from my picture window inside the house.

Ditas Katague Made it to the 100 List

What an accomplishment to make the list of 100 influential people in the State of California, 2019. Congratulations are in order. Ditas is number 93!

Here's the write-up:

California wants an accurate census, and here’s just the person to make that happen – Ditas Katague. She is the director of Complete Count, the state office coordinating the census program here. She served on the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee (NAC) on Race, Ethnicities and Other Populations from 2012-2018, and as chair from 2015-18. Earlier, she was the Director of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Census 2010 project, and before that she was chief deputy campaign director for the 2000 census campaign. She also led a multilingual, multimedia outreach effort that resulted in a mail-in return rate that outpaced the entire nation. Ditas most recently served as chief of staff to the California Public Utilities Commissioner Catherine Sandoval. Since 1998, she has served on the Sacramento Center Advisory Board for USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy.

/https://capitolweekly.net/capitol-weeklys-top-100-ten-years-and-counting/

Three other names in the list that I recognize are:

# 1. Ann O'Leary-Gov Gauvin Newsom Chief of Staff

#17. Jennifer Siebel Newsom-the Governor First Partner instead of First Lady and

#26. Janet Napolitano- First Woman and 20th President of the University of California

In this article it was mentioned that Governor Newsom is planning to run for President in 2024.

I received several congratulations on this article but one I treasured very much is from Bobby M,"The fruit does not fall far from the tree ".

Yuka Jambalos Maeda Chilen Baby Shower

Macrine Jambalos Clan at the Katague Residence, August 17, 2019

Yesterday the Jambalos clan had a mini reunion celebrating a baby shower for Yuka-oldest daughter of Jean Jambalos Maeda here in Fair Oaks. Charo and her two children( Carlos Avila and Zehara were able to attend. Ella and son Adrian (from Washington DC), Fe's youngest daughter were also present.

Elaine Lazarte Chalfin oldest daughter of Fe and assisted by Ditas coordinated the baby shower party. Italian Food(Lanie) and Sushi and Cake(Ditas) were catered. The Italian food and sushi were very delicious. The following photos recorded this happy occasion. It will be Jean's first grandchild (boy).

The Cake

The Four Sisters- Macrine, Fe, Jean and Charro ( Angie Jambalos Aulds in the background).

The Italian Dishes and Sushi

The Celebrant (Yuka), Carenna and organizer Elaine and Alex Chalfin ( Mitch Maeda - Jean's hubby in the background)

Carenna, Ditas and Macrine and Leticia Constancio ( Macrine's caretaker for the day)

Macrine, Jean, Fe, Ditas,Carenna and Letty Constancio.

First Cousin Angie Aulds with hubby Jim and Fe

Charro and son Carlos ( the Pianist) from the East Coast

The Jambalos Clan and all the Party Goer except for Chris-Zehara's husband (Chris who was in the BR break)-first time we met Chris.

Cutting the Cake-Yuka,Yuri, Lanie, Zehara and hubby Chris( at background)

Ella and the Kids-Wesley, Samantha and Adrian( cut off)

Lanie and Mom-Fe

Angie Jambalos Aulds and Alex Chilen-Yuka husband

Ditas and Carenna

Our Four Favorite Garden Plaques

During our 62 years of marriage, Macrine and I have collected several garden plaques and statues. The following four are our favorites. Do you decorate your garden with plaques and statuaries?

To Cultivate a Garden is to Walk with God

Gardeners Rule the Earth

All Things Grow with Love

One is nearer to God's Heart in a Garden than anywhere else on Earth

Do you have a favorite?



Here's some of my favorite quotes on Gardens and Gardening


https://marinduqueonmymind.blogspot.com/2012/12/my-favorite-quotes-on-gardens-and.html

Aging in the David Balleza Household

The Bridge of Love -Chateau Du Mer Beach House ( Philippines)-reminds us of our younger years

Just recently, I received an e-mail from a long lost friend that I have not heard for almost 1O years. She asked me how Macrine and I are doing and enclosed a picture of our Medical Mission in Boac, Marinduque,Philippines in 2008. The picture triggered memories of our younger years and our humanitarian efforts helping our poor countrymen at that time.

https://hubpages.com/politics/medical-mission-of-love-to-marinduque

Most recent photo of Macrine in her wheel chair, August 11, 2019

I will be 85 years old by the end of this year. Macrine is 83 years old and suffering from the scourges of Parkinson Disease** and other ills and pains associated with aging. Our friend's e-mail reminded me that besides the physical and mental problems associated with our aging, we also feel very isolated at times( especially Macrine), since our contact with previous friends, associates and relatives are not as frequent compared to when we were still young and active.

Somehow the picture of the Medical mission alleviated a little bit of our pains of aging as it triggered pleasant memories of our younger years. It also reminded me of my favorite quote: "You have only lived if you have touched the life of others"

Macrine and I during our younger years in the front yard of our residence in Colesville, MD. 2002

The email from our long lost friend inspired me to search some facts about aging and health (published by WHO)* as follows:

Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world's population over 60 years will nearly double from 12% to 22%. By 2020, the number of people aged 60 years and older will outnumber children younger than 5 years. In 2050, 80% of older people will be living in low- and middle-income countries.

The pace of population ageing is much faster than in the past. All countries face major challenges to ensure that their health and social systems are ready to make the most of this demographic shift.

*https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health

**https://www.myparkinsonsteam.com/resources/parkinsons-and-the-burden-of-caregiving

Only in the Philippines-Fifty Things

I received this E-mail from my Filipino friend about 10 years ago. The author was not listed but it appeared this has been widely circulated in the social media in the Philippines. I hope this will put a smile in your face and brightens your day. If you are not from the Philippines most of the statement may have no meaning to you.

The Philippines is the only place on earth where...

1. Every street has a basketball court.
2. Even doctors, lawyers and engineers are unemployed.
3. Doctors study to become nurses for employment abroad.
4. Students pay more money than they will earn afterwards.
5. School is considered the second home and the mall considered the third.
6. Call-center employees earn more money than teachers and nurses.
7. Everyone has his personal ghost story and superstition.
8. Mountains like Makiling and Banahaw are considered holy places.
9. Everything can be forged!
10. Almost all kinds of animals are edible.
11. Starbucks coffee is more expensive than gas..
12. Driving 4 kilometers can take as much as four hours.
13. Fly-overs bring you from the freeway to the side streets.
14. Crossing the street involves running for your dear life!
15. The personal computer is mainly used for games and Facebook.
16. Where colonial mentality is dishonestly denied!
17. Where 4 AM is not even considered bedtime yet.
18. People can pay to defy the law.
19. Everything and everyone is spoofed..
20. Where even the poverty-stricken get to wear Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger(fake)!
21. The honking of car horns is a way of life.
22. Being called a bum is never offensive.
23. Floodwaters take up more than 90 percent of the streets during the rainy season.
24. Where everyone has a relative abroad who keeps them alive.
25. Where wearing your national colors make you baduy(gay).

26. Where even the poverty-stricken have the latest cell phones.(GSM - Galing Sa Magnanakaw)
27. Where insurance does not work.
28. Where water can only be classified as tap and dirty.
29. Clean water is for sale (P35/gallon) .
30. Where the government makes the people pray for miracles(Amen to that!).
31. Where University of the Philippines is where all the weird people go.
32. Ateneo University is where all the nerds go.
33. De La Salle University is where all the Chinese go.
35. University of Asia and the Pacific is where all the irrelevantly rich people go.
36. Fast food is a diet meal.
37. Traffic signs are merely suggestions, not regulations.
38. Where being mugged is normal and it happens to everyone.
39. Rodents are normal house pets.
40. The definition of traffic is the 'non-movement' of vehicles.
41. Where the fighter planes of the 1940s are used for military engagements and;
42. The new fighter planes are displayed in museums.
43. Where cigarettes and alcohol are a necessity, and where the lottery is a commodity.
44. Where soap operas tell the realities of life and where the news provides the drama.
45. Where actors make the rules and where politicians provide the entertainment.
46. People can get away with stealing trillions of pesos but not a thousand.
47. Where being an hour late is still considered punctual (Grabe talaga 'to!).
48. Where the squatters have more to complain (even if they do not pay their tax) - than those employed and have their tax automatically deducted from their salaries.
49. And where everyone wants to leave the country!

And my #50. If you reside in the provinces, the Roosters will start waking you (Crowing their heads off) up as early as 1AM up to 4AM along with a dozen barking dogs of the neighborhood.

Which one of the above is your favorite? Mine are numbers 6, 11, 37,46 and 49.

Even after reading this list, the Philippines is still one of the best countries to retire as explained in this site:

https://hubpages.com/health/How-to-Live-or-Retire-in-the-Philippines-for-Less-than-1-500-a-Month

Modern Medcine or the Local Albularyo?

Photo Credit: Richcanadventure.blogspot.com

**Yesterday, our housekeeper, wife of our chief gardener and caretaker here at Chateau Du Mer(CDM),suddenly started throwing up and felt dizzy. She had also an excruciating headache. Macrine gave her an anti-nausea pill and aspirin but still she did not feel well. I took her blood pressure and it was normal.

She told us that there was a stranger in front of our house about an hour ago that probably was responsible for her bahoy/balis. Her husband decided to bring her to our local albularyo*( witch doctor) who resided a couple of blocks from us. The local medicine woman confirmed that someone was responsible for her headache and vomiting.

Macrine and I thought she might be pregnant, but she told us definitely not, since she has been diligently taking her birth control pills. The medicine lady gave her ginger and advice her to boil the clothes she was wearing at the time she saw the stranger in front of the main house. She was told to drink a tablespoon of the boiled water and the rest as a sponged bath.

In the meantime, we gave her two tablets of aspirin and she went to sleep. The next day she was feeling better and her life was back to normal. So what cured her migraine headache? Aspirin or the medicine woman's brew?

There was another incident about the efficacy of the witch doctor medicine versus modern medicine. Five years ago, my 18 year old niece from Southern Califronia spent her summer vacation at Chateau Du Mer here in Marinduque. One morning just after beach combing for 30 minutes, she came home complaining of a severe stomach ache. We questioned her what kind of breakfast she had eaten, or did she ate or drunk any acidic drinks that morning. She said she had only toast, coffee and a banana. We gave her an anti-acid but her stomach ache still persisted.

Then our housekeeper asked her if she had meet a stranger while walking in the beach. She said yes. One of them was a local teenager we know and accompanied by another person we do not know. Our housekeeper requested her husband to look for the teenager and his companion and requested them to come to the house. Our housekeeper requested the stranger to apply his saliva in my niece stomach. After a few minutes, my niece aching stomach was cured and she felt relief.

I personally do not believe in nabahoy(excruciating headache) or nabalis(torturing stomach ache). However, there are other cases that I heard here in Marinduque besides the above two incidents. As discussed in the second case, the cure is see the person that gave you the scourge and get a sample of his/her saliva, then apply it to your head or stomach.

Interesting incidents indeed! What do you think? Heard of similar incidents in the Philippines or in other places? The definition of albularyo from Wikipedia:

*Albularyo (Tagalog pronunciation: [ärbuˈlɐɾjo̞]), also spelled as albularyo, is a Filipino term for a witch doctor, folk healer or medicine men. The word arbularyo derives from herbolario, a Spanish word meaning herbalist. Alternative Filipino names include Hilot (/hee-lot/), which literally means massage in Filipino and Manggagámot (trans. - "person who heals").

** First posted in Spring of 2011.