Baguio House on Christmas
Ralph and I don’t have children and family in the Philippines, so we give parties to Ralph’s brother, Jerry, in Baguio, to the Office Staff in Manila on Mom’s birthday, December 20th of every year, and to the Ralph’s cousins on both his parents’ sides, in the New Year.
Getting Jose to put up the decor
Most of the time, the house is also decorated by the Housekeeper/cook. This year, Ralph decided what she did wasn’t good enough. So he and Jerry took apart what Vilma did and jointly supervised the putting of the decor.
The family of Jerry has now grown. Raquel married an officer in the military, Jess . He turned 48 on the day of the party. They have two daughters. The eldest one, Sabrina, shocked me when she put in her facebook account, “I’m engaged!” I told this to Jerry, and he said he wasn’t aware that anyone was even courting her. She looked very quiet, and when I met her, there was no indication other than the make up on her face, that she would be seriously considering boys in the present.
Raquel's Family
Next daughter is Aprille. April’s husband is Anton, and they have two children, Anelle and Elvin.
Aprille's Family
Aprille works in the government and her husband Anton is an engineer. Anelle is so lady-like, and her younger brother Elvin is so cute! He makes me miss my own grandsons who are in Dublin and Denver, worlds apart from us.
Ralph and I with Celia's children
Celia is in China, and her husband John-john is working in a mine in the Visayas. So Ralph and I posed with Celia’s children, Trano and Diedre.
Trano gave me a song he composed that night,
This is gonna be a very blue Christmas
without you by my side
My past Christmas was all very white
But this Christmas, I’m not by your side.
I promise you this will never be repeated
You are the light of my Christmas tree
You are the Star that guided the three kings to Bethlehem
All I want is you (2x)
All I want is you this Christmas
You’re all I want
You’re the present that I only wish for
From Santa Claus who will come this midnight.
This year we have missed the Old Ones who have passed away — Ralph’s mother “Lola”, Lola’s sister Auntie Celing, Auntie Celing’s husband Doming, and Lola’s former housekeeper for sixty years, Sabel. Sabel’s son, Noel, who was adopted by Auntie Celing, also joins us every year in our Christmas parties. His children are such lovely children. I’m glad he raised them well.
This year, we have new staff in the house — Vilma Mayot (cook), and Tess, housekeeper. Jose, who has been with us for 12 years, was the one who helped in putting up the decor.
Ralph and Gerry sharing a drink and barbeque
Here are Ralph and Jerry, accompanying Jose do the barbeque at the back of the house, and sharing a joke.
Looking at Raquel and the whole group, I wonder, how did the time go so fast? I have images of Raquel and Reuven up in the guava tree, eating guavas as they went. Now Raquel might be a grandmother in a few years, if what her daughter said was right, that she was “engaged”.
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