Everything boils down to this, that she expected her supervisor to cover up for her crime--and he did not.

No one will vote again for an official who got caught stealing early on and then unravels in a nervous breakdown on camera.

It was as though the Blair Witch showed up in _The Blair Witch Project, grabbed the videocam, and recorded herself.

Worked an hour on second November glaze.

Painting with a vengeance.

They are terrified by the idea that the staff member will turn state witness.

There will be an increase of con artists not only online but also in marketplaces.

Like the person at the Gate of Shinto, we are always on the threshold of change.

Working on getting rid of flab and excess fluid with 20 sit-ups a day.

Worked an hour on a glaze.

This painting resumes today, November 22, 2024.

One step at a time.

Marvin and Neil relocated my current work in progress (The Glorious Mysteries: Descent of the Holy Spirit), brushes, paint tubes, and cups to the foyer from the studio (the old kitchen), where I have easier access to it because it is closer to my bedroom.

I recall one other painting for Maryhill School of Theology that took me very long to finish, Feast of Tabernacles (December 29 – 30, 2019 and February 25 – March 24, 2020).

Descent was commenced early this year, but work came to a temporary halt June `18 when I had to undergo surgery for gout infection,. Today, after six months of slow recuperation, I am picking up my brushes again.

Getting better every day, like gently waking up from a long, long dream.

Will be going back to painting soon.

Plant poinsettia if you want accidents to happen in front of your house.

Violent storms are the precursors of our ancestors' belief in the archetypal battle of the angels.

 Happy Birthday to my eldest sister Lourdes!

She and my brother-in-law Manny are scheduled to visit from Sydney, once again. in January.

There's a Chat Room named "ACT Tolda 1985" that brings together the production staff, cast, and crew of my children's play Tolda for Ateneo Children's Theatre, where I was resident playwright for eleven years. Everyone in that Room is a grown-up now, of course., How I wish that Yani Singson and Pido Aguilar were still alive to enjoy being in that room!

Retirement is irreversible.

I'm scheduling Ian and Lou for lunch and the 31st Bilbo Baggins afternoon. Ian's student will drive for him all the way from Los Banos, Laguna. He is currently teaching an NSTP course and is taking away all of the stuffed toys for his class to distribute to poor children.

I no longer invite:

--People who never show up

--People who take items out of turn

--People who hog items

--People who suddenly manifest a greedy, materialistic attitude and behavior

--People who are picky

--People who "pass" on items, not realizing that the point is for me to get rid of everything.

I have learned to be careful when using the words "tupiin" and "tiklupin" with Neil.

"Tupiin", to him, is to fold something neatly, as in a piece of clothing.

"Tiklupin", to him, is to fold something to reduce it in size in preparation for disposal, as in a sheet of cardboard.

Neil invited Jay, Bertod, and their friend Nico over for a quiet drinking session last night. I think, they do that when they're nervous. All of them are from Bicol, and I know that they're worried about the passage of Typhoon Pepito.

Friday. November 15, 2024

Hedwig and Allan drop by for a prescheduled afternoon visit

A snack from M.'s cafe and 30th Bilbo Baggins afternoon

Photo by Neil de Leon

Allan performs tuob on me and on Neil. Many images of the Orishas showed up on his cell phone, all of them perfectly matching their statues .

Photos by Hedwig de Leon

Terribly missing the 1950s Milady butterball candy Today there are three butterball candy brands in the market, but I still haven't found anything like Milady.

Angelique is on work-related travel again.

A publisher is interested in my trilogy _Oktubere, Noong Tayo'y  Nagmamahalan Pa; _Nobyambre, Noong Akala Ko'y Mahsl Kita_. and _Saan Ba Tayo Ihahatid Ng Disyembre?_

However, I need a volunteer to come to the house and encode them in the format of UST Publishing's _Tatlong Paglalakbay_ (_Bombita; Sa North Diversion Road_, and Biyaheng Timog_).

Any volunteers?

All you need to do is bring your own laptop. I will proofread each play after encoding. If you're good, you can actually do one or two plays a day.

Will pay you per play. Free lunch and snacks. Alternatively, gifts, perhaps including jewelry as well,

In the metropolis, the bridge goes down.

Chomping my way through a bunch of sweet, seedless grapes is like chomping my way through a bright and beautiful morning.

Friday, November 8, 2024

Lunch with some members of the original, first batch of Spirit Questors, and 29th Bilbo Baggins afternoon.

Wearing a black shawl embellished with black sequins and black bugle beads from Spain, via Rustan's Gift Pavilion.

 

Angelique's tennis racket arrived this morning.

Happy Birthday, Aubrey Veron Dayangdang Bagona!

Your birthday messages:

1) Do not take unnecessary risks
2) If you are currently in love with someone you are still not committed to, you will soon realize that your attraction was a big mistake.
3) Observe more, act less.
4) Fill your life with sunshine.

5) This is not a year to trust your fellow women.

Monday, November 4, 2024

Bank day and lunch out after an activity-filled Halloween weekend

Long, neck scarf is from Ifugao

Photo by Neil de Leon

Bank day with my usual escorts, Marvin (my hospital liaison) and Neil (my full-time caregiver and house manager). Withdrew money, had dollars changed to pesos, paid our electric bills, and had lunch out.

My sisters, my granddaughters, and I are now getting ready to pay for our overnight stay and countdown dinner December 31 at Novotel Araneta Center.

She will come home liberated but uncrowned.

A pack of candied bayberries arrives.

I ordered some because, in all of the wuxia I ever watched, almost all of the market scenes had vendors selling bayberries skewered on sticks.

Christine arranges the books I gave her on a shelf.

Saturday, November 2, 2024

All Souls Night

Lighting our ritual mantra/wishing joss sticks that Mike provided, at the feet of our ancestors

Saturday, November 2, 2024

All Souls Night

Family gathering, mahjong session, lighting of candles and wishing joss sticks, and dinner

Wearing my second kerchief with a design of skulls, also a gift from my youngest sister, Sylvia, in Sydney

Tonight I introduced the family to two things they never had before: pickled grape leaves from Syria to go with our meat dishes and, for dessert, Coffee Crumble ice cream drizzled with Kahlua coffee liqueur from Mexico.

Angelique was in Bataan and could not join us.

Thus did we conclude our long, Halloween weekend, and I slept like a baby afterward.

Photo by Neil de Leon

Happy Birthday to Channarong, "Experienced Warrior", our second eldest kuman thong (2016)!

Saturday, November 2, 2024

All Souls Day and 57th dialysis session of the Vampire Marius dressed as Gandalf the Grey

Left, hi-tech healing. My dialysis machine for the day. On the right of the machine is a cylindrical object that is my personal dialyser with my name written on it. I can use one only a maximum of five times, after which it has to be replaced by a new one.

Right, aboriginal  healing. With my dreamwalker from Brisbane laden with healing crystals. The stick is made from the dried stalk and root of a yucca plant.

The Gandalf hat was a gift from my spiritual son Ferd some years back. It has a secret pocket that I can place money and other stuff in.

 

Photo by Marvin Cablayan

Today, All Souls Day 2024, is a good day to leave _The 36 Wands_ in preparation for my full withdrawal from Facebook when and if I reach the age of 75. I will be leaving my other Private Groups on a staggered basis:

--The Oracle of Cubao

--Tony Perez's Gamma Werewolf Pack

--The Spirit Questors

This Private Group will not be deleted, and you may review its contents for future reference. You are of course free to leave the group--however, should you eventually wish to return to it, no one will be there to reinstall you,

Study, practice, and MASTER The Ritual of the Wand A.T.A.R.D.A.R., which you may perform alone or in a group. Do not stop until you are able to do the ritual smoothly without a cue sheet.

Know this always, that the Orishas are real, and that the Wands are real.

Oil your Wands at least once a year.

Do not take your Wands out if the country.

My two, final pieces of advice for everyone are these:

--Take on a job that offers you a hefty retirement pension, not one that gives you the freedom to practice your art and reap recognitions without concomitant compensation. You will only find that those etched, brass plates and fabric ribbons won't feed you and your family when you are hungry or pay your bills, especially your medical bills.

--There is no greater award or reward on this planet than having a happy and loving family under your roof.

It was a pleasure knowing all of you since 1997.

Tony Perez

Today, All Souls Day 2024, is a good day to leave _Tony Perez's Gamma Werewolf Pack_ in preparation for my full withdrawal from Facebook when and if I reach the age of 75. I will be leaving my other Private Groups on a staggered basis:

--The Oracle of Cubao

--The 36 Wands

--The Spirit Questors

This Private Group will not be deleted, and you may review its contents for future reference. You are of course free to leave the group--however, should you eventually wish to return to it, no one will be there to reinstall you,

My two, final pieces of advice for everyone are these:

--Take on a job that offers you a hefty retirement pension, not one that gives you the freedom to practice your art and reap recognitions without concomitant compensation. You will only find that those etched, brass plates and fabric ribbons won't feed you and your family when you are hungry or pay your bills, especially your medical bills.

--There is no greater award or reward on this planet than having a happy and loving family under your roof.

It was a pleasure knowing all of you since 1997.

Tony Perez

My antique dealer from Marawi City is alive and well! He reconnected with me this afternoon after six long years and sent me photos of the most exotic items!

How I still love Maranao art!

Friday, November 1, 2024, All Saints Day

Our family altar and columbary

Ready for our family gathering and dinner tomorrow, All Souls Day.

Lighting a big candle with three wicks inside a giant lantern at our front porch, to illuminate the way for traveling spirits.

In the meantime Neil washed our green mahjong set and we shall be using our lavender mahjong set on Saturday instead.

Thinking of having our unnumbered mahjong tiles engraved on Ongpin Street.

Now thinking of purchasing a pink mahjong set.

Jerome's day off, and so dinner tonight was sinigang na baboy, sinigang na bangus, and kinilaw na bangus.

Aubrey came back from Tokyo several nights ago with a suitcase weighing a ton. She bought me sugar-free biscuits.

October 31, 2024

Halloween and 56th dialysis session

Today the Vampire Marius dressed up as a Hogwarts faculty member, hoping there would be some nice trick or treating at the hospital.

But why was everyone fleeing the corridors and running away from me? I had all four elevators to myself.

Left, necklace of antique, orange carnelian beads allegedly dating back to the Mexican Galleon Trade, with Chinese burial beads as connectors. The pendant is an antique, polished, Igorot brass holder for an heirloom gong, purchased from Greg Sabado of Baguio City many years ago.

Right, dzi beads stranded with yellow, Chinese burial beads as connectors. I have learned, over time, that there are two kinds of dzi beads: the less expensive ones made of shells etched from the inside, as in this photo, and the more expensive ones made of red and brown agate, usually from Tibet.

Photo by Neil de Leon

The necklaces I am most likely to keep for myself in this lifetime. Bloodstone is my birthstone, the stone of March. According to legend, this was a stone that lay at the foot of the cross; hence, the rust-colored "drops of blood" on a dark green background.

Bloodstone eventually became so rare that the birthstone of March was changed to aquamarine, and, after that, too, became rare in the 90s, was changed to blue topaz.

I bought the oval cabochon on the East Coast after a two-week training session in Washington, D.C., in the mid-2000s. The rotating ball below it was purchased from a co-worker at the U.S. Embassy. Both pieces are set in 14-k international standard gold. 

The other necklaces in this photo have matching bead colors, but they are actually of ocean jasper, Mongolian agate, and clown obsidian.

Photo by Neil de Leon

Monday, October 28, 2024

Lunch with Leslie Noble, a long-time friend from my days at the Cultural Center of the Philippines

The metallic gold and black Halloween kerchief with a design of skulls is from my youngest sister, Sylvia, in Sydney.

Photo by Marvin Cablayan

My Friends,

I will leave the Private Group _The Spirit Questors_ after Posting the 30th Bilbo Baggins afternoon, in preparation for my full withdrawal from Facebook when and if I reach the age of 75. I will be leaving my other Private Groups on a staggered basis:

--The Oracle of Cunbao

--Tony Perez's Gamma Werewolf Pack

--The 36 Wands

This Private Group will not be deleted, and you may review its contents for future reference. You are of course free to network with one another, though I must inform you that I do not personally know some of the members of this Group.

My two, final pieces of advice for everyone are these:

--Take on a job that offers you a hefty retirement pension, not one that gives you the freedom to practice your art and reap recognitions without concomitant compensation. You will only find that those etched, brass plates and fabric ribbons won't feed you and your family when you are hungry or pay your bills, especially your medical bills.

--There is no greater award or reward on this planet than having a happy and loving family under your roof.

It was a pleasure knowing my students since 1995 and then all of you since 1997 on Facebook.

Tony Perez

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Lunch with children's storybook writer Christine Bellen Ang. She is currently working on a novel for ten-year-olds.

This was, in effect, the 28th Bilbo Baggins afternoon, since I gave Christine a box full of children's books

Christine returns to  Baguio tomorrow.

Photo by Neil de Leon

 Antique, double-bulul, Igorot pendant. Unusual because it is carved of deer horn. The antique beads are also of deer horn and orange carnelian. Purchased from Greg Sabado of Baguio City many years ago.

...And in the meantime Aubrey landed in Tokyo last night for a brief vacation.

So glad the typhoon's blown over. There was  a method to its madness in Cubao. The first rumbles of thunder were at 11:00 PM Wednesday, October 23; the last wind gust through our compound 11;00 PM Thursday, October 24.

Couldn't sleep well last night. I can't during storm watch, being head of household.

Now I want a two-hour, deep tissue massage.

TONY PEREZ'S GUIDELINES FOR HIS FACEBOOK FRIENDS FOR THE COMING WEEK MONDAY, OCTOBER 28 - FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2024):

1) Office awards end up being so much trash.

2) Avoid eating spoiled fruit.

3) Academics are the worst users of all.

4) When stressed out, sleep rather than eat.

5) Brownies make a snack comeback.

6) "It ran one step ahead/
As we followed in the dance/"

7) Go easy on perfume.

8 ) Watch out against freeloaders.

9) This is not  the month for weddings.

10) You will desire new pairs of shoes.

11) Always put up a good front.

12) Favor real gemstones only.

13) Plan to serve pie.

14) Be selective with seafood.

15) Even this early, start preparing for the last month of the year.

16) An unusual invitation arrives.

17) Teamwork counts.

18) Oversleep if you have to.

TONY PEREZ'S GUIDELINES FOR HIS FACEBOOK FRIENDS FOR THE WEEKEND (SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26 - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2024):

1) Keep yourself cool on deceptively hot nights,

2) If goblins had underground chambers beneath your house, where would the portals be?

3) Never give your family the raw deal.

4) Try a home-made jack-o-lantern for a change.

5) Continue to budget your money well.

6) Identify the sources of the itch.

7) The metal of the month is tin.

8) Old-fashioned toys will fascinate you.

9) Do not invite people who are constantly late.

10) Enjoy a Halloween trip through Chinatown.

11) The Chinese goddess protects your home from the entry of negative spirits.

12) It is a good idea to invest in south sea pearls.

13) Your floor should be clean enough for anyone to lie down on.

14) Try Halloween cookie cutters.

15) The hungry deserve a meal.

16) It is fine to have someone with his third eye open at home.

17) Too much fish sauce is bad for the health.

18) Keep yourt feet well-exercised.

Restranded, orange, gourd-shaped antique beads allegedly dating back to the Mexican Galleon Trade, interspersed with antique, orange carnelian beads and white, fresh-water pearls from Dumaguete. The pendant is a heavy, unpolished, solid brass Igorot chieftain's earring purchased many years ago from Greg Sabado of Baguio City. I am still wondering whether it ever tore off anyone's ear lobe and dropped to the ground.

On the wall behind me is the iconic Comedy/Tragedy pair of masks from New Orleans, a gift from actress Naty Crame-Rogers. Originally dark gray, I had it repainted a metallic yellow gold. Very few people know that a larger pair of the same New Orleans masks hung over Ateneo de Manila's old proscenium theater for years. Reflected in the mirror, in the background, is our mannequin Diego dressed in Ifugao garb.

Photo by Neil de Leon

Happy 54th Birthday to my elder son, Nelson!

Everything I  need to survive a normal day, plus the tiniest men's vanity kit in the world: my moustache comb and mirror

Restranded antique beads allegedly dating back to the Mexican Galleon Trade, with antique, red carnelian and indigo Chinese burial beads as connectors. The indigo beads are multistranded.

Your Messenger message:

"Sir Tony, I think I saw you last year in Cubao near Samson College (Planas Site I) buying some fruits or kakanin. I kinda live close there. I never actually shared the story with anyone, but I heard that you will be leaving social media soon so, I wanted to tell you this:

"You may already have heard this from lots of fans, but your work is gold."

My reply: Thank you fir your kindness. Yes, I live across the street, and that is where I buy our lunch food.

I am, however, not deleting my social media accounts for others to continue reading and exploring.

Turquoise Suite

Antique turquoise pendant stranded with orange, gourd-shaped beads allegedly dating back to the Mexican Galleon Trade and turquoise, Chinese burial beads. The pendant is surrounded with red coral beads and set in sterling silver.

On a chain, a bigger turquoise pendant  purchased on the Loop outside the University of North Carolina during a training program I attended in the early 2000s.

Turquoise was my daughter-in-law Ivy's birthstone.

Happy Birthday to my second to the youngest grandson, Roi!

Honor traditional rituals.

Sunday, Sunday

Another family mahjong day

Review your prohibitions.

Group prayer is cozy.

Do not feel obliged to celebrate other people's special occasions.

Take your children to good restaurants.

Hot soup will always make you feel better.

When someone tries to put you down, humiliate you, mock you, ridicule you, or make you feel low, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO BE A BITCH.

Clarity of mind is the best sign of good health.

Final Destination was not the final destination, because AI had not yet been born.

Now that AI is here, is it the final destination?

Or do we wait for images to climb out of our computer screens and step inside our bedrooms?

Honor the god of the dance.

Never take your spirit guides for granted.

Be courageous even in the face of adversity.

It is unwise to stock up on too many batteries.

Be mindful of red flags.

Make a list of five deceased friends. Despite the fact that you still remember them, know that the world has already forgotten them.

Do not do business with strangers.

Patterns repeat themselves. Find them.

Everything must lead to normal..

Study your wrong moves in retrospect.

Every heaven is custom-made and personal and, therefore, never overpopulated.

Suddenly craving spicy sardines, scrambled egg with onion slices, and red rice, and that is what I am having for dinner later.