Worked an hour on fifth layer.

Jeffrey visited. Should visit the new location of his 928 Gallery. Thinking of doing a small exhibit there after I've done my 40 paintings for Maryhill School of Theology.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Once you have made your point, move on to other things. Don't harp on the same thing over and over again like a nagging housewife.

Power bills arrived.

Bought two packs fresh strawberries.

Two cups of Peter and Christine's dark roast from the Cordilleras.

Jazz arrived.

May 1, 2021

Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker

Good morning, Cubao!

The morning sun strews sunshine blossoms on garden grass.

Good night, Cubao!

Do not allow either joy or sadness to prevent you from having a good night's sleep.

Asked Bertod to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother cadfael.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Thinking of converting the old nursery room to an upstairs guest bedroom as soon as I clear everything out--a formidable task because I need to check everything before deciding what to keep and what to throw away.

When we praise a pet for good behavior we say "Good boy!" or "Good girl!" But, when a pet is naughty, why do we say "Bad dog!" or "Bad kitty!" instead of "Bad boy!" or "Bad girl!"?

Cutting an archway into a living room wall.

Brought down more stuff from the old nursery room to throw away. Gave an old, folding mattress to M.'s cafe staff.

Delivery of 40 gallons alkaline water, and a thorough cleaning of our kitchen water dispenser.

Jay and Neil arrived from Bicol. Neil's mother sent us a flowering plant called twelve o'clock, an anthurium plant, and a plant with velvet, purple leaves.

Brother Cadfael worked with Brother Oswin and Brother Columbanus on the roof deck, side balcony, and Cubao New Orleans French Quarter front balcony vegetable gardens.

Brother Columbanus harvested more Chinese cabbage for the cafe.

Several tenants on the compound are now planting their own vegetables beside the driveway. I believe, my sister Remi is doing so too, but I haven't seen her garden, which must be on their fourth-floor deck.

Brian commenced work on the archway.

Worked half an hour on fourth layer.

Angelique and Aubrey came down to lunch in the dining room.

Preparing to work on cutting an archway in a living room wall.

Do not be quick to adopt linguistic fads, for only traditional language is timeless.

Say goodbye to April. One-third of the year is going, going, gone.

A very early lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Worked an hour on third layer.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery. Bought a loaf of white bread, a pack of sweet ham, and bottles of mayonnaise, sandwich spread, and blueberry jam.

Good morning, Cubao!

The noontime sun casts a net of bright fire over the city.

Ordered a BLTC salad with red wine vinaigrette dressing from M.'s cafe and had that for a bedtime snack with dry toast and soda. 

The cafe staff is watching Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on TV.

As for myself, I'll be watching two more episodes from Fear Thy Neighbor before going to bed. Crime stories are extremely relaxing for me.

Good night, Cubao!

Try flavoring the drinking water on your night stand with a slice of fruit.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

Brother Cadfael and Brother John are among the emissaries to Wales seeking to bring the relics of Saint Winifred to the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

Threw out four more bags of stuff from the old nursery room. They disappeared from the dust bin as soon as I placed them there. Gave old blankets and reading lights to M.'s cafe staff.

Aubrey came down to a late lunch in the dining room.

Angelique came down to lunch in the dining room; Aubrey still has electronic classes.

Worked an hour on second layer.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery. Bought a sack of brown sugar and two packs Hungarian sausages.

Good morning, Cubao!

The afternoon sun keeps an album of your childhood memories.

Down to 385.

185 more to go.

Good night, Cubao!

The gnomes' and the fairies' carnival opens at midnight.

Dinner at home with Angelique. Aubrey is taking her dinner upstairs.

Asked M. to bring some food over to his cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

Finished rereading Monk's Hood last night. Will start rereading A Morbid Taste for Bones tonight.

Well, I'm not sorry we moved the molave rolltop desk to the Cubao New Orleans French Quarter front balcony. The wood is quite impervious to moist, and anyone can do some writing there if they feel like it. I'm now thinking of moving two, amber-colored glass oil lamps to its top from the dining room alcove. In the meantime I transferred our busts of Hermes and Diana to one of the shelves on the front balcony; they look like they belong there.

Aubrey has exiled her antique armoire to the laundry room.

Brother Cadfael, Brother Oswin, and Brother Mark cleared a living room wall in preparation for an archway to be cut into it beginning Friday.

Then they worked on the roof deck, side balcony, and Cubao New Orleans French Quarter front balcony vegetable gardens. 

Another harvest of Chinese cabbage. We divided it up among my sister Alice, M.'s cafe, and the compound office staff.

Brian, Q, and Bertod assembled Angelique's ergonomic study table and moved the antique, molave rolltop desk to the Cubao New Orleans French Quarter Front balcony.

Threw out four more bags of stuff from the old nursery room.

Lunch at home alone.

Resting before the next wave of work. 

Angelique ordered an ergonomic study table for herself and it just arrived.

The granddaughters are into modern furniture for their bedrooms. We now have one antique secretaire and three, antique, rolltop desks and I don't know where to relocate them. The secretaire could go to the Cubao New Orleans French Quarter front balcony and a rolltop might look good in the living area.

This day began for me at noon. The granddaughters are taking their lunch in their dining room but I'm deciding to take my lunch later because I practically just woke up.

Wondering how much I'll be able to do today. I need to do more layering on my painting, bring down more unwanted stuff from the old nursery room, clear the space in the living area to have an archway chipped through a wall, and work on the vegetable gardens with the boys. 

Your Messenger message:

"Magandang umaga Sir Tony,

"I hope my email finds you well. Nais ko lang po isangguni ang aking napanaginipan dalawang taon na ang nakakaraan. Hanggang ngayon po ay hindi pa rin malinaw kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng aking panaginip. "* Start * "Nagpunta kami sa bahay ng kasama ko taga Sweden. Pagdating namin sa lugar, natagpuan ko na lamang ang aking sarili nakaupo sa isang kahoy na bangko at ang bangko ay nakapatong sa parisukat na lamesang kahoy. Ang lamesa ay nakalambitin sa ibabaw ng ilog sa pamamagitan ng makapal na lubid. Ang lamesa ay nakataas ng 15 talampakan mula sa ilog. Ako ay natakot na mahulog dahil sa pag-ugoy ng lamesa. Kaya kami ay lumipat ng pwesto malapit sa mababaw na bahagi ng ilog. Inihanda ko ang tripod at camera para kunan ng picture ang aming grupo. Ngunit sabi ng aking kaibigan na hindi ito ang lugar ng bahay niya. Kaya muli kaming naglakad papalayo at napunta sa isang dalampasigan. Makapal ang hamog sa aming napwestuhan. Ako ay napatingin sa makapal na ulap at nakita ko ang imahe ng diyos ng Hindu sa kalangitan. Dali kong kinuha ang aking camera para kunan ang imahe. "Nabago ang lugar na aking kinatatayuan. Ako ngayon ay nasa patag na lugar na merong punduhan ng tubig. Walang makikitang bahay o anyo ng kapaligiran. At sa hindi kalayuan makikita ang rebulto ng diyos ng mga Hindu (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva?) na gawa sa bato na kulay abo. Ito ay may taas na 15 talampakan sa aking tantiya. Ito ay sumasayaw. Nakataas ang kanang paa na karaniwan istilo ng rebulto ng mga Hindu. "Tumalon ang rebulto sa tubig at naiwan ang kanyang binti nakaangat sa tubig. Muli kong kinuha ang camera para kunan ng video ang diyos ng Hindu. Ako ay napaluhod dahil sa aking nasaksihan. Lumabas ang rebulto sa tubig at lumapit sa akin. Binuksan niya ang kanyang kamay at sa kanyang palad makikita ang isang medalyon na may hugis apat na bilog at isang jade na hugis dahon. Pagkatapos kung kunin ang dalawang bagay sa kanyang kamay ay umalis ang rebulto at ako ay naiwan nanginginig sa aking nasaksihan. "* End * "Pagkagising ko, sinulat ko sa aking electronic dream journal ang nangyari. Tinignan ko ang aking higaan sa pag-aakalang naging totoo ang medalyon at ang jade. Ngunit wala akong natagpuan. "Ang hugis na aking nakita ay aking hinanap sa mga lugar na may relihiyong Hinduismo at Buddhismo kagaya ng Bali Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia at Thailand. Ngunit wala akong makitang mga medalyon na kahugis ng aking panaginip na binenbenta sa kalsada at tourist spot. "Hindi ko pa nasubukan silipin ang mga lugar kagaya ng Quiapo kung saan may binebentang medalyon. "Ang pinakamalapit na hugis ay ang medalyon ni San Benito na meron apat na bilog at krus sa likuran. "Ako po ay bininyagan sa Katoliko. Wala po akong background sa Hinduismo kaya ipinagtataka ko kung bakit mananaginip ako ng diyos ng Hindu. Ang pinakamalapit na kahugis ng rebulto sa aking panaginip ay si Lord Vishnu. "Keep safe po at maraming salamat sa inyong oras. "Gumagalang, "____________________"

My reply:

Hello _________________!

Visiting someone in a foreign land in a dream signifies a desire to escape from one's present situation. In your dream, you hover over water, an element symbolizing emotions. That you are above the water and are afraid to fall into it means that you are (or were, since this dream occurred two years ago) in denial of your feelings.

Of the three Hindu gods, Shiva is known as the Destroyer and Vishnu as the Preserver. Two years ago, you were torn between preserving and destroying something--look back and determine what it was.

The objects handed over to you are keys to the mystery of your dream. The medallion with four, round shapes appears to be the muladhara chakra, illustrated as a four-petaled lotus, the color of which is red, and pertains to survival. The leaf-shaped jade piece is an image of life and healing. Again, an apparent dualism between the Destroyer and the Preserver.

Two years ago, something happened threatening your survival. You could have almost lost your job or faced a separation or a divorce. Your psyche showed you, in your dream, the two options you had. 

Whatever the threat was, it seems to me that you made the right decision and have survived the crisis.

House mice on errands ride fallen leaves like kayaks in city gutters.

Good noon, Cubao!

Slept nine hours last night, and had the most intriguing dreams.

Good night, Cubao!

Only a few are allowed to visit and borrow books at the Library of Gnomes.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Bertod to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online Videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

Wait for the shadows of plants to spell out words on the ground.

Always listen to what the voices of your neighbors' pet cats and dogs are announcing.

Your house is your body.

Knowledge of the death of people you once met actually drags you down, and so, if you are a fragile person, it is better to shut yourself out of that knowledge.

If you wish to remember chores you need to do, say them aloud to yourself without anyone hearing.

He has a glass apple on his desk through which he sees the world.

Every serious writer should produce, at the very least, one page a day.

Worked half an hour on construction lines, then worked half an hour on first layer.

Bought a ream of ziggurats.

Must go buy two rolls of masking tape, but now I'm thinking of asking Brian to do that for me.

Worked an hour on construction lines.

How long will it take religious people to realize that God is a mental concept?

Staggered lunchtimes.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery. Bought a box of eggs, two sacks washing machine detergent, and fabric conditioner.

Met Mark on the road. He was on his way home from work. He has the morning shift.

As you trim down your Friends List to 200, you find that the people you keep are those who really matter to you, and those to whom you matter.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky is as clear as alkaline water.

Good night, Cubao!

Alley cats do parkour on the fire exits of tenement houses.

Too many corporate lunches and dinners make you fat and ugly.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

It is a bad idea to turn your back on your sources of comfort.

Always be aware that the skin of your feet needs to breathe.

Never chase the day by going after the sunset.

Impulsiveness is the downfall of the impatient.

Money not only talks. It also walks.

If you are not poor, do not decorate your house like someone who is.

Sometimes your body warns you to rest at the most unusual times.

I cherished eclecticism from childhood onward, and I still do. I never want 3/4 of the world to be a closed book to me.

Brother Cadfael, Brother Oswin, and Brother Mark worked on the roof deck, side balcony, and Cubao New Orleans French quarter front balcony vegetable gardens. Harvested more Chinese cabbage; gave half to the cafe and the other half to D.

Brought down four more bags of stuff from the old nursery room to throw away.

Vanilla syrup delivery arrived for the granddaughters.

Sat with Angelique and Aubrey in the dining room while they had lunch.

Delicious noon rain in Cubao. Now it's cool and pleasant.

Turned on three incandescent table lamps.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery. Did minor groceries: two boxes fruit juice for the granddaughters, a box of ice cream, a carton of full cream milk for Angelique, a pack of hash browns, a roll of paper towels for the kitchen, a bottle of insect repellent.

Now for an early lunch before we go up to the roof deck once again.

Down to 391.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is the light bulb in a giant microwave oven.

Two-hour, deep tissue massage. Ended before midnight.

Good night, Cubao!

Night fairies ride enchanted canoes that float through the neighborhood.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Asked Jerico to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

Richildis's husband has been poisoned.

Still decluttering. Must bring down four more bags of stuff from the old nursery room.

In the meantime found old, forgotten treasures in three dollhouse drawers.

Worked an hour on construction lines.

You were in my night class if the following figured in your dream:

--Glampsite

--Forest

--Bronze box

--Underground tunnel leading to house

Good morning, Cubao!

Bathe in the morning sun for half an hour whenever you can.

Good night, Cubao!

Crystal balls need to frequently bathe in the light of the moon.

Asked Bertod to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

Korean barbecue dinner with Angelique, Aubrey, and Jazz, celebrating Aubrey's completion of her thesis defense yesterday.

To view the photos, go to my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3922075431212488&set=pcb.3922076477879050.

Worked half an hour on construction lines.

This painting begins today, April 24, 2021.

Sorry, no visitors allowed.

Night Classes

4:30 AM

 

Found an old camping bed bag. Gave it to M.'s cafe crew.

Brother Cadfael spends an afternoon on the roof deck, side balcony, and Cubao New Orleans French Quarter front balcony with Brother Columbanus.

Moved two more chili pepper pots to the side balcony.

Then brought down five bags of unwanted stuff from the old nursery room to throw away.

Bitter melon blossoms

Okra

Okra

Lighting eight joss sticks to Sky Father

Peepal tree seedling in pot

An hour of studio work. Did careful measurements on the portrait canvas before commencing construction lines.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

We all had brewed coffee afterward.

Jazz arrived.

Good noon, Cubao!

White doves sketch white clouds with chalk pastels on the blue canvas of the sky.

Your Messenger message:

"Good evening, sir Tony.

"I just wanna ask your insight/interpretation about this weird yet traumatic experience of my wife since her childhood. Prone po kasi siya sa harassment na pwd po rin mag lead into sexual harassment kung hindi mapipigilan. Kahit nung bata pa siya marami na po siyang karanasan na hindi niya alam kung bakit nangyayari like, nakaka encounter siya ng stranger na bigla na lang siyang yayakapin or di kaya susundan siya kahit saan hanggang sa makawala siya. Nung nagdalaga naman siya, ilang beses nangyari na may nakipagkilala sakanya at ayaw na siyang pakawalan at kahit saan sinusundan siya. Ang last na experience niya ay yung may nakilala siyang optalmologist sa isang eye center sa mall at nakipagkilala, hiningi yung number niya then nag insist na ihahatid siya dun sa pupuntahan niya kaya binitbit nung lalaki yung pinamili niya then isinakay sa kotse at sa hiya naman niya sumakay na rin siya. Pero napansin niya na paikot ikot lang daw sila sa parking lot ng mall. Buti na lang nag insist na siya na bababa na siya at may susundo sa kanya. Marami na rin sakanyang nagsasabi na may parang may kakaiba sa kanya na madali niyang nakukuha ang attention ng ibang mga boys. Kung i dedescribe, hindi naman po siya gaanong kagandahan at matangkad , kaya nagtataka po siya kung bakit ganun ang ibang karanansan niya sa mga strangers. At feel nya po kung may ultrusive motive ang may mga na eencounter niya na may ganoong attitude. Parang nawala sa sarili. Simple lang po siyang manamit kaya hindi niya po akalain na magkakaroon sya ng ganung karanasan. Sa ibang banda naman po. Prone sya pong kainggitan ng mga babae sa work place niya lalo na pag hindi pa siya gaanong kakilala. May something po ba na spiritual charm siya? Aano po ba ang maipapayo mo para maiwasan ang ganoon pangyayari? Salamat po. Magandang gabi."

My reply:

Hello _______!

It is possible that your wife gives off subconscious signals that the men respond to. Most men, unless they are predators, do not come forward unless they receive signals that it is safe for them to do so.

If this is your wife's constant problem, ask her to do secondary reflection and determine what it is she may be emitting. Is it the way she looks at men or the way she smiles at them? Is it the way she addresses them? Is it the type of clothing she wears? Is it her make-up? Is it her perfume?

On a deeper level, she might unconsciously be releasing pheromones that attract men whenever she is around them. She should then consult a female psychologist about this.

If this is your indirect, constant problem, advise your wife to take up martial arts.

Asked Brian to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

Retrieved _Monk's Hood_ to start rereading in bed later.

Found my granddaughters' old travel/volleyball bags, two of Ivy's designer bags, and a bunch of Tagalog komiks. Gave them to M. 

Threw out a sack filled with old shoes.

Threw out another sack filled with old, denim shorts.

Bringing down more stuff tomorrow.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Friday, March 23, 2021

Brian helped me pin this piece of 4 feet x 3 feet loose, primed canvas on a wooden panel this afternoon, in preparation for a portrait I am doing next. The owner lives overseas, and so I couldn't have the canvas mounted or cradled, for easier shipping purposes. After the finished portrait is varnished and dry, I will roll the canvas and place it inside a protective, PVC tube.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Your Messenger message:

"Dear Sir Tony, as I write this down I am recalling my dream with the same theme as the one before. In my dream the whole family was having dinner, as I was positioned fronting our main door, I saw 3 women standing outside, unexpedted visitors, yet I feel like like I knew them. Since I was in the middle of my food, and the table was all occupied, I told them to wait so that when we all finish they too can eat. Next scene was, I checked the rice cooker and saw that it was full more than enough for my unexpected guest, so had the table readied for them. When I was about to asked them to be seated at the table I discovered that they were already on their way out and was embarassed as they felt they were a burden at that very instance. So I told them no, and prevailed over them so they stayed. Now, Sir Tony heres the recurring theme. As I wanted to add more food on the table, I decided to cook dried fish, small ones. So when I was about to fry the tuyo and was pulling it out of the container, I noticed it was different, it was bigger and meatier kind of dried fish. It transformed as I was pulling it out of the container. Is this a good omen Sir Tony? Thank you for your interpretation and time. Sincerely, _________"

My reply:

Hello _____!

Yes, it is a good dream.

In life, it is your duty to feed your family before anyone else.

Your unexpected guests, like the angels who visited Sarah to give her good news in the Old Testament, are your spirit guides. You went out of your way to give them respect and feed them, even if they began to excuse themselves because they did not want to trouble you for hospitality.

Because you took them in and fed them, they transformed and upgraded your food. 

Expect a blessing of transformation to occur in your life, if it hasn't already.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun wears a gold bowtie.

Good night, Cubao!

House mice do their laundry every other week.

Never push your body, and never push your mind.

Rescue endangered animals, but also rescue endangered children.

Teddy bears make good, secondary pillows.

What is the most neglected room in your house, and when will you take action to work on it?

At the end f the day only one important question remains: How much money do you still have in your wallet?

Magic, at best, is a side activity or a hobby. It is not to be perceived as and will never be a career. To begin with, there are no educational degrees in that field. Furthermore, there are no institutions, public or private, that have job descriptions and slots for employees with backgrounds in it.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Brought some food over to M.'s cafe staff. Jerico, a former waiter, is here on vacation.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling bed with Brother Cadfael.

Two murders have occurred. Before I was even halfway through the novel, though, I recalled who the culprit was, based on my first reading and the Brother Cadfael DVD set my sister Sylvia sent me from Sydney.

Brother Cadfael, Brother Columbanus, and Brother Mark worked the rest of the afternoon on the roof deck, side balcony, and Cubao New Orleans French Quarter front balcony the rest of the afternoon.

Moved two chili pepper pots to the side balcony.

The okra and chili pepper plants are beginning to bear fruit.

Brother Cadfael, Brother Columbanus, and Brother Mark completely gutted and cleaned the upstairs laundry room and installed two, new ceiling bonvilleas and four, new, expandable steel laundry hangers.

Brought a lot of junk, including toys and stuff the granddaughters had outgrown, to the compound dust bin. Quite amusing how neighbors came and took everything they wanted. Indeed, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Good morning, Cubao!

The day gnomes are making preparations for afternoon high tea.

Good night, Cubao!

Gnomes build secret staircases in different areas of your house. You'll know where they are if you listen carefully to their treading up and down.

M.'s cafe sent over a plate of fried noodles on the occasion of Bertod's birthday. He turned 19 today.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Bertod to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

Brother Cadfael and Hugh Beringar are now investigating an assault on the goldsmith.

Back from jalan-jalan at the center. Paid our water bill and bought another mosquito zapper. I'm thinking of having one in every room but am currently experimenting with different brands.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sky is encrusted with faceted aquamarines.

Your Messenger message:

"Sir, I think there’s something wrong with me. I was chatting with a nephew online and I saw some shadows behind him. I joked that he should have set some offerings (an atang) for his deceased father and sister because it’s his 21st birthday. I thought they were celebrating with him. This morning, I learned his died on a motorcycle accident under the influence of alcohol. I feel guilty, sad, and angry at the same time. I lit some incense and candles after I said a small prayer for his soul but I am unsettled. Where those shadows the sundo or was I being paranoid?"

My reply:

Hello ________!

The "shadows" you saw "behind" your nephew were not separate entities. They comprised what we call the black aura that envelops a person if he is in mortal danger or about to die. This kind of aura is most evident in persons with terminal illnesses in hospital; in many cases, the black aura remains on their beds long after their cadavers have been taken away.

You have a special gift for reading auras, though you may not be aware of it--and your psychic vision is so sensitive that you can even read auras on computer screens. I suggest that you develop this gift. There are many resources available online and in print, especially in book stores in Australia.

What you saw was not a "sundo"--his demise could actually have been prevented by aura cleansing and a healthy, psychological attitude. Do not feel guilty for not having prevented it, though, for you did not know anything about this at the time.

Good night, Cubao!

Tonight the pets are attending a royal banquet in the neighborhood elfin mound.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Brian to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

The wandering Saxon minstrel Liliwin has already sought sanctuary in the abbey.

One of my spirit guides gave two words: "mobs" and "gangs".

M.'s cafe sent us a fish dish cooked with Chinese cabbage from the roof deck vegetable garden.

One-hour, afternoon nap.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery and did minor groceries.

Brother Cadfael worked on the roof deck, side balcony, and Cubao New Orleans French Quarter front balcony with Brother Columbanus. Brought down two chili pepper pots to the front balcony and two more to the side balcony.

Second harvest of Chinese cabbage went to the cafe.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Good morning, Cubao!

Day gnomes bleach their white linen on tin rooftops.

Always distinguish between what pleases God and what pleases an obsessive-compulsive religious leader. They are never the same.

Night rain in Cubao.

Good night, Cubao!

Gnome chefs love picking vegetables and storing them in glass jars inside their pantries.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

Retrieved The Sanctuary Sparrow to start rereading tonight.

I cannot bring myself to feel sad over the death of someone who spoke against me during his lifetime.

When times change drastically, useless traditions crumble.

Try Indian mangoes. They are like tropical apples, and they both satisfy hunger and quench thirst.

Make your home the best place for your family to be.

When the leaders do not protect you, protect yourself.

Choose your family's comfort at all times.

Sabotaging yourself is as bad as stepping on other people's toes.

Never team up with a person who has less resources than you do.

Your bed should have as many pillows as it can take, for body parts other than your head need them.

Devote more time and more thoughts to positive things.

Have faith in yourself more than in anything in this world.

Do not skip meals.

Security lights are not a waste of energy.

When washing your coffee or tea things in the kitchen sink, say aloud, "We honor our ancestors at the kitchen sink." 

Always give your favorite statues names.

Truly blessed Monday

Belated birthday gifts from Mike.

Down to 395.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Unexpected Monday morning gift from Tanya--a box of Bailon's piaya!

Good morning, Cubao!

Let the sun burn, for, when it ceases to do so, we shall all perish.

Of the almost one million Filipinos who got infected with the virus, I actually am interested to know:

--how many garbage collectors there are

--how many non-smokers, anti-smokers, and/or people who declare themselves "allergic" to cigarette smoke there are.

I still cannot figure out why some people get infected with the virus, quarantine themselves at home, and then test negative weeks later--and why others get infected, go to hospital, and die four days later.

Two-hour, deep tissue massage. Ended past midnight.

Asked M. to bring some food over to his cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

St. Peter's Fair is over, but the characters are still searching for a two-time murderer.

Dinner with Angelique and Aubrey.

Both my granddaughters told me, over dinner, that they've lately been dreaming that an outsider breaks into the house and that, in their dreams, they are unable to ask for help. I explained to them that there is nothing precognitive about these dreams. They are normal dreams during a time like the pandemic, and others are having the same dreams. The outsider is the pandemic that they fear will break into our house. It is an outcome of hearing news that entire families have been catching the virus and are being quarantined inside their own homes, some of them being brought to hospital and some of them dying.

Another afternoon on the roof deck, side balcony, and Cubao New Orleans French Quarter front balcony with Brother Oswin and Brother Mark. We moved more chili pepper pots and all of the tomato pots to the front balcony, and brought another prickly pear cactus plant down to the small loggia. We've now been mixing our brewed coffee grits and tea leaves to the bucket of water we use for watering plants.

Brought down a glass box that Aubrey exiled from her bedroom. I have to check its contents before deciding what to throw away.

No one believes me when I say that the virus is rapidly spread through users of the public transportation system. I am only grateful that Metro Manila is like Los Angeles--it has no "center" where members of the urban population gravitate. Quezon City, for example, has several commercial centers. In Cubao, all I have to do is walk to Araneta Center for our family's needs.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun bleaches the sky a dazzling white.

Asked  Brian to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

M. is back from visiting his mother in Cavite.

Night chores.

Q and Bertod trimmed Keiko Kashigawa's and Yukiko Taka's nails and then shampooed them with lavender-scented, anti-flea shampoo. 

An evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Asymptomatic

Asynchronous

Two words of the pandemic era.

I observe that the women of my particular generation are the most helpless, especially in times of crisis. These are the women who were brainwashed from girlhood to turn their backs on sewing, embroidery, knitting, crocheting, and quilting. They were also brainwashed to believe that the most dignified jobs an ordinary woman could apply for were classroom teaching and working as a corporate secretary.

By the same token the men of my generation were brainwashed to turn their backs on farming, planting, raising livestock, doing a mechanic's work, and plumbing. They were also brainwashed to believe that the most dignified jobs ordinary men could apply for were professional basketball and working as a cog in the corporate world.

Alas, their parents all thought that urban progress would be quick and smooth, and that we would never go back to primitive times.

At any rate the generation after me was worse. Everyone was conditioned to want to be in entertainment and show business.

Tending a garden makes one a better parent by 500%.

Bought a jalu-jalo and a banana-cue for Aubrey.

Angelique and Jazz are still out to lunch.

An afternoon on Brother Cadfael's roof deck, side balcony, and Cubao New Orleans French Quarter front balcony with Brother Columbanus. We moved the chili pepper pots to the front balcony, and brought a cereus cactus pot down to the side porch writing area.

First harvest of Chinese cabbage went to my sister Alice. We harvest the plants while still of medium size because they seem to taste better that way.

Replenished our soda supply. Bought two bottles liquid detergent.

Lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Jazz arrived.

Good morning, Cubao!

Where there is sunshine, there should be shade.

Good night, Cubao!

Gnomes fill glass jars with soothing unguents.

Asked Brian to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

A merchant has been murdered on the eve of the opening of St. Peter's Fair.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Lunch at home with Angelique; Aubrey is attending her online thesis defense.

Down to 400.

Two hundred more to go!

Down to 405.

Good morning, Cubao!

Day gnomes pay afternoon calls on your household pets.

Good night, Cubao!

Midnight gnomes eat their former meals under our dining tables.

Dinner at home with Angelique.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

The hectic set-up before the opening of St. Peter's Fair!

Krus Ng Alitagtag

According to legend a lazy husband in Alitagtag, Batangas, would order his wife to fetch water from the town well every evening. He soon noticed that, while it usually took his wife more than an hour to come back home with their water jar, his wife eventually became able to make shorter trips. One evening he followed his wife to a forest and saw her filling the water from a tree that was miraculously producing water from its side. The man told this to his neighbors, who then reported it to their parish priest. Upon inspecting the tree the priest instructed men to cut wood from it and fashion it into two crosses. He said that whoever could carry off the crosses to their own towns could keep the crosses there. One cross went to the town of Bauan, the other remained in Alitagtag. The Cross of Alitagtag stands in the Church of Alitagtag to this very day, though its keepers will have nothing to do with the legend.

The magical tree was not cut down. It is still there, but only mages know exactly where it is.

In Philippine magic, Kruses of Alitagtag are typically worn to ward off assassination attempts and to maintain power and control over others. Most of them were produced and set in silver in the 1940s. Many politicians and military officers have them but are careful not to reveal that they do.

In 2012 I wrote the four-part libretto _Anting_ for Ballet Philippines. Here is a photo from the third part titled "Krus Ng Alitagtag" featuring the womenfolk of Alitagtag dancing the subli, taken by Hedwig de Leon:

Everyone has a future. No one can destroy it but himself.

Worked with Brother Mark and Brother Oswin on Brother Cadfael's roof deck and side balcony vegetable gardens. Transferred two pots of decorative plants to the Cubao New Orleans French Quarter front balcony.

Structure your life at home. Program each day of the week in such a way that you have something good to look forward to everyday.

Lunch at home alone: Angelique and Aubrey had a late breakfast and are still resting upstairs.

Your Messenger message:

"Apr 15

"Good day, Sir Tony! I have experienced yet another dream for the very first time. I cannot quite interpret this one because it felt so real that my head still hurts from it- hours after I experienced dreaming it. "In the first part of the dream, I was in Mcdonald's . There were plastic food gloves that were on the counter. The venue setup was quite different than the usual. It looked empty (no tables and chairs) yet there were still a lot of customers in it falling in line to get their orders. I was puzzled so I observed, from a distance, how they purchased what they wanted. I got a box from the counter. When I opened it, it was a purple sheet with names on it. What was familiar was my boyfriend's name that was written on it. "On the 2nd part of the dream, I was on a bathroom. I relieved and when I was about to flush,the whole thing just overflowed. It didn't go into the toilet bowl. As it overflowed, it naturally went down the drain. It surprisingly fit the drain so I left as it is. "Prior to sleeping, I came across posts about kulto that was trending now in _______ __________ on my news feed. I have a slight hunch that this is connected to the final part of the dream. "My voice seemed like it was in a cave. It produced echoes while I was praying. I was like in an "airy" kind of ocean (There were visible waves and reflection of water but it doesn't feel like I was in in the water per se". The best way that I can describe it is that I feel that I was underwater but I still can breathe normally like I was on land. "There was a fair amount of negative energy that resembled a flame, just black in color, that appeared before my eyes. "I visited the basement of our house when suddenly the undie that I was wearing hardened. I didn't pay much attention it as I looked outside the window from the partial basement (where I saw my father and my sister) and realized that I should have not gone there since someone is still sick in that exact room (coughing, sneezing as how a covid-patient would). So I went back upstairs. "As I run back up, that's when I realized that I opened my eyes and that I can only see using the right one. The left was kind of dark. Realizing that gave me a hint that I was not awake but just dreaming. Upon realization, the ground shook so hard. The flame of dark energy showed up once again. But this time, I don't know what I did and how I did it but the flame of dark energy turned into a circle symbol (not sure if there was a star in the middle, but there was definitely a pattern of some sort engraved on it as I turned it into a circle). Then, I just continued praying in my dream so I can wake up from it. "I woke up with an aching upper back (although my upper back usually hurts these days) and a slight headache. The headache is gone now after 2-3 hours from sleep. "Thank you for the precious time reading my dream diary."

My reply:

Hello _____!

Your dream has four parts, usually called acts, as in stage plays. In dreams with multiple acts, each act means the very same thing as the others, only conveyed with different images. When this occurs, it is because your psyche wants to make sure that you are able to interpret, decode, and understand the entire dream.

On the whole, this is an anxiety dream. It reflects your suppressed fears about the pandemic, sickness, and mortality, not only for yourself but also for your loved ones.

1. The act set at McDonald's gives us the first clue to the meaning of your dream. Restaurants and cafes are closed, and patrons may only take out food. In this act, you feel that people are lining up not only for nourishment and for healing--they are lining up also for death. You open your box and inside it is a purple sheet containing list of names, which includes the name of your boyfriend, whose welfare you fear for.

2. The act that follows, set in the bathroom, brings your fear closer--it is no longer about your boyfriend, it is about yourself. You wish to flush your fear away. The waste in the bowl swells, but it naturally goes away.

3. The third act, set in a cave and underwater, describes your present situation regarding your fear. You feel that your voice merely echoes back to you and that no one listens to you. Underwater, you are even more voiceless, and your fear manifests as a black flame before your eyes, a subconscious desire to fight water with fire.

4. Finally, the last act, set in a basement, is closer to the literal. "Hardened" undies indicate fear that has been expelled but has dried up--still there to remind you of its presence. Basements in dreams are images of the Unconscious. The concern transits from your boyfriend to yourself and at last to your father and your sister. You run upstairs but punish yourself for abandoning your loved ones--you can see from your right, rational, eye but not from your left, intuitive, eye. The black flame of your fear reappears. But, this time around, your psyche transforms it into a talismanic circle of light that will help you get rid of your fear.

It is normal to fear the encroachment of the pandemic on one's life. The only logical thing to do is to take all possible steps for protection and prevention. I suggest that you make a painting of the final image of your dream, the circle of light with what you recall as the star within.

Most importantly, within the parameters of safety, continue to enjoy living and being alive. Spend more quality time with family while they are still with you, for, in the end, all of us will pass away and hopefully leave behind not records of fear but records of love and joy and hope.

Down to 410.

Good morning, Cubao!

Day gnomes take spins on electric trains and toy cars that run on tracks.

Good night, Cubao!

Enchanted pillows are stuffed with downy clouds.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

Tonight I am rereading another Brother Cadfael mystery, St. Peter's Fair. How I wish I had all of Edith Pargeter's 20 volumes in the series. Alas, all of them are out of print.

The hours have been flying past but the days seem to trudge heavily and slowly. Like Mary Helen Fee who was in the midst of the cholera epidemic in the 1900s, I wonder how many more people will have succumbed to the pandemic when I wake up in the morning.

Since it drizzled earlier this afternoon, the cicadas in our dragon tree are singing more loudly than ever. I have always wondered whether the birds in the dragon tree eat cicadas or whether they coexist with them, considering that it is an enchanted tree.

Try lighting joss sticks at the entrance to your house.

Dusk falls. In other places, death itself has fallen, visiting darkness and grief on the bereaved. I suspect that, to many of the victims, the pandemic was like a python staring them in the eye, and they froze rather than fled or fought back, waiting for the enemy to devour them.

Ever since I retired I've been enjoying sitting in the small loggia and watching tenants, guests, and messengers go by. It's a good way to observe how different people walk and move without having to refer to my book of Muybridge photographs.

Chinese beds with sliding doors are bedrooms in themselves.

Live. Don't merely survive.

A swimming pool can be a curse more than a blessing.

It is a good idea to have a rosary session with household members in one's home at least once a month, followed by a procession with candles in vigil glasses through all of the rooms of the house. The participants should then enjoy a substantial night snack before retiring to bed.

Hire the best artist for the job, not the artist who most needs a job.

Too many meetings and too many consultants result in an unfocused production.

Forty winks.

A brief drizzle.

Swung by the neighborhood grocery and bought two boxes fruit juice, a box of ice cream, and a carton of non-fat milk.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Down to 415.

Down to 418.

Finished rereading _The Devil's Novice_ for now. Looks like I'll be with Brother Cadfael for a while once again.

In the meantime I've also been reading parts of the encyclopedia of witchcraft my sister sent me from Sydney.

The middle-class see poverty coming when they begin running out of good supplies.

Most people say this is a world of suffering, forgetting that most suffering is self-inflicted.

Good morning, Cubao!

Whenever a cake comes into your house, the fairies throw a party.

Peace and quiet after sundown should be the blessing of every home.

The most pleasurable way to enjoy Creation is to be materialistic. Otherwise you might just as well be blind and numb.

Some tasks are naturally unpleasant, but they need to get done.

Pathetic are they who are hooked on entertaining friends and cannot live without it.

Always lay out the requirements of the following day before having a good night's sleep.

Cozy is the kitchen that always smells like fragrant, brewed coffee.

Ensure that no institution owns you, and that only you own yourself.

Devotion and religiosity are not identical traits.

Good night, Cubao!

The goddess of the moon wears white, satin slippers.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked M. to bring some food over to his cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

Another Afternoon In Brother Cadfael's Vegetable Garden

Pretending once again, that Marvin and Bertod are Brother Cadfael's assistants Brother Oswin and Brother Mark.

It is disgusting that many people use prayer like cash. They might as well use seashells.

As for myself, I always prefer cash.

Good morning, Cubao!

Kind, day fairies gently brush your hair whenever you are sad, and that is when your sadness goes away.

Good night, Cubao!

Goblins burrow tunnels under the bedrooms of persons they desire.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

One-hour, late afternoon nap.

One-hour, afternoon nap.

Down to 425.

UnFriended the least interactive Friends, as I find it very creepy to have silent lurkers in my List. My account is really my personal diary backstopped by a blog with the same content, and I don't see why I should give more than 200 persons access to it.

Staggered lunchtimes.

Good morning, Cubao!

Day gnomes ride across the sky on the backs of brown sparrows.

Good night, Cubao!

Night gnomes guard beds of enchanted, green fire.

Weird as it may sound, I wish I had a secretary I could dictate to every time I'm in the shower. For some reason a bevy of ideas runs through my head at that time--and unfortunately, when I step out of the shower, I forget all of them.

The older one gets, the more one has compassion for those with broken dreams.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Bertod to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

Worked an hour on the roof deck vegetable garden with Marvin.

We brought down one more potted cactus plant to relocate in the small loggia.

Tried the neighborhood jalu-jalo but I wasn't satisfied with it, as I am never satisfied with jalu-jalo anywhere today. It never tastes like the jalu-jalo I used to have when I was a kid. I know that it isn't the ingredients, for I've tried it with the classic ingredients and it still doesn't taste right. I suspect it's the ice. When I was a kid, sari-sari store ice was dirty ice that came in blocks from the ice plant, like the ice plant in Bruce Lee's The Big Boss. Everyone took it and no one got sick, but, of course, that was more than half a century ago.

A very long morning nap.

Angelique and Aubrey came down to lunch in the dining room.

A late lunch for me.

If you are maintaining a regular oracle reading room or corner or space in your house, make sure that, when you are seated at the table, you are facing east and the querent is facing south, or seated at your left. Hence the querent should never be seated across you. 

Facing the direction the sun rises endows your psyche with enlightenment, while the querent will continuously project information-laden energy toward your left side, which is your receiving side.

Two cups of Peter and Christine's Sagada dark roast.

A big breakfast, as in The Color Purple.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are lush bushes of blossoming gardenias.

 The American Dream no longer exists.

Freedom from stress, a sense of humor and laughter, long hours of sleep, and rich food are classic fortifications of the body.

Good night, Cubao!

Fairies shampoo their hair in garden fountains by moonlight.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Bertod to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael. 

More Goodies From Australia

To view the photos, go to my Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3882132201873478&set=pcb.3882137155206316.

Finger Talk

tirisin: to squash with one's fingers

pindutin: to press with a finger, as a computer button

kurutin: to pinch

kalikutin: to explore with one's fingers

kalabitin: to flick one's flesh with one's finger/s, as a signal, like a nudge

hipuin: to feel with one's fingers

hipuan: to touch someone sensuously

duruin: to point one's forefinger at with anger

dutdutin: to repeatedly press one's finger on

kamutin: to scratch

kalmutin: to slash with sharp fingernails

tuklawin: to attack with one's talons or claws

salatin: to feel the contours of an object or body part

sundutin: to poke

kapkapin: to feel another's body, such as in search of a weapon

kalkalin: to mess up 

himasin: to stroke

kilitiin: to tickle

haplusin: to caress

sundan ng daliri: to trace with one's finger

butingtingin: to inspect/ also to touch various parts of one's body

bulatlatin: to open up and expose

pulutin: to pick up

pitikin: to flick off with one's fingers, also to flick one's fingers at a body part to cause pain

himayin: to take apart thoroughly

butingtingin: to fondle one's private parts.

pingutin: to pinch and twist another's ears as punishment

taruguin: give one the dirty finger

punitin: to make a tear in something

pilasin: to tear something completely

tumiklado: to move one's fingers on piano keys

kumatok: to knock or rap with one's knuckles

sumukbit: use the crook of a finger to latch on or hang something from

Afternoon Delight

Two boxes arrive via LBC from my sister Sylvia in Sydney.

Lunch at home alone; Angelique and Aubrey still resting upstairs after taking a late breakfast.

Down to 430.

It's becoming easier to unFriend persons from my List. All I have to do is ask myself, "Whom would I hesitate to share my most intimate thoughts and private Postings with through the rest of my life?"

The person who tends the gravesites is usually the last to go.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are white rafts traversing the wide river of sky.

Good night, Cubao!

The stars wear earrings of dangling, white sapphires.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael. The plot thickens. The 19-year-old novice has begun having night terrors.

M., Bertod, and I worked on the roof deck vegetable garden.

Theresa Towers is being repainted in egg yellow and orange, two of the auspicious colors of the year. As before, we could clearly hear the conversations of the workmen all the way from the roof deck.

Brought down a cactus plant and relocated it to the small loggia.

Now thinking of extending the vegetable garden to the side balconies over the driveway, where there's lots of morning sunshine.

Replenished our soda supply and bought a ream of ziggurats.

Lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Good morning, Cubao!

The sun is a gold, crown sequin sewn on the fabric of the cosmos.

Good night, Cubao!

Every night is an engrossing book published by the dark.

Staggered dinnertimes.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and tonight snuggling in bed with Brother Cadfael.

Watched the full movie Game of Death online. Not my favorite Bruce Lee movie, since it was really a salvage of unfinished sequences that Bruce Lee himself directed before he died. Despite the clever interweaving of scenes from his previous movies, allusions to his real-life situation, and clips from his funeral, the movie suffers from a trite screenplay, horrible dialogue, and B-movie casting comprised mostly of Caucasians. The messages that came across were the proliferation of inferior, white-supremacy moneymaking--and that romance is a burden to any man. It was easy to tell which scenes employed stand-ins. The real movie, of course, was the series of pagoda fight scenes, which Bruce Lee himself carefully crafted. This version was 1:40:50.

Retrieved Ellis Peters's _The Devil's Novice_ to start rereading in bed tonight. Am revisiting my Brother Cadfael collection as a result of our frequent work on the roof deck vegetable garden. Pretending I'm Brother Cadfael and that Brian and Neil are my novice assistants.

A late lunch at home with Angelique; Aubrey still resting upstairs.

Good noon, Cubao!

The clouds are mounds of pillows filled with down.

Down to 435.

No head of household is ever exempted from worrying about the welfare of his family.

Impulsive decision-making is the downfall of every leader.

Down to 440.

Still watching episodes from Fear Thy Neighbor. Whereas the Evil Lives Here videos featured highly credible performers in the dramatizations, the dramatizations in Fear Thy Neighbor make an additional demand on its performers--good ensemble acting--which they do successfully.

Good night, Cubao!

The night is a patchwork quilt of heartwarming memories.

Dinner at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Asked Bertod to bring some food over to M.'s cafe staff.

Night chores.

My favorite time of the day has come again: an evening shower, spending some time watching online videos, and then snuggling in bed with Judge Dee.

This is how Adoration of the Magi was conceived two months ago, with a fountain pen on an unused sheet from my elder son Nelson's 1995 pocket planner, while waiting for my number to be called at the bank.

Isn't it amazing how some painters and writers without painting and writing degrees paint and write hundreds of times better than some painters and writers with painting and writing degrees?

What will your children and grandchildren remember most about you when you are gone?

The symbol of a bird must exist in every room.

Never communicate your own impatience to your children.

Tragedies occur behind the backdrops of comedies.

Always be the master, and never the slave, to yourself.

It is sentimentality that often clutters one's house.

Avoid going into pseudo-careers like alternative healing or conducting workshops. You will be working without retirement through your dying day, and for a pittance that will not pay all of your bills.

When others are stupid, be grateful that you are not.

Never do things with a heavy heart. Smile and allow the sunshine to lighten your burden.

M., Bertod, and I went up to the roof deck to do some work on the vegetable garden.

I am not surprised that Caucasians bear even the slightest smattering of hatred for Asians. I worked at the Embassy for 36 years after all, and I've seen it very often in white officers, especially when they get upset or frustrated with their personal lives, and then see that their local employees have nicer cars, nicer houses, nicer jewelry, and nicer clothing--even higher IQs--than they do. When they're out of social ammo they go cold and pretend to be British aristocracy, conveniently forgetting that they have to wash their own ceramic dinnerware.

What surprises me is to see black Americans exercise hatred for Asians. It's such a neurotic posture, and, to me, a pathetic displacement of the hatred whites had toward them for centuries.

In the recent past we all conveniently turned a blind eye to such hatred. But, it was always there, albeit temporarily suppressed by the Flower Power movement of the 60s, the liberation movements of the 70s, the concepts of equality and equal opportunity employment, Christianity, and Islam. Unfortunately, despite all of those, the hatred has already become archetypal and may never go away.

Down to 445.

Back from jalan-jalan at the center with Angelique and Aubrey. Sent some money to my younger son Chito, then went to the Korean grocery, to two banks, and to the supermarket. The lines were long. Major groceries. Toto drove for us.

Late lunch at home with Angelique and Aubrey.

Angelique has an online class later this afternoon.

Good morning, Cubao!

The clouds are clusters of oyster-gray pearls in the sky.