Two-hour, deep tissue massage. Ended 10:10 P.M.

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Christmas party at the hemodialysis section.

Three female nurses and one male nurse gave me wrapped gifts! Absolutely unexpected!

I should have brought crystal tumblestones to give in reciprocation.

Food overflowed, and from caterers of good repute. I am so tempted to believe that this hospital is being run by a board of billionaires. Only last Sunday the staff nurses were brought to dinner at Vikings Gateway 2.

Living as a painter and as a writer 24/7 in the mid-20s

Left, my painting taboret currently in use. Right, writing desk.

Photo by Neil de Leon

Today is my daughter-in-law Ivy's birthday.

Sunday, December 15, 2024

Relatives on my father's side from Illinois, USA and Santa Maria, Bulacan visit.

Dinner after family mahjong session.

Wearing a pink, Tausug head kerchief. It is possible that, for some tribes in Asia, pink is a hot, aggressive, masculine color.

Things are hopping tonight. Relatives are visiting from Bulacan and are staying overnight at my sister Remi's place. The construction workers are having a Christmas party with food, liquor, and karaoke on the compound. The videoke at M.'s cafe is in full swing.

Home alone. Neil is doing worship at Iglesia, Jerome has not yet arrived from work, and Elma must be with baby Princess at M.'s cafe or having dinner out with Neil after worship.

Had a bowl of ice cream while listening to all of the sounds around me.

A conservation-framed Conte crayon drawing will be raffled off to my classmates at our Christmas party.

And this set of anatomical figures (unflayed, half-flayed, and fully flayed) will be raffled off to the medical staff.

Now John is off yto the airport to catch a flight for a six-day tour of Cambodia.

Took a very hot bath, and feeling better.

John reported for work today. Now reformatting the script of Oktubre... for publication, following the template of my series.

Your Messenger message:

"Good morning, Tony. I hope you're doing good and feeling good. Happy holidays! "Last night, I had a dream with you in it. You were riding a motorcycle and I was a passenger behind you. I clearly recall the feeling of my hands on your shoulders. "Our companions were in a van behind us. We were going to your house. But when we got there it was not in Cubao but a new house that you said you recently purchased as an investment. It's still in Manila though, and it looked unfinished. There were still a few workers. "'We're here,' you said. We all alighted fr the vehicles and entered the house. You removed your helmet, we followed you around as you gave us all a quick tour of the new property."

My reply:

Hello _____!

Dreaming of being in transit on a vehicle means that you are at a time in your life in which you are making major choices and possibly taking new directions in life. That I am at the wheel, so to speak, means that you consider your present challenge an adventure into the unknown.

A new property, likewise, reflects a change in attitude and in values.

Take time to reflect before plunging into anything new. Are you bored? Are you short of income and wanting more? Do you need a mere vacation and temporary change of environment?

Always keep in mind that whatever you decide will not only be for yourself but also for your child.

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Left, Tanghalang Pilipino's 1983 working script for _Oktubre, Noong Tayo'y  Nagmamahalan Pa_

Right: John's work in progress encoding the play for publication

It is not life that death extinguishes.

It is talent.

Rest day for me. So glad to stay in the whole day for a change.

In the meantime Big Toto and Neil are working on the roof and the roof deck, and Princess, the cafe baby, is playing with Elma in the living area.

Small Toto printed out John's encoded _Oktubre_, and I did some proofreading, especially on formatting for publication.

Still waiting for the new, cradled canvas to arrive.

In retrospect, I must thank Allan for the tuob he gave me. Immediately after that, I started painting again, I was able to walk long distances, I renewed my interest in writing, and, for some strange reason, I resumed wearing my jewelry in rotation.

Mary Grace Piattos, Jack Cornick, Jill Cornick, Marty Oishi, Juan Tipas, Dingdong Muhlach, Nena Ferino 

My Complete Clavo en corona Collection

Popularly known as Clavo Corona, Corona Clavo, and even Cristo Clavo and Clavo de Cristo (and not to be confused with the talisman Cuatro Clavos, which I also have), the legend behind this talisman is that Emperor Constantine's mother, Helena, a.k.a. Saint Helen, was able to obtain the three brads that were used in the Crucifixion. She allegedly threw one in the middle of the sea, nailed another into the emperor's saddle, and placed the third inside his crown.

Background: Raw linen Panyo with complete oraciones, purchased from Ramona Singian in 2010.


Clockwise from Top: Brass talisman; stainless steel talisman (attributed to Frederick Bayas); sterling silver ring (antique); copper talisman (the most widely-produced version, attributed to Jeffrey Limuco); sterling silver talisman with spiral pattern (antique); and sterling silver talisman (antique). Center: antique, silver medallion.

Clavo en corona is allegedly a talisman of triumph.

Two-hour, deep tissue massage. Ended 10:00 PM.

Did you know that "highlighted comments" are almost never viewed and are a waste of time?

Monday, December 9, 2024

M. and Rose have their picture taken in front of their portraits. The painting is now bubble-wrapped and ready for delivery to and installation at Maryhill School of Theology.

Photo by Neil de Leon

There is no need to improve the best version of anything.

It will improve itself when the right time comes.

It should be possible to live a life of heaven and then go to heaven after one dies.

Remember this, that, no matter how superb you are in working for an institution, when you resign from your job no one will beg you to come back.

John reported for work today, and is currently encoding the second half of Oktubre, Noong Tayo'y Nagmamahalan Pa on his latptop.  Gave him the cover page and table of contents.

Neil painted two more cradle sides of Descent black. All cradle sides are now painted black, and the painting is ready to be bubble-wrapped.

Construction materials arrived. Big Toto and Neil will bring everything to the roof deck after purchasing incidental stuff at Araneta Center.

The renovation of M.'s cafe is practically done. His new color motif is olive green.

Sunday, December 8, 2024

Joel and Vanessa come for an afternoon visit and the 32nd Bilbo Baggins session. Joel brought boxes of Vietnamese spring rolls and gave me a Hogwarts beanie, Tibetan sandalwood joss sticks, and palo santo from his recent trip to London. We had chicken sisig from M.'s cafe, ice cream, and Chinese tea afterward.

We discussed possibilities for my next exhibit--whenever that would be--and portrait ideas.

Wearing an antique, Tausug kerchief.

Photo by Neil de Leon

Very sad. The reason people die is that they cannot afford to continue living.

 Sunday, December 1, 2024

My sisters Alice and Sylvia ask for a photo of us three siblings.

Photo by Neil de Leon

Do not waste your time making wishes on a replay.

 Monday, December 1, 2024

Second dinner with my youngest sister, Sylvia, and brother-in-law Rey visitinh from Sydney. 

Wearing an antique, multicolored, Maranao kerchief. 

Photo by Neil de Leon

Believe it or not, the nurses at the hospital are organizing a Christmas party for the hemodialysis section, to be held next week. Marvin contributed some money and is buying two boxes of pizza to add to the party fare. I am raffling off a framed, sanguine Conte-crayon nude to my classmates and three, desktop anatomical figures to the medical staff 

Busy-bee Friday

John reported for work and is encoding Oktubre, Noong Tayo'y Nagmamahalan Pa on his laptop.

Neil is buying black paint at The Oil Paint Store Ali Mall to use on the cradle sides of Descent of the Holy Spirit.

Jerome has a day off from the Chinese restaurant and is giving the dogggies baths and cleaning the rear passage of the house.

Bertod is absent from work at the Japanese restaurant today and is helping around the house.

Big Toto is still working on the renovation of M.'s cafe and is varnishing furniture.

Thursday, December 5, 2024

Morning sunlight on my Brokeback Mountain jacket

Photo by Marvin Cablayan

Sunday, December 1, 2024

My youngest sister, Sylvia, and brother-in-law Rey visit from Sydney. They are staying with Rey's relatives, most of whom are lawyers, outside Metro Manila.

Wearing a black, silk, house jacket embroidered with a dragon, a gift from Sim Teow Li of Singapore.

Photo by Neil de Leon

 Long ago and far away

Old photo discovered while John and I were searching for old manuscripts

My first year teaching college undergrads. possibly 1975

Photo by Women;s Journal for a magazine interview article by Margie Logarta. The article was on being gay, at a time when many gay, young men refused to come out of their closets. Little did everyone know that less than a decade later, in 1981, I would author Cubao 1980 At Ibang Mga Katha.

Bank day with Marvin. Neil stayed home with the man who is resuming renovation work on the house.

Withdrew money, had dollars changed to pesos, paid our electric bills, and had lunch out.

My feat of the day was walking long distances: in and out of the bank, then from the Bayad Center in the SM basement all the way to our favorite spare ribs restaurant in the Fiesta Carnival building, then on to the taxi queue.

I didn't have to sit waiting inside Grab cars anymore.

Ordered another piece of cradled canvas for The Crowning of Mary_.

I already have a clear idea of how this painting will look like, so all I have to do is pick up a brush and twist my wrist..

Long ago and far away

Old photo discovered while John and I were searching for old manuscripts

Senior year, college

Photo for graduates' yearbook by Jaime Lim

Jaime Lim took a whole roll of 36 shots of me in Quezon City, in downtown Quiapo and Santa Cruz, and even by Manila Bay, but I chose this photo, taken on campus, because it seemed to reflect exactly how I felt during all of my college years. I had no real friends, I was distrustful of others, I was used and overused not only by co-students but also by professors, and I was unsure of what I wanted to be. I eventually focused on studying and became a first honor student, but that didn't seem to help any.

THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Oil on cradled canvas
6’ x 4.5’
February - March 2024, November 22 - December 1, 2024

While Mary and the disciples pray in private, the Holy Spirit descends on them in tongues of fire, signifying fervent faith and divine inspiration. In this painting, laser-like beams in the formation of the ancient, Jewish, Qabbalistic Tree of Life take the place of the tongues of fire. There is also an indirect allusion to Mary as the Egyptian goddess Isis, as suggested by the embroidery of bird's wing feathers on her bodice.

Like Job Dreams of Heaven which was completed before it, this was a post-pandemic painting, though I opted to work with readily available models for the tableau.

My granddaughter Aubrey sat for Mary, as she did for The Glorious Mysteries: The Assumption of Mary. The couple above are the cafe's M. and his wife, Rose. The couple below them are Karen Cusi-Vergamora, a former student, and Ian Lomongo, also a former student and a stage actor; they happened to be visiting for a Bilbo Baggins afternoon, and I asked them if I could photograph them for the painting. The rest of the characters were modeled by M.'s cafe's crew members (Reza and David), while Neil, now my full-time caregiver and house manager,  sat for the young man Below, Center.

The auditory stimulus I used is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GwjfUFyY6M. Do listen to it while viewing the painting.

Will make an effort to paint The Glorious Mysteries: The Crowning of Mary before installing Job, Descent, and Crowning at Maryhill School of Theology.

The painting early this year:

The painting today:

Worked an hour on 13th November-December glaze anyway.

The painting that I abandoned due to illness six months ago and that I thought would never get finished, is finished.

Marvin and Neil are now making an effort to photograph the painting.