A Pleasant Surprise in La Union

Driving back to Manila last May 2011, we stopped by the Shell station in La Union for gas, breakfast and wee-wee.  (Thank you Auntie Rose sand Chayong for the Vigan longga bfast!) We usually pass through a back end road to avoid traffic in the main city. 

Ate Suzette spotted familiar faces: Uncle Ador and Auntie Siony ( all the way from Cebu!) 

They came from Laoag and Pagudpod to bring their family to see the sites. All of them are based in Cebu! And they had the whole family in tow in a rented mini-bus/van and a back-up fierra. 

Wonderful! 

Building a Garden for Papa

Papa bought a lot for Lolo Simon and Uncle Arthur's final resting place in Bislig. The original site (from what I heard) was in Piapi (sorry di ko alam kung saan yun). The intent was to reunite Lola Maxima and Lolo together.

From what I was told he loved the place. It had a view of the Bislig Bay and river and  of Mangagoy. Just a scene from Out of Africa. On a clear day you can see the steeple of the Mangagoy church and on a misty day, the mountains gets covered with fog and oh so picturesque. 

Sorry my camera could not justify the beauty of the place. 

Moving on,  when Papa passed on he wanted to be buried in the same place.  We bought the ajoining lot so we can have unobstructed view.  Running joke is to build a beer garden. 

We went back last summer to build a garden, not a beer garden. 

Before: 

Planting mode ( we used cuttings from different gardens of family and  neighbors)

After:

Ending the day with a prayer:

Auntie Rose's birthday party May 8, 2011

Vacations, celebrations and birthdays in Ilocos always start with the story of food. 

Here is Betsy IV before being taken to the slaughter house.  Betsy is given the best of table scraps weeks before the celebration to ensure the fat and meat content are A-okay. 

Here is Betsy now in her final glory- an act of self sacrifice. Now the conversation piece of the buffet. 

And the birthday girl, Rose, ever glowing. 

With the equally gorgeous Suzette:) 

The kitchen abuzz with the prep. 

Ever reliable old kitchen.

All ready now.  

Take note, May 8 was also the same day as Pacquio's fight vs Mosley. Auntie Rose still packed the house with guests and well wishers.  After the food and the fight, the house was quiet again. 

Cocoy's Kids

Saw Cocoy's kids in Davao.  

This school year they are moving schools from Gensan to Panabo. 

On the left is Jason King (Iking) , 10 years old.  And on the right is James Roy (Igor), 12 years old.  Igor is in 2nd year high school. 

 Pogi ng mga pamangkin ko:) 

The cousins, the next generation.  Iking, Cheyenne and Igor

Eks and Cocoy

The Montero brothers and sisters

Here are the pictures of the Montero brothers and sisters. 

Lola Maxima's funeral

Up closer... So young. I think, Auntie Vis was just 16 or 17 here and Uncle Nonoy was 2. 

Here they are,  binata't dalaga na. 

The latest reunion, unfortunately without Uncle Rudy's family. May 2010. 

Papa's funeral. 

So sad that family reunion  pictures started and ended in funerals. Shouldn't we plan for a bigger reunion marked by birthdays, weddings, or  baptisms instead? 

Sagala

May is still 2 months a way but I couldn't resist holding off publishing Ate Suzette's sagala pictures.

This was in 1974 Reyna Elena picture in Forest Drive. 

Gene in Ilocos

According to Auntie Rose, Nang Baby studied in Ilocos when she was in Grade 1 and 2. At that time, Auntie Remy had health problems so she asked Auntie Rose to take care of Nang Baby. Here are   pictures from Auntie Rose's baul.

Auntie Rose was a teacher in Paratong Elementary School. 

Sept 26, 1973

Grade 1 Class 1972-73

"Baby Gene, 5 years old,  (still a visitor) and her classmates in Paratong Primary School, 

Narvacan, Ilocos Sur October 1972"