Plus 5

After celebrating 50 years of wedded ups-and-downs, it becomes more difficult for the family to find something surprising, or somewhat-new, to feature.  This blog would have been this static series of snapshots.  But the beauty of our digital world is in recording the simpler, more forgettable moments. And so, as anniversary greeting, and to mark five more years after the milestone, here's an update to the Singkwenta blog with images from their post Golden Wedding anniversary trip.

You know it's love when she had Elvis on her bucket list, and he takes her to Graceland.

They didn't have, as part of their to-do list, "eat crepes in the cold outdoors" but New York city makes one do things.  Besides, when Papa says, "Sige ba!" Mama say, "Okey!"

They've received our dress-up with Baby Jesus Christmas card every year.  They've upped the stakes and joined us, attired as Joseph and Mary with their angelic granddaughters.

First day showing?  Now that's a new experience.  They do have very persistent grandchildren.

Christmas Mass at night? Not-so-new experience.  But singing (and with matching Filipiniana attires!) granddaughters?  That's new, and made them proud.

Yes, Christmas away from (a warm) home was a first.  They prefer to have it as the only time away from home.  But the granddaughters...yes, I played that ace plenty of times!

55 was a good run.  Praying and hoping to give you more, with the next "plus 5" update.

Fifty Years in the Making

1964: Mama and Papa on their Baguio City honeymoon. 

Half of our family, the one influenced by the life-of-the-party Estrella genes, would have thrown a big bash with at least two hundred select few to celebrate our parents' Golden Wedding Anniversary.

The other half, the side marked by that wry Sebastian humor, would have recommended to ditch the guests and enjoy the banquet by ourselves--complete with serenading violinists, multiple delectable courses and large floral bouquets.

But the half, who would have partied, would have wanted to be surprised!

And the half, who wanted fine dining, would have invariably said, "Bahala si Mama." (Let Mama decide.)

Poor kids, with their artistic sensibilities, not to mention 14,000 km separating them, had to come up with a surprise that would involve all those variables: tons of well-wishers, a complicated menu, and the grandkids.

It took fifty years in the making but here it is: a blog that celebrates the work and love in the Eve-Amor union, the merging of Sebastian stoicism and Estrella joy, encapsulated in their email address, "sebastar21."  In this blog, you will find what few anecdotes we can ask them without being too obvious, sprinkled with the few pictures that did not get damaged in the flood that overtook their house. 

So click on the buttons above and discover how they survived and thrived in each decade of their marriage.  Do leave your greetings and comments, including family-friendly stories from those years that you witnessed.  And send them good vibes and prayers for more years of health and prosperity.

On September 21, we will unveil to them this small corner of the blogosphere, as they sip Prosecco mixed with orange juice at the bed-and-breakfast inn down south in Virginia, with a granddaughter on each side providing the oohs and ahhs.  Yes, they will be surprised; their bellies will anticipate the four-course fondue lunch; and their hearts, we hope, will be filled with the good will that you send their way.

Diane, Omar, Dennis maybe in 1972

As they say in our family, the Renaissance Family strikes again!


Diane, Omar and Dennis

Happy Five-O

        as children diane, dennis and i used to make our own greeting cards.
        we would take some oslo paper or even bond paper,
        and with colored pencils and markers
        draw a lots of hearts and stuff and write mushy things on them,
        then give them to our Mama and Papa.

        but as we grew older we stopped making them.

        and this made our Mama sad ;(


        until she got grandchildren! :)


        2 girls who proclaim their unfailing love to their Anda and Papu

        in words, drawings, paintings, sculptures...

        and even in music and dance!!!


        who can compete with that?


        but for this special occasion i dug deep in search of my inner child
        (because i'm already quite old... on the outside?)

        and made this...

        it's not much
        but it has a small heart and that mushy word "love" in it!

        not to mention i meant it.

Omar
20140916

Young at Heart

Papa is familiar with a lot of TV shows now, especially police procedurals.

He has also watched the original Hawaii Five-0 then so I know he'll appreciate my using it as a unique way of greeting them this day, their 50th Golden Wedding Anniversary.

But the main theme of the work is being "young at heart" because this, I believe, is their secret to a happy and lasting relationship.
It is this youthful spirit which moves them continue an active lifestyle.


Papa still drives his Camry to the gym and to Monday kapihan with the senior neighbors.

Mama still goes to the palengke but in the evenings she's in front of the computer typing her stories for her blog or next novel.

Despite doing most things together all these years they have kept their unique individualities from being smothered and even encouraged each to blossom.

I recall being quite unnerved when I was in college when they started taking self-improvement seminars together. I felt change was threatening some of the stability in my home life which I preferred to remain constant, fixed and predictable.

But Mama would remind me later on to "go with the flow"

"Who are these hippies and what have they done with my parents?" I asked myself.

 Now that I'm a lot older and not quite so uptight I've accepted the reality that Papa and Mama won't stop moving and pushing forward as long as life permits.

 But I've also realized that they're not really changing.  They are just two people committed to life, to becoming more of themselves as individuals and as a couple.

Omar
20140916