Looking Forward to 2018

I am hardly an optimistic person and there are still two weeks left but I am looking forward to 2018. 2017 is my annus horribilis: with major surgery and a cancer scare and consecutive deaths of my Daddy and Lola. I guess it’s like that saying, there’s no other way but up, so I’m wishing, kinda expecting, that 2018 will be better.

Since my Daddy died, I noticed that I let go in dealing with my clutter. I guess it’s a reflection of what I feel: chaotic and wallowing. So next year, I hope to declutter, declutter, declutter. My word for 2018 is SIMPLIFY.

And, I’m putting this out to the Universe: I want to get pregnant in 2018. So help me God.

Balesin Active Trail Run

Maybe the Universe decided that after all the recent heartaches I've been through, I deserve to go to Balesin.

ICYMI, Balesin is a members-only island resort in the province of Quezon. One can only go there as a member or accompanied by a member. I'm not acquainted with any members so my chance of going there was zero to none. HAHA. Until Run Rio announced the Balesin Active Trail Run which was open to non-members. Hubby did the math and said that the registration fee was sulit for a 3D2N stay with accommodations and flights. 

We were able to persuade one of my classmates to go with us so we availed of triple sharing. At first though, we thought that the run will not push through because we did not get any details after registering. We were only told about our flight the day before, it was because there are no scheduled flights to the island, just chartered ones. Maybe they should have informed us that more clearly.

We flew from Clark which is nearer to our place. Twenty-five minutes after take-off, we landed in paradise. It was cloudy and rainy when we arrived but we could see that the place was beautiful.

 

Lola Insing

There goes another cliche - "when it rains, it pours".

The early morning of November 6, my Lola Insing passed away. She is the mother of my mother, and my last immediate living grandparent. Her demise was not untimely, as she was already 87 years old and has been bed-ridden for a year. She was not sick, it was classic old age. Her remaining days she has taken to not eating, and would only take milk and oatmeal.

It still hurt, so much so since she left three months after Daddy.

She died on the birth anniversary of Lolo Bete.

We remember her as one strong lady who would commute to our house, with her other apos in tow, bringing vegetables and rice. She sew most of our pambahay shorts then and she made the yummiest espasol. I craved her espasol when I was pregnant three years ago but the vigorous stirring wore her out so my aunt made them for me. She had many Ilocano expressions that us apos would mimic and say to each other.

2017 has been my personal annus horribilis. Hoping to look forward to a better 2018.