My favorite person in the world, #princess2015la, was 6 months old when my #hubby took her photo, with both arms raised, broadly smiling and ready to jump up and hug.
Okay, not quite, imagining it to be, after watching a brilliant epic film and musical #hamilton. I saw it first with my hubby and favorite handsome son at the Pantages in Los Angeles. Our tickets were purchased at bloody prices of $300 each, sitting in the last row of the orchestra on the side. Three makes 1K.
We barely understood the lyrics, but enjoyed it. I bought the program, cd and cried listening over and over to the last score.
Genius Lin-Manuel Miranda created the musical, lyrics, songs and acted in the lead role, as #AlexanderHamilton.
He was an immigrant, who transformed America from bankruptcy to prosperity, by creating its banking system. His wife, Eliza set up the first private orphanage in NY City, preserved Hamilton’s writings, and spoke out against #slavery. She did this for his legacy to be known for 50 years. Yet, we did not read about Hamilton until he was popularized by Lin-Manuel based on the book, Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow.
Last night, hubby and I watched the film #hamilton as well as the Robin Roberts’ substantive interview about the most difficult score to write, the efforts to process lessons learned, how the Obamas graciously welcomed the cast, how the Black cast, for the first time, felt centered, proud and dignified to perform in the White House before an equally respectable and dignified 44th US President who looked like the black characters.
Cast communicated their lessons: when you feel discomfort about #blacklivesmatter, it is not time to close off yourself, but it is time to dive in and learn about others’ stories.
When I woke up this am, I barely was able to reflect, asking myself a question – what do you miss most? I missed most humanity, the interaction – A Warm Bear Hug, from my beautiful family members and equally best friends during this pandemic. Of course, I get my best hugs from my #hubby and my #granddaughter, whom we babysit 3 days a week.
To celebrate, I made what hubby requested: an adobo pizza, with my homemade marinara sauce, hubby’s #homemadeadobo and #homegrownbasil.
He bought saba bananas for me and a craving for guinataan bilo bilo with langka became a reality, and with his help in chopping sweet potato, it was done in no time.
Who gets to tell your story? As I was ending this post, my neighbor appears with a solo photo of my granddaughter. I asked him if he would be adventurous in eating my guinataang bilo bilo. He said yes. By the way, he is a sweetheart and he is white. He takes care of all of us. Sweet Larry Moline has been gracious to all neighbors, black, brown, yellow, gay or white. He is our goodwill ambassador!!
My two best friends, Ray and Bobby! I am getting emotional and sentimental these days. Bobby’s wife, Lillian was so kind to me and held up the cremation to allow me to fly to Sacramento and say goodbye to him. He was laid as if he was asleep on a bed, on a dark blue velvet bed cover. I still remember the family members all crying to say their goodbyes.
I would run to them when I had an issue about racism, discrimination and personal relationships. After all, they teased my husband as marrying a child bride, I was 9 years younger.
Both Ray and Bobby were generous in spirits.
They would indulge listening to my questions and patiently give me more questions and most of the time, responses that made sense. They are both gone now. I bet they are having complex discussions on #blacklivesmatter in heaven.
Ray’s last gesture of kindness was to teach me how to dance in synch with music without stepping on his toes on New Year’s Eve, one of the birthday parties we held for @esorianohewitt, Ray’s first born. He said, “listen with your heart and ears, not your mind.” Ray is on the left and Bobby is on right.
Love to my two brother angels who loved me unconditionally.
Now their gifts of joyful spirits and love of music and folks have been passed on. Here is my #princess2015la leading her band of two. She wants to compose music for her dad, she told me.
Context:
12, 009, 301 confirmed cases
648, 822 deaths in 188 countries/regions
Confirmed Cases by Country/Region (Deaths)
3,053,328 US (132,277)1,713,160
Brazil (67,964)742,417
India (20,642)699,749
Russia (10,650)312,911
Peru (11,133)303,083
Chile (6,573)288,511
United Kingdom (44,602)275,003
Mexico (32,796)252,513
Spain (28,396)248,379
Iran (12,084)242,149
Italy (34,914)
Source: John Hopkins Coronavirus dashboard, 7/8/2020
Her mom dropped her off with paints, easel, and an empty canvas. She got working on her painting and finished it in no time. She loved making the dots and drew the mountains fresh from hiking a trail with her mom, dad and uncles. She described seeing waterfalls and lakes. Imagine at 5 yo, she can walk 6 miles?
At snack time, she relished the #takamla ube pandesal with cheese and bite by bite she said “yummy for my tummy.”
After breakfast, we started baking a banana blueberry mango chocolate chips loaf for her dad’s birthday.
She mashed the bananas and the butter, then broke open the eggshells, gingerly, careful not to have eggshells on the batter. She measured adeptly each cup of flour, sugar and after, remarked “Grandma, I will not forget this.”
That was my intention – to indelibly sear those loving moments with her.
Later, she kept singing and this morning, I was privileged to hear her singing and drumming with her grandpa. He found a new student to pass on his skills.
Shouldn’t that be our lives – creating joy for folks around us?
#114 days of digital mass#114 days of social distancing
Today is my first time to make pizza dough from scratch. Guess who helped me measure ingredients, locating the right measuring spoons, measuring out the yeast, flour, salt and more. My 5yo #princess2015la.
After mixing the dough, she said it was sticky. So I asked her for the solution – should I add flour?
She confidently said yes. Then she shared a story that sourdough bread dough is sticky and she and her mom have to work with the stickiness.
After adding the flour, she even knew it was the right consistency. So, we set it aside to rise.
“Grandma, what does rise mean?”
“It gets bigger in size, it becomes two dough pieces, one for you and another for your mom and dad for your dinner.”
“But, Grandma, I don’t like basil.”
“I thought you are vegetarian?”
“I eat broccoli, but not basil. I also eat chicken tenders.”
Bars, beaches and indoor dining shut down again; whole restaurants set up outdoor dining.
These are my sources of inspiration and hope that this pandemic will cleanse us all off our complacency and into being more loving, caring, helping one another. Indifference multiplies the #CoronaVirus– we are being taught how to respect lives: wear a mask, stay 6 ft.away, keep washing hands, dine outdoors if in restaurants. The more we care about one another by following this scientific direction of preventing the virus from going from one host to another, the sooner we will be free to be in the public squares again, not in our declared “freedom time,” but as soon as scientists and fact-based experiences guide us it is time to reopen fully.
Latest figures today:Total Confirmed11,419,529Total Deaths533,780188countries/regionsConfirmed per US State (Deaths)397,131 New York (32,206)264,681 California (6,373)200,111 Florida (3,731)194,932 Texas (2,628)173,402 New Jersey (15,211)147,251 Illinois (7,020)109,974 Massachusetts (8,183)
The rise in #CoronaVirus new cases is at its peak in Los Angeles County. 11% increase over 14 days in ICU cases in California.
Worldwide, it is at 9, 343, 448 confirmed cases. 478, 818 deaths in 188 regions/countries.
Leading those dangerous numbers is the US with 2, 371, 422 confirmed cases and 121, 870 deaths.
Brazil has 1, 145, 906 cases, 52, 645 deaths
UK has 308, 336 cases, 43, 165 deaths
NY has 389, 666 cases and 31, 257 deaths
CA has 193, 288 cases and 5, 678 deaths
NJ has 169, 892 cases and 13, 706 deaths
Incoming travellers to NY, NJ and Connecticut will face a 14 day quarantine when they arrive in those states from travelling.
I hope Gov. Gavin Newsom follows suit with 14 day quarantine for those traveling into CA, coupled with electronic bracelet and an app that can do contact tracing so shelter in 0lace for 2 weeks is enforced.
All the more we should all stay home. A friend texted me that her neighbor visited with asymptomatic 75yo and the next day, that neighbor died and tested positive for #CoronaVirus. Now the visiting neighbor also got it, as her entire family.
Tried getting tests and the only open testing site is 70 miles away, in Palmdale. We need new ways of governance Gov. Gavin Newsom, we need more testing sites so folks can quarantine when they are positive. We are being left in the dark.
Brightness is #princess2015la‘s theme for the day. She drew lola’s house and a sunflower called brightness. We went for a walk and she wanted photos with flowers.
She then asked me to videotape her drawing as she has something to say. Her agency and empowerment are admirable. No one can silence her.
