Oh Christmas Tree!

When I was 5 y/o, we did not have a Christmas tree.

We were not well off and a Christmas tree is one of the last things Mama would buy. Sure, we had the traditional shiny "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" bunting but that's about it.

My fascination for Christmas trees was triggered by my cousins' Christmas tree. They were our neighbors and my siblings and I hung out there like everyday.

You could say that their Christmas tree was simple and common around that time but it literally awed the 5 year old me.

It was made of thin stick branches and decorated with foil garland.. and the most amazing of all...candies!

This is my poor sketch of that tree (from my Memory Journal) sans foil garland: 

I was mischievous back then. When no one is looking, I get one of the candies, pop it in  my mouth, suck it and put it back in its wrapper and retie the string where it used to hang. lolz.. I think, my cousins did the same because sometimes, some of the candies are wet and sticky. Eeewww :p Now it's yucky yet funny.. I know it's how I strengthened my immune system. :p

I've been asking my mom to buy a Christmas tree since then and she bought this 2 ft. "pink" foil Christmas tree when I was around 10 and we had it for more than 10 years. I did not like it that much. I wanted something like the "stick" tree which developed to plastic green Christmas tree as I grew older.

The gorgeous Christmas tree displays festooned with glitter and lights at National Bookstore and SM made me, all the more, yearn and long for one in my early adult years.

Finally, my family was able to have a "real" fake Christmas tree where we can put decorations in it was when I was around 23 y/o and working at a stable company. I used part of my Christmas bonus to buy one and it was even on sale. I was so happy and proud of myself. It was wish granted!

We used the beautiful and fancy decors Auntie Francise sent years ago which I used to hang in our windows and ceiling (pre Christmas tree) and I felt it was the most gorgeous tree ever. Sorry can't find an old picture of it.

This year, I got some raves with my Christmas tree that I posted in FB. It's our Pia Christmas Owl Tree. I re-used the decorations I made for my daughter's 1st birthday party early this November to trim our borrowed tree. The theme here is recycled -- since even the materials I used for the owls were from toilet tissue rolls, my niece's stash of eyes and a few old cupcake liners.

BUT - until now, I remember that brown stick tree clearly. The memory of that  Christmas tree (even if it's not ours) reflects important lessons such as:

- happiness is not based on expensive things or stuff.

- a childhood want will inspire you to achieve it.

- parents should strive to give their children happy memories to fall back on :)

Thank you for sharing your tree to us, Tegui-in family :)

Lola's Cream

November 25, 2016 marks the 86th birthday of my late maternal grandmother, Lola Juanita.

So many thing  evoke plenty of heartwarming memories with her. One of these always come up whenever I rub Vicks Baby Balsam on my baby daughter Pia's chest and back. I usually do this when she starts to have the sniffles and colds.

This act always bring me back when me, my siblings and cousins lived in one roof.  That was from 1985 to 1989 and our ages would range from 7 to 3 y/o until I was 11 y/o and the youngest was 7. 

Lola would be in the country annually for 2-3 months. During rainy or cold days or when she senses that some of us were beginning to develop colds, she would be sitting in the sofa by bedtime. She would all call us one by one. She asks us to kneel and place our head on her lap while she rubs her magic cream.ks.

* images courtesy of Google Images


I remember that I always anticipate the cold feeling when she puts her cream mixture first on my back. But her warm hand makes it soothing and relieving when she rubs it. She takes her time and doesn't rush even if we were 6 children. I remember particularly how she give more time to rub her cream on my frail little sister's back.

I recently researched Noxzema and it is supposedly cleansing cream. That's odd being rubbed on our chest and backs with Vicks. 

But then, it doesn't matter at all. Lola's cream has soothed and made us feel snug and warm while we slept. 

Happy Birthday, Lola Juanita! :) Memories of those cold nightly rituals still comfort me even after after 11 years since you joined Lolo with our Creator. Our cold bedtime ritual will live on with Pia sans Noxzema. :