The Pancake Race

And the winner is..........MELISSA!!!!

This is Mel's story on how she won the  pancake race competition in Bournemouth held last February 21.

"I invited my Japanese friend Reina and a Japanese student from EF Language school (it's only her second day in Bournemouth) to come and join me on yesterday's Pancake Race. I've never heard of such an event but apparently it's a common thing to do here in the UK on Pancake Day so I thought about giving it a go...why not?.

We only had to bring our own tossing pans to Bournemouth Pier's restaurant (KEY WEST), the pancakes were provided by the restaurant's chefs, each runner had to run around the pier holding the pan (with the pancake in obviously!) and toss it twice at each "Flip Markers".

The Rules: If a pancake is dropped at any time(I dropped it once!) the runner must pick the pancake up, place it back in the pan (without any assistance from spectators) and continue the race until the finishing line. I was ahead from the very beginning until the end. It was a piece of cake!. Only 10 runners joined though...ha ha!

I won: two fish & chips meals at the Ket West Restaurant, two tickets for any show at Bournemouth's Pier Theatre, 2 weeks free membership at The Club (leisure centre with spa and swimming pool!) and an electric pancake maker!

I also felt so popular amongst all the spectators, all clapping and taking pictures of me. A university student also recorded video of myself and my Japanese friend Reina for her University project.
Representatives from Heart, the local radio station,  also took pictures (see webpage http://www.heart.co.uk/solent/events/going-out/events/pancake-race-bournemouth/)

I was a celebrity for one day!

I made pancakes with my new electric pancake maker last night. I made savoury pancakes filled with Ricotta cheese, spinach and chopped(see photo attached) and for pudding: chocolate and banana! ...Lush!"

That was quite a funny experience for Mel and with hardly any effort from her side, she won the race.  An event to remember for a long time.

What it takes to be 88th

My mother Mary just turned 88 years old yesterday. We,  her five children, Remie, Cynthia, Kit, Ivy and Nel have gathered together to surround her with  love, caring and affection. We came from all over the world to bond as a family for a week long celebration full of surprises.   Kit and Chet came from the Philippines, Cynthia from Madrid, Ivy from New Jersey, while Kuya Remie, Ate Neneng and Nel are already in LA.

In comparison with the majority of people of her age, who feel that they are at the descent of their lives, my mother Mary is still enjoying the prime of her life feeling that she is the big chain that holds together a big group of family all concerned not only to make her continuously happy but also hoping that she can bless us and share with us part of her vivacity and joy.

What is the formula for people to stay lively, and competitively elegant with the rest of the group, regardless of their age?  It takes a lot of love, others' appreciation, a good and intact self-esteem, being financially independent, and being able to live in a place where the weather is mild and slightly cool, a sense of humor, a positive attitude and most of all her constant daily prayer.

My mother Mary is special, she is the central point of attraction wherever she goes and she knows it too because she exerts an effort to be always at her best  while being modest about her attitude towards anyone, treating everyone equally and captivating everyone with her charm.

So on her special day, we have started with a blast  showing up from all corners  of the world and taking each day as a challenge to make the new day even better than yesterday.  We all gather around her whenever we can, and we laugh and laugh all day remembering and reminiscing the day's activities and there is never a dull moment around her.  Whatever we plan for the day, she is always agreeable and never is there a complaint from her part, but gratitude.  She can join us for shopping,  stay up until late to join the fun, and can still wake up early for any activity that we plan for her, enjoying everything and anything that we do together. She manages to stay a lovely lady, very atypical from the usual resigned and unmotivated lady of  her age.

Friends adore her, her great grandchildren wish to be around her most of the time, her grandchildren take time to be in contact with her in any way possible and her children take turns to lavish her with care and affection.

Everyone in her family wishes that some genes would have gone in their veins to be just like our Mother Mary, still going strong at age 88 and doing things that a lady of her age would be doing.

Mother Mary, happy, happy birthday and may you have many, many more to come in good health and cheers.

We all love you!

Two Brothers - Happy Birthdays

Passion for beer, love of food, and appreciation for family traditions.  These characterize my two nephews.  They are similar and yet very different in sizes and shapes.  They were borne on the same date on November 19, but exactly two years apart, a perfect timing by mother nature.

Raised through the Catholic doctrine, devout and religious,  both have a talent to sing and dance like crooners and entertainers, inherited from their Dad.  Both have a happy attitude towards life and are hard working and borne to strive for the best, guided by their Mom and Dad.

Happy birthdays to both of you, and may God shower you with more of His Blessings with peace, good health and joy!  Cheers!

Here is an Irish Joke for you today:

Irishman's Two Brothers

An Irishman walks into a pub. The bartender asks him, "What'll you have?"
The man says, "Give me three pints of Guinness please."
So the bartender brings him three pints and the man proceeds to alternately sip one, then the other, then the third until they're gone. He then orders three more.
The bartender says, "Sir, you don't have to order three at a time. I can keep an eye on it and when you get low I'll bring you a fresh cold one."
The man says, "You don't understand. I have two brothers, one in Australia and one in the States. We made a vow to each other that every Saturday night we'd still drink together. So right now, my brothers have three Guinness Stouts too, and we're drinking together.”
The bartender thought that was a wonderful tradition. Every week the man came in and ordered three beers.
Then one week he came in and ordered only two. He drank them and then ordered two more. The bartender said to him, "I know what your tradition is, and I'd just like to say that I'm sorry that one of your brothers died."
The man said, "Oh, me brothers are fine -- I just quit drinking."

Source:  Funny Hub

Happy Birthday Mel

It seems just like yesterday when we saw you the first time, and as we accompanied you in your growing years, you amazed us with your metamorphosis from a baby that cried without seeming reasons at all, to a child that did everything that she was asked to do without any complaint, to a difficult adolescent that wanted to do everything all at the same time and now to a mature woman who keeps on striving to find her place under the sun, patiently, courageously and generously offering whatever she can to be of service to anyone, who needs help.

On this your special day, your family wishes you all the best not only for today but more so when you need it most. Be assured that you can always count on us for whatever your needs are and to share with you not only the happy moments but also the sad ones (which we hope are fewer than the other).

Celebrate, our dearest Mel, for even when we cannot be in Bournemouth with you, we will be with you to celebrate it as if we were there with you. We will pray that your wishes  as you blow your birthday candles become realities sooner than you expected.

¡Muchas felicidades, de tu familia con todo nuestro cariño!

Remember that a birthday is just a start of a 365 day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip joyfully. Many, many, happy returns of the day.

Source of images:  Goodlight Scrap

Happy Birthday Wishes

To my dearest Kuya,

Today is your special day so be a star.  Hope you have a wonderful celebration from morning till night surrounded by the family.

Another year, another opportunity to have a better tomorrow.  Cheers for  continuous good health, a little wealth, love and peace around you. May God bless you with all his warmth and care specially today.

Here, is your favorite song:



Happy Birthday to my only Kuya!  Love  from Madrid and Bournemouth.

Happy Birthday to Chet & Beatriz

It is very seldom that two birthdays in the family fall on the same day which is the case today.  I hope both of you enjoy your birthdays  and somebody gets to sing for you a happy birthday song and with a beautiful birthday cake with its candles to blow your wishes to come true.

To Chet, probably there will be so many candles and so little cake!  But is it really the cake that matters or the number of candles in the cake?  I admire your constancy in your devotion and in your discipline in maintaining a sound mind and body. May God continue to shower you with His blessings.

To Beatriz, I wish you the best in life ahead.  Last year you have made an accomplishment by obtaining a very coveted post and having passed that board exam to put you in your present job position.  It was more than luck, it was a lot of hard work and continued perseverance towards your goal.  May this birthday lead to a new door of challenges and opportunities.  

To both of you, Carpe Diem.  Seize the moment.

Why be saddled with this thing called life expectancy?  Of what relevance to an individual is such a statistic?  Am I to concern myself with an allotment of days I never had and was never promised?  Must I check off each day of my life as if I am subtracting from this imaginary hoard?  No, on the contrary, I will add each day of my life to my treasure of days lived.  And with each day, my treasure will grow, not diminish.  ~Robert Brault,  www.robertbrault.com   

(Source:  Welcome to the Quote Garden)

 Lots of happiness to both of you, I wish today.

Happy Birthday Kit

Some people no matter how old they get, they never lose their beauty.- they merely move it from their faces to their hearts.- Martin Buxbaum.  But as your friends say "Bakit ikaw hindi ka tumatanda?"  To which Mommy would reply "Secret..."

Time goes by but remember that the acts of yesterday become the habits of today and forge the character of your destiny! Stay young and be happy, you deserve it!

Being away in Disneyland, for your birthday which kind of breakfast would you prefer to have?  Le petit déjeuner, Monsier?  English breakfast, Sir?  Mag almusal po tayo, Boss?  or  Desayuno español, Señor?  Whatever you choose, spoil yourself and have a wonderful, special day!  Happy Birthday from all your family!  Hugs and kisses from across the miles and know that we love you.  

 

French Breakfast
English Breakfast
Filipino Breakfast
Spanish Breakfast
Birthday Images

Advanced Happy Birthday Tet

Birthdays remind us to  give thanks for the blessings that have come our way.  And today, I give thanks because Tet chose to be part of our family.

On your birthday tomorrow, Tet (I am sending today since tomorrow being a Saturday you will probably not see your post) what can I say that does not fall under a  cliché?  Year in year out, we give our greetings mainly for birthday celebrations and when another year comes, we start digging in our memory and the same words always come out.... Happy Birthday!.... may you have many more or may your wishes be granted on your special day, or  blessings be with you on your special day or something similar.

So what can I say this year that I have not said before? Let me see.....  hummm.... something funny perhaps but I am not a funny person, I am more of a serious person so I cannot betray my own self, therefore let me just say.....

Happy cake day to you and your loved ones!

An even if the saying goes that "you cannot have your cake and eat it too", for your birthday you may have the privilege both literally and maybe categorically to have both.  Sorry, there are no sufficient candles but blessings can multiply them to the number of your choice.

We love you Tet.  Enjoy your birthday today and God bless you as you start with a new year.

Source of image:  Birthday Cakes

My Grand Nephew

Carmelo Simon, and we call him Simon for short,  is my grand nephew of 7 months.  I can also call him my great nephew and not merely by lineage but also because I can picture him  to be a promising great nephew, literally speaking that is.  He is such an adorable and sweet boy with a captivating smile most of the time.   But now,  he has grown his first two  teeth and his Mom wants  to show this development to everyone so here we have him showing his first set of  teeth,  although I would dare to say that he is not too happy about it.

Simon is such a happy and bright baby boy so huggable and kissable it is a pity  that he is so many miles away,  although the fact is, his Dad and Mom are constantly updating the family with his pictures, which  never seem enough.

As he grows into different stages, I hope that we can follow his footsteps with the same thrill as when we saw him the first time, after he was born.  Pictures, pictures, pictures, that is all we can have for now until the day when we can get together to embrace and kiss him.  Keep on growing Simon until you turn into a prince that will charm a lot of maidens someday.

Hats down to the loving parents that conceived such a handsome boy that will carry the Caparros name to another generation.  And for you Simon, I dedicate this post  to read someday when you  get big enough to do so.

In Honor of Daddy

Father’s Day in Spain is celebrated on March 19th but both in USA and the Philippines, this year it was celebrated on June 19.

It seems that we start agreeing with our father and giving him credit (and actually paying attention to his long sermons) after we get older ourselves and start living what he lived before. There’s a reason for the saying “voice of experience”.  Fathers actively participate and are highly involved in our lives. They protect, support and love us all the way! 

Nowadays symbolically, we  show our gratitude and what he means to us with a gift once a year to remember our Dad on Father’s Day .  As for me, with my  Dad, all that remain are my fond memories of him.  Gone as he may be his quotes  remain  in my mind and my favorite is:

"Learn to live the ways of a poor man, because you do not need practice to live  a rich man's life".  Thoughts and memories, even when we are gone they remain as a legacy.

The following are gathered family's fond memories of our Dad.

He  loved order but according to his ways to make it easy for him to find things, and not for us to merely get things out of the way.

He was a continuous support and an inspiration to lead us to obtain our dreams.  And I never heard harsh words from him, whatever he had to say, he said it in a way that did not hurt but served to encourage.

He was really a 'voice of experience' and perhaps during our younger times, we didn't believe him sometimes but now we realize that there was  wisdom in what he was telling us!!!

He used to play the violin to calm down Mommy when she was angry or to put me to sleep when I could not sleep.

He delighted himself watching my brother  play tennis  but when he was told that it made my brother  nervous he would tell him he won't see him play but he would watch him from afar!

When he punished us for bad deeds he would hit himself with his belt and when it hurt him he would not proceed.

He started from the low ranks until he became an Accounting Manager in a multinational sugar producing company in the Visayan region of Negros Occidental.

After he retired he read the bible everyday.

From Arnel:
 

I agree with Ivy and Kuya Kit.  Integrity is one of Daddy's  values that is why when he was given  one sack of rice while in term of office in Central, he had it returned.

Daddy was so excited to watch me play tennis during tournaments hoping for me to win but I always lost at that time.  I did not have the maturity yet to conquer my nervousness during the tournaments and I ended up playing lousy most of the times. I am sure he is proud now to watch his son on the sidelines kick all the opponents' asses. "yes, yan ang sina sabi ko".  All my trophies won are for you Daddy.

I also did not remember getting any "belt" spanking from him.  He loved to play with his violin "La Cumparsita" and Blue Daneuve.

When I asked him money to buy things, he would give me a hard time but at the end he would also hand it over.

After retirement, he had to work part time in some accounting firms but we always asked him to resign because it was too much pressure on him.  Daddy was always a "straight guy"  and he always wanted to make the accounts tally down to the last cent.

Thank you Daddy for all the good things that you have imparted on me and to your children.
I love u Daddy.  I am sure you are in eternal peace right now.

Arnel