tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-216965062024-09-07T18:33:52.126-04:00My Dear Mr. James,(Open letters to a dear friend)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger593125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-65830749560781705262020-11-18T10:55:00.001-05:002020-11-18T15:39:00.306-05:00Ulong Tubig© Joselito BrionesI had this dream when Ate Julie died. She was with Joie, Jaja and Janelle. They were all singing and dancing, with arms linked together, Like in a chorus line. While they were dancing, led by Ate Julie, the ground got spectacularly inundated with “Ulong Tubig” water. Everyone rose above water level, still dancing, still having fun. Then Ate Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-21967129979420619742020-11-14T01:36:00.001-05:002020-11-14T01:36:34.598-05:00So dance, come on let’s dance © Joselito BrionesUp until third grade my inay’s favorite form of torturing me was to make me perform a dance number whenever we have guests at home. It wasn’t such a big deal, until it was.Late 70’s, tail end of the disco era. We had this “stereo”, a behemoth of a casing for not much power . It had a turntable, a radio tuner, and not much else. Kuya Toto, electronics wiz that he is, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-39925382726575504392020-11-13T17:31:00.007-05:002020-11-13T17:33:10.668-05:00Dried flowers © Charles George XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-85298450683352405732020-11-05T12:21:00.003-05:002020-11-05T12:21:44.547-05:00Spa day © Joselito BrionesWhen every wash day is a spa day, courtesy of Charles.XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-12246393526420129972020-11-04T17:56:00.000-05:002020-11-04T17:56:11.253-05:00Riding on a feeling © Joselito BrionesIn the summer of 1974, the preschool kids in my neighborhood learned riding a bicycle together. There were 5 or 6 of us. My brother Uwel took it upon himself to teach us. The school, the designated training spot about ten houses from our house, adjacent to open rice fields, was still closed for the summer season.I was late to learn about what was going on. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-81555370586291335742020-11-01T10:08:00.000-05:002020-11-01T10:08:14.016-05:00Mystery flowers © Charles GeorgeWe couldn’t figure out what these are. From our local bodega/deli. Any idea? XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-42817067907165345392020-10-30T15:29:00.000-04:002020-10-30T15:29:52.101-04:00The cutest ever on halloweenWhen you were two.Who’d have thought?At fifty-two and you three years more, I’ll be watching you as you sleep, tired from chasing away my boogeyman. XXX Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-77613587239852767972020-10-28T18:49:00.000-04:002020-10-28T19:06:34.474-04:00Beef Pie© Joselito BrionesHomemade by my lovely husband.XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-2492217044421806062020-10-23T17:47:00.005-04:002020-10-23T23:04:12.858-04:00setting uprIght knocked down school chairsHigh school competitive Quiz open season. 1982 or thereabouts. Anybody with the guts for it could enter. Having the guts didn’t cost anything, so off to the quizzes I went.I didn’t do particularly well that year, a fifth place in science and third place in English (I think).My brother Uwel, three years my senior, and his friends were there cheering for me through the windows and Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-29439876399688593512020-10-20T10:03:00.000-04:002020-10-20T10:03:08.816-04:00Tiny boots as vase © Joselito BrionesAnother round of chemo drugs today.XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-79215436680993439672020-10-19T10:28:00.000-04:002020-10-19T10:28:19.334-04:00Thanks for the sinigang na baboy© Joselito BrionesFilipino comfort food, made at home in Brooklyn. Thanks!XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-65756236986717302092020-10-18T00:45:00.000-04:002020-10-18T00:45:54.271-04:00Freshly baked banana chocolate bread © Joselito Briones© Joselito BrionesThanks husband, they’re delicious!Banana-chocolate bread and chocolate chip cookies from Maggie George‘s recipe.XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-81126330505961637902020-10-17T10:53:00.004-04:002020-10-17T11:03:24.793-04:00Wall decoration © Joselito BrionesWall objects. The oil painting was by Charles’ grandfather. Ceramics mostly from Astier dela Villatte. Charles eventually relented and agreed to not keep the hanging lantern where it was in this picture. I sit on that side of the couch because of the wheelchair and I always felt like the lantern was gonna fall on my head. XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-83631350657237605632020-10-16T11:39:00.002-04:002020-10-16T15:23:38.314-04:002 years ago © Joselito Briones2 years ago, when I could still walk, project construction site close to jfk. I was so looking forward to doing the whole thing. I loved how peaceful it was there.XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-50397865011039834902020-10-15T06:08:00.000-04:002020-10-15T06:08:06.359-04:00tiny hand blown glass vase © Joselito BrionesTiny blown glass vase in the shape of a head from la soufflérie. Out apartment constantly has flowers since lockdown. XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-65377788989741101282020-10-14T08:34:00.000-04:002020-10-14T08:34:08.675-04:00Iittle luxuries © Joselito BrionesThese enormous bath towels from Paris, pure washed linen, pure luxury.XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-3474121230902160582020-10-13T08:38:00.006-04:002020-10-13T08:42:35.830-04:00Den Den© Louie BrionesWe have a tradition in the Philippines that’s a cross between a debutante’s ball and a religious procession.This is Den Den, a grandchild one of my brothers. XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-87180128315251369682020-10-12T06:02:00.000-04:002020-10-12T06:02:05.531-04:00A day at the hospital © Joselito BrionesLong hair courtesy of COVID-19 lockdown..XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-89075507209408262802020-10-10T12:19:00.003-04:002020-10-11T11:30:22.196-04:00Help me, Doggie, I think I’m falling© Joselito Briones Over the last 15 months, I’ve been in and out of hospitals, I’ve seen and/or been treated by numerous doctors, neurologists, oncologists, onconeurologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, had undergone craneotomy twice, and just about anything else they can throw at me.I’m tired.XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-86140846903494640252020-10-09T06:24:00.000-04:002020-10-09T06:24:24.715-04:00I’m waiting for you Love this show. Seen all of it several times.XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-10369202851294598172020-10-07T17:27:00.000-04:002020-10-07T17:27:59.295-04:00Ano sabi mo?© Joselito BrionesWhat did you say dear? My eldest sister, Norie, would ask earnestly whenever I started belting/shouting a song. It took me a while before I caught on that she was making fun of me, inferring that she couldn’t tell if I was singing or just talking to myself really, really loud. I must have been 10 or 11.There was a flurry of activity that day. I was hanging Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-81578035865421828272020-10-04T11:25:00.000-04:002020-10-04T11:25:28.836-04:00Afternoon sun © Joselito Briones
This is what the afternoon sun looks like in our tiny living room. There’s a young tamarind tree, passion fruit vines and other greens all planted and taken care of by Charles.XXXUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-88709965338781562232020-10-03T09:51:00.001-04:002020-10-03T09:51:46.097-04:00On my father’s shoulders © Joselito BrionesIn the Philippines we start celebrating Christmas in September, as soon as we get a respite from summer heat.It usually ends early January.One Christmas season, I must have been 5 or 6, my father took me to work - a bus depot that he managed. In the waiting room, right next to the glittery Christmas tree was a poster of “Jaws”, that summer’s ubiquitous image. There Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-83596874312978120502020-09-29T09:35:00.000-04:002020-09-29T09:35:20.311-04:00i can use my right hand again...© Joselito Brionesor so i dreamt. I woke up middle of the night without the usual heaviness on my right arm. i slowly moved my fingers. They’re here alright, although i couldn’t tell where my right hand was. moving some more confirmed that my right hand was resting flat on my belly. my right hand was moving freely again.fearing the disappointment of finding out that this was Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21696506.post-20749667113816415142020-09-27T16:22:00.001-04:002020-09-27T16:22:43.238-04:00glorious morning this is the morning glory vine that charles planted at t window by my side of the bed. it’s already got two flowers since he planted it a month ago. pretty eh?xxxUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0