Important note to new readers: This post is part of my 30 Days of (practice) Writing. I am allowing blocks of 10, 20 or 30 minutes of my day solely to putting my swirling thoughts to paper. No going back to edit which will only serve to stop the smooth flow of thoughts. My writing buddy and I, we call it raw writing from the heart. Please read my introduction for the full story.
It’s 6am Wednesday morning. I walk to the bathroom to take a shower then stop. It’s a working from home day for me. That means I will be running later when all the kids are out of the door. Then and only then shall I take a shower after my run. Ah yes. The two week and a half school holidays are over and my brain needs to recalibrate to school day mode ahead. Another three full months of preparing an endless stream of lunch boxes! Sigh.
I go downstairs to join Ariel who’s made breakfast. But wait, I’m supposed to wake up the Gabo. Kuya Migo does not have to wake up until an hour later. Inside Gab’s bedroom which adjoins the main bathroom, I switch on his lamp. “Wakey wakey, Gabo.” He slowly wakes up. I can tell he is not happy. He complained yesterday why he has to go to school. I told him that it’s his job. His occupation is that of a student. “But mum, I don’t get paid!” Smart aleck, this one. I am reminded to give him his $15 weekly allowance. $5 for Friday lunch, $5 for sports hall fee, and the other $5 for walking around money (walking around the school that is). He takes his time to wake up. I smother his cheeks with kisses. At 13 years old, his cheeks are still baby skin soft. I smell-kiss. The way we do with little babies. Gab loves my smell-kisses. He knows that he can only get that from mum. My boy still comes up to me and offers his baby cheeks for a smell-kiss. Mostly when I am in the kitchen, when he passes by me to get water. Precious moments. I wish I can bottle them. Someone should invent a bottle for memories.
Gab and I join Dad in the kitchen who prepared breakfast. It’s corned beef this morning. There was a time (just maybe up to 4 months ago) when we had corned beef once every week. You will know that a shopper is Pinoy if they have either a corned beef or a spam in their shopping trolley. No one buys those things except us. We all know its full of bad fats and salt, no sugar though. Yet we buy it. It’s the American junk in all of us. It reminds us of “home”. And we find it yummy. I decided to ditch these two canned goods as part of my “eating better campaign” since the beginning of the year. Ariel begged that “can we have it kahit once a month man lang?” Sige na nga (Alrighty). So today being the first of May, a corned beef breakfast will mark the occasion.
First of May. The first day of my first plunge into daily practice writing. My writing days may be different from my posting days. I hope you are not bothered with that, dear reader. You see, I sometimes write more than two notes a day. Yes, my obsession is that bad!
While I was pouring coffee from the coffee plunger, I hear the bloke mutter to himself. “I’ve got my weekend sorted. I’m going to get the bikes serviced/repaired. I’m going to Bunnings (hardware), mow the lawn, visit the butcher and take the kids for a haircut.” This husband of mine, he is Mr. Organization personified with a capital O!
I tell him that I will be doing the groceries tonight as soon as he comes home from work at 6pm. He needs to update the “OurGroceries” app with ingredients of dishes he will be cooking this weekend. He nods his assent. He has a full day to complete the list. OurGroceries is a cool app that you update and share with family. It keeps a database of all your historical items so it’s easy to add/delete when preparing your weekly lists. A tool to list ingredients of recipes is also handy. Go check it out.
And that’s it for me today for my 10 minute musing. See you again tomorrow, my darlings!
But before you go, I would love it if you leave me a note or two below. And of course feel free to browse around my home.
Always from my heart,
ChaR-g
Anna says
What can I say? We can’t be Pinoy if we don’t <3 corned beef. Sa bahay we buy the Palm brand. Mas malangis at may taba! Hahaha!
myGloryBox says
Lol. Mas mataba at mas malangis being the keywords. Saan nabibili ang Palm brand? – Cha
Aya says
Well, I’m Indonesian, I love corned beef and spam too…. yuuummm… 😛
Charina says
Hi Aya. Welcome to myGloryBox. Wow. You really are reading me. Thank you very much.
Regards, Charina