In Tagaytay with JP Migne (in chef’s uniform) his wife Louie, our hosts Drs. Nelson and Ina Cabaluna, Didi Dee, Elaine Castillo, Glenda Barretto, Myrna Seguismundo, Cecile Ang, Beth Romualdez, Tita Trillo, Drs. Tristan Ramirez and Thea Balagot.

“What can’t be cured
must be endured.
Time and patience
will make them easy.”
–Teresing Castillo, visionary from Lipa

From my inbox- Last call for graduates of  (then) Maryknoll College class ’60 and A’A class '58  (to which I belong) to come to the grand alumni homecoming on Saturday, Sept. 4 at the college grounds in Katipunan. You are the Golden Jubilarians this year!

The most energetic members have been Diane Cruz Regudo, Sr. Marilou Noel, Linda Los Baños Cajucom, Linda de Lara Quintos, Lulu Dimayuga De Villa, Ditas Zamora Lerma, Vicky Ramos Tanjuatco, Ofelia Camua Edwards, Linda Geronimo Dayrit, Yett Montalvan, Juliet Reyes, and from abroad, Rito Pobre Severino, Muriel Gil Walters, Chit Miranda, Rexie Resurrecion. We expect more to come and renew old college ties!

Also from my inbox, an invitation to a lay forum from Adele Joaquin’s “Bantay Matanda” at the Janssen Hall of the SVD (Christ The King Seminary) on Aug. 28 on “Geriatric Dentistry.”

This is from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and is P200 for seniors and P300 for non seniors. Caregivers and seniors usually make up the audience, Adele tells us. She herself has been a long-time caregiver for her mom. This forum has helped many people, so if you are a senior or taking care of a senior citizen, do attend. The speaker is St. Luke’s Dr. Robert Matellano.

Speaking of seniors, on a rare weekend with my three sisters - Cielo, Lita and Ma. Paz, (called “the Bamba sisters” by our nieces and nephews) in Bella Vista, we bonded like we were kids and had no cares in the world.

Time has certainly passed since those happy carefree years, and our “sleep over” had the blessings of our respective daughters. Saturday evening, we sat around the dinner table with kindred spirits like Cora Barte who shared perfectly grilled pusit and Inquirer’s Rina David and her husband Pie who came bearing his sinful French apple pie. We laid out our house specialties – crispy lechon kawali and roast chicken with herbs and marbled potatoes and all of us threw health issues to the cold winds.

However, we also shared our concerns with  our sugar level, our cholesterol, our aching bones, sleep disorder, our children and grandchildren. We also fussed and  cared about ageing graciously and gracefully, hoping to approximate  our mother Nena, who died still a flawless-skinned beauty at 90 or as agile, smart and mobile as her sister, our 93 year old glamorous aunt, Nelly I. Jhocson. 

But mostly, we sat around and reminisced, ate and reminisced, walked about my little two-tiered garden, and reminisced some more.

Saturday early morning, we had come from Lipa City where we attended the 6 a.m mass celebrated by Archbishop Ramon Arguelles at the Carmel church and afterwards had breakfast with our “classmates” at our bahay kubo across the street. The good bishop reminded us of the Marian congress to be held in Lipa this September and the National Day of Prayer on the 8th.

Retired Supreme court Justice Elo Santiago was there and we exchanged opinions on the JBC nominees for the SC. She and I agreed that one particular justice should not be named to the highest court, and when P-Noy made the selection finally, it was a well-received one, not the person we deemed unworthy!

Anyway, the weekend highlight was the Sunday morning mass at the Montemaria of Fr. Fernando Suarez in Alfonso, Cavite where we were all fired up by the Holy Spirit. And then, a gustatory treat, a late lunch at the gorgeous weekend home of my best friends, Drs. Nelson and Lorina Cabaluna at nearby barangay Neogan.

The Cabaluna home was designed by Architect Joven Ignacio and furnished with one-of-a-kind wood furnishing done by Dr. Nelson and his men. The feel of the smooth old woods always makes me nostalgic for my Hubby who shared Nelson’ passion for them. Nelson has added a bahay kubo that feels like heaven! There was another big treat in store for us – Executive Chef J.P Migne,. French expat from two decades ago who decided to make the Philippines his home when he fell in love with Louie, now regional corporate communications manager of Avon, was taking over the kitchen!

The menu was, JP explained, what you would expect a French mom to cook for her family on a Sunday. To us, it was super yummy–squids farcies ala setoise, (stuffed squid), braised duck with apples and turnips, roasted loin of pork with prunes, pommes lyonaise,  strawberry Romanoff, and French cheese! Wow, no wonder, French moms are soooo loved by their brood if they all pampered them like JP did us! All the herbs and veggies used came from Nelson’s garden too!

Assisting Chef JP was his young son Jonathan who will be leaving soon for France to expand his culinary skills! Our group of hungry friends included an all-stellar culinary cast - there was JP’s good friend Glenda Baretto of Via Mare, Beth Romualdez, cook book author, Myrna Seguismundo of ABS- CBN’s gourmet resto, Tita Trillo of Trillo’s Wines, and Cecile Ang of Diamond Hotel. We were together at Fr. Suarez’ healing mass nearby, so they all went with us to the Sunday lunch at the Cabalunas.

The hosts also had Hariraya Gallery partners Didi Dee and Elaine Castillo and surgical interns Dr. Tristan Ramirez and Dra.Thea Balagot as guests so we all had a very convivial time with great food, talk, and company! Beautiful Sunday, only in foggy Tagaytay.