In gratitude

Thankful that dad's mass is operable and his condition, very curable (we are operating on the week of January 5, the earliest possible day).

Thankful that "baby" brother JP is "culinarily" gifted, otherwise, would have had to cook Diyco holiday feasts all by myself (assisted by dad's new all-knowing kusinera:

KUSINERA-FROM-HELL: Ano ang lulutuin natin?

TRIXIE: Uhm... spaghetti?

KUSINERA: Anong klase? Meatsauce? Meatballs? Carbonara? Puttanesca?

TRIXIE: (UNDER BREATH) 'Nak ng puttanesca, susungalngalin ko 'to eh...

KUSINERA: O sige ha, mag-isip ka muna d'yan. Magluluto lang muna ako ng pananghalian.

TRIXIE (TO MOM): Did she just dismiss me?)

Thankful for a cooperative Diyco clan, including blood-titos and blood-titas, as well as titos-by-maternal-affiliation, for:

wearing red,

bringing round food (SIS-IN-LAW WENG: Four kinds of what??? Bilog food??? Anu-ano 'yun???),

playing bingo (with the final black-out prize of P250 and a Great Taste gift pack, being won by moi),

videoke-ing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" 'til 3AM,

and successfully launching P10thou worth of firecrackers despite the New Year rain.

Thankful that my Belgian Chocolate and Almond Semi Freddo ice cream turned out fabulous.

Thankful for waking up on January 1, 2009 with just a headache (a lot better than what I woke up to, same time 2008).

Thankful that the struggle that was 2008 is over.

And the miracle that is 2009 is here.