Dear Loved Ones,

Pleasant Greetings from Sacramento, CA! Summer months remind me of Pinas climate in the high 90s, cool breeze in the early mornings and early evenings, with high humidity; as we look forward to the joyful celebration of Independence day this coming week-end!

This month, national and international ‘hot’ events brought varied range of emotions - from being happy, to sad, to shocking, etc., consistent with the heat of summer. Being a positive person, I always start with the happy side: on the personal level – communications with my family members had been enhanced with the recent acquisition by our Pinas office of an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera which can show all the details of my office and all the office staff, while I still have my ‘jurassic age’ camera here in the U.S. which shows only my face (when it comes to tech gadgets, Pinas is sometimes ahead); on the health and safety front: family members are all okay and reporting positive - thanks always to God’s Love! On the other hand, shocking and sad are the turmoil of the elections in Iran which resulted in the death of people and the threats of North Korea – coupled with the slow/inaction by the U.S. leadership; to the continuing economic crisis, especially in the California state government; prayers and condolences on the passing of icons Farah Fawcett (our generation’s glamour – hair and smile - model) and Michael Jackson (I watched his ‘Thriller’ concert held at the Manila bay reclamation area during the late 80s), and the husband of my UST’70 classmate Tess Hizon– Rolando Viloria: eternal rest grant unto them Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them, may they rest in peace, AMEN!

On our monthly Catholic Lunch Club, held on June 19 at the Radisson Hotel Sacramento, our guest speaker was Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, founder and director of Aurem Cordis Center for Christian evangelization and apologetics. He has a regular Sunday morning show on EWTN in our area. His topic was on Truth, Freedom and the Human Person: Catholic Evangelization and the Public Forum, where he presented the challenges faced by Catholics in a secular culture, and discussed how to live faith with courage, passion and fidelity. A national and international speaker and author, he served as consultant for the NCCB National Directory for Catechesis and well-known for his perspectives on male spirituality and keeping youth spirituality alive. His dynamic delivery and passionate message challenged, captivated and motivated the audience, which included my sister Ate Nen who finally found time for our lunch date. Actually, she had long wanted to be part of this catholic group but found difficulty being connected through the www network system (like registering, logging in, making reservations through websites).

This month, family bonds were more connected. Through the GMA7-Pinoy TV, we had been following closely the ‘Are you the Next Big Star’ singing contest where Alexa Ortega, the very cute 19-year old balikbayan from SFO, is one of the top 16. She is the granddaughter of my Ate Celia Cloma, whose daughter married Pepe Ortega (of La Union). She receives good feedbacks from the judges, so we hope she gets many fan votes, and eventually gets to the top. Either my Ate Nen and hubby come home to watch TV on Sunday nights or I record the show for later viewing. Then, last Saturday, their grandson Paolo celebrated his 2nd birthday in Oakland, so we had dinner with them at Le Chaval. Week-end before that, we were also together for lunch at their home in Roseville; and on every 2nd Saturday of the month, my Ate and I are always attending our Opus Dei Recollection where we cap our activities with lunch and bonding updates. Likewise, since December, our daughters – my Sarah and her Maria had been keeping in touch and exchanging notes on mother-daughter relationships and issues which are keeping family ties stronger, hopefully!

Attached are 3 more photos of: Summer Outfit, Cathedral Picture, and family gathering. Let us continue to pray for our country and people. Peace and Joy to You and God Bless Us All!

Much love and Best Regards!!!

SUSAN BG