Dear Loved Ones,

Pleasant Greetings from Sacramento, CA! Glad to have settled back after my month-long holiday in Pinas (Feb. 21 – Mar. 21), and thank God for the memorable experiences, reconnecting with family and friends, beautiful memories, and accomplishing most of the objectives set for the trip!

On our monthly Catholic Lunch Club held on March 19 at the Radisson, the guest speaker was Patrick Coffin, Host of Catholic Answers Live. While I was absent, my friend provided me an update on the talk. Mr. Coffin brought the audience for a bracing ride across the landscape of the Catholic sexual ethic. He examined the topic from a wide array of angles with humor and enthusiasm – and with a total absence of moralizing. Human life – What does the Church really teach? It was very interesting how he presented Pope Paul’s landmark encyclical, whether you were for it or reject it.

Dateline Pinas: As continuation of my Pinas sojourn, following were part of my hectic activities:

Mar. 1 – Spent the day at Fairview Shipping office, updating on emails, completing/ sending out my Feb journal, attending to business matters, filed for retirement from Pag-ibig (2^nd time around), etc;

Mar. 2 – Applied for and got my Sr. Citizen card at the Q.C. Hall in order to avail of discounts such as free movies, and 20% discount on most anything. Likewise, had a meeting with Atty. Joseph Entero who was busy for his 50^th golden day;

Mar. 3 – Appointment with my dentist Dr. Ariel S.; Gerry and I went to Lunch at the BlockSM with classmate Sally and mutual friends Pablo Golecruz and wife Nice (Sally’s HS bf). We last saw Pablo as our cord-wedding sponsor in June 1974; now based in USA,he was also Gerry’s classmate & CE UST graduate and here to file for retirement too, what a small world!

Mar. 4 – Lunch-Meeting at Via Mare with Nordic VSC Board Arlene, Ozone, Gerry. Business and personal updates: Arlene is blooming in her lovelife with Norconsult based in Baguio, Ozone, a top SN Aboitiz honcho plans to be in Australia; the world is wide open out there!

By 4:00pm, I had dinner with kumare Cora who was celebrating her birthday, at Banana Leaf, NEDSA; we both availed of our Sr. discounts;

Mar. 5 – At FSAC office for more business updates;

Mar. 6 & 7 – more week-end activities in church, movies, malls, and eat-outs in Fairview;

Mar. 8 – With Gerry, to Bohol via PAL, stayed at Kuya Rudy’s place, visited other relatives;

Mar 9 – 11 – Started days walking by the seashore, went to Mass, then more walking / breathing in fresh air / clearing up the lungs / savoring in favorite sceneries of my childhood (bancas floating along the sea / fishermen bringing in fresh catches / wind rushing through tree leaves; afternoons, went to Tagbilaran – indulged in therapeutic Nuga-best Korean body Massage (did during our entire stay); Kuya’s amenities include ‘magic jack’ so I talked with Sean and Sarah (both in U.S.) on phone easily; high-tech talaga!

Mar 12 – Went on Loboc River Cruise, dinner at floating resto, danced with children along the cruise, culminated with concert of the (Australia / China government-funded) Loboc Youth Ambassador Band (6:00-10:30pm), amazing experience!

Mar 13 – Alona Beach Night Strip (set-up is like the French Riviera): Live bands by the beach, buffet dinner, painting / tattoo artists, while Gerry went night swimming in the beach. Colorful sceneries! There are Internet Cafes, BPI Bank branch, eCasino, Travel agencies, 5-story hotels, etc. I could not imagine these modern amenities available here now – Panglao is so progressive, with so many European, Asian tourists around, many have settled here!

Mar 14 – After fulfilling my Sunday obligations and watching Pacquiao fight, went to my Kuya-owned Panglao Cockpit Arena, to satisfy my lifetime curiosity. From Spanish tradition, ‘sabong’ is a male Filipino passion (now include females). Gerry explained the excitement/intensity/shouting involved in the game. It seems that all the town males, including foreigners (Germans, Japanese, etc.) were in that area, with their cars and motorcycles (3 – 7pm), completing 50 sultadas. Seeing all the peso (1,000s, 500s) bills flying around after each round, Gerry estimated there was half a million economy circulating that afternoon – the most honest game. Awesome experience, but with all the smoking and beer-guzzling, it’s not for me!

Mar 15 – As I attended to family matters regarding soil properties, Gerry with Efren, went dolphin-watching and island hopping (Balicasag and others). He truly enjoyed the entertainment by seamen families we had helped; ‘nabayot’ expressing their appreciation.

May 16-17 – Conferred with lawyer, relatives, and continued with our Panglao, Bohol beautiful experiences!

Mar 18 – 21 – Back in Manila, continued meeting with friends, Grace at UP for Sarah’s TOR.

Lunch with my kumare Tess Santiago, who just returned from a vacation in Australia with husband Chito; culminated with her pasalubong shopping at Landmark for me. Thanks so much! Back to Sac on the 21^st via Delta, thank GOD!

Mar 25 – Sean’s Birthday- Lunch @ Mizu and dinner @ home with family and friends.

I am looking forward to join the International Business Experience trip of my MBA students to Europe on April 10-24, 2010. Itinerary includes visit to London, Brussels (EU Headquarters, US Comps.(Xerox, TNBEV, P & G), Frankfurt, Koblenz, Rudesheim (EU Central Bank, Deutche Boerse), Berlin, Potsdam, etc.

Attached are 4 photos of my Pinas and Bohol trips. 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

Dear Loved Ones,

Pleasant Greetings from Sacramento, CA! May you all celebrated Valentine’s with joyful love and thankfulness with your loved ones, physically near or even miles apart. Gladly, on V day, all my loved ones called up, including family, nephews and cousins – truly love in the air!

On our monthly Catholic Lunch Club held on February 19 at the Radisson, the guest speaker was Larry Schauf, Federal Prosecutor and active on the Shroud of Turin Education and Research Association. His presentation was very interesting – The Shroud : On Trial – both sides of the prosecution and defense; the Facts: The Image, The History, The Science. It answered such queries: Is the Shroud of Turin the burial cloth of Christ or a medieval forgery? Amid all the sensationalism and hype, what are the facts? What does the evidence say? Based on the testimony of world renowned shroud experts, the prosecutor presented arguments for and against it’s authenticity in the context of a federal trial. As a jury, the audience voted on the final verdict. The Shroud of Turin is the priceless shroud of Christ! Personally, with my strong Faith, there is no need for any evidence to convince me /prove the reality of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! However, the Shroud is a welcome affirmation of our Catholic Church as founded by Christ – One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic - based on Scriptures and Traditions!

An added feature in our Bible study class is the sharing of snacks – solid and liquids, sponsored by 2 persons each session, before we view the video. It provides for more camaraderie and cheerfulness among attendees. We feel closer to one another though I have to miss some sessions as I embark on a 1-month vacation to Pinas on Feb. 21.

Dateline Pinas: Thank God for a smooth flight on Feb. 21 from SFO to Pinas via Narita onboard DELTA airlines for a 1 month vacation. Itinerary include 2 weeks in Manila, 10 days in Bohol, then back to Manila before flying back to SFO on March 21. The first week of arrival, I embarked on getting business updates in the office, prepared documentation for my filing of retirement from the SSS, Pag-ibig, renewing my Pinoy driver’s license and other senior citizen benefits. Going around through the various government offices, complying with the red tape requirements brought reality check that I am back in Pinas, with many replicated tasks of getting many photos for various IDs, which could have been addressed by the SSN in the U.S. For my driver’s license alone, I sat in for 3 poses – Drug test, medical, then license itself, with corresponding fees. I paid PHP 1000.00 for my license.

Evenings of Feb 26 was spent on dinner reunion with USAT Engineering 1970 batch mates at the Q.C. Sports club with 30+ attendees. Sponsored by 5 of us balikbayans. Then on the 27th was the UST Grand Engineering 2010 Alumni Homecoming held at the Plaza Mayor UST grounds where we got medals being Ruby (40th) jubilarians. The event was hosted by the silver (1985) jubilarians. They did a great job at organizing – interesting attendees (50th, 45th, 40th, 35th, etc. jubilarians), delicious food, marvelous entertainment, energetic dancing, culminated with fireworks. Great to be with Lin with hubby Dan, Loida (as we did in 2005), and now with Dolly and Emma with hubby Bill, and with my own hubby Gerry. Before going to the grounds, had a reunion with Fr. Richard Ang, O.P. at the Chapel area, and attended anticipated Mass at their air-conditioned Chapel. I am still adjusting to the ‘sweltering afternoon heat’ climate in Pinas which had induced my colds and cough.

Sunday Feb 28, Gerry and I went to Mass again at our Good Shepherd parish church (air-conditioned too), before we had lunch at Tong Yang SM Fairview, with our CFC friends Grace Cruz, Jack and Tess Gelvezon; had fun updating on each others’ lives, before shopping for fruits at the Hypermart. Some observations: SM had gone on / over-reached to complex mega-mall heights, displacing small businesses in the neighborhood. Sobra na! More on my Pinas journey later!

Attached are 2 photos each of: Eng’g 1970 batch reunion (me in black), and at UST Grand 2010 Homecoming event (with our medals, me in pink). 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

Dear Loved Ones,

Pleasant Greetings from Sacramento, CA! With all the Blessings from our Almighty God, we hope we all started the year with joyful thankfulness for His Love and generosity as we share them with people around us; and prayers for those who are suffering in natural calamities!

On our monthly Catholic Lunch Club held on January 15 at the Radisson, the guest speaker was Ned Dolejsi, Executive Director, California Catholic Conference. His topic was The Human Person, The Common Good, and Public Life. He presented a catholic commentary on issues from Health Care reform to Marriage, Education and Poverty.

He led a lively discussion about the current issues and the role of the laity and the Church in public life. Some insights affirmed: God is Good; Life is precious; World is grace-filled; Family is important; Community is essential; Remain with the issues as man of Faith, not ideology; seek and want the good, objective truth, natural law. Where do you abide? Journey of the human person vs. autonomous individual; Define, discern and remain with the good! Revealing statistics: 50% of blacks / Latinos do not graduate high school. On Prop 8 and Health care: What is the good? We are pilgrim people in global crisis on our Journey of Faith!

On Jan. 16, we participated in the surprise birthday party for my Ate Nen held at the condo and mainly organized by her daughter Maria in the Berkeley area. It was a pleasant surprise for her to find some friends from Sac and Oakland area at the condo party room by noontime. Attended by 15, we feasted on catered Thai food and enjoyed updates on each others’ lives. People are complimenting on my ‘fashionable winter get-up’ – Express tops over black tights, leather coat, with knee-high boots and hat – copied from my very smart New Yorker Sarah; mother like daughter – truly feels good!

We started our 24-sessions Bible study class last Jan. 12 on Adventures in Matthew: The King and His Kingdom, with video by Jeff Cavins and Sarah Christmyer. Our leader Claude has an effective way of inspiring and motivating the 15 participants to be faithful in attendance and doing their assignments. This is my 7^th class with the group and I am deeply growing with them in this Journey.

Some of the books I read last year which made me a better person by the nuggets of wisdom absorbed include the following:

* The Promise; by Fr. Jonathan Morris; Harper Collins; 2008

* Happy for No Reason; by Marci Shimoff; Free Press, Simon & Shuster, 2008

* Ageless Memory; by Harry Lorayne; Black Dog Leventhal, 2007

* Financial Security in Troubled Times; by Ric Edelman; Stratford Publishing, 2007

* Happier; by Dr. Ted Ben-Shahar; McGraw Hill Books, 2008

* Forgive for Love; by Dr. Fred Luskin; Harper Collins; 2007

* How Full is your Bucket? by Drs. Tom Ruth & Donald Clifton; Gallup Press; 2008

* The Difference Maker; by John C. Maxwell; Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2007

* The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke; by Suze Orman; Penguin Group; 2007

* A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity; by Bill O’reilly; Random House; 2008

* A Family Christmas; by Caroline Kennedy; Hyperton Books; 2007

* The Success Principles; by Jack Cranfield; Harper Collins; 2006

* Become a Better You; by Joel Osteen; Simon & Shuster; 2007

* Your Best Life Now; by Joel Osteen; Faith Words; 2008

* Love Your Life; by Victoria Osteen (wife of Joel); Simon & Shuster; 2008

* Gut Check; by Tarek Saab; Ransom Books; 2008

* Faith & Politics; by Sen. John Danforth; Viking-Penguin; 2008

* The Talent Code; by Daniel Coyle; Bantam Book; 2009

* Strength in What Remains; by Tracy Kidder; Random House; 2009

* 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis; by Bill George; Jossey Bass Books; 2009

* The Art of Happiness, 10^th Anniv. Edition; The Dalai Lama & Howard Cutler; 2009/1999

Attached are 4 photos of: More on Sean’s grad, Christmas / Birthday get-together. 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

Dear Loved Ones,

Pleasant Greetings from Sacramento, CA! Belated Happy Christmas and a more Blessed New Year 2010, as we praise and appreciate God’s generosity and kindness for all the graces – good health, peace, joy, among many others!

On our monthly Catholic Lunch Club held on December 18 at the Radisson, the guest speaker was the most Rev. Jaime Soto, 9th Bishop, Diocese of Sacramento. His topic was Marriage and the Mystery of the Incarnation, very relevant to the Christmas season – the birth of Christ Jesus and the holy Family. Today, more than ever people are asking if it is possible to make a lifetime commitment in a marriage. The Catholic Church has a vision of marriage that can sustain a couple through good times and bad. Bishop Soto complemented his discussion on the joyful mysteries with a power point presentation on the young Jesus’ life with the strong family support of Mary and Joseph.

The text of the box of invitations Sean brought home from CSUS read as follows: ‘The faculty and graduating class of California State University, Sacramento announce that Sean Bongoyan Gerardo is a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Accountancy at the commencement exercises Saturday, the nineteenth of December two thousand and nine, two o’clock p.m. at Arco Arena.’ We sent invitations to significant people in Sean’s life journey like ninongs / ninangs, relatives and close friends in Sac. Thus, by 1 pm Dec. 19, we (Sean, his friend Red, my kumare Cora who came from Pinas, and me) were on our way to Arco to get good seats for our group of 20. Led by Liklik, Sean received the loudest cheers and applause, prompting the huge crowd and graduates to look at our direction. After the pictorials and greetings, we had our graduation Japanese buffet dinner at MIZU Natomas with 28 guests. Together with 5 friends, Sean continued his grad celebration at home - drinking Belvedere vodka, played mahjong and Rockband, and stayed/slept till 9:00am the following day – better option than risk being caught DUI.

Excerpts from the CSU President’s message to the graduates: ‘You have conquered a great deal of challenges to arrive today, and for that you deserve our utmost congratulations. Remember that this achievement is only as important as you make it. After you hear your name and receive your degree, you begin an even longer journey, one that is filled with even more choices and opportunities. Let me be the first to say that you are ready.’ Thus, Sean’s life journey continues to another phase; and mine too. How time flies – I have nurtured an American university graduate in 4 years; meaning, time to move on to another phase of life – Pinas / U.S.A., back and forth.

Due to snowstorm delays, my daughter Sarah changed flight from New Jersey (via Atlanta) to San Fran (instead of Sac). Her cousin Maria fetched her and brought her home Dec. 24 to spend the holidays with us. Sarah dined immediately on her favorite Max’s fried chicken and pancit canton which she requested to be readily available upon her arrival.

I am also happy to share that I completed the traditional 9-days novena Masses (tho’ not dawn masses like in Pinas) but our regular 8:30am mass. After attending Christmas Mass and listening to carols, which the season is all about to mark Jesus’ birth, we had lunch with my Ate’s family at their home in Roseville. When the opening of gifts and photo session were done, we had fun watching super 8 films of their trips to Pinas circa 70s (when Maria was 6yrs old and Sarah was 2yrs), laughing at all the psychedelic colors and outrageous fashion worn then, bringing back those beautiful memories!

Dec. 27: Sean, Sarah and I watched the hit movie Avatar at Folsom, then had lunch of dinuguan, halo-halo at the Pinoy Teriyaki station. Later, Sarah joined her cousin Maria back to SanFran to continue their bonding; Maria has a condo in the Berkeley Bay area, so being just 4 years apart, they share many things and joy keeping updates on their lives. They will come back to Sac for New Year for Sarah’s flight back to NJ on Jan 3.

Attached are 4 photos of: Christmas get-togethers and Sean’s graduation. 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

Dear Loved Ones,

Pleasant Greetings from Sacramento, CA! Belated Happy Thanksgiving day as we praise and appreciate God’s generosity and kindness for all the graces – good health, peace, joy, among many others! Thanksgiving Day also means the start of the holiday season for shopping, sharing and giving.

On our monthly Catholic Lunch Club held on November 13 at the Radisson, the guest speaker was Mr. Pat McCaskey, co-owner Chicago Bears Football team and Founder, Sports Faith International. His discussion included the connection between faith and football, the Vatican has a sports office, growing up in the world of professional football, being one of 11 children, how the apostles made a great ‘football team’ with its great team spirit obedient to their great Coach, among others. Pat has gained unique insights into the importance of religion and athletics at all levels, and he shared them all during the forum – what amazing life experiences, and the deep connections between our faith and the sports we play!

Consistent with my culture immersion goals, November highlights were:
• Nov. 10 – completion of our Bible study “Journey with Christ” (through old and New Testament timelines) culminated with group lunch at the home of our leader Claude R.
• Nov. 21 – Sean and I attended the Appreciation dinner for all religious clergy (priests, deacons, nuns, etc.) of St. Mel’s parish held at the Doheny Hall. It was also an occasion for the parish priest to present the on-going major project for a new parish center and other fund-raisers. The good thing about ‘tithing’ in America is that everything you give is properly acknowledged and receipted for, since you have a registration number and accounted in the tax returns. Even for transient contributions like when I visited the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in D.C. and I made a donation in an envelope, it was promptly acknowledged, with enclosed petition envelope and choir music CD, and I had been networked continuously with them since then. I actually feel being part of the Church - the Mystical Body of Christ.

• Nov. 26 – Thanksgiving Day! As our 1st year citizenship year, we ordered a complete Turkey dinner with all the sidings the day before. Following the recipe instructions, we turned out an excellent crispy turkey expected to last through the Christmas season since we got several invitations for the day. We had lunch at the Elk Grove home of Tess and Russell R. together with two other Pinoy couples and their kids. The husbands of the two ladies are brothers who are from Bohol, so I truly enjoyed bonding with them till 5:00pm. Then we had to move to our dinner appointment with Beth G and family at their home in Gold River (she is originally from Lipa, Batangas whom I befriended at St. Mel’s church). They had a feast of Turkey and Filipino foods; likewise, the guests were a mix of whites and Pinoys, culminated with the usual Karaoke session. Sean did the singing turn for us while I enjoyed chatting with new friends, some with connections to my NPC network – yes, we live in a small inter-connected world!

• Nov. 27 – the big Friday shopping day! Even while we were at dinner, Sean’s friends were calling for us to go to Folsom outlets by midnight but I could not stand the cold so decided to go by daytime instead. While I attended Mass and my adoration commitment first, Sean went to the Mall to choose his stuff. After he fetched me, we went back to pay for them, before we proceeded to the outlet stores of Coach and Naturalizer. Sean’s friends made a queue for me so I can get into those stores, before they went to watch the movie New Moon. By the way, I had finished reading the 4 books of the Twilight series (out of curiosity, since I am not into fiction) but I refuse to watch the movies (could not stand the screaming of Team Jacob / Team Edward fans).
• Nov. 28 – Amidst very strong winds and cold climate, we watched the traditional Santa parade in downtown Sacramento from 10:00 am to 2pm, joining the local folks and kids ogle at participants in their colorful holiday floats and costumes, before going for more shopping, then to Mass; This parade marks the start of the Christmas season here in CA (unlike in Pinas which started early in Sept.);
• Nov. 29 – brought out the Christmas decors from the closet to start home decorating to imbibe the spirit of this joyful season.

Attached are 4 photos of: Thanksgiving get-together and parade. 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

Dear Loved Ones,

Pleasant Greetings from Sacramento, CA! With the cool climate, stronger winds and falling leaves, can winter be far behind? October was kind of hectic with lots of travel and discovering new wonderful sights in other states, highlighted with joyful reunions with relatives and meeting new friends, continuous celebration for the many blessings and more!

On our monthly Catholic Lunch Club held on October 16 at the Radisson, the guest speaker was Fr.Thomas Eteneuer – President, Human Life International, who spoke on the topic ’Exorcism and the Church Militant’. With the current trend of too much liberalism and permissiveness, the audience’s interest was enthusiastic as he answered some queries: Is demonic possession real? What makes a person susceptible to diabolical attacks? And what really happens at an exorcism? What most of us know about demons and exorcism comes from Hollywood but what is reality? Fr. Thomas explained some causes of victimization, possession, and then the process of Exorcism. Demonic forces as they are fallen angels; they come in various forms: may come in business suits, games, books, entertainment - lurking in the dark to attack those who allow them. Fr. Eteneuer advised on how to avoid occasions for sins, to be vigilant always, to stay in the state of grace. Avoid practices of vodooism, Ouija boards, and other demonic practices out of curiosity. The Exorcism process should be done by authorized persons only, using the language of the church (Latin) in a set format, with humility and Authority of the Church / God / Holy Spirit! After exorcism, one should grow in holiness, as sign of deliverance and freedom of bondage from the devil. For more info, please visit www. stmike.org.

October / November are months of thanksgiving for the current year and anticipation for the coming year; spent time continuing the series of lunch-outs/ blow-outs with a series of friends and relatives, so it was hard controlling on the calories input; thus, I had to be more committed to my gym work-outs, diet and medication. With the cooler days, it was also time to switch wardrobe, putting on several layering of outfits from the closets.

The delay of this October update is due to computer inaccessibility while on my 4-day sojourn to New Orleans, Louisiana to attend the wedding of my nephew Mark to Sherri Pouyadou (of French descent) at the Loyola University Church, held on October 31, 2009, Saturday, 7:00pm. Why they chose the big Halloween night for their big wedding of 150 guests – their choice – what a way to make a wedding and their anniversaries truly memorable! Since it was my first in that culturally-rich Big Easy state (of Katrina and Brad Pitt fame), I had to maximize immersion into its history and tradition. My flight from Sac on Oct 30 am was via Atlanta (busiest airport in the world with its trams moving you from one concourse to another) was on time, but the flight to New Orleans was delayed due to heavy rains, so I arrived past 10pm, thus unable to attend the rehearsal dinner. My daughter Sarah from NJ, was already checked in at our hotel room and was able to attend dinner, so she updated me on other relatives present asking about me. So I stayed up late that night, bonding and catching up with cousins staying in the same Renaissance Pere Marquette hotel. Anyway, I am on time for the wedding and there to enjoy other life-learning activities. So early Saturday, I joined Grayline tours around Louisiana – the 5-hour Oak Alley Creole Sugarcane Plantation tour and Katrina/ City tour – finishing up an hour before 7pm to prepare for the wedding, to fulfill a social responsibility.

However, when we arrived at church, my sister’s husband (the groom’s father) handed me his video camera and asked me to cover the entire proceedings). As I looked around there was only a still photographer, so I was the only official videographer – just imagine the moving around I did to make an excellent coverage. The wedding was very formal, ensemble/ entourage and guests were very elegant, well-organized to the details, as the bride / groom planned and dreamed about - culminated by all the attendees riding together on a 2-coach tram from the church to the French-style reception, featuring an open bar, cocktails, dancing and speeches – truly fabulous wedding! At the reception, many (on the bride’s side) were asking my Ate who the lady in green (me) was, who did an excellent coverage of the ceremonies, leading and giving the cue to the photographer on the best shots of the proceedings, since I was not at rehearsals; many also offered to take photos with me since I could not be in the church photos. My Ate responded them: ‘She is my sister and she’s an engineer so she can be pushy (whatever that meant?). My Sarah said: Mom, take it as a compliment to your effective work as videographer! Now, I know I do have additional skills and fallback job!

By midnight, most of the guests moved to the French Quarter area where our hotel was, along Bourbon St. where the merry-making costumed people of big Halloween stayed awake till the morning hours. I saw many colorful, weird costumes – some I want to delete from my memory bank! Sarah left early Sunday for her morning flight back to NJ, while I stayed on for Mass at the nearby Immaculate Conception church, then had brunch with other relatives who came from Florida, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, etc. Weddings are truly occasions for reunions and catching up with families you last saw 10, 20, 30, or more years ago, and enjoy listening to various family stories. Well, life is a box of chocolates; you never know what will turn up next!

Attached are 4 photos of: wedding and New Orleans tour. 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

Dear Loved Ones,

Pleasant Greetings from Sacramento, CA! As in Pinas, this month kicks off joyful anticipation of blessed Christmas holidays with carols in the air, thankful celebration for the many blessings received all year round, especially the gift of life and much, much more . . . . !

On Sep. 3, after the 30-min. Q & A in the U.S.- C.I.S. Naturalization process, the officer announced: ‘Congratulations, you have passed all the requirements and we are giving you an advance Birthday gift as you will take your Oath/Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S.A. in ceremonies scheduled on Sept. 17 at the . . . . .!’ On the other hand, Sean had a similar experience with his lady interviewer. At the door, she greeted him thus: “So, you are a varsity volleyball player at CSUS where I got my college degree and a varsity volleyball player too; Is Weidi (their mutual coach) still there?” So Sean felt at ease immediately. After their Q and A which went smoothly, they talked more about their mutual passion Volleyball and their favorite coach. Thus, we were so blessed! The following day, we received our formal notice of the Oath-taking in the mail, which means that the US-CIS staff did all the documentation and posting that very same afternoon (we finished past 2:00pm).

The tough compliance was the 4 years + 1 day continuous stay in the U.S. within a 5-year period, with no foreign trip exceeding 6 months. In my case, it was most difficult so I had to take 2-weeks short trips to Pinas over that period, and God is so generous to allow me to satisfy that requirement. Our Sept. 17 Oath-taking at the Memorial Auditorium was memorable and moving – much diversified group of inductees. Of the 875 new Americans coming from 85 different countries, the top 3 were from India – 103, from Mexico – 115, and from the Philippines – 193, or 22% of total. This statistics is only in Sacramento; with Pinoys scattered all over the country, it would be a similar phenomenon (the fast spreading of Pinoy culture and faith!). After each country was called out, applause followed, proportionate to the representation; so definitely the loudest cheers/claps/shouts were from Pinoys. The ceremonies were very touching and orderly – live performances of patriotic songs, welcome remarks, SSN updates and registration as new voters, among others. Moreover, on that same week, I received the subpoena for my first Jury service scheduled on the 2nd week of October, fulfilling my 1st responsibility as citizen; the other is to vote in elections. This is the efficient American info system – so AMAZING! Emma and Bill, I salute the U.S.P.S. for your very efficient/ speedy services. Thus, I feel so welcome and truly part of American society! I intend to maintain my dual citizenship status, to enjoy the best of both worlds/ cultures.

Therefore, my birthday celebration was marked with so much appreciation and thankfulness to God Almighty for allowing / granting / giving me all these wonderful blessings – good health, fulfilled dreams, among many others. In my Bible study group, we started the series “Journey through the Bible – The Story of Salvation”, an 8-part Bible Timeline, using the guide by Sarah Christmyer and Video by Jeff Cavins, starting with Genesis to Acts of the Apostles (Old and New Testaments). Even as I had read the Bible many times before, you gain fresh insights from the sharings of a new group of persons (20) with their varied profile and life experiences.

On our monthly Catholic Lunch Club held on Sept. 25 at the Radisson, the guest speaker was Dr. Ray Guarendi - Clinical Psychologist, Radio host, and Father of 10 (all adopted) – very remarkable with lots of humor! . The topic was ‘Keep your Children Catholic’ – the parenting myths the experts don’t want you to know. Excerpts: ‘Parents, teachers, and anyone who works with children today are having their confidence, peace of mind, and authority undercut by a number of wide-spread myths that have been pushed on them by the experts, media, and almost everybody else. Dr. Ray offered tips on how to handle them. As usual, I got an autographed copy of his book “Adoption: Choosing It, Living It, and Loving It.’

One of my birthday resolutions is to ‘maximize my learning-for-life on community, society and culture’ through attendance of civic events, like concerts, shows, etc.; the latest was the live performance by the Marine Corps Band at the Capitol grounds. With our inherent musicality and being San Diego-based, there were Pinoys in the band. While I had always enjoyed music, the rendition of patriotic melodies like ‘Semper Fidelis’ and themes of the various military branches brought higher level of perspective for me, this time around – ‘soaking them all in’. Thus, the magical experience and journey continues!

Attached are 4 photos of: Oath-taking, Birthday celeb and Luray experience. 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

Dear Loved Ones,

Pleasant Greetings from Sacramento, CA! Actually, I just got back from New Jersey; the month had been quite hectic for me, especially the 2^nd half-month as I did a lot of travelling to and from the east coast, had some adventurous AMTRAK rides along the 13 original colonies/states, visited new nature spots, meeting up with relatives and friends in the east, and many more.

Actually, the main reason I visited east is upon the request of my daughter Sarah to ‘big-boy sit’ her son MAX while on school vacation at their New Jersey home, to strong-bond with him, which I did pretty well since he calls me lovingly as his ‘Mama Sue of California’ with a nice rolling accent. In between my sitting job, one week-end was spent to visit my UST-Eng batch mate Emma Padaoil, her hubby Bill Bull with their son Charlie. I took the Friday pm AMTRAK ride from the Newark Penn station, and then they met me at the Union station in D.C, and proceeded to their Virginia home. Passing up the standard tourist D.C. spots where I had been in my past visits, Emma brought me to the amazing Luray Caverns (2-hrs drive from their home) where we spent more than 2-hours admiring Nature’s wonders. When I had my Geology class in college, I memorized the definitions of stalactites, stalagmites, igneous, sedimentary rocks, caverns, natural deposits/ formations and many more, but could not visualize their colors, textures, and various characteristics – the total package! The visit provided all the information needed and fulfillment to truly appreciate God’s wonderful and mysterious ways / plans for balance and beauty of His creations! Thanks so much Emma and Bill for bringing me there even if you have to repeat the journey all over again with your previous guests – out of the way and extraordinary!

Since Emma is active in the planning of our Pinas UST-Eng big Feb 2010 as our 40^th year jubilee, she arranged for a video-phone conference with Nilo Daza and Amelia M. We managed to agree to save the dates Feb. 20 – March 5, 2010 for other reunion activities, like out of Manila trips. Then on Sunday, I asked them to bring me to the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception to say prayers and ended up attending Mass (even if we had attended already the Sat anticipated Mass). Well, better to offer God more time than lesser, part of His mysterious Will and Graces! We visited the U.S. Postal Museum (both Emma and Bill work with the US Postal Service) before they brought me back to AMTRAK station. Thanks so much for a wonderful week-end! My visit with them is a reciprocity when they went out of their way to be my 1^st visitor, staying overnight in our new home when we just moved in July 2007, while they were on vacation in CA. Our friendship has come full circle!

The rest of my NJ days were highlighted by visits with other relatives, trips to Filipino food stores like Red Ribbon, Masses at various churches, as on Aug. 28 which is the Feast of St. Augustine, my favorite Doctor of the Church (converted and baptized at age 33 years), the patron Saint of my hometown in Panglao, Bohol. There was a big fiesta celebration even for kababayans in NJ, lots of invitation but I had to beg off due to my main job function. Upon my arrival, Sarah had asked me to cook menudo and pancit so we had Filipino food (in addition to adobo, inihaw, paksiw, etc.) during most of my stay.

Although I was not physically present during our monthly Catholic Lunch Club, held on August 21 at the Radisson Hotel, my friend provided me her notes on that occasion. The guest speaker was Mark Shea, Sr. Content Editor, Catholic Exchange, whose topic was: Care and Feeding of the Lay Catholic Apostle. Lay Catholics are called to do the vast majority of the work in the New Evangelization. He gave tips about the cultural and theological glitches that confront the lay apostle in the 21^st century America; how to deal with the challenges in these times of relativism and much opposition to expressions of faith.

I participated in the on-line Live Video/Chat Streaming during Tita Cory’s Mass and Funeral hosted by GMA7News.TV which lasted 12 hours (6:00pm to 6:00am Sacramento, CA time). Using my Facebook account, I was able to post comments which were shown instantly on the live chat stream, together with the rest coming from around the world. Comments were varied: on the live video, comments to your comments, mostly loving ‘Pasasalamat to Tita Cory’. It was a truly moving and memorable experience! She is truly a courageous and remarkable person; a historical person, we owe her so much; she deserves all the accolades and honor!

Attached are 4 photos of: with my MAX, with Emma in DC, with cousins, Sarah in NJ. 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

Dear Loved Ones,

Pleasant Greetings from Sacramento, CA! We are reminded of Pinas days with 3-digit temperature in the afternoons (4-5pm) but cool air in the mornings/evenings with delta breeze!

The month started with the 233rd Independence Day celebration with fireworks observed in various parts of the SAC area. Since Max’s celebration of his 7^th birthday and his mother Sarah referred us to her facebook account to view recent photos, we (Gerry and myself) had to register our individual accounts in order to be updated. Where before, I only used Sean’s account to view photos, I can now update myself easily on current developments – we are truly electronically connected (with other friends and relatives) globally! Despite the advantages of fb with photo uploading facility and instant comments, I will still continue with my monthly journal/blog, which has its unique feature.

On our monthly Catholic Lunch Club, held on July 24 at the Radisson Hotel Sacramento, our guest speaker was Rev. Fr. Joseph Howard, Jr. – Professor, Bioethics, Moral Theology, and John Paul II Fellow. He spoke on The Catholic Response: Reproductive Choice, Death with Dignity, Stem Cell Research. His discussion provided answers to some questions: What is the most fundamental of rights? How do we respond to the medical and ethical issues confronting us today? How do we present the Catholic response to our friends, families and co-workers? Fr. Howard helped us understand today’s threats to human dignity and how to present the catholic point of view and charity. Grounded in doctrine and guidance on the crucial issues, as well as the most current scientific research, he was uniquely qualified to lead us through this rocky ground. He often used and cited the philosophies of St. Thomas Aquinas as rationale of his treaties, especially on truth, faith, reason, and proofs of God’s existence, for which I am very familiar.

Yesterday, I hosted our monthly OD Circle with a Swimming party at our clubhouse. I had promised our leader to give me the summer month so kids are out of school to come and for them to have fun. Yesterday, we had five adults and more than ten kids enjoy our gathering from 10 to 3 pm. For food, we had hotdogs, siopao, muffins, candies, chips, nuts and various drinks. The kids had real fun and were very appreciative of everything I did – they are looking forward to next summer.

At past 3:00pm today, while Sean and I were having late lunch at Red Lobster, I got a text message from my daughter Sarah (in New Jersey) with the message: “Tita Cory is dead. May she rest in peace!" Shortly thereafter, she followed it up with a call, then we started talking and recalling on our Pinas experiences - attending all the Cory ‘yellow’ rallies from 1983 – 86. Yes, (in her early teens - Sarah, Gerry and I) were committed participants; together with 5 other ‘middle class’ couples from North Fairview, we attended pre/post-election rallies, concerts, and 4-days of EDSA (Radio Veritas, Luneta, NAMFREL counts, EDSA, etc.). We voted in the same NF precinct with Jim Paredes (of APO) who were regular features in the rallies and concerts, so we were quite familiar seeing one another in those events. We were physically in EDSA (every day) when Cory took oath as President, and when Marcos took off for Paoay. We truly thank God for Tita Cory for restoring Democracy in our country!

What happened after that is a different story – considering Cory’s limited expertise and managerial skills – like the brownouts/mismanagement in the power sector, abuses of her cronies, the leftist influences and the power-hungry rightists, among many other problems. Despite everything, she maintained her moral high-ground and spiritual values, for which we are very grateful, remember and pray for. May her soul rest in peace in heaven, AMEN!

I was deeply touched recalling all those events with Sarah on the phone, bringing us back 20-25 years in our mother-daughter bonding, when everything seemed simple, easy, always happy – these are what beautiful memories are made for, and we truly thank GOD for them!!!

Attached are 3 more photos of: 4th of July celebration, OD Cirlcle. 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