Family news

Tomorrow is the fiesta of the Three Kings, the patron saint of our parish church (Our small chapel is St Lawrence, but the larger church is Three Kings).

The celebration is tomorrow, but will start today, so the church was crowded. We got there late, so no seats. Lolo is in his 80's, so pushed in and people moved to let him sit, but I didn't want to do this (I am about the only white lady in town, and although I get dizzy standing for long times, I didn't want to pull rank). So I sat on the steps leading to the choir loft in the back of church, among the crowds standing there who also didn't find seats. That let me keep an eye on Lolo. I don't understand the sermon, but since I date back before Vatican II, hearing mass in another language is no problem: I can follow the words enough to know what prayers are being said.

Here, people come and go all the time: mainly with kids but also old people. And outside, a million vendors, with holy statues and rosaries, dyed sparrows and balloons and small toys for your kids, and  small fragrant flower leis to put on your statues.

I always buy my sampaguita from the same vendor, but today was busy with Lolo, so she caught up to me so I could buy it. I appreciated it: It's not as if she won't sell her entire stock before the end of the day.

The rest of the family is protestant, so they aren't into papist stuff. So instead of celebrating a fiesta, Ruby will do "praise dancing" instead, something I find absurd but the young folks like it.