To all those young at heart, here’s a reminder of those long forgotten happy days. Close your eyes and listen to Bobby Vinton or Jim Reeves’ rendition of the beautiful song fit for Valentine’s Day.
A long, long time ago,on graduation dayYou handed me your book,I signed this way“Roses are red, My Love,Violets are blueSugar is sweet, My LoveBut not as sweet as you.”We dated through high school,And when the big day came,I wrote into your book,next to my name:“Roses are red, My Love,Violets are blue,Sugar is sweet, My Love,But not as sweet as you.”Then I went far away, and you found someone new.I read your letter, Dear, and I wrote back to you:“Roses are red, My Love,Violets are blue,Sugar is sweet, My Love,Good luck, may God bless you.”Is that your little girl?She looks a lot like you.Someday some boy will writein her book, too.“Roses are red, My Love,Violets are blue,Sugar is sweet, My Love,But not as sweet as you.”
Mom & Dad on the back terrace overlooking the backyard at the 50th wedding anniversary
My mom, Fausta (Pacing) Rosales, lovingly called Lola by her grandchildren, passed away on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019. She was 96 years old, a month shy of her 97th birthday on Dec. 16. She was the last among her nine siblings to pass on.
I thank you Mom for all the years you loved and took care of my three brothers and me, our spouses and your grandchildren, for your love and loyalty to Dad, for your zest for life and the courage to tackle all adversities that life brought upon you and your family.
I remember stories you told me about my struggle with meningitis when I was two years old. You and Dad and my doctor godmother pulled me through otherwise I would have died. When I was five, all my playmates were all in school but I was too young to enroll in 1st grade but you convinced the teacher to let me just sit in class without grading me. I was admitted and ended up getting 80 at the end of the school year and got promoted to 2nd grade. As I became a teenager and through my twenties, you were my ally when I had problem with Dad about boys. When I was reviewing for my CPA board exam, you were there making sure I ate right to sustain my long days and nights reviewing for my exams. When I left home, you were heartbroken but let me go to pursue my ambition. You knew I would be OK in New York. You were always supportive of what I wanted to do. You were easy to deal with than Dad who was very strict but both of you made me the person I am today because of your strict discipline. Thank you.
Here is my family when I left home for New York in 1967, taken at Manila International Airport.
(left to right) – My three brothers, Robert, Radelo, Renato, Me (Rosalinda), Mom and Dad. All four of us have the same initials – R.A.R.
Here we are again in May 1993 for Mom and Dad’s 50th wedding anniversary.
Left to right: Me, Rene, Eddie, Dad and Mom with Robert’s family – Stacy, Rose (Robert’s wife) and Stephen. Taken at home in the backyard in front of the extension built before our homecoming.
After I got married, you came to U.S. for the first time, after my first child was born. You stayed for a month to be with your first grandchild and later when I decided to go back to work, you stayed with me for four years until the boys are old enough not to have a babysitter. During those days, when my kids called her “Lola”, people asked me why my children called their grandmother by her first name. I had to explain that “Lola” is the Filipino word for Grandma.
Every time, I moved to a new home, you were around to give me a helping hand on my move. Mom was a well-seasoned traveler, traveling back and forth from the Philippines every two years. Mom enjoyed her U.S. trips to visit us all, alternating her stay between each of her four children. When she got tired of one, she went to the next one. We will always remember those happy times during our family gathering at Thanksgiving and Christmas at my home. Mom could get into an argument with one of my brothers who loved to tease her and she would use a few phrases she picked up staying with my other two brothers in New Jersey. We roared with laughter. She was feisty and hilarious. She loved meeting my American friends and always with a smile on her face. The last visit was when we first came to see our new home in Charleston in 2008. Our third bedroom is still called “Lola’s room” because she was the first one to occupy it.
My mom had a good life with few hardships during the war and in between Dad’s downturn in his business. She was the favorite among her siblings as she was growing up. She was a beautiful lady and Dad fell in love with her even before they met. Dad saw her picture in a magazine. Below was the original copy and the picture that Dad fell in love with.
Their love story was the theme of my first book, “Bahala Na, Come What May”. She was also featured in my other book, “The Iron Butterfly”, her mother’s life story. The book cover is a chopped copy of Mom’s photo.
When Dad married her after 4 years of courtship, Dad got her a maid even before I was born. We don’t consider ourselves rich but we are comfortable. Dad built Mom a nice home which has been the envy of the town. It’s made of granite, marble and steel and it has fared very well during typhoons and earthquakes.
She loved sewing and I had to have tons of sewing projects for her to do during her stay with me. Otherwise, she got bored. I still have the sewing machine she used and I was hoping for years that she would come back because I still have tons of fabric for her to do some work. She made curtains and slipcovers, did alterations for me, fixed buttons, mended things and made some of my early clothes.
One thing she was not an expert is cooking. Since she always had a maid, she very rarely cooked. But she was a big help to Dad in his business by taking care of the books. She was very organized and constantly in motion. She was a strong and confident woman. You would not dare cross her path because she would have something to say. She always stood her ground and we love her for that. Maybe that was the key to longer life.
She is now with Dad who left us in 2007. Dad must be smiling to welcome her in his arms once more.
I love you Mom and will miss you terribly. I wish I was there with you to send you off safely home to God and Dad. Rest in peace and thank you for everything
This month as we celebrate Valentine’s Day, it is interesting to note that the rose is not only a symbol of love but a symbol of discretion. Legend has it that Cupid gave a red rose to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to bribe him to secrecy over the dalliance of Venus and so the red rose become the symbol of discretion, love, passion and romance. Roses were henceforth painted on the ceilings of banquet halls to remind all gathered there that whatever was said there, should not be repeated which became the expression sub rosa (under the rose).
Another legend says that while Aphrodite was running to the dying Adonis, she was scratched by a rose bush and her blood falling on the roses turn it red. Other account says that Adonis turned his blood into red roses.
Whatever legend strikes your fancy, there is nothing in our garden at this time of the year but the florist and even the supermarket stores are selling roses grown in South America so there is no excuse not to give red roses for Valentine’s Day.
And how did Valentine’s Day get started?
A certain Bishop Valentine started it to replace the Roman festival of Lupercalia. There were several Bishops of Valentine but nobody is really certain as to who is the real Bishop Valentine. But whoever he is, the tradition continues and we celebrate this day exchanging gifts and greetings between our loved ones, friends, family but mostly lovers.
During the Victorian era, valentine cards were mostly decorated with old-fashioned roses. Even today, valentines are still associated with roses. For Valentine’s Day, red roses are arbitrarily the most popular flower.
There are several red roses in the market nowadays but I can recommend some tried and true varieties that grow very well in the garden. Plant some of them and give your Valentine red roses again in June.
Here are my favorites:
Firefighter – dark red rose
Ingrid Bergman – dark red rose
Lasting Love – dark red rose
Let Freedom Ring – medium red rose
Mister Lincoln – dark red rose
Olympiad – medium red rose
Veterans’ Honor – dark red rose
A bouquet of red roses from my garden last growing season.
For the romantic at heart, here is a lovely poem by Robert Burns (1759-1796).
There isn’t an American who is not affected by that tragedy at the New York Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. Everyone who died in that tragedy left someone behind who loved them. Rose is a flower of love. To honor and pay tribute to all the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Sue Casey of Portland, Oregon formed an organization called Remember Me” Rose Gardens to create three rose gardens on or near the sites of the terrorist attacks in New York, at the Pentagon and at a field in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County in Pennsylvania.
The intent of “Remember Me” Rose Garden” is to affirm love and life year after year with the blooming of each rose bush. It is a national opportunity for us to remember the fallen and celebrate life, liberty and freedom through roses.
There will be 11 roses to be selected for the “Remember Me” Rose Garden”. So far the following roses have been chosen:
“Firefighter” – In September, 2003, “Remember Me” Rose Garden announced “Firefighter” the first of the eleven roses to be named. “Firefighter” is a red hybrid tea rose to honor the 343 firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
“Soaring Spirits” – In September, 2004 “Remember Me” Rose Garden announced “Soaring Spirits”, the second rose to be named. “Soaring Spirits” is a new cream pink and yellow striped climbing rose to honor the more than 2,000 people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 as they worked in the World Trade Center Towers.
“We Salute You” In September, 2005 “Remember Me” Rose Garden announced “We Salute You”, the third to be named. “We Salute You” is an orange/pink hybrid tea to honor the 125 service members, employees, and contract workers who died in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
“Forty Heroes” On April 27, 2006 “Remember Me” Rose Garden announced in New York City, “Forty Heroes”, a beautiful golden yellow floribunda named for the crew and passengers of United Flight 93. Courageously they fought back forcing hijackers to crash the plane in rural Pennsylvania instead of the intended target in Washington, D.C., changing the course of history.
“The Finest” is a beautiful white hybrid tea rose that honors the 23 NYPD Officers lost in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. These 23 NYPD Officers, in their dedication to protect the lives of fellow citizens, gave the ultimate sacrifice-their lives. “The Finest” honors the NYPD.
“Patriot Dream” honors the 64 people who were the crew and passengers on American Airlines Flight 77 when it crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. A family member of the Flight 77 crew suggested the name for this beautiful salmon colored rose. “Patriot Dream” is a shrub rose with a light fruity fragrance. “Patriot Dream” will be planted at the three Washington, D.C. schools who had students and teachers aboard Flight 77.
“Survivor’s Rose” The name “Survivor” was suggested by a group of Survivors’ who worked in the World Trade Center. Lead by JoAnn Pedersen, the group said there could be no other name for the dark pink rose. The survivors who made it out of the World Trade Center helped rescue others, aiding in their escape down the stairwells before the Towers collapsed. At the Pentagon, survivors struggled to reach safety after Flight 77 crashed into the building. Ordinary people became heroes to one another.
“Wings of Courage”, a beautiful butter yellow rose with a halo of white petals. It is mildly scented and can have up to thirty blooms at one time. “Wings of Courage” is named in honor of the crew and passengers of American Airlines Flight 11 which struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001.
Today is National Red Rose Day. A red rose conjures of romantic love, passion, respect and courage. In celebration of the National Red Rose Day, I’m listing the red roses in my garden. I have 21 red roses, 17 varieties.
Do you miss Downton Abbey? Don’t despair. You’ll love my latest book, “The Wentworth Legacy – A Long Island Novel”. Take a look at the way of life of the rich during the Roaring Twenties. Take advantage of the pre-order price of “The Wentworth Legacy” in Kindle, available now at Amazon.com. Price will go up on the Release Date which is Aug. 20, 2016.
A big surprise awaits Spencer A. Wentworth, a young scion of a wealthy old banking family of New York when he returns from the Grand Tour.
With the stock market about to crash, he is worried he might lose everything including his ancestral home. Can he find a way to avoid bankruptcy? Will the family lose everything in the wake of the Depression?
Not only are his finances in big trouble but his personal life is a mess and so is that of his sister, Emma, who is caught in a love triangle which ends in a tragedy. Will brother and sister ever find happiness in love?
A tale of responsibility, love, betrayal, suspense and redemption during the Gilded Age.
Give Mom a Book She’ll Enjoy for Mother’s Day– The Iron Butterfly by Rosalinda R Morgan
Mother’s Day is May 8 this year. What a great idea to present her with a book about a young mother unconditional love for her nine young children and the great sacrifice she made to keep them all together when she was left penniless after her husband died. Read about her struggles to be in business dominated by men. Will she be able to break the barrier?
When the Depression hits the colonies, Regina Buendia is confronted with more problems about money. How is she going to survive with money so tight?
Read about her adventures in the business world, her heartaches and the outbreak of WWII. Get your copy today!
This year’s Valentine Day is different for me. After 46 years of marriage, what is there to give? Roses? No. I like fragrant roses from my garden. Chocolates? I like See’s Candies but they are not sold in South Carolina. Diamond? Not my kind of stone. I like pearls and colored stones. I want none of those things. Basically, we don’t exchange gifts on Valentine’s Day through the years. We both believe that we should give gifts whenever we want. Not just on Valentine’s Day. This year, I just want good health for me and my husband.
My husband has been sick on and off since May of last year. On Feb.1, 2016, I had to rush him to ER at Roper Hospital in West Ashley, Charleston because he thought he was dying and had a hard time breathing. A few hours later, they transferred him to the ICU at Roper Hospital in Downtown Charleston for kidney failure. His kidney was not functioning at all. Zero. He was in ICU for 5 days. He is still in the hospital. We are not rich and I dread to see how much his hospital bill will be when he gets out. I have no idea how we will be able to pay for it. Without dialysis the doctor said he will live 2-3 months but with dialysis he could live for a long time and lead a normal life. He will be on dialysis for the rest of his life.
I would like to give him back his health as my Valentine Day’s gift to him and that includes paying his medical bills. I would appreciate it very much if you can help me. I’m not asking for donation. Nothing of the sort. I’m asking people to buy either one of my two books available at www.amazon.com/author/rosalindarmorgan to help me pay for his medical bills.
BAHALA NA (Come What May), a WWII story based on my father’s life during WWII. BAHALA NA literally means Leave it to God.
The Iron Butterfly, a story of a young widow with nine young children to support based on my grandmother’s life.
The little royalty I will get from them will ease the burden of my husband’s tremendous medical bills. If you cannot afford the paperback, BAHALA NA on Kindle is only $0.99. Everything counts.
Rosalinda R Morgan 