Happy Birthday Stephen Felix Grosse!

Oh yes, another year gone by.  A year filled with all things bright and beautiful though tinged with some anxieties and worries but emerging victorious in so many ways.

I had missed some very special days this year because of circumstances beyond my control.  However, I cannot let today which is 20.11.2011 go by without a mention on my blog.

This is my Baby Grosse!

HAPPY BLESSED BIRTHDAY!

MAY YOU ALWAYS KNOW THAT 

YOU ARE LOVED SO VERY MUCH EVERYDAY.

52 years and counting!!!!

From the Baby Queen, Baby Prince and Baby Princess.

Happy Birthday to me!

I want to share some of the birthday greetings sent to me on Facebook and also to keep them here as a remembrance.

From Hani Ibrahim
hope u enjoy the song. Happy birthday, Lita!


From Mel
Hello hello Aunty Lita! :D Happy birthday! May roses bloom wherever you roam! ♥


From Rhett
Feliz cumpleaños a tí Little star .... have a great birthday!! [hope I got that right...:)]





From Sun Line
Goodmorning Facebookers! It's my buddy Estrelita Soliano Grosse's birthday and let's hope it, hallulujah, rains men for her today~ :-)


From Roselyn


What a wonderful day filled with love and wishes from so many.  Wish I could them all here but there were just too many. *big smile*

Thank you for all the love everyone.  Thank you so much.

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Please click on music to listen.  The mushy stuff's below the music clip!



(Youtube clip from here.  Thank you)

It's unthinkable for me to let Stephen's birthday go by without putting up a post.  After all, this blog is my space, my world, my kingdom and my domain.  Stephen is in every inch of it and so very much a part of all I do and say.  

We are different, I don't deny it. 

He likes country music.  I prefer the rhythm and blues.

He is adventurous with food.  I am picky and fussy about it.

He's happy with his wardrobe.  I'm happy expanding mine.

And the list goes on, but he loves me and I love him.

In the end, that's all that matters

Happy Birthday, Baby!  The song is dedicated to you.  

On your special day, I just want to say "Baby, I'm a want you!"

Of drifting, drumming and dreaming

Jared is twenty-four today.  I took this picture of him just a couple of weeks ago when we were in Singapore.  We drove down south and during that time, we talked about everything under the sun.  We have our moments when we share what's in our hearts and minds.  I love those times because it's when I really get to know him better.  We are friends even if we are mother and son.

When his father died, I told him that I had lost my best friend.  I told him that he would be my best friend now.  Being only 4 years old, he didn't really understand and he replied that he wanted to be my son. Little did he know that he has been the best friend I could ever have hoped for!

Drifting

For a while, Jared was drifting around without any direction.  He wasn't afraid to work hard though.  He did whatever job that came along.  Much as I had wanted him to study some more, I didn't want to impose my own dreams on him either.  So I let him be and he found his niche along the way.  Some of life's lessons cannot be taught.  They have to be learnt.  

He did what he could and now he is doing what he enjoys.  He works for his living, plays music and teaches too.  At his age, they can do it all!  He's been adrift but he's always stayed afloat.

Drumming

Jared's love for drums started way before I even knew he had music in his genes.  As a small boy, I don't remember him going around, with chopsticks, playing on pots and pans.  Maybe I wasn't paying too much attention and I didn't notice.  When he was about ten, a musician told me that he's a natural and could be a good drummer.  This was way back when Blues Cafe was around.  Jared was fooling around with the drum set and although I didn't really see his potential, I nodded in delight.  

Then when he was in his early teens, he took part in a music contest in church and the band won the first prize.  It was then that I saw him sitting behind the drum set and playing for the first time.  I was so proud of him because he had done it all on his own.  Practised and gotten everything together without ever bothering me for anything.  I saw it as a sign of independence and determination.  He knew what he wanted and he set out to do it on his own.  Today, he's quite an accomplished drummer.  He still has some ways to go but certainly, he’s on his way.  

Dreaming

What would life be, if we didn't have dreams?  I don't know what Jared dreams about.  I don't even think about it at all except that today is his birthday, and I wonder what his aspirations are and what he sees, for himself, in his future.  When I was 24, I didn't even have a dream or illusions about my life.  Well, I was married when I was 24.  Today's world sees people tying the knot much later in life.  I don't suppose that Jared will be marrying soon.  The world is his oyster.  He lives in a happy world, surrounded by family and friends who love him dearly.  

I wonder what awaits him in the year ahead.  Today heralds a new year for him.  For him, it is a fresh beginning and leaving the past behind, in order to be able to see new twists and turns in the road of life.  If all he ever achieves in life is knowing good from bad and right from wrong, then I think it is enough.  Too many think that they need to have more or to have it all.  They think that when they accumulate money, titles, degrees and properties, it makes them better.  In my opinion, it doesn't.

I'm his mom but many will agree with me that Jared is a good person without a bad bone in his body.  In today's environment, that is an achievement.

Well-done, son!  Happy Birthday!

D and I love you so much and we are so very proud of the person you have become.

Letter to my Dad - Tony Soliano

Following in the footsteps of Antares, who paid a tribute to his dad on his birthday, I thought I'd do something similar but different.  

Today would have been my dad's 77th birthday.  So here is a letter I wrote him!

Dear D,

I know you've always liked that I called you D.  Perhaps everyone thought it was a shortened version of Daddy.  But you and I know it was not.

I found this picture of you and your brothers.  I love this picture. I made copies and sent it to them some years ago.  You all looked so happy.  As usual, you had to be the outstanding one with the dark glasses!

Today would have been your 77th birthday.  It's almost 20 years since you died.  There are days when I don't think of you at all.  Then, there are also days when I suddenly miss you so much.

I have millions of tiny memories of you.  I guard them safely in my mind and pick at them when I need a smile.  

Often I wonder what you would have thought of your six children, and the choices we had made after you had gone.  You'll be happy to know that we are all quite close and we stay in touch.  

I still remember that day when Rindra called to tell me the news but I was feeding Eric and Jared took the call.  Rindra asked me to call back and I could hardly breathe when he told me.

It was very hard for all of us.  We each grieved in our own way and drifted apart but we have all remained in touch and, I might add, with strong sibling bonds.  It has to be our love and respect for you that binds us all.

At that time, Sheila Majid's song "Lagenda" hit the scene and although the rest of Malaysia thought of P. Ramlee, I could only think of you whenever I heard that song.  The lyrics seemed so very appropriate for you too.  Tears pricked my eyes when I realised that I’d never ever see you again.

from here

Your grandson, Jared loved the fact that I called you "D".  He now uses the same term of endearment for his dad.  Jared remembers you fondly as the one who drank the "black beer".  You used to love your Guinness Stout!

Long ago when we wanted to attend a party during our early teens and mom told us to come home by ten.  We lamented and appealed to you.  Immediately, you told us that we could go but to return home before the sun rises in the morning.  Those were magical words for us.  The trust we got from you and the pride we felt at this "unlimited" permission to party.

So many things remind me of you: a piano, jazz music, jokes, love and laughter.

Yet, it's the little things that jog my memory as I go about my life.

Whenever I eat the salted egg, I always think of you.  Yes, it's my favourite memory of you and me.  You'd take the yolk and pass the salty white part to me.  I'd often told this to whoever was having a meal with me.  It probably sounded like an inconsequent remark to them but it was a moment that made me remember you and made me smile.

You don't know but of all the pieces of jewellery that I have, the one I treasure the most is a gold chain that you gave me for my 21st birthday.  To me, it's the most precious and valuable piece I own.  Once I thought I had lost it and I felt sick with my own carelessness.  Fortunately, it had dropped on the kitchen floor and when I found it, I was so relieved.  I've kept it safely now.  

Happy Birthday, D.

You are gone but not forgotten.

I love you and suddenly I miss you so very much.

Much love from your daughter

Lita

The "F" word

Finally! (No, that's not the "F" word). Finally, I'm 51.  

The "F" word is the FIFTIES.  

I remember being very excited turning 50. I guess I must have used up all the excitement then. This time, and it's the first time, I wasn't really excited about my birthday. It's my 51st birthday.  In roman numerals it would be LI.  

Yes, I'm aware that it's not a milestone. 50 is the turning point but not 51. Is that the reason why I am not excited? I don't really know.

I did feel the need to shop and get new stuff and that always leaves me with a feeling of great satisfaction. Unrelated to my birthday because I can feel the need for shopping at the drop of a hat and it always makes me happy.

I distinctly remember that when I was 46, I hatched a plan to write a letter to my mom, my dad and an aunt telling them how much I appreciate them, love them and saying how they had influenced me. I thought that it would be great to prepare the letter and give it to them when I turned 50.

It was not a difficult task. When I finished writing those letters, I felt very happy with myself. Then, I decided that I shouldn't wait. What if one of them died before I turned 50? What if I died first? Would anyone find these letters? It was then that I felt there was no need to wait. Yet, all four of us were alive when I celebrated my 50th birthday. Who was to know?

Anyway, every opportunity we have to show love, give love, plan love should be impromptu. There should be no time line and certainly no dead line.

The FIFTIES brings changes. Menopause, being one of them, can be a bitch and it will happen to every woman. Some come out of it unscathed and others may have a terrible period of adjustment and in serious cases, need hormone replacement therapy. However, it also marks the era when you can finally decide not to take any shit from anybody anymore. Know that this is liberating.

For me, reaching the fifties has always been an unconscious goal. It seemed to be the final hurdle I had to conquer. It meant the end of all my debts. It meant the culmination of 31 years of continued work. For a short span of time, I even considered retiring. Only good friends and a great network of family members helped me see that I can still do a lot to contribute to society. Their gentle words of advice and comments gave me the impulse to consider working for a little bit more. I have the earning power and I have the knowledge and capabilities to carry on. I think the option that I could just stay home tomorrow and not work anymore is wonderful. I have a choice. I am grateful for that.

The FIFTIES doesn’t fall in the same category as the “F” word as we all know it.

There is a freedom that comes with being in your FIFTIES that is very refreshing.

So with that said, HAPPY FIFTIES to me! It ain’t half bad! 

21 March 2009

Happy 50th Birthday! But who's counting?

I decided to add this song because it epitomises what I am feeling right now, enjoy it while you read this post!


youtube credit

I travelled across half of peninsula Malaysia, a 5-hour journey, to reach Singapore, before midnight so that I could be with the one I love.

Was it an arduous journey? No,it wasn’t, as I only had to sit and doze throughout. Thoughts of reaching my destination and being with the man who greets me with that twinkle in his eye makes it all worthwhile.

He’s 50 today. It’s no big deal, age is just in the mind. Isn’t everyone bandying the phrase “50 is the new 30”?

So this blog post has to be all about him and I’ll start with adjectives that best describes him.

S – SEXY
T – TALENTED
E – EXCITING
P – PROTECTIVE
H – HANDSOME
E – ENERGETIC
N – NAUGHTY

G – GENEROUS
R – ROMANTIC
O – OUTSTANDING
S – SINCERE
S – SPONTANEOUS
E – ENDEARING

He’s all that and more. He’s kind, witty, caring and loving. I really lucked out when I met him. My life is filled with so much joy because of him.

Thank you for every moment of happiness.

Happy Birthday, Baby Grosse!

Of Being 50

Even before my birthday, I was already excited about it.

Thanks to my sweet boss, I had a pre-birthday lunch celebration with my colleagues at the Lake Club. The food was so delicious and the company was really great. It is nice to be able to interact with colleagues on a social level and find that apart from official matters, we have much in common.

When the lunch was over, one of my colleagues asked me what it meant to me to be 50. I was stumped for a couple of seconds. Although I did reply, something insignificant, almost immediately, his question did set me thinking a bit more about it.

So what does being 50 mean to me?

Physically: I think I look okay. Many have told me that I still look great. Okay, admittedly the body could be in better shape. However, I enjoy good health. I am not so out of my mind as to think I can pull off wearing a tight body hugging lycra outfit. I believe I dress sensibly and comfortably. I still look good in some outfits.

Emotionally: I’ve come a long way, for sure. I see life and love differently. I don’t take people or anything for granted. I enjoy living and I make the most out of it. I have learnt to be happy even when there is sadness around me. I believe that I am quite strong emotionally.

Intellectually: I realise that being 50 doesn’t mean I know everything. I don’t. I do know that there’s still so much more to learn. There’s a lesson in every meeting, every encounter and every situation. Anytime is a good time to be stimulated intellectually. Age is no barrier if the will is there.

Sexually: Hmmmm. Hmmmmm. Who said it’s the end of the road when you turn 50? Don’t you believe it?

Financially: To have been working since I was 19 has given me some sort of stability. I know it’s not what makes life count. However, it is an intangible “reward” to be able to look back with some pride, at having been able to fend for oneself.

In a nutshell, being 50 is no different from being 20 or 30 or 40. It’s just that, for me, I had looked forward to this day for a long time. Why? I don’t exactly know!

Maybe for me, it’s like a checkpoint. Somewhat like when I go to Singapore. We go through the Tuas Checkpoint to make sure everything is in order. So being 50 was my checkpoint. To see if I’ve done what I had set out to do in life. If not, to get back on track. It’s also to see if I’ve made my life count. Not really by anything global but by the thousands of little good deeds here and there and everywhere. Plus it’s a great time to check the relationships that need mending and tending. Being 50 is just as good a time as any to do that.

Over the last 50 years, I’ve been terribly sad but I’ve also been deliriously happy. What I remember most from those years is the good times. It’s the memories that keep me grounded. It’s the love and support of family and friends that keep me going. It’s the only reason to celebrate life and living.

Birthday After Thoughts

I just love being 50. Doesn't it show?

Often, we let the chances to enjoy the love of family pass us by. Sometimes it is because time is unavailable and opportunities to do so are ignored.

However, there are occasions when time and opportunity meet and a beautiful moment can happen. It happened to me.

My day started with a visit to the Matriarch of the family. Giving her the due respect she deserves.

I had no grand illusions about celebrating my birthday. I just chose to visit my dad's eldest brother, Rufino Soliano and his effervescent wife, Shirley.

It was the first time that Jared would be meeting them and I just wanted to spend the day in the company of family and loved ones. However, the topic came to birthdays and when they enquired about mine, they were stunned that I had not mentioned it.

It wasn’t something planned but as it turned out, there was a cake! Their daughter, Jacinta brought it later in the evening as a surprise. It was really sweet of them to make it so memorable.

I think that, at any age, love is the best gift of all. But when you are 50, you begin to appreciate its value even more.

Being connected by the blood ties and surrounded by the strong feeling of loving and being loved on a day when you reach half a century is, for me, the only way to really enjoy the celebration of life and, of course, of love.

In my heart, I know that an ideal day would be with ALL loved ones, but when that cannot happen, then even a select group can make up for those absent or missing.

Stephen and me with Uncle Rufino and Aunt Shirley.

Jared with his Grand Uncle and Grand Aunt.

Jared having an impromptu lesson.

The celebration carried on to the next day at Jacinta's home. This time with music.

In the Soliano family, music runs in their veins.

Music and singing is second nature to the Solianos.

Jacinta prepared a lovely tea and dinner for us. Lovely not only being so delicious but prepared with love.

Rufino, now retired, is an icon in the music industry. He was with RTS and SBC as the Music Director and Composer for decades. He has been involved with music since his mid-teens. He is a walking encyclopedia of everything there is to know of old school music.

In the two days that we spent there, I think Jared had the best time of his life. Getting to know more of his roots and also to get first-hand advice from the grand master. Watching them interact, with only the language of music and love, was the best present for my 50th birthday.

Special thanks Uncle Rufi, Aunt Shirley to Jacinta, Aunty Corrine, Clarissa, Naomi, Timothy and Tipper for their wishes and their love.

50 years! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm 50 today. How I've waited for this day? Some women are afraid of reaching half a century. Not me! I've been so anxious for this day to arrive.

I reckon it's like celebrating the 21st birthday. Everyone waits for it, to get the so-called key to freedom.

Celebrating my 50th birthday is such a milestone for me. It's a privilege. Some don't get the chance to reach it.

I'm just deliriously happy. I'm with my loving family. What more could I ask for?

Today is the beginning of a new chapter for me.

Note: some birthday photos will be posted soon.

Of Bouquets, Brickbats and Birthdays

First, the bouquet:

He’s my best friend. He’s the first to cheer me on when I’m down. He’s a staunch supporter of my blog. He’s kind, cheerful and generous. In short, he’s a good man, from whichever way you see him.

Then, the brickbat:

He can be my worst critic. He can be crude too (which I disapprove of). He can sometimes have a devil-may-care attitude. He won’t pull punches if you step on his toes. In short, don’t mess with him.

Now, the birthday:

Happy Birthday, Baby!

I just think that it is appropriate for me to declare, to all my blog readers, that I love you. Sort of like a cyber gift! Don’t be embarrassed okay! I know you are smiling!

May God continue to bless my dearest husband with abundant love, joy and happiness forever and a day.