grass green with envy

my mom annabella and my sisters anna and blanca anne (yes, we like the name anna. two grand kids sport a variation of the name. hey, my super secret real name is even a mutation of it) visited still another sister (yes, aside from having too many annas, we have too many girls in the family) based in Connecticut in the US of A in March.

in the photo above are, from left to right, my gorgeous sisters anna and blanca, my mom (why are you wearing a purple puffy jacket mommy?), and a very pretty....cousin? that means my sister girlie was being a gracious host and taking pictures.

mother is still there, abandoned in part by my sisters because of their careers but mostly because they want to retain their sanity for a couple more years.

my mom. she bought a pillow to bring home to the philippines. it now patiently waits curled inside a balikbayan box in the sala of an aunt in new jersey. just an ordinary pillow, not the goose down filled variety. just an ordinary made-in-china pillow you will find for sure in the famous shoppers' chain of stores of zamboanga.

anyone else would have used that space taken up by the pillow for bringing home make-up, chocolates, and star, people, us weekly, and enquirer magazines. but my mom. she is the opposite of anyone else. and you are supposed to let her be. that is the rule.

i don't know what that gray building behind them is. but doesn't the grass remind you of a tennis ball? it's almost neon green.

my sister anna visits on average two countries a year. my sister blanca has travelled the world. her husband used to be captain of an ocean-going ship, for crying out loud. my mom leaves zamboanga probably every two months.

like the rest of the family, i am infected with the wanderlust too. but you know what is so beyond pathetic? the farthest i have ever been to is hongkong. syet.