A Glimpse of my Family Back Home

I am happy that my youngest sister went to Bicol and got to see my Mom. She took a lot of pictures and I was able to see my Mom even just in photos. I was also able to talk to them for over an hour on the phone. I would have loved to video chat with them but the cellphone signal in the hotel where my sister was staying was very poor. They even have to go out the hotel for me to be able to connect with them.  

I am glad that my Mom is getting used to wearing her eyeglasses.  She used to suffer with massive headaches and  she couldn't figure out  what's causing it and finally we told her to go to the eye doctor and it  fixed the issue.  I feel so bad that we didn't   do that early on.  That's what  frustrate me for being so far away, I can't do things to help my  Mom that I would normally do  right away if I am there.  Living here on the other side of the world is tough especially when it comes to my Mom because I know  that she is in her age now where she  needs us.   My youngest sister   works in Manila now so  it's  also  difficult for her to see my Mom often  because of her work. My Mom told me some stuff about my brother that made me  upset.  The way they treat  my Mom is  unacceptable.  She is no slave to anybody so she doesn't have to do anything for them.  If raising them was not enough then what is.   I know that my Mom is a very loving and understanding person but  some of my siblings just  abuse that kindness  and it makes me mad.  She is now 64 years old and should be  enjoying her  age without  having to think of raising another kid but one of my sisters just don't have the capacity to be a responsible parent.   Sometimes, I  questioned her decision to  continuously help my siblings but I guess that is how a mother should be.  She would help her kids no matter the circumstance is.   Anyway, all I can do is to support her, after all she  raised me to be a responsible individual.  I miss and love her very ,much.  I wish she would agree for me to bring her here.
I found this video that made me miss   the place   where I grew up  in the Philippines.  It makes me happy but   feeling homesick.

Visiting Loved Ones at the Cemetery During #MothersDay

After attending mass at the church, we ate    dinner at Theo Yianni's, and then  we  proceeded to  the Chapel Hill Cemetery to visit   loved ones ( my husband's parents and two brothers.)  We usually visit my FIL  on special occasions when he was still around and this was the first time that we celebrated without him so we went to the cemetery to visit them.  

 I had to take my shoes off because it was   slushy and muddy due to the rain from previous days.

 I wish that I could have met my MIL but I wasn't able to come  before she passed.  I did talk to her on the phone when I was still in my country and she seemed really nice.

 It's sad to think that  my FIL won't be around anymore for my children's graduations and other occasion but  I hope that he would be looking down still.

 

I am thankful for the gift of  life, for my children, for my husband and for the good life we live here on earth.  I pray that I would still be around to witness  my  children's  different   stages in life and hope to see grandchildren in the future.  My prayer for Mother's Day is that, may the good Lord   blessed my children good health and may they  grow up to be good people and be successful in life.  

Music Workbooks for Teaching

If you are a professional musician, you probably supplement your income by teaching privately. You could be teaching an instrument, theory, or songwriting. Some people make a very good living doing this. You can too if you become a great teacher that both adults and kids want to learn from. 

Teaching is one of the most important things you can do as a musician. Without the people to help pass on the tradition to the next generation, music wouldn't be what it is today. Behind every great musician is a superb teacher that taught them the ins and outs of what it means to be great and how to always strive for more. Educating others about music can be just as rewarding as performing in many instances. Here are some tips to help you improve as a teacher so you can get the most out of both your students and yourself. 

- Continue to Perform - Many teachers get locked into teaching and ignore their performing career. This is understandable given the kind of living that can be made teaching private lessons, but you should still make every effort you can to play live. This will leave you more inspired to teach others because you are realizing the true joy of performing in public. 

- Personalize Lessons - Each student learns differently. This is as true with music as it is with any other topic. The best private lessons instructors make sure that each lesson is tailor-made to that particular student, making sure that each player gets the most out of each lesson. You want your clients to get their money's worth and this is the best way to do it. 

- Continue Your Own Studies - The best teachers are that way because they are students themselves. By constantly striving to learn and grow, you will remain both inspired and inspiring. Also, if your students see you practicing and trying to get better, they will take you more seriously as a teacher. Music is a lifelong pursuit and should be treated that way. Never take it for granted. There are countless music workbooks for teaching to take advantage of. 

Teaching private lessons shouldn't just be a side job that you use to make money. It should be yet another passion that you have within the discipline. Those that teach are some of the most important individuals in the tradition and are responsible for moving the tradition forward. If you aren't taking it seriously, you are doing a disservice to your students. 

Honoring a WW2 Veteran with 21 Gun Salute

As I have mentioned in my last post, we visited my FIL on President's Day and we noticed that he was very skinny already and he  didn't really want to  talk.  He didn't even want to  do anything.  By then, we knew that something was  wrong.  A week after that, he was rushed to the  emergency at Trinity hospital.   The doctor said that he   had a flu then a  a sepsis, a life-threatening complication of an infection. .  Sepsis occurs when chemicals released in the bloodstream to fight an infection trigger inflammation throughout the body. This can cause a cascade of changes that damage multiple organ systems, leading them to fail.  He stayed there for  over a week, he got better, he even  got up one time and said " Get me out of here".  I think that was his way of saying  that he is ready to go because  after that, his internal organs started to shut down.

Here at Trinity #hospital to visits FIL . We were informed that he has the flu.

A post shared by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Mar 1, 2017 at 3:46pm PST

On March 10th, I was attending a school mass at church and I had this feeling of uneasiness. When the mass was over, I was very surprised to see my husband outside the church. He said that he got a message from his niece that Dad's condition turned for the worse.  He was transferred to the hospice.   He passed away the next day (March 11th).  It was hard saying goodbye to him because he was a great father to his kids, a great grandpa to his grand kids, and a great  FIL.  However it was a relief that his sufferings has finally ended. He lived a long  but  wonderful life.

My FIL, Jennings worked for Weirton Steel for 35 years. He proudly served in the United States Army, where he received a bronze star.  World War 2 veterans is slowly thinning out.  Not many of them are still alive.  He was honored with a 21-gun salute during his  burial.  

I have never seen my husband   get so emotional with anything so it was  humbling to see him grieved for his Dad.  Even though we  kind of expected my FIL's passing, it was still very hard for all of us.  I guess, when a person that dies have touched so many lives during his lifetime, it's hard to let go.  

The funeral services was  done by Greco-Hertnick.  The viewing was March 14th and he was laid to rest  on March 15th at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.

Relatives and friends from  nearby states came to give their last respect  to him.  Funerals is always a sad time but most of the times, you get to see  family and friends that you haven't seen for a long time.  

Dad's younger sister  sister from Ohio was really heartbroken.  They were very close.

The #21GunSalute🔫 made us so emotional.

A post shared by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Mar 15, 2017 at 12:17pm PDT

I am so glad that before my PC crashed, I was able to upload these photos because now, I can't access my documents.  This computer won't even read my camera chip anymore.  I was able to fix some issue and able to use it to post but I still can't access my documents. I am not a very techy person so I don't like when this happens. I have to figure out how to access my documents again because I have so many photos and videos that I need to back up and save to a portable drive. I should have not put it aside but that's what happens when you exercise mañana habit.

President's Day Visit to my FIL at Gables Care Center

Our  children and my husband were all  off  on President's day so we all went  to Gables Care Center where my father-in-law is being taken care of.  The old folks have just got done  eating lunch when we got there so  we were  glad to  see  my FIL awake, however, he was already dozing off.  I think he was given   his medicine  after he ate so  he was falling asleep as we were talking to him.  He didn't talk very much, we let him take  a nap.

 We noticed that Dad lost some weight since our last visit.   I feel bad  for my father-in-law.  I know that he is well taken care of in that facility but it's hard that we  only get to see him once in a while. I don't know why but I feel  this overwhelming  feeling of depression whenever we are  at a seniors' facility.  Looking at  the old people  that seem miserable makes me depressed.  I can't help but think of  a future  scenario for me and my husband.  I hope that when it is time for us to go,  we can go peacefully so  we won't be a burden to anybody.  

Before we left, my daughter played some songs  at the piano for  some of the old people in the lobby.  One of the nurses there gave us a picture of Dad  and his valentine date on Valentine's day.  Another nurse approached me and asked if I am a Filipino.  She wanted to know because  she is half Filipino  and she said that she seldom see Filipino at that facility.  She  talked to us for a little while and she told us that she knows  my  FIL.  They all call him Pap.  

It was a short visit with Dad but glad to see him again.   We didn't get to talk to him a lot  but  just to see him is enough.  We  will have to go back there again  when we get a chance.  I just wish he is near  us so we can visit often.

UPDATE:
That was the last time we visited him at Gables.  He was rushed to the hospital on March 1st.  The doctor said that  he  had a flu then it became a sepsis.  He was treated at Trinity for it and he got better.  He was supposed to go back to Gables last week but  the doctor found out that his  internal organs were shutting down.  We all went at the hospital   last Friday because the doctor said that he won't last  very long.  He got transferred to the hospice that night and then he died  last Saturday.  I know that we have anticipated it is going to happen but it is  a tough situation.  Losing someone who touched so many lives is hard.  We will forever cherished all the great memories we had with him.  Rest in peace now Dad.