Then
I was a December baby born in 1966 in Portsmouth, Virginia; a first-generation American of immigrant parents from the Philippines. My dad served in the Navy and was granted his American citizenship for his service when he joined and my mom became a citizen sometime in the 1980’s. I have one brother who is seven years younger than me and we were raised with a humble upbringing by my hard-working Filipino parents who wanted the “American Dream” for their kids. I was never spoiled by my parents because they didn’t have the means to do that. I didn’t get every toy I asked for... I never owned a Baby Alive doll or an Easy Bake Oven or some other toys I wanted, but I did have a Dancerina Doll who had a pretty pink ballerina outfit and could do pirouettes! And I did own the Barbie Friend Ship airplane along with Barbie and Ken and I still have great memories when remembering about playing with those toys now. I always knew I was loved, cared for and safe growing up because even though my parents did say it out loud all the time, they showed me in their actions.
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| Growing up in Honolulu, Hawaii: late 1960's - early 1970's |
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| This was THE doll to have in the early 70's and she was my favorite! |
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| Barbie's Friend Ship Airplane - I was so excited to get this for Christmas! |
My dad was in the Navy, but we didn’t move around as much as other families in other branches of the military. We lived in Virginia Beach then moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, moved back to Virginia Beach, then finally Jacksonville, Florida where my dad eventually retired. I went to school in Jacksonville from my middle school years through high school graduation then went to Florida State University where I graduated with a Bachelors degree, making my parents the proudest ever because graduating from college was something they never had the opportunity to do themselves.
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| With my brother in Virginia Beach, VA 1974. |
Now
I currently live in Florida with my husband and two “furry children” - our English Springer Spaniels, Hershey and Zeke. I have a stepdaughter and stepson, both from my husband’s first marriage and three beautiful granddaughters. I currently work for a very well-known entertainment resort company where a mouse signs my paycheck, but I’ve done a wide array of things throughout my working career. My degree is in Elementary Education and I worked as a fourth grade teacher for four years, but I’ve also worked in other sectors such as Technology, Banking, Supply Chain Logistics, and Hospitality/Tourism. I’ve held positions in Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Human Resources, supervised people, served on boards, volunteer for non-profit organizations, and have worked as a temp doing administrative work (during my summers off when I was a teacher). I’m fortunate to be in a situation right now where I can work “seasonally”, which means I work when the department I am assigned to needs me, so it’s not a regularly scheduled type of job and I have a lot of freedom and flexibility in my schedule. I am so grateful for this flexibility because it allows me to travel with my husband and to be able to see all the kids, who live outside of Florida.
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| With husband Tom & furry kids: Zeke and Hershey. |
Later
At the time of starting this blog, I’m not sure what direction this site will take. I don’t have a set plan for it, but I think the old “teacher” in me feels like I have things that I can share about my experiences that will help others in some way. I am someone who considers herself to be a lifelong learner and am always thirsty to learn new things through experiences, other people, and living life! And if no one reads it, then it can serve as a personal journal that maybe one day my granddaughters will read and say, “We always knew she was pretty amazing as our Nonna, but WOW, was she ever cool! We’d like to live our lives like her!”
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| With my husband and three precious granddaughters. Photo by LA Photography, Mt. Olive, AL. |
For as many times as I've ridden on an airplane, I NEVER take for granted how incredible a feat it is that hundreds of people are traveling thousands of feet in the sky over mountains and cities and deserts and towns and oceans and seas in climate-controlled sheets of metal that has been welded together! I am thankful that Wilbur and Orville Wright did not give up when everyone thought they were crazy. It's because of their great determination and of their discovery and invention I can travel so easily to see the people I love who live in a different state as well as venture to far-off cities, countries and islands to discover new places. I am thankful I can fly!
