Greetings from Koronadal

I'M GRATEFUL for the few days I'm spending with family and friends this last week of December.  This break, albeit short-lived, is just what I desperately need.

My brother Sean looks like a sumo-wrestler now. Manong Ralph isn't any different. As genetics would have it, they've both assumed the prototypical Catedral body habitus—short and stout, bulging at the equator, flattened at the poles. I fear for the two chocolate cakes inside the fridge—and I fear for them!

Two days ago I accompanied my brother Ralph to have his lenses ground and tinted—he's going to Gumasa soon and needs proper shades. Yesterday I went with my younger brother Sean to have his lenses replaced; he has a new rectangular blue frame, which looks great on him. It's funny how my family members now turn to me for advice regarding eye wear. We all wear glasses in the family. Nobody is planning to wear contacts any time soon—let alone have LASIK surgery. It has become my life's mission to ensure we all look presentable in our eye wear.

I have so many stories to tell—but maybe for another time. Meanwhile, from my family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And thanks for sticking around.