Just more rambling

Taken in January 2014

It's hard to believe that I'm going to be 66 this year. Now I know why people always say, "it's just a number".  The mind doesn't feel age, except in wisdom gained through life's experiences, if you have strived for it. The body, on the other hand, is feeling it. Not that I ever had a strong body to begin with.

Mom, Helen Limjoco when she
had breast cancer and was using
only natural therapies. She looked
great!

When I was just an infant, mom said I had a bad case of chickenpox, and nothing my grandfather, a physician, administered would help. They finally called in an "albolario", as they are called here in the Philippines, at least where I'm from. She was a natural herbal healer. She simply boiled some gauva leaves and had them bathe me in the guava water until I showed signs of improvement. Which apparently I did soon after the treatment.

My proclivity towards more natural forms of healing have persisted till this day. When my mother wound up with advanced stages of breast cancer, she beat it with all natural therapies, no chemo or radiation at all. A brave and determined mother I have. I moved in with her and gave her something for her immune system every 3 hours or so. Within a year she was deemed in remission.

Mom Helen, and Dad Ramon in
2013 with our daughter Alysha.

I don't totally eschew pharmaceuticals if prescribed by a doctor, but I always ask what they do to my system and try to find something in nature that will do the same thing.  Sometimes I will do a combination, but I do always take an herb or vitamin along with to counter any drug side effects.

My parents are long lived. They are both very much alive. Dad will be 95 in September and mom will be 88, August-2014! Dad is legally blind, but if he weren't, he'd still be very active. His mind is sharp as a tack! Mom is just the most steadfast person I know. There is no stopping her if she has her mind set on something. Dad was one of the first jet fighters for the Philippine Air Force, trained by the US Army Air Corp. A young man from California is coming in a few days to interview him about his World War II experiences. I'm so happy dad's stories will finally be told and remembered. Unfortunately, my mind doesn't retain any of that info. Sadly, only the barest bones of his stories, do I remember.

Being a mom as 65 certainly is turning out to be quite rewarding. I must admit I didn't enjoy the crying baby phase at all and mostly the diapers. Also it was so frustrating not knowing what she wanted. But now, at 6 years old, she's turned into quite a great kid. She's been exposed to our rescued wild animals here in Palawan, and has helped me feed them since she was 4. She loving, kind, generous and smart. She loves people and animals alike. I guess I did a good job inspite of a total lack of experience with children!

Alysha with otter pups.

Since we moved to this farm lot, Alysha and I have raised a baby palm civet, a baby pangolin, aka scaly anteater, and three otter pups! We now have a second wild palm civet and it's the only wild thing we have had to raise that wasn't just a few days to a week old. It still won't let anyone come too close, except me.

We recently released the wild civet with three legs. His leg was amputated at the elbow, and he happily hobbled away from us, looking back only once when I called out to him to say my final goodbye.

We also have domestic animals which Alysha likes to play with.

This is a baby pangolin or scaly anteater that came into our care for a few months. Such a divinely

sweet creature and very important to our environment.