My Published Articles for ViewsHound: December 2024

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Facts about the Cassava and Bamboo in the Philippines.

From My FaceBook Page the other day. I grew up with these two plants during my childhood years in the Philippines.  Bamboo and Cassava Plants are all over our backyard. These are two of the many  tropical plants I am familiar with. 
A:  WHY SHOULD WE GROW CASSAVA 

Highly profitable crop-Cassava is more profitable than maize. The gross margins per hector of Cassava is three times higher than that of  maize.

Ready Market: Cassava is very easy to sell. The domestic market is huge. Cassava is also used for industrial purposes like in baking, making of cardboards, packaging materials, beer, starch, glue, baking and many more. Therefore the market for both cassava chips and flour is huge

Cassava is drought resistant compared to maize, making it a good for household and national food security

Cassava is easy to store. The crop can be harvested only as needs arise. The surplus can be stored under ground thereby resulting in low post harvest losses.

The crop is desease resistant. No need for insecticides, thus cheaper and easy to manage

Can grow almost everywhere, regardless of the soil fertility

Multiple uses-. All parts of the plant are useful. Leaves can be used for vegetables, stems are used for planting, roots or tubers can be used to make floor, chips, or can be eaten raw.

Widely consumed in many African regions countries. Staple food in many regions

Can be processed using the most basic or natural methods like just socking, sun-drying and pounding

Huge demand for both domestic and industrial use

Can be inter-cropped with other crops like millet, groundnuts and beans

Does not require any chemical fertilizers, making it cheaper to grow

Rich source of starch and carbohydrates, making it a good security crop

Complementarity-Cassava can be consumed together or mixed with other crops. Tates supper with groundnuts, beans. Cassava floor mixed with maize meal tastes better. 

Huge potential for commercialization- cassava can easily or will soon be a commercial crop given it's multiple industrial uses like the making of starch, flour, beer etc.

Nutritious-Cassava leaves are nutritious with some medicinal properties

Cassava Cake💚 is delicious and nutritious. The Cabunocs, two of my guests at my 90th Birthday Party last Saturday, brought me a Cassava Cake with Jack fruit. It was delicious.   

B: Some Facts about Bamboo:

1. Fast Growth: Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant in the world. It has been recorded at growing 47.6 inches in 24 hours. Some species can even grow over a meter per day under optimal conditions. A new bamboo shoot reaches its full height in less than a year.

2. Oxygen Release: A grove of bamboo releases 35% more oxygen than any other tree out there.

3. Carbon Dioxide Absorption: Bamboo absorbs carbon dioxide at a rate of 17 tons per hectare every year. It can act as a valuable carbon sink given how fast the plant grows.

4. No Fertilizer Required: Bamboo doesn’t need fertilizer to grow. It can self-mulch by dropping its leaves and use the nutrients to grow.

5. Drought Resistance: Bamboos are drought-tolerant plants. They can grow in the desert.

6. Wood Replacement: Bamboos can be harvested in 3-5 years compared to the 20-30 years of most softwood trees.

7. Building Material: Bamboo is incredibly strong and sturdy. It has been used as support for concrete as well as scaffolding, bridges, and houses.

8. Soil Stability: Bamboo has a wide network of underground roots and rhizomes that prevent soil erosion.

9. Natural Air Conditioner: Bamboo cools the air surrounding it by up to 8 degrees in the summer.

10. Invasiveness: Some species of bamboo, especially ‘running’ bamboos, can be invasive due to their extensive root systems, which allow them to spread rapidly. However, not all species are invasive, and with proper management, the environmental impact can be minimized.

Meanwhile,  From My Former Garden- My Doggie Pepper- Its not an AI generated photo. It's the real thing! 
Lastly, Did you Know that,  Apo Reef is a coral reef system in the Philippines situated in the western waters of Occidental Mindoro province in the Mindoro Strait.  The reef and its surrounding waters are protected areas administered as the Apo Reef Natural Park (ARNP). It is one of the best known and most popular diving regions in the country, and is on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Finally looking forward for our Christmas Eve ( tonite) and New Year's Eve ( 12/31/24)Dinners.
I plan on enjoying the Crab cakes and Pan Seared Scallops and Dutch apple pie a la mode
For New Years Eve, I have reserved the lobster bisque soup, smoked salmon platter,  Baked Lobster Tail and the Chocolate  Cake with Strawberries 

💚 recipe for cassava cake

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All!

Monday, December 23, 2024

Paintings in the Other Two Floors of the Fairmont Building

The New Outdoor Furniture on the Entrance of the Fairmont Building By the Courtyard

My previous posting of the paintings and art work on the First Floor of the Fairmont Building (THD) received several positive comments. This inspired me to take photos of some of the other paintings I like in the hallways of all floors of the other 3 buildings ( Heritage, Plaza and Liberty) as well as both the second and third floor of Fairmont. This posting will be on the hallway of the Second and Third Floors of the Fairmont Building. Enjoy!

The following Paintings are from the Second Floor

Do you have a Favorite? Mine is the White Heron and Her Baby!

The following are from the Third Floor including a Door Decor for the Holidays

Guess whose Room Decor is This?

Christmas Door Decor on the Second Floor of the Fairmont Building- Very Christmasy Spirit!

Lastly, here is a photo of some Residents in their Ugly Sweater on December 20, 2024-my 90th BD.

The design photo( St Nick) in my sweater looked like me, some of the residents commented. Really? Ugly?

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Double 90th Birthday Celebration Yesterday

My Three Children: Dodie ( Diosdado), Dinah and Ditas Macrine ( The 3D's)

Yesterday from 12-4 PM, my oldest daughter, Dinah, organized/hosted a catered birthday party( my 90th) for me at her Club House ( Amador Lakes Apartments) in Dublin, Ca. Eight of My THD friends and bridge buddies were invited, but only 7 were able to attend. Ditas and Carenna took a long and tedious flight from Washington DC just to attend my party. Relatives and friends from Alameda, Castro Valley, Benicia, Sacramento, San Jose, San Diego, San Francisco, Novato, Fairfield, Oakland, Palo Alto and Mountain View attended my 90th Birthday. There were 40 guests all in all. The clubhouse venue was homey and perfect for a birthday celebration fit for a King. Thank you All for coming.

There was plenty of food, fried chicken, roast beef, baked beans, potato salad, bread and Caesar Salad. A platter of Pancit ( Filipino Noodles), a gift of My Igsoon Mercedes Braceros from San Jose added to the variety of food served. The Pancit is a symbol for long life. My couple friend, Frank and Mildred Cabunoc from Fairfield brought a Cassava Cake for dessert. Of course we have the birthday cake.

Thank you Igsoon Ceding, Frank and Mildred for the goodies. There were plenty of leftovers. My youngest daughter Ditas and youngest grand daughter, Carenna, from Washington DC took some photos and I am posting it here for your viewing pleasure. The several short roast memories/vignettes from friends and relatives, I will treasure very much.

Later in the evening after dinner in Newton's the servers serenaded me with a Happy Birthday song and a cup of ice cream with one candle. One of the youngest server, asked me how old I was. I told her to guess, She said 75. Evidently she had not been reading my blogs. It felt great to be loved and acknowledged.

It was a birthday party, I will always remember. Thanks a million, Dinah for organizing/hosting it. My actual birthday date was December 20 ( Friday). On that day, the THD residents attending the Happy Hour every Friday sang Happy Birthday to me. That evening, my oldest son, Dodie and spouse, Ruth treated me to a Dim sum Dinner at Creek House in Parkside Drive, Walnut Creek, so I did not have dinner at Newton's. ( dim sum walnut creek)

Here are the photos from the Dublin Party for your viewing pleasure.

With Frank and Mildred Cabunoc, from Fairfield, CA, Thank you for coming and the Cassava Cake

My Igsoon Ceding ( Mercedes) Braceros from San Jose. She brought the Pancit, It was delicious

John and Carol Larimore. In the Background Greg and Genny ( Dinah's best friends) from Novato

My Five Grand Children: From Left to Right: Philip, Marina, Alix, Me, Carenna and Ian. Elaine my other grand daughter from Portland, OR was planning to attend but cancelled due to Covid.

My THD Bridge Buddies: Andi Shafer, Patty Healy, Sandi Green and Anne Long ( Not in the Photo_ Jane Williams).

Meanwhile, I received a gift ( not expected) from Ditas and Carenna. It is TV tray she made herself. The decor is the Periodic Table of the Elements- very creative and appropriate gift for a chemist. Here are the photos;

Last but Not Least- A surprise gift from Carol Larimore- Decoupage Collage Art Work-Thank you so much, Carol. It is now hanging on the wall of the Hall Entrance of my Apartment- A Treasured Gift.

Saturday, December 21, 2024

Ten Things You Should Know About Reading

Previously I posted the nine reasons and benefits of reading books. This posting I received from my FaceBook page the other day detailed additional benefits why we should read. I was not surprised about #6, stating that reading can slow down the aging process. Do you agree with #4 and #10 also?

Things You Probably Didn't Know About Reading

Reading is an integral part of our daily lives, providing a gateway to knowledge, entertainment, and personal growth. However, despite its familiarity, there are many fascinating aspects of reading that remain unknown to many. Here are some surprising facts about reading:

1. Your Brain Processes Images Faster Than Words
Research suggests that our brains process visual information 60,000 times faster than text. This explains why illustrations and graphics enhance comprehension and recall.

2. Reading Can Alter Your Brain Chemistry
Reading releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and relaxation. This "reading high" can reduce stress and improve mood.

3. The Average Reading Speed is 200-300 Words Per Minute
Most adults read at a pace of 200-300 words per minute, but skilled readers can reach speeds of up to 400 words per minute.

4. Reading Can Increase Empathy
Studies have shown that reading fiction improves empathy by allowing readers to experience different perspectives and emotions.

5. The World's Oldest Known Written Story Dates Back to 2100 BC
The ancient Sumerian epic, "The Epic of Gilgamesh," predates Homer's "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey."

6. Reading Can Slow Down Aging
Engaging in mentally stimulating activities like reading can delay cognitive decline and reduce the risk of age-related diseases.

7. Your Eyes Don't Move Linearly When Reading
Instead, they jump between focus points, taking in groups of words at a time. This process is called "saccadic movement."

8. Reading Can Improve Memory
Reading enhances memory by strengthening connections between brain cells and promoting neural plasticity.

9. The First E-Book Was Created in 1971
Michael Hart's digital version of "The Declaration of Independence" marked the beginning of the e-book era.

10. Reading Can Reduce Stress by 68%
A University of Sussex study found that reading reduces stress more effectively than listening to music or taking a walk.

Reading is more than just a hobby or necessity; it has profound effects on our minds, emotions, and well-being. By embracing reading, we can expand our knowledge, foster empathy, and cultivate a healthier, happier life.

Meanwhile, Did You Know? That----
The Philippines is a global leader in geothermal energy, with geothermal power being the second largest source of renewable energy in the country, and the fifth largest source of energy overall! 


The country sits along the Ring of Fire, making it rich in geothermal resources. This natural heat from the Earth’s core is harnessed to generate electricity, particularly in areas like Leyte, Bacolod, and Tingloy. The Tiwi and MakBan geothermal plants are some of the largest in operation, helping provide sustainable energy to millions of Filipinos.
The Philippines is one of the top producers of geothermal energy in the world, contributing significantly to its renewable energy capacity and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Lastly, enjoy these fresh yellow roses adorning my kitchen.

Finally a thank You Note from the Newton Staff for the Christmas envelopes, I gave them.

Just a side Note: After the Cocktail Hour, yesterday, Cydney and the Whole THD Gang sang Happy Birthday to me. Again thank you for your birthday greetings! It feels good to be LOVED and Acknowledge!

Guest Article from Susan Creamer Joy

In The Silence, by Susan Creamer Joy.

Today's guest article is from Susan Creamer Joy. Susan is one of my favorite authors in the ViewsHound community. Susan writes, draws, paints and cobbles together art from found objects making a variety of creations from jewelry to religious shrines. She frequently sports burns on her fingers from her soldering iron, paint on her palms and ink under her fingernails, but her hair is usually combed. When she is not losing time in the creative vortex of her studio, she is likely to be putting her knowledge of metaphysics and esoteric principles including Tarot, numerology, astrology and graphology to good use in consultations. Her children are grown, her husband still works and her four dogs believe she needs serious help. The title of her article is "A Matter Of Love And Death". Thank you Susan.

By the time they reached my bedroom door, I was already sitting up – my stomach ratcheted in the tense grip of an unnamed anxiety; my pillow, unburdened of my drowsy head.

To this day I cannot explain how I heard them coming up those stairs in their bare feet or how I knew that my father struggled to hold his composure as my mother unnaturally clutched at the folds of her dressing gown and followed him through the dark just a little too closely.

As the wooden groan of those old stairs tore into my bones that morning like a hacksaw, all I could see between the predawn shadows was the letter I’d written just hours earlier to my boyfriend, Chris, propped against the lamp on my desk across the room awaiting an envelope.

I had not slept well. It was late November and there had been so many changes since the middle of August when he left for the Air Force in Texas to begin basic training and I began my third new school in as many years.

The conspiracy between fate and the last surge of the Vietnam draft had broken apart the every-waking-minutes of our two-year union with unceremonious indifference. All that night my sleep had been infested by difficult dreams and by the illogical fear that truth and reality were merging into a darkness only a martyr could grasp; and at sixteen, martyrdom seemed reasonable only for the nuns among the poor in Bangladesh

I tried to remind myself that he would be home on leave for Thanksgiving in another few days. It was the only tether to calm I could find, but reviewing the facts offered little relief from my baseless fears.

Chris had been girding his pacifist sensibilities preparing to fight in an unpopular war that had not yet slaughtered its last innocent. I was hovering just over the line of inclusion at an exclusive girl’s school – missing him – and finding myself at odds with these young women and their attachment to propriety and with the prep-school veneer that blinded them to the fact that they were no better than anyone else.

Neither one of us was coping well with the worlds into which we were respectively summoned, and although we both knew that the best hope for any future together depended upon our individual successes apart, it was far from comforting most days.

But in spite of our discomfort, we each did our best; and, of course, there were the letters: Thin, plain-paper sheets with row after row after row of inky blue words penned with the intensity and awkward locutions of a love learned too soon. It had come down to just that little, but without them, I would have had nothing.

Chris was learning to fly. I was learning to drive, and both of us were aching to transport our souls to an earlier time through the hallowed intercourse of memories and dreams. Of course, as with all progress, there was the positive element: We were both clean and drug-free for the first time in years.

Now, without pretense, both healthy cognition and sincere motivation surfaced regularly in my psychology and prompted me to care about myself and to arbitrate against all temptation for a better standing in the world, in school and in my own eyes. I even did my homework.

No longer was I escaping today but, instead, living for my day of escape. Lying still in the dark of my room, I listened to the slow, padded footfall of my parents approaching and looked to the floor and to my history book half hidden beneath the nightstand where I’d tossed it the night before. Even in this early morning dark I could make out the swirls and stars in colored marker and the bubble-formed letters that spelled C H R I S in soft, juvenile curves on the torn book cover I’d fashioned out of a brown paper grocery bag.

I vaguely remembered throwing it there somewhat hastily. I had been doing my homework when a sense of urgency struck and I realized I had not written him as I promised I would and glancing at the clock, I noted it was nine-twenty-three. Why that mattered I had no way of knowing in that strange moment, but within hours, it would be one I would never forget; and although I was becoming drowsy and still needed to finish my work, I felt beyond reason that my letter to him could not wait.

So, I wrote. I would always write. I would always be there. He would always be there.“Suzi."It was my name spoken in the smooth and familiar voice of my mother, although weighted and slow, her head bowed to her chest almost as though she were speaking only to herself.

"Suzi.” She said it again, this time with sharp gravity, like a chisel against stone.

As if on cue, I leaned forward, flanked now by my parents who were sitting on either side of my bed.

I had been waiting for them. I don’t know how. I didn’t know why. The lights in my room remained off, but it seemed that the darkness clung more to them than to me, as though they were holding it there – away from me to give me enough light to see through the next moment. They were crying. My father was crying. My father. “Suzi. We have something very, very bad to tell you." Chris has been in a car accident." And he was killed."

If the world moved forward from that moment, I could not know it. f there were air around me worth breathing, I could not take it in. And if there were another sound beyond the leaden bellow of my own raw grief, I could not hear it.

"Who am I going to talk to? Who am I going to love?” I wailed. Who will love me? In that sodden moment violated by the intrusion of a predawn light that had no business rising, everything I ever believed about happiness, hoped for in life, trusted in or held as my own was annihilated.

After that – there was no after that. After that came months of hollow redundancies that would inform my way of being in the world for years to come. A serial commitment to waking up each morning, remembering he was gone and dedicating the remaining hours to forgetting. To that end I would try anything, drink anything, ingest anything, inject anything. It was a slow and arbitrary suicide by indifference.

Many years later, at 25 years-old and in the midst of a pharmaceutical free-fall leaning dangerously close to terminal, I discovered that I was expecting a child, and after a decade of forgetting, I remembered. I named him Griffin after the legendary winged lion, a symbol of the divine because what he inspired and the miracle that he was, were nothing less. I remembered and I loved again, and I went on to marry and to the gift of two beautiful daughters.

Today my son is struggling not to drown in the same well of drug abuse and apathy that almost swallowed me – his great, divine wings clipped by his own hand; and while it is up to him to restore his place in the sky, I will do my best to help provide an open runway.

In the meantime, I will continue soaring for both of us; bequeathed as I have been, with a determination to fly from a boy whose ragged fate precluded that dream.

Death took one young man from me once upon a dark time. If it has any intention of coming for this one, it will have to go through me. And trust me, it will be in for one hell of a fight.

Note: If you enjoy this article, please let me know.