Planning to Retire Soon!

If you are planning to retire in the Philippines soon, I suggest you visit several excellent websites on pro's and cons of retiring in the Philippines. However if you want to retire in the provinces, where life is simple, standard of living cheaper, less traffic congestion and pollution, availability of fresh seafood and vegetables compared to the big cities, my island province is the place for you! If this is your first time in my site, welcome. Some of the photos and videos on this site, I do not own. However, I have no intention on the infringement of your copyrights. The photo above is the front yard of Chateau Du Mer- Our Retirement Home in Boac, Marinduque, Philippines

Friday, December 14, 2018

Our Night Time Christmas Decor-Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Our Capiz Christmas Parol at Night Time with our Marble Table Lamp from Romblon, Philippines

Two days ago, I posted our simple day Christmas dΓ©cor featuring a Parol ( made in the Philippines) and two artificial trees with nativity scenes( Belen). Today I am posting five pictures taken at night time featuring my new electric fireplace log set insert, a Christmas present to myself and Macrine. I purchased the fire log insert dΓ©cor from Pleasant Heart on line. I am very satisfied with this purchase.

During the last four decades we had fireplaces that use burning wood in several of our previous residences in Kansas City, Colesville, Maryland and Pinole, California. Our current residence has also a nice fireplace, but we used it only once with real firewood. Real burning firewood fireplace is great, but messy and takes a lot of time and patience in cleaning the ashes afterwards. So currently I am very delighted with my newly purchased electric fire log with crackling sound of burning firewood but no heat. There is a version of the above electric fire log with heat but is more expensive and an energy wasting decoration.


Closed Up of electric Fire Log( from Pleasant Hearth)

The following two photos were taken outside the front of our house the other night.



Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year (2018-2019) to All My Relatives and Friends All Over the World. I hope you continue reading and following my blogs!

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Another Simple Christmas Decor this Year

Our Capiz Parol in our Living Room Picture Window-The Focus of our simple Season Decor

Every year for the last three decades when all the kids were gone, Macrine and I decided to have the Christmas decorations in and out of the house be simple and easy to install and remove and would not require more than 3 hours to install. WE USED TO buy real Christmas trees( from 10ft to 15ft) when the 4 D's were still residing with us. The tree was for them, but now that they have their own families, Macrine and I are happy with our 6-foot pre-lit artificial tree with just our White House Ornaments collection and other small photo ornaments. We have also a small Christmas tree made of candies ( see photo).

Tree with Lanzones Wood Carving of Belen from the Philippines

Close-Up of tree with White House Ornaments and Children Photo Decor

Candy tree with Porcelain Nativity Scene from Germany

Close Up of Carved Lanzones Wood of the Nativity Scene

Christmas Toys Collection (1960's)

Hello Santa Claus, and my two Chihuahuas( Squeezed them hard-and they will say, I love You)

Christmas Wreath in our Front Porch

The Christmas season always reminds me of the following article in my Hubpages.com account:
https://hubpages.com/travel/the-philippines-nation-of-fiestas-and-festivals

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Recent and Old Photographs from My Album

My apple I-pod finally got updated, so I can take pictures and have it uploaded in my PC. Here are two photos that I took recently.

My pineapple plant in the Planter still green, but will probably die soon when the winter chills arrive. It is just too big to put it inside the house

Still have some summer blooms in the front entrance of our house.

Christmas Lights of Ditas House, 2018

Here are some old but memorable photos from my album:

Macrine and I dancing the Tango, 1999

Macrine on her BS Nursing Graduation, 1981, Pinole, California


Clouds over Amoingon Bay, Boac, Marinduque, 2013


Chateau Du Mer-Our Second Home, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines, 2015

The Katague Clan during our 60th Wedding Anniversary, 2017

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Burning Hell in Paradise

Paradise is a town in Butte County, California, United States in the Sierra Nevada foothills above the northeastern Sacramento Valley.

As of the 2010 census, the town population was 26,218. On November 8, 2018, a major wildfire, the Camp Fire, destroyed most of Paradise and the adjacent Concow communities.

Macrine first cousin and husband resides in Paradise, California. Luckily their home was spared from the latest fire, the worst in the history of Wildfires in California. In case you have been sleeping and not watching television, here's a brief summary from the news( videos) as well as comments from the FaceBook page of Macrine's first cousin. Macrine's first cousin grow up in Laylay, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines.

November 8, 2018 Posting: Family and Friends❤️ Thank you for all your phone calls, text, messages and concern. We made it safely to Sacramento despite of the heavy traffic and staying with our good friend. We hope and pray that our home is still standing and for everyone’s safety πŸ™πŸ»πŸ™πŸ»πŸ™πŸ»

November 25, 2018 Posting: Just read from a friend’s posting in FB ... she STATED.... “our neighborhood of 54 houses in the lower part of Paradise is the ONLY COMMUNITY that survived the CAMP FIRE completely intact. She learned from local TV station. Our neighborhood has its own water and sewage system.. all our services up now. Defensible space around the entire neighborhood is what saved our houses”..

AGAIN.... Jim and I, as well as Tom and Jerry appreciate all your prayers and concern ❤️❤️❤️. NO WORDS CAN EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO ALL FIREFIGHTERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS.... PLEASE, LET’S CONTINUE OUR PRAYERS FOR ALL THE VICTIMS WHO LOST EVERYTHING and THEIR LOVED ONES AND STILL MISSING.πŸ™πŸ»πŸ™πŸ»πŸ™πŸ» PARADISE WILL RISE AGAIN! GOD BLESS US ALL❤️.

November 26, 2018 Posting: CAMP FIRE 100% contained πŸ™πŸ» FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEART ..THANK YOU FIREFIGHTERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS..
Sharing our green lawn with God’s Creature ❤️so happy to see them back in the neighborhood and know they made it❤️time not to be selfish because they lost their foods in the fireπŸ˜ͺ



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Beach House, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines

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Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort and Conference Center
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Life in the United States: 1960 to the Present

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Sunset at Low Tide in Amoingon

ABOUT ME

I am a retired Filipino-American who loves writing, gardening and photography. My wife ( of 62 years) and I enjoy our snowbird lifestyle between US and the Philippines.

We have a small but very private beach resort (above video) in the beautiful island of Marinduque, Philippines. I have several blog sites (ten), a personal blog, blogs about retiring or visiting the Philippines and about our beach resort-CHATEAU DU MER.