Gratefulness

I received a phone call this morning from one of the delightful residents of Carol Woods. He had asked me if I could make myself available to play the bi-monthly Eucharist service there this Sunday if the person who will play it is somehow "unavailable." I said I'll do it if pressed, but that I'd prefer not to. (Actually, there is an organ recital I want to go to that afternoon, which was why I had made myself unavailable.)

The real point for me making this post on this topic: he concluded the call by telling me that he, as well as the other residents, really appreciate my playing, and that it has made such a huge difference in their worship. They're always happy to see me and are grateful that I make myself available to them whenever I can.

And it is something I enjoy doing. So actually, I am grateful to them for allowing me the opportunity to share my music and my time with them.

Doing my civic duty...

Today, November 8, is Election Day. I can honestly say I did my civic duty, having voted right after I got off work earlier this afternoon. There weren't many people at the polls, and I couldn't help but notice that by the time I had voted at around 5.45 pm, that particular polling station was visited by only 221 voters. (I was #222.) It's rather disappointing especially since too many people take the right to vote for granted. Once upon a time, people fought for the right to vote.

I am not the most political person in the world, but at least I know and appreciate the fact that these elections allow for my voice to be heard.

Love in a Bathroom Stall

I noticed this in a bathroom stall earlier this evening. It reminded me of the bathroom stalls I saw whilst in high school and college. Young girls declare to the world, "I love X!" or "NS and JP Together Forever."

Who knows if today, that is still the case? Or even if those scribblings are still on the walls of today. I just glanced at that on the toilet paper dispenser and thought, "Well, that's someone who has so much love in their heart, they had to declare it to the whole world."

It's not a bad thing to do. There can never be too much love in the world. It did put a smile on my face. It's been a very strange day today, and that youthful sentiment was just the pick-me-up I needed.

So thank you, anonymous writer, for spreading a little love, even in a bathroom stall in a restaurant in town. x

¡Hola, Tinola!

Those of you who are Facebook friends with me may have noticed that occasionally, I'll post Mikey Bustos' "Filipino Tutorial" YouTube videos on my wall.

(For a little background: Mikey is a Canadian-born Filipino, and he was seventh runner-up in the 2003 (initial) season of Canadian Idol. He became known to many outside of Canada, thanks to his "Filipino Tutorial" videos he posted on YouTube.)

Mikey just returned to Toronto from the Philippines, where he spent several days filming commercials for a Jack 'n Jill product called "Mang Juan Chicharron". Those commercials were just released today. It follows the same format Mikey has used for his Filipino tutorials.

I'll embed the YouTube videos below. I particularly liked the "Condiments" video. The first thing that popped into my mind after I finished rolling on the floor, laughing: "Kawawa naman si Frank!" (Poor Frank!)

Last word: it's people like Mikey who remind us how proud we are to be Pinoy. Maraming salamat, Mikey!

"Ate" (Elder sister, pronounced "Ah-te")


"Condiments"


"Gestures"


"Kain na!" ("Let's eat!")


Finally: a Filipino Tutorial, "Politeness"

Saturday Thoughts

It's been a busy day.

I started the day fighting for laundry machines and doing other house-type chores. Continuing work on the NC-ACS newsletter whilst listening to the hilarity that is Catholic Weekend followed. Father Roderick and Dave Handlos were also recording an episode of The Secrets of Tintin by doing a read-through of the first Tintin book, "Tintin in the Land of the Soviets". I came to the Tintin series pretty late, not having discovered them until I was a graduate student in Worcester, MA. I can't remember which of the Tintin books was the first I bought, but when I saw "Tintin in the Land of the Soviets" in a second-hand store, I snapped it up immediately. I'm glad I did... my version contains a page which originally appeared in Le Petit Vingtième No. 60 but was omitted for no apparent reason from the first edition in album form. And it's been fun re-reading through the Tintin adventures over the years.

So when I heard Fr. Roderick and Dave discussing "Tintin in the Land of the Soviets", I pulled out my book and followed along. I had no idea how quickly the time had passed. I really enjoyed that story when I first read it back then, and I really enjoyed listening to them discussing it on the podcast today.

Speaking of the podcast, please consider subscribing to the Secrets of Tintin podcast by clicking here for iTunes or click here for the Tintin feed. All of this makes me eager for the opening of the The Adventures of Tintin in the movie theatres on the 21st December. If you in Europe were lucky enough to have seen it already, don't tell me any details: I'd prefer not to be spoiled, tyvm.

Heh, and I thought I had nothing to talk about.

To continue: I went off to the funeral of one of the long-time area organists in Chapel Hill, Pearl Seymour. It was a lovely celebration of her life. Naturally, the fact that she was a devoted Carolina Tar Heels basketball fan was emphasized during peoples' reflections about her. That made me smile.

I'll post a music list for that service tomorrow.

Right after the funeral, I went off to the NC Pinoy Choir practice in Raleigh. It was really nice to see the choir members once again. We're practicing for Christmas caroling, and we have some good music on tap.

So now I'm home, relaxing before heading off for a good rest before tomorrow's services. It's funny: I was thinking that I'll just go ahead and answer the writing prompt for November 1 since I thought I had absolutely nothing to say. How wrong I was. :)

I received requests to translate a post I made... I think it was yesterday... in Tagalog. I'll get around to that soon, but I'll put the translation in the comm box, as well as over on (the soon-to-be-disabled) Google Buzz.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and have a blessed Sunday! Oh, and for those of you in North America, please don't forget that our Summer Time ("Daylight Saving Time") ends tonight, and tomorrow, we go back to Winter Time ("Standard Time"). Luckily for me, my iDevices will do the work for me.

Besides... if the parishioners forget to turn their clocks back an hour, I'll just tell them to join me in the choir stalls and sing a few hymns and an anthem. :)

Two for the Price of One

Yesterday, I ended up obeying my earworm and posting Trololo YouTube videos. And yes, I was still whistling or singing the Trololo song today amidst all the people attending the 2011 Covenant Network conference at First Presbyterian.

I decided to answer two prompts with this one post. Here we go:

Thursday, November 3, 2011
Can you listen to music and write? What song did you hear today?

LOL! Well, considering the earworm going through my head for most of yesterday and today, I think the song title is obvious. Tro-lo-lo-lo-lo, lo-lo-lo, lo-lo-lo, ho-ho-ho-ho-ho... Tro-lo-lo-lo-lo, lo-lo-lo, lo-lo-lo, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

But yes, I can listen to music and write... but it depends on the type of music. I can't do it to pop or rock or any sort of "modern" type music. I can write to classical music, as long as they're instrumentals (chamber music or orchestral music). Opera? Nope. I'll want to listen carefully. Choral music? Not a chance. Same thing: I'll want to listen very carefully.

The exception to "writing to instrumental music" is organ music. I'll usually pay close attention to that... or just close my eyes and allow myself to be taken away by the music.

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Friday, November 4, 2011
When you are writing, do you prefer to use a pen or a computer?

Definitely computer. Since I'm able to touch-type pretty quickly, it's easier for me to put my thoughts on virtual paper (typing it out) rather than writing it out. I've been known to bring the laptop to events where there is a speaker involved; I'm usually sitting there, typing away, taking notes whilst the speaker lectures.

There are times when it's nice to physically write words on paper, but I'll use a pencil, not a pen.

Unless I'm grading papers. Then I'll reach for a pen. Preferably in purple or green. :)

Sagot ng Pinoy

This is for the Tagalog speakers amongst you. I received this from a friend, and I thought I should pass it along. :)

Pinoys are really one of a kind... nagkakaintindihan naman din.



SAGOT NG PINOY

Ang Pinoy hindi tumama-tama ang sagot kahit maayos ang tanong...

Q: Kumain ka na ba?
... A: Busog pa ako.

Q: Saan kayo galing?
A: Lumabas lang kami sandali.

Q: Paano mo ginawa 'yan?
A: Madali lang.

Q: Bakit wala ka kahapon?
A: Absent ako.

Q: Anong oras na?
A: Maaga pa.

Q: Nasaan ka na ba?
A: Malapit na ako. Wait lang.

Q: Magkano ito?
A: Mura lang.

Q: Kilala mo ba sya?
A: Bakit?

At...

Q: Saan nyo gusto kumain?
A: Kayo...

Continuing on the Tro-lo-lo theme

Argh!!! It really is a very pervasive earworm! I've found myself tro-lo-lo-ing at random times throughout the day.

Of course, my so-called friends aren't any help. Here are a couple more YouTube videos to help further the earworm.

First: the obligatory Harry Potter video:



Next: Family Guy meets the Tro-lo-lo guy.



Thanks, guys. :P

Tro-lo-lo

I blame this entirely on Capt. Jeff. As he was driving from Kansas City to Atlanta, he released short videos of himself Tro-lo-lo-ing whilst driving.

Wouldn't you know it: that melody is a very pervasive earworm! As I was working on assorted tasks at work, I found myself tro-lo-lo-ing. I'm surprised I haven't driven my colleagues mad already with the constant tro-lo-los.

So, Capt. Jeff, here's to you. I raise my glass of H₂O in your honour as we sing together with the Tro-lo-lo guy:

Hypothetical Last Meal

Yes, yes. It's NaBloPoMo. Remind me why I'm doing this again? :P

I know, I'm procrastinating right now. After starting the morning working on the TarHelium, running off to work to get the last of the All Saints' Sunday letters out the door and helping with pre-conference preparations, running off to the NC-ACS monthly e-board meetings (and twisting the arm of a high school chemistry teacher friend to attend) and then having a lovely meal at the 501 Diner with a good friend, I'm now sitting here, thinking I need to get on with some very overdue music planning.

But first, a little bit of blogging. I know I don't do it enough. Frankly speaking, with the type of blogging I do (really, more like parking my music lists from either worship services or concerts), it tends to get rather time-consuming. And don't even talk to me about updating the look of my blog. Maybe one of these days. I've seen some blogs powered by Blogger that look absolutely fabulous.

Perhaps that will be a task for another day.

Oh yes. Since I have absolutely nothing to say, I'll try to answer the Writing Prompt of the Day.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011
If you knew that whatever you ate next would be your last meal, what would you want it to be?

It would have to be my absolute favourite comfort food. I know, I've said in the past that if I were to have a plate full of pancit palabok for the rest of my life, I could die happy.

But really? Nothing hits the spot like Filipino arroz caldong manok. That would be like congee or a kind of soupy rice porridge to you non-Filipinos. The arroz caldo would have to be flavoured with ginger, green onion, a bit of kalamansi for acidity, and a touch of patis to balance the saltiness. For me, that is heaven in a bowl.

Click here for a recipe. In general, whenever I make this, I prefer to use bone-in chicken, but I think the day I had written this recipe, boneless chicken breasts were on sale in the supermarket, so I went with that.

1 November—Solemnity of All Saints

I went to the 7:00 p.m. bilingual Mass at Immaculate Conception Church. Any numbers you see come out of GIA's Gather Comprehensive 1994 (green cover) unless otherwise indicated. The service choir was Immaculate Conception's Parish Choir, under the direction of Angela Flynn.

Admittedly, I came in just as the Opening Hymn was announced, so if there was a prelude, I missed it.

Solemnity of All Saints
Opening Hymn: 442, Sing with All the Saints in Glory (HYMN TO JOY)
Gloria: Misa Luna, using the words from the new Roman Missal
Psalm: 34, Ps. 24 (K. Keil)
Gospel Acclamation: Festival Alleluia (Chepponis)
Offertory: Flor y Canto 481, Bienaventurados (Beatitudes: Matt. 5:3–12; L.C. Montgomery)
Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation, Amen, Agnus Dei: Misa Luna, using the words from the new Roman Missal
Communion: 796, Litany of the Saints (J.D. Becker)
Post-Communion Anthem: Pie Jesu (Fr. Ricky Manalo, CSP)
Recessional: 793, For All the Saints (SINE NOMINE)
Postlude: Wanting Memories (Y.M. Barnwell), sung by the choir

I will admit: I stopped attending bilingual Masses at IC years ago mainly because I didn't find the environment all that prayerful, and I generally left those Masses hugely underwhelmed. I ended up going today because I couldn't get up in time for the 7:00 am Mass (and it doesn't help that I went to bed at 3:30 am the night before). I wasn't sure what to expect from this Mass.

I'll admit: I was pleasantly surprised. The newest addition to IC's friars, Fr. Larry, is completely fluent in Spanish, and he was able to go between English and Spanish quite seamlessly. He is also an excellent homilist. In addition, I found this time around, the congregation was refreshingly more... well, shall we say, "solemn"? Part of the reason why I loathed the bilingual Masses of many years past was because I did not find the environment all that conducive to prayer. People were milling about, socializing with others, and it really didn't feel like you were about to participate in Mass. Today, the environment was different. Pleasantly so.

The choir did very well, and Angela is an excellent choir director.

My only complaint: we were exhorted by Fr. Larry to participate in singing the Offertory song out of Flor y Canto. Admittedly, I found just having the words with no music available to me to be utterly useless. All I could do was listen and not sing. If only one of Angela's predecessors (and I will not say who because I know who it was) had the foresight to order the hardback Flor y Canto hymnal instead of opting for the cheap, paperback, throwaway, words-only version, it would have facilitated the participation of even the non-Latinos in the crowd because at least they would be able to make an effort at singing the song instead of staring at a bunch of words that makes no sense.

Okay, rant over.

Tomorrow is All Souls' Day. My friends and family in the Philippines are celebrating All Saints'/All Souls' by visiting departed loved ones in the cemetery. I'll remember mine here: Lolo Juan and Lola Ina, Papang, Tito El, Tita Edith, Tito Romy, Tita Norma, Tito Paeng, Tito Chito, and Procer Jr.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.

31 October—All Hallows Eve

Celui qui croit en moi, fût-il mort, vivra (John 11:25). Plate 28, from George Rouault's Miserere 2 series. This was on the cover of the worship bulletin that was distributed to everyone before the beginning of the candlelit All Hallows Eve service at Duke Chapel on the evening of October 31.

As mentioned on the leaflet: "Tonight is the eve of All Saints' Day, the festival in the Church that recalls the faith and witness of the men and women who have come before us. The service celebrates our continuing communion with them, and memorializes the recently deceased. The early church followed the Jewish custom that a new day began at sundown; thus, feasts and festivals in the church were observed beginning on the night before. The night before All Saints (or All Hallows) became known as All Hallows Eve, or Hallowe'en."

Everyone gathered on the Chapel lawn before the service, huddled around a fire, which symbolized the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the saints and martyrs.

Here follows the list of music, as well as a list of testimonies about those gone before us. Numbers are out of the United Methodist Hymnal. I can tell you now: it was a very beautiful service, and I can see why it numbers amongst peoples' most favourite services that Duke Chapel offers. The service choir was the Duke Vespers Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Allan Friedman.

Choral Introit: Requiem: Introit—Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986)
Hymn: 90, Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones (LASST UNS ERFREUEN)
Witness of the Saints: St. Anthony of Egypt (251-356)
Anthem: O Taste and See—Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Witness of the Saints: St. Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582)
Witness of the Saints: Sojourner Truth (1797-1883)
Anthem: Kyrie from Officium Defunctorum (Missa pro defunctis cum sex vocibus)—Tomás Luis de Victoria (1549-1611)
Witness of the Saints: Fr. João Bosco Bournier (1917-1976)
The Great Thanksgiving: Musical Setting D: 23, Holy, Holy, Holy; 24a, Christ has died...; 24b, Amen (Carlton R. Young)
Music During Distribution: Versa est in luctum—Alonso Lobo (c. 1555-1617)
Hymn: 709, Come, Let Us Join Our Friends Above (FOREST GREEN)
Postlude: Deuxième Esquisse, Op. 41, No. 1—Marcel Dupré (1886-1971)

Of course, I forgot to mention that the ab-fab David Arcus was the man behind the console, and his hymn-playing was spectacularly inspirational to me. And, of course, his playing of the Dupré was nothing short of amazing. It was a fitting end to a very moving service.

NaBloPoMo

So ask me why I'm doing this again. I figured it's a good way to encourage me not to neglect this blog as much as I've been doing so this year. :P

All Saints' Day

The Feast of All Saints honors the obscure as well as the famous—the saints each of us has known.

Would you like to know more about the saints? Paul Camarata has a wonderful podcast called the SaintCast. He hasn't had the chance to update it as much as he's done in the past, but it is still worth it to listen to past episodes. I'm still working my way up to his most recent episode myself.

Click here to listen to this SQPN-affiliated podcast.

Prayer for All Saints' Day:

May the light of Gospel men and women remind us that God is always with us no matter how far we wander away. Amen.

Compline at Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill, NC—10.30.2011

Compline at Chapel of the Cross.

We've been using the Order for Compline, as set by David Hurd.

Here are our little additions:

Lord, for Thy tender mercy's sake (Farrant)
Psalm 91 (chanted to Tone 8)
Hymn: Christ, mighty Saviour (CHRISTE, LUX MUNDI, plainsong Mode 7)
In manus tuas (Sheppard; sung in addition to "Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit ...)
Lord's Prayer (Robert Stone)
Nunc Dimittis from Short Service (O. Gibbons)
Salve Regina (Marian antiphon right after the Dismissal)
Ave Maria (Josquin Desprez)
Organ improvisation by the abfab Van Quinn on Kyrie from Missa de Angelis


(Note: the picture above depicts one of the votive candle layouts that Jimmy Satterwhite had laid out a couple of years ago. I can't remember where the picture came from, though.)

30 October—Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 26)

It's equally fitting that my second post after a long time away is a music list from my services earlier in the morning.

Here are two lists.

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My turn came for cantoring the 7:45 a.m. Mass at Immaculate Conception Church. Any numbers you see come out of GIA's Gather Comprehensive 1994 (green cover). My friend, Jane L., was behind the console.

Sunday 7.45 am Mass: Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Prelude: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (BuxWV 184; Dieterich Buxtehude)
Opening Hymn: 493, The works of the Lord are created in wisdom (KREMSER)Gloria: Misa Luna, using the words from the new Roman Missal
Psalm: 129, Ps. 131 (D. Haas, with verses chanted to Psalm Tone VI)
Gospel Acclamation: 262, Joyful Alleluia (H Hughes)
Offertory: 572, For the Beauty of the Earth (DIX)
Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation: Mass of Light, using the words from the new Roman Missal
Amen, Agnus Dei: Mass of Creation, using the words from the new Roman Missal
Communion Voluntary: Improvisation on Sanctus XVIII
Recessional: 714 God, Whose Purpose Is to Kindle (HYMN TO JOY)
Postlude: Ein' feste Burg (Helmut Walcha)

Just to catch you up: We've been singing the new English translation of the Roman Missal since Easter, 2011. We switched to the new translation of the Credo at Pentecost. It sounds to me that people are picking up the Gloria (but then again, the 7:45 am crowd were not as familiar with Misa Luna with the old translation) but that people are falling back to singing the old words with the Mass of Light, as well as the Mass of Creation settings. One would think they'd get it by now. I even make it a point to lift up the leaflet that contains the words and music so that people will see it while I'm cantoring.

We'll see how it goes once everything switches over come First Sunday in Advent (November 27). If I remember to write a blog post that day, I'll report back on how it went.

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St. Joseph's Episcopal Church where I played the usual 10:30 am service. As usual, the numbers are out of The Hymnal 1982.

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Eucharist Rite II
Prelude: Improvisation on El Camino and on Kedrov's "Lord's Prayer"
Processional: 546, Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve (SIROË)
Song of Praise: S-236 (Benedictus es, Domine; J. Rutter)
Psalm: Psalm 107 (Simplified Anglican Chant)
Sequence Hymn: 545, Lo! what a cloud of witnesses (ST. FULBERT)
Offertory Anthem: When the Poor Ones (D. Cherwien, accompanied by classical guitar)
Sanctus: S-125 Community Mass (R. Proulx)
Lord's Prayer: chanted (S-119 in Hymnal 1982)
Fraction Anthem: S-167, The disciples knew the Lord Jesus (M. Martens; Mode 6)
Communion Hymn: 656, Blessed are the pure in heart (FRANCONIA)
Recessional: 437, Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord! (BIRMINGHAM)
Postlude: The choir joined me in singing 688, A mighty fortress is our God (EIN FESTE BURG)

It's been a while since I did a music list blogpost! First of all: many thanks to Dave Belcher, who did a masterful job on the guitar. He is classically trained, and he makes that guitar sound like a lute. The choir also did a wonderful job with this anthem as well. People mentioned it to me after service as well.

We're going to stick with this set of service music until the end of November, when we switch to a new set. We're going to be introducing a new musical setting of the Lord's Prayer, and the one suggested was the Kedrov setting of the Lord's Prayer. My plan is to play improvisations on a theme of that setting so that by the time we sing it on November 27, it'll be in the congregation's ear.

As for the postlude: last week, I ended by playing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" (and that has an interesting story... when I eventually catch up on my blogposts, which will be backdated... I'll explain the story) and much to my surprise, the choir joined in singing after they returned to the choir area. (My intention was to do an improvisation on a theme of "Great is Thy Faithfulness".)

I had the same intention for "A Mighty Fortress"... when the choir started singing along to that, I thought I might as well play through the entire hymn, and if anyone wanted to join in singing, they were more than welcome to.

I get the feeling people are enjoying this hymn-sing after service...

If I have energy left, I'll put up my Compline list when I get home from that service later on tonight.

Grace and peace!

Pipe Screams! 2011

How fitting that my first post after a long time is a concert post! Tim Baker over at University United Methodist Church organised another Pipe Screams! for this year. It was co-sponsored by the Durham-Chapel Hill Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Just as in previous years, this year's Pipe Screams! benefit Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. In addition to Tim and UUMC's Handbell Choir, members of the Durham-Chapel Hill AGO also contributed pieces to this most entertaining program. Speaking of which, here is the music that was presented at this program.

• "Ghost Organist": Funeral March of a Marionette—Charles Gounod (1818-1893)
• UUMC Handbell Choir: Danse macabre (Op. 40, arranged for handbells)—Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
• Laurel Siviglia and Sandy Hobgood: Toot Suite (S.212°) for Calliope or Organ, Four Hands—P.D.Q. Bach (1807-1742)?
  • I. Preloud
  • II. O.K. Chorale
  • III. Fuga Vulgaris
• Tim Baker: The Sad Story of the Forgotten Soprano in the Pipe Chambers
• Mila Karamushka: Suite médiévale: V. Acclamations—Jean Langlais (1907-1991)
• "Soprano in the Pipe Chamber (Leslie Heal Ray), accompanied by "Ghost Organist": Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14—Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
• Valerie Lefever Hughes: A Diet of Worms—Michael Horvit (b. 1932)
• Em Haas, alto; Meghan Cox, piano: "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from Phantom of the Opera—Andrew Lloyd Webber (b. 1948)
• Tim Baker: Toccata and Fugue in d minor (BWV 565—J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

Details about Joy Funtila Larsen's Viewing and Funeral Mass

For those of you who knew Joy (and to whom I had referred in my previous post) here are details about daily prayers, viewing, and funeral this week (courtesy of Aurora Sprague).

Please spare a thought, prayer, etc. to her husband, Carl, and their children, Cade, Ian, and newborn baby Caitlyn Marie.

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We are having prayer every night at Joy's house at 7:30pm through October 9.

Joy's Address:

3137 Groveshire Dr.
Raleigh, NC 27616


First Viewing: October 6th, 6 – 8 p.m.

Renaissance Funeral Home
7615 Six Forks Road
Raleigh NC 27615

Second Viewing:
October 7 at St Raphael's Church on Falls of the Neuse at 1pm followed by Mass at 4pm

Edited to add: Joy's obituary has posted. You can read it at the News and Observer or at the Renaissance Funeral Home webpage.

A tragic story

I never knew her.

And yet, everyone was talking about her. How tragic her story was. A young mother, expecting her third child. She had two older boys, and this baby would be her first girl. There were lots of happy expectations. No one suspected that anything would go wrong.

She had a young, fresh face. Petite. Slim. Active. Taught traditional Filipino dance to the children. All cut short. The baby girl was born. Unfortunately, four hours later, she was gone. She was 36 years old.

There was speculation as to what had happened. They just know there was a lot of bleeding. A baby girl will never know her mother. Two young boys will grow up without their mother. A distraught husband, who keeps expecting to see his wife walk through the door with the baby, is left to watch after his young family alone.

I stumbled upon her baby registry earlier today. Glancing at all the pink-themed items, one could see they were preparing for the joyous arrival of an eagerly-awaited baby girl. All I could feel was sadness.

I ask your prayers for the repose of the soul of this young mother... for the well-being of her three children, especially for the baby girl who was just born... and for the young widower.

Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace. Amen.

A Message for those looking for David Durkop

Please could you contact me via email?

There are a lot of people in Durham, NC who are very worried about David's well-being.

Thanks so much!

Grace and peace,
Lyn

Edited to add: David has returned to Durham. Thanks so much to those of you who have responded to this plea. I ask for your continued prayers for his well-being. Thank you.