Monday, May 26, 2014
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Respect and Honor are Due*
As we observe Memorial Day (Monday, May 26th), I would like to pay respect to those members of the military who lost their lives in defense of our country, fighting for freedom and peace.
Our fallen servicemen will never be forgotten. They will always be in our hearts and minds because of their honorable, proud service and the selfless sacrifices they made for the United States. They paid the ultimate price so we enjoy and cherish liberty.
They, along with today's veterans and active duty members of the armed forces, provide an example of courage and commitment to the next generation. They're our unsung heroes, ambassadors of goodwill.
As we remember and honor them this Memorial Day, let's pray for (and thank) them and reflect on what they have done for our nation. May they rest in peace.
(Following is my poem, humbly dedicated to our fallen heroes:)
In Loving Memory
With hope and valor
You fought for freedom
Without fear and reservation
You shed tears and blood
To the end...
Committed to defend you country
You fought decisively,
struggled hard to win victory,
With so much pain, sacrifice and suffering.
In the service to humanity
You left us a legacy
To cherish and to uphold
That love for one's country
Is worth dying for!
Gone but not forgotten
Yet honored today, yesterday, forever
You, the unsung heroes,
The freedom-lovers and -fighters,
The peacemakers and peacekeepers
You will always be our ideal and inspiration
For a better life, a world
Where there is love and unity
Peace and brotherhood among humankind.
-Chris A. Quilpa, a resident of Suffolk, is a retired U.S. Navy veteran. Visit his blog at onebuddingpoet/writer-chris.blogspot.com. Email him at chris.a.quilpa@gmail.com.
*Published in the award-winning Suffolk News-Herald, Sunday edition, May 25, 2014. For more information, visit www.suffolknewsherald.com.
Our fallen servicemen will never be forgotten. They will always be in our hearts and minds because of their honorable, proud service and the selfless sacrifices they made for the United States. They paid the ultimate price so we enjoy and cherish liberty.
They, along with today's veterans and active duty members of the armed forces, provide an example of courage and commitment to the next generation. They're our unsung heroes, ambassadors of goodwill.
As we remember and honor them this Memorial Day, let's pray for (and thank) them and reflect on what they have done for our nation. May they rest in peace.
(Following is my poem, humbly dedicated to our fallen heroes:)
In Loving Memory
With hope and valor
You fought for freedom
Without fear and reservation
You shed tears and blood
To the end...
Committed to defend you country
You fought decisively,
struggled hard to win victory,
With so much pain, sacrifice and suffering.
In the service to humanity
You left us a legacy
To cherish and to uphold
That love for one's country
Is worth dying for!
Gone but not forgotten
Yet honored today, yesterday, forever
You, the unsung heroes,
The freedom-lovers and -fighters,
The peacemakers and peacekeepers
You will always be our ideal and inspiration
For a better life, a world
Where there is love and unity
Peace and brotherhood among humankind.
-Chris A. Quilpa, a resident of Suffolk, is a retired U.S. Navy veteran. Visit his blog at onebuddingpoet/writer-chris.blogspot.com. Email him at chris.a.quilpa@gmail.com.
*Published in the award-winning Suffolk News-Herald, Sunday edition, May 25, 2014. For more information, visit www.suffolknewsherald.com.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Mother's Day Weekend in D-ville
Hi, everyone! Here's wishing you all a great Mother's Day weekend!
Yes, folks and friends, we're out of town, in D-ville, this weekend. We're re-visiting the area where daughter Tintin works or has been working for almost two years. Thank God, we arrived here safely last night. We left Hampton Roads yesterday afternoon, after wife Freny's done with her school-work. But, of course, we're so glad and thankful to see Tintin again.
This Saturday morning, we did drive around D-ville. We did a little shopping at Ringgold Flea Market and, then, at the downtown D-ville's Community Market where we had coffee and cinnamon-pecan buns for breakfast. Afterwards, we did stroll around by the D-ville Riverwalk trail where the historic train wreck of the Old '97 took place. Took some photos, of course, as mementos. (Check out the photos below.)
As we continued walking, the sky turned gray. And eventually, there was downpour which lasted for about twenty minutes. That's why we sought shelter under a bridge. There was also a biker with his small Chihuahua who sought shelter there. We waited patiently for the rain to go away...Then, we headed back to our car which was parked at the Community Market parking lot.
From the Community Market, we drove back to Tintin's place. But on the way, we stopped by at a restaurant for lunch. It rained again...Well, we hang around there at the restaurant while waiting for the rain to stop. Though it was drizzling, after having lunch, we just went back to Tintin's apartment.
Arriving at her place, I immediately charged my smart phone and my Fuji camera. Now, without further delay, I'd like to share with you, folks and friends, what we saw and encountered today in D-ville...
Photos and texts (c) 2014 by Chris A. Quilpa
Thanks, everyone, for reading and visiting my blog. Do appreciate it. Have a wonderful weekend! As always, I pray May God bless US!-chris a. quilpa, 10 May 2014.
Yes, folks and friends, we're out of town, in D-ville, this weekend. We're re-visiting the area where daughter Tintin works or has been working for almost two years. Thank God, we arrived here safely last night. We left Hampton Roads yesterday afternoon, after wife Freny's done with her school-work. But, of course, we're so glad and thankful to see Tintin again.
This Saturday morning, we did drive around D-ville. We did a little shopping at Ringgold Flea Market and, then, at the downtown D-ville's Community Market where we had coffee and cinnamon-pecan buns for breakfast. Afterwards, we did stroll around by the D-ville Riverwalk trail where the historic train wreck of the Old '97 took place. Took some photos, of course, as mementos. (Check out the photos below.)
As we continued walking, the sky turned gray. And eventually, there was downpour which lasted for about twenty minutes. That's why we sought shelter under a bridge. There was also a biker with his small Chihuahua who sought shelter there. We waited patiently for the rain to go away...Then, we headed back to our car which was parked at the Community Market parking lot.
From the Community Market, we drove back to Tintin's place. But on the way, we stopped by at a restaurant for lunch. It rained again...Well, we hang around there at the restaurant while waiting for the rain to stop. Though it was drizzling, after having lunch, we just went back to Tintin's apartment.
Arriving at her place, I immediately charged my smart phone and my Fuji camera. Now, without further delay, I'd like to share with you, folks and friends, what we saw and encountered today in D-ville...
Thanks, everyone, for reading and visiting my blog. Do appreciate it. Have a wonderful weekend! As always, I pray May God bless US!-chris a. quilpa, 10 May 2014.
Happy Mother's Day*
Following is a simple poem, humbly dedicated to all mothers, especially to my loving wife, Freny, mother to my two young adult children, Andrew and Christine.
I wish a Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. They truly deserve to be recognized and respected.
-Chris A. Quilpa, a North Suffolk resident, is a retired U.S. Navy veteran. He maintains a blog at onebuddingpoet/writer-chris.blogspot.com. Email him at chris.a.quilpa@gmail.com.
*Published in Suffolk News-Herald, print edition, Friday, May 09, 2014. For more information, visit www.suffolknewsherald.com.
I wish a Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. They truly deserve to be recognized and respected.
Mother Dear
Mother dear, I love you so.
Only you can love me true.
Teach me life in all you do.
Help me to live and to grow.
Ever faithful, ever true.
Rose of my life, that is you!
Dearest Mother, I love you.
Eternal God loves you, too.
Always there when I need you.
Rose of my life, that is you!
*Published in Suffolk News-Herald, print edition, Friday, May 09, 2014. For more information, visit www.suffolknewsherald.com.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Scribble a Verse for Poetry Month*
What better way to celebrate April than to enjoy a little poetry?
Grab a poetry book and start reading. Or, start scribbling lines that capture your imagination and (keen) sense of observation. Go ahead and try. You’ll be amazed at what you did!
E.D. Hirsch Jr., professor emeritus at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, and author-editor of more than a dozen books, including “The Core Knowledge” series, and “Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs To Know,” wrote that “one way to bring our children into the spirit of poetry is to read it aloud to them; another is to encourage them to speak it aloud so they can directly experience the sounds of language.”
Through poetry, children can understand the power of language to create vivid word pictures. “A child’s knowledge of poetry should come first from pleasure and only later from analysis,” he said.
I love poetry. Poems inspire; they can make you smile. They can give you (new) meaning to life; they can educate and liberate. They can unite people, too.
(When I was younger, growing up in the Philippines, we used to memorize and recite short poems in class. Remember those funny “Mother Goose” nursery rhymes? Those tongue-twisting alliterations? “Hickory, dickory, dock/ The mouse ran up the clock/ The clock struck one/ The mouse ran down/ Hickory, dickory, dock.”)
Let’s have a trivia game and see how well you know our poets:
1) He’s famous for his Chicago poems. (Carl Sandburg)
2) She delivered her passionate convocation address on April 17, 2007, following the Virginia Tech school shooting. (Nikki Giovanni)
3) Famous for his “Howl” and Other Poems. (Allen Ginsberg)
4) Once a student of the University of Virginia who penned The Raven and Annabel Lee. (Edgar Allan Poe)
5) An acclaimed author and poet who recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993. (Maya Angelou)
6) He wrote "Leaves of Grass." (Walt Whitman)
7) American lawyer and author who penned our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." (Francis Scott Key)
8) The first African American U.S. Poet Laureate (1993-1995) and the Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. (Rita Dove)
9) At age 86, he read his poem, “The Gift Outright” at President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 1961. (Robert Frost)
10) The first U.S. Poet Laureate to have served three terms (1997-2000). (Robert Pinsky)
(Other poets that come to mind, at this time, are Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein.)
April is National Poetry Month in the United States. Marie Bullock founded the Academy of American Poets in 1934 “to support American poets and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry.” The academy started the National Poetry Month in 1996 ("to increase awareness of poetry in the public, and the media, while creating more interest in the art form.”)
The academy sponsors poetry readings, creates displays in bookstores, gives tips on the teaching of poetry to different audiences.
Each year, the Library of Congress designates a poet laureate, whose mission is to promote the reading and writing of poetry in the United States. Serving a second term (2012-2014) is Natasha Trethewey, a Pulitzer Prize winner and former poet laureate of Mississippi. She’s the author of four poetry collections and a book of creative nonfiction.
Enjoy your poems, be they limericks, haikus, sonnets, ballads or free verse!
-CHRIS A. QUILPA, a North Suffolk resident, is a retired U.S. Navy veteran. He maintains a blog at onebuddingpoet/writer-chris.blogspot.com. Email him at chris.a.quilpa@gmail.com.
*Published in the print edition of award-winning Suffolk News-Herald, Friday, April 25, 2014. For more information, visit www.suffolknewsherald.com.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Teachers' Hard Work Deserves Respect*
I'd like to express my profound gratitude to those who have chosen the noblest profession---teaching, the "mother" of all other professions.
They are underpaid and yet indefatigable. For their professionalism and dedication, they are unsung heroes. They toil day and night so our children will learn and become successful.
They go to college and become experts in some academic field and then they go through rigorous student-teaching training and acquire the necessary professional certifications. They participate in regular professional development and keep up with the latest trends in education. They collaborate-teach with other teachers to share knowledge and skills.
Without teachers, we wouldn't be who we are today. Our teachers have played pivotal roles in shaping our lives. They are, undeniably, partners in building our future through our children.
With all the things going on in Suffolk, the City Council and School Board should carefully examine their priorities regarding the city budget. Our children's education should be near the top of the list of our priorities. This means we should pay teachers more---a competitive salary commensurate with their education and experience.
Teachers deserve a pay raise for all the hard work and for all the humiliation, disrespect and unpleasant treatment they receive from problem students and others.
Teaching is not an easy job, especially today. They deal with a lot of students with different backgrounds and personalities. Yet, teachers do what they love to do.
There are times when teachers become psychologists, guidance counselors, doctors, nurses, police officers, mothers or fathers in the classroom. Most do more than what is expected of them professionally.
They also volunteer for extracurricular activities at school. Yet they still find time to help students pass their classes, the SOL (Standard of Learning) and other benchmark tests, and move on toward graduation.
Let's give Suffolk's teachers a pay raise so they won't seek greener pastures elsewhere. They deserve every extra money and status.
Here's a poetic tribute to teachers:
Teachers are Educators
Teachers are educators
taught, trained and tested
dedicated, motivated, liberated
caring, giving and loving
enduring, forgiving, interesting
intellectual, philosophical and social
listening, speaking and thinking
experimenting, discovering, researching
enlightening, encouraging and inspiring
hoping, praying and wishing
for the best in all of our students.
-Chris A. Quilpa, a North Suffolk resident, is a retired U.S. Navy veteran who maintains a blog at onebuddingpoet/writer-chris.blogspot.com. Email him at chris.a.quilpa@gmail.com.
*Published in the printed edition of the award-winning Suffolk News-Herald, Sunday, April 20, 2014. For more information, visit www.suffolknewsherald.com.
They are underpaid and yet indefatigable. For their professionalism and dedication, they are unsung heroes. They toil day and night so our children will learn and become successful.
They go to college and become experts in some academic field and then they go through rigorous student-teaching training and acquire the necessary professional certifications. They participate in regular professional development and keep up with the latest trends in education. They collaborate-teach with other teachers to share knowledge and skills.
Without teachers, we wouldn't be who we are today. Our teachers have played pivotal roles in shaping our lives. They are, undeniably, partners in building our future through our children.
With all the things going on in Suffolk, the City Council and School Board should carefully examine their priorities regarding the city budget. Our children's education should be near the top of the list of our priorities. This means we should pay teachers more---a competitive salary commensurate with their education and experience.
Teachers deserve a pay raise for all the hard work and for all the humiliation, disrespect and unpleasant treatment they receive from problem students and others.
Teaching is not an easy job, especially today. They deal with a lot of students with different backgrounds and personalities. Yet, teachers do what they love to do.
There are times when teachers become psychologists, guidance counselors, doctors, nurses, police officers, mothers or fathers in the classroom. Most do more than what is expected of them professionally.
They also volunteer for extracurricular activities at school. Yet they still find time to help students pass their classes, the SOL (Standard of Learning) and other benchmark tests, and move on toward graduation.
Let's give Suffolk's teachers a pay raise so they won't seek greener pastures elsewhere. They deserve every extra money and status.
Here's a poetic tribute to teachers:
Teachers are Educators
Teachers are educators
taught, trained and tested
dedicated, motivated, liberated
caring, giving and loving
enduring, forgiving, interesting
intellectual, philosophical and social
listening, speaking and thinking
experimenting, discovering, researching
enlightening, encouraging and inspiring
hoping, praying and wishing
for the best in all of our students.
-Chris A. Quilpa, a North Suffolk resident, is a retired U.S. Navy veteran who maintains a blog at onebuddingpoet/writer-chris.blogspot.com. Email him at chris.a.quilpa@gmail.com.
*Published in the printed edition of the award-winning Suffolk News-Herald, Sunday, April 20, 2014. For more information, visit www.suffolknewsherald.com.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Hello, April!
Hi, everyone! Good day to y'all! How are we all doing? Me? I'm thankful and glad to be alive and well. Thank God.
The "madness'"of March is gone, for sure, with cold and wintry, snowy weather. Nevertheless, we still have unpleasant events that happened here and there that remain to be solved or resolved such as the following: the mystery crash/disappearance of Malaysian Airline that up to this time we don't know what really happened, how and where it disappeared with a crew and passengers of about 240(?), the mudslide in Snohomish county in Seattle, WA, with over two dozens killed and a number of residents missing; the fiasco over the Affordable Health Care Act, aka Obamacare, the turmoil in Ukraine as a result of the takeover or invasion (?) of Cremea by Russian forces, political instability of other countries or other parts of the world, etc. I keep wondering and asking myself why, though. Despite the advances we have in technology, it appears to me that the world has more and more problems. Insurmountable and unresolved. And such "peace on earth" wish remains elusive and far from becoming a reality. Why? Just asking and wondering...
Now, the reality is seasons change. The much-anticipated springtime is here! Thank God. Hence, let's welcome and say Hello, April! Hope you're bringing us much fun, comfort and relief to our weary heart and soul. I'd like to think positive and optimistic that we'll get better, as a people of/with love and compassion, as days come and go...
What did I do and where did I go for the past days/week? Let me recall, folks and friends...Last week, I accompanied my young adult daughter, Tintin, to a local oral surgeon's office. She had her three wisdom teeth (that have been bothering her for weeks) extracted. Thank God, she's doing well and into full recovery soon.
The past weekend, we had a road trip to The Capital. In spite of a wet, rainy weekend, it didn't dampen our spirit to be excited to visit my young adult son Andrew and to watch him perform, with the rest of the cast, in the play "Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad" that Saturday evening. I enjoyed the show; we had a great time with the family. Sunday morning, after our breakfast in the hotel, we attended the 10:30 a.m. Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington, DC. After Mass, we had lunch there at the Food Court. Then, we said goodbye to Andrew and braved the nasty weather on our way back to Hampton Roads. Overall, we had a wonderful weekend together as a family.
Monday, I did have a couple of errands to make. After preparing the bills to be mailed, I went to the post office, with Tintin. Then we went to a store, bought some stuff, then ate lunch at Hardee's.
Yesterday morning at ten, I did go visit my former workplace (back in the days when I was U.S. Navy active duty), NMCP, where I had a follow up medical appointment. On the other hand, daughter Tintin drove herself to her follow up dental appointment. It was a long day for me at the hospital because I ended up having another doctor's appointment in the afternoon. So tired, hungry and exhausted I was that, on my way home, I stopped by at Totoy's Filipino restaurant to buy food to go. Arriving home, I ate my "brunch and early dinner" hot food. My, what a day it was! I needed that rest and respite so bad! But I'm glad, and so thankful to be alive and well...
Well, that's about it, for now. Until next time around, my dear folks and friends. (I have an errand to make. I have to pick up my prescription med refill.) Oh, before I forget, the photos...I've shared them to our Facebook folks and friends already. I'll see if I can embed some in this post. Otherwise, if you're interested to see them, visit my Facebook page under the name Fernando. (You and I can be FB friends.) How's that?
Thanks for reading/visiting my blog. Take care and Have a wonderful day! May God bless US always!-chris a. quilpa, 02 April 2014
The "madness'"of March is gone, for sure, with cold and wintry, snowy weather. Nevertheless, we still have unpleasant events that happened here and there that remain to be solved or resolved such as the following: the mystery crash/disappearance of Malaysian Airline that up to this time we don't know what really happened, how and where it disappeared with a crew and passengers of about 240(?), the mudslide in Snohomish county in Seattle, WA, with over two dozens killed and a number of residents missing; the fiasco over the Affordable Health Care Act, aka Obamacare, the turmoil in Ukraine as a result of the takeover or invasion (?) of Cremea by Russian forces, political instability of other countries or other parts of the world, etc. I keep wondering and asking myself why, though. Despite the advances we have in technology, it appears to me that the world has more and more problems. Insurmountable and unresolved. And such "peace on earth" wish remains elusive and far from becoming a reality. Why? Just asking and wondering...
Now, the reality is seasons change. The much-anticipated springtime is here! Thank God. Hence, let's welcome and say Hello, April! Hope you're bringing us much fun, comfort and relief to our weary heart and soul. I'd like to think positive and optimistic that we'll get better, as a people of/with love and compassion, as days come and go...
What did I do and where did I go for the past days/week? Let me recall, folks and friends...Last week, I accompanied my young adult daughter, Tintin, to a local oral surgeon's office. She had her three wisdom teeth (that have been bothering her for weeks) extracted. Thank God, she's doing well and into full recovery soon.
The past weekend, we had a road trip to The Capital. In spite of a wet, rainy weekend, it didn't dampen our spirit to be excited to visit my young adult son Andrew and to watch him perform, with the rest of the cast, in the play "Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad" that Saturday evening. I enjoyed the show; we had a great time with the family. Sunday morning, after our breakfast in the hotel, we attended the 10:30 a.m. Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington, DC. After Mass, we had lunch there at the Food Court. Then, we said goodbye to Andrew and braved the nasty weather on our way back to Hampton Roads. Overall, we had a wonderful weekend together as a family.
Monday, I did have a couple of errands to make. After preparing the bills to be mailed, I went to the post office, with Tintin. Then we went to a store, bought some stuff, then ate lunch at Hardee's.
Yesterday morning at ten, I did go visit my former workplace (back in the days when I was U.S. Navy active duty), NMCP, where I had a follow up medical appointment. On the other hand, daughter Tintin drove herself to her follow up dental appointment. It was a long day for me at the hospital because I ended up having another doctor's appointment in the afternoon. So tired, hungry and exhausted I was that, on my way home, I stopped by at Totoy's Filipino restaurant to buy food to go. Arriving home, I ate my "brunch and early dinner" hot food. My, what a day it was! I needed that rest and respite so bad! But I'm glad, and so thankful to be alive and well...
Well, that's about it, for now. Until next time around, my dear folks and friends. (I have an errand to make. I have to pick up my prescription med refill.) Oh, before I forget, the photos...I've shared them to our Facebook folks and friends already. I'll see if I can embed some in this post. Otherwise, if you're interested to see them, visit my Facebook page under the name Fernando. (You and I can be FB friends.) How's that?
Thanks for reading/visiting my blog. Take care and Have a wonderful day! May God bless US always!-chris a. quilpa, 02 April 2014
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