Treasure Each Day

Our plan was set: we intended to make a leisurely 8-hour drive back to Chicago, take in a few sights along the way, and be in the city just in time for early dinner and some Windy City sightseeing. We still had some last minute packing to do for our flight back home the next day.

After lunch, we stopped by Iowa's Wallace Winery for some wine tasting.

'Bought a few bottles of Moonlight White, and some bottles of a late-harvest wine called Gewurtztraminer.
Isn't it ironic that we'd come across good wine made from German grape...
...in Iowa?

After P paid for it, a fact suddenly dawned on us: "Wait a minute, we can't even carry them damn bottles in the plane!".
So much for the airline's Cream/Liquid Ban.
Oh well, another good excuse to get drunk tonight.

I was getting a splitting headache from the nonstop madhouse inside the van - the whole day it was talking, laughing, napping, crying, potty-breaks, playing, tantrums, eating, whining, horsing around...

It was almost 8:00 PM when we saw the twinkling city lights beckoning.
It's about time!
I was simply dying to get out and sttrreeeeettcch.

We were all craning our necks to look out of the window when S started to cough.
Then she turned to me and spoke in a raspy, distressed voice:
"Mama, I can't breathe. Feel me".

I placed my hand gently on her chest and felt my heart lurch when I realized that she was wheezing really bad.
S was having an asthma attack!
Her two younger cousins clammed up, sensing that something was wrong.

"Am I going to be okay?" she asked, breathing  raspily through her mouth.
"Of course, you'll be just fine." I reassured, as I held her.
Then in Ilonggo (our dialect), I urgently directed my brother to drive to an Emergency Room.

"FAST!"

Thank God he knew the city well and announced that we were just 15 minutes away from the nearest hospital.
The longest 15 minutes of my life.
Gotta keep my cool. Do not panic. Act fast. Think.
Focus. Focus. Focus.

I didn't want S to see me acting like a nervous-wreck and become even more worried.
I think seeing her Dad freaking-out was enough.

S' O2 saturation (gadget attached to her left finger, above right photo) registered 76 when we barged in the ER (ideal level: 95-100). She was promptly given a nebulizer treatment, which relieved her almost immediately.
After a second inhalation treatment and a dose of steroids, she announced that she felt "As good as new".

In less than an hour, she gamely posed for photos as we waited for the doctor to examine and clear her for discharge.

Finally - P and I could BREATH again!

That night, I couldn't help but dwell on how fickle life is and dared not think what could have been the possible outcome had S had that asthma attack in the farm.  Or while we were driving through a long stretch of highway.

What a huge difference a day makes.

This made me treasure, appreciate, and be thankful for what I have even more.

So anyways, what did we see of Chicago this year?
Well, if we count the road going back to the airport, nothing else.
We didn't even have the time to call and meet up with good friends.
Next time, perhaps.

I'd like to give a special shout-out:
THANKS to the Emergency Room staff/personnel of Provena St. Joseph Medical Center for taking care of S.
But as much as we appreciate everything that they had done, I hope we don't get to meet anyone in a hospital setting again!

LINKS:
http://www.wallacewine.com/
http://www.iowasource.com/food/cooks_1205.html:

Making New Friends

My Aunt thought we still had time to socialize with the neighbors. One of their good friends (who is of German descent) wanted to meet P in particular, so we decided to drop by his house one afternoon.

Or should I say it looked more like Iowa's version of the White House.

The house's interior was stately and grandiose, complete with an indoor heart-shaped swimming pool, a red heart-shaped jacuzzi, and a grand staircase covered in - pink carpet. If I hadn't known that an elderly couple lived there, I could have sworn I walked in on one of the houses featured in MTV's "Cribs". S must have found the couch in the main living room comfortable - she promptly dozed off a few minutes after taking a seat!

The couple was very gracious and accomodating, and had a lot of interesting stories and funny anecdotes to tell. We found out soon enough that they were also very generous. They made the news a couple of years ago when they gave all of the town's residents a special Christmas gift - they shouldered the entire town's $25,000.00 December electricity bill!

For more on this news:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2004-12-21-iowa-electric_x.htm

Kids Birthday Party - "Barrio Fiesta" theme

The day came to celebrate the Virgos' birthday (S, her 2 younger cousins, and my brother). My Aunt's been heading the Filipino.-American Association in their community and we were touched and surprised that virtual strangers (to us) showed up in the evening with gifts and balloons for the kids, homemade wine, and more food!


Some helped cook and prepare for the "Barrio Fiesta"- themed dinner...

...and one of her friends even brought in a chocolate/vanilla birthday cake!

Before the chaotic merriment began (which comes with all festivities), we posed for the obligatory group photo. Sitting (L to R) are: my cousin J (husband and kids standing behind her), cousin M who is single and stands 6'7 ft. tall (he wryly attributed his height to "fertilizer overload", recalling a freakish childhood accident in which he got buried up to his armpits when he stumbled into a mound of hog shit), my über stylish Aunt (who loves collecting and wears 4-inch stilletos - never mind that they live in the middle of miles and miles of cornfield & soybean fields), and my Uncle (a jolly fella who after 40 years of marriage, still doesn't know how to tell a fib)...Standing in the middle is my brother and his family, and to the right is me and my 2 kids (I mean - my hubby and S).

Lechon - Suckling Pig Roast

WARNING:
This entry contains graphic images!!

Hundreds of thousands of pigs are being butchered in slaughterhouses each year. It takes about 15 minutes for each pig to be stunned/electrocuted by giant tongs, stabbed in the neck, then carted away to be cleaned and washed in boiling water.

When farmers kill a pig for their own consumption, a few will do so with the help of a sledgehammer. Unfortunately, this can be pretty messy as pigs are tough and can withstand several forceful blows to the head. Naturally, they will try to put up a fight or run - resulting in a long, painful death.

Some farmers are more merciful and opt for speedy or instant death.

That'll be a single bullet right in between the eyes.

A farmer delivered a 150+ lb. hog to my Aunt's house early AM during the day of the party.

Here's P, my cousin, and Tequila (the dog) saying "Adios" to the doomed pig.

Within minutes of being shot, a cable was hooked up to one of the pig's back leg and its limp body was hoisted up by the tractor. Then its throat was slashed to let all the blood drain out.

Then came the long and ardous task of searing and burning its thick hair. The pig was then given a good hosing down with jets of hot water. After that, its skin was scrubbed and scrapped with a rough, heavy-duty brush, water, and a bit of regular dish soap. The innards were removed carefully as not to puncture anything. The heart and liver were saved for future use, the intestines and other parts discarded/buried.

The pig's cavity was then filled out with Tanglad (Lemon Grass/Ginger Grass) and fresh Basil leaves, then laid out in their custom-built pig roaster. It was going to be spit-roasted in constant 450' degree heat for six hours.

By 6:30 PM, the roasted pig was dark golden brown and a delicious mouth-watering smell wafted from the pit.  It's ready!!!

The beer is cold, and the Lechon is ready to be served!

Here's my cousin and Uncle carving out the meat - who wants first dibs on the crunchy skin?

Target Shooting and Fishing

Although it is allowed to shoot wild animals (considered as pests) inside your land/property, Deer Hunting Season doesn't begin until December. If someone gets caught hunting off-season, the fines are very steep and it could even mean getting some jail time.
With this in mind, the big boys settled for some clay shooting and target practice. This is where P sustained a small gash on his upper right eyebrow - from the butt of his gun.
Poor baby - he unintentionally "hunted" himself.


When they weren't playing with guns, the guys went fishing...


They did save one afternoon to take the little kids to a small pond.
Here's S catching her very first one!

Fried Rainbrow Trout, anyone?

Tractors Galore

It's time to have a little tour of the farm - in a tractor. All aboard!

The corn variety left in the fields was for animal feed. The ones (sweet corn) for human consumption had been harvested about a month ago.

Here's my bro, P, and my Uncle checking the corn kernels for moisture. The corn has to be thoroughly dry before it can be harvested. The verdict? A few more weeks to go!

Next up was an even bigger, shiny tractor - S thought this one looked like it belonged in a children's playground.

The soya beans were almost ready to be harvested, too. Hmmm... 'tasted like Edamame.

"Octopus Hair" - Riding in the back of a pick-up truck was a hoot!!!