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Ninang Pat's Hollyhock


Pretty pink hollyhock, isn't it? It's part of the second growth from Ninang Pat's hollyhocks. She cut the plants back last month. She was surprised to see more grow. Ninang Pat gave me some seeds for red hollyhocks. Hopefully, they'll grow for us.

Ninang is the Ilocano word for Godmother.

When I was baptized as a baby a long time ago, I had the good fortune of having six godparents—three ninangs and three ninongs (godfathers)—formally sponsor me. Informally, I had twelve godparents because the spouse of each godparent is also considered a godparent. But, actually, I had 9 or 10 godparents, because one or two of the ninongs were bachelors. Have I told you this before?

With all those godparents, I was not spoiled with lots of gifts, although one bachelor ninong was very generous with candy when he came  to visit. Ah, the fattening of Susie.

Ninang Pat is the last of my godparents. She married Ninong Pablo when I was three. For the longest time, I was confused as to what to call her. Sometimes I called her Auntie Pat. Other times, I called her Ninang when the Mama reminded me.

I'm no longer confused. It's great to still have a ninang, especially Ninang Pat. It's another thing that tricks me into thinking I'm not that old. Yet.

Comments

  1. Susie
    Hollyhocks....They've been on my mind all summer. I have this new chain-link fence in the back and I kept saying I wanted hollyhocks against the fence. I transplanted some from beside the house, where I didn't want them. Oh, how lovely they look!. Even my brother and I were talking hollyhocks and how much it reminded us of our childhood. I hope yours come up. If I remember correctly, I think they are bi-........ bi-what? They come up every other year....is that bi-annually. I'm too much in a hurry to look it up. I'm also painting the living room and taking a little soup lunch break.
    My flowers are the same color. Did you make dolls out of the flowers when you were little? We usued
    to make whole families. LOL
    A real warm-heart post.
    No trick....you are young.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Every other year? Ninang's hollyhocks come up every year, unless they're different seeds. That's neat thinking how some seeds sleep, while others pop out and grow. I need to learn when to sow the seeds. I have plenty to try different spots around the front and back. Fun!

      I don't remember making dolls out of flowers. I recall playing with wildflowers. I rarely picked the Mama's flowers unless she said it was okay. Even today, I don't. Makes me wonder what silly thing I did with her flowers as a kid that I got what for. I did like to pop the fuschias.

      Delete
  2. That Hollyhock looks large enough to be a hat!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe 3 or 4 of these together would make an awesome hat, G. I can see it.

      Delete
  3. strange, I couldn't post comments before. Children's books need a good illustrator, and coloured pages are expensive. I did write some children's stories, The cost put me off.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blogger has been tempermental lately. Self-publishing hard cover books can be expensive. Have you tried submitting to children book publishers, who take care of illustrations and such? Lee & Low Books is a multicultural childrens book publisher might be a fit for your stories.

      Delete
  4. I had no idea that is the word for Godmother and Godfather and that you can have more than one! That is special and very family oriented. Love the Hollyhock and I bet if you can't grow it just give it to your mom, she can make anything bloom.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For the longest time, I didn't know it's normally 2. I have no idea if it's a Filipino thing back in the Philippines, or if it's something that Filipinos here adapted because back then (pre 1970s), we didn't have relatives. So, friends became "uncles", "aunts", and "cousins".

      Delete
  5. I love learning about other cultures. My children have godparents....but they aren't quite the same as or as involved in thier lives as I read about in books, and other cultures. But they are all part of an extended "family" in one way or another.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was fortunate to not have to know if my godparents would've been more involved in my life as I was growing up other than they were there and we felt connected in a way. Until a certain age, they gave me birthday and Christmas presents.

      Delete

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Thanks for the good cheer. :-)

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