[My cousin ARLENE “BETH” LLORCA LEVER is seen on the left photo in a Marilyn Monroe-ish pose. At right photo is the husband and wife tandem-STEVE and BETH posing in a photo session. The photo session was held as BETH won FIRST RUNNER-UP in the QUEEN LOLA BEAUTY CONTEST participated in by Filipina grandmoms who are scattered all over the world. The beauty pageant-contest was held in Ontario, California in 2012 with BETH representing FILIPINA grandmoms based in AUSTRALIA.]
She’s among my BEAUTIFUL cousins on the DISTAFF SIDE1,
She displays much AMITY—treats worries IN A STRIDE;
She’s truly FRIENDLY, a rare kind of COUSIN, and even so FUNNY —
She’ll make sure that you’ll have a nourished TUMMY2!
In our YOUNGER days, she brought much LAUGHTER,
She seemed to be one of Tio Gene’s3 FAVE DAUGHTERS;
She was suspected of being TOMBOY,
Eventually, she became the CRUSH of every BOY!
She’s happily married to STEVE LEVER4,
With a daughter who never was a “REBEL”5;
For ADRIE is SWEET, SOFT, TENDER and GENTLE —
As BETH took real care of her; under her MANTLE!
An amazing picture that I just saw,
My cousin BETH posing like DUMB BLONDE MONROE;6
But as you gaze and scrutinize the PHOTO,
It’s MARILYN who seems to be BETH’s ECHO!7
On this– her natal day she’s on TOUR with FAMILY,
They “invaded” EUROPE with sterling COMITY;
‘Twas a nice GIFT, from a DAUGHTER, who’s so LOVELY—
It truly soothes the HEART, a MEMORY for POSTERITY!
You ARLENE have been a REAL PEARL8,
To all your CLAN and all who loves you so DEAR;
GOD has blest and showered you with GRACES—
Your kith and kin have accorded you much PRAISES!
Being now a card-carrying SEXAGENARIAN,
I do hope you’d remain to be VICTORIAN9;
You’ve been so HELPFUL to all and SUNDRY—
AT SIXTY you really look still so SEXY!
The reason perhaps why you still ooze with SEXINESS,
‘Tis because STEVE took care of you with GOODNESS;
And ADRIE, IVAN10, JEREMY11 as well as BETTY12 – –
Have even made you YOUNGER without DUBIETY!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY COUSIN BETH!!!!
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[Legend: 1 – DISTAFF SIDE is the MATERNAL SIDE.
2 – It is an inherent TRAIT perhaps among Filipinos to feed the guest into SATIETY; and we experienced that when we were guests of Mr. & Mrs. STEVE and BETH LEVER at their Oxley Park home in Sydney in Australia in September of last year. In fact, it has been oft-repeated that when a friend or a kin hops into a Filipino home, the usual greeting is “O KUMAIN KA NA BA”, roughly translated as: “HEY, HAVE YOU EATEN”.
3 – Tio Gene, better known as Maj. Generoso Potato Llorca, is the late Dad of my cousin ARLENE “BETH” LLORCA LEVER.
4 – STEVE LEVER is my handsome cousin-in-law and loving husband of ARLENE aka BETH. STEVE is AUSTRALIAN but he has quickly adapted to the FILIPINO way of life and thinking. For which reason, STEVE has easily bonded and blended with all of us relatives of ARLENE aka BETH.
5 – ADRIENNE aka ADRIE who is ARLENE’s daughter is truly a model child who never brought any troubles or worries unto BETH aka ARLENE. ADRIE was so good and was never ever became a mischievous or a rebellious child; the usual worries of parents nowadays. ADRIE is happily married too, to IVAN GARCIA.
6 – DUMB BLONDE MONROE is Hollywood sexy actress Marilyn Monroe who took on comedy as her genre in the movies.
7 – Though it could be treated as HYPERBOLE, I honestly felt that Marilyn Monroe looks like BETH’s copy cat and that BETH is the original while Marilyn Monroe is the PHOTOCOPY…he,he.he..
8 – PEARL is used here to mean so PRECIOUS and so FINEST.
9 – VICTORIAN would mean to be truly strong in one’s moral values.
10 – IVAN is ADRIE’s debonair looking husband.
11- JEREMY is the son of ADRIE and IVAN.
12 – BETTY is STEVE’s gracious and pleasing mother and ARLENE’s MOTHER-IN-LAW.]
