Perfect Artwork for My Sewing Room

One thing I did not expect to find at the Super Manila Comic Con was an artwork for my sewing room. I've been on the lookout for sewing themed decor/art for my sewing room. The only sewing decor I have is a clock, a few sewing machine figures and thimbles which I collected from my travels. 

I was dead tired by the time we reached the section for artists. Top of mind for me was to find a Yoda artwork or figure. Unlike the Singapore Comic Con, all the works were original. What caught my eye was Marius Black's artwork, "Blum". It's a cityscape of Blumentritt and I found the colors fascinating. The booth also had cat artwork and a child playing under a sewing machine. 

"My Silly Passenger" is the title of the print made by Guada Ramos Funtilar. I liked the artwork because it reminded me of those days I used to play under my Mama Lola's sewing machine. I even had the same hair cut as the child. She had the same black Singer sewing machine. Of course, I had to get a print for my sewing room. 

I'm happy I got it and regret I didn't buy Marius Black's Blum print. They both gave us their business card, so I could just probably order online or go to an event they'll attend. In the meantime, I need to find a nice frame for the print I got. Also, need to figure out where to hang it :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Cat Patrol and Gumamela Flowers

We had a busy afternoon today. It's always good to spend a few hours outside. We were not able to do it everyday now because of the rain. I puttered around the garden and gave some sundried coffee grinds to the gumamela plants. I was surprised to see another flower today. It looked a bit forlorn, but still very beautiful. I probably need to move them to bigger pots and make sure to provide fertilizer consistently. 

Of course, the afternoon won't be complete without spending time with the cats. They are quite a handful now and we try to give each one of the equal playtime. Meredith has been picky with food again, so we've been giving her broth. Brimsley's the same, she doesn't eat every so often. The vet said to bring them in if they become inactive. So far all our cats are active, so we're just observing for now. 

Pikachu took over cat patrol today. She was so cute hanging out on the wall. She would look left to right as if looking for intruders, haha. She's one of our most vocal cats and always meows whenever we're around. Truly a cutey.

Happy Monday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Family Day

My thighs we're still sore from all the walking we did yesterday at Super Manila Comic Con. I wasn't able to rest in between since the venue didn't have seats. I was only able to rest when the stage area cleared up in-between sessions. The boys parked me there while they went around.

I made the effort to get up and got the boys to go out with me. We skipped going to the grocery yesterday since I was too tired. We went to our usual Sunday chill spot. The area has a small grocery which carries most of what we need. I was really hoping surprised though the shop didn't have any Nestle cream! They said they haven't delivered any yet. Someone's hoarding already for Christmas! 😅

We got home before sunset. We didn't want the cats to be alone for so long. Meredith also wasn't eating. She's active and is probably just cross because I promised her we'll make some homemade cat food. She had some broth when we got home and will cook the cat food tomorrow. 

Happy chill Sunday everyone. Hope you got some rest.

Happy birthday Mama Mary! ❤️

#BeKind #StaySafe

At the Super Manila Comic Con

Sweetie surprised us with tickets to the Super Manila Comic Con. What I enjoyed the most was seeing the work of local artists. It was our first time to attend a comic con here, so it was a delight to see unique artworks.

I was surprised to see an artwork that would fit my sewing room perfectly. The artwork is by Guada Ramos Funtilar. It's a child playing under a Singer sewing machine. It reminded me of the time I used to do that under my Mama Lola's sewing machine. The child even had my short hair with bangs, haha. I bought a copy and had Guada sign it too. 

I regret not buying Marius Black's cityscape. I really liked it. I was so excited with __ artwork, I wasn't able to go back anymore for the cityscape. I got their contact information, so I'll just try to purchase directly.

The event had a hodge podge of stuff. Lines were very long for those buying Gunpla toys. It snakes around the area where you can buy toys, so that made it hard to get around. The middle section had character figures. It would have been nicer if they made an effort to put proper lighting for it. There was a smattering of Star Wars figures, but I only saw one Yoda figure. It's the Royal Selangor one being sold for PhP18k. 

The other third of the room was dedicated for comic books and local artists. I would have wanted to spend more time looking through the different artworks and maybe have something comissioned. Unfortunately, a big chunk of my energy was wasted waiting in line. There was a lot of confusion where to line up. 

Anyway, Sweetie got a copy of the special edition Transformers comic book :)

The event is open until September 8, 2024, at One Ayala, Makati City.

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Conked Out After Pulmo Rehab

I managed to sleep better the past two nights. There was some disturbance in the force the past two weeks and I had very dismal sleep. I researched for home remedies and it worked even though I have not been able to do my usual gardening exercise. 

I had a hard time during pulmo rehab last week. I didn't have much rest, plus my tonsils were still inflamed. My therapist said I looked much better today. I told him I was able to sleep and I've been consistent with moisturizing. 

I volunteered to use my heavier dumb bells today since I couldn't feel anything from the 1 pound set. I was good the first two exercises, but started to feel the difference by the third exercise. I had back pain too, so I thought it would help. I managed to finish the session with the heavier dumbbells. I finished strong with wall push-ups. 

I was exhausted when we finished and I forced myself to finish my lunch before conking out, haha. I was out once my head hit the pillow on the sofa. I napped for two hours and I'm now gathering some strength to visit the cats. I can't let a day pass without visiting them. They will surely help heal me from today's session. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

What I was Up to 20 Years Ago

It just crossed my mind that 2004 was already 20 years ago. My life was so different back then and in my mind I thought it was going to be the same for the rest of my life. I thought it would be my last job and my personal life would be the same. The only thing permanent in life is change.

It's nice to look back at where you are in the past because it can be a clue on how to move forward. Here are tidbits on what my life was back in 2004. I didn't have a blog yet back then, but I already had a digicam and I still have my photos!

I was still working for the Yellow Pages

Miggy was just 10 years old back then

I hung out a lot with my colleagues

and choirmates/neighbors

Me and my best friend tried to incubate a company. We ended up going to Banaue for it.

Mom and Dad still loved going on road trips

And I had a pet fish, Oscar the oscar

You can never really tell what will happen to you in the future. Opportunities and circumstances can change your path at a snap of a finger. I was content where I was 20 years ago. Two years later my life completely changed. I worked hard for it and worked harder when my life changed course. 

What were you up to 20 years ago?

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Ageing

While I'm far from being 65 years old (the age when one starts old age), my body was declared to be 70 years old when I was in my mid-30s. Well, more my heart and not my whole body. It was "reset" when I had heart surgery over 10 years ago. Since then my body has gone through a lot of trauma the past few years. 

My beautiful Meredith and Me

I am due for a TEE. My cardiologist wants to see the structure of my heart since it's been 11.5 years since I had surgery. My mitral valve has been leaking again for the past few years, so we need to make sure my heart is healthy. My lungs are another matter, but we're keeping the healthy parts healthier through pulmo rehab. 

I came across a couple of books on ageing at the Big Bad Wolf event. I got a couple of books which could help me prepare better. I have friends who are the same age as me. We go through life body stages almost at the same time. It's comforting to know I am not alone in what I'm going through. There are things though which is unique for me (OHS, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension etc. etc.). That's what I have to be prepared for since even those who have the same medical conditions like me go through it differently. 

Sometimes I feel God made me go through things in advance. I had Miggy early. I reached the peak of my career earlier. I had OHS younger than usual. I retired early. Everything is fast forward. God only gives you trials that you can bear. That's what I keep reminding myself. So, I'm excited to read the books I just bought. Maybe it will be me a perspective that will help improve my quality of living. 

#BeKind #StaySafe