One

I am one with everyone in the call to end corruption and jail the evildoers.

Also praying to pass the anti-dynasty bill 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

Ending November wit Beautiful Flowers

We don't have that many flowering plants in our garden. The only one I bought were my gumamela plants. They haven't produced any flowers since I moved them to another area and that's something I need to figure out why.

Most frequent to bloom are the desert rose (kalachuchi) which we rescued from Mom's garden. The new one I re-potted in mid-October has been producing blooms already.

Surprisingly, a set of torenias sprouted at the foot of the repotted kalachuchi. Good thing I didn't remove it because it's been producing pretty violet flowers. 

I asked Manong Henry to plant some flowers in the front garden and the Panama rose bushes he planted have been flowering too. They're a cute shade of pink.

And he also planted some pinwheel jasmine. They always have flowers whenever I see it and they're so far easy to maintain.

Oh, I just remembered, I also have two suntan plants. I think I need to re-pot them since there's so many weeds growing in their pot. I read, they also need regular trimming to encourage them to produce flowers. They also like to be fed with compost regularly.ni thought they'd be easy to manage.

I hope to produce some Gumamela flowers in time for Christmas!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Grogu's "You Haven't Fed Me Look"

Our cats are most probably overfed, but everytime we step out to check on them they give us a look like they're starving. Haha.

And here's Grogu today giving me that look when I stepped out to water the plants. He only moved when he heard his furdad step out with the container of food.

After having a quick bite, Grogu followed me in the garden and guarded me while I went around watering the plants. If he's not around, Bailey takes his place and waits for me to move to the garage. Then they all disappear and play outside, haha.

I really want imagine my life now without our cats. I'm very sensitive when I see them not their usual self or when they have a wound. Miggy is in-charge of applying wound spray, if needed, and contacting the vet. I'm just glad they've all been healthy <3

Happy Friday!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Our Christmas Trees the past 15 Years

I was thinking about what throwback to do today and thought about looking at the past Christmas trees we've put up the past 15 Years. I previously shied away from having huge trees since Mom always had a tall one.

2010

Our first one was in our rented home. I had been collecting decors over the years. I also made framed photo decors which I used for a long time and then it got buried under a lot of other stuff. Maybe I should make a new set?

We eventually moved to smaller homes, so our trees also shrunk, haha. We honestly only made an effort to decorate when Mom would spend Christmas with us. I wanted to honor her by doing the same. So here's our tree the past three years.

2018

2020, pandemic tree

When we finally went home from Singapore, I got a taller tree since we had more space. It wasn't the tree of my dreams, but it worked out for a few years. 

2021

And the tree shirt I finished that year.

It was when we lost Mom in 2023 when I decided to get a proper tree. I saw her always make an effort to decorate. I wanted to honor her memory by doing the same. Here's our current tree.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Completed 25% of Knee Physiotherapy

I'm proud of myself for completing 3 sessions of physiotherapy consistently. It's partly because Miggy is also schedule to do exercises at the hospital, so that helps motivate me.

First two sessions were spent mostly for machine therapy and a bit of exercy. We did more exercise for the third session which included the dreaded step-up. Acccck! 

I've been noticing the improvements though and that gives me hope. I still limp when I walk, but I noticed I don't wiggle as bad. PT said that the machine stuff helps with healing. The bruise on my lower leg is lightening up too. I hope it won't look as hideous by Christmas!

On the nutrition side, we're all trying to change our eating habits. The boys are following the advise of a nutritionist and that means I get to avoid bad too, haha. I also need to lose weight, so eating healthy food should help.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made Cat Toys Using Old Socks

Our cats love rubbing their heads on our feet which I read is quite common. While decluttering I set aside some pairs of socks that have seen better days. They were no longer useful since the garter was loose already. A lot of cat owners give their cats stuffed toys or small pillows, so I thought I'd make some for our  cats using some of my retired socks. 

It was fairly straight forward and easy to make. My cats won't judge me, lol. I also used leftover batting which were cuttings from other projects. Here's how I made them:

I sprayed the toy with catnip before giving it to our cats. Meredith (above) immediately inspected the toys. I eventually paced them in their beds/boxes and they've been cozying up to it eversince I placed them there. Woohoo! I'll make more for them once I have enough batting again. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Real Property Tax Season

Miggy has been accompanying me the past few years to pay for our real property tax (RPT). I'm involving him more in doing adulting stuff so he could learn. 

I've so far shied away from doing the online route since it's not well ironed out yet bases on the comments I read online. Anyway, we also get our cedula at the same time, so at least we got two birds with one stone when we go to city hall.

I was happy to see that our city hall made some improvements in the building. The process of paying was cut in three: 

Step 1 - get the confirmation paper for your property at the Assessment Office

Step 2 - get the assessment

Step 3 - pay for your real property tax

*It used to be just step 1 and 3

It took us an hour this year, since there were many people in steps 1 and 2. Surprisingly, it took us less than 10 minutes at the treasury. They had more windows open at the treasury than at the step 1.

Check out your city hall's page on the discount you can get for paying early.

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Raffle that Changed How I Manage Money

Someone asked online if she should sell the hotel stay she won in a raffle. It reminded me of the time I won a raffle during an Ad Congress in Baguio. 

It was totally unexpected since I'm not one to win raffles. My Dad though always win and would always bring home door prizes. I haven't won any raffle since that rare moment at the Ad Congress.

With my Ninong Billy :)

It was a windfall for me. I was a single Mom back then and was drowning in tuition fee debt. My savings was just the minimum to keep my bank account. 

I won and it helped change how I manage my finances. I paid for all my debts and promised myself I'd never go in the red again. I also disciplined myself to pay all my credit card charges monthly. 

Since then I've been very mindful on where my earnings go. I'm quite thrifty and I funnily take a long time before I buy something I want (like years). I also learned how to budget properly (read more about it here). 

Sometimes you just really need a break to change how you do things. Just make sure you use that as a game changer. I did and never looked back.

Happy Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Avocado, One Year After Propagation from Seed

It's been over a year since I experimented on propagating avocado seeds. We got them from fruits we bought from a neighbor. I saved the seeds and let it dry for a few days and then rooted it in water. 

Rooting takes a few weeks and then I wanted for it to produce leaves. When it had enough leaves, I then planted it in a small pot. Waited a few more months and then re-potted it in a bigger pot. 

It took me awhile to transfer it to a bigger pot. We positioned it where it could get enough sunlight and I hope pests won't disturb it. I plan to leave it in this pot until it's transferred to soil. It will take a few more years before it hopefully bears fruit.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Tried Uniqlo Coffee

We've been meaning to try Uniqlo Coffee for a long time now. We just never had the time and we waited for the bridgeway from Ayala One to Glorietta 5 to open. We finally made it today.

The big push was the need to get jogging pants that could easily roll up for my PT sessions. We got VIP treatment because I was on a wheelchair. That made looking for what we needed faster and we soon made it to the cafe.

The cafe is pretty spacious and ordering was straightforward. I had a latte, mocha for Sweetie and strawberry mint tea for Miggy. I also got a cookie to try since last night's Mountain Dew infused cookie trial failed. 

Sweetie liked his coffee, but I found it a week bit bitter. I was probably expecting the coffee to be like what I used to have in our Japan office, haha. Sorry na. I forgot they always provide extraordinary things.

Anyway, next time I'll try the other beverages. I'm interested in the matcha drink and maybe next time I'll notice what other pastries they have. I zeroed in on the cookie because of last night's disappointment, hehe.

Have you tried dining at Uniqlo Coffee? What did you like?

#BeKind #StaySafe

A Look Back at My Kitchen Cover Projects

I'm currently working on new covers for my kitchen appliances. I've been meaning to make it for Christmas, but only got to start it a few weeks ago.

Anyway, thought I'd look back at my previous projects for some inspiration. Here's what I've done so far -

KitchenAid cover

Cat design - https://youtu.be/QW4ifCPV9JY?si=N5UMgR1LNLakD38R

Rainbow - https://youtu.be/7BxvVaOdAgY?si=wSmb8rHgkrN4Azfv

Food Processor Cover

Cat design https://youtu.be/Wmvz9U7Wv6s?si=twkMoOej5Ml1cfL0

Rainbow - https://youtu.be/WfzsD_Pu4V0?si=J_cmyc23SxM1wpsQ

Blender Cover

Cat design - https://youtu.be/Si8hJw2blOo?si=VlM1x4seGUTQurTW

Woohoo 🙌 

#BeKind #StaySafe

First Knee PT Day

Three months ago I missed a step and sprained my knee badly. My doctor hoped it would heal by itself, but with how things are my knee is still wonky. Another visit to my Ortho and he recommended I do physiotherapy. Nothing new for me.

We waited over a month for a slot. If I do well, I should be done before new year. I was assigned to Miggy C. today. He was very professional and made sure I was comfortable. I asked a gazillion questions and he happily obliged me. He also asked me a lot of questions and adjusted the program as needed.

I survived my first day, but was sad to find out my next sessions will be managed by someone else. I'll miss working with Miggy especially since I learned a lot about Northern Luzon and his dreams. Yes, as a pakielamera tita, I wanted to know what his plans are for the future. I just told him to enjoy, save and plan for retirement! :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Kitchen Cover Progress

My kitchen gadget cover is progressing well and I'm now working on the other parts. I decided not to make it too Christmassy so I can extend using it, haha.

Since it's Yoda themed I decided to render the rest of the cover in green. It will be light to the eyes, very different from my rainbow kitchen covers. 

Hope to finish by end of the week!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Prepping for No Water Again

Maynilad has been busy fixing pipes, leak issues and having brownouts the past few months. We oftentimes get last minute "no water" noticed. We have a tank that can last us a day of light water needs.

It hasn't been much of a problem since we collect rainwater. The scary notices are the ones sent days before because that means it's for a longer period. We'll have a 30 hour interruption starting midnight of Wednesday.

It's going to be rough even with our extra pails. Since we'll need more water especially for the bathroom, we decided to get additional pails and water containers with faucet. We do use the bathroom allot (hello diuretic). It's better to be prepared than encounter issues since sometimes interruptions can be extended.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Cute Friends Collectibles

I was just checking if McDonald's had caramel sundae when I chanced upon their offer for "Friends" collectibles. I haven't been buying toys for sometime now since my display cabinet is full already. But... I can always squeeze in some more, right?

I got Sweetie to order a burger too so we can get two. I got Ross and he got Joey. Cutie! 

Should I complete the set?

Have a blessed Sunday everyone :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Desert Rose (Kalachuchi) Rescue After Two Months

It's been two months since we rescued a pot of kalachuchi from my childhood home. It stood lonely beside our pedestrian gate. It was totally neglected and had very few leaves yet.

We brought it back home and I worked on adding soil, perlite, rice hull and compost to it. I didn't dare cut any of the stems for fear it might die. I gave it a good soak and put it where rain could reach it.

After a few weeks, baby leaves started to come out. I would turn the pot around to allow it to get more sunlight. I guess it was happy hanging around my calamansi plants because it started to produce flowers stems last October.

Two months after

Despite heavy rains and typhoons, it bloomed beautifully during typhoon UwanPH. The strong howling winds did not affect the flowers. At the same time, my two other pots (also rescued from Mom's garden) bloomed.

Rescued early this year

Thanks Mom and St. Fialcre, for helping me with the plants. There's more I need to transfer. We'll get them soon.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Yummy Champorado by my Friend

I love eating champorado, but i've never tried making it from scratch. I just usually get a box from the supermarket during the rainy season. 

My friend, Ottie, sent me some of her homemade champorado. We eagerly ate it after doing some gardening. Oh wow, it's definitely homemade and not out of the box type of champorado. It was thick, chocolatey and the right level of sweetness.

I forgot to take a proper photo of the food, haha. She also sent me leche flan which we'll have for dessert later. You can order her yummy food through her page (https://www.facebook.com/share/1CjoTdzA2a/). You can also message her if you want to send it as gifts.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Grogu's Knowing Look

Grogu knows me too well. With Sweetie's help I embarked on re-potting the rest of the avocadoes and two potted papaya plants. He gave me the look, "I know you're gonna crash after."

Yup, he was correct. I'm dead tired after re-potting 6 trees. Two avocadoes from its second pot, two papaya pots with at least 2 big stalks, and two avocadoes I propagated in water. Whew! It was a lot and required a lot of shovel work. 

I'm tired, but I'm happy my baby trees have room to grow!

#BeKind #StaySafe

What Makes You Happy?

What makes you happy? It's probably a question all of us ask ourselves every so often. Keep it simple my doctor told me. 

Whenever I feel down, one thing that helps me get back up is counting blessings or things I'm grateful for. This is what taught me to be happy even with simple things.

When I wake up every morning, I thank the Lord for the new day, then I look forward to seeing my boys, our cats and then my plants. 

I've changed a lot since I retired. I used to beat myself up for not being "productive". I kept praying for the next "big thing". My condition just got worse and I realized God is telling me I'm on a different path now. I'm meant to be where I am now.

What makes you happy can change over time. I used to chase wins across the region and now I'm chasing what's within a few meters around me. And it's enough.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Santa Yoda

Things surprisingly went back to normal on our area. I thought we'd have to postpone our appointments today. It proceeded like nothing happened. Praying for those who were severely affected and hope they'll be able to recover as soon as possible.

I fell asleep sitting after we had brunch. We woke up early, plus I feel I still need to rest after the very stressful few days due to the typhoon. The power nap helped and I started sewing after Miggy went to his appointment.

I finished piecing together Santa Yoda. It's based on a grid pattern I found on Pinterest. I know I should have asked advise from Miggy on what background fabric color I should have used, haha. I'll just embroider around Yoda to highlight him. 

Anyway, I'll use Santa Yoda for a kitchen cover I'm making. I'm integrating some of my Mom's unfinished pieces, so let's see where this goes.

#BeKind #StaySafe

We Over Prepared to Be Safe

Thank you Lord for keeping all of us safe from the supertyphoon. It caused a lot of destruction for other areas, but with your provision and blessings we will rebuild.

We overprepared for the typhoon. We previously put sandbags around our doors. Sweetie also reinforced it with boards and additional sandbags to make sure our basement won't get flooded. We were scared that the sewer pipe would backflow to our backyard again. 

We went around the house to check for damage. Some plants were toppled over, but most were okay. I discovered St. Fialcre recently and have been praying to him for the success of our garden. Despite the strong wind gusts, everything was intact. 

I pray for the quick recovery of areas severely affected by the typhoons. If you have extra please donate to Angat Buhay.

God bless us all in this new week.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Weathering the Storm

The wind started howling as soon as I finished preparing our food. Miggy helped me and took care of cooking the sausages while I prepped the tapa for marinating. I was washing some dishes when a low howling sound came from the pocket garden. Typhoon Uwan was just around the corner.

I followed Miggy when he went to the front door to check the plants. The tall trees across us was swaying because of the wind. It wasn't as strong yet, the forecast is it will be stronger from 7pm onwards.

We've been preparing the past few days. I asked Sweetie to reinforce the sandbags in our backyard. After going through several typhoons that inundated our childhood homes, it's better to be over prepared. 

We've also been glued to watching and monitoring the news for weather updates. The typhoon's track has been changing, so it's better to be well informed.

Praying that the typhoon will not cause harm to anyone. Our kitties are warm and safe too. 

#BeKind #StaySafe