The Month of June

June is always set as a month to celebrate for us. Sweetie and Miggy's birthdays fall on the same month, so it's a month-long "cheat day" for us, haha. Oh! And we also celebrate Anakin's gotcha day.

I realized I haven't been posting my monthly one second a everyday videos, so I'm going to back-track and upload the months I skipped (March to May). Here's the one for the month of June -

The biggest highlight of the month was a day trip to Tagaytay. It's been three years since we went and we feel very lucky because the weather was good and there was barely any traffic (despite typhoon Francisco*).

Here's what I also accomplished for the month:

• Completed two sewing projects - a bag and a couple of Yoda-inspired coasters
• Finished doctor check-ups
• Went shopping with Architect Ed and cleared the rest of Mom's jungle
• Tomato plants started growing fruit! Also got to sprout orange seeds! 
• Survived the month without getting sick!
• Re-opened my kitchen and cooked Spanish adobo

It doesn't seem much, but when you're operating on a limited capacity reaching 1,000 steps per day is already an achievement. :)

*Thank you to my Papa Lolo for watching us when we traveled! He has the same name as the typhoon, so I felt he helped give us a reprieve so we can go out. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

  

6 Years Ago at the Height of the Pandemic

By July 2020, we had gone through different versions of the "circuit breaker". We were stuck in Singapore and continued to work from home. It was the busiest time for our team and I had to find ways to shake off the stress. 

Our usual stress busters which included going to the mall, dining out, and walking around were limited. Like everybody else, I turned to home hobbies. 

I tried making Dalgona Coffee -

Baking -

I even tried making Filipino bread, like pandesal -

Cooked our own food -

Of course, I also tried my hand at growing veggies!

One thing I wished we had back then? Miggy. We were separated for almost two years. 

And, it would have helped also to have a pet. My plants though served the gap.

My respiratory therapist told me earlier to be careful. COVID-19 cases are increasing again. That's why I still wear a mask when we go out. My cardiologist has reminded me to stay away from trouble. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Gaming vs. No Gaming for Children

When I was growing up, there wasn't as many ways to play games. Popular back then were cartridge gaming consoles (Atari, Sega, Nintendo), Game & Watch, and computer games existed (Pacman!). Access was limited. You can only play if you owned a console or if your neighbor/playmate has one. 

I had one Game & Watch and I was gifted a Pacman watch (much to my parents' dismay). I only got to play Pacman when Kuya would lend me his computer. I was never allowed to play Atari/Sega/Nintendo (I wasn't really allowed to go out, periodt). I was busy learning crafts, so that was what distracted me. My parents wanted me to focus on my studies, so all my "game time/play time" was done away from any type of screen. 

Did I want to play on consoles? Of course, I did. All my classmates seemed to have access to it, but I guess I got content with my Game & Watch and Pacman watch. I did not get addicted to it because I was busy with crafting. I got addicted to Candy Crush a few years ago, but I eventually deleted it because I was losing sleep over it and it ate up my crafting budget. The only game I play now is Pokemon Go and I just play a few minutes a day. 

This is what I had when I was a child.

My son, Miggy, didn't have any gaming consoles as well growing up. We played Plants vs. Zombies as a family when we each have our computers in one room. We all outgrew it and I allowed Miggy to play games on his computer. There were times when I had to intervene when I'd see danger lurking. I also removed his computer physically when he got into gaming too much and it affected his studies. We noticed some changes in his behavior that's why we had to take drastic measures. 

Sweetie got this for me for my birthday.

I guess I got to experience the extremes of how gaming affects a person. What we all learned is it's important to supervise and check what your child is doing and reinforce their values. Miggy eventually finished his studies and I don't bother his computer time anymore. Both he and Jay play games I'm not interested in, but we all still play Pokemon Go together as a family. 

It's probably harder for parents now to track what their child is doing. A mobile phone is very powerful compared to the XT computer I had growing up. Miggy was way more knowledgeable than me when it came to computers when he was a teen, so it was already hard back then. We were lucky because Sweetie's a comsci graduate, so I leaned heavily on him to decipher managing Miggy's online time. The best thing I think we did was to be joined on the hip as a family. 

Good luck dear parents with younglings. 

P.S. The funny things is I bought myself my own Nintendo Switch. I used it a few times... it's still pretty brand new. I also had a Gameboy which I eventually gave to Miggy. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made a Yoda-Inspired Coaster

Another sewing project inspired by cats and Pinterest! I finally finished the Yoda coaster I've been working on for two weeks now. I thought I could finish it in a day, but it took longer. I didn't expect that making a mini "Yoda" stuffed figure would be challenging. 

I finished my practice piece in 3 days. I had to adjust a few things since Miggy said the arms were too big and the Yoda head was too small. My mistake was using a Yoda keychain as a pattern. I made it a bit bigger and filled out the arms more. I must say, it's a very healthy Yoda, haha. 

I had to move the head also since it seemed awkward to put it on the side. Miggy said it worked for the cat sample because cats have four legs. Ahh, he made sense, so I decided to just put the head in the middle. The coaster though would only work for slimmer glasses (sorry na). 

Anyway, hard as it was to make, it turned out cute. It would be annoying to use for our small family room dining table, so I'll bust it out only when we use our "formal" dining table (the table we only use during Christmas and New Year, hahaha). 

Maybe I'll make a cat version, yes?

#BeKind #StaySafe

First Few Weeks of Demolition

To be honest, seeing my childhood home demolished slowly was jarring. I cried when I first saw the cabinets from my parents' bedroom removed. I always had in my mind that they were just both home doing what they love doing. Mom would be doing some gardening, while Dad would be busy writing or reading on his desk at the lanai. 

Seeing their bedroom empty of all furniture and the cabinet doors removed felt unreal. I felt it was wrong and the thought of calling off everything ran in my mind. I comforted myself by thinking that I have happy memories of my childhood home and we'll build new ones in the same space eventually. 

The first few weeks of demolition focused on removing "add on pieces". All the cabinets,wall cladding and doors were removed. Space had to be made, so they also started removing window grills, sills and jalousies. It felt really weird to see the house stripped off of its coverings. 

We chose to demolish the house after getting several inputs from different architects and structural engineers. We could have opted to do a heavy renovation, but the cost would be the same and for our safety it would be better to have a structurally sound house with new electrical fittings and plumbing. The foreman explained to us that they will keep the original foundation as a reinforcement for the new foundation. I think it worked out because we requested to follow the property line strictly. 

Next week, I'll share where we sold some of the pre-loved items :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Learning from the Eraserheads

We watched the Eraserheads docu on Netflix the other day. The documentary basically showed the journey of the E-heads from the beginning. It all started when Ely Buendia recruited for replacements for his original band. It was definitely not a walk in the park for them and a lot of people helped them grow and eventually become a legendary rock band. 

Singapore 2013 

Take a Risk

The group didn't sound good in the beginning, but their music was unique. That's what caught the attention of the owner of Club Dredd and eventually the music label that took them in. It was on their "last performance" when they were discovered and the music label took a chance on them. 

Relationships Matter

The group eventually grew in fame. They became famous and did a lot of shows here and abroad. Ely mentioned though that they were a group, but they were not really close to each other. Issues were never discussed and that led to their disbandment. Ah, it's a very genX characteristic. Don't rock the boat, don't say anything, keep the peace. It took a very long time before they got back together. 

BGC 2008

Music Heals

One of them mentioned that they may not be close to each other, but they make beautiful music when they are together. We watched them when they first got together in BGC (where Ely fell). Then we watched them in Singapore (2013). And then we watched the Final Cut online (I think via TFC if I remember correctly). The group felt very different by the Final Cut. They even hugged at the end of the concert. The documentary also showed some behind the scenes of them having fun together. 

There are things that only unfold after decades. Healing takes time as the old adage says, "Time heals all wounds." When you get on age, you'd really forget what was the issue anyway and the past will just become the past. 

Have a blessed healing Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Plants at Mahogany Market

After three long years, I finally got to visit Mahogany Market again. It was a spur of the moment trip, so I didn't really plan to buy plants. I'm also overwhelmed with caring for what's left of my Moms plants and only got what I could commit to.

Mahogany Market looked the same. No major structure changes. It's better organized now I noticed. Fruits on the ground floor of the market structure. Veggies on the second floor and other items (like souvenirs and dry goods) in a separate building. I noticed though the plant stalls are less than what it used to be. Maybe some of them transferred to Silang? 

Anyway, with Miggy as my buddy, we went back to where I bought my gumamela plants 3 years ago. They're still alive save for one! I skipped buying a lot of herbs since they don't really survive long. It's better to plant from seed. That way they don't get heat shock when you bring them to Manila. 

I was able to "control" myself and just got some "essentials". Three marigolds, 4 gumamela plants, and mint/parsley and basil. Only 10. Haha. My garden space looks like a jungle now and I can't wait to transfer everything back to my Mom's garden. I'm still planning how that will go. It's many months away, so I'm not rushing. 

I enjoyed going to Mahogany Market. We will probably visit the Silang area one of these days. I don't need more plants at the moment and I seriously need to reduce since it's taking us longer to water the plants. You can just imagine how happy we are when it rains, haha. 

*Plant prices seem to have increased a bit. It was also one reason why I didn't buy that much. Next time I want to find out how much they sell fruit bearing trees. I don't have space for it anymore (haha), since I have 5 avocado trees and one mango tree growing. I want them to grow big! 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Bag of Beans (Tagaytay)

We were pleasantly surprised to visit a "relatively new" branch of Bag of Beans. We chose the one nearest to Twin Lakes in Tagaytay and found out the Antonio and Charito Bag of Beans branch was the Twin Lakes branch. They said they moved 2 years ago.

It's been 3 years since we visited Tagaytay and wanted to visit our favorite spots. We chose Bag of Beans for brunch and so we could enjoy the view of Taal Lake. It's a bit far than other restos, but with an active volcano it's always better to keep a safe distance. 

The boys ordered fish. Sweetie got tanigue. I regret not trying it, but it smelled to delectable.

Miggy got fish and chips and he was happy to find out it wasn't the usual Dory. I also regret not trying it...

I was too busy enjoying the country breakfast plate I got. I didn't feel like eating rice at that time and thought it was a good idea to get pancakes with bacon and sausage, haha. It gave me enough fuel to finish visiting Sonya's Garden and Mahogany Market.

And we all shared a plate of carbonara to fulfill the birthday noodles tradition!

You can also buy pasalubong at Bag of Beans. We just got a bread sampler since we planned to visit Sonya's Garden bakery. On hindsight, I should have bought some raisin bread at Bag of Beans. Well, it just means there should be a next time!

P.S. It was my friend, Juned, who introduced us to Bag of Beans way back. It was only the main branch at that time. 

Throwback Thursday: June Double Birthdays

I never expected that Sweetie and Miggy's birthday would happen back to back. We've been celebrating it as a family for almost two decades now. We do it usually with family, but it's just us the past ten years and sometimes with friends. 

The boys don't like huge parties, so the smaller the celebration the better. This year we went on a day trip. It's been 3 years since we went on any kind of trip. We just couldn't leave anytime because of our fur babies. 

June 2010

Whatever way we celebrate, it's been an annual tradition to eat noodles and give toys as gifts. That started 16 years ago and the boys enjoy opening their gifts. Sometimes it deviates when they want something useful, but toys usually work :)

If it's just the three of us celebrating, we dine out. We tried traveling after the pandemic, but that's how we all got COVID-19 for the first time. We were stuck with someone very sick in-flight. A week after we were all very sick. And that's another reason why we haven't been traveling. 

What's most important for us is to be together on this special day :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Road Trip!

I've wanted to go on a roadtrip for awhile now. There's been no good time for it since we're busy with other things. Last Saturday, I asked the boys if they wanted to go out of town. We were undecided since Typhoon Francisco was set to arrive.

We made the decision to proceed on Monday night since the weather forecast showed a low chance of rain. We left around 9 in the morning on Tuesday and took the short trip to Tagaytay. We headed first to eat brunch at Bag of Beans. The usual branch from Twin Lakes we used to visit moved to their own place. It's now called Charito and Antonio Bag of Beans which overlooks the Splendido area. 

After brunch, we headed to Sonya's Garden to buy some bread. We also love eating there, but since it's been 3 years since we last visited Tagaytay we split our time across what we wanted to see. Well, we spent more at Sonya's than for brunch since we got some pasalubong for our friends (haha). We agreed we won't wait long to go back, haha. 

And then we went to our other favorite place, Mahogany Market, to buy fruits, veggies and some plants. We got dragon fruit, banana, avocado and dalandan. I was happy to buy some dalandan so I can make my annual Spanish adobo. Sweetie got some veggies since my kitchen is open again (it's not so hot anymore to cook!). 

I managed to control myself and just got "a few" plants, haha. Just some marigold and Gumamela (hehe). I'll try to re-pot them in the next few days. We're starting to look like a jungle now. Mom would be pleased. 

Going on a road trip felt like a reset. We all needed it since we've been busy with home and health stuff. It's a never ending cycle, so it was a good break. We couldn't do overnight trips anymore since we have 8 fur kids who will get mad at us. A whole day trip to Tagaytay is a good idea. Maybe next month we could go to Binan again to buy some Chef RV goodies! 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Work-in-Progress: Yoda Coaster

I saw a cute cat coaster project while doomscrooling. I wanted to do it, but I thought I'd make a Yoda inspired one.

Yoda because my Grogu fabric will just get dirty if used as a coaster and I don't think my green fabric won't match it. 

Anyway, I found a Yoda keychain which I could use as a pattern. I adjusted the size because the arms I made were too big.

It's harder than I thought, so it's still a work in progress 😁 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Other Home Building Expenses

There are a gazillion other expenses when it comes to building a house. We had additional expenses too since an old house exists and we're within the airport zone.

Here's a list we had to pay aside from the construction building materials and professional fees:

Requirements for Building permit (our Architect included these in the construction cost)

- Barangay clearance fees

- Homeowners clearance fees

- Survey and CAAP requirements done by a geodetic engineer (we had to spend additional for the CAAP requirements)

Building permit (partly covered under construction fees, but...)

- liability policy 

- fire extinguisher 

- CAAP clearance 

- planning fees

- plumbing, roofing 

- contractor's tax

Homeowners fees (not included in construction cost)

- Demolition bond

- Construction bond

- More homeowners fees (this one is not reimbursable)

Monthly fees

- water utility 

- electricity

- PLDT (we set up CCTV so we could monitor the property)

- weekly food for the team

#BeKind #StaySafe

God Provides

I thought we'd just have a sprinkle of rain today. I went about at half past 5 to play with the cats and then water the plants.

I looked at one of my rainwater drums. It was almost empty. I set the hose to fill it up. I didn't turn the faucet on yet and proceeded to water some plants.

Then huge raindrops started falling. I ran to set the strainer cover for the drum and then I went to the garage for cover. Ahh, the rain we've been waiting for all week finally poured.

Woohoo! Thank you Lord for the rain. I hope it will help Mom's bougainvillea to propagate. 

Have a blessed Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Something's Eating my Caladiums

My plants have gone through a lot the past two months. I've had to be vigilant in spraying Neem oil to keep pests away. Sweetie has been helpful with removing caterpillars eating the calamansi plant.

I was surprised yesterday when I saw bite marks on the caladiums. Rawrrrr! It's been untouched eversince I re-potted it from a small plant.

Sigh.

I hope it doesn't progress. I'll also put some coffee grinds in the area to ward off slugs and snails. They've been eating my small avocado tree too.

Aside from been oil what do you use to keep pests away?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Watch "The Good Place"

We've been enjoying Ted Samson films on Netflix, so "The Good Place" was suggested. We skipper watching the trailer and just went right in.

We were hooked after watching the first episode and set aside other shows we were watching. It's a truly enjoyable show and you'll see a very different sid of Manny Jacinto (he starred in this show before "The Acolyte").

We're now on the final season and will probably finish it by this weekend. We like the different take it has on heaven and hell. Everyone involved in th show are very creative!

Go watch :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

43 Years Ago

Forty three years ago, I was a flower girl for my Tita Pet and Uncle Fumio's wedding. My cousin, Tina, was also a flower girl.

It's been more than 4 decades, but what I remember most was the huge cake made by a neighbor. The wedding was organized together with the community.

We almost lost Tita Pet. I remember seeing her sick at home and I promptly reported it to my Mom. To make a long story short, she was the first successful kidney transplant in the country. It was a miracle that only happened because of community support.

*That's me showing affection to my Tita (or maybe I was being my pakielamerang self)

And that's where I started to believe the importance of being a part of a community. They will be with you in good times and bad times. Until today, I see the love the community has given to my Tita even though she's far away from us.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Meds

One of the things I have to do everyday is drink my meds at specific times of the day. I was already used to drinking vitamins way back, but maintenance medication is a different ballgame.

My doctors told me many times to be disciplined about it because skipping can have dire effects. It took me time to get used to it and I make mistakes sometimes. My doctor said never drink the same medication in the same time because it could lead to bleeding. 

That scared me a lot, so I started using a pill box and I write the day of the week on the blister pack. I've also asked my doctors different scenarios if I miss an intake and they gave instructions on what to do. I also joined patient groups to learn more.

#BeKind #StaySafe

My New Star Wars Mandalorian Crochet Kit

I have been collecting Star Wars crochet kits for a few years now since I like crocheting too. It's more challenging for me than quilting, but still fun nonetheless.

It was my Mom who taught me how to crochet. We had one book where we followed patterns and that's what I did one whole summer vacation. I didn't reach my Mom and Titay'a level where they made huge crochet blankets. I found them when we cleared my childhood home.

Anyway, I'm quite excited to try my hand making a Grogu crochet. I made a Yoda one a few years ago and I hope to make a few for our Christmas tree. Let's hope my hand and arm would be cooperative!

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Process Before You Build a House

Oh boy, I completely forgot to write about what we went through before demolition started. It took more than a year before we started any work on the house. The first step of finding the right architect took us several years. We were scared of hiring the wrong one since a lot of people have shared horror stories on YouTube about getting scammed. 

Here are the steps we went through after finding the right architect (those I can seriously recall):

Step 1. The first thing we did really was to get to know each other. Our architect interviewed us about how we live, what's important for us and we talked about the planning process. When we decided to proceed, the architect sent us a proposal which included professional fees and a detailed bill of materials.

Step 2. After paying our downpayment, we sent a wishlist to the architect and a copy of the title of the house. We also had on hand the site survey since we had one done for the donation of the property. 

Step 3. The architect then made an initial design. We went back and forth on this until we agreed on the design. We took our time since we were also waiting for the new title of the property which is required to file a building permit.

Step 4. Once the design was done, the architect involved his team of engineers and other experts in putting together the detailed blue print required to file a building permit. 

Step 5. We then reviewed the blue print and once it was signed, architect's assistant did the back and forth in getting the permit. We were stuck here for awhile since the city engineers required a lot of changes. One hold-up was also getting a CAAP permit* which got delayed because of the original site surveyor. We ended up hiring another geodetic engineer to help get the CAAP permit. 

Step 6. Together with filing the building permit you need to also get approval from your barangay and homeowners association. Ahh, this also cost a lot of money to do but this was already included in the costings of our architect (whew!). 

Step 7. The building permit also required trips to the Bureau of Fire and purchasing fire extinguishers. By this time we were really grateful we hired a professional architect who had an expert in getting the requirements completed. 

Step 8. Once you get clearance from your barangay, HOA, CAAP, Bureau of Fire, and make the building official happy about your plan, you'll finally get your building permit (it took us 6 months including delays). 

Step 9. But, there's more. Before we were able to start, we had to file additional requirements of the HOA. They required a list of the workers, their NBI and police clearance, and individual photos for their ID. Aside from that we also had to pay for the required demolition bond and construction bond. 

Step 10. And just before we started, we paid for the next 10% of the contract for the mobilization fee. So, that's what happened before we started on day one of the demolition.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Grief

We watched on the news what happened to the two basketball players. It is heartbreaking however which way you look at it. A child should never go before their parents. It is the most unimaginable situation for me. As a mother, I have lost a lot of sleep worrying about my child. I still do even though he's in his 30s already. 

Ateneo de Naga Varsity Team, c1950s (sorry I couldn't find my Dad's yearbook)

I have not made any comments about what happened. My Dad was a varsity player when he was a student for Ateneo de Naga and his coach was none other than Fr. James B. Reuter, SJ. Being a varsity player was my Dad's favorite memory to go back to and he taught all his grandchildren how to play basketball. He always spoke about those days fondly and he said their exercise regime was strict. They also had to be on top of their studies (my Dad graduated high school with honors). 

My Dad with Fr. James B. Reuter, SJ

My handsome Dad (he gave this photo to my Mom)

The best we can do is to pray for the families and everyone affected. They all need the strength and faith to overcome this huge trial. Losing someone means they have completed their mission. This is what my parents taught me. There will always be a part of you that feels the loss, but in time you will accept that their mission here is complete. The reason for the loss of the two young lives will eventually unfold. f

And for today, we pray.

#BeKind #StaySafe

How Long it Took to Clear and Save Mom's Plants

Every plant on the frontage of my childhood home was planted by my Mom. It changes every few years. Everytime I visited she was doing some gardening. She was still gardening the day before she passed away. I knew it her plants are very important to her, so we've been doing the herculean task of saving what we could.

I tried to bargain with the contractor if we could leave the frontage plants alone. They explained that they had to construct a new front wall and it would affect the structure if they're not able to clear the area. I've been propagating some of the plants the past few months as back-up. Luckily, our gardener was finally available last week and helped set-up plants to propagate. 

It took three full days to clear the front lawn. My Mom packed in a lot of plants and some had poked the front wall already. We bought several large pots and soil and prioritized what plants to keep. The gardeners helped pot the plants and we hope they'll grow this rainy season. The back-up plants I propagated the past few months have rooted and are growing nicely. I just need to make sure they are watered regularly, so we can transplant them eventually. 

My current small garden is now full of Mom's plants. The gardeners said we look like we're selling plants (haha). I know it's just a small fraction of what Mom had in her garden. I'm just grateful we're able to save her hardwork. She loved her plants dearly and she'll be happy to know we have a starter set we can bring back when we move back home. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Frankenstein with a Heart

Miggy and I watched "Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein" on Netflix the other day. It was a 2 and a half hour film that made us enthralled while watching it.

I first saw Frankenstein at Universal Studios when I was a child. He scared me a lot, so I avoided anything related to him. Miggy chose the film, so I agreed to watch it. I basically had no idea what to expect, but I've always been fascinated by films made by Guillermo del Toro so I knew it would be good. 

Conquering my fear of Frankenstein. I was very freaked out on this day.

I realized I never really watched a Frankenstein film. I only knew he was put together using different parts and was given life through lightning. Miggy said the film was made very close to how the story unfolded in the book. We saw how Dr. Victor Frankenstein created "the monster" and the film showed further how the creature developed. The creature who'd never die grew a heart and can live forever.

The film was made really well. Kudos to Guillermo del Toro, the actors and the whole production team who put the film together. It's a masterpiece and the best so far of all the Guillermo del Toro films I've watched. It's still on Netflix and go watch it this weekend if you haven't seen it yet. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Visited DLSU as a Child

When I was a child, my siblings would bring me with them to school. Both were enrolled in engineering courses at De La Salle University and were active in their organizations. I'd go with them to ensure they went home early (haha).

The flour game

I remember one visit so well. My sister had an org activity at the College Canteen. What I remember most from that day was a game where they had to find coins hidden in a pan full of flour. Ate explained that they disinfected the coins since the players had to find it with their mouth. It left a lasting impression on me and I had no doubt I'd eventually study at La Salle. 

c1996 (?) Me and Tappy in the CR, haha

True enough, I eventually walked the same halls and ate at the College Canteen, ten years later. By this time both my siblings were already professionals and had their own families. Everything still looked the same by then, but eventually new buildings were built and the College Canteen was painted. 

2011

The last time I visited a few years ago, I barely recognized some areas of the campus. The College Canteen was gone and the library moved to a new building. I'm sure a lot more changes have been made in the past few years. 

2018

*I still have to scan photos when I was a student

#BeKind #StaySafe