Red Flags When Choosing an Architect/Contractor

It took us a long time before we finally chose an architect for our home project. We learned a lot in the past few years since we had a lot of stuff fixed in our current home. Here's a list of red flags from our experience:

1. The over eager supplier who blinds you with drawings and lay-outs.

2. The one who promises the moon, but under delivers. 

3. The one who cannot stick to the costings and you end up paying 2x more than the proposed cost. 

4. The one who ghosts you when you discover errors with their work. 

5. The one who cannot produce a proper contract.

6. The one who uses substandard materials that puts your family in peril.

7. The one you have to report to the city building official for not doing things right. 

8. The one who does not provide the right materials for their workers to do their job properly.

9. The one who says they'll set a meeting and then you bump into them in the mall during the supposed meeting date and time.

10. The one who doesn't have reliable contacts. 

These are just a few of what we've experienced the past few years. I probably have more bad experiences at the back of my mind. Next week, I'll write about how we chose our architect. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Rest and Recover

The past week has been really crazy.

Let's all rest, recover and pray for better days.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Finally! Heavy Rains

I suddenly woke up a little after 4 in the morning. I got up to use the toilet and strangely couldn't go back to sleep. A few minutes later it started to rain. 

I thought it would be short-lived, but it started pouring hard. Really, really hard for the next 3 hours. I checked the CCTV to see if the street was flooded. It wasn't. I was worried that our backyard was flooded. Luckily, our demand for the developer to fix the drainage issue was done. Our neighbor's rainwater and sewage wasn't flowing back to us anymore. Sweetie confirmed it in the morning.

My plants are really happy after getting drenched thoroughly. I was allowed to go out again today, so I was able to check the garden. The rain wiped away the stress from the heat. Everything was still and refreshed when I went around to say hello to the plants.

Thank you Lord for the refreshing rain 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

A Memory Triggered by This Week's Hullabaloo

With all the hullabaloo happening in our country this week, I started remembering a lot of childhood memories. It's weird, but the charged political issues happening today are reminiscent of the issues in the 80s. Add the rotating brownouts and it just feels like the 80s again. 

I just realized I'm about my parents' age now in the 80s. They were so protective of us and Tito Ben would always call us to stay put if there were any movements happening. That's why I missed a lot of classes in the mid to the late 80s (EDSA + coup d'etats). 

Late 80s/early 90s? Rockin' 'em teased bangs

Since my mind went back to the 80s, I remembered a few people who were (more or less) part of the off my childhood/memories with my parents. I mentioned to Sweetie that my Dad worked for GSIS for awhile. I remember Mom and I heading there to bring food for Daddy's birthday (that fateful day we experienced a gun pointed at us in Manila). 

I remember meeting Former Speaker Sonny Belmonte on that day. He said I was a very perceptive child because I noticed how rundown the office was (it was the old GSIS building and I was incorrigible even back then). Tito Sonny was my Dad's seatmate in law school (as well as Former Rep. Sergio Apostol). He wasn't successful in convincing my Dad to get into politics (my Mom made sure of it). [This is why I remember my seatmates].

Anyway, I just thought I'd write about this random memory since I'll probably forget about it eventually. My Dad went into government service when I was in elementary school. He always wanted to do that and only went into it when my siblings completed their degrees. His reached his dream to become a judge. He did and eventually moved on to other government agencies. It's probably why I took polsci and legal management. He hoped I'd become a lawyer. But alas, I followed a different path. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

GenX Guide to Surviving Brownouts

As a GenXer, I've experienced long periods of no electricity in the 80s, 90s and during typhoons and crazy flooding incidents. I remember waking up drenched in sweat as a child because there was no electricity. In high school, I finished reading Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo by candle light. By the time I was in college (university), I'd write reports on my Mom's Olympia typewriter by candlelight. 

Not having electricity for hours was just part of life. You just need to go with the flow. The difference now is a lot of gadgets that help you be more comfortable during power outages. We always worried about it because my health condition requires me to be kept at a certain temperature and the air has to be clean. Bad air quality is my kryptonite. 

We lost electricity last night for 3 hours. I was resting on the couch and watching the news when it happened. Here's what we have on hand that made the 3 hours bearable:

Emergency Lights

We have an emergency light that also functions as a radio. It was unfortunately not charged last night, so I instead used a Neewer video light panel. I installed it on a camera stand and focused it on the ceiling. I learned that trick when I was a child. Focus the light on the ceiling because it'll light up the room better. 

We also have other rechargeable lights (bulbs/flashlights), spotlights that can be powered by a power bank, solar lights, and a Firefly rechargeable light with radio. The solar lights we installed around the perimeter of our house proved very useful and our neighbor was surprised it would automatically light up whenever a cat passed by. 

Rechargeable Fans

We invested in Xiaomi rechargeable fans a few years ago. It has saved us a couple of times already. Just make sure you condition the battery so it lasts long. We also have Firefly rechargeable fans. It's smaller, but we each like to have a personal fan (this is Sweetie's favorite fan since he brings it around the house). Miggy and I each have a handheld Tylex fan. I got it three years ago and it's still working well.

Radio

We always have a battery operated radio on hand. Back when CCTVs were expensive, we would leave the radio on at home when we had to step out. Sweetie and I both grew up in households that would tune in to AM radio during power outages. We're both martial law babies, so it was always important to know what was happening. 

Sweetie got a walkman a few months ago from the Australian Surplus Shop in Muntinlupa. He couldn't find our old radio (plus the emergency light was dead), so he brought the walkman out and we listened to DZMM. At that time mobile phone signal was down, so having a radio proved very useful. 

Powerbank

Always have your powerbanks charged. We got an extra powerbanks for our go-bags. Sweetie had to use his go-bag power bank since he was still charging his everyday powerbank (we were at the hospital earlier in the day). I used mine to charge my phone to keep in touch with family/friends.

Portable Air Purifier (useful for those with asthma!)

My lungs are wrecked, so it's important for me to breathe in filtered air. As soon as the power went out I started coughing. The air quality has been bad the past few days. I brought out my portable Tylex Air Purifier and that helped end the asthma attack.

I'm curious to know how other generations deal with power outages?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Feeling Better

Ah, some me only time. The boys are running errands and they "parked" me at a cafe. The past few days was horrendous.

I caught another bug. It was bad enough I lost my appetite likely due to the medications I took, but catching another bug had me lose two kilos in a few days. Ugh.

We didn't want to be confined again, so I immediately did an e-consult with my infectious disease doctor. I was meant to see her anyway. She ordered some tests which I did yesterday. Most of the results were normal, although the radiologist said not to rule out pneumonia.

I saw both my pulmo and ID doctor today and they were happy with my test results. Pulmo ruled out pneumonia since I'm also up and about and I know how pneumonia feels. I won't be able to get out of bed if I had pneumonia.

I also finally had a full meal today. My doctor advised to eat fermented food so I could rebuild the good stuff in my tummy. I hope my recovery doesn't get waylaid again!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Yellow

Making myself something yellow.

What will it be?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Relapse

It seems I have relapsed :(

Waiting for doctor's orders for the tests.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Ugh

I don't know if it's the humidity or heat, but I don't feel well :(

Here are half of our cats waiting for their favorite person 😄 

Hope y'all had a good weekend.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Rice Water and Orange Peels

I read that you can add orange peels to rice water. It will reduce the smell of the rice water as it ferments and it adds nutrients to the mixture.

I tried it two weeks ago and it worked wonders while I was away. It worked well on the caladiums, bougainvillea plants I was propagating, and the pothos went crazy. 

Next time I'll add some crushed eggshells so it can add calcium to the mixture.

Hot and Humid

The weather last month was better. It's now hotter and more humid, so gardening has been difficult. 

Our cats have also been hiding a lot. Good thing I put some space between pots, that's where they hide to cool off.

My body feels like it's fried... Zzzz

#BeKind #StaySafe

Out of Sorts

I don't know if it's the heat or my body is slow to recover, but I'm feeling out of sorts today. O just rested since my head hurts and the rest of my body is uncooperative.

I watered some plants and the cats were all over me. That was a good reprieve. They always make me feel good. Mando even showed up to say hello. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Recovery

I've been home for a few days now. I got a bit scared the day after when I got home because I kept coughing for a few hours. It eventually stopped and I've been dry eversince. I guess that was my body getting rid of excess fluid in my lungs. 

My strength isn't back yet, but I'm slowly going back into my daily grind of watering my plants. I just do a section I can manage and the boys cover the sections I can't do yet. My appetite though isn't back yet, so I'm trying to eat my favorite food. My stomach was probably traumatized from food poisoning. The only thing it wants are fruits.

Meredith

The cats have been extra affectionate. They give me extra leg rubs and lots of slow blinks. I think about them a lot and they're a driving force to get me outside. We can't keep them indoors, so I go out whenever I want to play with them. They help calm me down. 

I hope my stamina will come back soon. I need energy so I can cook and tend to my garden. 

New Quilting Book

Sweetie surprised me with a quilting book he found at Booksale. It was surprisingly only PhP25! The past few times we went to Booksale, the craft books would usually cost Php65 to 130, so this was a treat!

The book features an interesting design which I've never tried. I'd probably skip making it if I just saw it online. I'm not so keen with designs with curves. It's hard. The only quilt I've made with curves are my cat bags. 

I think I'll try this out since it includes patterns I can trace. It also details how to put the quilt together. It will probably challenge my sewing skills. 

Have you tried this pattern?

#BeKind #StaySafe

May the Fourth

Be with you!

It's Star Wars day again! 

My stamina isn't back yet, but I managed to take photos of my Yoda and Grogu collection. Here it is -

I have a few new ones which I haven't put on display yet. Most recent one are the Grogu and Mandalorian mugs from Burger King. I'm so glad a friend told me about it and I managed to get it on the first day.

Hope y'all had a great Star Wars day!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Restful Sunday

Just rested the whole day, but squeezed in some time to check my plants and say hello to all our cats. I guess even Brimsley was worried. She sniffed me a lot.

Most of my plants were in good shape, but my avocado trees were quite sad since it didn't get watered last Saturday. I hope they'll recover. 

Have a blessed Sunday everyone.

#BeKind #StaySafe

I'm Home!

I really have a strange body. My doctors were baffled about my test results and they were on the fence about discharging me.

I was eventually discharged at 7 in the evening. Whew! I had pneumonia and acute gastroenteritis. I'll continue antibiotics at home. I will also be able to rest more at home since I won't get frequent visits from nurses to check my vital signs.

I'm grateful for the care and would like to thank my doctors, the nurses, phlebotomists, medtechs, housekeepers who took care of me. Of course, I'm thankful for Sweetie and Miggy for taking care of me everyday. And thank you to everyone who prayed for me.

#StaySafe #BeKind

Last Night at the Hospital?

It may be my last night at the hospital. It still depends on a test I have to do tomorrow. Hopefully, I get cleared to go home. 

Sweetie saw this unique view from outside my hospital room window. Can you guess what's the building outlined in yellow?

Here's a closer view -

The lights were only turned on tonight. Maybe because it's a Friday? A holiday? It's pretty though.

Sweetie said I'm getting back to my makulit self. That means I'm recovering well :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

ER! Food Poisoning

After leaving my doctor's clinic and I suddenly had an asthma attack. When we got home I strangely had a tummy issue, vomitted thrice and had high fever by evening.

The boys had me do an e-consult. I got hold of a doctor by ten in the evening. I was advised to go to the emergency room.

We originally thought I just had regular food poisoning. After a chest x-ray I was told I probably had pneumonia. We were surprised since I wasn't coughing and my breathing was okay.

My primary doctors had me confined. It takes an average of 7 to 8 hours when you go to the ER before you're brought to the room. It's gruesome, but I just thought that I got lucky for having food poisoning. It saved me from having really bad pneumonia. 

It's been 48 hours now since I went to the ER. I've just been sleeping a lot and getting the medication I need. The doctors are still investigating what got me.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Biopsy Results

I woke up yesterday a bit under the weather. I was looking forward to seeing the results of the biopsy, so I pulled myself together. 

After some delay we finally headed to the hospital and passed by pathology for the results. I cried with relief when I got the results. No malignancy the report said.

We had lunch and then went to see my doctor. She was happy with the results and said we'll talk about excision in a few months. I didn't need to do that back in 2021 because the second biopsy took it all away. 

We happily left my doctor's office and I thought about how we'd celebrate. A few steps away I suddenly had an asthma attack...

To be continued...

#BeKind #StaySafe

Keyboard Quilt for My Piano

I finished this project a few weeks ago. I just didn't have time to take photos, haha.

It's a redundant keyboard quilt for my piano. I missed using my rainbow colored fabric, so that's what I used to make a colorful piece.

It was tedious to make, but I wanted to try making it for about 5 years now. At least I tried :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

What We're Going to Do with My Childhood Home

My Mom kept telling me she wanted us to go back to the childhood home. The decision to go back was made on Dad's birthday after she passed away. It was bittersweet and it took me months to start on sunsetting the house. Emptying the house took two long years. 

We took time to really plan what to do with the house. Tito Bert built the house to last, but at some point you really need to redo the electrical and plumbing system. We had the house reviewed by a structural engineer and several architects and engineers. The recommendation was the same for everyone. Demolish the house and build a new one. 

We eventually decided to follow the professional recommendations and started to think about what we wanted in our forever home. The funny thing is our current home is similar to my childhood home. I started a wishlist to detail our goals.

Here are our goals for our future house:

• 
  The house needs to be PWD friendly :) 

• Provide appropriate space for our needs and lifestyle. 

• Proper ventilation to keep heat out and be protected from bad air quality. Assume all rooms will have air conditioning and air filters. We are fine to have a loft for storage. All rooms have air purifiers.

• Preserve Mom’s garden. Ensure structural integrity of garden and where house will be built. Be able to collect rainwater.

• Proper drainage system and keep out flood water. Build house higher than current height from road. 

• Follow property line and ensure security*.

• Solar energy and future proofed

Listing our goals helped communicate what we wanted out of the house. We gave this and our room wishlist to the architects we consulted. It took awhile before we chose one. I'm glad we followed our instincts and chose the one that closely aligned with our values and expectations. 

Next week I'll write about how we finally chose our architect.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Busy Sunday

It was a very busy day today. I spent a lot of time pruning plants in our pocket garden. I'm close to giving up my cherry tomato plants because the leaf miners pests just won't stop, huhu. I might just start new. 

I was also busy working on plans for another project. Spending time on the computer gave me a headache. I'm not used to it anymore and will probably need more green time (gardening) tomorrow to clear my eyes.

During a break, I watched the amazing Britain's Got Talent audition of Matty Juniosa. It goes to show that sometimes your talent can be better appreciated abroad (just like Sofronio Vasquez). I hope Matty wins! 

Happy Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Should I Collect Pink Plants?

I didn't have that many plants before, but my Mom kept sneaking in some plants in our house. The number exponentially grew when we had to rescue her plants from my childhood home.

My Mom loved flowering (especially orchids) and ornamental plants. Years ago she brought a pot with aglaonema and two other plants. It grew and I eventually repotted them individually. The aglaonema was much more charming when it grew. 

This is where it started back in 2022:

And what it looks like now (there's a few more posts):

The desert rose plants we rescued from Mom's garden have been blooming a lot. So far all are a dark shades of pink (more fuschia).

The bougainvillea cuttings I propagated have been producing dark pink leaves.

I also love this bi-color caladium. They're growing so big and beautiful!

The Calathea plant I bought from a neighbor has pink streaks. It also grew so big!

Let's not forget my beautiful pink Gumamela.

And Mom's Buddha belly plant that produces pinkish Orange flowers consistently.

I have a few more which I got from Ikea and a garden nursery, but I'm still trying to keep them alive, haha.

Should I make a pink plant collection?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Friday at Last!

What a stressful week it's been and I'm so glad it's Friday. I'm still recovering from the medical procedure, but I've been able to water my plants again. In between watering plants, our cats have been very affectionate. 

The week isn't over yet. We still have some things to do and have to find time to do groceries. I haven't been able to cook again, but I have a list of dishes I want to cook. 

One thing I learned this week is to stick to your principles. Don't let anyone push you around just to do shortcuts. 

Happy weekend everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Fr. Henry Free, CP

Sweetie asked me if there was a Passionist priests whose name was Fr. Henry. I said, "Of course! Fr. Henry Free, CP!" We had been reminiscing about our confirmation and I told him I could still feel Fr. Harry Reusch, CP's light tap on my cheek (and I honestly still remember his cologne). 

Anyway, that was when he asked if there was a Fr. Henry among the Passionist priests. We both grew up under parishes led by Passionist priests. Me in Paranaque and Sweetie in Marikina. Our faith was both nurtured mostly by the same priests. 

I remember Fr. Henry Free, CP. I was a young child when he spent time in our parish. I remember him because he was a very jolly priest and I'd annoy him by collecting Ziggy toys from Tang. He took it with much grace and would laugh out loud whenever I gave him toys or cards with Ziggy on it. 

It's probably more than 4 decades already since I last saw him, but I remember him. I looked him up and he passed away awhile back. I always had in my mind he's just having a new adventure somewhere else. He is with God now and probably happily watching over all of us.

Miss you Fr. Henry a.k.a. Fr. Ziggy. Thank you for bringing joy to my childhood! :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Biopsy

I'm so bummed I'm unable to do my regular activities today. I had a biopsy yesterday. It went well and I thank the huge team that took care of me yesterday.

It's not my first rodeo. I had two done 5 years ago. The result was benign. I instinctively had a mammogram done when I did my APE a few weeks ago and all my doctors were alarmed when I showed them the results. They all pushed me to immediately have a biopsy done especially since cancer runs in the family.

Resting for now since a little effort makes me dizzy. I miss my cats and my plants. I hope I'll feel better by end of the week.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Zzz

I had to take a break from blogging today to take care of myself.

Will be back tomorrow.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Shopping at Wilcon Depot for Home Needs

Last Friday, we went to Wilcon Depot to buy a couple of needs for our plumbing system. I'm actually glad that the master plumber, Manong Roy, installed a filter system for our water tank. With frequent water interruptions by Maynilad, we see how much dirt is accumulated monthly on the filter. This helps clean the water that goes into our water tank. Having a filter helps keep your tank clean and you avoid the cost of having a water tank cleaned (at least PhP6,000 per service). 

Anyway, we just buy the replacement filter at Wilcon Depot. The same filter is much more expensive at Ace Hardware. Usually, Sweetie buys it, but this time he allowed me to go with him since the branch is fully air-conditioned (last time I went to a similar store I got heat exhaustion). We also went because we needed to replace a part for our toilet. 

We went around after getting what we needed and I was enthralled with the many items they carry. I've been making a list for our future house and took note of the cost of construction materials. It was overwhelming, but a good place to see different kinds of materials. We were also pleasantly surprised to find bigger cat crates (haha). The ones at malls are quite expensive and smaller, so it was good to know you can get bigger crates at Wilcon Depot. 

The staff were also very helpful. They were more knowledgeable than mall based hardware stores and that's a good thing since they helped us find the right part for the toilet we needed (which thankfully got fixed the same day by a plumber). 

I'd like to go back soon to see what else they have so we can plan things better. I'll probably go earlier in the day or later in the afternoon. The blast of hot air when you step out isn't good for you. 

*I've also looked around online for home items, but prefer to know and hold the actual materials before purchasing anything. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Andre the Giant

Yesterday, we watched the WWE Hall of Fame where they honored Andre the Giant for his contributions for wrestling. To be honest, I only found out that Andre the Giant was a wrestler when Sweetie and I got married! 

I knew Andre the Giant from the film, The Princess Bride. He was one of my favorite characters as a kind, gentle giant. He changed my view of giants from the scary The Hulk. Growing up, I always thought giants were scary, but Andre the Giant who was initially looked mean on the film was actually a gentle person. 

It's been decades since I watched The Princess Bride and my memories are fuzzy about the story, but I remember the characters, including Wallace Shawn who eventually played Dr. John Sturgis in Young Sheldon. The Princess Bride is part of my childhood core memory. 

Going back to Andre the Giant, it was an eye opener to see clips of him wrestling. It was amazing to discover another side of him. He sadly passed away only when he was 46 years old. Despite that he was a legend and left a mark in history. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Thrill of Propagation

I enjoy plants more when I grow them from seed or from cuttings. I can just easily buy, but it's more challenging to sow seeds and watch a cutting thrive.

Growing cuttings is really challenging. My Mom told me it's easy. Just stick it in soil and it'll grow. My Mom had a very green thumb. I'm still a work in progress.

A few weeks ago, I embarked on my fourth or fifth cycle of propagating my Mom's bougainvillea collection. As far as I know, she never bought bougies. She exchanged cuttings with neighbors. 

After a few cycles, I think I'm finally getting better at it. Let the cutting drink water with liquid rooting hormone overnight. The next day rub the bottom with aloe vera and wrap it with her leaf, then stick in soil mixed with chicken manure and perlite. Let it slip water from the bottom and leave it in an area with indirect light. I covered it with a bottle with holes for a week and then removed the bottle cap. 

Water everyday and I found out by chance that watering with rice water and orange peels help give it a nutrition boost. Just make sure to dilute it. I only remove the bottles when the leaves are bigger already. 

And the reward comes when you continue to care for it. Prune every so often and feed it with complete fertilizer. It will produce flowers even when it's in a small pot. I haven't repotted any of the bougies I propagated. I'll wait until they outgrow the pot, besides I still have some of those Mom propagated. I'll re-pot those first.

#BeKind #StaySafe