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