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

Brain Fry

We stepped out this morning for some errands. Boy, it was HOT! I brought my neck fan to help cool me down while going around.

We first went to a garden nursery to get some supplies. The area where plants were displayed felt cool. They had just watered the plants, so I guess that helped cool down the temperature. The net overhead also kept the sun's harsh rays out. Maybe we should do that for our whole house?

After leaving the garden nursery, we got some breakfast and then went to a hardware to buy some items for our home. Good thing the depot had airconditioning so it was bearable. The last time I went to one I melted! Luckily, we decided to go another way and missed the heavy traffic due to a fire. Soon enough we were home.

I'll probably hibernate until the rainy season comes.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Six Years Ago We Moved

Six years ago we moved to our last home in Singapore. Things were getting stricter back then and we got lucky because the lockdown happened right after we moved. 

I didn't know then that it would be our last stop in Singapore. It was a different experience since from our second floor apartment, we moved 20 floors up! 

It certainly helped to have a balcony. We got fresh air and managed to get some sun when we stepped out to hang laundry. It was a smaller space, but it was good to experience living on a higher floor. I don't think I'll experience it again.

The move was hard to do, but we managed to pull it off. We had to since our old apartment seriously needed attention and I felt I was getting sick in the place already. I would probably have gone crazy if we got stuck in the old apartment during the pandemic. 

Just a good memory to remember. There's always something exciting when you move to a new place.

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Changing What I Eat

My recent annual physical exam didn't have good results. My doctor didn't scold me for being at the ceiling of what's normal, but I know it's time for me to change my diet so I don't overboard especially with cholesterol and blood sugar.

The summary report suggested I avoid eating meat, including chicken, and to eat more veggies. For over a week now I have been eating fish everyday and I'm keeping a diary of vegetables I eat everyday.

It's been an eye opening experience since I've been finding new dishes to try. I also rounded up my seafood recipes I've made through the years. My next grocery run will include more seafood in the list. 

It's been a week and the most noticeable change is I'm able to sleep faster. My doctor said the body aches and cramps I'm experiencing is due to the heat and humidity. I just need to be better hydrated and stay out of the sun (gardening time has also moved to a later time).

I lost about a kilo already, but I'm not counting that as a permanent change. I'll consider it as weight loss if it stays for another week.

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Made a Bag for a Friend

When I heard my Malaysian friend was visiting, I immediately thought about replacing the bag I made for her years ago. It was one of my earlier projects and was hand sewn. It wasn't too sturdy.

I had only a few days to make it, so I made a small all-around bag which she can use as a lunch bag or shopping bag. I worked on it for a few nights and the coffee beans we got for them fit perfectly. 

I like making stuff for dear friends. I hope this bag lasts!

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Combating Bad Air Quality

The whole metro was affected by the huge fire in the Navotas landfill. It's one of the rare times that government flagged the bad air quality and asked people to wear N95 or KN95 masks.

I monitor air quality frequently because I have severe asthma. Air quality frequently goes bad, it's just more pronounced now because the fire is probably burning through materials that's producing PM2.5 particles.

Breathing in PM2.5 (micro particles) is really bad for your lungs. It's probably why my lungs have deteriorated through the years. The best way to combat it is to close your windows and use an air purifier to help clean the air.

I've tried different air purifiers, but the most practical one is Xiaomi. The filter lasts long, plus it's easily replaceable. I also never had issues and it's helped me a lot avoid asthma attacks.

Protect your and your family's lungs. I usually check air quality through the IQ air app. You can also just do a quick search by typing "air quality + city your are in".

#BeKind #StaySafe

Artemis II

Back when I was a child space exploration was talked about often. It was probably because of the successful Apollo and Columbia space flights. I was teased a lot because of my last name!

It waned in the 80s following the failed Challenger flight and I guess it became more frequent with other countries also sending their own missions. In 1986, our attention locally was focused on what was happening. A lot of changes happened after the EDSA Revolution and international news faded in the background.

Artemis II though piqued my interest. We'd watch news about it. It was fascinating and a good distraction from all the bad things happening. I clapped when the crew landed back safely. The good news kept me hopeful.

Let's all remember to pray for peace 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe