Working on My Stamina

It's been a month since I was sent home after confinement. I haven't gone back to my regular activities and I'm still slowly working my way up.

The first two weeks was hairy. A week after I got home I experienced the same symptoms again and contacted my ID doctor. I went in for tests. It was clear, but my lungs still looked like I have pneumonia. My pulmo though dismissed it since I wasn't coughing and didn't have any cold. I was also cleared by my ID doctor.

It could have been another bug or my tummy reacting to food. I had a hard time eating after confinement since I couldn't taste anything. It took another week before my appetite came back. 

I did some gardening earlier. I just moved around a few small pots and I was wiped out after. I had to rest for an hour before I could function again. Ahh, no wonder my cardiologist said to see him in June. I think he knows it will takee awhile to get better.

In the meantime, I'll work on getting better at least 1% more than the previous day.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Almost Done!

I like how I'm making this bag project. I've learned a lot in the past few years in making quilted bags. I make them sparingly, but I improve everytime I make one.

One huge difference I did was to use fusible interfacing. It makes my projects cleaner and it doesn't bulge as much when you combine it with batting. I've also learned to appreciate thinner batting! I used to think thicker batting is better! 

I've been so busy with other things, so this project has spilled over to this month! I can't wait to finish it and use it when we go out :)

I should be done soon!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Last Look at My Childhood Home

I honestly couldn't find a clear photo of my childhood home's frontage because there was so much foliage in front. Mom planted a lot of trees in front and it obscured most of the house. Here's my last photo when the house was still standing. 

And a photo from the corner of the street on January 2025 -

I probably have to look through all the old albums to find an original photo of the house when it was new. It was very different from how it looked when I was a child. I always wondered why my Mom had all the beautiful walls painted white.

I wasn't born yet when the house was built.

This used to be an open area but became my Dad's office

I loved the original look of my childhood home. Tito Bert really designed it really well and it withstood many earthquakes and flooding. Adjustments were made based on Mom and Dad's needs and plans and I didn't really plan my future. I thought when Miggy and I moved out that was the end of my decades-long stay in my childhood home. 

I have so many memories in my childhood home and my friends told me they also have a lot of happy memories in our home. We had a lot of gatherings there, birthday parties, Halloween, Christmas family reunions etc. We always had a lot of neighbors come and visit. I think everyone loved my Mom's beautiful garden.

Last year, my childhood home reached its 56th year as our OG family's home. It was time to move on and build new memories. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

True Peace Begins in a Heart that Loves

Pope Leo XIX tweeted this today,

For many years there was a gap in my heart. It ran really deep and probably contributed a lot to my ailments. I prayed hard for healing and it finally started a few years ago. I read that the only way to heal long sown wounds is to talk to your younger self and explain why it's okay now. You can also add how you can release the pain and move on. 

I realized my prayer was being answered and that's what I did. From that time I felt peace and I was able to move forward. It also helps if you focus on what you are grateful for every single day. It can be as mundane as feeling the breeze, getting love from your cats, appreciating your hubby making you oatmeal and other simple things/actions. 

As Pope Leo XIV said, "True peace begins in a heart that loves." Replace the pain with love and things will feel lighter and gentler. It will also remind you that you are never alone  :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Aglaonema, One to Bushy

My Mom gave me a pot with a couple of plants. It was a 3 in one. I honestly had no idea what they were and her only instruction was to water it everyday.

This was the pot -

More than half a year later it grew -

Eventually, repotted it -

And now it's crazy big 😅

#BeKind #StaySafe

My New Favorite Toy

I have a new toy! It's a Pacman pinball from Miniso. I got it the other day and it's been a fun "no power needed" gadget. I reach for it now instead of my phone when I need to take "a break". I play it a couple of times and then go back to whatever I'm doing. That means I don't end up wasting so much time doom-scrolling, haha. 

It's just PhP198 (or PhP199). I hope I don't break it soon since I'll probably use it for awhile. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

A Googleplex Throwback

I was a scout for Google in my past life.  That's what they used to call us (being lone feet on the ground). It was hard and we coped by having calls with our regional scout siblings. We had one international meet-up in Mountain View in 2007. We were not complete since the others couldn't get their visas on time. 

When I was cleaning up my childhood home, I found a framed photo which I made back in 2007. It included the names of the other scouts and then CEO, Eric Schmidt. I did that so I don't forget their names, especially since the others were from other regions. 

We were late for our meeting with Sundar because we had to
ride a bike to transfer buildings. It was hard!

That week with the other scouts was one of the highlights of my stay at Google. We got to meet the CEO and I remember meeting the current CEO, Sundar Pichai (he was still a VP back then). Ahh, but what I remember most from that week was learning how to play bocca and meeting fellow Pinoy Googlers. 

And here's little me with my Chilean and Colombian siblings, Jim and Francisco.

We bonded by figuring out what words in Filipino was similar to their language.

We planned to write a book a few years ago, but everyone's so busy. I guess we'll have to wait until everyone's retired, haha. 

#BeKind #StaySafe