Pages

Sunday, March 31, 2024

Happy Easter!

It's been a very different Holy Week for us. We've been busy clearing our basement for some much needed works. It also gave me time to reflect since I was mostly offline. I haven't opened my laptop for a week now.



There's still a lot of decluttering to do, so I'll probably suspend working on my favorite things to do for now. I'll just focus on the essentials and spend my time on things I've neglected to do.

Easter is always a refresh and a good reminder to always have God navigate your life. 

Have a blessed Easter Sunday everyone.

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Saturday, March 30, 2024

Black Saturday 2024

Observing ome quiet time this Holy Week.

Have a blessed day.


Friday, March 29, 2024

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Holy Thursday

Have a blessed Holy Thursday everyone.



Let's take this time to reflect on His sacrifice for us.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

My Garden Shelf was Evicted

We thought Kaley mightove her kittens since Brimsley used to move her kittens every 3 to 4 days. It's been ten days and Kaley hasn't moved the kittens.

For their safety, we removed my garden shelf. Kaley kept the kittens under the shelf and since they're growing bigger everyday we were concerned items on the shelf might fall. I just remembered, Brimsley also used the shelf when it was in the laundry area. 


So today, the boys moved the shelf to the garage for the safety of the kittens and Kaley. We got a new house for Meredith, but decided to use it for the kittens. Meredith didn't like the bigger cat house either and is so far happy sleeping on a mat. 

Have a blessed Holy Wednesday everyone.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Yoda Moved

It's just been a few weeks since I organised my Yoda collection. While fixing I accidentally discovered an issue with the wall behind the glass cabinet. Since the issue was growing we decided to move up our plans to fix another issue in the basement.



All fun activities have been suspended this week. We're busy emptying our basement (ackkk!). So, Yoda has moved for now since the glass cabinets will be dismantled tomorrow. 

More packing to do tomorrow. Tata for now.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Monday, March 25, 2024

Out with the Old, In with the New Lights!

A few weeks ago we bought some lighting fixtures from Robles Heritage. We finally had it installed last week and I'm so happy with the results.



Roy, the electrician, finished the installation in a jiffy. We had to wait to see the full effect by evening. 


The best thing about changing the fixture is it lights the pocket garden better and you could see the front steps better. I don't have a hard time anymore when I water the plants after sunset.

Small upgrade was worth it! :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Sunday, March 24, 2024

The Ten Commandments

I was sorting my Mom's collection of religious books and prayer books. I know she loved slipping in things inside of books, so I would leaf through the books also to see if there was anything important.

I found a cinema ticket for "The Ten Commandments", April 19, 1959, 2pm at the Galaxy Theater. I'm not surprised that Mom got to watch it in the theatre (I'm assuming the ticket was my Mom's).


I got to watch the film too when Ate sent a VHS copy of it. We usually watched it every year during Holy Week. It's a very long movie and the only film we wereththe  allowed to watch during Holy Week (back then cable TV did not exist and most stations were off the air during Holy Week). It was one of my Mom's favourite movies.

Finding the ticket reminded me of the most important commandment -

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

Just love.

Have a blessed and loving Holy Week everyone.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Saving Mom's Fukien Tea Tree

I'm on a quest to save Mom's plants, so we've been trying to get some of the plants. It's going to be a lot of work since I have to study what each plant needs. I'm lucky though because I have a lot of friends who are plantitos and plantitos. I just post on FB and I get good advise.

Sweetie chose this plant for me when he dropped by my childhood home. He said it looked very sad and brought it back home. I was getting mixed results from Google Lens, so I decided to ask my friends. Some said it was tsaang gubat, others said it's Fukien tea tree. Either way, it's tea and a tree, hehe. 

I think the plant was given to my Mom. It was still in a black plastic pot, but placed inside a terracotta pot. The soil was very sticky and muddy. I had to remove broken pieces of terracotta from it. Mom probably placed them there to ward off cats. I struggled for about ten minutes trying to remove it from the pot. I got help from Sweetie to remove it. 

My friend, Boss, said it's best re-potted in loose loam soil. I mixed loam soil, some compost and rice hull and then transferred the plant to a slightly bigger pot. I added back the broken pieces of clay on top to make sure our cats don't get ideas to use it as a toilet (gaah). I added more rice hull on top as an additional deterrent. 

It's been six days since I re-potted it and it looks like it's adjusting well. I gave it some rice water from a friend's recommendation. I hope it will grow and last for a long time. Maybe in time I can propagate part of it. Maybe it can be a bonsai :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Friday, March 22, 2024

K-Love (the series)

To be honest, I've watched only a handful of K-drama shows. I only recently signed up for Viu because my friends have been recommending watching "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim" for a few years now. I haven't watched it because I don't like reading subtitles while watching. I want to take in the visuals whenever I watch and reading subtitles is not fun for my eyes.

Anyway, I chanced upon the series "K-Love" on Viu while browsing for shows. I got interested because Sweetie's cousin is part of the cast. I had no idea what the show was about, but gave it a try and got hooked! I roped in Sweetie too and we finished the series in just 3 days (well, I had fever and was forced to rest haha).

I actually liked the series. The characters were well-developed. The cast was well-chosen and believable. There was no dull moment in the story. I laughed and cried with the characters and was certainly gigil with how infuriatingly slow the lovebirds came together, haha. The narrator explained that's how K-dramas go. 




What I particularly liked is the reveal at the end that the narrator is the writer of the story. I am fond of stories written that way because of Louisa May Alcott. She wrote Little Women based on their family, narrating the story through the main character, Jo. I also like the fact that the writer had a happy ending. The series certainly kept me going while fighting fever. 

I enjoyed the series even though I was clueless with the K-drama and Korean artists they mentioned (haha). Well, I have Viu now, so I can probably start with shows that have been dubbed in Tagalog. In the meantime, I'm watching Flower of Evil too. Haha. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Still Sick

Just had slight fever today, but still feeling weird. The boys have forced me to rest. Will probably be absent for pulmo rehab tomorrow since I'm still unwell. I must have picked up something from a visitor last weekend. Boo. :(

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Unwell

I've been under the weather the whole day with fever. Thought it would go away after some rest, but it's hanging around :(

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Made Multiple Hearts

I like making heart quilts. I saw this really cute heart quilt on Pinterest a few years ago. It took me awhile to figure out the measurements, but that's part of the fun whenever I make a quilt project. For this summer I thought I'd make different quilt projects using this design. 





The least thing I like doing whenever I make quilt projects is measuring and cutting fabric! I know it could be easier if I use a roller blade to cut fabric, but I'm scared of the roller blade (plus I'm a bleeder). I also noticed that roller blades get dull easily. I'm probably not using it correctly, so I just cut fabric the traditional way (ruler + scissors). It takes longer, but it's a safer way for me. 

So I got busy the past week measuring and making multiple hearts. Here's how I made it:





After I'm done making multiple hearts I'll work on several cute projects. There's going to be a disruption though since we need to vacate the basement again for some repairs. It means I need to empty my craft room again. Gah.

Measurements available on my sewing blog: https://www.needleadventures.com/2024/03/make-multiple-heart-quilts.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

Monday, March 18, 2024

Make Your Home Cooler

Summer is around the corner, but it's been quite hot already. We had issues with heat in our house and found ways to make our home cooler. We got advise from architects and contractors. The most important thing to do is to make sure that the heat trapped in your ceiling has a way to exit. 




Here are some tips I learned the past few years:

  • Cross ventilation - the key to having a cooler home is to make sure that the hot air is not trapped inside your house. Air should be able to flow across the house. 
  • Put vents on the eaves of the roof - an architect told us it is better to have bigger vents on the eaves of your roof. Even better if the whole stretch is a vent. The roof usually has a gap from the wall and that's how the hot air escapes out. 
  • Use high quality insulation for the roof - insulation is sandwiched between the roof and the trusses, so it's best done while your roof is being built. The only way to add insulation is to physically remove the roof again. So don't scrimp on roofing. 
  • Attach indoor vents to your ceiling - I see this more often in offices, but it can also be done for houses. If your home doesn't have windows across each other to allow cross ventilation, installing vents on your ceiling will help release hot air. 
  • Whirlwind - most commonly used in factories, but there are available smaller whirlwind for houses. We went for this since it's cheaper and less obtrusive than other solutions. We opted for the non-solar whirlwind since it's windy in our area. 
  • Tint your windows (window film) - this helps if you have a lot of windows for your home. If you're just building your home, you can order tinted windows/doors. If your home is built already, there are options to have this installed. Of course, don't use reflective window film for your house. Be nice to your neighbors. 
  • Use block out curtains or blinds - we use both for our home. We normally bust out the block out curtains when the temp starts reaching 32'C. I normally make our curtains at home, but have also used the block out curtains from Ikea. They're really effective. 
  • Air circulator - we recently discovered the availability of air circulators. We got one for our sala and have been happy with it. We like its timer feature the best and it also displays the room temperature. 
  • Airconditioner - I think this is the most expensive solution to make your home cooler.




There are so many options, best though to integrate plans to keep your house cool from the time you build your house. It will be cheaper and you won't have to find solutions post-construction. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Shared Crosses

Late again to post today. I had thought about this topic a week ago. I didn't want the post to become a sob story so I waited until I had better inspiration. 

We all bear crosses. It's different from person to person. My most obvious cross is my health. I carry other cross which I carry with my family. It was pointed out to me a week ago that there are crosses that you share with others. The pain you carry is also shared and understood by someone else. 

I strangely found comfort in that because for so many years I thought I was alone in it. I wasn't and knowing that someone shared the cross with me made carrying it lighter. I also know people are praying for me to bear it better. 

The inspiration today came from someone I just met. If my disabilities are invisible, his is very obvious. He told us about how he powered on when he was a student forced by a professor to go up 8 flights of stairs to attend class. He had to crawl up since the lift (elevator) in their building was oftentimes busted (and once for 2 straight months). His other professors would not require him to be physically in classes, but one pushed him and would mark him absent if he couldn't get to class. 

I could still go up a flight of stairs, but I would be short of breath by the time I reached the top. Him? He had to crawl up because of his disability. He put his mind towards finishing his studies and that's how I eventually met him many years later because I need his services. 

Seeing how he carried his cross like a champion was inspiring to me. It reminded me of the passage, "None of the trials which have come upon you is more than a human being can stand. You can trust that God will not let you be put to the test beyond your strength, but with any trial will also provide a way out by enabling you to put up with it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)

God will only give you trials that you can bear. Look up, have faith and He's got your back. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Saturday, March 16, 2024

How I Use Coffee Grinds

Since we shifted to grinding coffee beans I had a happy discovery! We have a steady supply of coffee grinds we can re-use. I'm happy about it because I used to ask for grinds from Starbucks. Sometimes though someone beats me to it, haha. 




Here's how I use it:

  • Compost - I used to just toss the grinds with the filter in our compost bin. I mix it up with fruit peels and veggie discards. It's better to have a good mix, but I realized there's other uses for the coffee grinds (plus I don't want the worms to be too caffeinated.
  • Sun dried compost - after some research I found out that some of our plants like acidic soil (i.e. gumamela, bamboo and our bushes). I would usually place the grinds on a metal pan and leave it under the sun for a week. Then I add it to the soil. {I add tea leaves if Sweetie remembers to save it).
  • Cat repellant - there are many stray cats in our neighborhood and they love using the garden as their toilet. They don't like the smell of coffee though, so adding the dried coffee grinds (or stale beans) keeps them away. You have to add the grinds weekly though since what they don't like is the smell of coffee. 
  • Repel bugs - bugs, especially mosquitoes, also don't like the smell of coffee. You can just put some of the grinds in small cups and put it around the house. You may also make some coffee and use it as a spray (I use stale coffee if I have any). 
  • Orchid spray - I've tried this a few times. Used stale coffee grinds to make a spray. It certainly made my orchids happy. 

I add tea leaves when available.


Happy gardening!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Friday, March 15, 2024

Homemade Thai Style Iced Tea

We found a bag of ChaTruMue at Daiso. Promptly bought a bag so we could make our own Thai milk tea at home. I watched a few videos to see which would work best for us. The idea of mixing milk and condensed milk seemed like the best option. 





I didn't have the usual materials used to steep the tea traditionally, so I just used Sweetie's tea pot. I steeped 30 grams of tea with 750 ml of hot water. I let it steep for a few minutes and then let it cool. While waiting for it to cool, I mixed 1:1 of milk and condensed milk. I put it in a milk pitcher so we could use the leftover for coffee the next day. 

I made 2 glasses of milk tea for me and Miggy, the rest Sweetie drank as tea. It's pretty potent at 10 grams for 250 ml. If you don't want the kabog just use 7 grams of tea. We liked though how sharper the taste was compared to buying ready-made from restos. Here's a short video of how I made it:




*Tip: it's a good idea to mix a small can of condensed milk plus an equal amount of milk into a small milk jug. You can store it in the fridge. Just make sure to cover it and finish it within a week. We used it with coffee and it tastes like Spanish latter/kopi. No need for sugar :)

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Video City (the movie and memories)

Back in the day when watching movies and TV series/shows online wasn't available we'd rent videos from stores. There was ACA video, Video City and other mom and pop stores where you can rent. At first you'd rent Betamax tapes, then VHS tapes then eventually VCDs and DVDs. To be able to rent you had to become a member of the chain or store. The fee was pretty inexpensive (I just don't remember how much). 

Miggy and I used to rent videos weekly. We'd borrow movies and whatever he liked. When he grew up we enjoyed watching horror movies. Eventually cable TV became available, so we rented less and less. Buying your own VCD/DVD also became cheaper. I just remembered about that time because we recently watched the movie, "Video City, Be Kind, Please Rewind".




The movie brought us back to the 90s when the main character, Han (Ruru Madrid), time traveled to the 90s. He re-appeared inside of a Video City store and met Ning-ning (Yassi Pressman). It was fun to see how a video rental shop looked like back in the 90s. Rows upon rows of video tapes. I remember me and Miggy would go around the shop to look for interesting films to watch. 

I used to collect VCDs and DVDs. I kept it in a small tower that doubled as a picture frame. It was a really cute cabinet. Unfortunately, it went under water during typhoon Ondoy together with all my CDs. Since then I have collected sparingly. I've given away those I bought post-Ondoy. I just have some favorite shows from the 90s which I found in Australia (#budol).  

If you have time for some nostalgia, watch "Video City: Be Kind, Please Rewind" on Netflix. 

#BeKind #StaySafe


Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Pulmo Rehab Masterals, New Goals

My PT changed up my regime on my second pulmo rehab session. We started with spinning and I was able to do 9 minutes! I felt fine after and my stats quickly stabilized. I still had a bit of energy so we went ahead with the other exercises. 

By the 45th minute I was tired and just sluggishly tried to complete all the exercise. My PT though is really good, he can tell when I'm already tired. My perky self disappears and it takes longer for me to lift arms or legs, haha. I still luckily finished the session in one piece.




My problem is I only feel I'm really tired after a few hours. Delayed reaction! I felt really tired after eating lunch and I rested for a few hours. Since I felt better I thought I had the energy to plant some seeds. I just sowed the seeds since the pots already had soil. 

That was a bad move on my end. I should have just rested the whole day. I felt really, really tired after dinner. I went to bed early and I rested the next few days. We're still working on my endurance. We probably need to adjust the exercise and no overdo it. 

I really want to improve and be able to bike around our village. For now my bike won't bring me anywhere since it's a stationary bike, haha. I just need to work up to 5 minutes of spinning per day. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Made Rags from Old Garments

You probably have an old shirt or pantulog that you couldn't let go of. You want to wear it until it's down to its last thread. We do have those in our home and if it's a pair I usually replace the garter to extend it's life. We all have this and usually at the end of its life it has nowhere to go, but the trash can. It would be too embarrassing to donate. 

We have been decluttering and sending our pre-loved items to NGOs. There are items though that are just not useful anymore. Most are old garments that are not meant to be worn anymore. My Mom used to cut up old towels to become rags, so I thought I could do the same for "over loved" garments. 




I needed to improve my sewing machine skills, so I thought I'd make round rags (trapo/basahan). I used a small round biscuit tin can to draw circles on the garments. Some were so thin already they were hard to cut (haha)! Luckily I got strips of shirts from a fragile item I ordered. I used it as a filling for the rags. It was really easy to make, i made 10 pieces over the weekend.

Here's how I made it:




#BeKind #StaySafe


Monday, March 11, 2024

Useful Online Buys

We go out once in awhile to do errands and buy stuff we need, nothing beats the convenience though of buying things online. Of course, before buying anything one must do some research. I always read comments before making a purchase to establish whether the seller is reputable. Sometimes though there are things you end up buying out of budol, I try to just get things because we need them.

Here's a list of some of the most useful items I bought online:

Flashlight

We like this flashlight since you can charge its battery through solar. You can also switch the size of the light based on your needs.




Stackable bins




I got bins originally to organize my fat quarters (fabric). I ended up getting another set to organize my meds. So useful!

Container with Pour Lids




I originally got one from the supermarket, bu a friend told me it's cheaper to buy online! So I got more for other items we usually pour (i.e. cat food, detergent). 

Cord organizer




We like to keep cords organized. One thing annoying are kitchen appliance cords. Recently got this organizer and it's so useful. Just change the adhesive though, it doesn't last.

Mini blender/food processor




I got this originally to chop boiled eggshells for my garden. It's only about PhP200+. I used to slice onions and carrots by hand whenever I make macaroni salad, but I've been using this small gadget to mince veggies. It cuts down a lot of time and it's easier to clean than a full sized food processor or blender.

There are good budols and bad ones, just make sure to get items that will be useful. Also make an effort to see if the shops you're buying from are legitimate. I have an order of inexpensive items I made because I wanted to try Lazada Choice, it's been six weeks since I made the order and despite follow-ups it hasn't arrived. I have not been successful canceling the order too. 

Here's a previous list I made of online buys (mas marupok ako noon): https://aileenapolo.blogspot.com/2021/10/best-budol-buys.html

#BeKind #StaySafe


Sunday, March 10, 2024

Faith

Watched Gary V's interview with Ogie Diaz the other day. What struck me is how Gary V must have suffered through the years because of diabetes. He also mentioned he had kidney issues and had several operations. 

He had always been Mr. Pure Energy for me. Even with the medical issues he still performed really well. It never crossed my mind that even while performing he has to be mindful of his stability. During the interview he told Ogie Diaz that his wife brings everything he may need. She has his meds, emergency food and other items that can be used to stabilize him. 

Gary V also mentioned that there is always a medic around when he performs. He said he tells them that he hopes they're just there to watch and not have an emergency. The most important message though he said in the interview is even with all the precautions, his safe space is God. 

I completely agree with him. I have chronic issues also and there are days when I become unstable. My doctor told me I'm lucky I don't need to use supplemental oxygen to walk around. I shared this with my former PT and she said I'm lucky because I have a strong mind. 

I think it's faith. My will to live is strong because I want to make more happy memories with my family. My will is strong because I have faith. And like Gary V, Papa God is my safe space.

Happy Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Happy Bulbs

I was having a horrid day the other day due to headache suppliers. To break the bleak time I was having I went outside to water the plants. It's a good thing to spend time with plants when you're in a bad mood. My mood started to light up after watering the bamboo in our back garden. 

I always check the status of my plants. I watch out for pests and other issues. I've been giving the gumamela (hibiscus) plants extra TLC since the year started. I added soil and compost. I also fortified it to prevent cats from using it as a toilet. I guess it liked the add ons because it started to grow more leaves. I nipped new leaves as instructed by the manang at Mahogany (in Tagaytay). 





I was so happy to see bulbs growing on the gumamela plants. I recently gave it some rice water and it likes it. I just need to be careful since sometimes it attracts pests. I spray them with neem oil once a week to keep aphids away. If we're able to water the plants properly in the morning, all the bulbs will eventually open. It's been so hot though, so we'll see. 





Gumamela plants also like coffee grinds. I've been giving them a little every few weeks. I usually collect a weeks worth of used coffee grinds (and tea leaves) and then I leave it under the sun for a week. I use an old baking pan so it would completely dry. The berry bush I have out front also likes coffee grinds. Aside from providing nutrients it also wards off cats (they don't like the smell of coffee). It's also a great way to re-use coffee grinds. No need to throw them away. 

#BeKind #StaySafe



Friday, March 8, 2024

Homemade Cat Food

Thank you to my HS classmate, Jing, for teaching me how to make homemade cat food. I know it's healthier to give cats wet food, but it's expensive. I had to learn how to make it at home so our cats could eat healthier. 

The vet said Brimsley had deficiencies when she had her first blood test. That was when I really pushed to make homemade cat food. We gave her meds and homemade cat food to ready her for spaying. Well, she was really healthy because she immediately got pregnant and produced two more kittens, haha. She's now been spayed, as well as Mando and Grogu. We're now just waiting for the two kittens to weigh a bit more and then we'll bring them back to the vet. 




Anyway, Jing taught me various ways to make cat food. She said she normally uses fish. We tried that once, but found out that buying fish is quite expensive. I also honestly do not know how to debone a fish, so after the first time we have been using chicken and appropriate veggies to make cat food. 

I finally remembered how to film how we made it. This time around we used chicken liver, gizzard, squash and carrots. So far the cats love whatever we make. They also like the broth, so I normally add a lot of water so they also drink soup. It was the broth that saved Meredith when she first came to us. She had dystocia and could barely eat. Miggy gave her soup and soon enough she was back to her sassy self. 




Here's how we made the most recent batch of cat food:




More about how to make it at https://recipesformyson.blogspot.com/2024/03/recipes-for-our-cats-cat-food.html


#BeKind #StaySafe

Thursday, March 7, 2024

February 2024 One Second Everyday

February flew by faster than January. We were also quite busy the whole month with medical check-up a. Got to make sure we're in tiptop shape (well, stable). Also did other home errands. 




Our errands brought us to far away places. Road trips always give me a happy boost of energy. A favorite go-to place is Chef RV's shop in Binan where we always get bibingka. 

Highlight of the month was completing the first phase of my pulmo rehab. My therapists even made a graduation ceremony for me, haha. We treated it like a real graduation and had lunch at Lore to celebrate. That was fun.

I will probably have to slow down this month since the heat is terrible. Well, this will give me the chance to work on home projects. Just need to make sure I'm always at <30'C temp. 

Here's the #1SE for February 2024 -






#BeKind #StaySafe

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Started Pulmo Rehab Masterals

Just started taking my pulmo rehab "masterals", haha. I will just do it once a week now. I started a few days ago. We did the usual breathing and stretching exercises. My physiotherapist, Ronald, cut it down so I would have time to go spinning. 

We originally targeted 10 minutes, but I was already having trouble by the third minute. Ronald adjusted it to five minutes. Since I was tired already we used the extra 5 minutes for me to rest. The session ended with some cool down exercises. 




I signed up for yoga through an app. I was supposed to start this week, but I've been unstable due to the heat. I had to cancel a doctor's appointment because I spent the entire Monday lying down. It's really tricky, I have to do stuff in the kitchen really fast so the heat doesn't bite me (fans aren't enough). 

Oh well, that's just me, I have to be kept at temperatures below 30'C to be stable. :')

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Made a Star Wars Themed Quilted Cover

Finally got around to making a quilt cover for a bench at home. I originally had it made for my craft room, but we moved it to the family room where it fit better. I wanted to make a cover for it to prolong the lifespan of the pink cover. It would be expensive to have it cleaned often, so the best way to prolong it's life is to cover it. 

I wanted the cover to be colorful, so I matched the Star Wars fabric with orange, yellow, blue and green. I originally thought it would be too flashy, but Miggy said the accent went well with the theme. I thought I could finish the project in two to three weeks. It stretched to almost six weeks since I had other things to do at home, plus we had to work on our health. 

It turned out well, but I think I'll delay making another one later this year (we have two benches haha). I also want to make seat covers for the sofa set (that's going to be a super huge project). I'm still thinking about making it a modern quilt or a traditional one. I'll probably do a modern one since it's for our home anyway. 

Here's six weeks of work turned into a six minute tutorial video:




More info about this quilt project on my sewing blog: https://www.needleadventures.com/2024/03/star-wars-themed-quilt-cover-for-bench.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

Monday, March 4, 2024

How We Became Pawrents of 8

We never planned to become pawrents to cats. They just came to us and adopted us. I was thinking about this last week after I watched a video saying that cats are like angels sent to you. We were apprehensive about having cats since none of us had experience. My doctor also forbade me from having pets. 




Looking back we were actually eased in to become pawrents. Grey came and started hanging out in our laundry area. We suspect he's been hanging out there way before we noticed him sleeping there. We had no clue how to take care of cats so we started with giving him a bed, then water, then some food. He was very skittish and would run away whenever we came close. Eventually he became comfortable with us and he started recognizing his name. 




Then came Kaley Boo the calico cat. She'd only visit for snacks. Sometimes she'd come with other calico cats, Sandra and Cheyenne. Cheyenne was the first cat who'd allow some petting. Sandra though is very fierce and would always fight with everyone else to get some food. Among the three calico cats, Kaley is the only one who comes everyday. She knows her name too, but still doesn't allow to be touched. Nose bumps only. 




It was around May-June last year when Grey brought it Brimsley. She was still quite small then and we thought she was male (we obviously don't know much about cats). She would hide in the boxes in the garage. Little did we know she was pregnant. We were just surprised one day when she disappeared. I asked Miggy to look for her and he found her inside a box with a kitten. Whoops! We panicked a bit since we don't have any experience with cats giving birth. We got up to speed by watching YouTube videos on how best to take care of new cat moms. Since Brimsley is a feral cat, she knew what to do. We just had to create a safe space for her and the two kittens, Mando and Grogu. 




We intended to get Brimsley spayed a few weeks after she gave birth. There was a risk if we had her spayed immediately because her bloodwork showed some issues. We had to give her medication before she got spayed. Unfortunately, she got pregnant again and had two more kittens, Eevee and Pikachu. She and Mando got spayed at the same time. We were scared that Mando might become a teenage mom like her mother. In time Eevee and Pikachu will be neutered and spayed too. 




So we thought having 5 full time cats (the Brimsley family) and 2 regular cat visitors (Grey and Kaley) was where it would end. Nope, we were sent one more, Meredith. We think she was abandoned by a neighbor who moved out. The sad thing is Meredith experienced dystocia. She gave birth to a stillborn kitten. Ran across the street with the baby to our garage (we saw it through CCTV footage). Left the baby and disappeared. A day or two later she was back and looked really sick. At that time we thought she had an owner. She could barely eat. Miggy nursed her back to health with cat broth we just made. She survived and has been living with us for about two months now. We just had her spayed since we're afraid she might get pregnant and die. The vet said her uterus had been calcified already. Poor thing. She's so far the sweetest cat in the family and is our full time garage cat resident. 

From one cat to 8 cats in just a year. We see it as a gift since they bring us joy. We accepted the responsibility and that's why we're actively getting them spayed/neutered. Not sure though how we can do that for Grey since he is still very skittish. We'll just make sure Eevee and Pikachu are neutered/spayed at the right time. We've probably hit quota already with 8 cats, haha. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Sunday, March 3, 2024

The Heat is On

And just like that the cool wind that usually comes during Christmas `til Valentine's has left. The heat is back and I have to be very mindful once again about stepping out in this weather. I spent most of the day yesterday on the couch because I was dizzy. I missed our high school class lunch reunion. It would have been fun to go. Oh well, such is my life. Stable today, unstable tomorrow. 

Well, I was lucky today. I got a "free pass" to go out to buy something. It felt like our regular Sunday family day where we'd head to the mall after hearing mass. We got to try the new Japanese resto in ATC, Kiwami. Then we went to True Value to buy something. I also squeezed in some time to buy a new shirt. It's been awhile since I got something new to wear. 




It's also been awhile since we've been able to have a vacation. Our last trip was when we went to Bohol last June. We'll need to figure out what to do with the cats if we ever decide to leave for a few days. Last time I just had to figure out how to keep the plants hydrated. That was easy. I just stuck a bottle with water in the soil. It also luckily rained the week we were away. The only other time we were away from home was when I was in the hospital. The boys though would go home in the evenings to leave food and water for the cats. So we'll see how we'll be able to go on a getaway. 

Stay hydrated and protect yourself from the blazing heat!

Happy Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe


Saturday, March 2, 2024

Harvested Tumeric

It was July 2022 when a friend sent me a huge bag of tumeric. I don't really use it for cooking, but I kept some to see if they would grow. I propagated it and it grew properly. In early 2023 though we had renovations done in our home and my tumeric plants did not survive. I left the pots under the bamboo tree. Few months later they re-grew! 

I re-potted the tumeric in bigger pot together with ginger. After two months I noticed the leaf started to yellow. I found it turned brown the other day. I read that's when you should harvest tumeric or ginger, when the leaves turn brown




Got my shovel and pulled out the tumeric. I washed it down with a hose to remove the soil and then cleaned it further in the kitchen. It was really interesting to see how one knob created more tumeric. It also looked like it was going to create more if the leaves didn't die too early. 

I'm so happy with how this experiment turned out. I still don't use tumeric, so I'll try to propagate this again and give it away if it grows. I have friends who use tumeric when they cook. I'll wait and see if the ginger I re-potted will give a good harvest. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Friday, March 1, 2024

"Graduation" Special Treat

We're making it a point to celebrate milestones. We decided to dine at Lore again after the "ceremony". We had the restaurant practically to ourselves since we arrived after the lunch hour rush. It was such a treat to dine there again since I wanted to try their other dishes. Miggy ordered his favorite five spice chicken. I got the liempo and Sweetie got the chorizo hamonado. We also got molo soup and adobo rice to complete our meal.




Everything was cooked perfectly. The hawflakes sauce complements the five spice chicken superbly. I tried the sauce on the liempo and it was excellent. The vinegar that came with the chorizo hamonda was sumptuous. I really like adding vinegar to what I eat. I learned that from my Dad. The serving was good for 3 and the food extended to dinner (leftovers). 






As we were finishing our late lunch, Chef Tatung arrived. Sweetie "heard" him first, so he looked behind and told me that Chef Tatung just entered the restaurant. He passed by our table several times. I eventually had the courage to say hello and ask if we could have a photo. He gamely said yes and we had a short chat with him. 




That was a special treat for us. We've been watching his cooking videos since we were in Singapore. I have all his cookbooks and have tried making a few of his dishes. Aside from Lore, we also celebrated my birthday in his home in Antipolo. The food was really good, the location is just so far (haha), so Lore has been a good alternative to go to. Maybe in time we'll brave the traffic and try his other restos. 

#BeKind #StaySafe