Pages

Saturday, August 31, 2024

Touchdown Avocado!

Last minute win for the month of August! We've been busy the past few days, but I made sure that the avocado seeds were submerged halfway. I noticed they've been sipping a lot of water and I had the top it up everyday. 

I'm propagating two sets of seeds. I started the first three on August 9. The second set on August 17. The first awed that started to open was from the second set. It's one of the bigger seeds and I guess the most mature one. 

We were out the whole day, so I was only able to check the seeds in the evening. I was surprised to see almost an inch of root from one. Yasss!


Another seed is also developing a root. In a few days it will be like the big seed.


My aim is to grow a couple since I'm sure the next challenge is to properly transplant it to soil. I have to wait a few more weeks until the seedlings have leaves already. This small win is a great start!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Friday, August 30, 2024

More Baby Yoda!

I had a Baby Yoda overload on my birthday! Here's what I received as gifts for my birthday :)


See how it bops here:


I hope I could grow the cat grass!


I super love latch hook projects! It's now my motivation to finish a current project. Woohoo!

And Miggy built for me a Yoda figure :)


I also received a surprise Stormtrooper from Sweetie. My Yoda collection started as a gift from Hadi and the rest is history. I have a few Stormtrooper figures already, thinking whether I should collect it too?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Celebrated a Rainy Birthday

I'm grateful to everyone who sent their birthday greetings and well wishes. I'm going through each of the messages and will hopefully send my thanks to everyone (gimme a few days!).

Good thing we didn't plan to head out for my birthday. It rained the whole day! Classes and government work were suspended in most parts of Metro Manila. We planned to stay home since I have tonsilitis (ugh). I won't be able to eat my favorite food, plus the doctor told me to rest. 




Even though we were just home, I must say it's one of my best birthdays. I had my boys with me and we spent the day together. We spent some time with our cats. We kept checking on them since it's raining. They've been quite clingy too the past few days, so we gave each one of them extra scratches (well, those who allow us to). It also looks like Meredith is back and she's getting over what's been bothering her. Brimsley went through the same phase a few months ago and she's back to her usual, swiping self. 

We watched Andor while eating lunch. After that I did some sewing since I had been busy with other stuff the past few days. I finished a fourth of my project and I'm working on convincing myself that I could finish it. Joining 400 squares is both a physical and mental challenge, LOL. Just had a light dinner, watched our telenovelas and here I am now writing this blog post. 

I'm just really grateful for everyone who remembered this day. It's the first birthday I'm celebrating with nothing heavy in my heart. The past few years have been a huge struggle with health issues and losing my Mom. I was stable on my birthday (tonsils getting better), I was with my boys and I felt all the love from all over the world. There's also a belief that when it rains on your birthday, you will be blessed. 

I am blessed. I am grateful. I am loved. 

Thank you Papa God for everything. 

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Happy Birthday to Me!

I just watched Buddy Gancenia's speech during his meet and greet to celebrate 1 million subscribers for his channel "Agribusiness How it Works". He mentioned me and Sweetie during his speech for encouraging him to post videos on YouTube. Thanks for the shout-out, Buddy! 

I couldn't help but smile. Buddy's journey has been long and arduous and I'm so happy for his success! It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling that I managed to help someone in his journey. :)

And, happy birthday to me! 




Today I am as old as the "sing-along" system invented by Roberto del Rosario, Datu Puti (the vinegar), Bubble Yum, Pop Rocks, Lego minifigure and Bohemian Rhapsody. The funny thing is I had to get a prescription to resolve my inflamed tonsils yesterday. 

That's where I'm physically. Easily broken. My spirit though is still strong. The past few years were really a struggle, both physically and mentally. What got me through was prayers and my boys. My life has changed a lot and my focus now is to build more happy memories with my boys. 

Have a happy, blessed day everyone. Stay dry!

#BeKind #StaySafe




Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Made a Quilted Monochromatic Tote Bag

I was on a roll making tote bags. This one is a belated birthday gift. I thought it would be easy, but it was challenging to find fabric to complete the look I wanted. I also had to get Miggy to help me lay out the fabric since I wasn't getting the gradient I wanted. I was stuck there for awhile, but eventually finished it. 



Here's how I made it:


And here's my friend, Anne. I made her pose against an artwork at a hotel which looked a bit similar to the bag (just a different color).



*Thanks for indulging me to pose, haha. 

More information about how to make this bag: https://www.needleadventures.com/2024/08/quilted-monochromatic-tote-bag.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

Monday, August 26, 2024

Our Big Bad Wolf Alabang Experience

When Big Bad Wolf announced they were going to have a run in Alabang, we immediately decided to visit it. We missed the other events since they were far from where we live. We watched a friend's video about it and thought a visit was worth it. TBH, I saw towards the end of his video they had a crafts and hobbies section, haha. 




A bookstore is like Disneyland for me. We spent 3 hours checking each section (including children's books). I remember spending a lot of time on the BBW website during the pandemic. Come to think of it, this is the first time we visited it in person. What drew me in before was craft and hobby books. Sadly, I only found one quilt book and there were just a handful of craft and hobby books. They definitely missed out on this since the fabric shop at ATC told me there are a lot of quilters in the area. 




What I enjoyed going through were the fiction books, graphic novels and books by Filipino authors. Miggy spent a lot of his time going through the sci-fi books, but noted that there weren't any manga. He got about 5 novels. 

One thing I couldn't find online was a list of the sections. I'll post it below in case you're wondering what's available. I'm not sure if it's different in other events, but a friend mentioned the one in Alabang had more books. The Alabang Big Bad Wolf event is located at the Filinvest Tent. It's open from 10am to 12mn until September 1 (Sunday). Best to register at https://www.bbwmembership-ph.com/#/ so it's easier to pay. Take a screenshot of your Ikea membership QR code also so you can get a free bag. 

Here's a 60-second glimpse of the event:




Here's the list of sections for BBW Alabang (I just wrote it down based on the signages):

Children's: sticker pop up, workbook, activity book, hoard book, religion science, box wet, picture books
Bestseller Fiction
Young Adult
Romance
Literature
Young Adult
Science Fiction
Graphic Novel and Comic
Crime thriller
General
Business
Family
Religion
Music & Movies
Biography
Travel Science & Technology
Photography
Transportation
Architecture and design
Photography
Graphic design
Biography
Healthy cookery
Bakery
Cooking
Self help
Reference
Pets and nature
Home gardening
Sport
Health & wellness
Journals
Coloring
Beauty and fashion
Crafts and hobbies
History
Filipino Books & authors
Humor
Pets & Nature
Beauty & Fashion

#BeKind #StaySafe

Sunday, August 25, 2024

Bailey Boo, from Scraggly Kitten to Beautiful, Healthy Cat

Bailey Boo, one of Kaley's kittens from her March 4 litter, was the only kitten that came back. Kaley moved all 4 of kittens before the end of April. We had no idea where she brought them. Kaley would still visit everyday just to eat, but she didn't bring any of her kittens. 

Towards the end of May, we were surprised when Kaley came back with one kitten. Among the four kittens we only named 3 of them, Choco Bits, Orange Bits and Sheldon. The kitten that came back with her didn't have a name. It was white with grey spots. We didn't know the gender yet, so we named it Bailey (after Miranda Bailey from Grey's Anatomy). The name applies for both male and females, so we thought it would be safe. 




Kaley would always leave together with the kitten. A few weeks into June, Bailey would hide from Kaley when it was time to leave. Kaley though would come back in the evenings to pick up Bailey. By July, we noticed Bailey started to stay with us. It was at that time another kitten started hanging out in our garage, Anakin. 

Since Kaley would only come whenever she would eat, Meredith stood in as Anakin and Bailey's kitten. We saw her grooming both of them and they would eat at the same time. Bailey and Anakin would wrestle whenever I water the plants. At first Bailey was scared to approach us, but eventually gave in when he saw Anakin being cuddled a lot. 



Bailey Boo has grown up really fast. We brought him to the vet for vaccination and de-worming. He's actually heavier than Anakin now. We expect he'll become a big cat, probably bigger than Grogu or Eevee. In time, Mama Kaley won't be able to bully him anymore. We hope his siblings have also found their fur-ever homes. 

#BeKind #StaySafe


Saturday, August 24, 2024

Aphids Hate This Kitchen Staple

I had so much trouble with aphids! The tomato and cucumber plants I grew from seed all died because it was so hard to control aphid infestation. I used to spray Neem oil (with baking soda and Castile soap), but that didn't solve the issue. 

Aphids started to eat my prized gumamela plants. I consistently sprayed the plants with Neem oil two to three times a week. I also removed the aphids with cotton buds, but they kept coming back. I kept researching on a better way to keep them out and chanced upon a site that said pests hate garlic. 




I had been using garlic for my orchids and thought it might work as a pesticide for my gumamela and petunia plants. Aphids love them both. After physically removing aphids from the plants, I sprayed garlic under the leaves and stems. I did this consistently for two weeks and noticed that the aphids did not come back anymore. I now just do it once a week to make sure they don't come back. 




To make garlic spray, I just add two to three cloves of peeled garlic to a liter of water. I like re-using the bottles of Wendy's iced tea. It's perfect to re-use for your garden. I use the same bottle to collect rice water whenever Miggy cooks rice. You can leave the garlic in the bottle for a day or two before you use it. The water gets more pungent after using the garlic a few times. The used garlic doesn't go to waste, since I put it at the foot of our bamboo plants when it's time to change it. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Friday, August 23, 2024

Our Kiwami Japanese Food Hall Experience

We've dined at Kiwami Japanese Food Hall twice now. The first time was a few months ago when we chanced upon an available table. We visited again early this week and finding a table is now easier. The food hall combines several restaurants, Ippudo, Yabu, Yakitori Hachibei, and Hannosuke. The menu includes all the dishes from all the restos. 




We tried a couple of dishes. The tastiest for me is the yakitori. We got the sampler and it was really good! The boys both like their curry and I've been going through their variety of tonkatsu. They used to offer refillable sides (like the cabbage), but they don't do that now. it's fine since the serving is more than enough. I can't imagine eating more cabbage, LOL. 

Here's some delectable food photos:






We always get the bento meals since it includes soup and fruit already. We've tried the ice cream once and it's really, really good! I think next time I'll get a smaller meal since sometimes I get so full I don't have space for dessert anymore. You can always come back and take-away a cup of ice cream after strolling around the mall. We forgot though, so I think next time I'll just really get a smaller meal. 



Best to go on a weekday. It's impossible to get seats on weekends. Not sure about evenings though since we usually go for lunch. BTW, it gets pretty noisy. They probably need to improve the acoustics of the hall.

#BeKind #StaySafe




Thursday, August 22, 2024

Down Again

Boooo! Even with precautions, the Haze seem to have downed me. I felt very dizzy last night and was still dizzy when I woke up. I wasn't able to attend my pulmo rehab session again :(



I hope my immune system can fight whatever it is off.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Surviving Haze, Vog or Smog

The air quality the past week was really bad. The Taal Volcano emitted tons of sulfur dioxide, enveloping several towns with vog. In Manila, we experienced bad air quality due to pollution. It was really bad, even with air purifiers my eyes were irritated. I also woke up unwell yesterday. 

I skipped watering my plants because even with a mask I still felt unwell. My lungs are impaired, so the effects are worse on me. Media has been posting reminders to stay indoors with your doors and windows closed. Wear a mask if you really need to go outside. 

For people with medical conditions, it's best to also use an air purifier. Make sure to change filters as needed. We recently changed the filter of our air purifier. It was down to 3%, so we decided to change it already. Even my CPAP machine's filter has to be changed often. Of course, if you take allergy medications, this is the time to consistently take it. 


Take care especially if you have asthma!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Quilted Rainbow Heart Tote Bag

I made this quilted rainbow heart tote bag for my friend, Gab. I made a number of quilted hearts and was thinking about what projects to do with it. I was planning to make a throw pillow cover, but thought a tote bag might be useful for him. 

I had just set-up my sewing area last June when I worked on the piece. I was flying headless for a while since most of my sewing materials were still in boxes. I persisted and managed to finish the project in time for our get together. 




I heard he's using it to carry his gadgets. Good thing I stitched the strap twice to make it sturdier. Here's how I made the tote bag:




And here's my happy friend, Gab.




#BeKind #StaySafe


Monday, August 19, 2024

Why It's Important to Fix Roof Leaks

The fire that happened behind our home really put us on the edge. The fire started because water leaked in the room and an outlet got wet. It was the firewall that saved our home. Soon after, the ceiling in our kitchen started leaking. The water poured out from the kitchen lights. 

It was scary. The lights were on and water just suddenly started pouring out from it. We immediately turned off the lights and called for help from an electrician. He advised not to turn on any of the lights and turn off the circuit breaker switch for the area.




The incident was a blessing in disguise. We were told by the people who we bought the house from that the house electrical system was new. They couldn't give us an electrical plan, so an electrical audit was made. The result was five pages of required fixes. To make a long story short, we had everything re-wired and a new circuit breaker panel was customized for our home. 

The same issue recently happened to my childhood home. The house has been overdue for renovation since it's already over 50 years old. Our helper reported the incident and said that the area where water came in smelled like "electricity". We advised her not to turn on any lights in the area or use any of the outlets. 


Water in the bulb


Since we're planning to do something with the property, we decided to terminate the electricity that was attached to the roof. We originally planned to have the electrician just turn off the switch to the floor. He advised that it wasn't possible since the switch was also connected to the ground floor. He and his assistant ended up terminating the lights individually. They also checked the rest of the house to ensure nothing untoward happens while we're still planning what to do. 


54-year old cables


Electricity + water = disaster. Our electrician explained to us that it's important to make sure your electrical system is healthy. It's important to have a proper circuit breaker panel for your home. He said most fires happen in developing areas because they don't have proper circuit breakers. Usually if an appliance catches fire, the circuit breaker will shut down and prevent the fire from traveling through the wires. 

So, check for leaks in your home. It may come from your ceiling or windows or from flooding. I am amazed how my childhood home withstood so many typhoons and floods. My Tito Bert built us a really sturdy and safe home. Make your home safe too. 

#BeKind #StaySafe


Sunday, August 18, 2024

How's Your Weekend Going?

It was a week for recovery for me. We were able to go to the mall for some errands and I got a bunch of craft books again at Booksale. They were selling quilt books for as low as PhP15, so it was really irresistible! The rest of the week was spent resting and catching up on my writing. 

Since I was feeling a bit better, I did some gardening too. I prepared some pots since I need to re-pot my papaya "plantation" and calamansi. I'm also trying to propagate avocado seeds. It will take a few weeks before it will root. Let's see how that goes. 




I also resumed pulmo rehab. I'm glad my therapist, Ronald, is feeling much better after getting downed with pneumonia. He didn't give me a hard time during rehab last Friday. Whew! I told him I have a hard time sleeping whenever I'm not able to attend our session. So I hope to be really consistent with it. 

It's a fresh week! We'll be busy puttering around the house and sorting stuff in my childhood home (Mom really had a lot of stuff). At least we've made some progress.

Have a blessed Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Saturday, August 17, 2024

Trying to Grow Avocado

When I was growing up, we had a huge avocado tree in our backyard. It produced a lot of fruit and my Dad always made avocado with milk for me to eat. It was the only way I eat avocado, until I discovered avocado shake (haha) and well, guacamole. As a Filipino, I don't eat avocado as a salad. 

The avocado tree in my childhood home is long gone. I'm not sure if it fell during a typhoon or was taken down due to security issues. Since our avocado tree before was prolific I thought I could try growing another tree. We recently got some avocado from a neighbor. It was perfect, so I saved the seeds. 




I watched a couple of videos to learn how to germinate avocado seeds. I chose to put it in water. To make sure I added some honey to make sure it doesn't rot. Hopefully, the honey will help encourage the seed to grow roots. It will take a while to germinate, just like bell pepper and papaya seeds. 

Let's see where this goes. I have two other trees that are growing nicely, mango and weeping fig. Both grew unexpectedly. The mango grew inside the compost bin. The weeping fig grew randomly on our balcony. And oh, I have a curry tree too. I'm growing them in pots for now since I plan to plant them eventually in our future house. 

*Just a thought, maybe I should throw one of the seeds in the compost bin, hehe. 

#BeKind #StaySafe


Friday, August 16, 2024

Tried Founders Donuts

The new Wing of SM Bicutan opened a lot of new places we haven't tried. If you're coming in from building B, the first thing you'll see is a row of places where you can have snacks. There's Zus Coffee, Auntie Anne's, Llao Llao, NYPD, Founder's Coffee and a number of stalls that sell dessert. We wanted to try Zus Coffee, but their coffee machine was broken. We ended up having our morning coffee at Auntie Anne's. In the afternoon, we decided to try Founders Donuts.




To be honest, we have not come across the brand. There's a lot of doughnut brands locally, but we usually buy from Dunkin', J.Co or Krispy Kreme. We brought home merienda from Founders Donuts. Just coffee and one biscoff tiramisu donut for Sweetie (he absolutely love anything Biscoff). We got struck in traffic, I drank the coffee with Auntie Anne's original pretzel. I love eating pretzel when it's freshly made and warm. The iced cafe latte was just okay, pretty standard. 




When we got home, I took a bite from Sweetie's biscoff donut. It was just okay too, a bit dry for me. Maybe I'm just super used to Dunkin', KK and J.Co. Well, we'll try other flavors next time, maybe they have something that I would like. 




What do you think? Have you tried Founders Donuts?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Thursday, August 15, 2024

Happy Birthday to My 3-Year Old Chromebook

Google Photos just reminded me that my Chromebook is 3 years old today! One thing I learned from my previous job is to be able to work on any kind of device. I had the chance to use a Windows, Mac and Chromebook. There was a time we only used tablets on Fridays. I realized I could survive on a browser based laptop, so I got a Chromebook for personal use. 




I got a Thinkpad Chromebook (C13 Yoga) three years ago. I figured I could do everything I needed to do on it. I could work on documents, spreadsheets, make videos, blog and use it for video calls with my PT. Everything is on the cloud so I don't worry about filling up my drive. It still gets filled up when I download a lot of stuff. It's easily cleaned up when needed and good to go again. I think I've only done it once since the disk gets filled up by videos I make*.

Three years after, the Chromebook performs like I just bought it yesterday. It updates by itself and I never need to worry about backing up all my work. I don't worry also if it conks out since everything's up there in the cloud. I just need to make sure that I only connect to secure wifi and make sure all my accounts require additional authentication. 




I'm happy I invested in a Thinkpad Chromebook. It is not as pretty as my old pink MSI laptop (from way back), but I added a hard shell that's made it more personable. It's sturdy, the battery lasts long and it provides everything I need for a laptop. I just hope and pray Google keeps it updated, my super old Chromebook from c2014 still works and I still use it whenever I just need to write. 

Still thinking whether I should make a new review. I don't have much to add from the video I made 3 years ago when I unboxed the Chromebook.





*I download the vids when I upload it to YouTube and FB. I can actually skip downloading and just upload directly from the app. 

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Homemade Pasta Al Telefono

Felt a bit better today, so I whipped up some Pasta Al Telefono for dinner. I used rigatoni noodles this time to make it a bit authentic. Since it doesn't have any meat, we ordered Baliwag chicken for our protein needs. 



Glad it turned out well. The secret is to use cherry tomatoes. I tried it with regular crushed tomatoes, but cherry tomatoes made this dish perfect! 

Here's how to make it:

https://youtu.be/l28qB9pt7xI?si=-ly4J9YpfozY0z1a

Now I have an excuse to go to Alabang again to buy some canned cherry tomatoes, haha.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

I Love this Quilt Book

I went crazy last week and bought several quilt books from Booksale. They were really affordable at Php15 (3 books), Php35 (2 books) and Php130 (a thick Better Homes and Gardens hardbound book). 

I've been taking my sweet time going through the books for inspiration. Much as there's Pinterest I still like having books for inspiration and to learn new things. 


I hesitated to get the Better Homes and Gardens "505 Quilt Blocks" since the other books were really inexpensive. I realized though that it's a good buy since I want to try making more block quilts. I'm really happy with the book since it includes patterns. It has blocks also for every occasion and I'll be able to use it for my home projects.

Might drop by Booksale again soon, haha.

#BeKind #StaySafe


Monday, August 12, 2024

Bamboo Trees, Yay or Nay for Your Home?

Our house came with bamboo planted all over the property. It was really nice in the beginning when they were not mature yet. We soon realized that it's hard to manage. A lot of leaves fall and you need to rake almost everyday. Good thing we fenced most of them in planters because they keep replicating. If we didn't they would have probably grown all over our lawn. 




A lot of people say they are low maintenance. They are not. They need to be trimmed often and they attract pests too. Cats also climb on them and they end up in places you don't want them to reach. Big plus though is they provide your home a sense of peace. I like it when the wind rustles their leaves. I also re-use dried bamboo for my plants that need a pole. 

We decided to clear up the nook beside our garage. It used to have a big fern beside the bamboo. It died though and the area became unruly. Cats used the area as their toilet area and they would climb the bamboo to reach the garage roof. We tried to also get rid of the pests, but they're bottomless. Plus we are also concerned that the bamboo might destroy the wall of our house, so we decided to uproot it.

It's a difficult process to uproot bamboo. Their roots can go really deep, so it will take awhile before we finish clearing up the area. I plan to move the trees I'm propagating to the nook since it will get enough sunlight during the day. Maybe we'll re-plant the bamboo in big pots. Hopefully, they'll survive. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Sunday, August 11, 2024

Happy Sunday Everyone!

I was set to do a post last night, but alas, Meredith scratched my hand. It was quite painful. Nothing to worry about, it was just a light scratch, but since I'm on thinners, it bled a bit. Meredith's been quite fussy lately and has been staying out. She comes whenever she's hungry. We think Kaley has been swiping at her and she feels unwelcome. We've been bribing her with treats, so hopefully she comes back soon. 




The past week was truly a struggle. I did not expect to feel unwell. I'm still not sure what really happened. I'm still having headaches. The migraine meds have helped, but I'm overdue to have my eyes checked. I was unable to do anything all week, so I have a lot of backlog and chores. The dirty ones I have to delay again until my hand is better. 

I felt better so the boys and I went out to hang out at a cafe. We found a quiet place 15 minutes from our home. Parking is easy and the place also has a grocery, so that's what we do on select weekends. What we look forward to is visiting SMB again. We'll probably try another weekday since Mondays seem to be busy too. 

Happy Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Saturday, August 10, 2024

SM Bicutan's New Wing (*Tower)

It's been more than 5 years since I've been to SM Bicutan. It got too crowded, so we've been avoiding it. Friends though posted that the new Wing (building C) is now open. We quickly planned to visit to see what's new. 

We went last Monday and got directions from the security guard how to park in the new building. As we came in we were asked if there was a senior or PWD in the car. We showed my PWD ID and got a free parking ticket*. We were able to park right at the entrance. 




We were surprised to see that a whole floor was dedicated for tech (Cyberzone). The stores that sold gadgets used to be scattered across building A and B. They are now all located on level 2 of building C (same floor as the old cinema and food court of building B). The cinema is also in a nook behind the tech stores. There are a couple of snack stores also open in the area. 




After a quick breakfast at Auntie Anne's we checked out the other floors. The lower ground level housed service stores for haircuts, brows, travel, shipping, laundry and shoes & bag repair. The upper ground level had a few shops open. We checked-out the "Art Comes to Life" installation. Kids would definitely enjoy that space. Level 3 wasn't open yet, but we overheard that they're planning to put a fitness center there since there's none in the area. 




What we're looking forward to are the restaurants that are going to open. We were also surprised that a couple of our favorite haunts from Singapore are going to be available. If you're curious to see what's open now and what's coming, check out the list on our Paranaque City Life blog

*The free ticket is give to Paranaque senior citizens/PWDs only.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Friday, August 9, 2024

Clot Scare

It's been an unproductive week for me. We went out last Monday to check-out something. The vaccination site though on my left arm was still painful and felt warm. It was strange since it's been a week since I was vaccinated. I had two vaccinations in the past two weeks. First one was for flu and the second one was anti tetanus and diphtheria (to also prevent pertussis which is hard to treat according to my doctor). My infectious disease doctor advised to get vaccinated since I've been hospitalized twice in the past 8 months. I'm still due to get the pneumonia and shingles vaxx. 




Anyway, I felt really bad on Tuesday. I slept most of the day since my whole body hurts. I also felt very lightheaded on Wednesday. I started having a terrible headache by Wednesday evening. I took the medication my neurologist gave me for migraine. It worked, but I still had a nagging headache until today. I also had upper back pain on and off since yesterday. 

The upper back pain concerned me a lot since it's the same area that hurt when I had my last PE* in 2021. The pain was still there when I woke up. Sweetie cancelled by pulmo rehab appointment since I didn't feel well. I kept telling myself not to worry too much since it may just be pain from the scars in my lungs. My oxygen saturation is also normal. I still took it slow today and used my collection of pain ointments/oils. I read up about Boostrix and what I went through are its side effects. It was probably weirder for me because I'm immuno-compromised.

I watched a movie on Netflix with Miggy and I felt a bit better by early evening. I also watered the plants and played with the cats. The kitties surrounded me and they helped to relax me. I feel better now and will report what happened to my doctor since I'm still due to get two more vaccinations. Maybe we need to space it out since my body takes longer to recover.   

*PE - pulmonary embolism

#BeKind #StaySafe

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Got a Copy of Tobie Abad's Diliman Generation

I got excited when Tobie announced that he was publishing a limited edition of "Diliman Generation Now". It came out recently and, of course, I ordered copies of the zine.



It's good company while trying to stabilize (I'm still feeling off). The zine reminds me of the good old days when we were part of the "Malate Literary Folio" in DLSU.

Congratulations Tobie! Mamasan is so proud of you 🥳😍

Tobie just announced you can now get a copy through Komiket's Lazada store: https://s.lazada.com.ph/s.lA9Z9

#BeKind #StaySafe

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Unwell

The past two days have been a struggle once again. I was dizzy all day yesterday. Today, my whole body hurt so I just slept most of the day with the stack of new books beside me.



I guess being asleep was better than encountering all the rage about the last real life family drama. All families have problems. It's best resolved privately. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Got 16 Books from Booksale!

We finally got to visit the Booksale branch near us. We have not been able to go since our outings have been selective and getting to a Booksale was elusive. I told myself when we were decluttering that I will only buy books again when I have made a dent on my reading backlog. I also told myself I won't buy another craft book.




We were so excited when we visited Booksale. I think we spent at least half an hour in the store. I was surprised to find graphic novels. I grabbed two. One is a graphic anthology which includes two authors I personally know. The other one is a hardbound comics compilation by Neil Gaiman. It was tempting to get more. Maybe next time. 




Sweetie quickly distracted me and showed me a Star Wars storybook he found. For only PhP85, it included a read-along. There were more, but we'll test one first. I also picked up two books on wellness. One is a self-love journal and the other one is a coloring book. I'm familiar with the coloring book because they used to sell the same in Singapore (x4 the price). 




Miggy got 3 novels and a book on model ships. I broke my pact though and bought several quilt books. Hahaha. The books were sold as low as PhP15! The most expensive was a Better Homes and Gardens hardbound book on quilting. It was sold at PhP130! It was a really good deal and I guess quilting is an uncommon hobby, so no one's really interested in the books. Well, good for me! Haha. 

I'm so glad Booksale is still around. I hope they eventually open more branches again :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Monday, August 5, 2024

Double Gold!

We got lucky and caught gymnast Carlos Yulo's turn in last night's artistic gymnastics vault competition in the Olympics. We were amazed with his performance and eagerly awaited the results. There were three more competitors that came after him, so there was a lot of heart stopping moments since the others were really good as well.

Caloy won his second gold! He worked hard for it and truly deserves the medals.


Congratulations Carlos Yulo! 🎉🎉🎉