Flood Proofing Your Home

We were really surprised a few weeks ago when it flooded on our street. It was the first time it happened. What surprised us more was water gathered on our side garden. 

That happened because the water in the drain got stuck because the street was flooded. Not a good sign for us even if our house is higher than the street. We didn't realize it could still flood in our house if the drains are clogged.

DOST-PAGASA announced that La Nina can bring more than usual rain. The flooding due to the typhoon happened just before the La Nina advisory was announced. I did some research to find out what's the best recourse for our issue.

The easiest way to prevent water from coming inside our basement is to keep the water out with sandbags. I ordered some bags online and then we bought sand at the hardware. One long bag requires 3 small bags of sand. 

I read you have to put the sandbag at your door to prevent water from coming in. We put the bag at the door nearest the drain. It's the door that's always been problematic for us. (Water used to leak in from the wall. We resolved this by adding a canopy.)

We're keeping the sandbag there until after the rainy season. At least we can sleep well at night and not worry about unexpected flooding. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Our Eugenia Plant Always have Red Leaves

The Eugenia Plant in our pocket garden has been there since we moved. We try to keep it at 4 feet high so it's easier to manage. One has grown to more than 10 feet. We suspect Brimsley buried one of her kittens under it and that's why it grew so tall. Birds have been making nests on it, so we just trim it.

So far the Eugenia plants have been the easiest to manage. It's not a water guzzler and just requires some trimming every so often. I spray it with Neem oil every few weeks. What I like best about it is when it grows red leaves and sometimes berries.

I discovered the easiest way to encourage it to grow red leaves by accident. I've been using sun dried coffee grounds for my plants and I out some on the ground where the Eugenia plants are located. A few days later it started sprouting red leaves!

Since then I feed it with sundried coffee grinds. It's really nice since it provides color to my otherwise very green garden :)

Happy Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Avocado Update: More Roots Plus a Tiny Stem

Ohh, I'm so stoked! The avocado seeds  propagating are progressing very well. There are more roots now and a tiny Stem is starting to grow out of one seed.

Three other seeds also have roots now. The two smaller ones are starting to crack, so I hope it will still progress.

I need to wait a few more months before I could move it to a pot with soil. My target is to grow a couple of trees for the future.

#BeKind #StaySafe

It's Like Our Second Home Came Nearer to Us

I lived in Singapore for a decade. As a creature of comfort I eventually found a couple of places that became go-to places for me and my boys. One favorite resto we frequented was Old Town. I first tried it in Kuala Lumpur. I always visited it at the airport while waiting for my short flight back to Singapore. 

It eventually had a branch in Singapore. It was located near our dentist, so, of course, that's where we would eat after getting our teeth cleaned (haha). My Mom also loved drinking milk tea and liked it a lot. I was happy when we saw a branch opening near our home. We immediately went to try it during its soft opening. 

The menu was surprisingly more expansive than the one in Singapore. We were set to do some errands, so just had breakfast (aka merienda) food. The branch certainly got the look of the branches in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, so it brought back some good memories. 

Here's a glimpse of Old Town's menu at SM City Bicutan, they basically have food for different times of the day:

They opened a month ago, so operations should be efficient by now. We just tried another newly opened restaurant, but should visit Old Town again soon. Wangfu opened recently too, but I'd be over the moon when Nanyang opens too. How I wish they'd bring Spotlight here too, or at least open a store that sells fabric, sewing and craft materials too. 

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Forgot to Mention that Flying Tiger SM Bicutan is Now Open!

I think it's been a month already since Flying Tiger opened a branch at SM Bicutan. I've been there a couple of times and it just slipped my mind to share the news! I think the only week we haven't visited SM Bicutan was when it was raining so bad due to the typhoon. We were cooped up at home the whole week and had to postpone all our appointments. 

Anyway, as I happily shared last July, a branch of Flying Tiger was going to open at SM Bicutan. It opened a few weeks ago and I was able to visit it a couple of times since August. The branch is spacious and I think a bit bigger than the one in ATC. It has the same maze-like layout, so it's best to start from the right side. 

The store has a lot of knick-knacks, useful desk and kitchen items, and decorative items. Items being sold I think change weekly (or a lot of stuff get sold out fast). I've visited the nearby branch almost every week since it opened and this week they're selling Halloween items already. If you find something you like, better to buy it immediately because it may not be available next time you come back. 

Go visit and have some fun!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Shhh... How I Reduce Noise

Social media has certainly made our world "noisier". I must admit, it was fascinating to be always online. Always on the know. Always connected. If you're not "on", then you'd be behind. It was fun, but it's not healthy to always be in the forefront of things. 

After my second PE*, my doctor mandated me to stay offline. Even in ICU I was still getting calls and pings from work. It was an aha moment for my doctors. They realized my personality is what will ultimately bring me peril. So I was mandated to stay offline. That meant no peeking at my emails or social media. 

Mind you, it took me months before I started appreciating being offline. I did not realize that I had to do that for my own good. I monitored my online time using my phone and watched my time spent online go down slowly. It was a habit that had to be broken.

I learned a lot from those months I strictly reduced being online. I forced myself to be more productive offline. I re-discovered my passion for quilting, gardening and baking. Movement was still controlled so I had to be creative at home. It was easy to fill up offline time, since I was asleep half the time (recovering from PEs requires serious rest). 

Things can get very noisy online nowadays. I don't check my phone when I wake up. I only turn it on after all my routines, eating and drinking my meds. I just take a peek and then move on to do some gardening. Gardening includes playtime with the cats. And this is why lately my posts are done late in the evening, haha. 

My doctors were right. It's really in your hands how you manage your stress. I mute when needed. I unfollow when it's too much. I'm at the age when I feel strongly about protecting my space and my peace. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Perfect Artwork for My Sewing Room

One thing I did not expect to find at the Super Manila Comic Con was an artwork for my sewing room. I've been on the lookout for sewing themed decor/art for my sewing room. The only sewing decor I have is a clock, a few sewing machine figures and thimbles which I collected from my travels. 

I was dead tired by the time we reached the section for artists. Top of mind for me was to find a Yoda artwork or figure. Unlike the Singapore Comic Con, all the works were original. What caught my eye was Marius Black's artwork, "Blum". It's a cityscape of Blumentritt and I found the colors fascinating. The booth also had cat artwork and a child playing under a sewing machine. 

"My Silly Passenger" is the title of the print made by Guada Ramos Funtilar. I liked the artwork because it reminded me of those days I used to play under my Mama Lola's sewing machine. I even had the same hair cut as the child. She had the same black Singer sewing machine. Of course, I had to get a print for my sewing room. 

I'm happy I got it and regret I didn't buy Marius Black's Blum print. They both gave us their business card, so I could just probably order online or go to an event they'll attend. In the meantime, I need to find a nice frame for the print I got. Also, need to figure out where to hang it :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Cat Patrol and Gumamela Flowers

We had a busy afternoon today. It's always good to spend a few hours outside. We were not able to do it everyday now because of the rain. I puttered around the garden and gave some sundried coffee grinds to the gumamela plants. I was surprised to see another flower today. It looked a bit forlorn, but still very beautiful. I probably need to move them to bigger pots and make sure to provide fertilizer consistently. 

Of course, the afternoon won't be complete without spending time with the cats. They are quite a handful now and we try to give each one of the equal playtime. Meredith has been picky with food again, so we've been giving her broth. Brimsley's the same, she doesn't eat every so often. The vet said to bring them in if they become inactive. So far all our cats are active, so we're just observing for now. 

Pikachu took over cat patrol today. She was so cute hanging out on the wall. She would look left to right as if looking for intruders, haha. She's one of our most vocal cats and always meows whenever we're around. Truly a cutey.

Happy Monday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Family Day

My thighs we're still sore from all the walking we did yesterday at Super Manila Comic Con. I wasn't able to rest in between since the venue didn't have seats. I was only able to rest when the stage area cleared up in-between sessions. The boys parked me there while they went around.

I made the effort to get up and got the boys to go out with me. We skipped going to the grocery yesterday since I was too tired. We went to our usual Sunday chill spot. The area has a small grocery which carries most of what we need. I was really hoping surprised though the shop didn't have any Nestle cream! They said they haven't delivered any yet. Someone's hoarding already for Christmas! 😅

We got home before sunset. We didn't want the cats to be alone for so long. Meredith also wasn't eating. She's active and is probably just cross because I promised her we'll make some homemade cat food. She had some broth when we got home and will cook the cat food tomorrow. 

Happy chill Sunday everyone. Hope you got some rest.

Happy birthday Mama Mary! ❤️

#BeKind #StaySafe

At the Super Manila Comic Con

Sweetie surprised us with tickets to the Super Manila Comic Con. What I enjoyed the most was seeing the work of local artists. It was our first time to attend a comic con here, so it was a delight to see unique artworks.

I was surprised to see an artwork that would fit my sewing room perfectly. The artwork is by Guada Ramos Funtilar. It's a child playing under a Singer sewing machine. It reminded me of the time I used to do that under my Mama Lola's sewing machine. The child even had my short hair with bangs, haha. I bought a copy and had Guada sign it too. 

I regret not buying Marius Black's cityscape. I really liked it. I was so excited with __ artwork, I wasn't able to go back anymore for the cityscape. I got their contact information, so I'll just try to purchase directly.

The event had a hodge podge of stuff. Lines were very long for those buying Gunpla toys. It snakes around the area where you can buy toys, so that made it hard to get around. The middle section had character figures. It would have been nicer if they made an effort to put proper lighting for it. There was a smattering of Star Wars figures, but I only saw one Yoda figure. It's the Royal Selangor one being sold for PhP18k. 

The other third of the room was dedicated for comic books and local artists. I would have wanted to spend more time looking through the different artworks and maybe have something comissioned. Unfortunately, a big chunk of my energy was wasted waiting in line. There was a lot of confusion where to line up. 

Anyway, Sweetie got a copy of the special edition Transformers comic book :)

The event is open until September 8, 2024, at One Ayala, Makati City.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Conked Out After Pulmo Rehab

I managed to sleep better the past two nights. There was some disturbance in the force the past two weeks and I had very dismal sleep. I researched for home remedies and it worked even though I have not been able to do my usual gardening exercise. 

I had a hard time during pulmo rehab last week. I didn't have much rest, plus my tonsils were still inflamed. My therapist said I looked much better today. I told him I was able to sleep and I've been consistent with moisturizing. 

I volunteered to use my heavier dumb bells today since I couldn't feel anything from the 1 pound set. I was good the first two exercises, but started to feel the difference by the third exercise. I had back pain too, so I thought it would help. I managed to finish the session with the heavier dumbbells. I finished strong with wall push-ups. 

I was exhausted when we finished and I forced myself to finish my lunch before conking out, haha. I was out once my head hit the pillow on the sofa. I napped for two hours and I'm now gathering some strength to visit the cats. I can't let a day pass without visiting them. They will surely help heal me from today's session. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

What I was Up to 20 Years Ago

It just crossed my mind that 2004 was already 20 years ago. My life was so different back then and in my mind I thought it was going to be the same for the rest of my life. I thought it would be my last job and my personal life would be the same. The only thing permanent in life is change.

It's nice to look back at where you are in the past because it can be a clue on how to move forward. Here are tidbits on what my life was back in 2004. I didn't have a blog yet back then, but I already had a digicam and I still have my photos!

I was still working for the Yellow Pages

Miggy was just 10 years old back then

I hung out a lot with my colleagues

and choirmates/neighbors

Me and my best friend tried to incubate a company. We ended up going to Banaue for it.

Mom and Dad still loved going on road trips

And I had a pet fish, Oscar the oscar

You can never really tell what will happen to you in the future. Opportunities and circumstances can change your path at a snap of a finger. I was content where I was 20 years ago. Two years later my life completely changed. I worked hard for it and worked harder when my life changed course. 

What were you up to 20 years ago?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Ageing

While I'm far from being 65 years old (the age when one starts old age), my body was declared to be 70 years old when I was in my mid-30s. Well, more my heart and not my whole body. It was "reset" when I had heart surgery over 10 years ago. Since then my body has gone through a lot of trauma the past few years. 

My beautiful Meredith and Me

I am due for a TEE. My cardiologist wants to see the structure of my heart since it's been 11.5 years since I had surgery. My mitral valve has been leaking again for the past few years, so we need to make sure my heart is healthy. My lungs are another matter, but we're keeping the healthy parts healthier through pulmo rehab. 

I came across a couple of books on ageing at the Big Bad Wolf event. I got a couple of books which could help me prepare better. I have friends who are the same age as me. We go through life body stages almost at the same time. It's comforting to know I am not alone in what I'm going through. There are things though which is unique for me (OHS, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension etc. etc.). That's what I have to be prepared for since even those who have the same medical conditions like me go through it differently. 

Sometimes I feel God made me go through things in advance. I had Miggy early. I reached the peak of my career earlier. I had OHS younger than usual. I retired early. Everything is fast forward. God only gives you trials that you can bear. That's what I keep reminding myself. So, I'm excited to read the books I just bought. Maybe it will be me a perspective that will help improve my quality of living. 

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Working on a Pokemon Quilt

I like working on fun projects and have been saving cute pins on Pinterest. I looked up Star Wars and Pokemon quilt designs. Some looked very complicated so I chose an all-squares project.

I was going to make a quilted Yoda throw pillow case, but I had a hard time finding different shades of brown fabric. Decided to do Pikachu first since I have enough yellow fabric.

I just finished cutting up the squares. It took me a few days, haha. Now the nitty gritty work begins.

#BeKind #StaySafe

EntengPH

Typhoon Enteng brought a lot of rain in the past two days. I was sleepless again. We were surprised wltonfind out that the water in our toilet was raised. After a quick check we also found out that water had pooled on the turf grass.

The water quickly drained when Sweetie removed part of the turn grass to allow water to flow to the drain faster. It did. Apparently our street was flooded. The drain was overwhelmed because there was too much rain. 

We took precautions and raised electrical appliances in case water came in. We left the turf grass open to allow water to flow through faster. Luckily, the water subsided on the street and the water didn't go up anymore despite of the strong rain. 

I know other areas were hit harder and I pray everyone is safe. Hope things improve so we can all be ready when La Nina comes.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Be Gentle to Everyone

The past week has been really busy. We had to do adulting stuff. It's not fun, that's why it's called adulting, haha. That's why I've been blogging late in the evening. I've been struggling to fall asleep again and was set to schedule doctor appointments when we go to the hospital tomorrow. Unfortunately, #EntengPH plus the habagat has been pouring a lot of rain, so we decided to postpone our trip. 

I should really write whenever I have an idea that pops in my head or at least save the title on my blog. I've been blogging for a long time now and I'm still not that disciplined. Oh well, will try better. For now though I thought I'd just post about being gentle to everyone. I saw this reminder in one of the groups I'm in and it made me think about the message. 

I agree, we have to be kind, patient and gentle to others. Just make sure you don't let others walk all over you. Be kind, but be firm. I know I could be very patient, but I know also when to draw the line when needed. Understand others, but also prioritize yourself. It is easier, of course, if it's a business transaction and harder when it comes to personal relationships. Both can overlap and that's even harder. It really helps to have clear goals when making decisions. When you need to turn down someone, don't forget to be gentle too. 

Happy rainy Sunday everyone! Stay dry!

#BeKind #StaySafe