Watched "Everything About My Wife"

The day after watching "My Future You", we decided to watch the Jennilyn-Dennis flick, "Everything About My Wife". We watched the trailer a few months ago and thought it would be an interesting romcom.

The first part of the movie delivered the fun moments as the main characters went through their courtship. It was still light when it fast forwarded to the 7th year of their marriage where they moved to Cebu.

Sam Milby played the perfect "third party". His job was to stir the marriage and hopefully break it up. After that part, the film suddenly turned too serious and left the audience hanging at the end. It felt like the writer ran out of ideas and someone took over to finish the film.

Well, maybe that's what they intended to do, but it left me disappointed especially knowing that the main characters are married in real life and gave their love a second chance. I've watched other movies by Jennilyn and they usually end on a positive note. 

Sigh.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Anakin's First Gotcha Day

Three hundred sixty six days ago, we found a black kitten traipsing around our garage. It noisily demanded us to feed it. 

Our first reaction was to find someone to adopt it, but the kitten proved to be the most affectionate. Luckily, no one volunteered to adopt him. I named him Anakin because of his color. 

From the first time we saw him, he never left. We suspect it was Grey who brought him to us. By then, Bailey also decided not to go with his Mama Kaley whenever she left. Anakin and Bailey became fast friends. They became besties and would play all day.

We made sure Anakin was vaccinated and neutered. He's always in the mood to play and would be very affectionate during meal time. We always have a hard time reeling him in whenever we need to leave. He never wants us to go out, haha. 

He made us worry one time when his eye was accidentally scratched by Bailey. We immediately brought him to the vet. Good thing the wound didn't affect his eyesight and it eventually recovered after a month of daily eye drops. 

Anakin, the youngest of our pawmily. Happy first Gotcha day with us. We love you forever!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Tried Panda Express Ice Cream

The boys stepped out for an errand and came back with Panda Express' Ice cream. They were surprised that the resto had ice cream, got curious and bought some.

They have two flavors available: cookies & cream and coffee almond. I got to try the coffee and almond flavor. 

I like coffee flavored ice cream and usually buy a pint every so often. I was eager to try what the boys got for me. Sweetie ate his right after dinner and said it was okay. I had it after doing some sewing.

I was expecting the cup to be full almost to the brim (like how Magnolia does it), but I was surprised to see it looked like just a scoop. I'm not sure if they just scooped it and put it in a covered cup for takeaway. 

What I enjoyed about the ice cream was the nuts. They were chopped bigger than usual. The coffee flavor though was too mild. Maybe I've been spoiled by my favorite brand. Oh well, at least we got to try it.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Watched "My Future You"

Netflix just added a whole bunch of MMFF movies the past week. We were looking to watch something light yesterday and selected the FranSeth film. 

What made us curious about it is the time travel aspect of the film. We wondered how it would work out. I was also curious why the film got several awards. 

It was unpredictable. We couldn't really say what would happen next. They were able to intertwine the timelines perfectly. The story was also able to convey family values across the film subtly. I like how it wasn't over the top. 

I won't spoil the ending for you, just go watch it. We were so engrossed we ended up eating a lot of tacos made by our friend Nina. It was yummy! You can order through her IG at https://www.instagram.com/therapynitita?igsh=aGN2b2RwZ2hyamZs

Happy Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Zinnia!

I planted some zinnia seeds last April. It took awhile before it sprouted. The stem grew longer when I transferred the pot to a sunnier spot. I started questioning myself whether I planted zinnia seeds or sunflowers since the stem was really long.

I supported the stems with bamboo sticks. It was really surprising that it kept growing. My garden doesn't get enough sunlight because of our location. Anyway, I monitored the plant closely as it grew.

I was surprised early this week when I saw a bud growing from one of the stems. It was the longest stem. I was still unsure whether it would be a zinnia or sunflower (LOL!). It's been raining also so I kept my expectations low.

It was sunny the other day and I was surprised to see a blossom. It was a beautiful orange zinnia flower! Woohoo! I'm so happy I was able to grow a plant that produces flowers!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Brunch at Nono's

We used to avoid dining at Nono's because it's quite expensive! We relented when it opened a branch nearby. After trying it we've made it a point to dine there once in awhile. 

The announcement about EDSA's new regulations, the rising health issues and heavy traffic had us re-programming our trips to BGC/Makati. We now plan to spend the least amount of time when we need to go to BGC/Makati. So, we ended up having brunch at Nono's the other day.

I like the food at Nono's and I try to order a different dish everytime we go. It's just frustrating that my first choice is always unavailable! I ended up ordering the waffle eggs Benedict. Oh my! It was huge! The waffle was completely covered with ham, eggs and hollandaise sauce. Of course, weird lil me ate it with ketchup, hehe.

Sweetie got a pulled pork sandwich and it was huge too! He said he liked it. Miggy got his usual chicken (I forgot to take a photo, haha). We were all properly full after the meal and then left for our appointment.

Our plan to eat nearby worked. We were able to avoid heavy traffic. Luckily, we didn't wait long to see the doctor and was in and out of the hospital in an hour. We went back towards home immediately to avoid traffic and just had a stopover to buy meds. 

It's been a long week! Happy long weekend everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Booksale, Again!

A trip to the mall nearby is not complete if we don't drop by Booksale. We finished our appointment early, so we dropped by the mall to buy meds. Of course, we dropped by Booksale before we did our errand.

We usually park on the other side, but since it was just a quick visit we parked in the building where Booksale was located. Oh boy! The elevator sounded scary! We originally thought the strange sound was from a car. We realized the weird sound was the elevator! We'll stick to parking on the other side next time!

Anyway, we reached Booksale safely. The staff smiled after seeing us. She always tells us to come on a Tuesday. They get new stocks on Mondays, so there's always fresh books on Tuesdays. 

Sweetie got a huge haul. Twelve books for just PhP220! I saw a number of books that interested me. A few were craft books, but one was a music book of nursery rhymes. That's where I started when I learned to play the piano. My first recital piece was "Old MacDonald" :)

I haven't been buying fiction books since I have a huge pile of unread books. It's Miggy who's been buying fiction books. He got a book by Michael Crichton, "Sphere". We had it before, but it perished during Typhoon Ondoy.

Before we left I saw a child holding a magazine about ships. We always try to find books about ships for Dad. I told Sweetie about it and I went to the back part of the store and promptly found a book on naval aviation. I know we probably won't find a similar one, so I got that too. Dad received the book today and he was fascinated with the book, especially with the emblem. I'm glad we got the book for him. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Got My Ears Checked

Finally got to see my ENT yesterday. It was a good timing since ear pain woke me up at dawn. I was groping in the dark to find some paracetamol. I ended up taking my migraine meds. I also had a headache anyway. Played the white noise and I soon fell asleep again.

We headed to the hospital after eating breakfast. We had a hard time finding a spot to park (as usual!), so Miggy and I went ahead to the clinic. We didn't have to wait long and the doctor immediately checked my ear after I told him my symptoms.

My ENT in Singapore told me that ear tunnel is narrow. My ear issues recur every 5 years (more or less) and an ENT has to clean it. I'm glad my new ENT is very adept with cleaning. I didn't feel any pain and I felt I could hear clearer.

The ringing and buzzing reduced over the weekend. My hearing wasn't affected, but the doctor advised to monitor for the next two weeks. If tinnitus persists I have to do a hearing test. I hope my ear will heal in the next few days. 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

New Eyeglasses

Miggy and I have been overdue to get new eyeglasses. Five years overdue! My eyeglasses frame broke while I had it on. We immediately visited an opthalmologist last week

It takes a week for my eyeglasses to be made. I've been using progressive lenses for almost a decade now, so I was happy when the shop pinged me this morning that our eyeglasses were available.

Got our new eyeglasses today. I selected a plastic frame since I've been using a steel frame the past five years. It's lighter and with the correct grade the world feels brighter. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Month of May (2025)

Completed another month for my one second everyday project. May will always start heavily for me since Mom passed on the first of May two years ago. After that we celebrate Dad's birthday by the 19th. We spent most of the month at home. It was still too hot to venture out, so most of my daily 1SE was taken at home. 

We focused our time on health maintenance. Got our annual flu shots and did some check-ups too. The cats weren't spared and unfortunately Grogu got a deep wound which had to be stitched. We brought him home yesterday, but he kept licking and biting the wound. He was brought back to the vet and would best stay there until he completely heals. We have no idea how he got his wound. 

I spent a lot of time tending to Mom's plants. I tried propagating her bougainvillea and I re-potted a couple of plants we rescued from our childhood home. It's a lot of work and I'm still sorting her stuff (it's bottomless!). The boxes for donation is now a huge pile. We have to follow-up to have it picked up. 

The most important thing we did for the month of May was to vote! Only two of those who I voted for senator won. It was also very hard to chose who to vote for the local positions. Oh well, I hope the new generation can produce more diligent and effective leaders. 

Here's the one second everyday video for the month of May:

Since we only went out when needed, we squeezed in time to eat well. We were able to try Panco Cafe and the newly opened Brooklyn pizza place near our home. I also did a quest to find the best spinach pizza. Tried Pizza Telefono's and luckily got a free experience pizza from Shakey's. It was both good. Maybe next time we'll try Angel's Pizza. 

I'm so glad the rainy season is around the corner. The weather has improved a lot in the past week. We've also been able to collect rain water and the plants love it!

June will be about the birthdays of my boys and we have to plan for the second half of the year!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Checked Out an Australian Surplus Shop

Randomly watched a video about an Australian surplus shop at midnight. Found ourselves at the shop the next day, haha. We were curious, plus Sweetie needs a few things for Dad.

It just took us 10 minutes from Bicutan to reach the location at Tunasan, Muntinlupa. A far cry from the 90 minute travel time to BGC! The store was inside a warehouse in an industrial complex. Parking was relatively easy.

The store had a mix of goods. They had appliances, house ware (mostly from Anko), furniture, tools, toys, gadgets and cat stuff! I think it was the tail end of their sale, but they still had a lot of stuff. 

The furniture selection was on the second floor. The stairway was pretty steep and was a workout for my knees and lungs. They had a myriad of stuff, but what caught my eye were the garden furniture. I'll come back for something in the future. 

They had Chromebooks, but it was already sold out by the time we came. They have tablets for under PhP1,000. Useful if you know how to install earlier versions of apps or you can use it as a photo album.  

A lot of the houseware items were useful. They even had a small aquarium. I didn't need anything so just enjoyed looking at stuff. Don't expect much on the toy stuff, most were for younger children. 

I think the JVC branded gadgets are on 50% off until month end. Most were speakers for partying, you can check it on their FB page.

We skipped the tools and equipment section, but I saw they had a lot of lawn lowers and hand tools. Oh, I forgot to check the power washer! Maybe next time!

Here's the addy:

Shop and Save Australian Surplus 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/9wciKE3bA335nG199

#BeKind #StaySafe

Propagated Mom's Bougainvillea

My Mom has a very bushy bougainvillea tree in front of the house. During summer the tree produces flowers of different colors, fushia, pink and orange. I'm not sure if it's from one tree or several. She also has a white one of the side of the garage.

The frontage has seen several changes. It used to have palm trees and suntan plants. It also once had a fruit bearing tree. If I remember correctly it was a santol tree. Eventually Mom changed it to low maintenance plants and it's thrives through the years.

One of my projects is to propagate her plants, especially the ones I can't bring to my home. I took some cuttings and made a soil mix with some river sand. Its been over a month since I propagated the cuttings and some have grown new leaves. Yay! I'll probably give it another month to grow more roots, then I'll transfer it.

Let's see where this goes :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Ouchie Ears

My ears have been ringing and buzzing the past few weeks. It got worse a week ago. 

I was scheduled to see a Neuro since I was having frequent headaches. After discussion symptoms (including the ear issue) she said it was probably due to the hormonal changes I'm experiencing due to perimenopause. Ugh!

The cats have been consoling me whenever I step out. I'll see an EENT next week to have my ears checked. I noticed though the weird sound goes away when I'm doing some sewing! I guess I have to do something happy.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Turned Mom's Unfinished Project to Something Useful

I hope I have gone through the last box of Mom's craft materials and projects. She left a lot of unfinished projects and I've been trying to figure out what her plans were for it. Some were probably meant to be throw pillow covers. I know she liked making them. Others were probably part of blanket projects. 

Since a lot were mismatched I thought I'd just make something that would be useful. I started with blocks of white fabric she pieced together in squares. I washed it and removed the batting before I started to work on the project. Here's what I did -

It took a while to finish since I stopped sewing for a few months. I needed more time to sort her things and it eats up a lot of time. I got exhausted and needed a break, so I decided to work on her unfinished projects. Mom also left a lot of scrap fabric, so I integrated it into the project. I want to add to my sewing skills and using scrap fabric allows me to be more experimental. 

Here's the result of this first project:

Meow!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Grogu Escaped!

The vet messaged us this morning to let us know Grogu Escaped while she was checking his wound. He ran around the clinic, but they eventually caught him. Unfortunately, his wound opened again, so they had to stitch him up again.

We were supposed to visit him yesterday, but our doctor appointment went overtime and the clinic was closed by the time we finished. We immediately visited him today.

Grogu was at the back of the cage. He started meowing when he saw us. The vet said he's been quiet for a few days now. He was probably still a bit groggy, but he pushed himself to the front of the cage to get close to us. I had him smell my fingers and he allowed me to scratch his head. He eventually quieted down.

The vet said he'd only eat at night, but he drank water and ate a little while I was talking to him. The vet was surprised that he started to eat. We should probably visit him everyday, so he'll recover faster. I'll ask the boys if we can visit him tomorrow. He has to be reassured that he's coming back to us and that he's not been abandoned.

When we got home, I had the cats smell my hand. They've been anxious also since Grogu has been missing. I keep telling them he's just recovering and will be home soon. Most affected is Pikachu since they're besties. Mando Laura, his twin, has also been looking for him. 

It's best for Grogu to stay at the vet until his wound heals. He's a busybody and was jumping around and it kept affecting the wound. We hope we can bring him home by Sunday.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Far Sighted, Near Sighted + Free Pizza!

My eyeglasses broke a few days ago. Ugh! I was in the kitchen when I heard something pop and then a lens fell. It takes at least a week for new eyeglasses to be made for me, so I used super glue to bind the frame.

I've been due to go to an opthalmologist for quite some time now. I've just been lazy, but since I have a Neuro appointment coming up some I have to know if there's changes in my eyesight. I need to understand what's causing my frequent headaches and migraine. 

Anyway, my new opthalmologist was thorough with the check-up. I opted not to go to a mall optical shop since it's been awhile since I had a thorough eye check up. My cousin said we have to take care of our eyes because our family has bad genes. Well, the opthalmologist found out my left eye is now far Sighted. My right eye is still near sighted. Weird huh, apparently that can happen as you age.

I'll get my new eyeglasses next week. Hopefully, the old one will hang on until then. I love my new opthalmologist. She's actually the spouse of our long time dentist! Their office is just beside and across Mercury Drug (Finland street).

After our check-up we proceeded to Shakey's since we were quite hungry. Ordered a family meal and was surprised by the manager with a free experience pizza! He gave us a large spinach pizza. He said the give a free pizza if you spend at least PhP1,000 for the month of May. The free pizza cost about PhP600. It was good and we'll order it again next time, maybe with mushroom or bacon. We also got 10% off our bill since I have a Shakey's supercard. We like the branch on Dona Soledad because they maintain it properly and the staff are always friendly. Next time we'll bring some food for the kittens outside.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Summer Home Management To-Dos

In the past three years since we moved to our home, we've always had to do repairs and tweaks to our house. The first two years was focused on doing a lot of repairs, but this year was different. Our summer to-do list for our home were probably the regular stuff to do to keep your home ready for the rainy season.

Here's a list of what we have accomplished for our home:

Roof Restoration/Lowered the Heat

We've been searching for the most unobtrusive way to keep our home cool in the past few years. This year we got a roof expert to check our roof. It was good we had our roof restored this year since it started to rust already. They also added a wire mesh to keep debris out of the downspout. After the restoration, our roof got a fresh coating of insulation paint. Ahh, summer has become bearable (finally!) and we won't have to worry about leaks for the coming rainy season.

Aircon Cleaning

We've been consistent with having our Aircon units cleaned. The cleaners are an authorized center of the Aircon manufacturer. Their prices are the same as others, but it gives us peace of mind that experts are taking care of our Aircon units. This year though we had to have one of our units deep cleaned. The technician explained that deep cleaning is required every five years. Our unit probably got a beating from the two houses constructed beside us since we moved. Got it fixed and it's good to go again for five years. Hopefully, the others won't need deep cleaning yet. 

Pest Control

We changed service providers last year and this one doesn't require quarterly spraying. They pinged last week and I reported some bukbok on our garage door. They said they'll drop by to check since they have a guarantee. No termites anywhere in the house and the insect that was eating our door is a wood beetle. They explained it's hard to kill, but there's nothing to worry about because they work very slow compared to termites. For good measure, they sprayed the whole house and the perimeter at no extra cost. They even left some chemicals in case we needed it. 

Summer Painting

We've had our front gate painted almost every year. I think Mom used to do that too. This year though we'll DIY it. We'll use anti-rust paint and then spray it with auto paint. We already tried this with my Mom's wrought iron plant stands and they're good as new! 

Water Tank Cleaning/Plumbing

We didn't know that you need to empty your water tank once a quarter. Rod told us we just needed to clean/change the filter monthly. We had been a bit delinquent on that and the tank had a strange sound one night. Since we needed to have a few faucets repaired we had the tank cleaned too. They told us we can just empty it quarterly and use a high powered hose to clean the inside. We'll do that next time to save. We also had our drainage checked. Unfortunately, the newly constructed house blocked the underground sewage and this has caused floodwater to backflow to our garden. 

Other DIY Stuff

We learned a couple of things that we can DIY, like putting putty on a wall the cats have been scratching. We have also kept a few supplies like teflon in case of leaks, anti-rust paint, sealant in case it's needed. These things you accumulate as you live longer in your home. Now I understand why my Mom had a gazillion things in her house! 

Things I'd like to work on in the future include changing our front windows into awning windows. This will help cool down the house better. Have our screendoors fixed since the cats sometimes scratch it (it has holes now). I also want to have the kitchen floor deep cleaned and maybe repaint the outdoor walls next year. Being a homeowner is hardwork! I never really thought about it before since Mom was always there to help. We've been on our own in the past two years, so we had to learn a lot. 

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Where to Buy Pixel Phones and Chromebooks

My Pixel 7a died. It was affected by the battery issue. It was doing well, but for a few weeks the battery started going crazy. It would suddenly drop to zero even at 40%. I immediately searched for solutions and found several options: (1) Turn on battery saver; (2) Check if your phone is eligible for the extended repair program.

A friend bought the phone for me 2 years ago in Singapore. My phone was eligible for the program. I chose to get a voucher since I'm unable to bring the phone to Singapore (plus it would be scary to bring a bloated phone on a flight!). We'll eventually need to buy something if the future and I was able to use the phone anyway for two years and my 4a still works!

Anyway, I started to look around for a replacement. I didn't want to buy my friends in Singapore, plus I don't know if anyone's coming home soon. I know you can buy at GameXtreme online, but I don't want to get stressed over delivery. I found out about their physical stores, so we dropped by last weekend. They have Pixel phones, Chromebooks, Nest devices, Chromecast, and watches. The don't have it on hand all the time, so it's best to call and make a reservation. 

They had an available Asus Chromebook for only PhP9,900! It was so tempting, but my Chromebook is still solidly useful and my older Chromebooks are all still working! I saw they also have HP Chromebooks on their website (only PhP11,995!). I've been using a Chromebook for all my computer needs! That includes blogging, editing videos and photos. I'm just like any user, nothing hardcore, so a Chromebook works for me! 

Oh, I digressed! Haha! Anyway, at least you can buy a Pixel phone now at a physical shop. If you're not comfortable ordering it online just go to GameXtreme. It's useful to call ahead and reserve what you want to buy so they can have it on hand when you go.

RIP my Pixel 7a phone, huhu. (

#BeKind #StaySafe

Desert Rose 7 Months After Being Rescued

I started rescuing my Mom's plants last year. It's been a long, slow process since all her plants need to be re-potted. I re-potted two desert rose plants (Kalachuchi) last October. I placed both pots in our tiny square garden. It's a very sunny spot which the plant loves. The plant also gets some rain water when it rains. 

I was ecstatic when the plant started growing new leaves. It was a sign of recovery and by January it started blooming flowers. I was so happy since it was just two months since I re-potted them. Here's how they looked -

January 2025 vs. October 2024

October 2024 vs. January 2025

Both pots kept on producing flowers. It was a happy sight since I liked the color. The plants also have healthy green leaves and continue to grow. I'm keeping them in pots for now and will transplant to soil eventually. 

May 2025

One thing I realized is like hibiscus (gumamela), desert rose plants need to be fed with compost every few weeks. I have placed a reminder on my calendar so I don't forget. Notice the beautiful color of the flower and leaves. I took this photo the other day after I added compost to the soil early this month. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Bottomless Soup for Our Pork Sinigang!

There's a few restos where you can get a side dish of Sinigang soup. It's never enough though and we started to crave for it when it rained during election day. It's one of our favorite comfort food dishes. I managed to get some ingredients during our grocery run (minus Gabi since I couldn't find any), so I made some last night (even though it's not raining!). 

It's one of the dishes that's just right for my energy level to cook. I managed without Miggy's help, but they still hovered around to help anytime I needed it. I have no idea how to use kamias or sampaloc, so I just always use Sinigang mix. I like the Knorr Sinigang mix better than other brands since it's really sour. 

Here's how I made it:

We all had happy tummies after dinner last night and I definitely slept soundly. Too soundly, I missed pulmo rehab again, haha. We still have some left over and I might have some soup later!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Grogu Update

Grogu had surgery at around 11 this morning. It was a simple surgery to close the wound. By afternoon he had fully recovered from the anesthesia and was ready to eat.

The vet will keep him for a few more days to make sure the wound heals. We won't be able to make him stay in one place and knowing Grogu, he'll also remove his cone. He's an outdoor cat and loves to roam around, so at best we make sure he's vaccinated and dewormed. 

Can't wait to have him back!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Grogu is at the Vet

We discovered Grogu had a wound in his inner leg the other day. It was deep and wet. We took photos and immediately consulted with our vet to see if we needed to bring him in. The vet said the wound wasn't infected and we just needed to spray it with antiseptic. Luckily, we still had the medicine and the boys sprayed the wound twice a day. 

Over the last few days, we noticed Grogu was lethargic. He also kept licking his wound. It worried me since he's an outdoor cat and he'd still go out to other places. I asked the boys to bring him to the vet. The wound was getting better, but it kept getting ripped because Grogu kept jumping from the wall. He also kept licking the wound and I was afraid it may still get infected. 

The boys brought Grogu to the vet today. The vet said the wound can heal on it's own if Grogu doesn't lick it and stays put. It's impossible to keep Grogu to stay put and much less to make him wear a cone. He'd also be defenseless if he wore a cone. We can't keep him indoors since my doctors only grudgingly allowed us to keep them if they stay outside. 

Anyway, for Grogu's safety and so he could heal faster we decided to let the vet close the wound. They would also be able to watch over him closely. The vet originally thought the wound was due to a fight, but upon closer inspection she said he probably cut himself somewhere in the neighborhood. She said wounds from fights are usually on the head. 

Our baby will be away for a few days. We'll go and visit him to reassure him he'll come back to our home. I explained to the other cats he's away to heal and that a doctor is taking care of him for now. Please pray for Grogu's quick recovery! 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Fourth Grade Embroidery Project

I found a couple of school projects I did when I was just 10 years old. Back when I was elementary school, we were taught different crafts, embroidery, crochet, building crafts using bamboo. This craft classes culminated with sewing machine classes in high school. (Also, pertinent to mention we had carpentry class which they discontinued after our batch because we kept blowing up the electrical system).

Anyway, I recently found some embroidery projects. Here's a small potholder I made -

I know I have a bigger project with the same design. Maybe I'll find it as I go through Mom's stuff. And here's the sampler I submitted. I got a good grade from it.

I still use some of the stitches and use them for current projects. I love it when I get to include embroidery in my projects. Mom and Titay also used to do embroidery and I found a few projects they did. Here's one, I'm not sure though if Mom, Titay or Ate made it (or maybe Mama Lola?).

The projects I found made me happy. It also reminded me of my Mama Lola. She helped me finish my last project. It was a pillow case with an embroidery of a duck which I traced from a coloring book.  watched her while she worked on closing the pillowcase on her sewing machine. 

I'm glad we were taught all these crafts in school. Mom also taught me other stuff whenever school was out. I've been quilting a lot, but sometimes I take breaks and do other things too. Crafting has been my therapy. It's been a great way to cope with all my medical conditions :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Daddy's 92nd Birthday

Dad would have celebrated his 92nd birthday today. I wanted to order some pancit and hardinera from Buddy's, but their Paranaque kitchen is gone. We'll just try to get some tomorrow maybe. 

It's been 15 years since we got to celebrate Dad's birthday with him. He looked very healthy then and just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. We didn't have a big celebration and just had lunch at North Park. We never expected he'd be gone in less than a year. 

Life changed a lot when we lost Dad. I know that he's always been there guiding us. If he was still around we'll probably have some noodles and his favorite beef dishes and probably some nilaga within the week. He loved to eat and cook! You should try his famous beef mustasa wrap. It's so yummy!

He was not fond of material things and it's no surprise that I didn't really find any of his belongings anymore. Mom probably donated all his clothes way back and just kept the essentials (IDs and docs). What Dad had a lot of were his writings and letters (plus letters to the editor!). Going through his things has been therapeutic for me.

I miss Dad everyday. I know he's having a blast up there with Mom and my titos and titas. They're partying like they used to while keeping tabs with us down here. 

Happy birthday Dad. Love you very much!

#BeKind #StaySafe