February Month End Round-up

I looked through my one second a everyday video for the month of February and realized I spent majority of my time going through Mom's things. I was able to go out at most once a week.

The highlight of my month though was getting to watch "Ex Ex Lovers" in an actual movie house. The MarJo flick matched the nostalgic feeling I've been experiencing while going through my Mom's things (yes, it's bottomless). The movie was also a good break for me and Sweetie from going through a gazillion boxes.

I'm bent on finishing what were doing in the next few weeks. It will be a huge load off my shoulder to clear the house. I know how valuable my Mom treated her things. She took good care of it so it can be passes on to the next generation. A lot though are items that can be better passed on to people who will have good use for it. 

Onwards to March!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Grief Journey Process: Clearing the Ancestral Home

The task of sorting and clearing one's ancestral home is gargantuam, especially if your family lived in it for more than 50 years. 

I knew the task would fall on my shoulders. I realized my Mom through the years pointed out which things were important. I'm not physically fit to do everyday by myself, so I did some research and asked help from our decluttering coach, Ally Canita. She helped us go through our things from our two homes when we went back from Singapore.

I knew that it didn't make sense to hold on to what my Mom left. Six months after she passed, I had the items in the house sorted and boxed. This was the same process we took when we decluttered out home. After that I took my sweet time sorting each box. 

To be honest I didn't touch my Mom's stuff from her bedroom for over a year since they were packed. I just couldn't. I had to come to terms that Mom was gone. It's good I didn't rush into things because I was in a better frame of mind when I started sorting through her bedroom items.

Here's the steps I took sorting :

1. Documents

2. Photo albums

3. Craft materials 

4. Clothes/shoes/linen

5. Outdoor back garage stuff (because I was alerted there may be a snake around)

6. Kitchen stuff

7. Plants

8. Furniture (last because there's a lot boxes on it)

#BeKind #StaySafe

My Grief Journey

It's been almost two years since we lost my Mom. I've never told anyone, but the grief of losing her started years before we did. It was in 2018 when I noticed the changes. She started becoming more forgetful and she became less and less interested in doing things. 

I brought her to doctors and they all said the same thing, "Let her enjoy, any surgery would just be very hard on her body". I thought it was unfair, but I understood the wisdom of the doctors. She did enjoy and was still doing some gardening under her last day. 

It was really hard for me. I had several cardiac episodes because of it. It took me a long time to get moving with the task of sorting through her things. The items I had boxed waited 18 months before I could work on it.

I didn't rush into it, but at some point I realized it was time to get moving. I have been very busy the past 3 months sorting her stuff. Good thing I got help from Ally Canita and her team to organize and box everything. 

Going through her things has been challenging. It's a LOT! It has helped me though because it helped me understand my Mom better. It's part of the healing process and I'm glad I have the privilege of being the one to sort her worldly belongings.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Memories of EDSA People Power Revolution

I write about my EDSA People Power Revolution almost every year, but I think it's more important to wrote about it again today. We just never forget the atrocities and abuses that led to it.

A lot of those who fought for it are long gone. My Dad, my Mom, my titos. My Kuya was the only one in the family who went to EDSA.

I remember it was still dark when Tito Ben called my parents to let them know something was going on. Tito Ben was in the AFP back then and warned my parents that something was about to happen. The mood at home was tense, but I was allowed to continue learning how to bike in our lawn (I was just 10 years old back then).

I noticed there was a lot of air activity happening that day. A lot of helicopters were flying around. Mom and Dad closely monitored the news on the radio and unwillingly allowed my then 23-year old Kuya to go to EDSA. 

Since I was a child I knew that the government was doing a lot of bad things. This was the reason why everyone had to be home before sunset. My parents would get really angry whenever my siblings would come home late. I wasn't even allowed to play out on the street. 

My teachers and the nuns of our school also made sure we knew what was happening. We even had an activity where we cut news clippings from that time (I'm hoping to find my folder while sorting my Mom's things). I wrote about why Scholasticans always fight for what is right here a few years ago (one of my most popular posts).

My generation was probably shielded by our parents from the abusive regime. Not many of us were directly impacted and got to enjoy the fruits of the fight our parents and elders pushed. It took them a long time to overthrow the dictator. Our role is to ensure that the period of abuse does not happen again. 

Never forget. Never again.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Eugenia Berries and Free Starbucks Coffee Grinds

While watering the plants I noticed that our Eugenia tree has a lot of berries growing. I was so surprised since the last time it produced berries was in 2022.

I have been feeding it with sundried coffee grinds, rice water, and fish water. I just use one of the three once a week. I was doing this to make the Eugenia plants produce red leaves. They look really nice when they're red. (Make sure to water down fish water if you're using it from an aquarium).

I also noticed yesterday that Starbucks used coffee grinds is available again. I saw two packs yesterday and got one. I have also laid it out under the sun to prepare it for use. 

If your nearby SB doesn't display used coffee grinds, you can always ask if they have any available. Sometimes they'll ask you to bring your own bag.

Happy gardening!

#BeKind #StaySafe

FamBam Sunday

Finally did our usual Sunday afternoon lakwatsa today. We were supposed to do groceries the other day, but we weren't able to go out for a number of reasons (#signsofoldage). 

We were happy when we saw a new resto open where we sometimes do our groceries. We decided to try it out since they had a good menu of mostly Filipino food. The food was good, but next time we'll just have our usual coffee at Starbucks.

We were able to get most of what was on our grocery list. I just need to buy some meds next time in my usual drugstore. It was a good day to step out. 

Happy Sunday everyone. Hope you had a restful weekend.

#BeKind #StaySafe

My 3 Grandmas

Found a rare photo of my 3 grandmother's together today while sorting some old photos. Here's my Mama Lola, Ma Edad and Lola Iyay.

I got to spend time with Mama Lola since she lived with us. She was the one who taught me how to use a manual sewing machine. I would see Lola Iyay whenever we went home to Pasacao. She cried easily, but had the most memorable laugh.

I rarely saw Ma Edad. I don't remember where she used to live and only remember that the three of them had a huge age gap between each other. My titas though said that Ma Edad was really strict. 

I didn't get to meet any of my grandfather's. They were long gone by the time I was born. I had my grandmothers who were all a character on their own :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Eevee and Pikachu Coming Out of Their Shell

Brimsley's second litter, Pikachu and Eevee, are finally coming out of their Shell. They are 19 months old now and are finally interacting better with us.

They both learned from their older brother, Grogu, who loves getting belly rubs and scratches. Pikachu started subtly by brushing against my leg. I would lightly rub her back to her tail whenever she did. She did this for a few weeks and now voluntarily approaches me for scratches especially when Grogu is around.

*Pikachu looks more like Mama Brimsley when she first came to us. Eevee looks like his Papa Grey 🩶 

Eevee, on the other hand, still needs a bit of work. At least he now comes to the garage area to mingle with the other cats. Lately, he's been coming near me and doesn't run away anymore. I think in a few more months he'll be like Pikachu. He accepts rubs when he's seated closely with his elder sibling, Mando Laura. They're both very introverted, but I'm happy they've been exploring the rest of the house lately.

We've learned a lot living and helping raise feral kittens. They can be quite shy, so any progress is something we celebrate at home.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Watched the Trauma Code

We finished watching "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call" today. I got curious when Netflix added it. We immediately got hooked and finished it in 3 days.

It's our first time to watch a Korean made medical series. I must say it's very different from the other doctor shows I've watched. It's supposed to be a comedy, but it's more than that. It had drama and action. 

I loved the dynamics of the characters and how the story showed how they grew across 8 episodes. The surgery parts though got a bit gory, so I usually looked away when they were cutting up someone. 

I like the tight pace of the story. It didn't feel like they were trying to make the story longer. It was spot on with it's transitions. They did well with the pacing. Now I can't wait for season 2!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Vintage Massage Devices!

Unearthed these from one of the boxes. Not sure if they still work and one even requires 110 volts 😅

#BeKind #StaySafe

Mom's Treasures

Took a break last weekend since I wasn't feeling well. Resumed sorting Mom's things yesterday and spent a good amount of time today sorting a box of cards and letters.

Mom wasn't into expensive things. What was more important for her were her loved ones. She kept all the cards, invitations and letters that were sent to her through the years. I found all the cards I gave her since I was a child. She also kept cards from relatives, friends and her priest friends like Fr. Harry, Fr. Edward, Fr. Emil, and Fr. Bernard. Of course, I found an envelope of stamps too.

Here's a card from my niece, Patricia -

And a card from Fr. Harry bearing tickets for the big fund raising activity for our church -

And a rare random recipe of Mom's chicken galantina -

To be honest, I stalled on going through Mom's things for over a year. I had it boxed a few months after she passed away, but I couldn't work on it. It took me awhile to come to terms with her passing. It's been more than 18 months now and it's time to finish the task. 

It's been easy to know what to let go and what to keep. Mom prepared me for it since I was a child. She'd always tell me, "I won't be around forever." She'd also point out which were valuable and which were not. It's just been taking a lot of time to finish since it's a lot of stuff. We already have about 41 boxes ready for donation. 

Just keep on going.

#BeKind #StaySafe

My Avocado Trees!

It's been six months since I propagated 6 avocado seeds. Five rooted, but only 4 grew leaves which I eventually planted in soil.

All 4 plants are almost 3 feet tall now and I'm so happy with the progress. I know it will take years before they bear fruit. I'm happy to wait.

We had a huge avocado tree before at the back of our house. It produced a lot of fruits and I remember my Dad would always make crushed avocado with milk for me. Mom would also make avocado shake often.

It would be wonderful to have avocado trees again in our backyard and get free avocado! Maybe I could even make some ice cream. Yum-yum!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Almost 40 Years in the Making

I was wiped out last night after hosting a family dinner with balikbayang, Tito Butch and Tita Jenny. Kuya was the one who organized it though and we just hosted it at home. 

It was a get together that took almost 40 years in the making. I was only 12 the last time I saw Tito Butch. We visited him in Arizona the year Ate was married. And all this time he just stayed in the US. 

It was a good get together. We caught up on a myriad of things. We all got so full from the Filipino set I ordered from Alba's catering. Kuya added some lechon manok and baboy and Miggy served his leche flan. 

I heard there are more relatives coming for a visit. Maybe we could have a bigger reunion then. We haven't had one for a long time now. 

Today, I decided to spend a bit more time outdoors. I felt I needed more fresh air and sunlight. I trimmed some of my plants and battled the caterpillars again. Really need to be consistent to make sure they don't multiply. Also, spent a bit of time with the cats.

How was your weekend?

Unstable

Had a bad day :(

#BeKind #StaySafe

My Childhood Toys are Now Vintage

My Mom likes to keep things pristine. She always told me to take care of my things so they would last long. Imagine my surprise when I sorted boxes of toys today and found toys from my childhood.

I'm really surprised that my Mom preserved and kept them. She knew these toys were precious for me. I guess she must've kept it in her bedroom or my Mama Lola's since they were not affected by the floods (or stolen by you know who).

It was a delight to find my Fischer Price Music Box. It still works, but I need to find the records that come with it.

My Mickey Mouse Record Player! Probably requires 110 volts plug to play. It still probably works since Mom preserved it in its original box.

Electronic Portable Organ. I had a lot of happy playtime with this keyboard. Unfortunately, I don't think it's working anymore.

I'm a bit surprised I had a lot of music related toys. Tita Pet mentioned to me that Mom bought the upright piano because she really wanted one of us to be good at it. That's probably why I had a myriad of music related toys. 

I did learn how to play the piano and music has always been part of my life. Well, Sweetie is an expert at playing the keyboard, so music will definitely always be a part of my life :)

Thanks Mom and Dad for the great toy choices!

#BeKind #StaySafe

After the Movie

After watching "Ex Ex Lovers", Sweetie and I decided to eat at Nanyang. I had my usual, cheesy noodles and iced teh. Sweetie had congee and coffee.

We decided to walk off what we are and went to the other building to buy bread and, of course, drop by Booksale. The staff recognized us already since we've been visiting almost every week. They're doing a clearance sale this week, so make sure to visit!

On the way back to the car we bumped into Fitz and Din. We hang out for a bit since we haven't seen them for awhile now. It was fun since we only "feel" them when we see their Pokemon in gyms (haha). Maybe we can have a reunion soon with our blogger friends.

#BeKind #StaySafe

I Ugly Cried! (Ex Ex Lovers)

Last time I stepped inside a movie theater was probably in 2019. The pandemic happened and I have had to avoid going to crowded areas. When the teaser for "Ex Ex Lovers" came out, I told Sweetie I wanted to watch it.

Luckily, the stars aligned and the conditions for me to be able to watch was met. We booked a ticket at midnight and watched the Marvin Agustin and Jolina Magdangal flick, "Ex Ex Lovers" this afternoon.

We enjoyed watching the film. It was full of the 90s romcom kilig. I realized that's what I look for whenever I browse through Netflix, haha. The film showcased the best of the chemistry of Marvin and Jolina. Now all grown up, it was a good way to showcase realistically where things may go from your younger "so in love" years. 

Lots of lessons to learn from the movie and that's why it's really important not to be impulsive and to choose well. The story made it very relatable to watch. I also liked the fact they shot parts of the movie in Malta. It's something very different!

I must admit, I ugly cried. Haha! I'm not going to give any spoilers though, just go watch it yourself if you want to feel the old 90s kilig warm, fuzzy feeling.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Spent Time with the Cats

I'm still in the middle of sorting my Mom's things, but I made sure to spent some time with the cats today since I missed them. 

I carried Anakin for awhile and was surprised how heavy he is already. The vet said he was 3.5 kg last month. He's probably well over 4 kg now even though he's so active. I bet Bailey Boo is a bit heavier. He was just running around so much I couldn't catch him.

I slowed down a bit with sorting to organize the fabric and scraps I removed from boxes. Everything will need to be washed before it's used, but I thought I'd organize them first. I placed the bigger ones on comic book boards so I could better appreciate what's available for use.

Still loads to do! Have a great day everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

I Think I Figured It Out

I think I went through 8 more boxes today. No easy feat considering I was dizzy when I woke up. It was solved with some rest and an egg sandwich. I really need to make sure I'm full when I drink my meds.

Anyway, I think I understand better what Mom was trying to do. She left a lot of fabric ready for piecing and unfinished quilt projects. She also left a couple of non-quilting projects to finish. I also found a number of her earlier projects.

Here's what I think Mom left as an assignment:

1. Fabric for piecing - a lot are square and triangle pieces which I think is meant to be a blanket. Some of the cut fabric are meant for her favorite fan block quilt to make throw pillow covers.

2. Make clothes for Sto. Niño - there's a few unfinished clothes for Sto. Niño and fabric that's meant for Him too. Good thing she left a pattern on how to make the clothes. 

3. Maong pieces - it looks like she cut quite a number of jeans! I found a bag of unfinished coin purses, so maybe she meant to make a lot to give away, sell, or use for the rosaries she was making.

4. Beads, beads, beads - Mom left a lot to make more rosaries.

5. Unfinished quilted throw pillow projects - I found a number sandwiched already in wadding. I have had to be careful with it si ce it had pins all over. These will be the easiest to finish.

Very tall order! 😅

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Cooking, Some Gardening and Still Sorting

I had a busy day today, but I allotted some energy to cook pink pasta. It's been a few weeks since I last cooked, so thought it would be a good day to make something easy. 

It turned out a bit too orange though, haha, I think I used a bigger pack of tomato paste. Still delicious and filling nonetheless.

Here's how I usually make it -

Pink Pasta Recipe

I did some gardening too. Sweetie reported seeing some caterpillars on the gumamela. I guess the rain washed off the Neem oil I sprayed the other day. I also planted two stems of philodendron cuttings. After that I watered some plants with rice water which will help keep them healthy.

Sweetie helped with sorting today. He took care of the electronics boxes. I'm glad we finally found Daddy's old cameras. I asked him to keep it in a box first. I'll check it out eventually. The treasure I found today are a bunch of sea shells which I think we collected over the years. Some are probably Miggy's when we used to go to Pasacao. 

Time to rest now, tomorrow will be another busy day.

#BeKind #StaySafe

One of My Best Finds from Sorting Mom's Things

I'm still in the thick of going through my Mom's things. I had everything in my childhood home sorted by my decluttering coach, Ally Cainta. It took 8 days to sweep through the house and categorize the items into boxes.

I've been going through each item in all the boxes and I've lost count how many I've gone through. The hardest to go through are the documents and Mom's bead collection. I always find something that's mine in her things. It's not surprising since I lived the longest in the house and I had left a lot of stuff there.

I had a collection of pins from the EDSA Revolution and I always wondered where they were. I found one today - I ♥️ Ninoy pin. I hope I find the others since it's memorable for me. I was 10 when the event unfolded.

I think I've gone through 60% of Mom's things. Majority of her things are craft materials. I'm organizing them by category and I realize now why she didn't really want to shop a lot at Spotlight - it's because her stash is 100x bigger than mine. Haha.

Part of her zippers -

Part of her thread collection (she barely used the ones I bought for her) -

I'll put everything together first and then figure out what to do with everything. I've only decided so far, to divide her angel collection across her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Let's see where it goes :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Gave a Memento to My Mom's Former Company

My Mom worked for a bank for 25 years. She told me she started as a teller in her hometown, Naga City. When she got married, she eventually moved to Manila and worked at the bank headquarters.

I ended her long banking career when I was born. She retired to take care of me. Through the years she kept in touch with her colleagues and the bank was the only one she trusted. I was always in tow whenever she went to the bank.

While sorting her things, I found a book commemorating 100 years of the bank. It was given by the children of her former manager. I decided to give the book to the branch near us since my Mom visited them often and kept good relations with them. 

I wrote a dedication to the team telling them that my Mom had very happy memories working for the bank. She was very loyal and would have wanted more bankers like her to be happy and loyal to the bank.

I dropped off the book today and the team was happy with the gift. I think they would appreciate it more than anyone in our family. I hope they'll enjoy the simple memento :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Yummy Cheesebread and "Kinda Pregnant"

I followed the same routine today. Woke up, had heavy breakfast, watched a movie while sorting Mom's things, watered the plants, had dinner and then sorted Mom's things again.

It's almost ten in the evening and I just finished sorting the last box for the day. I'm exhausted, but I want to finish this soon. What I enjoy is I'm able to watch movies as I go through the task. 

I selected the new film on Netflix, "Kinda Pregnant". I wanted something light that didn't require much brainpower to watch. The film is a rom-com with a standard plot. Girl is heartbroken, pretends to be someone she isn't, meets a boy, they fall in love, then she gets busted for the lie... Yada yada yada. 

It was a fun movie to watch nonetheless. Something you can watch when you have free time.  What I like about it is they chose regular sized people to play the roles, so it's something a lot of people can surely appreciate. 

And, oh, the Cheesebread was sent by a friend who came all the way from Pampanga. We're halfway through it already! Haha. It was a perfect snack after I watered the plants. 

Watched Dollhouse

Dollhouse has been in my watch list since last year. I finally watched it today while cleaning Sto. Niño, St Joseph, and a crucifix. I was right in front of the TV, so I saw all the nuances made by the characters.

I have been avoiding watching it since the time I watched "Lolo and Kid". It was a tearjerker and I was sure "Dollhouse" would be too. I still watched it since it got good reviews. I also read that it's based on the story of the writer's relationship with her father. 

The film told a very good, heartwarming story about regret, responsibility, making amends, and essentially what happens when you keep making bad choices in life. I like that they kept a small cast and showed multiple facets of the story. It successfully made me understand why the characters made those choices.

Of course, I bawled at the ending. The actors really did a great job to make me feel what they were feeling. The film is worth watching and I actually wouldn't mind watching it again. Now, I have to work up the courage to watch "Rewind". One of the last 3 MMFF 2023 movies I've yet to watch.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Took a Break!

I was getting burned out from constantly sorting my Mom's things. I took the opportunity today to have a break after running an errand.

We went to the nearby mall to do our favorite things. We went to Booksale to look for some books. Then went to the new Office Warehouse to check it out. 

The real happiness came when we got some bread from French Baker. We were both so hungry we split a monay, haha. It powered us enough to go back to building C where we got some takeaway.

I needed the break and happily organized what I had already sorted. At least I won't be dead tired when I got to bed tonight.

#BeKind #StaySafe 

My Schoolbag as a Time Capsule

It's amazing how my Mom kept a lot of my things. Well, I did live the longest with her and Dad. Plus, I lived there all my life until I got married. Some of the things I found are things that have been long gone.

I was really surprised to see my old schoolbag! If I remember correctly it was a gift for my 13th birthday. It was the trend back then and I had been eyeing it. I used it for awhile, but it was honestly heavy to lug around in school. 

Well, Mom kept it and it's still in very good condition. The content was like a time capsule of what I was busy with back then. I found a Philippine map, my sophomore year statistics notebook, a Milo Club newsletter, statistics notes of a friend, and news clipping either my Mom or Dad collected. I'm trying to remember why I had kept my statistics notes, haha. 

Miggy also sorted a box of his toys. He's so happy he found his collection of Zoids. It's probably a huge blast from the past for him! 

Our living room is still full of boxes again. It's tiring, but we hope to finish the clean up soon.

#BeKind #StaySafe