Artemis II

Back when I was a child space exploration was talked about often. It was probably because of the successful Apollo and Columbia space flights. I was teased a lot because of my last name!

It waned in the 80s following the failed Challenger flight and I guess it became more frequent with other countries also sending their own missions. In 1986, our attention locally was focused on what was happening. A lot of changes happened after the EDSA Revolution and international news faded in the background.

Artemis II though piqued my interest. We'd watch news about it. It was fascinating and a good distraction from all the bad things happening. I clapped when the crew landed back safely. The good news kept me hopeful.

Let's all remember to pray for peace 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Flowers that Love the Sun

The change to hotter weather has been horrendous. I've had to figure out how much water to add to my plants because of the heat. I have to be careful since I don't want to cause root rot or over watering. 

Well, there are some plants that thrive during sunnier weather. The kalachuchi (desert rose) I rescued from Mom's garden is so happy. It's been producing flowers non-stop.

The bougainvillea cuttings I propagated last year have been producing flowers too. I'm amazed even the smaller ones are flowering too. Bougainvillea truly thrives under the sun.

I have two santan plants I've been meaning to fix, but they've been producing flowers lately. I'll just probably add some nutrients to it. I'm scared it might get shocked if I re-pot it under this crazy heat.

My Gumamela plants are slowly recovering and showing signs of flowering again. I hope they will produce flowers again soon!

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Heat is On!

Ughhhh! It's been getting hotter and hotter everyday. I moved my gardening time to 5:30 already since the heat has been unbearable.

I also busted out my neck fan to keep me cool while puttering around the garden. Sweetie got it for me way back and I'm glad it still works. One of these days I'll probably bring out a portable fan already, haha.

Stay hydrated and cool everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Bataan Day

My Papa Lolo marched across Bataan in 1942. He survived and according to my Mom saved a fellow soldier, carrying him so he wouldn't be struck by a bayonet.

And today we honor all those who were forced to participate in the death march 84 years ago. I cannot imagine the horrors they went through on that day. It also brought a lot of heartbreak for the families of those who perished.

Let us remember them with love and grateful hearts 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

Improvement Due to Pulmo Rehab

I re-started my pulmo rehab sessions last January. I preferred it over physiotherapy for my knee. I've also been consistently using my spirometer everyday.

The annual PE included a chest x-ray. I put my previous x-ray side by side with the new one and was surprised to see some improvements. I have no idea how to interpret x-rays, but my right chest looked clearer than last time. The head pulmo rehab therapists also told me my lungs looked better. 

I was supposed to see my doctors yesterday, but I wasn't feeling well so I had to reschedule. Our priority is to keep the healthy parts of my lungs stable, so any improvement is a big plus. My heart though is bonkers. Oh well.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Got a Bag for My Mom's Sewing Machine

Mom's sewing machine (the one I bought for her) is in my maker room. I tested it and it's working and it's my back up sewing machine. I just used my sewing machine's cover to keep it dust free, but I thought it needs better storage since it doesn't fit any if my cabinets.

I couldn't find any sewing machine bag locally. Found an affordable one on Amazon with free shipping. I received it last week and I'm pleased with the quality of the bag. It has a lot of compartments and would be great for traveling. Now I want one for my main sewing machine, hahaha.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Catifying Your Home

We all grew up with dogs in our home, so we didn't have any experience having pet cats. My Mom didn't like cats because they always ruined her plants.

Fast forward to 2022, when we noticed that our new home came with a cat. For a random reason we had brought home two cans of cat food*. We gave to him and soon enough he had a name, Grey.

Word spread fast and we eventually had other cats visiting to eat and the kittens were born! We scrambled to learn how to care for cats and kittens. Here's what we learned:

1. Feed them at specific times and in specific areas. Remove leftovers so it doesn't attract pests. Make sure their drinking water is always fresh.

2. Bring them to the vet for vaccination and deworming. Spay and neuter them. This keeps both you and your cats protected plus you get calmer cats.

3. Designate cat toilets by placing litter boxes. Keep it clean. Don't put it near where they eat.

4. Boxes are the best beds for them. Don't bother with expensive beds, they prefer boxes. You can use mats or old towels as their bedding. Keep it clean.

5. Protect your plants by placing used disposable forks (cleaned of course), so they don't use your plants as a bed or toilet. Keep poisonous plants out of reach from cats.

6. Playtime is important. Just make toys yourself, they'll appreciate it more than expensive toys.

7. Don't cut their nails. They use it to defend themselves.

8. Respect their boundaries. Not all cats like being petted. Let them take the lead.

Everytime I step outside, I call each of our fur babies by name. I ask them to call those who are not around and soon enough they're all present. 

I ♥️ my kitties 😻 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! 

I'm relieved that Lent is over and we can celebrate Easter! We were planning to have a Christmas-like feast, but Miggy isn't feeling well. We had him rest and will hopefully do our planned feast tomorrow.

We stepped out this afternoon to support our friends' pop-up cafe at the park. I've been missing their coffee so this was a perfect opportunity to try their new product, peppermint mocha coffee. Yum!

May you all have a blessed Easter Sunday!

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Black Saturday 2026

I'm still observing quiet time.

Have a blessed day everyone.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Good Friday 2026

A prayerful Good Friday to everyone 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

Holy Thursday 2026

Have a prayerful Holy Thursday 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

Annual Physical Exam

Before I take a break for a few days, I wanted to share my experience doing my annual PE at St. Luke's BGC.

There was no traffic, so I arrived 40 minutes earlier than my appointment. We also got lucky and was able to park easily since it was a Sunday. The facility wasn't full too since it was Palm Sunday.

Check-in was easy and we haven't warmed the couch when my 4-hour journey started. I chose the cardiometabolic program and added OB related tests since I'm due. In between tests I had breaks and Sweetie and I had breakfast and lunch at the center. They even had my favorite St. Luke's spaghetti! The medical staff and doctors were friendly and efficient. They just need to review how to assist patients on wheelchairs.

I have to be honest though, the path to the day was rocky. My insurance company promised I could do the APE overnight, but I was only approved for out-patient. They tried to appeal it, but the approver did not budge. 

Reserving a slot wasn't a walk in the park. My doctor's assistant warned it would take a month to book. We went to the center in person and got an appointment. If you have inquiries, it's better to go there as the reservations team isn't very responsive on emails and their system has a lot of glitches. Imagine receiving a cancellation ping on Viber two days before your appointment even though you didn't cancel. They also keep sending annoying reminders for things you've already done. That's where they need improvement.

Overall, I'm hoping they improve their reservations team and system, I wouldn't mind doing my tests there again next year.

#BeKind

Can I Still Save My Mom's Bougainvillea Collection?

The front lawn of my childhood home evolved through the years. From my younger years I remember we had santan plants, palm trees Mom used for fireworks, then a santol tree and then the past decade Mom planted a smattering of plants and she grew a huge bougainvillea tree.

The past few months I saw different varieties of bougainvillea bloom. I've been getting cuttings to try to propagate it. I was told it will likely not survive due to the construction. I've had some success, but I honestly don't know what varieties grew. In my haste, I just propagated them without labels, hahaha.

One has produced flowers and another one is starting to produce flowers too. I think they're the same color though. We dropped by my childhood home today and with the summer heat creeping in, I'm worried the plants might start dying. I got some cuttings again and I'll try one more time to propagate. This time I'm labeling them, haha.

Wish me luck!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Unapologetic

We've been experiencing flooding and sewage issues since because of the newly constructed house beside us. The previous homeowners president was vigilant in flagging them, but the one who took over never even bothered to respond to our formal letters and informal complaints. The new neighbor just kept telling us they relayed the issue to the developer.

With no action, I eventually submitted a complaint to the City Building Official. They came to inspect and they advised to rope in CENRO and the City Health Official. We then submitted a formal 15-page complaint. Both CENRO and the City Health Official also came to inspect. City Health placed chemicals to kill mosquito larvae. CENRO took care of chasing the developer who kept promising they'll fix it.

It was a formal invitation by the Building Official for arbitration and CENRO threatening to charge the developer with violations and suspending their business that finally got the developer to work on the problem. The HOA finally called us after 15 months of complaints. They asked permission on behalf of the developer to work on the sewage issue.

It's a start. We'll only know if their fixes works when it rains hard. I'm glad we pursued this issue to be resolved because it can eventually cause water damage to our property. Be careful of these build and sell developers who are only after profit. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

A Sobering Week

On the way home from the hospital yesterday (after Miggy's gym time), I was thinking about the noticeable effects of the war. 

We were on EDSA when I saw a person lying down on the pedestrian lane. Part of his legs was stretched out on the road and he looked half naked. We were on the inner lane, so I only saw it for a few seconds. I pinged MMDA on X. I was hoping they could check on him since a vehicle can run over his legs. MMDA responded to ask for the exact location, but I didnt see any update anymore.

I said a prayer for the person. I hope he is okay and can get help. Most of us are probably feeling the pinch. We experienced getting more expensive gas today. We used to top up just 1k every other week, but now it's 150% more. Got some groceries also and the increase in meat prices was huge. We paid 4k for a few items and the cashier offered to use points for me to get a discount. Let's all help where we can 🙏

Dear Lord, praying for peace and normalcy 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

What's This Plant?

Rescued one of Mom's plants, but I have no idea what it is. Before I removes the plant from it's pot I saw it was planted in an ugly pot with a bit of soil and rocks! I don't know how it survived.

Anyway, I just assumed it's an orchid. I only watered it once a week because I realized a lot of Mom's plants don't need to be watered often. 

I carefully removed the soil around the stem. It was a bit hard and I was surprised the root had a bulb. It reminded me of zz plants which has rhizomes.

I tried using a plant app and Google Lens to identify the plant. I used different photos and angles, but it always gives different results. Oh well, I hope I did the right thing just putting it in a pot with coco cubes. 

If you know what this plants is, please let me know!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Parmesan Crusted Garlic Cream Cheese Baked Salmon

It's a mouthful to say out loud, but this is one of my favorite baked salmon recipes. I learned it from Chef RV's baked seafood video. My twist is adding parmesan after lathering it with the cream cheese+ mayo mixture.

I have a video of how I make it, but I'm so behind with editing videos, haha.

Coming soon!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Busy Week!

Ugh! I can't wait for the start of Holy Week. We've been so busy the past few days I need a breather. Sometimes I watch our cats and can't help be jealous since all they do all day is sleep, eat, lakwatsa, repeat. They are all so calm, they only get stressed when there are other people visiting or when the intruder comes to raid their food bowls. 

I've also been making sure to spend time in the garden. Aside from watering the plants, I've been trying to re-pot at least one plant everyday. I've made a list of plants to re-pot and that helps keep me from being overwhelmed. Usually Meredith or Grogu accompanies me. They usually sit near me and watch me like they're my supervisor, haha. 

I thought we'd be free tomorrow, but I just remembered we still have a meeting. Zzzzz.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Weekly Pulmo Rehab Grind

I've been trying my best to consistently attend my pulmo rehab sessions. Miggy also goes to the gym twice a week, so I took the opportunity to schedule my sessions when he goes.

I super love my therapists. TBH, I was supposed to continue my knee PT, but I told my doctor I prefer to have my pulmo rehab therapists take care of my exercises. The physiotherapists were really good. It was their reception area that turned me off. I already gave feedback to them through the form and hope they take it constructively. 

Anyway, I always look forward to my sessions. My therapists are fun and they take care of me well. Please help me pray for one of my dear pulmo rehab therapists. He's confined again due to an illness. I'm praying he'll get well soon 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

Crazy Gasoline Prices

Every Tuesday in the past few weeks, gasoline prices have been increasing. This is what greeted me this morning otw to pulmo rehab.

It's 2x more than when we last got gas two weeks ago. :'(

#BeKind #StaySafe

Are Your Ready for the Summer Heat?

We still enjoyed some cool weather last week. It's noticeably warmer now, but there's still a nice breeze in the afternoons. 

Grogu was really enjoying the breeze while we were watering the plants. We didn't have water yesterday until late evening. Good thing I still had water in my rainwater drums for the plants. The direct line to the water connection stuttered for awhile when I used the hose today. 

It made me realize that we really need to prepare for summer and the effects of the ongoing war. Water drums, rechargeable appliances, enough food stock. I remember my parents made sure we had supplies during the tumultuous times in the 80s. 

Keep cool everyone and pray for peace 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

Unsettling

All of us has started to feel the effects of the war especially when gasoline prices increased. I'm sure everything else will get more expensive. My maintenance medications will probably get more expensive too.

Scary times! I know we're far away from the war, but we don't really know where it's going. The best thing we can do for now is pray and update our go-bags and home supplies.

Pray for Peace 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Sili Seeds Grew Like Crazy

A few weeks ago I did an experiment and planted all the seeds from one free sili which I forgot about and dried up. I chucked it in a pot and it immediately started sprouting. 

I got busy caring for other plants, but I knew the Sili sprouts needed to be transplanted already. I found some time yesterday and divided the sprouts into 9 grow plastic pots. 

Ahh, let's see if it produces healthy sili! 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Scallops in Pink Pasta

Sweetie told me to cook the easiest seafood meal today. I proposed baked salmon with garlic cream cheese, baked salmon sushi or scallops in pink pasta. I chose pasta since we don't need the oven for it.

I made it a bit spicy this time around to give it a kick. We like adding tajin while eating it. We both feel BR now after eating a hefty serving, hehe.

Here's how I make it:

https://youtu.be/ScXnm5BUz7U?si=zpDDnqJpgnK8llZg

#BeKind #StaySafe

Remember the Nuvali Koi Fish?

When Nuvali was fairly new, I remember there was a pond full of Koi fish. They would converge near you when you give them somewhere to eat.

I always had fun watching Koi fish. Their color was so bright and it was interesting to watch how a gazillion Koi fish interacted with each other.

I wonder if they're still around? 

#BeLinf #StaySafe

Squats

My PT had me do some squats yesterday. I was okay after and even did groceries with the boys.

My whole body hurt when I woke up. My thighs were very sore, haha. I still watered my plants and played with the cats. That's all I was able to do today.

Zzzzzz.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Toyota Sewing Machines?

When I was scouting to buy my own sewing machine, I'd check out fabric/craft stores whenever I travel. The default for me would be Singer or Brother. My Mama Lola taught me how to sew on her traditional Singer sewing machine. I always thought it would end up with me, but Mom gave it away, huhu.

To be fair, I didn't show much interest in sewing after high school and I moved on to beading. It was many years later when I took up quilting and many more years before I decided to buy a sewing machine.

Anyway, I was surprised to find Toyota branded sewing machines in Sydney. They were really expensive, so I just took photos, haha. I don't even know anyone who owns a Toyota sewing machine...

Anyway, I got my Mom a new sewing machine for Christmas in 2018 while she was in Singapore. It was a Brother sewing machine, something she was used to. Her old one was also a Brother sewing machine, but from the US (c1980s). 

Sweetie got exasperated with me since I couldn't pin down a choice. He got me one in April 2019 during a book fair in Singapore (they strangely sold sewing machines during the event). It was a good thing he got me one because it became very useful during the pandemic.

I'm still using Sweetie's gift. It's really sturdy and useful for my projects. I'm now on a gardening phase and will get back to sewing once the heat starts biting!

Rearranged How I Store My Shirts

I have been trying to find the best solution so I could wear all the shirts I own. I have always arranged them by color, but I usually end up just wearing whatever's in top.

I was reading Threads when I saw a post about how her dad arranged his towels by day. He did this so he can use the towels in order. 

Aha! So I did the unthinkable (for me). I brought out all my shirts and split them for outdoor use and home use. I have more home use shirts, so I mixed the colors up and split them into 3 containers. 

I just finished the first batch and I was able to use some shorts I haven't gotten to in a long time. It's a good way to get to everything in my closet, plus it saves me time from thinking about what to wear. I just get what's in front of the container. 

Maybe I'll do it for my tops too.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Meredith

I spent the afternoon in between Pikachu and Meredith. My gardening table is flanked by two cat quarters, the bench and the cat cot area. 

I wasn't planning to do any gardening, but the cool weather once again lured me to do some re-potting, hehe. One thing led to another and I had already spent almost 3 hours outside, haha.

I seriously need to do some ironing tomorrow!!!

Happy Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

A Very Productive Gardening Week

I did a boatload of gardening this week. The weather was great and the cool breeze encouraged me to check off my gardening tasks including the ones I've been procrastinating.

I re-potted the cucumbers, tomatoes, mustasa and a couple of my calamansi plants. I didn't stop there, I re-potted a few of my ornamental plants and trimmed Jack the Philodendron. I still have a lot to do.

Today my body forced me to rest. I conked out as soon as we got home, hehe. I got up from my nap and watered the plants. 

Happy gardening!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Brimsley Judging Me

I wasn't supposed to re-pot any plants today, but the weather was so good I couldn't help but tinker around a corner I've been meaning to work on for sometime now.

Brimsley accompanied me for awhile and gave me a knowing look. I think she knows once I start working on one plant it quickly multiplies to whatever is beside it, haha. I took a quick snap of her judging me.

I ended up re-potting my nerve plants and putting some in ICU. After that I cleaned up a few more plants and wrestled with the OG Jack the Philodendron. I let it grow like crazy for over a year, so I gave it a mega trim and topped up the soil with fertilizer. 

I probably cut over 20 feet of philodendron. Maybe I should re-pot and sell it? We'll see...

#BeKind #StaySafe

Baked Ikea Meatballs?

We finally got some Ikea Meatballs a few weeks ago. It was out of stock last January and the restaurant didn't have it either. Sweetie dropped by before the end of February and managed to buy a pack of meatballs, gravy and lingon berry.

One pack is good for two servings for us. We used to brown it in olive oil first and then cook it fully in water. Miggy surprised me when he said the pack said to bake it. Bake Ikea meatballs? 

We tried it since baking is healthier than frying and it was actually easier. The meatballs cooked evenly and we enjoyed it with gravy and some lingon berry on the side. We still have half a pack and will cook it in a few weeks. It's in the freezer for now. 

Here's how to bake it :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Cat Therapy and Grounding

I have been enjoying the afternoon breeze everyday. I go out to water the plants and rest in the garden after. The cats, usually Grogu and Pikachu or Anakin, hang out with me while I rest. They also hang out when I do some re-potting of plants. The activity calms me a lot. 

What's wrong with the cat? LOL

I listened a bit to an interview with Dinah Salonga and she mentioned grounding. She said we spend so much time indoors, we miss out on spending time with mother nature. My Mom used to nag me growing up every afternoon. She'd be doing some gardening and she'd persuade me to hang out with her. The activity usually includes merienda, some fried banana and juice, and that's irresistible. 

I always complained before about watering my Mom's plants. It took 3 hours to water everything because her garden was huge and she had a gazillion plants. I spend at least 90 minutes everyday in the garden. It used to be just 30 to 45 minutes, but we moved Mom's plants so my chore time doubled, haha. 

The cats always keep me company. I've been rewarding them with some treats. Sometimes Meredith comes. She likes watching the plants. I guess she's looking for lizards. It makes me feel protected even though I know they just want treats or a huge bowl of water. They help calm and ground me. 

When was the last time you just spent time outside just feeling the breeze?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Hurt My Back Yesterday

I had to cancel my pulmo rehab today because I hurt my back while transferring some bell pepper plants to my new plant stand. It was a small pot, but I guess I bent the wrong way. Ouchie!

I just rested most of the day, but I still watered my plants. I don't want them to wilt especially my veggies! Sweetie also harvested four bell peppers yesterday and two papaya fruits today. We had some papaya for merienda and it was so sweet! 

I won't make this post long since my back is still killing me. I'll do some of the stretches my PT, Wendy, taught me. I hope that would help alleviate the pain. 

#BeKind #StaySafe