New Home Experiences and Discoveries

Living in a condo is honestly much easier than living in a house. We did condo living for ten years and got used to the convenience of living in one. Whenever we felt like going on vacation we'd just up and leave. We never worried about security since that's provided by the building. Living in a house requires you to have someone around all the time. 

It's almost a month now since we moved to our new home and here are things I've learned:

1. When you live in a house there are things you need that you don't need in a condo, i.e. garden hose, shears to cut grass and shears to prune tree branches, a rake and a Nimbus 2000 (walis tingting).

2. Inverter appliances is the way to go. Our electricity bill was so far lower in the past month compared to our condo. Well, I will have confirm if this is still true in the next three months. I thought it was due to zone pricing, but upon checking the kwh was actually the same. It must've been because we switched to inverter appliances. 

3. Condo association dues are much, much more expensive compared to a landed house, like >3x.

4. You're going to need to have a directory of people/companies who can help you to fix things or help with home management. Good thing I have friends who have businesses I can count on, i.e. Squeaky.ph for home cleaning, a neighbor who does landscape lends her gardener when needed. There are apps too, but I get wary using it because they tend to overcharge (I was trying to get help to fix my Mom's roof, but they were obviously overcharging us. What they don't know is my Mom and I used to export furniture so we know how to price stuff). 

5. Sourcing for groceries has become a sport for me. I've had to be  smart about it because online groceries don't sell everything online. Oftentimes you have to find the store of the brand on Shopee or Lazada and you're forced to buy stuff in bulk. Having to purchase from different brands means you have to pay for shipping multiple times. I know it's probably more profitable for them, but it's not good for me as a consumer. Unfortunately, I have to be more cautious since I'm high risk (and the boys too), so I can't just go out and buy groceries. Well, at least it's disciplining me for overbuying. 

6. It's been a bit harder finding homemade food where we are now. Our condo community had a classifieds page where home cooks and bakers would post food for sale. It was oftentimes cheaper than resto meals and the servings was good. This also allowed us to get to know our neighbors. 

7. I also miss our neighbors who sold fresh fruits and vegetables. They normally source them direct from farms and were much better than those sold in supermarkets. I'd buy from the fruit/veggie stores, but usually they sell by the kilo which is oftentimes too much for us. I don't want food to go to waste. Maybe I can think about splitting fruits and veggies with my Mom. 

8. More floor space to clean. I think the best decision we made this month is finally buying a cordless vacuum cleaner! It has really helped us keep the dust away and it's much easier than using a walis tambo (even though it's Scotch Brite one lol). Mopping is a pain, but at least I just need to do it once a week. I'm still thinking about how to manage our wood floors. My Mom trained me how to use a bunot when I was growing up. I could probably still do that by parts, but the waxing part will be a huge pain. 

9. Basura day is twice a week. We used to clear our trash every night and just had to go down to the basement to throw it when we were still at the condo. Now we have to carefully wrap everything since the trash collector only comes twice a week. Sweetie decided to buy two large trash cans to use as storage. Our neighbor told us to leave the trash outside the night before because the collection doesn't have a set pick up time. 

10. Every new sound still startles us. When we hear a kalabog somewhere everyone comes out of their bedroom to check, haha. We're still getting to know our new home. We're also trying to understand how things work. We've so far had to run to our contractor especially for things that require electricity, i.e. half of the garden lights aren't working again. Good thing the contractor promised they'll fix anything within six months of move-in. Whew!

And the last thing we had to go through the past few weeks is battle ants and mosquitoes! The mosquito issue was easily fixed when I got a bunch of citronella plants. They were gone immediately! The ant war is still ongoing and we tried several solutions to reduce the infestation. I think we're winning now. Will update in a few weeks. 

I have been fully focused on organizing our home the past month. The only thing I've been able to create is a 3.5 yard curtain for our crazy huge window. I haven't touched my sewing machine since I made it more than two weeks ago. Aside from being together with my boys 24/7, what's also important for me is I'm able to breathe better. I've had less asthma attacks and I'm more active now. I still take naps when I feel unwell, but it's not as often compared to before. Yay!

I'm super looking forward to progressing with organizing our home. Maybe next month I can finally fix my closet noh? Haha.

#Home56 #NewG190 #StayHome #BeKind  

Our Grown-up Dining Table

Our dining table finally got delivered yesterday. We've been using a folding table the past three weeks. It took five people to carry and set it up. Yup, it's a huge table. We've always had smaller 4-seater dining tables. It always got messy because we used it as our tambayan also. After meals we'd hang out as a family, do our work/hobbies also on the dining table. So when we moved to our new home we wanted a bigger table. 

All our previous tables were also made of wood. Our childhood homes had the traditional round table with a lazy susan. The table was huge and served as a food table whenever we had parties/reunions at home. Eventually, my Mom had a rectangular stone-inlaid table made. It was placed in the lanai which became a favorite dining area. We only got to experience other types of dining tables in our rented homes in SG. 

TBH I struggle when it comes to design. I'm more into function than aesthetics, so when I was looking for a dining table I ended up just browsing and browsing. I asked helped from Marja, our contractor/neighbor who's an interior designer. She sent me a couple of photos and I liked one. We immediately had a family meeting. We decided to try something different and ordered a glass and metal dining table. 

After the table was set-up, the three of us stood at the kitchen and just stared. The table is more than double the size of our usual dining table. It was a proper dining table that would make our parents proud. We approached the table carefully, scared that we might cause the glass to drop, LOL. 

Our first dinner on the dining table was prepared by Miggy. We sat across each other and it felt weird to be far from each other. We'll probably move around the table for now to find the best place to sit. We're excited to have Christmas lunch with our parents on Saturday. Glad we were able to make the dining area decent in time for Christmas. Yay! 

#Home50 #NewG196 #Xmas2 #StayHome #BeKind  

Bottomless

The key to unlocking the new door for me was my family. I realized I don't need to look far for my purpose. It's just within reach. It's my family. So the past few days I've been working hard to organize our home. The contractor finally finished the kitchen and I'm finally able to tidy up. It's taking awhile though since I can only do so much in a day. Well, slowly but surely. 

What I'm enjoying now is the company of the boys and random visits by friends. We feel so loved this weekend because we received goodies! Kuya and Ate Joy sent some pastries. My seatmate, Rica, sent baked taco (mmm they were super delicious!). Got some puto Binan from Leejay and Ate Rose surprised us with kakanin. I just checked my weight the other day and I have so far kept stable since I left Singapore. Whew!

Bottomless... you can get bottomless amounts of love as long as you allow yourself to receive it. That's what I learned this weekend. When I got sick I did not want to bother anyone about what I was going through. Many reached out to ask if there was anything they could help with, but I always said we could manage. I guess because my love language is "act of service" I didn't feel I could reciprocate. So I mostly kept to myself and expressed love by making quilts for friends. 

I'm honestly empty handed this Christmas. I'm still unable to reciprocate since I'm using my energy to fix our nest. I'm focusing first with my immediate family because I feel I have to make up for the many years I was busy at work. So sorry to everyone, cards and gifts will be super delayed as we haven't found them in the boxes. 

And, of course, always remember Papa Jesus provides bottomless love. He is our forever <3

#Home46 #NewG200 #Xmas6 #StayHome #BeKind  

Bliss + New Nimbus 2000

Moving to a new home is hard. We're lucky we didn't have to go through 99% of the construction process and we're just working on finishing touches and some tweaks. I honestly haven't moved as much in the past few months because I have to contend with SOB* and other medical issues. I feel though I could push myself a bit more and I try to do what I can. 

To help us manage a bigger home, we've been investing in a few tools. Miggy unboxed the cordless vacuum cleaner yesterday. It was a joy to watch him be so happy about it. He tried out all the accessories and imagined them to be space weapons, haha. I felt so contented watching him play around with the vacuum. I guess that's what being blissful means. Your heart is so full, it feels like it might burst. 

I realized I should have gotten the cordless vacuum earlier. It would have helped us keep our home cleaner and dust free. I have very bad allergies, so it would really have helped. And good thing I let my budol friend, Anne, talk me into getting a better brand. I was really hesitant at first since I feel other options would be okay. Well, thanks to the huge 12.12 discounts, I got it for the same price as the other brand I was planning to get. 

Of course, there are things you need to do using traditional tools. I got a shiny new walis tingting (broomstick). I got one with a stick which I aptly named my Nimbus 2000. I brought it out for a spin today and tidied up the garage. I'm properly well-exercised now and would make my physiotherapist proud. The stick made a huge difference since the regular walis tingting gives me backaches, plus I can't really bend that much. I'll probably use the Nimbus 2000 twice a week as part of my exercise regime, haha! 

Sweetie brought me out for a joyride since I haven't been outside for over a week now. We also had to leave the premises for awhile because manong is varnishing the floors. I now feel what kids experience when their parents bring them out for a joyride. We're still really taking a lot of precautions even though our barangay listed zero cases yesterday. 

Typhoon Odette is now in the Visayas region. It's been gloomy all day. Please take care wherever you are.

And thank you Nina (of Therapy ni Tita) for the amazing mint chocolate cookies! It was a good reward after zipping around the garage in my Nimbus 2000! You can order these yummy cookies via her IG page.

#Home42 #NewG204 #Xmas10 #StayHome #BeKind  

*SOB - shortness of breath

Indulgence

I started working while I was a student. My main goal was to work hard to give my family a good life. I spent my money on basic needs and it was always easy for me to buy stuff that would make my family happy. I was almost 30 already when I was able to start saving. My salary went to Miggy's tuition and my grad school tuition. Dining out on weekends with friends was our one indulgence. 

Keeping the future family room warm.

I could have adjusted our lifestyle, but I became more careful about spending when my doctor told me I was due for heart surgery. I wasn't sure whether insurance was going to pay for it. So I saved and saved and saved. I was scared something would happen and I didn't want to burden my family with liabilities. 

Eventually my Kuya taught me a new perspective on managing my earnings. He said part of your earnings should be spent on upgrading yourself, investing and celebrating (breakdown is here). That really changed my outlook on life. For many years, I just saved and spent for basic needs. I wasn't rewarding myself for my hardwork.

Well, I guess procrastinating on rewarding myself paid off, haha. When I had another PE* I understood better what "you live only once" meant. I was in ICU when I heard my doctor worriedly calling my name. I had dozed off and was lying in an awkward position on the hospital bed. I must've looked a fright for my doctor to sound so worried. I promised myself then that if I survived I would work on my dreams. 

For many months after that incident in ICU, my dream of living in our own home kept nagging me. Looking at properties made me happy. I'd look at houses and imagine how we'd live in it. Then one day I saw the house again. There was something about it that drew me to it. The location was within walking distance to my Mom's home and it looked like a smaller version of her home too. It felt right. 

So through prayer and a lot of family discussions, the boys agreed to the biggest indulgence of my life. Sometimes I still ask myself if the decision is an over-indulgence, but when I look at how pretty my kitchen is I just smile and tell myself, "You live only once." 

#Home39 #NewG207 #Xmas13 #StayHome #BeKind  

*PE - pulmonary embolism

The Magic of Being Home

Daddy visited me in a dream the other night. He drove me and Mom to a huge, posh resort in our old Toyota Corolla. It was a long, scenic drive through the mountains and eventually we started to see parts of the beautiful blue green sea. When we reached the resort, we immediately sat down at the sandy beach and ordered lunch. I didn't get to see what food we ordered because I woke up. 

Yesterday, Sweetie and I were finally able to visit our home church. It was closed, but we were able to peek inside to say a prayer and to check for any changes. It was generally the same. I closed my eyes for awhile and imagined all the times it was full especially during Christmas and our Parish fiesta. Also remembered the many years I served as part of the choir. Visiting even for a short while, I felt more missing parts of myself come back. 

My roots run deep where I grew up and that's probably why I felt incomplete the past decade I lived in Singapore. Many would embrace the opportunity to experience living abroad, but I really struggled being away. It's probably because I knew my Dad wouldn't have approved. I moved to Singapore ten months after we lost him and that's why moving weighed heavily on me. Now that I'm home, Daddy welcomed me with a beach date with Mom. 

The situation is very different now. A lot of my friends have moved abroad, some in nearby cities, but most of my Ates and Kuyas are still around. A number of my Tito and Tita neighbors have passed away in the past two years. I remember my Mom told me when Daddy passed away that this is how life goes. She was very matter of fact about it, but I realized later on that was my Mom being her strong usual self. 

And now that I am where I really want to be, my immediate goal is to build a happy and loving home where we can create a lot of happy memories. Immediate target in the next two weeks is celebrate Mom's birthday. I've so far ordered some buntings and will plan our menu next. It's just going to be the four of us for now. So excited! 

#Home24 #NewG222 #Xmas28 #StayHome #BeKind   

My Childhood Home

I think I can never live far away from my childhood home. We lived a few streets away when we moved to our first home. It still felt too far, so we found a new home on the same street. Eventually we acquired a condo unit which was within the same barangay. It just doesn't feel right to be too far away and our community is pretty tight knit. 

Went over to visit my Mom today. The frontage of our home was full of foliage which was a welcoming sight. Mom has a green thumb and anything she touches flourishes. I had her tour me around her garden and chided her for putting ornamental plants on Kuya's hydrophonic garden, hahaha. She really prefers taking care of flowers and ornamental plants than growing veggies. (Shhh don't tell my Kuya!). 

I spent a lot of summers hanging around in my Mom's garden. She would lay out a banig in the afternoons and that's where I used to play with my dolls. Eventually she started teaching me how to sew and quilt. We spent a lot of afternoons sewing under the tree. Sometimes I would take a nap in the hammock. At that time I just enjoyed the garden, but I wasn't really interested in learning how to tend one.

It's been two years since I've been back. I realized it's a good that I've come home already. Aside from Mom needing one of us here, our home also needs tending. The first order of the day though is to plan for my Mom's upcoming 86th birthday and bring her for a check-up. Christmas is fast approaching so we'll see how best we can celebrate as a family. 

#Home20 #NewG224 #Xmas32 #StayHome #BeKind  

Nesting

We became empty nesters in late 2019 when Miggy decided to go back home after graduating. We felt lost for a long time. I remember Sweetie and I would stay out as late as we could to avoid going back to an empty home. It was hard and was probably one of the reasons why I had to take a break back then. 

We tried to extend Miggy's visa when he brought me back to Singapore in 2020. The government became stricter though and he ended up going home in late February. He went home just before the lockdown started. Thus started the 22 month time apart. It literally broke me. 

For almost two years we subsisted with daily check-ins via chat. We tried to make it fun by outdoing each other with good night memes. What we missed most were the hugs and Miggy would tuck us in at night and turn off our lights. We had a lot of mundane family rituals which was important to all of us. 

Watch our emotional reunion at the end.

Now that we're back home we just automatically started doing our daily rituals. We were definitely not ready when Miggy left the nest in 2019 and being apart because of the pandemic made things worse. Now I'm thinking, maybe the extreme stress from work and being apart is what made me sick. My doctors warned me that going home does not mean I'm going to get well instantly. I know that. I think half the battle is making my family complete again. 

Good thing Miggy missed us too! Haha. Things are settling nicely at home. I have made progress with cleaning up the kitchen. I can start cooking again soon. I hope the La Germania service crew can fix my stove. Also need to have our sliding door locks fixed since the heat broke it again. We got our tiny place 8 years ago and this is the first time we're living in it permanently. There's a lot of things here and there that needs fixing. 

Some things I learned through the years on maintaining a home:

1. Get professional cleaners to help every so often. We also get the mattresses and couch cleaned. 

2. When appliances break down, it's best to course the service request through the brand service center. It's been so far easy to get help by booking for help online, i.e. La Germania, Carrier. 

3. If you live in a condo, it helps to be nice to the staff. We had a gazillion luggages when we arrived and we bumped into the maintenance crew. They willingly helped us bring everything up. They've also been helpful to Miggy the whole time we were away. If you have a good relationship with the maintenance crew they can also help with disposing pre-loved items. 

And on the food front, here's what I had yesterday -

Quickmelt cheese and Lady's Choice mayonnaise combo sandwich - I initially freaked out when I learned about this from my busmate. I fell in love with it when I tried it. Super missed it since Quickmelt is hard to find in SG. 

McDonald's spaghetti! 

Army Navy hungarian sausage. We're still doing the rounds of ordering food we've missed. Will start cooking next week hehe. 

The best merienda though was the kutsinta we bought from our neighbor. For the first time we didn't have an kakanin leftovers! Haha. 

Annnddd my first Shopee purchase was Serioso Chili Garlic! Heehee. Try it gais!

#Home10 #NewG234 #Xmas42 #StayHome #BeKind  

A Wedding!

I fell asleep last night with a huge smile on my face. The first baby I loved and spent a lot of time with when he was tiny, tied the knot yesterday. After some delay due to lockdowns and restrictions it finally happened! It came as a huge surprise for us since we didn't know it was yesterday. I just got a ping from Ate Joy just before it started. (It's better that way so I don't forget!). 

Where did JC go?

I teared up when I saw Gabby walk down the aisle. Oh my, has it really been 30+ years since he was a baby? The chubby, happy baby I used to watch when I got home from school. I would usually do my algebra homework during my watch. He was easy to care for, never fussy. My gentle nephew who reminds me so much of Tito Ben. 

I was really hoping we all could be at the wedding, but it was still a blessing to be part of it via VC. I would have probably bawled if I was there in person. I felt the love flowing across countries. We lingered on with Mom a few minutes after Gabby and Gilly left the VC to transfer to their reception. I know my Mom would've wished she was also there at the wedding. 

I'm sure in time we would be able to come together as a family again and welcome Gilly in person. It's been a huge season of love in our family. Welcomed baby Griffin a few months ago and there's two more weddings coming up. I'm grateful to be alive for all of the happy events. I'm also grateful there are means to be connected even though we're miles away from each other. 

May God bless Gabby and Gilly as they embark on their journey to forever! 

#Quarantine5 #Home5 #NewG239 #Xmas47 #StayHome #BeKind 

What I Miss Most

I dreamt of my nephews and nieces last night. We were, as usual, eating at a buffet. Whenever I get to see them we automatically head to a buffet. It's been awhile since I've seen them since they're located in different cities now. 

Oh how I miss my family and our food adventures. The kids though are all grown up now. Some have started their own families. I guess I was feeling a bit lonely last night because it's almost two years since I've seen family. 

It was a good thing I was able to have two family reunions before I headed back to Singapore last year. Got to meet my cousin's bf-now-fiance. My tita from Australia was also in town. I also got to meet my cousin's apo from the US. It was a great pre-pandemic good memories pabaon. 

I'm really so relieved that my doctor allowed me to get vaccinated. I was facing the possibility of living a hermit life and that thought was depressing. I experienced the usual symptoms post-vaxx, but that's okay at least now I'm protected. That also means we could probably have mini-reunions when things get better. 

And hopefully see my nephews and nieces again soon. 

CB///*Yr2/167 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/190 #NewG280 #Home39 #Xmas91 #StayHome #BeKind

Hello Ber Months, Day 1 of the Christmas Season!

Oh wow it's already the ber months! Today marks the first day of the Christmas season in the Philippines. I wonder if they've started to play holiday songs on the radio and in malls. It wasn't always like this. We used to start celebrating only in November. My Mom would normally set November 30 as the day we set-up the tree since it's a holiday. I don't know when  it was declared that the Christmas season starts when the ber months come. 

I think celebrating Christmas for 100 days is a good idea. It always feels like your daily grind changes, since there's something to look forward to. I remember in my previous jobs we'd start preparing for the Christmas party towards the end of November. I was also usually part of the holiday party committee. It was always a busy time where you try to see all of your friends before the deluge of family reunions. 

I must admit in the past few years I've been so busy. We didn't even set-up a tree in 2019. I made up for it last year and set-up our decorations early. It was a good thing I did because my health went downhill by mid-December. It was really hard for our family to be miles part last year, but we managed. We're all looking forward to be complete this Christmas. Family is everything. 

I haven't really planned what we'll do for Christmas. I expect movement would still be very restricted. We also have to continue following all measures to keep safe. We'll probably just have a nice family meal at home, exchange gifts and I hope I'd be able to send some personally baked cupcakes to family and friends. Let's all hope for a happier and safer Christmas this year!

Merry Christmas!

CB///*Yr2/143 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/166 #NewG304 #Home62 #StayHome #BeKind 

My Dream Life

Day 1 Gratefulness Challenge: One of my goals for this second half of the year is to be more grateful. I found a 30-day gratefulness challenge and will integrate it here in my blog. Day 1 challenge is to be grateful about your body. I am truly grateful that my body has been able to withstand so many issues. Even my doctors are amazed and they keep telling me I am blessed. Thank you Papa God <3

To be honest, I never dreamt of moving to another country. It was never in my plan. It happened at the insistence of my former managers. I was able to enjoy it only when my family moved to Singapore. My dream life is just to be with my family. Ideally I want everyone to be within physical reach. I say that because my family is scattered across the globe. 

I grew up with extended family living in our home. My Mama Lola and several Titas lived with us. There was a time my Tito and his family stayed with us when their house burned down. I was a happy child because I had additional mommies and daddies. Our Christmas reunions were always big and rowdy. I long for those days. 

So my dream life is to be back home, have a home with enough space to have get-togethers with family and friends, have time and energy to create more memories and be able to help where I can. My prayer every night is to be safe, secure, healthy and blessed. 

"It's never too late to focus on your dreams."

CB///*Yr2/84 #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/111 #NewG362 #Home136 #StayHome #BeKind 

Love, Love, Love

I woke up to good news today. My cousin got engaged! It's happy news amidst the pandemic. It was what I needed since I didn't have a good night's sleep. I'm so glad I had the chance to meet my future cousin-in-law in Manila. Ahhh, love truly makes the world better. 

One of my nephews also got engaged and will be tying the knot later this year. I have another cousin who's about to give birth. Happy news makes me feel so grateful that my family has been healthy and secure in the past year. 

The news made me realize that life goes on. We all have our challenges. It's just up to us how to adjust to the trials. We can't just sulk at home and wait for the pandemic to end. I expect it's going to be a long time before things go back to what it was before. I wish though I could be at the life-changing events of my family when it happens. 

Congratulations and best wishes Chris and Precious! 

CB///*Yr2/65  #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/92 #StayHome #BeKind 

The Nostalgia of Old Photos

I was supposed to head out today to get something from the hospital. Heaven opened up and poured out a gazillion drops of rain. It's almost zero visibility outside. It would be nice to just head back to bed and take a nap. I would do that but I woke up at noon! 

I have so many photos. I used to store them on CDs and it took me a few weeks to transfer them to an external hard drive. I've been working on putting them on the cloud the past few months. It's a tedious process and I've just started on 2009. Good luck to me. 

It brings me so much joy to go through old photos. Sometimes I feel I was warped into another world when I moved to Singapore. I ended up focusing on work and fun times were few and fleeting. I'm so glad I

took a lot of photos. It showed I had a full and vibrant life before I had to change. 

And that's the reason why I'm going through the painful process of organizing all my photos. I know there will come a time my memory would start dwindling away. I used photos to keep my Dad connected when he became very sick. I loved to see him smile when he saw old photos. I should probably make a new photobook for my Mom. I'm sure she'll love it. 

Once I'm done with uploading my photos, the second phase would be to scan all old print photos. I'm guessing this is going to be another decade-long project haha. 

CB///*Yr2/41  #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/68 #StayHome #BeKind 

That Time the Red Opel Car Disappeared

 One of the things I remember are all the cars we had when I was growing up. It was just a few since my parents like to keep using things until the end of its life. I have a lot of happy childhood memories with the cars we had growing up. I only realized today that the cars we had when I was a child are all European cars. This is because my Dad used to work for a car distribution company. 

Our family car was Daddy's 1967 W11 190D Mercedes Benz. I blogged about the Chedeng it last July. The car serviced us until into the 90s. Daddy super loved the car, but it eventually had to retire since it became hard to maintain it. The other car we had at that time was a red Opel car. I'm not sure what model it was, but it was mainly my Mom's car which was eventually used by my Ate and Kuya to go to school. 

That's the red Opel car. And that baby is me!

I remember riding it because the only way my Ate and Kuya can borrow the car on weekends was when they would bring me along. I remember once going to BF with my Kuya to bring a gift for his then girlfriend, Gerry (I don't know why I still remember her name haha). Then there were weekends when we'd go to La Salle when they had org activities. My Mom said that the car serviced the family from when my Ate and Kuya were in elementary school (I wasn't around yet). 

The most memorable bit about the red Opel car was revealed on my Kuya's wedding day. He shared that the car was carnapped somewhere in Taft Avenue. I'm not sure if it happened when he was still a student or when he was teaching in La Salle. But it happened. It just disappeared. He said he sweated buckets and walked up and down the streets to look for it. He found the car about two blocks away from where he parked it. The car being so old conked out in the middle of the street. He was so relieved to find it and only told us about it on his wedding day. 

I don't remember what happened to the red Opel car. I think it was eventually sold. Mom eventually got a white Volkswagan Passat car (B1? I'm not sure). Now this car deserves a blog post for itself. It's action movie levels blog post. I'll write about it on another day. 

Those three cars were part and parcel of my childhood. We eventually used cars that were office issued so they came and went. We did keep Kuya's first car, a Toyota Corolla. We kept it for almost 30 years! Mom finally sold it a few years ago. Ahh that car saw me through high school, college, grad school and Miggy's HS graduation. We also had a red Lite Ace which was used for business and I vaguely remember a yellow pick-up when I was in HS. I'll leave those memories for another day. 

So that's how a red Opel car disappeared and thank God it was old and conked out in the middle of Taft Avenue. 

CB//166 #StuckAtHomeDay/196 #StayHome #BeKind