At the Super Manila Comic Con

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#BeKind #StaySafe

Conked Out After Pulmo Rehab

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

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

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

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

#BeKind #StaySafe

What I was Up to 20 Years Ago

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

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

I was still working for the Yellow Pages

Miggy was just 10 years old back then

I hung out a lot with my colleagues

and choirmates/neighbors

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

Mom and Dad still loved going on road trips

And I had a pet fish, Oscar the oscar

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

What were you up to 20 years ago?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Ageing

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

My beautiful Meredith and Me

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

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

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

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Working on a Pokemon Quilt

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

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

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

#BeKind #StaySafe

EntengPH

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

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

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

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

#BeKind #StaySafe

Be Gentle to Everyone

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

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

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

Happy rainy Sunday everyone! Stay dry!

#BeKind #StaySafe