An Apple a Day

Plants at Mahogany Market

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:30:00 +0000

After three long years, I finally got to visit Mahogany Market again. It was a spur of the moment trip, so I didn't really plan to buy plants. I'm also overwhelmed with caring for what's left of my Moms plants and only got what I could commit to.

Mahogany Market looked the same. No major structure changes. It's better organized now I noticed. Fruits on the ground floor of the market structure. Veggies on the second floor and other items (like souvenirs and dry goods) in a separate building. I noticed though the plant stalls are less than what it used to be. Maybe some of them transferred to Silang?

Anyway, with Miggy as my buddy, we went back to where I bought my gumamela plants 3 years ago. They're still alive save for one! I skipped buying a lot of herbs since they don't really survive long. It's better to plant from seed. That way they don't get heat shock when you bring them to Manila.

I was able to "control" myself and just got some "essentials". Three marigolds, 4 gumamela plants, and mint/parsley and basil. Only 10. Haha. My garden space looks like a jungle now and I can't wait to transfer everything back to my Mom's garden. I'm still planning how that will go. It's many months away, so I'm not rushing.

I enjoyed going to Mahogany Market. We will probably visit the Silang area one of these days. I don't need more plants at the moment and I seriously need to reduce since it's taking us longer to water the plants. You can just imagine how happy we are when it rains, haha.

*Plant prices seem to have increased a bit. It was also one reason why I didn't buy that much. Next time I want to find out how much they sell fruit bearing trees. I don't have space for it anymore (haha), since I have 5 avocado trees and one mango tree growing. I want them to grow big!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Bag of Beans (Tagaytay)

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:30:00 +0000

We were pleasantly surprised to visit a "relatively new" branch of Bag of Beans. We chose the one nearest to Twin Lakes in Tagaytay and found out the Antonio and Charito Bag of Beans branch was the Twin Lakes branch. They said they moved 2 years ago.

It's been 3 years since we visited Tagaytay and wanted to visit our favorite spots. We chose Bag of Beans for brunch and so we could enjoy the view of Taal Lake. It's a bit far than other restos, but with an active volcano it's always better to keep a safe distance.

The boys ordered fish. Sweetie got tanigue. I regret not trying it, but it smelled to delectable.

Miggy got fish and chips and he was happy to find out it wasn't the usual Dory. I also regret not trying it...

I was too busy enjoying the country breakfast plate I got. I didn't feel like eating rice at that time and thought it was a good idea to get pancakes with bacon and sausage, haha. It gave me enough fuel to finish visiting Sonya's Garden and Mahogany Market.

And we all shared a plate of carbonara to fulfill the birthday noodles tradition!

You can also buy pasalubong at Bag of Beans. We just got a bread sampler since we planned to visit Sonya's Garden bakery. On hindsight, I should have bought some raisin bread at Bag of Beans. Well, it just means there should be a next time!

P.S. It was my friend, Juned, who introduced us to Bag of Beans way back. It was only the main branch at that time.

Throwback Thursday: June Double Birthdays

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:30:00 +0000

I never expected that Sweetie and Miggy's birthday would happen back to back. We've been celebrating it as a family for almost two decades now. We do it usually with family, but it's just us the past ten years and sometimes with friends.

The boys don't like huge parties, so the smaller the celebration the better. This year we went on a day trip. It's been 3 years since we went on any kind of trip. We just couldn't leave anytime because of our fur babies.

June 2010

Whatever way we celebrate, it's been an annual tradition to eat noodles and give toys as gifts. That started 16 years ago and the boys enjoy opening their gifts. Sometimes it deviates when they want something useful, but toys usually work :)

If it's just the three of us celebrating, we dine out. We tried traveling after the pandemic, but that's how we all got COVID-19 for the first time. We were stuck with someone very sick in-flight. A week after we were all very sick. And that's another reason why we haven't been traveling.

What's most important for us is to be together on this special day :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Road Trip!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 06:47:15 +0000

I've wanted to go on a roadtrip for awhile now. There's been no good time for it since we're busy with other things. Last Saturday, I asked the boys if they wanted to go out of town. We were undecided since Typhoon Francisco was set to arrive.

We made the decision to proceed on Monday night since the weather forecast showed a low chance of rain. We left around 9 in the morning on Tuesday and took the short trip to Tagaytay. We headed first to eat brunch at Bag of Beans. The usual branch from Twin Lakes we used to visit moved to their own place. It's now called Charito and Antonio Bag of Beans which overlooks the Splendido area.

After brunch, we headed to Sonya's Garden to buy some bread. We also love eating there, but since it's been 3 years since we last visited Tagaytay we split our time across what we wanted to see. Well, we spent more at Sonya's than for brunch since we got some pasalubong for our friends (haha). We agreed we won't wait long to go back, haha.

And then we went to our other favorite place, Mahogany Market, to buy fruits, veggies and some plants. We got dragon fruit, banana, avocado and dalandan. I was happy to buy some dalandan so I can make my annual Spanish adobo. Sweetie got some veggies since my kitchen is open again (it's not so hot anymore to cook!).

I managed to control myself and just got "a few" plants, haha. Just some marigold and Gumamela (hehe). I'll try to re-pot them in the next few days. We're starting to look like a jungle now. Mom would be pleased.

Going on a road trip felt like a reset. We all needed it since we've been busy with home and health stuff. It's a never ending cycle, so it was a good break. We couldn't do overnight trips anymore since we have 8 fur kids who will get mad at us. A whole day trip to Tagaytay is a good idea. Maybe next month we could go to Binan again to buy some Chef RV goodies!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Work-in-Progress: Yoda Coaster

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:05:48 +0000

I saw a cute cat coaster project while doomscrooling. I wanted to do it, but I thought I'd make a Yoda inspired one.

Yoda because my Grogu fabric will just get dirty if used as a coaster and I don't think my green fabric won't match it.

Anyway, I found a Yoda keychain which I could use as a pattern. I adjusted the size because the arms I made were too big.

It's harder than I thought, so it's still a work in progress 😁

#BeKind #StaySafe

Other Home Building Expenses

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 15:28:26 +0000

There are a gazillion other expenses when it comes to building a house. We had additional expenses too since an old house exists and we're within the airport zone.

Here's a list we had to pay aside from the construction building materials and professional fees:

Requirements for Building permit (our Architect included these in the construction cost)

- Barangay clearance fees

- Homeowners clearance fees

- Survey and CAAP requirements done by a geodetic engineer (we had to spend additional for the CAAP requirements)

Building permit (partly covered under construction fees, but...)

- liability policy

- fire extinguisher

- CAAP clearance

- planning fees

- plumbing, roofing

- contractor's tax

Homeowners fees (not included in construction cost)

- Demolition bond

- Construction bond

- More homeowners fees (this one is not reimbursable)

Monthly fees

- water utility

- electricity

- PLDT (we set up CCTV so we could monitor the property)

- weekly food for the team

#BeKind #StaySafe

God Provides

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 10:50:15 +0000

I thought we'd just have a sprinkle of rain today. I went about at half past 5 to play with the cats and then water the plants.

I looked at one of my rainwater drums. It was almost empty. I set the hose to fill it up. I didn't turn the faucet on yet and proceeded to water some plants.

Then huge raindrops started falling. I ran to set the strainer cover for the drum and then I went to the garage for cover. Ahh, the rain we've been waiting for all week finally poured.

Woohoo! Thank you Lord for the rain. I hope it will help Mom's bougainvillea to propagate.

Have a blessed Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Something's Eating my Caladiums

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 13:14:55 +0000

My plants have gone through a lot the past two months. I've had to be vigilant in spraying Neem oil to keep pests away. Sweetie has been helpful with removing caterpillars eating the calamansi plant.

I was surprised yesterday when I saw bite marks on the caladiums. Rawrrrr! It's been untouched eversince I re-potted it from a small plant.

Sigh.

I hope it doesn't progress. I'll also put some coffee grinds in the area to ward off slugs and snails. They've been eating my small avocado tree too.

Aside from been oil what do you use to keep pests away?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Watch "The Good Place"

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:54:43 +0000

We've been enjoying Ted Samson films on Netflix, so "The Good Place" was suggested. We skipper watching the trailer and just went right in.

We were hooked after watching the first episode and set aside other shows we were watching. It's a truly enjoyable show and you'll see a very different sid of Manny Jacinto (he starred in this show before "The Acolyte").

We're now on the final season and will probably finish it by this weekend. We like the different take it has on heaven and hell. Everyone involved in th show are very creative!

Go watch :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

43 Years Ago

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:17:42 +0000

Forty three years ago, I was a flower girl for my Tita Pet and Uncle Fumio's wedding. My cousin, Tina, was also a flower girl.

It's been more than 4 decades, but what I remember most was the huge cake made by a neighbor. The wedding was organized together with the community.

We almost lost Tita Pet. I remember seeing her sick at home and I promptly reported it to my Mom. To make a long story short, she was the first successful kidney transplant in the country. It was a miracle that only happened because of community support.

*That's me showing affection to my Tita (or maybe I was being my pakielamerang self)

And that's where I started to believe the importance of being a part of a community. They will be with you in good times and bad times. Until today, I see the love the community has given to my Tita even though she's far away from us.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Meds

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:30:00 +0000

One of the things I have to do everyday is drink my meds at specific times of the day. I was already used to drinking vitamins way back, but maintenance medication is a different ballgame.

My doctors told me many times to be disciplined about it because skipping can have dire effects. It took me time to get used to it and I make mistakes sometimes. My doctor said never drink the same medication in the same time because it could lead to bleeding.

That scared me a lot, so I started using a pill box and I write the day of the week on the blister pack. I've also asked my doctors different scenarios if I miss an intake and they gave instructions on what to do. I also joined patient groups to learn more.

#BeKind #StaySafe

My New Star Wars Mandalorian Crochet Kit

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:30:00 +0000

I have been collecting Star Wars crochet kits for a few years now since I like crocheting too. It's more challenging for me than quilting, but still fun nonetheless.

It was my Mom who taught me how to crochet. We had one book where we followed patterns and that's what I did one whole summer vacation. I didn't reach my Mom and Titay'a level where they made huge crochet blankets. I found them when we cleared my childhood home.

Anyway, I'm quite excited to try my hand making a Grogu crochet. I made a Yoda one a few years ago and I hope to make a few for our Christmas tree. Let's hope my hand and arm would be cooperative!

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Process Before You Build a House

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:30:00 +0000

Oh boy, I completely forgot to write about what we went through before demolition started. It took more than a year before we started any work on the house. The first step of finding the right architect took us several years. We were scared of hiring the wrong one since a lot of people have shared horror stories on YouTube about getting scammed.

Here are the steps we went through after finding the right architect (those I can seriously recall):

Step 1. The first thing we did really was to get to know each other. Our architect interviewed us about how we live, what's important for us and we talked about the planning process. When we decided to proceed, the architect sent us a proposal which included professional fees and a detailed bill of materials.

Step 2. After paying our downpayment, we sent a wishlist to the architect and a copy of the title of the house. We also had on hand the site survey since we had one done for the donation of the property.

Step 3. The architect then made an initial design. We went back and forth on this until we agreed on the design. We took our time since we were also waiting for the new title of the property which is required to file a building permit.

Step 4. Once the design was done, the architect involved his team of engineers and other experts in putting together the detailed blue print required to file a building permit.

Step 5. We then reviewed the blue print and once it was signed, architect's assistant did the back and forth in getting the permit. We were stuck here for awhile since the city engineers required a lot of changes. One hold-up was also getting a CAAP permit* which got delayed because of the original site surveyor. We ended up hiring another geodetic engineer to help get the CAAP permit.

Step 6. Together with filing the building permit you need to also get approval from your barangay and homeowners association. Ahh, this also cost a lot of money to do but this was already included in the costings of our architect (whew!).

Step 7. The building permit also required trips to the Bureau of Fire and purchasing fire extinguishers. By this time we were really grateful we hired a professional architect who had an expert in getting the requirements completed.

Step 8. Once you get clearance from your barangay, HOA, CAAP, Bureau of Fire, and make the building official happy about your plan, you'll finally get your building permit (it took us 6 months including delays).

Step 9. But, there's more. Before we were able to start, we had to file additional requirements of the HOA. They required a list of the workers, their NBI and police clearance, and individual photos for their ID. Aside from that we also had to pay for the required demolition bond and construction bond.

Step 10. And just before we started, we paid for the next 10% of the contract for the mobilization fee. So, that's what happened before we started on day one of the demolition.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Grief

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:30:00 +0000

We watched on the news what happened to the two basketball players. It is heartbreaking however which way you look at it. A child should never go before their parents. It is the most unimaginable situation for me. As a mother, I have lost a lot of sleep worrying about my child. I still do even though he's in his 30s already.

Ateneo de Naga Varsity Team, c1950s (sorry I couldn't find my Dad's yearbook)

I have not made any comments about what happened. My Dad was a varsity player when he was a student for Ateneo de Naga and his coach was none other than Fr. James B. Reuter, SJ. Being a varsity player was my Dad's favorite memory to go back to and he taught all his grandchildren how to play basketball. He always spoke about those days fondly and he said their exercise regime was strict. They also had to be on top of their studies (my Dad graduated high school with honors).

My Dad with Fr. James B. Reuter, SJ

My handsome Dad (he gave this photo to my Mom)

The best we can do is to pray for the families and everyone affected. They all need the strength and faith to overcome this huge trial. Losing someone means they have completed their mission. This is what my parents taught me. There will always be a part of you that feels the loss, but in time you will accept that their mission here is complete. The reason for the loss of the two young lives will eventually unfold. f

And for today, we pray.

#BeKind #StaySafe

How Long it Took to Clear and Save Mom's Plants

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 12:46:30 +0000

Every plant on the frontage of my childhood home was planted by my Mom. It changes every few years. Everytime I visited she was doing some gardening. She was still gardening the day before she passed away. I knew it her plants are very important to her, so we've been doing the herculean task of saving what we could.

I tried to bargain with the contractor if we could leave the frontage plants alone. They explained that they had to construct a new front wall and it would affect the structure if they're not able to clear the area. I've been propagating some of the plants the past few months as back-up. Luckily, our gardener was finally available last week and helped set-up plants to propagate.

It took three full days to clear the front lawn. My Mom packed in a lot of plants and some had poked the front wall already. We bought several large pots and soil and prioritized what plants to keep. The gardeners helped pot the plants and we hope they'll grow this rainy season. The back-up plants I propagated the past few months have rooted and are growing nicely. I just need to make sure they are watered regularly, so we can transplant them eventually.

My current small garden is now full of Mom's plants. The gardeners said we look like we're selling plants (haha). I know it's just a small fraction of what Mom had in her garden. I'm just grateful we're able to save her hardwork. She loved her plants dearly and she'll be happy to know we have a starter set we can bring back when we move back home.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Frankenstein with a Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:30:00 +0000

Miggy and I watched "Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein" on Netflix the other day. It was a 2 and a half hour film that made us enthralled while watching it.

I first saw Frankenstein at Universal Studios when I was a child. He scared me a lot, so I avoided anything related to him. Miggy chose the film, so I agreed to watch it. I basically had no idea what to expect, but I've always been fascinated by films made by Guillermo del Toro so I knew it would be good.

Conquering my fear of Frankenstein. I was very freaked out on this day.

I realized I never really watched a Frankenstein film. I only knew he was put together using different parts and was given life through lightning. Miggy said the film was made very close to how the story unfolded in the book. We saw how Dr. Victor Frankenstein created "the monster" and the film showed further how the creature developed. The creature who'd never die grew a heart and can live forever.

The film was made really well. Kudos to Guillermo del Toro, the actors and the whole production team who put the film together. It's a masterpiece and the best so far of all the Guillermo del Toro films I've watched. It's still on Netflix and go watch it this weekend if you haven't seen it yet.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Visited DLSU as a Child

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:30:00 +0000

When I was a child, my siblings would bring me with them to school. Both were enrolled in engineering courses at De La Salle University and were active in their organizations. I'd go with them to ensure they went home early (haha).

The flour game

I remember one visit so well. My sister had an org activity at the College Canteen. What I remember most from that day was a game where they had to find coins hidden in a pan full of flour. Ate explained that they disinfected the coins since the players had to find it with their mouth. It left a lasting impression on me and I had no doubt I'd eventually study at La Salle.

c1996 (?) Me and Tappy in the CR, haha

True enough, I eventually walked the same halls and ate at the College Canteen, ten years later. By this time both my siblings were already professionals and had their own families. Everything still looked the same by then, but eventually new buildings were built and the College Canteen was painted.

2011

The last time I visited a few years ago, I barely recognized some areas of the campus. The College Canteen was gone and the library moved to a new building. I'm sure a lot more changes have been made in the past few years.

2018

*I still have to scan photos when I was a student

#BeKind #StaySafe

Anakin's Second Gotcha Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:30:00 +0000

Yesterday, we celebrated Anakin's Second Gotcha Day! He was a surprise since at that time the only kitten around was Bailey Boo. We suspected that Grey brought him in. We originally planned to have him adopted since we had at least 10 cats and kittens. Luckily, the adopter backed out.

The kitten was darker than the rest of the brood. I decided to name him Anakin since he reminded me of Darth Vadar, haha. He's the complete opposite of the character though since he's very vocal and affectionate. He originally looked like a rat though, but with TLC and lots of food, he grew up to be a handsome boy.

Anakin's quite a climber. I've seen him run up the neighbor's tree when he's going after a bird or a lizard. He's also very chatty and never fails to greet me by rubbing my legs when I go out to water the plants. I'm actually glad he came to us since he became Bailey's playmate and bestie. At 2 years old, they still play like they're kittens.

To our bunso, Anakin, thank you for coming into our lives. You certainly changed the force in the cat-fam and you made Meredith a full time mom. She's very fond of you and Bailey. We love you to Dagobah and back!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Made a New Quilted Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 08:50:32 +0000

It took over a month to finish this project, but it's finally done! It's been over five years since I made myself a proper bag. I realized I've come a long way since I made this bag. The last one I made was mostly hand-stitched and back then I didn't know how to use fusible interfacing.

I wanted a bag that would remind me of the sun and lemon flavors. I gathered yellow scraps and cut to make small squares. I decided to use them for huge pockets as additional storage. I matched it with denim fabric to bring out the happy color.

Luckily, my Mom left a lot o zippers and I was able to use one for the bag. I just DIY'd the handles with interfacing. Using interfacing for the handles makes a huge difference. I didn't put any in my previous bag and I had to add a new handle to make it sturdier.

I like the size of this bag (9" x 3" x 12") since it fits my prescription envelope. I thought it was too slim, but it fit my stuff perfectly. Now, I can't wait to bring it to town, LOL.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Demolition Day One

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:30:00 +0000

I was confined in the hospital when the workers moved in. We scrambled to empty the house before the move in day and I guess that made me so stressed out. We had to send Chris and Pops to the province and completely empty the house.

Funnily, there was still one cabinet that was filled to the brim! Mama Lola's vintage mirror kept it inaccessible. My Mom had cleared out Mama Lola's stuff and in it were more craft materials! It took me another three months to sort it.

Anyway, I managed to get home before the crew started to demolish the house. They had to build their lodging and storage area first. Then they removed all the furniture we were keeping (the big ones we can no longer store in our current home).

I shed some tears when I saw what they removed first - my parents cabinets. The same ones that were installed when the house was built back in 1969. The foreman commended how the house was built. He said it was built really well and they would probably have a hard time removing everything.

I had mixed feelings about seeing my childhood home demolished. It was taken apart slowly. My siblings knew how it looked while it was being built. I slowly saw the opposite. I only saw what was being done through photos and videos since I had the misfortune of falling down the stairs a week after I got home from the hospital. I'm a total klutz, so for safety, I've been banned from going to my childhood home. It's probably better that way since aside from being a klutz, I may be an emotional wreck.

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Past Few Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 01:00:00 +0000

There's been a lot of tension politically in the country the past few weeks. Well, more than usual. It's honestly, stressful since it ultimately affects each of us.

Since we got back 5 years ago, prices have gone up a lot. The budget I had before for groceries and food had to be adjusted. Luckily, we had solar installed a few years ago and we've been able to keep our electricity bill at a constant (we don't have batteries). Gas prices went up, so we only went out as needed. Water is also expected to go up this month.

I hope it will be a better week for our country. I pray that truth and what is right will prevail.

Happy Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Saving Mom's Plants

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 01:00:00 +0000

We've been trying to save as much of my Mom's plants the past 3 years. It's now time to sunset her plants on the front of the house. I checked old photos and the front lawn has changed how it looks so many times. I remember we even had a prolific santol tree before. There used to be palm trees on it before and santan plants for a time.

My Mom gave so much of her time tending her garden. There were times we felt it was more important to her than us. She wouldn't pick up the phone during her gardening time and would always worry whenever we'd have her travel. I knew it was impossible to do it by myself.

We were finally able to get Manong Henry's team to help save the plants. We got lucky because he assigned his son and an expert gardener. I just told them I wanted to save Mom's bougainvillea, snake plants and other flowering plants. I also proposed to make some plants into bonsai.

I'm so glad Christian and George love being gardeners. They have been happily working on saving the plants and Christian loved the challenge to turn some of the plants into bonsai. It's going to be messy in the next few days, but I'm happy we'll be able to save some of Mom's plants.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Tried Kettle

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 01:00:00 +0000

One of the things we do as a family is to try new restos (well new for us). We got to try Kettle early this week. I think it's been around for awhile, but it's fairly new at One Ayala. We got a bit lost since we ended up at the convention area (we went up from the basement). Luckily, a guard helped us get to the mall area (thanks Manong!).

Sweetie was the one who researched the resto and told me and Miggy they serve American comfort food and signature buttermilk fried chicken. I had a feeling that the chicken would be huge. I chickened out and got longganisa, haha.

Miggy was brave and got the buttermilk fried chicken with rice.

And Sweetie, experimental as usual, got the chicken po boy.

Both the boys had leftovers and ate it for dinner (yes, the chicken was huge!). I tried the potato side dish, but found it too salty so I stuck to my longganisa. I think it was made more palatable for foreign taste buds since it tasted neutral (not sweet/not garlicky/not salty). If you're going to try Kettle, ask for their combo meals menu (we saw it online). Their iced tea was good.

Next time we'll try the Japanese resto beside it. :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

My Fountain Hair-do When I was a Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:06:55 +0000

I've collated about 13 boxes of photo albums from my childhood home. I've been meaning to scan them, but I've been so busy with other stuff. I have a lot of stuff I want to do and have had to re-organize my schedule.

I scanned a couple of black and white photos today. I got curious when I saw photos of a party. It was obviously in my childhood home since I recognized the garage wall and the huge sala sliding door. In one photo my Dad was carrying a baby. I originally thought that it was from the house blessing, but recognized the baby's fountain hair.

(L to R) Dad, me, Tita Lydia, one of my cousins, not sure who the Tito is,
Tito Tony, Tito Mon, Tita Josie, not sure who the guy in white is, and Mom

I have a lot of baby photos where my hair was set up like a fountain. I was born with a mop-head full of hair. I only noticed that Mom wrote a date at the back of the photo, December 20, 1975. She also wrote my name and how many months and days old I was at that time. Ahh, apparently I got that quirk from my Mom. I used to write Miggy's exact age in photos too.

The original photo had spots on it, so I had Gemini clean it up. Ahh, perfect. It cleaned up the photo and made it sharper.

Also, had Gemini make it colored. Not bad although I know my parents didn't really wear those colors, haha. I'll tweak it next time.

If you inherited your family's old albums, would you bother to scan the photos?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Working on My Stamina

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:59:30 +0000

It's been a month since I was sent home after confinement. I haven't gone back to my regular activities and I'm still slowly working my way up.

The first two weeks was hairy. A week after I got home I experienced the same symptoms again and contacted my ID doctor. I went in for tests. It was clear, but my lungs still looked like I have pneumonia. My pulmo though dismissed it since I wasn't coughing and didn't have any cold. I was also cleared by my ID doctor.

It could have been another bug or my tummy reacting to food. I had a hard time eating after confinement since I couldn't taste anything. It took another week before my appetite came back.

I did some gardening earlier. I just moved around a few small pots and I was wiped out after. I had to rest for an hour before I could function again. Ahh, no wonder my cardiologist said to see him in June. I think he knows it will takee awhile to get better.

In the meantime, I'll work on getting better at least 1% more than the previous day.

#BeKind #StaySafe