An Apple a Day

31 Years Ago

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:34:48 +0000

Thirty One years ago we celebrated the 35th wedding anniversary of my parents. We concocted a surprise. Since we just did it at home my sister took care of making sure they were out of the house so we could set up everything.

When they arrived my Mom was surprised to see that the house didn't have any light on. We turned it on when they came in and were surprised by relatives and our neighbors. They hurriedly changed clothes since we had our parish priest, Fr. Bernard McEachern, CP, renew their vows.

The clan

What was fun about the celebration was a full program where we each shared stories of love. The grandchildren gave flowers and performed a dance and recited poetry. Of course, we had a video of their photos which we run while everyone was eating.

It was a fun night and I fondly got to look at the photos again today when I scanned them. I realized a lot of the visitors have also passed away. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Everyone in that party was part of the village that raised me.

Prayers and much love to Mom and Dad, my titos and titas, and my neighbor titos and titas and godparents :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Keep Moving

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:27:46 +0000

My physiotherapist in Singapore taught me that a lot of pain you feel can be fixed with exercise. That is what our Ortho also told us yesterday when we went to see him. Miggy's knee has been wonky the past few months and his 12 sessions of PT wasn't enough. The doctor said that we'll try something to help his knee.

Move. At least 30 minutes a day. He can walk outside or use a treadmill.

That's the diskarte for now.

I realized I need to also walk more and regain my confidence in moving around. I walk around the house with no problem, but the boys hover over me when I use the stairs and when I step out. It was probably traumatizing for them to witness me fall down the stairs (well, just a step). The incident though lowered my confidence of moving on my own especially when we are outside. And that's what I need to work on.

Keep moving!

#BeKind #StaySafe

A Glimpse of my Future Sewing Room!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 11:49:32 +0000

I haven't been able to sew for the past two weeks. My Grogu grid quilt still hasn't been binded! I've been itching to sew, but we've been up to our ears with lists we need to complete for our architect. It's not just about procuring the items, but we also have to understand what exactly we've been buying. It made me realize things were much simpler for our parents. Before purchasing lights, you just buy a bulb or a fluorescent light. There's a gazillion options nowadays and it's just crazy.

I'm just thinking, when all of this craziness is done I will finally have a proper sewing room. I do have one now, but it's full to the brim with the craft stuff my Mom left. My future sewing room will have an area for materials and an area where I can do the actual work. I've been using my old sewing table, but I need to clear it for every step since I don't have space to have a separate cutting table, ironing area and my design wall has been covered with boxes.

The resident cat.

The funny thing is there's a cat who lives in my sewing area now. The assistant foreman adopted it when they moved in and it has grown up. It's so comfortable in the area already, but he will have to go with his furdad when the time comes since we have 8 very territorial cats!

The space is just a loft which I requested to be added. It's an "emergency area" in case there's flooding and we need to head up to higher ground. It is farfetched, but with how things are nowadays, you can just never prepare enough. The area will be well lighted and I expect to spend many hours in the room.

I originally wanted to install hexagon lights, but after visiting several light shops I got overwhelmed whenever they turned on all the lights. I decided to just have a tubular led light since I read it's better to use floor lamps to make the light closer to what you're working on. I think that makes a lot of sense. I also don't want an overly lighted room which can look like a portal if you see it outside, haha.

I also originally planned to use the wood flooring from my childhood home. Unfortunately, termites got to it when it was stored, huhu! We thought about using carpeting, but eventually decided to use tiles. It will be easier to manage and less hazardous to me if pins and needles fall on the floor. I'm just deciding now whether to use blinds or curtains, or both. The room would be warm in the afternoons.

Everything else is still a blank slate and I might get help from my friend's daughter who's a newly minted architect. If you left it up to me, I'll just probably pull random tables and chairs to make it work and it's going to end up really messy.

What should I put in my sewing room?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Why You Should Be More Involved in Home Renovation/Building

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 11:10:00 +0000

We had some experience in home renovations before embarking on building a new house. One big lesson we learned was to be more involved. After we did repairs to our new home a few years ago, we discovered later there were things that could have been done better.

Flushing was not installed at all and was just secured by tiles to weigh it down.

The biggest bubu of the contractor was not installing the flushing on the roof. The repair was actually caused by water dripping from the kitchen ceiling. Adding flushing between the wall and the roof was supposed to be THE solution. Imagine our surprise when we had our roof painted with insulation paint. The painter discovered that the flushing was not installed and was kept down with tiles! It was a hazard which we didn't know about since none of us can get up on the roof.

Don't go for matte paint, it looks nice but it's harder to maintain.

On another project, we were surprised to see the paint on the wall streaked. The agent told us that the wall would moisten during heavy rain. Above the room is the laundry area and so it's probably in need of waterproofing. I've never experienced that in the past, but I noticed that whenever the walls are wiped with a damp cloth you'd see streaks of removed paint. I figured the contractor must have used cheap paint. Home Depot staff advised us to mix in some gloss to prevent that and to make the paint a bit glossy.

And don't get me started on electrical and plumbing stuff... I have covered those issues in previous posts.

Us wearing our procurement hat.

We decided to be more involved in our current project since we realized that contractors would cut costs and a lot of the work also depends on whether their crew is managed well. We were lucky we were able to negotiate to do the purchasing of some items that are important to us. We've been up to our ears procuring tiles, bathroom fixtures and now we've been purchasing lights. We've been learning a lot, but I'm grateful to learn more and be more involved than we were before. It's hard, but this way we can be sure we're building something that would hopefully last longer than my 55 year old childhood home.

#BeKind #StaySafe

A Wish for PWDs

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 15:40:13 +0000

We've been going out a lot more for errands lately and it's been hard for us. I was advised by my doctors and pulmo rehab team to use a wheelchair to get around. I can walk, but my heart and lungs are not able to cope with so much effort. I'm not supposed to overwork both since I'm due for surgery.

The boys take care of me when we're out, but getting around is hard. Local establishments try to be PWD friendly, but I don't think they have tested their premises with PWDs. Here's a list of what they can improve on:

Fixed a week after, you can still see the area that was fixed.

Doors - make sure they can be opened fully. The doors at some malls require 3 people. Two to hold 2 doors and one to push the wheelchair.
Ramps - I had a hair-raising experience in one establishment that had a ramp to the elevator. It was steep, short and cracked. I had to get off the wheelchair whenever we rode the elevator. Getting up and going back to the wheelchair drained my energy. Good thing the guard probably reported it and a week later the chipped areas were fixed, but it was still very steep.
Sidewalk entryways - this has always been problematic especially at parking garages. I also experienced a commercial establishment where they put a huge planter box which made it hazardous to pass through the ramp on a wheelchair. I would have probably fall if we tried it.
Pedestrian walkways should be flat and not use uneven pavers. It's like riding a bumpy rollercoaster when you're on a wheelchair.
Establishments without wheelchair ramps. We went to eat at a resto which had quite a steep ramp to its doorstep, but when we got to the door there was no ramp to get in.

An architect mentioned to me before that there is a code for making establishments PWD friendly. He explained it even goes down to the angle of the ramp. Sadly, it's just an afterthought here and it's not enforced by building officials. I'm lucky I'm still able to stand up and walk (I just can't get too far), but there are those who don't and are dependent on their wheelchair. Maybe establishments can test their premises to understand what they need to improve on.

So far, the only place that has been pretty seamless for me is the new building of the mall near us. I only get up when I want to sit on a chair if we're dining out. They need to seriously get a new elevator for their old building. It can only carry about 4 to 5 people including the elevator person.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Bougies!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 15:19:28 +0000

I was baffled when I first encountered the term "bougies". I think I was watching a YouTube videos and the vp gger kept calling bougainvillea, "bougies". I have to be honest, I'd rather call the plant by its proper name, bougainvillea.

Well, the next plant to produce flowers was one of the bougainvillea plants beside the Gumamela (hibiscus) that flowered last week. It really likes the warm, sunny weather and promptly produced flowers. There would have been a lot more, but I trimmed them a lot since I was getting random wounds on my arms and legs. I also want their stems to become sturdier in the next few months.

That's all for now. Internet connectivity is down, so I'm saving bits in case the issue isn't resolved soon.

Happy Saturday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Swimming with a Mumu

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 15:20:00 +0000

I like watching scary stuff. I just watched the second installment of ABS-CBN's "Philippines Most Haunted" where they featured a ghost in a pool. It was well narrated by Mr. Joonie Gamboa (he's perfect for this series IMHO).

This wasn't the pool. It was pre-internet era when I swam with a mumu.

Anyway, the episode this week featured a ghost in a swimming pool. It reminded me of a story I wrote way back (I used to write ghost stories in my blog, "Tales of the Moonless Sky"). I was a student when we went to a resort in Laguna for a team-building activity.

I'd go for a swim in the mornings and thought the black shadow I saw in the pool was just my eyes doing tricks on me. I found out it wasn't later in the day. An entity was living in the pool. Creepy! Full story is here.

I have forgotten about it already since that happened over 3 decades ago. It was actually featured on Qtube way, way back (post is here). It's been a long time and I haven't had any visits from the other kind. I prefer it that way and I already have a lot of other things on my plate. If ever, I just pray. I have also been wearing a St. Benedict medal for protection.

Tagaytay in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:14:46 +0000

One of our favorite places to go to is Tagaytay. We go at least once a year. Lately, we go just to have brunch, have coffee and buy some plants and veggies at Mahogany.

One reason we go is when we have relatives visiting from abroad. And that was why we went back in 2010. My sister was visiting from the US and we had a day trip.

The Taal volcano back then wasn't active and was very green. The weather was also cooler back then. The volcano was grey and was releasing some gas when we went last weekend. I didn't need to wear my cardigan at all.

There's Something Bad in the Air

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 15:29:33 +0000

My pulmo describe my asthma as mild, but it can be easily triggered by a number of things. I noticed I've been having asthma attacks almost everyday for the past week. I even had it twice last Sunday.

Ugh. I abhor it when I have prolonged attacks especially when I'm outside. It easily dissipates when I'm home since all my remedies are within reach. Good thing I bring my inhaler whenever we go out. I've been doing this since the haze from Indonesia has been oddly reaching our shores.

I've been careful with food, avoid areas where people smoke, and I use a mask whenever I'm out (and even while gardening). The one thing unavoidable is heat. It hits me fast. Yup, I need to always be in a cool place since I had heart surgery.

Oh well, I hope things will be better in the next few days. I had a relatively good days and survived our meeting with architect.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Ughhhh

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 15:58:58 +0000

I've been having asthma attacks almost everyday.

Just resting for now :(

#BeKind #StaySafe

Repair vs. Buying New

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 14:30:00 +0000

After almost 5 years our beds were showing signs of wear and tear. The outer area still looks good, but the area that supports the mattress was broken.

Bed frames are expensive and I remember it took a year of installment payments to finish the bill. It's not in our budget to buy anything new. Luckily, our foreman lent his lead carpenter.

He visited us and checked the bed frames, made a list of materials to buy. He finished adding support to three bed frames in two hours! Wow! He was fast because he used to be the lead carpenter in a hotel, so fixing beds was probably something he did everyday :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Rediscovering Sen Lek Thai Noodle

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 12:05:20 +0000

Many years ago, one of our favorite Thai food places was Sen Lek Thai Noodle. They had a restaurant in Dona Soledad. The food was really flavorful and we'd order by phone when we were lazy to go out (no Grab yet back then!).

A few weeks ago, we saw a blog feature it. They opened a place just a stone's throw away from SM Nuvali. We went to Tagaytay today with friends and took the opportunity to get take away from Sen Lek.

We were pleased to discover that it's the same Sen Lek we loved before. The branch is owned by the child of the owner. The original owners now live in Iloilo and have a branch there (if I remember correctly what we were told while waiting for our food).

With so many of our favorite restos disappearing, this is a great find!

Happy Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

It Finally Bloomed Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 01:00:00 +0000

My gumamela plants hibernated. They haven't been producing any flowers in almost two years now. They weren't happy where they were and I've been looking for a good spot where to put them. Out of the 4 I bought back in 2023, one died. It was eaten by pests and I wasn't able to save it. I was able to save the 3, but they've been unhappy.

Two weeks ago, I fed the gumamela plants bone meal and with the sun out everyday, one finally produced two flowers! I was ecstatic! And the one that bloomed is one of my favorite two-tone variants. Yay!

I should probably fertilize them with bone meal more often, but bone meal is expensive! Oh well, it's like what you say when you keep going to a derma, tiis ganda, haha.

What do you do to encourage your plants to produce flowers?

#BeKind #StaySafe

A Southie Fave: Presko Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:06:58 +0000

It's been awhile since we first experienced dining at Presko Coffee. It's a cafe founded near where we live. The first time we went there was on election day in 2022. We honestly haven't been back to the actual cafe but we've been ordering almost every week. I sometimes interact with the owner through Threads.

Anyway, we noticed they added their abot kaya meals in their Grab menu. Sweetie and I were both craving for adobo. He got the chicken adobo abot kaya meals and I got the pork gourmet adobo. We just gobbled up one Spanish bread each so we'll wait a bit before eating. It smells good though and I'm excited to eat dinner!

Well, we ordered for dinner so we didn't get any drinks. I usually get Presko latte for breakfast or the muscovado latte if I'm ordering lunch. Sweetie and Miggy are more adventurous and usually switch around what they order to drink. Anything you order there is good anyway, so you can just try anything.

What I haven't tried are their cakes. I usually get a cookie, but I haven't tried any of the cakes and other pastries. I normally get so full after eating what I ordered and that's why I haven't tried any of the cakes. I'll make sure to try something soon.

If you want to try Presko, they recently opened a branch in Ensueno, Makati. It's just for take-away and I'm not sure if it's just the abot kaya meals or if they have the full menu. They also have branches in Malacanang, Manila and Caloocan. Just search for it and try it soon!

#BeKind #StaySafe

In Power Saving Mode

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:01:43 +0000

After running errands back to back for two days, my energy was depleted. I was too brave and attended pulmo rehab. I barely made it out alive, haha.

I've been ordered to rest and that's what I'll do.

Zzzzz.

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Parking Angel

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:17:00 +0000

My friend Honey was the one who introduced me to the parking angel. She said she always prays to get a good spot to park whenever she's out.

We tested last weekend to recuperate from the bad days I had due to the haze. Miggy has to rest too from his gym activities.

We've been running around the metro the past two days and the parking angel has been very kind to us. With Miggy busy with his appointments, it's just me and Sweetie going around and I'm grateful we've been blessed to park near the entrances since it's hard to get around on a wheelchair.

Thank you parking angel 😇

#BeKind #StaySafe

Should I Frame my Baby Yoda Project?

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 14:01:02 +0000

After a gazillion years, I'm almost done with my Baby Yoda grid quilt project! Rawrrrrr! It took me so long to hand quilt it since I have to rest my arm from repetitive movement. I had to rest in between, but I finally finished the last stitch last weekend.

And now I just need to add the binding. I haven't gotten around to doing it since we've been busy with a long list of errands. I also got sick and was down for a few days, so that's why we're cramming a lot of stuff right now.

I'll probably take a break from sewing when I finish this project. I need time to finish organizing my "maker/sewing" room which looks more like a bodega now. I am thinking though to make one grid quilt annually to add to my "collection". Should I frame them? Here's the Pikachu one I made two years ago.

What do you think?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Plumbing Needs for Your House

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

We had an OMG moment when the engineer overseeing the construction near us told us that the owner who hired him to build the house didn't have plans for a septic tank. We eventually discovered that they didn't also connect their sewage properly. It affected us severely because their rainwater drainage and sewage was flowing back to us. (Read more about what happened and how it eventually got resolved here, here and I just realized I didn't write about the ending, will do soon).

Anyway, because of that very bad experience, we resolved that when we build our future home we will make sure to cover all areas of plumbing. Here's how we thought about it:

What should the connection to Maynilad look like?
How can we check if there's water coming in or none?
How do we want to store water? A tank? Cistern? Are you collecting rainwater?
How do we reduce having the tank cleaned? (It costs at least 6k to 8k to get a tank cleaned!)
How do we want our bathrooms set-up? Will we use a heater? Do we want a high-tech toilet (we chose the regular one)?
For the kitchen, do we want to use a heater? Do we want to use a water filter? Do we want to have a faucet on top of the stove (nope)? What kind of sink are we using? Are we having just one big kitchen or a dry and wet kitchen?
How do we plan to do laundry? How many faucets do we need and how many washing machines are we going to use? Do we need an outdoor sink? What about drainage?
We also thought about where we need to have water for watering the garden and cleaning.
And most importantly, where will the septic tank be located? For this one, you need to ask your HOA or barangay where the connection for sewage is located.

It's not the most exciting thing to think about, but it's very important to plan it ahead. It's easy to plan when you have a good understanding of your routines and needs. Think about the future too. We have been collecting rainwater for a few years now and that's what we use to water our plants. I think we saved a lot from collecting rainwater for our plants and cleaning outdoors.

A good plumbing system will save you a lot from having headaches.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Don't Turn a Blind Eye to What is Wrong

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 15:04:10 +0000

I know what you're thinking... This is not a political post or commentary. The past few days we've been watching, "Love is Never Gone". It's a series on Prime which we initially got to watch on YouTube. It piqued our interest, but we only continued watching it this week.

Sunset in Morocco

The series was very vibrant. The locations where they filmed was not just a backdrop, but also part of how the story was told. It was well thought out and barely any boring moments.

Once upon a time in Morocco :)

The quote, "Don't turn a blind eye to what is wrong," was uttered by Ronnie (JM) to Raya (Fyang). They were arguing about the crimes her family was involved in. Well, just watch it :)

Enjoy!

#BeKind #StaySafe

New Gift from the Birds?

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 13:06:11 +0000

New leaves grew out from one of my pots. I let it grow to see whether it's a legit plant or just a weed. I finally took a photo of it and Google Lens identified it as Callisia Gentlei (common name Callisia).

The plant just grew and I'm not sure if it's from seeds that birds dropped or a part of it has been in the soil. Remember, we rescued some of my Mom's plants last year and new plants grow out of the pots we got, haha. Perhaps it's a gift from my Mom, haha.

I'm still not sure if it's a weed or a legitimate plant. I'll probably re-pot it so it doesn't eat up the nutrients of the other plant in the pot. Let me know if this is really Callisia and if it's worth it to keep.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Amici

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:02:56 +0000

It's been awhile since I last got to dine at Amici. If I remember correctly, I was able to dine at the original resto in Don Bosco many, many years ago. We have not been able to come across it when we go out. Funny thing is it's just a few steps away from Lore where we've dined at several times, haha.

Anyway, Sweetie and I got to try it last week while waiting for Miggy. I absolutely loved the carbonara I ordered and also got Miggy a plate so he could try it too. The small plate I got was enough for two meals for me.

Sweetie got chicken parmigiana which he liked too.

The staff were very friendly and efficient, we came back after some errands to pick up our cake and also got pizza to bring home, haha.

And pistachio chocolate cake was amazing!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Still

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 15:48:52 +0000

I woke up with slight fever and just rested the whole day. I didn't even get to see any of the cats :'(

I hope tomorrow will be a better day.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Downed by Haze

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:26:39 +0000

I stepped out for less than five minutes. Fifteen minutes later I had to lie down because I didn't feel well.

I napped for almost two hours on the couch. I felt better after and watched the news.

Note to self: don't go out without a mask!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Look at My Beautiful Cat

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:22:24 +0000

I have no crafting update today. I'm still quilting by hand the Grogu project. I'm really hoping to finish it soon, but duty calls and we've been busy tending to our house and working on our health.

For now, take a look at our beautiful cat, Meredith.

Ain't she adorable? Just be careful, she only allows 2-second pets, haha.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Determining Your Electrical Needs for Your New House

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 11:03:50 +0000

When we visited my Mom when we got home from Singapore, I was surprised with the many extension cords in her room. They were plugged in from other rooms and I was really concerned with what was plugged in the extension cords. It was a jaw-dropping discovery.

A small refrigerator and the aircon on another extension cord.

What?!?!?

60-year old outlet. It included a 110 volt socket which was common in the 70s

I was just thankful that no untoward incident has happened. They probably did that even during the pandemic. I immediately had a licensed electrician check everything. The house was built in 1970 and it definitely did not take into consideration any newer appliances.

Modern outlet of a hotel. We're skipping the ones with USB options since that changes quite frequently. We'll stick to traditional ones and just work on keeping them out of sight

Anyway, the shock probably contributed to my heart deteriorating further. We also did an electrical audit for our new home. The house was deemed a fire hazard and so we had to re-wire everything and changed all the cheap lights installed on the renovated house.

Research on brands. Did you know electricians prefer Panasonic for outlets and switches?

We learned a lot from that experience and we followed this process when we were given the floor layout:

Listed all appliances per room
Marked where all the appliances were to be placed per room

A sheet listing all appliances and gadgets
A separate sheet listing air conditioner placement
CCTV placement (check with your provider if it gets its power from the server or requires it's own plug)
Network needs (internet is more important nowadays than a phone line)
Outdoor needs for your laundry area and garage and lights for your garden if you need it

Noted what kind of outlets we needed, i.e. universal outlets for kitchen appliances and placement of energy guzzling appliances like the fridge, oven and microwave
We followed most of the planned lighting and just added some wall mounted lights outdoor. We also decided to use smart lighting sparingly (less fuss = less stuff to think about and replace in the future).

#BeKind #StaySafe