Garden Chef's Needle and Pen

65 Years of Blessings: Thanksgiving Reflections

2025-09-19T13:15:00.010+08:00

A week has passed since I celebrated my 65th birthday! I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has sent their warm greetings, prayers, well-wishes, and emojis on this Grok-assisted post by Billy, my husband. 🤖

As I reflect on my life, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the countless blessings I've received since day one. I thank the Lord for making my parents the instruments of my birth, shaping me into the person I am today. Their love and guidance have played a crucial role in my journey.

These verses from Psalm 139 echo the sentiments of my heart:

"For He created my innermost parts; He wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to Him, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Wonderful are His works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from Him when I was made in secret, And skillfully formed me in the depths of the earth; His eyes have seen my formless substance..."

I am grateful for the path He has guided me down, helping me recognize the emptiness that compelled me to seek the truth. Through His Word, He has revealed Himself to me, allowing me to see His light.

"... He comprehends my path and my lying down, and is acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, He knows it altogether. He has hedged me behind and before, and laid His hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. O Lord, He has searched me and known me. He knows my sitting down and my rising up; He understands my thought afar off."

I am especially thankful for the sacrifice He made when He shed His blood on the cross for me. Through faith, I believe He lives in my heart, and I look forward to the day when I will see Him face to face and share eternity with Him.

My favorite pendant: a Cross and Heart adorned on a Red Rose

I also want to express my gratitude for the direction He has provided in my career. I found a workplace that has been nothing short of a blessing, where I have not only matured professionally but also formed lasting friendships with colleagues. Together, we have created precious memories for 37 and a half years.

Oh, how can I not thank Him for the incredible gift of my life’s best—my helpmeet, soulmate, the one I will grow old with, both physically and spiritually. Together, we cherish our family's blessings, embracing the imperfections that make our journey unique but filled with care, support, and love.

Additionally, I thank the Lord for the opportunity to fellowship with brethren. Together, we strive to honor Him and glorify His name as we worship and lift our voices in praise.

There are yet so many things to be thankful for, but above all, I want to express my deepest gratitude to You, dear Lord and Heavenly Father, for Your grace is new every morning, and Your faithfulness is so great and boundless!

Happy 65th to me!

Singing the Goodness of God

2024-09-11T00:48:00.020+08:00

Hello, friends! It’s been three months of hiatus. In my mind, I never run out of ideas to write on, but time flies so much faster than my fingers could write about them.

Today, I'm excited to share a piece of my heart with you through a beautiful song that has been my companion since the first day of September after I heard it sung during the Sunday Worship Service in church. "Goodness of God" has a special place in my soul because its lyrics resonate with my sentiments throughout the journey of this past year, having completed a full revolution around the sun.

I’m sure many of you who have viewed my 15-second-reels in your Meta or Instagram newsfeed for the past 10 days have become victims of LSS.😁 With each stanza I've been sharing each day, I hope it has brought a piece of magic into your lives too.

I invite you to listen to the whole song and reflect on the emotions it stirs within you. Wanna sing along? Here’s a condensed version of the lyrics… just click on the link down below to enjoy a full rendition from Jenn Johnson. 🎼🎶🎵🎤

I love You, Lord

Oh, Your mercy never fails me

All my days, I've been held in Your hands

From the moment that I wake up

Until I lay my head

Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.

I love Your voice

You have led me through the fire

And in darkest night You are close like no other.

I've known You as a Father

I've known You as a Friend

And I have lived in the goodness of God.

'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me

Your goodness is running after, it's running after me

With my life laid down, I'm surrendered now

I give You everything

'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me,

And all my life You have been faithful

And all my life You have been so, so good

With every breath that I am able

Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God.

Did you shed a tear or two? Well, It’s okay if you did! It means you were so moved by the message of the song and I’m glad to have inspired you somehow… What songs speak to your heart in this way? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Let's connect through the power of music on this journey of self-discovery and inspiration!

Before I conclude, I'd like to share a digital doodle I created with a little help from my daughter, Ayana Grace, using her Apple pencil on my iPad.

Oh, please be kind… NO BASHING on my special day 😁

This is a very rough illustration of my life before and after I came to know Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and Lord.

In the coming days, I look forward to sharing more aspects of my life through artworks created with watercolor. I'm thrilled to experiment using the art materials gifted to me by my daughters and a friend, and I can't wait to get my hands into this colorful journey of creativity.

I love my new stresss busters!

Meanwhile, happy 64th to me!😁

🎊🥳🎉

Stamps and Letters | The Eras Postal Tour: Marina Bay Sands Under the Night Sky

2024-05-24T13:23:00.002+08:00

Greetings! It's been more than a month since my last post, and if you're new here, feel free to catch up on our previous adventures by following the links down, down below.

The night was still young. Our last stop was Gardens by the Bay, where we enjoyed a repeat visit to the mesmerizing Supertrees adorning the surroundings under the night sky. Our return to this spot brought back memories of our 2014 trip, where we were too exhausted physically, our cameras running low on battery, and our feet seemed too heavy to carry.

Here’s one of my old photos of the Supertrees captured back then. Isn't it fascinating to see the 'Then and Now' of our journey?

Now, it’s time to move on to my pursuit of extreme philately with the glitters of Marina Bay Sands using a commemorative stamp from my collection.

I used this Marina Bay Skyline stamp issued on May 28, 2013 with four denominations, namely, 1st Local, $2, 65c and 2nd Local.

The commemorative stamp

The set above consists of four adjoining stamps showcasing the unique feature and intriguing concept of Tête-bêche (ˈtet-ˈbesh/tāt-’beSH), a French term describing two or more intact stamps that are inverted or upside down in relation to each other.

View of Marina Bay Sands from the Supertrees

Then for my venture into extreme deltiology, I turned to the 'Gardens by the Bay' postcard displaying an awesome view of the Supertrees, also with Marina Bay Sands at the background, a familiar choice from my previous post.

I confess it took me quite a number of repeat shots and rejections. It was difficult taking portrait views with all the glittering lights. These are the most acceptable ones featuring the Supertrees at the background.

Thank you for joining me in my extreme philately and deltiology journey!

- - - - - - - -

Click these links to previous posts 👇👇👇

The Eras Postal Tour Preps

BeJeweled

The Search for Hawker Cuisine

Historic Fullerton

The Supertrees

Stamps and Letters | The Eras Postal Tour: Day 2 - The SuperTrees

2024-04-03T16:37:00.001+08:00

Glad to see you here today! How would you like to join us for a walk at the Gardens by the Bay?!

In my first post entitled, "The Eras Postal Tour Preps," I mentioned that I have chosen the Gardens by the Bay stamp and Supertrees postcard to be featured for my Extreme Philately and Extreme Deltiology post.

Here they are...

The stamp

The postcard

The Supertrees at the Supertree Grove

Standing 50 metres above the ground, these iconic giant Supertrees at the Supertree Grove rise up to provide shade in the day and come alive with an exhilarating light and musical show at night. Sad to say, we missed the night light show. We didn’t have the energy to walk back to the Garden after the all the walking we did the whole day.

This man-made mechanical forest features 18 supertrees serving multiple functions such as acting as vertical gardens, harnessing solar power, functioning as air venting ducts, and harvesting rainwater. These Supertrees efficiently release exhaust gases at elevated levels and provide an outlet for dehumidification steam. Designed to be eco-friendly, each tree collects rainwater for irrigation and fountain displays, with 11 equipped with solar panels to power nightly light shows and aid in cooling the air.

Before reaching the prime viewpoint of the Supertrees, we paused for photo ops against the stunning backdrop of the majestic Marina Bay Sands.

Photographing the photographer😁

We didn't pass the chance to pose at the fountain with the Supertrees as backdrop.

Finally, we reached the part where we had a nice view of the trees, only three of them here.

I grabbed the opportunity to practice, this being my very first time to try this philatelic art.

More practice...

Saving the best for last…

We were heading out when we found a better view of the Supertrees.

Well, aren't they beautiful?

What do you think?

Did I pass the test?

Will this make me a Certified Extreme Deltiologist, Mentor Lou Alcala?

My kids asked me if I was happy with my photos. I said, “Yes!” Then, hubby said, “It’s time to go!”

Oh, wait, we’re not leaving until we have this pose…

… and more selfies!

More extreme philately and deltiology ops in the next postal tour post! Meantime, you may click the links below if you missed any of the other tour days. See you again soon!

- - - - -

Postal Eras Tour Preps
BeJeweled

Historic Fullerton

The Search for Hawker Cuisine

Stamps and Letters | The Eras Postal Tour: The Search for Hawker Cuisine

2024-03-28T10:23:00.010+08:00

Hello there! Day 3 - a journey to Bugis Street and Chinatown awaits! Prior to our trip, hubby reminded the kids to include Hawker food centers in our itinerary, and today is the day!

Bugis Street, a bustling street-shopping district in Singapore, is renowned for its affordability and variety of souvenirs, accessories, clothes, electronics, houseware, and cosmetics, drawing locals and tourists alike.

As we explored Bugis Street, the vibrant Candy Staircases at Bugis Village caught hubby's eyes, their whimsical designs resembling giant unwrapped candies, adding a touch of charm to the area.

Then we encountered this mural that prompted me to reach for my hawker stamps and tongs from my bag. I had to yield to the irresistible call for extreme philately!

Right then on, the photo ops began!

In hindsight, my choice to bring along these stamps proved to be a wise decision.

This Hawker Culture stamp set was issued on March 26, 2021 in order to commemorate the successful inscription of Hawker Culture in Singapore on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 16, 2020.

1st Local

70c

90c

$1.40

More of these stamping opportunities in China Town where we searched for some hawker foodie - the coveted must-try dish -Hainanese Chicken Rice, a quintessential Singaporean delicacy that tantalizes taste buds with its succulent chicken and fragrant rice.

Yey, we're here! Our quest was not in vain! We found this hawker place via google maps, the Chinatown Complex Market and Food Centre where the 169 Hainanese Chicken Rice stall was located!

Our excitement soared as we joined the queue waiting to be served, only to be greeted by the 'SOLD OUT' sign.

Oh, no! We came a bit late. All the sought-after Hainanese Chicken had been claimed by other food enthusiasts earlier.

We then settled with an alternative dish, duck rice, which we enjoyed. Hmmmm… yummy!

To complement our meal, we treated ourselves to a refreshing durian shake, a daring choice for hubby, who surprisingly was delighted to the taste he had previously disliked.

The meal wouldn’t have been complete without these photos from various angles...

After savoring our flavorful duck rice and indulging in the durian shake, we went on a leisurely stroll, seeking instagrammable scenes to capture through our lenses.

We chanced upon the attractive facade of the Yellow Chair Chinatown Seafood Restaurant.

While it was still closed, I seized the opportunity to snap a few shots for another batch of extreme philately.

I loved the hawker design of this mural in the Yellow Chair Restaurant.

Hawker centers are communal dining spaces in Singapore, where diverse dishes crafted by talented hawkers reflect the rich tapestry of Singapore's multicultural food heritage. The amalgamation of flavors and culinary traditions serves as a testament to the evolving culinary landscape shaped by immigrant settlers.

As we relished the hawker center's busy ambiance, with the aromatic symphony of sizzling woks and simmering broths from the food stalls, arousing our olfactory nerves, I was happy to find my stamps at home in this gastronomic escapade, bridging the world of philately with the flavors of Singapore's hawker culture, an indispensable cornerstone of Singaporean daily life.

'Til next episode!

- - - -

Postal Eras Tour Preps
BeJeweled

Historic Fullerton

Stamps and Letters | The Eras Postal Tour: Historic Fullerton

2024-03-24T18:37:00.014+08:00

Day 5 greeted us with a clear, bright sky, setting the perfect backdrop for our adventure. As the kids prepared for the much-anticipated concert, I was thrilled at the thought of exploring the iconic Fullerton Hotel.

If you've been following our journey, you know we've had an exciting Day 1 at Jewel Changi Airport. If you missed that, catch up on them here, so you won’t miss anything.

Today, our tour was made even more delightful by the company of Jeffrey Oro, a fellow stamp collector who share a similar passion for philately as I do. Thanks to his guidance, we ventured to the SingPost General Post Office in Paya Lebar, where I indulged in selecting postcards to send special messages. Our next stop was destined to be the Fullerton Postbox, where I eagerly dropped my chosen postcards for some friends and for the first time ever, to myself!

If you remember in my previous post, I mentioned about how videos we watched convinced the hubby to include Fullerton in our tour itinerary. Well, who wouldn’t be persuaded to see one of the Heritage Hotels of Singapore, the Fullerton Hotel.

Watch these

👇👇👇

Magnificent!

Majestic!

I believe Fullerton deserves these adjectives!

The Fullerton Building is a grand neoclassical landmark, declared in December 2015 as a National Monument.

In commemorating Singapore's centennial anniversary, Sir Laurence Guillemard, the colonial governor, commissioned the construction of the Fullerton Building in 1924 with a design by Keys & Dowdeswell. Completed in 1928, this Neoclassical masterpiece housed various tenants, including the General Post Office, the Exchange, and government offices, serving as a hub for essential services and administrative functions, hosting offices for the Governor of Singapore and the High Commissioner for the Federation of Malay States, among others. The General Post Office, presided over by the Postmaster General, occupied much of the space, covering the two lowest floors of the structure.

Entrance to the hotel lobby

where the Mile Zero is fixed.

This is exactly where everything started and where everything leads to in Singapore.

The mile zero mark is right here.

👇👇👇

Wow, I stepped on Singapore’s

Mile Zero mark!

A milestone in my philatelic journey, this is!

I love how hubby was able to capture The Fullerton Building while we were on a river cruise.

View of the Fullerton Hotel with the Cavenagh Bridge.

Text too small? Here's a larger version:

"National Monument

Gazetted on 15 October 2019

Cavenagh Bridge

Completed in 1869, Cavenagh Bridge is the oldest and only iron cable-stayed

bridge in Singapore. It was named after Sir Orfeur Cavenagh, the last Governor

of the Straits Settlement under the government of British India (1859-1867).

Manufactured by P & W MacLellan in Glasgow, it was shipped to Singapore

for assembly. In 1910, Anderson Bridge was opened to ease the increasing

traffic load at Cavenagh Bridge, and the latter was later redesignated as a

pedestrian bridge.

Cavenagh Bridge is one of three Singapore River bridges collectively

gazetted as a National Monument."

It was right here where I did an extreme philately.

Click here to read my previous post where I introduced the extreme philately concept.

The 60c Fullerton Hotel stamp is one of the ten stamps from the Heritage Hotels (2019) series issued on March 22, 2019 celebrating Singapore's rich architectural heritage. Measuring 60 mm x 30 mm, the stamp features ornate flourishes and typography reminiscent of the '20s and '30s, when the Fullerton Building was part of a great boom in neo-classical architecture in Singapore.

After my extreme philately experiment at the Fullerton Hotel, we proceeded to the opposite riverbank via the Cavenagh Bridge to capture the grandeur of the surrounding architecture. It truly was a day of exploration and discovery! A huge thanks to you, Jeffrey, for your invaluable time and unwavering patience. Your presence has left an indelible mark on my philatelic journey and will forever be cherished in my memories.

'Til next extreme philately episode.

- - - - -

The Eras Postal Tour Preps

BeJeweled

Stamps and Letters | The Eras Postal Tour: BeJeweled!

2024-03-21T08:06:00.010+08:00

Hey there, happy to have you here! Ready to embark on the Eras Postal Tour with me today? In case you missed the Preps post, click here to catch up but make sure to come back!

Our first stop couldn't get any better than the enchanting Jewel Changi Airport! It tops our itinerary list for today. Connected to the Arrival Hall - Level 1 of Changi Airport Terminal 1, Jewel is a captivating nature-themed attraction. We missed to see this on our initial trip to Singapore in November 2013 as its construction commenced in December 2014, and finally debuted in October 2019 following a five-year development period.

After claiming our luggage, we just had a quick breakfast, then walked into a lush green terraced forest.

Spanning 21,000sqm, this verdant oasis is home to over 2,000 trees, 10,000 shrubs, and the show-stopping Rain Vortex, the world's tallest indoor waterfall.

Perfect timing, we thought, as we patiently waited for the clock to strike 11:00 in the morning. All heads and eyes looked up from where the water would descend. Everyone eagerly watched as the mist started to appear slowly from the top in several cycles.

But not a single drop fell! Why, oh, why!?

Our excitement was momentarily dampened when we learned that the Rain Vortex would not be operating for the day, leaving us with wistful faces. 🙁😟😩😭😫😒😔😞

We waited, still hoping for a reversal of the previous announcement, but there was none. Despite the setback, we savored the tranquil ambiance of the lush garden while watching a band performance before venturing further into Singapore, the City in Nature.

Team Bulaklak (Flower)

While attempting an extreme philately shot with the 'Jewel Changi Airport' stamp didn't go as planned, we embraced the unexpected turn of events.

The stamp had to hide in its rightful place in my bag.

Hubby gave the signal for us to move on so off we went. Just chillin’ on our way out.

Our journey continued with awe-inspiring sights, including the captivating Wonderfall at T2's departure hall. The colossal 14-metre-tall digital waterfall display provided a picturesque backdrop for some memorable snapshots.

The Wonderfall

This spectacle did not escape hubby’s cam and mine

Photographing the photographers…

Equipped with our tourist passes from a vending machine for convenient bus and train transportation, we headed to the train station for our first ride to the hotel, eagerly anticipating more adventures in the vibrant city of Singapore.

Our first train ride

We called it a day after checking in our hotel and having our first dinner.

Meantime, stay tuned for more and the possibility of extreme philately in my upcoming posts. There’s still hope … not today though... just wait and see… Adventure still awaits, so keep exploring with me!

See you in the next post!

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The Eras Postal Tour Preps

Historic Fullerton

Stamps and Letters | The Eras Postal Tour Preps

2024-03-18T18:14:00.013+08:00

While I may not be a self-proclaimed Swiftie, I’ve witnessed my eldest daughter Ayana Grace bring Taylor Swift's piano melodies to life through her videos on social media over the years. Recently, she shared this- - -

🎹 CodenameAya

A video clip of Ayana Grace’s recent piano rendition of Taylor Swift’s ‘Cruel Summer,’ one of her early fave TS songs, with a video of TS singing the song live on her Eras Tour performance in the same clip.

Passports to the Eras Tour Concert

My lovely daughters, Ana Cristina and Ayana Grace at the Singapore National Stadium

I'm tempted to post more of their photos, sad to say, this post isn't about the spectacular Eras Tour Concert they attended with their friends. Neither is this about how we grabbed the rare opportunity to unwind as a family for the first time since the pandemic.

True that after my retirement from hospital work in 2020, I have been juggling caregiving duties for my mother, hence, this was a much-needed escape, as our last adventure in Taipei was back in 2018.

Well, the truth is, this post is a segment of my personal journey as a stamp collector since I returned to this hobby in June 2021.

I was excited to delve into the world of Extreme Philately, for the first time (inspired by fellow stamp collector-enthusiasts, Byrone Barrinuevo, Lou Alcala, Gootzie Herrera, among others).

Extreme philately involves researching on stamps from one’s collection, traveling to their real-world locations, and capturing the stamp's essence alongside its physical counterpart. By doing such, one gets to observe the imagery featured on the stamp, find the aspect of the stamp in real life, and take a photo of both side by side.

If done using postcards, it is called Extreme Deltiology (Thanks to you, Lou, for introducing the term to me!). While philately is the collection and study of postage stamps, deltiology is the hobby of collecting postcards. I am not a deltiologist but I've been receiving postcards from friends who are stamp and/or postcard collectors and I do treasure each postcard I receive.

To give you an idea, take a look at how extreme philately and extreme deltiology work…

The 10p Oblation stamp from the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA) Centennial series issued on April 2, 2013 was used by Byrone Barrinuevo for his extreme philately post taken alongside the real life Oblation of UP Diliman.

Here's another example of extreme philately by Lou Alcala using the 60 German pfennig (Pf) denomination stamp, commemorating the 50th birth anniversary of Anne Frank (1929-45), Nazi concentration camp victim and diary writer. The stamp was photographed together with Anne Franks's diary. The stamp was issued in Germany on May 17, 1979.

This is Gootzie Herrera's extreme philately that features 'Columbus Monument, Barcelona', a stamp from Spain issued on March 17, 1965. A photo of the stamp was taken with the 60-meter (197 ft) tall real-life Columbus Monument constructed in La Rambla, Barcelona in honor of Christopher Columbus' first voyage to the Americas. Thank you, Gootzie, for bringing this home to us from your tour!

This is an example of Extreme Deltiology, where Lou Alcala took a photo of the Hanging Coffins of Sagada (left) and another photo (right) both with a postcard and the hanging coffins at the background. This has been a unique burial ritual of the Kankanaey (natives of Sagada) for over 2,000 years.

Carefully selecting stamps from my collection, featuring Singapore's iconic landmarks and postcards capturing the city's charm, made the prospect of blending my hobbies with our tour itinerary truly exhilarating. It gave me an entirely different focus and challenging travel experience to look forward to this time.

I have chosen these stamps to match our itinerary- - -

Jewel Changi Airport from the Skyrise Greenery series

Gardens by the Bay

Marina Bay Skyline

200 Years of Healthcare featuring Singapore General Hospital and

Singapore Hawker Culture

Then these postcards for extreme deltiology…

Gardens by the Bay

Welcome to Singapore postcard featuring Merlion, Westin Stamford and Esplanade

Merlion with Marina Bay Sands as backdrop

and

Clarke Quay

Credits to Jeffrey Oro for the stamps and postcards featured here.

Here they all are… eagerly waiting to jump into my bag!😁

Excitement brewed as I shared my wishlist of places to explore in Singapore with the family. Thankfully, spots like Gardens by the Bay, the iconic Marina Bay Sands, Merlion, and the vibrant China Town Hawker Center were already on our tentative list. Before each trip, we they 🤣… errr… our family would huddle together (I would always be in the kitchen, just listening to what’s going on 😁😆) to fine-tune our travel itinerary, often drawing inspiration from travel vlogs we watch together. A historical video of the Fullerton Hotel captivated hubby, earning it a well-deserved spot on our must-visit list.

Watch this video 👇👇👇

A few days before the trip, I made sure the stamps wouldn’t fall off my stamp tongs if it’s windy. Ensuring the safety of all stamps and postcards I have taken out of my stock books, I secured the items by wrapping each stamp in protective Oriented Polypropylene (OPP) film with a stiffener. OPP plastics are strong and resistant to tearing and moisture, have a high resistance to heat, hence, are commonly used by stamp collectors in protecting stamps.

Here’s how I did it.

👇👇👇

Then, I placed all the stamps in a card holder (thanks to Angie Valdez for this gift… a souvenir from our Philippine Stamp Collectors’ Society (PSCS) Stamp Circuit Group).

Card holder for the stamps coming with me to Singapore

Stamps and postcards all set to go

Oh, the postcards, I just placed them in a 7.5 x 4.5-inch mount to safeguard against wrinkles during the flight and the tour.

Stamps in card holder, all postcards together in the mount and stamp tongs ready

I also covered the tip of the tongs so it wouldn’t appear as sharp object although I knew tongs and tweezers are allowed in carry-on bags.

Used washi tape to cover the tips of the stamp tongs

I had to practice using the tongs just to get a feel of it, making sure I made a good grasp, else the stamp would fall and I might lose any of them forever.

All my bags are packed, ready to go!

And now, let The Eras Postal Tour begin!

The unveiling commenced with the first stop at the mesmerizing Jewel Changi Airport, setting the stage for an exciting adventure ahead!

Ooooopppsss… this is just a preview!

Stay tuned for more stories from my extreme philately journey in the next blog installment. ⏭️⏭️⏭️

- - - - -

BeJeweled

Historic Fullerton

Crocheted Chair Socks

2023-11-22T15:49:00.009+08:00

It’s been more than a year since I crocheted. Oh, how I miss my yarn and crochet hooks! I gave away yarn from my stash to unload and declutter before we moved to our new residence last year.

Since my mother recovered from COVID-19 almost three years ago (she was 96 years old then), exactly the same time I retired from service, I became her caregiver 24/7. That has caused me to sleep on a foam mattress beside her bed to keep watch whenever she needs to get up to use the bedside commode especially at night. At my age, getting up from a flat mattress has started to become a struggle. So we bought a new sofa bed, convertible from bed (where I sleep at night) to couch during the day, to replace the flat mattress I’ve been using temporarily.

The advantage of having a sofa bed is that I could move it from one part of the room to another, as necessary, usually in front of the TV or it serves as my work space during the day. However, frequent moving of the furniture leaves unnecessary marks and scratches on the floor so as a come-back crochet project, I thought of making these chair socks.

I found a pattern from Pinterest that I followed with some modifications. Very easy! You can finish one in just a few minutes.

Using gray, the closest color to the sofa bed, here’s what I did:

Make a magic circle (MC).

Round 1: 8 SCs in MC. Join with a slip stitch (ss).

Round 2: Chain 1. SC in first stitch (equivalent to a pair of SC). 2 SCs in the remaining 7 SCs of previous round. SS to join (16 sts in round).

Round 3: Chain 1. SC in each SC of previous round. Do not join (16 sts in round).

Round 4: SC on all SCs of previous round continuously. Do not join.

Rounds 5-16: Repeat Round four (4) until desired length is reached. SS on SC of previous round. Fasten off.

Then I glued a rubber sole for each sock.

I made four pieces to complete the set for a four-legged sofa bed.

Here they are - - - my crocheted chair socks!

Before

After

You can now dress up your dining table and chairs. You can use colorful yarns according to your preference. You can also make several sets of different colors. How about red and green for the coming holidays!?

If you do, please share in the comment box below what color you used.

Your Grace is Amazing

2023-09-12T18:02:00.020+08:00

Sunday morning. I was standing in the midst of the congregation, reflecting on the lyrics of the song flashed on the screen. My heart overflowed with praise and thanksgiving for how the Lord has been so gracious unto me and my family all these years.

And so from deep within my heart I sing (silently 🤫🤐) …

A Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving

Father God, oh, how I praise You

Thank You for how You loved me
Truly, how wide, how deep, how great is Your love for me.

Everyday I fail You,

Everyday I fall,

I allow my weakness to rule.

Moment by moment I sin against Thee

Yet Your amazing grace has never ceased to delight me.

Unworthy that I am,

Your faithfulness I don’t deserve

You continue pouring Your blessings still.

When once I dwelt in darkness and sin

Forgiveness I sought

That I may enter Your gates

And behold Your Holy face.

Once again my lips declare Your goodness for the new life in Christ Thou gavest me.

Nothing in my hands I bring

On high I raise them up to honor Thee

Because strong and mighty is the power of the blood that Christ shed for me.

Today I stand before Thee in awe

All thanks and praises to You I bestow.

Thank You for my family, loved ones and friends,

Thank You for the bountiful blessings in my life You bring.

Thank You for filling our table with manna daily,

That physical strength be ours to serve you everyday.

I shout Your goodness!

I shout Your mercy!

I shout Your grace!

I praise and thank You, Father, for these overflowing goodness, mercy and grace!

On my 63rd…

Cornetto… for our 34th

2023-09-03T07:56:00.008+08:00

I knew it! Somebody’s going to post this photo in his timeline before I could!

Still I’m including it here because the truth is, we don’t have much photos together during the pandemic 😩 and I couldn’t decide which of our old photos to recycle for today’s celebration.

So for a change, here are some Cornetto pick-up lines. Corny-two, promise!!! 🤣🤣🤣

September 17, 2022

October 2, 2022

No, you’re definitely not milktea, neither am I. You’re brewed coffee☕️☕️☕️ I’m simply Milo with milk 🍫🥛 sharing late morning breakfast everyday.

December 11, 2022

Well, for the whole duration of the pandemic, you’ve been working from home. Then, when it was time for you to report for work physically, you were blessed to have favorable class schedules that allow you to be at home 5 days a week! That doesn’t make me THINK of you arrow-arrow because I actually SEE you almost arrow-arrow🤣🤣🤣

October 2, 2022

Di ako solved kasi ‘4’ ako sa Math 11 😩 but you, as mathematician, act with so much precision based on your theorems and assumptions.

December 11, 2022

Well, not really. On the contrary, two-gether we continue to live our lives in the grace of the Lord. Together, we have come this far and partake of His undeserved blessings. Together, we praise and thank Him for the 34 years of goodness and faithfulness, and for all that He has given to us and has done for us and our family.

September 17, 2022

Bottomless (kunyari lang) Cornetto with our fave YouTube shows and Netflix movies.

September 11, 2022

🤔 🤔🤔

Corne-tto-gether…forever! 🤣🤣🤣

Happy 34th to us!!!

- - - - -

Celebrating 32 Years of God’s Grace and Love (2021)

A Blessed 31st amid the Pandemic (2020)

Trekking Thirty (2019)

The Changing Colours of Autumn (2018)

Thank You for Rejoicing with Us (2016)

The Best of Billy and Eve at 25 (2014)

L'amour @ 24 (2013)

Stories from the Cupboard: Vegetable Pastel (2012)

Stamps and Letters | From Manohar

2023-09-01T11:49:00.004+08:00

It’s World Letter Writing Day today (September 1).

In this post, I’m sharing a story about my very first Indian penfriend, Winston Manohar Karkada.

In response to my mother’s encouragement for me to engage in letter writing, I sought opportunities through various means like buying magazines and song hits. I would browse through the Penpal Section and select names to write to. Who can relate?😊

I couldn’t remember exactly where I got his name. I sent a letter to Freddie R. Enriquez, requesting for pen pals.

I enclosed this self-addressed stamped envelope that he returned to me together with his reply.

My heart fell… I couldn’t recall how deep, but had to pick up the pieces. There was a ray of hope! I just had to write one more time. This time to Operation Friendship.

After some months, this letter came. Not from Operation Friendship though. An aerogramme. The first I ever received… from my very first penfriend from India.

My father, the town’s postman, brought home the letter. He himself couldn’t seem to believe how the letter arrived in its destination.

As he wrote in his letter, Winston just heard my name announced by Far East Broadcasting Company radio station.

Amazing how the mail found its way to me when other than my name and country, everything else in my address was misspelled!

I salute all the Bureau of Posts sorters in every processing center for that great job!

Winston and I started exchanging letters and stamps in 1976. He was 28; I was 16. I was a senior high school student, he was a bank employee of Indian Overseas Bank in Mangalore, India. I was a Roman Catholic, he was a Christian, a Sunday School teacher. He played the violin in his church in Mangalore. He wanted to have a pen friend from another country.

The letter and stamp exchange continued for two years until I wasn’t able to do my part anymore as college life demanded more time.

Letter writing has come to a halt until one day I saw the box of letters my mother had safely kept together with my stamp collection. That prompted me to reconnect with him so I sent him a letter using the same address he used in the past. In my letter, I shared with him how I became a born-again Christian, how I met my husband in the church and that I already had two kids attending a Christian school.

He wrote back with an update of himself. In his reply, he shared that my letter was forwarded to his new mailing address by the bank where he used to work. He was also married and he wrote about his wife and retirement from the bank.

That was the last letter exchange we had. Attempt to reconnect with him through the social media in early 2000 led me to an obituary published by his family.

Today, while writing this post, I google searched for his name and was surprised to find his genealogy. Click here to read.

With all certainty, this is he… Winston Manohar Karkada, my penfriend.

It’s heartwarming to know that he has long slept in the Lord yet memories of him forever live in the hearts of his loved ones and friends… including mine.

More letter writing stories in the coming posts. Do share your story in the comment box below!

Stamps and Letters | Queen Sirikit’s 60th Birthday

2023-08-12T11:46:00.005+08:00

Today is August 12, 2023. On this same day in 1932, Queen Sirikit, wife of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, was born.

Queen Sirikit (Mom Rajawongse or Mom Rajawong) Kitiyakara is the Queen mother of Thailand, the mother of Vajiralongkorn (Rama X), current king of Thailand, and the queen consort (as wife of King Bhumibol - Rama IX) of Thailand from April 28, 1950 until October 13, 2016.

I’m collecting stamps of King Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. My interest on them can be traced back to my family’s travel to Bangkok, Thailand in 2016, at the time when the whole country was mourning over the death of their beloved King. We had that opportunity to witness how the Thais manifested such great reverence on their King. Click HERE to read my travel post on that.

In this stamp post, I’m featuring Queen Sirikit’s 60th Birthday Anniversary - 2nd Series (1992).

These are two (2) souvenir sheets featuring photos of Queen Sirikit on different events of her life: her Royal Wedding Ceremony with King Bhumibol (April 28, 1950), Coronation Ceremony of King Bhumibol (May 5, 1950), Royal Anointment by King Bhumibol on her instatement as Queen of Thailand during the King’s Coronation Ceremony (May 5, 1950), her Instatement as Queen of Thailand, visiting wounded soldiers, and visiting her subjects (stamp photos of all events below).

These souvenir sheets are 2 of the 14 from the 60th Birthday of Queen Sirikit commemorative series (consisting of 1st, 2nd and 3rd), all issued on August 12, 1992.

The 1st and 3rd series are NOT in my collection.

The 2nd SERIES consists of PERFORATE and IMPERFORATE issues, both 175 x 160 mm in size and sold at 30 Thai bahts each.

Here they are:

*60th birthday of Queen Sirikit (1)

Perforate

*60th birthday of Queen Sirikit (2)

Imperforate

Both Souvenir Sheets from the 2nd series include the following stamps (48 x 30 mm in size each):

*Wedding ceremony (2 Thai baht)

*Royal Couple Seated at Coronation Ceremony (2 Thai baht)

*Anointment as Queen (2 Thai baht)

*Seated on Chair (2 Thai baht)

*Visiting Hospital Patient (2 Thai baht)

*Talking to Subjects (2 Thai baht)

On the top right corner of each stamp, one can find the Queen’s Royal Cypher in gold. It bears a crown over her initials (letters S (ส) and K (ก)) that stand for Sirikit Kitthiyagon.

In 2012, Queen Sirikit was reported to have suffered a stroke, was subsequently treated and has refrained from public appearances sincethen.

On August 11, 2022, the Royal Thai Embassy hosted a reception for Queen Sirikit’s 90th birthday at the Ritz-Carlton Washington D.C. under the project, “Thailand Promotion and Thai Advocacy in the U. S.” to showcase her great works and achievement in the revival and conservation of Thai textile, music, dance and food tourism.

References:

https://colnect.com/en/stamps/list/country/211-Thailand/series/317624-60th_Birthday_of_Queen_Sirikit/page/2

https://www.thailex.info/THAILEX/THAILEXENG/LEXICON/Queen%20Sirikit%27s%2060th%20Birthday%20Anniversary%20%282nd%20Series%29.htm

https://thaiembdc.org/2022/08/18/queen-mother-bd/

Stamps and Letters | My Father’s Legacy

2023-08-11T02:59:00.007+08:00

Today marks a significant milestone as I open the doors to the inclusion of stamp collection under the new section ’STAMPS’ in this blogsite, where I delve into a hobby that has lain dormant for more than 40 years until its reawakening two years ago.

19 June 2021. The turning point, it was, when I clicked 'JOIN' on the Philippine Stamp Collectors' Society (PSCS) Facebook page. It has caused my life as a retiree to see more transformation, with philately as an added interest to focus on (exactly what my gray matter needs as a senior citizen).

Since Day 1, I got hooked on discovering the beauty and wonders concealed within those miniature pieces of paper of various color, texture and size.

Look! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

These are stamps of different sizes and shapes I have collected from different countries.

Why does this hobby hold a special place in my heart? Well, as the daughter of the town’s postman, I was introduced to this hobby at a young age. I vividly recall my father entrusting me with a handful of stamps he had preserved in his wallet.

These are some of the stamps I kept in my very first stamp album. This page includes one of my favorite stamps.

See the one I have highlighted at the center

⬇️⬇️⬇️

Here, take a closer look.

⬇️⬇️⬇️

This stamp reminds me of my father and his delivery bike (to be featured in another post).

Supported by my mother’s motivation to engage in letter writing, that spark ignited within me a strong connection to this pursuit.

A letter from my very first penpal from India

Through this blogpage, I am thrilled to share my personal stamp collection, spotlighting on the historical backgrounds of designs, designers, the unique features and characteristics of each stamp, and the connections I have with them.

Henceforth, I invite you to join me on this journey and together, let us revel in the joy and fulfillment that await us as we explore the countless discoveries this hobby unveils. Within the vast tapestry of history, geography, arts, and culture, we will witness a convergence that unfolds through the captivating world of philately.

It is my fervent hope that this would serve as an inspiration, encouraging you to pursue your own adventure into the realm of stamp collecting. I challenge you to uncover the treasures within each tiny piece of paper with me.

Stamps and Letters for Eve… that’s me, the Postman's Daughter… sharing my father’s legacy here and in my new Fb (Meta) page…

Click HERE to LIKE or FOLLOW.

Maruya | Banana Pancake

2023-06-15T16:51:00.004+08:00

It’s been months (?) or a year since I made maruya (banana fritters; kumbo in Ilonggo or Visayan dialect). This has become a frequent breakfast or merienda on our table during this pandemic.

I learned to cook maruya from my mother using a very simple recipe consisting of mashed saba, margarine, flour, sugar and egg but through the years, I’ve learned to modify her simple recipe by doing the math in my kitchen. The price of having a mathematician for a hubby. 🤣

I play with the ingredients each time I cook… like using unsalted butter instead of margarine, using brown instead of white sugar, adding non-fat milk, vanilla and raisins. For my previous experiment, I mixed the sliced bananas with pre-mixed pancake flour.

For this version of maruya recipe, there were more spur-of-the-moment additions. The bottle of oatmeal seemingly gave me an irresistible grin while I was reaching for the flour in the cupboard. How could I not give in to such a healthy invitation!

Oh, yes, how could I not notice the dried blueberries waving radiantly at me when I took the pack of raisins?

Finally, the lemon extract took a big step forward even before I could take out the vanilla. It took me a few seconds to make up my mind…Vanilla? Lemon? Vanilla? Lemon? 🤔 Hmmm... why not take both?!!!

Interested to know how I did it? Here, let me share with you…

Cooking Directions

Ingredients:

5 pcs medium-sized saba

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

2 tbsps softened unsalted butter

1/2 cup muscovado sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup non-fat milk

Few drops of lemon extract and vanilla

1/4 cup dried raisins and blueberries (and/or nuts, though optional)

Oil

Steps:

1. Slice saba.

2. Add flour, oatmeal and 1 tbsp butter. Mix.

3. Add sugar, milk, egg, vanilla and lemon extract.

4. Add raisins and blueberries. Mix.

5. Heat oil and remaining butter in pan.

6. Place 2- 3 tbsps of batter on pan.

6. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

7. Remove from pan. Place on paper towel.

8. Serve hot with your favorite beverage.

Hmmm… I so love this latest version. I was surprised at how the measurement created a perfect blend of batter resulting in soft and fluffy pieces that tasted like pancakes! My mother and hubby both love pancakes.

The recipe yielded 8 medium and large pieces. Ssssshhhh…. hubby consumed half! 🤣🤣🤣 Ayana Grace saw my Instagram post and asked if there was any left when she came over the following day. Well, there were still four pieces of raw banana left! That meant the planned banana cake had to wait for the next baking session.

Oh, wait, for this requested batch of maruya, I used peppermint flavor instead of lemon. You guessed it right! Another instant decision I made because I love peppermint (Peppermint Patty, too 😉😜) and there were several of them in the ref!!! Ayana Grace suggested adding a few drops to my coffee. So I did, and I superduper loved it!

We have finished our afternoon coffee before I realized I forgot to add the egg. Good that nobody seemed to have noticed... and there were no left-overs! 🤣

Now back to the next episode of my K-drama! 🙂🙂🙂

8th BCCHS General Alumni Homecoming Day 2 | May 13, 2017

2023-05-20T04:02:00.017+08:00

We do not remember days; we remember moments.

- Cesare Pavese

Hello dear batchmates! It's time to turn the calendar back to when we last enjoyed each other's company.

May 11-13, 2017. It's been six years sincethen! I posted photos of Day 1 of the main event but got lost with work and family life that Day 2 had to wait… for six years! I'm so sorry if this comes very, very late, though I believe, it’s just in time to keep your adrenaline rising again for the upcoming 2023 BCCHS 18th Annual Alumni Homecoming... another time for us to celebrate our 45th year (Sapphire) anniversary! May 20, 2023 (delayed for a year because of the pandemic). Oh, my, that’s only a few hours from now! Thanks to Roger for patiently explaining to me the background of this very special celebration!

Before we go any further, you might want to refresh yourselves with the Honoring Ceremony during the 8th General Alumni Homecoming held on May 12, 2017 (Day 1 of the two-day main event). If you missed it, click these links below but make sure you get back here to view more reminiscences on the second day (May 13, 2017).

Click ➡️➡️➡️ 40 years later

Click ➡️➡️➡️ 40 years ago, Dear Teachers

There you are! Thanks for coming back!

Now let me share with you memories captured 6 years ago. It was a big challenge recalling specific details at this time when our brain cells are starting to degenerate. Scrutinizing photos over and over again was one thing. The decision of choosing only the best pose was another thing.

(Disclaimer: Forgive the hands that trembled in excitement while clicking the cam and credits to May Dizon Ynzon for a number of photos I grabbed from her Fb posts, with her permission 😀).

Here they are… photo dump of Day 2, taken from various corners of Fortitude Room.

Say "hello, hello, hello!"

Hello, everyone!

This is Eve Tallafer-Sison. Welcome to our BCCHS 8th General Alumni Homecoming!

Come on, let's volt in!

Doreen Coriana: "Attention everyone! The Singing and Charity Diva of our batch is here!"

Ruby "Token" Tia-Lizares with her charming smile pose with everybody she sees.

With her beshie, Lory Ann Padilla and amiga Eve Tallafer-Sison

Wait... there's more!

With Maricar Sarad-Moises and Jerome Dazo

Left: Portia Gimotea-Familiaran; Right: Pelaflor Pesca-Espera and Yvonne Farren-Riolo

Cherry Pie Lino-Sermonia, Maricar Sarad-Moises and Pilar Guillen

Nice pose Libertad and Joy, do you agree? Pa-cute? Pa-demure? Whichever... but I love this!

Joy, see what Manuel is doing so early in the morning with Alex Gane! 🤣🤣🤣

Left: Arturo Ubarra, Jocelyn Jaleco-Camemo, Libertad Patalagsa-Villanueva

Right: Tatay Wilfredo "Billy" Antiquiera, Yvonne Faren-Riolo, Jocelyn Jaleco-Camemo

Eve Tallafer - Sison, Jerome Dazo with wifey and Joy Angela Hofileña-Gepes

Jerome Dazo, Delia Cañon, Pilar Guillen and Maricar Sarad-Moises

Ronald, amusingly squeezes himself in 😁 while I was listening intently to Portia's life story.

Recalling faces time has changed could be depressing. You know the person yet the name eludes you after you think it’s been at the tip of your tongue for some time. Thank you, Maricar, Melba, Pelaflor, Bonny, Susalyn, Roger, MacRey, Jocelyn, for coming to my rescue, refreshing my mind on names of some alumni I couldn't recognize or maybe I really did not know them at all.

Thelma Panique, Token, Jane Cuachon-Gestosani and Melany Lumanog

Pelaflor Pesca-Espera with her berks - - - Bernardita Malunes, Erilyn Susana, Raynalyn Ngitngit,

Edgar Leganto, Libertad Patalagsa and Nida Gomez-Lopez. Were these the scrabble buddies?

Hmmm... it seems the room has been occupied already that some have invaded the corridor.

Or the rising temperature drove them out?

I caught this group of lovely ladies who needed to take some breath of fresh air.

Portia Gimotea-Familiaran and Rena Corazon Tejares-Gargalicano catching up with Angie Geronimo-Tuale and Maricar Sarad-Moises

Joy, Ruby, Doreen and Cherry Pie

Look who's 'neighboring' from another room!

Miss Dinah Ortaliz wasn’t able to resist posing with her former students.

Look at her face... not a trace of 46 years is visible!

Photo ops pa more!

‘Twas really nice seeing everyone smiling, laughing out loud while taking selfies, groupies, catching up, reliving memories of high school days and even of life beyond high school.

Guess who has the most contagious smile?

Ooooppppssss... is the camera frame getting smaller or the group is getting bigger?

Jane Cuachon-Gestosani: "Wait, I'm not yet ready!"

Elsa Buenaflor: "Ok lang, Jane, salo ta ka ah!"

From another corner of the room...

Let’s have a toast!

Chona Cuison-Robles, the rose among the thorns, with Allan Gayanilo, Alberto Eloro, Jesus Gedoria and Rogelio 'Cano' Ceballos

The room has four sides and four corners. Let's see who are on the other side...

Vicente Genzola and Isidro Montero seemed to have been observing physical distancing four years prior to the pandemic!

Roger, what are the boys up to? Something's brewing outside!?

Sin-o ang tunay ng macho-gwapito, aber?!

O ang babae pag minamahal... ♫♬🎶♫♬🎶

Angie: "High 5"

And all the men say, "Cheers!"

Mario, please focus! 🤣

Lory Ann, Raynalyn, Thelma, Melany and Token

Angie, later pa ang food, photo ops anay ah!

Angie: "Kadugay man sa ila abi mag serve sang food, ti nagkaon ko anay suman."

Give space, give space! The table is now ready!

Let’s go!

Hmmm... the crunch!

Group photo first before lunch

Fellowship over lunch

Mr. President Rogelio Jumuad Jr. delivered the Opening Remarks or Prayer? Roger, were you leading the singing of the Philippine National Anthem? Or singing the Happy Birthday song? Who can recall?

Then Mr. President says, "Let the feast begin!"

Plain rice? Fried rice? Arroz Valenciana?

Daw mas mabakal ang arroz valenciana haw?

Abi tilawan ta man! My fave and I bet, yours, too!

Doreen: Kanamit sang suman!

The face of happiness and contentment

Well, the bonding and fellowship didn't end there. We had an evening of extended fun and feasting at Doña Jesusa Hall, Mt. Carmel Arcade.

While some had to leave early, those who were available stayed on to enjoy each other's company.

We also took great pleasure in either listening to or singing songs of our era. A night of surprises and discovery, it was indeed, as we were entertained by batchmates who showed off their singing prowess without inhibition!

♫♬🎶♫♬🎶

Through the years, you've never let me down

You've turned my life around

The sweetest days I've found, I've found with you

Through the year, I've never been afraid

I've loved the life we've made

And I'm so glad I stayed right here with you

Through the years... ♫♬🎶

Selected alumni were called up front to give their messages.

Lawrence Ledesma

Cherry Pie Lino-Sermonia, Raynalyn Ngitngit, Lory Ann Padilla

MacReynold Ginolos

Doreen, Angie, Eve

To cap the night, Mr. Rogelio Jumuad Jr. presided the meeting conducted with the group. He gave a brief recollection of memories of high school days and expressed his thanks and appreciation to everyone for their presence and contribution in the preparation for the event. He commended everyone’s efforts for the success of the Ruby Jubilee. He also presented the accomplishments of the association during his term. He gave a report on generation of funds through individual contribution and other means, expenses incurred, as well as ending balance in the coffers of the association. He also sought the body’s opinion on provision of financial support to alumni in need. I salute you, Mr. President, for a job well done!

Finally, the night was made complete with everybody making a few more poses while shouting "Ruby!"

Wacky!

One last... wacky!!!!

Thank you for bearing with me, everyone!

Today, as we meet, catch up and celebrate, on this 18th Annual Alumni Homecoming,

our 45th (Sapphire) Anniversary, may we be all, in one spirit, unite to journey to our next stop

four years from now... another day to look forward to... our 50th Anniversary.

Allow me to park my pen right here... until we all meet again, on our Golden Jubilee!

BCCnian, we truly are!

How to Make Tikoy-Cheese Turon and Tikoy-Langka Turon

2023-01-23T14:32:00.009+08:00

Gōng xǐ fā cái (Wishing you wealth and prosperity in Chinese)!

Gong Hei Fa Choi (Happy New Year in Cantonese)!

My family has Chinese blood on both paternal and maternal sides - - - Cuachon on my father’s side and Uy on my mother’s side (originally, but changed to Hoy by my maternal grandfather, to make it less Chinese-eyyy, so my mother told me). Having chinky eyes makes me one of the minority Hoy grandchildren with this prominent Chinese feature. To think that I have only 1/8 Chinese blood and haven’t learned any Chinese word! I would often be asked by acquaintances if I’m Chinese, or Vietnamese, at times, Korean. In Chinese-owned Department Stores, when I was a kid, the owners would ask me or my mother, “Intsik?” (“Chinese?”) or would even speak to us in Chinese!

Oh, well, at my age, the reminiscing stage has really begun! But before I get sidetracked into writing about my family tree, let me share with you these two very simple and easy Tikoy merienda dishes I made yesterday, a shift from the usual Fried Tikoy (Glutinous Rice Cake) with Egg I used to make in the past. Hubby and I both missed this last year so I made sure it was on my ‘to buy’ list. Fortunately, he was able to get one!

Here’s the recipe of Tikoy-Cheese Turon and Tikoy-Langka Turon, a very simple and easy merienda.

Ingredients:

5 pieces lumpia wrapper, halved

10 slices of tikoy (5 mm thick)

10 slices of cheese (5 mm thick, preferrably quickmelt, for that goooeeeyyy effect, but for this recipe, I used left-over Quezo de Bola)

Strips of fresh or sweetened langka (jackfruit)

1/4 cup water

Oil

Ayana Grace, my eldest daughter, brought home a pack of frozen langka that I cooked as she requested. So I just took a few pieces and sliced them into strips for this recipe.

Cooking directions:

Place 1 slice of tikoy and 1 slice of cheese together on lumpia wrapper. Fold wrapper and seal edges with water.
Repeat for the remaining tikoy and cheese slices.
Heat oil on pan.
Fry wrapped tikoy and cheese on medium heat until golden brown on both sides.

5. Remove from heat. Drain on paper towel. I used a ceramic oven baking grill plate so there was no need for paper towel.

6. Serve hot.

Repeat the same procedure, replacing cheese slices with langka.

Hmmm…we all loved the crunch! You have to try it to have a taste of that crunchy experience!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Celebrating 32 Years of God’s Grace and Love

2021-09-03T03:42:00.011+08:00

On our 31st, I featured how the lockdown caused by the pandemic kept hubby and me together everyday after many years of having been a weekend wife. I also shared about our close encounters with COVID-19, how we, as a family, battled against it, and how God taught us precious lessons in the midst of our journey.

Today, as we celebrate another year, still amid the pandemic, I’m sharing memories of that day 32 years ago… the day I walked down the aisle limping after sustaining a fracture one week before our wedding day.

A simple wedding it was, made possible with so much help from our friends. May the Lord bless them all every single day.

September 2, 1989

I remember waking up early in the morning to wrap my fractured foot in plastic before taking a bath. I could vividly recall how my hands trembled as I removed the cast before putting on my stockings.

There was no time for me to shop for a low-heeled shoes so I went to church wearing a pair of slippers.

I had to carry my shoes to the bride’s waiting room.

A minute before the bridal march, I slowly put on my two-and-a-half-inch-heeled shoe to the affected foot, so afraid that it won’t fit due to the slight swelling. Wohooo, it did fit!

But I had to whisper to my father to walk slowly along the aisle. “Tay, hinayhinay lang.”

I was softly counting the steps going to the altar, taking extra care to keep both feet straight during the march.

For the rest of the ceremony, I never felt any pain.

All the endorphins must have been in full force doing their job so well

until we said our “I do’s” and vows.

😊😊😊

Not a single sign of pain while signing the marriage contract!

🤣🤣🤣

Now, it was time for the groom to kiss his bride.

And we were ready to face the world as we ventured to start our new life together…

all by His grace!

Praising and thanking God for His sustaining grace to both of us and our family these 32 years!

= = = = =

A Blessed 31st amid the Pandemic (2020)

Stories from the Cupboard: Vegetable Pastel (2012)

L'amour @ 24 (2013)

The Best of Billy and Eve at 25 (2014)

Thank You for Rejoicing with Us (2016)

The Changing Colours of Autumn (2018)

Trekking Thirty (2019)

Kilawing Labanos (Sauteed Chicken or Pork and Radish) Recipe

2021-07-08T16:46:00.005+08:00

In my post some years ago, "A Legacy from my Mother-in-Law," I wrote about how I learned to cook. I also shared where I got the recipes for the first few dishes I usually made as a young wife. In this post, I mentioned the recipe book, Masasarap na Lutuing Pilipino ni Aling Charing.

In a sequel post, I featured one dish from Aling Charing’s recipe book, one of my husband's favorite dishes - - - Kilawing Labanos (sauteed pork and radish). Hubby introduced me to this recipe from Aling Charing's old favorite cookbook. From then on, this dish has become one of my signature dishes at home. Through the years of making this dish, I already made some twists from Aling Charing's original recipe.

Here’s my own version of Kilawing Labanos.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 large tomatoes, sliced
1/4 pork or chicken breast chunks (I always use chicken because hubby doesn’t eat pork)
1 cup water
1/4 pork liver
2 medium radish, sliced thinly
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
Salt, ground pepper, brown sugar according to taste

Steps:
1. Saute garlic, onion, tomatoes. Add pork or chicken chunks. Simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Add water. Simmer until meat is tender.
2. Add pork liver. Simmer for 1 minute.
3. Add radish, soy sauce and vinegar.
4. Add salt, ground pepper and brown sugar to taste.

Why don’t you give this dish a try? It will surely make a big hit in your family and will make them love radish. I dare you tell me if I’m wrong.

Please write in the comment box below your experience in trying this recipe.

Camote Tops Ensalada Recipe

2021-06-06T23:49:00.007+08:00

In my anniversary post last year, I mentioned about making this Camote Tops Ensalada as one of my pandemic appetizer dishes. It’s a very simple yet healthy veggie salad that you can make with camote tops, onions, tomatoes and dressing.

See how I gave this salad a twist.

I always like my veggie salads with plenty of tomatoes and ground pepper with white vinegar or Apple Cider, if available. For this version of ensalada, I added a tinge of sweet-spicy flavor, but not from the usual vinegar-salt-pepper-sugar (honey) dressing. While preparing the veggies, I caught sight of the bottle of Pinakurat (sweetened spiced coconut sap vinegar) prompting me to do another of those experiments. 😊

Wait, there’s more! I also added slices of cucumber and burong kamias (salted bilimbi). Thanks to Gina 😊 for giving me a bag of kamias that I stored in bottles with salt in the ref. They lasted for months!

Hmmm.... I loved how it turned out!

Here’s how I made this.

Ingredients:

2 cups camote tops, blanched for 1 minute

2 large tomatoes, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

1/2 small cucumber, sliced

5 pcs burong kamias (salted bilimbi), sliced

Dressing (according to taste):

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsps Pinakurat

Steps:

Blanch camote tops for 1 minute in salted boiling water. Drain.
Prepare dressing.
Mix together all veggies.
Add dressing to mixed veggies. Mix.
Serve as appetizer with grilled or fried meat or fish.

Well, you can always modify the recipe according to your preference or availability of ingredients.

When do you plan to try this? Do share in the comment box below how you made your ensalada. And don’t forget to share this recipe with your friends. If you do, please tag or mention me in Facebook or Instagram.

Watch out for my next recipe!

Sardines-Veggie Patties (Tortang Sardines with Veggies)

2021-03-15T17:04:00.009+08:00

“Today is Metro Manila’s first lockdown anniversary.

#COVID19PH”

That’s hubby’s post in Facebook today (March 15, 2021). Yes, it’s been a year since Metro Manila was placed on lockdown. We started working from home, and as health care workers, we physically reported to office two or three times a week.

For me, the Work-from-Home scheme was more stressful than reporting physically to work. One gets to deal with office concerns by chatting with officemates non-stop while attending to household matters, such as preparing meals on time. So this pandemic has taught me to make simple, fast and easy-to-cook meals.

For this post, I’m featuring a dish that has become popular during this pandemic. This was inspired by the various Tortang Sardines meal ideas posted by friends after receiving their share of goods (ayuda🤪) from the barangay or local government units.

Tortang Sardines with veggies for the twist.

Here’s how:

Ingredients:

1 can sardines in olive oil

2 tbsps flour

1 medium onion, sliced

2 medium tomatoes,sliced

1 medium eggplant, chunked

1 small carrot, sliced into strips

5 pcs shitake mushroom, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Curry powder (optional)

2 eggs, beaten

Steps:

Remove oil from sardines.
Mix sardines with flour. Set aside.
Use the oil from sardines to sautee onions, tomatoes, eggplant chunks, carrots and shitake mushroom.
Add salt, pepper and curry powder.
Add sauteed veggies to sardines-flour mixture.
Add beaten eggs. Mix together.
Form patties and fry in oil using the same pan until golden brown on both sides.

Serve each patty as toppings on rice with your favorite ketchup or with wheat bread and lettuce or romaine.

I hope you would give this fast and easy meal a try and write on the comment box below. You may also share this post with your friends through your social media account.

See you again soon!

Veggie Boosters to Spice Up Your Chicken Tinola

2021-02-27T17:32:00.009+08:00

It’s been almost a year since I started staying at home more than I used to for the past 37 years. March of 2020 when working from home (WFH) a number of days per week was made an alternative work option during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WFH scheme hasn’t exempted me from doing household duties. One could get so engrossed with chat exchanges with officemates and you just realize it’s past noontime because you feel your stomach gurgling and an irrate hubby asks, “Aren’t we having lunch yet?” but you haven’t decided what to prepare for lunch!

Well, this pandemic has taught me how to be more innovative and resourceful in the kitchen- - -

🧑‍🍳 use everything in the veggie bin

🧑‍🍳 get out of the box (or should I say pan?) by trying other veggie combinations to upgrade the taste of old recipes

🧑‍🍳 learn to play with spices to enhance the flavor of dishes

🧑‍🍳 take note of expiry dates so nothing goes to trash (and no tummy gets upset!)

Heading to the grocery store is a real hassle these days. How I hate the thought of disinfecting everything before bringing them inside the house! One has to exhaust all means to minimize going out. We are all reminded to:

Stay home.

Stay safe.

#RespectLockDown

Make every effort to:

#SaveOurWorld

#FightCOVID19

And now, before I get sidetracked writing about the pangs of WFH, let me get back to the main reason for this post. I’m supposed to share how I upgraded my Chicken Tinola to the next level.

Chicken Tinola (chicken soup or chicken ginger stew) is one of my favorites 😋 and I confess I’m always tempted to cook it every week. So I thought of tweaking the ingredients from the traditional recipe. I always cook chicken tinola without sauteing the chicken in oil as many do. Recently, instead of just putting in ginger, papaya or sayote and chili leaves, I applied a liitle of math (by adding more ingredients like corn kernels, string beans and bell pepper) and geometry (by using chunks or strips or ground chicken instead of the standard tinola cut). Hmmm... that’s what you get from having a mathematician for a hubby!🤣

Here’s how I did it.

Ingredients:

3 cups water

1 tbsp ginger strips

1 medium onion, sliced

1/2 kg chicken breast fillet, cut into strips or chunks (or ground chicken)

1/2 - 1 piece chicken bullion (according to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup corn kernels (or canned sweet corn)

1 small sayote or papaya, chunked

1 small bunch string beans, cut

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2 bunches of chili leaves

Steps:

Boil water with ginger and onion.
Add chicken. Simmer until tender.
Add chicken bullion, salt and pepper according to taste.
Add corn and sayote. Simmer.
Add string beans.
Add bell pepper and chili leaves.
Serve hot.

This is a complete meal in itself. Very tasty! I love how the sweet flavor of the corn and bell pepper blends with the chili leaves. Actually, I just add corn most of the time. But if other veggies (string beans or bell pepper or eggplant) are available, I also add them. Prevents them from becoming overstaying residents in my veggie bin. And most often, spur-of-the-moment decision.😊

You can also add more water as desired. I always do because my mother and hubby love to sip hot soup with their meals.

Simple, fast and healthy. Well, would you like to try it for your next meal? If you do, please tell me how it went by dropping a line or two in the comment box below. If you or your family liked it, please show some love by sharing this recipe post to your friends. 🙂

Scrambled Garden Tuna

2021-01-08T00:38:00.012+08:00

Sunny side up. Egg omelette. Garden omelette. Scrambled egg. Any of these egg meals with wheat bread is the usual breakfast for hubby and me. Easy to prepare. Easy to cook.

For this breakfast meal, I prepared ingredients for tuna garden omelette, but spur-of-the moment decision turned it into Scrambled Garden Tuna using Century Tuna Premium Red Chunks in Vegetable Oil for the first time.

Ingredients:

1 small onion, sliced

2 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced

1 can Century Tuna Premium Red Chunks in Vegetable Oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips

1 bunch of spinach leaves

2 eggs, slightly beaten

Mozzarella cheese

Green onions or parsley

Here’s how:

Sauté onions and tomato slices and tuna chunks in Century Tuna vegetable oil.
Add red and green bell pepper, spinach leaves, slightly beaten eggs and mozzarella.
Top with green onions or parsley.

Watch this 👇👇👇

See, it’s that fast and easy! But wait, I forgot to add the mozzarella 😩

This was certainly perfect for scrambled garden tuna sandwich in wheat bread but could also be added as topping to garlic rice or steaming hot plain rice with a cup of hot coffee. ☕️

Enjoy your breakfast! 😋

A Blessed 31st amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020-09-02T11:10:00.020+08:00

For the very first time, I posted all my previous wedding anniversary blogs daily in fb as a prelude to this year’s 31st celebration. I’m proud to have completed the six-day countdown. You may click any or each of the links below for a throwback.

Stories from the Cupboard: Vegetable Pastel (2012)

L'amour @ 24 (2013)

The Best of Billy and Eve at 25 (2014)

Thank You for Rejoicing with Us (2016)

The Changing Colours of Autumn (2018)

Trekking Thirty (2019)

Apologies to my fb friends who might have been bombarded with these old blog posts for several days now. My thanks to all who already reacted and greeted us in advance by writing their comments. But special thanks to all who took time to click the link and read my posts. Your very precious click has certainly spelled magic by adding to the views which I monitor closely in my blogger dashboard (as all other bloggers do)! That meant you are helping me grow my blog. Oh, how I enjoy keeping track of all reactions in fb (👍 ❤️ 😲) but I love the clicks to the link more! 😀🙂🥰😍😘

When news of the lockdown came in March, hubby (a Math Professor at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños) deliberately timed his travel home, side-tripping to our new residence in Taguig where our two daughters (whose workplaces are in BGC and Makati) had been staying.

Our family decided that the kids stay there while hubby stay with me, my mother and her caregiver at home in Fairview.

I have always described myself as a weekend wife but this pandemic has made hubby and me home buddies once more, bonding everyday yet observing physical distancing within the confines of our very home. 😩😩😩 I’m not a frontliner but as a HCW exposed to the hospital, I had to exercise due care primarily because of my mother’s special needs as an elderly.

Would you care to know how we maintain physical distancing at home? Well, for a HCW like me, it means:
*sitting at the opposite ends of the dining table with hubby during mealtime, and
*just saying hi/hello to my 96-year old mother from her door

Five months had gone by. We have been surviving the pandemic, transitioning from ECQ to GCQ, practicing COVID-19 prevention standards in our desire to shoo the virus away, keeping it from invading our home. A habit that we have been conscientiously doing for the past months. No joke, promise!

Oh, yes, we have taken so much effort doing all these routines daily outside and inside our abode.

not forgetting to rub one’s pair of footwear in disinfectant-soaked foot mat at the doorstep and wearing another pair inside

removing and leaving sling bags, buddy bags, handbags, jewelries, wallets and other personal effects in the disinfection container outside the door

Wipes and alcohol spray to disinfect personal effects in the designated area

rushing to the bathroom for a bath before going elsewhere inside the house or before joining hubby to watch TV in the living room or before taking a meal after a day’s work

washing goods outside the house as they arrive from the supermarket or upon delivery from online shops

Ready-made disinfectant and hand hygiene solutions
strategically placed near the faucet outside the house

Allowing goods to dry before bringing them inside the house

Chairs made as reception area for all incoming items from the supermarket and delivered packages including food and ayuda 😊

Going through all these rituals had given me the feeling of not wanting to go out for anything not essential. I admit the first few weeks had been so taxing, giving me back pains at having to squat by the faucet where we do the disinfection process.

We (hubby and I) had to schedule our going to the drugstore or the supermarket. Thanks to the privilege accorded to health care workers! My HCW ID has always been an indispensable passport, sparing me the need to bring our quarantine pass or join the long queue at any store entrance.

Since I had been working from home certain days of the week, I've been faced with the challenge of preparing energy and immune booster meals. Here are some of them.

Ensaladang Camote Tops with Kamias

👆👆👆

Click to view recipe

Chapchae

Corn soup with chicken

👆👆👆

Click to view recipe

Sauteed Ampalaya with Egg

Spanish Sardines Garden Omelette

Sardines-veggie Patties (Tortang Sardines with Veggies)

👆👆👆

Click to view recipe

Chicken-Veggie Wraps

Fruit-veggie salad (with Pickled Bilimbi or Burong Kamias, unripe mango,
ampalaya, steamed okra, onions and tomatoes)

Ensaladang Ampalaya

👆👆👆

Click to view recipe

Tokwa't Baboy with garlic, string beans and zucchini

Ensaladang Talbos ng Camote (Camote Tops Salad)

Oven toaster-baked potatoes with Cheese Whiz

Some of these recipes are not up yet in my blogsite so there are no links available.

With the pandemic, celebrating our 31st this year is uniquely different from all our other wedding anniversaries. No staycation. No travel. No special trip anywhere since our last in November of 2018.

We celebrated life these past months under new normal circumstances- - -

Ayana Grace had a memorable 30th birthday in quarantine 20 kms away from our Fairview home.

Photos grabbed from Ayana’s Ig and fb posts

My mother turned 96 this year without her grandchildren.
Watch her dancing the TikTok craze on her birthday.
👇👇👇

We also had virtual blowing of birthday candle for Ana Cristina’s 28th birthday.

But wait, there’s more! A taste of precious lessons from the Lord, we also enjoyed!

While He allows us to experience certain circumstances in our lives, He also never fails to make His presence felt in our midst. The dreaded unseen enemy, the deadly COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) virus, did not spare us, having entered stealthily in our home- - - infecting my mother, hubby and me.

We had first-hand experience battling with the disease, leaving us without any choice but to call upon Him (and a few close friends and loved ones). For the very first time, I seemed to feel so alone, having nobody with me in the hospital to stay with Nanay. Hubby could not keep me company as he did in her past hospitalizations. It was a family decision that I stay in the hospital with her in order to avoid unnecessary hospital exposure for hubby at home.

That’s me with Nanay at the Emergency Room while waiting for the result of her blood tests
(before the nurse requested me to stay at the designated Waiting Area outside)

What I thought was dehydration fever brought about by diarrhea was a prelude to an emotionally and spiritually-challenging trial. Hearing the COVID-19 positive result of my mother’s swab test gave me tremors. Human that I am, my little faith and limited perspective wondered how a 96-year old could survive the ordeal.

From a regular room, she was transferred to the COVID Ward, I was also afraid for my own self. I was subjected to a swab test at once, having been a close contact as her caregiver, and was subsequently placed on hospital quarantine. It was a privilege I was blessed to avail as a hospital employee. That was the most convenient arrangement for all of us. But experiencing quarantine was like being in exile away from home. Facing the walls of the room the whole day, with only my gadgets keeping me company, allowing me to communicate with my family and be informed of what’s going on outside through the social media. Having to do office work on my hospital bed while on quarantine somehow helped lessen the stress of dwelling on our travail.

The fear was real! What if I develop symptoms? It was SOP to monitor one’s health status daily. I made my own monitoring sheet. What if my symptoms worsen? I prayed that my temperature would not rise beyond 37 degrees Celsius. But it did! I had low-grade fever, chills and headache at night. I also had occasional bouts of dry cough. I prayed so hard that my symptoms would not worsen as I was thinking of my mother. Who would take care of her if I develop complications?

Counting the days until my swab result was out was another dreadful thing. It was, indeed, as the test yielded a positive COVID result. I had a strong feeling it would be because of the fever that started a day or two after the swab test was taken.

My quarantine room and bed

Now, the fight against the unseen enemy began! Question after question played on my mind. Where did I acquire the virus? Was there a breach in my compliance to health protocols in the office? At home? Did I carry the virus home? Why me? Why Nanay? How about my husband? Will he get infected too? (And God said, “YES! I will allow him to get infected, too!”)

It was barely two months before my retirement from service. I was preparing for a turn-over on top of daily office works. Why at this time? There were so much to do and there I was… hands tied on my quarantine bed. I had no choice but work from my quarantine bed.😩

These were questions and concerns I could only raise to God in prayer. But He made me realize I needed not understand His purpose. Waiting has been a precious lesson--- counting hospital and home quarantine days daily not only for myself but also for hubby whose RT-PCR result also yielded a positive result despite being asymptomatic. Mother was classified moderate (she was monitored in the ICU but praises to God that her oxygenation did not drop to a critical level that would necessitate intubation) while I exhibited mild symptoms.

Had it not been for the comforting promise of His Word, full of assurance that His ways are higher than mine, I would have lost hope. We had to wait patiently for Him to lift us out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire and set our feet on a rock, a firm place to stand. To be certified fit to work and rejoin the community was something we looked forward to.

Every morning, He whispered that we hold our peace for He will fight for us... for the cleansing of our bodies, by His mighty healing power and grace. He made us see that His hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, nor His ear too heavy, that it cannot hear. He revealed Himself to us as the God who has done great and terrible things, which our eyes have seen.

I was discharged after 15 days of quarantine but chose to stay with my mother who was also transferred back to a regular room after having been monitored in the ICU for 13 days.

That called for shout of praises and thanksgiving for how He has dealt with us, for how His healing grace amazed us. We thank Him for more of His precious truths He has revealed through His Word, and for the many lessons we have learned, individually as His children and as a family.

Today, we do acknowledge Him, the author and finisher of our faith, our Omnipotent and Sovereign God, who has seen the beginning and the end of this pandemic. We need not know the reasons for the things that come our way. We only need to trust and believe that all these are for His greater honor and glory.

Meanwhile, we continue living the new normal, praying that daily we are safe and protected in the palm of His hand.

Hubby has made house rules that we follow strictly.

Wearing of masks in common areas inside the house.

Placing alcohol dispensers in strategic areas for accessibilty and convenience

Use of separate materials for handwashing and dishwashing

UV disinfection

When we can see, it is not faith, but reasoning...So faith looks up and sails on, by God’s great Sun, not seeing one shore line or earthly lighthouse or path upon the way. Often its steps seem to lead into utter uncertainty, and even darkness and disaster; but He opens the way, and often makes such midnight hours the very gates of day. Let us go forth this day, not knowing, but trusting.—Days of Heaven upon Earth (Streams in the Desert)

May His wings bring us to the mountain top,

that we may see and behold the beauty of what He has in store for us,
and by His grace, emerge victorious in this pandemic.

Oh, dear Lord, have mercy!

A blessed 31st anniversary to us, my Adam!
💋💖💋💕❤️💋💕💋💖💋

Bacon-asparagus Wraps

2020-08-09T07:41:00.001+08:00

One day, a friend sent me a video recipe of Asparagus Roll-ups. Hmmmm... it really looked yummy! I confess it made me crave for another asparagus recipe I have tried before which my kids loved- - - Bacon-Asparagus Wraps!

On my next trip to the supermarket, I was very fortunate to find a few bunches of asparagus so I also grabbed a pack of bacon without any second thought.

So here’s how I made the Bacon-Asparagus Wraps. It’s been ages since I last served this on our table.

Ingredients:

2 bunches of asparagus (20 pcs)

10 strips of bacon

1 thin slice of butter

Steps:

Remove hard ends of asparagus. Wash and drain.
Cut each bacon strip into two.
Wrap asparagus stems in bacon strips.
Secure open end of bacon with a toothpick (optional).
Heat pan. Melt butter in pan.
Fry asparagus stems wrapped in bacon a few stems at a time until golden brown.
Serve hot and crispy.

I used butter just to wet the pan.

No added salt. No pepper.

Just allow the taste of the bacon to do the magic on the asparagus.

See, it’s really that simple and easy!

Ooopppsss... I didn’t fry all the asparagus stems altogether in the pan as seen in the photo below!

I just arranged all of the stems together to create a fan-like effect for photo ops.

Making a fan in the pan😀😀😀

And now...

Ready for the crunch!

See you again next time!