Hello, September! Can you hear me?

I thought I caught a whiff of that simoy Pasko when I opened the balcony door early this morning. There was that hint of crisp morning air for a few minutes until the building construction across the street (a.k.a. Mordor) came to life again and all I could smell thereafter is dust and cement powder combined. At least, the simoy Pasko came ahead of it. There's always a degree of consolation in every unpleasant situation. That's what I want to believe. It's better to look for that silver lining than to dwell in my bottomless cup of limiting beliefs. It's a rare treat but it works.

Anyway... Yes, it's September! Which means that I survived the month of August. (Yipee. Yay.) The first two weeks of August found me scrambling here and there. School opened on the same day for both the college freshie and the 10th Grader. Two very different schedules and two different locations. This may not be so much a concern for many parents, but ever the worrywart, I do mind even the littlest things when it comes to my children. So thankful that my girls did their best to show their mettle and independence and to be responsible in their own ways. Sariling diskarte. I'm proud of my girls. They are trying their best to not inconvenience their klutz of a mom. :o)

The last two weeks of August was the best - Mom in the hospital for a week, and then my brother got admitted a week after because of dengue. I deliberately spared myself from being a hospital companion this time, because I have not recovered from Mama's last two surgeries early this year which practically turned me into a zombie. In some cases, I know I'd better think of self-care before anything else. And I hope that's not to be equated with being selfish. I just need to recalibrate.

Lately I've been trying to fill up those pockets of dull time by going to a coffee shop or hanging out at a supermarket's food court for about an hour or so. I feel less lonely when I'm alone somewhere and surrounded by strangers. (Fellow introverts might understand.) I normally just bring a book to read or a journal to write on when I'm out. Maybe soon I'll take along my paints and sketchbook just to revive an old routine. It's an exciting thought. Let's see how it unfolds. Somehow I should make good use of the remaining days of September, right? 

First daughter is off to college

Our eldest has graduated high school and has been accepted at the Ateneo de Manila University! Pardon the exclamation point. The point of the exclamation is to not convey some breaking news but to show the overflowing excitement this Mommy (that's me) has been feeling over the fact that her daughter has entered a top university. I'm still not over the fact as I have been over the moon. I know I'm being silly; I just can't help it. 

I also had the honor and privilege of bringing her to the campus on the first day of school. That was August 5th. We took the bus from C5 to Katipunan and got off on the first overpass. Pamasahe was a measly Php 15 for the student and Php 20 for the adult. San ka pa, di ba? 

Student IDs have not been issued so she just showed her AISIS screenshot to be allowed entry into the campus. I was that giddy parent who followed suit and then did a detour to the registrar's office. We had a bit of a problem enlisting in a Filipino class. I'm glad this issue was resolved in less than 5 minutes. (Thank you, Admissions Office!). While I was at the registrar's, Candice was at the Uni bookstore getting PE t-shirts. Afterward, diretso na siya sa class. Big girl na. Huhu. 

I was done with my errands in about an hour, so I decided to go home to get some rest and to catch up on chores. I honestly can't remember if I picked her up after class or her Dad drove to Katips to pick her up. So much for documenting. Brain fog begone, please.  

Well, it's been 2 weeks and she's already on her own most of the time. I'm still in awe of this Little Pumpkin who was always hatid-sundo from grade school to high school. And, now, she's really enjoying her new environment and every form of independence she could demonstrate. 

Stella's 14th birthday

This is a super late post, as I got sick and then got too busy towards the end of August. But, still, I'd like to post this for the purpose of documentation. 

Stella turned 14 last August 16. How is she 14 already? In my mind, she is still 13. And how I wish we could still revert back to the time when she was a cute toddler or a primary schooler. I would gladly go through those days and years over and over. 

Anyways, we treated her classmates to pizza and had a simple family dinner at a restaurant in Estancia. Then the dutiful Google Photos sent me a then-and-now photo. Thanks for doing the work for me. :o) Just look at how my baby girl has grown. Sniff. 

 

Thanks to everyone who sent in greetings and well wishes. It's nice to celebrate a soul that you've been nurturing and will have to send out to the Universe in due time. 

Battled the bug!

Hello, blog! I was sick for a few days and needed rest in between chores and errands. I also took long social media breaks and decided to pick up a Nancy Drew book to read for when I had to be horizontal due to illness. I feel so useless when I'm sick, but there's no other recourse -- one must recuperate to function again. I lost my appetite for like a week, and that felt really strange. Even the yummiest fresh salads could not make my taste buds smile. 

Anyway, I'm better now and trying to think of ways to regain my appetite. I'm not sure how I survived more than 12 hours of not ingesting anything. I'll be having dinner with friends tomorrow, and I hope that by then I could find some excitement in a dish that's either familiar or unfamiliar. 

I hope you're well and safe and having a good weekend. :o)

Starting a collection of tree portraits

As my family and friends might have observed, I adore trees and I don't think I'll ever grow tired of them. So, I thought I'd start a collection of tree portraits by posting photos of trees that I took while we were vacationing in the US. I was happy to see that trees are practically everywhere in California, and many of them have that kind of breadth that makes me go ooh and aah every so shamelessly. I took a photo of this tree in Beverly Hills while waiting for the bus to arrive. It was a hot day, and I needed to stay in a shaded area. What else would rescue a humble human like me? Thank God for trees.

Another school year begins

The girls are back in school! It's been a long, interesting and fun summer vacation. I've got lots of kwento, I don't even know how or where to begin. LOL. But, here we are, back in Pinas and about to face another challenging academic year. Dicey is in her final year (Grade 12) under the IB Diploma Program, and Lala is in 9th grade under the Cambridge program. Both programs are tough as the toughest nut in the universe. I pray that we will all do better this time around. Cheers to all the parents and caregivers who put so much effort in putting children to school! 

A breakfast of leftovers: adobo tostado and tinapang bangus

Ang sarap talaga to enjoy a meal of leftovers, especially if you're having a combo of foods that you actually like. This morning, my girls and I had leftover tinapang bangus (smoked fish) and leftover pork adobo. Even the rice is day-old brown rice from the fridge. Yung tomatoes lang ang bago! Haha. I fried the pork adobo to a crisp (halos sunog na, which we like) and then fried the tinapang bangus doon sa oil na nilabas ng adobo. I know it's not the healthiest thing to do. But, please, DON'T ME. Hehehe... Pambawi naman the tomato salad. Para lang may contrast yung oily foods. 

Adobo will always be a favorite leftover dish. I actually don't like to eat adobo when it's newly cooked. I prefer to wait until it becomes "adobong matanda" and later on, "adobo tostado." I tried a different soy sauce - vinegar ratio for this adobo, and I like how it turned out. I'll have to test it a few more times before I share the recipe. 

How do you like your adobo? Saucy or dry? Do you eat leftovers for breakfast?