Thanking My Ate #NaNoPoblano2020 #My2020

Happy Thanksgiving! This is for anyone who celebrates the special occasion. How are you celebrating it, guys?

Like in many other countries, the Philippines does not celebrate it. That’s despite America’s history with and influence on us. It’s their own history after all. However, it’s always good to give thanks to those who help, love, care for, and inspire us.

Today, I want to share something. This was a birthday greeting to my ate (big sister) on September 20, 2019. I feel that sharing it here is another chance to express my gratitude. Until the day I posted it, I never really told people how much I appreciated my sister…

My big sister Janeth a.k.a. Jeng to many, but simply Ate to me

As most siblings stories go, ours was typical at the start. We were far from the best of friends. We often fought like other siblings often do — Little Sis keeps following like a puppy, Big Sis gets annoyed and tries to ditch her. And yet, we had the most in common in the family. I guess that’s mainly because she influenced me the most.

Me and My Ate. We didn’t always get along when we were young, but we did have our moments

From her, I learned to appreciate books. Because of her, I developed a genuine and deeper love for music and art. And thanks to her belief in me, I learned to believe in myself and write…I have never thanked her for her contributions in my life, so I am taking this opportunity: THANK YOU, ATE.

You know I love you no matter what. I know you love me, too, in your own way. Even when I say “I love you” and make you feel awkward. **Kahit tinatarayan mo ako (kabog naman kasi ako sa iyo,,he he). Please, let us never forget our promise: NO FIGHTING!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND I LOVE YOU!!! I WISH FOR YOU HEALTH AND A LONG AND HAPPY LIFE, ALWAYS.

**“Even when you lose your temper at me (I’m really no match to you when it comes to temper, ha ha).”

To be very, very honest, I posted that because I felt the end could be any month, any day, or even any time soon. I didn’t want her to go without knowing how much she really meant to me.

Our parents left and I was never sure that they knew how much they meant to me. They probably felt it, but sometimes, people need to hear “I love you” to be reassured. My father was already different for the longest time that even if I said it just now, he’d forget a few minutes later. My mother, when she was bed-ridden, that was when I kept telling it to her and showed it with hugs and kisses. But most of those times, or maybe even the whole time, she was not anymore in a proper state of mind…

Mr. and Mrs. Federizo

So you can understand my intention about the post, right?

It has always been said that you should say “I love you” while your loved ones are still in this world. Do not wait until it’s too late. That is why I often tell people how much I love or appreciate them. I had been telling my sister and she would, at first, laugh awkwardly at times. She’d kind of say, “Alright already”, a bit in a dismissive way. But I knew she loved me even so. It took a while before she felt comfortable saying it back.

The last months had me so worried. She wasn’t in great shape. Far from it. I was so worried she’d contract the virus. That could be hell for her, dealing with her illnesses, not being in her proper mind all the time, then being left alone in the care of people she didn’t know. I kept hoping that if it came to that, her caregivers would understand her and be kind to her. I salute our medical frontliners. But let’s face it. Not everyone can be so kind and patient.

To be even more honest, while her passing away was still a surprise and, yes, I cried, I was also relieved. She was no longer in pain and God spared her from the worst possible scenario. Most important, she literally went away happy and smiling. She got her wishes.

I don’t know how to end this post. Just maybe with this:

Let us LOVE, always. Show it. Tell it. Feel it.

Say I Love You. Then thank them for being a part of you.

A Furry Christmas #NaNoPoblano2020 #My2020

We got an early Christmas surprise. It came in the form of a cute fur baby.

Two weeks ago, my cousin passed by our house carrying a kitten. My husband saw this and asked about it. He was told that they only found it. Here, it usually means that a puppy (not usual) or a kitten (very often) has either been abandoned by the mother or thrown away by the supposed owner. That is sadly the reality. I assume it was found inside their lot, which is beside ours. And I assume my cousin was about to give it away to anyone interested.

Now, I had been asking my husband to find me a kitten. I miss having a cat around. If you don’t know it, having a pet cat can be very therapeutic to anyone, no matter his/her emotional, mental, or physical state. It’s also practical if you don’t want mice or rats around…Anyway, in other words, I woke up to find a newly adopted kitty being transferred into my arms.

Here she is. “It” is now a “she” carrying a name.

Meet Jemima “Mimay” Enriquez.

Jemima MIMAY Enriquez

I named her Jemima, after my favorite CATS The Musical kitten. Not the same hair color, but I’m not complaining. I’ve been waiting too long to name a cat “Jemima”. Meanwhile, “Mimay” is a nick and term of endearment. Very Pinoy-sounding. Plus, it serves as a tribute to my last cat, which my stepsons met and love, Mumay.

First time we met. I have flexible lips that can cover my nose, ha ha haaaa!!! Didn’t want to inhale fur

She feels like she’s the Queen, ergo, she can climb anywhere and on anyone!

 

Kitty Angel for a minute or so. When she’s not scratching, biting and being mischievous, or meowing real loud for food

She was so tiny. She still is, but she’s definitely growing

 

Getting into scrapes but demanding assistance

Sleeping with her favorite toy, Mimsy

I’m not good at gauging age but I think she was more than a week old when she came here. It’s now been two weeks and she’s growing bigger, stronger, and even naughtier, as cats are expected to be. I look forward to loving this baby, hopefully, for a very long time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Note: Videos soon**

How I Spend My 2020 #NaNoPoblano2020 #My2020

How “random” are you? I believe that my interests can be so random at times that I lose focus. I’m so random that I only thought of my Nano Poblano 2020 theme an hour ago! Basing on my first post, I realized what I would like to finally talk about: #My2020.

How I Spend My 2020

We are in a pandemic. No non-believer can convince me otherwise. It is during this period that people have started focusing on other things or hobbies to do in their lives, including me. And because you asked for it (I’m psychic), I am listing those things down. In random order, naturally 😉

1. Sewing. To be more specific, fixing holes and replacing buttons, etc. Nothing too complicated for me like making a dress.

Sew, sew, sew your clothes…My view from where I usually sit

It’s really something that I occasionally did pre-pandemic. But because I am almost at home 24/7, I figured I’d get more done now. I do. You wouldn’t see them on my vlogs but I stack various pieces of clothing that need fixing beside me. I often do them when I feel sleepy. You can say it’s one of my wake-uppers. I squeeze them in whenever the Internet connection is slow. It does not impede my work. In fact, it makes me more alert.

I honestly have not been doing that much sewing lately, though. I have fixed most of the important pieces anyway. Also, like I said, I am “random”. My attention is divided and directed elsewhere.

2. Vlogging. As mentioned, I vlog. Well, more like I record videos. In a year, I only post a few on Youtube, though that is never the intention. I’d post more if I could. It’s the editing that takes time and effort.

At the start of the pandemic, I was so stressed out by my work. There was not enough time nor energy to edit during free time. In later months, my workload lessened along with a bit of the stress. I was able to do more recording. I posted one video, I think. Then came the time the kids needed to start their education again. Except, for now, they have to stay at home (the teen does not stay with us, though). My days have become more hectic once again. Teaching just one kid this pandemic can already be very stressful. Of course, I make sure to do my work. But in-between, I need to be teacher-mom.

I did decide that those unpublished clips were not going to post themselves. So I’m back vlogging,

In addition, I am letting the tweener participate in some of them. I want him to be more well-rounded and skilled. Now, before anyone accuses me of child labor/exploitation or whatever, I don’t earn anything from YouTube. In fact, I have no plans of earning from them anytime soon. That is why I am not breaking my back over content creation. Come on, I have only posted — what — 13 vlogs? No one’s gonna pay me for those. It’s just something that I like doing. In life, you have to find something that makes you happy.

3. Watching TV/movies/videos. Anyone who’s followed me long enough knows how I love watching movies and series via Netflix. When school hadn’t started yet, the tweener and I would binge-watch.

I made sure I let him watch TV series that I had already seen. For instance,, in the Arrowverse, I let him watch Supergirl and the Flash. But I said no to Arrow. It had more sexy/love scenes than I could count. I just told him the show’s story as it’s important to explain the crossovers better. He’s seen the first season of Legends of Tomorrow because a TV network showed the dubbed version. They took care of the censorship for me (and the translation).

Image from Mashable India

I do not want any inappropriate (to kids) scenes to surprise us. I’ve let him see the last season of Game of Thrones (not on Netflix, though). He was very intrigued by it because I kept watching the episode where winter finally came, so to speak. Fortunately, that season hardly showed naked people supposedly doing the deed. I knew where to skip anyway. I just gave him a background or recap of the show’s previous seasons.

As for movies, I’d check them out first before letting him see them. If I hadn’t seen a movie, I made sure to be around, just in case. If I had to do something for a couple of minutes, we’d pause them till I was back. We’re now binging on a local show on YouTube. That one, I need not worry about.

Meanwhile, I watch YouTube channels. I watch those that I already follow, and then some that interest me. My main interest these days has to do with mental health. DID in particular.

4. Cooking. My husband is the chef of the house. But lately, I have found myself learning how to cook. He leaves for a few days to work, therefore, only one kid and I are left. It is more economical not to buy cooked food or cold cuts to fry all the time. I decided there is no better time to learn to cook than today.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not a total noob when it comes to cooking. I have had classes where we cooked in grade school and high school. In college, I took up Nutrition classes where we cooked stuff. Once in a while, I would try out at home simple recipes that I found (onion soup, buttered veggies, churros…). But I was never really a cook. Classes required group effort and I often tried very hard not to be assigned as cook. I did create a few tofu/tokwa recipes some time ago. But it was only the hubby and me who tried them. I liked them; he didn’t. No one who saw my recipes ever returned to me to say “I love them!” ***cry***

I just realized I have these. Time to put them to good use…

So, yes, the hubby being away for a longer period presented problems to me. I decided to finally do my own cooking. I cut meat, cleaned fish all by myself (some took a lot of work), and found recipes online. Then I cooked my butt off, modifying recipes here and there. And guess what? I nailed my cooking! The kid loved my dishes! I surprised myself.

I have done…

Adobo:  manok (chicken), Tilapia, Tulingan, (mackerel tuna), baboy (pig)

Ginataan: manok, Tilapia, Tulingan

Chicken Tinola or Tinolang Manok

Paksiw na Bangus (Milkfish)

He also loves it when I whip up my special fried rice, which is not entirely original.

Next up: afritada, sinigang, pasta, and veggie dishes!!!

 

Those are what make my pandemic life still less horrible.  It is nice to bond with family and learn more skills along the way. I get to be a mom, a teacher, a vlogger, a chef. This pandemic is not showing any signs of finally ending anytime soon. Might as well try to get back to writing, read more books, and perfect my tokwa recipes.

I’m spending the rest of my 2020 wisely. How about you? How are you spending your 2020?

Hey, World, Guess We Hate 2020 #NanoPoblano2020 #My2020

Yes. It’s me. One year after.

My lone post back in February aside, the last time I posted was in November….LAST YEAR.  So, yes, I missed greeting you a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, even a Happy Valentine’s, and all those other greetings. I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry. But I’m back. Hopefully, for much longer. I know I always say that, but please know that I do mean it every time.

I was supposed to start posting last November 1, but November did not start right. A super typhoon hit the country hard. Then it was followed by several more typhoons. The last one just left a few days ago. They left parts of the country in shambles, so to speak. These are sad, sad days for the Philippines. Correction: It’s been a sad, sad year for us and most parts of the world. It was not only November that did not start right but Year 2020.

In all honesty, I wasn’t doing well long before 2020. There were personal struggles, most of which, I kept to myself. I’m used to dealing with personal struggles so I am able to handle things most times. Still, self-doubt is always something that can eat away your courage. 

Things got worse. My sister struggled with health problems for years. Every year, she’d be hospitalized. Last year, it started again around October. The worse part was she had to start going through dialysis. My brother-in-law and I kept consulting people and trying to decide the best thing to do. It seemed there was no other way but to start dialysis. And this naturally became another worry for me. It is really a longer story, but I don’t know if there is a need to say everything.

At the airport back in January 2015, the day after my wedding. My Ate was about to go back to Surigao. She went home to Laguna to see me get married. Her presence was very much needed — our parents had passed almost three years prior. She was my only family then. I wanted her here. Looking back now, I realize that was the last time that we were happy together. Her health got worse in the following months.

The good news is I was able to visit her in Surigao last February (went back home a few days after, which was already in March). The bad news is…she left us in May. She left me to join my parents. My family left ME. I am now orphaned by my whole family…So, I’m sorry, 2020, if I don’t like you. 

Alright. Year 2020 hasn’t been all bad. I did not lose my job, for one. I get to work from home, spend time with my new family, and be a teacher-mom. It’s actually hard work, believe me.

Well, I guess I should live through 2020 and the next year doing what I always do: I’ll wing it. As for you, I won’t ask how you’ve been (unless you want to volunteer information). I am pretty sure it hasn’t been that good to you either. I am also pretty sure you’ll do what I do.

Let’s wing it!