The musings of a wandergeselle about faith, literature, music, dancing, culture, food, travels, art, fashion, photography, life experiences, and everything in-between from journée to journée.
My sister who’s in Bicol sent us these beautiful and lovely photos of the bougainvilleas I bought last year as part of our beautification/landscaping project on the farm. 😍 I am so happy that they survived and are thriving well because they’re almost dying when I left.
These bougies didn’t have flowers when I bought them. I just trusted the seller that she’s going to give me the right ones. 😃And I was surprised that she included a red one. My eldest sister prefers to have this on the farm.
I had to repot them, transfer them to a new location, prune them, and replant the cuttings hoping they will still survive. They haven’t bloomed for a couple of months when I was still there. One of them also had yellow spots on its leaves.
The first location where I placed them is a “dead spot” in our garden. I call it a “dead spot” because it’s in the middle of our backyard, but any plant that we try to grow there just dies. I think we need to conduct a soil analysis in that particular area because even the plants that are very prolific growers become sick.
My guess is that the soil might be contaminated by a toxic chemical that slowly kills the plants. I am just overjoyed to see that the bougies have all recovered. It looks like my sister and the new house help are also doing an excellent job of keeping these plants healthy (thank you, ladies 🥰). And I think Mom is still taking good care of her garden. 😍
Thank God the leaves have finally recovered. 🙏I plan to transplant them somewhere in the garden when I get back. But this time I am planting them directly on the soil. I just need to find the perfect spot so I can propagate them.
And of course, my sister included a photo of my first baby girl – Peekah. That’s her favorite sleeping position with her tail all curled up to cover her little girl. 😂
I miss you, my Peekahm.
I’ll see you soon my babies and my loves. You just have to wait for me a little bit more. And the biophilia in me also can’t wait to commune with nature for my regular dose of soul therapy. Ah yes, more patience, Tin. Just a little more patience. 🙏
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might.” – Ephesians 6:10
Just the right worship song to prep the soul for Holy Week.Do what your soul tells you to do.🙏
One month down and I’m feeling extremely homesick already though I also love it here in our Manila home. Let me share with you some simple design inspo for condo living. 🙂
That rare moment when you have the sight of the empty pool all to yourself. 😀Write or take a dip? Hmm, sleep. 😁Flashback to the days when the chairs still have cushions. ✌️☺️Quarantine Christmas 2020I was able to pull off the entire setup under 1k only – all thanks to Lazada. 😃I find this very romantic and cozy. 😍The minimalist condo interior style before my husband converted it into a man cave. Tsk, men. 😑🙃
I think I’m just never gonna be a metro girl. The need to commune with nature every day is too strong, and my heart just craves for country life. I also miss decorating our home in Bicol during Christmas.
Circa 1991: The Evolution of the Christmas Tree – Province Style 😊This was taken in December 2022, andI’m pointing at the “destroyer of Christmas tree” hidden somewhere there. I think you already know who I’m referring to. Check out the video below. 😹
When your youngest fluffball tries everything to get your attention while you’re playing the guitar. 😻Last year was the 2nd time (the 1st time was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic) in about 3 decades that we didn’t put this tree up because we were all still grieving over Mom. I am claiming for a Christmas tree makeover this year. 🙏
I’m also missing Mom’s plants. I felt like she was with us every time I saw her plants. A few months before she passed away, she’s been devoting so much of her time to the garden. She was already feeling the symptoms of cancer at that time, and gardening has always been therapeutic for her.
Yellow BellsWild OrchidHeart of Jesus / CaladiumVariety 1Heart of Jesus / Caladium Variety 2OlivaFireball LilyAlocasiaI still don’t know the name of this plant. I love the combination of yellow and red flowers in one plant. Heart of Jesus / Caladium Variety 3 (pink plants).Another plant that I still need to research on Google. It has a combination of white and purple flowers.
The plants must have sensed that Mom was very ill and reciprocated her love by giving out their best blooms. This Bromeliad bloomed its first ever flower since Mom planted it some decades ago.
And before I left for Manila last December, lilies started blooming. I felt like it was Mom wishing me a safe trip coming back here. She once told me that I am happier here in our hometown. Well, Mothers always know best. 😉
When Mom told me that she didn’t know that the Bromeliad plant has a huge flower and that she’s been waiting for ages for it to bloom, I somehow had this intuition that Mom might only have a year with us. So during our convo, I only asked her questions about the plants because if I insisted we bring her to the doctor, she would’ve given me her ever-famous “Platypus reaction” which is synonymous with “No.” 😅
Her recent garden project. ❤️
Ah yes, my Mom and I are alike in so many ways. But I use the “Platypus pose” now for my selfies only. I realized I looked cuter in the photos with that pose. lol The photo below was taken 3 years ago, by the way. So I have pretty much outgrown the “Platypus pose” already. Hmm, on second thoughts, I think not? 🤔😅
I’m feeling too lazy to transfer this to my other phone, so I just took a photo of the photo. 😀
I can’t wait to get back to Bicol and continue what God has called me to do. There are so many things to accomplish there and yet I only have one life to do all of them. I just hope and pray I get to live a lot longer. But if not, I hope I made God happy by obeying Him even if I don’t see the fulfillment of some of His plans. 🙂 🙏
Nope, I don’t go to the farm barefoot. But my late grandpa, who’s the true blue farmer in the family, did it every day. If not for the thorny weeds, I would love to do the same. Nothing beats the sensation of feeling the ground you’re walking on with your bare feet.That no filter, no makeup, sweaty farm look. Nature doesn’t seem to mind. 😉
P.S. Speaking of life, I am praying our farm plants are still alive when I get back. 😩
“I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” – Isaiah 46:4
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4
The Journeyman's Moments 