Spring?

Spring is here, or is it? We had snow on the first day of spring and the past few days have been cold as temperatures hovered in the near 20s and 30s. I'm still wearing thick jackets and mittens to work. I've had it and I am so ready to shed these winter garments. I am sick of winter.

On the brighter side, I've been seeing signs of spring pop here and there. In my neighborhood, it's the Crocus that I've seen first to bloom. They come in different colors and they're very pretty.

This is my favorite - purple striped.

In addition to the Crocuses or Croci, the Cherry Blossoms and Magnolias are now reaching their peak bloom. The photo above was taken during our visit to the National Arboretum. This tree is a sight to see - really beautiful with flowing clusters of white flowers.

The sky becomes a canvass for these beautiful blooms.

Just a short excuse and recap of my absence in the blogging world. The months of February and March came and went like a mist. I even barely remember what I've accomplished or what I've done. Most days at work, I was running around like a chicken without a head. The load of work has been too much and I've been running on fumes. We were preparing for a big exhibit - the biggest event for the company for this year. 

The preparation actually started in December 2017 but the culmination of events took form in the first three months of the year. There were 11 committees involved, and my committee prepared for seven panels with four to six speakers each.  This is in addition to my very own project as board book appointee. I was in so much anguish, stress and pain and I was not sleeping. The event finally took place in March in Florida with close to 1,500 attendees. During the event, I was working 12-hour shifts for straight four days. 

Yes, the event was great, I traveled on company money, and the experience will look great on my resume. However, it was too much stress and too energy draining. I'm just glad it is over, and I am slowly recovering. Because right after the exhibit, I got very sick and lost four days of work.

I am hoping that as my work schedule normalizes, I can blog regularly again. I will be posting more photos from our visit to the National Arboretum.

Our World Tuesday

This Birthday

At the Surgical Family Lounge, I sat and waited like the other people who have families going through some surgeries or procedures. There were about ten people there trying to keep busy and killing time. It didn't help that the lounge chairs felt stiff, hard and uncomfortable. I was fidgety. I also felt quite tired and I drifted in and out of sleep. I didn't get a good night's sleep the night before and had to wake up at 3:30 AM to get to the hospital on time.

Kepi's surgery lasted for three hours and his surgeon recommended an overnight stay for observation. This meant welcoming my 40th birthday at the hospital. This is the second time I welcomed my birthday in a hospital. The first one was during my bone-marrow transplant procedure in 2014. For some reason, a tinged of sadness came all over me. Probably because I was in a hospital and bad memories came flooding in. Or perhaps I miss the presence of family and friends. I can't really put my finger on it. I may not admit it in the open but hospitals have a bit of a traumatic effect on me.

I hardly slept that night. Sleeping on a recliner at the hospital isn't really ideal. I don't understand why they offer those recliners for people who want to stay overnight. I was stuck sleeping in one position and my back was killing me. I really should be thankful I have a place to sleep, but I wish it was more comfortable. Again, restful sleep eluded me.

I may be tired and sleepy, but for this birthday, I only wished for one thing - healing for Kepi.

My Fourth Rebirthday

I'm still pretty sick, but this sniffle is not stopping me from celebrating my Fourth Rebirthday ~ January 11, 2018. I saw my transplant doctor, Dr. D, on the 12th, and I am quite happy that my tests all came back normal. The doctor was a little concerned about my cold, so if things get worse, she instructed me to go see my primary care physician at once. I told her that I get colds/sinusitis three to four times a year, and she explained that my immune system will always be a tad weaker or slower. I guess this is my new normal and just have to learn to accept it. With my annual check-up out of the way, I'm going to focus on Kepi's surgery which will take place in two weeks.

The new year won't be exciting without a new 2018 monthly planner. I'm also starting this 100 Days of Gratefulness: A gratitude journal. I can't wait to fill these two with new ideas and adventures.

For 2018, I don't really have any resolutions, but here's a few things on my list that I plan to do and keep doing:

1. read more books
2. organize the craft room
3. purge my closet and donate any clothes/shoes that don't fit anymore
4. continue learning Arabic
5. continue to eat healthy (pack my food for work)

Sniffles, Surgeries Go Away!

I'm sick again. I hate it! This is probably my second or third bout of sniffles this year. Our freezing weather here is not helping my sniffly situation at all.

I'm sick but I feel safe under the loving and watchful eyes of Daisy.

It is brutally cold. Our heater has been churning non-stop since we came home from our Amsterdam vacation. The weatherman said something about some deep freeze and bomb cyclone. Whatever is going on weather-wise, it is uncomfortably cold. I've been wearing three to four layers of winter wear but the coldness still creeps in all the way to my bones. I'm not sure if the weather is just that bad or that I'm just getting old.

However, I am quite excited to be celebrating my fourth bone-marrow transplant' re-birthday on January 11th. I will be seeing my transplant doctor on the 12th for my annual blood work, biopsy and pulmonary function test. As always, I hope for normal counts and results. I'm hoping that my body will be fully recovered from the sniffles when I go in for my tests.

On another note, I thought we were going to start 2018 surgery free, but Kepi will be going through another head surgery this month. His doctor found a fracture on his skull where his brain surgery took place. I'm not happy about this, but his doctor said it needs to be sealed as it will help with the return of his hearing and to avoid future infections. You see, Kepi's hearing on his left ear has not returned since his brain tumor surgery. We are hoping this surgery will solve this hearing problem.

There was a time I kept wondering why we're always facing health and other challenges in life. However, I don't ask questions anymore. I know there will always be trials. I just have to keep praying that Kepi and I will both have the strength and resilience to overcome them.

Happy New Year to everyone! May 2018 bring us strength and resilience to overcome any challenges that come our way.

Happy Holidays!

It's that time of year when getting out of bed in the morning is pure struggle accompanied by the ugly protesting groans of not wanting to get up. The warm blanket has a stronger appeal than showing up at work. For two weeks now, my new winter morning ritual have been comprised of hitting the snooze button up to three times, followed by a discombobulated run to shower and hastily put on whatever I could grab from the closet (which resulted to mismatch socks and mistakenly wearing my old, shapeless/stretched out sweatshirt to work). I actually wore that sweatshirt while having chemo four years ago. Thus, showing up late to the office has been my norm this time of year. Heck, I was even late to our company Christmas party. So thank goodness I'm officially on holiday today!

Merry Christmas

and a wonderful 2018 to all!

And Then I Don't Feel So Sad

When the dog bites

When the bee stings

When I'm feeling sad 

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad

I hate Sunday evenings! Every Sunday evening, I get the case of Monday Blues, and it's quite unpleasant. I was just telling Kepi how I wish we could do over Thanksgiving and have another four-day weekend. Alas, I can't stop the hours from ticking. It's also not helping that one of my colleagues will be on vacation this week and I am taking over her responsibilities in addition to mine. I guess I simply have to remember my favorite things to fight off the stress and these Monday Blues.

Our Thanksgiving went great. Kepi and I made reservations for a Thanksgiving lunch buffet at Pienza. I think this is our third time going there for Thanksgiving and there may not be a fourth one as we felt the menu this year was limited.

 Great offering of pastries and bread

 Turkey carving station

 All types of petite desserts

 My favorite are the Pumpkin Cheesecake and the Pecan Pie.

This was the first time I've been served with this much cream for my coffee.

After gorging ourselves at the buffet at lunch, we had dinner at my aunt's place who served Turkey and two Lechon Bellies. We had a feast!

With Thanksgiving over, the Christmas season officially begins. 2017 Christmas Card Project is well underway. The first batch of Christmas cards have been mailed and are on their way to the Philippines. Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao look for them! The cards en route to the Philippines are mailed first because in my experience they take the longest to be delivered or they never make it to their destinations. I am hoping all recipients will receive their cards this year.

 It's also time to deck the house with Christmas decorations. Here's Daisy and Dizzy doing their own thing while Kepi and I were setting up the tree.

 Dizzy wondering why the door is dress up as a gift.

Our 2017 Christmas Tree

Lately, I have been feeling down and anxious because I have another surgery coming. My mind have been somewhere else and once again, I am having a hard time finding the Christmas Spirit and even the energy to decorate the tree. But on Sunday evening, I finally got the drive to finish it. We decided to go with a red and silver color theme along with the ornaments from our wedding, our first anniversary, our travels, the Santa ornament I bought after my chemo, Jeff's childhood ornaments and others that tell stories of our challenges, gratitude, hope and strength. You see, we want our tree to tell a story and to represent the essence of our lives. It is from these experiences that we find gratitude and meaning even in the darkest moments of our lives. I believe that no matter how hard life is with all its qualms and challenges, it is still a beautiful life.

Autumn Is Late And The Christmas Card Project

I think I said "autumn" too soon. It's been an uncharacteristically warm October. I'm still walking around wearing shirts and blouses. It's strange because even the trees are looking lackluster compared to the fall foliage we've had the past couple of years.  It's also been a dry season as we haven't had one of those soaking, cold autumn rain that makes you want to crawl back to bed even in the middle of the day. This dryness is fostering my annoying rag weed allergies.

Our little autumn corner.

A week ago, we saw Ann Patchett's interview conversation with the witty and funny Tom Hanks. Our tickets included a free copy of his book, "Uncommon Type." (I still have to read it.) The interview was witty and the views expressed were profound. He is a well read person. I was quite surprised to learn that Mr. Hanks collects vintage typewriters and has about 200 of them.

My favorite quote from the interview is, "If you're so disgusted about the present, go read something about the past. Because people in the past were so disgusted with their present." This quote speaks especially about my sentiments of the current affairs of US politics and the danger it is posing around the world. Enough said about that.

With October coming to a close and the fall festivities arriving soon and fast, I am starting my Annual Christmas Card Project. I am so excited! Every year,  I send over a hundred cards through snail mail. Even if it's easier to send greetings electronically or through Facebook, nothing beats the beauty of a handwritten letter or card with a good old stamp on it. This is my small way of spreading Christmas cheer. If you'd like to receive a Christmas card from me, send me a note and your address at misskayni at gmail dot com or leave me a message at Facebook.

These Christmas cards will soon be traveling to different parts of the world.

However, before anything else, Halloween is just two nights away. The cobwebs and spider are up, the ghosts are floating underneath the Cherry Blossom tree, the screaming mat is plugged ready to scare kids, and the candy bowl is overflowing with sweets.

Daisy supervising how to put the Halloween decorations.

A peaceful and blessed Undas, Philippines.  Happy Halloween, US.

26 Staples Later

The boy and his dog. A month after Kepi's brain surgery. Daisy got a free bath that day.

Perhaps it's time to pack the summer clothes away and air out the sweaters and stockings again. The first couple of days of September ushered in rain and the chilly autumn air. I've heard a few people complaining that they'll miss the warmth of summer, but I can't complain. I am grateful we survived the trials of August. Most of all, I am grateful for the support of family and prayers from friends all over the world. Kepi's surgery went smoothly and he is well on the road to recovery. Amazingly, he went back to work in less than two weeks. Although he still can't hear through his right ear (the surgery site), gets occasional headaches and complains of a metallic taste in his mouth, he is managing quite well. His medical team at the hospital was absolutely wonderful! I can't thank them enough.

After a long day at work, I love it when Daisy rests her face on my lap. I guess it's our special time together.

Although I'm still in the adjusting period, my new job is going well. It's "always" tough to be the newbie. I think we've all been there at some point of our careers. What's specially challenging is that my former position dealt with energy issues and now I'm dealing with banking issues. The learning curve is quite steep in addition to working with a younger more aggressive crowd. I survived my first month, so let's see where this new position takes me.

So here we are, 26 staples later (the number of staples required to close Kepi's wound). And we are going to pick up where we left off, continue to heal and fight, and look forward to what the future brings.

I hope you're all doing well. I'm still here.

To A New Adventure

I am baking a new recipe of Banana Chocolate Bread today. I'm hoping it will come out good. I think this is the first time in a couple of months I'm baking again. I miss it.

I've been away again. I just couldn't get the motivation to write for some reason. I think part of it is that Kepi and I are looking at another health issue - his brain tumors. I've always been the patient and Kepi my caregiver. Now, this role will be reversed. I never knew that it is harder and tougher to be the caregiver most specially when you see your spouse suffering.

Kepi's second MRI imaging was done a week ago. This week, we're going to see his doctor again and schedule his surgery. Please keep him in your prayers.

My vegetable garden is doing quite well even with the abnormally late arrival of summer weather. I managed to plant some Tomatoes, Bitter Melons, Bokchoy, Chives and Dill. I still have a few Peppers to transplant, so I'm hoping to get to it this coming weekend. Quite a delight to also see my potted Moringas surviving. The leaves would be delicious for Chicken Tinola soon.

Flowers from my garden.

Next week I will be starting a new job. I was sort of surprised because I applied to this company last year. It felt timely that they called after our Hawaii trip in May giving me time to meet their regulatory team and also have a short meeting with the CEO. I accepted their offer last month, so here I am embarking on a new adventure.

The living room is now filled with the warm heavenly aroma of chocolate. I am excited to taste this bread and I'm hoping Kepi will like it too.

Fresh from the oven - Banana Chocolate Bread.

It's tea time and you're all invited.

I Love Hilo!

I have to write a blog entry while I'm here in Hilo.

Our experience here has been nothing but wonderful - from our cozy apartment that has everything we needed, waking up to the sound of waves crashing to shore, the birds and coquis lulling us to sleep at night, to the aloof tabby cat that visits us in the mornings and evenings.

For some time I've been yearning to find a reason to smile again, and it was here that I felt that deep, pure state of joy. I'm referring to that type of happiness that exudes when: you're with someone you love, you fall sleep to the relaxing sound of birds and frogs, and you wake up to the tapping of rain on the windows and rooftop.  Our experience on this island taught us that it is the immaterial, simple, beautiful, natural things that radiate true bliss.

I told Kepi I'd love to visit again even if this is my fourth time visiting the Big Island.

Here's cute Mr. Kitty Aloof.

We certainly had our fill of Malasadas and other pastries at the Punalu'u Bake Shop.

We saw exotic flowers just like this Red Torch Ginger.

Tomorrow we will be flying to the island of Molokai. Our stay in Hilo has certainly made us temporarily forget what we will be dealing with in the next few months.

Tonight, we sleep while the coquis sing their heart out.

Linking this post with Our World Tuesday and Wordless Wednesdays.