Beautiful Longwood Christmas

A couple of weekends ago, Kepi and I drove to Pennsylvania to visit Longwood Gardens. Every season, they decorate the gardens with different themes, but I'm most particularly in-loved with their Christmas set up. This year is spectacular. If you don't like Christmas or Christmas trees, be forewarned that this post is filled with Christmas tree photos and I don't how how many times I'd say Christmas.

A Christmas tree in one of the tree houses.

This Christmas tree is in the confectionery exhibit. I never through I'd love the bluish glow from this tree.

Another Christmas tree surrounded with white and red Poinsettias.

Christmas ornaments

The cutest photo bomber ever in her puffy red dress.

The main Christmas exhibit is the icing of the cake.

Of course, we took a photo with one of the taller Christmas trees.

Here's wishing you all a wonderful Christmas!

Magicians and High School Friends

Last week was awesome!

Kepi and I went to see "The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays" at the National Theatre. This is my second birthday gift for him. The show was entertaining, mind boggling, jaw dropping, lots of laughter and sometimes squirming because some of the stunts involved a live Scorpion inside the mouth and another was buried alive under a ton of gravel (I think this was a version of the Houdini escape). Overall, Kepi and I had a blast. I was also chosen to take part in one of the card tricks.

The stage before the show.

That's me in a green sweater enjoying my five minutes of fame. I was picked to assist/observe Steve Valentine's card trick. I still can't figure out how I picked the same card over and over, or how the card went inside the TicTac container.

I get to keep the main card used in the trick initialed by Steve Valentine (SV). Very cool!

In my last post, I wrote about hosting Christmas lunch with my high school classmates. It went fabulous! We had a lot of laughter and so much stories to go around. We were also able to video call two of our classmates who are living in New York and in Arkansas, so the house was super noisy and loud with excitement and giggles. For a few hours, we were transported back to our carefree high school days.

I decided to just have it catered, and I'm happy I did because the pork lechon was really good.

Beautiful dessert tray comprised of sticky rice, cassava cake, and assortment of rice cakes. These pastries/cakes are usually served on Christmas and other special occasions in the Philippines.

A feast on our dining table.

A table full of friends, sharing a chat over food and coffee. 

A photo by the fireplace.

And after the party subsided and everyone went home, I took upon myself to finish up wrapping these presents I bought for my parents and brother. These beauties will be mailed to Hawaii so I wish them well in their long journey. One of my favorites this Christmas season is wrapping presents and writing Christmas cards.

Prelude To Christmas 2019

Slowly, Washington, DC is beginning to look like Christmas.

It's also that time when the weather is at a strange phase. You have to gauge the temperature if you need a thick coat or a regular coat for the day. Or, you'll end up sweating in a thick coat or shivering in a regular coat. Go figure! I've learned a long time ago to dress in layers and just take off the layers to adjust to the fluctuating DC temps. Funny thing about layers? You'll end up coming home with a bunch of clothes when it gets too warm. You can't win in this situation.

Anyway, below are a few photos I've taken during my morning and lunch walks. I've been trying to get my 10,000 steps each day, so I spend at least 30 minutes of my lunch hour walking/exploring. Twelve years of working in this city and I've barely scratched the surface. I'd like to think that there's more to DC than politics and lobbyists. I really hope I'm right.

A few steps from my office is the DC Center's gigantic Christmas Tree. I pass through here every morning from the train station to my office.

City Center is known for its 35 world class shops. I just stroll and window shop here. It's pretty with their Christmas decorations. In front of Louis Vuitton is the other expensive bag - Hermes. There are special police guards patrolling the area throughout the day (see the person in blue vest staring at me as I was taking this photo).

Two giant Nutcrackers guarding the entrance to Old Ebbitt Grill, Washington's oldest saloon.

I took this photo at the Christmas Market near Chinatown.

We've decorated the house. As I've mentioned in my previous post, I'm having a Christmas lunch with a few of my high school classmates this Saturday, so it's just timely to get the house ready for guests and the holidays.

The fireplace is ready for Christmas. I can't wait to get the fire going ,warm up with a cup of tea, and cuddle with a good book. Too bad I haven't been reading a lot this year, so I am looking forward to my Christmas break.

It melts my heart when I see this sight in the mornings. Daisy snuggled beside the Christmas Tree.

Taken on the evening we decorated the tree. Daisy and I just sat down on the floor and stared at the tree because we're both crazy for Christmas Trees.

Daisy is getting old; she's now 18. Her vet says that she's doing well for her age, but she's been sick a lot. This week, she's suffering from another ear infection. She's also been sleeping a lot, and I really miss the days when she had more energy. However, I do understand that dogs have a short lifespan, and Daisy has brought so much happiness to me and my family. She's given us her love unconditionally. Now that she's old, she needs all the love and care she deserves. I got your back buddy.

How about you? Are you ready for Christmas yet? I'd like to think I am but deep within I'm not.

A Weekend Getaway at Piney Point, MD

A couple of weeks ago, Kepi and I drove to Piney Point for a weekend getaway. The weekend trip was my gift for his birthday. Although it was a bit windy and cold out there, it felt good to unplug and getaway from our routine.

Piney Point lighthouse and lighthouse keeper's house.

Seagull at the boardwalk.

Birthday boy enjoying the view.

Our hotel had a nice view of the Patuxent River.

The boardwalk at Solomon's Island.

Piney Point lighthouse at sunset.

Kepi and I waited for the sunset. It was beautiful!

For our Thanksgiving, we chose to keep it no fuss, quiet and simple. We opted to have dinner at a restaurant and enjoyed a sumptuous buffet serving of turkey, beef and ham. It wasn't great, but it was good. We may not go back to that restaurant next year.

It is Black Friday, and yes, I've done a bit of shopping today. It is mostly for the house and simple gifts to family and friends.

Next weekend, I will be hosting a small lunch with my high school classmates and friends. I still need to get things ready and set things up, but I am very excited to spend time with my friends. We're all so busy throughout the year that we barely have time to see each other. The Christmas season seems to bring us together. I think that's what this season is all about.

Where Are You Christmas?

Where are you Christmas?

It seems a long time ago that I'd feel complete exuberance as soon as September first arrives. The -ber months would usher that Christmas feeling and warmth. If I'm not mistaken, I lost that feeling about six years ago. To those who are not familiar with my story, I was very sick for a long time and started my bone-marrow transplant journey during the holidays of 2013. Imagine getting an infusion on New Year's Day. My transplant was followed by years of being sick and recovery, then my husband's ordeal with three brain tumor related surgeries. Ever since, I am struggling to find that Christmas feeling, and I do miss it.

Just a few samples of the Christmas cards I have at the moment.

One project I do annually to get into the holiday spirit is send Christmas cards to family and friends. It's my way of spreading Christmas cheer. Although the Christmas cheer is elusive to me at the moment, I do hope that these cards may bring smile and happiness to all recipients.

I really love these Christmas Tree cards.

I've also started playing Christmas carols at home and at work. My coworkers tease me that it's too early to be playing these songs, but I just laugh them off. Nothing beats listening to those familiar Christmas carols I grew up with.

Here's Dizzy keeping me company while I sort and write Christmas cards.

In addition, I'm already planning how to decorate the house, and I have started my Christmas gift list. My gift list has little shopping involved as I mostly bake cookies, pastries and breads for family and friends. Baking makes the house smell heavenly, so that's a perk too.

How do you get into the Christmas spirit?

Missing The Blogging World

It hit me today. I've missed blogging.

I've been away for more than a year. Simply because I lack the inspiration to write and the words that used to flow so easily felt forced and insincere. Being an emotional writer, I felt that words were failing to reflect what I truly felt. Sometimes words are not enough to express all the feelings in the world. Or, perhaps my chemo brain is winning the better part of me. On numerous occasions I've struggled to remember and enunciate words and sometimes, I'd get tongue tied in the middle of a conversation and would feel frustrated for the inability to conjure certain words that evade my memory. The struggle is real!

Work has been inevitably stressful. The banking industry is an unforgiving beast; it's a beast after all. I have to admit that within two years of working here, I am struggling to keep up with the "go go" banker mentality. I am like an old car, sputtering and running on fumes. I don't think I need to elaborate on that. Makes me think how the heck did I end up here!

It's autumn and I love it. Yesterday was Halloween and today is All Saint's Day. Since I live in a dual world, I'll celebrate both. All Soul's Day would be a more personal reflection and remembering/praying for all my love ones that have passed on to the next life. I've already made my little offering for them. For Halloween, it's about dressing up Mama Daisy and handing out sweets to the neighborhood kids last night. This year, kids had to cut short their candy run because of thunderstorms and windy weather forecast. Well, more candy for me.

Daisy dressed as a Bumblebee.

It's a short update. Hopefully I can sustain this drive to start writing again.

Belated Happy Halloween to my American family/friends and a meaningful Undas to my Filipino family/ friends.

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.