April Is About To End

I’ve missed so many comments which didn’t show on my tab the past days. That’s one of the things I don’t like about using my tab to check my posts. Unless I open my computer to check everything, I miss a lot. I told you, life has become lazy days too.

April is almost gone. Tomorrow we’ll start another month.

One thing that I am always reminded of every time the month of May sets in is the song by The Bee Gees, First of May. And I silently sing it in my head. Aside from December, May is one of my favorite months – the month of flowers and the month of Mama Mary.

♫♫♪when I was small, and Christmas trees were tall♫♪

April seemed to take a little too long, what with this pandemic, lockdown and all.  Sometimes all you think is what to have and what to cook in your next meal. There are lots of idle times and you have lots to do but you can’t start.  It’s like the days pass by and you just go with the flow. You think, when will this ends? When will we have normal lives again? When will this stop? And you feel helpless, do a lot of prayers and cling to your faith.

I talk to Nissa every day now asking how they are coping. Yesterday, her brother-in-law brought home the remains of their Papa in a sealed urn. It is supposed to stay in a columbarium but the lockdown hinders one to move normally. They take their temperature every day even if they know he didn’t die of Covid.  It’s been more than three weeks now since he got sick and died a week ago. His doctor siblings said it was bacterial and his kidneys were not functioning well. Such is life, surprises (even not good ones) are lurking nearby.

For the last three mornings, I woke up early to tend the garden. I am finally done trimming the carabao grass. The garden hose is new, we had to call the plumber who did the installation of the aircon three days ago to fix it.  My Pandakaki plants and Tagaytay cherry plants need pruning too. That has to wait until this afternoon when it is not too hot. Gardening is really a great way of  de-stressing, a therapeutic activity that does not need too much  expertise but just the love of the soil and all its environs.  It’s more of  experiments really because they say that there are no gardening mistakes, everything that you plant becomes a part of the garden.

I planted some squash seeds at the back garden and they have sprouted. What a joy to see new shoots.

Let’s just hope the month of May will flatten the curve worldwide.

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What Is Happening Around

I thought I’ll give you a preview  on our daily lives here in our small town. Present total population is around 370,000.  Since the enhanced community quarantine, all  of us are just confined here, no border crossing, there are so many checkpoints in the metropolis. I much prefer to call it a lock down. We have our own curfew here at the subdivision where I live. The gates are only open from 5-10am then at 2-6pm. Nationwide curfew starts at 8pm to 5am the following day. We have quarantine passes, one in each household because only one is allowed to go out to buy necessities, food and medicines. Sometimes we make use of Grab  and Lalamove though for those food delivery but of course they are so expensive but they can travel to other towns and cities in Metro Manila.

I can’t remember now how many times  I’ve blogged about our third-termer Mayor – Mayor Atty. Kit Nieto. He is really good and he is even proving himself more responsible, decisive and really after the welfare of his constituents. Cainta is lucky to have him around.

Yesterday, I received three food packs from the municipal’s office thru our volunteer workers here in our subdivision. I think this is the fifth tranche since this lock down started. There are so many people contributing cash and food items to our Mayor and he in turn buys groceries, distributes the food items (some even cooked food)   to all areas of our town.  Priorities of course goes to those who badly need financial assistance. There is this  SAP (Social  Amelioration Fund) implemented by the national government but then there are so many exemptions and those qualified to receive it are finding it hard  because those who were tasked to distribute it have different guidelines that they follow. My goodness, the people are hungry especially those living in the squatter areas.  Compare it to those countries who take care of all their citizens, this government is sadly lacking. Sometimes, those soldiers assigned  to some checkpoints are abusive.

Going back to Mayor Kit Nieto, for the 15th day now he’s been auctioning off his collection of shoes to raise funds for those who were temporarily out of work  due to this lockdown, and because they were not qualified to receive SAP. He was able to garner P977,750.00 in cash for all those shoes sold, three pairs each day in the last fourteen days.

Got this from Mayor Kit’s site at FB posted today.

Cainta had 90 confirmed cases of  COVID-19 and out of it, 12 died, 21 have fully recovered, 6 are under quarantine, and the rest are quarantined at home waiting for their fourth and fifth swab. All in all 57 patients are being monitored. They are preparing for teleconferencing with five doctors using an online facility that will start by Friday.

I started gardening yesterday morning. I am half-way through trimming the carabao grass.  How are you all?

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Blessed Sunday To All

Watched the live streaming of the Sunday mass at the Manila Cathedral at 8am today. Another inspiring homily delivered by Fr. Regie.  I get by trying to get in touch with my brothers, some relatives and friends through the internet. This is the time when having a wi-fi at home is a blessed bonus.

I  want to share this prayer for all of you out there.

Lord, you are the greatest Healer of all

Please protect our land from the disastrous effect of this pandemic.

Cover us with Your Holy Mantle and embrace us in Your loving arms.

Also praying for the repose of the souls of Nissa’s father-in-law who died three days ago and is still at the morgue of the funeral parlor ( waiting for scheduled cremation on the 29th) and for my friend’s father who died the other day when he hit his head at the pavement near our gate  and probably had blood clot in his brain.  May  You receive them in Your Kingdom to live with you forever. Amen.

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Another Week Is About To End

My, my but it is too hot. It is definitely summer now. I am not much into following the weather since this Covid lockdown has started.

We have two workers here at the moment, they’re fixing the locks of our bedroom doors and installing an aircon unit at the other room.  It is just a small .5HP inverter type air con, good enough for a small room. Since Jovy and Josef are working from home now, they need a cooler room for work convenience.  Oreo misses the window to our dirty kitchen, he has no more window to look out to when I am cooking.

I am so lazy to blog again. It’s been two days since I last visited here. Trying to find nice but short fiction books that would tide me over in the next week or two.  So lazy to cook too. We ordered lunch at McDonalds,  placed an online order for snacks and for dinner.

Lockdown was extended for another two weeks until May 15. I hope they would concentrate on testing  possible COVID 19 individuals so they could flatten this curve that they have been reporting now and then.

How are you friends? Keep safe always.

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A Quiet Birthday

Yesterday was a quiet, oh so quiet birthday celebration for mom. Come to think of it, she didn’t even know it was her birthday so I had to remind her. She even asked how old she is now. 91 I think is a great age. There is a saying that says that when you reached 80, you are doubly blessed.  I agree.  Those reaching this age have  probably enjoyed life fully. Still standing tall with occasional pain in the joints, frequent forgetfulness that needs reminding now and then.

I cooked Ziti pasta for mom and ordered 6 rolls of embutido online, left-over bibingka for dessert, Tang apple juice for drinks.  Josef went to Mercury Drugstore yesterday to buy medicines for us. There was a long line of customers, he waited for two hours. My online order of Vitamin C capsules arrived today. It will tide us over for the next two to three months.

I am reminded of those  doctors we have lost, specialists in their own fields, at the prime of their lives and careers. They lost to this virus while saving more lives in the process.  It’s only now that this government is getting  focused in this pandemic. It would be a hard decision for them if they will lift this lockdown or not. Prolong it and so many people will get hungry. Many live on day to day basis relying on food packs from the government. Some breadwinners of the family lost their job at the beginning of the lockdown. Prolong it and the economy will suffer too. Lift it and more people would go out  while our hospitals are still full to the brim. Our frontliners are overworked  and some are underpaid. Mass testing is ongoing but it hasn’t made a dent yet on the number of people infected.  The curve hasn’t flattened yet so to speak. Statistics is still rising. What more if those who are in their homes now would go back to their supposedly “normal” activities and they get infected, we lack facilities to accommodate them.

Not all Filipinos  stand to benefit on the Social Amelioration Program of the government,  emergency subsidies to help the people cope with the effects of COVID-19. There are more exceptions than those qualified to receive it. Even seniors like us are exempted with the government saying that we have our monthly pension. Some sectors are sadly neglected.

Here’s my simple prayer for everyone: Lord, help us to hang on no matter what storms tomorrow brings.

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Small Pockets Of Joy

Aside from the brutal and deadly effects of this pandemic, it also brought along something good for the people, the family in particular. Trite as it may sound, it forced us to just stay at home, be with the family members who we used  to see only a few hours before they go back to their jobs.  It brought us together.

• Last night, I had a nice time having a video chat with Nate. Just hearing his excited voice shouting “I’m good Nonna” was enough for me. We haven’t seen each other for more than two months now. Every time I talk to Nissa,  either he is asleep, watching television or busy playing with his toys.
• I am going back to reading but not as focused  as before, one book a week would be enough. I choose which book to read first, something fast-paced or inspirational.
• I water my plants every day and when I see new growth, I am overjoyed. Yesterday, I planted more seeds of eggplants, beans and squash. I hope I could see them grow in a few days.
• Josef and I picked calamansi too and gave some to our neighbor Jom. It costs a little expensive now in the market. Since Vitamin C tablets/capsules are out of stock, people have to make use of citrus fruits for their needs.
• Our neighbor Jom gave us a sack of rice containing 25 kilos. This would tide us over for another  two months. A good soul donated more sacks for distribution to those in need.
• The bayanihan spirit is working in our country despite those politicians who have  no concrete idea how to run it.  The Bayanihan (pronounced as buy-uh-nee-hun) is a Filipino custom derived from a Filipino word “bayan”, which means nation, town or community. The term bayanihan itself literally means “being in a bayan”, which refers to the spirit of communal unity, work and cooperation to achieve a particular goal. Those in the private sector are working hard to help with gargantuan donations. They are also setting up facilities for COVID-19 patients.  Even individuals who are well-off are sharing what they have. Here in our town, there are donors to the mayor’s office everyday and the mayor  gives those donations  to those areas where people can’t afford three meals a day.

These are just small things that makes the heart swell with gratefulness. Our faith will sustain us.  God is good and God is great.

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A Blessed Weekend To All

Haven’t have the strength do anything else  and my ever reliable PC comes in handy.  And in between taking a peek at my Facebook site and occasional chats with long-lost friends, I’ve  done some gardening  and uploaded some photos on my hard drive.  I am finally appreciating watching TV, something I’ve never cared  about before.  The things you do to combat boredom. And for the first time in  a week,  I’ve finished a book  by David Baldacci called Divine Justice. I’d rather read thrillers nowadays instead of other genre. It makes for good reading at a time days are so uncertain.  I am tired though of watching those nonsense speeches done close to midnight when everyone is sleepy. I wonder why.

Well, we are still under lockdown but some people seem to ignore those hours that they’re not supposed to go out except to procure medicines, groceries and buy food for their daily needs.  Starting tomorrow here in our town, curfew hours were changed to 3pm until 6am. People are only allowed to go out from 6am to 3pm.  We haven’t bought Mom’s maintenance medicine yet, what we have here is only good for two more weeks. It’s her 91st birthday on Monday. Most medicines that people need for high blood pressure, vitamins  and for sugar are out of stock.

I tried ordering online some barley capsules and vitamin C but it hasn’t arrived yet. A week ago, I also ordered some veggies online. They were delivered the next day – tomatoes, okra, eggplants,  upo (bottle gourd), corn,  banana  and string beans.

I planted eggplant seeds early this morning and some seeds of string beans. For the first time this month, it rained, somehow diffusing the heat  we’ve been experiencing the past several days. It is summer here now. Hopefully, I’ll have seedlings in a few days.  People are encouraged to plant those easy to grow veggies. If one has enough space, why not?

 

 

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You’ll Never Walk Alone

For some strange reason, this song has stayed with me the whole day. A lovely reassurance that everything would be alright.

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
There’s a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark

Walk on, through the wind
Walk on, through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
There’s a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark

Walk on, through the wind
Walk on, through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on, with…

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Can’t Read, Can’t Blog

Still couldn’t seem to go back to the allure of reading and the magic of writing. My thoughts are quite chaotic at the moment.

Although I am still advanced by seven books for this year’s challenge, it usually takes me around five days now to finish a 350-500 pages book.  I seldom open my PC now, just relying on my tab and cellphone to communicate with friends and relatives.

How’s everyone? I hope you are all doing okay.

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Happy Easter

“We are an Easter people and ‘Alleluia’ is our song!” -St. Augustine of Hippo

Just  attended  the live streaming of the Easter Vigil Mass presided by our good friend Fr. Aly together with two other celebrants at the Shrine of Our Lady of Light.

The whole days of Lent, Holy Week and Easter celebrations  are utterly different from previous celebrations because of this Covid-19 pandemic.  It changed everything. Whereas before I only hear mass on Sundays, since the lockdown started, there are everyday masses in different churches.  You can actually choose which one to watch and listen to.

I am still not in the right mood to blog and update everything here. I just talk to friends online almost every day and get in touch with those I haven’t seen for a long time.

The situation here in our country is not that good. I guess, the real numbers are not being  divulged to the public. We have a right to know.

I am feeling positive though and hoping that this will end soon. We are all affected in one way or another.

HAPPY EASTER!

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