Caroleen’s Treasures

I am really a procastinator. I have 18 pyjammas to sew and it was 4 days now and still I only finished two. Everytime I sit and sew, there would be some interruptions that I can’t ignore like visitors and the SOS call for OHJ. Since Julie was looking forward to see what pyjammas here looks like…or what MY pyjamma looks like….here it is.

Here is my fabric still uncut.

And here’s Ella on her first pyjama…..

on the next pyjama.

Donald asked me how many was I able to finish since I started. I prouldy said “TWO….each day that Ella needs one, I’d sew her a pair.”

The day went well. It was Saturday…the market day here. I and Ella went to the market to hunt for “ukay-ukay” (gently used clothes) and we are lucky to find almost new items for Ella. Oh well….this is my illness and I think it was contagious because my friend Stephanie was addicted to it too when we still live in our hometown. It was so fun bringing her to the market….she was blind and could not totally see but she enjoys ukay-ukay hunting with me. This is why we had an ukay-ukay business before. To feed my growing and burning passion with it

In the afternoon, Uncle Dencio and the rest of the team arrived here at almost 2pm. Inang prepared a merienda for their tummies then we sent them off their way after the quick snack. I did some planting and weeding in the front yard since the dirt was moisten from the rainwater. Hoping those plants would grow and make the house more like a house.

I’d say byebye because I need to get some sleep before I start my shift tonight at 12 midnight and to sneak in about the mortgage lenders that I need to find out.

It was a very tiring day! I woke up a little bit tired and sore. Then I fixed a bowl of cereal for Ella and went to sit infront of my sewing machine again. I didn’t expect Uncle Dencio and the rest of the group to come here. Tatang have mentioned he will cancel the schedule for a class here since the people are busy on the rice fields. The house was a mess! I quickly cleared the living room and prepared lunch. They are 6 people from Davao and Tagum and we eat out…outside the house.:lol:

Without the people to attend the class, Uncle Dencio and his wife Ate Leah decided to go with the rest of the team to La Fortuna. It was 3 towns away from here and we went with them too! We travelled almost an hour passing ricefields, cornfields and calmansi orchards. We had visited 3 homes and had a short bible studies. Ella enjoyed the scene as much as Donald and I!

When we went back to the house where they are going to spend the night, the clouds are all so black. Seeing a big truck, they told Doanld to run and stop it. Gladly the driver stepped on the brakes when he saw Ella. I was wondering if Donald can get a ride if he was alone and no cutie little girl in tow. When we are all settled, we waived goodbye to them and off the truck went. The driver told us they are in a hurry because there might be rebels who will block their way. There was an encounter with the military near a public school a few miles from where we had bible sutdy. People are hurt and some died. We were joking just to brush the fear away….saying the rebels can’t fire their guns because it was raining and their guns are wet. And they will surely  retreat because they are afraid that they might get colds. :grins:

We arrived safely to Dona Josefa, the nearest town to Trento, where the truck’s destination was. We offered to give them money but the driver refused. We thanked them and wished them luck not to come across the rebels. Then we get on a tricycle that ferried us from there to Trento. It was a long ride home and I was so tired. Ella didn’t sleep and was having fun looking at the places we are passing. Here’s some photos:

Ella played at the backyard of one of the houses we visited….she enjoyed chasing the chicken.

Her sandals were hurting her feet and she took it off in the middle of the road. 

She was over the moon when she found a swing…..made of nylon twine and a ricesack.

She swung to heaven and back while we had bible study. (Excuse the bicycle there…it needs some fixin’)

When we went home, we rode a truck and then took a tricycle for the half of the trip. 

One funny and scary mode of transportation here is the SKYLAB. This can ferry 12 passengers!

And ladies and gentlemen…allow me to introduce the PINOY Croc’s. (It was an improvised rain boots). See how resourceful Filipinos are? Found this resting on a slab on the porch.

More of Pinoy’s creativity when I return. Got to check bic pens. Have a wonderful day ahead!

I was supposed to post this last night but I was called for back up for OHJ early so…..I wasn’t able to write. Well, there’s nothing special happened yesterday. It was “laundry day” but a day late than my schedule I was suppose to do it yesterday, but since we had an unexpected dinner at Tatang’s the other night so the laundry had to wait.

As usual, during laundry day’s, Donald forgets the time for him to fetch Ella at school. When he remembered it, we can hear Ella’s alto voice a few lots away. She walked with a classmate with her mother. I was just glad that she has classmate living farther than us. At least she can walk with them home when she won’t be fetched…this way she will go home straight. I went to meet her at the gate, she told me they don’t have a class today because teacher will go to the city to bring her little daughter to the doctor to get checked. I asked the mom and she confirmed it. After putting down her bag, she showed me a piece of paper. A letter from the teacher about their upcoming exams and the amount payabale. Then she told me they don’t have a class today because teacher will go to the city to bring her little daughter to the doctor to get checked. Then she ran to get her disposable cup where she put the nails she’d found (remember she wants to earn money like the other kids here digging for nails everywhere and selling it?). She was so happy to announce she can now find nails easily so she has his cup almost full. She explained to me how to find the right one…”When you try to break it and it is hard…it is a nail but when it breaks, throw it away because it is just a stick and the man won’t buy it.” So me and Donald can’t argue with her with the nail-hunting because as she said, it was for the kids who don’t have slippers. She is making her own fund-raising activity

Since we went to see the doctor and found out I got MVP and asthma…and not to mention the hypertension, Donald always buys fruits. So I feel healthy eating all those. After lunch, nap time as usual. I was meaning to sew but it was so hot and we only got one fan in the house and Ella cannot live without it. So I decided it can wait and napped with the two of them.

I finally got myself to sew when we woke up at 4ish. Since I was about to sew 18 pyjammas, it will probably took me forever with the bloing and coding. Donald told me I got email so I went to check it leaving Ella in the living room. She was making little hammock, pillows and blankets out of the rags. While I was sitting her, trying to reply she called “Mommy, come on…don’t sit there and type..type..type..You should sew. You are so slow. It takes you a looooong time to finish it because you always sit infront of the computer.” So I made a quick reply and went back to sewing.

After a while, she asked me to play with her. She has this hammock hung on the decorative birdhouse that I put in the corner. She actually plays alone but sometimes she wants us to join. So I said NO because I need to finish what I am sewing. She then said, “Since you started sewing, you always sew..sew..sew..sew and you have no time to play with me. I think you need to stop sewing now.” I explained I need to finish it quickly so she won’t get bitten by fleas anymore. All her jammies are capris now, so I am sewing a real jammies that goes beyond her ankles. I will just fold it so she can wear it longer. She understood and continued playing alone. 15 minutess later, Donald played the Carpenters and I started singing along. Ella was asking me endless questions about everything so I asked her not to ask me questions at that time because I was singing. Guess what she said?…”I think you need to stop singing Mommy and better get back sewing.” Oh well….I was thinking she was my number 1 fan because while eating pancake yesterday morning, she exclaimed “Wow! This is great!…this is why Daddy won’t find a new Mommy. It’s because Mommy makes the best pancake!!!!”

And oh I almost forgot, last night Donald was teasing her to sleep early because she had to go to school early today. She was almost mad when her Daddy insists they had a class so she showed him the letter. There was nothing written there about it but the examination schedule. Donald pretended to read it…”Your daughter is not telling the truth. There will be a class tomorrow.” Ella was more than mad when she heard what her Daddy read. I asked her why she tells us there will be no class when Daddy reads there will be…she said, “I don’t know to Daddy….he doesn’t know how to READ!!!!”  

Oh well, with a 5-year-old at home you wouldn’t get bored. Better find a beautiful wind chimes
 that I’d give to my sister Cheche for her birthday next week.

Today we went to the seamstress to get measurement for Ella’s uniforms. Donald and I are talking about fetching her after their class so we could go straight from there to the seamstress, but Ella got home before we left the house.

Before she went to school, she looked for Bogart around the house. Bogart always walks with her and Donald to school and was on the front door waiting. But today, he was nowhere to be found. I didn’t realized how Ella missed her dog and her day would be not complete without Bogart when after her class, she walked to the big house owned by Tatang’s daughter….called Bogart’s name then she said “Bogart, let’s go home now…come on!” Bogart seemed to understand and he did went home with Ella.

Bogart visits her brother at the big house once in a while. But since Ella was here, he stays in the house. When Ella and Bogart gets home, we headed back near her school to see the seamstress. Oh it was like walking on a treadmill….I was so tired yet I feel so good with the exercise. On our way there, I took some snaps of them……

Ella goes to school following the road less travelled….

 passing by some friends…..

 Then a swimming pool……for ducks and frogs.

 And gets to appreciate the beautiful flowers that grows along the road…..which are actually weeds.

  Then she arrives at her school, say goodbye to Daddy and Bogart.

 Look at Bogart….wanting to get in the picture too.

 Then after class, Ella goes home faster than she walks to school.

Life is really different here in the province. Ella had to walk while she does have a “sundo” while we are in the city.  But she never did complain about it. I think she enjoys here a lot only she misses the city when she gets to remember of McDonald’s and Wonderland.

I promised before that I’d post a photo of Ella on her new haircut (I think I promised myself and myself alone) So here it is….her photo when she turned 5 with her long hair.

And her new hairstyle….

Well I like her new look now, at least I can send her to school with a head band and not worry about tying her hair wet.

I lost internet connection at 4am so I got some sleep before Ella went to school. I feel so sore on my back when I woke up from my naps. Yes I had several naps. I again did some cutting of fabric for her pyjamas. Did I mention before that there was a neighbor that keeps on coming back to borrow money? She did come back thrice and she seem not to believe we don’t have money to lend. We don’t really have some extras, only we have enough for our needs and my medication. Then there’s another neighbor who went here last night to borrow money for food, I said I have no change so I offered to lend her if we can find a change of my bill. The she refused to accept since I don’t have a change, I offered a pack of noodles and a can of corned beef but she didn’t accept it. Why would I offer to lend her and I said no to the first? Because the second one needs food, the first one just needs money to pay her debt (she loaned money to buy lotions and other beauty products and to me it is not a necessity). Then in the afternoon, a third neighbor came to borrow money to pay the truck who will deliver wood for their furniture shop. So this one is a need to (to my judgment) so I loaned her the amount since we have ordered a desk for Ella. If she can’t pay it, I can deduct it on the amount of the desk.

I am honestly stressed with all the rantings of my neighbors. Each day I can hear each one of them complain having no food. As much as we can, we try to help. But now I need some medication, all we hope is for more opportunities to come so we can still hand the kids some biscuits when they come here with grumbling tummies.

This makes Ella understand how hard life is….so last night while I was busy cutting fabric, she she was busy counting something on the floor. Then I heard her complain some are missing. I looked at her and there on the floor were nails in different sizes and with different thickness of rust in it. She said she will sell it so we can have money. She told us once before but now she seems to be serious. I said she don’t need to make money herself because Mommy and Daddy are the ones who does it. But she insists, saying she want to help so she can buy slippers for the kids here. Oh well, I can’t argue with her at this point.

Tonight we went to Tatang and Inang’s place. Ella wanted to ride her bike because we couldn’t fit in the motorcycle. Me, Donald, Ella and Cheche (the one who fetched us). We said NO so she was forced to ride with us. When we were half on our way, the motorcycle died. In the middle of woods, without a single light and a house near. So Ella was grumbling more saying if she only rode her bike, we can get there on time She was saying…”because I said so….” and “Mauna na lang ako sa inyo Daddy…” (I will go ahead of you Daddy…) and started to walk. Gladly Cheche had a celphone so she sent a message that we are stuck there, anotehr motorcycle came to get Ella and Cheche while I stayed with Donald and Uncle Jun who fixed the sparkplug. It was an old one and needs overhaul or replacement.

After a few minutes, they finally made it run. So we had a nice dinner and chat with Tatang, Inang and half of their family (I say half because not all children and grankids were there) We took some snaps and was thinking it must be better if Tatang and Inang wore renaissance clothing for more drama and effects.

Monday tag from Arlene. I don’t know why I am late on this one… But lemme put it as Monday tag still.

Who Played; Daily Stories | Me and Mine | Dancing in Midlife Tune | Caroleen’s Treasures

1. complete this phrase: “if only i could..
:: sew a real dress, i’d love to make Ella and me a nice pair of Sunday dresses.

2. did you get enough sleep last night?
:: Nope. I was on call for OHJ and should be coding until 5:30 in the morning but the interent connection was down at 4 am so I was able to get some sleep.

3. what were you doing before you slept last night?
:: As I was saying, I did not sleep last night but I did get some after I lost internet at 4am.

4. first thing you thought about this morning when you woke up?
:: Are you saying this morning? I thought about getting some more sleep then sew Ella’s pyjamas.

5. do u ever wonder why the sky is blue?
:: Yes, from birth until I was in 6th grade.

6.Did you ever try to skip meals?
:: Yes, a lot of times especially when we still have a clothing store. I’d skip meals just to open a bale of clothes….so excited to get all the best for Ella.

7. lights on or off?
:: I prefer lights off especially when I hav migraine.

9. are you afraid of the dark?
:: Nope.

10. favorite hangout/s?
:: At home or at the mall when we have some moolah.

11. people you can’t live without?
:: Ella

12. what are your plans for tonight?
:: Sew, blog, blog hop and do coding….my daily routine.

13. favorite song when you’re sleepy?
:: What the World Needs Now…by the Carpenters

14. Do you love someone, right now?
:: Yes of chorz…

15. are you a giver or a taker?
:: I am a giver when I have something to give.

16. if you could choose another name, what would it be?
:: It would be Caroline. Just the same old name, it just differs in spelling. HAHAHAHA!

18. last text message from?
:: From Anna, my cardiologist’s secretary.

20. stuck on a desert island & could have only one KIND of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
:: This is the hardest question….Ummmm I think I would like to have sauteed vegetables.

21. favorite tv commercial/s?
:: I can’t remember…we are out of tv for months now. Hehehehe

22. if you were dead and your soul was given another chance, what would you do first?
:: To thank the Lord for giving me another life.

23. if you could choose your eye color, what color would you like to have?
:: Still black unless my skin tone and hair color would change also.

24. what are the things you always bring?
:: My purse where my hankies (I bring a couple), hair brush, money (of chorz) pen and notepad and Eye-Mo.

Am passing this tag to:

Julie, Michelle, Beverly, and Borski and Nai.

Today it was raining early until late in the afternoon. After I logged out from OHJ at 8 in the morning, Ella was already off to school. Ella was so thrilled when it rains….look at her when she came home from school.

Since it was raining most of the time, we snuggled in bed…all three of us. The neighbor who is making furnitures went here to confirm about the study desk that we wanted to order for Ella. Her plastic table was lost during our move from the city, so Ella was using the same table we are using for dining. The all-purpose table because I sew, cut pattern, knead dough, and Donald is studying there too for his sermons and ninle studies. It is actually a table intended for the engineers that made the plan for the chapel. A high table that my neck is leveled to the table when I sit down. What we are doing is we double the monoblock chairs for Ella and Donald so they can reach and I am using my computer chair that can be adjusted to a certain height. So having a study desk for her will be a great help. Only we are crossing our fingers that Ella will make use of it

Bye for now…I am called for back up for OHJ…I hope I can blog hop tonight and probably can help my friend Suzy find a saddles for her babies in the ranch. I did some blog hopping but wasn’t able to comment. See yah around!

It is Sunday once again….Ella’s favorite day of the week She loves going to church and today we had a story about the twin brothers Jacob and Esau. As usual, I kep reminding her not to tell what happened next so she won’t spoil the whole story. There were only 4 kids in my class and they are smiling when I distributed their snacks. The lesser the kids, the more share of food for each of them.

While we were at church, I put the pot on top of the stove to make the beef tender. I need to put on more meat on my diet because I lack certain vitamins found in meat. I loathe beef actually….I eat pork and chicken but I prefer it cooked with vegetables. I like vegetables more and my pocket likes it too!

After lunch, Donald, Ella and I all piled in bed to watch Kung Fu Panda on the computer but we ended up sleeping. Ella was the last one to doze off and she managed to click the X on the screen to put the movie off. When Donald woke up, he was not pleased to learn what Ella had done. We don’t watch movie in the pc before, I don’t want Ella to learn that she can watch her cd’s here ‘cos I will definitely have some problems with saying NO when she will ask for a movie time. I was telling Donald the computer is for blogging only and for coding too…no games and no movies but sometimes Ella do ask to play a game or two when I am not busy.

Just before dinner, while Donald was playing on the computer and Ella and I on the bed, she screamed like hell…when I looked at her, she was cupping her left eyes. She accidentally opened the bottle of alcohol and a little amount dripped on her eyes. Donald brought her to the sink and wash it with flowing water. She continued screaming when I told her she might get blind like Tita Steph. I didn’t mean to scare her, but I was just telling her my worry too. I carried her back to our room and put on a few drops of Maxitrol hoping it will help take the redness. Gladly, she was back in her old self again after half ab hour and I am back cuddling Teddy and Woloo in bed. I was just surprised that Woloo, the stuffed lamb from our store, is a Russ. When I found out, I put him with Teddy in bed. Now we have two special stufffed animals.

It’s been so long since Iast wrote a post, now I am gonna make up for the lost time. So guys, be ready for this quite long post

July 2, 2008

I am called for back up at past 9 pm the night before so I was groggy when I finally said goodbye to my fellow coders at 6 am. I took Arnie’s shift because he can’t make it that night, thinking I’d be gone for a couple or more days, I needed to grab the oppurtunity to work while we are still at home. Donald was awake the whole time, makign sure I’d not sleep on the keyboard. He prepared hot chocolate drink for me and massaged my back while I am coding. We just chatted the night away and we didn’t realized the sun is saying hello to half of the world. After logging out from OHJ, we prepared to get to the city for a check up. We left here at 9 in the morning, went straight to the clinic and waited for 5 long hours to get seen by the doctor. He spent an hour for each patient….so when it was my turn, it was already 8 in the evening and was done at 9 pm. We had a late dinner near there and went to Crislyn’s PIL’s place. Ella was so excited to see her tita’s and tito, lolo Tony, Lola Carmen and the dogs and the cat. So we took the oppportunity to talk to her about staying there the following day when I get my other tests done.

July 3, 2008

I had a very good sleep as well as Donald. I dozed off early while Donald followed a few minutes. Ella stayed in the living room with her Tito Ace watching tv. She really missed watching tv! But she has adjusted well in the province with no tv at home. Donald woke me up at half past 7 in the morning to get ready for my laboratory tests today. Ella woke up before we left. We kissed her goodbye and told her not to go outside because Tita Crislyn will be very busy infront of the pc the whole day. We left her a bunch of her favorite bread and a couple of chocolate drinks. We went straight to the clinic and paid for all the tests. Good that I never did eat and drink anything after 12 midnight until I get there. Nobody told me to fast for the blood tests but I am thankful an angel whispered to me not to have anything. After paying for all the tests, I went to all the departments that I needed to go.

After all the tests, we finally took our brunch at the canteen. Donald was so amazed at the chapel at the back of the building. It was the same as our chapel here! Every detail was the same except for the size. Theirs was smaller. I guess the architect of it was the same architect that they hired to design our chapel here. In the evening, we went back to see the doctor for the diagnosis. As usual we waited for long hours. The doctor told me last night that he can see my asthma is getting worst by stress, but that night he confirmed it again by showing me the x-ray film of my chest. Of how you can tell by the shape of the lungs when one person has asthma or none. Then for the blood tests, I have normal results only that my veins is very sensitive. When I was pricked on my right arm, my vein collapsed so I was pricked on my left arm again to get blood sample. All in all, with 2D-ECHO and other tests, the doctor diagnosed me as having Mitral Valve Prolapse. It is not fatal but I need to be extra careful, avoid stress and not to carry heavy things. I had some prescriptions that I need to get.

July 4, 2008

We visited my cousin manang Inday in their new house. After a couple of hours, we went straight back to the clinic for the last round of laboratory. At 10:30 in the evening, we left Davao City.

July 5, 2008

We finally arrived here at 2:30 in the morning. Whew!!!! We are all so tired…..We unpacked the stuff we brought from here to there, from there to here I am making this short because tomorrow is Sunday. We need to be early for the church and also I have a graveyard shift from 12 midnight to 8 in the morning in OHJ. I hope I can keep myself awake!

Been more than 9 hours coding and as usual I was called for back up for graveyard shift. It is so cold last night and more so in the early morning hours. I feel so drowsy at 4 am but the other coders kept me awake by their funny jokes in the chat conference. We are required to join the chat conference for log in, log out, error and status reports but we are also allowed to chat with each other when the queue is not long. I enjoyed working and being there but I dreaded the part when I have to ask permission to log out. For days I can’t log out as quick as I wanted to be because there would be no one to take over my post. So what I did this morning was to ask permission an hour before my eyes will shut off by themselves. Gladly it worked well for me!

I logged out from OHJ at 6:35am, in time to wake up Ella. She went to school at 8am. Donald went back to get some more sleep after he walked Ella to school. He says he is not feeling well since last night. I also did get some sleep and we ended up sleeping past 10 in the morning. A gentle knock on the door awakened me, I knew it was Ella so I quickly jumped out of the bed and it was really our little debater smiling on the door.

I am making this post early so I can still get some sleep or even just a rest before coding. Donald has high fever and colds while I had menstrual cramps  Donald should be the one to go out this afternoon but since he is feeling dizzy, I went to the grocery store instead to get some things we needed and to get some medicine. I was too tired when I finally got home ‘cos I walked from here to the grocery store which is almost two miles away. I was planning to get only something for dinner but I ended up putting in the basket other things we needed. If only I knew I’d buy more stuff than I planned, I pushed a cart instead of picking a basket. That would made my food shopping easier.

Our plan on going to Davao was postponed again Maybe it will be on Thursday when the money from my paypal will appear on my bank account. It is better also that it was postponed because Donald and I are not feeling well. I hope they won’t be needing back up for tonight so I can get some rest that I really needed and to attend to my patient who is now on his socks and pyjamas hiding under the covers.