Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Service for 8 GS

The mister and I went thrifting after work last Friday. I wasn't looking for anything particular, but I saw this pack of spoons. 

I found the knotted handle detail fascinating. I tried looking for a brand, and all I saw was a marking. 


Jay and I liked it. They were kind of heavy and not the traditional flat handle. 

The pack of 16 cost $3.49. 

While looking around, I saw 2 more packs—a pack of knives and forks. 

All three packs go in my cart. 

When we got home, I checked the world wide web on any information on my newly thrifted flatware. 

OMG!

We got a total of a service for 8 GS Gourmet Settings


2/3/2026 at 3:54 p.m.

Today, my blogger friend, Tin, told me that her mom is joining a senior beauty pageant. She's helping her, especially on writing about her pageant advocacy. 

I can't wait for her to let me read more about it.

I was impressed with her mom. I love it when parents and seniors try new things. 

I know many people around my age aren't as adventurous anymore. Some of them spend less time with their husbands and children but more with their amigas. 

Some are content to remain at a plateau because they are simply stuck there.

I really adore it when parents ask for and respect their kids' opinions.

But with Tin's mom, she's joining a beauty pageant, and this made me ask myself...

What something new, daring, and adventurous would I try when I get past 60 years or older?

I am kind of boring. The mister and kids are the ones who'd drag me to try new things. 

Should I:

- Learn and master this piano piece that I love, Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2.

- start bodybuilding

- finish a marathon

- tandem-bike across Europe

- author a cookbook

- live off the grid

- be a BTS army 

- learn hip-hop or Bachata dance

- learn to ride a motorbike

I don't know. 

What I know for sure is that I am impressed with Tin's mom. That takes so much guts, self-love, and confidence. 

Friday, January 30, 2026

1/30/2026 at 4:47 pm


Jay has returned home from work, and we are about to go thrifting.

The snow is slowly melting. Well, I hope that's really the case.

It's not fun to play in it since it hardens from the freezing rain. Some melted areas near the road and walkways looks dirty.

I can't wait for spring in 49 days, if my calculation is correct.


1/30/2026 at 3:40 p.m.

I've been having back pains for a couple of days. It's such a discomfort that most of the tasks on my to-do list went uncompleted. 

That's very frustrating.

Ugh!

Last night, I chose to sleep like a mummy—still and upright, with no pillow

—and WOW! 

It worked. 

I'm feeling so much better today.

Thursday, January 29, 2026

1/29/2026 at 3:18 p.m.

Guess what?

It has been almost a week since I last posted anything on any of my social media accounts. 

I have decided to stay away from the habit of posting. I have been using my time at work, reading a book, planning my garden, and experimenting with new recipes, and hopefully I will be able to start a sewing project soon.

By the way, I cannot wait to start planting. I'm going to expand my garden beds that are in the front yard and plant more zinnias and cosmos for the pollinators. 

For the backyard, I'd be planting more vegetables too and utilizing more space to grow various food, because it would be really wonderful to donate our summer produce to the food bank. 

I can't wait. 

Friday, January 23, 2026

1/23/2026 at 3:12 p.m.

I got out of bed a couple of hours past noon today. 

You see, I happened to get a call at about 1 a.m. last night. I just couldn't resist ignoring it. 

He's one of the few people that I felt particularly connected to in the 1990s. Now that we lived in different time zones, we rarely get to hear from each other. 

It has been almost 2 years since we caught up, and plus, many weeks ago he told me that he has a truly juicy and mighty-meaty chika to tell—an abominable one. 

Guess what!? 

We spoke for about 5 hours before ending the call at 5:37 a.m. 

And he was right! 

The chika was about someone we're both closely related to that did something utterly disgusting to him. 

It was truly repulsive, diabolical to the deepest core! Oh, how evil! 

What was that relative thinking? 

Dethrone Satan?!

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

1/21/2026 @1:30 p.m.

It's been really busy at work today. I needed to catch up on shipping the items I had sold. 

I packed 5 items just in time for the mailman to pick them up. 

I was so glad that I got to schedule packages and mail pickup before I went to bed last night. I just don't want to go out and drive to the post office today. 


The weather these past few days has been kurog-to-the-bones cold. Today it is about 40°F (4.444°C). It'll be 10°F lower tonight. 

I listen to classical songs from Bach, Tchaikovsky, and Mozart while at work. It keeps me focused on my tasks for the day. 

But lately, I am obsessed with Dr. Raul Sunico's classic piano music. 

(photo from Raul Sunico's Facebook account)

What do you listen to while working, or are you allowed to?

Friday, January 2, 2026

Karne Norte

Jay and I received two pieces of canned corned beef. It was so perfect that we got them during the holidays that all of our kids are home. 

Yna and her husband, Larry, who are based in New York arrived a few days before Christmas. This is one of the many things I am thankful for: my married daughter still enjoys visiting home on often.

I don't exactly have no idea what the fuss is all about with this brand, that it's sold for as high as $35 (Php2,058+) per can on online marketplaces in America.

 We got a twin.


It's a Philippine brand and was gifted by our friends Esil and Jason, Jay's colleague.

I've only heard and read about this online.

We've waited for my little sister to come back from a quick trip to California to visit our Queen Mother until I cooked it. 

Just before we departed for Brooklyn this morning, we had it for breakfast. We will be in New York just for the weekend.

By the way, I also cooked a different brand of corned beef from New Zealand for comparison.

There's no doubt about it. The hype is accurate. It's tasty, and orgasmic. 

Between the two brands, we all aapproved the Filipino one. 

It's always a blessing to be able to share an experience with your entire family, no matter how simple you think it is.

Thank you, Esil and Jason. 

Yehey!

My sister and I were in the family discussing her choice of sofa set for her future purchase. We also hope to buy some of her things for her new apartment from the thrift store, and all of a sudden I blurted out loud...

"What makes a person legitimately called a professional thrifter? Can I be considered one?"

My son-in-law, aka my SOIL, heard our conversation from the kitchen. 

"That's you, Mama. Definitely!" he said.

OMG! That never crossed my mind, and I have been doing what I've been doing for over 20 years. 

I will definitely add that description to my social media profile. 

I sold 3 vintage items today. My buena mano of 2026!

1970s Spencer Douglas red overlap wool-blend coat 
Made in USA

90s - 00s Specialty Projects Corp. sweater
Made in USA

90s - 00s Edward Harvey brown calfskin portfolio folder


YEHEY! Thank you, customers!

I'll ship them all off on Monday because I'm heading out of town tomorrow. 

Hi, 2026!

Happy New Year!

I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and peaceful new year. 


Thursday, December 11, 2025

First Meal in Breda

November 3, Monday

Minutes before it turned 5pm, Jay and I were already hungry. Especially since we skipped eating our lunch, we were craving something heavy — anything with rice or noodles.


We walked around the town square and found a Japanese restaurant with about a 4.3 Google rating.


The restaurant was empty when we walked in. The female waitstaff greeted us and asked if we preferred …

"Dutch or English?"

Wow! I like it here. Communicating wouldn't be as hard as I imagined.

She seated us nearer the door, by the wall, and gave us a menu with an English translation under every dish.

Jay and I both got ramen—Miso Karaage Ramen for him and Miso Ebi Fry Ramen for me.

We inhaled every morsel and drop of our dinner. It was just so good. 


Bao Ramen Kitchen 

Grote Markt 21, Breda, the Netherlands

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Breda Day 1

I was so tired since I didn't get a wink of sleep for the whole duration of our flight, and right after we got settled in the hotel at around noon, I took a nap and just forgot about lunch. 

By 4 pm, we decided to take a stroll around Breda. 

I am always in awe of all architectural details from decades and centuries ago—how detailed they are with really sturdy and above-standard materials to have them last until the present time.

I instantly fell in love with Breda. There are more bicycles here than cars, and most are sedans or smaller. I admire their active lifestyle and their readiness to take a break as well.

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Room 219

Together with the rest of Jay's colleagues bound for the Netherlands, they were booked at Hotel Nassau, located in the heart of Breda. 

Formerly a courthouse and a monastery, this hotel, which opened in 2016, belongs to the international Marriott hotel group and is part of their Autograph Collection, an independent upper-upscale-to-luxury hotel group. 


Jay and his tag-along, ((( Me! ))), got a room with a view of a church.

Welcome to room 219, our room for 2 weeks in Breda.


By the way, this hotel has a -1 floor. 

Monday, December 1, 2025

Run, Lili! Run!

November 2, 2025

From the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, instead of getting a taxi or an Uber ride, we took the train to Breda. 

Amsterdam train station

Jay and another colleague, Ronald, will be working there for about 2 weeks. Another coworker, Carlo, will also follow a week after.

We chose the direct trip, but at the station in Rotterdam (about halfway to our destination), we were told to get down and move to the first carriage.

We were all confused within that carriage, but eventually disembarked, and we observed that the passengers in front of us began to run. 

Hauling our luggage, we sprinted. 

Sadly, all of us didn't make it. 

Rotterdam train station

A few men were angry and asked for an explanation from the staff in the station. Their frustration was palpable as they demanded answers.

The lady staff was infuriated when asked by the group of men. She said that she announced the transfer before the train reached Rotterdam. 

She also added that she announced it in many languages. In fact, she knew so many of them--- Dutch, Spanish, English, German, you name it!

We weren't mad. We were just so confused. 

The train moved, but the carriage we came down from didn't. 

The long train was cut into two, and a few carriages detached from the rest, and the first few continued their travel straight to Breda...

...without us. 

Thinking Out Loud

 

"Your reputation precedes you."

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Thinking Out Loud

"The quality of your life 
is based on the quality of your relationships."

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Thinking Out Loud

 "If you missed your ride, just wait for the next one. 

But if you lose a person, it's over."

Thursday, November 6, 2025

With my Hands

While we were on vacation in New Orleans with our children last September, I specifically told Jay that when we're in Breda for his work, he must go if he is invited by his Dutch colleagues to hang out after work.

Well, today is his first day of work here in the Netherlands. 

I woke him up at 6:10 a.m. to become ready to go down for an early breakfast at 7. 

His work starts at 9. It would be a shame if he came in late when his work takes place at the conference room on the first floor of the hotel we're staying at, Hotel Nassau.

I decided to work in the morning in our hotel room. Although all of my online shops are set to vacation mode, I just needed to update information in the spreadsheets.

Oh, let me correct that. "I TRIED to work" was the exact term. 

I've been very sleepy during the daytime here and the opposite of that in the evening. I was too sleepy to even consider getting lunch. I was just too tired to drag myself out of bed.

By 2 p.m., I was starving. I decided to get ramen at FoodHall. It's a 6-minute walk from the hotel.

I got a gyoza ramen, and oh, I made sure I brought my water flask because water isn't served gratis in restaurants. 

I walked back to the hotel after my late lunch, and I took a nap. 

By 4:50ish, Jay sent me a text message that they're heading out for beer at a place called Big Belly Bar and Restaurant, a 4-minute walk away.

Once again, I had no intention of eating dinner. I was simply too exhausted. Just too sleepy to think about what food to get.

By 7 p.m., I finally got out of bed and walked to Bao Ramen Kitchen

More than anything, I just wanted to eat with my hands. So, I ordered takeout of their crispy roasted pork belly and a side of rice. 

I couldn't finish it and set it aside. Also, I wished this came with a vinegar dipping sauce.

Jay came back at 7:30 p.m. and said that he didn't have dinner yet. They only had beer and appetizers.

So, I offered him my leftovers. The problem is he's not really keen on eating using his hands, and the takeout didn't come with chopsticks or a disposable spoon and fork. 

And because he had no choice, he also ate with his hands. 


Tuesday, November 4, 2025

to NL

Jay booked an Uber on Saturday for our trip to Dulles International Airport for the following day, Sunday, at 1 in the afternoon on November 2. Our driver was Nelson, but by Sunday morning, it changed to Jose. 

We left the house at 12:56 p.m. because he came earlier, but before Jose started driving, he reminded us to check if we brought our passports and ID.

The ride was smooth. Fortunately, we avoided any traffic jams. By the way, his car was clean, didn't smell, and was roomy. 

I was able to work and read a little before boarding. I had to answer messages from customers in my two online shops. One wanted to purchase a button-down short-sleeve shirt, and another wanted to buy more of the mother-of-pearl necklaces she purchased a couple months ago. I hope they will still be interested in purchasing those items when we get back in a few weeks. 

It started boarding 30 minutes before the scheduled departure, but about 10 minutes after boarding time, an apology was heard, and it was said that there was some delay. 

I made use of the time; I informed my children and my little sister of our flight status via the FlightAware app.

The plane finally taxied at 7:02. Our schedule was at 6:10 in the evening, bound for Amsterdam. 

I was worried about who I would be sitting beside because Jay's employer booked his ticket. 

Although our children encouraged me to also get a ticket in the same ticket class, the price difference is just too wide. I'd rather spend that money on food, shopping, and other adventures in the Netherlands. 

I told the mister that riding with him nearer the cockpit wouldn't make a difference. However, there is a huge gap in terms of the price between ticket classes.

There are differences in every class in terms of comfort, service, and menu, but that's alright. 

All of us will arrive at the same time, right?

And the argument was over, and I chose the cheapest fare. 

I chose the seat by the aisle, and I was seated beside a little Asian American girl. She was traveling with her mom. I wasn't sure of what descent they were until she introduced me to her little sister. In the gap between two seats in front of me, there were tiny brown eyes smiling at me. I said hi to her, and the girl next to me said, 

"That's my little sister." 

I waved to her little sister. Her tiny fingers waved back, and then she shifted her gaze to her sister and said in her tiny voice cheerfully... 

"Eonni!" 

 They were Koreans. 

The little sister in front sat beside their dad. 

By 8:25 dinner was served. Thank God, finally! I have been famished for a little over two hours already. 

I had a salad with vinaigrette dressing, a piece of bread with butter, beef Bolognese lasagna, and chocolate cheesecake for dessert.


At 9:58 p.m. someone needed medical assistance. I didn't know if there was any medical professional on board, but I think the passenger felt better. He was moved to the seats near me. There were about 6 seats, the farthest back of the first row. I think they were for the flight attendants. 


By 10 p.m., the little girl's mother asked her to sleep, because according to her, they wouldn't be able to check in at a hotel in Amsterdam until 4. 

I scoot a little to my left so the girl will have enough room to lie down. 

I watched a few episodes of a Korean drama that I downloaded from Netflix many months ago, Miss Night and Day. 

An hour to the destination, breakfast was served. At first, I decided on a cinnamon roll but changed it to a sweet and spicy waffle and sausage sandwich instead. I had hot tea with it.


A half hour before landing, I applied moisturizer with SPF on my face, combed my hair, and was done visiting the lavatory.


We landed at 2:00 a.m., Washington time (8:00 a.m. in Amsterdam). 

At 8:06, Amsterdam time, I got a message.

It said, 

"Abot na mo? Ingon ni arrived 6 minutes ago." 
( "Have you arrived? It said (on the app) it did 6 minutes ago." )


Sunday, November 2, 2025

Yoko Ono?

 This noon, on my down after changing, my son immediately said...

Jason: Mama, you look like John Lennon's wife with that look. You know, from the late 60s to the 70s?

Me: Yoko Ono?

Jason: No.

Me: Who?

((( Yoko Oh-yes! )))