Health

When I submitted today’s column, I hadn’t really made up my mind about whether to ditch Splenda or not (if you’re new here, read the related entry). But a few hours after the deadline, Speedy and I had a discussion. It appears that he had been receiving warnings from friends too about Splenda. So even [...]

Continue reading 'End of love affair with Splenda' →

Early yesterday morning, Speedy received a text message from his sister, Susan, saying that their mother had been rushed to the hospital and was in ICU. She had a mild heart attack, was out of danger but her vital signs were being monitored. We weren’t able to get too many details until we got to [...]

Continue reading 'Plus one point for living in the suburb' →

One of the biggest attractions of the new house is the large kitchen. The biggest attraction of the large kitchen is the center island with granite top that is simply ideal for kneading dough to make bread. Buying the house was a done deal weeks before I went into surgery last month. When I was [...]

Continue reading 'I can have my cake and eat it too' →

The school year began a week ago for a lot of kids. Mine won’t go back to school until Friday. And that’s a good thing, really, since I’ve been out of commission for the past so many days. If your kids are like mine, then the school year opening also means no more sleeping late [...]

Continue reading 'Back to school' →

The TV in the living room is on. Sam keeps it on even when she’s on her computer doing whatever. She hates the sound of silence. Kids…
Anyway, she called my attention when there was this announcement that actor Rudy Fernandez has died after years of fighting cancer. Being a celebrity, his cancer treatments, the ups [...]

Continue reading 'How long and hard will you fight for your life?' →

Day 1 - Sort out everything and decide which can be discarded right now. It isn’t smart to pack EVERYTHING then decide after moving that half the things we packed were things we meant to get rid off anyway. So, sort out all the stuff. And do the packing room by room. Start with the most cluttered rooms.

Day 2 - Start with the bedroom. Throw out Speedy’s collection of nails and screws and nuts and bolts that he keeps deep inside his closet. Oh, yes, he’s such a hoarder…

Continue reading 'So how does one start packing while nursing a four-inch surgical incision?' →

I am an optimistic person. I never seriously entertained the thought that something could have gone wrong. But there is still that chance, as infinitesimal as it may be, that something could have gone wrong and I could have died. If we were a clairvoyant race, it would be easy. We’d know what needs to be done now and what can be done later. But we’re not Miss Trelawneys, are we?

Continue reading 'Human, after all' →

We’re waiting for the billing department to give us the total amount due as I post this. Been in the hospital since Thursday, had surgery on Friday and finally going home today.

The previous entry was written a week ago and scheduled for posting on May 1 May 31. If it weren’t for that little thing called future post, this blog would not have been updated for far too long.

Continue reading 'Minus my gall bladder' →

The online version of The Australian recently published a report about a growing movement of parents to ban junk food ads especially on television. The reason? Because “the advertising was undermining their efforts to teach children good eating habits.” Heaven knows I’d like to see something similar in the Philippines, but the question is who [...]

Continue reading 'Junk food generation' →

It is summer; there are illnesses associated with the heat just as there are illnesses that are more common during the rainy season. My younger daughter has been sporting a cold for the past several days and she has her supply of milk and juices. No tablets, no pills.
Unlike most households, the only medicine you [...]

Continue reading 'Staying healthy is no simple matter' →