Weekend at Mt. Maculot

Traveling is one of the things our family enjoys. We take advantage of every opportunity anywhere, everywhere. Last weekend was one of those opportunities. My husband and two older kids had a training run with the Philsky group at Mt. Maculot in Batangas and my husband wanted me and my youngest daughter Yanna to go with them. My daughter and I were more than willing to tag along.

Those who brought their cars were to converge at the Petron station in SLEX at 7am. We arrived early. Yanna and I ate breakfast at Starbucks while my husband and two other kids waited for the rest of their group to arrive. When we finished breakfast Yanna and I returned to the car and waited while the group met on what to happen next.

Back inside the car, Yanna started her "all knowing" comments, which went this way:

Yanna: What kind of a run is this? Can't they see that the sun is up and it's gonna be hot already? We're still far from Batangas.

Me: Oh, that's ok, 'coz they'll be running in the mountain and there will be trees and...

(Before I could finish what I was saying, she blurted...)

Yanna: Yeah! And that's nearer to the sky and the sun is on their heads! 

Great. And I thought I was making sense. Haha.

Ten minutes before reaching our destination the rain came pouring in and made it a little confusing on what street to turn and where to go, but once we got to the foot of Mt. Maculot the rain stopped, giving the sky runners the break they needed to start their descent to the lake which is their starting point and then ascent to the Rockies. I hope I got this right.

Anyway, while they are doing their thing, my Yanna and I went to Mt. Maculot View Resort to wait for the rest of our family and where we will spend the night for some bonding time. The place was decent and quiet since we were the only guests that time.

 
This cottage near ours look rustic with this big tree in front.

The rain just stopped and everything looks so refreshing.

I guess they were looking for food. :)

Turkey, anyone? This one does not like me. Every time it sees me its feathers all puff out and the head turns blue, giving me a warning signal to stay away.

Peek-a-boo! The fog kept denying me Mt. Maculot's peak. This is the best I could get at the foot of the mountain.



But my son got a different view at the top when the fog lifted. 

Beautiful. They get a different kind of high, they said, when they got back 5 hours later.

It was a good week ender considering other things that happened that is not worth mentioning anymore.

Next stop, Mt. Ugo in Benguet. I hope this pushes through. :)

Simply pasta

Been a while since my last post. So many things happening all at the same time. :)

Today, I have decided to post a simple pasta dish that I made for lunch just to start me off.

Garlic pasta with olive oil, black olives and yellow bell peppers.

I just sautéed the garlic in a little bit of palm oil. After turning off the heat, I added the black olive oil and yellow bell peppers tossed in the pasta. Nice color! Then serve!

I served myself some in a clean white plate and added Parmesan cheese!

Oooops! Could not resist the leftover bacon from breakfast! Yum! :)

The baby blues

I was browsing through the channels of the television the other night when I came across a foreign variety show that sort of caught my attention. It was about a woman who was jealous of her sister because this woman's husband was giving too much attention to her sibling who lives with them. When the hosts probed further regarding the problem, it was found out that the woman just gave birth. From the interview it looks like she was experiencing postpartum blues or postpartum depression.

What is the difference between the two?

Postpartum blues or what some call "the baby blues" is a mild form of depression. This comes a few days after giving birth and can usually last around two weeks. The symptoms, which may be caused by hormonal changes after pregnancy are anxiety, weeping, sadness, moodiness, irritability, appetite changes. But with enough sleep and rest and once these hormonal changes have leveled out mommy will feel much better.

Since the symptoms are very similar to the baby blues, early detection of postpartum depression can be tricky. The difference is that with postpartum depression, symptoms are more severe. There could be suicidal thoughts or a feeling of inability to care for ones child. The earlier one recognizes these symptoms and accepts this problem the better, so one can get professional help.

I remember the time I gave birth to my eldest child. I have already heard of the term postpartum blues but I never thought that I would get them. I thought that those women who get weepy and clingy after childbirth were brats or just plain weaklings. Oh boy, did that mindset all backfired on me. A few days after giving birth to my first child, I could not understand what was happening to me. One minute I was laughing then the next minute, I was already crying with the slightest provocation. I felt frustrated, anxious and lost, incapable of being a mother. I was a mess.

After about a week of this whirlwind of emotions, my husband jokingly told me that I might be experiencing the "blues" associated with childbirth. That's it! All of a sudden I felt as if a weight was lifted off me. I was suddenly relieved. Right then I knew I was just going through a phase and it would all soon pass. It did not take long for me to shrug off those feelings of anxiety.

It did help a ton though, to have a wonderful husband who was very supportive. He always jumped into that role of being my emotional support through my next two pregnancies especially after giving birth. He was always there whenever I would have these emotional struggles. He would always check on me throughout the day whenever he's in the office. Once he is home, he would stay beside me, read a book or watch TV. He would bring me flowers and bring anything he knows that would cheer me up, even if it were just a bag of peanuts. J

Having a husband who supports and understands how you feel is crucial for a faster recovery when going through that experience.

Oh, and to all the mothers whom I have judged harshly with my thoughts, I humbly ask forgiveness. Long live Motherhood! J

Lunch

Preparing lunch for the family can be both fun and exhausting. Fun because you get to experiment on different kinds of dishes when you get bored with meals you are already used on preparing. Exhausting because when you don't know what to feed them it is tiring to think of meals that everyone would like.

Lunch today is that time. Fun and exhausting!

My helper left for the province for a few days. I am now in charge of the kitchen. I always welcome this but today I went blank on what food to prepare. I went to the ref to see if I can recycle some leftovers. None. Opened the vegetable section, viola! Eggplant! I checked the freezer next, fish. Hmmm. So, what can I do with fish and some eggplant within 45 minutes?

First, the eggplant. I laid the sliced eggplant in an oil-coated baking dish. Coated it with Italian sauce (I was planning to use tomato sauce but all I have is Italian sauce), minced bacon and mozzarella cheese. I was able to do 2 layers of these. I pre-heated the oven at 450 degrees, placed my eggplant dish and baked it for 20 minutes.

The fish? Good old fashioned fried dish. I seasoned it with salt and pepper and some garlic powder and fried it.

Lunch was ready in exactly 45 minutes! 

Oh, I just love it when a plan comes together! :)

The Angel of Music Sang to Me

I have always been an actress. Whether my family, friends or whoever agrees with me or not does not really matter, I still claim to be an Actress!

I love anything about acting. One of our family's favorite activities is to go watch movies on weekends. But last September 14, Friday night, to celebrate the birthdays of my husband and youngest daughter (which falls on the same date), we did something different. We mixed and mingled with the more "refined” sector of our society and allowed ourselves to be sprinkled with a little bit of “culture” and watched a musical play at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, The Phantom of the Opera.

Last year, I watched an international production at the CCP and it was a big disappointment. So, I was a bit hesitant to watch the Phantom production because I might get frustrated again. But I was wrong. I was so glad that I went and watched because I was a witness to a night of inspiration and excellence. That night I fell in love with the stage all over again.

When the first note of the overture struck, it just gripped me and I got lost in the world of what is called Theater. Nothing beats live orchestra. From the start, I was filled with anticipation of what is to come, that when the Phantom appeared I could not help the tears from falling. I was captivated when The Angel of Music sang to me.

Movies will always have a different appeal but theater is special. Live, real time acting is different. You get hooked and you cannot help but feel each character as they share their emotions of love, hate and life right there on stage.

Broadway plays will always be excellent. Watching that night, I felt a little envious and at the same time felt a bit of pain because I know that we Filipinos can also create excellent plays like that. Using our own talents, our own creativeness, our own stories, with excellent production at par with the rest of the world. We can. It is just frustrating most of the time due to the fact that it is sometimes hard to get people to partner with to produce such productions.

But I believe, as my friend said, we will get there...one day.

First sip

My husband and I went on a short weekend escapade a couple of months ago. Destination...Baguio City, specifically, The Manor Hotel at Camp John Hay. Not too near but not that far either. For years, it has been our favorite hiding place if we want to take a respite from the clutter of work and other stuff in Manila. It doesn't matter if it is just for an overnight stay as long as my husband is able to go for a long drive and see the green fields and the still remaining tall trees along the highway of Tarlac and Pangasinan. It detoxifies his mind and helps him think clearly, he says. Plus of course add to that, my valuable presence, what else can he ask for. :-)

I, also have my own "moment" of detoxification, and that is the first sip of freshly brewed coffee in the morning. Nothing beats that sensation of satisfaction as that special form of hot beverage in a cup cleanses away that sluggish feeling of sleepiness of the night before. Replacing it with a boost of energy that sets me in the right gear to start my day.


Actually, at any given time of the day, a hot cup of coffee is always a special treat. Anticipating the aroma of that fresh brew as it releases its antioxidants, gives me a different feeling of exhilaration. A welcome assurance of renewed vigor for the rest of my day. 

Post Valentine

Never am a fan of Valentine's Day so I spend it just like any other day...at work. It's a good thing my husband and I have the same sentiments about it. :-) 


But this year I got a special gift from the "other man" in my life. My son.

It was not much. Just a small bag of chocolates.

I am not fond of chocolates either, but this is special of course. I did taste it and it tastes yum.

Thanks Zack for remembering!