What Made My Present Different From The Past
Memories of the past and pondering upon it, would lead us to realized what are the differences that would make us aware of the advantage and disadvantage of the situations in life we've gone through. So I will take you first in the journey I had in the past.
Looking Back (Throw Back Scenario)
Throw Back Scenario - Jan 2019 - April 2020 ( Spent in Caloocan City)
These days were spent with my firstborn daughter, and her family. I joined them upon the request of my daughter , for she will be giving birth to her second child. She is a working mom, so she needed someone to take care of her children , when she goes back to work after her maternity leave.
Beside being a baby sitter of my two grandchildren, doing household chores, I worked in the store manage by my son-in-law. We switched each other's time to spend in the house and in the store.
I registered in noise. cash app upon my daughter's persuasion. Since it was pandemic , the store being closed and the family was in Bicol, I had much time in noise. cash .
Throw Back Scenario - May 2020 - April 2022 ( Spent in Pasay City)
When pandemic situation came , my daughter and family rushed to travel going to her husband's province , Bicol . I lived then with my youngest son family, in Pasay City.
My days were spent here inside the room being rented by the family. Being a senior at that time is not allowed to go out because of the health protocols implemented nationwide.
Being with them I helped in taking care of two grand children . Besides baby sitting , I do the cooking for them and cleaning the room. I only washed my own clothes and not allowed to wash their clothes.
Throw back scenario - May 4, 2022 (From the City to the Province)
I finally decided to go back to my hometown, Nueva Ecija, when travel restrictions were not strictly implemented. I had the opportunity to observe my rights to vote.
My Present Situation
Put Up a mini Store
Having back to my hometown province, I was reunited with my second son, who is a bachelor. He was my only companion in the house. He is the one I am supporting, at present as well as when he did not have the means to earn for a living since pandemic and even up to now. Instead of vending in front of the school with school supplies and toys , now we put up our school supplies store , making use of the terrace of the house as store not only for school supplies but as well as for Second Hand items Store. I have decided this to do, so as we could have additional income as budget for our needs.
Full Time House Keeper
This time I have to do all the household tasks of cooking, cleaning the the house and it's surroundings, laundry, taking care of plants and pet cats, and other tasks which is necessary to be done.
Cooking - I cooked for myself and my son only. Since I have just a low SSS pension which is not sufficient to meet our needs, I have to do something as alternatives to save and not be in debt .
Necessary Things Done
Using Firewoods in Cooking
We had a gas stove but having money to buy an LPG is what we can't afford. So my alternative was to use firewood in cooking. In the past , we also use firewood when we ran out of LPG. We had a dirty kitchen outside the house , wherein to cook our food and boil water.
Sources of Firewood
There's no problem with firewoods for we had enough and is available in the backyard. Only I have to cut branches of trees or asked somebody do it for me and just pay a little amount upon negotiation.
So cutting branches of trees , or picking up dried branches of trees that fall from trees in the backyard was one of my routine. I make use of Branches of coconuts that falls and even the coconut husks and coconut shells. Whenever I peel the coconut being harvested in the backyard I collect the coconut husks and used as a firewood. And whenever I grated the coconut meat, I also collect the coconut shell to be used as firewood. They are very good firewood for they are burned easily. I have to see to it that there are lots of firewood reserved to be used for I used it daily.
Setting Cooking Time
I usually limit my time in cooking so as I can have other things to accomplish within a day, for there are lots of things to do and be taken cared of . I only cook once in a day. I should finish cooking before lunch, everything that needs to be cooked .
When I was in the kitchen outside, I must cook our food for breakfast, lunch and supper. The food that should be cooked must be eaten or consumed on that day. Since we are only two, and with such a limited budget, i have to do it.
Boiling Water
Boiled Water for drinking purposes
One of the blessings enjoyed living in the province is the unlimited supply of water. We had an artesian well, wherein we get the supply of water to be use.
Our drinking water needs to be boiled first for safety purposes , because of ferrous or rust in it. I have to make this an option to cut off additional expenses instead of buying filtered water. I have to boil water daily for daily consumption.
Boiled Water for Bath Purpose
I usually take a bath in the evening before sleeping. So I need a warm water when taking a bath. I made it a point that I have already enough rest after doing many tasks in a day, before taking a bath.
Beside having boiled water for bath for myself, I also give my PWD sister her warm bath. As scheduled , I would give her a bath. She lived with My younger sister, who is my neighbor . In order that I can be of help to her we both decide that I should give our PWD sister a bath and washed her clothes too, while she will be taking care of cooking her food and other needs of our PWD sister.
Cleaning The House
Compared to where I lived in the city before with my eldest daughter & her family, and my youngest son and his family, who only occupied a rented room, my parent's house where my son and I lived is much bigger. I have to clean it anytime of the week as frequently as much as possible.
Cleaning the Surroundings
Cleaning the surroundings is inevitable for we have lots of trees in the surroundings. In front of the house we had a big lanite tree that leaves fell and flowers fell. Beside it we have lots of small trees used as posts for our fence that easily sprout small branches that needs to be trimmed once it has grown.
Beside it, the canal in front of the house and the canal at the side of the house need to be clean constantly. The canal on the side of the house is not cemented so grasses grows into it that needs to be rooted up so as water can flow easily. Besides the grasses that grows, some passers by throw lots of different plastic food wrappers , plastic cups etc. They shamedfully do those things without regard to cleanliness of the surroundings
Watering the Plants and Veggies
Besides the existing plants when I arrived in my hometown , I find it fascinating to plant other flowering plants and added some veggies. Since it was rainy season , it's not so much a burden to water the plants and veggies. But if ever for consecutive days it had not rained, I have to water the plants and veggies. I used the small plastic container in fetching water so as it was not so difficult for me to carry .
The Result or Effect of the Differences
Comparing my previous experiences living in the city and now in the province has really lots of differences. But those differences though quite much difficult , I was thankful to God that He enabled me to cope up with it .
In fact , being back to my hometown province gave me a lot of advantages with regards to my health. Though how busy I am doing such full time household tasks , yet I found myself stronger than when I am in the city doing less work. I suffered body aches because of lack of mobility. I hardly walk because the joints on my knees were painful. My muscles was in pain as they were not much used and stretched.
At my age, though being a senior, my body seeks something to do and be busy of. I find myself weak when doing nothing. But I am not abusing myself in working. I do not go more than my limit for that would be unreasonable & unhealthy practice. I know how to limit myself for my health sake. I see to it that I get enough rest and sleep, take my medicine and vitamins and of course stop working to give time eat when I feel I hungry and stay hydrated. I am very aware that my health is my wealth.
There are other things that could be mentioned but I will just reserved it some other time. I have to end my story. Thanks for giving time to read. I hope I had something shared that would somehow helped you in anyway.
#4 Article as of October, 2022Title: What Made My Present
Different From The PastPublished: 0ct. 11, 2022 - Tuesday