@camgoOnNoiseApp

What insect/creature is this? I saw this on one of my caladiums. Its tail is long, almost twice its body size. When I placed my phone too near, it put up its tail as though getting ready for a fight. It also walked sideways, like a crab. This is the first time I've seen this insect/animal in my garden. It was also all white, except for its eyes, which were kinda red. It's a wonder truly when something new is found in such a familiar place. ❣️💮🌿🌼 #Animals

I've heard people say that American Bullies smell --- and not in a pleasant way. I found this to be true. My first bully, given by my bro for my daughter, does smell. He smells nice after a bath. But after a few minutes, he'll again smell like dog - a bit too musty with a lingering wet dog smell. The case, however, isn't the same with our new pup, Kit-Quat, which is also a bully. The difference is that we have a nightly ritual. After brushing his teeth (which I also do for his big bro), I give him a sponge bath of sorts. With the first sponge bath, I use a mixture of water and vinegar. (Experts recommend apple cider vinegar, but it's quite expensive here. I use a local brand which also does the same work. Plus it doesn't have a strong sour odor.) So, I wipe his entire body down with this. In the second sponge bath, I use water with a few drops of this dog soap (please see pic below). I also use another brand, Bayopet. It depends on what I'm able to buy. So, I put a few drops of the soap in the water, just enough to make bubbles. Then, I use this to wipe down my puppy. The entire ritual takes about 15 minutes (yup, my dog is very behaved when it's sponge bath time. I don't have to chase him around.) Recently, my other Ambull, Grimm, suffered from itchiness and dandruff. I gave him his usual Bravecto, but it didn't solve his skin problem. So, I thought I would try this sponge bath technique with him -- and it worked! I feel so happy now that Grimm's skin is slowly recovering from the itchiness, and he looks better than he did last week. Plus it really lessened his smelliness. Kit-Quat, on the other hand, has never been a smelly dog. I have to put my nose next to his fur to smell him, and all he has is this faint natural dog smell. Also, vinegar has natural antibacterial and antifungal properties. Plus, their fur looks more shiny too. 🐾🐕🐶

I feel so proud of myself whenever I reach my daily goal of 5000 steps per day. It's not easy, but I have to because of my hypertension. As I've mentioned before, my weight is between 53-55 kg and my height is 5'3". I'm not overweight considering my weight and height, but I do have a family history of hypertension. Because I've been taking meds for that, I also coupled it with exercise to better improve my overall health. Reaching 5k steps daily is difficult especially since I live a sedentary lifestyle. But I have to get up and do the work, so to speak, if I want to live longer. Zumba is my go-to exercise. It simply is not possible for me to jog in this heat. To reach 5k steps, I usually do about 1 1/2 hours of zumba dance. It really does take some dedication and hard work to have better health... The results aren't instant too. So, I have to have discipline and motivation as well. 🥂cheers to better health ❣️💮 #Health

Repotted❣️ so, i did some repotting today. This arrangement here is what I'm calling as my "green symphony" because it's composed of plants with green foliage. One is a type of pothos (njoy pothos, the climbing one). The ones that are barely visible are some green fittonia (fittonia albivenis, torn stems from a lush plant that had been upended by my very naughty pooch). The lush one with a pink blush on the stem is some kind of kalanchoe (although the seller told me it was a ginny, so I'm a bit confused). I hope they'll grow lush even if they're indoors. I placed them near the west window where they'll get afternoon light. Keeping my fingers crossed for these beauties. ❣️💮🌼 Oh, and the tiny pink one in a small jar is also a fittonia (i forgot the exact ID but I think I mentioned it here before). Anyway, this one grew from a flower stalk that I just inserted into soil together with some other cuttings. It was looking sad as it was being covered by the more lush peperomia propagations so I repotted it. 💮

It's not even noon yet, but I feel tired. It's not the physical tired wherein you feel better after some good food and undisturbed sleep. It's a tiredness that I feel inside - in my heart, mind... My soul. This is the kind of tired that's hard to shake off. I feel listless... Like I'm just getting by each day like some sort of domesticated zombie - cook, clean, take care of everything -- while my mind wanders to places far away and things that were or was, all the while being bogged down by "what-ifs." The photo is the sun beating down like it's summer again. It's hot, and the earth exhales this warmth that suffocates. It definitely is a sun-shiny day, but even the brightest light can't seem to chase away this heaviness in my soul. 😔💮 #iwritemyownposts

Trying to eat healthy coz of my hypertension. For breakfast, I made a tuna-egg sandwich on toasted wheat bread. My lunch is this garden salad with apples, mangoes, and tomatoes, simply dressed in a mayo-egg mixture. Having hypertension is a challenge, and it can happen to anyone because it could be hereditary. Like me, I'm far from being overweight. I'm 5'3" and weigh 53-55 kilograms. I never even imagined that what was causing my headaches was my hypertension. I thought it was my astigmatism. When I couldn't bear the headaches anymore, I went to the ER and learned that my blood pressure was 160/100. It was very high and could lead to a stroke. I was prescribed some meds and was advised to exercise and change to a healthier diet. My advice is to have your BP monitored especially if you have a family history of hypertension. It doesn't matter how much you weigh. What matters more is your lifestyle and eating habits. I lead a pretty sedentary lifestyle and I like sweets and junk food, as well as anything fried. Trying to change that is a huge challenge because it does change your life. ❣️💮

Why do people get mad when you don't let them borrow money? Then they also get mad when you ask them to pay you back. 🤔😔 What's sad is that some people borrow money just to keep up appearances, like having a huge birthday bash even if they can't afford it. Or instead of choosing cheaper coffee, they'd instead go to a Starbucks or some other expensive cafe to buy coffee which they can just have at home. So, they spend their borrowed money on non-essentials but then they get angry when you don't let them borrow your hard earned cash. They just don't know how you've scrimped and saved just to have that money which they spend so easily. Anyway, this issue is as prickly as my cactus here below. I grew it from seed. I think it's about 3 going on 4 years old now. 🌵😔💮 #RandomThoughts

The purple in their leaves make them even more pretty. These are just some of the succulents in my garden - a type of graptopetalum (or pachyphytum? I forget...), G. Superbum (if I'm not mistaken), and a Debbie). They survived and continue to fight mealybugs, ants, as well as dog pee. These are my fighting succies 😁🌼💮 Succulents are a challenge to grow in our tropical environment since they are prone to rot. One thing that helps is planting them with other plants that are water-greedy. That way, even though you might overwater them, the other plants will take in the excess. Another tip is to plant them in an open area where the water can pass through and be absorbed by the ground. These here are planted in a makeshift garden box outside. I filled it with pumice, but underneath it all is soil. So, water flows directly to the soil and does not stay around the roots of the plants. 💮🌼❣️ #MyGarden

"Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?" -- is the intro question to the popular SpongeBob series song...😁 Isn't this too cute? I came across this article here -- https://www.cnet.com/news/noaa-discovers-real-life-spongebob-and-patrick-star-deep-in-the-atlantic/ I may be old (-er) than most fans of Spongebob and Patrick, but I do still watch the show, even reruns 🙂 According to the article, it's unusual to find a yellow sea sponge as most are white or even orange. This yellow sponge belongs to the genus, Hertwigia. The pink starfish that appears beside the sponge is actually its predator as it eats sponges such as these. This starfish is a Chondraster star. In my mind though, I see Spongebob and Patrick. It would be interesting to see them with a crab and a squid too 😁 Perhaps that's possible, but it would be impossible to have a real-life Sandy with the Bikini Bottom gang under the sea. 🐿️🦑🦀 Photo by C. Mah/NOAA #NoiseCash

Bulalo... It's been really hot these past few days, but I still ordered this tasty beef bone soup because I was craving for it. This dish is called bulalo, which is a soup made from beef bones, usually the shank. This has been allowed to boil for hours, rendering the meat soft and the cartilage just the right amount of chewy. Plus the marrow melts like butter in your mouth. It has cabbage, scallions, pepper, and more. The broth is delicious, and this one is a bit spicy which I like. 🥣🍲 #FoodCravings

Quick question about FB messenger etiquette - How long should the time between a message and a reply should be for the reply to still be considered as a "late reply"? For me, a reply after a few hours, even a day, could still be considered as a "late reply." But if it's already been like 5 days to a week, that's not a late reply anymore. It gives more like a "You're message wasn't a priority so I ignored it. I will only message you back when I feel like it" vibe. This kinda irks me because I do reply to messages as soon as I receive them, or I try to as soon as I get the time. It's me valuing other people's time and their concern for me. If you allow 5 days to go by without replying but you keep on posting on FB, it just means that you are ignoring that person. That's just my take on it. 😔 Anyway, here's a photo of a weed. I might be a pesky weed to some people's lives, but I'm still a pretty nice person to others. Just like weeds that are actually quite pretty if you look at it from a different perspective. 💮🌱🌼 #NoiseCash

Sad boi? 😁🐶 He is actually waiting for me to put more water in the plastic basin because he wants to play some more. He just finished his bath and had been playing for awhile. I just wiped him down, so that's enough playing for today. Kit-Quat is a water dog 🐕😁 he loves getting wet and playing in the water. He chases me around when I water the plants. He is an overall happy, playful puppy. Because it's been so hot lately, I make doubly sure that my dogs have access to drinking water 24/7. I have two small pails of water outside for them to get a drink whenever they want. Dogs are prone to heat stroke, so it's a must. 🐶🐕❣️

What am I? I really think that slow-moving animals, like slugs, snails, and caterpillars, have the power of teleportation. Because one minute, your garden is clear of these pesky critters; but then the next minute, they've eaten an entire pot of plant! This caterpillar here was not there yesterday morning. When I came out to play with my dogs in the afternoon, it had already munched on an entire plant, leaving only one baby leaf. It was my Gypsy Rose caladium, so I guess he likes the rare types. (Perhaps they've been made more tasty with our hopes and tears??? hehe) 😁🌼 Anyway, he is kinda cute though with that tiny horn. I think he'll grow more. He was still quite small. I transferred him to the empty lot beyond our fence where he can have a feast on all sorts of greenery. 🐛🍃🌼 #Animals

For the culmination of Nutrition Month, my daughter's class was asked to make 2 dishes, which they made via zoom. The process is similar to that of Selena+Chef wherein Selena (Gomez - singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, etc) recreates dishes as she watches and cooks with a guest chef. All is done online because... Social distancing. Anyway, my daughter made fresh lumpia (fresh spring rolls) and a veggie fritter with sauce. She's only 11 and I had to help her through it. It was fun though. We laughed a lot coz half of the time, we couldn't follow what was going on with the instructor as the volume was low even though we had it on full blast. Below are the results. I'd rate the fritter a 3 out of 5, and the lumpia a 3.5. (It might be mishapen but the taste is good. 👍🍛🥘 #Food

breviloquent - an adjective that describes someone who uses a few words; concise; brief I'm currently rewatching The Blacklist on Netflix. One thing that I like is how eloquent James Spader's character is. He used this term and many more, so I'm learning a lot of new words. Also, his descriptions can really paint a picture in your head, like in S1:E4 around the 6:13 mark before the episode ends where he describes how the "Stewmaker" came to be. You'd think he'd have some empathy for the deranged man, but then... I don't want to spoil. 😁 Anyway, here is a photo of a weed taken using macro lenses. It's like a fireworks display, isn't it? 💮❣️🌼 #NoiseCash

Spring Fling Caladium. It's been hibernating for a few months, and the warmer weather awakened it. I'm happy to see spikes and new growth, and its color is showing even though the leaves are still young 💮 Once mature, the leaves will turn a candy pink color. It will be beautiful ❣️ With caladiums, propagation is usually done by cutting up the bulbs, preferably once it goes into hibernation which is usually during the colder months. I have not yet tried this method. For now, I want them to grow bigger bulbs which they'll naturally do if left alone. 💮❣️

When my friend died, people naturally expressed their condolences to the family and many also began to tell stories, anecdotes as you might say, about this beloved individual. Some smiled or laughed in remembrance, but one was a bit offended... Because he said that a person is more than these anecdotes. He is correct, I suppose. But then it made me think that maybe, when we lose someone dear, our minds scan our memories of times spent together. We'd find sad and happy moments, but some may prefer to remember the happier times. Maybe it's because the one we lost reminds us of a time in our lives when we were young and carefree - a time when we had fun and problems could be solved with some beer and chips. I guess each person just has his own way of dealing with or facing death. Just because we remember anecdotes doesn't mean that we disrespect the memories or a person. Perhaps it is a way to remember and to celebrate the one we lost for the fun and happiness that he has brought us. ***This is a plant from my garden that has lovely, tiny flowers. These elongated yellow bells cascade to the side and gradually turn red as they mature.

Cinnamon rolls for breakfast coz of the power outage and I couldn't use the rice cooker. I ordered these online and had them delivered the day before. Reheated them and - yum!!! Still really good ❣️ My half (3 pieces) is a loaded cinnamon roll. So called because it's packed with all sorts of nuts - peanuts, walnuts, almonds, etc. The other half has a delicious cream cheese topping. Both are good and the cream cheese actually tastes like dessert. It's a sinful breakfast; but, let's just say that today is my cheat day ❣️^_^☕ #Foods

There is just something so beautiful about anything that is about to bloom or unfurl. To me, it somehow signifies new beginnings and second chances. It also means hope and peace, growth and wisdom. 💮 This flower is from a plant which I think is a boxwood shrub..? I'm not sure though, but I've had it for years. Also, it's just been a few months since I noticed that it actually produces lovely white flowers that smell like jasmine, though it's very faint. I took this picture early yesterday morning. Now, it is in full bloom. 💮 #NoiseCash

I was taking photos of some leaves when I spotted this cute spider staring back at me. I am scared of creepy-crawly things, but his Bambi-like eyes are adorable 😁 Spiders, to me, look a bit sinister. But this looks so cute. It just sat there, so still, as though it was waiting for me to take a good picture of him. This was a lucky shot. I used detachable macro lenses, and my otherwise shaky hands cooperated a bit so the pic is quite clear. What do you think? Isn't he cute? 🕸️🕷️❣️

Sleeping Beauty woke up, and she's more beautiful than ever. She went on hibernation for more than a month. After I replanted her, I thought she would wake up quickly. But she took her time. Now, she's awake and producing this beautiful foliage. When I bought this, I was told that it was a red emperor caladium. But to me, it looks more like a ma had Thai caladium. Whatever her caladium variety may be, she's giving me good vibes this morning 🌅 have a wonderful Friday to us all ❣️💮 #MyGarden

These are apple mangoes, which are slightly different from the local mangoes that are readily available here. Apple mangoes are seasonal fruits. These are also bigger than the usual local mangoes, and their skin develops a rose-blush color when ripe instead of yellow. Taste-wise, apple mangoes are sweet when ripe, but I prefer the sweetness of local yellow mangoes. For me, apple mangoes are best eaten just before they get ripe, like the pix below. These are almost ripe - yellow but still very firm, and sweet but still carries a very, very slight sourness. I like to dip them in salt or in spicy fermented shrimp paste (bagoong) with a generous splash of vinegar. Yum❣️💛 #FoodCravings

Hypoestes phyllostachya. This plant is also known as polka dot plant, flamingo plant, and freckle face. There are several color combinations or varieties, and mine here is green with pink. This is the most common type available here. I have yet to see other colors, like the red and white types. Propagation is fairly easy. It's done through cutting. When the plant blooms, its flowers readily get fertilized too and its seeds can spread anywhere. I've seen them grow in the lawn and in corners where I didn't expect to find them. They grow in mixed garden soil. Water often because they like it. If the soil gets even slightly dry, their leaves will droop. Polka dot plants add a lovely color to any garden. If you want them to get lush, pinch or cut any new growth or stems that have grown too long to keep the plant looking compact. 💮❣️

I'm craving for some sweet dessert. This is matcha ice cream with a stick of matcha-flavored KitKat. We had this when we ate at a Japanese restaurant before the quarantine began. I like most matcha-flavored desserts or drinks. The pure powder is a bit bitter, but it does go nicely if lightly sprinkled on a sweet dessert, like a macaron or fudge cake. Matcha is healthy as it contains vitamins and minerals, and possesses properties that increase metabolism and aid in detox. So, with this matcha-flavored dessert, I felt like it was a bit healthy too ^_^🍵🍨 #Food

Look what I found lurking in the garden?! This critter is less than an inch long, but I know that it can easily decimate a lush pot of caladium. The bigger ones are worse! 🐛 I'm not sure how they find their way here. One minute, everything's clear, the next minute, I'll see chunks of missing leaves and even entire plants. There's also a certain season when it feels like it's the "caterpillar apocalypse"! I believe it's almost that time now, and I pray that the wind won't blow a lot of them this way coz I think they get carried by the wind, or their eggs do? This one has a nice color though... Black and neon yellow, which then made me think if it was poisonous? 🤔🧐 Because in nature, the more colorful a creature is, the more deadly, like the poison dart frog and many kinds of slugs and caterpillars. This is called 'aposematism' which is how the colors of a certain animal say, "I'm poisonous. Don't attack me or you'll die." So both parties then avoid each other, which is the aposematic relationship of creatures in nature. ❣️💮🐛 #MyPhotos

Yesterday, I was munching on sunflower seeds when the sunny day suddenly turned dark, like twilight. It was as though someone had covered the sun while the wind picked up and lambasted the branches and leaves of the trees outside. After that, the sun shone again like nothing happened. It didn't rain, but it's been a bit windy for the past few days. Nature is really amazing and scary. One moment, everything is so peaceful. The next minute, it could change; and we are powerless to stop it. It makes you realize how insignificant you are in this world. Anyway, I wanted to post this pic yesterday but I couldn't seem to upload any pictures during peak hours. So here it is. This is one of my favorite brands as it is not salty. It's actually flavored, and there's some sweetness to it. Plus, sunflower seeds are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and proteins. They are a healthy option, and cracking the shells is fun too. 💮❣️ #Food

"Damned if you do; damned if you don't." This saying is so applicable these days when people get hurt or offended too easily when you do or don't do something. The same goes for when you say something. People will quickly criticize you for saying something, but then they'll also criticize you for keeping silent. I really don't know where to tread. Most of the time, I prefer to keep my mouth shut and do nothing. Because whether you do something or not, there will always be people who'll find fault in you. But then again, maybe I'll just do what I want instead of living my life as though I am walking on eggshells all the time. It gets to my spirit, and that's not healthy at all. So as long as I'm not stepping on anyone's toes, I'll turn a blind eye and a deaf ear on those "perfect-perfect" people whose sole past time is to judge others. ❣️💮 ***This is a throwback photo (2019). It's a close up of a blooming tulip. I took it while walking around a park. #RandomThoughts

Currently watching The Good Doctor on Netflix. It's a medical drama that revolves around the story of the main character who is an autistic-savant. So he is autistic but he is also highly intelligent; and he actually works as a surgeon. While my daughter and I were watching yesterday, she suddenly blurted out, "I want to be like him." "What?" I asked in surprise. "Because he's very smart," she explained. I hugged her and I said, "I don't need that type of smart. I don't want you to be like that because how will I hug you? Who will I tickle?" I hugged her more tightly and kissed her soft cheeks. I said, "It's also hard for them, especially for their parents because those with autism have their own world. It's more likely that their parents cannot even hug them whenever they want, and that's hard on everyone." I just feel for the parents of children who are in the spectrum, as well as the children. Each day, they are challenged by activities that we normally just do without thinking. I cannot imagine how difficult it is emotionally to want to hug your child and not be able to do so because this might trigger him. There's definitely a lot that we aren't aware of. I guess it would help if we were a bit more compassionate and understanding.❣️💮 ***Photo is my screenshot from Netflix. #NoiseCash

My thoughts... Some people say that it's better to "forgive and forget." I agree with the "forgive" part, but I don't forget so easily. I believe it's best to forgive and learn from mistakes, and to try to not repeat these mistakes. I also learned to stay away from those who've hurt me. I guess I do hold grudges, which isn't good. 😔 ***My photo - This was a pretty cactus, but it died because of mealybugs. I forgot the ID too ❣️🌵

Odawara Castle, Japan. Here's a 2018 throwback to one of our visits to Odawara Castle. We've been here a few times because one visit isn't enough to explore the entire place. Right before you get to the castle, you'll cross a bridge that links the main street to the castle. There are large sections of water that spans a part of the perimeter of the area. The front part is home to a large number of huge koi fishes that gladly swim towards you if you but come near the edge or lean down from the bridge. At the back is a place where they grow water lilies that bloom simultaneously at a certain time during spring. Near that is a huge weeping willow tree too. Unluckily, we have never seen them bloom yet. Once, we were too early; the next (which was the time when these pics were taken), we were a bit late. I was disappointed coz if we were only a week early, we'd have seen the flowers in all their glory. All that we saw were dead blooms as it was getting hotter then. Anyway, this entrance to the castle was intimidating. The giant door was made from metal and wood, and it was quite thick. I could only imagine how daunting it must have been to wait outside these gates during ancient times. This entrance opens to a spacious courtyard where you'll find some centuries old trees. It is still quite a walk to the castle, but worth it. 🏯⛩️💮 #BeautifulPlaces

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