The First Quarter Of 2016

Eventful would be the best word to describe how my year started; my first toothache and a root canal, gutting fish, visa application and approval, loss of a dear family member, travel plans, a small vegetable plot and an aphid infestation, conflicts at work. An at the time that I started writing this, it was still February!

I had my first root canal. It wasn't as bad as I thought. The toothache that came before the root canal, however, was another story. I never had perfect teeth but my parents made sure that I had my teeth checked and cleaned by the dentist at least twice a year since I was in preschool. Going to the dentist is just routine. Mostly for check up and cleaning and the occasional filling if needed. I had some porcelain crowns installed when I was still in high school and had braces a few years ago but my teeth are clean, I have no cavities, I've never had a toothache in my life- until the first wk of January.

It started with a "zing" on a particular tooth. It felt strange as I seldom feel that "zing" or ngilo. I've tried having my tooth drilled without any anesthesia and not feel the zing. I thought it was nothing and just let it pass. The following day I felt the tooth was tender. Is that even possible? It was like my tooth had a bruise. However I just ignored the discomfort thinking that I just something hard and that it will just go away the following day. It did not.

The first time I felt something not normal on my tooth I was so sure which tooth was affected. Just two days after, I felt like my head was going to explode! I never felt anything like it in my life! My whole face was in pain and it took every bit of energy in my body just to open my mouth. That day I rushed to the dentist's clinic and made an appointment and the rest is history.

To be continued

It's Alive!

I've been busy with juggling work, chores, and trying to be a good wife to my funny husband (I'll write something about him soon), and getting a life.

However, when I'm lucky and I finish my chores earlier than usual, I have the occasional down time. Sometimes I read. Sometimes I watch movies. ‎But what I consider the most fulfilling is gardening. 

My mom had a lot of plants. She could grow almost anything and I am always amazed at how her plants would thrive under her care. You would think that I would inherit my mother's green thumb and love for plants. Green thumb, no. Love for plants, sure. I like looking at plants. I could identify more of them than other people could. But I just started taking care of plants very recently.

I was so sad when my puppy died. I experienced an overwhelming grief that I've never had before. I didn't know what to do. I realized that I had to take care of a living thing to keep me from getting depressed. But I'm not yet ready to have another pet. So the next best thing is taking care of our plants.

I already had orchids, water plants, and air plants, which my mom gave me when I went away to live in another city with my husband. They were relatively easy to take care of. 

When I was confident enough to add more to our little garden, we bought small Bromeliads, and then succulents and cacti. ‎So far most of them are still alive. I managed to kill one of our cacti- I over watered it.

I have also propagated some of our succulents. I lost some of the baby succulents along the way.  I also managed to grow a ginger plant just by sticking drying ginger in some soil. And now I'm trying to propagate basil by putting cuttings in water. And I am so very proud to say that I have managed to make five cuttings grow roots!

I read an article about it in the internet and thought I should give it a try.  And 15 days after, my "experiment" is going well. The article helped me a lot. Their instructions are very easy to follow even for a gardening newbie like me and they can have a lot of gardening tips.

Next challenge is to make them live when I plant it in soil!

Do you have a garden? What plants do you have? Do you have gardening tips to share?