Life Update

 I often promise myself that even if I'm busy with life and everything else, I won't abandon my blog. So, this is my mind speaking: Writing is a release of some kind for me, just so I can let go of so many things in my noggin.   

The siblings and I were able to have a cat spayed and two of our canines neutered over the last six months. Following their procedures, they are all in excellent health, living their best lives, and gaining weight as planned. One of the most difficult neuters was performed on one of our female dogs since, during her dental examination, the veterinarian discovered that many of her teeth were already past their expiration date which we’re not really aware of. Imagine the suffering she endured as it was all done at the same time as her neutering. However, the veterinarian advised that she should take her post-neuter antibiotics and meds throughout this period. She was a trooper and recovered, thank God.

But only last month, we had an unforeseen trip to the doctor because our Calico cat—who was spayed in May—had a swollen left chin for no apparent reason. I initially believed it was caused by a potential impacted tooth until we were informed that it may have been caused by an infection or blockage of the salivary glands. For a week, she took antibiotics. She scratched the bump a week later, and it burst. She went to the vet again, where she underwent a biopsy, an x-ray, and had her wound aspirated, all of which resulted in expensive vet costs. Whether or not they are purebred, animals have the same rights to healthcare and other necessities as people. Because of this, you should never get a pet if you can't afford the costs that go along with having one to put it simply, it's comparable to welcoming a new child into the family. However, the joy and unwavering love they deliver are priceless.

The previous several months have also been somewhat difficult for us because of a confrontation with nasty "house sitters" who live next door and despise our dogs for barking. Our canines don't constantly bark; they only do so when they detect strangers or when we are receiving food deliveries or packages. Compared to our other neighbors in our village, who own more dogs, we only have three. Instead of taking care of their own affairs, these housesitters love to become involved in gossip, and they just so happened to make friends with the notoriously harsh neighbors who reside across the street. We saw how the men of one family kicked and poked their dogs. My oldest sister once confronted the neighbor who lives across the street for shamelessly kicking their dog after she had had enough. People who abuse animals refuse to acknowledge that their actions qualify as "animal cruelty" if abusing animals is ‘normal’ for them. The same neighbors also detest it when other people leave their cars parked in front of their house as if they own the road that legally belongs to the our village. As always, ignorance is a liability.

In conclusion, we have zero tolerance to animal cruelty because we care about all animals and consider our neighbors to be callous individuals who take advantage of their helpless, frail dogs. We also think that these next-door housesitters' rage is undoubtedly very subjective because they forged friendships with others who hold similar values. Yes, it is true what they say, "Tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell you who you are." Thankfully, these nasty housesitters have permanently moved. Unfortunately, the house's owner actually supported the misconduct of her house sitters rather than refraining from doing so due to their familial ties. Birds of the same feather flock together. Animal abusers tend to attract other abusers.

The point I'm trying to make is that we don't tolerate rude neighbors, especially those who abuse animals. As it is in every dog's nature to bark, no animal deserves to have rocks or other objects thrown at them just because they are dogs and barking is how they communicate.

Home makeover and decluttering.

Moving on, I did a lot of handyman work these past months as well. I recently learned how to change the light bulb sockets in our house on my own, and I replaced them with pendant lamps instead. Because it can be extremely risky and, if done incorrectly, could even result in electrocution, it initially looked impossible to complete. Start by developing the habit of turning off the breaker. I overcame my fear and installed a total of six drop lights effectively with the aid of research as well. I came to understand how adding drop lights can significantly alter the atmosphere of a space. We also thoroughly decluttered our home by getting rid of our outdated appliances and replaced them with newer ones.

Kitchen.

A small update was also made to the kitchen. We had a new rangehood installed because we had to move our kitchen indoors, and Sissy put up wallpapers as well. We used to cook in our utility kitchen, but since the smell of cooking food permeated the entire street, we chose to use the indoor kitchen, which we haven't used in nearly ten years.

Laundry room.

Since our laundry room is somewhat small, using the ever-classic power of aesthetically beautiful pvc wallpapers, a new clothes drying rack, beige hangers, and vibrant stainless steel clothespins made the transformation much easier.

Balcony.

We also placed fake plants on our balcony for aesthetic and added privacy reasons. Given that I only utilized a ton of cable ties, I was shocked that the imitation plant mats could endure the typhoon's powerful winds. Amazing. 

Bedrooms.

I converted to a Dreamé mattress, and Sissy did too. Compared to the wooden queen bed frames we previously had, I love our new iron metal bed frames. It gives our room a rustic feel. Along with those white and wood dressers, we also got new mattresses, pillows, and mattress toppers. But right now, we're primarily worried about the dressers because of how easily they've been becoming moldy lately because of all the rainy days.

Last but not least, I also completed a small job for our sister's bathroom that only cost Php5000. Twinnie, on the other hand, also worked on her own small project, which involved updating our Dad's bedroom. House renovations can be expensive and physically demanding, so it's been a hectic six months for us, but everything was worth it given how much money we saved, and seeing your idea come to life is always great.