A Start That Is Not Quite A Start

I've been wanting to start a business in the clothing industry but it seems that I can't get my mind to focus on a thing.  I know I can't do everything, and I at least wanted to follow the advice of experts online - focus on a product/service then expand as necessary.

At dahil hindi ako makapagdesisyon sa linya ng negosyo, I spent time with the name instead.

I chose House of MRQL, and my son at least agreed.  I am not sure what level of tolerance he gave me on this one, so I will not pursue the details.  It will just stress the hell out of me, LOL.  That's kinda him you know, I love him to bits but he frustrates me the same.

A bit of giveaway info... MRQL is our name, MR is for Miss Rhei and QL is for QueL.  I read it M-R-Q-L while my son read it as Mi-ra-kel.  I'm praying this will work coz it made me think, can we really do this?  Heck, we can't even agree on how we pronounce the name of our company!

I'll share more about this venture as we go along.  But the gist is we are starting a business with our house as the main whatever and more likely, we will be doing something about sewing, crafts, arts, and anything related to these, and the house of course.

I don't know.  Wish me luck, we will need that!

Rainy Days and Mondays...

Photo by Aline de Nadai on Unsplash

Rainy days and Mondays always keep me down... 

It has been raining here in Sorsogon for more than a month now.  It started in December and January's about to end, the weather's still the same.

Parang laging may bagyo!

But no such announcement from PAG-ASA, only warnings about heavy rainfalls.

When I was young, I remember hearing adults saying that January is a month of crisis, extending it to February.  I do not understand it then but I know it now and fully understand what this heavy rain is doing to us.

Yes, it gave us the opportunity to curl under the blanket and read our favorite books or comics.  Or, children nowadays, stay in the corner with phones in their hands.

There are the times I remember, and vividly picture in my mind, the bowl of champurrado with milk on it.  Or the steaming sopas filled with carrots and hotdogs.  These are good times indeed!

However, as an adult, it can be a totally different thing.  The wind blowing aggressively makes the coconut and other fruit-bearing trees lose their fruits.  Fishermen can not go to the sea or the ocean to cast their nets.  Even farmers have to stay home because the rice fields are flooded.  People have no source of income and no source of food during this time.  Money is scarce, food is scarce, and for a family with a good number of mouths to feed, it can be frustrating.

But we are Bicolanos, we are Filipinos.  We survive, we will survive, that's how it is.

So I am taking these rainy days as an opportunity to be mindful, and grateful, for all the graces we receive.

Stay positive! 😍

My Dream, Simple As It Is

'...walking with Popo at the beach.'

I'm weirded.  Is it even a word?

A friend told me a long time ago that I am making the best of what I have, only I can do better.  I'd say he could be right, and I can feel it.  My stars are telling me so.  The universe is trying so hard to make me understand.

But what if I'm fine with waking up with the sun and taking a walk, or sleeping in till I'm hungry?  What if I'm okay with the food on my table and a roof over my head?  What if I'm good with enough to buy groceries and pay my bills?

I dream of a simple life - a house on a farm or a beach, a red pickup, and a hobby/business to save the day.  I wanted my day to look like this:

- wake up in the morning

- drink coffee and jog or walk

- tend to the garden

- prepare and have breakfast

- clean the house, do the laundry

- prepare and eat lunch

- have siesta or read a book

- work on my business

- play with the dogs and the kids

- tend to the garden again

- prepare and have dinner

- watch dramas or movies

- then sleep

Trips to the market and suppliers, visits to families and friends, tours to beaches and hot spots, etc in between.

Sometimes I think that the life I want is just an excuse.  A reason not to act and pursue what I should be doing all along.  That I am just letting time pass, and that I’ve given up.

Did I really give up on what I should be?

What about the joy I feel when I slowly prepare the ingredients and cook our meal?  What about these feelings of peace, and of joy when I tend the garden or sew a dress?  What can compare to the delight I feel when I pet our dogs?  I’d even give up my internet access for a siesta and a good book.

I still believe this is the life I should be leading, and I’m still working on it.

I’m just weirded out.  There was a bit of a nudge earlier on my mind that tells me what if I had worked on the other path, the other way, the other measure of success.  Would I be happy?