home land, home sky

It was nice to be back in the Philippines! From the moment the fields and flats of Negros Island emerged from the storm clouds...

to the moment I murmured a teary goodbye to the lights of Manila...

new adventures in comfort food

Even before quarantine, I always preferred staying at home to going out and even eating out. It was a good time to discover what my comfort food was, and experiment with whatever was in my fridge.

Pork and mushroom noodle soup

I enjoyed getting restaurant and even grocery deliveries, and was grateful to be able to order whatever I wanted when sheltering in place. Although I tend to have a repetitive taste - I just cook my favourites over and over again because they're easy and I don't get tired of them.

Chicken congee with crispy garlic

New Jersey staycation

Our Lincoln Center jaunt was such a good time - and just in time too, as the looming threat of Omicron finally descended on Broadway and shut the bright lights for several weeks. On top of that, I caught a virus (we tested to make sure it was not THE virus) and we had the first big snow of the new year.

tiny kingdoms

The days are damp and darkening and I've been feeling a little damp and darkening myself lately, so I went out in the garden with a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning. 

snowstorms in London!

We woke up this morning to a pale, icy garden. Everything looked cold, wet, and a bit ugly even for a Tuesday morning.

But there was worse weather to come!

Stay-at-home adventures: book binding

Sometimes the weather keeps you indoors and the impending holiday season means you're a bit too busy preparing to go visit museums. Or maybe the dim winter light dulls all the nice pictures of your daily walks. What to do? Embark on an indoor adventure!

Moleskines don't play well with fountain pen inks.
We can fix that!