It has been a while since I welded my thoughts on the keyboard. For the last several weeks, I couldn't bring myself to write about anything.
I was in a dark place. I chose to hibernate and work through these raw and unfiltered thoughts alone by journaling, meditating and reading.
I am now out of my hole and I gleefully sipped my coffee while I typed this.
 *Handmade Halloween Treats*
###### The Halloween Weekend
Last Halloween, I turned down an invite to join a festive birthday dinner but I didn't want to miss out on being a part of making kids in the neighborhood happy, so I made these handmade treats using crepe paper and DIY bat cutouts.
The excited smiles of children at the sight of candy can lift anyone's spirits, even at safe health recommended distance. They're all focused on the sweets and that's great! When all of the pumpkin-shaped buckets were filled, everyone retreated to the village restaurant for a party that I was invited to. Down with the flu after just recovering from fever, I opted out. My daughter and husband left to join the event and I was glad to be home alone.
I needed this space, the healing balm of solitude. When the silence got too loud, I watched episodes after episodes of something that made me laugh in the company of a glass of effervescent water that claims to boost immunity.
I waited for our neighbor's cats, Tammy and Kimmy to pop by our porch out of habit. They enjoy hanging around on a daily basis. As soon as the gregarious one, Tammy landed on our doorstep, she retreated back as soon as she saw me with an expression that said, *"Will catch ya later when you're feeling better."*
The mid-week was a blur apart from the endless plant-based cooking and bottomless dishwashing.
 Small Herb Garden
###### A Contrasting Weekend
I spent a lot of time in my small herb garden. I find joy walking barefoot on the grass in the morning picking up dry leaves and bougainvillea flowers that dropped on the ground to add on to our compost heap.
The friendly cats, Tammy and Kimmy didn't retreat when I greeted them. They comfortably napped on top of our porch table.
There was no electricity last Saturday in the southern area of Cebu, Philippines. We occasionally have 8-hour power cuts on weekends maybe 4 times a year. These are pre-announced power cuts for maintenance but it means no water and worse, no electric fan for a hot humid day of 32-degree celsius. Many of our friends planned getaways to places where there's power, but we didn't want to spend money.
I prayed for rain to cool down the scorching heat, but the sun appeared stronger than ever. It boasted its glory. I shuddered at the thought of how hot it would be here in 2050. We had to get out of the house, *a.k.a sauna* and found wind at the community gazebo *a.k.a VIP Lounge*.
My husband and I chatted with a french speaking neighbor who just returned from his vacation to Belgium. I am grateful for any opportunity to practice. The conversation was about the pros and cons of living in the Philippines.
Our neighbor is on the verge of leaving the country for good. The absence of education for children with special needs in the country makes it difficult for his family, the limited access to healthcare, the restrictive rules, and the lack of freedom were his primary reasons. We listened to his valid points.
We still believe the Philippines is a good base due to low living costs unless promising career opportunities open up elsewhere.
All of us were covered in sweat, wishing for a miracle of power coming back in unison sooner than the announced 5 pm time.
It was tempting to jump in the community pool but the midday sun threatened a burn that made me feel like a vampire trapped under daylight. My daughter ignored all of that and went for it. I sat there watching her swim, pretending for a few minutes that I was in an orange swimsuit holding that orange buoy with the Baywatch soundtrack. We can always dream. lol
My attention was suddenly captured by the village mini-library filled with donated books in disarray. I couldn't resist the urge to re-arrange them by color and then height and size. There's inner satisfaction in re-organizing and tidying up things. Should I make a living out of this?
Other children and neighbors joined my daughter in the pool. My husband stayed to continue watching her swim but the heat got to me. I headed to the village bar for a glass of Iced Americano. There was no electricity so this was made out of instant coffee which was good enough for me. Anything to cool down. I spent the rest of the afternoon chatting with the bartender and chef until the power came back.
I remembered there was a dinner party that evening and we all dressed up to join the long table at the restaurant. Neighbors gathered together to celebrate the birthday of our landlord's daughter. It was an evening of laughter and great food, the main highlight of our weekend.
I am raising my coffee mug to you, dear reader for reaching this far in my post. Thank you for reading and have a fun-filled day.
###### "I am an old soul who simply loves coffee, who finds joy and beauty in both tangible and the unseen."
[@discoveringarni](https://peakd.com/@discoveringarni)
Curiosity and imagination lead to unexpected experiences. Interested in Nature, Places, Roads Less Traveled, Minimalism, Authentic Living, Anything French, and International Cuisine. Feel free to follow her, re-blog, and upvote if you enjoy her content.