Goodnight, for Now, My Dearest TumTum

It came as a surprise to us see the passing of our youngest canine, TumTum (actually, my sister's dogs but I consider them my co-adoptees). Although I must say, I had inklings for days leading to his transition as I kept experiencing phanom paws begging me for attention while seated and working on my worktable.

TumTum was 6. His birthday approximated the passing of our Mom, which makes it doubly sad for my sis and myself. While he may be temperamental and moody at times, he was a sweet dog who loves nothing better than a belly rub, hence his name.

I've said it many times before but as a foster and animal carrier, each loss is heartbreaking like each and every one. You do not become calloused to the great sadness that sweeps you and take your breath away. At times, I think being forgetful during the later stages of life may be a blessing -- each loss leaves a hole in your heart that you can't fill, and as the years pass, your heart simply fills up with holes.

We take consolation in being given the privilege to love and care for you. I personally look forward to the day when I pass and be greeted by you and the dozens of strays and fosters I have loved and cared for all these years. Thank you and I love you with all my heart.

Transitions: Going Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian

Produce from the nearest palengke

It took much thought and a lot of years to have arrived at a decision to transition to a lacto-ovo diet. It's both a physical and spiritual health decision. I'm not getting any younger and also, meat is expensive on many levels -- the true economic and environmental costs are high; same with the suffering of other sentient beings who are in a lot of ways, not our inferiors.

I guess it also stems from my soul searching for the past decade or so when I moved from one extreme to the other -- fundamentalism to atheism. Yes, I entertained the thought of atheism, having exhorted the Abrahamic god so many times but not received any answer. I digress, but it's somehow connected to my epiphanies. I could've turned into full-time atheism weren't it for episodes in my life when I had mystical experiences. At another time, fundamentalists would be quick to brand these as demonic but I believe otherwise. There are other things in this world that religion would just dismiss as 'demonic,' 'Satanic,' or 'diabolical." Rubbish, I say now.

Fermenting Journal: On to My 4th Batch of Kombucha

Lava lamp or alien brew?

I'm getting the hang of brewing and fermenting my own Kombucha tea. I've already experimenting with proportions of the tea, sugar, and even the brewing period. It's very much like the way I cook, no real measurements, just oido and intuitively putting in the ingredients. 

Oh, I do have challenges, of course, like the proliferation of fruit flies that wouldn't leave my abode years after getting a batch of fruits and veggies from my landlord and their progeny deciding to stay for good :) I'm learning to leave them be and just be vigilant in quickly covering my brew and Scobies with cloth as they quickly find their way to the source of that fruity smell. I have a makeshift compost pile in my small balcony garden so I know they serve this wonderful purpose of helping turn banana peels and veggie discards into compost.

But I also acknowledge that I'm very blessed -- the ambient temperature of my home and the cabinet where I store my jar is well within the ideal 27º-29º. The weather is fluctuating but generally, it's warm enough to promote quick fermentation. So much so that this 3rd batch which I harvested yesterday I limited the first fermentation period to just 6 days.

I also found that the ideal period for 2nd fermentation using fresh strawberries is 2 days max. Any longer and the tea turns very beer-like in taste (good for you if like beer). I'll experiment further on mixing other kinds of tea and see how it goes in future brews. I'm learning a lot and enjoying the process so it's nice to keep going.