Bringing you up to speed: I got married early September. A month later, I released my debut novel. Big events made quiet and modest by Covid-19 but cherished milestones nonetheless. Perhaps it had been for the best, the universe way of granting my true desires. A celebration of our love and commitment without all-night partying… Continue reading Catch Up
Category: musings
Throwback
Google digs up photos you took with your phone, say, five years ago, so you can look back at your memories. Facebook does this too. They brighten my day. They bother me too. Are our devices and cloud storage becoming the more reliable curator of our past? Sunset captured during a commute. A brunch date… Continue reading Throwback
Of Resolutions and Weird Writing Spaces
My new writing space is the top of my intimates' drawer. I know, I have a completely decent desk with a view (featured here), but after several unproductive writing hours I realised I can't be creative in the same space I do my day jobs. My resolutions (not New Year's because I came up with… Continue reading Of Resolutions and Weird Writing Spaces
Autumn Busybody’s Pandemic Poem
I surprised myself this fall by enrolling in a Project Management course. The original plan had been to attend a TESOL program, but admissions required my transcripts from Manila, as well as proof of my English language fluency (smirks). I couldn't take the TOEFL test in time for fall registration and the only way to… Continue reading Autumn Busybody’s Pandemic Poem
Mrs. B
With the pandemic pushing our wedding to the following year, I find myself with more time to contemplate about changing my last name. I used to think that it's a straightforward decision. When I was a little girl, innocent of coverture laws and the administrative pain of amending legal documents, I thought it was boring… Continue reading Mrs. B
Hump Day Liebster
My heartfelt thanks to pinaymamasg.com for making my first Liebster post possible. It took five years-plus having a blog up to be included in the chain. In any other avenue, say on social media, I ignore chain requests. But for this one I'm making an exception because it's the first and I came to this… Continue reading Hump Day Liebster
Sweetness in a Slice of Rejected Pie
Remember those jokes going around the social media about "returning" 2020? The beta isn't great, it needs a reboot, so on? Well, we've used up two-thirds of it. Even if it was possible, a cosmic return-exchange isn't going to happen at this point. Mindful of time being precious though it hadn't been what was hoped… Continue reading Sweetness in a Slice of Rejected Pie
From the Bookshelf: History of Wolves
I was craving a thriller so I searched for a "literary thriller" online, my definition being one that delivers suspense and twists without sacrificing depth and flair. To my surprise, a list I consulted included Emily Fridlund's History of Wolves. A chilling read, yes, but I wouldn't have qualified it as a thriller. This made… Continue reading From the Bookshelf: History of Wolves
A Memorable Spring
It has gotten warmer; the sidewalks, the lawns, the nearby park are adorned with vivid blooms, swathes of lush greenery. Life amidst a climbing death toll worldwide. So in this beautiful time of the year, we are all being asked to stay home, put off gatherings, wash our hands, wear masks. I don't mind the… Continue reading A Memorable Spring
Happy New Year!
Here we are, in year 2020. Festivities are done with and most of us have "gone back to reality" (as if vacations and celebrations are all but dreams), but I'm still compelled to greet you, readers. Happy New Year! This year, like all the ones before it, will slip by quickly, so we should take… Continue reading Happy New Year!
Leah Ranada 