o holy night...

may the spirit and joy of Christmas be with us all...

and the night smiled...

it wasn't that it is balmy and bright
nor because of carols that we delight
it wasn't for relatives and friends that hover all
who drinks and dances with eager soles and shoes

and certainly not for the decorative fruitcake
and flickering xmas fir tree in the yard
it is because it's the birthday of Jesus, our saviour
and lord, the prince of peace and the son of God

our dear redeemer who suffered, died and
was crucified in that holy cross that is so divine
now is the time to reminisce and to give thanks
now is the time to express our unending love

for without our faith that guides us through thick and thin
without the holy trinity the bedrock of our faith
we are all then travelers without a map devoid of light
who will be lost and won't stand tall at the winds of turmoil...

per records kept the oldest woman on earth or the second? had just recently passed away at a whopping 116 years old. i wanna know her secret :> she should have kept a journal in the Internet where a lot of us has access so we know precisely what to do. and that will still be a lifetime for me if i can perfect her set records ...(^&*)... and now according to her 77 year old son, his mom was a teacher who minds her own business and gardens :) the reason of her longevity. maybe, but good genes and what you eat are also major factors. irene, my 70 year old RN co-worker has a mom who is turning 100 next year. she still lives alone and do volunteer work in the hospital. hmn, maybe she could beat the Guinness book of records. my mom is now 84 and still lucid and kicking :) she is very active and a vegetarian. my dad smoked and drunk which most males do in pinas, he died at 60. my rich spanish virgin mary look alike benefactor's husband died at 60 as well. everyday before dinner he drank frozen san miguel beers served in embroidered covered glass.

long years, long life, long journey

the stick must be so long
that it can reach the moon
the garden was always alive
making the roses swoon

every spring, summer and fall
through winter the leaves stuck
the green canopy of forever
made the birds sing and dance...

a new dawn is moving forward

after the rain had fallen
the clouds are light and empty
ready to embark and to roll
without the weight in its wings
without the tears in its eyes

the truth is facing north
climbing the high mountains
its road marked with a map
etched with a red dot
or a point to an end

the point of no return
of high hopes, of new light
of high spirits without darkness
it took forever, so tiresome
but the truth is here at last

an open door of new beginning
after a long dance with the dark
with nothingness, with the void
now there is substance
now there is chance

when the dawn with its
multi radiant brilliance
finally will spread its wings
ready to fly into the top
of victory, mount glory
 
when struggles to
uncover the truth fail us
and now it is here
it has arrived, it finally came
and that is quite a surprise...

a surprise that we embraced with open arms... above art is by amorsolo, fishermen getting ready to go out to sea at dawn...

autumn leaves...

departures and goodbyes...is truly a spectacular show performed by the falling leaves of autumn...

every year it happens
goodbyes and departures
gate shut and bolted
never to be opened again
as tears are left behind
where we stayed for love
but where we leave for
the same grand reason

as symphonies of requiem passes
of dead ends and do nots
are played in solitary notes
by a lone guitar gone
left silenced
packed and taped
muted with strings
unstrung...

the lies within our midst

the color of the clouds at dawn is deceiving
color orange, purplish, pink with grayish tinge
the sun should come in a minute
but the wait is forever as the sun had left

there is silence that dwarfed the once happy village
the air is filled with smoky mirrors shaded in blue
the illusions seemed to have engulfed the true believers
once the colorful lies came through and bare its claws

but in any given moment of our lifetime
God sends relief like a fresh rain falling a mist
cleansing us drop by drop until the clouds cared
to leave the burden of these lies gone and burnt

life is decorated with truth and lies
you measure them with the tip of your hands
those that are heavy are precious gold
and the paperless and the weightless are false...

meaningful birthdays...

how do you spin a rainbow that won't last
you won't for you can't
how do you cross a bridge of nowhere
you'll never for it wasn't there

another year has left again
so many wrinkles came since then
the memories have faded now
and the colorful rainbow is gone

but wait for if it rains at dawn
a new dainty rainbow might show
as the sun rises in the east
a bow of joy came through

i am collecting the years in my hands
i won't give them to you
for as the days and nights will pass
years add up and smiles subside
  
birthdays are our anniversaries
of thanksgiving to God
for He alone was nice enough
to give us life as we survive its daily grind...

how can we ever put meaning into birthdays. i know. as long as God is by our side, we do not need anything else for He is the answer to our questions and He is the meaning to our existence...

let's take the high road

it was a long and winding road
but it's worth all the effort
it's a curve with dust and mud
with nights without the moon
and here we are standing
tall at God's home

you can bribe and you can hide
but facing the music is a better route
after all when you win
you can dance with the stars
you can sing with the lark
and your conscience is bright...

malate church...

above is malate church today taken by me april, 2012 :) and below is the same church painted by the great amorsolo years ago. very beautiful...

if we are living, we belong to God...

roses are the flowers for the virgin mary. i have quite a few of them in bloom right now :)

if we are living
we should open our doors
to the calling
to the right path
to the bright side of life

for if we die
all we have done
is to add up to the
burdens of life
to the sufferings of mankind

you've painted your road
with the grays, with the blacks
and with the blues
where have the reds and the pinks
where have you hidden them both

where are the smiles and the laughter
i'm tired of looking for them
i'm tired of the gloom and doom
for life is not long
these will only make it more short

i want the stars to dance at night
i want the melodies of the fireflies
and their flickering light
to lead me to the roses of life

where happiness hides
where there are no dreams
but realities and the truth
no illusions, no games
but real play
for time goes

I'd like to believe
that i'm one of those lucky persons
who held the keys
that would open the world
to the garden of joys...

within a few months we will be voting for our choice of our president here. politics is a sport, a game. but the outcome in politics has a serious consequence in our daily lives. barack obama or mitt romney, a 250 million worth multi-millionaire who was born here in my state but now lives somewhere else with a multi million dollar vacation home in california with a second floor garage. one who was in my shoes once and the other who seemed like a good guy but whose life is opposite to mine. the choice should not be that difficult. for who could better understand you than the person who was once in your shoes...

water paradise...

that is what patar beach is...lots of us are truly magnetized by ocean fronts as each of us has a story to tell. each of us has our own roads to travel. it is not how luxurious that experience is but it is how it enriched our lives in the process. we value our once in a lifetime journey for we all have one gift of life to spend on that journey. to others life is handed on a silver platter while to most of us life is doled out in cast iron plates. we all have our own devices, we have our own intelligence to help us wade and deter all the obstacles life has to offer, may you be rich or poor. you will be surprised that the rich and the privileged are not immune to the bumps of life. bumpy rides with drugs, drinks, booze and smokes to name a few and sometimes it can only be the waves of the ocean that can prevent them from continuing this grasp to these addicting habits. maybe for a short period of time, until that boat docks, then that body craves and yearn to have that one more fix, that one more drink, that one more puff... now guys and gals we know you are living life to the fullest but don't you think you could live life more fuller when your mind and body are free from these addictions? just a thought. pardon if i hit your road, but just saying it as it is...(^&*)...

what is fun...

lights, lilies and petals... grasses, lanterns, little girls and lads... one of my favorite art of john singer sargent :)

little humans, little friends
innocent creations of the world
go and enjoy life it make sense
for time passes like a jet

before we knew it the tree is tall
giving shelter for us all
where cardinals sing their happy tunes
as safari goers rest and fall

a cycle of life, a dream dust
living life when the sea is vast
swimming silently as the night passes
where did time go, it went so fast...

let's do what make us thrive, smile and laugh. life is short, let's create memories that will last...

 

lady agnew by john singer sargent... beautiful lady, let's see that non demonic smile :) we are here now in this beautiful paradise. maybe a reincarnated john singer sargent of our century will make that happen for us... for life without a smile is just not what we want :>

reflections...

life is about reflections as we ponder about our daily existence. life is still a mystery even though how hard we stretch our minds and our imaginations. we do not even know for sure about our true origins as we are fed by our faith or by our own religion and by science with their own theories of how we got here. all we know is that time ticks every single day. as it ticks the seasons change, our bodies get older no exceptions. we fade like the flowers that we plant. our life is just a matter of a length of time. as every breath that we take is just a matter of seconds or in so many years if we are blessed. in between there are emotions to think about, like hate and love...the image above is my favorite art of JSS, click here for his complete works  these exceptional images were painted more than a century ago. he is gone but his works will remain forever with us to be viewed and admired worldwide. i am thankful to have come across and viewed his beautiful creations. i do not know much about art but i know that his paintings are pretty special...top art is by JSS :)

reflections...

as i see you in the mirror
now you are so old
as i wash my face in the river
the wrinkles come so close

that clock has ruined my days
as i traveled the roads of life
the paper thin skin
is sagging past and fast

when i was younger
the sun is always bright
but the days grew shorter
and the nights had overcome

as dawn is edging closely
i count the fading stars
as the morning took over
another hair is white

when i look back at that mirror
shall i thank God?, yes i will
for He always smiled at me
so generously and so kind :)

life is a gift and a dose of the real...

the look and feel of life. it is vast and in billions if we count earth's population. the queen of England had just celebrated her diamond jubilee. 60 years at the throne. at first i thought why do we have to care. but seeing the happiness of her subjects she must have done right in spite of her very rare smile. she was known to be stingy of this free uplifting sign that we humans can dole out if we're happy and lucky and even those that are not but are positive in their outlook of life...the queen rarely smile they say but not during her 60th jubilee celebration for she was all smiles. 85 years old and 91 years old is the age of her husband. life lived to the fullest and i bet without regrets. so many of us are deprived and abandoned, unloved and unkempt. so many of us are tired and are wondering why so many were given the short end of the stick. life is not a bed of roses. life is a continuous struggle from dusk to dawn. some are lucky to break out of the mold but some are just not. life is what we make it to some but life is what is doled out to others as life is not a pleasant experience to a lot of us. we wonder why. we wonder if it is planned and we will never know the answer. like the mysteries that surround our lives, the mystery of what will tomorrow may bring. all we know is life is timed, life can be taken away at any moment and here we are acting like life will have no end, sounds very familiar...

here is Jesus painted by Steve Penley...the color used evens out the sadness depicted in this artwork. i love it :) for i am for the positive side of life... Jesus, we believe and trust in you :)

timeless tulip

Easter is change...resurrection, renewal, rebirth or renaissance. they all mean change. my own tulip flower one beautiful spring. sadly it is just an image now. even flowers will have to go as days pass as the dawn departs...one colorful tulip, one of many...

tulips are born every spring
as tides come rushing in
hope springs in the process
as the earth twirls and spins

the moon will soon cast a smile
as the sun's light subsides
the stars will dance and twinkle
above our very own eyes at night

Easter is a happy time
for God had risen for us
there is hope in death and darkness
as a new direction comes to light...

and here is about us...to make me smile when the days seemed dark and covered with clouds. it is a nice feeling if you knew that in the process of you earning a living you are promoting life and health. that will make your effort all worthwhile.

"About NURSES: Somebody asked: "You're a nurse?!? That's cool, I wanted to do that when I was a kid. How much do you make?" The nurse replied: "HOW MUCH DO I MAKE?" ... I can make holding your hand seem like the most important thing in the world when you're scared... I can make your child breathe when they stop...I can help your father survive a heart attack...I can make myself get up at 5AM to make sure your mother has the medicine she needs to live...I work all day to save the lives of strangers....I make my family wait for dinner until I know your family member is taken care of...I make myself skip lunch so that I can make sure that everything I did for your wife today is charted...I make myself work weekends and holidays because people don't just get sick Monday thru Friday. Today, I might save your life. How much do I make? All I know is, I make a difference"...like we all do in little ways that we know how.

thanks all for your visits :)

better be love than hate...

heart shaped primroses from the www plus hosta leaves from my garden one nice summer. yes, love is the best spice of them all, laughs, no kidding...just listen to elvis songs na lang if you are an skeptic...(^&*)...

the many faces of love...

as i look back at that mirror i ask what is really the meaning of love. is it God with His almighty power who rules this vast universe that we don't even know much about. is it this majestic earth where we live that spins till eternity of time, after all it housed all the wonders that humans could only catch and play with in their hands. is it the people that inhabits this land who invents all these toys that make life a joy and easy to withstand. or is it life that has its ups and downs, joy and disappointments, tears and lucks.

love must be that feeling of joy and that spirit of hope that everything will be alright. love must be each day given to us as a gift from God for who knows tomorrow won't be around. love maybe are the fireflies that lighten up the evening sky. or love maybe are the flowers that are so colorful whose captivating scents will make our nose smile. or love is the anticipation of magic that someone nice would bring to us. and maybe love is the free time or vacation time which is spent walking aimlessly on a sandy beach that is so hot.

as love is the many faces of strangers that add spice to our daily lives. love is also a kind word from one whom you've never expected to lift your spirit up. love is so important that once it's lost chaos will abound. love is all we need to make our lives twinkle like the stars above. love is just a simple word but its meaning brings magic into our hearts. so ergo, let's all give love not only on valentines day but in every single day that we can while we are still alive.

for as the sun sits and as the sun rises love will be lost if not taken care of, if it is not treasured, nor given importance. love will turn into hate and we can't allow that to happen if we are that smart. for love is a decoration that we want to adorn our daily lives till the end of time...

...without love or in losing love where would you be now...maybe drifting in the sand dunes, like being lost in the desert and you would only know the importance of love once you've lost it, once it's gone...

our lady of lourdes in tagaytay & baguio cathedral...

one of the most beautiful house of worships that i have ever visited and it is 22 of them on this vacation round :) 2 were closed, manila cathedral for renovation and the paco park church, per its guard but we went to the big paco church instead...yes, there was a wedding in progress in this church :) i highly recommend that you use it if you and your muse, prince or your love will tie the knot in the future :) the pink rest rooms are sooo wide and clean, true, and it is a newly built church i was told... 22 churches that i visited, not a lot when you think of so many of them in manila alone. but of course i had also went in those found in not so beaten paths as well like those located in my home province, couldn't miss those...in the pink church in baguio aka the baguio cathedral, a wedding was also on going. but this time you could feel that the celebrants were rich for the flowers alone my brod said, the couple must have spent 2 grand in USD and a vintage classic car was their bridal car in use...a very happy time i bet for them. glad that i was there to witness it too :)

yes, visiting churches is an obsession for me. JC said, mom this is not a vacation, it is a pilgrimage...in a way he is right :)

and i would have loved to have dined at sonja's garden. we asked people around for direction, security guards and residents alike and everyone was telling us to drive further and further away from the volcano's site. it seemed to be a long drive to forever passing roads lined up with beautiful shrubs bearing colorful blooms that i loved. finally we reached a place that said, sonja's bed and breakfast but there are loads of vehicles parked around it so there must be a function going on... tho' the garden i was hoping to see is nowhere so a disappointment for me and we left the place...never again that i will go on driving forever to a place that is way too far, laughs. but all my travel plans and places to see in pinas were met. thanks to paul for driving us around safely and thanks for my dear brod for lending us his ford everest van and letting us stay in his condo, cool :) i am really a lucky gal...in spite of it all...a silver lining is always at hand, ready to show up and to carry us on in our lives being on a vacation or what not...

also my tulips are in bloom again. so many, pink and purple and i have yet to get some pics of them, laughs. but maybe this year i will leave them alone...

taal volcano :)

this volcano has a mouth. i only hope that it won't spew molten rocks or erupts soon for there are houses all around it. people dare to build homes at its vicinity maybe because of its majestic view...

i am a pet lover :)

our cat hisoka saya is truly living the good life, laughs...vacation makes me break my blogging habit. returning home made me realize more that america is really fun, second is the philippines :) you compare the rest rooms in the 2 airports and the feeling you get in and out of the airports here and there is quite different. really there is so much chaos in pinas plus some foreign tourists are missing if traveling alone once they arrived in manila's airport...go figure that out... here you can feel the order of how a first rate country operates. sad to say that the difference in the two countries is quite staggering. when will the philippines can catch up kaya for i am losing hope...

a very powerful symbol of love...

death has become you...

with the wails and woes of humanity
here you are pinned on the cross
with the burdens of our sins
you carried with grace, joy and resolve

life is but short
even God dies
even God folds

only to be resurrected
and reborn
only to claim victory
and the throne...

first came birth and then death to redeem mankind's sin. a very powerful sign of Jesus' love for us :) ash wednesday is a reminder that from dust we came so to dust we shall all return someday. to some at a very young age, ergo you have your youth today but you really don't have your life time on earth in the palms of your hands for we will all die and we do not know if it is sooner or if you are blessed and lucky it will be later that you'll bid goodbye. so to some lucky ones it could be a century of living... me i am hoping to live to be 100 years young, laughs, pls. God give it to me for my disabled son's sakes...(^&*)...

let this lenten season be a reminder of the fragility of life. let's live it to be as happy as we could ever make it. it is a challenge. but with God's grace nothing is impossible :) after all He is "the truth and the life" meaning He gives us life and the truths in our lives, all you have to do is believe it :)... above art is the Crucifixion by Mantegna, one of the best art that was ever made in my opinion and second best are the art of Mr. John Singer Sargent :) ...pls. click above image for finer details and click the highlighted link for the best ever paintings that were ever produced by a genius :)

hope is an eternal spring...

we always wait for the sun rise
when the night is long and hot
we always dream of a star's trap
every time the black night comes

as an iris rises amidst the cold ice
this flower spreads its petals
then a sweet scent of perfume
is unmasked as the hope of life pumps

so many dark forces dent our paths
so many dukes their spades of lies
but as we know that God is the light
we never worry for Satan dies

as light triumphantly casts
its rays drowning those dark abyss
as we open our eyes for another day
hope will sing and color our way

yes in spite of life's curves
hurled at constant pace
hope is the optimist's weapon
as we travel and as we pray

life tomorrow should be better
as the red cardinal tweets
as its shiny feather dances and sways
at the branches of my evergreen tree :)

without hope
we have no inspiration
without hope
we have no gasoline to fuel our toys

without hope
our horizon is doomed
without hope
what we have is nothing for sure...

so guys and gals let's keep on dreaming, let's keep on hoping and let's keep on loving :) for if hate wins, we've lost, if hate wins we've froze, if hate wins our world is silent and the music is off... so let love wins...(^_~)... seek forgiveness, make up with our love ones, i know it is easier said than done, but no choice, right?...(^&*)... for life is short and it is not for us to play with. we return it when God wants it back... so let's keep on smiling and living in spite of the tears :) for that is just common sense... joy is what we make ourselves and joy is what we needed to spread to others... it's not a coincidence that the music now is "Joy" by Giovanni, cool :) we need to be happy for one more time the sun rises for us to celebrate life...

the difference between a sunrise and a sunset is...the sky is clearer in a sunrise for maybe the clouds are absent still so there are not much orangy color in a sunrise because the clouds are not formed yet and the sun's rays reflection create those orangy spots that we see on a sunset... i maybe right but i maybe wrong but that's what i believe :)

love in circles...

when one is supposed to be in love happiness should be the result which usually is. but as we look around love birds are happy today but wait until tomorrow the sky is blue. so love is not immune to grief, sadness and heavy hearts. people die one reason so your love, muse, or partner departs. then a few managed to fell in love with some younger amores. ex. demi and maybe you :) sadly it doesn't last for eternity, but so is love birds of the same age living in the same generation. i'm pretty sure that there are unions that survived the challenges of love whatever the circumstances they came to unite as there are unions that won't. it is maybe in the maturity, in the intensity and truthfulness of that love that these love birds share. temptations abound. illusions like magic are just like in the movie world that is full of acting. so it is not real. if there is real love i think it should survive the test of time :) and of course it is better to have fallen in love even if the end is a mess than to not have loved at all... i am really non judgemental to whoever anyone had fallen in love with. i am happy if people are happy. and there is no one to blame if love did not succeed for there is not real love that had existed in the first place so it failed... for some love works and some don't... no matter what their age is :> although it is really advisable to love your own kind all the way for lesser problems but in some rare cases love survives even in the hot desert of the sahara, laughs, yes that is a metaphor :) ... so guys and gals take your chance in love for love is better than hate. if there is a reason better than this, i will be truly surprised :) and if you fell in love no one should call you stupid for who knows if they are in your shoes they might probably will do too as well... so mind your own business should be directed to these people, laughs. really love is very complicated. if you found love then nurture it. love is like a plant, it will die when not watered and cultivated... that simple :) and i think love if it's phony it won't never succeed...(^&*)... let time rides its course, if love is true it will reveal itself at the end :)  in the mean time let's not feast on other people's love business, laughs. but seriously there is a bible passage that goes like this: Matthew 7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged...

Autism Speaks...

Autism, a Robber in Broad Daylight

How do you feel when it's dark all day
How do you see if nothing lights your way
How do you do your chores
How do you cook and clean
Tell me, how, in the absence of the sun

Will you see at night when the moon is gone
Will the stars above have that enough shine
Will the owls, the fox, or the dog can dance
Will the cat, the cow or the rat can run
Tell me, if you can see shadows in the dark

Why does a child can't read or write
Why does a boy can't play with a ball
Why does a girl can't play with a doll
Why do some kids can't ride a two wheel bike
Tell me, why, some children can't understand

Do you sing and dance with them
Do you smile and laugh with them
Do you do their jobs for them
Do you, can you, tell them what to do
Tell me how to open up a tight igloo

Autism, with that mind altering bug
Robbing a child's intelligence once
Permanently erasing memory lane
No sun, no mornings, no moon, no dreams...

michael, my special boy do not even know what a door, "window" or TV meant. he has no interest in such things...but there is a consolation, he knows how to swim like a fish better than you and me :)

and did you know that my special son taught me the most important lessons about life than anyone could ever do. first i learned to be humble and thankful with what i have in this life. looking at him everyday i am reminded about the gift of being a normal person, my gift of speech, michael cannot speak except for mama and for that alone i am thankful. now i am more compassionate to families with the same predicament like i have. it is true that you won't know how a person feels not unless you are in their shoes. i learned how to be sensitive to other people's feelings, most of the time, i admit :) i learned to be more prayerful and to rely on my faith for strength to carry on with life of abnormality because i am different, i have a special, retarded, autistic child...but most importantly i learned that mentally challenged people are human beings as well. they need love and care and being a part of their lives is a gift and a chance to serve God in this life...St. Michael is the angel that protects the kingdom of God from the devil...and may i say that in our household, the devil is always on the look out for we have Michael :) though the real lesson here is how life's trials turned me into a better person...although that is just the tip of the iceberg here so to speak. with or without life's tribulations, life has limits, in seconds or in one hundred years this if we are blessed enough. this knowledge alone that we won't be here in this life forever is itself an incentive to act reasonably better or be a much nicer human being. we don't even need to be a genius to figure that out. but as usual what do we do? we make other people's lives miserable and difficult as if there are not enough burdens that these people have to bear or carry in their shoulders already, just my keen observation...nobody is perfect, except God. you might have been blessed financially, born without defect, granted some very exceptional talent that you can't take with you when you die... but these do not give you the right to speak, use your God given talent to oppress your fellow men...my take :) ...just something to keep in mind as we live our borrowed lives in this ever changing but beautiful planet earth :)

last night at work a co-worker was worried about having wrinkles but i told her that i will trade lots of wrinkles for a miracle making michael a normal child...i'm always told that i am aging gracefully, laughs. well, maybe because of the special climate here, or the camera is kind, or they are blind...(^&*)...i want to live for more than a century because of michael or else i've lived enough. i have experienced a lot in life already and i'm convinced that i am truly blessed. it started with an image of our mother of perpetual help when i was young at my side of the wall in our humble abode then. i was always helped, looked at, spared, saved at pinagpala since the very beginning so i can not ask for more... but no i am asking now that i will win the lotto, not for me but for all the down throddens in this world that i could touch with that much money. it will pretty sure makes my life busier, more colorful, more happier and more fulfilled...will this happen, only God knows but there is always nothing wrong with having hope...(^_~)...my life won't be just a ride to nowhere if ever...plus i will stop blogging by then :> as if anybody cared. but i knew no one does...

favorite videos :)

i always visit my past postings. they bring happiness to me...(^_~)...maybe i will make a video of me and saya in the future...(^&*)...a big maybe :>

slums in our midst

my house is silent but loud, my dreams are as damp and cold as the water that surrounds. my life is stripped of hope, my wish is for someone to notice my dirty and dusty road.

my clothes hang loosely to dry, my roof is patched and old, my food is stale and just leftovers i begged at dawn, my love ones are suffering, sick, and tired to the bones.

my eyes can't see the light, my head aches and full of thorns, my hair is filled with grime, my clothes tattered and torn, my body is tired and lost, my thin hands tremble with the cold as the rain falls and drops from those holes.

my house is unsteady and sways with the wind, my pillows are hastily patched with unwanted fabrics scattered around. my blanket smells like rotten rats, unwashed for weeks, life is hard.

so many of us live around like this
so many of us suffer silently in agony
so many of us are drained and doomed
so many of us needs help but are totally ignored...

we all have just one life to live. imagine living it in poverty...no it's not crocodile tears, i'm pretty sure if you cry for the poor that one must be true to your heart...i'm inclined to believe...(^&*)...but no one knows for sure really except you and God :)...all we can do is judge you by your actions of helping the disadvantaged, the downtrodden, the poor, the hungry and the likes not your words or tears :)...for so much lies happen in our lives. so much blinding fakes to make us fall into make believe worlds that do not exist. action speaks louder that words. so if you stick to this mantra you will know the truth :) you will be able to screen the play from the acts...and you will know the real...

compared to the rest of goodbyes, goodbye to poverty is never a sad time...

tunes and blooms...

they make us pause, they make us smile and reminisce about life... these are pink roses from my garden, one nice summer. cute, don't you think :) one reason gardening is an excellent hobby... take it from me :>



a new day came after the darkest dawn...

after all the black eagle's crew
came the red cardinal's row
whistling, chirping
dancing and dangling
at the branches
of my evergreen
at my window

what a refreshing sight to see
with its bright color
red to reign
as my blood rise
to welcome a new dawn
in this earth of
so many failed dreams

one bird, a cardinal's chirp
playing softly
as the wind blows
at this pine's
needles' bed
first and front
lively and bright

o cardinal, you could
be a Christmas delight
the bird of Christ
red with charm
bringer of good luck
for dawn is here
a new day has come

goodbye to the past
let's rise and shine
a new beginning
is begging to be done
as a new path
is drawn for us
by our own loving God :)

some people are atheist and non-believers of the existence of God. in our short timed life on earth the worst thing ever for a creation to do is not to recognize his creator. his life would suffer in consequence for i firmly believe that we can't go on living just by our own. there is a God who is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. this is the key to a much more fulfilled and happier life :) plus of course, express your love to the object of your affection. if not you will lose them for how would they know that they are loved? they are not God for one, laughs. and yes, give love to receive love, always. the main reason that we lost our muses or love is, they believed that they are not loved anymore so ergo it's our own fault actually. now that is one epiphany, take it from me, laughs for i could be a love guru. love is an affection. it can be lost when not taken care of. now guys and gals take this as a lesson learned in this blog :) remember show your love so it could be felt by him or her, again that is the key...(^_~)...or else your life will be dark not light...(^&*)...and we wouldn't want that for love makes the world go round, right? laughs. oh well.

there are so many saints that have dedicated their lives to God and to their fellowmen. their examples are eye openers. but there are so many wasted lives whose deaths could have made a dent or importance. now the question is, will our own life now could be maneuvered so our own death sooner or later could be programmed so people would say, his or her life had meaning instead of it was meaningless. ergo, playing games in our lifetime is a waste. you think you have plenty of time but on the contrary life is being shortened in every breath that we take...

last all saint's day J.C. and me went to the shrine of our little flower church to light a candle for my dad, and the late husband of my benefactor and for all those that went before us. it was 6:30 PM then and when we got out of church i looked up in the sky and there was the smiley moon. as if it was my dad smiling at me in heaven. yes papang, i did all my best for you to be proud of me :> even if it meant sadness for me. you knew, God knew and that's all it matters...

shake and grind baby :) nov. '09

entertainment by the road side. folksy, lovely and lively. taken on our way to patar beach. i love it!

the winds of change

but actually change is everyday as life is a lot of circles of movements. the season changes as life changes. we grow old as we move on... from one partner to the next. from one muse to another muse... but one is constant, the music must remain even if all the girls had left... i thought this would be a nice holy week hiatus intermission :) above image is taken after a sunset. i took this inside a running vehicle on our way back to manila from the province Nov. '09... i think the journey on most of our trips is almost as beautiful as our destination. so maybe we could drive a little slower to enjoy the view, just a thought... this is if you are one of the blessed, lucky bunch who was given the privilege to be able to travel, to savor what is out there maybe because of your job, life's status or simply your destiny to be able to explore and visit places that others just can't...so why waste your God given gift... make the most of it and share it to the world :)

is it a sunset or a sunrise...

as i open my window drape there you are
i was asleep and i can't even tell if it's day or night
the memories had left me and my mind is blank
as i try to figure out what is that scene in front of my eyes

are you a sunrise or a sunset that is so beautiful that i can cry
are you a pasted painting on the horizon that i can't reach and grab
an elusive beauty so indelible that forever will be etched in time
i want to have you constantly every time i wake up anywhere anytime

but sadly you are owned by mother nature a teaser in disguise
only a temporary display in the sky that changes every moment in time
so i have to wait for another morning or another night
just to have you again, just to experience you again

but that is fine...

are you a sunrise or a sunset
still i can't figure that out
but maybe when i can answer
that question if it's day or night
i might have the elusive answer
but now i am totally in a bind...

though maybe when there is a compass in my hands
it will tell me where's the west so that's a sunset
and a sunrise always comes in the east
every morning of our lives

but in a picture or in an image
where there's no direction that you can find
you are left in a guessing game
like asking your muse, do you love me or not...

Valentine's Day

Muse, bid the morn awake,
Sad winter now declines,
Each bird doth choose a mate,
This day's St. Valentine's.

-Charles, Duke of Orleans, French poet (1394-1465)



love could be so sweet
but love can be as sour
as a tamarind sometimes

love could be as red
as the sky when the sun
rises and cast its rays

but love could be as dark
as a moonless night
without the stars

without the sun
that brings us light
the days can be a dud

love is like that
dead and silent
as the night

but love can be alive
as a singing lark
when you're around

touching my hands
keeping me warm
in your heart...

love, the beatle's way :)...how sweet that sir paul mccartney sang this for his new wife :)  a very romantic beatle indeed :> yes, the many faces of love. this is his third :)

"i will always love you" originally written and sang by dolly parton but whitney houston owned it as many have said because she made it a very popular song all over the world when she used it as the soundtract of her movie, "the bodyguard" with kevin costner... ah love you make us crazy and insane sometimes, laughs. in contrast of the two versions, dolly's is low key while whitney's take is a blast :) but somehow i like dolly's take better...(^&*)... simple, clear... and heartbreaking...

life's precious lessons...

i will always love you, whitney houston..."goodbye and please don't cry". may you rest in peace whitney. you've left us with incredible music. just sad that at 48 you'll have to go. drugs, music and love. they are a lethal mix. she'd been given a gift by God of a voice that made people remember her and made her financially well off but she lost it all for drugs destroyed it just like that. after being introduced by this devil through her husband as the story have it her career went tumbling down. she could never reached those high notes again which she did before her drug use. let this be a lesson that life is very short and fleeting already, let's treasure it, cherish it. and by all means let's live our lives worthy of our God... no drugs, no alcohol drinks, no bad decisions like associating with people of this devil habit for it will certainly drag you down like what this bad concoction had done to whitney. what a waste of a talent, a waste of a life that went out of the road. we loved her no matter what. but let it be a hard lesson learned here. i'd like it to be the example that substance abuse, either in drug use, alcoholic drinks, or smoking nicotine is just not acceptable because of its sad and bad consequences in people's lives... you know who you are so i hope you'll make that effort to change your ways for your love ones but most importantly for your own very self. yes, your life is yours to waste but would you like to be remembered like whitney. i'm pretty sure that if she was given one more chance to live cleanly, she'll choose this route... so for you it is not too late yet and you can do it :) let's show them that. there is no greater satisfaction in life than the feeling of having overcome obstacles... we have all our own demons to conquer and we know that. the real challenge is not to let satan win at the end...(^&*)... and let's remember always to live our lives worthy of our God... life is short, let's make it matter, let's make it smile :) ...so let's love our God first, our selves second then loving humanity in general. let's give love everyday even if it hurts :>  it's fun and it will make you smile, i hope, laughs... no kidding it did to me. for loving people that hates you is the hardest thing to do in life but it can be done. just close your eyes and picture Jesus on the cross saying for you why not... never mock anyone, never flush them in the toilet out of your life, never try to imitate others out of contempt for them, never drink beer, laughs, for you gonna be into that hole for life not a hole called manila but you being drawn in that hole of bad habits and disappointments. money can't buy us love for love just happens and it is free :)...happy valentines day you all, hope it will be a great one...(^_~)... though sad that other love birds may not have that kind of great celebration for break ups in relationships occur as often as days turn into nights. i dunno, but it shows that love comes and goes. love is fickle as it is blind like the whitney's love story and it is a very rare occasion that love survives the test of time though it happens. if you have that kind of love and luck in your life you are very blessed, indeed. so pls.do not forget to thank God for it :)

love and music is a pretty good mix :)

a not so trivial thing...Beyonce and her hubby Jay Z's new bundle of joy named Blue Ivy Carter had an eye popping gift from her parents. hmn, did you know that there is this gorgeous "Le Bleu, Anguilla beach resort in the Caribbean with one mind boggling tropical beauty, maybe this rich power couple had been there before because that place caters only to the higher 1% laughs, and named their child bleu er blue, oh well. who for God's sake will name their kid blue especially it is a girl pa... translation, a sad plant that must be a boy? carter is a boy's name diba? i'm very sorry beyonce but this is just one nobody's opinion. glad that she would never read this :) tho' i love how she sings, it is pretty good :> so whatever comment expressed in this private blog in short it does not matter, laughs. it is really the gossip in my work that they bought their new bundle of joy a whopping and jaw dropping baby cradle worth 750,000 grand. wow talk about extravagance... and my co workers are not happy...

let me see, i am working on my math here. we could feed gazillions of homeless people with that moolah. we can send many poor but intelligent students to college. yup we can also help those who really do not have the capacity to endure the challenges of higher learning aka less endowed students with brain cells, there are also vocational schools for them to attend and we can fund that as well. plus we can build countless houses in pinas for the needy and the list goes on and on... but since beyonce sang that one sweet song titled "At Last" for the Obama's then, maybe we can give her a pass. it's their money after all... but now guys and gals will you consider buying your future blue ivy carter maybe a diamond laden cradle which she or he could not even appreciate yet... think about that PLZ... even if you are a couple with a net worth of 750 million in USD... let's chase away the blues with that kind of money for a lot of down throddens instead... yes, the road not usually taken...

love

love is when i wake up
and you're there by my side
love is when i'm down
and you try to pick me up

when most of the rivers
have all dried out
and when the stars
never twinkle at night

you sent me a message of care
and you're always prompt
you turn my dark days into
a light of the golden rising sun

you never miss to say hi
and to say what's up
there is the love that
will end till the end of time

for absence is not love
silence is death
and goodbye

for love is presence
love is a smile in person
love is you and i...

see, i can certainly whip up something for valentines day...(^&*)... even how bad it is... but happy love day to all of you soon :) hope you'll feel it. hope you'll experience it and hope you'll treasure it forever...

the president is in our state today, his motorcade and speech :)

i love you mr. president :) for you are the president of the middle class, the struggling and the shrinking population here in the U.S. remember all those thousands of manufacturing jobs that had moved to china? yes, i will vote for you this november for you deserve my vote :> you are looking out for us...hence you light up our lives, like those who loves us do and God does :)

next comes the love month :)

as love ebbs and wanes
years roll
as likes and hates battle
the sun boils

i love you today
but hope it will stay
as the clock works its dial
i may not when dawn turns into day

it will really be dependent
on how you treat me right
for love leaves
when sadness starts...

how true that love like life has its beginning and its ending. it is just a rare chance when you found a gem of a pearl in those millions of oysters clustered in the ocean... good luck :) when you are in love smile wins over pouts as there are always rainbows when the rain stops... (^_~)...

and the yearly black nazarene procession in quiapo is quite an spectacle. i've never seen devotees sooo dedicated that it took 22 hours for people to finish the said procession. people are hurt in stampedes at some point and with no portable toilets or restrooms available for public use, people just peed all over the route i guess and what can you expect, some smelly roads existed as a result. an estimated more than 2 million devotees had participated. this count itself is a testament to our undying faith. although something should be done to cut the time and maybe some portable toilets around the route could be placed. i wonder if the city could limit the number of participants in this procession for public safety. there are 365 days anyhow, or 366 days if it's a leap year :) for us to go and visit, show our love and affection to the black nazarene naman diba? i'm sure He will understand if you are not there...

since the love month is next some may wonder what should be the key for a love to last until death when lovers depart this earth. for one, love must not be an illusion. second, love must have trust. third, love should not hurt the beloved :) ... there you go guys and gals, that simple, really ...(^&*)...

it looks like mitt romney, born in detroit, is well on his way to winning the republican nomination as their candidate to face or challenge barack obama this coming november for the position of the next president of the united states. really a very nice man, very rich and very qualified to be the next president. with 24 million americans unemployed these people needed all the help that they could get be it who the next president is and that could be a reality if the democrats will hold the 3 positions of power here. the presidency, the house of senate and the house of congress. when this fall into place legislation to create jobs will be approved with no opposition from the other party. i think the american people needed to vote wisely, i do :) but as what we have now is gridlock for the house of congress is held by republicans... i love politics, i learn a lot about life through it, the bad and the good... yeah, i am failing on my new year's resolution and you think that i did not know that, laughs. i am a political junkie so pls. blame it on that. but who cares really, i knew of no one, so...

and enjoying a MJ joint is friendly to the lungs, i read that somewhere. there must be cheating in that study. for it will make the lung to be addicted to this smoke and it is the start or the first step to doing more drugs like crack, cocaine, crystal meth and the list goes on. even vicodins, percocets and etc. are so addicting that lives are being ruined because of them. people could not function as a decent human being because they are under the influence of these devils in disguise as recreational stuffs. let's be wise shall we? let's not ruin our one and only God given gift we all call life ...(^&*)... so if you are a closet addict pls. seek help, stop this very bad habit first for your own good and for your family and love ones. imagine na lang what kind of hell you're putting them through... i know you can't help it but that is your challenge, pls. strive to be a winner in life, in this case your very own life. stand against things that will surely put you down and be a survivor for people to look up to and be proud of. you stumbled but you've learned to get up. and that my friend is one tough act to follow :) so go show them that it can be done, that you could be a winner and that should start, now :)

in our daily grind...

for most of us it is life on the move. we start with nothing special than doing our daily routines. what moves our boats and what makes us tick. how can we make our lives count. as we all know some people before us had made their contributions by inventing, doing philanthropic works, creating ways and means for people to live longer, healthier and happier. as human beings we all need to connect with our inner selves and begin to develop a path in our lives. keeping the wholesome and shedding the baggage that just carry us down the drain of the unhappy abyss as we try to live our lives like this 106 years stock broker, mr. irving kahn :) i wonder if i will be 100 years old with lots of God's grace of course :> how old will you be by then? 

last week i listened to this MD's formula of calculating our real age  no matter what our biological age is. it is very interesting to know that a smoker and a drinker seemed to age older than those who are older in their chronological or biological age who do not have these habit. so ergo how young we really are in this case depends on our lifestyle choices... is it time for us to make some adjustments? i for sure will try to tweak a little here and there, hope you too as well :) and since looking at patar beach makes me smile, motivated and of course stress free, this image tops in my album. who knows that when i am 100 years old, i could still appreciate the ocean or the sea with its forever eternal magic :)

and here's my favorite christmas nativity image taken by JC in his cell phone this xmas at the shrine of the little flower church... wonderfully cool :)

as new years are fresh starts, giving gifts...

are symbols of our love and our affections. we all have given gifts in any form so we all have shown our love for each other like what the three wise kings have done. the difference is, least that they knew that they are giving gifts to the gift himself and the most holy and the wisest of them all :)...wall painting of the visitation of the three wise men in a wall of a catholic church in England... a very holy and a very beautiful work of art, artist unknown. it seemed like this is a labor of love and a gift done anonymously. credits to be given only by God, who sees all and knows all... great :) ...now i will try to get some blogging sleep if i can ...(^&*)... speak to me of love in piano by richard clayderman, receiving love after all is a lot better than receiving hate... thanks a lot guys and gals for your visits... and thanks to you specially for your visits. we might not have true friends, unlucky sometimes, absence of joy is more than its presence, life is a gift however it is presented to us. we must adjust and ride with the tide, be it be rough, smooth or in between. for sooo many did not even see the light of day and were killed in their mother's womb, intentionally by uncaring moms. angels forgotten on earth but they are angels sent by God. may you have the blessings and grace that God can only give. may you have the happiness and joy that you seemed to have missed... see you, hopefully and thank you for reconnecting :) regards to your love ones and happy b-day soon. cheers!

and the best way to start the new year is to watch the annual "Rose Parade" or other known as the tournament of the roses where amazing flowers decorate gorgeous floats that are on parade in Pasadena, California. best dressed people, bands and music, corporate america such as banks and car manufacturers are present to display their beautiful floats as marching bands all over the U.S. and from friendly countries provide the music in this very lovely and scenic parade. maybe in the future i could be there in person :) that would be truly a smile bringer for me... care to watch it now? tune in at HGTV, home and garden TV channel where ever you are... enjoy :> and the grand marshall is J.R. Martinez, the war veteran who suffered facial damage from a bomb when he served in the Iraqi war and of course the winner of the dancing with the stars this season, cool :) plus other countries have their entries as well competing for the president's trophy which Indonesia won this time as china won the international trophy... the theme this year is "imagine" like that john lennon song. hmn, so close your eyes and imagine that you will get what you want this year...(^&*)... but the best part is the surfing dog. yup, a surfing dog inside a float with 66 gallons of H2O in it. no, i'm not imagining that. in fact i'm watching it :) yes, there is no parade anywhere in the world greater and better, nothing tops this rose parade, 123rd this year... there is international participation and tourists all over the world come to watch it, a big wow, indeed :)

and NASA said that 12-21-2012 is not an apocalyptic day after all, now smile :)

2012 it's yours :)

Patar, now...

Patar, then... i'm welcoming 2012 with an ocean view :) i truly envy the obamas, our first family here for they are at present enjoying the beautiful hawaiian beaches and all i can do is to look at this phil. beach called patar, just a picture of it i took a few years back, one nostalgic vacation time... what a sad new year thought. but the smiley moon made up for my grim and dark reverie. it's alright... as if it knows that i love the beach, on christmas day sooo many beautiful beaches were shown around the world, the best of them all... patar is just one small slice of these water wonders but it's okay it is the nearest to our place in the province. you don't have to ride a plane going to boracay, indonesia or palawan. just a little more than 30 min. drive so i'll take that anytime :) the beach is public so you don't have to spend loads of cash just to enjoy a beach, that is just perfect for me :> and Jesus' holiday will end soon with the feast of the 3 kings. it went that fast and it's new year again. the time when resolutions are made and are meant to be broken. but let's make our goal count and by that i meant stick so we can truly have a happy new year :) mine? to slow down on my blogging, laughs. yeah, easy to say but it is very tricky to do...(^&*)... so pls. wish me luck :)

in love, we win some and we lose some and i'm not talking mostly about hot love here, laughs. it could be friendships as well. as the world turns over the brain cells turn over as well. it digests, mulls, deciphers and concludes and just like that there is change. now if you lose a love by any means as in their very true personality is suddenly exposed, maybe they are gay and has been hiding in the closet, or he or she is not a good human being, ex. sexy on the outside but bitchy on the inside, laughs, oh well. you should be thankful because as the days moved over their true skin was exposed... of our muses, loves, one and only, lovey dovey or whatever you may wanna call them :)... i remember an interview in the past that one man's greatest fear was to lose his muse and sadly this came true? then maybe he could live or spend the rest of his life getting her back? or in regrets... would it be a waste? IF he is true to his word that it was really his greatest fear :) then maybe as well in his darkest hour as we move on into a new year, the sadness of the memories and the loss still is a cloud hanging over his head. how can we really have a happy new year in this case...

what is your greatest fear...

is it when the sun
won't rise again in the east
and paint a colorful view of the sunset

is it when the sky
is always black and the blue
yonder had disappeared in your sight

or is it when you lose a love one
who was always by your side
in your dreams at night

what is really one man's greatest fear...

is it the end of life as we know it
and suddenly there is silence all around us
with no music, no laughter and no smiles

or is it aging in dramatic fashion
when the wrinkles had taken over
and the sagging skin is now what we have

to a holy person it might be losing his faith
to an almighty God above us who is
omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent

but to all of us, i think, it is really
losing a love one, a muse, a rock
in times that we feel so down and out

losing faith in humanity as we interact
losing zest for life for all it became a drag
colorless, soundless and bland

but as the new year comes
let's move on with heads high
goodbye to the past with old doors shut

hello to the future, which is bright and light
opening doors after all is filled with magic
and anticipation of what lies ahead in front of us :)

may all our sadness vanish away as the new year draws closer and closer... this poem was inspired by the smiley moon i saw last night :) on my way to work...