Thank You, JT

James Taylor and the legend that he is, and why his songs still resonate through all these years, is aptly summed up on these lines from his website biography – 

“James Taylor's music embodies the art of songwriting in its most personal and universal forms. He is a master at describing specific, even autobiographical situations in a way that resonates with people everywhere. For more than forty years James Taylor has been a compass for his fans, articulating moments of pain and joy, and letting his listeners know that they are not alone.”

It is such a treasure to come upon his website just a couple of years back, and I particularly adore his free guitar lessons. It is truly a valuable gift that he shared his music and artistry in this medium. I'm sharing this to honor a personal hero. Thank you, JT.

STILL LIFE

Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still. – Dorothy Lange

The art and science of creating images which is photography has become a novelty, thanks largely to the digital age. Where in the past this craft was reserved for those that can afford the expensive process of acquiring the gadget and printing the images, this has now become more accessible to a wider range of enthusiasts – from the professionals who earn their keep from it to the budding teenager still learning the ropes of the art.  

Modern photography has indeed opened up boundless opportunities for everyone where one can shoot and store hundreds of photos at just about no cost and achieve great quality and customize the images to suit one’s creativity. Technology has provided the means to restore much loved photos that has withered in the passing of time. 

Technology aside, photos in whatever form from traditional film or digital is one of our priceless possessions. It chronicles our life and is our tangible connection to the past. As my teenager incessantly beckons whether we are on travel or just whiling away at home – forget everything else except the camera, you’ll never want to miss to capture life as it unfolds.

Choose Visayas

As summer is upon us, I’m putting up this timely piece my daughter used as part of a song in one of her class. It’s a creative way to introduce one of the three major islands in the Philippines to avid vacationers out there.

Come on hurry or take your time

Feast your senses on fascinating sights

Several tropical island lies

Mystical views for your eyes

Bask in the sun in Boracay

Catch the gentlest smiles in Panay

Savor in the sweetest mangoes

To Guimaras everybody goes

Come and see what’s in Visayas

Tour the islands and see what lies

Explore the lore, enjoy it more

Take time to feel the highs

See the beauty of the Visayas

In Dumaguete swim and dive

Where dolphins playfully thrive

Wear on the prettiest mask

In Bacolod it’s a must

Marvel on the Chocolate Hills

Bohol’s green river sends you thrills

Fly to Cebu and go wander

History takes you yonder

Traverse the longest bridge

Go beyond Leyte and Samar’s edge

Bet you are destined to see

Beauty of the orient seas

See the beauty of the Visayas

Choose the beauty of the Visayas.

Which beauty would you want to see in these 7,107 islands?

LABOR OF LOVE

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put into that action. – Mother Teresa

I remember how soon after we finished constructing our little house and got done with the interior finishing and decorating, we were kind of the talk of the neighborhood for a while. This was because our interiors were mostly finished by a two man team – my husband and I. We realized anything is indeed possible when you put your heart and mind and brawn to it. 

Because of our limited space, we needed to only have customized furniture to fit, and because customized pieces usually command a hefty price, we decided to build them ourselves. We bought all the raw materials from a local DIY store and constructed our kitchen counter and cabinetry, all our wooden furniture in the living, dining and bed rooms with our own hands. My husband was the self appointed architect and carpenter and I was the assistant and logistics person that also served as the cleaning lady, with assistance from our young children who were then just old enough to know a hammer and a tape measure and can hand them in. 

Our master bedroom renovation was literally a labor of love because we did all the masonry and carpentry works with just the two of us. It was an endeavor I still relish to this day - from tearing down a wall, mounting the windows, the door, baseboards and moldings to installing the laminates in the floor and painting the room  – because those were really tender moments of true relationship building for us. A much stronger connection was formed between and among us and our children, knowing that we can do and fulfill so much together. Our home is truly built on love.

Priceless Keeps

There seems to be an appreciation of classic and vintage things lately, as so I observed with more specialty stores offering a wide array of replicas of furniture and decors inspired from eras gone by and of flea markets gaining more and more avid fans. If there’s one thing about vintage things that simply draw me to it, it is its story waiting to be told because certainly anything that has aged and withstood the test of times has a story worth telling. 

 We use vintage pieces to accessorize our home and they are proving to be excellent conversation pieces. It’s always a pleasure to tell stories behind a piece, how we acquired it, and how we restored it closest to its old glory. On the sentimental side of family vintage pieces, we take pride in giving honor to our folks that originally owned the piece by telling their tales. I particularly don’t know when our love for vintage things started but it’s definitely a common trait that my partner and I shared so continually searching for unique pieces is always an enjoyable endeavor. 

 

I really love to share with friends how anyone of us can actually start our own set of keepsake collection; we just have to keep in mind that what we call vintage now was actually once brand new. So it should be worthwhile to start looking around the house and decide which ones hold the most interesting history as those are definitely for keeps. More so, it’s been said that even the simplest thing can become priceless when it’s loved and cared for through generations in a family.