Good-bye my gumamelas.

It's time to say good-bye to my gumamela paintings (click here). I have enjoyed them for a while, but now I'm sending them away. A lady in New York wanted to have them.

I pulled a spare balikbayan box from behind a wall unit and fashioned a small box that would fit 2-16" x 12" oil paintings.

I then wrapped the paintings in plastic then carefully wrapped it again in bubble wrap...

closed the box...sealed it...typed the recipient's address on a piece of paper, glued it on and took it to the post office for delivery and bade it farewell.

I tracked it down on the internet and it's now nearing its destination...perhaps tomorrow, Monday, or Tuesday the mailman would be knocking at her door delivering the package. It will soon hang on the wall of her home--my paintings' new home. Sniff...sniff...I'll miss them. I had them for over a year and now they are gone, my two lovely gumamela paintings. Maybe, I should make another one, and this time a larger one, and of different color. And then, maybe, send them away to another home. Or, maybe, this time I'll keep it. ;-)

Can't Leave Home Without It.

I pulled my pants on, a knit shirt, slid on my flat shoes, grabbed my purse and headed for the door. My husband and I are going shopping for our groceries. But before shopping I'm going to send a package to a friend, so we'll stop by the post office before going to the market. I took the package with me. I have my purse with me already, but it seems light, not it's usual weight. Something is amiss. I went back upstairs, checked on the night table to see if it's there. No, it's not there. To the home office, where my computer is and where I usually put that thing, it's not there. It's not in the bathroom either. I went back downstairs to see if I missed it; in the kitchen; in the den; and in the living room. It's not in any of those places. Now where is that thing? Where did I lay it on? I went back upstairs again. Maybe I missed a room or I just didn't see it. While climbing the stairs, something clicked in my head. I have not checked the room on my right--that little room I call my studio; the place where I do my work and put all my junk on the drawing table. Aah, I was right, it's there.

Years ago when I leave the house I take my purse filled with my survival paraphernalia for the day, like a lipstick, a compact, keys, driver's license, my wallet and other little whatnot. I survive the day with these junk in my purse.

Nowadays, I can't leave home without this little gizmo. I have to turn the house upside down to look for it before heading out the door. It's now a necessity, this little thing that connects me to all while I'm on the go, this little thing called...cellphone.

A Real Mom

I have been tagged by the lovely, gentle, compassionate and romantic writer Ghee. Thanks for the tag!

Here are the rules, put up a post "Real Moms (insert what they do here)", followed by an explanation, a photo, and a "Real Moms. Making...". Then tag five people.

Real moms are super. They can do anything; they can leap tall buildings; fly like a bird; and are strong they can carry heavy loads like a cruise ship. Hmmm, sounds like Wonder Woman.

A real mom knows all the answer. Guides and helps with the homework, and can say the multiplication table by heart. NOT! So I made Eddie memorize the table himself. He he he

A real mom is fearless. She can enter a dark room without fear of ghosts coming out from the dark corners. Little Sue got her fearlessness from mom, but she can't eat balut like her (mom).

A real mom doesn't get sick. She has to be up and about, to do her motherly duties to all--kids and hubby, even if she's running a fever and feels yucky.

A real mom never gets tired. She'll do everything to help her kids without rest. Ay, hirap talaga.

A real mom makes everything better. She can kiss that bruise away and reassures that everything will be alright by her warm hug.

A real mom guides and teaches what is wrong and right; how her kids should behave when, where and with whom. She's their best buddy, their confidante and playmate...but she's still the mom who disciplines them.

Tadaaaa!!!

Now I'm tagging Nona and Ann, who are both mothers, and since I don't know any other mothers here I'll tag some singles. They'll write what they think of their moms or what their moms do. The young ladies are: Tina, Sasha and Cat.

Nothing Much Going On

Update...this just in...

I've been busy lately taking a nap on the couch. He he he...so now it's midnight and I'm wide awake. I was making a box earlier this afternoon getting ready to pack something. I would soon send this thing away and bid it good bye. I'm having second thoughts about it, if I should send it away. But...sigh...I have to.

tQERQASDFHJKIP

Fill in the void...

Just like it said, fill in the void. There's nothing much going on. So, in the meantime, I'm going to post a short poem I wrote as a comment to my friend Nini. I've been thinking of doing this for quite sometime now, but I've been napping too much, my hair in back have been rubbed off and my scalp is showing already. Time to do something more productive, like take a walk to the fridge and get some ice cream.

Now with the poem, but first let me quote what Nini wrote.

"Just Vanity

Logging the time
Counting calories
Making the trips
Diet to keep
There’s but a face
I still chase ...
Mine!
Of years ago :-) "


My response.

Mine of years ago
Now that face I don't know.
Over the years,
Wrinkle here and there,
Have come
And have not gone.
I chased,
It was a waste.
It picked up speed
down the hill like a sled.
I gave up...
I'm grown up,
And grown old
With so many folds.
They are here to stay
And I can say,
Been there, done that.

Scenes In and Around the Valley

FLOWERS

Spring has come. Flowers have sprung, wild and otherwise.

Gazania

African daisies

Potisporum tobira

The scent of these flowers reminds me of sampaguita.

Bees have followed the sweet aroma of this dandelion flower....

...and these violet sedum flowers.

BIRD

It's nesting time for our feathered friend here with two of her chicks. She's lucky to have hatched them before a cat got to them. Last year there were 4 birds nesting on my trellis and all nests were attacked by something--cat, rat or lizard--and the eggs were all cracked open on the ground.

LIZARD

Could this lizard be one of the culprits?

FASHION

Wild hair style

Pants - as low as they can.

Fancy back pocket design.

CLOUDS

Dancing clouds

The wild one

The eagle...

...and sunset over the valley.