This is a photoblog...

...of my 35th birthday "celebration", or at least part of it.

Yes, I am 35 this year. I am now officially in my mid-thirties! *gulp*

O_O

To celebrate this milestone, I did something I've always wanted to do: go on a stay-cation. I wanted to relax, run after nothing and just enjoy my time. And that's what I did. I want to tell you all about it, but I think I'll just show you the pictures.

I managed to play with a Canon EOS60D that weekend so I went around and played "photographer". I didn't use any digital filters (no, I do not use Instagram) and these are all unedited (except for a few colour enhancements). All depth-of-field and focus settings were manually done by me, which would explain why they're a bit off. But still, I'd like to think I didn't do so bad. :)

THE SOLE INDOOR SHOT

THE INDIGENOUS WILDLIFE



THE LOCAL FLORA

THE MISCELLANEOUS

I did other things on my birthday too. And those had pictures as well. But I'll tell you about it next time.

All photos were shot on location at Sonya's Bed & Breakfast in Barangay Buck Estate, Alfonso, Cavite, though most people would probably consider Sonya's to be part of Tagaytay. You can The room was the Rosemary. For more information go to http://www.sonyasgarden.com/ or call them at +(63)917-5329097  or +(63)917-5335140 or +(63)917-5231080 .

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admiration

While taking a quick break from work I decided to do a little cybersnooping. Now before you go all judge-y on me, hear me out. ;)

Once, while talking to our staff analyst, I noticed on her computer an open web page. As someone with a similar cyberproperty, I immediately recognized the telltale signs that said the page on her screen was a blog. And I knew intuitively that the blog was hers. There is something about being a blogger that makes you feel an immediate connection with other bloggers. When you find them amidst the randomness, it is like finding your kin. You're bound together by the connections of the worldwide web. So I developed this compulsion t find her page.

Further fueling me on was the fact that she has never said anything about her little passion on the side. But then again, neither have I. If she is like me, then I suppose she wishes to keep part of her personal life separate from her professional life. Or perhaps she's just biding her time. At any rate, today I decided to finally go take a look.

I was delighted by what I saw. It wasn't even the contents of the page that tickled me because her subject is something I have absolutely have no knowledge or skill on. But I loved the vibe of her blog. It was fun, feminine and happy.

And I couldn't help but admire that she had such a passion for her topic. Enough that her posts came in quick succession. I can barely get one out a month! Which is silly when I think about how blessed I am to have so much I could possibly write about.

The problem, I think, is that I have pressured myself into writing "perfect" pieces. I'm harboring some notion that because I could (could, could) eventually try to monetize this blog then I must have some bigger, grander theme to it. (See entry: Show me the Money). But it seems that harboring that notion has not helped me become a better writer. Or at least it hasn't made me more prolific.

Maybe it's time to change my mindset. A little less of the "perfect", a little more of the me. That's what I always wanted anyway.

But just to make sure, come back next month and see if I manage to successfully churn out more entries.

write, darn you, write!

In the meantime, check out Candidly Pretty. It's the blog for DIY arts and crafts lovers. Oh, and by the way, she has no idea I discovered her "secret". ;)

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Darn it!

Ah, HTML, you foil me again...


Still HTML bobo

 Over a month ago I had this brilliant idea of adding a page to this blog. That page would be dedicated to faith. Seeing as how a my faith and my service make up a huge part of my life, it only seemed natural that I would have a separate section for it.

I don't envision myself writing long, theological pieces. I can barely write "regular" pieces as it is. Trust me, my list of to-write-abouts is getting longer by the occassion. Nor do I think I have the patience (aka intelligence) for profound expositions on issues of the Catholic Church.

What I would like to have is a repository of the many little things that I come across and that strike me deeply when I am at mass, at worship, at a teaching, in conversations or in prayer. Just those one or two lines of wisdom that help me understand a little more, feel loved a little more, become thankful a little more.

There was a time, when I was just beginning my faith journey, that I just soaked up knowledge like a sponge. I was enlightened by everything and I felt myself growing in leaps and bounds. But the danger with knowing something, is the tendency to start thinking you know everything. Accidental arrogance comes in and you start believing that nothing you're hearing is new.

But be that as it may, there is always value to being reminded. Because in my experience, what I have heard of before is also likely something I've previously forgotten. Each reminder is a brand new eureka moment.

And, if I'm really going to be honest about it, I need the cheat sheet. I don't have an eidetic memory and some really important realizations are going to slip by me because I didn't have a place to write it down. Or a place to read it. I suppose I could always use a paper notebook, but isn't that so 20th century? ;)

So here I am again, staring at my computer with a vision in mind and no foreseeabe way of achieving it. Short of learning HTML code (one more thing that is so last season...).

In as much as I'd like to put up that page, tonight will not be the night. I concede this round to that dastardly HTML. 

But don't count me out yet. 

Just... don't hold your breath waiting for me to return.

try and try again

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