I won't be here on the 24th and 25th so I will all greet you now.  
Happy Holidays. It has been a lovely year with all of you. This is my Christmas corner :)

Merry Christmas! I wish you all  wonderful, festive days ahead.

#christmastown  +lane langmade +Lynn Langmade +Tom McGowan +Gene Bowker +Michael Albrecht +Brad Buckmaster 
#worldwidechristmasalbum  +Randy Jay Braun +Louisa Catharine Forsyth 

Goodbye

We only part to meet again-anonymous

Week 48: Flowers
+Project52-2012  #project522012  +Gretchen Chappelle +Kate Church +Sue Butler +Giuseppe Basile +LaDonna Pride +Shelly Gunderson 

The Hunter..Medusa Tiger
(thanks +Daniel Chen for the ID :)

He watches, stalking silently. ready to pounce at the slightest sign of weakness.

Its time for the horrific fest again. #horrorpokermonday  call out to the gruesome crew of +David Murphy +J.L. Btwee +Jimmy Symons and me!

Watch +Wesley Yeoh 

It was love at first sight, but alas..it will never be.

One of those nights when this dragonfly came weaving itself on my study table and so I decided to play with it.

Week16- Technology
#2012project52 by +Giuseppe Basile +Kate Church +Gretchen Chappelle +Greg Berdan +Sue Butler +LaDonna Pride +Shelly Gunderson

#buggyfriday +Margaret Tompkins +Sherry McBriar +Ray Bilcliff

#Lichenpoker by the ever inspiring +Chris Mallory. He makes me see things that I otherwise wouldn't notice and he is re-opening a world of information with such passion that one can't help but be swept by it.
Let me quote also +Shawn McClure , "Lichens add character to everything."

I wonder if he knows your thoughts are always with him?

This is my travel buddy and we shamelessly made every place a location for photo shoot. :) I wasn't into photography then and will shoot this differently now if I have a chance.

#FashionFriday +Faith Gauthier

A nurse's hands. She was saving people from a fire and this is the permanent scar left by that incident.

#inspirationalsaturday  +Khrystiane Friedli +Charlotte Therese Björnström and +Mylah Nazario 

Hi

How are you?
.-- it can go a long way.

My offer of thanks to those who added me to their circles and who made the effort to connect. Sometimes all we need is a hi to start a wonderful journey (or in this case, a shared circle :P)

#hawkeasfriends +Fabio Bucchieri
#FloralFriday +Tamara Pruessner
#purplecircle +lynn langmade +Craig Szymanski +Sinead Sam McKeown +Alexis Coram

Broken Promise to Myself

Something tells me it's been awhile since I've gone biking.

Tsk.

late post for #LeafOnThursday +Ray Bilcliff , +Marilou Aballe
#FourWheeledFriday +Matthew Costabile
#LastCall +Christina Lawrie

Friendship and G+? mbdn

The feeling of being a faceless person
just a name among the followers,
just one more plus for statistics.
It can be disheartening.

Then one meets people,
who calls you by your name
remembers what you said
and cares what you think.

The face has taken shape
and how beautiful it is
standing against the crowd
an offering of itself.

For this season, I can only be thankful to all the wonderful people I have met here and looking forward to meeting and knowing more of you. I have tried to know the life behind the names and it takes a lot of time, but it was all worth it. I do not always click with everybody and I have been snubbed too, but it's fine since that is part of the journey. A joyful season to all of you!

#LeafOnThursdays +Ray Bilcliff +Marilou Aballe

Another Monday, pffft.

 a ride home
+Moon Lee 
Take every day as an opportunity to live your life better than you did yesterday and the days before. A new journey you will have but I'm sure you'll rock it.

Week 44- Reflections 
+Project52-2012  #project522012   +Kate Church +Giuseppe Basile +Gretchen Chappelle +Sue Butler +LaDonna Pride +Shelly Gunderson  

Dance

I have always been a shy kid and I hated it when I was forced to be in front of an audience for all sorts of reasons. Only one thing made me un-self conscious in public..its dancing. I never became the great jazz dancer I wanted to be but it helped me gain confidence. I found out that I can express myself through the movement of my body. Somehow, I stumbled some thing in myself that helped me overcome my limitations. Dancing became my catalyst to some changes in my attitude.

What about you, is there anything that you have discovered in you that helped things turn around with you? Why don't you share your story? ( Share it with the beautiful curators of #inspirationalsaturday , +Khrystiane Friedli , +Charlotte Therese Björnström and tadaa +Mylah Nazario :D )

#paintitsaturday +Alexius Jørgensen +Mehdia Ridder

Removing my shoes (well not actually mine as this isn't me) to relax a bit and have more G+ time :) You might enjoy these shoes too +Laura Harding. To run barefoot is such a lovely thing.

Good for #mytowntuesday too as this was taken in front of our house. +Melanie Kintz and +Eric Leslie

We all have our own roads to take. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

I lifted the last two sentences from +Lupe M. Luevano's post. It was written by 90 year old Regina Brett.

#GPLUS::PROJECT52::2012 +Giuseppe Basile +Kate Church +Sandra Parlow +Gretchen Chappelle +Greg Berdan +Gary Munroe +Gene Bowker +Sue Butler #moodymonday +Philip Daly

You always have the option to be guided by the pure compelling beauty of your dreams. Choose today to begin realizing them.

Week 48- Flowers
+Project52-2012  by +Giuseppe Basile +Kate Church +Gretchen Chappelle +Sue Butler +LaDonna Pride +Shelly Gunderson  
#floralfriday  +Tamara Pruessner 

Reach out

We all have our lives to take care of, bills to pay, deadlines to meet..but those do not excuse us from reaching out to others. Just say hi, maybe that's all they need to hear. If we are snubbed, then so be it. Let's create joy out of nothing :)

Is it unrealistic to focus on the positive when the world is telling you to be negative? No, it's not unrealistic. It's enlightened. It's effective.

This is a random post for +Wesley Yeoh just because he is so smartly lovable :P #wesfornoreason  

#skysunday   +Randy Scherkenbach  and +Patrick Scherkenbach 
#sunsunday   by +Shauna Dominguez  and +Greg Dominguez 
So late for Week 31 of #2012project52   #GPLUS ::PROJECT52::2012   +Gretchen Chappelle  +Kate Church   +Giuseppe Basile +Shelly Gunderson  +Sue Butler  +LaDonna Pride   I will hopefully get back on track on this project :)

jeepney

Philippine's most common public transportation. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating. (wikipedia)

#yisforyellow  +Lucille Galleli 
#publictransportfriday  +Christine Denck 

What makes a woman beautiful?

It's a small miracle to see a really beautiful woman walk down the street and watch as the world momentarily pauses and stops to stare at her.

#portraittuesday by +Laura Balc

Untitled

I have been singed once or twice and kept company with
cloudless skies that wept.
not knowing that one day,
it will be my turn to burn and hurt.

I do not love you, and it is my unfortunate task
to appear uncaring, willfully cruel to you, whose
only fault was to yearn for one
who cannot love back.

I do not love you, yet some obscure
voices tug at my heart
whispering how thankful I am for your love,
how fearful that I might return it
when it is too late.

This is for +Sharon Jeannette, who revived my love for words and who is an over all cool and wonderful person.

The Key

Every once in a while,
something jolts you into remembering,
a consciously forgotten memory..
an echo of what if.

The one who got away.

#Fictionstory

+Kab Yaj and +Don Spenner , here is my list of 10 trivia things about me. Thank you also +Jonathan Hui for the inclusion of the two but I thought I'd opt those two out. So here goes,

1. I laugh easily and drink coffee a lot. Both trigger my asthma.

2. Weeks ago somebody broke into my house by destroying the backdoor. The robber was still there when I arrived at 10 pm but he was able to run away before I can call people for help. He was able to take my laptop and my cam. Not a good experience but it gave me a push to replace my old laptop (I now have a new one). The cam however will take me a bit longer to replace.

3. I was (many years ago) a theatre actress and performed in some musicals. My mother and father never failed to watch all of my performances.

4. I’m a member of an all-girl band in law school and play the bass guitar. I do not know how to read notes and can only string a tune together by memorizing where to place my fingers.

5. I have tremendous stage fright (numbers 3 and 4 were manageable because the strong stage lights make me forget that there were people watching). I have to puke and I get really sick in my stomach every time I have to face a big audience.

6. My face is common and I can easily get lost in the crowd. This has never been more apparent than when I went backpacking across Asia. The locals will tell me not to say anything because for as long as I didn’t talk I didn’t have to pay entrance fees to any of the places where only ‘foreigners’ were supposed to pay.

7. I am the fifth child among seven children. I only have one brother. We try to have a reunion at least once a year and it’s always chaos when we are all together.

8. I have a bookshop but declared it bankrupt after a year from its opening because it’s so difficult to part with these books. I’m a bookworm.

9. I love eating! I usually have three cups of rice every meal and would try to eat anything (for as long as I know it’s edible)

10. Fascination for bugs started my love for photography. It’s always amazing to see them up close. Another thing, out of the number of people I have been connected here on G+, I only personally know 8 of them. Only one is active.

This is me taken earlier this year

A message to Rapunzel...

"Free yourself from your high walls and let down your hair. There is no Prince Charming to come and rescue you. Sometimes we build walls around us instead of bridges. But there
is always hope when we see a window."

This is a three-story bell tower made from coral stones. It was used as an observation post by many men during different times of war.

#windowwednesday   +Catherine Furet +Jason Kowing +Jules Falk Hunter +Cheryl Cooper +Simon Kitcher +J.J. Bentley 

Jerome, the 4th coach.

I asked if he can be my assistant for the day and this was his reply.

Solitude is sweet when your mind is at peace.

Have a great weekend :)

Week17: Kitchen
This is what one will usually find in my kitchen- fruits and flowers (alright, junkfoods as well :P)

#2012projectct52 by +Giuseppe Basile +Kate Church +Gretchen Chappelle +Greg Berdan +Sue Butler +LaDonna Pride +Gene Bowker +Shelly Gunderson
#colorsonfriday by +E.E. Giorgi +Gilmar Smith +Christina Lihani +Erin Henderson
#floralfriday +Tamara Pruessner
#foodfriday +Lucretia Yeh +Nicholas Ong +Bobbi Lance +Natty Netsuwan
#fruitsfriday +Vesna Krnjic +Peter Teufl

SERENITY

I should be enjoying this view but sometimes I am bothered that the future generation won't see such beauty again. My friend's kid doesn't even know what is a goat or a cow.

Btw, I noticed the pluses in my 3-4 photos have gone from 80-90 down to 40-50. Anybody experienced this or these people just went back to these photos and decided they didn't like it after all?

#equinetuesday +Jillian Chilson

At 3am. 2nd cup of coffee. Skittles. Last paper to go. 
Will be here more on Nov.10 I hope.

Week 41: Body parts
 +Project52-2012  #2012project52  +Kate Church +Giuseppe Basile +Gretchen Chappelle +Sue Butler +LaDonna Pride +Shelly Gunderson   

Forgiveness

This can be a challenge at times, but we just have to remind ourselves that an unforgiving attitude can be poisonous. Most of the time, that poison affects us more than the other person. 

This was also the third butterfly who 'played' with me. It was almost 6am when this guy  came and interrupted my musing.

#inspirationalsaturday   by +Charlotte Therese Björnström +Khrystiane Friedli and me
#sunrisesaturday  by +Josh Davis  +Sunrise Saturday 
I think I found another #booklovers  too. Thanks to +Cora Triton +Ester Negro +Andrea Martinez  and +Gemma Costa 
#inpraiseofpollinators   by +Dusty Gedge  #myownbackyard  by +Craig Pifer 

A bug's love.

After the heavy rains and destructive flood, it was a lovely surprise to see this yellow bug on my table. It's like sun in a bug :P  So, I did what any sane person would do... I took its picture and played with it. Sometimes, events like what happened to us here make me realize more how I should value the people I love.

Treasure the experience, the learning, the love and the richness of every little thing. 

#buggyfriday   by +Margaret Tompkins 
#yellowformylah   hehe, thanks my  ever thoughtful friend +Shane Williams  and I know you love yellow too +moon lee 
for my #ryocircle  did I get this right? +Don Spenner  +Catherine Furet 
something to brighten up our week +Wesley Yeoh 

When I grow up I want to be a little boy - Joseph Heller

He never kept still long enough for a decent shot, in the end I just have to embrace the fact that boys will be boys.

#WhateverWednesday +Cicely Robin Laing
#WeNeedALaughWednesday +Pat Kennedy Corlin

Time to change. Turning my back and moving forward.

Picture taken by a very good friend +Ria Alcabedos while I was balancing on the railroad track.

It was powerful in its own kingdom.

I sometimes wonder about the power of illusion in the people that I meet in real life (and for me also). The measurement of happiness can be colored by a sense of grandeur that is merely apparent. Would it be kinder to just let them be in the world that has been created in their minds or more compassionate to let truth set them free?

For #powerlinefriday curated by my ever spunky twin +Natosha Davis

Heard of #MolluscMonday yet? Just tag +Chris Mallory a.k.a. lord lichen and mollusk master.

It takes one step at a time to realize one's dreams.
Sometimes it happens instantly.
Sometimes, it happens at a snail's pace.
But the secret is in holding on to it and persistently moving to the direction of our goals.

This is for you +Chris Mallory , I wish some day a spider or lichen or mollusk or some sort of creature would be scientifically named after you that one day I can ID that creature very easily without googling it. :P Thanks for being generous with your knowledge.

#macromonday +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden
Too late for #snailsaturday by +Ajay Hatti
It's also purplish I think, what ya say #purplecircle ? +Craig Szymanski +Sinead Sam McKeown +Alexis Coram +lynn langmade

This is Laarne and she is a nurse. In a country where people take up nursing with the sole aim of going abroad, she stays despite her excellent credentials. To her, 'she stays, to take care of her own people, her mother and her family.' I can never thank her enough.

#womenwednesday +Niki Aguirre +Athena Carey +Teresa Stover +Lee Daniels +Christina Lawrie

Bronzed

Whatever clothe you, wear it with confidence. This is what sets the 'style' that people follow.

#SATurdayStyle curated by the fab stylish twins +lane langmade and +lynn langmade

Driven by curiosity, people seek to explore the world. At no time in life is curiosity more powerful than in early childhood. - Bruce D. Perry MD

Saw my friend taking picture of this kid but the kid kept looking at me, so I decided to take her picture myself. Just when I clicked the shutter, she suddenly turned and peered at my friend's camera.

#ChildrenSaturday +Susan Southard

Belated happy birthday to such a wonderful, talented, generous,and very analytic minded friend +Sumit Sen. You inspire a lot and I wish you the best days to come. G+ won't be G+ without you. Thank you for always sharing your kindness :) #happybirthdaysumitsen  . 

Solitude

 I like seeing how the water turns into such a  delicious brown as it blends with the filtered coffee. To wrap my hands around the cup, warming me into blissful comfort. Let the aroma waft its scent as I bring the cup near to me. Then, the first sip. Bittersweet and awakening my senses. Good morning!

This coffee however, is so much better. It traveled many miles, going from hand to hand until it reached my doorstep. It's a token of friendship delivered in a very special way. Thank you +Jasbir S. Randhawa. It's a great joy knowing you and interacting with you. 

Mojo potato

Still haven't found my mojo

#foodfriday  by the harbinger of yumminess +Light Bandit +Natty Netsuwan +D. DeMonteverde +FoodFriday 

Saturday is #inspirationalsaturday   :) +Charlotte Therese Björnström +Khrystiane Friedli and me

I don't know this kid. I'm just surprised to see him awake and playing at 5:30 in the morning. We did talk for a while and he told me how he likes to sleep early and that fried chicken is his favorite food. What really got me, was the joy he gets from playing outdoors. No computer games, no high tech gadgets. 

It got me thinking again,  what kind of world am I  leaving him? It is a good reminder for me, to take care of the environment and allow kids to just be kids.


#smilography  
#childrensaturday  

Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t take the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.
From http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/12/11/30-things-to-stop-doing-to-yourself/

I have been observing this butterfly for days and finally, it came out. It has now just gotten out of its cocoon and it was staying there for a long time, waiting for blood to start pumping its wings so it can fly. Take risks and let yourself fly.

#onthewingsofbutterflies by the magnificent ladies +Sharon Jeannette +Cicely Robin Laing
#myownbackyard +Craig Pifer

Old Love Letters


The last few days have been very busy for me. Im dealing with a lot of changes and life is zooming so fast. I was looking for an old book in one of our bookshelves when I saw a set of love letters by my grandfather and grandmother. They were dated from 1919 to1935. Driven by curiosity, I read one letter, then another…then another. It was then that time stood still and I was transported as a witness to their love story.

I deal with a lot of annulment and legal separation cases in my profession and reading these testaments is just what I need to remind me that romance and till-death-do-us-part kind of love is not a myth. It was also refreshing to see the art of writing love letter all over again.

#blastfromthepast +Cheryl Cooper +Mark Rodriguez +Isabelle Fortin
#threatenedthursday +Sumit Sen +Diego Cattaneo +Sandy Schepis +Anette Mossbacher

Don't you hate it when you miss a "There's no class" announcement? Sigh.

Iniaalay ko rin ito sa mga makabagong disipulo ni Oble +Lawrence del Mundo +rem zamora

#whateverwednesday +Cicely Robin Laing

Young lady, the world awaits you. Let it wait.

The new G+ makes me feel old. It's like not seeing a child for a long time and upon seeing it again, so many changes happened. Sigh.

A shadow of yourself

Knowing who you are is part of life's journey. Sometimes, we want to appear in a certain way to people that we get shaken to the core when we realize that all along we have fooled not just other people, but also ourselves. 

What do you know, its September 3 and its +moon lee 's birthday! She is easily one of the awesomest personalities here. She rocks mohawk like nobody else can and I'm giving that 'do' a try too. Whatcha think?

 I hope you the best and more loves coming your way. Thanks a lot
 for being such a great friend :) Happy birthday Moon!

I would also like to thank the talented +Wesley Yeoh for this hairdo. If you don't have both in your circle, better circle them now as you are missing a lot. 
#mohawkedmoonlee a special hashtag to celebrate your birthday :)
maybe one for #horrorpokermonday  ? +David Murphy +J.L. Btwee +Jimmy Symons 

I will be back

I have to go and wont be back until tomorrow. I will check all your posts then. I just had to post this for +Christophe Friedli before he blocks me out forever :P +Lee Daniels might also enjoy this. May both of you have a great weekend.

#happythoughtsforleedaniels #caturday

Calling out everybody for +PaintIt Saturday . It's Saturday soon and guess what? I'm guesting as a co-curator ONLY for MAY 19. It might be my one and only time to curate so why don't you bring out all your painterly photos and let us feast on them. Please tag +Alexius Jørgensen and +Mylah Nazario (ahem, that's me of course) and also the +PaintIt Saturday page. Counting the hours.....

The sweet scent of chamomile wafted through the air.
From the tattered papers of your letter,
as your words evaporated into broken promises.

#floralfriday +Tamara Pruessner

EGGS

These are not eggs for Easter but they were nevertheless hunted to be removed from the rice field to keep the birds from returning to them. So many things suddenly come to mind : separation from mother, what is problem to some is a treasure to others, etc. But now I won't dwell into any of that. Sometimes I lose sight of how to live because of too much thinking. This time, they're just eggs.

Sorry folks, have to rest for now. Migraine :(

For #2012project52 +Giuseppe Basile +Kate Church +Gretchen Chappelle +Greg Berdan +Sue Butler +LaDonna Pride +Shelly Gunderson

I like getting lost in the memories of childhood when adulthood becomes unbearable. Remembering the days when running barefoot on a field of grass brings pure joy and liberty.

What is your fondest childhood memory?

my first take of #grasspoker by +Martin OBER +Jules Hunter
#SentimentalSunday +Louisa Catharine Forsyth

Climb the ladder to success. Go for your dreams

Everyone has issues, circumstances, road blocks, etc. It’s all about how you deal with your circumstances and how hard you’re willing to work to overcome them. But the basics don’t change; you’re still in a free country and nobody is preventing you from achieving except yourself.

Mention also to +Chris Mallory, this was the caterpillar I saw while I was taking that lichen shot I posted before.
#macromonday +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden

This was my last shot for 2011 but posted in 2012. I chose this one for #PlusOneCollection by the very hardworking +Ivan Makarov because of the personal story behind this and I felt that it also tells a story by itself.

Let your eyes open wide until you see clearly who you are. I wonder if you would love what you see or will you just close your eyes?

#GPLUS::PROJECT52::2012 +Giuseppe Basile +Kate Church +Gretchen Chappelle +Greg Berdan +Sandra Parlow +Gary Munroe +Gene Bowker +Sue Butler
#LastCall +Christina Lawrie

January 1, 2012

Last year, I made it a point to write down things that I am thankful for everyday and as much as possible I also tried to make it different everyday. I intend to continue with that because I found out that having a grateful heart makes my life so much simpler and joyful. Definitely included in the first page of my 'thank you' journal are the wonderful people I have met here on G+. Cheers!

#2012PROJECT52

I just learned that today is the birthday of one of my favorites here on G+. She has been such an inspiration to me and always very supportive. My daily round will not be complete without her. Here is one more strawberry to add to your birthday cake +Sharon Jeannette. Thank you so much for the friendship, you have made my G+ life so much better :) Here's to a wonderful life ahead!

#inspirationalsaturday by the beautiful trio of +Louisa Catharine Forsyth +Khrystiane Friedli +Charlotte Therese Björnström
#paintitsaturday +Alexius Jørgensen
#stilllifesaturday +Keneth Hoyle +Sherri Meyer

Lola Ilay at 85

She wears her lines and her wrinkles proudly. They tell the story of her sacrifices and strength, her joys and her sorrows.Some lines are deeper than the others, yet all are of equal importance. Every now and then, she also gives a faint smile like what she has here, as she narrates to me what happened to her that day. This is what I call, growing old gracefully.

Some of you might be already familiar with her. I posted a portrait of her hand before and now you see her face. Once again, this is Lola Ilay.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/105607680428558991633/albums/5663415673046202657/5663416065484373938

#WomenWednesday +Niki Aguirre +Athena Carey , +Lee Daniels +Christina Lawrie , +Teresa Stover

Bookworm

Be wary of an educated animal. 

I've been kept company by books and yea, this guy for the past few days and I've been keeping tabs on its growth too. Right now, it has already turned brown and I'm waiting to see what will happen next.

For Week 32: Animals
+Project52-2012  #2012project52      curated by +Kate Church  +Giuseppe Basile  +Gretchen Chappelle  +Sue Butler  +LaDonna Pride  +Shelly Gunderson 

So many things to do! 

I'll be away for a few days, until then I will miss you all.
One of these days, I'll be able to make that perfect cross eyed look.

Night has always been my best friend when it comes to thinking and writing. Midnight coffee anyone?

I apologize for the late posting. for #2012PROJECT52 +Giuseppe Basile +Kate Church +Gretchen Chappelle +Sue Butler +Gene Bowker

Eyes

Learned that +Catherine Furet is curating #windowwednesday  and since she is just awesome, I took this shot so I can have something to share. :) I realized it's been a while since I've shared something for this when it has been one of my early favorite themes. Thank you so much to the wonderful team of +Jason Kowing +Jules Falk Hunter +Cheryl Cooper +J.J. Bentley +Simon Kitcher 

I have a love-hate relationship with my mom and it is only as I grew older and more mature (hopefully) that I understand her more. Years have taught us, me and her, how to deal with each other and express our love more in a language most comfortable and effective for both of us. Here is an inspiring story I just read today, hope it inspires you too.
Bouquet for Mother

A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away.
As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing.
He asked her what was wrong and she replied, “I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother. But I only have seventy-five cents, and a rose costs two dollars.”
The man smiled and said, “Come on in with me. I’ll buy you a rose.”
He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother’s flowers.
As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home. She said, “Yes, please! You can take me to my mother.”
She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave.
The man returned to the flower shop, canceled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother’s house.
(Author Unknown)
#Inspiringsaturday +Charlotte Therese Björnström +Khrystiane Friedli

This is a painting I did when I was in high school.

I am dedicating this post to one of my favorites here on G+, +Shane Williams who is celebrating a special day in his life now. Bug whisperer is a fitting title and just visit his stream and you will see why. Also, he never tires of my questions and always provides me with logical, practical answers. ( black and white with a hint of red for you )

Be Still
Know yourself. Many times it's easy to be caught up with so many things in life that we forget who we are.

Thank you also to the very artistic +Mikko Tyllinen , for giving me the encouragement to post this painting.

#stilllifeartmonday +Melodie Douglas +Maude McDonald

Cold Silence

My thoughts are no longer to you.
What once smoldered,
now drenched by coldness.
It sears my core, fired up by silence.
Stay away then and kill my passion.
This is my last thought
to you
whom I thought
Could be.

A short verse for +novia zapata (inspired by our conversation-resbak? :))
also for #LeafOnThursdays +Ray Bilcliff

I have  a feeling that a spider's crawling on my skin....

I apologize for disappearing every now and then. You see, the neighborhood needs a lot of help.

You might want to see another color of this species https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/105607680428558991633/albums/5660287896041038177/5674417069368129250
yay, I have something to share for +Spider Sunday , #spidersunday   by the wonderful duo of +Shane Williams and +Kimberly Hosey 
+Macro4All  #macro4all  by +Walter Soestbergen  
+Chris Mallory +BugsEveryday 

You have been warned

Never realized that the word 'nuts' has more than 7 meanings to it. Really nuts.

#signsunday by the dancing duo of +walt sprinkle and +Gene Bowker
#monochromaticpaintitsunday +Alexius Jørgensen +Susana Segat +abhishek chamaria

I consider it as one of life's greatest blessings to do something I love and be paid for doing it.

My office would be the building on the right side which is partially hidden by the coconut trees. This is the path I always take and also the view from my window. I chose this as I am not always in my office, maybe only 12 hrs a week and most of the time I roam around this area.

#GPLUS::P52::2012 +Kate Church +Gretchen Chappelle +Sue Butler +Giuseppe Basile +Gary Munroe +Gene Bowker +Sandra Parlow +Greg Berdan

I'm not a chocolate person but since this came as a gift from a special person, I would eat it. I'm sharing this with all of you also, feel free to take as many as you like :)

SweetsSunday +Michael Earley

Here is to celebrate your G+ anniversary +Wesley Yeoh. I know I'm a week late but  hope you would still like this home made kani salad.
My friends, if you haven't met Wes yet, then you are missing some big laughs here. He comments like no other by giving some strange observation which makes you just say, "gaaa, you notice even that? " He is one smart, funny dude. Cheers ACM!

They finally found the picture they were looking for. Offerings have indeed been made to this cruel maiden. She smiles in the face of death.

#horrorpokermonday  by the ghostbusters +David Murphy +J.L. Btwee +Jimmy Symons and me +Mylah Nazario 

Let's play little girl...

#horrorpokermonday   +David Murphy  +Jimmy Symons  +J.L. Btwee  +Wesley Yeoh 

Thorns

I slept at 4am earlier and then at 6am, was rudely awakened by a bad dream. There was an irate driver and an angry passenger randomly shooting at everyone with his gun. Just then, the gun was pointed at me and there was firing and that's when I woke up. I know it has something to do with the thorns in my consciousness that I am dealing now. I do not like it when an important decision that will tremendously have an effect on me is out of my control. I know too that there is not much I can do at the moment but hope that things will be alright.

I know and yet I'm still stupidly worrying. Pffft.

#cactusthursday +Evelin Inauen +Natascha Schröder

Want to play with me?
Chucky's big sister (courtesy of +Shane Williams )


#horrorpokermonday  by the meanest group of +David Murphy +J.L. Btwee +Jimmy Symons and me. mwaaahahaha

Focused Joy

I sometimes envy the ability of a child to be oblivious to everything around him, unmindful of everybody and just focus on the joy at hand (this time its tearing to pieces the rose petals strewn by the flower girls).

#childrensaturday +Susan Southard
#inspirationalsaturday by the wonderful trio of +Khrystiane Friedli +Louisa Catharine Forsyth +Charlotte Therese Björnström

One for #horrorpoker +David Murphy +Wesley Yeoh +J.L. Btwee
I'll throw this in for redorangeyellow circle too. +Catherine Furet +Don Spenner

She was scorned and thrown into the unending pits of fire. Now she is back, sowing fear into the hearts of men. Haunting them in their consciousness and in their dreams. She cries out for vengeance!

Good morning!

A happy face greeting me in the morning is more potent than a cup of coffee.

This is the face of my nephew, Shaun as he greeted me good morning today :)

#BreakfastClub

Junction

Too many choices can be overwhelming.

#allthingsred +Lucille Galleli +Stephen Thackeray

I do not cook much but I appreciate food A LOT. Here's my dinner and I'm grilling for three :)

I would also like to remind you that its #inspirationalsaturday tomorrow. I don't know about you but food certainly inspires me, its a good motivation for me. It also reminds me of my father who was a good cook. It doesn't matter what's the ingredient, he will find a way to make whatever is available and concoct a yummy dish. Maybe that's why we have been trained to eat anything! So post what inspires you and tell us why it inspires you too. Don't forget to tag the lovely curators +Charlotte Therese Björnström , +Khrystiane Friedli and moi!

Hey +moon lee and +Shane Williams my hand for foodporn :))

#foodfriday

I'm in a strange place and the rain has just stopped. Nobody stirred from their slumber so I decided to abandon sleep and take a swim. It is unsettling to be all alone and to not know anybody.

Suddenly, I heard a bird singing. It also was on its own. Maybe I'm too much of a romantic, but I want to think it's a message from home- sending me company.

#ThankfulThursday +Bonnie Pickartz

Love Freely
Dance.
Shout it out.
Laugh out loud.
Hug randomly.
Give.
Forgive.
How do you express your love?

Since I only learned that there is a #JustForFunSunday theme, I'd share this also there, curated by the lovely +Sharon Jeannette
#2012PROJECT52
#MinistractMonday +Tom McLaughlan
#MinimalMonday +Olivier Du Tré
#BreakfastClub
#PurpleCircle +lynn langmade , +Sinead Sam McKeown , +Craig Szymanski , +Alexis Coram

Two boatmen apparently resting by the beach. Truth is, they are waiting for the tourists who hired them to finish their swim. When others had their fill of fun, then that's the time they can rest and go home to their families. I guess it's not so bad to have a job where you know you are part of what made them happy.

#SunsetSaturday, +TJ Kelly

What would be better for #foodfriday  than sharing breakfast meal with the lovely chef and curator +Moon Lee? Tagging also the wonderful co curators +D. DeMonteverde +Jenn Oliver +Natty Netsuwan 
Here is the link to this traditional Filipino meal called longsilog as this image does not do it justice. Check out Moon's post :
https://plus.google.com/u/0/105662441312581584585/posts/NV9iHKdueGc

Joyride

Here's your roller coaster ride +David Murphy . Good for #damneardiedthursday  +Wesley Yeoh ? Katas ng Saudi +Lawrence del Mundo :P

So many around me but it's only you I look for in a crowd and when I see you, everybody fades away. So now understand that when I say I feel alone, what I mean is, "I miss you" and "I wish you were with me".

+Brian Spencer might enjoy this mushy post, because he is one romantic guy :)

Also for #leafonthursdays by the two pretty ladies +Marilou Aballe and +Margaret Tompkins
#textureblendthursday +Christine Hauber +Matt Suess

Nana Lusing. She lives on top of a mountain and she has her small vegetable farm there where she gets her crop to sell. For as long as I can remember, she has always just been the vendor from the mountain. It was only a year ago when I got the chance to really know her. A widow with two children who has now also left her leaving with her their four kids. When they will return, she doesn't have an idea. So she continues to sell..

The Old Vendor from the Mountain
MBDN

She walked the streets in her bare feet
smiling as she toils
Up from the mountain that's where she's been
shouting "buy some more".

Her toes been polished by dust and soil
thickened skin beneath
It touches the ground in firm strong steps
walking down some more.

Her skin pulsates the throbbing vein
ignoring the pain it brings
"how much is that?", somebody asks
and then she smiles some more.


#FeetFriday +Carrie McGann

This is a long prose and I'm just sharing the first 8 lines. You can work on the rest of the prose in your imagination :)

Book Lover

You are like a book I've only read once,
Full of intriguing ambiguities,
Too deep to understand,
Too exciting to leave alone.

I long to run my fingers over your
uncovered spine,
Embrace you with my eyes,
And satisfy the itching of my tongue
with the texture of your prose;


I also want to test +Sumit Sen 's theory on people here, hence the mention and +Laura Harding and +Jakob Nilsson for some swooning :P
You might want to visit this for a better understanding of what I mean https://plus.google.com/u/0/114835618008913240560/posts

#PoetSocietyofPhotography +Claudine de Faÿ
#StillLifeSaturday +Ken Hoyle +Sherri Meyer
#BookSaturday +Gemma Costa +Andrea Martinez +Ester Negro
#LastCall +Christina Lawrie

It.was.too.much.for.him.

#toytuesday  +Lars Clausen It's Tuesday right?

She is shaped by her curves and lines. She doesn't have to have 'balls' in order to be strong. Her strength lies in her very femininity.

Happy #WomenWednesday +Niki Aguirre , +Athena Carey +Teresa Stover +Lee Daniels +Christina Lawrie +Kerry Murphy

There's a whole universe out there. Explore. Live everyday, thirsty for new things. Ask and learn. An ordinary thing can be so different once we look at it from a different perspective.

This shot was inspired by +Sam Weinstein. Your turn, what is this? :P

#mysterymonday  by the talented  +Marie Hélène Visconti 

Hi y'all, miss me? I really appreciate all the messages and mentions sent my way and I miss everybody a lot. I'll be back here as soon as I dig my way out of my papers. I'm looking forward to visiting friends. I reckon, one more week might do it for me. See you all soon.

Tickled pink.

#ShorebirdSunday +Phil Armishaw

I'm sexy and I know it.

I think +Wesley Yeoh has found his true calling and love is right behind him too.

#goofyatthemall   #dropdeadgorgeousmodel  

RESHARE:
definitely a treasure find for me this week. Check out +Erny Kahle 's posts and you won't be disappointed.

Reshared text:

Images Myanmar
Nun in one of the nunneries in Bagan late in the afternoon.

#travelphotography   +HQSP Non-Nature Photos    

Here is my courageous attempt at #LichenPoker. Here's one for +Chris Mallory and +Paul Blackman

A message to Reina

Reina, how swiftly you have blossomed into womanhood. I see you looking longingly at friends your age as they flirt with the boys. But you have chosen a different path. At 16, you are now with a child yourself. You hear him cry, and you tenderly carry him to your bosom lulling him to calmness. I see you kiss him and play with him and I see also a smile from your young lips.

Age does not define a good parent.

#MotherSonMonday +Mike Criss

Happiness is always new, wherever they come or whatever the source. We need to always have an open basket to welcome happiness and share them. Have some my friends.

Here is for dessert +Moon Lee , the promised chocolates +Sharon Jeannette and no donuts this time but I hope this will be fine too +Ada M and +Don Spenner 

Me with the lights on. :P

#MonkeyMonday curated by the fun +Alex Lapidus

In a decaying society, art, if truthful, must also reflect decay. And unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable. And help to change it. - Ernst Fischer

#Tuesdecay +Ian Ference

Butterfly emerging from cocoon.

The Story of a Butterfly
(Warning: its a long post but I really want to share this story which I found on the net, with you)

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared.
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.
Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly.
He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.
The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.
(just like what the butterfly here looks like)
The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body.
Neither happened!

In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around.
It was never able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand:

The restricting cocoon and the struggle
required by the butterfly to get through the opening
was a way of forcing the fluid from the body
to the wings so that it would be ready
for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives.
Going through life without obstacles would cripple us.
We will not be as strong as we could have been
and we would never fly.

So have a nice day and struggle a little.

You might also want to see this butterfly as it actually tries to emerge from its cocoon. It can be found in this album though i'll also share the link, https://plus.google.com/photos/105607680428558991633/albums/5660287896041038177/5664502225128198754

#BuggyFriday +Ray Bilcliff