Where to look for me

I actually live here beside a river and among a crazy, tangled mesh of plants. 

This is where i look out but where sometimes i don't look in. 

From the point of view of where one is outside looking in, it is just a place to live. 

It can also be a place that will leave one wondering, who lives there? 

What is she like?

What does she eat?

What does she do?

It is only a chair

...that sits memories of conversations of time gone by and the special scent of individual voices and the textures of their words.

It is not this chair if it has not heard and felt life- its ebbing and beginning and missing those that will not sit on it again. 

I bought this primitive love seat more than 30 years ago from my sisiter sister, and it has been, ever since, the documentarian of my life. It does not complain except for its creaking when it wants a little attention. 9/100 #100daysofblogging

A few moments ago

Precious are the moments with children who are full of laughter, words and hearty appetite!

Precious is a fleeting moment of a baby's first F-O-U-R steps! 

Oh what precious moments of rest, peace and quiet can do for a soul.. after all the precious moments of delight!

 

At this moment, waiting for the sun to flood my view. 

5 things of wonder

I started a homemade workshop for my gremlins yesterday. Upon waking up, they will be asked to notice at the most 5 things that catch their attention.

I started with Jose,5 yesterday. We sat down by the pond before 6 am. We listened to the birds and just simply talked. Then i handed him my phone and told him to take a photo of 5 things that he finds beautiful or interesting.

  

Today, i asked Jacob, 7 to do the same thing. Here are his photos. 

They took more than 5 photos- meaning that they saw more than 5 things of wonder.  

I am amazed by what they have inside of them. More to come...

Catching Ziva

Last night's guest of honor was Funny girl Ziva with her Ate Sofia who is a regular. The 3J's are mainstays. 

I lured her with stories that did not make sense but children can always make sense out of our nonsense! 

So my effort for the night was a big seal of approval from a very discriminating little person. She fell asleep figuring out my stories. Sweet dreams I guess. 

She woke up as bright as the morning sun.

growing like the giant beanstalk

Sunlight and lots of love  make a child grow. Tough love does the trick too. Balancing the brain, body, heart and soul is a holistic approach to raising a spiritual and authentic child.

And yes, they need a strong family affinity but one that does not suffocate and inhibit a sense of self. 

This cat

Cats are strange creatures. I got this one from Sunday market in Centris. She wakes up the old man very early in the morning by giving him a weird massage on his chest. This one is aloof and a diy cat. Not needy and just perfect - perhaps only in the early mornings when she needs to go out.

Yesterday, she presented the old man a feisty shrike that she caught whilst it was dazed from its bump into the glass window...  It was whole and alive!!!

Musing about how one's nature can be educated! I am a proud teacher!

 What a Marmalade!!  

First thing I see

The cat wakes me up. Here is what i see when i open my eyes. The boys snuggled close  to each other breathing each other's breath. If they only know.

Pearls

Not fond of pearls especially the big ones but i am thanking my mother-in-law for giving my daughter Ana a string of southsea pearls! And I am thanking my spirit guides for the advise to borrow and wear it.  Just cannot understand where i got the idea and realized that maybe- just maybe, they had something to do with it.

I was able to walk and not amble hobble around. 

Thinking of the pearl's composition and structure and the energy that was used to naturally create one, is perhaps why it would work on weak support. I mean bones.

Just thinking... 

So i am sleeping with the big pearls tonight. 

#100daysofmusings 1/100

We need fire to forge, shape and reshape.  Raising the young requires passion, determination, persistence and devotion, courage and en"courage"ment.  Let us sing 'em no more lullabye as it will only put them to sleep. They have to be awake to realize their dreams.

So that afternoon of April 25, during our commencement exercises sending off the graduating elementary and high school students, I changed course.  No adoration and sweet talk as this special batch of potential achievers needs to reflect on things that should matter.

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Opening Address

April 25, 2015

“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future” – J.R.R. Tolkien

Congratulations...

To note, for the school year 2014-2015 that is ending, there are 32 candidates for graduation in Grade 6 and 31 in Fourth Year.

This year’s grade 6 is 1 year short of the prescribed 6 years of elementary.  If the K to 12 program  will not go awry or kaput, they will have to go through an extra year as G12. 

Is this batch ready for High School?  They should be.

Let us take a look at the seniors.  Nothing was altered.  6 years in elementary and 4 in high school, but before that,  two to three years in Preschool.  Are you ready to face the world?  This world that will tempt you to try to be different or be like everyone else except yourself?   That is precisely the purpose of your education but how you are going to use it to arm you is something I cannot predict.

One more question:

Will you be a wonderful contribution to your country and fellowmen?   I hope so.

Honestly, do you think that your HEDCen education will matter when you go to your respective universities or to a different high school?

In the years that you were in HEDCen, what was your greatest challenge? Your all-time difficulties?  Whatever it is or was, are or were,  there is only YOU at the bottomline. No devil.  No other reason other than the failure to understand and respond to who you are, your compulsions and demons.  Your nature.  You are your greatest ally or nemesis.  Spiderman knows that.

Another question:  Will you buckle down at the slightest sign of difficulty or will you own up and get up and revise, reinvent or re-align if needed? Will you desire nothing else but to learn from your valuable mistakes to become a better person? a changed individual?

I have endless questions but meanwhile I am not giving you any accolade yet,  just  because you are graduating today.   

Dapat lang. (That is to be expected.) 

Dapat lang na makatapos ng pag-aaral.  (It is to be expected that you finish your studies if you have the resources.)  

Dapat lang na maipagpatuloy sa unibersidad.  (It is to be expected that you continue to tertiary level.) Dapat lang maging college scholar. (It is right to expect that you rise to the highest form of achievement like getting a college scholarship if you try hard enough and if you set your goal high enough.)   Have an ambition.  Do not fear hard work and adversities.

Dapat, ang pag-aaral ay buong buhay – o ika nga “life-long, sa paaralan man o labas nito.  (Education should be life-long whether it be inside a classroom or out of it.)  

Dapat ding umiwas sa masasama, sa pang-aapi, sa pandaraya, katamaran o sa pag wawalang bahala.  Anong tawag dun?  ++++++ (Habitual callousness and  insensitivity to the needs around you should be shunned especially those that take the form of cheating, indolence, or simply the devil-may-care attitude.)

Wag mayabang.  Wag mamili kung sino ang irerespeto. Irespeto ang lahat ng nilalang. Di lang kayo ang maalam.  Huwag maliitin ang inyong mga makakasalamuha.  (Don’t be arrogant.  Don’t choose who to respect or disrespect.  All creatures and beings, including everyone here, YOU deserve to be respected. The lowliest and the greatest share the same air and place under the sun.  

For the people you have hurt or have taken for granted, now is the time to look back with gratitude and to seek their forgiveness, for we must start fresh and clean to be able to carry their blessings on our back when we seek our adventures outside this school.

This is after all,  the essence of the graduation theme that  you have chosen:  "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future".

Enough said, these final notes however, are not by Tolkien...

“May the Force be with you.” and “may you live long and prosper”!   

Have a wonderful life ahead of you Graduates and congratulations!!

Adieu!

 thank you.