These are some photographs of my Valdenor family's home :-) I love their kitchen area!!!
My dream kitchen!!!
So adorable!!!
Gina-Lynn and Tyler
We watched some tv!!
Our Air Con unit for the portico :-)
While Mitzi was away at work with her husband in Palo, Leyte - I decided to do some more journaling, doodling and reading of the book Te of Piglet. The message was clear from the book that the taoists lived in kindness and allowed the universe to move. Much like the way the river moves around a rock in the middle of the stream. This notion really began to set in and allowed me space to breathe… The heat was getting to me… the distance was getting to me.. and I begin to allow everything to move past me… Here is a journal entry from May 12th:
The roosters are relentless from about 2am-7am… and they carry their voices through the village, crowing at each other. This morning it rained and I was hoping for relief. But it brought a more oppressive heat and the mosquitos invaded my space. The scoop shower is nice and cold and a welcome relief to the heat, but as soon as you dry off there is no dry, only slightly wet to soaked with sweat. This morning I made friends with Tyler Seth! We drew cars, trains and planes… houses and we traced our hands. Now he smiles at me!!!
I found myself contemplating things back home yesterday, like if Elisia wrote out her thank you cards and what the balance of our checking is… I quickly dismissed the thoughts and found it very interesting that I was worrying about "anything" that I have no control over. My brief conversations with Patrick are helping but they also cause me to miss him terribly. One of his friends played some of his drumming on KAOS along with one of my experimental sound pieces. So awesome! This is all an aspect of what I have been reading in the Te of Piglet where allowing things to unravel as they are meant to is important… I must remember all of this for when I return, the confidence to walk in who I am and the willingness to accept what comes towards me, to practice kindness… {In the Te of Piglet there is a story about a horse that continually kicks people when they walk past it on the street… The townspeople began to wonder how to avoid being kicked when walking near it and figure they will wait for the wise man to tell them what they should they do. They began to whisper, here he comes! He knows what we should do!!! As the wise man begins to turn on the street, he notices the horse, looks the opposite way and begins to take another path… My take-away lesson is to learn how to walk with peace and harmony… and sometimes that means choosing another route ;-) }
Kindness is its own tension. In a world where we are so against people around us doing better, what more to bring tension then offering everything and accepting nothing in return, well maybe a smile and a full heart!! The objects I want to create from these recycled materials, birds, trees, houses… The Riverside is very important to Poppa Tony. Erosion has taken much of the road away. He said that the US Navy built the road during World War I. Tony says they need assistance in fixing it. While walking along there with Joy today, I saw small huts/shacks no bigger than my bathroom in total size. Makes me feel like an idiot for moving out of our small apartment in the Glen. I do not know where all of this is taking me, but I am so excited to find out…
Here are some photographs of the school that was destroyed during the Typhoon along with my walk around Riverside with Joy!
Interesting cats in Balangiga!!
So pretty!!!
I gifted him a buttfreckle… I am not sure he wanted it. LOL
More drying rice
We found some company during a downpour!
She was not sure if she wanted one either!! :-)
Joy and I walked through the entire school area… I was in disbelief at the amount of damage…
And yet, it is all so beautiful
The gymnasium
My friend, my very small body guard… its Joy!
Despite the destruction this place has faced, this place is beautiful… The clouds, the trees, the landscape.. They have formed long lasting memories… I truly fell in love with this place :-)
The Riverside - So very beautiful!
More gifts!!! The little guy on the bike was not handed a buttfreckle as I ran out of them… So I handed him a fruit bar and he was equally as happy!!!
This is Mitzi's grandmother - She is so beautiful!!! I see where Mitzi and her mother get their looks from. She was a little hard of hearing but I introduced myself to her and came back the next day with Mitzi to offer a bar of chocolate. I also lost 137 pictures…. But I suppose that just meant they were not to be seen by others. :-)
On our walk, Joy and I talked about life in general. She is a wonderful young woman and is getting excited for college to begin in a couple months. She always has a smile on her face when I see her and is happy to converse with me. I count myself very lucky to have met this very beautiful person in another world, so far from home. I know she will be my friend for many more years to come. I told her when she visits me in America, I will take her all around and be her tour guide!!
Continues:
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