Another Dream To Reach For

I posted a poem at fanstory.com and I got a good review from another member who is also a music composer. As I gathered from her profile, she started attending music composition in a school at the age of 46 and started her career from there. I don't intend to compose music myself being always off-key when singing but at least I can try to write some lyrics for my son Archie to start with. He won the song composition contest, first prize, in their school during college at Ateneo, with Jose Mari Chan, a leading Filipino composer as one of the judges. Archie can give melody to the lyrics I write and if fate is on our side, he can try to sing it at Party Avenue, a bar near Timog where he performs solo every Wednesday. So for two nights I wrote lyrics for thirteen songs without sleep. I showed it to him and he liked the themes of two of them but he says that I have to improve on the structure. He advised that I listen more to music to have the feel of it. I have not been listening to music for sometime now. It is not yet too late to start. Well another dream for a willing heart.

Unlucky Day

Today is not my day! It is my unlucky day. I advertised the collection of paintings I have at home and what do you know? The telephone broke down the first thing in the morning. I reported it to PLDT at 8:30 AM and followed it up two times but nothing happened. No lineman appeared the whole day. I had to pay 208 php to Manila Bulletin to place the advertisement and nothing happened. It was not the money but the disappointment I suffered after anticipating for so many days for the possible patrons who could have called up after reading the ad and visiting my website. Now I have to wait two weeks before I can advertise again.

Due to better response from the readers during Sundays just after payday, I usually advertise during those times. I have tried so many years before of advertising my paintings in the papers but I did not get good feedback. Now that I have a website http://art-nook.com/ I tried advertising again this time and see if I can sell paintings through it. But then, the telephone broke down. Also, it is the day of Pacquiao's fight which I forgot when I placed the ad. People would not bother to read the ads the morning of the fight. Well, it is Pacquiao's day, but not mine. Better luck next time.

Writer's Site

I subscribed to writersmarket.com, an on-line site that has a collection of names and contact addresses of book publishers and consumer magazines, that it displays alphabetically upon request. I am particularly interested in having my collection of poetry published. Some pay the minimal amount of $5 for each poem with some paying only with magazine copies. But some pays as much as $300.00 minimum per poem. Wow! If I can cook up two poems a day and if they will be willing to buy it I will earn $600.00 a day. That is approximately 27,000.00 php and 810,000.00 php a month. My family and I will live like royalties! That will be a welcome change. With no income and with the savings being drained out slowly, that is a much needed break. Wishful thinking! But dreams are meant to be indulged in. That supplies the much needed drive of any aspiring writer to keep on producing. But the problem with my talents is that I have too little of everything. A little bit of talent in writing, and a little bit of talent in painting and a little bit of talent with numbers. Jack-of-all-trade, a genius in none. Imagine, if all of these talents were concentrated in one I will be famous by now! Well, God has his reasons and things will come in His own time. I am willing to wait even if it takes forever.

Painting Again

I am so glad that I have this inspiration to paint again. This time, I am doing The Sacred Heart Of Jesus and Immaculate Heart Of Mary. I outlined in pencil the Sacred Heart Of Jesus and I am so happy that it came out beautiful. One problem though is I have difficulty in drawing the hands, which is usually the most difficult in painting a portrait. After several erasures, my son is not too happy with the outcome yet. Maybe I will have better luck tomorrow. But I am happy with the face of Jesus already which exudes holiness. I had my share in the past of painting Holy images. I painted Saint Claret, Mama Mary with the child Jesus, and the crucifixion for Claret Seminary. Also, I painted a priest during consecration with Jesus at the background for an Indian priest who was a friend. For Santa Rafaela House Of Spirituality, I painted a Lady, worshipping God, with the Bible in her hands. I also painted the Holy Family which I donated for the raffle in celebration for the Feast Of San Bartolome, or Saint Bartholomew, one of the apostles of Jesus. He described the apostle as "without guile"...

Painting Holy Images makes one meditate. The act of painting itself becomes an offering to God. It is like returning back to Him the fruits of the talents that God has endowed a person with. I think I will go back to painting Holy Images again which gave me so much joy before.

The Tasks Are Too Many

The tasks are too many
They seem to defeat me
I must return to the fore
And get my rightful score

Must have everything done
All that is under the sun
Every deed must I accomplish
Each chore done to the finish

There is no chance to tarry
Even though I am weary
Every step I must plan
In accordance to the Mighty One

Alternative Medicine For Cancer

My husband was diagnosed to have stage III cancer of the Tongue last February 2. The doctor said that the best treatment was for him to cut off Art's tongue before he will undergo chemotherapy and radiation. Or he will just undergo chemo and radiation without his tongue being cut off but his chance of survival will be much less. My husband refused to have his tongue cut off nor subject himself to the conventional treatment and instead opted for the alternative medicine my son and I researched in the internet. He is given twice a day, together with his lunch and dinner, asparagus, brocolli, cauliflower, carrots, and guyabano fruits (sour sop) The vegetables are steamed and is processed in the blender, with very little water. They are served individually in separate glasses for them to retain the original taste. They are very good and Art is enjoying in taking them. For his drinking water the whole day, he is taking lemon grass tea. Besides these, we ordered from the States Apricot seeds. Three seeds are grinded and given to him every hour. We also ordered Essiac Tea, a medicine, composed of 4 herbs, discovered by a native Indian in the 17th century which was passed on to a nurse who in turn passed it on to others. Essiac and Apricot seeds are supposed to reduce the size of the tumor and cure the cancer also. With all these and with prayers, we hope to battle this dreadful disease.

Way Of The Cross

I am so happy that I was able to help organize the Way Of The Cross that was held in our subdivision last Palm Sunday, March 5. I arranged for the priest that lead us in the prayers and provided for his transportation. I also looked for a megaphone to borrow to be used in the affair. The fourteen stations commemorated the passion of Christ up to his death and ressurection. We were assigned in our house the 5th station where Jesus Received the Cross. We started with the first station at the house of the organizer, where a picture of the first station, the Last Supper was displayed at the gate on a table with white linens, flowers, and lighted candles. The host read the first station using a booklet guide and the crowd answered, reading the guide also. The crowd sang at the end of the reading. Then the crowd walked to the next station, on the gate of another house, and recited the rosary while walking. When it was time for the fifth station at our house, my son lead the prayers. After the fourteen stations, the crowd gathered at the multipurpose hall of the subdivision, where the final prayers was lead by the priest, who also delivered some sermon on the importance of meditating on the passion of Christ.

The Fourteen Stations are the following:

I. First Station, The Last Supper
II. Second Station, The Agony In The Garden
III. Third Station, Jesus Before The Sanhedrin
IV. Fourth Station, The Scourging And Crowning With Thorns
V. Fifth Station, Jesus Receives The Cross
VI. Sixth Station, Jesus Falls Under The Weight Of The Cross
VII. Seventh Station, Simon Of Cyrene Carries The Cross Of Jesus
VIII.Eight Station, Jesus Meets The Pious Women Of Jerusalem
IX. Ninth Station, Jesus Is Nailed To The Cross
X. Tenth Station, The Repentant Thief
XI. Eleventh Station, Mary And John At The Foot Of The Cross
XII. Twelfth Station, Jesus Dies On The Cross
XIII.Thirteenth Station, Jesus Is Laid In The Tomb
XIV. Fourteenth Station, Jesus Rises From The Dead

The Station Of The Cross are usually prayed by the Catholic family in the church, in front of the images of the different stations, before or after the mass. This is the way of the faithful of meditating on the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, during the lenten season.