And this is 'T Katshuis from above, from my perspective.

Sometimes I still find an egg in the right compartment when the chickens roamed the garden. The chickens still love to be in there to lay an egg.

We called this little sleep house 'T Katshuis as a sweet little joke. The Dutch equivalent of the White House is Het Catshuis, built around 1650 for Jacob Cats, a famous poet and politician.

anticipating the amarillys

I'm ready for my close-up. Snap away.

{two takes::east/west}

story to follow

Such a difficult decision, I have so many pairs that I love. But these are one of my favorite pairs; they're so soft, like velvet. The colors are truly inspired. I'd wear them every day if I could.

{two takes::outward/inward}

First derail. Later on the chain would derail again. And again. And again. But I enjoyed a good, long ride. Biking feels like flying.

Here I was simply glad to bathe in the sunlight and be beside the pretty orange flowers.

The outward rays of the sun; the outward plans of riding a bike.

[Folding bike - if you derail so many times and can't bike anymore because the chain is really loose it won't latch on; you simply hail a cab, fold bike, stuff it in the trunk, and head home]

365 {91}

{two takes::east/west}

Let's see if I can remember this right - I'm part Irish, American, Spanish, German, Chinese, Filipino. And that's just my bloodline, who knows about past lives! Feels like a lot of layers there. I was born (and grew up mostly) in the Philippines, although I have traveled abroad and lived there for some years when I was much younger; once in San Francisco with my hippie Aunt; another time in Paris when mom decided to leave the Philippines to make nursing a broken heart easier. To bring forth 'change' by wanting 'a new life', far from all the painful reminders, meant flying away to France. nly to fall madly in love again not so long after the heart break. and there was also a time I lived in Anaheim where I went to a school called El Rancho. But it was always back here in Manila where I would land - a country so highly influenced by the west. Highly.

We speak, act, and think like our western influences. We were under the colony of Spain for over 300 years. Then the Americans came. And I guess they were more "popular" since they supposedly freed us from Spain. Supposedly. So, basically, as a country and as a people we were constantly struggling for our independence and identity. Our old culture and traditions are very much like our brothers and sisters in South East Asia - Malaysia, Indonesia, etc... but, you don't see much of that anymore. Only very little is preserved. For many of us, English is our first language.

I've had a lot of "finding myself' to do. It's nothing unusual, I know. It comes when you are trying to figure out who you are... when you're still a young mind relating to the world, trying to belong. But, because of the having to move around a lot and because when you ask yourself "who am I?" and part of that is somehow connected to one's nationality / culture (roots), it was a bit, hmmm, confusing? I felt I wanted to live in the U.S. I felt absolutely alienated here in my country, I hated it. But I fell in love and got married to a man who's first language was Tagalog and more 'Filipino' than any of my friends and family. I suppose it is through this relationship with him that I have learned to experience a deeper connection with my homeland; I have learned to find peace with all the struggling of "where do I belong?" and accept the beauty of this part of me; the Filipina. The mix.

You want to know the truth behind this image? It's not that deep really. It can be, sure. But it's not. I look and I see a plump self and I am blaming it all on PMS. Yup. Damn you PMS for all the bloating and craving and the uggh-ness and the thriller mood swings. But, I accept. I accept you. And I accept myself this way. :-)

365 {85}

{two takes::inside/outside}

Feeling vulnerable and fragile today. Weak from all the release of creative energy; from the work of healing, wrestling with barbed wire and beauty.

Later on...

I stumble upon this: binduwiles.com/a-thousand-beautiful-things-for-springtime/

A thousand beautiful things I don't even have the words for. And I too never want to close my eyes again. Thank you Bindu Wiles. Thank you Annie Lennox. ♥ Man, what a song.

This is a trend in Holland. People knit around all kinds of stuff outside. Lamp poles, railings, benches, you name it.... This one isn't even colorful, but I think it is awesome. #twotakes

soon the green will be everywhere, that's the promise of Spring.

{two takes::awareness:beginning/ending}

the tattoo says "turo" which means "point" and also means "teach". i think that you can play around with these ideas and you will find that both have a beginning and ending story there.

I don't even know what day this was actually taken, but I was obviously celebrating the end of one final or another.

I'm way too behind on this.

Jaded, so jaded.

356 {80}

{two takes::old/new}

My husband and I are 20 years old. But this moment right now, right here, is new. That's his coffee (so not a coffee guy) and it's rare we spend mornings like this together because of the nature of his work; super late nights for the mister who is an awesome drummer. his latest addiction is biking - that's new! It brings him such bliss.

365 {84}

{two takes::inside/outside}

I love this mirror bird. I love the way it seems as if I released her from the itouch and she stretched, and arched in sweet delight and spread her wings to fly.

This is by far the best bathroom I've been to in a cafe. It had its own speakers; the clear sound of water, a river passing through rocks, bird song, and what sounded like a light breeze and the dancing and swaying of leaves brushing against each other. It gave this cozy space a sense of calm and a sense of cleansing. Great, right? Brick wall, pebbles in the sink (as filter), plants, little love notes, pretty birds everywhere, some lavender soap, a gentle and forgiving light so that when you look at yourself in the big and very clean mirrors it's not horrific and fluorescent white.

I can't believe I managed to remember what was painted in script on one wall:

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26

I agree we shouldn't worry. At all. The simple Buddhist rule about worry is: Don't.

But I do not think we are more valuable than the birds or the ants... We are all held in equal value, each one with a purpose that serves another.

Accidental :: Two Takes. I saw this woman in the Farmer's Market at Union Square. She walked by me so fast I caught the back of her and shot this, I walk through with my iPhone open and ready to shoot, and I shoot shoot shoot as I walk, everyone is so interesting in NYC. I learned the technique in Bindu's Photo Essay Project class. Only when I got back to the office did I see that it actually looked interesting, even though I am always wanting to get the front of everyone. I just loved her colors.

We were waking back to our car after having walked the Boston Freedom Trail and came across this fun sight!

Identifier: howtobookoftumbl00butt

Title: How to, a book of tumbling, tricks, pyramids and games;

Year: 1899 (1890s)

Authors: Butterworth, Horace

Subjects: Gymnastics Games

Publisher: Chicago, The author

Contributing Library: The Library of Congress

Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

View Book Page: Book Viewer

About This Book: Catalog Entry

View All Images: All Images From Book

Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:

84 HOW TO 51 bull. A good bull will lead the others a merrychase, and if he gets back and touches some markagreed upon, he is bull again. Balance, Knee and Hand in Hand—A lies onhis back, with his heels drawn up against his hips, and raises both arms.B stands on As kneesand takes hold of hishands. He then leansforward, picks up onehand, puts a kneedown in place ofit, and extends thefree arm and the freeleg to a horizontal position (Fig. 85).

Text Appearing After Image:

85 Dives—Have a ring heldwaist high and dive through.Break your fall by bendingthe arms slowly and touchingthe back of the head first. Ifyou alight on your shoulders,you will be severely jarred. In-crease the height and distance.Instead of a ring, have twotake hold of hands and impro-vise a ring (Fig. 86). Have several couples standin line, just far enough apart to enable you to rollclose to stand and dive again.

Note About Images

Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.

Identifier: howtobookoftumbl00butt

Title: How to, a book of tumbling, tricks, pyramids and games;

Year: 1899 (1890s)

Authors: Butterworth, Horace

Subjects: Gymnastics Games

Publisher: Chicago, The author

Contributing Library: The Library of Congress

Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

View Book Page: Book Viewer

About This Book: Catalog Entry

View All Images: All Images From Book

Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:

85 Dives—Have a ring heldwaist high and dive through.Break your fall by bendingthe arms slowly and touchingthe back of the head first. Ifyou alight on your shoulders,you will be severely jarred. In-crease the height and distance.Instead of a ring, have twotake hold of hands and impro-vise a ring (Fig. 86). Have several couples standin line, just far enough apart to enable you to rollclose to stand and dive again.

Text Appearing After Image:

Note About Images

Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.

pink and blue, above and below

First strawberries of the year. It isn't the season but they looked so yummy I could not resist them. #twotakes #365+1

I did not take this while I was driving. Nope. I would never do such a thing. I love how it captures the movement.

i enjoyed looking back thru my camera roll to see what happy mistakes i could find. this was by far my favourite. chair and table at my office.

365 {101}

{two takes::awareness::beginning/ending}

clouds and their infinite beginnings and endings.

a perfect reminder that nothing is permanent.

[taken from inside the car]

Two bridges that connect the different parts of the city. Love the rust.

Cornhole in the urban green space.

{two takes::below}

I had no idea that I would bump into Chrissie and Consuelo when I took this photo. These were mirrors being sold in the street market and I passed them on my way to a bargain store - well, okay, you see, I wasn't supposed to go to the bargain store; I was really only going to buy a couple new hair rubber bands - not in the bargain store, but from some side-street vendor.

This pause right here to get this shot was part of the path to see them. Perhaps if I didn't stop here, I would've missed them. Who knows. But, it was such an unlikely place to bump into a couple of expat women, both artists, and apparently on the same path in their creative life as I am - we were all beginning, emerging. We had a lovely chat while rummaging through shirts, skirts, dresses... and once in a while we would give each other a deeper glance and wonder why on earth we met there. I know the answer now: Possibilities. Everything staged the meaning of Possibilities.

[Bargain or thrift stores in the Philippines are called "Ukay-Ukay"]

Who me? You really want to take a picture of me?

The unseasonably mild weather we've been having has been great for seeing (and hearing) more birds.

Aaahh, the colors of Spring.

I am not sure whether I just never noticed before, or whether this was the exception on this day, but the morning dew formed an individual drop on each blade of grass.

{two takes::outward/inward}

In my itouch, because the screen is smaller, this focused image looks more like a heart. A heart nestled in the new leaves of the mango tree. Over here it clearly looks like Rafiki!

Outside my bedroom window, getting ready to bike.

We just painted the house this year. I much prefer the gray to the strange mustardy brown it used to be. This little intersection and the horizontal/vertical lines makes me smile

{two takes::east/west}

{two takes::awareness}

Sampaguita garland hanging by the window in the van. I bought this from a little boy at our gas station stop-over. A reminder now for me that there are so many ways you can help other people; it doesn't have to always be grand, but make sure you are sincere. It is also a reminder that there is kindness everywhere and we can participate in keeping the flow of kindness by having (learning) compassion, sharing your gifts (talents) and blessings, and by being grateful even for the little things. Remember that you can also touch and heal an aching heart with a smile.

without the leaves, lines are all that is left.

365 {88}

{two takes::urban}

Manila (and maybe almost everywhere around the world) has had erratic weather; sometimes surprising like 'what? it's raining and it's summer?'. We just had days of rainy weather as if it were July. And today, when I went out to do some errands, it was cloudy and drab. But the sun plays hide and seek a lot and you find the light.

Taken at the Shaw MRT station.

Me and my big girl.