From my Garden

I'm maintaining a home garden which is located on our terrace, and my room's window overlooks the entire space it occupies. It is not quite a high maintenance garden as it is surrounded with potted Euphorbias which are very resistant to the heat of our climate, and the heat makes them bloom more profusely. There are also some Cacti, Climbing vines, a Mini bamboo, and a Rose which was the only one which survived out of the many Roses that I planted last year and which I hope will survive and bloom again. I decided to take time to care this garden again and I also cleaned and did some landscaping on the little patch of garden in front of our house last Monday. It was quite a tedious task as I had to pull out a lot of weeds, remove trash and dead leaves, arrange the rocks and pebbles, till, and water the soil.

Gardening is a very rewarding experience, it makes me feel more connected with nature and environment, and it's also very humbling to let my hands scourge through the soil and rocks and clean away the dirt and dead plants and leaves that had piled up on the garden for many months.

At Home

Mountains

New Acquisition

Last evening, I bought another art book to add to my library. And I'm very excited to immerse myself on learning how to use watercolor properly. I skimmed it last night and it's filled with illustrations, and inspirational techniques and insights on watercolor painting. 

To tell the truth, I had been feeling extremely guilty as I hadn't been able to accomplish the tasks I had been planning for so long. Procrastination sets in, but most often, the apprehension that settles in when starting to work on something is what dominates in me. Perhaps I haven't got that much will or courage to face that kind of negativity. But based from experience, whenever these things happen to me, it's usually kind of like gaining energy or momentum. At one point, I might be very sluggish or lazy, but then a minute strikes, then I start to get working. It's more like having a mood swing of some sort.

As regards to the tasks I had been mentioning, the first one is that I haven't started translating the booklet which my mom requested me to write. It's written in English and I have to translate it in Filipino. Honestly, I feel very uncomfortable in reading and writing on this language; as I've been dealing with English almost all of the time. Filipino is more of like using so many adjectives and flowery language which are only equivalent to one word in English. And another thing is that I find it very challenging to translate well and capture the essence of the original writing in English. Perhaps I have to get working on that soon.

The second task is that the blank canvas hadn't been painted yet. The tubed paints are getting dry and this year's coming to end and yet I haven't started painting yet...

I had been so preoccupied on taking and processing pictures, preaching about religion on a website called facebook, etc. And for that matter, I think it's really time to step back from all of these and then focus on what's really important and get them done. I've done my part and spent a lot of my time on informing people about religion.

It's a great relief to be free from following the expectations of people, isn't it? It really means a lot to me now that I've learned to protect my heart from unnecessary disappointments. It's not a matter of being accepted based on following their expectations. It's a matter of accepting oneself, and respecting ones self worth. It's about staying away from what's not deserving of our attention and energy, of not allowing anybody gain the upper hand over our identity and self-respect, and focusing on the bright and positive things in life.

Surrounded

It is better to look ahead & prepare than to look back & regret. 

- Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Healthy Gastronomic Twist

For most of us who live fast-paced or time-constrained lives, it's quite often that we tend to overlook the nutritional content of what we eat, especially for those who dine on fast-food restaurants. Freshly prepared, homemade hearty recipes might be an inconvenience if we're always on the go, so we find our fast-prepared lunch or dinner with high contents of artificial ingredients, excess carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats. So there's a need for consciousness, not only for good taste, but also for a healthy and balanced diet and well-being.

Wouldn't it be a good idea to have a twist for healthier balance? How about sumptuous veggie salads?

At least every dinner, I try to make vegetable salads at home to complement almost any main dish cooked by my mom or sister. Sometimes, I also make fruit juices and shakes. Greens combined with the bright colors of vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, peppers, or carrots, make every meal look like fine dining.

Preparing salads is quite easy, with just a bit of inspiration and creativity, it's also like drawing or making a painting. Experiment with the many unique flavors, colors, aroma, and texture of vegetables, then toss and mix them with flavorful dressings, and you'll be delighted with the results. 

Chop the greens and other ingredients in a way that they could absorb the dressing's flavor well, and which can make them look more appetizing. If desired, chill the salad a few minutes before serving. For dressings, variations of olive or sesame oil, honey, mustard sauce, sugar, dash of lemon, orange concentrate, or soy sauce can be used.

Happy salad making!

Browsing through an Old Book

Last night, I browsed through an old book, an encyclopedia which is a part of a series of books I had grown up with. I'm looking for an inspiration for my next watercolor painting, and at the same time, my blank canvas had been waiting for quite sometime to be brushed with oil paints. I need to get back to art, I had been very unproductive lately, and as of this time, I have to finish a paper to be written which is due to tomorrow. Whew!

I have to get moving! hahaha. :p

The Noble Qur'an

 

“And this Qur’an is not such as could ever be produced by other than Allah (Lord of the heavens and the earth), but it is a confirmation of (the revelation) which was before it (i.e. the Taurat [Torah] and the Injeel [Gospel]), and a full explanation of the Book (i.e. laws, decreed for mankind) - wherein there is no doubt - from the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinn, and all that exists).” (10:37)

 

A Heart that Belongs Somewhere

Shown above are some photos I took with Hannah. I hope there's improvement! I hope they could qualify to be classified under 'Photography' though I'm not a photographer myself. I still have to learn a lot. My mind is balancing so many things, I don't know exactly how to organize or reconcile with the many fields I'm pursuing. But as of now, my primary focus is on Islamic studies and research. Psychology, Art, and Photography will still be integrated here, In sha Allah, God willing.

For my visitors and readers, thank you a lot for stopping by!

- Maica

Gâteaux et des Fleurs