lettuce

vietnamese coriander, pandan, dill, tarragon, camia, spearmint - wild huh.

ginger

tomato plants.no fruits yet.

ej's garden

organic pechay. Leaf is a little more than 6" in width.

water hyacinth in our garden

our vegetariam rooster...or should i say vegetarian garbage disposal.

the hulls from opening the berries to get the beans.

gelo and his jungle buddy

dried coffee berries...not beans yet.

the best farm hand there ever was

coffee beans not yet roasted.

the road leading to our place

our driveway up the hill..house is on the left behind the coffee bushes...see the red roof.

say cheese pizza!!

family date at shakeys. daddy keeping gelo entertained.

me and my dinosaur

coffee bloom. Don't pick them or it won't ever bloom again. Smells 5x better than jasmine.

the front of our house made of recyled material and readily and locally available materials.

in my playhouse that mommy built

the front of our store

I’m not in such a writing mood write now; though I want to write. I've been told by 3 people that I can write. I've been told I have a gift; an interesting way of using words. Hmmm. Then I think, "does having three people confirm really confirm?” Well, whether it does or doesn't...I’m sure you (the reader of this intriguing blog) are wondering "what does that have to do with this farm and farm life".

Well, now that you are asking...or even if you're not asking, here it goes. Ha! Now you got me started. Farm life is not easy. First of all, living in the Philippines has it challenges (besides the obvious. like traffic and politics and poverty) but living on a farm in the barrio is a whole world within a world. I will spare you the agony of the rewind-repeat of my past entries. This is where I found my insight to farm living. Please read it all and you will see the connection. (My brain has a way of connecting things that aren’t meant to be connected...muhahaha).

Last Friday, my dear hubby and I made a trip to Divisoria, after renewing my ACR. The streets were filled. I think perhaps a better word is TEEMING with people and vendors. It's quite an experience, for those who have not been. This was my 3rd time.
After my 1st time, I vowed never to go back. Why? Well, for those who have never been, the smells and the labyrinth-like streets will surely be a test of endurance; especially under the hot sun. Hey, if you do decide to go bring a package of wet wipes. You will definitely need it. Anyway, we were looking for beads and other crafty stuff. Hey, lets just fast forward....

Ej went to the toilet and I was left standing in a food court. I noticed 3 people sitting and talking: a couple and a young man. We had past them as we walked towards the stairwell and stopped to use the toilet. (No the toilet is not the stairwell). I listened to them as we walked past; it sounded like a mixture of Chinese and Tagalog. Must be because the young man was definitely chinoy (chinese+pinoy). I looked at them without being obvious. Immediately, I found my mind racing and writing a novel in my mind.

Now, here's the connection...I love to watch people and make-up stories of what they are possibly saying, doing, etc. On this farm, all I have to watch is my son and my hubby. Not exactly stimulating subjects for story writing; well, perhaps children’s stories. But it's not intriguing enough...for me. I must make another trip to the mall and watch people. Ha! Another good excuse for shopping.

By the way, I'm feeling the creative bug coming on...so please pray for me. I do intend to start painting again. I'm doing more self-study and reading on this area. Sometimes I feel guilty because I'm just sitting or lounging around but the truth is I’m in deep thought. Some may say I'm meeting with my "muse".

Anyway, I do find stimulating objects around here...mostly for photography and painting: my hubby, my little man, the flowers, the garden, and the resident chickens.