Salamat

Nagtatanong sa sarili kung nagmahal ng tunay, wagas, at walang halong pag-iimbot; kung naging mabuti at mabait; kung nagbigay-ligaya at tulong sa abot ng makakaya; kung kumapit sa pag-asa sa gitna ng kadiliman; kung nagpasalamat ng taos-puso sa mga biyaya at pagpapala; kung pinairal ang pagpapatawad at kababaang-loob; at, sa gitna ng kasiyahan at kasaganaan, kung hindi nakalimot sa mga hindi nagtatamasa nito. Siguradong may pagkukulang kaya salamat sa bagong taon at may pagkakataon upang lalong punuin ang buhay ng pagmamahal, kabutihan, pagtulong, pag-asa, pagpapasalamat. Salamat sa pagkakataong gawing mas makabuluhan ang sariling buhay at ng iba.

Here’s to 2013! Cheers! Tagay! Santé!

Bonne Année et Bonne Santé!

Zest d'orange. Bâtons de cannelle. Anis étoilés. Cardamome. Clous de girofle. Gingembre. Sound to me like good ingredients for the coming year ;-) Manigong Bagong Taon!

An Angel and a Heart

Rouge

 

So gorgeous in their redness and not quite ready to fall.

Let there be lavender!

The sight of harvested lavender in Abbaye Notre Dame de Sénanque (Notre Dame de Sénanque Abbey) dashed my last feeble hope of finally seeing lavender fields. C had already warned me about this sad possibility. All the times we had visited the South, we were either too early or too late for the much dreamt-about lavender fields.  

Later that day, we saw this - more grey than blue and ready for harvest. 

As it happens usually when you're already free from any expectation, what we really came here for presented itself like a gift. This was in Monieux and the lady from whom we bought honey, sounded apologetic because the lavenders weren't so blue anymore. And to think I was almost crying from joy already!

And then of course, it could only get better!

Quand va-t-il faire beau?!

To make up for the bloodless sun, these reds. And a bowl of colors.

Beautiful Grey

                                      C looks out the window and says, "Joli gris."