Thursday, January 30, 2025

Travel with Me to France via Carenna Recent Photos

Carenna and Me-The Lolo, Grand Pa or Abuelo!  Photo Taken, September, 2023 

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2024/11/my-youngest-grand-daughter-carenna.html


Carenna my youngest grand daughter is spending a semester of college in Paris this spring semester. She sent me photos of Paris and surrounding areas, on French Food, architecture, art and popular tourist spots the other day.  She said:

Bonjour Lolo!!! Im having an amazing time in France. Learning a lot of French and eating good food! Here are the photos:





















Meanwhile enjoy this Monet Painting: 

and my cat abstractionism

Just received from Dodie and Ruth- They are in Machu Pichu now and on their way to the Galapagos Island next week.




And Lastly, here's the latest news on President Macrons plan to leave a mark on the Notre-Dame windows


Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Twelve Paths to Success- What is Life?

It is time for My Food for Thought for the Week!
From My Face Book This Morning!

1. You will always have problems. Learn to enjoy life while solving them.

2. People don’t decide their future; they decide their habits, and their habits decide their future.

3. In life, you can only control two things: your effort and your attitude.

4. Don’t ask how to start. Start, and then ask how to improve.

5. Happiness has less to do with pleasure and more to do with purpose.


6. Life is harder when you expect too much from the world and too little from yourself.

7. Life gets easier when you expect a lot from yourself and little from the world. High standards, low expectations.

8. Half of your problems are simply your mind turning minor issues into major ones.

9. Don’t look for secrets when what you need is repetition.

10. Don’t let yourself be controlled by three things: people, money, or past experiences.

11. In every challenge or even tragedy, there’s an opportunity. If you train yourself to find the opportunity, you can take control of the situation and even turn it into something positive—or, if it cannot be entirely good, at least something good can come from it.

12. Be thankful every day, because even if you feel there’s nothing to be grateful for, your “normal” day is someone else’s dream.

Meanwhile, "What is life?
💜What is Life to:

• Dostoevsky: It’s hell.
• Socrates: It’s a test.
• Aristotle: It’s the mind.
• Nietzsche: It’s power.
Freud: It’s death.
• Marx: It’s the idea.
• Picasso: It’s art.
• Gandhi: It’s love.
• Schopenhauer: It’s suffering.
• Bertrand Russell: It’s competition.
• Steve Jobs: It’s faith.
Einstein: It’s knowledge.
• Stephen Hawking: It’s hope.
• Kafka: It’s just the beginning."


Finally, My Photo of the Day!
💜Personal Note: My Dear Readers, If you are ask what one word, What is life to You, What is your answer? I like to hear from you.

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Two Books from My Blogs Published


💚💚Batman and Robin-My current two apartment mates- They kept me active and wakes me up at the same time in the morning

The Four D's ( Ditas, Dodie, David E (RIP) and Dinah) and Me at Ian's King Wedding November, 2021 

 I was so happy with the first book of photos and articles from my blog in 2023 that arrived a few months ago,

https://planningtovisitthephilippines.blogspot.com/2024/01/my-2023-blog-book-has-arrived.html

that I ordered two more books from www.mysocialbook.com. The first book is the highlights of photos and articles in my blog for the year 2021-2022 and the second book is from January 2023 to January 2024.  Here are some sample pages from the 2022 year book. My apology for not able to rotate the photos for better viewing.

Modeling My Batman  Sweat Shirt 

Empanada and other Pinoy Dishes


My Purple Okra Harvest- from My Backyard Garden, Fair Oaks, CA   

Bitter Melon (Ampalaya) also from My Garden. Fair Oaks, CA

Summary of Photos for 2022

Here's sample of photos and pages from the Year 2023-2024 


Playing Mahjong and my Dinugu-an ( Pork Blood Stew) and Fried Fish ( Pompano) Dinner 

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Macrine and I - our Photo Crystal -the Original Photo versus the Finished Photo



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The Katague Clan- All White Party during my 88th Birthday Party-Dungeness Crabs Served


Here's my favorite quote on Memoirs Writing:

Memoirs are the backstairs of history.” “Inside each of us is a natural-born storyteller, waiting to be released.” “Memories too often die with their owner, and time too often surprises us by running out.” “After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.”


Meanwhile, Did You Know?

The Philippines, with its bustling cities and diverse islands, is the 12th most populous country globally. This means its population size even surpasses some of the world’s largest countries in terms of land area, like Japan and Russia! With over 113 million people packed into a land area that ranks just 73rd in size, the country is one of the densest, making its cities vibrant but often crowded. The islands’ mix of urban centers and rural areas results in a unique demographic blend, contributing to a rich tapestry of cultures and languages.
And while it may be surprising that such a geographically compact country has this many people, the Philippines’ youthful population—where nearly 40% are under 20 years old—adds a dynamic energy, making it one of the fastest-growing populations in Asia.

Lastly, here's my amaryllis 4th and 9th days after planting: