Guided Winter Landscape Painting Activity

My Winter Landscape Painting Creation with Art Teacher Sindu. Thank You, Sindu and Cydney for your guidance,  

Yesterday's  Painting Activity here at THD hosted by Cydney and guided by Sindu, Professional art teacher was a resounding success. There were more than ten senior residents who participated  and I am one of the lucky one who enjoyed the activity so much.  I felt I have created something special, beyond my capability.  Cydney took some pictures and I very delighted to share it with you- my loyal readers all over the World. 

Kudos and Congratulations to Cydney for a well-organized and well-executed activity.

Meanwhile, Did you Know that-----

Philippine crocodiles (Crocodylus mindorensis), one of the rarest crocodiles in the world, once inhabited the Pasig River. Urbanization forced them out of their habitat, but this highlights the river's ecological significance.

The Philippine crocodile is now critically endangered, with only a few hundred individuals remaining in the wild.

These crocodiles played a crucial role in maintaining the balance of river ecosystems by controlling fish and other aquatic populations.

Various conservation programs are in place to protect the remaining populations of Philippine crocodiles and restore their natural habitats.

The Pasig River's historical significance as a habitat for these crocodiles underscores the impact of urbanization on wildlife and the importance of sustainable development.

Finally, here's the baseball cap I ordered from Amazon the other day, on my turning 90!

The Healing Power of Writing- Why I Write My Daily Blogs

I was reading my FaceBook the other day, when I came into this article. Its struck a note in my heart, why I write my daily blogs. Here's a brief summary of the article and the details in the site below:  

https://www.writeyourjourney.com/the-healing-power-of-writing/

The Healing Power of Writing: Scientific Evidence

Scientific research shows that the emotional release we receive from journaling can lower stress and anxiety. It has been shown to lead to an improved immune system and aid our overall physical and emotional well-being.

Writing things down helps us confront challenging and painful experiences. It builds resilience by allowing us to process, release and make meaning of complex emotions. It is a way of releasing story lines that keep us stuck. 

James Pennebaker, a psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin, pioneered research on the healing power of writing. People who wrote about traumatic events, he found, experienced improved physical and mental health. Writing helps us make complex experiences more manageable and graspable. It offers a way to re-evaluate the past by looking at it in new ways.

Writing to Heal: how do I get started?

How do I get started and what do I write about, are the two most frequent questions my students ask. The answer is simple. There is no right or wrong when it comes to a personal writing practice.

You may want to do Morning Pages, ie. write three pages by hand first thing in the morning. Or you might write a gratitude journal before bed.

The important thing is to give yourself permission to write freely, without allowing your inner critic to hold you back. What you write should be for your eyes only. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. Just write as it wants to pour out of you.

Timed free-writing sessions will help you get the words out. Use the timer on your phone. Anything between five to ten minutes is great.

Use pen and paper. It will slow you down so that you can bear witness to the stories you carry. Computers are a distraction and you’ll be tempted to edit your words as you write. You want to capture first thoughts and raw emotions in your journal. Writing things down and editing are two different processes.

Make sure your writing is safe. Think of your journal as your sacred space where you can show up authentically, without filters, without make-up. Where you can safely say the things you are ashamed to verbalise, where you can vent and rage and most of all, where you can be vulnerable.

How to access the healing power of writing

1. Do a brain dump

Dump whatever is in your head onto the page. Just get the words out. It’s ok if it feels like you’re vomiting on the page. Think of it as decluttering your head. You are dumping your thoughts, emotions, doubts…whatever it is that needs to be let go of, so that your mind can become spacious and calm.

2. Write a diary ( Or my Daily Blogs)

Writing a diary can be as simple as writing about your day. Write about the things you did and did not do, the people you interacted with, the things you ate, the news you watched, the things you did or did not do to care for yourself or the ways you allowed the news to affect your anxiety levels. Think of a diary as a way of making an inventory of your heart.

Date each entry so that you can track your internal changes and personal transformation and healing over time.

3. Write to practice self-compassion

Write for 10-15 minutes about what you need from yourself to feel less vulnerable, less cranky, less anxious…or whatever you may be feeling right now.
Another great way to use writing as a self-compassion practice is to write a letter to yourself from the perspective a good friend, assuring you that whatever happens, you are loved and cared for.

4. Write a gratitude journal

Gratitude is a secret superpower that helps to build resilience and happiness. Too often we focus on what we lack—and right now we lack a lot of things that we used to take for granted before the pandemic. Gratitude is a way to look at what is abundant and good in our lives, despite the current crisis.

Writing a gratitude journal can be as simple as listing five things that you are grateful for at the end of every day: your warm bed at night, access to drinking water, your cat, your veggie garden, your inner resilience…

5. Use a writing prompt

A writing prompt can be a quote, an inspirational card, a photo, a question, or a sentence stem.

I hope you find this article interesting and have answered your questions why I have been blogging almost daily since 2009.  

Meanwhile, I received a corrected Christmas Card from THD the other day

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2024/12/an-unexpected-christmas-card-from.html
 

A Christmas Newsletter and Photos from Relatives

In this posting is the Christmas Newsletter of My son, Dodie as well as the Christmas Family Photos from my two siblings respectively.

My brother is a resident of Sydney, Australia. My sister is a resident of Maryland, USA

I have closed relatives all over the world. I have two living brothers. I  have a brother in Sydney, Australia and one living brother in the Philippines. They are both married with children and Grand Children.  I have three younger sisters. The oldest one is residing in New Zealand and Toronto with her children and grandchildren.  My next younger sister resides in Maryland.   My youngest sister resides in Iloilo, Philippines. We normally communicate via FB messaging or e-mail.  The photos here were taken from their FaceBook pages.    

The above is the two-page 2024 Christmas Newsletter of my son, Dodie ( His Family Travels and Activities). I believe in the statement that travel as much as you can when your body and mind can still do it. For his short bio read: 

https://www.amazon.com/Cloyne-Court-Dodie-Katague/dp/0981955339

Meanwhile: 

My brother Efren and his Family, Sydney, Australia. 2024.  Note that his son, my namesake visited me here at THD recently and made a video for my 90th Birthday ( At Back, first from Right). Merry Christmas to You All!

This is my sister(Agnes) Family from Maryland, She is in the Second Row, Third from the Right. 

Lastly, here are the photos of my Three Living Children and Five Grandchildren who were able to attend my 90th Birthday. My number six Grand Daughter a Resident of Portland, Oregon was not able attend my party last December 21, 2024. 

Dodie (Diosdado), ME, Dinah and Ditas Macrine 

From Left to Right: Philip Katague, Marina Katague, Alix Katague-Quinn, Me, Carenna Katague Thompson and Ian Katague King 

I have not received current Christmas Photos from my other closed Relatives in the Philippines and Canada or in their Face Book Pages.

This was my second Christmas Year at THD and I am aging gracefully. Thank You Lord for all your blessings.     

Lastly, here are 17 ASIAN PROVERBS THAT YOU MUST KNOW!

1. Chinese: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now."

(Emphasizing the importance of taking action without delay.)

2. Japanese: "Fall seven times, stand up eight."

(Encouraging perseverance through adversity.)

3. Indian: "The tree does not bother about flowers that fall."

(Teaching detachment and letting go.)

4. Korean: "Even monkeys fall from trees."

(Acknowledging that everyone makes mistakes.)

5. Vietnamese: "Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet."

(Highlighting the bond of family.)

6. Thai: "If you pick up one end of a stick, you also pick up the other."

(Actions come with consequences.)

7. Persian: "A stone thrown at the right time is better than gold given at the wrong time."

(The importance of timing.)

8. Filipino: "He who does not look back at where he came from will never get to his destination."

(Valuing gratitude and humility.)

9. Chinese: "To know the road ahead, ask those coming back."

(Learning from others experiences.)

10. Japanese: "A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle."

(Strength in unity.)

11. Indian: "Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere."

(Valuing education and knowledge.)

12. Korean: "A tiger s stripes are on the outside, but a man s are on the inside."

(Character defines a person.)

13. Vietnamese: "When eating fruit, remember the one who planted the tree."

(Gratitude for past efforts.)

14. Thai: "Do not let your shadow walk you."

(Don t let fear or the past control you.)

15. Mongolian: "The first glass is for the guest, the second for enjoyment, the third for chaos."

(Moderation is key.)

16. Tibetan: "A hundred male and a hundred female qualities make a perfect human being."

(Balance and harmony create perfection.)

17. Chinese: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

(Starting is the key to achievement.)

May You All Have A Safe and Prosperous New Year, 2025!

If You Have The Money, Would You Buy this Painting?

René Magritte, L’empire des lumières, 1954 

$121,160,000

A century after André Breton published his Surrealist Manifesto, René Magritte’s L’empire des lumières (1954) became the most expensive Surrealist artwork ever to sell at auction, achieving $121.16 million at Christie’s New York in November. The painting—hailed as the “crown jewel” of American interior designer Mica Ertegun’s collection by the auction house—shattered the artist’s auction record, previously set at Sotheby’s London in 2022 for L’empire des lumières (1961), which sold for £59.42 million ($79.24 million).

Measuring approximately 5 by 4 feet, this painting is one of the largest works in Magritte’s famed “Empire of Light” series, which comprises 27 variations on the surreal theme of juxtaposed day and night imagery. The serene scene features a house lit by a single streetlamp, its warm yellow glow reflected in a body of water below, while the sky above remains a daytime blue scattered with clouds. Slightly shrouded by silhouetted trees, the painting evokes a dreamlike contrast between light and shadow, day and night.

Another version of the Belgian artist’s “Empire of Light” series gained attention when it was showcased in the Belgian pavilion at the 1954 Venice Biennale before joining Peggy Guggenheim’s collection. Magritte subsequently expanded the theme into a series over the following 15 years to satisfy demand from eager collectors.

I would! 

Here's a list of the top 10 most expensive works of art sold at auction in 2024.

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-10-expensive-works-sold-auction-2024

Meanwhile, enjoy this photo of my Camelia Bloom from My Patio

Lastly, here are two of my favorite Christmas gift this year.

A Not Expected Christmas Card from the Beverly Oakhurst

Yesterday in the early morning a beautifully red-ribboned laced envelop with a Christmas Card was dropped in the front door of my apartment. It was from the Beverly Oakhurst and addressed to TBO residents ( see photos above).

This was my first time I heard of the Beverly Oakhurst.  I was curious and googled the Beverly Oakhurst ( see reference below) and I had a feeling it was a mixed up or somebody inside is advertising the apartment Facility in Beverly Hills. 

A few hours later, I saw my next door neighbor getting an identical card. She asked somebody in the Front Desk. It was confirmed a corporate mixed-up occurred. We will appreciate confirmation, if this is really true. 

Meanwhile here's a photo of the Beverly Oakhurst Apartments from the Internet. A detailed description of the Condo/Apartment Facility please read the site below:    

https://www.apartments.com/435-beverly-oakhurst-beverly-hills-ca/72s1d0z/

If this is a corporate mixed-up, this would mean that THD and Beverly Oakhurst have the same corporate management and ownership. Thank You for the Christmas Card Greeting anyway!  

Finally, here's a Christmas Photo of Me and Santa Claus ( Eric Cox) at the Heritage Lobby, 2023

Have a Joyful Christmas Day ! Here are the 10 ways Christmas

is celebrated in the Philippines. 

https://www.asiamediacentre.org.nz/features/10-ways-of-celebrating-christmas-in-the-philippines