.JPG)
Take a step. Stroll if you like. Dare to hike up and down trails. Stop and listen to the sounds of the arboretum’s
wild life. Walked far enough? Get under a shade or sip fountain water and
get refreshed; get your buddy critters to likewise quell thirst. Rested now?
Get going, and pick up your pace. Tread down undiscovered spaces if you
choose to. Life in the open space invites
you and your senses to wake up and be impressed !
.JPG)
Tread on flat lands
with confidence, but get riled when hills stump your way. How do you cross over stealthy swamps, tricky
marshes or murky ponds down in the wild lands?
Without well-designed bridges, it will be challenging to reach one’s
desired spot. Without well-structured passage
links, catching a glimpse of rare birds and flowering plants in the bog will be
farfetched. Think about that, and then
thank your lucky stars for bridges and channels constructed by creative hands!.JPG)
First begins a birth,
a life, filled with potentialities.
Next, life appears to take natural paths, and then outbursts of
growth. Somewhere in between, life bumps
into twists, and turns that complicates and narrows its possibilities for a
straight and upward or widely-spreading spurt.
What in our circle draws us away from our determined, even hopes and
dreams? What is required to keep our will
pruned, pliant, and obedient to our calling? 
.JPG)
Finding space and
repose intertwined in our surroundings is pure delight. From the vast spread of soft, fresh greens
afforded us, we could temporarily claim a spot to still our souls or we
could occupy a welcoming bench and make it a perfect haven for our quiet
reflection. The breadth of our open and dedicated
natural world gifts us with possibilities to explore both lofty and transcendental thoughts; it affords us
to wallow into or to unpack our life aspirations.
Best, it stirs in us and it invites us to experience an overwhelming thankfulness for God’s
magnificent creation! 
You
move into a new place. You begin
settling by identifying tasks likely to happen in the spaces you are afforded
to inhabit. You move big pieces of
furniture first, and then you fill in the area with useful, appropriate and
pleasant accessories because you want to make the space your own and also
quickly feel at home. You further desire
that every habitable space brings living comfort, so you boldly work in the
shortest possible time. Soon, you take
pride in getting every little thing in its place. A few weeks after a rigging, back-breaking,
time-consuming moving of things here and there, you learn that your efforts
have gone in vain. You hear about change
of plans out of the blue, and for the umpteenth time. You find out all items in a room that just got
settled a week ago must be moved … again!” 
Purchases
moved by ads and sales could be either daunting or heartening. If you are an experienced shopper and you
know exactly what for and why you must buy an item, you are one of the few wise
ones who reap the benefits of magnetic commerce. However, when you are hypnotized by sale ads
without need or purpose, and you give in, know that nothing about this game of
sales is honest-to-goodness free. You
spend and dole out monies first before you gain anything. Impulse buyers beware!
Life truly finds a way to begin and blossom in its own time. That is the stark truth. It doesn't matter where or when. Where there is a mix of fertile safety and
warm bed to nest, dawning life and its cycle takes its natural course. Take a winged insect's cycle of life, for
instance: an initial union, followed by a struggling, a clinging, and then
surviving all odds of growth process.
When the magical moment happens, life bursts from a cocoon, breaks away from its confinement, and
claims its adventure. Nature's surprise
of all good surprises in this complex, yet exciting life journey is its
"netting" gift. With it, a
cocoon gets protection from its predators and temperamental
weather. Don’t take my word. Look around, and close by. Search trees for winged insects' protective
"nets" and either be awed or get spooked. BOO!
To both non-diehard patrons and HP enthusiasts, the Wizarding
World of Harry Potter at Diagon Alley,
Universal Studios Florida, is one trip to take and explore. There’s no doubt about its spellbinding effect
on guests. Once there, magical and
fantastic centers of interest deliver transforming experiences, especially
inside Leaky Cauldron Drop, Wesley's Wizard Wheezes, and wand shop, Ollivanders! There are no if’s or but’s about getting
swayed to immerse the self and to get mesmerized. Visual and audio “psychological
spells” are plenty for all senses. And when
all stimuli wither, there’s much more for the taking. There abounds endless entertainment to feed
interest and curiosity. Also, plunging
into the hunt for one souvenir or bundles of treasure for ‘after-the-visit’
extended thrill pulls. The search could
be somewhat tiring or frustrating for a fan because of items’ exorbitant prices.
Giving up though, on taking home even
just a memento, is a definite "NO".
Without trepidation, one should quickly step into the wizardry shops and
establishments with vigilance and purpose.
Fans and visitors must try on hats and cloaks, smell candles, get scared by hairy
creatures or spot for that striking, perfect wand and broom that wizards love
using as escape tools from sticky and dangerous plot situations. Preposterously insane, non-enthusiasts might
say, but HP world experienced in books,
movies or situation-simulation land, is one creative product of the mind filled
with continuous, tremendous critical thought, total wonder, and pure excitement! The ad, “Two parks ... Two lands .... One magical journey…", is an
understatement! 
I have always liked the olive green color of mosses, and their cool, soft
cushioning effect under my feet on hot summer days. What I did not know was that mosses also ‘grew
and lived’ on trees. Spanish Mosses that
is. Flimsy-looking, yet playfully
draped on tree branches and leaves, they dominate the landscape of trees along many Orlando, Florida
communities competing with lively green and stately palms. They gracefully move with the passing wind as
traveling guests on the roadways either arrive or leave. What a sight it was to find them. They seem to have taken the role of Florida state
greeters and cheerleaders! 
Birthdays return us back to many nostalgic and wonderful memories
of joyful moments, but nothing better appreciated than all those meaningful and
cheerful presents received. One that
warmly touches me over and again is a “teacup rest”. It is a set of homemade box with four tiny hand-sewn
pillows filled with cinnamon and mint herbs whose aroma wildly bursts whenever I
set down on them between sips my hot cup of tea or coffee. Michelle Chen, one of my L2 students in the
mid-80s, pleasantly surprised me one very special Birth Remembrance Day. In
her then limited English, and still very strong Chinese accent, she radiantly
beamed as she stealthily appeared in my classroom. Not for long, she took out from her worn out
cloth satchel a paper bag-wrapped gift that was secured by a beautifully tied
red yarn. I could still hear her soft
voice that charmingly coaxed me to open it up quickly. My heart leaped with overflowing joy at the sight
of the teacup rest. I was also wonderfully
touched by her most humble present. I
could not remember other material gifts I received that day, but for many
years, and on many birthday remembrances, it was her humblest, and simplest of
gifts that from year to year has brought me unbridled joy. Wherever my charming Michelle Chen is these
days, I pray she knows that she made my birthday and me so very, very special!
Getting to point B from point A does not require internal rigidity,
but you couldn’t help it. You know for
sure that you must keep alert. You must
focus lest you swerve and then endanger yourself and others. Nevertheless, if you didn’t amuse yourself
while traveling on the road, you’d likely dangerously fall asleep or get
starkly bored. A pint of minding the
architectural beauty of buildings or the engineering and design of passing vehicles
doesn’t hurt. It lifts up the spirit and
celebrates humankind’s inventive mind. Even
admiring natural and man-made gardens on roads’ median is helpful to your
brain’s jittery state while on the highway.
A quick mental note of fresh, creative and natural landscape calms your
nerves as well. Rigidity constricts
breathing, for sure. Think about that next time you get on the road!
To freely move back and forth, and up high or low in the air is
one exhilarating experience swinging brings about. The swing, one simple play equipment, not
only gives you and me an instant thrill and an adrenalin rush, but it also lets
out that rare, yet awesome and almost endless free flight. There's not one hanging from your
sturdy/friendly tree or none assembled in your back/front yard? Building one now or finding a park with a
swing set close by gets you fast swinging low and high!
Half-way into the month of September, you fill a little
chill. Falling temperature foretells the
arrival of most intense autumn warmth and its pleasant weather, yet outdoors, summer's
vibrant colors strongly hold on. The leaves
still don their most energetic, and lively green hues, while purplish and
reddish vines parade their brightest of bright, and most vibrant, fiery accents. Nature fails not in surprising you with her
festive landscape, so look around. Take
time to notice it!
You head out of your lonely country road, reach secondary suburban
roads and speed up on main thoroughfares.
Traffic is kind on this fair weathered-day; no idiotic drivers attempt
switching lanes from fast to slow ... slow to fast. Neither is there anyone intimidating
co-travelers and pushing you aside or pressuring someone else to even go faster
on the already fast moving path.
Everyone appears armored with cool heads and demeanor, so you do your
part and keep up with everyone's speed while you mind the road signs guiding
your travel. At last, you spot mileposts
that signal distances. One finally says
you are getting close. You are definitely
on the last critical road leg toward your destination. You relax and chill out a bit. Suddenly you are jolted. Your GPS instructs for one last time in monotone voice that you have arrived at your plugged address, but find no
standing structure on site! You couldn’t
help the situation, but you manage to scream at the top of your lungs, “What’s
wrong here?”
.JPG)
