The last Christmas tree standing

It’s not yet too late to set your personal goals for 2009. The cold January weather makes the surroundings conducive for goal-setting, like Christmas has never left at all. (Wait until the April sun burns a hole on your roof.) I also suggest reading Max Lucado’s “Cure for the Common Life” should you be interested in unearthing those gifts God gave you. Believe me, every living person is gifted with something and we all have specific roles to play. I will share what I have discovered in the next few days.

I have put one of my notebooks, and the pens Arni gave me last month, to good use. Two days ago, I decided to come up with my own list that would either accuse me of procrastinating or cramming at the end of the year. Here they are:

Visit two places I have never been to. Potential candidates are Naga City (Mayan and I have been discussing this for a decade) and Batanes (hopefully).

Get another investment. While the chips are down and everyone around is having a sale.

Create my own web template. I have announced it to the world after my “graduation” from Dreamweaver class. So I really should start doing something before I say this again in 2010.

Do a wardrobe inventory. There isn’t much in my closet I tell you. I’ve been wearing the same set of clothes for the past two years or so. My newest shoes is turning 1 in two months. The oldest, a Naturalizer, has just celebrated its 4th birthday. Maybe I really should consider updating my style.

Buy a pair of running shoes. For early morning walking exercises. Instead of enrolling in a gym or buying a best weight loss pill, walking is the most economical way to get rid of those flabs.

Learn oil painting. I have not graduated from watercolors for the past 10 years. It’s time to do an upgrade.

Join a small group. It’s high time to go back and think of ways to serve. By the way, I attend church services at CCF.

Give. Give. Give. God’s blessings are in fact too much for just one person to handle.

Laptop. I’ve missed out on this one last year. Actually, I wonder where all that money went.

Start dating. Seriously.

Now I’ve got a long list to go back to from time to time. What are yours?

In watercolors

No one knows for sure when or where inspiration comes. Today, I just woke up from an hour of sleep, played David Cook CD, looked at his photos and decided to pull out that small watercolor pad from those old boxes. Voila! Here’s  David Cook in watercolors. My gift to all Cookies out there.

I just love things monochromatic. Most of my portraits lately were done that way. Somehow experimenting in one color tone fascinates me. I’ll try to have these drawings framed next year before they all start turning yellow.

I was able to squeeze in some time to be at Ryu’s birthday party in McDonalds SM Taytay more than a week ago. Ryu is Andrei’s son, and Andrei is my brother’s friend. The boy has just turned three.

During the party, I did face painting for kids and tried my glitter tattoo on adults. There were a dozen kids, including babies, who came in. It was fun, they loved their cheek arts and the adults their glitter tattoos.

Some mothers asked for my number. Come to think of it, this is a good source of extra income that could afford one to buy clothes, shoes, grocery supplies, a baby bedding or send kids to school. I mean that’s what most parents tell me when they admire the only visible talent I’ve got. One parent I met abroad told his husband to study the craft. Face painting is a lucrative business abroad at $3 to $5 per head. But here in Manila, I don’t charge that much.

Other services:
Balloon-Twisting – P3000
On-The-Spot Caricature – P3500

We would be happy to hear from you. For details, send text message to 0906-2066277.

Glenn Medeiros in charcoal, 1993

Jersey Girl movie cover in watercolors, 2005

Steve Nash rookie card in watercolor, 2006

Just another watercolor drawing, 2006

Michael Buble album cover in watercolors, 2006