Jill and the Books Talk

Early in 2019, I prayed to God to take me to to see the Canadian Rockies. I told myself, I will save up for this trip and in a few years time, I will be able to visit.  In April 2019, I got a call from my Uncle Albert in the US. He mentioned that since my parents and I are going to visit them in October, he plans to take us to Canada as a side trip. "I want to show you the Canadian Rockies!" Those words were like music to my ears. Since my parents already had their tickets booked, I immediately booked mine online. I am bound for Banff sooner than I expected. I was giddy with delight as I walked through the snowy pathway leading to the lake. I could see snow capped mountain peaks which grew bigger and taller as I got closer. I made a turn.  And there I was. Frozen.  Awestruck. Speechless. None prepared me for the majestic scenery of Lake Louise. Calm crystal clear, turquoise water. Perfectly reflecting the Canadian Rockies behind it.  Tears began to well up in my eyes...

It was a cool day in Barcelona when I visited La Sagrada Familia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with my friend Marlon. My first impression was: "The basilica was massive. Gothic. Weird looking but amazing at first glance." (Excerpt from my travel journal) Antoni Gaudi, the genius architect behind La Sagrada Familia's creation, was inspired by unusually tall and slim forest trees. He loves to read the book of Mark in the bible. His design is vey Christ-centered. In fact, if you look closely, the basilica has many scenes depicting Jesus' life and ministry on earth.  La Sagrada Familia has 3 facades one of which remains unfinished to this very day. Gaudi believed that his creation should not surpass that of God's. Gaudi built Sagrada in 1883 but did not live long enough to complete his masterpiece. He died 3 days after being hit by a passing tram on his way to church for his daily prayer and confession.  La Sagrada Fa...

I have been high strung lately. There were even times when I got so annoyed with little mistakes that I had to remove myself from a situation several times because I was sorely tempted to either whack someone with my humongous purse or shake somebody so hard in the hopes of making his/her cactus of a brain function.  I am preoccupied with one too many things and I cannot afford to have anything go wrong when it comes to my schedule, documents and stuff which may seem insignificant to others but irk the hell out of me when they are not organized or go on missing. But there are times when things do not go as smoothly as we'd like. Even if we don't welcome them, there will be delays, disappointments, changes and setbacks. Last week alone, my PA drove me mad when she could not find my medical records and doctors' requests for my diagnostic procedures. I stormed off just to put distance between us so I don't say or do anything I would regret later on. Then there was...

Spent a few days in hibernation with my two best friends. In a captivating haven surrounded by exotic flora and lush greenery where nature is glorified at its finest making one feel as if time stood still - Sonya's Secret Garden. Renewed my inner self and found joy in the art of doing nothing.  Rediscovered the lost art of conversation while going on digital detox.  Fed my soul and nourished my body. Experienced the healing power of touch which took me to the blissful state of complete rest. And finally met the woman who is the epitome of class and aging gracefully - Ms. Sonya Garcia. Through our morning conversation, we have discovered that we had a penchant for the same things such as novels, authors, old movies, embroidered linen, white, writing, dogs, afternoon tea and fine bone china. To quote her words: "We are kindred spirits!" as we delightfully showed ...