It has been three years since I first published Searching for Faerie, Finding Me through Amazon’s print-on-demand platform. At the time, simply finishing the book felt monumental. I had taken an idea that once existed only quietly in my imagination and brought it into the world in physical form. That alone felt like an accomplishment worth celebrating. But over the years, I found myself continually returning to the story as I painted on canvas. Certain lines questioned me, ce

As I write this, I am looking at photographs of flowers from my garden that only weeks ago were vibrant with color and life. Now, beneath the relentless summer sun of Las Vegas, many of their petals have faded, curled, and fallen away. The same garden that felt abundant in spring appears stressed and weathered beneath the sizzling desert heat. For a moment, it is tempting to see only what has been lost. Yet the flowers have not truly disappeared. Their season of blooming has

Father's Day has just passed, and as often happens this time of year, I find myself thinking of my father. Most of my memories of him are tied to nature. He loved sitting outside in the garden under the mango tree, and he loved watching the sunrise and sunset. I developed my own ritual of waiting for the sunrise, following his practice. The photos of him staring into the horizon, towards where Mt. Apo lies in the distance bring to me such a sweet ache as he watched the sun r