Date Night on Boracay Island

Ron and I don't get many date nights, he is either traveling or just coming back from traveling.  But when we do get some time to date we know how to make the most of it.  Our last date night, was actually six beautiful days on Boracay Island in the Philippines.

Ron was there on a business retreat so I spent 2 1/2 months worth of date night money that had gone unused and bought me a companion ticket!

Ron had meeting during the day for four of the days so I decided to keep myself busy...you can only lay on the beach for so long, so I decided to get my Advanced Open Water diver certification.  Read the manual - take test and go on 6 dives.  Not a bad way to spend the time Ron was working.

I certified in deep diving, navigation, current diving (not my favorite), fish identification and night diving.

My favorite dive was my fish identification dive. Dive spot was "Friday's Rock" I was the only diver and the fish were swarming me, it was amazing!  I was in their world.

I had a wonderful instructor, a beautiful sea to dive in, warm sunshine and a white sandy beach for resting and relaxing.  Currently this "I am never going to learn to dive" diver now has 50 dives logged in her book.                                                                                         Iam so glad that I completed my Advanced certificate - Ron was indeed a happy and proud husband.  

Ron and I were able to have a few incredible date nights on White Sand Beach.  The sunsets were stunning, the evening breezes balmy and the food delicious.  We may not have a date night every week - but when we do we do it RIGHT!

White Sand Beach, Boracay Island Philippines

Coca Cola dinner on the beach with Perfect SUNSET!

Faces of Cambodia

Nothing captures the spirit of a nation or country better then it's people.  When I travel I love to photograph the faces of the people because it is their story that I am trying to tell not mine.

Visiting Cambodia was no different.

I was moved by the hard working Cambodians who are poor, living the best they can and yet are friendly and happy especially the children.  I am going to let my photos tell their story.

"The Naked Truth"

"It takes a Village"

Floating Village - Lake Tonle Sap, Cambodia

"A SUCKER for a SMILE"

I never leave home with out a treat in my bag

 "Candy Store"

Making Palm Sugar candy

"Behold the little ones"

Look into their face and tell me what you see. 

I see children of GOD

Twice in a Life TIme - Ankgor Wat Cambodia

One of the benefits of living in Asia is the ability to travel and to have once in a lifetime experiences.  If you are really lucky you have the benefit of experiencing that once in a life time moment - more then once.  Angkor Wat in Siem Reap Cambodia is one of those once in a lifetime experiences that I

was able to repeat twice in the last 6 months.  My first trip was with Laura in October 2011, during the Thailand flooding. The second visit took place in February 2012, this time with Ron and his brother Roger and his wife Susan.

Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia. Stretching over some 400 km2, including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. They include the famous Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations.

I was in awe with vastness of the temple compounds and buildings.  A few of the temples and building dated back to 1050 circa, others had inscriptions and murals that depicted the history.  It was an incredible experience and very surreal.

In October it was green and moss growing everywhere.  While in February the hot season was beginning and it was dry, dust and HOT.

Laura and I enjoyed an amazing two days and we LOVED the food.

Roger and Ron had a great time exploring the many different temples.

I love to capture photos that will help me remember the feeling of the places that I have been.  Angkor Wat has so much wonderful architecture  that it is a photographers heaven.  Below are some of my favorites.

Shades of Gray

Stone and Moss

Sunset Ruins

I have been so blessed to be able to see so many wonderful places in Asia. Learning the history of other nations and their people has made my life fuller and I am a better person for having had all these experiences.

Road to Forgiveness

I took a drive this month on a Road Less Traveled ...

February has been called the month of "Love" due one of the days that I try to resist, Valentines Day.  Why do I oppose a day of “LOVE” – it is because I think that every day and everything should be about “LOVE” not just one day each year.

Road to Forgiveness

I wanted this month to be about FORGIVENESS, the ultimate form of love to me and a...

  Road less traveled

I believe that one of the reasons that we are on this earth is to prove ourselves to our Heavenly Father, to become as His son, Christlike in every thought, word, deed and action.  But, just as a child makes mistakes so we all make mistakes, some are bigger then others but all are still mistakes.  I have made my share of mistakes over the last 50+ years and I am beginning to realize how essential and necessary it is to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. My eternal happiness depends on it.

My February focus has been to look into my past and to unconditionally forgive those that have wronged me.  Whether they were aware the hurt, harm or indifference they showed me.

Corrie TenBoom, a WWII holocaust survivor said, “Forgiveness is not an emotion…Forgiveness is an act of will.”  I have come to learn that to forgive is to love; to love is to forgive.  In the New Testament we read in the book of Luke 6:37 “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.”

More importantly then forgiving others this month I have been asking for forgiveness from family members, friends and even those that have wondered into my life’s path unknowingly. I am deeply sorry for any hurt, harm or distress that I might have cause any of you, whether knowingly or unintentional.  One of the quotes that I have come to love is…“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.” ~Paul Boese.  I cannot erase, change or take back the mistakes, the unkind words, the casting of judgments or my own ignorance of the past but by seeking true and honest forgiveness, making a vow everyday to try to be as Paul taught the Ephesians

“be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”  Hopefully I can be more like my Father desires me to be…Christlike in all my thoughts, words and deeds.

To paraphrase the poet Robert Frost...I took the road of forgiveness, one that at times in this world in less traveled by and it has made all the difference!

Ystävänpäivä

In Finland, Valentines Day is called Ystavanpaiva, which translates into “Friend Day”  As the name indicates,this is more about remembering all your friends,not only your loved ones.

As a devoted Jane Austen I have adopted one of her lines from the novel, Northanger Abby, as one of my life's mottos....

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends.  I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature”

As the rest of the world celebrates Valentines Day... I would like to celebrate the Finnish way...Happy Ystävänpäivä Day to ALL of my friends!

I am LIVING

“A dead thing goes with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it."

                         ~ G.K. Chesterton

As I was reviewing my photographs of past adventures I came across this photo taken July 2010 on a solo road trip and was reminded of the above quote. It was at that moment that I realized that I was indeed a very living thing!  In my own individual way I am making my way towards the source of Living Water.  In order to do that I must travel upstream!  At times there will be obstacles, rocks,logs and debris that might obstruct my ability to push forward. I must not let these things force me downward, the path of least resistance, or what I will call the "mainstream" of society.


I am a unique daughter of God, with the ability to conquer the fast moving river of iniquity, dishonesty, faithlessness, selfishness, bigotry, unkindness, and pride.  If I keep moving upstream I will be "LIVING" the life I was born to live!    

Same Same but Different

They have a saying in Asia - "Same Same but Different".  I always smile when I hear this - how can something be the same but different.  It wasn't until I started to question my core beliefs, my past experiences, my motives for my actions or reactions and my desire to be a better person did I understand the saying.

I am the same person that I was 30+ years ago that graduated from high school and started on the LONG road to adulthood.

I am the same person that I was after being diagnosed with cancer at the YOUNG age of 40.

Yet, I am different.

Through the Asian phrase, "same same but different", I have come to learn that it very much describes me today.

When I graduated high school, I was an unassured young woman not really understanding who I was or how to capture the dreams that I held in my heart.  Venturing off to college was an eye opening experience.  Being young, nieve and trusting it came as a shock to me to find out that most people are selfish by nature, take advantage of kindness and can hurt you in ways that carry no physical wound - but emotional wounds run deep.  It was during these years that I learned to rely not on the arm of man but to turn to the Lord.  My faith increased and I became aware that I mattered to Him.  I was the "same but different"!

Early in my married life I felt unprepared for the role as a wife and mother.  I felt the need to hide my flaws and inadequacies, even from my family.  Motherhood was not something I felt that I was good at, a lot of the time I felt like I was a failure.  Then one day I looked at my children and saw these four incredible little people, strong in their own right, beautiful outside but more importantly beautiful inside. Each one taught me something about love, patience, trust, communication and humility and it was then that I knew that with the Lords guidance I was and had been worthy of the task.  Perfection is not something that can be attained in this life - but by moving towards being more like the Master I can do things that I thought I could not do. I am the same but I am also different for having had my experiences.

When the year 2000 began it was going to be my year.  Little did I know that literally it was to be "MY" year.  Your life really stops after you have been diagnosed with any life treating disease and that was true when it was discovered that I had an aggressive form of breast cancer.  I was still  the same person and yet I was so different!  I am grateful each day for what that disease has given me - a new look at life, more patience with myself and others, forgiveness, and to understand that love, honesty and relationships are what matter most.  I learned very early into my treatment that I was not going to be labeled a "survivor"  I was so much more then that.  I was reborn in a way on that day - still the same Heidi but so different and oh so much more.

The last few years have been an amazing journey.  I have seen so much of the world that I had never even dreamed of.  All the experiences that I have had will forever be a part of who I am.  I am the same, but different!  Recently I have discovered that as I look back to the past, live in the present and dream of the future that I am and always will be...

SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT