Love the Children through Art

Love the Children through Art 

Dr Abe V Rotor

“They always say time changes things, but you actually 

have to change them yourself.” Andy Warhol 

Author demonstrates basic art under the trees. 

Away from the cellphone and mall,

for a time precious however small.

“If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.” 

- Edward Hopper

  

Wall mural brings nature to children in imagery.

Reach out for something a dream,

a pot of gold, morning sun beam.

“To create one’s own world takes courage.” Georgia O’Keeffe

  

A work of art is beautiful and never wrong.

Proudly they stand with their art, 

a treasure their lives now a part. 

“The main thing is to be moved, to love, to hope, to tremble, to live.” 

- Auguste Rodin

    

   

Outdoor art workshop under the trees. Living with Nature arboretum.

A school: its roof, 

the sky and treetops, 

its walls the horizon,

its floor bare earth;

it is Nature's zone.  

Shh... these children feel free,

freedom in creativity

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Pablo Picasso 

  

Art guides children to a healthy socio-cultural life.

Time out, art is not in a hurry,

pause with nature and company.

“The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.” Francis Bacon 

 

Author as guardian and tutor

Art has many expressions,

     in different sessions;

shy and cautious at first,

    'til released like a burst.

“I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart.” Vincent van Gogh ~

Our house guests come from different walks of life and places, young and old alike.

Our house guests come from different walks of life and places, young and old alike. 

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature Center

San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

"Lolo, can we stay here like our home?"

{Lolo, puede ba kaming tumira dito?)

Children feel at home with the ambiance of an outdoor playground.

 

"Seashells as decor! I know now what to do with my shell collection." 

"A make-believe waterfall cools the environment, makes the garden green."

Home museum and garden scenes.

"Rizal as a hero of, for, by - and with the people while in exile at Dapitan." 

Students from Mariano Marcos State University, Batac Ilocos Norte, 

visit Dr Jose Rizal's shrine at the Living with Nature garden.

 

"Art Revolution today is Environmental Revolution, and vice versa."

MMSU  students

  

University President visits Living with Nature Center

Author (left) presents painting and a book he wrote for Fr Mars Tan, 

president of Xavier University, 2024. 

"Revival of the art of poetry and poetry reading."

Poetry reading with musical background of Philippine music 

with teachers and DepEd officials from Kidapawan, Cotabato,

led by Sir Miguel P Fililalam jr CESO 5 School Superintendent.

"Art awakens and develops creativity and other realms of multiple intelligence."

The author conducts community art workshop for children.

 

"As long as you live, there is no end to learning."

Seminar-workshop for teachers and students on practical living 

conducted by the author and family. 

                          

"In situ and hands-on learning complement classroom instruction." 

UNP students on an educational tour at the wildlife sanctuary and botanical garden.  

 

"Nature's trophies yearn for human intervention against environmental destruction."

Author (center) and guests from the teaching profession display "Nature's Trophies" made of driftwood and symbolic figurines. On display at the Living with Nature museum.  

 

"Take time out, leave everything, your desk and papers."
The late Sister Carol Agravante, president of St Paul College of Ilocos Sur,
pay a leisurely morning visit with two professors.

 

"I shall walk with nature to the end of the earth and time."
An elderly guest from Metro Manila poses before a floor-to-wall 

seascape mural at the Living with Nature sala. 

 

"Tree hugging is therapy to stressful life in our postmodern times."

Tourism students from UNP, and ISCC. 

 

 

"Walking through a forest is a rare experience today."

Author (in blue) with students from Ilocos Sur Community College, 

Vigan IS, walk under heritage mango trees, LWNC arboretum.

 

"Children with their parents and teachers make a wholesome educational tour." 

School-without-walls appropriately describes such experience.

 

"Wine making is universal, traced to ancient times, 

followed by technology innovation and commercialization." 

Researchers, students and tourists visit the 18th century basi wine cellar.

~

"Where has the painter gone all the years?"
Kristel holds a long lost masterpiece she painted some ten years ago.
(2016- 2025). Painting is presently on display at the LWNC art gallery ~

Malunggay is the most popular tree vegetable in the tropic.

Malunggay is the most popular tree vegetable 

in the tropic.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Compound leaves of malunggay (Moringa oleifera); botanical description of malunggay; mature pods hanging on the tree. (Useful Plants of the Philippines by WH Brown)


In the province no home is without this small tree at the backyard or in a vacant lot. The leaves, flowers, juvenile pods and young fruits of Moringa oleifera (Family Moringaceae) go well with fish, meat, shrimp, mushroom, and the like. It is one plant that does not need agronomic attention, not even weeding and fertilization, much less chemical spraying. You simply plant an arms length cutting or two, in some corner or along the fence and there it grows into a tree that can give you a ready supply of vegetables yearound. What nutrients do we get from malunggay?

Here is a comparison of the food value of the fresh leaves and young fruits, respectively, in percent. (Marañon and Hermano, Useful Plants of the Philippines)

· Proteins 7.30 7.29

· Carbohydrates 11.04 2.61

· Fats 1.10 0.16

· Crude Fiber 1.75 0.76

· Phosphorus (P2 O 5) 0.24 0.19

· Calcium (CaO) 0.72 0.01

· Iron (Fe2O3) 0.108 0.0005

Owing to these properties and other uses, rural folks regard malunggay a “miracle tree.” Take for example the following uses.
· The root has a taste somewhat like that of horse-radish, and in India it is eaten as a substitute to it.
· Ben oil extracted from the seed is used for salad and culinary purposes, and also as illuminant.
· Mature seeds have antibacterial and flocculants properties that render drinking water safe and clear.

From these data, it is no wonder malunggay is highly recommended by doctors and nutritionists for both children and adults, particularly to nursing mothers and the convalescents. ~

"Don't eat between meals," old folks' advise

"Don't eat between meals," old folks' advise

Dr Abe V Rotor

Coffee break is a corporate invention, and snacks are the first version of fast food, thanks to capitalism. So why take heed of the old advice?

Well, let’s look at it this way. Our old folks take heavy meals, mainly rice or corn, depending on the region they live, and they do not eat anything in between meals. Yet they work for long hours, and are healthy.  How is that?

               Plant foods are by far the commonest source of polysaccharides. (Internet photo)

• Starch is in cereal grains (wheat, oats, rye, barley, buckwheat, rice, etc.), potatoes and legumes (beans, peas, lentils).
• Fiber is mainly in whole grains (whole-grain bread, brown rice, etc.), legumes, vegetables and fruits.

Starch in cereals is polysaccharide, which means that it has to be broken down into simple sugar before it is “burned” by the body to release energy. Starch has to be hydrolyzed with the aid of enzyme (amylase) found in our digestive system.  Glucose, the ultimate product is broken down through oxidation (respiration), providing the needed energy for various body functions.  This transformation takes hours, releasing energy throughout the process, and by the time the fuel is exhausted, it is time for the next meal.  This is a simple test. Have you experienced having a grain of rice unknowingly tucked between the gums and teeth?  After an hour of so, the grain taste sweet. It means that the grain is undergoing hydrolysis – from starch to sugar.

White sugar (sucrose), on the other hand is directly burned, after it has been split into two monosaccharides.  That is why too much white sugar leads to high blood sugar – if we do not burn it – and may in the long run become the cause of diabetes. 

Broil, don't fry.  It's healthier and more economical.

This eating regimen of old folks may apply to manual workers, principally in the field.  Today we find this virtually impossible to follow.  First, we need a lot of energy, mainly for the brain, and secondly, we are already accustomed to having snacks.  In fact many of us never stop eating. A foreigner once commented, “Filipinos are always eating.”  What with all the advertisements - from TV commercials to giant billboards - and the proliferation of food carts and stores.  ~

Blue Butterflies Live on in Art and Culture

Blue Butterflies Live on in Art and Culture*

“Butterflies are nature’s angels. They remind us what a gift 

it is to be alive.” — Robyn Nola

Dr Abe V Rotor

A pair of Menelaus** blue morpho butterflies (Morpho meneleus) Family

Nymphalidae.  Painted by the author (tutor) and Hannah Laurente 15, 

a coed from Ilocos Sur National High School, November 15, 2025

Lucky to find a blue butterfly around,

fluttering in the garden;

more so when re-created in painting;

it lives on unforgotten.

 

Hannah Laurente 15,  poses with her artwork in acrylic on canvas. Background paintings by the author are: mounted  Papilio swallowtail  butterflies, and still life 

relief floral painting, on display at the Living with Nature, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.

-------------------------

* Their brilliant blue wings are stunning, the color is caused by a diffraction of the light from millions of tiny scales on its wings, which scares away predators. - South Coast Botanic Garden. The morpho butterflies comprise many species of Neotropical butterfly under the genus Morpho. This genus includes more than 29 accepted species and 147 accepted subspecies, found mostly in South America, Mexico, and Central America. Internet

** In Greek mythology, Menelaus was a Greek king of Mycenaean Sparta. According to the Iliad, the Trojan War began as a result of Menelaus's wife, Helen, fleeing to Troy with the Trojan prince Paris. Wikipedia

“I almost wish we were butterflies and liv'd but three summer days — three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.” ― John Keats

"Narcissus Blue Butterfly" 

Photograph by the author c. 2016

at his home garden in San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

God-like Narcissus has long been dead, 

yet his butterfly still visits the water;

mythology lives on in art and culture,

and in young hearts for that matter. - avr

The myth of Narcissus is about a strikingly handsome youth who rejects the love of all who pursue him, including the nymph Echo. He is cursed by the gods to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, a love he can never fulfill, and he eventually wastes away from despair. In most versions, he dies and is transformed into the flower that bears his name, the narcissus (or daffodil). To the author, the blue butterfly (photo) is a living symbol of Narcissus.

“Don’t waste your time chasing butterflies. Mend your garden, and the butterflies will come.” — Mario Quintana

ANNEX

A blue butterfly crossing your path is often seen as a symbol of hope, joy, and transformation. It can be interpreted as a sign of good luck, a wish coming true, or an encouragement to embrace personal growth and new beginnings. Some also see it as a messenger, a sign of being on the right path, or a spiritual reminder of the life cycle and beauty of nature. Common meanings and interpretations. 

o Hope and joy: The blue color is strongly associated with powerful emotions like joy, hope, and peace.

o Transformation: Like all butterflies, a blue one symbolizes a profound metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly, representing rebirth and positive change.

o Good luck and wishes: Seeing a blue butterfly is frequently seen as a good omen, and it's believed by some to bring good luck or help make wishes come true.

o Spiritual guidance: Butterflies are sometimes seen as spiritual messengers, which can be interpreted as a sign from angels or a reminder to stay present and appreciate life's beauty.

o Personal growth: It can be an invitation to expand your awareness, make positive changes in your life, and move forward with a greater sense of purpose. 

A message for your path: The butterfly's journey across your path may signify that you are on the right track or being guided toward your true potential. AI Overview/Internet

“Butterflies can’t see their wings. They can’t see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. People are like that as well.” — Naya Rivera

Who is Afraid of the Giant Snail? Sober this pest with beer and eliminate it from your garden.

Who is Afraid of the Giant Snail?

Sober this pest with beer and eliminate it from your garden.

Dr Abe V Rotor 

Mackie, author's grand daughter and her yaya, ponder 

on "Mr Snail" on TV, when in reality it is a garden pest.

A colony of Giant African Snail (Achatina fulica*) 

in different stages of its life cycle.

Pour beer – old or newly opened – into shallow flat can and bury it to the rim in a place where this mollusk pest abounds. Leave the setup overnight. Very early in the morning you will find plenty of them in various sizes grouped around the can like a waterhole - sober. Gather the snails and crush them. Snail meat may be substituted to fish meal as animal feed.~

*Achatina fulica or Lissachatina fulica is a species of large land snail that belongs in the subfamily Achatininae of the family Achatinidae. It is also known as the giant African land snail. It shares the common name "giant African snail" with other species of snails such as Achatina achatina and Archachatina marginata. Wikipedia

Lesson on  Living with Nature - School on Blog avrotor.blogspot.com and

former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday