Living Creatures and Art/Ornamentation in my Garden

When I was a kid, I would chase butterflies, dragon flies, beetles, even frogs.  I would throw stones to dogs, cats and birds.  I would even catch fish and put it in the bottle.  Now, I take good care of them. 

In my gardenhouse, seeing these creatures reminded me of a life the way God intended it to be.  I feel like a loving hand had picked me up and put me in a garden surrounded with my dogs as they wiggles their tails, cats as they rub their bodies in my feet, the tweets of the birds, the splashes of the waters as the colorful koi swims gracefully in the lagoon.  The butterflies and dragon flies fly around freely and gently being the trees, plants and flowers as their haven.  And at night, the sounds of the beetles are my lullaby. 

These creatures are beautiful in their own right but the finishing touches such as the well place garden ornaments which add extra sparkle, complete my garden.

Tips for adding art and ornamentation in your garden, 1) should match the theme of your garden and/or house; 2)  should match the scale of the garden (don’t over crowded or lost in one large garden.); 3)  Always create the element of surprise--have a story to tell. If budget is a problem, you can always substitute inexpensive beautiful/interesting items from garage sales, junk shops or do it your own. Like what i did.

So now, what do you have in your garden?

The best place to seek God is in a garden.  You can dig for him there.  - George Bernard Shaw

If you pause to reflect, you will find time to count your blessings.

Above pictures were taken by my niece, Maita. Maita was chasing for this butterfly but all of a sudden this butterfly did come to me which was a surprise to everyone.  Below pictures are diligently taken by my son in law, Chris.

CHIPPY, COCO, VIANCE, RANQUIE ... they are members of the family.  They make our days happy.

Even snake...

My Husband’s Birthday Celebration

Have you ever felt the desire to do something special for someone you love?  The two-day weekend birthday celebrations of my husband in our gardenhouse was a tiring weekend, but the laughs, the joys and the thanks that our friends gave us in return really made Danny’s day.  For me, it was another priceless treasure to keep in my heart. 

The first day was with his former classmates from elementary-high school-college.  A birthday celebration is their one way of having the reason to be together.  Everytime they meet, they talk a lot, sing, dance and laugh.  Reminiscing with the good ones is not as much as fun to talk about the past, the bad, the ugly and the dark as they happily tease each other.  It does not stop there, they also enjoy passing on emails of value and jokes too.

The second day was with our Couples for Christ household group. Like the above, we enjoy each day with an attitude plenty of gratitude for one more day of life. With CFC, it nurtures our (husband & wife) relationship with the Father Almighty. Every Thursday is our prayer meeting while birthday celebration is our fellowship. Our group has been together since 1997. Our children grew up together and became friends in Christ too. 

Being married for 33 years is not always beds of roses.  Like any other relationships -- it may be between siblings, friends, relatives-- there is no such thing as perfect.  When conflict comes, we have to deal with it head-on. We don’t let it fasten and ignore it with a hope it will go away.  Making the relationships work is very rewarding.  Now we could humbly say, it is worth saving it. So much to tell.

Never think hard about PAST, it brings TEARS.  Don’t think more about FUTURE, it brings UNCERTAINTIES. LIVE THIS MOMENT with a smile, it brings CHEERS.  Whatever you want to do, do it now.  Focus on the finish line. 

Blowing of the candle.

The apple of our eyes, Mateo

Blessing of the food.

Labong (bamboo shoots), cooked with coconut milk harvested from our backyard. Super delicious.

Mon and Beth Paner .  The floral arrangements came from their huge flower plantation in Silang, Cavite.  Very nice couple. Below is my sister-in-law, Yolly. Youngest sister of Danny and married to Pastor Rene.  

 Second Day!

Erna my highschool classmate/friend and her cousin in red. The giant ferns were given to me by my sister Abna from her garden.

Mateo's cousins.Katris and Kian (Chris' side)  

 

Mateo's ate Yayay.  Inday is already a family to us.  She spoiled my children during her 8 years of stayed with us.  When Mariz got married,  Inday goes with her. Now she is taking care of Mateo.

My favourite Personality Pieces

One thing nice with having a small house is that everything is beyond my reach and I find it easier to explore my artistic side.  I fill the house with my favourite pieces which I have collected through the years.  Some are gifts, a few brought about by my creative mind from old and new materials, and others from antique shops or from garage sales. 

If I feel isolating myself due to stress or disappointments, I treat myself a gracious visit to antique shops.  I go inside, I casually look and see item by item what they have on display, try to get a glimpse of the price and then take a deep sigh.  I normally do not buy since I can’t afford the prices.

Some things are worth clinging on to.  One of which is mom's labor of love crocheted pieces that have become as much as part of me.  Other favourite pieces of mine may not be the best of everything but it is the sharing that makes them the best.  They represent the personalities of our roots, which remind me of our parents/ancertors' furniture.  These personality pieces transform my gardenhouse into a magical mystery tour of the memories of the past.  Feel the magic.  

If I’m surrounded with what I love, whether my family, pets, keepsakes, plants, hobbies, music, whatever, I consider myself richly blessed.  Contentment is not the fulfillment of what we wish for, but an appreciation of what we have.  

An old flat iron which some in the barrios still use up to now.

This very old electric fan is not only a decor but it still serves its purpose.  Same as the typewriter below.  Notice the old stool.

This is the most photographed piece in my house.  Almost all my visitors never leave the house without taking a picture of the clock.

This is an old beautiful piece, a teapot and burner.  This was handcarried by Nori, my sister-in-law's (Merly) boyfriend all the way from Japan.  Nori and Merly had been in my gardenhouse several times. Nori promises me that he will help me inject some japanese style in my garden. Looking forward to that.

The old phone from left was given to me by my sister Abna. It's still working.  She knows what I want so she has no choice but to give it to me and now it becomes one of my favorite personalities in my gardenhouse. The one on the right was given to me by Lucy Rodriguez Segismundo who is an heir of an old house in Sariaya, Quezon which was turned to be a museum.  Tourists come to see. the house

Given to me by my boss, Mr. William B. Go, from his office.

This old baul belongs to my eldest sister Enon.  It is a 24x13x16 approx.  I used to hide in this baul when I was 10 years old.  I couldn't imagine how?  The one on top is also an old piece.   

 

An old sewing machine which I turned into a TV table.

An old calesa wheel.

The 92 year old jars.

An old bike which I transformed into plant holders.

 The old piece of wood is put at the back neck of a carabao.  Can you see the rusty bell.  I brought this all the way from Amsterdam.  This piece is put at the neck of a cow.

 

Another over 90 year old piece from my mom's late brother, tiyo joe.

The old deer horns were given to me by my brother Poloi when I visited them in Austria. They have a lovely family with wife Nilda (very kind) and my handsome nephews,Gian and Glenn.

An old piece made of brass.

This is not an old piece but an immitation. I bought this on sale and now occupies a corner in my bathroom but the basin below is old. bought from american leaving.

I bought this in Boracay.  See the mother pearls in the shell.