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.