Around the wild garden...

Because we don’t have an in-ground sprinkler system here, like we used to back at the house in the roses, watering is a labor of true love… I mean, real love. You have to unroll the thousand meters hose and roll it back every time everyday, backtrack to straighten the kinks out every time everyday, because every time you straighten one kink out another one immediately takes its place, and you sweat rivers no matter if it is as early as eight in the morning, and while you pound and pound the earth removing its bones so that you can be able to plant anything, you get bit, scratched, sunburned and smashed by all sorts of inconveniences in nature. Have you ever heard me complain about gardening or nature this bad before? ;)  I so love it… I truly do love it all. 

And all the while you are doing all that hard work, swirling round and round in your brain is God’s words to Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis… “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread”… of course, in my brain is more like “by the sweat of your whole body you shall see your flowers”… but you keep on going because you are a foreseer of the future by nature… it is in you. You are a believer of everything that’s good, and fair and lovely and because although there’s nothing yet to be seen of beauty around here at the moment, you know… oh you know what is to come… so you keep trying and trying like some of the creatures in the wild garden do... 

 Until one day their dreams come true...

Oh yes, dreams always come true, you just have to believe it!

I watered and fed every flower in every flower pot and flower beds this morning.  The hanging pots of ferns on the front porch are super hard to water because I cannot take them down.  So I get soaked from head to toe every time I water them.  I fed the hydrangeas with hydrangea’s food and the rest of the flowers, including the roses, with some vitamins for super blooms.   They are all doing splendid.  I cannot be any happier.  

In the back, where the woods are thick and dark and mysterious, I spread thousands of itty bitty tiny wildflowers seeds, along with several hostas by the bank of the little creek… then I cleaned another flowerbed by the pond and planted there two more Shasta Daisies… I want a road of tall white flowers for sunny breezes to play with there, between the pond and the outside dinning room where the patio table and chairs are.

I need a patio umbrella too, but I gave away by mistake the center piece of the table where the umbrella goes, and have to figure out now what can we do. We can get those big umbrellas that go outside the table and you can move it around wherever you want, but they are kind of expendy and on this kind of weather things outside don’t last long. 

Wouldn’t be nice if this scraggy tree here could grow wide and expand its limbs into green lush arms of a wonderful natural umbrella? I’m hoping that it would some day…

I have hundreds of stories to share… I have seen and heard and felt so many strange and wonderful things around here, you would not believe it… this is an enchanted place indeed, and the privets are home to fairies and wood’s imp and I have a rabbit friend who comes to visit all the way from Wonderland from time to time. I have birds a dozen, squires, and there are turtles… yes, my dear, I have a ‘snapping’ turtle friend named Luigj, who lives in the little creek which separates the garden from the woods… and kitties, oh kitties of every color come by too. They have discovered my garden… or discovered me, you figure! ;) 

The thing is I think I have the power to attract cats… yes sir I do. They always seem to find me.  I got to play with two adorable twin kitty brothers that came by to say hi the other day… but I’m sure that the big black cat I seen strolling around in the early evenings must be a magical cat. I saw him disappeared in front of my very eyes the other evening. I went outside as soon as I could, but he was nowhere to be seen. I wait for him every evening, by the window facing the mysterious woods. 

More stories to come! ;) 

Back to the cottage

Two days away from the little cottage, and how nice, and rewarding it is to be back to the familiar warmth of our cozy nest. Who would have thought that a humble tiny house could hold so much charm? I am thankful, and beyond overjoyed.   

I bought two more roses the other day. I wanted to add a couple of climbers to my small garden, but I’m learning that it’s wise not to get too fond of roses in this climate. Thus, I opted for some tropical climbers instead—the “Red Mandeville”, a gorgeous flowering vine that blooms lovely large trumpet-shaped red flowers. This is sorts of an experiment, as this plant does not tolerates cold weather.  So we’ll have to wait and see how it behaves over the winter.

Only few roses seem to be tolerant to all the mildew and black spot, common of this rainy humid climate, and the mayor distributors such as Lowes and Home Depot mainly carry the Knockout editions; which do wonderful in this climate and grow some very lovely thick bushes with healthy green glossy leaves. The profusion of roses on this brand is amazing. I got several of the “Red Double Knockout”, which are my favorite of the Knockout edition...  

My love of roses, however, goes beyond risks.  It's inevitable… and thus, I also bought a Hybrid Tea rose ;) One of the very few roses, aside from the Knockouts I’d seen at Home Depot… the name is “Elle” and is supposed to offer above tolerance to mildew and black spot. It said to have soft-multi-colored flowers, in pink and orange, with a strong, spicy fragrance. Great for cutting too.  Any of you have this rose growing in your gardens? Can hardly wait to see it bloom!

I’m so loving the colors blue and green and all the concoction of colors there is in between… it is almost hard to believe that I'm favoring these colors over the pinks I so used to love not too long ago.

It amazes me how our tastes, desires and even aptitudes change with time and circumstances. As our bodies adjust to new paths and situations, so does our spiritual apex… and I’m finding out that the truest beauty of change and walking towards maturity rests in the ripen of the spirit; the growing in grace and loveliness of the soul. 

Ah yes I’m in the greens and teals and aquas and jades... in total love with these colors and I’ve been adding a few lovely pieces to my kitchen as I find them in my searchings… like this $3.99 little green lamp in perfect conditions that goes so well with the things in my kitchen… didn’t even had to repaint it. Absolutely perfect.

 The little blue plates and lovely scarf... also thrift treasures...

And this lovely Jadite bowl, I so love...

Wish I could find some more Jadite dishes, but their hard to find.

Is so wonderful to be back...

May you make peace the sky of your life.

Love

Cielo

I'M LINKING TO:

FISHTAIL COTTAGE GARDEN PARTY

TIME TRAVEL THURSDAY

TREASURE HUNT THURSDAY

Rain and fog...

Do you love rainy nights? Rainy nights are magical. You’re safely tucked in the comfort of your cozy cottage, softly illuminated by the soothing light of little lamps, and from the outside come the sounds of rivers rushing through, but it is alright. Your cottage is the vessel in the Genesis flood narrative. The night is brimming with charm, and shadows and strange and soothing noises. 

It’s been raining here for days. A wintery-like chill hangs cheerfully from the atmosphere, and in the early morning and early evening fog is the invitee to the soiree of the land. 

It is magical. Rain. And one of the best aspects of it is the fact that I don’t have to spend energy or a minute of my time watering the plants. God does it for me. And I am thankful and astonished by His goodness. All of it. In its grand ways as well as in the smallest details. 

It is imperative that I go see a hair dresser ASAP.  And my nails oh poor things what a disaster they are!  I am looking more and more like “The wild child of the Privets” each day.  Remember her? No?  It sounds like a title of some creepy movie, doesn’t it? Well, I just made it up… hehe. But only because I do look super scruffy and disheveled as any child of the privets may look... something like a feral child, or the Wild Girl of Songi something like that?  You see, I’ve been in seclusion from society to some degree… with all that work I’ve been putting inside and outside the little cottage; rain or sun, I have forgotten all about appearances... oh boy.

But I'm happy being a hermit!  I am  I am! ;)

Oh oh, and a huge thank you to the lovely reader who uncovered for me the secret of the “Pretty Birds”. Yes, they’re the Cardinals... what do you know! The lovely cardinals are indeed the singers of the “pretty pretty pretty” song.  What a hit!  And how very sweet. And lovely. Thank you… 

Also, a huge thank you to the other lovely reader who offered the name of the apricot rose I mentioned on a previous post… “Simply Joey”. What would I do without all of you? I feel, and truly believe, that I’m complete when I’m here with all of you. We might not see each other in the physical realm, but we do communicate in spirit… and that’s the truest way to get to know someone for who they really are. 

Today, be free of worry, and realize nothing is lost

Love

Cielo

Painted furniture and mirrors

I had this little black chest sitting in my little white kitchen since the day we moved. I wasn't too crazy about it, nor liked how it looked there. Too dark, too ‘serious” looking? 

So I painted it, applied clear wax, and now I'm loving it! Oh yes I’m into painting furniture these days. I am! I’ve been wanting to try the Annie Sloan chalk paints for the longest time, but cannot decide if I should pay that much for paint. I’m I too frugal? I want to try making my own chalk paint some day. The Internet is overflowing with great videos and posts on how to make your own chalk paint. I find this a little messy thought, plus I’m not too sure about the “mix-this-measure-that” part. Even when cooking I seldom follow directions... I just don't like the ‘measuring’ part… unless it is something new I’m trying I just add the amount of ingredients I think I should, and that’s it. But don’t follow my advice, OK? ;) My daughter can never understand how I can add salt to my food just by guessing the right amount ;) 

Anyway, the other day at Home Depot I found out that they carry chalk paint… yes, did you know that? Their line is called the Americana Décor Chalky Finish paints. And it is my absolute new favorite paint on the planet. Cheap. Fast. No need for priming. And beautiful colors. 

Now, is this what they call the “heavily distressed look”, or is it more like a bad painting job? Hehe!

Truth be told, heavily distressed furniture gives me the impression of furniture that has been rescued from a dump… no offence intended. When you think about it, isn’t it a little odd that we purposely age our furniture now? Growing up in an underprivileged family and remembering most of our furniture looking just like this one on this photographs below (and this was not OK back then, believe me) I don’t think I’d ever want  to have pieces of furniture like this on purpose.

 

(Source - Pinterest)

Do you like the Shabby distressed look?  

So I went for a second coat of paint on my little black dresser...

and this is what it looks now...

By the way, I love these silk roses.  The ones with the tarnished tips were originally all white… I dipped them in coffee to make them look old.  Pretty~

 

Then I added some pretty knobs to it… crystal sea foam green knobs I bought at Hobby Lobby long long time ago and hadn’t decided where to use them… until now.  In our previous homes I had used these knobs as decorations… they’re so pretty!

The color I chose for this little chest is called "Primitive".   

Beautiful.  Fast.  Immediate satisfaction.

I love mirrors in the kitchen... and everywhere as a matter of fact

Mirrors bring light and beauty into any room…

They’re like windows to me that you can move around and place as you like…

So I tried one or two mirrors before deciding on these small ornate ones…

A rectangle and oval mirrors for added contrast.  

and an added French flair to the kitchen

Love it!

Home Depot carries only certain colors of the chalk paint at the store, but you can order whatever color you want online. Check COLORS here.

By the way, in case you’d want to know, the color I chose for my dinning room table on my previous post, it is “Vintage”, also from Deco-Art-Ameriocana.

Happy Monday

and

Happy painting!

Painting...

The ‘real’ landscaping people came by yesterday to clean and dispose of the huge fallen trees in the backyard. They worked for hours out there, but even so, no huge transformation is noticeable. 

And the privet looks better just up to some extent, but I’m afraid that trying to make any sense of this strange and indomitable landscape is going to be almost impossible, and we have to understand that this is not the house in the roses; nor are we to expect a garden anything like the one we once had… 

Strangely as it may seem, thought, I am not complaining. And if I decide to go deep into my soul and examine the feelings harbored there, I should not be surprised. I have changed—something in me has changed; quietly and secretly… and I don’t wish for comparisons. I am truly happy and in love with the more natural surroundings in which we now live… oh let the grass grow as it wishes, and let the wind wave the untrimmed honeysuckles and ivy hanging from the trees without care, and let the birds feed on the wild berries growing in the flowerless ground and the privet be the den, nest, burrow, hole, cave and stable for every creature. I would not change a thing. 

And how astonished and amazed I was this morning during our breakfast when my husband shared with me these same feelings… I hadn’t mentioned him the way I feel about this wild garden of ours, and yet we both share the same prerogatives.  How amazing this is to me.

I had to laugh the other day while out in the backyard painting this little mahogany table you see here. 

I had it in our sunroom-dinning room, but I thought it too dark and too serious for the sunny disposition of our little cottage.  So I decided to paint it…  I’m not the best of painter like so many of you out there are and I don’t know anything about fancy painting and waxing techniques.  I just paint.  So you see, I was sure I was doing a very poor job at it, but then I heard those birds… above the thick, and above the privet and the gigantic maple trees out there somewhere singing to me:  pretty pretty pretty… and what do you know… those birds were so right!  
     

Yes, pretty… I decided to believe the birds!

The little dark table looks awesome now in this blueish-grayish color 

against all the white and black decor of my dinning room...

Pretty pretty pretty! ;)

It gives such a nice contrasting punch of color and happiness and simplicity to the room that even my husband, who’s much against painted furniture, had to agree on it.  I just love it!

To all of you:

Celebrate life on a routine basis, 

and definitely, when peace and joy come into focus

Love

Cielo

Outside...

I cleaned the pond yesterday and moved the garden statues around. I brought Rebecca over to the pond, as I thought she’d be a perfect fit there with her water vessel and all, but she appeared way too small in her surroundings there, and thus, I took her back to where she really belongs—atop the stump, at the skirts of the woods… big, old, worm-eaten and absolutely enchanting to me. 

I know that Mr. little mischievous cherub here is happy to be back at his old post again—on the bridge above the pond. Oh I could tell he was annoyed at me for moving him to another spot.  You see, he loves it here and has been patiently waiting for the fishes to show up for the longest time… all the while making all these wonderful plans in his mineral head about fishing in the darkest of nights under a full moon. It was unfair of me to moved him, you know... so I brought him back and he’s been his regular happy mischievous little self again ever since! ;)

I’ve been planting around the pond and on other flower beds every day… a little here, a lot there. Does sweat makes us lose weight? It sure feels like a sauna here. Every thump of the shovel on the ground is a boulder that needs to be fought and pull out. I sweat rivers and then, I go out to the front porch and rest for a little bit... just a little.  And enjoy a lot.  The newly planted flowers are looking lovely... 

I love to sit there. I’ve been doing that everyday. I take my lunch with me and have a picnic with myself and the birds out there. The blue jays have built their own personal paradise amidst the tall maple trees that surround the front of our little cottage… I love watching them swoon the air in twosomes, sometimes in threesomes… like sapphire flashes of thunder all day long… And I wonder what birds are those others whose songs sound more like flirtatious remarks to me than anything else…. pretty pretty pretty—they sing all day long. 

Everyday sunshine brings some new blooms to my wild garden… so it seems. I'd so love to know the names of all these lovely blossoms that come to my garden just to make me happy… I think these are wild honeysuckles... and it must be, because the sweet scent is like no other... it lingers in the air like some enchanted butterflies… I so love honeysuckles.  

I may not have a place as manicured as my garden in the roses was, but good is good, wherever it shows… on the ground, in the skies and even in a bramble of weeds!

I sit out there in my backyard, quietly studying my surroundings and can hardly believe I am actually living my dream.  A real dream.  A little white cottage, the shadowy, almost unfathomable woods right at the edge of the garden, the little singing creek, the pond, the marvelous, enchanting sunny warm days, the songs, the hymns of praises and tweets of birds in this paradise of brambles, with all the time of the world within my hands to enjoy it all… to enjoy it freely, without a shadow of remorse or obligations or fear of human’s rudeness and trickery… all of it to enjoy to the very core of bliss.   

My gosh, it's just so good. This precious gift. This feeling of amazed wonder, and absolute freedom and overwhelming gratefulness that makes me a nobler and happier human being… thank YOU… thank YOU, Father.

Life challenges all of us to go beyond pain, 

to realize we are more than physical works of art: 

we are also spiritual works of art.

I'M LINKING TO: FISHTAIL COTTAGE

The bathroom

I am thankful that our little cottage has exactly everything we need. No more. No less. Just precisely what we need to our heart’s contentment—like the extra large marvelous bathtub situated right under a sun-drenched window that I so love.

I don’t know what would I have done if our little cottage didn’t had a bathtub (as so many of the houses we saw before buying this one didn’t) because I am addicted to my super hot bubble baths for as long as I can remember… 

 

Do you prefer showers or baths? Showers are quick and refreshing, but baths are luxurious and relaxing, and I love them; particularly before going to bed.  

Our bathtub is actually a whirlpool tub, but the first time I turned on the jets I almost drown—Titanic like water shooting everywhere super hard.  So I hadn’t turn them on again and are just using the tub as a normal regular bathtub… filled with super hot water and heaps of bubbles…

There’s no linen closet or drawers where to put your personal belongings like we used to have in our rented home with all the wonderful extra spaces it had… but the little 3-drawer chest that was part of our guest room in a previous life has come very handy for purposes as such. And I am thankful, and contented with what we have. 

I’m still enjoying some of the last roses I brought from the rented home a few days ago. I wish I knew the name of these particularly beautiful apricot rose that grows full and low to the grown. When new, these roses have a lovely pink color, but then as they age they turn apricot in color and lovelier in its scents—provoking, and enigmatic… Wouldn’t it be beautiful if we humans could grow old just like that rose? The body may decay, but may we grow lovelier and more fragrant in the spirit each day. 

Thank you for being here my friend!

Be the light you seek