Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Last week...

Another relentless winter storm blasted our valley late last Friday, but oh we were lucky to escape it.... oh yes, we did! You see, a warm orange wind suddenly swept in from the South just minutes before the snow had a chance to paint everything white again. It swept us all up at the end of the garden and swirled us across all the wheat fields, way way up in the sky.... I remember leaving behind all that freezing cold blast of air as they screeched past us; blowing the sun along with it. "Out of my way, snow, out of my way!" The warm orange wind landed us here...

A castle in a sunny land! Yes yes yes, and not just any castle my friends... If you recognize it, this is no other than Cinderella's very own palace rising high in the sky at the end of Main Street in fairytale land, in Orlando Florida... Yippee! Little Pebbles was static with joy! Her first trip to Disney!

Don't you just love her little backpack... She loved it, and carried it around ever so proudly.. hoo-hoo!
 

Just look at that sweet face! Love love love! ;)


No mama, I don't like those funny looking ears!

  OK, this just one for you Mima... cheese!


We couldn't make her wear the Minnie ears ;)



But boy was she smitten by Pluto!  


And loved her Pluto's ears so much.  Isn't that funny!

 
My girl loves daring activities like being thrown around, hand stands, and she did great with all the loud noises and scary creatures. Probably better than I did I can tell you that... The world is just too loud and stimulating to me...  Poor dear old me!  I so missed the peaceful peace of my garden and would never ever change it for all the beauty and noise of the world... ;)


But I was ever so thankful and blessed to be able to see mom and dad and sister Lissette again... and warm beaches in February, can you believe it!  Little Pebbles had a blast in my mom's garden...


 Hunting for lizards 


And discovering all sorts of treasures... 


 Oh and dancing the happy gypsy dance with her Mima, of course!


My soul grows and expands with gratitude for everything I've been giving. Want to try something?  How about saying "thank you" to someone today, say "I love you" as much and as many times as you can.  Gratitude will bring joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.  I am glad to be back home, and be here with you all. 




Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Baby love

Sky blue, lemon yellow and baby pink, almond, amaranth... fuchsia and the color of the Aurora Borealis. I have those colors on my mind lately.


And outside—oh, outside there lives a magical cat... really! Yes, I magical cat lives in my garden! And that's the truest true... You see, little Ms. Pebbles and I were strolling the gardens the other morning when all of a sudden—a ruffle of feathers, then a rumple behind the bushes and oh can you hear that? More clatter; a jangle amidst the dried leave, and then.... oh lookie lookie over there! A kitty, Pebbles a kitty!


A rather mysterious cat, I should say. He almost look humanoid to me. Oh those eyes; they contain such intelligence in them it's almost creepy. We followed this cat here and there all the way down to the bend on the garden, where he hid under some shrubs and never got out... Puff! He disappeared! Just like that. I never saw him get out and when I went to look, he wasn't there... where did he go?  Odd indeed.


Little Ms. Pebbles is looking lovely in her pink muslin dress! Can you believe this cute dress was her mama's? Yeap, 27 years ago... I kept all of Cindy's dresses from when she was a baby; pinks and baby blues and yellows and whites, and now Pebbles gets to wear them all.


 Such precious little darling... love love love!


Oh and have I mentioned it?  More roses... I got roses this past weekend from my friend Florencia...


Such pretty color...


I'll share more pics later...


Thank you for being here....
Life is so full of beauty...
let's keep our dreams alive.


Sunday, February 17, 2013

A little story

Honey, vanilla, chamomile... chrysanthemum cupcakes—she made them all; fruit, nuts and sugar covered in rose buttercream.


Dried rose petals were used extensively...


In her cuisine for taste 


and in her cottage for decoration...


 And dream... oh, dreamed she did... 


Little dreams big dreams...


 Swirling amongst rose flavored warm breezes in dreams never told.



The ancient times were gone. But as she looked back at generations gone by, she reflected on the memories that served as a tie....



Binding them together with future and past...



Good things, so-so things mixed with an endless assortment of feelings and seized moments. And all the while trying to learn how to focus more on becoming more peaceful with herself and with where she was in her life...


Finding peace in her present.  The key to happiness.


By the way, have you ever read "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff--and it's all small stuff", by Dr. Richard Carlson? This little book it truly is a miracle in itself and I am so thankful to have found it, as it has really helped me cope with the wrenches that were thrown at my life this past week... but oh enough of that.. I will rise up from the dust again.  You know, God allowed us to walk through problems so that we can be a part of His solution. God’s power is all encompassing. He is more than able to take the issues that hurt us and pain us and make it all right, but we do have to trust Him.

This week I will remember this: THE PAST IS DEAD. It is done. It is over. It is finished. It is dust. It is a new day today.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Tea party with the winter fairies

Earlier this morning... I made some cupcakes...


Because pink is my favorite color, I chose pink frosting for the cupcakes... what is it with the color pink that so appeal our senses? Delicious, sweet, lovely, girly... pink, I just love it!


Then this evening.... I looked outside my window and was astonished at what I saw... Yes, the snows are almost gone! The naked trees are still naked, but one can almost forget that we're still in the dead of winter... sunshine is putting some sparks on the land lately; and that's good—that is very good! I decided, I should go out and investigate what's going on in the garden... I haven't visited the garden in such a long time...


It's so magical out here... so magical!  I see all the flowers of the future, and see all the plants and vegetation that will soon fill this place up with joy and magic... see birds, and tiny footprints winding up the garden; see so much!  I cannot begin to tell you how happy this place makes me feel... I'm certainly the witch of my own enchanted forest!


During our cold winter days here in our valley, I like to collect food for the birds; and I like to store acorns and nuts for the squirrels and make cozy beds made out of sticks for the quails. When the snows arrive and it's a blanket, soft and white; falling slow, I like to go out to the garden and make snowflakes for my hair... I truly enjoy this time of year, but oh I know... I know what strange things winter can do to my lovely garden... it can turn it in a fairyland forest where trolls, and mean winter fairies, and even Bigfoot roam about freely! Oh yes Bigfoot; only we call him Sasquatch around here.

Tell me, do you believe in trolls? Trolls have always appeared in tales of old, in far-off lands and ancient times. Hard to believe such creatures could exist in today's world, doesn't it? Ah yes. However, here in the deep mystical region of my garden (which really means somewhere between my imagination and reality), trolls and enchanted creatures do exist.... and sometimes they would come out too!

This afternoon, I decided to throw a little tea party to the mean winter fairies.  


Bad bad idea! The fairies invited their friends the trolls, they made a ton of lovely little tea sandwiches with arugula and cucumber... I brought my pink cupcakes. 


We put on a pot of blueberry tea and sat under the sunshine for a while....



We were having a great time when all of a sudden I thought I saw something... something, or someone? A large hairy creature almost humanoid behind the old bushes looking at me... creepy creepy thing...


 Bigfoot? Who invited him?—I cried. Must had been the cupcakes... something to do with the cupcakes I'm sure...

"Don't feed the trolls" is a great expression, don't you think so? Oh I must had been feeding a troll inadvertently all this time.... I must had, yes, otherwise, I can't imagine why I've been tormented by one... a troll , yes... you see, according to my own dictionary the word "troll" can also mean among many many other definitions, "your boss"... a very spiteful troll as a matter of fact...yet, it is essential that I dwell in this creepy troll infected forest of sorts... subsist—that's the word... we all need to work to survive... but working for someone you abhor it really is stressful. Oh what to do? What to do?

For now, until things get resolved, I will continue enjoying my garden and everything life have to offer with the same grateful heart and a great confident in that no matter what happens, God will open another door... unexpected gifts will come to fill my life with joy and gratefulness... "cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me.  He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me— God sends forth his love and his faithfulness" (Psalms 57).

Thank you for being with me my friends



Saturday, February 9, 2013

Trials and triumphs

Cold...bitter cold, high winds outside. But inside.... well, inside is warm and cozy and love is a summer butterfly on the edge of the morning; hovering around each room; over my head; around my feet....


I am thankful... thankful for the trials of this past week, thankful for the peace that comes with perfect trust in God. And thus, I am up early; dancing with the shadows that soothe and warm my nest.


Lighting up candles in the early morning...


I love it... the reassurance, the coziness, the security, the pure cheer of solace.... home.


Trials, disappointments... they make our hearts ache.... but we shall fill our hearts with gladness, for we shall first pass through the darkness before we can reach the light. And thus, this week has been one of disappointments and fear, and faith and triumph. I am stronger than yesterday... I have grown in faith, I have discovered how strong I really am.  I am closer to God... angel wings on my soul too!

Change... change is a scary thing. I fear change. Do you? We shall light our Light and fear no more


Start this Sunday morning with a clean heart. No doubt, no tears, no fear, no worry.


And thank God for his priceless gifts; miracles throughout the world.


Be blessed.  Be content with who you are.  Be thankful for what you have.


Wednesday, February 6, 2013