GAIL’S SERENITY GARDEN
23 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in Gail's Serenity Garden, Garden Angel Tags: Beta fish, cacoon, Garden, succulents
Butterflys, Cacoons & Other Garden Delights
“All my hurts my garden spade can heal.”– Ralph Waldo Emerson
2nd Cacoon
Author of: From Here to Serenity, A Spiritual Guide to Transform Your Life
www.gmanishor.com
THE GARDEN OF LIFE
11 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in From Here to Serenity, Gail's Serenity Garden, Garden Angel Tags: blue margaretes, butterflies, cacoon, daylily, Garden Angel, milkweed plants, Monarch Butterfly, orange, purple, Serenity Garden, silver, snapdragons
Monarch In The Serenity Garden
Monarch Caterpiler
I decided to change the look of the area next to the fence that leads into my Secret Garden. I chose to use silver, orange and purple. This picture is when my Garden Angel first planted the small plants. Boy have things changed. The silver has tripled in size, the red/orange snapdragon have grown also. I also put in 3 blue margarites and a few purple plants.
A few months ago I planted 2 large milkweed plants which draw butterflies. The yellow and orange flowers complement the yellow and the yellow and orange Tanzia already there. My Garden Angel (who finally came back for wherever Angels go) got so excited when she saw the Monarch caterpillars crawling all over the plants that her halo practically fell off her head.
Yesterday she suddenly appeared at the back door and her eyes sparkled as she showed me the caterpillar that had attached itself to one of the lawn chairs just outside the back door to the patio. It actually was beginning its cocoon.
I just peeked out in the backyard and we now have our first cocoon!!!
- Cocoon
Gail Manishor, Author of
www.gmanishor.com
GARDEN
21 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in Gail's Serenity Garden, Garden Angel Tags: Coco, Garden Angel, Kitten, Secret Garden
MY GARDEN ANGEL
Affirmation: Today I follow my dream, I continue to put one foot in front of the other and I listen for guidance. I guard the garden of my thoughts and I think about what I want to create. Every day I give thanks for all the good in my life.
From Here to Serenity, A spiritual Guide to Transform Your Life
Gail Manishor, Author
www.gmanishor.com
Double Delight
My Garden Angel has jumped ship or I’ve been deserted by my Garden Angel. Now Angels are here to serve and protect us. So where’s mine when I need her?
Thank goodness Angels never really leave you but mine took a month’s vacation. Is that fair? Are angels supposed to do that? I guess even angels need a rest occasionally. As you can see by the picture, the garden is still beautiful. I’m doing the best I can to maintain the garden. Alas the weeds are beginning to gain ground.
The Secret Garden is not looking at all well. However the crepe myrtle tree is blooming and the Princess Plant is glorious. For some reason the roses in the Secret Garden are not doing at all well. My husband tells me this is not the right time of day to take a picture on that side of our home. So I’ll post a picture of that next time.
My kitten Coco is doing well, but is still biting. One minute she’s kissing me and the next minute she’s biting. I’m about ready to throw in the towel and call a Cat Psychic. Someone suggested I put a little white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spray her when she does that. What are your thoughts about that?
MORE OF WHAT I’VE LEARNED ABOUT CATS
23 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
in Endless List of things I've Learned, From Here to Serenity, Garden Angel, Kitten, Things I'm Still Learning, Things I've Learned Tags: biting, cats, Garden Angel, kittens
Further Adventures With Coco the Cat
Pounce
There’s always more to learn about cats. That’s what makes them so much fun.
The other day my Garden Angel brought over a package of cute little toys for Coco (including some balls with bells in them and little mice with catnip in them (which she loves). She’s now decided it’s more fun to fetch the mice than the balls. She bats them under something. I think there are now at least 3 mice under our refrigerator
The above picture is Coco getting ready to pounce on those feathers above her. She thinks it’s a bird but I think it’s me she’s thinking about pounding on.
She is a delight and so sweet and so pretty. However, she’s biting me till the blood runs. She doesn’t know she’s hurting me. She’s a baby. So what do we do? We’ve tried all the suggestions. She’s a cat and we’re having quite a challenge with her. You name it, I’ve tried it: Bitter spray, spray bottles with water, blowing in her face, distracting her, playing with her until I’m worn out, giving her time-outs, and giving her treats when she’s good. It’s not working.
I think we now have the answer. A friend told me about a collar that calms cats. It’s in a purple and yellow package, has pheromones and lavender in it that calms cats. I brought one home and put it around her neck. She acts like she doesn’t even know it’s there. She is now the sweet and cuddly kitten I wanted from the beginning. She now even cuddles up with me when I take an afternoon nap and I love it.
I thank Spirit for this very cute and now cuddly ball of fur.
Share with me some of your cat adventures.
Gail Manishor, Author of
From Here to Serenity, A Spiritual Guide to Transform Your Life
www.gmanishor.com
Gail’s Serenity Garden
19 May 2011 Leave a Comment
in From Here to Serenity, Gail's Serenity Garden, Garden Angel Tags: beauty, Garden Angel, joy, Meditation Garden, plants
Joy and Peace in My Garden
Gail Manishor, Author of
From Here to Serenity, A Spiritual Guide to Transform Your Life
www.gmanishor.com
Do you know what my Garden Angel just said to me? “I have plans for our garden. I know what needs doing. The most important thing is to prepare the soil. But you go out and get all excited and buy plants by the carload and distract me from my plan.”
Okay, She’s a little bossy. But, Wow! She’s right. I do that. But I’m compelled and can’t stop. Well, let’s face it, I don’t want to stop.
Sunday I went over to Anderson’s La Costa Nursery. It’s always fun to go there and poke around. Of course, I can’t leave without buying just a few things. Anderson’s is really beautiful and has well cared for plants in interesting and well-designed settings and helpful people.
Sunday I went over and bought more red and orange flowers to fill in and highlight the purple (Whirlwind Blue and the silver plants I already have on one side of my back garden. I bought: orange snapdragons, red Nemesia, orange Nemesia, Phlox hybrid “Intensia blueberry,” and a plant I’ve been lusting after for a long time named Very Cranberry Cape Mallow. I think it’s looking very beautiful and that’s what matters… Well – my Garden Angel does have something to say about it. Luckily she usually gets into the spirit of it.
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” –Thich Nhat Hanh
GAIL’S PEACE GARDEN
19 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
in From Here to Serenity, Gail's Serenity Garden, Garden Angel Tags: Gails, Joey, Petunias, Roses, Serenity Garden, Spring, verbena
Spring is in the Air
Its Spring!
It’s Spring and everything is coming into bloom! My Garden Angel and I are busy enjoying the sun and making everything even more beautiful. Above are petunias and verbena on the birdbath in the rose garden.
The roses are spectacular this year. Also many are stopping by on their daily walks to admire our desert area in the front of our home.
Joey - 1st Spring Bloom
Joey smells even better than it looks. Can anything be more beautiful?
Gail Manishor
Avid gardener and author of
From Here to Serenity, A Spiritual Guide to Transform Your life
www.gmanishor.com/
GARDEN OF LIFE
17 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment
in From Here to Serenity, Gail's Serenity Garden, Garden Angel Tags: Garden Angel, humming birds, Secret Garden
From Pink to Blue
Pink Jasmine
Today my Garden Angel arrived with homemade delicacies for Bill and a quick hug for me. Tragedy had struck and my beautiful fragrant pink jasmine that draped the entry to my Secret Garden made its transition (died) very suddenly. We wondered what had happened. Finally I sadly cut the dead branches away.My Angel and I discussed the problem. Do we want to plant another pink jasmine or should we try something new? We decided to move the Sweet Memory Duranta (which blooms spring to fall, attracts butterflies and hummingbird and has showy lilac-blue flowers. These plants grow from 10-15 feet tall the tag said) from a pot and put it into the ground. She began her work by gently taking the plant from its container. We could see it was struggling to get through the drain-holes in the bottom of the pot. It desperately wanted to be in the ground. I don’t have a picture of it at this point but will find a picture of what we do have to delight your eyes.
Meanwhile I began weeding and cleaning out the old leaves around the roses.After I had gone into the house my Garden Angel moved all the pots of plants off the patio washed down the patio table and chairs and the patio itself. She is an absolute marvel. But I think all angels are wonderful. Don’t you? I do.
Blue
Gail Manishor, Author of
From Here to Serenity, A Spiritual Guide to Transform Your Life
www.gmanishor.com
GAIL’S SERENITY GARDEN
20 Oct 2010 1 Comment
in Gail's Serenity Garden, Garden Angel Tags: Africa, changes, Garden Angel, lions, New Neighbors, Rhodesian Ridgeback
New Neighbors at Last
More On Gail’s Serenity Garden
Hillside Beauty
Photo by DeLynn Hood
You do get what you pray for. Sometimes it takes a little longer than other times.
Our neighbor with the weeds and rundown yard has moved out and a wonderful couple has moved in.
Changes are already in evidence. The weeds that were two feet above the top of our fence are now gone. Yeah! The trees in their back yard have been pruned and trimmed back and one was taken out. Our new neighbors came over yesterday to have us signoff on the colors they’ve chosen to paint their home. (We have Home Owner’s Association which wasn’t much help with the previous owner.) They have a Rhodesian Ridgeback dog upset by the move, but they have taken steps to calm her and “All is Quiet on the Western Front.” I looked it up on the internet and this dog comes from Africa and was used to hunt lions. Very interesting don’t you think so?
Meanwhile Gail’s Serenity Garden is getting quite a bit of rain which is a blessing for our garden and this whole area. A special blessing is that this is the fire season in Southern California and we have rain at the perfect time.
The hillside is filling in and My Garden Angel brought in more nice rocks and placed them on the hillside. She also moved one of the purple Pride of Madera from down below at the base of the hillside up toward the top of the hill a perfect place for it. It should do well with this wonderful rain.
The branch from a neighbor’s Twisty Willow Tree has rooted and is very happy in a beautiful cobalt blue pot and loves the rain.
I miss my Garden Angel as she is busy helping other people with their gardens. But she will come back when I need her. That’s what Angels do.
Gail Manishor, Author of
From Here to Serenity, A Spiritual Guide to Transform Your Life
http://www.gmanishor.com/
Hillside Beauty
From Here to Serenity, A Spiritual Guide to Transform Your Life
http://www.gmanishor.com/
SERENITY GARDEN
09 Sep 2010 1 Comment
in Gail's Serenity Garden, Garden Angel Tags: catch and release cage, Garden Angel, rabbits
War & Peace (Continued)
or The Love / Hate Relationship
The cage arrived yesterday. It’s called a Haveaheart cage. It’s complicated. According to the directions rabbits don’t like apples after all. Now I’ll have to eat the apples my husband Bill brought home. They like raw vegetables. My Garden Angel had a dream last night that we caught a rabbit and she called this morning to see if she needed to pickup the rabbit to release it in a safe place. Yes. Angels do use the telephone and this one even has a cell phone. Alas we didn’t get the cage up and running yet.
Here’s what a mama and baby look like. You can see why we don’t want to kill them. This picture makes you want to feed them. I wonder if the artist Sue O’Kieffe has a rabbit mandala. I know she loves nature and would be glad I’m trying to save the rabbits. Check out her Blog on
http://sacred-circle-mandalas.blogspot.com/
My Garden Angel and I scouted out the perfect wilderness area to release our rabbits. They’ll like it there.
Cage arrived and isn’t that easy to set up. I hope it’s worth all the trouble.
First night: Cage is empty. We’re going to move it to another location.
Second night: We changed locations. Cage is empty.
Third night: We changed locations again. Cage is empty, but carrot is gone.
Sunday morning. Just figured out what happened to my Bleeding Heart plant that has completely disappeared. The rabbits loved it! I had been wanting a Bleeding Heart Plant for years and finally bought one. Oh Well!
Sunday Night: We worked to see that the cage is set up properly, put a carrot in it. We’ll see what happens.
Monday Night: The Garden Angel decided we needed a “Buggs Bunny” carrot. She fluffed up her wings and flew to the nearest market where she bought a bunch of big carrots ( that smelled like carrots) with the green tops still on them. She was back in a flash and set up the carrot in the cage. Bill and our Angel set up the cage with one door closed so there was no quick exit. We waited.
Tuesday Morning: No rabbit, but the carrot was still there. This is one smart rabbit!
Tuesday Night: Bill tried another spot for the cage with a fresh carrot.
Wednesday morning: Zero, Nada. But the carrot is still here.
Friday pm. My Garden Angel came over for dinner tonight. Yes, Angels do eat. She decided to try her luck with the cage. She cut the carrots up and made a little path with sliced carrots which lead to the door of the cage. “I think I really did it this time. I’ll call you tomorrow to see if I can pick up the cage for our first rabbit release.” Yes. Angels do use the phones sometimes.
Saturday a.m. The carrots were gonzo but no rabbit. Needless to say my Angel is quite despondent and her wings are sagging a little. Bill has had it with this cage and is now going to send it back to Home Depot.
Friday morning: I’m upstairs in my office writing and look down and see – Guess what! You guessed it! A cute little rabbit eating! I run downstairs and he runs behind our plum tree. I go over to see where he is and he runs and dives through a hole he’s dug under the fence and is in the neighbor’s backyard. I am back to applying the rabbit repellent again which makes me sneeze.
Gail Manishor, Author, Licensed Practitioner and Frustrated but addicted Gardener
THOUGHTS ARE THINGS
01 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in From Here to Serenity, Garden Angel Tags: Garden Angel, humming birds, Little Friends, photographs
GAIL’S PEACE GARDEN
Humming Birds
“Ernest Holmes wrote, “Thoughts are things.” He told us to guard our thoughts
as we would a garden and pluck out the weeds of sadness, anger and guilt and replace them with good seeds. Our thoughts are powerful. ”
Gail Manishor, From Here to Serenity,
A Spiritual Guide to Transform Your Life
My Garden Angel and I have a lot in common. The love of nature and wildlife is one of many. One of our favorite pastimes is checking out interesting and different plant nurseries.
As I previously mentioned, my Garden Angel is a talented photographer. Here is a link to some photograph slides she took of the humming birds that visit her. If you like humming birds, you’ll love these slides. Click Little Friends link below.
I invite you to share your humming bird experiences with us in the Comments Section.
Buy the book link:
http://132132.myauthorsite.com/index.php?page_id=264
