Fairy Gardens

Fairy Gardens are all the rage right now, but my mom used to talk about Fairy Gardens years ago! She used to tell stories about the huge gnarly oak tree that is in the front yard of my great grandmother's home which she called the "Fairy Tree." The Fairy Tree has a large opening in the base of the tree and this is where she used to take her paper dolls and make a house for them.

Our modern versions of Fairy Gardens are much more sophisticated with store bought furnishings, fairy figurines, and props. I'm not a believer in fairies, but I do like the imagination and creativity behind the fairy gardens.

My version is a small one planted in a broken bird bath. I planted this for my granddaughter, and I hope as she grows older, she will become enthralled with it and use her own imagination to rearrange, add to, and play with.

I am working on a second garden, just because I find them fun myself (And I had leftover store bought items)! I think it would be even more fun to gather natural items to re-imagine into furnishings, paths, etc. acorns, pebbles, leaves, twigs, bark, ferns etc. make excellent choices for building a natural Fairy Garden. It uses much more imagination and camouflages the "secret garden" from the ordinary viewer. Only those who take time to smell the roses and peer deeper into a small garden area will see the magic that lies beneath!

Lessons From Chickens

I am a member of a group on social media for backyard chicken owners. It saddens me that every single day there is a post from someone who has lost a beloved chicken. For those of you who are not familiar with chickens, they make wonderful pets and they have the cutest personalities!

Most of the losses are from free range hens who have no protection from predators or from coops that are not predator proof. Some are from diseases and illnesses that just happen. Chickens get sick. They die. We cry.

 I am encouraged however that the Bible clearly says that God is aware of every sparrow that falls from the sky. He is also aware of every hen, rooster, or pet that falls. He sees the loss. For those who grieve the loss of a beloved pet, God sees your tears.

Psalms 56:8 says that He collects our tears in His bottle. He sees you. He loves you. And He has a heaven waiting for those who trust in Him where there will be no more sickness, no pain, no death. 

There will also be no more predators! Isaiah 11:6 and Isaiah 65:25 says the lion will lay down with the lamb, the children will play at the hole of the cobras (Isaiah 11:8) with no fear of being bitten. There will be peace, not only among men, but among the animals! The hawks, the dogs, the possums, the weasels will no longer threaten our chickens! I hope this encourages you as much as it does me!