First Week of December Blessings

Yes, it is December!  The last month of 2024.  Another opportunity to slow down (if that is possible this month) and focus on being thankful for all the blessings in my life.  Thankfulness isn't just for November; it's for every month, every week, every day of every year.  That's why I join Friday Fave Fives each week to reflect on all the blessings of those past seven days. Here are mine for this week.

1.  In a week of rather cold weather, I am thankful for warm clothes, a warm house and a car with heated seats.  A few days this week our temperatures have not risen above freezing.  I am thankful that I have clothes to layer to keep warm.

2.  Every year our town has what is called Sights and Sounds of Christmas.  Attendees walk from one church to another in the downtown area, listen to orchestras, bell choirs, chorale choirs, organs and trumpets and violins play and sing Christmas songs.  This is the second year The Professor and I have attended.  The weather was so cold and windy that we considered not going this year.  But we decided to brave the frigid temperatures and we are glad we did.  We bundled up and it was okay.  And the music was wonderful!

3.  Knitting is coming along.  Currently I have twe,three,four  five projects on my needles.  Three more Christmas mittens are finished.  I love to knit and I am so thankful that I can still create so many things.

4.  Recently, I noticed a news article about a new local coffee shop/bakery in town.  So The Professor and I decided to check it out, which of course means that we had to stop in and order coffees and a fresh cinnamon roll.  It was a plus.  So it looks like T and S will be joining us there for coffee date soon.

5.  Christmas decorating is 'almost' done.  Some things like the nativity set that our son made when he was maybe 11 is set up.  The village that surrounds the train track (yes, it runs!) is arranged on a special table next to the tree. No, the tree is not decorated yet.  But Younger Daughter wants to come over and help with decorating it.  The Advent candle for the first week (Hope) has been lit.

Happy First Week of Advent!

Plays, Books, Coffee

 Good morning.  Are you roasting, sweating and burning in the heat wave crossing much of the northern hemisphere this first Friday of summer?  Please be careful and drink lots of water.  Put ice and cool cloths on the insides of your wrists.  Place a bucket of ice in front of a fan to cool down a room.

OK, that was your public service announcement.  On to FRIDAY FAVE FIVES.  Here's Willow's Week.

1.  Shakespeare in the Park.  We love watching Shakespeare plays, and every summer there are performances in a park in the capital city.  Sunday night, we packed a picnic and drove in to watch Much Ado about Nothing.  So much fun!  Even the grands loved it.

2.  New fences!  The fence at our daughter's home is showing its age.  Since she has a dog, she needs a good strong fence (although sweet Shep wouldn't try to break out).  AND we wanted a fence around our back yard, mostly to keep the deer and bunnies out.  So, after waiting weeks and weeks for our materials to arrive, finally, we have fences!  Those hard working fence builders did all of our daughter's fence and almost all of our fence in ONE DAY.  I'm thankful for our new fencing and for hard workers.

The big question:  will the fence keep the deer out?

3.  I was texting with my friend and she commented that three goods in life are :  good book, good coffee, and good chair.  I think that each is good, but all three together are great.  

4.  Speaking of coffee-- we had a coffee date with our CA friends at another new to us coffee shop.  These coffee dates are so much fun.  This shop is on a canal--great location, too!

5.  Oh, and books!  At the local library, I found an Elizabeth Goudge book I had never read.  Yay!  I love Goudge's books.  This one, The White Witch, is keeping me in suspense because it is set during the English Civil War period.  I love the historical references, too.

Bonus:  if you want to read my post about the Fairy Trail, here is the link:  The Fairy Trail. 

Bye, February!

 Hello!  It's FRIDAY!  TGIF, right?  And TGIFFF!  Thank God It's Friday Fave Fives!  It was a quiet week, but that doesn't mean there aren't things to make me thankful.  Here is Willow's Week.

1.  Everyone around here is talking about 'warm weather'.  And it has been sunny most of the days this week, so we have been out for walks.  Yay!

2.  Sunny days often mean nights where the moon is shining.  I love those clear evenings and am thankful it is nearing full moon, too.

3.  Cold weather has reminded me how much I appreciate and am thankful for a warm, heated home.

4.  Second haircut since moving.  I love my new stylist.  The Professor and New Boy got haircuts this week, too.  I am so thankful that salons are open here.

5.  I don't believe in chance meetings.  I think this was supposed to happen.  On Saturday, we were in a locally owned coffee shop where they roast their own beans.  While we were waiting for our coffee, we were talking to the owner who was in the process of roasting a batch of coffee beans in the shop.  Long story short, when the owner asked where we had moved from and we replied, another couple who was waiting for their coffee, too, piped up and said, "Really?  We recent moved here too and are from the town next to yours!"  We discovered so much in common that we met this week for morning coffee to get better acquainted.  We know we've found new friends!  That just doesn't happen by chance when the towns are 2,400 miles away.

Bonus:  I am really loving that book I am reading during Lent.  A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Philip Keller.  I highly recommend it!

December Thankfulness #1

 It's Friday and time for Friday Fave Fives.  Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts this every week.  HERE is the link.

1.  Not one but TWO fires in the fire pits.  One on Friday at our older daughter's home as a final fire before she handed the keys to the new owner.  And then our first fire at our house (burning the rest of the wood that remained from her (now sold) place.  Since it snowed the next day, we loved having had the opportunity to use the fire pit.  An added bonus was that two of the neighbors walked over to say hello and introduce themselves.

2.  Walks and hikes are always on my fave list.  On Saturday afternoon we walked about two miles on the local bike path with all three grandchildren.  The weather was fine and it was a part of the trail they had not walked on before.

3.  Even in the snow, we have walked.  One late afternoon/early evening, we decided to get our walk in by walking to the big HD outdoor store as The Professor needed to purchase a tool for a small project.  So we walked instead of driving the one plus miles each way.  It was through the neighborhoods and it was good to know we can easily get to the grocery store and other places by walking.

4.  Our Older Daughter's rental home has sold! (see #1).  That's a huge burden off her busy schedule.

5.  Several months have passed since her home and neighborhood flooded last March.  Today the flooring in the two bedrooms on the main floor is being installed!  We are so thankful that this part of the renovation project is DONE!

Bonus:  Some adult MKs (missionary kids) from Papua, Indonesia have created a Daily Advent Devotional to share with all of us who have lived and served in Papua through the years.  I am loving reading and meditating on their encouraging and thoughtful devotionals.   Happy First Week of Advent!

Friday Fave Fives in the End of October

Good Morning to you on this last Friday in October!  It's cold and rainy.  The leaves are falling fast in the wind.  It's mid autumn.  How are you faring?  Have you stopped this week to think about the blessings God has graciously given you?  Here are FIVE FAVE THINGS on this FRIDAY that I have noticed in my week.  If you want to join in, click on THIS LINK which will take you over to Susanne's blog.

1. I missed posting my FFF last week because the moving crew of two guys was here unloading the trailer and bringing our belongings in to our new house!  I am thankful for God providing pleasant hardworking people to move our furniture and boxes (and boxes!) of things in for us.

2.  Earlier in the week, painters arrived to paint about half the rooms in the house.  Oh!  It looks so much more like 'our place' now!  Again, I'm thankful for excellent, careful and cheerful people working in our home.

3.  This may sound like NOT a fave.  But we happened upon the BEST dentist.  At church, we met a young couple and discovered she teaches at The New Boy's school.  And her husband works for a local dentist.   We made appointments, got in for our check ups in quick time.  And! I called for a first appointment with a medical doctor and got in to see her THE NEXT DAY!  If you've ever moved, you know that finding medical people is not always easy.  I'm thankful for the smooth and fast transitions.

4.  We voted in Ohio!  I am thankful that we CAN vote!

5.  Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series!!  Go DODGERS!

Bonus:  Every time we drive around our new area, I notice just how much like England it looks!  My grandson, The New Boy, commented on that when we were in England last year (March 2019).  I looked up these photos of Avebury, Wiltshire, from a trip I took with his mother in November 2016 .  It looks like Ohio!  Except, of course, for the sheep grazing in the park.

Mid October is a Cheery Time

Here is a quick update on Willow's Week for FRIDAY FAVE FIVES.

1.  I'm thankful that we will take possession of our home this afternoon or this evening!  If I am a bit absent around blogland for the next few days, that's why.

2.  The weather has been mostly warmish and sunny.  Only one day of rain.  But I am thankful for both.

3.  I took a little fall, slipping in the rain as I crossed a street.  I am thankful that I was not hurt much, just bruised a bit on my calf because I was holding on to my shopping cart.  I guess all my hiking and walking helps.

4.  This past week we watched a gardening in the fall and winter seminar online.  Produced by a local university, it provided good information for someone like me who has never before gardened in a really cold climate.  Now I have lots of ideas for what and how I can grow some veggies through the winter.  I am thankful for these opportunities to learn.

5.  The Professor and I took a lovely four mile walk along a bike path.  Walking under the tree canopy, we enjoyed all the autumn colors.

All the leaves to scuffle and shuffle along the path

Are you enjoying the colors that God has used to paint our world?

Friday Means Fave Fives

Happy Friday!  Friday Fave Fives are here again.  The link to Susanne's blog will take you to share others' weekly blessings.  Here are mine for this second week of October.

1.  We have a home!  Papers were signed, and now we await the date for possession.  I am so very thankful for home!

2.  Daughter #2 has been letting us live with her for the past two months.  That's true love and filial affection.

3.  We found a pizza place that has vegan cheese and vegan sausage!  Yay!  I can have my vegan pizza!

4.   Phone calls from a good friend are always a blessing.  My friend moved to Tennessee about the same time I moved to Ohio.  We're back in the same time zone, and we are planning to have regular phone call times.  We talked this week, and oh it was so good just to hear "Jo's"* voice. *my nickname for her.

5.  Have you watched End Game?  The last Avengers movie.  Why is this a fave?  I watched it with and for my grandkids.  It's a fave because I did it with them.

Bonus:  all the leaves are turning beautiful autumn colors!

And so went Willow's Week.  What blessings did you find this week?

Hello October!

 I'm a day late, but I really hope I'm not a dollar short.  Or even a few pennies.

It's Saturday Friday Fave Fives time!  It's October, the tenth month of this year. This year has sometimes crept along and sometimes raced so fast I couldn't keep up.  Always, it is important to stop and reflect and remember the many many blessings I have in my daily life.  Here is Willow's Week in Five Faves.  Thank you, Susanne, for leading this exercise in gratitude every Friday.  Here's the LINK. 

1.  You many recall that my younger daughter had ankle surgery about six weeks ago. She has been cleared for physical therapy and has been making great progress.  Her post op appointment was yesterday (which explains my lateness in doing FFF since I am her driver.) and she is healing well according to her doctor.  Yay!

2.  We took a lovely drive and hike to a park in the next county north of here and hiked down to the falls.  It wasn't a long trail but it was lovely to be in the trees and next to the creek.  No photos cuz I forgot my camera.

3.  So on Thursday, we drove south a bit and parked next to a section of one of the TJ Evans Trails and walked on the paved bike trail.  One thing I love about my new home is all the accessible trails.

4.  One of the benefits of zoom meetings is that we can still call in to group meetings and see our friends.  There was a church business meeting and we joined and were able to 'see' friends and know how things are going at our CA church.

5.  This isn't so much a fave for me personally, but our granddaughter was SO HAPPY to go back to physical school on starting on Wednesday.  She's an extrovert and is loving being back with her friends.  I'm glad for her.

And so that is my Five Faves for this first week of October!

Getting Adjusted

Lately, all I have been thinking about is how to adjust to my new life. There are so many blessings in these changes and adjustments. Here are My Five Faves for Willow's Week. Susanne is always faithful to host Friday Fave Fives. THIS LINK will take you to her blog and you can join the gratitude girls.

1. Better weather. Less humidity. I kinda hope we don't get 'second summer' and more humidity. Ohio, please give me a few months to adjust to cold before you hit me with the humidity again.

2. The roses in my daughter's garden are blooming. I've been picking a few and placing them in a mason jar where she can see them as she sits with her leg elevated. I would love to post a photo but my camera has stopped talking to my computer, or maybe my computer has stopped talking to my camera.

3. Knitting is happening. Again...no photos. I started another diagonal block afghan using autumn shades of left over sock yarn. It's a fun and easy pattern and so colorful and will be warm and cozy this fall.

4. If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know we love farmers markets. There is a great one on Saturday morning here. Yay! The only difference with our Saturday market in CA is that this one closes down the end of October and doesn't go all winter long. But we are savoring our wonderful fresh local veggies for now.

5. I saved the best til the last. We have found a home! If all goes well, we will be living in our home before the end of October! I just can't wait!

Bonus: A younger woman we knew during our Indonesia days (she was a missionary kid and lived in the dorm with my children) posted this excellent statement on facebook.

A good meal can be made better by a happy and grateful attitude while eating.

And I would add, good conversation.

G'Bye, July

Happy Friday!  Happy Last Day of July!  Happy FRIDAY FAVE FIVES!

1.  Today is my youngest child's birthday.  I prayed for this girl!  She's a treasure, and I will always be thankful for her.

2.  Last weekend, I met my art group friends in a park. We sat in appropriate social distancing chairs we brought and discussed another chapter of Hidden Art by Edith Schaeffer.  We're almost done with the book and it has been a great review for me as I had read in a long time ago.  How I appreciate this group of women--just five of us.  

3.  After that, one friend and I walked up the horse trail by the park.  She wanted to show me the sculptures and animals at one property and the vineyard at another.  I love the terrain of this area.  It reminds me of Italy (as it should since we have the same mediterranean climate.

4.  Yes, things are moving forward and after one small glitch, it looks like the house sale will be finished in less than two weeks.  [insert deer frozen in the headlights look]

5.  A crew of guys from church showed up this morning to move all our boxes from storage and bring them to our home, so they can be packed into the moving truck when it is loaded.  Firefighter guy and his young brother-in-law and one other man.  Besides our being so blessed by their strong arms and willing help, I loved listening to those brothers act like brothers. [Smirk]  Honestly, we couldn't have done it without them!

 

So much to be thankful for.  All the help and care of people we are leaving.  All the excitement of family who are expecting us next month.  What are you thankful for this week?

July and More July

I check the calendar and realize, Nope, we're still in July.  I know I'm not the only person who just has no idea of what month it is or even what day it is.  So I think it's Friday.  I hope.  If it is, that means it's Friday Fave Fives day.  No matter what day it is, I need to remember to be thankful for all the blessings in my life.  Here are mine for this week.

1.  We are keeping careful track of the progress of our home sale.  Our excellent agent is keeping us up to date, and it's still on track for closing August 10th.  I am so thankful that it seems to be working out.

2.  Bring Your Own Dinner in the park with our friends who have the blueberry ranch, which is now actually the strawberry ranch.  We chatted for almost three hours.  I'm thankful for wonderful long time friends (who I will miss so much!).

3.  Wednesday morning, I walked up to my friend's home.  She is part of my weekly Bible Study class and is the leader for my small group.  She got our group of ladies together in her back garden and we spent a wonderful couple of hours sipping our coffee and catching up.  I was totally surprised by the cards and little gifts they shared with me since this will be the last time I am able to be with them.

4.  We were given an unexpected blessing this week in the form of A.Whole.Bunch. of used moving boxes.  As I was walking home from my friend's (see above), I passed a new neighbor who we had met on one of our nightly walks.  He was throwing used moving boxes out of his garage, so I asked him if I could have them.  YES!  So The Professor and I drove our car up to his place and filled it with boxes.  Four times.  It was a win-win.  He got rid of the boxes he didn't want and we got boxes we need.

5.  Back gardens and parks are great places to meet (see #2).  The art group met in a park this morning and we discussed one more chapter of Hidden Art.  We can be social distanced and still have the friendship and fellowship together.

Busy Week

Late. Late. Late.  Sometimes it is just like that when it comes to Willow's Week for Friday Fave Fives.  But I think I made it in under the deadline.

Edit to add:  I should have reported that the sale of our home is moving along.  So far, so good.

Here are five things that I have been blessed with this week.

1.  An older friend from church is decluttering his house after his wife passed away.  He has handed over all her yarn to me (as the conduit) to share with others.  Wow.  There is a lot of yarn.  It is going to be a blessing to my friend's weaving studio, Threadbender Textiles, and to a church's knit group which makes afghans, prayer shawls and hats for people who need them.

2.  I just can't get enough of the beautiful animals and birds in our neighborhood.

Herons and ducks night fishing

3.  On Saturday, a friend and I hiked up the very steep trail to the water storage tank across the freeway from where I live and almost exactly halfway between her house and mine.  When we reached the top just above the tank, we sat on the highest rock and chatted for a long time before hiking back down.  The views were stunning!

We were actually overlooking Highway 101, Camino Real.  Waaay out there under the fog bank is the Pacific Ocean.

One of the places where your California lemons are grown

4.  I had a good reminder to FINISH something this week.  I'm working on it!  There's a knitting project someone asked me to do (make a copy of an antique doll's sweater which was ruined) and I've been procrastinating.  It needs to be finished before we move.  So I picked it up and have been knitting and am nearing the end.

5.  This week was our anniversary.  We've been married forty-seven years!  My constant thought that day was--we started out on an adventurous life and it seems like we just continue with the adventures.

Our Engagement 

Bonus.  A favorite quote (taken from Micah 6:8)

Do not be daunted by

the enormity of the world's grief.

Do justly, now.

Love mercy, now.

Walk humbly, now.

You are not obligated to complete the work,

But neither are you free to abandon it.

It's Still July

Well, I'm late posting my FRIDAY FAVE FIVES.  It has been a crazy week and especially a crazy Thursday and Friday.

1.  But first, this blessing.  The Professor preached Sunday morning.  There were a total of ten people in the building (and I got to be one of them).  But it was on YouTube and nearly 1,000 people tuned in to listen to him talk about Heaven Is More Than a Wonderful Place.  It was a blessing to hear my husband speak of something of utmost importance and from his heart.

2.  AND I bought myself a pair of walking shoes on Amazon.

3.  AND I bought myself a pair of black Skechers shoes, too.   In a store.  I've been avoiding buying these shoes for months, and my feet finally convinced me to just buy the shoes.

4.  AND the baby quail are back!  I happened to be standing in the back of the house and heard a quail calling.  I knew she (I think) was calling the 'babies, where are you' cry.  Quietly, I peeked out the open window and spied the mama quail standing guard above the broccoli patch.  And YES!  The baby quail were there pecking around for seeds.  This new little covey is the first one we have seen for a couple of years.  They are such a delight!

5.  We have accepted an offer on our home!  It has been a long time coming, but we are thankful that soon we will be able to move to live nearer our two daughters and three grandchildren.   The next few weeks will be a bit wild, but we know this is our next step in life.

It's SUMMER!

I know that I love summer.  Here in coastal Southern California, we usually have those June Gloom foggy mornings and then sun in the afternoons.  I love early summer here!  Somehow, no matter what is happening, I am happy in the summer.  And it makes it easier for me to find my FRIDAY FAVE FIVES.  Follow the link to join in and read what people around the world are thankful for.

1.  Dining in.  For the first time in how long?  We dined in at our favorite restaurant!  Yummy burritos and the BEST salsa verde!

2.  After taking our house off market for a bit (thanks to  pandemic stuff), we are back on market and hoping to move forward to sell our house.

3.  I 'rediscovered' a t-shirt that is in my shirt drawer.  I hadn't worn it for awhile, and when I pulled it out and read the front, it made me smile and giggle a little.  Who doesn't love a t-shirt that says,

Meddle

Ye not in the affairs of

Dragons for

Ye are

crunchy and good

with Catsup!

4.  Today is The Professor's birthday!  We are celebrating quietly.  All he wanted was a razzleberry pie from Marie Callender's.  One of my favorite photos of him is this one which I snapped as he was sitting on the porch steps of our bush house in the interior of West Papua, Indonesia--a long time ago.

5.  And today is also my mother's birthday.  Were she still on earth, we would be celebrating her ninety-eighth birthday.  I know she is much happier where she is in heaven, but we still miss her.  My brother called me earlier today and we reminisced about our wonderful mom.  I don't have many photos of my mom from her early years--this one was taken during World War II when she was a young woman.

Happy SUMMER to you all!  Let's find the blessings in this sunny season!

Notice the Beauty

I'm a bit late posting my Friday Fave Fives.  I have a good excuse (which you can see below).

1.  Yesterday (Friday), I had a doctor appointment.  Yes, I'm fine.  It was just a check up.  But I am happy that I finally had a face to face appointment.

Other things that blessed me this week:

2.  We went to the beach!  It's the first time we've ventured out to the beach since March.  Ventura State Beach.  Oh, my heart is just full!

3.  The beach doesn't just have seaweed, rocks, shells, driftwood and shorebirds, it also has flowers in the dunes.  I love the color and beauty that greets me at every step on the trail.

4.  Our evening walks often provide us a look at our area wildlife.  We often say HI to the bunnies which are prolific this year.  We've seen a coyote once before this year.  But this week, we heard one howling and yapping and ended up meeting him on the golf course.  He didn't want to get close enough for a photo op, but I managed to catch him on the run.  Blurry because I had to zoom in so far.

5.  Sunsets have been gorgeous this week!  It's June Gloom time which means we have fog and low clouds rolling in at night and keeping the sun hidden in the morning.  But it also means beautiful sunsets.

  As I finished writing this, I realized that four of my five faves involve being outside!  Yes!  If you need some encouragement this week, get outside!  Enjoy and experience our beautiful world.   The wildlife, birds, flowers, trees, hills, valleys, mountains, beaches.

Where's Your Focus?

Well, this week included fires, riots, dissension...but I can't focus on those things.  I choose to put my focus on the good things in my life, the blessings and the things which make me grateful.  If I do nothing else here at Willow's Cottage blog during the week, I still post my Friday Fave Fives.  I have to.  I need to.  It blesses me.  I hope it blesses you, too.

1.  I have had three face to face meetings this week!  In person!  We (mostly) observed distancing.  But oh!  It is wonderful to really SEE people!  First was our small group from church.  Just the women.  For Sunday lunch.  It was in a back garden, under a jacaranda tree, next to the avocado orchard.

2.  Then my Bible Study small group met at our leader's home.  Just six of us.

3.  One afternoon, I told The Professor, "I miss your sister, and I want a burrito."  (Note that I said I miss her first.)  So we set up an early dinner at a park near her home.  We picked up the burritos and a taco for her then sat and chatted and laughed until the cold wind blew us back to our car and her to her home.

4.  (Notice a pattern here?)  We got to go to church on Sunday!  We wore masks while we sang, but that's ok.  It was wonderful!

5.  I took a total of two photos this week.  One was to verify I had ordered the correct book for a study I am doing.  But I liked the other picture.  How often do you find a hawk sitting in someone's front garden?  As we walked past on our daily walk, it hardly moved until it decided we were too scary and it flew into a nearby tree.  How I love seeing all the wildlife that lives around my neighborhood!  The photo is a bit blurry--but you can't be choosy with a hawk.

So this sums up Willow's Week.  Just another quiet Covid week.  Stay safe and well, my friends.  And focus on the blessings!

Hello, June

Thinking about the fact that it is JUNE is making my head spin.  I guess that is what happens when you mostly stay safely and boringly at home for almost three months.  Truthfully, I'm not bored.  I am purposely staying busy.  And the things that keep my brain and body busy also help me be thankful and grateful.  This week at Willow's Cottage has been quiet but productive and I'm sharing the parts that bring me joy.  Linking to Friday Fave Fives.

1.  Sunsets.  Usually, we take our main walk around the neighborhood after dinner.  That's the perfect time to view the sunset.  The sky was incredible this week, partly because there was a fire on Santa Cruz Island (one of the Channel Islands off our coast).  That's not the fave although it is now completely under control.  The fave is the effect of the smoke and clouds on the sunset.

2.  Moon.  I love the waxing and full moon and it makes me happy to watch it rise in the sky in the evenings. 

3.  Calendula Salve.  For the first time, I hitched up my big girl pants and braved making my own salve from my calendula flowers.  I have such dry skin from working in the garden that I am thankful to have a DIY option for helping heal my hands.

4.  Garden.  We had an outdoor project that needed doing, but we were concerned about the heavy work that it involved.  So we hired a high school boy from our church congregation to help us.  He worked for seven hours and took only one half-hour break for lunch!  We were very pleased and made sure he knew it and his parents knew it.  And, the edgers along our property line are in place and look great!

5.  More Garden.  I've mentioned before that I am reading Hidden Art by Edith Schaeffer with my art friends.  This week, we read and discussed the chapter titled Gardens and Gardening.  I love these two quotes:

Human beings were made to interact with growing things,

not to be born, live, and die in the midst of concrete set in the middle of polluted air!

Growing plants are supposed to be doing something to the air human beings are breathing,

and human beings are supposed to be doing something to the plants.

It seems to me the beauty which causes strangers passing by to stop

and ENJOY a garden,

provides a background and already 'says something'

which gives an emphasis to what it is important to say.

I want my garden to bring joy to me and to the people who walk or drive past my cottage.  Maybe that will remind them that this is really all God's creation.

Bonus!  More of God's creation!

King Quail watching over his kingdom

monarch butterfly