beauty on my balcony

since my journey of restoration, i'm surprised how once my burdens were lifted, or laid down, how the daily things around me suddenly seem more beautiful than when i normally wouldn't even notice that they are there. i guess that's what they mean when they say, stop and smell the roses. and that i did. and i loved it. and i still do it when i remember to.

one morning sometime last year as i was spending time alone at home, i went to the balcony to breathe in some fresh air and watch the greenery and try to look out for birds and hear then chirp. i suddenly realized that even just on my balcony i had some beautiful little things. there was life growing, there were colors, and even something playful. so i trotted back to the bedroom and got my trusty camera to catch the moment. and here's a sampling of what i have on my balcony

this is my little piggy windchime which my mum-in-law got me.

i love little piggy things, btw. and this delightful little flower is a little flower plant, one of three that hubby brought back for me from his trip to fraser's hill. and of course my cactuses. i started with one little one which i thought wouldn't need much attention. i basically left it alone but it just kept growing and growing babies although i didn't do anything for it. now i have too many of them.

and this pretty one is the young tender shoot from a mint plant that i have. they are incredibly easy to grow. you just cut a little branch off without any roots and stick it into some soil and it grows and grows. i use the leaves and boil it in some water with ginger root and some rock sugar and it's a good remedy for phlegmy cough. and this is a part of a huge tree with some berry-like buds that's snapped through my balcony grill.

so do stop and smell the roses. they are usually all around you!