Dogwood Flowers

Across the street from my son's elementary school, there is this beautiful dogwood tree, with red blossoms. This is the only dogwood tree around in this neighborhood. Right next to this red dogwood flowers, this house also has a white dogwood tree, but the blossoms were mostly gone!


I stopped to take a few pictures, of course, since the trees are right next to the road. I didn't even have to get out of the car to have a few snaps, but I did, and found these reflections in my car.


So I was treated to double delights! I got pictures of the dogwood flowers, and I also got the reflection. It was a really nice sunny day, with a bit of wind, but it turned out just right for the reflection.

Visit other entries at Weekend Reflections!

Natural Spray To Keep Critters Out Of Your Garden

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Deer Off. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you remember how I complained about wild rabbits and squirrels eating most of my flowers before they even got to bloom, then this problem is about to be done. There is a product called Deer Off that will help me safeguard my garden from these critters.

Yes, city squirrels can be very naughty. They dug up my tulip bulbs, moved them around, and ate some too. I used to have purple tulips last year, but there were none this year at all. I have used many nature remedies to stop this problem and it yielded no result.

It is very frustrating for me to also deal with street cats that marked my garden as their litter area. The patented product that I mentioned above, provides both scent and taste to keep these critters at bay.

It is strong enough to use as deer repellent for those that live where the deers roam. The product contain putrescent egg and garlic smell, plus hot pepper taste to discourage deers, rabbits, and squirrels from eating your garden.

If you are having problem with these critters as I do, give this product a try. Once you spray your garden, this repellent will last up to 90 days, saving you lots of frustration.

Fragment Letters

Dear Readers/Followers/Subscribers,

I'm enjoying these memes very much. It gives me a chance to express what's eating up inside of me, and allow me to be BOLD and REAL. It is hard to laugh or smile all the time when you don't feel like it.

It's all part of life, the ups and downs, the good and bad, the tears and laughter! I'm glad you can take this journey with me.

Dear Blog Visitors,

Some of you are great blogging friends, and make the world go around beautifully. While a few, just a handful, shamelessly insist on "Here is Mine, My So So, Mine is Up, Visit Mine" after the word cute, great, beautiful, interesting, etc...It is so spamming, and cheesy! It looks desperate, and not sincere! Cut it out already! We are not children anymore..

99.9 percent of us bloggers know that when someone come to visit our blog, and leave a comment, it is only common courtesy that we return their kindness. Really, let us come on our own to visit you!


Dear Stupid Anonymous,

I feel bad for you to sit there, copied and pasted 500 words into my comment section every day, three times a day about Celebrities Nude pictures. However, have you noticed that I moderate my comments from people like you?

I really appreciate your visits, but don't you think you should spend your time more wisely?

Dear Satan,

This is your coming weekend. You will get to control of your little boy again since you made sure that he would feel guilty if he doesn't see you, and he worries that you will cause me trouble.

You can pick him up and take him wherever you want. He can sit with you at your friend's or brother's house and listen to your chit-chat. He can sit in the car, in the middle of Detroit street waiting for you, while you go into the store. Yes, this is quality time, the Satan's way!

What do you think I feel when my child told me these kind of things? All I can offer to him is this simple sentence: "I'm sorry, honey! There is nothing I can do when it's his weekend!" I have been saying this same sentence for 9 years already.

This post is linked to Letters of Intent, and Friday Fragments! Join in the fun or check it out!

Gorgeous White Scarlett O'Hara In Bloom

This is Scarlett O'Hara Pieris, which has clusters of tiny white flowers. Well, the only way for me to remember the name was to take a picture of the tag. Otherwise, I would forget by the time I uploaded the pictures.


This plant prefers morning sunlight only, according to the tag. It is best for this Scarlett O'Hara to receive partial shade and partial sun, but it's mostly a shade-loving evergreen shrub.


The foliage can be from dark green to bronze, to burgundy in colors when the leaves are still young . The Scarlett O'Hara is related to rhododendrons and azaleas. It requires moist, acidic, and well-drained soil.


The flowers bloom from late winter to early spring. The flowers of this Scarlett O'Hara was white, but there are colors as well, such as pink and lavender!

Enjoy other entries at Mosaic Monday!

Church's Pond

Outside our local VN church, there is this beautiful pond with a statue of Virgin Mary. The pond has so many different colors of Koi fishes, and this red bridge is such an inviting object to take pictures.



Believe me, this pond is very popular every Sunday. Families keep taking turn to take pictures in front of it, and children are posing for cuteness in every single spot around this pond. I wait for between exchanges to do my take.



The fishes are really big in this pond. The red bridge is only opened during big holly days for visitors and the congregation to enjoy admiring the fishes, or pictures taking during the summer only, of course.



All the pictures in this post are only part of the pond, and the big rock above resides on the left side of it. It creates an obstacle for the fish to swim around, which is fun to watch!

Visit other entries at Weekend Reflections!

Just Bold and Real

Dear Readers/Followers/and Friends,

I don't feel very "lotty-dotty" lately, so this post is not going to be dandy. Life is not always cheerful and or smooth for me. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but in fact, with an old rusty one instead. So be it!

That didn't mean that I don't seek happiness or ungrateful to life. At this point, I am just allowing myself to use this space, my own blog, to write it out in BOLD and REAL senses of life.

Dear Satan,

I didn't come up with this name for you, but rather it was from a religious woman who tried to console me for what happened this past weekend. How she analyzed out your behaviors, and they all made sense to me. Thus, Satan seemed like a perfect fit for you! I couldn't come up with anything nicer than this.

For the past 9 years I chose to avoid men because of what you're represented, not that is your fault or anything. However, if you really take a look, I have to tolerate your being in my life because of the kids, not because you have any meaning to me. It was done, and I was finished!

I long, I wish, I dream for a life when I don't have to see your face, or hearing your voice ever again. As I type this, I could hear your Satan's voice and see your Satan's expression "It will never happen, bitch!" Yes, I know, I realize that, and I accept that!

Dear Brother,

I heard that Satan came to you when he found out that he couldn't threaten me, made me listen, or has much control anymore. I'm sorry about that!

Please, please, I'm begging you though, next time if he comes, can you just have enough courage to tell him that HE IS NOT WELCOME at your house anymore. I don't ask you for anything, but this I ask, and beg you to do so.

It has to stop! It goes on long enough! It happens too many times!

No one in his family has a right mind to teach him what is right, what is wrong, what is appropriate, and what is inappropriate. So whenever he has a tantrum, he acted out!

Dear Immature Satan,

You are like a child with tantrums! Just because you didn't get your ways with me, or made me weak, you went to my brother to tattle on me. What did you expect my brother going to do to me? Bend me over and spank me for your sake? Ha...

Funny, what if I do the same thing you did? What if I go to your brother, jumping up and down like a jack-a$$ because you won't listen to me, or get my way with you? Now, really, think about it, if you're capable of thinking..

Dear Every Other Weekend

Do you know that I'm dreading of you? Can you stop coming for a while so I can just rest? Really, every time you come, Satan comes! You already know what happened last weekend when he was here! A mess...a big effing mess that Satan brought with him.

How Satan Becomes The Name

~Warning--This post is not for everyone, read it at your own risk!~

Standing in my house at midnight, Satan loudly commanded me to listen to what he had to say. I was not in the mood, and I detested the sentence "You're going to listen to me, whether you like it or not..." Not, man, not...Shoo...get the "effing" out of my house!

Excuse me, but who the hell are you to say that to me? Who do you think you are? What rights do you have to even begin to show off your power with me? You were in my house, jerk! Do you realize that I can call the police on you?

Ah, it took me back to many years of hearing that sentence. It never seems old to Satan! I heard him using that sentence on my children, but hell, I'm not his child!

Before leaving, Satan said that he will take my a$$ to court for not delivering the kid to him at 6:00 as were agreed. He pointed his finger at me, swung it back and forth, made sure I understood it is a REAL THREAT, and his pointing finger was a sight of disrespect. Yah...paint me an uglier image why don't you?

I told him I'm not scare, and don't get me started on the 6:00 o'clock thing!

*****

The next day, I heard that Satan showed up at my brother's house with His story, and it was not from my brother that told me. It was told to me by my daughter. Apparently, he called her to tell His story too, and I really don't care to even bother to speculate what His story is!

Now, what do you think? Could this be the act of a grown man? Could this be an act of a mature man?

While I didn't say anything to anyone about what happened in my home last night, Satan got so mad and went rampage!

I'm having a freaking chill and fever for the last two days, plus a cough that tighten every muscle that I have in my body. I can barely process what was going on, or how it all became my fault that the child, 11 year-old, decided not to go with him every other weekend anymore.

*****

Then a lady at church told me right off the batch that Satan is a controlling freak, and he is losing control of the child. How that turns into anger and Satan took over the work to manifest. Therefore, he had to go to my brother to get him on his side, and called my daughter to make sure that she will see his way also.

Now you have it...the name Satan!

You know what; there will be more experiences like this with Satan! I didn't ask for it, but I got it! Everything is my fault! I put my child up to it according to Satan! Well now, how hard is it not to pin all the bad things on me?

Hey Satan, if this post happens to find you, can you finally understand why I can't even hold a small talk with you?

Beautiful Butterfly Pansies

There are so many different colors of pansies this year, and they are all great. However, this particular one looks like a butterfly to me. I love the mix of colors in this pansy!


Can you see the butterfly? It's incredible to see a variety of mixed colors. Pansies are not my favorite flower, because their smell seemed to ignite my headache, so I usually don't plant them. Nevertheless, they deserve to be photographed for their beautiful and fanciful look.


I like going to local nurseries at this time of the year just to get lost for a couple of hours. They have so many flowers to see, and trees in blossoms too. It is no wonder why everyone loves spring.

Enjoy other entries at Mosaic Monday!

Beautiful and Furious Sky Reflection

These pictures were taken last week when the sky was just amazing, and when the Gods came out to play. We had many rainy days, and cold, so when the sky were able to peek out, it was just stunning.


We were on our way to a video store when looking in the rear view mirror, I saw this beautiful sky. I asked JoJo to snap a couple of pictures for me since I was driving. Don't you think he did a great job?


The sky not only looked very pretty with the colors in the horizon, but it also looked furious with those dark hung-over clouds.

Visit other entries at Weekend Reflections!

White Tulips With a Touch of Yellow

We had many days of rain and cold here last week, but my tulips are finally in bloom. These are a group of white tulips in my garden, and the picture above was taken after the rain.


I put together this mosaic to show how beautiful the center of the tulip is. Although the petals are white, there is a touch of yellow, and lavender inside. Without macro, I would not be able to see the details in these tulips.

I have to admit, tulips are one of those flowers that are very easy to grow, and require very little attention, but they come and go too fast once bloomed. I love to have flowers that produce continuous blooms. Nevertheless, tulips are the sign of spring!

Enjoy other entries at Mosaic Monday!

Shopping Site For Dinnerware

Olive Garden is one of the restaurants that I like to go, and the simple reason for it is their collection of dinnerware. I don't particularly like their foods that much, but I love looking at all the dishes that they have on the table and on the wall.

I have a love for Pfaltzgraff dinner plates since I was young. Their designs are gorgeous, and the quality of their products is unbeatable. Whenever we go to the outlet, their store is where you can find me, not clothing stores. If no one pulls me out, I could be there looking at everything for hours. I like to collect different shapes, sizes, and designs.

It is a strange obsession even though I don't like to cook that much. I still enjoy looking at Pfaltzgraff dishes, but now I do it online from time to time. They are currently running a special and that if you buy three, you will get one free. Best of all, they are now also accepting PayPal payment.

I know it is weekend, and many of us love to have a break from cooking, and cleaning, so here are some restaurant coupons for you to browse through before heading out. There are TGIFriday, Texas Roadhouse, and many others.

Have a great Sunday!

The Incredible Colors of Spring Flowers-Freesias

When I saw these flowers, my jaw dropped! The colors were just out of this world. They came in a little container, and were wilted. Some of the flowers were in full bloom and radiant despite the stage they were in.


I found these flowers in a supermarket, and was the only one left on the shelf. They are called Freesia, were a bit more than I could afford, especially when they were half dead.


Look at their colors! How gorgeous are these flowers! Have you seen one with these many beautiful vibrant colors all in one before? There were full of flowers so their branches were falling to the side.


I have not seen these Freesia before, and that little plastic sign in its pot didn't give me much information either beside the name. So I have to look them up online.

Freesias are grown from bulbs, and they are annual flowers! Their blooms are long lasting which made them a favorite to florists. Freesias also carry a sweet citric perfume. They need full sun and cool night temperature. It is advised to keep them well water while they are blooming, and the soil should be light and well drained.

Visit other entries at Pink Saturday!