Backyard Oasis

"Paradise is where I am" 

Sitting outside early in the morning, gazing across at a water feature, watching the beauty that nature gives us, it reminds me of a quote I heard while flying back from my first vacation in three years. "Paradise is where I am."

We have become a society driven to succeed no matter the cost and I was one of the worst offenders.  I lived and breathed my construction company. No time for vacations, no time to sit back and relax with friends, no time... I had to achieve success!! For years, I didn't sleep more than 3 hours a night because I was perfecting my craft. It wasn't until I ended up in the emergency room with what I thought was a heart attack and my doctor telling me, "Your job is going to kill you", that I took notice. Wow!  I forgot that life is about "working to live... not living to work".  

Paradise... definition: a place of bliss or delight. I had to get back to the basics and surround myself with what I love. Plants and wildlife have always delighted me. Solution: take a break from construction and create my own backyard oasis. 

By choosing the right plants and adding a flowing water feature, nature has found my little area and given me an amazing assortment of birds, butterflies, dragonflies, lizards and bees. For 30 minutes a day I enter my backyard and stop. 

Everyday I thank God that I have a second chance to experience a full and abundant life. No matter where I am, nature is all around and I realize that "paradise is where I am".

Pamela