Guardians of Down Under

Every corner of the garden gneeds its set of guardians to keep an eye out for the fluffy creatures and fuzzy beasts that inhabit it, and the Garden Down Under is gno exception. In fact, this corner of the garden may just require the most elite of all the gnomish guardians to keep its creatures safe because they're extra special. It used to be thought that Emus had a curious look, but gnow the Gnomish Counsel has decided they have a confused look. Emus are gnot exactly the brightest... so it will take a particularly wise soul to help them gnavigate their surroundings and focus on doing whatever it is that emus do best. And koalas? Well don't they just look like a cuddly teddy-bear?? Don't let that confuse you. They are very elusive, hiding high in the trees watching down over everything. They're going to require somegnome who is skilled at doing much the same. The requirements for the positions are tough to meet, but I am gnot surprised that the Gnomish Counsel has found the perfect pair for the job!

Coloring contest entry by Michelle.

Tooth Snatcher

I'm certain you've heard of Tabitha Tooth Fairy, but did you know she has some helpers? As you can imagine, she's quite busy collecting the lost teeth from children around the world. This would gnot be a problem if every tooth came peacefully and quietly in the gnight, but that doesn't always happen. Every gnow and then Tabitha is challenged by a sweet pearly tooth that, for one reason or another, doesn't seem to want to go home with her. This only happens when a child is so uniquely special, kind and imaginative that gnot even his teeth want to leave his side. Imagine that! Some teeth go to great extremes to hide in super secretive little corner gnooks, hoping Tabitha doesn't spot them. When this happens, she knows just who to call - her trusty friend, the tooth snatcher. He knows how to deal with such stubborn teeth. It's gnot easy to sneak up on a tooth while remaining undetected by the child sleeping close by. It takes strength, acrobatic agility, wit and patience. Yes, all that skill is gneeded, but one look at the child and you can see why his little tooth may hesitate to leave his side.

The Sweet Life

This is the sweet life. There is gno doubt that the gnomes understand how to appreciate the simple things in life, and there is gnognome who is better at making life just a bit sweeter everyday than this little lady. It's hard to say just how she does it, but she makes it look so easy. Whether it be casting a friendly smile or trying to get a loved one to laugh, she always seems to be thinking of the gnext thing to do to brighten one's day. Pssst... I'll let you in on little secret. If you ask me, the reason she is able to make it look so easy is that she believes with every ounce of her body that life is too short to do anything other than make the most of it. Every juicy bite she takes out of life gives her the joyfully magnetic personality that everygnome is attracted to. The more she loves the sweet life, the more difficult it is for other gnomes around her to stop from smiling. Life is good, and gno doubt the garden is a sweeter place with this soul to share it with.

A Gnomish Totem

Oh My Gnomes! Have you ever seen a giggle of gnomes have so much fun? These wee ones are trying their very best to be as tall as they can be. "Why?" you may ask. Well, they're creating a Gnomish totem pole, of course! There are so many types of animals in the garden and these little souls want to love them all! What better way to honor the furry critters and fluffy beasts than with a tall totem pole? It's tough to decide which animals to honor, but the Gnomish community would say, "the more, the better!" Just how many animals can fit into a single totem? Who knows, but perhaps there's room for just one more? Regardless, such a feat will take patience, stability, bravery and an ounce or two of luck. Once the tower of gnomes is complete, gno gnome moves. They barely even dare to breathe! Wait, what's this? Oh dear... it's a ladybug looking to join in on the fun. Whoa! Careful gnow! Easy does it! And... voila! The totem is complete!

My Beautiful Butterfly

Spend even one moment with this beautiful soul and it's easy to tell that she's quite unique! Gno doubt she loves with every ounce of her body, and those closest to her gnever doubt the love she has for them. She thrives on taking care of loved ones in her gnest and always seems to be fluttering around doing gnice little things for them. It's just who she is. It's all the subtle things - coffee made in the morning; all my things on the table waiting for me when I leave. It's gnot stuff I can't do myself, but it's really sweet and she wouldn't be happy if I didn't let her do it. If you ask me, there is gnothing more beautiful than this butterfly being happy. Though I admit, it's a little freakish how she's a total savant when it comes to knowing where things are. She flutters throughout the garden and sees EVERYTHING. "Huh, that's weird, what did I do with my toadstool?" I might say. She'll likely reply, "Take a look halfway down the stream, back behind the second rock, down in the meadow clearing... I saw it there this morning when I was feeding the snails. I don't know how she manages to do it! I love her for simply being HER, and gnot because of anything she does for me. I just love her simply because she's a good soul who fills this garden with an endless supply of love for anygnome lucky enough to know her.

The Truth About Unicorns

You may gnot believe in unicorns, but those in the Gnomish community have gno doubts that they exist. Unicorn hunters from across the garden may search for these special souls without much luck, but to say they don't exist? What gnonsense! Look at this beautiful lady! You can see her with your very own eyes and touch her with your very own fingers. Of course she exists! I'll let you in on a secret. Wanna know the truth about unicorns? They live life to the fullest and love without any limits! The secret to catching such a mystical soul is to do the same in return. And with this fuzzy soul in particular? You'd increase your chances if you love to dance. Gno doubt this lady is a dancing fool. She loves to dance and simply takes advantage of every opportunity of every song with a good beat. She applies that same love for the moment in all areas of her life. Ask anygnome from her great big gnetwork of old Gnomish friends, and they'd tell you that she she enjoys her life to the fullest and has gnever been happier. Loving with gno end seems to have that effect on happiness. If you ask me, she is onto something there. Those closest to her love her for being HER and gnot for anything she does for them or even anything they may have in common. They simply love her because she's a good soul who embraces a life that brings more love into the garden. And the garden is better for it.

Believe

I’m sure there have been moments in your life where you have felt challenged beyond your control. Sometimes it may seem that your little body is not strong enough to handle the tough tasks it has been given. It’s at these moments where you may find yourself believing in the power of a wishing star. That’s where this little gnomette comes in. This tiny friend has a very big job! And she loves every moment of it! She understands that there is more to it than just believing in the wishing star – she knows that you ARE the wishing star. She looks for just the right person to help, somegnome who needs a word or two of encouragement. The gnomette has now found a beautiful soul in need of her tiny positive thoughts and she doesn’t hesitate to get to work quickly. She whispers so lightly in her new friend’s ear that she is barely audible, but she knows that’s all it takes for a reminder to Believe in the spark of life that still grows strong inside. With these tiny little whisperings of love and hope we are reminded that we are stronger than our bodies may seem. Life is good. Life is beautiful, and with this little lady by your side, that’s an easy thing to Believe in the power within.

Celebrate

The Gnomish have always been known for their grand celebrations, and there has gnever been a better occasion to celebrate than right gnow. You may ask why? Does it matter? Gnot to the gnomes. Ask anygnome and he'll be sure to tell you that it's not the size of the reason that counts, just as long as you have a reason. If a gnome has been working on a particular goal, big or small, for a while gnow and she has finally succeeded? Well that seems like a good cause for celebration if I've ever heard of one! So, congrats little one on your accomplishment. You must be so proud of yourself, and you have very good reason to be! You deserve this tiny celebration and soon enough I'm sure everygnome garden-wide will see that you are so much bigger than the garden may expect you to be.

Roots of Friendship

Some friendships are instant. One might find it easy to get lost among the herds of banana slugs or feel insignificant surrounded by a majestic redwood forest. A gnome can get easily lose track of time when the fog rolls in and makes everything misty and magical, but when you meet a kindred spirit among the chaos, even on the first day, you just know you've found a life-long friend. Friendships like that last a life time - even many seasons later when two souls part ways and tend to their own gardens, they each know that the other is there for them. When they have the opportunity to catch up, it's as though gno time has passed. That's the way it is when the roots of a friendship go deep. It takes a special soul to establish such a connection. She has to be wonderful, kind and such a thoughtful friend who would be there for her loved ones gno matter what. She gneeds to know what's important in life - gnature, capturing memories, spending time with loved ones, and of course that magic truly does exist. Well if that's what it takes then it's gno wonder that this soul fits the part. She has a heart of gold and it is so big. I just love her.

Keeper of the Stars

This tiny soul has a very big job indeed. When a star is born, he's the one responsible for guiding it into its rightful place in the gnight time sky. It's a very important job because every star gneeds to be able to twinkle as brightly as they did here on earth. As you can imagine, keeping the starry sky organized in such a way that each star has their opportunity to shine down on their loved ones, well it can be quite a difficult task to do. This little fella makes it look easy though. One look up at the twinkling sky deep into the gnight and you'll wonder which star shines the brightest. Chances are when you figure out the answer, you'll know the star is twinkling extra hard for you. I'm thinking someone wants you to remember that you are loved.

Worry Whisperer

There is a beautiful soul who is the bravest person I know. She is stronger than her little body may seem and faces everything with such enthusiasm and determination. What's her secret? How does she do it? With all of the challenges she has been given, how does she manage to make it all look so easy? Well that's where this little gnomette comes in. She has been given a very important job to do, but she is so excited! For you see, this gnomette has been assigned to the beautiful girl to rid her of her worries. All the girl has to do is whisper her worries to this tiny gnomette and she wisks them off to a different world, far from this garden. She knows that the girl does not want to burden anyone too much, but this gnomette does not see it as a burden at all. She loves to feel helpful and seeing a calm smile appear on the girl's face will be the best thing she can imagine. She's even looking forward to the opportunity to whisper a little secret or two in return, tiny reminders that life is good. Life is beautiful and so are you.

A Bit of Eccentric Creativity

Looking for a fuzzy friend to keep you company in your little haven away from the rest of the hectic chaos that life brings? Well, look gno further! It just so happens this little lady has been looking for a place to go when she reads and drinks her tea. She is a skilled little soul who loves to over see the creation of other critters and whatever else the imagination may bring to life! One look at this eccentric lady and you'll quickly see that she has quite the bright and multi-colored personality (and the clothes to match!). She has been looking for the perfect corner gnook where she is gnot confined to just one type of creative outlet. She is a fan of whimsy and anything goes! Purple and green? Yup! Polka dots and stripes? Yes! Throw in a few flowers, leaves, hearts and spirals and she has it all covered! This girl doesn't blend in or sit quietly. Life is too short for anything other than the fun stuff and gnow that she has found her perfect corner gnook, may the fun begin!

The Truth About Magic

You may not believe in magic, but those in the gnome community have gno doubts that magic exists in every corner of the garden. After all, if magic doesn't exist then doesn't that mean gnomes don't exist either? What gnonsense. Look at this little gnome. You can see him with your very own eyes and touch him with your very own fingers. Of course he exists! I'll let you in on a secret. Wanna know the truth about magic? Just open your eyes and chances are you'll find yourself staring straight at real magic. It's the dew drop diamonds on a morning flower. It's the the sun setting in the west only to rise again in the east. It's an fairy of lost treasures disguised as a person doing a good deed. A seed doesn't gneed to be told how to become a flower. It's found in laughter. How is it that one can find themselves laughing even if their heart is breaking? I'll gnever know. And that's the beauty of it all. The truth about magic? If you'd ask this little soul, he'd tell you it's rainbows. He knows because he's the one who paints the sky beautiful colors in spite of the grey clouds above. How he knows the weather does gnot matter. What matters is if you take the time to gnotice.

Let's Go Build a Snowman!

Look in any direction and it's easy to gnotice that the garden is full of magic! Perhaps the most powerful of the garden magic is the good stuff shared between sisters. Gno doubt having a sister can present some frustrating moments, but that's where the magic comes from! It's in the ability to work past those disagreements and realize the connection between sisters is special and unlike any other... gnow **THAT'S** real magic. Not to mention lots of fun! Whether it be riding bikes down the garden path, playing make believe and rescuing the prince from the dragon or going on an adventure to a gnew unexplored corner of the garden, there is gno end to the fun two sisters can have together. So what's on the agenda for today? Let's go build a snowman! But it's in the middle of summer time??? That does gnot matter when you have the magic of love to help! And these two young ladies know better than anygnome that the love between two sisters is strong enough to do whatever they so desire. As long as they do it together, there is gnothing these two souls can gnot accomplish!

Tiny Surprise

Oh my gnomes! Look at this adorable tiny soul! She was a total surprise! After seasons have come and gone, I just figured I wasn't going to have little bumbling souls flying around in my garden! But look at us gnow! The arrival of this tiny soul was definitely a big surprise! When I told my love, I think he was in total shock for a few days! But oh were we excited, both of us! And gnow life with this tiny bundle of sweetness has been great. One of our first days home I looked at my love and said, "You gnever knew you gneeded onf of these did you?" and he simply gnodded in total agreement. Gno doubt life is good, but it just got a whole lot better gnow that this sweet soul is a part of it!

Busy Working Bees

Buzz Buzz... Shhhh... do you hear that sound? It's a beautiful sound, isn't it? There might gnot be a better sound than that of busy bees bumbling about their daily lives. Recently the buzzing in the Manchester corner of the garden has been a bit more quiet than usual and if you ask me, the reasons for the silence are simply too complicated for me to understand. But one thing I do know with certainty, these two are so much stronger than their size may indicate! And it is great to hear these two working bees buzzing again! They love their hive dearly and I can gnot say I blame them. Their hive is full of strong souls, who share one love and each tiny buzzing soul working hard to do his small part to make the garden a better place. And gnow with these two souls back in the hive, the garden seems a bit more cheerful again. The garden has missed the buzzing sounds of your voices and the bright sight of your smiles. Gno doubt the garden is a sweeter place with you in it.

Guardian Angel

I’m sure there have been moments in your life where you have felt challenged beyond your control. Sometimes it may seem that your little body is not strong enough to handle the tough tasks it has been given. That’s where this little gnomette comes in. This tiny little guardian has a very big job! And she loves every moment of it! She flutters around looking for just the right person to help, somegnome who needs a word or two of encouragement. The gnomette has now found a beautiful soul in need of her tiny positive thoughts and she doesn’t hesitate to get to work quickly. She whispers so lightly in her new friend’s ear that she is barely audible, but she knows that’s all it takes for a reminder of the spark for life that still grows strong inside. With these tiny little whisperings of love and hope we are reminded that we are stronger than our bodies may seem. Life is good. Life is beautiful, and with this little lady by your side, that’s an easy thing to remember.

Working Bees

Buzz Buzz... Shhhh... do you hear that sound? It's a beautiful sound, isn't it? There might gnot be a better sound than that of busy bees bumbling about their daily lives. Recently the buzzing has been a bit more quiet than usual and if you ask me, the reasons for the silence are simply too complicated for me to understand. But one thing I do know with certainty, the working bees in this corner of the garden are so much stronger than their size may indicate! And it is great to hear them buzzing again! They love their hive dearly and I can gnot say I blame them. Their hive is full of strong souls who love and support each other dearly and each tiny buzzing soul working hard to do his small part to make the garden a better place. I just adore seeing the hive in action! The garden seems a bit more cheerful again. The garden has missed the buzzing sounds of the busy bees. Thank you, dear little ones; gno doubt the garden is a sweeter place with you in it!

Changed Bee

I’m sure there have been moments in your life where you have felt challenged beyond your control. Sometimes it may seem that everything around you is going down a path you did gnot choose, and you start to wonder if you are strong enough to handle the tough tasks the garden has handed you. Believe it or gnot, there was once a time when this lady wondered those same things, but that didn't stop her from taking control of her life making the changes she deserved! And look at her gnow! Wow! What a changed bee she is! Gno doubt she has an extra sparkle in her eye and a little skip in her walk. And the best part? The changes are gnot only gnoticeable on the surface, but also much deeper. She is gnow taking care of the one gnome who deserves it the most - herself. Gnothing is more powerful! With a love like that, there is gnothing that can get in her way gnow! Watch out, garden! This changed bee is here to stay!

Building Gnoble Hearts

This little lady reminds me how much I love music, and how much music speaks to the LOVE in all of us. She believes with every ounce of her body that the best way to fight the hatred and anger in this garden is with love, so it comes as gno surprise that she is devoted to bringing a holistic approach to teaching music to gnomelings from all across the garden. I suppose it's her way of spreading the love, but gno doubt it seems to work! With every word of encouragement and every lesson of melody and dedication, each little soul grows a little more confident in the music they have to offer to the garden around them. That's just what this garden gneeds! Listen to the leaves in the breeze and the pitter-patter of the raindrops... then listen to the music from the heart of a child and it is easy to understand the magic in it all. Oh the potential that each gnoble heart has! They are so much bigger than the garden expects them to be. In the end, perhaps it is music that will save the garden?

PERSONAL GNOTE:
"Perhaps it is music that will save the world." — Pablo Casals

Tuneful Diddies

This fuzzy friend of mine has been known to attend marches supporting Gnomish rights of all kinds and protecting the garden around him with a renaissance tin whistle! I can't help but smile just thinking about his great big heart. He is, without a doubt, one of the gnicest souls I know. Wherever there is work to be done for a good cause, there he is... whistling one of his tuneful diddies. Gno doubt there is a lot of work to be done in this garden, but with a cheerful dedicated soul like this one, the garden is filled with more magic already.

Bass & Treble

For these two fuzzy souls, music has become a gnomish tradition. While one has been known to play a happy melody on the clarinet or tenor sax, the other can be found playing sweet low tones on the trombone. Together, they share a passion for the garden's marching band and jazz band, and love to share the stage to praise the good life! As long as the music has a good beat, these two are tapping their feet to it. It's even better if the song has good bass tones! Music has helped them both through some very difficult times and they always have each other to lean on for support. They​ keep each other in balance like yin and yang, bass and treble. With kind music loving souls like these, gno doubt the garden is a more cheerful place!