Dental Dilemma . . .or . . . How Brave AM I ???

So here's the dilemma. . .

The dentist is finally back in town and I had an appointment first thing this morning.

I woke up at 5:30, grabbed a quick breakfast and made a bee line for the front garden.

Shovel in hand, I got to work. I knew I would be top toothless all day and I just had to get a little gardening in. I have a profusion of shrubs, roses, perennials and annuals that need to be planted . Some things just can't wait!

I managed to tidy up one small spot in the garden and plant a clematis, a rose bush and a bunch of annuals in the area before my dentist's appointment. I also added one of my concrete leaves. It's covering a small ant colony I just can't seem to get rid of.

Live and let live. . . that's my motto.

Anyway. . . back to the dilemma . . 

After visiting the dentist I am missing these. . .

Leaving me looking somewhat like this . . .  (except, I'm a girl. . . and I wear glasses . . .)

So here's the dilemma. . .

Today is the perfect gardening day. Cloudy and cool with the the odd sprinkle.

I've barely made a dent in what needed to be done in the garden. . .

Am I brave enough to work out front without my top teeth??? (Keeping my head down and my mouth shut of course . . .)

I am just itching to get out there.

I'm just not sure if I can do it.

Could you???

Dental Disaster! or . . . Grumpy, Grumpy, Grumpy . . .

While eating a fried egg sandwich late last night, disaster hit.

I lost a front tooth!!!

Arghhhhh . . . 

The upside is that I have dentures on top so the tooth can be glued back in and I will not have to spend an inordinate amount of time in the dentist chair. Thankfully, this also means I will not have to spend an exorbitant amount of money to fix it either.

The downside is . . . they have to take my denture for a good part of the day as it has to be sent to the denture clinic!

That leaves me toothless!

Yikes! I am never. ever. without my teeth. I won't even leave them in a glass with bubbly cleaner overnight.

Shudder.

Of course these things always happen when you have better things to do than hang around the house without your top teeth.

There is only one thing I can do.

The plant sale will be closed tomorrow while I hide in my bedroom with a couple of good books, a tin of oatmeal cookies and a carafe of tea.

I will be open for one final day on Saturday and I have something special planned for the last day of the sale.

Stay tuned . . .

Counting My Blessings

As I sit at my desk this afternoon cool air drifts through an open patio door, bringing with it a hint of rain.

The sweet smell of a mayday tree perfumes my office.

Joyful shrieks tell of little neighbor girls playing tag next door.

Jada lays in the doorway, the occasional yip and small whine a testament to her dreams.

Butter, soft and yellow waits in the bottom of a mixing bowl, destined to become delicious oatmeal cookies.

Purple pansies bring to mind the carefree days of childhood.

After months of being confined to home and, for the most part, my chair, I've been pushing myself pretty hard these last few months, planting, creating and learning so many new things to bring my dreams to life.

But now. . . for a little while. . .  it's time to rest and count my blessings.

My abundant blessings.

God is good.

Dutch Birthday Calendars

I have very clear memories of my Oma Vandermolen's bathroom in Chilliwack.

I'm not entirely sure why a bathroom holds such strong memories for me but but two things stood out in my mind. . .

The lilac scented can of air freshener on the toilet tank (I found that unsettling because it meant my Oma acknowledged that sometimes poop was stinky. . .) and the Dutch birthday calendar that hung on the back door of the bathroom.

As a girl who has to read when ever and wherever possible, I appreciated both the pretty picture and the opportunity to catch up on who had a birthday that month.

 I thought she was a genius!

After all . . . how many times do you go to the bathroom a day? There would be no excuse when it came to remembering someone's birthday . . .

Mine for example. . .

In honor of my Oma (and my mother-in-law) I decided to put together a Dutch Birthday calendar of my own using some of the photo's I've taken over the past year.

If you would like to have one of these calendars on your bathroom door you're in luck! I will be selling them at my Plant Sale starting this Thursday for $12 each.

Now I'm off to hunt up a hammer and a nail to install one in my bathroom!

Adventures in Edmonton . . . Tea at Rutherford House

For my mother-in-law's birthday this year all the daughters and daughters-in-law ( there are 10 kids in Henry's family) thought it would be fun to do something a little different. A few ideas were tossed around but in the end we all agreed that high tea at Rutherford house sounded the most fun.

If you love delicious food, old houses and decor and lovely service . . . the Rutherford House is the place to go.

I was still not feeling the greatest so I was really looking forward to an afternoon out and a chance to use my camera in a new location.

Only, if you can believe it (I can't!) I forgot my camera!!!

Disaster!

While I was busy kicking myself my lovely sister-in-law Andrea saved the day by offering me her camera!

How sweet was that?

Because I use and Olympus and she a Canon I decided not to try to figure out how to use manual settings but just went automatic for the afternoon.

I had a blast taking pictures although . . .  I do believe I may have missed out on some quality visiting time as I wandered around the house once I had finished eating.

They were about to send out a search party when I finally rejoined them.

So, without further ado . . . another adventure in pictures . . .


Ummmmm. . . 

I am experiencing some very odd technical problems . . .

When I try to add these pictures to my blog all but one of them show up black!!

I've tried a few things but nothing seems to work.

So, because I spent a long time working on this post and the pictures, I am going to be a little unorthodox and give you a link to send you to my Facebook page to view them.

Because I can load them onto Facebook!

How weird is that?

Pop on over to Facebook and check them out.

*I need one more like on my Facebook page to unlock extra features so if you you give me a like I would be very grateful. . .

Product Photography or . . . A Bunch Of Pretty Pictures

My sister-in-law Leona dropped of some of her jewelry with me a while back and I took the opportunity to play around with my camera and a few props in the greenhouse.

I have to say I'm loving this kind of product photography. It's so much fun to make little vignettes and start snapping away.

If anyone has something they need pictures of   for an Etsy store or what have you . . . let me know. I'd love to play some more! Free of charge of course . . . I barely know what I'm doing at this point. 

It's just  so much fun . . .

It also gave me the perfect excuse to buy this gorgeous African violet.

Which I promptly killed when I forgot it in the greenhouse over night and it froze to death . . .

Arghhhh!!!

In the end Leona preferred the style I did with her first batch of jewelry which has a slightly different feel. (Partly because the light was so different. Late afternoon winter sun rather than stronger midday spring sun.)

Which of course is one of the reasons this is so much fun . . .

Each time I do this I get the chance to try new ideas, different styles and play with a variety of props until I find something that speaks specifically to someone's personal style.

What could be more satisfying???

Adventures in Edmonton. The Strathcona Farmers Market

Although Holly and I have been keeping our noses to the grindstone for the last month or so, we have managed to sneak in the odd adventure here and there.

A few weeks ago we visited the Old Strathcona Farmers Market to stock up on some delicious local food and indulge in breakfast from Toast Fine Catering.

I'm a very picky eater. As the daughter and granddaughter of European bakers how could I not be??

People. . . You have got to try this food!   It.Is.Fabulous.

Holly had never been to the Farmers Market and enjoyed the experience immensely and I thought we should share it with you.

An Adventure in Pictures . . .

Good food, beautiful goods, unique entertainment.

What more could you ask for?