Holding Space.

Today, like all Canadians, we collectively mourn the loss of 215 innocent children, whose bodies were discovered on the grounds of the Kamloops Residential Indian School in British Columbia. We hold their families in our hearts, light candles, place tiny shoes and well loved teddy bears at our front doors. But nothing will erase the pain that the mamas and the papas, the grandparents, the siblings and extended family endured, and continue to carry during their lifetime. Holding space and honoring these sweet children is a small token of respect ~ we need to do more to make this experience more than just a historical event. We need to ensure that reconciliation is not just a word but true action. I have always felt lucky to be Canadian but today, I feel shame and angst for the actions from those in power who felt they knew better than our First Nations People. We can't change what took place in these schools so many years ago. But we all can embrace and hold space for those who are the courageous survivors and their family's. 

~ Chy

Right Here. Right Now.

What I'm wearing .... my baby doll pj top. So hot and we had the air conditioner on for a short time. Now the fan is running and it's getting nice and comfortable.

What I'm reading .... "I Was Anastasia." Always fascinated by the Romanov family and was excited to find this novel at Indigo, marked down from $36 to $8, plus my Plum discount. First chapter down and I'm intrigued.

What's happening in my kitchen .... shut down for the night. Dishes are cooling in the dishwasher. Plants watered. Counters cleaned. Sink scoured. Lights out.

What's outside my window .... blue sky turning dark, the setting sun and green everywhere you look.

What I'm thankful for .... everything today!

What I'm smelling .... my coconut body cream.

What I'm hearing .... "Friends" on tv.

What I'm crafting .... dollhouse for dgd. Flooring ripped out and paint colors chosen.

What's on my mind .... the tasks on my list for tomorrow.

Words to live by .... 

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of

times, if only one remembers to turn on the light."

~ Author Unknown

Enjoy your week.

Namaste.

~ Chy

My Lavender Farm Dreams.

If I didn't have my dream job right now, I'd create a Lavender Farm. My favorite plant and not easy to grow but I seem to have a knack for it. We have the space to grow lots. I just don't have the time that would be needed to make it an actual enterprise. Maybe once we're retired. For now, I experiment and cultivate, and dream one day of rows and rows of purple blossoms. Dreaming is free and fun!

Today is another blue sky, sunny, warm day. Yesterday was a busy one. Kids grief class in the morning, then working in the garden, helping our neighbor when he came down to move dirt from one area to where we'll be building our shed, conversations about more dirt to order, then up to the studio for a 3 hour event live on our radio station that raised $300, making us all happy for the charity that was our monthly recipient for May. We bbq'd, then headed over to our neighbors down the lane for drinks and s'mores by the fire. It was a beautiful night and the conversations fun. Very relaxing and for a bit, I totally forgot we're still in a pandemic. Walk back home to our cozy cottage and then we watched the "Friends Reunion" and laughed the night away. A great day that was also productive. The best kind of day.

Today, I have my workout planned, a nice shower, breakfast then I'm off to the Big City for an event from noon until 3ish. Home for a board meeting online, then dinner and a relaxing evening. I am sharing a story during the event and have my notes ready to go but our printer has decided it's not going to cooperate today. I may just bring my laptop with me and read from the screen instead of paper. Hoping we don't have to buy a new printer but learning they don't seem to last long anymore. At least they aren't expensive.

I'm off to get sweaty! Wishing you all a warm,

beautiful Sunday. Namaste my blogging buddies.

~ Chy

From My Window.

The forest behind our cottage. Vibrant.

The forest in front of our cottage. Amazing.

~ Chy

Review of "The Me You Can't See."

We settled in last night, after a long work week with many lovely moments, mixed in with some stress, to watch "The Me You Can't See." Produced by Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry, its a program I've been waiting to watch since it was released and it ended up being well worth the wait. Prince Harry, now just Harry, shared his story, as did Oprah in time, along with other guests with their own journeys. I'm very familiar with Oprah's past and won't talk about that as she didn't have anything new to say, though it was relevant and added to the conversation. But Harry's was brilliant, talking about how his mother's death had such an impact on his life at such a young age. How he was not provided any grief support. How he was expected at the age of 12 to "buck it up" and "carry on" as if nothing was amiss. How he reacted physically and continued to do so until he began therapy just 4 years ago. How he never fit in, except when he was in the military and living in camps with others who shared their experiences. How he needed to break away from "the firm" in order to live his life. I'm not a fan of Megan, but I can see how their relationship has provided him a safe haven, and she seems to be an amazing partner and parent. 

This is a series and I look forward to the other episodes. It promises to provide an insight in to how we are affected by life events, our own experiences and the lack of support or education that dictates how we manage and who we become. As a counsellor in the community, with a speciality in grief supports for children, teens and their families, it broke my heart to learn how Harry was not provided the very basics of grief education. A program, like the one I provide with my team, could have made a world of difference. It's amazing to me that a family that has access to anything would not be able to or chose not to provide this to such a young boy trying to navigate a very public and tragic death. It shows us also how family members process and live through an experience differently. I know that Prince William has briefly stated that his mother's death has played a role in his character but we haven't seen him speak out as Harry has. Each individual will move through their grief in their own unique way but support, education, care and compassion can guide anyone to a healthier place. I suspect that because Prince William is set to become King, he would have to keep any feelings under wraps. Harry has had a different path and certainly now has found a way to be vocal. I was impressed with his honesty and his ability to share, and wish I could thank him for opening the conversations about how grief can affect anyone, regardless of background, economics and status. He is a prime example of why I always say "Not all grief needs therapy. But all grief needs love, care, support, education and compassion." Thank you Harry for your candor and truly honest perspective. This will change lives for others ~ the impact of words is huge.

Ironically, I'm am now off to work out, shower

and then present out kids grief program to the

community that we live in. Harry's words are in

my head and I may share some of them today.

Wishing you a beautiful Saturday.

Namaste my blogging buddies.

~ Chy

Setting Sunlight.

Gary the Gnome waiting for the next

splash of rain to capture and measure.

Love the end of day sunlight just before

it sets, making its mark on our garden.

Do you see the robin's nest above our

dining room window? Keep looking!

There it is, making quite the mess on

the window and on our wicker couch.

The mama and papa are hanging about.

Hopefully we'll have tiny babies soon.

Hope your Friday was lovely and light.

Namaste my sweet blogging buddies.

~ Chy

Way Too Early.

Every morning, I'm waking up earlier and earlier. The sun is bright and I can't fall back to sleep. Most of this week, I've been awake by 5ish. And by 4 in the afternoon, I'm having a hard time staying awake. The hardest part of being awake "way too early" is I don't have energy to do anything, so I lay there and listen to the birds singing outside and think way too much. This creates stress. So now I'm not waking up refreshed and ready for the day, but exhausted and with a brain running overtime. No idea how to fix this but the other night, I tried staying up later than usual to see if that would keep me sleeping in the morning. Nope .... 5:20 .... wide awake. If you have any tried and true tricks so I can sleep longer, please feel free to share. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

This week has been busy, even as a short week (Monday was a stat holiday). My list of tasks to accomplish is long but I'm working away. Yesterday, I took 2 things off the list that had been sitting there and I felt stressed each time I look at them. But tackled both and the stress melted away. I have 2 more I'll do today and can't wait to have that feeling again. One thing that stress does for me is I work harder. On Monday night, with the hockey game (Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Oilers were in it), there felt like so much tension in the house. So off to the art studio I went and even though we lost, the win of the night was my incredibly tidy and organized space. The best it's ever been. The island is empty, waiting for the next project. The tools and things I use for projects are all back in their spaces. Lined up, ready to go and looking oh so tempting to use. There are a few boxes in the corner to go thru still but we managed to tackle a few the day before and now have a pile of paper to shred and items to donate. Feels so good. On the weekend, I also tidied our walk in closet during another game, re~organized the pantry, the laundry room and we had a new fridge delivered for the garage, which is now our "holiday/party fridge" as well as dd's for every day use. Now our fridge is super empty and not stuffed with her items out. That prompted a clean and it looks brand new again. The only other thing on the list now is re~organizing the garage. We bought an amazing shed and once our neighbor is able to clear and level the spot it's going to be set on, then we can put it together. The items in the garage that are seasonal, like our snow blower, can go in the shed, giving us room for the cars again. Can't wait. Last year, we taped, sanded, finished the ceiling and then painted. Looking good. 

I'm off to do my work out, shower, pack my snacks, then off to work for the morning, home by lunch and an afternoon of calls and meetings. Tonight is my baby loss meeting, then a bit of a break as tomorrow is my day off. Saturday is kids grief group in the morning and then I'm off for the rest of the day. Looking forward to the weekend and hoping to get more planting done in the lovely warmth that is predicted.

Wishing you an amazing Thursday. 

Namaste my blogging buddies.

~ Chy

Precious Times.

I miss the early days of my kids lives.

I'm so proud of how well they have

grown and created their own worlds.

My favorite days though will always

be the long, fun days spent with friends

and their kids, in the park, at the beach,

in each other's homes. Conversations

and dreams, support and compassion.

As all our kids got older, we drifted.

Then life changed. Most of my mama

friends went back to work but our little

family was larger, so I was home longer.

And I had income at home, so there was

not a need to leave our little nest until

the kids were older. I completed post

secondary, was offered a job before I

was ready, part time, then in time, full.

And then dh came home so youngest

dd could finish her homeschooling

journey. For 6 years, he was the dad

at home and I was the mom at work.

Then she was 18, he was headhunted

and bam! Both at work. I love our life.

But I do miss the days of hanging out

with out littles, chatting about life,

dreaming the future and holding on

to those precious moments. Memories.

Do you miss those early years?

Or do you cherish what is to come?

Namaste.

~ Chy

All Melted ....

It was here but now is gone. Thankful for the warm

days that took away all the white from our greenscape.

Namaste.

~ Chy

Office Progress.

My second armchair is now in place, making

this corner cozy for the tears that are shared.

I have at least 20 eclectic pictures to hang up

on the walls but have to find the time to do this.

Moved the plant to the left and replaced

the contemporary lamp with a vintage one.

Finally, something on the walls. It took a

bit of time but managed to figure out how

to use the "command strips" and I'm very

surprised the tiny strips can hold a mirror

this size. It was nicely and firmly hanging 

when I left the hospice on Thursday. Hope

when I am back in tomorrow it's still there.

If it is, I'll hang up all the rest this week.

Progress is happening. We're allowed to

come in to hospice in small shifts and I

usually stay 2 to 4 hours. Working well

but I know it's not ideal. For now, it is

what we need to do to keep everyone

healthy as we don't have temp workers.

How is your work life going right now?

Are you back on site or still at home?

Namaste my blogging buddies. 

~ Chy

A Day Late.

I wrote this yesterday but then forgot to push publish after I found the quote. Oops! A day late, but here is my contribution to "Right Here. Right Now." Enjoy the read.

What I'm wearing .... ripped jeans and an old faded t~shirt, bare feet for now but soon my gardening boots will go back on my feet. Working outside outfit for the day. Comfy.

What I'm reading .... finished my other book. Now reading a book about Spiritual Care in a hospice. Borrowed from one of the original founders of our hospice. As I'm in charge of SC onsite, this will help me develop the program and meet our residents needs. A big job I'm happy to take on.

What's happening in my kitchen .... chopping! Veggies to go on the grill for our bbq later today. Can't wait for our feast.

What's outside my window .... green everywhere! 

What I'm thankful for .... everything!

What I'm smelling .... the lavender from my pots.

What I'm hearing .... birds singing, frogs croaking and the wind gently moving the trees.

What I'm crafting .... more work in the art studio tomorrow as it's supposed to rain, which will keep us inside to do other things instead of just landscaping.

What's on my mind .... the World and all our woes. Ugh.

Words to live by ....

Namaste.

~ Chy

May Snow.

We've enjoyed a lovely sunny and warm May long weekend. Today, the rain has arrived and has settled in until at least midnight tonight. After all our work in the garden over the last 3 days, we're thankful for a day to rest and play. 

Earlier in the week, we had a bit of a snowstorm. It took several days for the snow to melt and we did get way more out here than in town. Not the best thing for a lovely Spring but on the other hand, the fire ban was lifted and the forest fires that were raging have been calmed. We have rain today, then sun, then rain on Wednesday, then sun, then rain again on Friday and next weekend looks good. Hoping this year, we get a good mix of rain, then sun, then rain, then sun. Best way to keep the garden growing and the forest fires at bay. My next hope we would be a Summer without thunder storms. That would be the best all around.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Namaste my friends!

~ Chy

Weekend Work.

I will never get tired of the way the evening light dances around the front of our house, hitting the walls inside and showcasing the gardens outside. It will forever amaze me that something so small and so brief can be so beautiful. 

Today is full. It's a blue sky, warm air day. We slept in a bit and will work out first, then shower, though that seems pointless as we'll be spending most of the day outside. But I have standards! We have to move the fire pit, the chairs that surround it and then take up the blocks they sat on to make room for our neighbor to come over with his tractor. He's going to build up then level the ground where we'll build our new shed deck so we can then build the new shed. He's going to regrade the front gardens, which means I'll have to pull up a few of the plants and place in pots until he's done. The gravel that has been our temporary walk will have to be scraped up and put in the wheelbarrow to move to another spot for now. And the mulch as well. Lots of work and hoping we can get it all done today so he can come over tomorrow. I have to order dirt and may try to do that today as well. It's doing to rain on Monday so I'll have it delivered later in the week. Also on the docket for today or tomorrow: seed the veggie patch. I do hope it rains on Monday. It would be lovely to have a day to relax and not do any physical work. After showers and then dinner, we're going to watch P!NK's film "All I Know So Far" ~ so excited and we've been waiting all week for it to be released. I'm sure we'll hit our pillows not long after that. A well deserved rest. Can't wait!

What are your plans for the weekend?

Namaste my dear blogging buddies.

~ Chy

Greening Up.

I love this time in Spring when everything finally starts to bloom and the green is overwhelming. I love the lighter green of this season and the fresh colors of pink, blue and purple in our gardens. Fresh dirt and just a few weeds here and there so far. We weeded our veggie patch last Sunday with the hope of planting our seeds but then it started to rain early in the week and we ended up with snow! Now we wait for a few dry days, like to day, with warm air and hot sun. A long weekend here in Canada ~ Victoria Day. I was done work yesterday in the afternoon and now don't go back to the hospice until Tuesday. Even though I only go in the mornings at the moment, it's lovely to have this break as our bodies are weary. We plan to clear where our new shed will go so our neighbor can level out that spot and do some regrading for us in the front gardens ~ our front path needs to have a better angle so the water doesn't pool. And once that is done, we'll then plant our seeds. If all goes well, we may be able to build the shed deck. But it is supposed to rain on Monday, so fingers crossed the rain stays away until Tuesday. My dream for gardening schedule would be light rain during the week (no thunder and lightening) and sun on the weekends. Wouldn't that be a perfect weekend set up? 

Today was busy. A bit of a sleep in, then workouts, showers, tidy up, head off to the little greenhouse down the road from us ~ in our 5 years of living out here in our little cottage in the big woods, we've never ventured over to the greenhouse so it was great to visit today and see what we've been missing. It's quite a bit bigger than it looks from the road. We were greeted at the entrance with a purple and green gnome sporting a sweet mask. Lovely staff eager to help and so many plants to choose from. We bought a trailing vine, a six pack of pink begonias and a six pack of baby's breath. I already picked up 2 spikes from the big greenhouse in town but they didn't have anymore wave petunias for my pots. We have to go back next week as they will have more planted by then. Also looked at some sweet shrubs for when we've done the landscaping we have planned for this year. 

After the greenhouse, we headed down the road to swap out our bbq tank for a new one. Then home to unload our plants and the tank. Headed into town to pick up landscaping lights, some tree fertilizer and then to Indigo to see if my County Living U.K. Edition was in .... and it was! Over to the grocery store to pick up some fresh food, then to our bank to clear out our Safety Deposit Box. We've switched banks but have our main account and our 2 TFSA's still at the old bank. One step at a time as it's a lot to move financial institutions after 20 years. So happy for the switch and our choice for our new bank. Just a lot of work to get everything moved. 

Home to put our groceries away and as we pulled up, we were surprised to see the fridge we ordered last week sitting on the driveway. We weren't expecting it until Monday. But it's here now. Tomorrow, we'll move it in to the spot we have set aside in the garage. This is going to be so helpful when we have celebrations and need extra space for food and drinks. We chose a vintage style and hope when we uncrate it tomorrow, all is well. While dh taped a radio segment, I chilled out on the deck, reading the final chapters of my book. Dd brought dinner home and we then settled in to watch the hockey game ~ we lost. It was still a great day. 

More as we go.

Namaste buddies!

~ Chy

A Wise Owl.

I love quotes and poems, and this

one crossed my desk today. Enjoy!

~ Chy

Best Reward.

I enjoyed a couple of bubble baths this weekend. We did a lot of gardening (weeding mostly) and got ready for our neighbor to move some dirt for us as soon as he has a chance with his tractor. I love working outside but my favorite part is the long shower or bubble bath once the work is done. The best reward for a job well done I believe.

Woke up to dark skies this morning. It's supposed to rain quite a bit this week, which we're happy about. The temps will be low at night though, so we didn't leave any of our seedlings outside ~ next weekend it perks up and then we can feel comfortable with planting in to the ground and in our pots. I've kept my lavender pots inside at night as well. They're pretty hardy but I'm more comfortable with them being inside and warm until we know it will be more stable. 

I'm working a few mornings a week at our hospice, just for a couple of hours. We hired a new staff member that we'll share with the nursing team and I've got lots to do to prepare for her arrival. We are also at capacity ~ all 12 suites are full. This also means more deaths and the staff is doing well in welcoming individuals as well as saying goodbye in their final days with us. I've created a debrief program and we had our first sessions last week, which went quite well. Today I'll be home before lunch as we have a meeting with our clinic's nurse who is going to help us with our weight loss management plan. Excited to get going. We've done well on our own but have both hit a wall so she'll get us over this blip in the journey. The rest of the afternoon I'll probably curl up on the couch and catch up on paperwork and planning for the week. Always a lot to do and never a dull moment! I hope you have an amazing day.

Namaste my blogging buddies. 

~ Chy

Right Here. Right Now.

What I'm wearing .... a very whispy pale green mid calf cotton slip, with a pale yellow light cotton dress over top, showing just enough of the green to be very Springy!

What I'm reading .... Almost done "No Ordinary Life" by Suzanne Redfearn. Either tonight or later tomorrow. And then it's on to the next good read. Then I'll pick a new one.

What's happening in my kitchen .... Sunday dinner is cooking ~ we were going to bbq but the tank was right on empty, so cooking inside now. Steaks with Asian salad. Light but tasty.

What's outside my window .... Very sunny and hot, blue sky and lots of birds flying around. I found a sweet little lady bug in the garden today hence the Susan Wheeler print. 

What I'm thankful for .... great weather and lovely neighbors who stopped by yesterday for a fun and laugh~filled visit. 

What I'm smelling .... dinner cooking ~ smells so good.

What I'm hearing .... the tv and the fan above the range. 

What I'm crafting .... work on the dollhouse this week. I did some re~organizing in the art studio so I can move forward on some plans I have in mind. Almost wish I was retired.

What's on my mind .... worries that I don't want to think about today. I'm trying to learn to set things "over there" so they don't cloud my mind 24 hours a day. It's slow going but I'm determined to get there. Leaving this up from last week. Exactly where I'm at on a Sunday, a day for being, resting, playing and creating. Worries can wait until tomorrow. 

Words to live by .... 

"We might think we are nurturing our garden. But of course, it's our garden that is really nurturing us." ~ Jenny Uglow

Enjoy your week.

Namaste.

~ Chy

Sunny Sunday.

My sweet ceramic basket that I usually put out for Easter has not gone back to the storage room just yet. I think it's just perfect to house a small plant pot, so out it stays. 

Today is so sunny! But that will change tomorrow when the rain settles in for about 4 days. We do need it. The bit we got last week wasn't really enough, though it greened up our landscape (looks so amazing now) and helped with the forest fires. I'm so hopeful the rain will come and stay as long as they've predicted so the fires can be brought under control. So scary but thankfully not close to our region. 

The plan for today is to cut back some of the old growth on my perennials, get the rain barrels set up for the season, finishing weeding the veggie patch and plant my pea, carrot, beet and onion seeds. Holding off on the others until it's warm again after all the rain. Then I'm going to take a long shower and relax on the deck ~ trying to finish my book so I can start the next one. Indigo had a great sale not long ago and we did a little stocking up. Maybe some art studio work later as well. I've been doing some purging and tidying, and hope to work on the one dollhouse this week that I'm trying to finish up. I've got some new ideas to try. Getting there!

I'll be back later with "Right Here. Right Now."

Enjoy your sunny Sunday. Namaste my buddies.

~ Chy

New Projects.

A quilt I'd love to create with my daughter

I'd doing the squares. She would crotchet

them all together. Wouldn't that be the

most amazing project? I would love this.

Currently figuring out how to hang curtains with

the rods we've bought. Not quite as nice as this

but the same idea to "hug" the window instead

of being straight on. Now to get them hung up.

Do you have any new projects on the go?

I always have a list and chip away at it.

Namaste my blogging buddies. 

~ Chy

Wishing ....

.... that Covid would soon disappear and

we can all be together again ....

.... that my mom's dementia would magically

disappear so we could have her back ....

.... that the residents in our brand new hospice

all have the most peaceful, love filled deaths ....

.... that the World takes the lessons from this

huge Pandemic and moves forward with grace

and love and respect for all. That we relearn

how to live and are better for this in the end ....

What are you wishing for these days?

Are you hopeful for better days ahead?

Namaste my blogging buddies.

~ Chy

Our Weekend.

It was supposed to be a very rainy weekend starting today but it actually rained for a bit on Thursday and then a bit more yesterday and now the forecast for this weekend is blue sky and mid to high 20's (Celcius) for temperatures. We plan to make the most of it. I have my kids grief class this morning and then the rest of the day will be outside. Movie night later and because dgs has gone to visit his dad for the next 10 days (schools are closed here due to Covid), we can watch movies that aren't kid friendly! A bit of freedom.

So what's happening around the cottage this weekend? Our neighbor is coming down to scope out where we've finally decided to put our shed and he's going to move the dirt pile over to that spot and then level it out. We'll then build the decking, which shouldn't take too long as we've done this before and the boards are all cut. We hope to start on the shed but will see how hot it gets and how our time goes. We're also moving the chairs over to a spot in the shade to stain them (if I have enough stain) and our lampposts need to be sprayed as well. Hoping to figure out first how to replace the batteries in them so they work and don't just look pretty. I have some weeding to do. No planting just yet. Another week and we should be good to go, though I am contemplating planting my peas and carrots as those can tolerate cool nights. Excited to watch our veggie patch grow.

What's on tap for your weekend?

Big plans or just a time to chill?

Namaste ....

~ Chy

September Wedding.

Our oldest son and our sweet, almost

daughter~in~law were planning to get

married on September 4, 2020 (their

10th year together) but Covid changed

all their plans. They have now chosen

a new date: September 4, 2021. And

a new location. We are so excited to

all be travelling out to the island and

hope by then, things will be much more

open so we can all enjoy our time together.

Wish us luck that September 4, 2021 will
be there wedding date and that we can all
celebrate together as a family. Truly, we

can't wait and have high hopes we can.

Namaste my blogging buddies.

~ Chy

A Long Week.

This last week has been super long and tiring. But so rewarding at the same time. I'll likely write a few short posts to share the many different pieces. For today, my lavender win! We were at Costco late in the day to visit the garden centre for the first time this year, thinking it wouldn't be too crowded. With the new restrictions in place, space in retail stores is limited again. It was a big surprising to pull up and see a lot of cars but the lot wasn't packed like on a weekend, which we always avoid. As we walked up to the store, we realized there was no lineup as we anticipated. Score! So we grabbed a cart with the idea that we could stroll through, looking at plants and choosing a few favorites, like my lavender pots for the front veranda. And then we thought we'd stock up on some food items since we were there already. As we walked through, it seemed quiet. 

Until we got to the entrance to the garden centre. And then we spotted why the aisles were quiet but there were many cars .... the lineup to get in to the area was packed and the line snaked around the corner almost to the front of the store. Yikes! I had such high hopes of getting my pots today. No worries, we'll come back another day. But I thought that it couldn't hurt to ask if they have any so we know if coming back is a good plan. I went to the front (no husband, no cart, just little me) and found the sweetest employee who was letting customers in as others came out. She greeted me with a sweet smile so it felt okay to ask if there was lavender and if there are times that are better to come back to shop. She chatted with me for a moment, reassured me there was a good stock of my pots and I thanked her and turned to walk away. A few steps in and I heard her say "is it only lavender you need?" As we've potted 138 different flowers (perennials and annuals) and have many more seeds to plant in the ground, truly, yes, it was only my 2 pots I was hoping for. I walked back and said yes, and she said "hang on!" She disappeared for a second and then came back and turned to the people in the line up and said "this lovely lady only needs to pots of lavender. I've asked a staff member to go grab 2. Is everyone okay with this?" I cringed for a second as I hadn't asked for this gesture of kindness but the line up all answered with "yes of course." Wow! And then the other employee came around the corner with these 2 pots above. Better than I've ever seen and she was even proud she had chosen the "2 best" ones she could find. I was almost teary with the kindness of the staff and then the crowd. As they placed them in front of me, I turned to those in the line up and thanked everyone, and I was met with smiles and nods. I was so thankful and the staff told me they were more than happy to help out. With smiles all around, I picked up my precious pots and walked away thinking "in all this crap right now, a moment of kindness that made my heart swell." I found my dh a few aisles away and he was surprised to see me walking towards him with 2 pots of sweet lavender and the biggest grin on my face. 

Aren't they the most beautiful pots of lavender? It's English and will look amazing on the front veranda. I have Munstead growing in pots and at least 4 of another kind starting to come to live out in the front garden. My dream one day is a tiny lavender "farm" and we're on a way to making that happen in time. I love the end of the season when these will all be big and ready to harvest. Drying the buds and hanging little bunches of lavender around the house makes the time going in to caring for them worth all the fuss and bother. 

Do you have a favorite plant you love to grow each year?

Are your garden centres or nurseries super busy again?

Namaste my blogging buddies.

Enjoy this beautiful Friday.

~ Chy

Dreary Rain.

We had 2 days of rain on Friday and

Saturday. It was so welcome as our

region has begun to have fires due to

the dry landscape. The first day, I did

love the coolness and the sound. The

second day, it was much darker and

quite gloomy, or dreary as I've titled

this post. Out came our new tea pot

and the coziness of our cottage set in.

But once the rain had stopped, we

enjoyed the most amazing Sunday

with warm air and blue skies. And

blooms everywhere! Maybe you can

see the bright green little buds in the

picture above. Today, it's another blue

sky day but now the green is vast.

Do you love rainy days?

Or are they dreary and cold?

~ Chy