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Saturday 12 December 2009

Winter's Toes

I'm housebound today .. I just need a full on pajama day .. things have been so stressful and busy , that if I don't do this for myself .. I'll crumple in a heap and no one wants to see THAT ?
So .. today I am taking pictures from inside the house or hanging out the deck door .. it explains a lot of what the neighbors think about me ? How can you not see fire engine red pajamas ?
So .. today's talk is about "winter's toes" .. I bet you haven't talked about this subject before ?
But ... yes ... winter does have toes ! I prefer to talk about them leaving come Spring time .. but lack of subject material is driving me to distraction and this is where I ended up : )
Those toes need a trim !! .. scary .. aren't they ?? imagine rubbing up against them in bed ? ;-)
The boys don't care as long as they are out of the way ..
Next .. clouds .. the ones I see over my neighbor's metal roof .. afternoon is the best time.
They drift in front of the sun and they are gorgeous .. I'm afraid today's translation in pictures, doesn't do them justice at all .. you will have to take my word for it !
Try and ignore the state of my windows please .. and just admire the spinney fingers of this little plant I have NOT managed to kill ... yet ... I think it must love me a little ?
Next is lighting .. I know we had discussions on the condition of SAD for more northern climate people .. I find interior lighting to be a very sensitive issue for me .. I can't stand light that is too bright, yet I crave light that is soft or coloured or just plain interesting.
Thus the purchase of two small lamps with gorgeous detail ... I love them .. I may even name them ? .. OK .. I won't .. just testing if you are paying attention ?? ;-)
One in our main bathroom and one at the head of the stairs .. the reflected light on the wall is perfect too.
Something a little Christmasy ? .. the nutcracker ..
I think we may have bought it in Aachen, Germany .. it was about a 40 minute drive from our home in Schinveld, South Limburg province of the Netherlands.
Christmas markets in the countries we bordered, Belgium, Germany .. the smell was heaven and the beautiful things you could buy .. just wonderful : )
But .. our stores have changed a great deal for access to such pretty objects.
World trade ? increased variation on the market place in general ? who knows !
I say Home Sense (one of my favorite stores) and that works for me ! : )
December 12th and my rosemary report .. still alive and well and a fantastic GREEN !!!!
"Thinking Gargoyle" aka TG, reminds me of being very gothic like this .. thinking at sunset ...
... and then there is Emma ... also in thinking mode .. I call this her "Owl" look ?
Well ... that is how today wraps up .. we are all thinking ... about how busy it is going to get again .. I think .. I need to go to bed ... NOW ! ;-)

25 comments:

Barbee' said...

Windows!? What windows! Those are some cold looking clouds. Grumpy gargoyles look even more Gothic in snow, I think. And, Emma is so purrrty!

Carol said...

Very clever and funny post... I love the toes... I had not seen the snow in that way before. The red pj's too... quite a bit of red threaded through your post... the rosemary fits in perfectly to make it Christmassy. Lovely light in your outdoor shots. Carol

Deborah at Kilbourne Grove said...

Joy, I also need a day in my jammies. Drove up to Kilbourne Grove this morning, and have spent the day in front of the fire. I so needed a lazy day, have to recharge the batteries for next week.

"Daffodil Planter" Charlotte Germane said...

Fun! I learned two new phrases today--winter toes and pajama day. Both will come in handy this snowy winter.

Northern Beauty Seeker said...

I know just what you mean about needing a pj day. It's been that kind of day here, too.

I love your little stained glass lamps - and, yes - your Emma has her owl ears on :)

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Nighty night. I hope those big cold winter toes don't get you.
Emma is a darling.

Dave@TheHomeGarden said...

Wow they do look like toes! So I guess you have cold feet? ;)

deb said...

love the red star ornament. is it from your time europe too?

dj

Carrie said...

For having nothing to talk about you certainly wrote a lovely post! Those snow toes - that made me smile, I've never seen that before. I love your indoor plant, I swear, next house I shall an indoor plant if it kills me, succlents are good then? I have the touch of death when it comes to house plants. I think you must be photoshopping that rosemary, ahhaaa.
Oh and if you find those beautiful lights missing one day - send the police to N. Ireland. They are too gorgeous for me not to have them in my life. Hugs xx

debsgarden said...

Fire engine red pajamas? Well, mine were bright blue with white polar bears - Lou bought them for me. I really laughed at your snow toes, especially the thought of them in bed with me. Thanks for a verry enjoyable post.

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

Lovely post! And if you want to name your lamps that is your choice!!(-: I love the same kind of lighting!!! So pretty and welcoming(-:
My rosemary stays green all year too. About the only thing though...lol(-:

Anonymous said...

Joy ~ What great shots on this and the last few posts... love all that winter garden scenery! Your lamps are gorgeous, as is Emma. So glad you made it home safely, with those bad brakes.

You evidently sent down the Montreal Express, since the past couple of days have been frigid and windy with wind chills in the teens and single numbers. Now we're due for rain, so things are moderating. Our pretty snows of last weekend are but a memory.

Stay snug and warm... I had a pajama day last week ~ which isn't easy when you have a pup to take out several times a day... luckily I have "fat jeans" that fit over my PJ bottoms... throw on a winter jacket and nobody's the wiser... they have no idea I spent the day in my jammies or, as the British say, "jim-jams."

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Barbee' girl !
Windows .. hum .. thanks for not "seeing" them : ) Yes ! TG looks very Gothic doesn't he ?
Emma isn't sure she likes her picture taken but I do it any way .. haha

Hello Carol and thank you !
Snow toes are a fixation of mine .. when I see them I have to photograph them : ) and yes : ) red is a thread for posts towards Christmas .. a must ? ;-)

Deborah girl .. that is an almost perfect pajama day , sitting in front of the fire .. how much better could it get .. except for the bit about roasting marshmallows ? haha
Recharge girl !!

DP hello there ! .. Those are two very Canadian phrases .. and they come in very handy all during a long cold winter .. so use them as much as possible : )

Ms S .. It seems to be just the thing we need in between the days before Christmas .. pajama days are like those "mental health" days .. a MUST HAVE !
I love my lamps .. they are just right ! ... and Emma was a very good girl at the deck door .. NO "let me run out and make mom run in the snow?" happened , haha

Lisa girl .. can you imagine though .. ugh !! what a shock that would be .. I was under the covers with my buddy .. the heating pad ! haha .. cats had to fend for themselves with I don't know how many beds we have scattered through out the house ! haha

Dear Dave .. women of my age tend to get a little "hot" ? so bare feet are the more common dress or undress of the day except for when a chill happens then my reindeer socks go on ! ;-)

Hello dj ! Funny enough the red star ornament came from a Canadian store "Home Sense" but I'm not sure of the country which made it , so many things imported you can never be sure ? .. it is pretty though isn't it ?

Carrie girl .. I am sure you can handle a succulent of some kind .. I have a brown thumb for some reason when it comes to indoor plants .. I don't know why, it bugs me !!
I am laughing over the rosemary .. it is like some kind of contest to see when it finally bites the bullet .. I love how it is hanging on so well and so long. And YES ! I shall send our RCMP over there if my lamps go missing girl! ;-)

Hey debsgarden !! Thanks girl : )
I have blue ones with that same pattern too, plus red ones with that as well .. but the red ones I was wearing had penguins on them .. I love fun pajamas !
Beware the "snow-toes" !! LOL

Cindee girl .. Mista G says "BBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" haha But he is doing VERY well : )
I can't get over this rosemary .. I would love to take it in doors but I don't think it would do well at all so fingers crossed and we'll see how long it lasts out on the deck !

Hello there Deb ! .. Thank you girl : ) Yes , I have had a lot of things going on and I am beat .. I am too happy to blame Quebec for the bad weather you have too : )
I know Lucy Maude appreciates all that you go through for her .. and you should see how many people don't bother putting jeans on over their pajama bottoms here !! They just wear the Pajama bottoms EVERY WHERE !! hahaha .. I have always thought that was a cute name .. jim-jams : )

F Cameron said...

Have you tried taking Vitamin D for SAD? Look it up on the web. I have a D deficiency and my doc has me taking the supplements... and I live in the sunny (not today) south.


Thanks for your comment on my blog. Can you tell I've been down and out? Trying to find SOMETHING to post without much effort. Cough, cough, cough. Ugh!

Cameron

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Freda .. yes ! I take a lot of supplements with the extra vitamin D .. it really has been an under rated vitamin that truly helps.
You need rest and relaxation girl ! especially with the busy times of the holiday coming up .. I have to take another pajama day here myself .. the conditions I have pack a wallop especially with so many weather changes too.
It would be nice just to be normal ? LOL

our friend Ben said...

Your Haworthia looks just fabulous, Joy! And so does your rosemary. We haul ours into the greenhouse over winter, but they're not especially happy there, either. Sigh. We finally had one overwinter last year---waiting with bated breath to see if we can pull that off again this time! Red PJs---all right!!! Silence has a long red flannel nightie for super-cold days. Red rules!!! As for Emma, at this point she looks just like our Layla. Separated at birth?!!

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I love the toes, very pointy nails :) I love your new lamps. There are a lot of people that suffer from SAD here too, we really do need a break in the gray weather every so often for our mental state of mind :)
I think a pajama day sounds like the perfect way to relax and recover from a stressful week. Hope the upcoming week is better for you.

RURAL said...

When I read the post title, I thought you were talking about our "frozen for months on end" digits that are attached to our feet.

And I thought to myself, hey, someone else has freezing cold feet all fall and winter also. Love that it is the snow toes that you featured.

They do look like they could use a good peddi, but again maybe just a bit of good old sunshine would do the trick.

Love Emma, and she does look indeed like a owl in that photo. Are they not the most amazing creatures?

Enjoy your pajama day, we all need one of those once in a while.


Jen

Kathleen said...

I love a pajama day Joy! We have many of them at my house so come on over. :-)
Winter toes for sure. They are so scary looking if you spray painted them orange or black they would be perfect for Halloween!
Your lamps are beautiful. I sometimes think I have SADS too because I drag so much during this season. I am counting the days until the solstice so that maybe the lengthening light will help?
It's great you still have some green outside ~ it's been two long months since I've seen anything that color here! boo hoo

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

Hey Girl, we all need a pj day once in a while, hope you had a good one!! Your winter toes are very similar in shape to your spiky plant, what an interesting coincidence! Stay warm. :) Rebecca

CanadianGardenJoy said...

'ben' I would so love to see a picture of Layla ! .. Emma and Sophie have common blood with the Siamese mix but they both look so different .. Emma looking totally Main Coon and Sophie, well she is Sophie ! haha
I'm hoping to keep the rosemary over winter .. I know it has been said it can't be done but hey .. I live on the edge ? LOL
Red flannel is a MUST ;-)

Hi Catherine and thank you ! .. yes those toes are scary aren't they ? haha .. imagine having them go through a pedicure ! .. and YES !! pajama day are musts for me too .. I can only handle so much stress and then I flop !! LOL

Jen .. some days it is too true about cold feet for me .. I have some great socks that help out .. and pj days , well I just have to have them ! Emma is a "hoot" with that look ;-)

Kathleen that would be perfect ! Halloween toes : ) leave it to you to think of that one for me ? LOL
Yes .. pj day .. ouch and I do need them .. with all that is coming up it makes me tired just thinking of it !
I have to look up when the solstice is .. maybe get a count down calender for it too .. we need to get over the hump but yet we have so much time to put in .. BIG sigh !

Rebecca you drew the same conclusion I did with the pictures .. toes and spikey plant .. it has been one of those days ? Enjoy you pj day too girl !!

Aunt Debbi/kurts mom said...

Great pictures Joy. PJ day is always in the pink and green pig print, because the monkeys hate them.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Debbie girl ! (what about your feed to Blotanical ?? ) how the heck are you ?!! I think your pjs sound GREAT .. I have a pair of Betty Boop that have green martinis or margaritas ? in pretty glasses .. kind of the rebel in me ? haha

Rose said...

So that's how winter gets its grip on us--not with hands, but with its toes! You have quite a creative mind, Joy:) Love your new Tiffany-style lamps. I bought one, too; it's not very good as a reading lamp, I've discovered, but hey, it looks pretty!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Rose girl !
Yup .. by the toes were are its victims .. winter grabs what it can with us by how ever means it takes ? haha
Another YUP ! these stained glass are not for reading with sure ! .. mine look almost ugly when not turned on .. but when they are turned on they are so PRETTY !! .. it is an aesthetic use more than anything else ? LOL