Why I No Longer Sing Story, Pinks in the Garden, Stitched Lilies Too

I am back home safe and sound from my trip where I got to log many miles by train.  Since I am the full time cook, server and cleaner upper here, it was such a treat for me to sit back and be served a lovely meal while the pastoral scenery of Quebec flew by.  I loved every minute of it and felt very privileged and thankful.

Hubby and dogs well and just like that, one day home and I feel back into my old routine.

A Before picture- hopefully.
This is a corner of my crowded (and messy) little sewing room taken a while back when my Patchwork Year blocks were on the go.

I've gotten a new piece of furniture at a secondhand furniture store and plan to put it to use in this room.  It is an armoire type of unit, will definitely hold a lot of materials and clear away the floor. More about that later. (Note to self: take a photo of this room when tidy!)

I promised I had a singing story and here it is.

 My Singing Story

I've mentioned I have a singing story.  I used to be able to sing, not exactly sing sing but carry a tune well enough I passed the audition to get into my university glee club (but the director, Iggy, was a kindly man so I don't know if he ever turned anyone away).  My voice has been getting raspier as I've aged and never mind singing -I'm gasping to get words out sometimes and am self conscious of how awfully ragged my voice sounds.

As a result, back in March, I got sent to an ENT doctor who said to me before he even put the light down my throat, I know what your problem is.
 The joke is I have Singers Nodules, something singers get but it turns out is also very common for teachers to develop especially after thirty odd years in the classroom. I was so relieved and thankful it wasn't something else (and you all know what was in my mind!). But as I was leaving, this very young doctor said to me with a serious, sad tone, you may not be able to sing again. Whereupon I laughed and said I was never exactly Celine Dion or anything so no big loss there.

Anyway, the treatment for Singers Nodules is rest; literally don't speak, don't even clear your throat, no more ahems.  When I told Hubby, he didn't say anything but I know he was thinking something. ( I am definitely the chatterbox of the two of us.)

Hosta Heaven

You can see why I call this place Hosta Heaven....they are back in all their big leafed glory.

At the center of the below photo is a pretty flowering Weigela, one of the Spilled Wine forms I planted soon after moving here.  I thought the front was badly in need of more colour to break all the green.  I'm happy it seems to be thriving there.

I do have a small worry- I don't remember how big the card said it would grow.  Rookie gardener mistake! I love it but I don't need another tree sized bush there. (The hydrangeas are now small trees out front.)

Just before I left I had tidied away my projects so only had this one handy.  Six more lilies completed.

Do you agree with Henry James?



Grateful to link this post with all the happy posts at Not Afraid of Color. Also linking up with
Sugarlane Designs,  and It's A Small Town Life,