PAPA SMURF MADE ME DO IT

He looks all cute an innocent, doesn’t he? But I blame Papa Smurf. Back in December last year I made a deal with myself, to buy nothing for whole year. This did not include food, gifts for others, stuff for the garden, and my hair colour and make-up. Why the deal? Originally I had budgeted to take a year off after Jarvis, but that year passed and I had no desire what so ever to return to work and be apart for him.

Papa Smurf

I had done so well, all new clothes were made from fabric in my fabric stash. New bath towels for the new house, were purchased with gift cards given to me for my birthday. Everything else I passed on. As the year went by it got easier, and easier to not buy. It just got easier to not want ‘stuff’, stuff that I really didn’t need.

However, yesterday I went to Bunnings. Oh that place how I love it, Bunning and Spotlight share my love equally. The lady in the garden section at Bunning knows me; I went in to get coriander that was it. But right there at the front Papa Smurf called to me. In fact all of the Smurfs called to me, to take them home and introduce them to Herbert, Basil, and Corri.

Herbert, is the big guy, Basil is wearing orange, and Corri is the pipe smoker.

Justin gave me the three garden gnomes, gifts that I adore. They sit happily at the back door, but Papa kept whispering he would look so smart at the front door. So I broke my rule. Then I broke it again. The stand behind Papa was also given to me by Justin, all year I have wanted to fill it with pretty flowers, but I knew this was bending the rule of buying stuff for the garden that was practical.

So now we have Papa Smurf and some Raspberry Fluff Petunias sitting at our front door. I am questioning, am I going to enjoy them? Or am I going to feel guilty each time I walk past them. 

Raspberry Fluff seedlings. 

My new coriander, which was the start of all of this. 

SINGING TO THE GNOMES

It was one of those weeks, you know when Grumpy sneaks up behind you and slaps you over the head. From feeling down last week, I slipped into darkness this week. I can always tell when this happens as I did no sewing or baking all week. I am never sure what happens first and what triggers the other but grumpiness and depression go hand in hand with me not creating. When I am not creative I am a grump.

To make matters worse Justin was having his own personal down, which is not mine to talk about. Plus, Tamika was/is over-tired and barely home. She has started a new full-time job (YAY!), but the adjustment to working full-time and information overload has exhausted her. Ever since she got Guillian Barrie she tires easier than others.

To try to expel the dark mood, I spent the week attacking the garden, mowing, wiper sniping, hedge trimming, and digging, basically getting it ready for the hibernation of winter. As much as Jarvis adores being in the garden, I was feeling guilty as I had not given Jarvis 'his day'. A day when we spend the day doing an activity that is all about his fun.

My gardening assistant.

But then, we were at a Hardware store getting supplies, and it hit me how thrilled Jarvis was to be there. He got to push his own trolley and run amok in the plant section, he even got to sit in front of rows of garden gnomes and sing to them. Garden gnomes seem to be his audience of choice. He adores them.

Off in search of the gnomes

I sat down beside him in the plant section and realized, it is me that is the problem. I can stress all I want about lack of money and that is not going to change a thing. I have to take my example from Jarvis and find the happiness in the simple things and stop and sing to the gnomes. After all, my gnomes are happy.