Greetings on a lovely Friday afternoon. I hope all is well with you and yours. The clock is ticking down to Christmas….if truth be told my favorite day of the year is the day when I get to pull all my gifts that I bought all year long from my shelf and lay them out on the kitchen table in rows for who I found what for! That day is always the day after Thanksgiving. All the Thanksgiving things are put away and the table will not be needed until some sort of Christmas holiday is celebrated, so it gives me space to lay everything out and see who still needs a little love in their pile! I do this even before I pull out any type of Christmas decoration, I’m a bit nutty for sure!

I really did try to cut down this year….honestly I did try! My daughter thinks it is rather interesting that I do not hesitate to spend money on others, yet here I am complaining my microwave is a bit slow, and I don’t have a DVD player….and I just splurged on a bunch of candles…ugg who wants to spend money on a microwave….or DVD player when I can spend it on people I love and partake in the biggest candle sale of the year at Bed Bath and Body Works? I was one of those people who stood in line for 30 minutes this year just to step foot into the store–good times!

Anyhow, there is garden news….I’ve sold out of subscriptions for my Spring bouquets, I had mentioned I was going to do 6, but after doing the math and wanting to be sure I had enough, I’m cutting it to 3 that way if I have extra then great I can sell those extras, but if not at least I know for sure I can cover at least the 3. Crossing my fingers that indeed I have enough to fulfill them! I’m sure I will, but there are always those wild cards of voles, weather, and life in general-and don’t forget-I love to worry!

I had a visit from a fellow flower farmer from a neighboring little town. It was fun to visit with her and share my little slice of heaven. I hope I didn’t overwhelm her or discourage her. There is so many different ways to do things and so many different things that are being done, but there is also an overload of flower farmers in the area — and I hear there are more starting up!

Thankfully she is interested in purchasing some of the extra seedlings that will be arriving in March, I do have an over abundance that I honestly have no clue what I’m going to do with. I’ve been trying really hard not to look at my spreadsheets and seed lists. I have more pressing matters….like gift wrapping, baking and making Christmas arrangements for the food bank. Come January there will be plenty of time to look over those darn spread sheets.

Truth be told, I’m afraid of the five rows….that seems so little?! I can hear my friends and family now “Oh Jade we knew you couldn’t go from 10 to 5.” I know, I know, it’s an addiction for sure! But it is healthy and fun! I will try for 7 again this year, I didn’t make it last year, I ended up filling the 10 then spilling over into the main garden…this year I will be more focused…..(she says with a tilt of her head and a gleam in her eyes).

Besides, we have the boat this year — and lots of trips on the wish list that will take up plenty of time! And a barn to rebuild….so I need to cut back a bit.

Off on a prance for now – lots to get buttoned up so I can get to those spread sheets! Stay warm, dry and healthy. Only a few more months and maybe we can start taking off these masks and having family gatherings. Hugs to you!