When Life Slows You Down...... Unexpectedly!

[Anemonopsis macrophylla foliage]

When Life Slows You Down

Sometimes life has a way of telling you that you need to slow down. And when this happens, you've only one choice. and that is to listen! Life has been a whirlwind of activity for me, what with my yarn dyeing company, Knitting Wolf LuxuryYarns running full steam ahead thanks to a new colorway series I created in honour of Game of Thrones, and my yearly position at LittleTree Garden Market ramping up for the traditional May 24 weekend. I've been pleasantly balancing both roles,,,,,, or WAS balancing both roles until I noticed that I had lost 3/4 of the sight in my right eye!

I went to my optometrist, who immediately sent her findings to the Ivey Eye Institute in London, Ontario, where I found myself at 8AM the next morning. Long story short, I was operated on for a double retinal tear. Surgery was done while I was awake - a new experience for me - and I was back home by midnight. Orders to lie flat on my stomach with my head in a constant downward position was both frightening and frustrating in order to achieve, but there was no quibbling over the discomfort or near impossibility of being able to achieve it.

A follow up appointment yesterday indicated that surgery had been a success, but I would need two weeks to recuperate. No lifting, no dirt or dust near the eye, and oh yes, the gas bubble that had been inserted during surgery would need to dissolve on its own. Imagine having a drop of oil placed in your eye, or looking through a window that is streaked with raindrops. Pretty hard to see out of. Rest the eye, but at the same time, don't baby or coddle it. It needs to regain its strength.

And so I was able to sit out in the garden today, and with the help of my Nephew, we were able to capture a series of photos of my garden waking up for another growing season. Shall we check in on my children as they stir to the magical song in the soil that only they can hear:

Erythronium 'Joanna'

Helleborus Onyx Odyssey

Helleborus 'Betty Ranicar'

Dysosma versapelle aka Podophyllum plieanthum

Hepatica transylvanica 'Buis'

Dysosma versapelle

I love how you can see the fruit clusters before the foliage opens!

Paeonia mlokosewitschii

'Molly the Witch'

I am most excited to see how quickly the kids will leap! We are expecting temps to feel like -2C tonight, so I expect it will be another week or so before the garden really starts to fill in. Of course I have four new Cypripedium shipping this week from Alberta, so I will have to make sure that I do not disturb any of the kids who might be slow emerging! I think I have the perfect spot for them. In the meantime, I am more than content in enjoying the miraculous beauty of Nature that is right beneath my nose.