Flowers Can't..

"Flowers can't solve all problems, but they're a great start"-Justina Blakeney

A couple of weeks ago I was browsing through Chapters bookstore, which I do frequently. I had a coffee in hand and was admiring all of the beautiful housewares that I can't afford but that I continue to lust after. I had made it past all of the new released books, past the greeting cards and past the decadent rows of soy candles. I was turning the corner to inspect some tableware when something caught my eye and made me (almost) spit out a mouthful of coffee. It was a small box labelled "DIY Flower-Pot" and it said it contained everything you would need to paint your very own flower pot. On inspection it included a very small terracotta pot, some paint and a brush, all for the remarkably high price of $19.99.

I grew up painting flower pots, my mom sold them at craft fairs and both my sister and I had all of our pencils, markers and stationary on display in our own, hand-painted terracotta pots on our desks. I knew it was an inexpensive feat but didn't realise how ridiculous the price was for that DIY kit until my sister and I decided to get back to our "roots" and spend one of her first nights back in the city (she was away at university learning law and stuff) drinking wine and crafting some flower pots.

After securing some full-bodied red wine at the liquor store, our next stop was at the dollar store where we picked up sponge brushes (5 for $1), small terracotta pots (3 for $1.25), small saucers for said pots (3 for $1), a large bottle of white acrylic paint ($1) and a bag of sour candies ($1).  Unfortunately the dollar store didn't have the array of paint colours we were hoping for so we bombed across the street to an actual craft store where we bought neon pink and robin's egg blue acrylic paint ($1.25/ bottle) and a sealer/glaze for the pots to make sure they were both water-proof and that the paint stayed where we put it ($3.00).

We came home, covered the dining table in newspaper and got down to business. We each painted three pots, each pot got three coats of paint (FYI if using a light colour or a neon colour, paint a coat of white under where you intend to use it, this will make it more dramatic and will allow it to cover better). The sponge brushes worked surprisingly well and it took about an hour including a little drinking and devouring of sour candies to complete all three coats (they dried remarkably fast!). I let them cure for a couple of hours before I finished both the inside and the outside of each pot with one coat of the sealing glaze. The next day they were ready to be put to good use.

Shall we do a tally?
       $1.25 for three pots
       $1.25 for three pots
       $1.00 for three saucers
       $1.00 for three saucers
       $3.50 for paint
       $1.00 for brushes
    + $3.00 for glaze     
       $12.00+tax  (~$13.80)

So without including the wine and candies, it cost $13.80 to paint six pots...that is $2.30/pot which makes the DIY kit a real rip-off. Happy pot painting all, enjoy getting your hands a little dirty!
-m

Happy nurses week !

To the nurses and health care providers that I have had the privilege to work with,

You are a remarkable group. Your adaptability, passion and empathy are exceptional. Nursing has afforded me many opportunities and as my career and knowledge continue to grow so does my admiration and respect for the people I work with.

To many families and patients you are a tour guide through the abyss of medical terminology, procedures and tests. You share in the hope and promise that comes with good news and you share in the disappointment and fear that bad news and sometimes even devastating news brings. You tour them through this uncharted territory with dignity and respect.  This safari ride has stops they never thought they would see and has taken them places they never knew existed. And as their tour guide you help them cope, you teach them adaptability and you show them compassion. 

I have seen the delight you share as a new father sees his baby for the first time. I have also seen you celebrate with genuine pride when a premature baby finally meets the milestone their family has been wishing for. 

I have seen you shed tears of joy when a patient finally leaves the icu after you worked so hard to make sure they had a future. And I have seen you band together and rally when things fall apart. They do fall apart and they will fall apart but you know that and you face it every day.

I have seen you hold the hands of families when they learn there is nothing more that can be done and I have seen you hug a stranger like they were part of your own family.

I have seen you advocate, persist and demand for your patients especially when they could not do so for themselves. And I have seen you go above and beyond your job description even in the small confines of a helicopter. 

I know you lose sleep sometimes and I know you go home and wrack your brain looking for something you may have missed. 

I know you go home and cry sometimes for the lives lost and suffering you have seen endured. I know you sometimes have to step away and that is ok.

What is the most remarkable thing about all of this is that you go home to your families where you are a parent, a partner, a sister or a brother.  You care for them, love them and lead full lives and then you get up and do it all again because you love your job. You are passionate about your job and you are good at your job. Your job is important even when you are sometimes made to feel like it's not and even when you feel like no one sees how much you give to so many people.

You are selfless. You are strong and you are brave. You don't just save lives, you save the future.

So to the medical professionals that I work with, that I have worked with and the ones that I will work with, I am so proud to have seen you don all of the many hats required of you with such grace. My respect and admiration for you grows every day and I hope you know how important you each are to so many people. Happy nurses week.