Hi there!!!!
I thought I would pop in with some petals to cheer your day.
There is this hazy cool winter light coming in the window that I love.
Although, my fingertips are more than chilly typing this.
I know I know, it's nothing as cold as you are.
But I'm from the desert, I'm weak 🙂
I picked up all sorts of flowers last night and I am so glad that I did.
No garden flowers here yet, but I did notice that the roses are filling up with those fresh glossy leaves of early spring.
Do you buy yourself flowers?
I love buying flowers, it's so very important to do nice things for yourself.
I think we let our mean self out too much – more than we let the nice self out.
(I don't know why the quality of my pics goes down when I load them here, but you can click them to see better quality)
I don't have anything major to report.
I just got back from the ocean which was lovely and I got overly numbed at the dentist yesterday to fix a filling I cracked.
Besides that, things have been pretty mellow around here.
I read that if you massage your face or do exercise that the numbing from the dentist goes away faster.
I had a very weird reaction to it, but I still took out the roots of a dead tree yesterday with the hatter.
I was acting so loopy.
I set off the house alarm.
I panicked from the feeling of choking on cotton.
I felt all the pain in my tooth but my throat was so numb I couldn't swallow.
My heart was racing.
Silly silly silly.
I just can not take any kind of anything it seems.
I'm so sensitive to anything chemical, I can't even do coffee, boo hoooo.
This was not the topic I planned, but since I'm nothing but honest here's something funny.
After my dental appointment and the panic that came over me from not being able to swallow or feel (I know most of you know what this is like) –
I went to house 2 (we'll call the country house "house 1"), and I set off the alarm somehow.
Then I called the hatter and I started sobbing, do you have people you just turn into blubbering mush around?
He was like, you know what to do to calm down (Insert DARE book by Barry McDonagh), and he just overall made me feel better.
I got into the car and I had mascara running down my cheek and neck 🙂 (insert belly laugh)
I was like, what can I do to make the time go faster for the numbing to wear off?
I know!
I'll go shopping.
I went to the antique store and I bought 175 pieces of china.
(I fixed my makeup before going in, I promise, at least I think I did – scratches head)
5 pieces of framed art.
A huge ugly rain umbrella (I still don't know why I bought that).
Christmas decorations.
And a basket of books.
Oh and a huge mirror.
I didn't just feel numb, I felt a little wacky too.
I was like, Jim, I can't feel my tongue or throat- and he was like, yep you must have had some tooth work done, and I was like – yes and I would not like to feel like this forever.
And he scoffed at my silliness and said, it's not gonna last forever and looked at me funny but with a smile.
Oh, btw, Jim is one of the volunteers and my friend at the antique store.
I'm trying to get him to let me use his pass in the 55+ gym by my house but he says, he'd get in real trouble if he turned me loose and I ran amok!!
Hahaha!
Oh so, I also found a fabulous rocking chair sitting outside the dumpster so I took it to house 1.
I tried to eat 2 French fries and almost choked to death so I had a smoothie.
I partook in some random garden shenanigans.
Then, I got into bed fully clothed (coat, jewelry, etc) at house 1 and tossed and turned.
The hatter brought me ibuprofen, water and peeled fresh oranges from the trees.
I know, I sound like a ridiculous baby.
But I'm certain something weird happened.
(I know, who cares about a little numbing – no big deal, there are real things going on this world, I know this)
When the numbing first went in – about 30 seconds later my heart was racing and thumping as though I took some weird drugs.
Not that I would know anything about that, but it's what I imagine 🙂
And I felt the entire procedure like being electrocuted in my tooth.
So, I'm not sure what happened, hahahaha!
I'm laughing whilst typing as it is quite comical now.
Borderline even ridiculous to share.
I had not had a dental procedure in so long that it wasn't until later that I remembered my old dentist (who retired) used to not give me numbing due to my bizarrest reactions. Slaps forehead with palm of hand.
Sidenote – I am not calling it Novocain because apparently that is not what they use these days? I'm not sure.
All I know is it was hawwwrrible, and I would not like to take part in that again.
Oh and did I mention I was numb for 7 hours!
7.
(I didn't stay in bed all 7 hours, I'm restless by nature, as you may have guessed – after shopping I did help ML with the stump, hacked up some rose bushes and ran around checking the endless wild chamomile all whilst drooling – then I got in bed and had some pain killers)
But when it wore off I had a whole new lease on life.
I was like, I'm freeeee I'm freeeeeeee!!!
I was doing an Irish jig and was like, I'm outta here.
I hopped out of bed and went flower shopping.
I then took all my flowers to house 2.
And then…
Late at night I decided to look in my car to see what loot I picked up while completely insane.
I'm still staring at this giant box filled with 175 pieces of china.
O.M.Geeeee.
Luckily, I shop second hand so the damage I do is minor.
It's minor in dollars but major in stuff.
Gotta love that right?
(In hindsight – I've had much more serious procedures done in life and handled them much better than a tooth, lol. Just to be clear, I would have kept this entire debacle to myself, but why the heck not dramatize for your reading pleasure, or eye rolls? Haha! Assuming someone is still reading a blog in 2019, or is that only in my dreams – and why am I all of a sudden singing a Debbie Gibson tune from the 80's?)
Anyways…
I had a ball at the ocean even though it poured rain.
I got some moments of sun here and there.
Mom and dad and Irishman were with me.
I saw the Tim Shaw exhibit at Balboa park at SDMA.
Very creepy but very interesting & intense.
I brought home 2 sea shells.
There weren't many.
The ocean was littered with little plastic garbage from the storms.
No shells.
It's chilly here.
Do you think I should get a little dog to join my boys?
Matty is 9 and Miles is 8.
I'd love them to make a new little guy like them.
They are so non-destructive and well behaved.
It's been on my mind.
Also, I'm going to say something very controversial.
I'm getting bored with social media.
The algorithms show me nothing but the same thing over and over and over and over.
Where are my friends and why am I seeing the same random odd video over and over?
And honestly, it makes me feel a little cuckoo.
I was never much into Pinterest but I noticed the tailoring is very intense there too.
I feel like I'm in groundhog's day.
I go on my phone and see the same thing served to me for months in a row.
How about you?
And I rarely see any of my friends unless I seek them out.
Anyways, I'm blabbering and my oven is all warm for me to make a peach crisp.
I best be on my way.
Love love love, V
Stay warm, be nice to yourself and buy some flowers.
Oh and order seeds soon for the ground.
xoxo!
How ya been, watcha doin', what's going on?
Tell me your funny dentist story, won'tcha???!!
ps:
Here is a photo of me on vacation.
Just kidding, obvi.
😉
Those are just the javelinas that live on my property at house 2.
Yes they can be dangerous if provoked.
They are nearly blind and have huge tusks.
They can severely injure your dog so you have to be careful.
17 of them crossed my driveway the other day with tiny babies in tow.
Life must be hard out there for those root and plant eaters in winter.
But they are cute in their own way, no?







Dear V,your Dentist story sent me into shivers.I love my dentist.But,HATE having to go see him.(I fainted when I got my ears pierced…)I rarely buy myself flowers,but,buy for my Mom n friends,all the time.Really like it when I can cut from my own flowers,tho.Please talk to your Dentist.Don’t need to go thru that again.Feel better,Sweet Friend. XOXO,Ceci
Thank youuuu, I’m totally cured now & it was very funny in hindsight, I will make sure to talk to him😂😂😂💕💕💕💕💕
Yes, I read blogs. I miss those days…social media really ups my anxiety as well. I don’t see my faves unless I search for them. Strange days indeed 😉
Yes, it is so strange. The algorithms totally freak me out, I just want to see everything – not tailoredðŸ™
Love your blog!!! Thank you for sharing your story-awful but ended well–including fun shopping for antiques and flowers!! And you have friends who are there to help–so important!! Beautiful inspirational photos–you are multitalented (including as a writer)!! Love your instagram also but your blog is a treat to read (and look at!!).
We did not have javelinas when we lived in Scottsdale. They look scary! I think our Westies would go nuts if they ever saw one! I hope you’re feeling much better from the dental experience. And retail therapy always helps! Did you buy a matching set of china, or individual pieces? Flowers always make everything better. I always keep fresh flowers in the house, but I hate the beginning of February because everyone jacks-up the prices for Valentine’s Day! Fun post, Vanessa!
I think they are so cute, the javalinas! I am sensitive to many things too. I have to be careful with prescription pills. I had a problem with Novocain before. My heart raced too much. They gave me something else, Lidocaine maybe. I have never been able to drink coffee, only decaf. I had to laugh about the shopping. That’s going to be an expensive filling if you include the shopping cost! 🤣Will we get a peek at the new dishes? I kind of did the same thing last week. I went to the dermatologist because I had a spot on my nose that was bleeding. He was supposed to look at it & say it’s fine & send me on my way. He didn’t get the memo because he gave me a million shots of Novocain in my nose, cut the area & cauterized it! Those shots were horrible! I left there & immediately went to my favorite resale shop that benefits an animal shelter! I found a giant book about Irish artists & writers and a good gardening book! They don’t call it retail therapy for nothing!!! 😃
it sounds like you are allergic to epinephrine (I dont know if I am spelling it right). Its in all the numbing stuff that dentists use. I found this out because when I was given the numbing stuff, as you said, my heart would race, my hands would shake so bad, including my whole body, that you would think there is something seriously wrong with me…. and it makes you pee like crazy. finally, they figured out it was the epinephrine (it’s also in pain medications, because I broke my wrist and in the hospital they were trying to reset it and gave me an injection and the same thing happened) .
I LOVE YOUR BLOG AND POSTS!!!!!!
The safer one might have been carbocaine. I think it’s the one without the epinephrine.
I am a recent reader and already a fan! When I discovered the blog, I was lost in it an entire weekend (and I am still not done exploring). The Instagram account was even more addictive.
I love how openly you share experiences and feelings. I love every single picture on the blog/Instagram. I wish I had a friend like you, just to remind me of the normalcy and beauty in our everyday life.
Although blogging and posting pictures sometimes feels lonely, please, persevere! There are probably many of us who feel close to you but have not told you so. Thank you!
Good Morning Vanessa
What a fun blog post. I will always read your blog posts, you said does anyone read them anymore? I think yes
Just reading about your dental visit* Oh my do I NOT like going to the dentist. So I have so many things to say about that. I am extremely sensitive to Novacaine and it makes my heart race. It does that to alot of people. They do still use it. I either don’t get anything or you can ask specifically for the one that doesn’t make your heart race. also I get numb and stay numb for hours also, they can do a local needle right in the tooth area and you won’t get numb on your throat or anywhere else. The same thing happened to me, I had work done and whole mouth and throat were numb. Freaked me out. But the best thing I am going to tell you is they have laser now. You can have a tooth fixed or filled or anything with laser. No more numbing. You should see if you can find a dentist that does it. You poor thing, I felt so bad reading how you felt. Fun though that you went shopping and had fun while numb
I do buy myself flowers, I HAVE to have flowers, I love Trader Joes and get most of mine there. Do you have Trader Joes in Arizona?
deezie
Still reading!
I also have reactions to medications. I normally don’t get anything for a tooth drilling unless I start making bad faces. Then maybe a little lidocain. There’s a second thing they add that I do not get. I can’t remember the name.
I’m also sick of seeing the same things on social media. Maybe some people really want to zone in on the same people time after time but I’m with you. I have a very diverse group of friends for a reason! They are all very interesting and awesome. The algorithms don’t seem to account for this much. Grr. What do we do about it???
Love your blog wish there were more, like back in the day(my god it was not that long ago!).If I was medicine loopy I would come home with 175 pieces of jewelry,several boxes of books, dishes and a few cats, maybe a horse too.So I think you did okay.
Getting another puppers now would be good if your Matty can adjust.
I hate dentists & wont go! Once they tried to give me a root canal when I didnt need one! Also hate the numbing too.. I accidentally didnt eat all day & had a cavity filled & was so so hungry, I tried to eat pho before the novocain wore off & I ate my face! Literally! Tasted blood & was like “let me stop..” it was horrible but like you say, funny to laugh at now that my cheek grew back! Never go dentist! Scary stuff
I have had a harder time with dental panic and pain from the shots as I have gotten older. (you’d think I’d be used to it and better at it now that I am 54!) But no, it’s awful. My last filling was very traumatic, like yours seemed to be. I read somewhere that hormonal changes can cause these problems for peri-menopausal women. I totally dread the dentist now. So I can definitely relate! Glad you are ok!
Thank you for the laughs! I’m so sorry you had to go through all that. I am terrified of the dentist. I’m going to confess a terrible secret. I haven’t been to one in almost 9 years. (I can’t handle the lights/sounds cause of my headaches.)
I can’t believe you bought 175 pieces of china! OMG!!! I swear you must be such fun to shop with! If I ever come to Arizona, can I shop with you?!? 🙂
I can’t comment on the dog situation, cause I’ve become very germphobic about animals. No more pets for me. 🙁
Anywhoo….I buy flowers sometimes. Not as often as I’d like, the local market I use doesn’t have a great selection and they are pretty pricey.
Oh well…
love & blessings
~*~
ps…hugs & kisses to Matty & Miley! Hi to The Irishman and ML. 🙂
I always vote in favor of another dog, though you should probably carefully asses the risks to a little dog, as you have a lot of wild and little dogs are tasty. I live in a sort of suburban setting (it’s not really suburban because there’s not really a city involved but the neighborhood I live in is like a suburban one, only surrounded by countryside and our little small town center) ANYWAY, it’s suburban enough that I feel ok having dinky dogs, but I dunno what your wild situation is. I imagine you’ve got eagles and coyotes and all kinda stuff like that? Speaking of, your javelinas are delightful!! Do you have quail? I adore quail.
I too am sensitive to all sorts of things, I guess a lot of us are. I’m glad you recovered ok, I wonder what your heart rate was. Good thing you are strong and athletic!
Do we get to see the 175 dishes? I’m picturing Johnson Brothers to myself and feeling that I want to go out and buy 175 dishes tooâ¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸
Lastly, social media. I REALLY miss IG before Facebook ruined it. It seems to just get worse and worse. I am glad so many interesting and wonderful people still soldier on with it in spite of the mess they’ve made of it, but I do wish there was something that was IG like it was in the “old†days. I love your blog, so much! It is my goal to read the entire length and breadth of it, and I am so glad you continue with it. It makes me feel better about being alive!😊XxxOoo
OMG, it said my email would not be displayed!! Can you delete me please? â¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸I don’t see any way to do it myself?