Wednesday, 17 June 2026

Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

 

There is another sunny and warm day on the forecast for today. Yesterday was lovely as well.  I did not want to go far, wanting to keep a close watch on Eileen. The bleeding is slowing down some, but it still quite heavy. She also had a lot of cramping. She spent a lot of time laying down resting. Today that is not going to be an option as she has her ultrasound and that is an appointment she cannot miss. You wait ages for such things to happen and we cannot afford any delays. I have not yet heard from the gynecology department of the hospital.  When her worker comes to pick her up for her appointment I am going to suggest she call her family doctor and chivvy it up.

It breaks my heart that this is dragging on and on and on. 



Bailey has settled in comfortably to my sister's home. He and the cats are getting along very well. There appears to be no problem. Dad's cat growled at him, but that's about it.  As you can see dad is enjoying playing with him.


 


He is even snuggling up to Dan. Cindy has taken lots of pictures which I shared with my neighbor across the way so she can show them to Sheila so that Sheila will know that Bailey is a.o.k.  Sheila has enough to worry about without having to worry about Bailey.

Cindy and Dan have been thinking about getting a small dog for a while now, but not committing themselves. So this is a bit of an opportunity for them to test the waters a bit.


 


As many of you know, I have a Facebook page which is attached to my food blog. This page generates a very large part of my income. For the most part people are really nice on the page and its a pretty warm community. Occasionally an idiot gets in, and I have to diffuse things without becoming seemingly obnoxious myself. It is a very fine line. I know I should just ignore, but it can be hard. When I post an obvious North American recipe, I will get the odd Briton calling me out on it, which I expect.  But you would not believe the flack I get when I post a British recipe. Everyone is an expert.  No, not the regulars, who are always very appreciative of whatever I post, but usually a recipe like this one for Cornish Splits will go almost viral for a couple of days and all of the Trolls will crawl out of the woodwork. I cannot respond to every comment in that case as there will be hundreds of them. They can often be downright nasty, intimating that I don't really know what I am talking about. That they aren't Cornish Splits, but Devon Splits, or that they are really Cream Buns, or that they are Gregg's Cream Cookies.  I just ignore them for the most part, but it can do my head in a bit.  

Other times I will get a comment like this (on another post): "I thought this was an English Kitchen...the spelling is American, so which are you?"

I thought the focus was on the recipes? Not whether I spell things as savor or savour.  I know I should just delete, but it rankles. I put so much work into both my blog and my page (literally 7 to 8 hours some days) and things like that can really bother me. 

Then there are things like this comment, left on my potato nachos post: "Stick to tortilla chips, this looks like a greasy mess." (and that is not even as nasty as they can really get.)

I feel like saying to them. "If you are such an expert why don't you start your own blog or Facebook page so that you can share your expertise with the world."

But I don't. I just bite my tongue. For the most part.  I shouldn't complain really. Most of the time people are really very nice.


 


Last night about 8:30 there was this big burly gent banging on my front door. I shouldn't have even answered it, but I did because I didn't think I could pretend that I wasn't home or anything as you can see clearly that I am because of the curtain in the window and it's light out so I don't have my curtains drawn. He kept insisting that he had dropped a big tricycle off to me for my handicapped daughter a few years before. I kept telling him no. He had the wrong person and place. He finally left, but it frightened both Eileen and I. I think I am going to look into getting some of those automatic blinds that you can bring down when you want privacy but that still let the light in. It is uncomfortable feeling afraid in your own home.  A few weeks ago it was a Xplore guy coming up the driveway and waving to us as we sat on the sofa watching television. I don't like strangers being able to look into my house and see me watching television or anything else. It makes me feel very unsafe and I shouldn't have opened my door to this guy last night. It was only afterwards that I thought about how dangerous it was for me to have opened my door to a stranger. He really was being quite obnoxious.

Maybe I am just getting paranoid in my old age.


 

A comfy spot with a beautiful view.


They are finally starting to tackle some of the potholes in town. Yesterday I went with my sister for a quick trip up to Pelton's to get a few bits and they had a long stretch of the main street blocked off and were working on the one side. It will be quite a job as once they finish that side they will have to flip around and tackle the other side.

They need to tackle some of the parking lots in town. The drive through at the Tim Hortons has an area just at the end as you are going back into the main parking lot to leave that is large enough to be a kiddies pool.  And, don't get me started on the parking lot behind the drug store. That has a lot of big nasty holes as well. 

There are two seasons here  . . .  Winter and Pot Hole season. There used to be Pot Hole alerts given on the local radio station so that people could be aware of them.

Everyone used to have their radio on back in the day. The local radio station was tuned into my mom's big green plastic radio every morning.  We ate our breakfast to it every morning.  That's how we learned where the fire trucks were going when they zoomed by.  An announcement would be made on the radio such as "The fire alert is a barn fire at so and so's place on the messenger road." or "There is a chimney fire at so and so's place in Brickton."

Somehow it brought a sense of community into our home. We laughed with Art Linkletter and the funny things that kids said. And we listened to another guy who would tell us the " real story behind the story." I wish I could remember his name. There would be announcements of community fund raising suppers and church suppers, etc. Bingo nights. The local radio station really was the hub of the community. Its just not the same anymore.

 

Eileen and I watched the second film in the Twilight series yesterday, New Moon. It was pretty good. I am sure I have seen them years ago, but I just don't remember. I know I read all of the books. I've also been putting Little House on for her to watch/listen to while she does her diamond art. She is going great guns with that. Yesterday she finished the hook hangers that one of you generously gifted her with and she has started one that I bought for her. 





It's very pretty and is one that you can hang in your window like a sun catcher. I love the colors in it.  

These things are so important to her and have a great function in her day to day life. They help to keep her brain occupied and help to keep her from over-thinking about what is going on in her life. And at the same time they are giving her something to do, to keep busy, to keep from being bored. She is really good at it. Everyone needs a hobby that they are good at and that they enjoy.

We are planning on going out for our supper with Dad, Cindy and Hazel later today. Eileen really enjoys those outings and I will continue to pick her up and bring her even after she moves into her apartment. Sunday dinners also.  We have Saturday movie nights planned. She can come over and do her laundry and we will watch a film, have a snack, she can spent the night and then watch church on YouTube in the morning. We can go to Cindy's or whatever for supper and then I can drop her off home. 

It is good to have something to look forward to.

And with that I will leave you with a thought for the day  . . . 

☾ ° ° * 。  
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*Stories have to be told
or they die,
and when they die, we
can't remember who we are
or why we are here.
~Sue Monk Kidd

Gingerbread Almond Butter



In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Creamy Gingerbread Almond Butter.  From Cindy's kitchen. This makes for a really delicious snack. We like to dip fresh apple slices into it.  Yummy!

I hope you have a beautiful Wednesday. Thank you all so much for your faithfulness in visiting, your prayers, your many kindnesses. I hope to catch up with comments today. I do read them all and am sorry it takes me so long to respond at times. They really spark joy in my life. Thank you!  Don't forget! 


═══════════ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ═════════════ 
⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
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And I do too!    

   

Tuesday, 16 June 2026

A Day Book . . .

 



FOR TODAY, June 16th, 2026




OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ...

Remembering the fires that were not far from us last year. This was the skies and sun on Father's Day last year.  Ash was falling and everything was pretty frightening. This year things appear so much better. I think we have had a lot more rain. Today is mostly cloudy, but we have had rain during the night. We can expect partly sunny skies and a high of 23*C/74*F.


I AM THINKING ...

We had a very quiet day yesterday. I was tired from barely sleeping on Sunday night. Eileen was exhausted from all of the drama and her condition. She spent a lot of time resting, which is what I wanted. I did have to go out and pick up prescriptions, and necessities. But I had two naps during the day which is very unlike me. My heart broke for Eileen on Sunday. She was crying and kept saying over and over,  "I just want this to be over with."  I want it to be over with for her as well. The dept. of gynecology is supposed to contact me within a couple of days. I am hoping that it actually happens this time.


I AM ALSO THINKING ...

About the terrible state of our health care system. Eileen was lucky she was taken in by ambulance on Sunday night as otherwise she would have been left bleeding horrifically on a chair for hours and hours before being seen. As it was it was at least three hours, but laying on a stretcher, which was much better than having to sit. Once she got a bed, things progressed quickly. We were home by 10:30 which was much better than it would have been had we gone in by car. I was appalled by the number of people in the waiting room, some with horrific looking injuries.  Zilla (next door neighbor) was telling me yesterday that the premier was bragging about them bringing in 200 more Doctors, whilst in the same conversation saying that 75 had retired. About the only good thing you can say about the system is that it's free and available to all, regardless of income. That, itself, is a great blessing.




I AM GRATEFUL FOR ...

Hope. Where would we be without it.  Without hope life would probably seem pretty dire.



I AM ALSO GRATEFUL FOR ...

A sister who is so caring. This is Sheila's dog Baily. Not too long after my sister and Dan took him over to theirs. He is relaxing next to my sister on the sofa. He has settled in nicely. No problems with either him or the cats. He hasn't eaten or drunk anything yet, but that will come. This poor little guy has been through a lot these past couple of days. It did not seem fair for him to have to stay alone at Sheila's for what will be quite a long recovery time. He will soon settle into Cindy's hopefully and all will be well. I know it must be a great relief to Sheila knowing her Baily is being well cared for.


Pot Luck Salad

IN THE KITCHEN ...

Pot Luck Salad. A low fat, layered salad.  This is much lower in fat than the original which had a lot more bacon and a thick heavy dressing on top.  Using a lower fat, but strong cheese, and a lighter dressing, plus just enough bacon to give you the salty smoky flavor without it being over the top. Also this one doesn't have to be made the night before. 




ON MY "TO COOK" LIST ...

From Cookin Canuck. This looks like a fabulous side dish. Loaded with fiber and flavor.


THIS I BELIEVE ...

 

Happiness comes from within  . . . 


SOMETHING THAT IS NICE ...


Belief in a higher power. It is what gets me through life.


SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS NICE ...



Having a grateful heart. An attitude of gratitude.  Something else which has stood me well through the years.


I AM WANTING TO CREATE ...


 

Strawberries and cream  . . . 

 


A raspberry  . . . 


 

A sheep  . . . 


 

A chicken  . . . 


 

Very festive  . . . 


SOMETHING I ENJOY ...


Cattitude  . . . 


SOMETHING ELSE THAT I ENJOY ...



Afternoon tea  . . . 


I AM READING ...


LAND, by Maggie O'Farrell


On a windswept peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic, Tomás and his reluctant son, Liam, are working for the great Ordnance Survey project to map the whole of Ireland. The year is 1865, and in a country not long since ravaged and emptied by The Great Hunger, the task is not an easy one. Tomás, however, is determined that his maps will be a record of the disaster. 

 The British soldiers in charge are due to arrive any day, expecting the work to be completed, but Tomás is unexpectedly sent off course by an unsettling encounter in a copse. His life, and those of his family, will never be the same again. Liam is terrified by the sudden change in his taciturn father. What was it that caused such cracks to open in Tomás and how is Liam, aged only ten, going to finish the mapping, and get them both home? 

 Land is a novel about separation and reunion, tragedy and recovery, colonisation and rebellion. It is a story of buried treasure, overlapping lives, ancient woodland, persistent ghosts, a particularly loyal dog, and how, when it comes to both land and history, nothing ever goes away. 

 As spellbinding and various as the landscape that inspired it, Land is, above all, a story of survival, for our times, and for all time.

I have only just started this book.

I am also reading and studying The Old Testament.


THINGS THAT CATCH MY FANCY ...


 

Attic bedrooms  . . . 


 

Kitchen nooks  . . . 


 
 


Cozy corners . . . 


 


Red and white  . . . 


 

A vintage porch  . . . 


MAKES ME SMILE ...




How could it not?


SOMETHING TO WATCH ...


We are rewatching the Twilight movies on Netflix and enjoying them very much.


A THOUGHT TO CARRY WITH YOU ...


☾ ° ° * 。  
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*The world is full of magic things
patiently waiting for our
senses to grow sharper.
W. B. Yeats
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。

And that is my daybook for this week!  Thanks always for being here!


  ⋱ ⋮ ⋰
⋯ ◯ ⋯ Take time to enjoy the small *´¯`.¸¸.☆
  ⋰ ⋮ ⋱ blessings in life.*´¯`.¸¸.☆ 



✿¸.•*¨`*•..✿✿¸.•*¨`*•..✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•. ╬♥═╬╬═♥=╬╬═♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥═╬♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥╬
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Have a beautiful day!  Don't forget!  

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ════════════  

And I do too!    

   


Monday, 15 June 2026

Small and Wonderful Things . . .

 



"The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside from a generous hand. But who gets excited by a mere penny? It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued that he won't stoop to pick up a penny. But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted with pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days. It is that simple. What you see is what you get." ~Anne Dillard 


 A few of the small and wonderful things which bring untold joy into my life. It's the small things in life which truly mean the most. Simple abundance . . . it's the best. 



 


We ended up having a very eventful weekend.  As you know Eileen has been struggling with things health-wise. Her flow hasn't stopped since April when I had her to the ER for hemorrhaging.  It started getting heavier again on Friday, but she didn't want me to do anything. She likes her carers to do it all. I get that.  It's their job and she is afraid she will be dropped from the program if they aren't allowed to do it.  So I had messaged one of the girls to see if she could get the Dr. to renew her prescription for the tablets they gave her back in April.  The response was that she wasn't working that day. Fair enough. Eileen and Tim had a meeting at their apartment to sort out some things and I thought she would mention it to the person who was dealing with that. Wrong. She did not.

On Saturday morning I took her to the drugstore to get some things she needed to help with that. I spoke to the pharmacist but she couldn't do anything about it and said for Eileen to take some Naproxin for the pain.

There is no emergency room facilities at our hospital here in Town at the weekend.  Only Monday to Friday between 7:30 and 12:30. Otherwise you have to go all the way to Kentville which is quite a trek. Then when you get there you could sit for 8 to 10 hours waiting to be seen.
 
Late yesterday afternoon she was again hemorrhaging so I ended up calling an ambulance.  She couldn't sit up as whenever she did, or even laughed, everything gushed.  She bled all over the bathroom floor, etc. So I called an ambulance. I thought at the very least she could be laying down and would be seen to quicker.  It did take 45 minutes to come, but that's okay. It came.

One of the EMT's was our cousin.  So the comfort factor kicked in because it was someone familiar to her.  She went off to the hospital and Cindy and I followed in the car.  The ER was packed with people. We waited for a while before they had her into a bed and being cared for.  Thankfully they did not keep her in, but we did get the wanted prescription, and they dosed her there as well. We were home by about 10:30 last night. She took a shower and went to bed.  This morning I will go and fill the prescription, buy a new carpet for the bathroom, etc. 

She has a visit with the CSS workers this morning, but I suggested to her that they have it here at home. They can discuss her list of things she needs to get and make some plans about getting them. I will go get her prescription while the visit is happening. 

I am so grateful that I did not go to church yesterday and that I was able to keep a close watch on her. I am grateful that she has enough faith in me to be honest with me and tell me what's going on medically.  I am grateful that her cousin was driving the ambulance as that put her at ease. I am grateful for a sister who came over to help me clean her and things up and who drove with me to the ER and back again.  All of these tender mercies in one day.  God is good.

Also the gynecology department should be in touch with me over the next few days.  Another bonus!


 


Yesterday was a day for ambulances on the street. Earlier in the day I had seen my next door neighbor Sheila walking her dog down the road in front of the house. I said to Eileen, there goes Sheila walking Bailey.  I was in the middle of getting supper so went in the kitchen to see to that.  When I came back out, Sheila was laying in the driveway across the road.  The  lady who lives there was with her as well as the gentleman that lives a few houses down.  An ambulance was called. Sheila had stopped to talk to Jeanette and lost her balance and fallen. 

She went off and I was talking to Carol who drove behind the ambulance to the hospital this morning.  Sheila has a broken wrist and hip and will be having surgery sometime over the next few days.  Cindy and Dan had expressed an interest in caring for Bailey while Sheila is laid up.  When we got home from the hospital last night he was in the window looking out. He is used to having someone with him all the time. I don't think it's good for him to be alone all the time. It could be weeks and weeks.  Anyways, Carol is going to talk to Sheila's nephew and see what he thinks. 

So that's my exciting weekend. Not quite the quiet weekend we had planned. Hopefully today will be a much quieter day.


 


Eileen and I started to watch the Twilight series together at the weekend. We only got a portion of the first movie watched before all of the drama kicked in.  We will continue with it today. I told her that I have also not seen any of the Harry Potter films or the Hobbit, so maybe we will have a chance to watch those together as well at some point. It will be good to have someone to watch them with.


 


I wish that I could do more for my sister. She is always doing things for other people. I am grateful for her help, but I really wish that I could do something special for her. I have my thinking cap on.  She is a blessing to so many others, it would be nice if I could bless her in some way.


 

I got my cereal cupboard sorted out. I had cereal in there from four years ago.  I got it all emptied out and put into the compost. I had boxes of cereal that I had gotten for when the grandsons came over that never got touched. All Bran that I had bought to make muffins with, but how often do I make bran muffins.  Not often at all, that's how often. Most of the time the only cereal I eat is Multi-grain Cheerios, or my homemade granola. Or oatmeal.

So from now on that is all I am going to keep in the house. It just makes sense.

Anyways, getting a cupboard cleared out was a good thing. Onwards and upwards, if I tackle things like this one bite at a time, eventually the elephant will get eaten.


 

I am of course very grateful that when Nutmeg got out the other morning, he didn't go far and that he came right back in. Even more grateful that Cinnamon didn't follow him because she is more adventurous and would have wandered. The thought that I could have lost my two babies fills my heart with dread. This was another tender mercy. My life is filled with them.

Bonus - when I saw that Sheila had fallen I went out to see if I could do anything to help and I got to meet a new neighbor. She seemed very nice.

I don't have much else to relate this morning so I will end this now. I hope you all had great weekends. I will try to get to your comments today!

A thought to carry with you . . . 


☾ ° ° * 。  
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*I find it shelter
to speak to you.
~Emily Dickenson

A short one today, but so true.



Crispy Potato Nachos 



In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Crispy Potato Nachos. Another older post brought deliciously up to date.  These are fabulously tasty, and such a simple make.


I hope you have a wonderful Monday.  Be safe, be happy, don't forget!

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
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And I do too!    

   

Saturday, 13 June 2026

All Things Nice . . .

 

She gets a world of comfort
From a small bed of flowers,
They seem to speak to her somehow,
Of peace and happy hours,
Something within her spirit knows,
The tender language of a rose.

A clump of blue forget-me-nots,
Are more to her than gold,
A pink tipped daisy on the lawn,
Is wondrous to behold,
A row of tulips by the gate,
Is sure antidote for hate.

It warms the cockles of her heart,
To see a tree in bloom,
A vase of daffodils becomes,
An altar in a room,
Tall lilies in a shady bed,
A little shrine where prayers are said.

Love-in-the-mist and candy tuft
Petunias . . . lavender,
Larkspur . . . snapdragons . . . hyacinth,
Are meat and drink to her,
Keeping her very soul aglow,
With bread that others never know.
~Edna Jacques, Plant Lover
Fireside Poems, 1950

Oh, I do so love all of the flowers mentioned in this poem. I have had many of them in my garden through the years, although to be honest I never had any luck with forget-me-nots. We had a particularly beautiful garden when we lived in Oak Cottage and of course the gardens at Brenchley Manor were stunning. We also had a lovely garden in Chester.  I cannot claim any credit for any of the work it took to make them so pretty, but I did a lot of the planning.

One thing I really loved to do when I lived in the U.K. was to visit the various gardens at the National Trust places. I think my favorite was the gardens at Sissinghurst Castle. I spent many hours there.




My favorite was the white garden which was particularly stunning when everything was in bloom. Every flower was white in color.  The amount of planning and care that went into all of these gardens was immense. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to have been able to visit these areas of stunning beauty and history.


 

 


I have been meaning to show you these beautiful little post cards that I got from my friend Tatiana in Greece for several weeks now. So adorable. They came individually and on the back of each she penned a part of a story, each one in a different color of ink, all in her beautiful penmanship. I was so surprised to get them and I just love them. I am going to find  length of ribbon and arrange them on it and hang them in my bedroom.  A reminder each day of a much beloved friend, whom is very dear to me. It is my hope that one day she will be able to visit here in Canada, but she has been very busy caring for her elderly parents. It could be some time before she is free to take a trip like that, and my travelling days are over.


 


My sentiments exactly. I love the old ways. Simple and rewarding. Small pleasures.  Oh, don't get me wrong. I love having a vacuum cleaner and a washing machine, dish washer, etc. I love the modern appliances, but there it plenty of room for the old ways of making and mending. Needle arts. Book reading. Preserving, etc.  I love to make my own granola and bread. I love to bake my own cakes and cookies  . . .  my own soups. To cook all, or at least most of what I eat from scratch. There is plenty of room for old ways amongst new ways. I do not see why we cannot enjoy the best of both and feed our souls in small and simple ways that enrich our lives with abundance . . .  and by that I don't mean stuff  . . .  I mean experience . . . 

The satisfaction of making your own bread or cake, muffins, embroidering your pillow cases, knitting a scarf, crocheting blankets, etc.  All of these things and more bring such joy into the heart and in meaningful ways. They are gifts for the soul. In a world where much of what we see is not real, hanging onto some of these old ways is really important.


 


I have become enthralled by Commonplace Books. 

Let us take down one of those old notebooks which we have all, at one time or another, had a passion for beginning…. Here we have written down the names of great writers in their order of merit; here we have copied out fine passages from the classics; here are lists of books to be read; and here, most interesting of all, lists of books that have actually been read, as the reader testifies with some youthful vanity by a dash of red ink. — Virginia Woolf, from ‘Hours in a Library’


A commonplace book is a collection of quotes, poetry, recipes, lists and observations that are meaningful to you. Many great thinkers have kept commonplace books over the centuries, including John Milton, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lewis Carroll, George Eliot and Virginia Woolf.

I realize that this is something which I have been doing for years now in my journals. My journals have never been about my ordinary everyday thinking or activities. That is what my blog has been. but I have kept journals and filled them with little scraps of things which mean something to me. Quotes, poetry, etc. and I place pretty stickers, etc. in between the things I write. I love going back through them. They bring me great enjoyment. And I like to think that the things I write into them may one day be a window into who I really was for those who come after me.  A fanciful thought I know . . . 


 

A drop fell on the apple tree,
Another on the roof;
A half a dozen kissed the eaves,
And made the gables laugh.

A few went out to help the brook,
That went to help the sea.
Myself conjectured, were they pearls,
What necklaces could be?

The dust replaced in hoisted roads,
The birds jocoser sung;
The sunshine threw his hat away,
The orchards spangles hung.

The breezes brought dejected lutes,
And bathed them in the glee;
The East put out a single flag,
And signed the fete away.
~Emily Dickenson, Summer Shower


It was raining buckets when I got up this morning, although that has stopped now. I love the way the pavement smells right after a rain. I remember the first year I moved to England, it rained just about every single day and when it wasn't pouring down it was misting down. I wondered what had I let myself in for.  This rainy place . . . I learned that you don't melt in the rain. That if you waited for the rain to stop to do things, nothing would ever get done. I learned to love the rain. I had an umbrella and I used it. I learned to dry things in the house instead of out on the line. A wooden line dryer did the job admirably, and for the larger things like sheets and blankets, the door jambs worked perfectly. One got used to seeing socks and tea towels drying over radiators in homes. And when a sunny day hit, everyone's clothes lines were full of clothes drying. People making hay while the sun shone.

We are supposed to have a few rainy days now. It will make things more humid, but cannot be helped. It will also keep things green and perhaps dampen any opportunities for fires to begin.


 


When I was taking Eileen to Tim Hortons early yesterday morning we spied a doe in a field along the way. I did not see any other deer, but Eileen was delighted to see the doe. Deer used to go through my sister's yards frequently but they have not seen as many since the new neighbor across the way put up fencing. The river is down behind the houses across the way and often the deer would pass through their yard on their way to the river to drink. They are passing a different way now  . . . 

Although they did see a coyote in their yard the other night. Scary thought. Some coyotes got someone's cat last year on the next street over from me.  I would never let my cats out willingly. I was horrified yesterday to see that Nutmeg had pushed the door open. It gives me shivers to think of what might have happened had I not noticed. We will be even more careful from now on.


 


Every morning I soak some cotton balls in peppermint oil and go through the house carefully brushing them on the air exchanger ducts in each room. I have the air exchanger turned off at the moment as well. Then I take my grabber stick and push the cotton ball into edges of the duct in my bedroom. There must be half a dozen shoved in there now.  There haven't been any wasps showing up so long as I am doing this. I really wish that someone would come and take a look up in the loft above the house as I am sure there must be a nest up there of some sort. Oddly this is the first year I have had the problem. I hope it is not a problem which will continue in years to come. I have not had any ants yet this year, knock on wood. 

Knock on wood indeed. My next door neighbor just rang me to say she was overrun with ants this morning. I hope I am not next. Time to put out the ant baits I guess!

And with that I will leave you with a thought for the day . . . 

☾ ° ° * 。  
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*Walking I am listening to a deeper way.
Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me.
Be still, they say. Watch and listen.
You are the result of the love of thousands.
~Linda Hogan



Mom's Strawberry Shortcake



In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Mom's Strawberry Shortcake.  With sugar and butter crusted cream biscuits, plenty of fresh sweet berries and cream.  Delicious.

A taste of the season.

I hope you have a beautiful weekend.  May it be filled with lovely nice things and things which feed your soul in the most beautiful way. Stay safe, be happy and don't forget!

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And I do too!