Friday, 24 October 2025

Dear Neighbor . . .


 

FRIDAY, October 24th, 2025
Estate Lane, Nova Scotia
4*C/40*F mostly clear 

Dear Neighbor,

What a difference a few days of rain make.  The grass is turning green again and the fires have calmed considerably. It is almost difficult to remember that not so long ago we were getting ready to flee. I like this feeling better. All the leaves have fallen from the trees behind the houses across the way. The wind danced them all off the other day. Oh, but they were so beautiful to watch as they pirouetted their way down and about, across and under. 

Glenna has two scarecrows in front of her veranda, and they were also dancing to the tune of the wind. They made me smile.


One of my creations


I was having the funniest dream the other morning. I was in our mother's old house up near the Falls and looking out the dining room window. There were lots of birds walking around the yard.  Some of them were these birds and they had head feathers that looked like Queen Anne's Lace. They were so pretty and as they walked the lacey feathers were bobbing and waving.  I thought they were so pretty.  At least they were in my dream. I used Copilot to create something close to what I saw in my dream. It was fun watching it come together. I really liked the result.

And then I did this.




I was on a roll.  I loved this even more  . . .  I couldn't stop.





This very dapper crow popped out.  I so enjoyed creating these. Or should I say, inspiring copilot to create these, because I really didn't do anything except supply an idea.

Kind of fun, kind of scary when you think about the implications.  

I might print these out and frame them. I think they are really lovely.


 

 Lots of things we see online are not real anymore. You don't really know what is truth or what is lie. People can create anything they want to create.  They can literally put words in people's mouths and make it look like they are saying them. I have formulated a rule for myself to follow. If it looks too perfect. If it sounds uncredible. If it is too far-fetched. Then it is probably not real. You can no longer trust the things you see and hear to be real.

In some cases, it is really easy to figure out, but in others, it is not so easy and that is the scary part about it. Most intelligent people will know the difference and take that into account, but many will not and will believe the lie and then pass it on. It becomes their truth. And the lie spreads like an oil slick, coating everything it touches. 

There is a good side and there is a bad side to this technology. It is up to us, I guess, to figure it out.



 

"Comparison is the thief of Joy."


This is something that I have thought of or read about quite often. It is one of life's great truths. (Nobody knows who first said it. It is attributed to many.)  If you are constantly in the mode of comparing who you are with others, what you have with what others have, where you live with where others live, etc. then you will never be happy. There will always be someone smarter, someone prettier, someone thinner, someone living in a nicer house, driving a nicer car, with a better job etc.  What, who, where, when, how . . . will never be enough.  Comparison is insidious, odious, and very often the best way that we have to torture ourselves.

Consider instead a bed filled with flowers.  Many are of the same variety, but no two are alike. Oh, a daisy, is a daisy, is a daisy, but even each daisy has subtle differences. Does that make them any less beautiful or any less desirable?  Do the daisies even care that one might be taller, or one might bounce a little nicer in the breeze, etc.???

No. They simply get on with the business of blooming. Presenting their own best selves to the world, and do we care?  No, we simply enjoy looking at them and find each one beautiful in its own right.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to better yourself.  We should all be striving to better ourselves, to learn, to grow.  What is wrong, however, is beating ourselves daily with the stick of comparison. There is no joy in that. No peace. Bloom where you are planted.  Bloom with what you've got.  Be your best you. There is nobody else quite like you.  And that's okay.  You are magnificent as you are in all of your authenticity. Tomorrow you may do better, but for today . . .  just bloom as best as you know how.


 
 


I had found a photo the other day that I took many, many years ago on a farm visit down in the Yeo Valley in the U.K. I noticed another food blogger in it that I happen to be friends with now that I wasn't with at that time. I thought he might like to see the photograph, so I sent it to him. He replied with some remark about what babies we were then.  I responded with the statement, "I know. I just turned 70 in August."  His response, "wow"

I was not quite sure what to do with that.  It wasn't a "wow" that felt good to me. It was like a "wow, you are really old." He made me feel irrelevant in some way. I didn't like it. Agism. That is what it felt like. Agism.  I think perhaps somehow, I reminded him of his own advancing mortality, and he didn't like the way it looked? I am not sure. Perhaps I read more into it than I should have done, but I know how I felt.

Age. It catches up with us all. We will all be (if we are lucky) 70 one day. Being 70 doesn't make you irrelevant or invisible. Being 70 and still active and able to participate in life in a positive way, to still be able to work, to still be able to enjoy things despite the increasingly achy bones, to still be able to contribute, etc. is a good thing, I think. But, then again, I am 70. I was young once upon a time. But I am better now. I know more. I've done more. I have more to give and a wealth of knowledge to be shared by dipping into my well of experience.  I still have value. I still have relevance. 


 


Something funny. I had just done my scripture study last night. I watch a guy on YouTube with it and follow along with the scriptures on my phone app.  I had finished and put my phone down to give Nutmeg a scratch behind the ears.  All of a sudden I could hear a voice saying, "hello"  "hello" "hello"

I realized it was Cindy.  I picked up the phone and put it onto speaker. I prefer to talk on it on speaker. There is nobody here for that to bother or interfere with. I said to her, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear the phone ringing!"  She said, "I didn't call you, you called me!"

Pocket call. I had pocket called her without knowing it. Never mind. We had not really had a chance to talk all day, so this was our chance.  The cosmos knows.



 


“The night walked down the sky 
with the moon in her hand.”
~Frederic Lawrence Knowles


It dawned on me yesterday that it will be Hallowe'en in just a few more days. 6 to be exact. I've always loved this quiet stretch before Hallowe’en. The evenings are darker, the air has that sharp, chilled woodsmoke edge, and the house starts to take on a completely different feeling as the leaves jump from the safety of their branches and begin to skitter up and down the street. 

The weather took a turn this week and has been wet and windy.  This has been most welcome to me.  I opened my front door yesterday and the leaves blew in.  Wonderful October . . . 

When I was younger, I loved the bustle of Halloween. The costumes, the decorations, the sweets,  the lights. When my own children were small I loved to take them out Trick or Treating. This was a chore that always fell to me as my husband always had to work on Hallowe'en, him being a policeman.  It was hectic and fun and I cherish the memories. 

I find a different sort of joy now in these last days before Hallowe'en. There is a joy in the gentler magic . . .  flickering candles in the window.  Warm baking smells of cinnamon and cloves. Thoughts about old wives' tales and stories.  Bees hovering close to the ground and other things. There was wisdom in those old tales and sayings. I cherish them now, even if many of them really have no basis in truth.  (Back to truth again.)   True or not, they carry a sense of comfort in the saying . . . 

And October, Autumn . . .  Hallowe'en . . .  it all speaks comfort to me.

The turning of the wheel of the year. Slowly turning down towards the end, in a way that it always has done. It never changes.  There is comfort in the sameness of it all . . .  a wonderful sense of security to be valued and embraced.


 

The cleaners are coming for their second time today and Dan is coming later on to help with the garden. Signs of being 70, I guess. I can no longer bend down to do things like this, no matter how much I would like to be able to.  In some ways it makes me feel ashamed that I cannot, but in others I recognize that is just time.  I spent my younger years always taking care of other people, not paying a lot of attention to my own care. This was my folly. I should have spent a bit more time on me.

Anyways, people are coming and I need to get on about my day.  Sort a few things out before they descend, make my bed, etc.  I must close this now as much as I would like to carry on.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

☾ ° ° * 。  
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*I don't know much
about being a millionaire,
but I'll bet I would be
just darling at it.• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★
~Dorothy Parker• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。*
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。*



Enchilada Casserole



In The English Kitchen today . . .  Enchilada Casserole.  It's simple. Delicious. Vegetarian. Sized for two. 

I hope that you have a wonderful Friday.  Be happy. Be blessed. Be safe. Whatever comes your way, don't forget!

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

And I do too!    

   

Thursday, 23 October 2025

My Favorite Things . . .

 

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens . . . these are some of the things in life that I enjoy, and which make me happy, inspire me, or put a smile on my face. Maybe some of them are yours too.  Let's share!  


 

Kittens  . . . 


 


Coziness  . . . 


 

Cerulean skies  . . . 


 

Wool throws   . . . 


 


Olives  . . .  I love olives.


 


Owls  . . .  Isn't nature wonderful?


 

Blooms in baskets . . . . 


 

Geese on the move  . . .


 


The sound of sheep in a field . . . 


 


You  know I adore these  . . . 


 

Childhood memories  . . . 


 


Fresh peas  . . . 


 

Pretty Balconies  . . . 


 

Candles in sticks  . . . 


 

Pretty jugs  . . . 


 


Crochet edges  . . . 


 

Pretty gates . . . 


 

Light and shadow  . . . 


 

Candles  . . . 


And those are my favorite things for this week.  I hope that you enjoyed them. I just like pretty things.


A thought to carry with you  . . . 


☾ ° ° * 。  
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*Creativity is really
the structuring of magic.
~Anne Kent Rush
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。*  

Sweet & Spicy Chicken



In The Kitchen today . . .  Sweet & Spicy Chicken. Three simple ingredients, one delicious dish. I have been making this for my family for years. They always loved it.

I will be puttering around the house today.  I went with Cindy yesterday.  We got some eggs, and chicken on the way home. It was a nice drive and as you know I always love spending time with my sister.  

Whatever you get up to today, I hope it brings you joy!  Don't forget!

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

And I do too!    

   

Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

 

I can't believe how dark it is in the mornings now when I get up and how early it is getting dark at the end of the day. It's really become quite noticeable.  I know time just seems to be whizzing by. Wasn't it only a few days ago that the sun was rising at 5 a.m.?  It sure seems like it!

We are off today to take Mac for his Vet appointment. He is still getting monthly shots of antibiotics and a painkiller for his stomatitis and that growth in the back of his mouth. There is hope that he may be able to get laser surgery to remove it. We have our fingers crossed. 

We plan to stop at the egg farm on the way back. I hope they have some chicken I can buy.  I am done with the chicken that you get in the shops. It's tough, tough, tough. And I am not the only one saying that.


 

Frost, and the sunshine after had reddened the hawthorn sprays, and already they could see through the upper branches -- red with haws -- for the grass was strewn with the leaves from the exposed tops of the bushes. On the orange maples there were bunches of rosy-winged keys. There was a gloss on the holly leaf, and catkins at the tips of the leafless birch. As the leaves fell from the horse-chestnut boughs the varnished sheaths of the buds for next year appeared; so there were green buds on the willows, black tips to the ash saplings, green buds on the sycamores ....

Thin threads of gossamer gleamed, the light ran along their loops as they were lifted by the breeze, and the sky was blue over the buff oaks, Jays screeched in the oaks looking for acorns, and there came the muffled tinkle of a sheep bell. 

~Richard Jeffries, From Bevis, 1882


I love reading things like this.  So descriptive . . . you feel almost as if you are right there. It reminds me of autumn treks through the orchards and footpath that ran at the end of the drive of the cottage in Brenchley.  I used to really love my autumn rambles through the English countryside. For the time that I was there, it really was such a beautiful environment to be able to live and work in. It was almost like living in a little bubble set apart from the rest of the world.


I still have not gotten a pumpkin. I am never quite sure how you pay for one. Do you pop one into your cart and then go inside to pay. Or do you pay inside and then pick one up on your way back to the car?? Can you tell that I have never bought a pumpkin? I really do not know how to do it, as silly as that may seem to some.


 

All the woods and trails have been opened now, and people are allowed to burn between certain hours. Any fires that were burning are now considered to be under control. We have had a few days of steady rain and there is more to come, so things are not as dire now as they were. Jennie was here to do my toenails yesterday afternoon, and she said she heard a woman at the tils at the grocery store complaining about the rain.

When I hear things like that, it truly beggars' belief. How could anyone complain about rain after the drought we have experienced this year?? Some people are just never happy unless they have something to complain about.

I am reminded of the first year that I spent in the U.K. It rained literally almost every single day. When it wasn't actually pouring down, it was misting. It felt as if we were breathing rain. There was a great deal of flooding around the country, especially in the Southern areas that were prone to flooding. Now, that is too much rain. This little bit we have been having here and there? Nothing to complain about.  I, for one, am grateful for it.




Cinnamon has been becoming much more affectionate lately.  When I am sitting on the sofa watching television she is usually to be found behind me on the sofa back. She purrs and reaches down to me wanting me to rub her head. Occasionally she has lay beside me on the sofa. She always did come and tread on me now and then, but has never really lay next to me.




This was her the other day. She was all cozy and comfy right there next to me. It warms my heart.  They both warm my heart. I love the pair of them very much.


 

I watched someone painting maple leaves as foxes yesterday on Instagram and they had them strung up like a garland. It really made me want to do the same. They were just so cute. I have a back yard full of maple leaves. I should go out and gather a few, dry them and see what happens.  Watch this space.

A really cute idea. I probably won't do it, but it is a cute idea.  I don't know why, but, I like foxes.



 

Country Wisdom for Autumn:

Onion's skin very thin, 
Mild winter coming in;
Onion's skin thick and tough, 
Coming winter cold and rough.


Mom was always superstitious and believed in all the old folklore and wives' tales. Many were merely urban myths, but a lot of them had their basis in fact and truth. Being able to tell the difference between fact and fiction, there's the rub. Many had their roots in nature and people used to watch nature very closely and learned how to predict weather etc. by the tell-tale signs of nature. Like bees building their nests close to the ground foretelling an early winter, and other things of a similar ilk.


 

Jennie, the lady who comes to do my toenails every six weeks is a woman who could talk the ears off of a dead donkey.  She never runs out of things to talk about or say. She is a true conversationalist and knows how to tell a story.  I think that is what they used to call having "the gift of the gab."  There is nothing wrong with that. The Irish are well known for having "the gift of the gab."  I know this to be true. Every Irish person I know could talk the ears off a dead donkey. I am thinking Jennie must be part Irish. I should try to remember to ask her if she is the next time she comes. The cats are quite used to her now. Nutmeg usually sits on my lap and watches her work.  Cinnamon usually lays close by, also watching. 

There is not much that cats do not notice. They take note of every new thing and person which comes into a house. All must be inspected and sniffed.  

I do make an effort to shut my bathroom door now before people come in, just in case. I don't want Nutmeg jumping in behind the washing machine again because he is scared. It is too darn hard to get him out.

Cats also tend to come out whenever you settle yourself in to do something like sewing, painting, or writing.  Mine do at any rate.  And Nutmeg is more likely as not to just sit his bottom down on whatever it is you are trying to do. And this is my fault I know because I did not set proper boundaries when they were small. I am not complaining. Just making note of certain behaviors.



Many yards are filling up with spooks and ghoulies now. It is interesting to see just how far some go to make their yards and homes look very Halloween-Ish. I am not one of those. 

For me, it’s never been about fright or plastic, wispy ghosts, witches' hats and creepy crawlers. It’s about atmosphere. Story. 

Candlelight flickering inside a carved pumpkin . . . that smell of wax and charred pumpkin. Intoxicating. The scent of something spicy simmering on the hob . . .  a wool blanket pulled close while you wait for the trick-or-treaters who may or may not come, and then watching them in their costumes, especially the wee ones, with their little plastic pumpkins bravely coming to the door. There is such an air of festivity about on that night.

One of my favorite Halloweens of my growing up years was when I was about 16 . . . too old to go trick or treating . . .  my boyfriend and I participated in the ancient custom of Mumming. It was great fun. We dressed up in costume with our faces masked and visited friends of his family on Halloween, anonymously of course. We were invited into the kitchen in all cases and offered refreshments while they tried to guess who we were.  

Of course, these days you would not be inviting strangers, costumed or not, into your home and offering them refreshments. Those were more innocent times. A time when you didn't need or feel the need to lock your doors. At least not in rural communities.


Well, I have exhausted just about all of my conversation for this morning. I have a few things I need to go do before I pick up Cindy and Mac.

Shall I leave you with a thought for the day?  Why not!

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

☾ ° ° * 。  
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*When witches go riding 
and black cats are seen, 
the moon laughs and whispers, 
’tis near Hallowe’en.”
~Traditional rhyme• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★
 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 




Sour Cream Marmalade Cake



In The Kitchen today, Sour Cream Marmalade Cake. This is a moist and delicious snack cake, riddled with little puddles and streaks of orange marmalade. Perfect for enjoying with a hot drink.

The sun is shining brightly at the moment, but rain is expected later on and for the next few days. We will be grateful for it. The ponds and rivers are starting to fill up again. Whatever you get up to today, don't forget!

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

And I do too!    

   

Tuesday, 21 October 2025

A Daybook . . .

 



FOR TODAY, October 21st. 2025


OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ...




The leaves are mostly down now. It's still dark outside, so I am showing you a photo I took last year of the magnificent colors of the leaves down the street that runs adjacent to the street I live on. They are always so pretty and when you get to the end of it they are even prettier because that is where the North Mountain begins. rolling hillsides and even more color. I live in such a beautiful place.


 

I'VE BEEN THINKING ...

A friend had sent me a link to a video on YouTube a number of days back and I finally got around to watching it yesterday. When Your Children Break Your Heart, the Homespun Wife. While our situations are completely different, some of the advice this woman gives was quite good. My two estranged children are not drug addicts or mentally ill. They are quite intelligent, successful adults with good jobs and families, but they are Gods children. They were Gods children before He gave them to me, and it is time to just hand them back to God and stop fretting about them or allowing their bad behavior (and it is bad behavior) to affect me so negatively.  There is probably nothing I will ever be able to do to change this situation. It's on them. It does me no good to keep dwelling on it and wondering what I might have done differently.  This is on them. 


 

I AM ALSO THINKING ...

It's time to go up to Pelton's again and get some eggs. Cindy's neighbor across the way has chickens and he gave them some eggs. She says they are very small. Young hens. I guess they are going to start selling their eggs.  I like the ones we get at Peltons.  Plus I like the chicken they sell also.


Classic Monte Cristo


IN THE KITCHEN ...

A Classic Monte Cristo sandwich. I made this last week with some of the leftover ham from my roast dinner. Ham, cheese, mayo, mustard, dipped in egg and pan grilled. Served hot, dusted with a bit of sugar and with some strawberry jam for dipping.  This was delicious. 




ON MY "TO COOK" LIST ...

Nonnettes. French Gingerbread Cakes.  The Daring Gourmet. These have been on my radar for quite a while now. Maybe it's about time I baked them.


 

THIS I BELIEVE ...

If we cannot value ourselves, how on earth do we expect anyone else to?


 

SOMETHING THAT IS NICE ...

Hot Buttered Toast and Jam. I like strawberry jam most of all.


 

SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS NICE ...

Homemade Pumpkin Pie. Funny, I didn't really like it when I was a child, but I do like it now. Especially cold from the refrigerator with a nice dollop of real whipped cream on top.


I AM WANTING TO CREATE ...


 

A needle-felted squirrel . . .  so cute.


 

A little rabbit. His crocheted radish is so cute.



Awww . . .  that carrot hat. So cute.


 

Needle-felted hens  . . . 


 

Needle-felted pigs. Seriously sweet.


I was starting to teach myself how to needlefelt in the U.K. but had to leave all of my supplies behind. 


SOMETHING I ENJOY ...


 

Miniatures.  I have always loved tiny worlds.



SOMETHING ELSE THAT I ENJOY ...


 

Rocking chairs  . . . 


OH MY GOODNESS ...


 

Little sleeping hazelnut mice. So cute.




I AM READING ...

LIFE'S LESSONS LEARNED, BY Dallin H Oaks 

President Dallin H. Oaks shares personal reflections in this riveting new book, recounting experiences that helped shape his life and pointing out the lessons he has learned. The book is divided chronologically into three major sections: childhood and youth, his years as BYU president and a justice of the Utah Supreme Court, and his service in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Oaks speaks in a warm and candid way about such poignant experiences as being raised by a widowed mother, losing his wife to cancer, and making the transition to full-time Church service as a General Authority. The conclusions he draws illuminate major principles of the gospel in a universal and meaningful way.

I am about halfway through the book and am getting a lot out of it.




SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS ...

Why did I let myself buy these?? They are so dang good!


THINGS THAT CATCH MY FANCY ...


 

Log cabins  . . .  always wanted one.


 

Matching coordinated throw cushions  . . . 


 

Transferware  . . . 


 

Eyelet lace  . . .  ahh to be young and thin  . . . 


 

A blue kitchen  . . . 


 

I AM GRATEFUL FOR ...

A faith that keeps me anchored and secure.


 

MAKES ME SMILE ...

Everything about this makes me smile.




SOMETHING TO WATCH ...

Love Life on Netflix. I like Anna Kendrick.


A THOUGHT TO CARRY WITH YOU ...


☾ ° ° * 。  
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*Happiness often sneaks through
a door you didn't know you had open.
~John Barrymore  • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。 

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


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



✿¸.•*¨`*•..✿✿¸.•*¨`*•..✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•. ╬♥═╬╬═♥=╬╬═♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥═╬♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥╬
░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░ 


Have a beautiful day!  Don't forget!  

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

And I do too!