All Things Nice . . .

 

(source)

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.

 

(source)

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 . . . 

 

(source)

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.

 

(source)

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.

 

(source)

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

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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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!    

   

Dear Neighbor . . .

 

(source)

 JUNE 12th, 2026

Estate Lane,

Nova Scotia

16*C/60*F

Cloudy

A humid day in store

Dear Neighbor,

I hope this finds you well and happy. Things are pretty quiet here this morning. I have the front inside door open to let in some of the cooler morning air. There is naught but the sound of the cars driving past on the road at the end of the street, the wittering of some morning doves, the odd birdsong (very pretty) and chippy chipping away as he sits on the front railing. The guinea fowl have already made their way through. They were in the yard across the way when I got up this morning. They must be early risers as well.

Nutmeg woke me up about a quarter to six meowing on the other side of my bedroom door. I had had enough sleep so I decided to get up and put him out of his misery.

With him it's all about food, and he has very definitive times for eating. He almost gets frantic when I go past those times. He is not starving to death by any means. He's just a cat who really likes his food, and he likes his meals served on time. He makes me laugh.

 

(source)

We had to cancel our road trip yesterday and it was all my fault. We were all disappointed but things just happen and that is that. I had a bit of a disaster in the bathroom on Wednesday night. As you know my bungalow is quite a small place. I had some jars and cans of food stored on a shelf in the bathroom and as I was taking off my robe to hang it up, I knocked a jar of spaghetti sauce onto the hard ceramic tile floor and it smashed.  

Spaghetti sauce and glass everywhere. It took me ages and ages to clean it up and by the time I had it all sorted, I was too wide awake to go to sleep. It was about 3 a.m. before I finally succumbed to sleep and then I was awakened by an emergency alert on my phone at 4 a.m., just got back to sleep from that when it was repeated. And then my furry alarm clock woke me up at six for breakfast. 

So I had next to no sleep all Wednesday night and was not alert enough to be able to enjoy a day out rambling the roads. I would not have been fit company, so we have put it off for another time.  Eileen was disappointed of course, but she understood.

I did get two hour-long naps in during the day, (so not like me) and I slept last night from about 9:30 until when Nutmeg woke me up this morning. I only got up once to go to the loo. Not even the fear of wasps in the bedroom deterred me from sleeping . . .  I was exhausted.

 

(source)

Gooseberry Fool -- Put the picked fruit and a glass of water into a jar with a little moist sugar, and set the jar over a stove, or in boiling water, till the fruit will pulp. Press it through a colander, and mix the pulp by degrees with cream or with common plain custard.

~Margaret Dods, The cook and Housewife's Manual, 1826

I used to have a gooseberry bush in the garden in the U.K. It gave us a mix of dusky green and amber fruits. I had never tasted gooseberries before I lived over there. It was not a fruit that I had ever seen here in Nova Scotia, or indeed anywhere in Canada that I lived. I have never seen them in the shops either. They were much more common over there.  

I used to use them for baking muffins, crumbles or even Gooseberry Fool. I did a gingernut one which was exceedingly delicious once.

I think that they are basically a European fruit. I am not altogether sure they are capable of withstanding Canadian winters, but I could be wrong. They are tasty little fruits when cooked and mixed with sugar, but very tart and unpalatable on their own.

 

(source)

I just almost had a disaster here this morning. A few minutes ago I looked up to see that the screen door at the front of my house had been pushed open. I looked over because I could hear chippy chipping rather loudly. I caught Nutmeg waltzing back into the house from having been out of doors.  Thankfully Cinnamon was still sitting in the lounge area on the carpet.  

I am so grateful that I noticed the door open and that he was on his way back in. I could not chase around after them did they both get out and I would be just devastated did anything happen to either one of them. 

I am so grateful all was well. 

Note to self: Do not leave front door open to the screen again. 

Actually if I could afford it I would get myself a new screen door. This one is ill-fitting and easily pushed open, obviously. I had not thought it was, but this morning Nutmeg proved me wrong.  I feel almost faint at the thought of what could have been. Now he has got the taste of outdoors, I will have to be more alert.

 

(source)

Up until my mother went out to work Friday's were always a wash day in our home. On Fridays mom did the bedding.  Our sheets were changed and washed.  Mom never used fitted sheets back then, only flats.  The sheets would be switched out on Fridays with the top sheet going on the bottom and the bottom into the wash.  A fresh sheet on top and new pillow cases all around.

Back in the day it took her a long time to get the wash done.  She only had the wringer washing machine, no dryer and it all got hung out on the line, which was an improvement upon the equipment which her own mother had had to do the wash with.  Mom used to have an old washboard that had been her mother's. I don't know where that ended up.

"Build a fire in the backyard, bring a tub of water to the boil. Throw in a cake of lye soap, add bedding and clothes, stir well. Next day, remove laundry with broom handle, and scrub on washboard. Rinse, wring and repeat. Starch (Stir flour into cold water until smooth, thin it with boiling water.) Pour rinse water in flower beds, hang laundry on line, use soapy water to scrub porch. Make tea, change dress, rock a spell."

From this month on my SB calendar.  How blessed are we that we don't have to do our laundry this way anymore. It sounds exhausting.  I still wish I had  line to hang my bedclothes out on to dry however. That line dried scent is amazing and so refreshing. There is nothing on earth like the comfort of tucking yourself into a bed freshly made with line dried sheets.

 

(source)

Speaking of Susan Branch, she has not posted a Willard in a long while now. I think the last one was in March. I have always enjoyed her newsletters so much. She has not written as much since she moved back to California. She is 79 now though, and I expect that she is slowing down. I cannot say that I blame her. I am in the same shoes.  The shoes of slowing down. It takes me twice as long to do anything these days as well, although I am sure she is much quicker than I am.

I have been an admirer of Susan's artwork since she used to do illustrated recipes in the Country Living magazine, a magazine which I never failed to purchase. (I used to have stacks of them saved from over the years.) She and Mary Englebreit. Their artwork was my inspiration. I always wanted one of those Mary Englebreit dolls, and I always wanted to live in a cottage on Martha's Vineyard, and I always wanted to have a home just like the ones I saw in Country Living magazine.

Now, I am just grateful to have a home.

 

(source)

The locks have been changed in Eileen's apartment. So it is safe and secured again. Today she and her worker, and Tim and his worker, are going to their old apartment together to divide things up, so that she can get what she wants or that is hers and they can take it to her new apartment. Tim apparently is going to get a new apartment as well. The one he is likely to get is right across the road from Eileen's. I am not sure how I feel about that, but hey ho. It is what it is.  He wants to be able to get a cat as well and they were not allowed pets in their old apartment.

In any case I am grateful that her new apartment is now secure with a new lock. I am not sure which will be the move in day for her. She has her ultrasound on Wednesday next so things may progress quickly from there health-wise. She will be allowed to stay with me while she recovers from her surgery. 

Right now she is just worried about how on earth she is going to drink 2 liters of water and keep it in without wetting herself for 2 hours while she has her ultrasound. I am with her on that one. It is a hard ask.

 

(source)

Eileen is up now and I must be off here and getting myself sorted. She wants to do her usual Friday morning thing of going to Tim Hortons for her breakfast, so I need to be getting dressed, making my bed and getting her in the car to drive her there. She will be picked up by her CSS worker there.  A busy day for her for sure.  I am going to go with Cindy to take Dad and Maryann out this afternoon, so a busy day for me also.

A thought for the day  . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*A little madness in the Spring

is wholesome even for a Queen.

~Emily Dickenson

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Chicken Enchilada Bake. A simple layered chicken casserole with decidedly Tex Mex flavors.

I hope you have a really lovely day today. May it be filled with lots of the things you love. Stay safe. Be happy. Don't forget!

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ════════════  

And I do too!    

   

Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

(source)

The sun has long been set,

The stars are out by twos and threes,

The little birds are piping yet

Among the bushes and the trees;

There's a cuckoo, and one or two thrushes,

And a far off wind that rushes,

And a sound of water that gushes,

And the cuckoo's sovereign cry

Fills all the hollow of the sky.

~William Wordsworth, A Night in June

Oh, it has been a very long time since I have lay in bed with my window open listening to the night skies sing to me.  Because my home is on a slab, and a bungalow, my bedroom window is at ground level and I am just not comfortable having the window open to the night. There are a lot of peeping Toms and yard creepers in this small town I live in. A lot of homeless people who prowl around at night looking for a chance to take something, etc. Last year a bunch of people across the way from me had their sheds broken into and their winter tires stolen. (I keep mine in the garage.)  Anyways, as a woman on her own, I don't feel safe with open windows at night.

But I have spent many a June night in my lifetime, laying in my bed as the dusk settles in, listening to the night creep in over the land. When we were living in Kent the air was alive with the sound of birds calling out to their families . . . time to come in, time for bed, hurry home now.  And there was an especially melodious Thrush that would sit and sing it's heart out on the Chimney top of the Estate Manager's cottage next door. 

In my teen years we lived in a small house nestled amongst the pines and at night we would listen to the wind ruffling through the pine needles. I felt like Heidi in the loft of her Grandfather's house in the alps.

Yes, I have always had a mind filled with fancy and the heart of a poet.

 

 

(source)

The carpets I bought for Eileen's place came yesterday, along with a floor runner Cindy bought for her and the curtains and tension rod for her bedroom. I think she is going to take them with her when she goes out on her CSS visit today.  I don't know if she will lay out the carpets or put up the curtains or not.  I had wanted to go yesterday afternoon, but she wasn't feeling like going. I am not sure either if the landlord has changed her lock or not. It seems to me that he should have done, but . . . nothing happens quickly in this part of the world. Just so long as it happens. To my way of thinking it should have been done that very same day.

Like the wasps in my house. I killed another one last evening so went around with my cotton balls and peppermint oil again. Someone needs to look up in the loft over my house, not make a cursory look around the outside to see if they see any wasps going in or out in the middle of the day. They need to open the hatch in the garage and have a good look at what's up there. I may have to contact an exterminator myself as I don't really think the handyman is going to do much at all about it.

Landlords down here are very slack in my opinion. They want their rent yesterday however, lol.

 

(source)

When did it become cool to mash the grooms face into the wedding cake while you are cutting it? I was watching one of the wedding reception reels from a girl I know who got married just recently and she full on mashed her new husbands face down into the cake. And it looked quite aggressive as well. I didn't think it was cute in the least, and a few comments to that effect were left on the post, but boy oh boy were those who said so ever shouted down!  I don't even like to see them mash the small pieces of cake into each other's faces. I think its cute for them to feed each other a piece of cake, but that's about it.  Call me old-fashioned I guess.

I just don't get it.

 

(source)

It is a beautiful warm sunny day out there today. No rain now until Saturday. I do so love sunny days, but after the fires of last year I do get a bit concerned when we don't have a lot of rain days to compensate for it.  That was a bit too close for comfort. Anyways, I will enjoy the sunshine while I can. We don't have these lovely summery days for long.

Summer is not my favorite season however. I am really an autumn kind of girl. I love the winter also with the cozying in. I am not a huge fan of heat and humidity. But I do enjoy when it is just sunny and hot. Without the moisture.

Someone asked me yesterday where would I rather live and which do I like better? Here or the U.K.  Oh, no doubt about it I loved living in the U.K. I loved it over there with all of my heart. I do miss it a great deal, but  . . .  I love my family more. And if I had to choose between them and the U.K. I choose them.  I choose family and living here near them. I don't even have to think about it.

But I did like the weather and the countryside over there very much, and the food. It was much, much better. The temperatures were not so drastic. It did rain a fair bit, but you didn't get the wide extremes that we get here.  It was beautiful there. You did not have to drive very far to witness great beauty. My own garden was beautiful. And the food, well I was very spoiled. Fresh fruit and veg, great meats, poultry and fish. beautiful cheeses, the bread, the dairy, etc. All were excellent. I think that where I live now, we are at the end of the food chain and we end up with what nobody else wants or what's leftover.

Except during growing season. Then we are blessed with plenty of fresh local produce. It's expensive though.  

I also miss being able to get things overnight. With it being such a small country there, I could order anything today and have it delivered overnight at no extra cost.

But family  . . .  I love my family and I love being near them.  They more than make up for anything I might miss from over there. Both Anthony and Doug are coming over in July with the boys and in August my brother and his wife are coming down. There is much to look forward to.

 

(source)

I used to love going barefoot as a child. There was something really lovely about feeling the coolness of the grass beneath my feet. I also used to love going barefoot in the house. I don't do that any longer. As a diabetic you have to be very careful about your feet and not injuring them, so I wear slippers or shoes at all times now.

I did always love to put on socks in the evening and then take them off just when I got into bed. There was something about the way the sheets felt on my bare feet just after taking off my socks that I really loved.  Perhaps I am just weird.

Speaking about weird. I started watching the Michael Jackson video/series on Netflix, chronicling his criminal trial in 2005. I have watched two episodes of it. I admit that I have always been of a mixed opinion concerning what did or didn't happen. I do think he was one very weird individual. Really wealthy and famous people are targets to be sure. But I also think that where there is smoke there is fire. Nobody will ever know for sure. 

 

(source)

I have a very busy day ahead of me today.  I have a lot of work to get done as I will be away all day tomorrow. We (Cindy, Eileen and I) are going on a road trip up-country. Something which we have wanted to do all Winter and are only just getting to. Eileen is really looking forward to it.  I probably won't be posting tomorrow as we will have to leave fairly early to get on the road. We plan on going up to Canning and a few other places.  Tonight we are going to try out the new Diner that opened at the campground/cabins just the other side of town. It looks like a really good place to eat and we have wanted to try it since it opened. I am looking forward to that, as is Eileen.

In any case I will see you all on Friday with tales of my adventures and will leave you now with a thought for the day  . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*Sometimes the greatest gift

you can give another person

is to simply include them.

~unknown

In The English Kitchen today   . . .  Chicken & Mushroom Pot Pie.  An older recipe that I brought up to date.  This is a lovely and simple pie to make however. No bottom crust, just a filling and a top crust. You can make both ahead of time and just put it together about half an hour or so before you want to serve it. Easy peasy, and oh-so-tasty!

I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday and Thursday. I will catch you back here on Friday. Hope your days go really well. Stay safe, be happy and 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!    

   

A Day Book . . .

 

FOR TODAY, June 9th, 2026

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ...

An older photo but I love it. The sight of Cinnamon looking out at a fresh green world as the sunlight appears early in the morning after a rain shower. I love it.  Things look much the same this morning, except all of those plants are gone and it is garbage day. The street is lined with bin bags. That's okay. I am grateful for garbage pick up. I appreciate the bin men. They do us a great service.

I AM THINKING ...

Sometimes I feel sad about the losses I have experienced in life, but then, I remember how very blessed I am regardless to that. My life may not be how I once imagined that it might have turned out to be,  but it is still a very good life, and filled with blessings and joy. I am grateful for that.

I AM ALSO THINKING ...

Someone bitter told me several years back that I was going to end up an old woman . . .  alone, unloved and lonely. That wasn't true then and it isn't true now. I am surrounded with loving family. I have lots of loving friends on both sides of the pond. I have two beautiful cats who add a great measure of joy to my life.  I am not lonely, not ever, and because of my faith I am never and will never be alone.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR  ...

Lemon Meringue pie. I ended up having a very full day yesterday.  Cindy and I made an impromptu visit to Eileen's apartment early in the day. I don't know if we were expecting to find something else or not, but we went.  I put all the pots and pans away. We got the living room curtains put onto a rod, but we didn't have any tools to put the rod up. (Eileen has sent a message to her dad to ask if he could help with that.) The Landlord is going to change the lock, but we don't know when. (In my opinion it should have been yesterday.) Then I went home.  Then Cindy messaged me to say they had turkey pies and lemon meringue pies at Peltons. How could I resist??? We popped up to get one of each. How could I resist!  The Lemon Meringue pies are great! Delicious and loaded with plenty of filling. Much more than a shop bought pie. And they taste homemade.  Then Doug facetimed me.  Also great. I made Eileen and I a supper of steak with mushroom gravy, new potatoes and salad. We enjoyed some pie for dessert. Got the garbage out, etc. It was a great day. Very busy, but great.

 

(source)

I AM ALSO GRATEFUL FOR ...

Clean clothes. I also managed to get in three loads of laundry yesterday.  Yes. I WAS very tired and sore last night. Eileen had to help put liniment on my back it was aching so badly. I was grateful that she was here to do that for me! The cats are rubbish at it.

IN THE KITCHEN ...

Easy Bean, Corn & Couscous Salad. An early summer salad that pops with plenty of color and texture and that is delicious. I love Israeli Couscous.

 

ON MY "TO COOK" LIST ...

Italian Lemon Jam. From Fruity Desserts. Lemon anything. Count me in.

THIS I BELIEVE ...

Most of my personal growth has been derived from the challenges that life has thrown at me. They either make or break you. Most times it is up to you to choose which.  I refuse to give up and give in. I just keep going and growing.

SOMETHING THAT IS NICE ...

 

(source)

Grateful for all those who have sat with me.

SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS NICE ...

 

(source)

This is one of my favorite hymns.  I love it.  I love listening to hymns.

I AM WANTING TO CREATE ...

 

(source)

Crochet hearts  . . . 

 

(source)

Little houses  . . . 

 

(source)

Cupcakes  . . . . 

 

(source)

Cherries and strawberries  . . . 

 

(source)

Garden flowers  . . . 

SOMETHING I ENJOY ...

 

(source)

Fresh farm eggs  . . . 

SOMETHING ELSE THAT I ENJOY ...

 

(source)

The sound of sheep grazing  . . . 

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 ...

 

(source)

Old tin cannisters . . . 

 

(source)

Tea Pot and Cup sets  . . . 

 

(source)

Mismatched china plates  . . . 

 

(source)

Little lamps with gingham shades  . . . 

 

(source)

A chaise lounge  . . . 

MAKES ME SMILE ...

 

(source)

Two cats relaxing in the best possible way . . . 

SOMETHING TO WATCH ...

Behind Her Eyes  . . .  Netflix.

A THOUGHT TO CARRY WITH YOU ...

☾ ° ★° * 。  

• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*The farther I get in life, the more I

treasure the small simple 

moments of peace,

I love everyday, ordinary

miracles that hide in plain sight.

~anon

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!  

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!