A Simple Woman's Day book . . .

FOR TODAY August 25th, s008 . . .

Outside My Window . . .
It's still very dark, the sun is just beginning to raise it's head above the horizon, or at least the light is. I still can't tell if it will be sunny or not. The weather machine, which sits on our kitchen window sill has a great big sun on it, so . . . maybe we'll get lucky!

I am thinking . . .
About the wonderful conversation I had with my mom yesterday afternoon. It's hard to believe she is 76 now. Her voice is still so lively and vibrant on the telephone, but I know if I were to see her today, I'd notice that she seemed much older and more frail than she did the last time I saw her. That's the way it was the last time I was home to Nova Scotia, which was two summers ago . . . it suddenly hit me how tiny she was and she looked so much older . . . she hasn't been very well this year. She caught the shingles, for the second time, and it has really affected her. She had it on her head and in one eye and down one side of her face this time and is still suffering with it. It sure takes a long time to go away! I try to call her every second week and my, oh my, we talk for ages and it's hard to hang up at the end of it, as I could just talk to her for hours, it's so much fun. I wish I could call her every day . . .

I am thankful for . . .
A husband who loves the Lord as much as I do, and who loves me as much as I love him. I never had that for so many years. It's hard to share your life with someone who doesn't understand your faith. I guess that's what the scriptures mean when they tell you not to be un-evenly yolked with someone. Your faith and spiritual leanings are such a large and important part of who you are, well at least they are for me . . . and to not be able to share that part of you with the one you love . . . lets just say, a huge chunk of who you can be together is missing. I'm just so thankful now that Todd and I share this major part of who we are and what's so important in each of our lives with each other. It's pretty special and wonderful.

All my life all I ever wanted to feel was to feel loved . . . I never, ever felt like my ex husband loved me. I know Todd loves me and I feel it every day. It's an incredible feeling.


From the kitchen . . .
I have apple pie muffins sitting in a tin on my counter. I made Texas muffins this time and also a small loaf. It's nice to do that sometimes, make a small loaf with your muffin mixture . . . something tasty to put in the freezer and then bring out one day when a friend drops by that we can enjoy with a hot cup of cocoa and great company!

I am wearing . . .
I'm splashing out this time and I'm actually wearing a nightie instead of my pajamas!! It's white cotton and has lovely little pleats all across the front and a band of pretty embroidery, and I feel like a woman . . . all dainty and pretty in it . . . oh, I know the mirror tells a different tale . . . but that's not what counts, is it? It's how you feel inside, and when I wear this nightie . . . I feel pretty.

I am creating . . .
I'm still finishing that cookbook. I didn't get quite as much done on it last week as I had wanted to. My talk kind of got in the way, as well as the lesson I had to teach the young women on Sunday, which was on changing your heart. I am thinking now I should do some little sketches for the chapter dividers as well as including some of my tastier recipe photos . . . and I am thinking of doing a daily inspirational book as well . . . but I must reign myself in . . . one project at a time, or I'll never finish any of them.

I am going . . .
If it's nice and sunny today I might drag Todd down to Scotney Castle. It's not that far away and it's so pretty and peaceful there. We have been several times and we really should try to get some more this year out of our National Trust membership than we did last year . . .

I am reading . . .
I'm still working on "Breaking Dawn" by Stephanie Meyers. I read every night when I go to bed, the problem is that I am so tired by the time I go to bed that after about 15 minutes, I end up reading the same line over and over again!! It's a very thick book, but so very good, just like the other three books in the series were, or at least how they were to me at any rate! Who'd a thunk I'd ever be so interested in reading a book series about Vampires and Werewolves!!!

I am hoping . . .
To get some e-mails answered today. It's a bank holiday and I don't have to go to work until tonight, and may not even have to go then, so I really have no excuse today not to get it done! I think when I get to the other side one day (And I must say here, I'm in NO particular hurry to get there!) I am going to let them know that they should have put more hours in each day . . . as there just never seems to be enough!

I am hearing . . .
The quiet hum of the refrigerator and Jess's soft sighs as she lays next to my feet, and missing the sound of crickets and frogs that I used to ear in the dawn and dusk back home. I wonder why there are no crickets here, or at least not that I can hear . . . that's such a comforting sound, the sound of crickets . . . never mind, Jess is a comforting sound too. We watched a new telly show last night called "Martin Clunes: A Man and His Dogs." Martin Clunes is exploring the ancient history of dogs and it was ever so interesting. The conclusion is next week and I can't wait! (Something else Todd and I love together . . . documentaries, especially on nature and animals!)

Around the house . . .
Are all the things I love and that mean the most to me . . . photos of my much loved children and grandsons sit in frames here and there, and remind me that although we may be miles and miles apart in body, we are never more than a heart beat apart in thought . . . small mementos and nic naks remind me of all the special experiences and friendships I am so blessed to have enjoyed and to still enjoy . . . the pictures of the Saviour which are in every room, remind me of who I am and how much I am loved, and of my eternal goals . . . Todd's jumper, folded neatly and laying on the back of his chair reminds me again of how blessed I am and how very sweet life can be . . .

One of my favorite things . . .
Is sitting here each morning and putting my thoughts down. As I do it I think of each one of you and how much each one of you touches me in a special way, and how this blogging has added such a wonderful dimension to my day and my life. Todd often asks me why on earth I get up at five o'clock every morning , and I can't answer, and then . . . I get another e-mail from one of you and I say . . . that's why . . . I'm touching people's lives and they are touching mine back, and it's a pretty special and awesome thing . . .

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week . . .
Ohhh . . . I haven't gotten that far yet! I do have a Birthday Party to plan for Todd which I am having on the 6th of September. It's hard to believe he will be 70! That's truly a milestone. His birthday is on the 7th, which is also the anniversary of the day we actually met in person! It's funny how that worked out. When I got my plane ticket to come over here, that's the day the plane was landing! I hadn't planned it or meant for it to happen that way . . . it just did. All the more proof that it was meant to be! He says I'm the best Birthday Pressie he ever got!

Here is picture thought I am sharing . . .
How can you not love this face . . . we have a birdbath in the back garden and Jess is always drinking the water out of it, even though we tell her not to. (she snuffles up the crumbs we put out for the birds too if we don't see her and stop her!) She was keeping me company in our garden last evening and I caught her doing it again, and had just told her it was naughty . . .



Don't forget to click on the Simple Woman's Day Book to go and see all the other lovely entries for today!

What lovely smells we had in the kitchen late yesterday afternoon. In fact when I was out in the garden with Jess I could still smell them as they were clinging to my clothes and in my hair . . . the lovely smells of brown sugar and cinnamon . . . and nutmeg. Yes!!! I finally got around to making last week's Make Me Bake poll challenge. (Check out the side column to vote on this week's challenge . . . you still have one more day left to vote!) Todd sat there munching on one of these delicious muffins lat evening in front of the telly. Mmm . . . he said, this is one of the best muffins I've eaten here in a while . . . and he was right! Another delicious recipe from my Big Blue Binder . . .



*Apple Pie Muffins*
Make 18 medium muffins, or 6 Texas size and a small loaf

These muffins are moist and fragrant and full of lovely little chunks of apple. The cinnamon streusal on top actually sinks a bit into the muffins when they are baking and makes a lovely gooey centre and crunchy topping. I always like to pop a walnut half on top of each before they go into the oven for that extra special Marie touch.

Streusel:
1/2 cup firmly packed soft light brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Muffins:
1 1/2 cups firmly packed soft light brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups diced peeled apple (I like to use Granny Smith. They hold up and keep their shape and are nicely tart against the sweetness of the muffin)
18 walnut halves

First make the streusel. Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl together until nice and crumbly. Set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly spray your muffin tins with some non-stick vegetable oil spray or butter them well. (Or line them with muffin papers.) Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, soda, salt and spices in a large bowl.

In another bowl whisk together the brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla until smooth.

Stir the oil mixture into the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, until all are combined, without over mixing. Stir in the apple chunks. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them no more than 3/4 full. Sprinkle the streusal evenly over all and press a walnut half down on top of each.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and the top springs back when lightly touched. These smell heavenly when they are baking and are awfully hard to resist!