Thursday 24 July 2014

Five things about me . . .
















Thursday!  Time for another five things about me post!  Fasten your seat belts as we are about to take off!


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When I was in Grade five my teacher refused to mark any more of my work because my handwriting was "deplorable."  I cannot remember what it was like at that point but it must have been really poor.  My mother's solution for that was to buy me handwriting workbooks on the "Maclean Method of Writing" which she then  made me sit and practice in every night for what seemed like hours and hours.

















  Developed in Victoria by educator H. B. MacLean between 1921 and 1964, the MacLean method was used across Canada as the official handwriting method in schools, particularly in the Maritimes, parts of Quebec, Manitoba, and BC.  We lived in Gimli, Manitoba at the time.

It worked.  My handwriting did improve drastically.  Thanks mom!

Sad to say however that it is getting bad again.  I have noticed over the past few years that my handwriting has gotten very poor, probably because I hardly write anything by hand anymore, but mostly type write.   I bought myself some handwriting workbooks  a number of months back and am going back to square one.  Proof positive that if you don't use it, you will lose it.

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My mother taught me how to pray when I was very young.  It was only the "Now I lay me down to sleep prayer," but it was a prayer.   I can say in all honesty that I cannot ever remember getting into bed at night without saying my prayers.  I have spent my whole life saying bedtime prayers and I am grateful for that, even though nowadays, more often than not, I fall asleep while I am saying them.  They are a little bit more personal these days than "Now I lay me."  Often if I have a problem falling asleep, I will start praying for individuals that I know alphabetically.  I am happy to say (for me, but maybe not for you depending on the letter your name begins with) that I only ever very rarely get past the letters "G" or "H."  I always fall asleep before then.   Well, almost always at any rate!

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I try hard not to be but I am somewhat superstitious.   You know the things I mean . . .  if you break a mirror that is seven years of bad luck, knock on wood, if you spill salt throwing more salt over your left shoulder etc.  I think it is because my mother has always been very superstitious and so I grew up with it.   I always knock on wood when I say something positive . . .  to protect myself from evil  . . .  like hedging my bets I suppose.  And, I can never see a crow without cringing and immediately looking for a second one to ward off the bad luck that will most certainly come my way from having seen just one.  I have never broken a mirror and I hope I never do!  Old habits die hard I guess!

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Autumn is my favourite season.  You get lovely "crisp edged with a touch of warmth" sunny days along with cooler "easy to sleep" nights.   I love the colours of the changing leaves and the sound they make when skittering across the pavement.  I love the smell of burning leaves . . .  I always, always looked forward to school starting up again in September, the excitement of seeing who you were going to get for teachers and who would be in your classes.  We always got a few new clothes to begin the school year with and new shoes.  (I think we were lucky.)  New notebooks, pencils etc.   It's kind of ironic I suppose that when all around me was preparing to go to sleep for the Winter . . .  there was this beautiful feeling of renewal and the opportunity to begin a new school year afresh.  The freshly ripened apples that never taste as good at any other time of the year, along with pears . . .  pumpkins, squashes, etc.  It's all good to me.

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I have always loved bowling.  I haven't been bowling in years now.  I think the last time was when I went with the Young Women from church when we lived down South.  When I lived in Borden, Ontario, I belonged to a Women's bowling league, which I really enjoyed.  I am just an ordinary bowler.  I am not the best and I am not the worst.  I think Todd and I need to make a date to go bowling, or at least break out the wii and do some bowling here at home.  That would be fun!  Well, for me anyways!  ☺



















The Sound of Music is my favourite musical.  I fell in love with it when it first came out.  I think I was about ten or eleven at the time.  I have been loving it ever since.  It was the thrill of my life a number of years back to be able to travel to Austria with Todd on a Sound of Music Coach Tour.   We were able to see all of the sights from the film.   It was a lovely trip which we both really enjoyed.  I am always saying I would love to go back to that part of Austria again.  Perhaps one day we will.  As we all know dreams can and often do come true!






















Speaking of Dreams coming true . . .  remember yesterday when I was saying that it is on my bucket list to be able to go to Tuscany???   Well guess what!!  I am very happy to announce I am a finalist in the Tuscany Now Cook Off for my " Kitchen Sink Pasta" recipe. It's down to the public vote now and the winner gets a weekend in Tuscany! YOU can help my dream come true by voting for my entry! It is much appreciated. Each person can only vote once. The English Kitchen, Kitchen Sink pasta. Thanks so much!  You can vote HERE.   It goes without saying that you should only vote for me if you think I am worth your vote, but I would appreciate any and all votes I can get.  It is a trip for two. The only down side is that the winner has to pay their own air fare as it is only the weekend and accomodation which is included, but I would still love to win it.  If I do I will sorry about how I am going to pay the airfare then and if!  Many thanks in advance!

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .

✻ღϠ₡ღ✻(¯`✻´¯) 
          ✻ღϠ`*.¸.*₡ღ¸.✻
The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, 
share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, 
smile at someone and receive a smile in return, 
are to me continual spiritual exercises. 
~Leo Buscaglia  ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻✻ღϠ₡ღ✻✻ღϠ₡ღ✻✻ღϠ₡ღ✻  


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Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Crispy Chicken Salad with a Blueberry Vinaigrette.  Delicious! 

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I wish for you a truly fabulous Thursday!




15 comments:

  1. Just been over an voted Marie. You are well in the lead at the moment. Praying that you will be able to find a cheap flight when you win !!...Not sure where you would fly to or from but sure if you go into a travel agent they will be able to find a flight for you....would be so exciting...
    Looks like another hot day ahead...although at this moment it is a bit grey but think the sun will break through again very soon..hope so and then I can "walk" up to the church it is our coffee morning and I always help get things laid up etc from just after 9 till it starts around 10...stay and help till around 11 by whcih time I am done for !! Then it will be home to put a ham in the oven for tonights dinner...

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  2. Just been over an voted Marie. You are well in the lead at the moment. Praying that you will be able to find a cheap flight when you win !!...Not sure where you would fly to or from but sure if you go into a travel agent they will be able to find a flight for you....would be so exciting...
    Looks like another hot day ahead...although at this moment it is a bit grey but think the sun will break through again very soon..hope so and then I can "walk" up to the church it is our coffee morning and I always help get things laid up etc from just after 9 till it starts around 10...stay and help till around 11 by whcih time I am done for !! Then it will be home to put a ham in the oven for tonights dinner...

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  3. Have already cast my vote for you. Happy to see you are ahead of the other finalists.Wishing your dream come true!

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  4. I voted Marie and it looks as tho you are ahead!

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  5. Thank you so much everyone? It is truly appreciated! Xxoo

    It's a pretty hot day to be cooking a ham Sybil! You are a braver woman than I am! I am trying to stay cool! It was 97*F in our back garden last evening after supper!!

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  6. I do hope you are able to make your trip to Tuscany. Best of wishes to you on the contest. We've had a few days here recently that almost felt like fall as they were so unusually cool for us this time of year. I like the Autumn season but my favorite it Spring. Hope you have a wonderful day. Happy Thursday!

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  7. I voted for you yesterday. I am sure that if you won the weekend not one second would be wasted.

    As for hand writing as we age it does go awry. One of the best tips I have ever heard was to use a fountain pen. This is because we often hurry and using a fountain pen slows you down. I learned that in 1984 in a teaching hand writing seminar! My mother has the worst writing and she used to make me practice too.

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  8. Just voted(you are winning:!!!)
    Your writing is beautiful!
    Unless it has changed drastically since Poachies:)
    The exercise books were a great idea..Moms..:)

    Sound of Music me too..so cute you are there!

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  9. I voted......hope you win!

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  10. I voted ! =) Keeping my fingers crossed for you. I love the thought of praying for others when you can't sleep. How precious! Enjoyed your post. Blessings, Valerie

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  11. Are you sure you aren't psychic and reading my mind before you write these posts? ;-)

    When I was a kid, I saw my neighbors handwriting. It was beautiful and in the old style. Ever since I wanted to write like her. To this day, I have a scroll type penmanship BUT it isn't as nice as it use to be. I blame a bit of the arthritis in my joints. Good excuse, no?! ;-)

    Well, look at you in the Alps! Julie Andrews has nothing on you! I bet you could out sing her any old day!

    You and Todd, better get your fare payment scraped together for Tuscany! Right now it looks like you are winning the contest by far. :-D

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  12. Add my vote to your tally as well! Good luck...

    Sharon in Alabama

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  13. Marie, I am so excited I think you may win this one. I do hope you get the trip.
    I love learning about you and I always find we have similar experiences or tastes.
    I loved Sound of Music too. I would love to see Austria sometime. I would love just to visit somewhere sometime.
    You do such beautiful art work; I can't imagine your handwriting wouldn't be good. I am starting to write like an old lady which I am. I feel sad because in some schools here in the states they are not teaching cursive writing anymore.
    I love to bowl too; but I am not good at all only if I have a somewhat lucky night.
    I often fall asleep too during night time prayers.
    Blessings for this one; I loved learning more about you.

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  14. VERY, very fun... And such excitement! I'm off to go vote. ;o) Happy Days, my friend and hope you win! ((LOVE & BIG HUGS))

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  15. I am so sorry that I wasn't able to respond to all of your lovely comments over the past couple of days. They truly are appreciated as are your votes! Still in the lead. It's a bit exciting/scary! What if I win? That gives me shivers! Love you all! xxoo

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Your comments mean the world to me, and while I may not be able to address each one individually, each one is important to me and each one counts. Thanks so much!