Thursday 18 August 2016

A few of my favourite things . . .



These are a few of my favourite things  . . . 

 

Beach huts.    I want one.  They're so cute.  Little houses on stilts down by the beach.



Some people go all out decorating them inside.  They can be as plain or as fancy as you like.

I wonder if you could live in one?

 

Cottages.   Stone ones.  Wooden ones.  Itsy bitsy cute little homes.  Quaint.  With window boxes, and preferably a picket fence.  With holly  hocks growing in the garden.  Just big enough for two.

 

Farmhouse sinks.  There was one in the small bath upstairs in the cottage we lived in down South.  Large and deep.  They hold a certain charm.



Now that I have seen this, I cannot un-see this.  How utterly, utterly charming.  A corner fireplace.  Filled with candles.   Romantic.  A bit fussy, but sweet.

Highly impractical, but sigh  . . .

 

I love everything about this kitchen.  The window over the sink.  The little curtain beneath the sink.  The open shelves surrounding the sink . . . the wood floor.  I love it all.



Toasting marshmallows over an open fire.  The ambience.  The smell of the logs burning.  The taste of burnt marshmallows.    It all feels, smells, seems like a festive occasion.  A celebration.

At least to me  . . .

 

Fresh corn on the cob . . .  boiled or steamed, with plenty of salt and cold butter.   Oh, it is sooooo good.   I haven't had a good ear of corn in sixteen years.  Not since I moved over here.  Corn, just picked out of the field, fresh off the wagon.   We used to buy it by the bagfull right at the farmer's fields in August, take it home and cook it up fresh that night for supper.  Tons of it.  We would eat our fill.  It was soooooooo good.  Sooooooo very good.  Delicious.

Of course with my Diverticulitis, I couldn't eat it now anyways, but oh, if someone could only bottle the flavour.   I could eat the flavour . . .



Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough . . .  I know you shouldn't eat it, raw eggs, etc.  but  . . .  it tastes so good.   I can never resist licking my fingers, or the spoon, or the bowl.

What is it that makes it taste so good, better than any other cookie dough?

 

Thin slivers of raw potato. When I am peeling potatoes,  I always have to have a tiny taste.  I am not sure why.  Maybe because when I was a child my mother always said that they would give you a tummy ache or worms,  and she would never let us have any.  Somehow being forbidden made it seem that much more appealing.  I don't want a lot, just a tiny sliver.  Crisp.  Starchy.  Almost sweet.

 

Cinnamon anything.   Cookies.  Rolls.  Cakes.  Breads. Drinks.  Cinnamon is one of my favourite flavours, next to vanilla.   I love cinnamon.  Oh, and the smell.   Heavenly.

I love the smell of all the baking spices.  They just smell like home sweet home to me.

 

The BBC program, Outnumbered.  We have been watching it on Netflix.  Totally entertaining.   It doesn't seem like acting at all.  You feel like you are right in someone else's house watching them interact as a family.  Wonderfully precious children.   Totally charming.   You find yourself laughing all the way through it, and thanking your heavenly stars that they are not yours, but you can relate to everything that is happening on one level or another!  We love it.   If you haven't watched it, you should.  I think you would like it.   Brilliant writing and acting.

 

Thoroughly enjoying learning Calligraphy.  I spent a couple of hours yesterday just practicing my capital A's, B's, C's, D's and E's.  I will have to take a photograph to show you how I am getting on.  It is totally engrossing.  I love the smell of the ink.  The feel of the pen nib moving across the paper. The sound  . . . the way it looks when I get it right.  Maybe I have found my forte . . . maybe not.  We'll see.

 

Patchwork Quilts  . . .  but even more than that  . . .



Crazy quilts with embroidery . . .  my mother had a quilt that her mother had made and I used to love to lay on it and look at all the fabrics and think about where they had come from.  My nan made me a tiny doll quilt that I loved.  I wish I still had it.  When you grow up in a Military family, things just get lost.  With all the moves . . .

 

The smell of frying onions  . . .

There is a sandwich shack, a portable thing really, just outside the town hall in Chester.  The man who owns it always has onions frying.  It smells heavenly.  It doesn't matter if you have just eaten.  The smell makes you want to eat all over again.

And those are my favourite things for this week. What are some of yours???


A thought to carry with you . . .

⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰
Let your smile change the world,
but don't let the world change your smile.
~unknown
⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰

Spiritual Enlightenment

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Cooking in The English Kitchen Today  . . .  Gammon Steaks with a Curried Pineapple Sauce.  Delish!

I hope that you have a wonderful Thursday! Be happy and be blessed! Don't forget . . .

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And I do too!!


10 comments:

  1. Good morning darling Marie. Onions frying are a wonder. When dad worked shifts we would fry an onion to wake him up before going on night shift. I can't live without onion.

    I miss our beach house but it is long gone. It has helped keep dad for a long time as he hasn't worked for years.
    It was far from fancy but it did the job. I love the little beach side sheds. They have them down south.

    the talk of pen and ink has made me long for my long lost things. My hands cramp so quickly when I write. I hand wrote everyone of our wedding invitations. I love the colours if ink and secretly pine for a Waterman pen with a gold and silver fancy nib. Oh well. My money goes elsewhere and one doesn't need fancy stuff to live.

    God bless your day Marie. May a lot of sunshine come your way because we have had a wet afternoon.

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  2. Glad you are enjoying your calligraphy. I have several pens and nibs and used to use them all the time instead of regular pens. I really should get them out and use them more. They've been packed away for quite awhile now. Hope you have a Happy Thursday!

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  3. I'll have to see if we have Outnumbered..I looked for the Little Prince..US Netflix has it..not us..but I will check..I love a farmhouse sink too but I find a double sink so handy! plus we would have to break up a cabinet..hire someone..oh just too much:)

    So yesterday a yellow jacket stung me MARIE!

    I was chopping back some spent perennials and sure enough disrupted and underground hive.Annoying stings ..I jumped off smacked him off but too late and they they were swarming everywhere.
    I am sure your calligraphy will be spot on..mine is dated..:) LOL

    I need to take a refresher course..
    I have been painting teacups..hard! ellipse? round? oy oy oy..all disproportionate.
    I agree there is something about a fine peaches and cream juicy sweet ear of corn..and now's the time..

    Go look at The Goulet Pens website..EYE candy galore..my fave permanent black carbon pen comes form them..it's not one of their pretties..it's just a fantastic pen for watercolor and ink.
    Because I still don't know my inner style..I am hopping everywhere.
    Have a beautiful day!

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  4. I just had to make us burgers for dinner today Suzan, and fry some onions to have with them! After all that thinking about frying onions this morning, there was no way I wasn't going to treat myself! what a lovely smell for your father to wake up to, amost as good as bacon! Your pen sounds beautiful, you are right, we don't need fancy to live, but a treat once in a while goes a very long way to help us feel better about life. Love and hugs. Sunny here, but it isn't to last! xoxo

    Oh Pam, I bet you did some beautiful work! Time to crack them open and renew your interest! You have a lovely day also! xoxo

    OUCH Monique! Those nasty little things! I am so sorry you were stung. They are veracious this time of year as they are looking for nesting grounds and there is a fresh bunch of newly hatched little demons that are really active! I hate HATE them! I've been doing a course from The Postman's Knock. Loving it. Loving it. I know it's not real calligraphy, but so much fun I will have to look at the Goulet pens site. Probably dangerous! Oy! Teacups. I Love doing teacups. I don't have a problem with those types of shapes. It's straight lines I can't do! What am I like! You have a beautiful day also and stay away from the hornets! xoxo

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  5. Ouch on the sting. I don't know what a yellow jacket is but anything that stings is not welcome.

    Marie I don't have the pen, I dream about it. I am also off to check that site before I crawl into bed. I have been abad girl and stayed up to watch the diving. Now I wonder if I will wake to see the final,

    God bless everyone.

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  6. It is like a hornet or a wasp Suzan! Nasty things! Especially this time of year. I got stung on my thumb in a bed store a few years back, brushing my hair with my hand. There just happened to be one on my head. OUCH! Oh, I wish I could make your dreams about the pen come true. Sigh . . . xoxo

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  7. I want the pen....I don't NEED the pen. I must practice need not greed more often.

    Wasps are nasty things. I was once stung on the bridge of my nose. My grandmother made me hold an onion on it and then told me off when I cried! I was about 8. I understand about the being stung when it is least expected. I was once stung lying in bed.

    Now I must crawl into bed. I have trolled the pen shop as suggested. Now to find some zeds.

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  8. Asleep tight suzan! Pleasant dreams. Xoxo

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  9. There are somethings that we really like that are the same. I still would love to meet you in person someday. I am aure we could just talk away for hours. I like the bench homes; I would love to have a week in one of them. I also loved the Cottages. I certainly don't need a big home at all. I would just love a cozy cottage with maybe a big front porch. We have a lovely bigger home and I enjoy it; but I don't enjoy cleaning it. We have the same taste in decor and kitchen dreams. Fresh corn and a bit of cookie dough; I'll take that. I have to have a taste of the dough when making cookies; it is the best. I'm sure that you calligraphy will be beautiful. I can see you using it a lot.
    Finally, fired onions do bring back the memories of my mother cooking. As always, I love your thoughts. Hugs~

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  10. Why am I not surprised LeAnn! We could be dear friends in person I am sure. HOpefully one day we will be able to meet! Love and hugs. xoxo

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