Monday 28 November 2016

Small and wonderful things . . .




"The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside from a generous hand. But who gets excited by a mere penny?...It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued that he won't stoop to pick up a penny. But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted with pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days. It is that simple. what you see is what you get." ~Anne Dillard

A few of the small and wonderful things which bring untold joy into my life. It's the small things in life which truly mean the most. Simple abundance . . . it's the best.



 Frosty mornings and the beauty they create.   I spent some time in the garden with my phone snapping a few photos.  The first is of a rose which got caught . . .




And then a spider's web which I managed to capture.  Webs always look so mystical when caught in frost or rain don't you think?



I have all of my packages ready to post to North America now.  Took some doing, but they are ready to go out.  And on the plus side, the bookies are slashing the odds for a White Christmas.   So that means (If I am right) that the odds of a White Christmas are more in the favour of a yes than a no?  We shall see!


I finally got to do a facetime with my mom.  It was only for a few minutes and the sound/reception was poor, but we did get to see each other.  I am not sure that she liked it very much.  She has never taken well to change.  But I did and it was nice to see her.  I am not sure I will do it again however.  I had toyed with the idea of getting her a tablet in the new year, so we could do this often, but I don't think that it would be a very good idea upon thinking about it.   She hates techonology and she hates change and I just think it would cause her a lot of stress and hassle.  Best to just leave things as they are.


I was looking every where for nail decals and gems yesterday for Christmas nails, but couldn't find any that would actually be here before Christmas, so scratch that idea for this year.  But next year, watch out!  Something to look forward to!



Feeding the birds.  We love doing it.   It costs a bit at times, but is worth every penny.  We enjoy watching them.  We mostly get sparrows, and the odd blue tit or robin and sometimes we get goldfinches (which look a lot different over here!)  Sometimes we get flocks of starlings and there are a pair of wood pigeons that are always out there.  We could watch them for hours.




I baked Todd some mince pies and we had pie crust cookies from the leftover dough.  I love pie crust cookies.

Perhaps too much . . .


Our time is coming to an end now.   As of the 14th of December our time as Missionaries will be done.  I hate to think that our mission is ending and there is so much more we would have liked to have done but it is the right time.  I am grateful that we could hang in for the last few weeks, but know in my heart that we could not do any longer.  We had thought earlier this year that we would ask for an extension, but something made us change our minds.  So glad that we did.  Not that we didn't want to serve longer, but with the health challenges we are facing at the moment, it is the right time to finish.  So grateful for having had the opportunity to serve, and wishing we had been better at it, but I know we will be blessed for having tried.



Puppy cuddles.  She is still not happy about being on a diet, but she has been losing weight, which is a very good thing.  I love being able to reach my hand out in the night and stroke her just as much as I love being able to reach out my hand and touch Todd.

Life is good.


A thought to carry with you . . .

⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰
Let me hear Your loving
kindness in the morning; 
For I trust in You; 
Teach me the way 
in which I should walk; 
For to You I lift up my soul.
~Psalm 143:8
⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰⊰✿⊰

I love the Psalms  . . .

Spiritual Enlightenment

 photo SAM_1746_zps10d5318e.jpg

In The English Kitchen today  . . . Grilled Mac and Cheese and Pancetta Sandwich.  Hedonistic, but tasty.


May the week ahead of you be filled with many small and wonderful things. Along the way don't forget . . .


═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
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And I do too!


8 comments:

  1. Good morning Marie. The photos of the frost are amazing and beautiful. I am looking forward to seeing a little of the white stuff. God bless,

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  2. Hi Marie. Lovely post, loving the Christmas nails. I normally have neutral colours or a French manicure but I've gone mad this time and gone purple with gold glitter! Well it's only Christmas once a year! I've seen quite a few trees up already so I think I'll put mine up this week.

    Have a good week. Lots of love xxx

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  3. My mother was like that as she got older. She was an expert typist but didn't want to know about computers or any newfangled machines. I used to send emails to my brother and he would print it out for her, or even read them to her and my father.

    Leaving things as they are is sometimes the best option. It is hard being far away from family.

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  4. You will undoubtedly get some of the white stuff up in Scotland! I hope you don't get much when you are here as a tiny bit brings the whole country to a standstill. It's quite odd really! They know it is coming and yet are still quite unprepared! God bless. xoxo

    We will probably put ours up this week also Kate, while Todd still has the energy. I did pic up some wine polish and gold glitter today so I may go a bit mad this year. Just not with decals of Jewels! Love and hugs! xoxo

    My mother had a nervous breakdown, literally, when they brought computers into her workplace Linda. She was off for a week or so. She couldn't cope. This was back in the mid to late 1970's. She hates change of any kind and is not an adapter. Yet I see others her age who are quite conversant with technology. I think if she let herself, she would cope with it, but she won't even have a debit card. Sad but true! Oh well, we love her to bits anyways! And you are right leaving things as they are is the best thing all round. xoxo

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  5. We've had our first snow here but I missed out on it as I was away visiting my out of state boys. That doesn't guarantee snow at Christmas though, sometimes it's just very very cold. I love the idea of making the pie crust cookies with the leftovers. Yes it is best with the health challenges to let your mission come to an end. No doubt there will be many other ways you can help out that aren't quite so involved or require traveling so much. Hope you have a great week ahead. Happy Monday.

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  6. Amazing the work you did as Missionaries..AMAZING.
    That's too bad re the decals..if I had some I would send you some Christmas ones..
    for jewels you need a special glue..

    I keep hoping Todd will just get beter and better..hope to do our tree this weekend..I need it up a while as it takes time to set up and I love the mini lights at night!
    I am one who wishes for a white Christams..last year was weird!

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  7. Thanks Pam! I am so happy you were able to travel to be with some of your boys and family for Thanksgiving! God bless you! xoxo

    Thanks Monique. I will try again in the new year when it doesn't matter if they arrive now or two months from now. Over here they mostly come from China. I was looking at nail stuff at the shops this morning I did pick up a new colour and some glitter polish. We will see what comes from that! A white Christmas is the norm over here, but mom always said back home that a green Christmas was a bad omen. I just love Christmas full stop. Hoping to do the tree this week also! oxoxo

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  8. Hi Marie, well we are forecast to wake up tomorrow to white winter land scene...but it will be a frosty white !! Temp.dropping to -7 tonight. I have put paper towel over the winter pansies and cyclamen that are in a pot by the door I then put a thick carrier bag over the whole thing so I am hoping that might keep the most of the frost of the wee flowers!!!...been a nice but cold day down here in Wiltshire....You and Todd have done so well as missionaries you I am sure have been a blessing to many, even people who you might not even know.....hope you have a good day tomorrow xxx

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