Monday 28 October 2019

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 from the past week which brought untold joy into my life. It's the small things in life which truly mean the most. Simple abundance . . . it's the best.  



The ability to create.  I got a book last week on sketching botanicals in pencil and I have been playing in it while we sit and watch tv. I can't sit back on the couch because of my back so I just perch on the edge and play with my pencil and paper.  This was an anemone and I also have done a mushroom and am working on a rose hip.  


Not a great photograph as I took it with the iPad. Haven't started shading the rose hip in yet, and I have more work to do on the mushroom.  


Jon can't come to the phone. He's a bit tied up at the moment. LOL  This is my grandson Jon in some sort of Mummy competition.  I think I am a bit too claustrophobic to cope with something like this!  


  

This is Josh's pumpkin.  Its a cat.  Well done Josh!  


   

I don't talk about my brother much on here.  I should because I love him just as dearly as I love my Sister.  It was dress up day at church yesterday and he was dressed up as an Aussie bloke.  Crocodile Dundee maybe?  Anyways, my brother has a wonderful sense of humour.   These past few years he has taken up glider flying and gotten his glider pilots licence.   He has done so much for others through the years, its nice to finally see him doing something for himself.  Everyone needs a hobby they enjoy.  We used to talk on the phone just about every Friday when I was living in London, Ontario.  We would have long philosophical conversations.  I really enjoyed those talks.  I miss them.  He is a good, good man.  I remember him calling me when I lived in New Brunswick and he was living in Japan.  It was New Years and he was calling me from the future.  We got a kick out of that! 

I haven't had too much of a chance to talk to him since mom passed away. He had mom on his own for a few years after my sister and I had left home.  I had mom on my own for three years before my sister and brother came along, and my sister had mom on her own for the past  few years as she so lovingly took care of her. I think we are all working out way through deep, deep grief. Our mom was very special to each of us in unique ways and yet in similar ways as well.  



I finally was able to catch my father at home and we had a nice conversation on Saturday. I knew he was there as I had been talking to my sister and she was going to be going over to make his bed for him. I knew he wouldn't be going out until after that.  He seems to be doing very well.  He goes out for breakfast most days to the mall, tea and toast and the occasional big breakfast.  He also goes out for coffee in the afternoon, and to my sister's for supper most nights.  She keeps good care of him also, although he still lives on his own. I love my father so much.  He once lived in my drive way in his Winnebago for about six months or so.  He came in for breakfast every morning and to wash/shave, etc.  And of course he was with us for lunch and supper each day. He had gotten a deal on a box of coffee flavoured Easter Eggs and would lay one on the bottom stair step for our Bruce each morning.  He and Bruce were quite close at that time. They used to go for walks together. Bruce never sees him now, even though he only lives about 5 minutes away. I think my dad would love it if Bruce went to see him, but I can't see that happening.   Bruce was only a baby when his other grandfather passed away.  I think its a shame that he has had all of this opportunity to have a relationship with his maternal grandfather as an adult, something most people never have, and yet . . .  he has squandered it. 



Can you believe this was a year ago now! 

Ariana and Grace stopped by to see us last night and to check on how I was doing. It was so nice to see them both.  I had a bag of goodies I had been saving for Grace. Just little things I get sent.  Grace was so cute and all bundled up as its been quite cold.  That Ariana is such a sweet girl and such a hard worker.  I love her to pieces.  She had a similar problem with her back after she had the baby and she suggested that I go see a Chiropracter and I think I am going to do just that. I know it will cost us money, but if it helps I am game to try anything at this point. 



So grateful for the windows of heaven and the blessings they are pouring out upon us at the moment.  Not one writing job but two.  An old, old, old car passing its MOT three years in a row without any extra expense. Good news from the council and the possibility of them paying for our full rent. Haven't seen it yet, but the promise is still there, and we are hopeful. Our fingers are still crossed. 


Having enough.  Nobody can ask for more than that. If you have enough, then you are richer than most of the world. 

God is good.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

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

 *
Your value does not decrease
based on another's
inability to see your worth.
•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。 


 
Braised Sausages with an Apple Gravy 

I cooked.  Braised Sausages with an Apple Gravy.  Delicious!

I hope your week ahead will be filled with lots of small and wonderful things! Don't forget! 


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And I do too! 

13 comments:

  1. Good morning, Marie. I love your botanical sketches. They remind me of Beatrix Potter's sketches before she did her famous Peter Rabbit books. Sometimes it's a mystery why family members drift apart. Perhaps if your dad reached out to Bruce it would renew their relationship. I never knew either of my grandfathers and only one grandmother and she was pretty special to me. I'm named after her. I like your thought for today. It's very true. So much of our self-worth is wrapped up in other people's opinions of us. Well, it's a little early here for breakfast so I'll see what's new in the paper. Hugs, Elaine

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    1. Good day Elaine! You are up early. Mind you our clocks went back an hour at the weekend, so there is only a 3 hour time difference at the moment until yours go back as well! I think my father is a bit embarassed that Bruce doesn't have anything to do with him. Its a family mess and it never needed to be this way but for a few selfish people. It is what it is. I hope you have enjoyed your paper! Love and hugs, always. xoxo

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  2. That is excellent news full rent.:) I am not sure what the council is but it sounds like a keeper:) Grace and Ariana are so beautiful.
    Bruce ..no mistaking he's your brother!! So alike!

    Not twins?:)

    Beautiful botanicals..A Gift of the pencil Marie..wow!

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    1. The council is our City Council Monique. Because Todd is on a basic State Pension and it is just enough to live on (barely) they top it up with what is called housing benefit, which is in addition to his state pension. They pay the equivalent of what the social housing system pays for a one bedroom house for a married couple in their system. Private rents cost a lot more, and we are in private rent because that is all we could get when we moved back here to Chester, but we were prepared to pay any extra cost if we had to. Then a new Government not only put down the amount payable, but also decided to penalize those who were in a house deemed larger than they needed to be in. Supposedly this would free up larger properties for families needing larger homes. However they haven't provided smaller homes for people like Todd and myself to move in to. We are considered to be "adequately housed" and so are stuck both in this house and paying the extra rent. (Not sure if this is making sense or not.) In order to get rehoused we would have to be evicted by our landlord and then we would be put into temporaray housing I think, like a bedsit or some such. So we have been paying an extra £120 a month towards our rent out of Todd's basic pension, which is very basic/bare minimum. When the landlord added £10 a week to it, that put it up to us having to pay £160 a monnth out of his pension and some months £170. That's more than he gets in pension in a week! So you can see a hardship to pay. When the council guy was here he said because they had adapted the property to suit my disability by coverting the bath to a wet room, that makes it harder for us to get a new place and that the Council had a discretionary fund that was set up to cover things like that and that they should have been paying the full rent since then, but of course they have not! In any case he sounded like they were going to start paying it, beginning in November and that they might even back date it to when our landlord put the rent up. It hasn't shown up yet, but I live in hope!

      I think the older my brother and sister and I get the more like each other we look! I am so grateful that I have them in my life. I would be devastated to lose either one. Thanks so much for your kind words re my sketches. You made my day! xoxo

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    2. Oh boy that was long winded! Sorry about that!

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  3. Your artistic abilities are grand, Marie!! I do understand how you feel about relationships...wish I did not...but we don't get all our wishes do we? Sure hope that extra money will come thru from the council!! And oh so glad you have Ariana and Grace in your life!! What sweethearts!! She did give good advice...if she has found a good chiropractor, go give them a try...indeed they can make one feel oh so much better!! After my wreck in 2008 I saw ours a lot...and now have not gone in maybe 5 years...so though it takes awhile to get better, it surely can happen!!
    Elizabeth xoxo

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    1. Thanks Elizabeth. I am sorry you have the same problems with family. I always thought that family was people who love you for always, no matter what. Boy I was wrong! I haven't called the Chiropracter yet. This is rent week and we haven't gotten any increase in benefit yet! So its touch and go financially. But we are still blessed! (Need to add that because so many don't even have homes!) xoxo

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    2. Things are tight here in USA too...seems all products have increased in price, yet our retirement pay never begins to cover such. I am SO grateful I am able to cook from scratch...and no doubt all your skills are put to work there too!! Yes, we have to be grateful we have homes...you know we had to move to a much more expensive place last May too...but oh well...all we need is enough right? Will keep asking GOD to help you...with rent too!!
      Elizabeth xoxo

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    3. We have been watching a program on the television where this guy travelled from Alaska down to the tip of South America. The last episode he was in California. Los Angeles was such a horrible contrast between the wealthy and the poor, with people living inside an overpass, right inside the thing and you could hear the trains going over their heads constantly. I forget the figure but there was a phenomenal number of people without a place to live. I am worried now about what they will do if that fire spreads into Los Angelas. They will never be able to escape. Its so sad and distressing! Thank you for your prayers, I know they work! xoxo

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  4. You hAVE so much to be thankful for with your wonderful family and your art.It must make the pain easier to bear.
    Some of my family have seen chiropractors and have nothing but prices to sing. It is expensive but worth it they say.

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    1. I hope to be able to find out soon Pam! xoxo

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  5. Hi Marie~

    I love your pencil sketches...that is my favorite media, I love charcoal as well, very pretty! Art really is a wonderful way to get your mind off of your troubles, I'm glad you've been able to get a little relief through your talent!

    So wonderful that you might get your housing paid for, let's pray that that comes through for you.

    Family can sometimes be a messy situation, anyway for our family it is...Bob has two sisters and a brother that he doesn't ever see or talk to and they all live within 40 miles, so sad. I always love to see family photos, and you and your brother truly could be twins! I have sister who looks very much like me, and people always ask if we are twins. Your father's photo is so sweet, I'm glad he's getting along okay, always a worry. At least you got to speak to him on the phone, that's a real blessing.

    I go to the chiropractor on a regular basis. I have really bad hip and lower back pain and he keeps me mobile! My insurance doesn't pay very good for chiropractic care, but it's worth the money for me to visit them every 6 weeks or so. You really should try it.

    Guess I better go fix dinner, after looking at your braised sausages...I'm starving!! Love you sweet friend! XOXOXO

    Hugs and Love,
    Barb

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    1. Love you Barb! I think the older we get, the more alike my brother, sister and I look Barb! Funny how that works. I need to call the chiropractor still. I will get there. Its just a matter of timing! Love and hugs, xoxo

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