Wednesday 26 May 2021

Wednesday morning this and that . . .

 

Doesn't this photograph make you smile.  I saw it on Pinterest this morning and it just made me smile. Not sure what it reminds me of, but they sure are cute.

The guy who came to fix my bathroom tap yesterday said that squirrels were vermin and he hoped I wasn't feeding the little red squirrel that was visiting.   Umm . . .  nope . . .  😟 . . .  well . . .  just a peanut or two, now and then.

He said they chew wires and stuff and destroy houses.  I wonder if chipmunks are the same way? 

 

Maybe I need to get a pet more sooner than later. 

Last night I was sitting here and by 9 PM I was literally exhausted. I could not keep my eyes open. So I decided to go to bed.  Lately I've been going to bed a bit later, but still waking up early, around 5:30 a.m.  In any case I went to bed, but then as soon as I got into bed, wide awake.  What's up with that? 
 
I think I was worried a bit about the spider I had seen earlier in the day in my closet.  I have a really large walk in closet in my bedroom. It has built in shelves, etc. I went in the closet to get something and there it was on the floor, fairly large too. It scurried away as soon as it saw me. But then last night in bed I kept thinking about it.  Was it going to come out in the dark and start crawling over me in bed? etc.

I remember reading somewhere once upon a time that people eat on average about 8 spiders a year while they are sleeping.  I decided to find out if that was really true this morning, and here is what I discovered. 





Humans swallow an average of eight spiders each year while sleeping! The average person swallows 52 spiders over the course of a lifetime! 

These so-called facts are so widespread that it's hard to believe they're completely inaccurate. Fact is, the odds of swallowing even a single spider over your entire lifetime are so low that they're virtually zero. In fact, it's extremely unlikely a spider would even approach a sleeping human, much less crawl into their open mouth and wait to die. 

Its quite an interesting article really and goes on to explain in depth why this just would not happen, and then talks about countries where they eat spiders and what spiders taste like, etc.  Apparently fried prawns.  I fear I am highly unlikely to want to try to find out.  I don't really like prawns, but in all truth they could taste like Lindt Chocolate Truffles and I still would not really want to try them.

 

It is quite a showery morning out there this morning.  One minute everything is dry and then in the next it is tipping it down quite heavily, but they only last about 2 or 3 minutes.  Its supposed to get quite warm today.  At least according to the weather forecast.  It was fairly warm yesterday, but not in my house. I found it to be a bit chilly, but that's okay.  I don't like it to be really hot in the house. 

I suppose that comes from having lived in the UK for so long. I remember the first year I was there I was freezing all the time. They don't really have forced air heating.  We had a storage heater. It collected heat during the night when the electric rates were low and we were sleeping and then radiated it out during the day.  I was used to a furnace blasting out heat.  Radiators don't blast out heat at all.

We never had  heat on at night, never.  I got used to sleeping in a cool room.  The heat was only ever on in our house first thing in the morning and for a bit before we went to bed.  We had a little electric fire we would turn on occasionally in small bursts.  You just get used to it.  I am not a fan of sweltering heat. Not. A. Fan. 

 

The first year I was in the UK, they had one of the wettest years they had ever had since records began.  It rained literally every single day, and when it wasn't tipping it down, it was misting.  I learned that you do not melt in the rain and that if you wait for the rain to stop to leave your house, you literally don't go out. At. All.  I learned to go out in the rain.  I got an umbrella or two or three. It was a great adventure.  

I learned how to take the bus because we didn't have a car.  They have an excellent transport system there, although we always liked to complain about it. The busses were always late.  Or else they were early and you missed the one you wanted and had to wait for the next one.  Everyone always went on about how the busses in Germany were always spot on time.  Germans are known for their punctuality, amongst other things. 

I fell in love with cobblestones and moss covered walls and how green everything was.  Hedgerows filled with rosemary and holly. And little birds called Wagtails and Tits.  And how everyone always talked about the weather. Always. It was a subject of great discussion.

And how they labelled everything. Like . . . "The Great Snow of 2009" . . . or how they called people by sweet names like "pet," "love," "Petal"  . . .  

Who would hate being called "pet?"  Not me, that's who!  I loved it! 

I will really miss the place. 

 

But I am so loving being nearer to my family.  I love talking to my father and my sister every day. I love listening to my father's stories and laughing with him.  I had not realized how very much I missed my family.  I suppose I had just decided to make the best of my lot and to find joy in the situation I was in.   My initial plans when I moved to the UK were that it was only going to be for two years until Todd got his pension and then we would go back to Canada and he would immigrate.  I had no idea then that he had a criminal record and would never be able to immigrate.  When eventually I did find that out, I was greatly disappointed.  Greatly.  But I made up my mind to just make the best out of it all.  I did not want to be the person with three failed marriages.  And so I spent the next 18 years making the best out of it all, just to end up being the person with three failed marriages and alone again at the age of 65. 

Had I cut my losses back at the start I might have been the person with three failed marriages and one really good one, but its too late now for me to even think that I could find happiness in that way.  Instead I have vowed to be happy on my own, and so far so good. 

I am happy and content, and loving being here. My days are busy. So busy in fact that I don't seem to ever be able to get done half the things I set out  to get done.  I have always been a person who enjoys her own company.  I think that is a good thing.

Music 

Are your toes tapping?  That Fred Astaire sure could dance!  Daddy Longlegs.

  

My mom used to have these books in her bookcase. One of them was The Berlitz School of Dance, teach yourself how to dance.  I can remember trying to teach myself how to tap dance.  I always wanted to take tap dancing lessons, or ballet lessons, or music lessons, or figure skating lessons. I couldn't understand why my friends who had such pleasures to enjoy hated them. 

Oh how I love old movies. I need to find an old movie channel I can stream.  I especially love the musicals.  I bought myself a small dvd player, its supposed to play international films.  It does work I suppose, but I can't figure out how to get it to work on the tv. 

The chickadees have discovered my bird feeder.  I envision many pleasant hours of  watching the birds. 

I envision many pleasant hours . . . 

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
 *Go the extra mile
its never crowded.•。★★ 。* 。




In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Sticky Almond Muffins.  I small batched it so it makes only six delicious muffins.  Scrumdiddlyumptious!

I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday.  Whatever you get up to, don't forget! 

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





14 comments:

  1. We have a channel that shows all old movies called Silverscreen. Perhaps it is in your area too. That is good the chickadees have found your feeder, Enjoy the day, despite the rain,

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    1. I get my cable tv installed tomorrow Linda! I will be sure to check it out! Thanks! xoxo

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  2. I guess there are always adjustments to weather at the least, wherever we find ourselves. I have lived in about every climate there is, and the one I really hated was the desert. Green growing things are the nicest part to some locations. I hope you have a/c anyway in your apt. if it gets hot there. But if not, at least some heavy drapes can help keep a place cooler and are worth the money I learned in one location. Glad you are doing ok...we hate spiders too...we keep our vacuum cleaner handy for that job. And have found that getting ultrasonic pest repeller (you plug them into the wall electrical sockets) does keep most of them out. We unplug ours to sleep in the bedroom anyway, but leave on during the day. Rarely ever see spiders...even though we are on ground floor and they are constructing another apt bldg smack dab next to us...which seems to bring out more bugs in general. Glad you are still loving being with your kin...sounds so nice!!
    Elizabeth xoxo

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    1. I have never lived in a desert climate! I am not sure I would like it, but they say it is dry and good for old arthritic bones! All of the UK was lovely and Green, England, Scotland, Wales. I never did get to Northern Ireland or any of the Isles that surround the mainland, but would have loved to go. xoxo

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  3. You have some lovely memories of England and you made good friends there. But it is so nice you're back in Canada close to your family. Ignore the spiders in life. They come and go but won't hurt you. Love and hugs, Elaine

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    1. I did Elaine and expect I will make friends here eventually! In the meantime I have my sister and daughter, which is great. I may not need any more! Love and hugs, xoxo

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  4. I skipped the spider part lol..It's funny I live in a town where a high percentage of Brits live..they love it here.. I never hear pining for back home..wonder why?The photos I see of the countryside look magnificent.The city would not be for me.It must be a HUGE adjustment for you.
    Hopefull you will miss it less and less.People marry well into their 80's...:)They do.:)

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    1. LOL about the spiders. The cities in the UK do have their charm, depending on the area of the country. Some are highly industrialized and not so nice. I have moved so many times in my life I am very adaptable so will settle back in here nicely I think! I always bring a huge chunk of wherever I have lived with me! xoxo

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  5. I spray the house inside and out with Home Defense. It keeps the spiders and other insects away. I have lots of squuirels and chipmunks here and hope they aren't cheering up anything here. I never feed them but the tree outside provides acorns by the bushel fulls.

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    1. I will have to look for that Home Defense! It sounds like just the ticket! Thanks Pam! xoxo

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  6. Question: Are you still watching what you eat because of your diabetes? I don’t see you mention it anymore.

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    1. I do watch what I eat. I don’t always talk about it. But I did a big post in the EK about eating with Diabetes a few weeks back. It’s all about balance.

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  7. I love when you share more about your life and how you felt. I think you have a great journal here in your blog. This was fun. I especially smiled at the first photo and the thoughts on eating spiders. I have heard that the little mites can get in your mouth; it really freaks me out too. I can see why you were wide awake; it is something I would do.
    I am just so happy that you are with your family and it will soon be even more of them. I love that you have home to be in. I can feel your happiness from here. I know you will have a good life. I'm anxious for your church to open up because I know you will find some great friends too.
    Have a sweet day, dear friend! Hugs!

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    1. Thanks so much LeAnn! I am anxious about our church to open as well. And I need to go to the Temple. Xoxo

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