Saturday 9 September 2023

All Things Nice . . .

 

 
(source

Tomorrow may bring me a thousand ills,
But oh today is sweet,
With a small wind coming from God knows where
And travelling up the street,
Teasing the doors and the window sills,
Then travelling back to the quiet hills.

Tomorrow may bring me grief to bear
But today is bright at dawn,
With a sky decked out in an azure cloak,
And a hill with a new dress on,
Crisp and green as a lettuce leaf,
With dandelion buttons in golf relief.

Tomorrow may rob me of all I own,
But today I will have my joy,
A table set with a yellow cloth,
And the fun of a year-old boy,
Playing around on polished floors,
Coaxing his mother to come out doors.

Tomorrow is pat of the great unknown,
But this morning is mine to hold,
And I'll cherish each moment with jealous care,
Like a miser holding his gold,
Savor its goodness and sip its wine
Making its moments forever mine.
~Edna Jacques, A Day In Time
The Golden Road, 1953



Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is yet to be, today we hold in our hands.  We must make the most of every precious day we are given. Dot our "i's," cross our "t's."  I think you reach a certain age and you just know that each day is a special blessing given.  Perhaps that is why they call them the golden years. Count each day as the gift that it is.  Seek the silver linings. Find joy in just being and the simple  joys which are given. Appreciate them for the treasures that they are.



 

There is a single sunflower blooming across the way where Al used to live.  It makes me think of him.  He had a sunflower growing there every year since I have lived here. The people who took over his place have been gone all summer. I think they have an RV somewhere or a cottage.  They come back maybe once a week to check the post and their house. They are here for a few moments and then they are gone.  It has been a very quiet summer to be honest.  Al used to sit out there every day with his little television on his table, reading his newspaper and talking on his phone.  Even Mr F. who lived at the end was out on his porch most days, waving hello to everyone who passed with his cane. And the lady to the right of me. She would be out there smoking each day, watching her husband weed the garden. They are all three gone now and the place has gone very quiet, except for the crows and blue jays, and the chipping of the chipmunks . . .  the traffic which roars past on their way up the road to the main highway.





Speaking of chipmunks, I had two of them on my deck yesterday.  They were not arguing, but sharing out the nuts.  And then I had about six blue jays show up.  A small sparrow on the railing.  And a hummingbird was just now at my feeder.  I read on the Audubon site that you should keep the feeder up as long as you have birds coming.  It will not prevent them from going south as they are genetically programmed to do so with the changes in the length of the days and the angle of the sun.  They say you should keep them up for at least 10 days after you see your last one just in case there are a few stragglers. The nectar will be much needed for them at a time when there are not many flowers in bloom.  So, I am keeping mine up for a little while longer just to make sure they are okay.



 


The streets in town were full of kids from the Highschool at noon yesterday.  Many of them picking up something for their lunches.  I remarked to my sister at how kids today seem to have so much more money than we did when we were teens. We did not have money to be buying our lunch each day.  My mother gave us 10 cents a day for  milk. That was it.  We had our allowance, but that wasn't enough to be buying ourselves lunch each day.  We took a sack lunch.  I know my cousin's pizza place in town makes a bundle at lunch time each day. They sell pizza by the slice. I don't know how much it costs, but I know it won't be too cheap.  A full cheese pizza is over $20, so a slice with everything on it . . . I wonder. 

You will see them crowded outside the grocery store as well, in little clusters, drinking pop and eating nuggets and wedges. The store does up single servings that are hot and ready to eat.   I have not seen too many eating salad, lol.  But even a small salad is $5.


When I was a teen I did get an allowance. I think mine was $10 a month.  I had loads of chores to do for that.  I also used to babysit a lot.  I had better things to spend my money on than school lunches.  There were dances and clothes, makeup (not that I wore a lot), etc.  I think the most I ever got for babysitting was 50cents an hour. You did get more than that after midnight and on New Years Eve of course.





I watched the film, "The Trouble with Angels" on YouTube last night.  It had been years since I had seem that film.  It was made in 1966 and starred Haley Mills.  It was about the adventures of two girls in an all-girls catholic boarding school run by nuns.  

When I was a teen I thought that I would love to go to Boarding school. I remember reading novels of girls in boarding school who went to dances and dates with boys from the Marine academy.  Of course they were American boarding schools. I can remember there being ads for these boarding schools in the back pages of the teen magazines at the time, and dreaming about what it would be like to go. 

After watching The Trouble with Angels, I even thought for a short time that it would be cool to be a nun, that is until I learned that they couldn't have boyfriends or get married.  Oh and that they had to be catholic. I was protestant, and I definitely liked boys! lol


 

It won't be long now and we will be treated to the plaintive sound of the geese flying south for the winter.  I always find it to be somewhat of a haunting sound.  I can remember when I was living in UK, I had been out to the shed and was just standing in the doorway when a group went over. They were so close to the ground that I felt as if I could almost reach out and stroke their bellies.  They were shining gold in the sun like little jewels. It was a magical moment.

Then, the night before I left the UK to come back to Canada. I was out on my doorstep waving farewell to my friend Tina as she left my place.  I saw a flock of geese flying in the sky and I took it as a sign that I was doing the right thing by coming back to Canada. 

Geese flying South for the Winter was always a fond Canadian memory for me, and synonymous with the autumn.


Well, I best get my skates on. I am going shopping with Cindy this morning and I have a ton of stuff to do before then.  I will leave you with a thought for the day  . . . 


° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*In the sweetness of friendship
let there be laughter, and
sharing pleasures. For in the dew
of little things, the heart finds its
morning and is refreshed.
~Khalil Gibran•。★★ 。* 。




In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Butter Pecan Scones.  So, so delicious, split and spread with butter and served with a hot cuppa.

I hope you have a lovely Saturday. Its been very hot here and I think we are going to get some rain.  Whatever you get up to, don't forget!


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And I do too!       
 

7 comments:

  1. My dad loved Canada Geese, so seeing them reminds me of him. Yes they are gathering now getting ready to leave. It seems to have cooled down a bit so hopefully the humidity is over for us and we will return to Fall weather. Enjoy shopping with Cindy. Have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. I embrace the Fall. It is my favorite time of year. Cindy and I had a great time as always! xoxo

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  2. What a lovely poem, thanks for sharing ! I’ve watched that movie several times over the years…Haley Mills was a favorite of mine growing up…and I saw her last night in a new series on Masterpiece Theater…what a career ! Thanks for the reminder about the golden years, they are wonderful but also sometimes difficult…we need to enjoy every day to the max! Wishing you the best day, V.

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    1. Oh, now I am wondering what the series is! I Love Haley Mills, always have done. I had a Haley Mills paper doll when I was a girl! Wishing you the best back! xoxo

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    2. I’m replying to your reply….hope you get it! The show with Haley was ‘Unforgotten’….I’ve only seen one episode….I was pleased to see her, I’ve always loved her also.I think it’s a new season of the series…others have been really good, the British do such a good detective story. Sometimes a little too graphic for me. I am watching
      ‘ Lake Rise ro Candleford ’ for a third time…it’s sweet with nice stories and great settings and actors…and costumes!
      I hope you have a lovely Tuesday! xo, V.

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  3. Hope the Hurricane heading your way doesn't bring too much rain/damage. Have a great Sunday and "see you" Monday on your blog.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! We are just getting a bit of rain, but the hurricane is supposed to miss us! Fingers crossed! xoxo

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