All Things Nice . . .

 

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An old gray gander mindful of his flock,

A broody hen eating a hurried meal,

A new colt nosing at her mother's flank,

A pompous collie dog fat as a seal,

Lording it over all the farmyard folk;

An old cow worrying at a heavy poke;

A windmill glinting in the early sun,

Turning its sails to catch the rising breeze;

An old man walking out toward the barn,

Pausing beside the gate to stand and wheeze,

Buttoning his coat, hunching his shoulders up,

Drinking crystal air from dawn's blue cup.

Smoke from the breakfast fire newly lit

rises above the old house like a plume.

The kitchen door is open to the day;

Beside the house the lilacs are in bloom.

The busy housewife bustles in and out,

Shedding her cheerful presence all about.

And so another summer's on the march,

Bringing its hours of work with every dawn.

The eager fields embrace the rising sun,

The great up-swelling of the tide is on,

Where new life flows in beast and bird and flower,

Claiming the glory of this June-time hour.

~Edna Jacques, Farmyard in the Morning

Back-Door Neighbors, 1946

Sometimes I think I was born 50 years too late.  I tend to romanticize the past in my mind I guess. I think of a quiet slower time, where things were much simpler and not so hectic. This type of life seems to be so special and beautiful.  I could quite happily spend my days immersed in the things of old.  I would probably miss my computer however, and  yes, I know they had their cares and worries as well.

 

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  There are many things I like about the world we live in, but there are many things I don't like about it as well. People seem to be a lot meaner today.  I don't like that. I was brought up to be kind.  But many are not kind now.  People don't seem to have much of a filter and they are selfish in many ways.  I suppose it is exactly how the Bible says it will be in the latter days . . . 

 

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” 2 Timothy 3:2-4

I have become very choosy about what I associate with, and who I associate with. I am careful about what I let into my heart and into my mind. I don't, or very rarely, watch the news. There is so much doom and gloom in it.  I think life is just much sweeter without the news spoiling it.  I keep as informed as I want or need to be.  A cursory look over the headlines in the morning that's all.  Then I forget about it for the rest of the day. 

I fill my days with lots of nice.  That is just how I like it. I listen to the Tabernacle Choir on YouTube as I putter about.  That is my idea of heaven.  I try to be very choosy about what I watch on the television and what I read.  I have noticed if I watch something really violent or nasty, it pulls me down, so now I just don't.  I am not missing out on anything by leaving that stuff off my list. I often start to watch things that I never finish.  I prefer old films and sitcoms.  That's just me, but my life is all the sweeter for adding my own filter to it. 😊

 

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Here's a lovely story. In celebration of D-Day a fish and chips merchant in Birmingham in the U.K. offered up its cod and chips all day for the cost of just 1p. That's just 2 cents here in Canada. Of course they wouldn't be able to do that here because we no longer have pennies, but if they were to round it off to the nearest, I think that would be 0p so maybe we would get them free?  Not likely.  It would be a nickle, but still a bargain!

Usually this fish and chip shop charges 7 pounds, so that was a discount of 99.9% .  There were people queued up around the block for this bargain. I don't blame them. One thing I really miss about the U.K. is the chippie and their fish and chips! Nobody does it better!

Cinnamon 

sleeping in the tunnel 

I think I have some really spoiled cats. That's okay. They are worth it. They give plenty of love in return and  that makes me happy.  I have been watching cat videos on YouTube and thought they needed a bit of excitement added to their lives this week and so I bought them a new scratching post and a cat tunnel. I also got them a ribbon wand.  

They both seem to love the tunnel and the wand a lot.  They play in the tunnel and pounce on each other and poke their furry little heads out through the windows.  And the wand with the ribbon on the end is a huge success. It didn't really cost that much.  Cinnamon has always liked to play with ribbons.  She has a green ribbon that she drags from room to room.  (I knot the ends so that it can't unravel.)  

 

Nutmeg basking on

his desert island

 I captured this photo of Nutmeg basking on his sofa beneath the palm tree scratching post.  I couldn't resist taking a picture.  All that was missing was the calypso music. It was so cute.

I haven't caught them actually scratching the scratching post yet, but I am sure that they will.   It is enough to see Nutmeg relaxing under it's shade. That put a smile on my face for sure.

  

 

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One thing I like about living by myself is that I am free to eat just the tops of the muffins.  I picked up a pack of raisin bran muffins on impulse the other day at the shops. I love bran muffins. I noticed this morning that they are all missing their tops. OOPSIES!

I guess I am that person. The one who specifically likes the muffin tops.  The birds get the bottoms.  I do wonder . . . what is it about the tops that seems to taste so much better?

 

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"The gap between the doctrine we say we believe and the

way we actually live is a workroom for the enemy."

~Paul Tripp

I took the opportunity to download the heart-check from Well Watered Woman the other day on Instagram.  I found it to be quite beneficial.  I was talking to my friend Christine yesterday on the telephone and we ended up talking about how much better life was when we intentionally made space in our lives to feed our spirits.  (I know this is not for everyone.)

I, myself, am a very spiritual being. I think we are all spiritual beings and we make conscious choices to feed our spirits in a variety of ways.  Mine is to walk in closer communion with God. I find myself having a running conversation with Him most of the day. (In my head for the most part, not out loud. that would probably look crazy to a lot of people, lol )  You might call it internal prayer.  I have this internal prayer dialogue constantly running through my mind.  And He always answers. Maybe not right away on some things, but often almost instantly on others.

Like for instance if I am looking for something and I can't find it.  I say a little prayer and then more often than not I will find it right away.  My brain will tell me right where to look and there it is.  You might call this coincidence. I call it God-incidence.  And I always say thank you afterwards.  Call me crazy but its true.  My Aunt Thelma used to always say "Pray to Saint Anthony, the finder of lost things."  I choose to pray to God, THE finder of lost things.  It works.

I have been a lost thing at different points in my life.  And I have been found.  I am forever grateful to the "finder of lost things."

 

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Someone mentioned on Facebook yesterday that one of the local U-Picks was open for picking strawberries.  I am not sure I quite believe that but I do know it won't be long.  I love Strawberry season.  In the U.K., we had our own in the garden and they were so delicious. I don't think anything on earth tastes better than a strawberry picked fresh from the garden with the warmth of the sun still on it's skin.  I bought myself a case of small (1/2 cup) canning jars the other day. It is my plan to make several small batch recipes of jam throughout this preserving season, beginning with strawberry jam.  As a singleton a normal sized jar of jam just does not get used as quickly as it should.  I am hoping that smaller jars will get used up without any waste.

Mom used to make freezer jam every year,  Strawberry. Of all the jams I think strawberry is my favorite.  Hers was so good.  We would often have it in the winter months spooned over vanilla ice cream. My, my, that tasted so delicious. I believe it was one of our favorite desserts!  Such a simple thing and yet so tasty.  Whoever said it is the simple things in life which bring us the most pleasure was right!

 

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I so love the idea of this. I have several cardigans and I think I should take some time this summer, when it is warm and I am not wearing them, to embroider a few blooms onto them.  This is lovely of course, but I have also seen embroidery done down the button hole placard (is that what it is called?)

   

Betz White did the whole front of a cardigan in crewel embroidery. It turned out really lovely.  I think you would need to be really proficient in embroidery to pull that one off.

This one is also lovely. They seem to use crewel yards to work with and that makes sense. I don't think embroidery cotton would have quite the same effect and it wouldn't wash as well. 

Who am I kidding??? Realistically speaking, this will remain a woulda shoulda coulda . . . I believe.  But it was a nice thought. I don't have the time to do half the things I want to do now, let alone add another interest to the pile!

I don't think I have enough hours left in my lifetime to finish/do/enjoy all of the things that I want to!  But, as they say, hope springs eternal!

And with that I will leave you with a thought for the day  . . . 

A thought to carry with you . . . 

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

 *.˛Neglect not the gift

that is in thee.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

~1 Timothy 4:14° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Coffee Walnut Loaf.  Oh my . . .  but this is some good.  It smells heavenly when it is baking and is loaded with the subtle sweet flavor of a lovely coffee and the crunch of toasted walnuts, a most delicious combination.  Simple to make and oh so tasty! Coffee and walnuts are a beautiful combination don't you think?

I hope that you have a beautiful weekend.  May the sun shine and the birds sing, may your days be blessed to overflowing with goodness and may you not forget!

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And I do too!