Saturday Nice . . .

 

 

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Not much, you say . . .  a tiny place,

An attic bedroom, clean and sweet,

A table with a yellow cloth,

A window high above the street.

But from it I can see between

The red-roofed houses of the town,

The shining cross above the church,

And apple blossoms drifting down.

The clear, sweet arch of summer sky,

A white dove feeding in the lane,

A neighbor woman coming home,

Ivy against the window-pane.

Frail smoke from cottages at eve,

A brown thrush singing from the hedge,

An old man spading in the yard,

Trimming the garden's ragged edge.

Only a little room perched high

Like a brown nest against the eaves,

Half hidden from the passer-by

Behind a screen of maple leaves.

And yet within its tiny space

Dwell happiness and love for me,

A sense of home serene and sweet,

The salty fragrance of the sea.

A palace couldn't give you more,

Nor money buy it's priceless worth,

A heart content with what it has,

The gift of riches not of earth.

~Edna Jaques, To Be Content

My Kitchen Window, 1935

 

I do so love an attic room.  They have such interesting nooks and crannies to fill and, as the poem says, the view from the window, if you are lucky enough to live in a small town,  is often  a wonderful bird's eye view of the heartbeat and pulse of all that surrounds the house.  And even in a much larger place, attic rooms and garrets can give you a different and interesting glimpse into things and places most people never see.

But what this poem really  reminds me of is how very grateful I am for my little home . . . this tiny space I inhabit, and which I can call my own. I am sure you tire of hearing how very much I appreciate my home, and the peace I find within it's walls.  I never take it for granted and I know how blessed I was to get it when I did.  It was and is just perfect for me.

 

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Alas, we did not make it to the farm markets yesterday.  I found myself quite unable to fall asleep on Thursday night, it was well past 3 in the morning before I finally did succumb and it ended up that I was feeling far too tired to be able to enjoy such a jaunt.  We have put it off until this next week, perhaps Monday or Tuesday. We shall see what transpires.

Just as well perhaps, as yesterday was Friday the 13th. I am not a superstitious person, or at least I don't think that I am, but that was probably really tempting the fates to take such a long journey as that.  I did get out locally however. I needed some things like bread and milk, plus I am slotted to make a meal for someone from church and some school lunches for their boy and I needed to get in some things in order to be able to do that and be able to bring them with me to church on Sunday.

But I did spend all day in a bit of a fog, and then even last night when I went to bed, I had problems falling asleep. I think perhaps I was a bit overtired by then.  I do think I will sleep much better tonight, or at least I hope that I will!

 

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It was becoming quite unmistakable however as Cindy and I drove not too far that Autumn is taking hold of the landscape in our small community.  Leaves are turning, turning, turning.  There is a different feel in the air . . . a kind of glow.  It is not hard for me to see why this is my favorite season. The joy it brings with it is pretty unmistakable.  We have sunny days with beautiful skies that look like blue meadows full of white gardenias.   Golden leaves turn and begin to fall  from the sugar maples and dance a pirouette along the way.  Tis only the start but each day will bring  more and more and more . . . 

You go out with a sweater on, but are soon ditching it as the sun still holds a fair bit of warmth which is amplified within the confines of the car. 

 

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Now is the time to be about clipping golden rod for drying. Red velvet cockscomb or princess feather can be cut too and many autumn grasses.  Wild asters are out along the country fences and with the golden rod create a purple-and-gold pathway for autumn.  Now too, the time to clip and dry your herbs.

The days are growing noticeably shorter now and migrant birds are beginning to leave according to their own mysterious schedules.  I have not seen any hummers at all for a few days now, not since I saw that one sitting at the feeder drinking for about five minutes or more the other night at dusk.

Squirrels fling themselves from tree to tree and branch to branch in a burst of activity.  I put out peanuts for them, and the chipmunk as well, hoping to satiate them, but it is never enough I sigh as I watch them greedily eat everything from the feeders  that I have put out for the birds . . . .  between them and the Jays they always clear them out.  But, I tell myself  . . .  they have to eat as well, so I suppose that its all going to a good place.  I just wish they weren't so greedy and would leave some for the birds I actually put it out for  . . . 

I got a lovely surprise in the post yesterday. My friend Tatiana (from Greece) sent me a post card, and it is a very autumnal one. I love it, but more than that I love that she saw it and thought of me, knowing that the autumn is my favorite season of the year.  How very wonderful it is to be thought of.

I often think of people and I am reminded that when I do I need to act on the promptings and either write a note, or an e-mail, say a prayer, pick up the telephone, etc. I believe that people come into your mind for a reason and we need to follow through on the promptings that come along with those thoughts. God has put them into your heart and mind for a reason.  We may never know why for sure, but acting on them bring joy into both your lives.  That is never a bad thing.

 

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Earlier this week, on the 9th, it was the president of my church's 100th birthday.  He is slowing down physically but his mind is still as quick as can be.  They had a special Birthday Celebration for him on YouTube that we could all watch, with some lovely music and messages for him from around the world and from his family.  There are not many of us as will get to that ripe old age I don't think. 

"My dear brothers and sisters, the length of your life is not as important as the kind of life that you live. For each of us, even for a 100 year old man, life passes quickly. My prayer is that you will let God prevail in your life."

My father will be 91 on his birthday in January. He is enjoying living at Cindy's I think.  She makes him a nice breakfast every morning, and would make him a healthy lunch every day, but . . .  he wants to go to Tim Hortons and have a donut with his tea in the afternoon.

She has been cooking him a good supper every night for a few years now. She takes care of his laundry and has been doing that for a few years as well, not just since he moved in. She makes his bed up all neat and tidy every morning, makes sure his cat is well fed and cared for, etc. 

Most important of all he feels loved, wanted and needed. That is all any person really wants I suppose. I hope that we have our father blessing our lives for a good while longer. 

 

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There has been a rash of criminal activity in our small communities lately.  At the latter part of August three individuals, dressed in costumes to hide their identities broke into one of our town's grocery stores and stole over $10,000 dollars worth of cigarettes and meat. They figure that was two guys and a girl. They have pretty clear CCTV images of them, but of course the costumes make them very difficult to identify.  There were two individuals that went through town as well, knocking over and destroying the planter and slashing tires at the Car lot, and now this past week a man has been arrested for murder, although his victim's remains have not been located as of yet.  Every day also it seems that people are being caught CCTV cameras trying to get into cars at night, etc.

I am grateful to have a garage to park my car in at night and that I have good neighbors who notice everything that goes on in our neighborhood.  All these things are just a sign of the times we are living in.  Fortunately there are far more good people about than there are bad, and for that I am truly grateful. Also, because we live in such a small area, crimes such as these are few and far between. 

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

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

 *.˛.Be like a honey bee,

anything it eats is clean,

anything it drops is sweet,

and the branch it sits upon

does not break.  ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

 Baking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Maple Oatmeal Princess Cake.  This is a simple but very delicious cake.  With a moist and tender crumb and an incredibly moreish sweet maple, coconut and pecan topping.  

I hope that you have a beautiful weekend. Whatever you get up to, please stay safe. Be happy. Don't forget!

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And I do too!