Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

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"Don't estimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along,

listening to all the things you can't hear and not bothering.

~Winnie the Pooh

There are times when just doing nothing is simply the kindest thing you can do. We live in a harsh world these days, when voices shout and fight to rise to the top, when people find a real need to be right, to have their opinions heard, to win at any cost, etc.

The temptation can be there to foster discord and disagree, to fight with others with differing opinions than our own, to be right ourselves, etc. etc. etc.

Sometimes the kinder thing is to do nothing. Simply nod and go on our way.  To silently agree to disagree. To let somebody else win. To just tell ourselves it is not worth the discord that results to do anything else but be silent. 'Tis the season and all that. There is no harm done in not bothering. And it never hurts to let something said go in one ear and out the other rather than to dispute it. To turn the other cheek so to speak. For the sake of harmony, peace, and good will towards others.

As Martha would say, it's a good thing.

 

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Its going to be a good 12 degrees warmer today than yesterday and raining by all accounts. That will probably serve to wash all of the snow away that we got over the weekend. Rain today and tomorrow, possible snow on Friday, but very little chance.  I do not expect that we will have a White Christmas. It has been many years since White Christmas's were the thing.  

They used to be normal. I can remember our mother being upset at the prospect of there being a "green" Christmas.  Old wives tales foretold a death in the family in the event of a "green" Christmas.  

Our mother was very superstitious. As was her mother before, and so on. We grew up with Old Wives Tales. Invoked to discourage certain behaviors or the sharing of ancient knowledge or cures. They were all around us.

Drinking coffee stunts your growth. Pluck out a grey hair and two will grow in its place. Swallow your gum and you will have it in your stomach for 7 years. Sitting too close to the television will ruin your eyes.  Cats suck away baby's breaths. Being cold will give you one. Carrots give you better eyesight. Black crows and cats are bad luck.  I could go on and on.  None of these things are true.

 

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However, rubbing walnuts on furniture scratches does work. I have done it and the oils, texture and color of a walnut do help to fill in scratches and make them disappear.

Eating raw garlic, does help to prevent colds. Studies have shown that the consumption of raw garlic and its effects on the immune system are even greater than that of the top-brand flu medications.

An overwhelming amount of medical evidence has been released over the past decades that support that an apple a day really can help towards keeping the doctor away.Apples are full of antioxidants, responsible for boosting our defense systems against free radicals, linking apple consumption and cancer prevention. Lung cancer and cardiovascular disease are two of the most notable conditions that apples are believed to ward off.  

Peanut butter does remove gum from the hair. (I used this one a few times when my children were growing up.) There is a science behind it. Gum is a hydrophobic substance, meaning it cannot be broken down with water. One of the only ways to defeat a hydrophobic substance is combining it with another one - peanut butter! Peanut butter is also hydrophobic which, when combined with the gum, breaks down its base, releasing its victim from a horribly sticky fate.

True or not, I still find myself knocking on wood, throwing salt over my left shoulder and avoiding walking beneath ladders. I am a creature of habit it seems.  And highly suggestible.

 

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I can remember watching the tale of Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates on Disney when I was a child and wondering what it might be like to skate on canals in the winter months. I do believe that they are able to do that in Ottawa, but I don't think it would be possible where I live.  There is a duck pond in Kingston, one town over, where there is skating perhaps for a day or two in the winter months, but not many. They have a sign that shows red when skating is inadvisable and green when it is quite safe.

Up until the age of 10, I lived with my family in a small town in mid Manitoba called Gimli. It was cold enough there most winters that they would build an outdoor rink near the elementary school for children to skate on, and it would actually be usable for most of the winter months. They even had little shelters built around the rink with benches for you to sit in and put on your skates.  I spent many days skating on that rink in the wintertime, and it was lit by electric lights at night as well. I have a lot of happy memories associated with skating on that outdoor rink.

And of Winters in mid Manitoba. It was cold, and we would go out wrapped from head to toe in boots and scarves, mittens and thick snow suits.  We played outside most days in the Winter, and I don't remember really feeling it to be overly cold, but it was probably wicked cold to be honest.  I lived in Winnipeg as an adult, and we used to keep our frozen food frozen in a snowbank outside our house. We had frost on the inside walls and Jack Frost was a frequent visitor to our windows.  In fact, we had special frost panes that were applied to the inside windows of our cars to help to keep them clear, and we had block heaters in the car, which needed plugging in during the colder months.

I do not know if it is global warming, or a change of location which makes those things moot these days. But we do not seem to get the winters that we used to get.  And a White Christmas here in Nova Scotia is almost a thing of the past as well.

I only really like snow at Christmas time. After that, it can take a hike!

 

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My oldest son and his family are probably coming over on Boxing Day this year. They have decided to have Christmas Day at home and who can blame them. I know how difficult it is traveling at Christmas and carrying your Christmas with you. It is much better having it at home and then traveling afterwards. I will be happy to see them no matter the day or time.

Tim's parents will be going to his brothers in Ontario for Christmas this year.  His mother has been treated over this past year for cancer in the spine. I believe it is in remission now, so they are eager to see their other children.  Tim and Eileen will spend Christmas and Boxing Days with me. I am looking forward to that.  I will pick them up on Christmas Day and we will have Christmas Dinner at Cindy's, and then on Boxing Day I will pick them up again for a dinner here. I do not know if Anthony and his family will be here in time for that or not. We shall see. It would be nice if they were. 

I had bought a ham to serve on Boxing Day but will also have to cook something else as apparently Tim does not like ham nor do my grandsons. Maybe I will actually have some meat pies cooked. My problem is storing the stuff.  The refrigerator in this house is really quite small. It will all work out.

It will be nice having family around. I am blessed.

 

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Quite a few houses on this street have candles in the windows. I do so love to see candles in the windows this time of year.  They look so warm and welcoming, but I do love candles at any time.  I keep my eyes open for some to put in my front window but have not found any yet. So far they seem to be alluding me. I wonder would the cats leave them alone or not?  They are not bothering the Christmas tree aside from the first couple of days and it was Cinnamon who was taking the most interest. 

I could not find her when I was going to bed last night. She was not coming out for treats.  Sure enough not too long after I had settled in for sleep, she popped up from under the bed and wanted letting out of the room. She is not as driven by her stomach as her brother is, so the shaking of the treat container earlier had not proven to lure her out from wherever she was. 

I would just leave my bedroom door open so they could come and go as they please, but I fear I would not be getting much sleep and I know for sure that Nutmeg would be hounding me at 5 a.m. for his breakfast. I can hear him even now, prowling and meowing on the other side of my bedroom door around that time. It is much easier to ignore him, with a door between us however.  I fear if he was actually in the room there would be no ignoring him in any uncertain terms!

And with that I best let you go and leave you with a thought for the day.  It is already gone almost nine a.m. and I have to be off and getting on with my day!

A thought to carry with you . . . 

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

 *.˛.Being a family means you are
a part of something very wonderful.
It means you will lover and be loved
for the rest of your life.
~Lisa Weedn  ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 

In the kitchen today, Lemonade Chicken. Delicious, tender and juicy, with a secret ingredient. You can cook this in the oven or in a crockpot.

I hope you have a truly beautiful day.  Be safe and stay warm.  Be happy. Don't forget!

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And I do too!