Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

Well, I had to ban that nasty troll from my EK Facebook page yesterday. She just kept continuing and continuing to leave disparaging remarks. Banning someone is not something I do lightly. Oh, I do ban the obvious spammers right away, you know the men who "admire your profile and just want to be your friend" type. but normal ordinary people, no. I think this is the first time I have ever had to do that. She was clearly a bit unhinged and very combative.  That is the type of atmosphere and attitude I do not welcome on what is essentially a page which is meant to share recipes and only recipes. Well, maybe a nice photo or greeting from time to time, but mostly just recipes.

It never feels nice to have to do something like that. I try to be kind and respectful of everyone, but when this kind of thing starts it is best to quash it at the source, or it may spread and before you know it, it has taken over. That's not what I want for my page. I want it to be a pleasant space for people to want to spend a little bit of their day.

 

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Mm mm . . . tea and buns. I am going to try to make Belgian Buns again today. I tried several weeks ago but the birds ended up enjoying them as I was not happy with the results. I try lots of things that never make it to the page.  Not everything comes out the way I wish for it to, or photographs well.  

I am not the best food photographer anyways.  I like to just click and shoot. I don't have a space in this place that gets a lot of light with the exception of a spot in front my front window, and that spot only has a small window of opportunity that has the right light.  I like for most of my food photos to be taken in natural light as that is the best.  I have a small TV Tray that I use to put my dishes on so that I can take the pictures. It is not overly large, but I have to fit everything on there.  That's why my pictures are not so elaborate. Occasionally I get it right and am able to put a bit more into them, but for the most part, all you see really is the food.

I am not an expert by any stretch, but I do know what works for me, and hopefully for you also!

 

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What a beautiful couple of days we had to begin the week on.  Cool, but sunny. This morning now has turned to rain and snow. It will get a bit warmer as the day progresses and just be rain. It will be quite a bit warmer tomorrow with double digits expected and then it is going to snap cold again.

That is this time of year.  March is very much a transitional month where the weather can fluctuate wildly between Winter and Spring. There are Spring stirrings whilst Winter begins to lose its grip. Just as it begins to feel as if the Winter will never end, nature gives us some small, but unmistakable, signals that Spring is beginning to stir beneath the earth.

This is a time of transition which offers longer lighter days and a myriad of magical contradictions.  Birdsong and storm. Budding daffodils and mud. New dresses hidden beneath a Winter coat.

I am sure I saw some robins in the bushes outside the church as I was leaving on Sunday filling their tummies with the red berries that have lay there all winter. Some kind of rosehip I believe. 

Lengthening days gather momentum and slowly but surely the weather improves, corresponding with rising energy levels. We have all been cooped up for far too long it seems. Nature as well. We are both chaffing at the bit for the awakening which Spring will bring. There is something very cathartic about preparing our homes and gardens for Spring when the long cold Winter begins to recede.

It will be a few weeks yet before we truly see the signs, but they are coming, and we are aware of and ready to welcome them with open hearts and arms . . . 

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Last night I watched the last episode of All Creatures Great and Small. I had been saving it but could wait no longer. What a fine show that is.  I always end up smiling. I know we tend to romanticize the past to a degree.  Everyone who works on this show, not the least the actors, do such a wonderful job of presenting it. It appears as a beautiful picture that you just want to step into and experience if only for a short time.

People seemed to be so much kinder to each other and much more polite. Good manners and respect for others. Two things which seems to be sadly lacking in these modern times. 

Of course, I only have control over my own habits.  I try as best as I can to always be well mannered and respectful, even if others do not. I would not want to be and could not be . . . any other way. It is the way that I was brought up.  And the values that my parents taught me were reinforced at school.  

It was not perfect of course and there was plenty of room for change.  Equal rights. Tolerance.  Acceptance.  Those things have improved somewhat, but there is still room for improvement.

 

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Happiness doesn't start with a relationship,

a degree, a job, or money. It starts

with your thoughts and what

you tell yourself

every day.

I firmly believe this. Our thoughts are who we are.  If we dwell on the positive rather than the negative . . .  this is life transforming. Other people cannot make you happy.  Possessions, money, etc. None of that can make you happy.  Only YOU can make you happy, and it starts from within.  A positive perspective (admittedly not always easy) can help to create for you a positive life.

For me lately this has meant totally turning off the news, not reading the news stories that prompt me to read them every time I open up my laptop. I am tuning out the world. Choosing to not worry about things which are out of my control.  In the meantime, I just try to make my actions, thoughts, life . . . more pleasant and more positive. For me, this is the key to real and lasting peace.  That does not mean I am uninformed. (It is good to stay informed.)  It just means that I don't dwell on the things I have no power to change. If I can make my own little corner of the world a more positive space, then that is enough.

 

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Keep calm  . . . over time I have discovered that calmness and having a calming influence can bring me heaven on earth. It works when I am calm with those around me. It works when I keep a sense of calmness in my home. It works when I bring out the Zen in me during moments of deep stress. It is like a magic spell, powerful and quick to take hold.

A sense of calm in no way denotes a lack of life. I think being calm actually can help to bring your life into better focus and clarity.  Practicing the art of calm, whilst remaining compassionate, passionate and empathetic brings a confidence into your life that is unmatched.  There is a great peace to be found within the power of calm. You can still have your dreams and your passions . . .  your loves.  But, achieving and maintaining that calm is not about entertaining the drama of others who are on a different journey than you are.  That is not the pathway to peace.

Just be a good, better, more solid version of yourself. Keep calm.

 

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I have eight squares done on my blanket now, each one about 12 inches square.  I will have 9 different colors when that part of it is done. I might repeat them so that I have 18 squares altogether before I start edging them and putting them together. I really like the way it is shaping up.  I think it is going to be my most favorite blanket I have made yet!

 

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I have fallen totally in love with this chair.  It's way too expensive for me to ever have it for my own, but I do love it very much. Maybe I can win the lottery. ha ha  That would take a miracle as I do not buy lottery tickets.  But dreams are free. I love everything about it. I love the flounce. I love the pattern. I love the puffy cushion seat. I love that sweet, ruffled pillow at the back. To me, this is a dream chair. If I had this chair, I would never get out of it.  This chair suits me to a "T." Maybe when I get to the other side . . . 

And with that I best leave you with a thought for today. Those Belgian buns are not going to make themselves!

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

 *.Show up with enthusiasm.
Notice the moon, the sky, the trees,
the flower sprouting from concrete.
There is magic everywhere
should you choose to notice it.
~M. B. Victoria  ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

Cooking in The English Kitchen today . . .   Lentil & Bacon Potage.  Yesterday I made the soup that my sister made us for supper on Sunday. Oh my but it is some good!

Have a beautiful Wednesday.  Be happy, be safe, be blessed, be at peace.  Don't forget!

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And I do too!