All Things Nice . . .

 

(source)

A little cottage edging on the lake,

A shadowed pool where small birds come and take

Their morning baths . . . then hie them for the day

To the dim woods like children loosed for play;

Who find amid the green of bush and tree,

Beauty unguessed that people never see.

A boat-house dim and cool, a small canoe

Upturned upon the sand . . . the sky's clear blue

Reflected in a million sun split waves;

Along a shore a row of tiny caves

Run back into a hill where boys explore

And dream of jewels from a pirate's store.

A little summer place, remote and quiet,

Where golden rod and mountain ash run riot,

And where at night the stars seem very near,

And little wild things venture up to peer

At the strange ways of Man who thus invades

Their age-old sanctity of forest glades.

And tired folk worn in soul and mind

Turn back to Nature's quiet heart and find

The blessed peace and quiet that they need,

Where little padded trails and roadways lead,

Them gently on where earth and waters meet

Giving them freedom for their weary feet.

~Edna Jacques, Summer Cottage

Aunt Hattie's Place, 1946

I thought this a fitting poem to end August on, this the last long weekend of Summer. Labor Day. Summer's last hurrah before the school year starts up again early next week. 

And what a summer is has been! Dry and plagued with fires. The Long Lake Fire is still burning out of control and the air quality is very bad here this morning, but they are calling for a couple of rainy days, so hopefully that will help. Fingers crossed!

 

(source)

Not many have been able to hang out their wash to dry on the line in recent weeks, at the risk of everything ending up smelling like a forest fire. 

It is a different smell than you expect from a campfire or a driftwood fire, or even the smell of a wood-stove. It is acrid and it stings the nose and the eyes. It is not very nice at all.

It also holds the smell of fear.

The fire fighters have been doing a wonderful job and doing it tirelessly. I am sure many must be exhausted. We have fire fighters here from all across Canada and water bombers, etc. They are all doing their best. And we are grateful.

 

(source)

It was a very long day for dad and Cindy yesterday. Cindy messaged me a bit after 8 pm to let me know she had just arrived home. She got dad settled back into the hospital here in town and then went home. What a long day for the both of them and very stressful as well. I am not entirely sure of what the outcome was. I know there is nothing wrong with his gallbladder. But she said earlier in the day that they thought maybe it was Viral Hepatitis, and then last night she said, Epstein Barr syndrome.  So, I am not entirely sure which it is, or what it is that dad has.  Of if we need to be worried that he has passed it on to us. 

I told her I would speak to her today. I felt she really needed to have some down time last night and to rest. I was not sure what time she would be getting home, or if they would have fed them or what. If I was a better sister, I would have had a meal waiting for her. I did not think of it until it was too late.

This has been an exhausting week.

 

(source)

Speaking of cottages, I have been reading one of the Enid Blyton books Elaine sent me for my Birthday in bed each night. A chapter a night is about all I can manage, but I am enjoying it very much.  The whole crew have gone to a cottage for their summer break, along with Kiki the parrot and a new character, Gus, who is a visitor.  They landed at a farmhouse last night in my reading, on their way to the cottage, and the farmer's wife had a tea ready for them. It sounded so lovely.  This was one of the things I loved most about these books when I was a child. The food. I thought I would share it with you this morning, so that you could also enjoy it.

"That's very kind of you," said Mrs. Cunningham gratefully "My goodness what a spread!"

It certainly was. It wasn't an ordinary afternoon tea, it was a high tea. A fresh ham, glistening pink. A veal and ham pie, smothered in parsley, like the ham. Yellow butter in glass dishes. A blue jug of thick yellow cream. Honey. Homemade strawberry jam. Hot scones. A large fruitcake as black as a plum pudding inside. Egg sandwiches. Tea, cocoa, and creamy milk,"

Doesn't your mouth water at the thought of sitting down to such a feast? Such a lot of food and it all sounds delicious.  I can remember as a child reading these books and about the food in them and wondering what a scone was, or plum pudding. Cherry cakes and ginger beer.  I would love to sit down to a tea tray like this one pictured here! Such a lot of tasty sounding food!

 

(source)

I found out who the mystery sender of my Letters from Away was.  It was my dear friend Tatiana. You all know who she is. My young friend who lives in Greece. That was so kind of her. I was surprised to say the least! It was so thoughtful of her to set that up for me. 

The world is full of kind people, and I am grateful to say "my little world" is loaded with them. I am very blessed. I don't know what I did to deserve such sweet people in my life, but it must have been something good!

 

(source)

I just poked my nose out the door and the air is thick with smoke this morning.  But they are saying light rain this afternoon and probably some light rain tomorrow. It's a start, and we will not complain. Hurricane season is beginning and so hopefully in the coming weeks we will get a lot more and they will be able to get the fire under control.

I have had to stop reading Facebook. It is too disheartening and was getting me too distressed. If I need to know anything urgently, the emergency app on my phone will tell me. No news is good news.

 

(source)

I thought that yesterday I would get so much accomplished, but alas at the end of the day I had not really accomplished much of anything. I did my food post for today, and I spoke to my friend Tina in the U.K. for about an hour. That was nice. She has been feeling a bit low lately. Since she has been declared legally blind and lost her driving license, her world has gotten very narrow. She was a person that was always on the go. If I lived closer to her, I could get her out and about.  (But I am happy to be right where I am, no worries!) 

We usually talk about every few weeks or so, but only for about 15 or 20 minutes at a time. Yesterday we facetimed for about an hour. It was lovely. 

I looked on YouTube and made a few gnat traps to put about the house. They are really annoying, these gnats.  I can see this morning that I have caught quite a few in the traps. Perhaps I need to put out more.

1 cup water, 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, two drops of dish soap.  

Much the same as is used to catch fruit flies. I am sure they are coming from my drain. I do not know what I can put down the drain to kill them in there. I have been pouring bleach down, to no avail.

I have a plastic dish drainer in the one side of the double sink. I have ordered a stainless steel one which is airier to replace it. I thought perhaps they are trapped and breeding beneath the plastic one as it is more solid.  Something for the fall cleanup.

 

(source)

I am trying to think of what else I did yesterday to take up all my time.  Nutmeg was sick once and so I cleaned that up and washed the floor. (Thankfully he hasn't been sick since. I think he just gobbled up his dinner too fast. He is such a pig when it comes to eating.)  I changed my bed and put on the new bedding that Elaine sent. (It looks lovely.) I did some scripture study. I cooked myself a nice dinner.  Steak and chips and a salad.  I had not had steak in a very long time, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I spoke to Cindy a few times to see how she was doing. I walked out to check my mail.

Not a lot when you look at it but somehow it gobbled up my day. I thought about doing a lot of things, but did not get motivated enough to do them.

I had a problem with the Privacy Policy on my Mediavine/blog page. So, David, my brother, helped me sort that. I had to add some sort of code to it and update it. I don't know anything about coding, but I am grateful to have a brother who does.

 I should have had enough time to read Susan Branch's new post, but alas I did not. Maybe I will get to it today!

I do think I am slowing down. A lot. It seems to take me a lot longer to get things done and I am distracted very easily. 

I don't really have a lot else to share this morning so  . . . (I fear I am becoming boring.)

A thought to carry with you . . . 

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

*If you want sweet dreams,
you've got to live a sweet life.
~Barbara Kingsolver° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Gingerbread Cake for Two.  I served it with some whipped cream and lemon curd. Maybe not the most attractive in retrospect, but I hope that won't put you off from wanting to make it. It is really rather delicious! 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, filled with lots of things which make you happy.  Don't forget!

═══════════ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ═══════════ 

⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════  

And I do too!    

   

 

Dear Neighbor . . .

 

(source)

 

FRIDAY, August 39th, 2025

Estate Lane, Nova Scotia

11*C/51*F

mostly sunny, no rain expected

Air advisory in effect, still

Dear Neighbor,

It's very quiet in here this morning, as per usual. I can hear the fan running and the kit kat's snoring, but that's all.  This is the last Friday in August, hard to believe I know. Where has the summer gone. This is the Labor Day weekend, and the children will all be back at school early next week. The town has been very busy finishing up the work they have been doing on the two streets adjacent to the high school. There were detours and all sorts yesterday.

 

(source)

I spent the morning with Dan up at my friend Jacquie's place yesterday. Dan was cleaning off all of the siding at the front of her house and her garage door, etc. She lives in a place very similar to mine, except hers is right on the main highway, so she gets a lot more smut.  He did an excellent job as always.

Jackie has a beautiful home. It is much more modern and filled with light. In her complex there are only two houses attached so they have lots of windows on the side as well as the front and back. Her place is light and airy. Whenever I have a visit with her I come home and think my place is so cluttered.

That works as an impetus for me to switch things around, which I did yesterday afternoon. Cindy was with dad all morning and so we took the afternoon off and went to visit last night for a longer period of time.

It gave me a chance to do a bit around here. I moved a few things around, vacuumed, did laundry, etc. I also had the chance to go to the shops to pick up a few bits.

 

Little Miss Fussy, Cinnamon, the royal Duchesse of Estate Lane, has decided that she doesn't like any of her food.  For the last week no matter what I put in front of her, she has only given it a cursory sniff, a bit of a lick and then walked away. She is clearly hungry though.  Just not liking what is on offer.  So, I went to the store yesterday and got a completely different brand of food for her, which she has gobbled up both times I have fed it to her.  Nutmeg, he would eat anything I give him, and hers too. He is such a little glutton.  She is much pickier. I hope she likes this brand, for a while at least.

Cats can be so fussy. There are five cats in Cindy's house, and she is always having to switch things out, and none of them like the same thing. Cats really do have slaves.

Dad's cat, Princess is looking for him and missing him.  He is missing her also. Cindy takes photos of Princess every day to show him when we go to the hospital.

 

(source)

There will be no visits today. They are taking dad by ambulance to the QE11 Hospital in Halifax for his procedure. Cindy is going there and back in the ambulance with him. He is having an ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) under sedation. As with any medical procedure there are risks involved, and of course with his age, they are heightened, but hopefully all will be well. Cindy needs to be with him, not only for moral support, but she is his ears and his mouth. His hearing is so poor that he only understands a fraction, if anything, of what most people are saying to him.  She can interpret and then relay things back to him. And because he is French and has his own patois of speech, she can relay back to the professionals what he is saying. It sounds complicated I know, but it really isn't. We understand him perfectly, well at least most of the time anyways.

He has a habit of singing under his breath, almost continuously and it sounds like a stutter or like he is having problems breathing. It has caused more than a bit of confusion for the nurses and doctors caring for him. Also, his name. His first name is Joseph, but that is not the name he goes by. He goes by his second name, Antoine.  A French Catholic thing. They are all Joseph's and Mary's. It is the second name which counts.

God willing all will go well today and they will be back here in the Valley at the end of it all. I expect they will both be exhausted from everything that they have to endure today. 

It was hard leaving him last night after our visit. I felt quite tearful. You just never know, but I am hoping for and believing in the best outcome.

 

(source)

Twenty homes have been swallowed up in the Wildfires now. They have been battling this particular fire, the Long Lake wildfire, for over two weeks now. I am trying not to keep checking up on it on Facebook. There is so much fearmongering going on and I find it very unsettling.  I am just going by the no news is good news theory now. I am prepared if I have to be, but until I get an emergency alert on my phone, I am trying my best to ignore it. It is burning not too far from where I live and the smell of smoke is heavy in the air.  The worst was last Sunday when the winds from the latest hurricane were causing the fire to double in size.  No rain, just wind. We had terrible skies, with thick smoke-filled air, ash falling, etc. The sun looked like a red ball in the sky. Of course, any photos of the fire and the smoke billowing from it were and are quite frightening.

We continue to pray for rain and lots of it and for one of the few times in my life, I am praying for a hard Winter filled with lots of snow. We need the snow badly for the moisture that it will bring.

We did not get much snow at all last winter and that combined with the dry spring and extremely dry summer is what has contributed to our drought conditions. 

So more rain and more snow. We need it.

 

(source)

I have a gnat problem in my place. This has been ongoing for over a year or so now. I cannot seem to get rid of them. I have poured bleach down all the drains and keep doing it regularly. I rinse out any tin cans, jars, etc. promptly and put them out in the recycling. I do not keep any fresh fruit or vegetables such as potatoes or onions here in the house. I have my potatoes and onions in the garage, and still they plague me.  It is a real nuisance. I don't know what else to do. 

Because of the fires and the air advisories I have had to turn off the air exchanger and the heat pump as well. I have noticed the back of the house smelling musty and damp again because of this. There is an ongoing problem of damp and mold in these places. 

I don't know if that exacerbates the problem with the gnats or not. I am about at my wits end with them and don't know what else I can do. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

I got something very interesting in my letter box this week.  Mail from Afar. I don't know if it is a one off or what, or who sent it. It is fascinating.  Inside was all kinds of information about the Great Barrier Reef. I have not read all of it yet, there is quite a bit to take in. It is all very interesting. 

I am assuming this is a special kindness afforded to me from someone on my Facebook page as it was addressed to Marie Alice Villeneuve, and that is the name I use on there. I changed on there five years ago to disassociate my personal page from you know who. I must keep the name Rayner professionally however as that is what all my books, etc. have been authored by, and I guess, legally that is who I am known as. 

Anyways, thank you very much whoever you are who sent this special letter to me. It really made my day and I am really enjoying it! THANK YOU!

I will put a thanks onto Facebook as well. What a kind and generous action on someone's part.

 

(source)

Today will be a bit of a quiet day for me as compared to how the rest of my days have gone this week. I will try to get things done around here that I haven't been able to get done earlier in the week. Do some tidying up, rest, etc.  Wait to hear from Cindy and what's going on with dad. My church congregation is supposed to be travelling down to Annapolis on Sunday to attend with the group that meets there.  I think I am going to skip it, however. I am just too tired. I feel as if every one of my 70 years is showing. I have been falling into bed at night like a stone. I think I need to keep Sunday as a day of rest, other than visiting dad. 

And with all of that being said, I will close this missive now with a thought for you.

A thought to carry with you . . . 

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

*Everyone has inside of him
a piece of good news.
The good news is that you 

don't know how great you can be.
~Anne Frank  ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Easy Swiss Chicken with a Mushroom & Tarragon Cream Sauce. Delicious and yet very simple, quick and easy to make.  Great for the family, but also for a special occasion. Its just plain good.

I hope you have a wonderful Friday.  Whatever you get up to in your corner of the world, be happy, stay safe, and don't forget!

═══════════ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ═══════════ 

⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════  

And I do too!    

   

An Update . . .

 

(source)

 Not my usual post this morning but really an update on things. I don't have time to write my regular post. There has been no change in the fire situation. They remain ongoing and the size of the fire is increasing. This is what I was able to find out online:

Officials in Nova Scotia say crews are bracing for a difficult couple of days of firefighting in the Annapolis Valley as the largest blaze in the province continues to gain ground. The wildfire near Long Lake, about 125 kilometres northwest from Halifax, has surpassed 82 square kilometres in size, Dave Steeves, with the Department of Natural Resources, told reporters Wednesday. "Minimal" rain fell in the area on Monday, Steeves said, adding that while the rainfall was helpful in the short term, the positive effect of the rain is now being lost as flames reduce the moisture in the air.

"When that does happen, fire behaviour and intensity is going to tend to increase," Steeves said. "So for the next couple of days, we are going to be moving into a situation where fire behaviour is going start to move forward, unfortunately." The wildfire that started two weeks ago has grown quickly; it doubled in size over the weekend.

So for now we remain alert and hope for improvements in the situation. Air quality is understandably bad. When I got up this morning, it looked like it had rained sometime in the night as there are puddles on the road. They are calling for 1mm of rain on Saturday. Not near enough, but we will take it.

This was dad yesterday morning. They had him up and out of bed, sitting in a chair.  He had a pretty good day most of yesterday. In the afternoon he was able to go for a walk around the hospital. They kept the chair you see behind him all the way and he used a walker. They also had a belt around his waist that they were holding onto. He did quite well, and he was very chatty.  Last night however, he was in a lot of pain.  He was complaining about his hips being sore after the ride to the other hospital for his scan the night previous. Today or tomorrow, they will be taking him by ambulance to Halifax for another procedure.  He is really not looking forward to the ambulance trip. Hopefully Cindy will be able to travel in the ambulance with him. Because he is very hard of hearing it is very difficult for them to communicate with him. We are his ears and voice. So, she really needs to be there.

This morning, as far as I know, I am going with Dan to my friend Jackie's house so he can clean her siding off and sweep out her garage. 

I am quite tired. I actually went to bed as soon as I got home last night and slept until 7 this morning which is very late for me. I must have needed it!

For now a thought to carry with you  . . . 

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

 *Books and doors

are the same thing.

You open them and you

go into another world.

~Jeanette Winterson

There is nothing new in the kitchen today, just Five Delicious Ways with Potatoes. Some of my favorite recipes.

I hope that you have a beautiful day. Whatever you get up to, I hope it brings you joy. Don't forget!

═══════════ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ═════════════ 

⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ════════════  

And I do too!    

   

Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

(source)

 

Good morning, everyone. I am a little bit late getting started here this morning.  I slept until almost 6:30 which is really late for me. I remember waking up about 4:30 and thinking, oh I have another hour to go before I get up and then I went and slept two more hours. I must have needed it!

The air quality is supposed to be very bad today with the smoke from the fire.  It's severe where I live and it is affecting air all the way up to Shubenacadie, which is a fair distance away. 

So, we are advised to stay indoors with our windows closed and any air exchangers, etc. turned off.

Looking at the forecast, we may get rain on Saturday, with showers during the day and light showers at night, but we will see. Hopefully this happens.

The fire is still very much out of control. We have news now of people having lost their homes, and go fund me pages have been set up for some of those affected.

I still have my bag packed and things loaded in the car for the cats, just in case. It doesn't look like we are at risk, but you do need to be prepared just in case things change.

Cindy sent me this photograph of dad from his bed in hospital yesterday morning. He was in a much better frame of mind than he had been when we left on Monday night.  She was just there briefly to bring him a few things. We both went back after lunch for several hours, and then again last night for several hours. He had been taken up to Kentville in the interim for a Cat Scan. (They do not have a CT machine at the local hospital.) He was very tired last night, and he said that he had suffered a lot in the drive up to Kentville and back with pain. It's not like my father to complain about much so if he was complaining about it, then you know it's true. That is a very bumpy stretch of highway to the hospital in Kentville, and he said it really hurt his hip going over the bumps.  Our father is a very easy-going man. He is very easy to get along with as well. He has quite a few bruises where they have been poking him to get blood, etc. That is to be expected.

The one thing which bothered me last night was that he had not been fed anything at all. Earlier in the day they said they were not feeding him because they wanted everything clear for the CT scan. But when we got there last night, several hours after that, he still had not been given anything to eat. Cindy asked at the nurse's station if they could get him something and they said they would look and see if they could find some ice-cream or Jello, but when we left at 8, nobody had brought anything in for him to eat. I don't like to complain, but I am also not very happy about that.

He is getting some type of nutrition through his I.V. I suppose, but I would imagine this morning he will be feeling pretty peckish. Hopefully they give him some breakfast.

We need to work now at getting his legs strengthened so that he can come home. If he cannot walk, he cannot come home. So maybe today when we are there, we can get him up and walking a bit.

I got our brother on FaceTime last night for a short so he could talk to dad, and his wife did as well. Dad seemed to be happy about that. David also.  I know how hard it is to be far away from your loved ones when stuff like this is going on and how out of the loop you feel. I am so grateful that I am here.

Five years ago, I thought I would probably never see my father again, not here on earth. These last almost five years have been a great blessing to me.

 

(source)

This photograph reminded me very much of my time working at the Manor, minus the vineyard view. (There were no vineyards there.) They had a set up on the side patio where they could entertain for dinners, etc. It used to be a bit of a pain in some ways because everything needed to be carried through the entire house to get there. Back and forth, back and forth. It made me appreciate what it must be like for some of the staff that works for the Royal family and some of their to-do's. 

It's a different life really, and when you live with and work for these people, you are living in a little bubble yourself. It's not a bad life per se. Just different.

Especially for a girl from small-town Nova Scotia, Canada. It was something I had only ever read about.  The richness of it all, the environment, etc. Imagine living in a house filled with antiquities and luxury. Dressing yourself in clothing made by designers like Armani.  On the packing nights I would have to steam and press that clothing to get it ready to put into her cases. I used to be very nervous about that as I was always really tired having already put in a full day's work.  At three or four in the morning, you are not always thinking straight. I was always very nervous I would damage something. I did pour the wrong perfume into the wrong bottle one time and got a bit of an earful for doing that, but that was just part and parcel of what I was paid to do.

 

(source)

Even though I was very tired, I kind of enjoyed the packing sessions in a way.  I always started them off by baking a double batch of the "not so diet" diet cookies, lol. These would be packed between layers of parchment paper in a special box. Sandwiches would be made for them to eat on the plane. (They didn't eat airplane food for some reason.)

All of the jewelry that she needed to take with her would be packed into little silk bags.  Her shoes would be stuffed with paper and put into silk bags also. Clothes would be pressed, sleeves stuffed, ready to go into the bags as well.  Of course, none of that happened until she tried on each outfit and chose the jewelry and shoes to go with it. 

As things were chosen, they went onto hangers on a clothing rail in the bedroom. Once the whole wardrobe had been chosen it then got prepared for packing.

She was quite different on those nights than the person you normally saw during the other times.  She seemed to be almost human for lack of a better word. She conversed with you almost as if you were an equal. That was quite pleasant in many respects.

She always stayed up all night on the nights before she flew because she was afraid of flying. It helped her to be exhausted when she got on the plane.  She could then pop a sleeping pill and sleep the whole way over to wherever it was they were going. Usually the states.

And I was there, I guess mainly, to keep her company and to help her pack. He would have gone to bed in one of the other bedrooms around 11 or so. 

He would be hollering at her about 6 a.m. to get a cracking as they needed to be ready to go, usually by 6:30. The Estate Manager would show up and get the cases into the car at that time and off they would go to the airport, and off I would go back to the cottage to hopefully get some sleep.

Like I said, a very different life. But an interesting one, nonetheless.

(source)

Canadian alert!  There is only six weeks to Thanksgiving! One of my favorite food holidays, I have to say. My daughter Eileen is going to be staying with me for a week or so just before then so I have told her that we will make ourselves a little Thanksgiving Dinner just for us. That will be fun.

Her husband is going to Ontario to visit his brothers with his parents, so she is coming here to stay with me. I always enjoy those little visits with each other. 

My oldest son was wanting to come over for a visit with my oldest grandson at some point as well. So, lots to look forward to.

 

(source)

I'm not sure what all else I will get up to today. I will be going to visit dad in the afternoon and evening. This morning, I need to get some work done and I badly need to vacuum, dust and wash the floors.  I do have a busy day ahead of me. I haven't been able to respond to your comments yet, but I will get to them I promise.  I thank you for all of your prayers and happy thoughts! In the meantime  . . . 

Here is a thought to carry with you through the day  . . . 

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

 *Finally I saw that 
worrying had come to nothing
and gave it up and took my old body
and went out in the morning and sang.
~Mary Oliver  ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Japanese Beef Curry. This is like a delicious beef stew but without a lot of vegetables. It is meant to be eaten with rice. Very easy to make and quite hearty!

I hope that your Wednesday is a good one. Whatever you get up to, I hope you are happy and filled with joy and peace.  Don't forget!

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!    

   

A Day Book . . .

 

 

FOR TODAY. August 26th, 2025

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ... 

 

 

We got some rain yesterday. Not a lot but some. It is better than nothing. There is an air quality warning in effect. It is 15*C/60*F.  The Long Lake Wildfire is 20 miles away and still considered to be out of control. That was as of 1:48 pm yesterday.

I AM THINKING ...

I am very much thinking about my father this morning. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital yesterday morning and has been admitted.  He was not feeling himself Sunday night and it was very apparent yesterday morning that all was not well, so we thought it best for him to go to hospital and be checked. He was very weak.  They ended up admitting him because of his weakness and he had a bit of a temperature.  They felt it was for the best and we agreed, as we would not be able to pick him up if he fell, etc We spent most of yesterday with him as they did various tests, and then went back last night to bring him anything he might need. He seemed to be a lot worse last night. They are treating him as if he has had a tic bite as his liver toxins are up, etc. He was grateful to have us there last night, but he was not himself at all. They will be taking him up to Kentville today for a cat scan as the hospital here in town doesn't have one.  I hope he has had a good night.  Cindy is going over early this morning and then we will both go over later today after his scan, etc. There is no point in me going sooner. I would only be in the way, and his cubicle is very small. 

I AM ALSO THINKING ...

The Doctor really upset me last night wanting End of Life instructions, etc. I know he is 92 and at such an age an infection can take a person out very quickly. And I know she has to do what she has to do. I just am not prepared for anything like that. Is anyone?

IN THE KITCHEN ...

There is nothing new.  I am sharing a post I did on Cottage Pudding. I revamped it and updated it. It is a delicious old-fashioned cake which is served cut into squares with a lemon & nutmeg sauce for pouring over top. It is really comforting and tasty.

 

(source)

ON MY "TO COOK" LIST ...

Hatch Green Chili Cheeseburger Soup from The Goldilocks Kitchen. This looks really delicious.

THIS I BELIEVE TO BE TRUE ...

We have to believe in ourselves and in our dreams. If we can't do so, why would anyone else?

 

(source)

SOMETHING THAT IS NICE ...

August Sunflowers.  I have always loved Sunflowers.

 

(source)

SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS NICE ...

Fresh local apples. I hope the apple crop isn't too badly hit by the drought this year.

Also, last night when I was waiting for my sister to arrive to pick me up to go to the hospital, I was sitting in one of my chairs out on the patio.  A hummingbird came over and was humming right in front of my face looking at me. It was there for about a minute, very close.  It was wonderful. I suppose it was wondering what I was. Okay, I was a little bit afraid that it would peck me.

I AM WANTING TO CREATE ...

 

(source)

Cat dolls  . . . 

 

(source)

A tea bag doll  . . . 

 

(source)

Milk and Cookies  . . .

 

(source)

A chicken doll  . . . 

 

(source)

Pumpkin babies  . . . 

 

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SOMETHING I ENJOY ...

Cats and their antics. I could watch cat videos for hours. They are such incredible creatures. They make me smile.

 

(source)

SOMETHING ELSE I ENJOY ...

The sound of waves lapping against the shore. It is a very comforting sound to me.

 

(source)

OH MY GOODNESS ...

Such a majestic creature.

I AM READING ...

WILDERNESS WIFE, by Delores Topliff

How do you continue living when life collapses around you in a single day? 

 Marguerite Wadin MacKay believes her 17-year marriage to explorer Alex MacKay is strong—until his sudden fame destroys it. When he returns from a cross-Canada expedition, he announces their frontier marriage is void in Montréal where he plans to find a society wife—not one with native blood. 

Taking their son, MacKay sends Marguerite and their three daughters to a trading post where she lived as a child. Deeply shamed, she arrives in time to assist young Doctor John McLoughlin with a medical emergency. Marguerite now lives only for her girls. 

When Fort William on Lake Superior opens a school, Marguerite moves there for her daughters’ sake and rekindles her friendship with Doctor McLoughlin. When he declares his love, she dissuades him from a match harmful to his career. She’s mixed blood and nine years older. But he will have no one else. After abandonment, can a woman love again and fulfill a key role in North American History?

History with a fresh perspective, this book captured me with the first two pages. (Yes, it is taking me a while to get through it. I have been really tired when I get into bed at night.)

THINGS THAT CATCH MY FANCY ...

 

(source)

A pretty dress  . . .  I do so love dresses with flowers and birds on them, and pearl buttons.

 

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Pretty embroidery . . . 

 

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Heirloom tomatoes  . . .  so yummy.

 

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Farmhouse sinks  . . . 

 

(source)

Blue and white birds . . . 

 

(source)

I AM GRATEFUL FOR ...

The comfort, peace and presence of prayers  . . . 

 

(source)

MAKES ME SMILE ...

A way to appreciate the dark.

SOMETHING TO WATCH ...

The Art of Racing in the Rain, Netflix

A THOUGHT TO CARRY WITH YOU ...

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

 *That it will never come again
is what makes life so sweet.
~Emily Dickenson  ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

And that is my daybook for this week!  Thanks always for being here!

  ⋱ ⋮ ⋰

⋯ ◯ ⋯ Take time to enjoy the small *´¯`.¸¸.☆

  ⋰ ⋮ ⋱ blessings in life.*´¯`.¸¸.☆ 

✿¸.•*¨`*•..✿✿¸.•*¨`*•..✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•. ╬♥═╬╬═♥=╬╬═♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥═╬♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥╬

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Have a beautiful day!  Don't forget!  

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!