Dear Neighbor . . .

 

(source)

FRIDAY, Oct. 10th, 2025

 Estate Lane, Nova Scotia

4*C/41*F

A clear and sunny day in

the forecast

Dear Neighbor,

I was up quite early this morning. The last few days I have been oversleeping and not getting up until well close to 7 a.m., but this morning I was awake at 5:30 and couldn't go back to sleep so I got up.  I don't mind. I have always been somewhat of an early riser. Mom was always up early in the morning as well. I guess this acorn has not fallen far from the tree.

It was finally chilly enough last night that I turned off all of the fans in my bedroom. I sleep hot and so most of the warmer months I have a couple of fans going in my bedroom, a tall pole type and a large table top one. I also have the ceiling fan going. Last night I felt rather cold in bed however, so I got up and turned them all off. 

It's time to break out the winter bedding methinks.

 

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I am a person who likes a cool bedroom to sleep in. I find that if it is too warm in the bedroom I don't sleep well. I never have the heat on in there. On especially chilly nights I will throw a magic bag in under the covers about fifteen minutes before I go to bed, but that is about it.

In the U.K. we never had heat on at night. We would turn it on first thing in the morning for a couple of hours and then in the evening for a couple of hours, but the rest of the time we relied on wearing warmer clothes, like sweaters and such. At first, I found it hard to get used to, this  not having any heat . . .  and I missed the forced air heating of back home. 

Mind it didn't really get all that cold in the U.K. compared to what I was used to.  I have not turned any heat on here yet, but it won't be long before I have to.

 

 

(source)

I went out shopping with Cindy yesterday. We only went into Greenwood and then back.  I needed to get catfood for the cats and some litter and a few bits for Saturday as I am having everyone over for supper on Saturday night. I am baking a ham.  Cindy is cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving. I think on Sunday.  The trees were gorgeous on the way to the mall, but you can tell that they won't be for much longer. The leaves are falling much quicker now and it won't be long before the branches are bare. We have passed the optimum color time.

We did have a substantial rain on Thursday past and all of the wildfires are considered to be brought under control  now.  Next week they are calling for rain all the week, so hopefully after that they will all be out. What a summer it has been.

 

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There is a shop I like here in town which is closing at the end of the month. It is called Cinnamon Creek and it is filled with lovely little bits and bobs, gift items that you cannot find anywhere else. I was sad to learn it was closing. It's one of those lovely little shop which carries smelly candles and nicnacs, kitchen linens, trinkets, jewelry, puzzles, games, etc. I have always loved going in there and browsing. Once it is gone there won't really be anywhere in town to shop for gifts, except for the pharmacy.  All we will have is a dollar store, Home Hardware, two grocery stores, and yes . . .  the pharmacy.

It does make me sad. Once upon a time this was a thriving town filled with shops. There was a jewelry store, a music store, a department store, florist, shoe store, hardware store, etc. People would come down from the mountain and other outlying areas on Friday nights to go shopping.

We had a cinema that was busy. The town was alive and was thriving.  

We had a busy hospital, a dairy, and a lot of spirit.  This year they didn't even hold the Heart of the Valley Days. If they did, I must have missed it. It is sad to see a town that was very vibrant, slowly dying.

And yet . . .  they are building a luxury apartment complex at the other end of town. Luxury one- and two-bedroom apartments with underground parking and a gym.  It actually beggars' belief. What we really need in this town is affordable housing. We have a growing homeless population, which makes me sad. There never used to be truly homeless people, not in this small town.  I always called it a "Leave It To Beaver" town, a "Mayberry."  Not any longer.

 

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Cinnamon seems to have gone off wet food altogether these days. I can't seem to find one that she likes. I keep trying different kinds and all she does is give it a cursory lick and then leaves it. Nutmeg gobbles his up and then finishes hers. I told Cindy yesterday that all I am going to do is give her a small spoonful of his and see what happens. That way when she walks away and he takes over he is only getting what he was going to get anyways. I don't want him to get way overweight.  He is quite a greedy cat anyways, always looking for something to eat. There is not much that he doesn't like.

I took this little video of him yesterday on his favorite blanket. He just loves this blanket. (Sorry for the sound, the television was running in the background.) He loves to tread on this blanket and sucks on it at the same time. He doesn't do it to anything else. Just this blanket.

He spent the whole time that the cleaners were here the other day hiding under my bed. It's a good thing that I had the bathroom door shut when they first came in or he would have been hiding behind the washer!  He is a little scaredy cat.

I was really pleased with the cleaners and the job that they did. I hate that I am at the point where I have had to hire cleaners to come in. Only every second week for now. I just can't get down on my hands and knees to do things like clean the baseboards, etc. any longer.  Also, by the time I finish all of my "work" for the day I am mentally and physically exhausted. I don't even have the energy to play at the things I would like to play at.  Fitting cleaning in was making me even more tired. We will see how it goes. 

I know that sounds like I am really lazy, but I promise you that I am not. The heart is willing, but my knees let me down. I have never been happy with a half done anything. At least with the cleaners, things will get fully done. 

They come as a pair. I suppose for legal purposes. Pretty much everyone on my street has cleaners. I see them coming to one house or another several times a week. 

 

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I was tempted to get a couple of pumpkins yesterday when we were out.  My next-door neighbor has a lovely big one on their porch.  I noticed she has all kinds of autumn decorations up.  Even an autumn wreath. It looks very nice. 

I wonder when Dan is going to put up the Halloween Decorations at their place.  He usually has all the yard decked out.

Some people go way over the top decorating for Halloween. I have never been one much for that. I have read that in some places in the states, whole neighborhoods will decorate with a theme for Halloween.

I used to love going shopping down in the states at this time of year.  Well, I actually loved going shopping down there any time.

You would see garbage bins at the malls full of old shoes that Canadians had discarded. They would go down there in their oldest shoes, etc. buy new and then just throw the old away.  When I think about it now, it doesn't sound like a very nice thing to do. I never did it.  I have only ever had two pairs of shoes. My everyday shoes and my go-to-church shoes.

Just like I don't have seasonal clothing. I tend to wear the same thing all year round, only adding a sweater or some such in the colder months. I have never been a slave to fashion. I couldn't afford to be!

 

(source)

I have a few things in the pipeline for today.  I am having everyone over for supper tomorrow as I said and I want to get a few things done ahead for that.  Plus, I have my everyday work. I keep thinking I want to play some as well, but we will see how it goes. Hope springs eternal as they say!

 

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Apparently there has been a resurgence of interest in the Brambly Hedge books, etc. I have always loved Brambly Hedge and used to make Brambly Hedge Dolls to sell.  

There was this one that I made and sold  . . . 

And this one  . . . 

I always had so much fun making them. I am not sure I have the patience required any longer. I also used to sell a lot of Raggedy's. I enjoyed making them also. I had about half a dozen in various stages of finish that I left behind in the U.K. when I came back to Canada.  I often wonder what happened to all of that stuff.  Thrown away probably.  I should really get back into making dolls. I always loved it so much.

And with that I best leave you with a thought for the day.  I have been sitting at the computer working in one way or another for almost 3 hours now and I need to be getting on with other things. Time to wind this down . . . . I am sorry if I have been quite boring as of late.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

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

*Maybe the desire 

to make something beautiful

is the piece of God that

 is inside each of us.

~Mary Oliver • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 

• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★  

 Today in The English Kitchen  . . .  The Best Deviled Chicken.  This is really delicious chicken.  Oven roasted with a spicy sticky glaze. Finger-licking-tasty. 

I had a bunch of recipes posted on another site and have slowly been bringing them onto my main site. I hope you will forgive me for this, but I just wanted them to all be in the same place.

I hope you have a beautiful day. Whatever you get up to, 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!