Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

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My goal this summer has been to bring order out of chaos in my home.  I am afraid over the last six or so months I have let things slide a bit.  Probably because I spent the first few months of the year quite unwell, and then because I had Eileen with me and we were busy making memories. And so, this summer I have challenged myself to sort things out, organize and get rid of things I either don't use or don't need.

Yesterday it was the large walk in closet in my bedroom. I am happy to say I made great progress and I have a box of things to take over to Eileen that I know she can and will use.

I am not sure why, but whenever I accomplish something like this I feel refreshed and renewed. It makes me happy. 

One spot down . . .  a bazillion to go.  And that's okay. Rome wasn't made in a day.  And you can only eat an elephant one bite at a time.

 

 

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I watched something on YouTube yesterday that was a real eye opener for me and solidified just why I decided not to do any more YouTube Videos. (Aside from the fact that I just don't have the time, and couldn't do them well.)  It was a basic story about two cake pop creators. One very successful one, quite established on TikTok and another one just starting out.  The one just starting out had been inspired by the success of the established one and had made some cake pops. The established one reckoned she had stolen from her and did a whole video on it that was quite scathing and bullying. This created a whole backlash for the newer creator. We all know how vicious the social media world can be. Anyways, to make a long story short, she posted a very tearful video about it, claiming she had not stolen anything, etc. yada yada yada.  

Popularity truly turns on a dime.  The established one ended up losing followers by the thousands because, to be honest, she came across as being quite nasty. The newer one ended up gaining followers by the thousands. The established one was getting death threats and everything.

All over cake pops. (I am not even sure I like cake pops. I don't get what all the fuss is about them.)

I came away thinking to myself, boy oh boy, I would not want to be popular like that for anything in the world. You build a rod for your own back that you have to keep up. And what people build up on the one hand, other people like to tear down on the other. And they are vicious and nasty about it.

The nasty soft underbelly of social media and digital popularity. Cancel culture. Nasty business.

I am grateful that my food blog continues to keep a roof over my head, but at the same time I am grateful for relative obscurity. I am happy with things just as they are thank you very much. 

 

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I also discovered a new YouTube channel called Food Museum. I watched one of their videos, Afternoon Tea with Mrs. Wilding and it was completely entrancing. A glimpse into the past. I really enjoyed it and ended up subscribing as I am interested in watching some more of their videos. Food and food history really interests me.

I also discovered some new books yesterday. One of my readers on my EK Facebook page suggested these books to me: 

"I would like to recommend a book series to you, Marie, and to anyone who dreams of a sweeter time and place, but not in the far distant past, rather in a little village in England called Finch. The family lives in a "honey coloured stone cottage in the midst of the Cotswolds" but I get ahead of myself. Nancy Atherton is the author of the Aunt Dimity series, cozies, yes, I suppose they are, mysteries, yes, but they are NOT murder mysteries. Don't let the title of the first one put you off "Aunt Dimity's Death"...it sets the backstory for the entire series. The subject of your post today made me think of this series, which I am reading/listening to again, for the umpteenth time. I really think you would enjoy these books."

I went onto Amazon and read a sample of the first one, and was completely into it immediately and so I bought it. I have already read 6 chapters. I almost couldn't put it down once I started reading it.  

 

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I don't know how many books there are in the series, but I am a new fan. Hook, line and sinkered. What a cracking read this first one is.

 

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It was a very busy day on the street yesterday.  Bright and sunny. First the lawn care people went around whipper snippering and then mowing. Always noisy. I am not sure how the cats feel about it, but what choice do they have. It's one of life's little necessities.  Then there was not one, but two ambulances that arrived down the end of the street and one left with it's lights flashing and siren going. So I am sure that is not happy news.  I think they were at Jane's place. Jane is the one who told me that she had leukemia last year. I had been going to send her an "I'm thinking of you." card.  Now I think I best wait and see what's happened before I do anything.  I am sure that the "talking drums" of the neighborhood will kick in soon and I will find out.

I hope that Jane is okay, but I have a feeling that all is not well. Sheila, on the other hand, appears to be doing very well. The last time I spoke to her she seemed very chipper and is hopeful that she will be able to return home soon. 

 

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I noticed in the flyers which came around yesterday that Local Corn is beginning to arrive in the shops. In one shop it is on special for 50 cents a cob and in the other it was 89 cents a cob. I may have to get some and see how it is. I love fresh corn on the cob that has just been picked however, so I will wait until it is in the farm market.

This is a screen shot I took this morning of all the wildfires burning in North America.  There is one just to the South West of us where I live, but it is not too close and is deemed under control. This is an unsettling photo of North America to say the least, but what is even more unsettling is the world wide view.

The summer of 2026 is witnessing unprecedented global wildfire activity, with multiple continents affected and record areas burned due to heat, drought, and a developing El Niño. 

I have seen the videos of the fires in Spain and the South of France.  

How can anyone not believe in Global warming or Climate Change as I believe it is now called. This is not good.

 

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We are rapidly getting through what is called the "Dog Days of Summer."  The Dog Days of Summer run from July 3 to August 11 each year. Far more than a modern saying, the phrase comes from ancient sky-watchers who noticed that the brightest star, Sirius (the Dog Star), rose with the Sun during this period. 

"For centuries, this hot part of summer has carried both astronomical meaning and layers of folklore. The term “Dog Days” has been used for millennia to describe the hottest, most sweltering weeks of the Northern Hemisphere summer. Ancient peoples linked it with both astronomy and folklore, often viewing it as a time of drought, disease, or unrest."

I have not found it to be really uncomfortable heat-wise so far this summer. I have not had to have my heat pump working on the "cool" function very often, and when I have had it on, it's only been for an hour or so at a time. Of course that could all change and probably will. Summer is only half over, afterall.

I was thinking that if we have a nice day on Saturday next I might take Eileen up to the shore for a picnic of some sort.  I am sure she would enjoy that. I think we both would, and it would be something different for us to do. We will see how the weather is. At the moment it looks like it will be sunny and warm. I only wish my mobility was a bit better.

 

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It has been a long time since I have felt the coolness of grass beneath bare feet, but I always loved going barefoot in the summer, and in fact I never used to wear any socks or slippers in the house. I do wear slippers in the house all the time now. In fact I caught myself going out to check the post in my slippers the other morning. I thought, oh boy, I am turning into Peter Lee.  

Peter and his wife Audrey were good friends of mine in the U.K. and he was always going out and about in his house slippers.  I miss Peter. He continued to email me after I moved back to Canada.  We lost Audrey in 2017 and Peter passed in June of 2022. They were the first friends I made when I moved over to the U.K. in 2000, and stayed good friends the whole time I lived there. We took many walks together in the countryside. They were avid walkers. They are the people we went on holiday with to the South of France that time. Thoroughly enjoyed that holiday and built many happy memories. Indeed I have many happy memories of our friendship throughout all the years.

What a blessing it is to have had such good friends in life.

And with that I best leave you with a thought for the day as the hours are marching on and I have a lot to get done today.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

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

*Adapt the pace of nature.

Her secret is patience.

~Ralph Waldo Emmerson

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Quick & Easy Creamy Corn Chowder. Simple and delicious. This was my dinner on Monday and it filled the gap beautifully. It was just the ticket for a bit of a ticky tummy, and went down a real treat. Comforting and nourishing.

I hope you have a beautiful Wednesday.  Plans to go out for supper tonight with Eileen, Cindy, Dad, etc. I wonder what the specials will be. They were closed yesterday due to a broken dish washer. Hopefully it got fixed! Whatever you get up to today, I hope it brings you joy. Don't forget!

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And I do too!