Small and Wonderful Things . . .

 

"The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside from a generous hand. But who gets excited by a mere penny?...It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued that he won't stoop to pick up a penny. But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted with pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days. It is that simple. what you see is what you get." ~Anne Dillard

A few of the small and wonderful things which bring untold joy into my life. It's the small things in life which truly mean the most. Simple abundance . . . it's the best.   

 

 

 

 Because I am over 60 years of age, here in the UK, I get free drug prescriptions and free eye tests. What a special blessing that it. I am very grateful to have both of these.  Because of our low income I also get free dental care. Add to that the free healthy care and educations that are available to everyone.  It is not surprising that so many people want to come and live in the UK. We like to complain about things, but really we are very well blessed. 

 

 

 

Talented and loving friends.  My friend Tatiana made this for me, and she won't accept any payment for it. It is for a gift for a friend's grandson's wedding.  We are filling it with wedding photos etc. for him and his wife.  Tatiana is such a talented book-binder. I miss her.  She should have come for Christmas, but things happened and it just didn't happen.  Then this summer, but again things have gotten in the way of that. Tatiana is like the daughter I always wished to have, the daughter who one day also becomes your friend. I am so grateful for her in my life. I just wish we did not live so far away from each other. 

 

 

 

We have plenty of gooseberries on our bush this year.  I might actually be able to do something with them!  Yay! 

 

  

 

It looks like we are going to have plenty of strawberries also, if the slugs don't get them first.  Finger's crossed! 

 

 

 

The Oriental Poppy is once again putting on a beautiful show.  It gets bigger and prettier with every year that passes.  

 

 

She makes me smile, every single day, multiple times.  (You can see her extra tooth in this photo.  She has had it since she was a baby.) I just love her so much.  She is my constant companion and she is really loving these warmer sunner days. 

 

 

 

Little surprises secreted here and there in the garden.  They are a delight to the eye when you stumble onto one. Okay, I know they are there, but still they delight me. 

 

  

 

The roses are now blooming and this one is one of my favourites.  I love its colour. Its like a blushing cheek . . . 

 

 

Our beautiful Clematis.  I am so not a natural photographer.  But I love to see the flowers blooming again . . . 

 

  

 

The abundance of Sparrows in our garden  . . . 

 

 

God sees the little sparrow fall . . .  it meets His tender view.  I loved that hymn as a child. 

 

  

 

The Prince of Peace and the chance that I have each Sabbath day to renew my Baptismal Covenants through the partaking of the Sacrament, that I might always "remember Him"  and keep the commandments which He has given me, that I might always have His spirit to be with me . . . 

 

 

The ability to create by hook . . .  or by brush . . .  or by stove . . . or by pen/keyboard.  I am always up to something. 

 

  

 

Being sealed to my husband in a Temple of the Lord, for time and all eternity  . . . 

  

 

Where would we be without it.  The Beatles had it right . . .  Love is all we need. 

 

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

 

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˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.In happy moments, praise God.

In difficult moments, seek God.

In quite moments, trust God. 

In every moment, thank God.

•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。 

 

I am listening to:  With One Accord, Reyna L Arburto 

 

 

 

In the English Kitchen today  . . .  Creamy Baked Chicken.  Yum!!

I hope your week ahead is filled to overflowing with small and wonderful things! Don't forget!

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And I do too!! 

 

 

 

Here comes summer . . .

 

“it's a smile, it's a kiss, it's a sip of wine ... it's summertime!” 
~Kenny Chesney

Oh how I love summer!  I know it's not officially summer yet, but . . . these late days of the Spring which is waning are allowing us a lovely taste of what the next few months ahead hold for us, with any luck!  I went out into the garden the other afternoon to take some photos of what's blooming in our garden.  This is something I regularly used to do when we lived down South . . . but I haven't done a lot of that since we moved back to Chester.  I'm not sure why.

Looking out our bedroom window last evening as we were getting ready for bed, Todd remarked on how lovely our garden was in comparison to everyone else's.  I think that's because we give it a lot of attention.   To us, it's like an extension of our home . . . albeit another room, except that it's outdoors.

 

 Tucked here and there amidst the bloom and blossom, you will find little secret delights . . . such as a fairy here or a fairy there.   They peer out at you as if to beckon you into a secret invisible world, or at least they do to me . . . gardens should delight the soul as well as the eye, don't you think???

I do so love pansies with their pretty little faces and ruffled dresses . . . it has been ever so.  I think the purple ones delight me most of all . . . but I am love with each of them, and the wild violets and viola's which grow in hidden and not so hidden spots . . .  

I know that they are considered to be an obnoxious weed, but even the Dents-De-Lion charms my heart.   They are so pretty when they are blooming brightly yellow . . . but they delight when they turn to fluff.  So much promise in that  . . . a hundred million wishes to be wished . . .  will they come true?

Only time will tell. 

   

These tender blooms are filled with promise too . . . the promise of Strawberry Short Cakes . . . and jams and pies.   Oh, I do so love strawberries.   As a girl I hated picking them.   We used to spend hours crouched down in the hot summer sun, our backs aching as we picked, and we picked,  and we picked . . . Of course the time would not have been as long had we not eaten as we picked, but . . . who can resist the odd bite or two or three???  Not I!!

I remember picking wild strawberries which grew along the railway tracks which ran along the back of one of my childhood homes.  So tiny, not a one any bigger than my baby finger nail, but oh so very sweet and filled with tons of flavor in that small red jewel.   We never got more than enough for a few small bowls to be enjoyed with a bit of cream and sugar.   Another summer's delight! 

  

The chives are going crazy at the moment.  I do love it when they blossom.  Chive flowers make a delightful addition to any summer salad.  My papa always had a pot of chives growing in the garden.  He really loves chives.   He also loved bologna sandwiches and often came to my home for lunch when we lived closer together.  I would make him a bologna and cheese toastie . . . with a few chives slipped in between the meat and the cheese.   Such warm memories . . .

I love it when nature has such things attached, such happy memories . . . don't you?  It makes what's beautiful . . . somehow,  even more beautiful! 

 

 As a child I would welcome these last days of spring . . . tempting and teasing us into summer . . . with open arms.   At school as the days came warmer and warmer often pencils and books would be discarded of an afternoon for a friendly game of baseball in the fields next to the school yard, boys against the girls, all in good fun, or even a game of dodge ball.    We didn't have a gymnasium attached to our grammar school . . . the world was our gym, and warm and sunny days the catalyst for some wonderful exercise in the great outdoors!

Such fun those days were . . . such fun . . .

It has been a long time since I have enjoyed a game of baseball, or dodge ball . . . or Red Rover, Red Rover . . . 

 

 Mitzie loves these warmer, drier days as well.   She is finally, after a long wet and muddy winter, given over to free rein in the garden, the gate between the patio and the grassed area finally  being left open so that she can freely romp amongst the greenery and flora, sniffing and snuffling to her hearts content!

Playing ball . . .

Chasing the neighborhood cats away, laying claim and stake to what's rightfully hers . . .

Sitting in the warming sun and surveying and keep watch over her domain . . .

Ahh . . . summer . . .

“Green was the silence, wet was the light,
the month of June trembled like a butterfly.” 
~Pablo Neruda 

  

Oh, I know summer officially has a few weeks before it begins in earnest, but it is hard not to feel it is already here when we are enjoying the weather we have been enjoying in these recent days! 

 

We watched a film last night that was horrifying, inspiring and totally compelling.  An award winning Docudrama based on the real life story of Alison Botha, who in 1994 was raped then stabbed more than 60 times. Left for dead, she somehow finds the will to survive and turns trauma into triumph. I highly recommend.  There is a bit of bad language at the beginning, but for the  most part this was, for me, a very inspiring story.  It is horrifying however to think that such evil exists  . . . and yet, we know it does.  

 I had some time yesterday to do some art. Friendship, its a beautiful thing. 

And with that I better leave you with a thought or today . . .


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˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.“Bees do have a smell, you know, 

and if they don't they should, 

for their feet are dusted with spices 

from a million flowers.” 
~Ray Bradbury    •。★★ 。* 。 

I am listening to: The Greatest Among You, Dieter F Uchtdorf 

 

Baking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Cinnamon Cake.  Simple, delicious and smells fabulous when it is baking. This is a breakfast, brunch, coffee cake! 

Have a wonderful sabbath day!  Don't forget!

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And I do too! 

Things that make you go grrr . . .

 

In the spirit of sharing, as you all know I love to do, I thought today I would share some things recently which I have found pretty annoying.  Lets get it all out there! 

 

I love cheese spread.  I like it on toast. No butter, just cheese spread . . . most containers only hold enough for about 4 slices of toast, so I recently bought what looks like a much larger container.  I don't know why I didn't notice this in the shops . . .

 

What looks to be a nice sized container of cheese spread is really only half the size. That's because there is a huge concave bit on the bottom of the container which reaches almost halfway up the container.  Okay maybe a third of the way.  But the point is, they are trying to make you think you are getting more by deceitful packaging. I will still buy it anyways, but why not just show consumers exactly what they are getting instead of making it look like they are getting more. 

 

Grocery store specials that aren't really all that special. Most shelves will tell you on the little info card what the item costs per 100g.  But I have noticed lately that when they have something on "Special" the cost per 100g is interestingly missing from the one that isn't on "special."  Say for instance you want to buy oatmeal and they have the packs with 8 servings in it on special @ 2 for a certain price.  The packs that say 16 servings in them, will actually cost less than buying two of the other, but no cost per serving will be shown. Not sure if I am making sense here, but hopefully you will know what I am talking about. 

 

The incredible shrinking package. And it is happening all the time.  The price seems to stay the same, but the size you are getting for that same price is going down, down, down . . .  

There is actually a term for it. Its called  . . . 

"Shrinkflation."

And its real. They are all doing it. 

 

Now this one drives Todd mad.  Petrol prices that don't exist.  What is .9 in money?  Why don't they just charge 123p or 126p or 62p ????  Why charge a price that doesn't exist.  Have you ever put exactly one litre of petrol in the car or geri-can?  Impossible.  Because they can't give you .1 change. It doesn't exist. 

  

Jars that won't open.  I have a jar of mayonnaise in my cupboard that just won't open. I have tried everything.  I have tried heating the lid under hot water. I have tried using a special rubber grip glove. I have tried using a rubber band. I have tried banging it gently on the countertop.  I have tried literally everything.  That lid is not budging.  No matter what I do.  Annoying. 

 

Shrink wrap packaging, especially on cosmetics.  Pieces of plastic that are heat shrunk to fit on your tube of mascara, or foundation, etc. which purpotes to make them tamper proof, etc.  I timed myself trying to open a brand new tube of mascara the other day and it took me over 15 minutes. I kid you not.  First I couldn't get the supposedly easy to tear open strip to work.  I had to go find a pair of scissors and then try to get them in so they didn't damage the tube of mascara, and when I finally got it started, it only came off in tiny bits, only to discover once I had it all off that that piece of shrink wrap was only holding the bar thingie on it. There was an entire new layer of shrink wrap that I had to try to remove all over again to actually get into the mascara.  

But it is on everything.  Condiment jars, pickle jars, etc.  Sometimes its easy to get them started and off, but  more often than not, its a struggle. 

And don't get me started on the push down, squeeze and turn lids that are on

things like bleach bottles. 

I M P O S S I B L E 

 

Lettering on keyboards that wears off.  This is a photo of my actually key board. I am okay with it until I have to think about it, because I know how to type and I actually just type without having to look at the keyboard, but if I had to look at the keyboard I would be in big trouble because half of the lettering has worn off and my laptop is only about 2 years old.   As you can clearly see the A, S, D, E, N and M are non-existant. So is the L.  In fact the E has a little groove boring right into it. O is on its way out as well and H will soon be gone entirely also.  Oops so are C and V.  If this keeps up there will soon be no letters evident on my keyboard at all.   

 

I know there are at least 3 or 4 brushes left in it but  . . . . 

  

I can't get it out.  I will need to cut the end off the tube and 

wrap it in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.

Tick whichever applies . . . 

Toothpaste, handcream, shampoo, etc.

All of the above.

 

The fact that you can't buy any fresh produce in the grocery store that has a use by date of more than a few days. Seriously.  What's up with that?  Yes, I am the annoying person who digs underneath and way at the back to get the longest date possible.  I have very few food dollars to spend and I don't want to waste them on food which is going to go manky about 2 days after I bring it home.  That's another reason I don't really like online grocery shopping for fresh food.  If I am in the shops I will get the longest sell by date that I can, but when they home deliver, you always get something which is going to expire in a couple of days, maybe even today.  This mostly applies to things like salad fixings, fresh herbs, but also green beans.  Oh, and the size of the packages.  I don't know how families can afford to feed their children.  If one wants to look at some of the causes of child obesity just look at the difference in price differences between  unhealthy and healthy food.  For instance . . .  you can get a pack with 4 large sausage rolls in it for £1 but it will cost you twice that much to get a pack of green beans, and that pack of green beans might feed two people, not a family. Its criminal.  If the Government really wants to tackle obesity they might want to look at this issue.  If I have 3 strapping young lads to feed and keep full . . . and a limited budget. Well, its really a no-brainer.  

Shouldn't healthy food cost less than junk food???

 

And when was the last time you had a loaf of supermarket bread grow stale before it got mouldy?  Seriously my bin has about 3 half loaves of mouldy bread in it at present.  My whole wheat loaf (because I don't eat white), Todd's white loaf (because he doesn't eat whole wheat) and a half bag of buns.  I know you can buy smaller loaves, or half loaves and they would all get eaten, but they also cost more.

And those are just a few things that make me go grrr.  How about you? 

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

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° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.A successful woman is one

who can build a firm foundation 

out of the bricks that others

have thrown at her.  •。★★ 。* 。 

I am listening to: To Know God, Howard W Hunter. 

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Nut Jumbles.  Mmm . . . chewy coconut and toasted nut cookies with a browned butter glaze.

Have a great weekend. Its a bank holiday weekend here and today looks like it will be nice and sunny!  Don't forget! 

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And I do too!