The Simple Woman's Daybook . . .

 

 

FOR TODAY, June 25th, 2019

Outside my window ...

Its completely overcast, no rain yet, but I am betting it won't be long! It didn't rain yesterday but it was so hot and muggy, all of that moisture coming out of the ground. We had to dig out the fans and crank them up.  I am not a fan of hot and muggy. It just sucks away all my energy!

 

I am thinking ... 

Was looking at photos of Elvis's grandson Benjamin Keogh and wondering what it must be like to first of all be Elvis's grandson and then look so much like him on top of it all. What a burden that would be. It would be very difficult to find your place as a person in your own right.  I don't think I would like it very much.

I am thankful for...

Family, Faith, Friends . . .  three f-words in life that I could not/would not want to be without! The only f-words that matter.

One of my favourite things ...

 

 

I've helped my sister to get a new blog to help support her new business and get it up and running. Its called Lost Lovelies Found.  She has some really beautiful stuff on there, some cute things, some quite valuable finds, etc. She is also going to sell artwork once she gets going.  In any case you can find it here at Lost Lovelies Found.  Go give her some loving and follow her!  I know she will really appreciate it! 

 

In the kitchen ...

 

 

Tex Mex Chicken Clubs.  With layers of refried black beans, cheese, a spicy chicken stir fry, and crisp bacon, along with a Chipotle Ranch Drizzle Dressing, these please on many levels.  A knife and fork sandwich! 

 

On my "To Cook" list ... 

 

 

 

 

 

Stress Baking homemade Apple Cinnamon Toaster Strudels.  My youngest son used to love having a Toaster Strudel for breakfast.  I used to buy them just for him. They were quite tasty, but I am thinking homemade ones would be even tastier. 

 

Good to know ... 

 

 

 

I think this is quite true. 

 

I am creating ... 

 

 

Not quite finished with these yet.  I have to put wings on the bee doll and fill her backpack with goodies.  I need to make a pie carrier for my amish doll to carry her pie in and maybe rouge her cheeks.  And then put them in my Etsy Shop along with the ladybug one, etc. I also need to write little stories to go along with them.

 

Flower Brooch by Pants and Paper on Flickr. She has a beautiful stream. 

 

Crochet Bumble Bee at Attic 24.  So cute!  

 

Zoom Yummy on Etsy. Not free but not expensive either. Downloadable pdf.   

 

Whiskers and Wool.  Flower rings. Free pattern.  These would make great blind pulls!  

I am reading ... 

 

Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens

For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl.

But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable happens. Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Celeste Ng,

Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

This came highly recommended. I am really enjoying it, more than I have enjoyed a book in a while now!

I am looking forward to ... 

 

Eileen and Anthony coming over. I think it will be October now.  Trying to save as much money as  I can before they come so we can do some fun things together. I would love to be able to take them up to the Lakes and stay for a couple days. We'll see. 

Dreaming About ... 

 

Wildflowers and blue skys . . . 

 

Shooting stars and wishes  . . . . 

  

Quiet and cool  . . .  

 

Writing desks  . . . 

  

Tea and hot buttered crumpets  . . . .  

 

Getting new eyeglasses  . . . wishful thinking  . . . 

Makes me smile ... 

  

The art of Patience Brewster  . . .  so whimsical.

Something to watch ...  

 

Beecham House. Its a new drama set in Colonial India at the turn of the 19th century. So far so good! 

A thought to carry with you ...

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *Everything you've ever wanted

is on the other side of fear.

~George Addair •。★★ 。* 。 

Corners of my kingdom ... 

 

The Little Chapel in the Woods at Betws-co-ed in Wales. 

And that's my daybook for this week!



  ⋱ ⋮ ⋰
⋯ ◯ ⋯ Take time to enjoy the small *´¯`.¸¸.☆
  ⋰ ⋮ ⋱ blessings in life.*´¯`.¸¸.☆ 



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

Have a beautiful day!  Don't forget!  

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════  

And I do too!    

   

 

 

 

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 from the past week which brought untold joy into my life. It's the small things in life which truly mean the most. Simple abundance . . . it's the best. 

 

 

 

The roses which are blooming profusely in my garden at the moment.  They're so beautiful.   We have a lot of different kinds.  I don't know their names . . . just that I love them and they are gorgeous.   How can anyone look at all of the intricacies and beautify of any bloom and not see God?

I see God everywhere . . . 

 

 

 

 

Wildflowers.  Todd planted an area of wild flowers in our garden a few years back. I can't tell you what one of them is, but I can tell you that there is borage, clover and buttercups. The bees and butterflies love them all.  

 

 

 

 

I ended up not going to church yesterday as we had a very poorly doggie.  I nursed her all day and she was feeling more like herself by last night.  She is 9 now, which is getting elderly in doggie years.  I dread to think about what next . . .  She is our baby. Our only baby which we have brought up together. I know some people would pooh pooh that because she is a dog, but she is everything to us and we love her dearly.  She had eaten a lot of grass.  When I see her doing it I highly discourage it, but Todd thinks that dogs do that for medicine.  I think dogs do that because they are bored.  And I don't think it is good for them. So there!  I am not going to let her over onto the grassed area any more unsupervised. 

 

 

Dreams coming true. I have my blooming geraniums on the windowsil. I think the centre ones will be white, but I am not bothered, I have red on either end!  Yay! Don't you just love those glass birds. They make such a pretty show in the window.  I am still on a look out for a star to honor my mum.

 

Its completely done, but what to do with it now.  There is the Mad Hatter's Hat, the 3D toadstool with a Drink Me Bottle and silver plated spoon on top, che Cheshire cat in the air on the 3D branch, at the base of the toadstool a clock an house of cards, the dress of course (curiouser and curiouser) with the silver key in it's pocket and the tiny black mary jane shoes and a small porcelain teapot.  The practical side of me wants to sell it, which was my whole purpose in making it to begin with, but the sentimental side of me wants to keep it because I am so pleased with how it turned out.  Which side of me will win  . . . . 

 

Working with my hands again.  I have three bodies done. Two others and this one. I need to do the head for this one and I want to fill the ruck sac with stuff pertaining to bees.  When done this I will sell. Pennella Bee.  The little girl who loved bees. 

 

The Voice Kids, uk, 2019. I love this show. The children are amazing and so are the judges.  I love how they validate each child and their performances, even if they didn't turn for them. They can't turn for all of them because each judge only has so many spots to fill and there are a lot of kids auditioning.  In the Adult version of the show if no judge has turned the contestant has to leave the stage and the judges never do talk to them. In the children's version, the judges all turn at the end and do speak with them and give them plenty of positive feedback and encouragement.  I think this is a wonderful thing.  Those children are so brave to even get up there.  It is difficult I would imagine as an adult to do that, but as a child, I can't imagine the courage it takes. Love, LOVE this show.  It is so positive.  Love Will I Am, Danny and Pixie too. They are really nice people.  Jessie J seems nice also, but this is her first year doing it and I am not sure about her.  I don't really know her.  I don't really know the others either truth be told, but I feel like I do if that makes sense.  

 

I haven't been able to talk to our Eileen pretty much for about a week now. Her Wifi won't work on her tablet in Tim Hortons. Her dad let her borrow his phone for a few minutes on Saturday so I did get to talk to her for about five minutes then which was nice of him. I think she is  going to get a new tablet. We will see.  I have really missed our conversations, and I know she has too. That is a special blessing, this older daughter of mine . . .  I truly appreciate that she loves and wants to spend this time with me. It means the world to me.  I am really looking forward to seeing her and Anthony in the autumn. 

 

I know many gardeners hate these, and I feel for them . . .  but to me I see a thousand wishes when I see these. Oh to be a child and believe in the magic of wishes . . . 

  

"Youth can not know how age thinks and feels.

But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young."

~JK Rowling, Harry Potter, The Order of the Phoenix

I am grateful for my "young" heart which enables me to be silly sometimes and laugh at myself in a multitude of ways.  Oh, I know . . . that first look in the mirror in the morning is a real kicker some days, but I still feel inside as I did years and years ago.   

  

Pancakes . . .  this is what we had for supper yesterday . . .  with some streaky bacon (naughty), sliced peaches and maple syrup.  Sunday night pancake suppers  . . .  they're the best! 

And those are my small and wonderfuls for this week!

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *Smile! It may never happen,

and if it does, well . . . 

we'll deal with it then!  •。★★ 。* 。  

I know I am a bit of an Ostriche at times, sticking my head in the sand. 

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Oven Baked Spinach, Onion & Feta Omelettes.  Tasty and built for just two. 

Have a wonderful day and a week filled with promise and an abundance of small and wonderful pleasures.  Don't forget along the way!

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════

 

And I do too! 

 

 

Something for Sunday . . .

 

(I couldn't find the artist)

I hardly ever have enough time these days to do a proper post on Sunday mornings, so I am just going to post a picture, and then you can tell me what it makes you feel or think in the comments.  I will too.   

 

Saturday this and that . . .

 

(Mollie Brett)

Great is the sun and wide he goes

Through empty heaven with repose;

and in the blue and glowing days

more thick than rain he showers his rays. 

Though closer still the blinds we pull

To keep the shady parlour cool,

Yet he will find a chink or two

To slip his golden fingers through.  

The dusty attic spider-clad

He, through the keyhole, maketh glad;

And through the broken edge of tiles

Into the laddered hay-loft smiles.

Meantime his golden face around

He bares to all the garden ground,

And sheds a warm and glittering look

Among the ivy's inmost nook. 

Above the hills, along the blue,

Round the bright air with footing true,

To please the child, to paint the rose,

The gardener of the World, he goes. 

~Robert Louis Stevenson, Summer Sun  

 

Musica  Well the sun stuck around for a whole day yesterday. Very fitting for the first day of summer!  It looks to be a sunny day today also. 

We were able to get out into the garden yesterday and do a few chores.  I say "we" rather loosely of course.  Yesterday for me was one of those bad days with my arthritis that I struggled to even go up the stairs.  It was my left knee and my right lower back.  I don't know what is up with that.  It moves around and never stays in the same place for very long.  (Thank goodness!)  

 

We picked a  big bowl of black currants from the black currant bush, so I will be looking for something to do with them today.  I don't want to make jam. It takes too much sugar, but maybe I will make Todd a pie or some such.  We discovered a whole pile of mildewed and slug bitten strawberries in the strawberry patch.  That's the problem with lots of rain  . . .  it brings out the slugs.  I had been saving egg shells and so I crumbled them and scattered them around the berries.  Slugs can't crawl over them apparently. They are too sharp. It was sad to see all the  mildewed ones however . . .  

There are still plenty to come though, so much to look forward to.  Todd says he can't see any apples or plums on our trees and only a few pears.  He says that if we don't get any fruit from them again this year, he will cut them down and dig them out in the autumn.  It makes me a bit sad to think about that.   

I remember when we planted them that first summer we moved back here to Chester. We had such high hopes that we would be enjoying plenty of fruit from them.  We lost the first pear tree we planted to fire blight, so we got another one.  

We planted a full vegetable garden the first year also, planting peas and beans, potatoes, carrots, etc.  Our soil is not good for vegetables we discovered. It is too much like clay.  We've had much more success planting things in pots, and so that is what we do now.  We plant things like beans and tomatoes.  Can't wait! 

  

Of course Mitzie was very happy to run up and down the garden sniffing and snorting.  Trying to catch up with all the goings on that she had missed while the rain was pelting down and the gate was closed.  Todd finished up clipping the hedge.  We have a huge hedge. It goes all the way down on both sides and across the back.  Its quite tall also.  I saw on FB the other day where my next door neighbour had asked for recommendations for someone to pull down a hedge and put in a fence.  I can only think she must be thinking about her hedge in the front as it goes across her front and then up the other side which isn't shared with anyone else's garden.  It would cost a fortune to get rid of the one we share in the back.  Its quite long, being the length of the back gardens of six other houses. She would need to talk to our landlord also as it is a shared hedge.  At this point I don't think Todd would really mind not having it to trim, but it is home to lots of sparrows, and I would hate to see them lose out.   

Speaking of the birds, I could hear some flapping going on late yesterday afternoon and when I checked it appeared to be Wood Pigeons.  I am not sure what was up with them.  They were flapping about and making a lot of noise.  They can get quite noisy with their wings.  I don't know if they were fighting or whatnot.    

Lots of fledglings at the moment also.  Mostly sparrows. We don't get many other varieties of birds.  I have seen Jackdaws, the occasional tit, blackbirds, starlings and the odd robin. Mostly it is just the sparrows and wood pigeons.  We enjoy them anyways, even if we don't have lots of colour to look at.  Its quite exciting when something else arrives.  The odd time we have had a gold finch and we once had a Sparrow Hawk, which we were not too happy about!  

 

I got to talk to my dad for a bit on facetime yesterday.  He is doing very well.  We didn't have a lot to talk about.  We both lead quite boring lives for the  most part I guess!  But it was nice to finally catch up and have a chat.  I had tried several times over the past couple of weeks to call him on the telephone, but couldn't catch him at home and his voice mail is full so I couldn't leave a message either. He doesn't know how to empty it.  He goes over to my sister's a lot for suppers and such. He says she is a good cook.  No surprise there!  I know she meets him at the mall for coffee and breakfast sometimes also.  Sure wish I could be there. 

 I talked to my son earlier this week on the facetime also.  He seems to be doing okay. I think he is a bit spooked by it all.  He keeps his blood pressure cuff and nitro very close and checks it frequently.  I don't blame him. 37 is awfully young to have a heart condition. I would be spooked as well. He is off work until the second week of July.  I hope he will be okay.  He says food without salt is very bland.  I told him he would get used to it eventually and then he would find food cooked with salt far too strong.  

 

And I'll close with a few pictures of Doug's boys enjoying the summer thus far.  From upper left to right, Jon in a hamster ball, Josh the mad scientist,  effervescent Jake in the hamster ball, and Jake and Josh.  Fun, fun, and more fun!

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

 

Its a picture one! 

 

In The English Kitchen today . . .  Rocky Road Brownies.  Dangerously tasty!  Especially in a house where only one of us is fond of chocolate bakes!  Yikes!

Have a beautiful second day of Summer!  Don't forget! 

 

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════

 

And I do too!