Sunday Ponderings . . .

 

Come to me little sparrow, away from the pelting rain,

Tell me of your sorrows, and I'll tell you of my pain.

Come perch upon my windowsill,

And rest your weary wing;

and give to me the meaning of

the beautiful song you sing.

~Richard Ryan, from his prison cell

 

My sister came to my room last night after supper wanting me to come downstairs and help her to identify these birds that were at the feeder just outside one of the downstairs windows. Small, just a tiny bit larger than a chickadee, there were several there feeding on the seed, and a few on the ground.  "I think they are sparrows," I said.  We looked them up in the bird book to be sure and yes,  they were sparrows. There were two kinds. One I was fairly certain was a song sparrow, and the other perhaps a tree sparrow. 

Sparrows.  In the bird kingdom, they are pretty innocuous. Not very majestic. They are not large like eagles, nor do they sport the brilliant plumage of many other birds, but we were delighted to watch them last evening. They brought us joy.  

Not only was it fun watching them from our spot inside the warmth of our basement, but for me, it was fun doing this with my sister.  We have always loved to watch birds and I have many, many wonderful memories of us doing this together through the years. It just felt nice to be doing it together again. 

 

Sparrows might not be so impressive to look at. They are not large, or beautiful. Dull, brown . . .  blah. Every day we probably see a multitude of them without even noticing them. That is probably the most remarkable thing about them, in fact  . . .  the fact that they are so un-noticeable. 

And yet, as I watched these little birds feeding last night, I was reminded of the cheery sight of their little heads popping up out of the hedge at my home in the UK every morning.  The sun just coming up and these little golden sun-lit heads popping up out of the leaves of the hedge to greet the day, cheeping and making a stir, such a cheer-filled sound.   How the sound of their song garnished all my many days with joy. No, it was not the beautiful melodic song of a sky lark, a robin, or a blackbird. But the sound of them in the garden still brought me joy and I always noticed it if they went silent.

 

The scriptures talk about many different birds, most notably eagles, mentioning the size of their wings and their strength.  They even talk about Hens and chicks   . . .  and yes Sparrows. Birds matter to God.  Usually when sparrows are mentioned, they are used in the scriptures to denote insignificance. These small birds were so insignificant that in biblical times if you bought four sparrows to use for an offering, the seller would usually throw a fifth one in for free. (Luke 12:1-7) 

And yet, sparrows are so significant to our Heavenly Father that Jesus was able to use them and their insignificance to teach us a great lesson regarding those who feel they have no importance, and just how important we all are to God. 

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your father's care." ~Matthew 10:29 

I love knowing that I am not insignificant in the scheme of things.  That a God who cares about even something as small and innocuously plain as a sparrow also cares for me.  That brings me great comfort, and oh how much we all need comfort in the kind of world that we live in these days.  

Another thing I am thinking about this morning is prayer.  Most Sundays I am awake very early in the morning so that I can watch the church service on Zoom from my church congregation in the UK.   I missed the beginning of it this morning, but I was able to catch the last speaker, and he was speaking about prayer.  He talked about our prayers sometimes seeming like we are reeling off a grocery list to God. That gave me pause for thought.

Most times at the end of the day when I get around to praying, I am half falling asleep. More often than not I will actually fall asleep when I am praying.  I need to do better. 

“We need to carve out time—good time, high priority time—when we can kneel, if possible, and be vocal. Say the words. I believe that this process is basic to how God communicates with us and how He intends for us to communicate with Him,” ~Jeffrey R Holland 

Perhaps if I did, I would be better able to hear the answers He has for me, instead of seemingly flailing around in the dark like I do much of the time.  Especially over these past months, when my heart has felt so broken that were I even to voice my feelings out loud, I feel I would break into a million pieces. Maybe I need to break into a million pieces. Maybe if I did, more light would get in. Prayer is a bridge of love between us and our Heavenly Father.  Food for thought there.  

 

We took Queenie to the grocery shops and the mall yesterday.  She drives beautifully. What a great blessing!  

Wal-Mart was filled to the brim with people.  All masked of course,  and thankfully socially distancing. There were oodles of Easter treats for people to snap up.  I got a couple of Lindt bunnies for Eileen and Tim. Last year I remember being disappointed because Eileen and Anthony had had to cancel their trip to the UK due to Covid,  and we had been happily planning on how we were going to spend our Easter together.  And lookie-here, this year I can give her an Easter bunny in person!!!  Life is full of surprises.  As Forest Gump would say, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

What's your favorite chocolate in the box? For me it has to be either the one with the Turkish delight center, or the one filled with nuts.  I am happy with both.  And some days  . . . I am just happy with chocolate!

And with that I will leave you with a quote for the day . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★★ 。* 。

° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚

˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛

˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

 *.˛.° ˛°. .Think of all the beauty

still left around you and be happy.

~Anne Frank  •。★★ 。* 。 

 

I am sharing an old recipe in the kitchen today.  Deliciously simple, all on one pan, Oven Roasted Smoked Sausage and Potatoes. Delicious, easy, economical.   

Have a wonderful Sunday.  Whatever you get up to be happy and blessed, safe and healthy, and don't forget! 

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And I do too!   

Saturday this and that . . .

 

 

(couldn't find the source) 

This is my wish for you,

comfort on difficult days,

smiles when sadness intrudes,

rainbows to follow the clouds,

laughter to kiss your lips,

sunsets to warm your heart,

hugs when  spirits lag,

beauty for your eyes to see,

friendships to brighten your being,

faith so that you can believe,

confidence for when you doubt,

courage to know yourself,

patience to accept the truth,

Love to complete your life.

~Ralph Waldo Emmerson 

I love this poem by Emmerson. It is what I would wish for anyone to have. 

 

Here are my new-to-me wheels.  Its the best photo I could get as it was tipping it down yesterday, really torrential rain.  But here she is in all her glory. That is the winter tires you can see in the back seat. I will need to find  place to store those.  I have her all registered and insured and she is working beautifully at the moment. Finger's crossed it stays that way. I am a bit nervous having purchased her from an individual instead of a dealership, but here's hoping I landed on my feet.

Also, here is the tender mercy.  My phone rang about 2:30 and it was the Insurance Agent. She hadn't put the insurance papers in actually yet, and had been searching and searching and she found me insurance for a full thousand off the original quote.  Praise God!  I was so pleased.  Drove in and gave her back the first insurance papers she had given me yesterday morning and she handed me the new ones. I was ever so happy about that! 

 

"In stature she was very tall, in appearance most terrifying, 

in the glance of her eye most fierce, and her voice was harsh; 

a great mass of the tawniest hair fell to her hips; 

around her neck was a large golden necklace…”

~Cassius Dio, Roman Historian

I think I will call her Queenie.  After Queen Boudica (Boadicea) , the ancient Celtic warrior queen.  This is my chariot. I am woman hear me roar!

She took on the Romans and almost won! You can read more about this fascinating woman here.  

 

(Source) 

We had loads of thunder last night. I didn't see any lightening, but it was  out there somewhere.  The thunder was really rumbling however.  It made me feel all cozy and warm, tucked onto my bed as I watched tv and crocheted.  It was really raining hard too.  April showers coming early?  Maybe!

Its a bit windy out there this morning, but Dan was saying we are supposed to get really high winds tomorrow. I hope we don't all blow away to Oz!!  Or worse, lose our electricity.  Unbelievably, all the power lines here in the Valley are still above ground.  My sister was saying that most of the time when they lose the power it is during rainstorms not snow storms.

I have added a big flash light to my list of things I need to get when I finally move into my own place. My dad says he has a brand new iron and ironing board that I can have. (I hope he meant that.) He also said I can do my laundry at his place so I won't have to buy myself a washer/dryer right away.  That's very helpful, and I appreciate it.  I am sure my sister would let me do it here also.

 

 

I did not get any painting done this week, although I did get two tea towels embroidered, a hot pad crocheted and two dishcloths.  I was thinking I need to find another large crochet project, now that I have finished my blanket.  Perhaps another blanket?  Or some cushion covers?  I like to have a few things on the go so that when I get bored with one I can switch to the other. 

I was reading an article in an old Ensign magazine online from July 2004, by Elder M Russell Ballard, entitled Be Strong in the Lord. You can find that here. Its about putting on the armor of God to help us in these latter days. One of the things he advised us to do was not to waste the days of our probation by spending endless hours doing meaningless tasks. In other words, just as my mama always said, Idle hands are the Devil's work.

I am so grateful that I am the type of person who likes to keep her hands busy with doing.  I hate just sitting around.  I always have done. I have never been an idler.  I like to be working, creating, doing. 

 

I get a little devotional each morning from Dayspring.  This was a part of this morning's along with this verse. 

Even on the days when you can’t feel it, 

 when you just don’t see it, here’s what’s still true… 

 You’re loved. You’re not alone. 

 You have a purpose. There is always hope. 

I really love things like this.  I find them very encouraging, especially when you are going through a rough patch. 

I also just signed up to get inspiration for each day of Easter week on the Church of Jesus Christ page. (here)  To me, Easter is even more important than Christmas.  I want to get as much spirit into it as I can, and of course it is the week leading up to our semi-annual General Conference.  It is hard to believe that this will be the third one being broadcast during lockdown, but it is.

Can I be honest here?  Why not, I always am.  I am going to get the vaccine of course, but I think we are going to have to live with restrictions for a very long time, maybe even forever.  I do hope and pray every day that we will come to a time when we can gather with our family and friends once more, but I fear it will always be with restrictions.  I hope that I am wrong.

 

A few days ago when it was lovely and sunny and mild I had my bedroom window open for a few days in a row.  One evening as I sat in there working away at my various projects I could hear the birdsong from outside.  There was the coo coo of the morning doves, then the two cries from the chickadees (hoo hoo and chickadee dee dee) and then a crow would add his two cents worth.  I think I even heard the owl.  It was very lovely to listen to.  It will soon be added to by the sounds of the peepers and crickets.  oh how I have missed all these things over these past twenty years.

Although there was much in my UK garden to delight me as well.  Each place that we find ourselves has the propensity to bring us joy if we are open to it, and . . . yes, it is the small things which bring us the most happiness and which truly delight our souls.

And with that I will leave you with a thought for today  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.° ˛°. . Faith is seeing light

with your heart

when all your eyes

see is darkness.•。★★ 。* 。 

 

IN The English kitchen today  . . . Bread Machine Parker House Rolls.  Deliciously simple.

I hope you have a wonderful Saturday wherever you are.  Don't forget! 

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And I do too!  

My Friday Finds . . .

 

 

A few of the things I find each week that pique my interest and inspire me to want to do, create, become, etc. Maybe they will also inspire you!   

 

How to make felt succulents.  From the people at BHG.

Christmas Trio Potholders from Love to Sew.  Every year I say I am going to start early.  And every year I don't.

Laptop Sleeve sewing pattern.  From the Polka Dot Chair.

Crochet Cloche Hats.  Sweet.  If only I looked as cute in a hat.  Any hat. From The Whoot. 

 

Earl Grey Panna Cotta Tarts.  From Kitchen Heals Soul.

No source.  Just eye candy.  It looks simple enough. I love things like this. What a cute Easter Brooche this would make or decoration for an Easter Tree.

 

More eye candy.  From Beedeebabee.  I love what she creates. It is just beautiful.

 I love this stitch.  Not so much the colours, but that is an easy fix.  From Craftsy.

The House that Lars Built.  How to make a paper bag notebook.  

No source I could find, but how to make an envelope using a heart. 

 

Use an empty eye shadow box to make a portable water colour kit.  Love this idea!

  Simple Life.  Simple Art. 

 

 From Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth.  Beatrix Potter Inspired crafts.  I love this! 

 

 35 compelling first lines from books. An infographic from Visualistan.

 

How to open a new book.  This is very good to know.  I learned something.

 Things we say today which we owe to Shakespeare. Love this. From English Muse.

 

Stay at home Spa Day.  Cathy Filian. Make your own Body Scrubs, Lip Balms and soap! 

 

A Granny Motif market bag. Loving the colours. From Lion Brand. A free pattern. 

 

Mini Charm Square Patchwork Placemats.  From Sew 4 Home. 

 

I just love these Chicken Pot Holders.  Love the colours and the fabrics and the way their combs are 3D.  From Sew Inspired. No pattern, just eye candy. 

 

Panda Hall. Friendship Bracelets.  A ton of them.  Nice. 

 

Coconut Bunny Cake Tutorial. Jenny Steffens.  I could not find the actual tutorial. 

 

Bunting from old books.  Again, no source, but how hard could it be? 

 

Free Downloadable Woodland Stamps.  From Paper Crafter. 

 

Bunny Cookies and Milk.  From Munchkin Munchies.  These are so cute! 

 

10 Veggies you can grow indoors.  From Moody Mooch. 

 

Easter Pretzel Bunnies and Ducks. Cute. I could not find a source.

  And those are my finds for this week.  I hope you found something of interest.

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .

.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.° ˛°. . 
˛It is more fun to talk with someone who

doesn't use long words, but rather

short easy words, like

"How about Lunch?"

~A.A.Milne •。★★ 。* 。 

 

In The English Kitchen today, Creamy Reuben Soup.  Deliciously simple!

Have a great day.  Going to pick up my car this morning and then on to the motor vehicle place to register it, etc. Wish me luck! 

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And I do too! 

My Favourite Things . . .

 

 

These are a few of my favourite things. Maybe some of them are your favourites too. It is a good to take your mind off things that are bringing you down and to dwell on the good more often than not. You can admire without wanting. What can I say, I like to look at pretty things!   

 

Cheesies.  A world without cheesies is not a world worth living in, lol.  I love Love LOVE them!  They are crunchy, and yet  . . .  if you hold them in your mouth, they . . .  melt. 

 

Gingham anything . . .  but when it is curtains, red and white and has ruffles . . .  well it ticks all of my boxes!  

Say no more  . . . 

 

Inspiration and comfort from the Word of God. Where would I be without it.  I don't dare think about it.  Being able to read the scriptures has brought me so much comfort throughout my life. Wouldn't be without them.  

 

18th century carved wooden dolls.  I love them. They have a simple beauty.  

 

Hand embroidered tea towels. I love them. I'm slowly building my collection.

 

Fabric Yo-yo's.   

 

Italian Miniature Mosaics, especially in the form of jewelry.  I think they are quite beautiful and so very intricate.  This one is filled with colour.  One of my favourite parts in the V&A museum in London is the section on miniature mosaics. I also love the decorative tin can section, ohh, and the toys. I could look at these things for hours  . . . 

 

Ginger anything . . . 

 

Depression glass  . . . 

 

Blythe dolls. I don't have one, but I love looking at them.  I think they are so cute. 

 

Photographs of the Queen through the years.  (Doesn't William look like her?)  I am fascinated by the Queen, and yes, I collect photographs of her on Pinterest.  I also like to collect photos of Marilyn Munro and Audrey Hepburn.  They have faces that just draw you to them.  Like the Queen. 

 

I love these little glimpses into her life.  These photos seem to tell me a story, and its a story I am really, truly interested in.  (Look at that dog. Isn't he happy!!) 

 

Reading.  Reading is one of my favourite things to do.  I inherited the love of reading from a father who read to me often from the time I was a very young child.  I have had a difficult time getting into any book recently.  But hopefully that will change when I am feeling more settled.

 

Chubby babies.  How come chubby is only cute in a baby?  Its not fair, lol . . . 

 

(source, plus pattern) 

I love pin cushions, and needle books for that matter. I love making them and using them.  I just love pin cushions.  Any way, any shape, any kind. 

 

Blue and White  Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White  Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White  Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White  Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White  Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White Blue and White 

Blue and White!!

Anything. 

 

Bird houses.  I love bird houses and would have a garden filled with them if I could.  I love painting them also.   

 

Whirligigs.  I love them  . . . 

 

Hot dogs.  I adore them. I know I shouldn't, but I just love them.  So happy to be back in the land of good hot dogs!  I only like mustard and relish on mine, but that is because I cannot stand ketchup on bread at all. 

 

 

Old mirrors, crazed with age.  I love them. They have such character and if they could talk, what stories would they be able to tell? 

 

Cast iron beds . . .  especially painted ones . . . 

 

Maxine. She says out loud what we would all love to be able to say  . . .  out loud  . . . 

 

Angel figurines  . . .  any kind.  Love, Love them . . . 

 

Afternoon tea.  Love a good tea. I think when I get my own place, I will make it a habit to create a small tea for myself at least once a week. 

 

 

Lindt truffles.  I wish they would make a variety box of all the different kinds, but then again, it might get me in trouble because I wouldn't be able to resist.  They melt in your mouth  . . . 

 

Board games. I love them.  Maybe I will start collecting a few once I get into my own place. Something to play with Eileen and Tim when they come to stay.  I hope it won't be long. 

 

 

Words and their meanings.  I love them. As a child I used to read the Dictionary.  Yes, I was undoubtedly weird, but no matter.  It is good to be different than the crowd. I still love words and the simplicity of some and intricacies of others.  When I was growing up if we ever asked my parents what something was my father always told us to go look it up in the Dictionary.  I believe that my love of words has helped me to be a fabulous speller.  Of course these days I forget more words than I have learnt!  But hey ho, that's a part of getting old!  

 

Cap'N Crunch Cereal.  I have loved this forever.  So far I have resisted buying me some. It has too much sugar in it to be good for you, but I do love it so . . . 

 

Cruciferous vegetables  . . .  love, love, love them.  All of them. 

 

 

The Gilmore Girls.  I love the show. We used to watch it every night.  Sadly I have not been able to bring myself to be able to watch it since I left the UK.   

 

 

Winnie the Pooh and his view on life  . . .  

And those are my favourite things for this week. I hope that they were some of yours also! 

I got a quote for insurance for the car. OUTRAGEOUS!  All because I haven't lived in Canada for 20 years and have no driving history here since 2000.  Never mind that I have been driving without an accident since I was 16, and for most of that time in Canada.  I did have one accident just prior to me moving to the UK, but it wasn't my fault. A woman pulled out to pass me just as I was turning left.  They are treating me like a new driver even though I have a full license. I will pay it because I have no choice, but I think it verges on being criminal.

A thought to carry with you . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛. The food you eat can be either the

safest and most powerful form of medicine,

or the slowest form of poison.

~Ann Wigmore •。★★ 。* 。 

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  One Step Ham Casserole.  As easy as stirring some things together and baking them in the oven. No need to pre-cook the macaroni, etc.  And delicious as well.

Have a wonderful Thursday. I hope it is filled with lots of favourite things.  Don't forget! 

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And I do too!