She gives herself in little ways of love
A kindly handclasp or a small caress
Calls gaily to you from her kitchen door,
Offers to help you make a summer dress,
Brings you a waterlily from her pool,
A little pan of cookies, hardly cool.
She visits strangers when they come to town,
And makes them welcome when they go to church,
Praises their babies . . . lends her garden tools,
Helps them when someone leaves them in the lurch,
Gives you a little pat when you are blue,
Thinks up some kindly thing to do for you.
She gives herself . . . her loving heart and soul
Reaches across the barriers of creed
To find the hidden core of loneliness
The deep unfathomed well of human need,
In whose rich depth eternal waters flow
Clean as the drifted fields of prairie snow.
She gives herself -- and in the sacrifice
Gathers her just reward beyond all price.
~Edna Jacques, My Neighbor
Roses in December, 1944
I read this poem this morning and immediately thought of my neighbor to the right of me, Zilla. She is always on the go, doing things for people. Weeding Sheila's garden so that it looks neat and tidy for the spring. Bringing Sheila the paper every day when she is through with it so that Sheila can read it. At Christmas she had all of the ladies in the neighborhood over for tea and goodies one afternoon, which was so much fun. We got to know each other a tiny bit more than we did. Every holiday she decorates the front of her house appropriately and drops off a tiny gift of baking to share. She doesn't pry or nosy in, but you know that if you ever needed anything at all, you could call on her, at any time.
She is just a good person. A good, good person. Everyone should be blessed to have such a neighbor as that. I think one day I will get a bouquet of flowers and a thank you card and drop them off to her door just to thank her for the many kindnesses she does for others. To let her know she is seen, and appreciated.
My income tax man is dropping off my return this morning. Good news on that front. I am actually getting a substantial return this year. WHEW! I was quite worried I would have to pay. Apparently I was very good at paying over and beyond what I had to over the past year. I knew my earnings were down by more than a third from the year before. But I still worried anyways. Even so I was paying 30% of them dutifully each month to the CRA just in case. I was so relieved to get his call yesterday. This was a real day brightener to say the least.
Now I don't need to worry about how I am going to get some plant pots for the front garden.
I did go out with Cindy and Dad and his friend Maryann yesterday afternoon. I got the cat food I needed and a few other little bits. On the way home we stopped at the chicken farm. They had the most delicious looking Cheese & Broccoli Quiche in the refrigerator which they had baked. Eileen and I had only been going to have wieners and beans for supper, but I thought about how much she loves quiche and broccoli and cheese, so I couldn't resist getting it for us for our supper. We dined on that plus some salad. She was so thrilled with it. She already has plans to have another piece of it for her breakfast this morning. I love doing little things like this that bring her joy. She was really chuffed earlier this week when I baked her that Pineapple Upside Down Cake.
She didn't end up going to that African Choir concert at the Baptist church last night. She decided it would be too crowded and she wouldn't be able to find a place to sit and she wouldn't have anyone to sit with in any case, so she was just as happy to stay home. We were going to binge on The Waltons and have Banana Splits, but I had a funny turn so ended up in bed early. I don't know if it was a side effect from my Covid Booster or not. I felt fine once I was laying down. We will do the Waltons and Banana Splits tonight.
This week was the BYU Women's conference and I have been watching it on YouTube. I have really enjoyed the talks so far. Last night in bed I listened to one by
Sister Runia and it was excellent. I thought you might also enjoy listening to it, so that is the link to it there.
"The moon doesn't shine on its own. It reflects the light of the sun. And in a lot of ways, we are the same. On our own, we sometimes feel dim, afraid, not enough, even overwhelmed. But when we turn towards Jesus Christ, we begin begin to reflect his light. It reminds me of part of Mother Teresa's daily prayer. She prayed,
"Flood my soul with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that my life may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus."
Isn't that beautiful? Letting his radiance shine through you is not about being perfect or even pretending you're perfect. It means staying close to him so his light naturally shines in your life.
It was a beautiful talk. I think you might enjoy listening to it as well so have linked it up there. The broadcast ended with a beautiful song written and sung by Kenzie Robinson entitled Heavenly Home. You can listen to it at the link up there. It is simply beautiful. I have listened to it twice already this morning and I just know you will love it as well.
If something brings light into your life what a good thing it is to share that light with someone else.
Did you make May Baskets when you were a child at school. I remember making them in Elementary School. They were only simple affairs. Small paper baskets filled with colored paper flowers. We then left them on a friend or a neighbors door. It was something I really enjoyed.
"May Day baskets can have many different appearances—they're baskets, bags, or boxes filled with flowers, toys, or treats that are left anonymously for friends and neighbors on the first day of May. What makes them special is the way they're given. Traditionally, May Day baskets are taken to the recipient's house and hung on the doorknob or left on the porch in secret, a sweet, unexpected way to brighten up a neighbor's May Day."
I don't know that many people do this anymore, but what a sweet tradition it is. I wish I had thought to do it for a few of my neighbors yesterday. That would have brightened a few days I am sure.
You can read more about this tradition
here. It's history, how to make a May Basket, etc. Too late perhaps for this year, but there is always next year.
I know in the U.K. May Day is a big thing. There will be May Pole dances this weekend, etc. I remember going into London one Saturday to see Les Miserables and there were a bunch of children in one of the parks with a May Pole. It was wonderful to watch.
This is a long weekend over there.
Well, I know this is a short post this morning, but I am at the limit of my endurance sitting here at my computer. I have been up and down like a Yo-yo even so. I am going to close this now. My back is not as bad as it was a week ago, but it is still not great. I guess I will have to make an appointment with the Doctor.
I hope today to be able to catch up with some comments and emails.
A thought to carry with you . . .
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• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
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˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*Always be on the lookout
for the presence of wonder
~E.B. White
I hope that you have a beautiful weekend filled with light and with love. Whatever you get up to be blessed. Don't forget!
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And I do too!