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.   

Time spent with David and Christine. I really enjoyed their visit. It was lovely to get to see Christine and spend time with her. I had not seen her in several years as she had been unable to leave her father. We all really enjoyed spending time with the both of them. Dan got to go up in a small plane and fly over the valley. Cindy, Christine and I got to visit together. Dad got his computer cleaned. We got some things sorted for when the time comes for Dad to go.  We got to eat some really good food. We got to spend quality time with the people we love. Win/win all around! 

Weekends with Eileen. Eileen and I both really enjoy these. We just love spending time together like this. We did some work in our mindfulness books. She did some diamond art. We did some cooking. We watched a good film (It's Complicated). We laughed, a lot. We went to the store together.  We just plain enjoyed each other company. So much fun. Love her very much.

Still waiting on results. 

 

(source)

I did not get to go to church this weekend as it was being held down in Annapolis and I didn't want to be away from Eileen for that long, just in case.  It wasn't being zoomed either, so I did church online. For me that meant watching Music and the Spoken Word, Unspoken (scripture study) and listening to a few good talks on YouTube by some church leaders. I was spiritually well-fed regardless of not being there. It's all good.

The sight of this by my front door still brings me joy. I love it. I am not sure where I will put it when the season ends. I suppose I will have to try to find some space for it in my garage. (the wagon) I do love seeing it out on the porch. It is sweet and cheerful. And I love the pop of color.  I never did get a new doormat. 

 

(source)

Spending time with my sister.  We don't always see eye to eye on things, but it doesn't matter. We always agree to disagree and we do see eye to eye on enough of many things that count. I have been richly blessed by the Lord with a good family. Love my sister so much. She means the world to me. She has been my best friend for more years than I can shake a stick at. She is one of my life's richest blessings. I am so grateful for her presence in my life.

 

(source)

I am so grateful for my wee little home. God really blessed me when I found this place. It is the perfect size for me to cope with. I don't have to worry about yard work, Winter or Summer. It's all taken care of. I am also very grateful that I have the ability to work to pay for it. That has been another great blessing in my life. God has been very generous with me, and His timing in all things is perfect.

Each of you. You come here to visit me each day and leave your lovely comments, even though I am often very tardy in responding. I appreciate each one of you so very much. Probably even more than you know.  I feel your presence and support and it means a lot to me.

Its hard to believe, but today marks 29 years since we lost Princess Diana.   I can still remember exactly what I was doing when the news came over the telly that she had been in an accident.  I was living in Georgetown, Ontario and I was playing Yoshi's Island with the boys on the video player in the boy's bedroom when my husband called out from our room to say that she had been in an accident.  I remember sitting in the room and watching CNN until we went to bed that night and then dashing out and turning the news on first thing in the morning to discover the news that she had passed away.  Oh what sad news that was.  This was one of life's defining moments, much like when President Kennedy was assassinated or when man walked on the moon.   One of those moments where you remember exactly what you were doing, feeling, etc. when the incident happened.

Forever young and forever in our hearts. Never forgotten.

This is the key to a happy life.  Gratitude.  Focusing on what you have instead of what you don't have.  Finding joy in the now.  Every single day has a silver lining.  Dwell on that.  When you choose to be happy and live life seeking for the positive, life just gets better.   It is better to appreciate what we have already been given.  Why would anyone give us more if we can't find joy in what we already have?

My life is a happy balance of good, bad and everything in between. All things that I can handle with the Lord's help thank goodness. I am blessed.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

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

˛*What if you woke up today

and the only things you still had

were the things you thanked

God for yesterday  . . . 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Easy Oven Baked Breakfast Tacos, for one.  I made these for Eileen yesterday and she loved them.  I love to make her happy.

I hope you have a beautiful day and a beautiful week. It is considerably cooler this morning, but it should get warmer as the day progresses. Our niece is coming back and has rented a place by the shore for two days. I hope she will be warm enough.  In any case I hope your day rocks!  Don't forget! 

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!    

   

Saturday Nice . . .

 

(source)

The winds that blow o'er little fields

Have healing in their wake,

Because they blow by growing trees

Between the leaves and take

Part of their fragrance for their pay

To spill along the right-o-way.

The wins that blow where waters lie

Have peace in every whiff,

Lifting the scent of salt and kelp

Above a high white cliff,

Where an old sailor mends his sails,

Or rides the seas long salty trails.

The winds that blow up city streets

Bring to the dusty mart,

The scent and sound of crystal springs

Where mighty rivers start,

Of little crevices and coves

As fragrant as the smell of cloves.

The winds that blow from Hudson Bay

Carry the taint and taste

Of tundra moss and glacier ice

The Arctic's dreary waste,

Of lonely frontiers rimmed with snow

The northern lights fantastic glow.

And men -- caught in the city's press

Bow down their heads with loneliness.

~Edna Jacques, The Winds that Blow

Hills of Home, 1952

I have always loved the wind. It fascinates me. As it brushes past me I often think of all the other places, peoples and things this same wind has brushed past. Nobody knows where it came from or where it is going . . . it just comes and it just goes. Oh sure we can tell the direction of it  . . .  North, South, etc. but where does it start. Where is it's beginning . . .  and where will it end. It carries with it the smell and feel of all the places.  I love to sit at the shore on a hot day and feel the wind brushing past me, cooling me down and smelling of salt and sea . . . and think of the waves it's tossed and watching the gulls that ride and soar  with it as it flows as if they are on some sort of carnival ride.

And then there is the feeling of safe and comfort one gets when they are indoors looking out at the wind as it bends the bushes low to brush the earth and makes the trees dance and sway, while rain beats upon the window panes, and a groan whispers through the eaves . . .  a shiver runs down your spine at the thought of being out in it, and you are most happy to be indoors.

I love to watch it carry the snow and blast it across the road, creating swirls and peaks . . . and caves and coves . . .  again, it makes me glad to not be out in it.

It can be as peaceful as a soft breeze which brushes your cheeks, almost as if the fingertips of God were playing upon your skin . . . and it can take our breath away as we fight against it's strength in a storm. I have seen people bent low trying to circumnavigate it's flow.

And yet  . . .  the wind itself is unseen. We only see and feel it's touch. It is a most mysterious thing is the wind. A most mysterious thing . . . 

(source)

One of our friends when it comes to the wind is having a good cardigan to put on to keep us warm. I love a good cardigan. When I was much younger (and thinner) I loved having a cardigan set (twin set) with a short sleeved pullover and a cardigan that matched. I remember having several sets that I loved. They had little pearl beads on the front of the pullovers. I had a maroon colored set and a khaki green set. I loved to wear them with jeans. I felt so elegant when I did so.

I have always loved pretty things and wearing pretty things  . . . I can remember one time my sister bought me a beautiful red and white woven skirt, almost like gingham. It was so pretty. I had a little white eyelet blouse that I liked to wear it with. 

I can remember all of my favorite dresses from when I was a child. We used to wear dresses all the time back then. I had a pale blue one which had a full skirt decorated with white crochet lace. There was a pattern of elephants in the lace and it had ties that crossed in the back and tied into a bow. That was a gift from our next door neighbors' grandmother. Their name was Ducommun and I called her Grammy Ducommun. For some reason she had taken a liking to me and had sent me this pretty little dress. She also sent me a Christmas card one time that was a record. I am still friends with the son of the family. He is my friend on Facebook.  He is a photographer now.

I used to sew all of my dresses when I was in high school. I loved the Style patterns. I had some really pretty ones.

Now I dress for comfort and ease.

 

(source)

The hummers are slowing down now. I have noticed fewer of them at the feeders these past few days. A small female, that's about all. The aerial battles haven't been happening.  The last few weeks I had been refilling the feeder twice a week, but this past few days it has hardly gone down at all. I checked online and it says that the migration begins around the end of August, beginning of September. I always miss them when they leave.  They bring me and the cats hours of fun when they are at the height of their activity. 

Bailey with his favorite toy

Cindy and took Bailey next door to spend time with Sheila yesterday morning. We also visited with her at the same time. She was so pleased to see him. She is doing so well, and of course enjoyed the company.  Cindy told her that on the days that she brings dad into town to go to Tim Hortons, she will also bring Bailey and leave him with Sheila for the hour that Dad is at the coffee shop.  She was quite happy about that. Bailey was happy to see her of course. Dogs never forget.

 

(source)

We spend so much time bracing ourselves for the big things - - the promotions, the grand celebrations, the departures - - that we treat the time in between as a pathway we're walking to get to the next step. But lately, I've realized that most of life happens in those in-betweens, and they're worth acknowledging and celebrating.

As easy as they are to overlook, the in-betweens are always there and no less beautiful than the grand moments.  Five minutes here and five minutes there  . . .  that song on the radio in the car that you pause to listen to through to the end, even if you've already reached your destination  . . .  you may even find yourself singing along. The quiet and comfort of cleaning up after having had a crowd over for dinner . . . the remains of a well-spent evening with loved ones and friends. The moment, after pushing open a window, that the breeze begins to play with the curtains, making them dance and sway to an quiet tune that only they can hear. That moment between day or night  . . .  when dusk falls and the world feels quieter . . .  a hush falls as the earth is bathed in the golden glow of neither here nor there. That coolness of the sheets that whisper over your toes when you first slip between the sheets at bedtime  . . . 

A beautiful life is not about adding more to it; it's about noticing what's already ours and already there and feeling grateful for it. Slowing down . . . and letting these things unfold in the beautiful way that they do. Life is not lived in the big events . . .  it's lived in the moments between them, the magic in the gaps.  You're already in the middle of it, and it's beautiful.

 

(source)

*。*˚HOW TO BUILD  BEAUTIFUL LIFE*。*˚

• Open the windows to let fresh air in, even if only for a few seconds
• Keep a candle on the table and light it, just because
• Take your morning drink to a special place where you can sit quietly, sip and enjoy in peace
• Have a comfy chair or corner that you return to often
• Keep a book you are reading nearby, just in case you have time to read a few pages
• Listen to audio books while you putter, or better yet, music you really enjoy listening to
• Step outside on a sunny day and let the sun play on your face for just a few moments, just because
• Fold blankets and fluff pillows
• Buy a bouquet of pretty flowers for yourself, again . . . just because
• Have pockets in your day where you have absolutely nothing planned and then do nothing
• Cook something simple and enjoy the process
• If you live on your own, cook yourself a beautiful meal and then sit down to enjoy it with a full set table and some lovely music playing, savor every mouthful, and then have dessert
• Keep something old, simply because you love it
• Write things down, even if nobody else will ever read them
• Notice when something feels good and then stay with it a bit longer than you normally would
• Watch a favorite movie again, even if you have watched it a bazillion times already
• Brush your hair with a hundred strokes

A beautiful life may look different for each of us, and if often changes with the times and seasons of our lives . . . build it anyways.

And that's about all I have to share for today.  I will be picking up Eileen later today for our sleepover. She is so excited to come and I am very excited to have her. I am not sure what movie we will watch, but we will enjoy it whatever it is, simply because we are sharing it together.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

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

˛*An ordinary life can be extraordinary,

There is beauty in imperfection,

And that magic can be found in 

the every day.

In The English Kitchen today, Easy No Knead Light Rye Bread. This is one of those batter type of breads. Simple to make and oh so tasty!

 I hope your day is as beautiful as you are.  May you be richly blessed and cared for. Don't forget!

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!    

   

Dear Neighbor . . .

 

(source)

AUGUST 28th, 2026

Estate Lane

Nova Scotia

17*C/64*F

Partly Sunny

Dear Neighbor,

Hello on this warm and sunny, well partly sunny, Friday morning. The last Friday in August of 2026. I cannot believe how quickly this year seems to be flying by and I know I am not alone in thinking or saying that. 

Already though, there is a change in the air. I can see the leaves beginning to turn. The hummingbirds have started their end of season storing up. I am refilling my feeder about twice a week now. Summer appears to be on the wane and yet  . . .  I am getting the first real number of ants in the house that I have had all season. Weird that  . . . 

In the words of the Immortal bard, "Summer's lease hath all too short a date."  Summer is a fleeting romance, and though she only graces us with her presence for a few short months of the year, we tend to make the most out of her for as long as we can.

As summer slips by, and autumn slowly begins to take her place, I hang onto the joys she has left me with for as long as I can, burying them deep somewhere in my mind for when I need to be reminded, in the depths of winter that summer is still on the way.  Just like summer, life can be fleeting. The truest form of magic is being romanced by life. Holding on to the sweet memories we are given, sweet moments, moments that make us happy, the moments we are serenaded with joy. And my summer has been full of them. 

 

(source)

As we were leaving the restaurant on Wednesday evening, having built another sweet summer memory with our niece, I noticed my cousin Hal and his family sitting at a table. We had to stop and say hello.  Hal is the cousin who was so ill in hospital not that long ago. He is home now and still has a long row to hoe but it was so nice to see him there and out an about. Although, I did note that he was not eating anything and he looked very frail, thin and dare I say it, old and tired. This is my cousin who I can remember doing handsprings across the room as a young boy and teen, the glint of his blue eyes sparkling with enthusiasm and all the joys of life. He is a good man is Hal. I hope he continues to regain his health and is soon back . . . if not doing handsprings . . . to feeling much, much better than he has been in a long time.

One of my happiest memories is of going to his wedding and the reception afterwards. What a good time that was. Mom was still in her dancing years, our Aunt Freda (Hal's mother) was still alive, with the same sparkling blue eyes, my sister was there on a rare visit her to Nova Scotia. We laughed a lot that day  . . . simply one of those sweet moments captured in my mind's eye that still brings me joy when I bring it out to reflect on it. 

 

(source)

My next door neighbor Sheila is home now. She got home yesterday. I have not been over to see her yet. She had lots of people going in and out yesterday. She has been through a lot.  To be home, after what she experienced with the broken hip, arm, wrist, etc. at her age is quite an accomplishment and a great testimony to her will to keep going. 

I will try to make a moment today to go over and see her and welcome her home. I am sure she will have a ways to go yet, but she is amazing. I think.  I am sure Cindy will be bringing Bailey over to see her as well, although it will probably be quite a while before Sheila can really resume the care of him. I am sure she will enjoy visits however and so will he.

I can only imagine how sweet the reunion will be. Life is filled with little wonders and jewels.

 

(source)

Eileen has an appointment today to be fitted for her hearing aids. She is a bit excited/nervous about that. She has always had problems with her ears. From the get-go she has been plagued with ear infections, etc. One right after another. I cannot tell you the number of times she has had to have tubes in her ears. I am sure it will be a bit of a learning curve for her and a bit of a wonder once she can fully hear again. I hope she can cope.  She was feeling a bit anxious about it last night when I spoke with her.  But she also has something to look forward to today.  The whole group is going to a place called Frank and Dora's for lunch, so that will be nice for her. She really enjoys our dinners out on Wednesday nights. I will be picking her up early afternoon tomorrow for our "sleepover" weekend. She also enjoys those. And I enjoy having her. It seems pretty quiet here without her around.

I am wondering how long it will be before we get the results of her biopsy, etc. It's been two weeks on Monday since she had the procedure. The cogs of the health care system move slowly here in Nova Scotia, but at least they move.

 

(source)

I will be going with Cindy this afternoon to take Dad and his friend Maryann to the mall. They did not go last week as our brother was here. I expect Maryann will be very happy to see him, and he her as well. It is a bit of a weird one. She, I am sure, sees him as being her boyfriend.  She always looks so nice when she comes out to the car. She is in great shape for her age. I believe she is 92.  She still walks very well and except for the fact she is deaf, totally with it. She is always so excited to see him.  My dad, on the other hand, is always quick to say she is just a friend. He likes to keep his options open. That has never changed, despite his age or his inability to get around safely. He has always had an eye for the ladies.

But he does enjoy this trip out. It is getting more difficult however. His mobility is really declining. Two weeks ago when we took them I found myself wondering how much longer he would be able to manage the outing. It is quite tiring for him, as much as he does love to get out. He is really slowing down. 

When my brother was here, he and my sister went to the funeral home to arrange a few things. I hate thinking of things like that, even though I know they are inevitable. They got his obituary written and my sister in law wrote a bit of a life's history formulated by asking him questions etc. Some surprising things came out that none of us had known. I will have to remember to download it and read it again, and then upload it to the memories on my Family Search app.

 

(source)

Cindy and I always go shopping while Dad and Maryann visit together. We did go to the Superstore yesterday and I got a bit in for the weekend, so I really won't have much to get today. Mostly I need cat food and hand soap/wash. A few other little bits. Not a lot really. 

I picked up a small turkey breast portion for Sunday lunch yesterday. Cindy is only having lunch for the family every second week now with the odd weeks being golf day.  So I picked up a small turkey breast portion for Eileen and I to cook together. I will make all of the fixings to go with it. I am sure she will enjoy that. I know I will.

 

(source)

"Never go too long without celebrating this life. Never get so caught up on the day-to-day busyness, the worries and troubles, the comparisons and doubts that you forget just how wonderful it is to be here. Never get so caught up that you forget to notice all of the blessings worth celebrating right around you. Celebrate those who care about you so deeply, the ones who always lift you up and help you. Celebrate all of the little victories in your day-to-day to-do lists and the things you love to do each day. Celebrate all of the things that make the little moments of life so wonderful and vibrant, too -- your favorite shows and books, clothes and foods. Celebrate all of the growth you have done and continue to do all of the ways you are becoming and reaching and stretching; My sweet friend, this life holds so much worth celebrating." ~Nikki Warne

That is how I try to live my life, although I have many days that I manage to fall far short of my goals to do so. I try though and that is what matters. I do celebrate the ones I love and like to think that I honor them each day. I try also to get the most joy that I can out of the small and simple things which embroider my life. I guess that is all any of us can do . . .  acknowledge the things which embroider the tapestries that we are weaving with our days and find the joy in them that is only ours to find. We can do no more than that.

And with that I will leave you with a thought to carry with you . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

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

*Lead by listening -

To be a good leader you

have to be a great listener.

~Richard Branson

 

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Three Fruit Crumble. A dessert which brings together the very best flavors of late summer and early autumn. Delicious and simple.

 I hope you have a beautiful Friday. Be blessed whatever you get up to. Don't forget!

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!    

   

My Favorite Things . . .

 

 

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens . . . these are some of the things in life that I enjoy, and which make me happy, inspire me, or put a smile on my face. Maybe some of them are yours too.  Let's share!

How can it be possible that this is my last one for August!

I shall need to lasso the year and tie it down.

It's passing far too quickly!

 

(source)

Fresh pears  . . . they are one of my absolute favorites!

 

(source)

The beautiful aroma of ripe apples . . . 

 

(source)

A tidy well put-together bedroom . . . 

 

(source)

This. There is nothing that I don't like about it.

 

(source)

A crusty loaf  . . . 

 

(source)

Bare feet and daisies  . . . 

 

(source)

I love that pillow  . . . 

 

(source)

And the stripey sheet  . . . 

 

(source)

Pretty enamelware  . . . . 

 

(source)

A gallery wall  . . . 

 

(source)

Flower fairies and old garden journals  . . . 

 

(source)

Waffle cookies  . . . 

 

(source)

That sink, the fixtures, the soap dish, the flowery curtains and that windowsill bouquet . . . 

 

(source)

Ranunculus  . . .  

 

(source)

Mmmm . . . marinated olives  . . . 

 

(source)

Lacy whites  . . . . 

 

(source)

Candles  . . . .  and pretty candle holders  . . . 

 

(source)

A cottage by the sea . . . 

 

(source)

A pretty cup  . . . . 

 

(source)

Each of you. You are amazing. I am so sorry I haven't been able to respond to your latest comments. I will try to get to them today.  I do appreciate you and read them all. I can't respond when I am on my iPad or my iPhone for some reason, only when I am on my PC and after spending hours on the PC doing my work (lately it seems) I need to sit somewhere else or get up and walk. I will get to them though. I hope you forgive me. I do read each and every one and appreciate them as well, and YOU. The fact that you visit at all has always felt like a gift to me, so thank you.

And those are my favorite things for this week  . . . 

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

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

*Tact is the art 

of making a point

without making an enemy.

~Isaac Newton

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Easy Amaretti Stuffed Peaches. Oh my but these are some good!  Very simple to make as well. Beautiful flavors.

I hope that you have a lovely Thursday. It is quite a bit cooler here this morning. I have already killed one ant crawling across my computer screen. Grrr  . . . I hate ants.  We had a lovely visit with our niece yesterday. She went out to dinner with us also, which was nice. Time spent with family is the best!  Be happy, be blessed, don't forget!

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!