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A chopping bowl of clear, white birch,
A cradle hollowed from a log,
A tiny blackthorn crucifix
Cut from a lonely Irish bog.
A maple bedstead . . . stoutly built,
Bannisters carved from golden oak,
A wagon wheel with hickory rims,
The curving beauty of a yoke.
A basket made of willow splints,
Pine for a flagpole, tall and straight,
An ancient fence of cedar rails,
Old poplar for a pasture gate.
A wagon tongue . . . a whiffle tree,
A pair of shafts . . . a wooden churn,
A set of hames . . . a water trough,
A knot of tamarack to burn.
A little box of sandalwood,
A teakwood table stoutly made,
An oaken coffin for the dead,
A checkerboard with pearl inlaid.
God must have loved a growing tree
Because He made them straight and tall,
And man has used them as his own,
And fashioned beauty from them all.
~Edna Jacques, Wooden Things
The Hills of Home, 1952
When I think of all the treasures that are held in a piece of wood, it warms my heart. Not much these days is made from real wood any more. It's all that press-wood, manufactured and made to look like the real thing, but there is no heart in it, no substance. Machine made for the most part, the only handwork applied . . . yours, as you struggle to assemble it in the comfort of your home, using sketchy diagrams that are often very difficult to navigate. I miss wood. Real wood.
My ex and I (the father of my children) used to buy antiques from time to time and fix them up, refinish them. Every piece was a labour of love.
This was the empty trees across the way glowing in the rising sun when I got up this morning. It was such a spectacle to see. Right now, if you were to look out, they are all black, arms outstretched as above, but there . . . for a few moments, they were dressed in golden splendour. So beautiful to see. What a gift it was for me to catch it before it disappeared. The camera lens doesn't really do them justice, but you can perhaps capture a taste of what it was. What a gift.
I used Chat GPT to turn myself into a peanuts character. That was fun. I guess I could have asked it for different backgrounds and stuff, but I didn't know about that so I didn't . . . and now I can't remember how I did it in the first place. LOL That's me. Wading into the unknown frontier with both barrels loaded and not a clue as to what I am doing or how I got there. But at least I'm wading, so I guess that is something.
I got my car back later in the day yesterday. I was right, it wasn't cheap as they had to replace both rear brake lines, but it's fixed now and hopefully will stay okay for a while. I guess they were rusting out. Maybe it's time to think about having my car undercoated again. I don't know. Might be too late. It's a 2015 model. That's over 10 years old. I just want to keep it running until I can't drive any more. I don't really have the finances to buy a newer car and to be honest, I probably never will. I think it will end up like my brother's BBQ. He has an old Consumers Distributing BBQ that is still going. I don't think any of it is original. He just keeps fixing it when it breaks down. It's probably a whole new machine, whilst still being the old one if that makes sense.
Reminds me of this Only Fools and Horses Episode where Trigger tells Del Boy that he's been using the same broom for fifteen years. He's only had to change the handle five times and the brush six. lol
Anyways, I am grateful to have my car back and in working order. What a blessing.
I got out with Cindy and Dad yesterday as we took dad to his Friday afternoon at the mall with Maryann. For some reason he didn't realize I was in the back seat, even though I had been talking to him quite a bit off and on. That's how bad his hearing is, anyways, I was there. I had even patted him on the shoulder a few times. (I don't know what he thought that was!)
We dropped Dad and Maryann off first, and then we went to Walmart. Boy, they have been doing a lot of work in there. Everything is different and you are not sure where anything is anymore. They have made the food sections a lot larger, with more being on offer. I guess you could probably do your whole grocery shop there now if you wanted to. It did take a while to navigate where everything was, but I got there in the end.
After that we went to Sobey's and I picked up a few things for a project I am planning. Plus I got some hotdogs because I was going to make Eileen and I hotdogs for supper. Can you believe $11.49 for a package of hotdogs? They were All Beef, Schneiders. I don't do chicken dogs or regular ones. Haven't done for years. But it's crazy what they are charging now. I did get a fifteen pound bag of beautiful Russet Potatoes for $5.99 though and they are looking very nice. I saved $4.50 on those, so that was good and a bargain too good to pass up, especially where I was actually looking for potatoes.
When we left there we picked Dad and Maryann back up and dropped her off. Then we headed up to Peltons. We were almost there when I got the call about my car. I got some chicken in Peltons, and a few other bits and we were just getting ready to leave when the man/farmer came out and said he was just taking bread out of the oven and bagging it did we want some. He didn't have to ask twice. We both walked out of there with a loaf of the freshest brown bread you could ever ask for. Score! I enjoyed a piece last night as my snack and it was lovely.
How beautiful a day can be
When kindness touches it!
As suddenly illumined as
A room that's newly lit.
In busy hours how grateful is
A little word of cheer,
So close it brings its tenderness,
Its sympathy so near.
The weariness of heavy tasks
Is lost upon a day
When kind words bring their comfort, joy
To any busy way.
~George Elliston (1883-1946)
There are few things lovelier than a kind heart and a gentle spirit. The older I get, the more convinced I am that it is often the smallest kindnesses that mean the most. A warm smile from a stranger. A handwritten note tucked into the post. A neighbour checking in. A thoughtful word spoken just when it is needed. These simple acts may seem insignificant to the giver, but to the recipient they can illuminate the day like a lamp in a darkened room.
The lovely poem above speaks to that truth beautifully. Life can be busy and demanding. We all carry burdens that others know nothing about. Yet, a few gentle words, a moment of understanding, or even a simple expression of appreciation can lighten the load and make the day seem brighter.
May we all find opportunities to share a little kindness this weekend, and perhaps be blessed by the kindness of others in return.
And with those thoughts I will leave you with a thought to carry through your day. (A short post today I know, but I got started late.)
☾ ° ★° * 。
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*Looking around my life,
I see fingerprints of Grace, everywhere.
~angelittle
In The English Kitchen today . . .
Butter Roasted Salted Nuts. A quick and easy make and incredibly moreish. Perfect for entertaining, gifting and snacking on.
Wishing you all a peaceful Saturday filled with simple pleasures, tender mercies, and, of course, all things nice. Thank you for being you! Don't forget!
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And I do too!