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. 

 

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Those magnificent, noisy, and entertaining Guinea Fowl which come through my yard several times a day.  I don't know who they belong to, or where they come from, but they make me smile every time I see them. The cats really enjoy watching them as well.

Going to church on Sunday mornings.  My joy begins the moment I walk across the street and join Glenna for the drive to church. We often don't see each other during the week. She is very busy running here and there and I am busy to. That Sunday morning drive is a great opportunity to be able to catch up with each other.  Then there is seeing my other friends at church, Jackie, Christine, Connie, Suzanne. I have known these ladies for almost 30 years now and it is always good to catch up.  Most of all I love the opportunity I have to partake of the sacrament each week and renew my covenants, to take the name of the Savior upon myself for another week. I love the opportunity I have to commune with the Saints, to sing the hymns and to really soak myself in the spirit which prevails at our Sunday meetings. The talks, the lessons, everything. I may not always feel like going, but I am always blessed for doing so and am happy that I have gone. It is the perfect beginning, or ending to my week, depending on how you choose to look at it. 

 

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Saturday was the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum in Carthage on the 27th of June, 1944.  Regardless of what you may think of them, or of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the fact that this happened at all was so very wrong, and in a county where religious pilgrims sought to escape religious persecution in Europe, on a journey to find a place where they could worship in freedom. Where was that religious freedom when these men were killed simply for believing differently and worshipping in a different way than most were at that time?? It was thought that in killing Joseph Smith the church would die and disappear, but it has since grown to a church that has countless millions of members, spread out across the world. I love everything about this church. It is my spiritual home. I spent years searching for a church where I felt welcome and which embraced the whisperings of my soul. I found it and have never looked back. It is my place of belonging.

 

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Jam season. When the store shelves fill up with boxes of canning jars and pectin, you know we are well into it. Oh, how I miss making all of the jams and preserves that I used to make when my children were growing up.  I got so much pleasure from doing that. It would not be much pleasure for me these days. For one, there is only me to eat it all and for two, the time and effort it takes would be exhausting for me. But I do love jam season.

I have yet to buy my first box of berries. I think I will this week for sure.  And I know they will taste wonderful.

Jam season. Fresh Berries. Fabulous.

 

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We took Eileen's freshly laundered towels and her new door mats over to her apartment on the way to Cindy's yesterday afternoon. She is waiting for her worker to help put her bed back together to get the bedroom sorted out. They are wanting her to start staying there a week from Wednesday. She is nervous about it. Heck, I am nervous about it. I am sure she will be fine.  Her staying with me was never meant to be permanent. I am grateful for the time we have had. She will, of course, be staying with me after her surgery, so that I can take care of her until she is back on her feet. There is no indication yet of when that will be.

I spoke to someone the other day who told me that one of their loved ones had been waiting for a year to have biopsies done on tumors on their thyroid.  That seems criminal to me. 

There are in the tens of thousands of people on the wait list for a family Doctor here in Nova Scotia. It was well over a hundred thousand people a year or so ago, so this has improved. But still  . . . 

We are blessed to have free health care at it's source however, even if the wait times are long for things. There are many who just could not afford health care at all had we to pay for it. I would be one of those who could not, so I am grateful for whatever it is.

 

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Sunday dinners at Cindy's. I appreciate them so much. I know she puts a lot of work into them and I am grateful for that. It is lovely to get to spend some quality time with her, Dan and Dad.  Bailey is doing quite well. He has really settled in and seems quite at home. 

Sheila is doing very well by all counts. She is up and walking with a walker. They are still waiting for her to get a bed at the hospital here in town. Once that happens then she will be closer and I will be able to visit her. 

Glenna went up with her boyfriend (Glenna's) the other day and had a lovely visit with her. Sheila and Glenna's friend are from the same area so they had a lot to talk about. Sheila's son has also been visiting her every day as well, so that's good. 

 

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I am enjoying looking over and seeing Glenna's foxgloves each day. She has cream colored ones. They are so pretty. I had pink ones in my garden in the U.K. 

Everyone's garden on the street has sprouted Canadian flags this week. In anticipation of Canada Day on the 1st of July. 

I love this country of my birth. It may not be perfect, but I believe that it is still one of the best countries to live in in the world. 

I will need to make a special Dinner for Eileen and I on Canada Day. To celebrate our wealth and freedom of living in one of the best places to live.

 

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I got myself a couple boxes of new pencils the other day. Bostich. Made from cedar wood. They smell amazing. I had gotten some old cheap ones and the paint on them made them all stick together. And the erasers on them did not work.  I like these new pencils much better. I got two boxes of 12. I may never have to buy pencils again so long as I live. I remember reading a story about Abraham Lincoln when I was a child and how he used charcoal from the fire to write with. I am grateful that I have pencils, and pens  . . .  erasers too.

 

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Each night as I lay in bed and say my prayers (kneeling is no longer an option for me) I thank the Lord for the multitude of blessings that is my life. I have a safe and comfortable home. I have family and friends whom I love and who love me back. I have a job which helps to provide for my needs. Two lovely pets who I love and which bring me joy.  A decent car that I can afford to keep on the road. Relatively good health, despite my aches and pains. A family Doctor. Enough. I have enough to fill all of my needs.  I am truly blessed, and I am grateful to know that I am blessed. I take none of it for granted. Above all I am grateful for my faith.  For prayer.  For the Savior and His teachings and example. 

I have a very, very good life. I am blessed beyond measure.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

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

*Friendship isn't a big thing,

it's a million little things.

~Unknown

In The English Kitchen today  . . . 3-Ingredient Lemon Dessert.  Simple to make and oh so delicious! If you enjoy the flavor of lemon, then you will enjoy this little treat. It's a classic, downsized for the smaller family.

I hope that your Monday holds a multitude of small and wonderful things for you. May you be richly blessed with all that you stand in need of. Don't forget!

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And I do too!    

   

All Things Nice . . .

 

(source)

The smell of cedar chests, the glaze of paint,

The sound of organ music in a church,

The tufted heads of barley in a field,

A tiny pool beside a clump of birch.

A little village inn at evenfall

With all its mullioned windows lighted up,

An earthen teapot sitting on the stove,

The pale half shining circle of a cup.

A snowy woodpile out behind the house,

A yoke of oxen bent beneath their load,

A lantern hanging on a wooden peg

Lighting a little pathway to the road.

The clink of dishes and a supper fire

Pale smoke ascending like a warrior's plume,

The feel of moss upon a fallen log,

Clear water running in a wooden flume.

People who are reliable and staid,

Who live in quiet grooves of thought and mind,

Steady to bear the burdens of the world,

Whose ways are wholesome and whose word is kind.

I love an old life nearing to its close

A small face etched with little lines of grace,

Whose eyes are steadfast as they look ahead,

Into the light of some eternal place.

~Edna Jacques, I Love

Aunt Hatties Place, 1949

This poem got me thinking about the things I really love this morning. I love the smell of coal fires and damp. In Chester where I lived in the U.K. that is what you would smell on a cool rainy morning. I also love the smell of woodsmoke in the air, which is what you would smell here where I live on a cold morning. I think the smell of the woodsmoke has a slight edge in love over the coal fire.

I love the smell of bread baking. It reminds me of getting home from school and smelling the smell of homemade bread before we even opened our door. We knew we were in for a real treat.

I  love the smell of MaGriffe perfume (while I am on smells). It makes me think of our mother, all dressed up in her pretty dress, ready to go out to a dance with our father. Both young, both full of dreams. I loved the way her dress would make a rustling sound as she moved about the house in preparation.

I love the scent of kindness that clings to the fingers of those who cannot help but serve their fellow man in whatever way that they can.

I love the sound of leaves as they dance across the pavement on a warm autumn day, a crisp breeze helping them along their way.

I love the sight of pewter laden skies and that smell of snow in the air early in the season and then when it finally begins to fall. Especially the goose down type of snow. It always makes me almost giddy, I love it so.

I love the sight of the tender green leaves as they unfurl on the bare branches of trees in the spring, and those first tender shoots of snow drops and crocus that dare to poke their heads out of the ground.

The sight of a newborn's tightly curled fingers, or the sight of pink toe beans amidst fluffy tufts of fur on a kitten.  

I love to listen to the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square sing  . . . and I adore the sound of a clock ticking. 

I love many things and the best part about them all is  . . .  they are all free for the taking  . . . 

 

(source)

I fell into bed absolutely exhausted last night after our day out and about. It was nice to spend the time together, but I am finding that I now get really tired if we spend too much time getting in and out of the car and going here and there. I think it is the pain from my arthritis that exhausts me. Mentally I am alert and am game for seeing it all, but the constant in and out and up and about is quite tiring. I would be happy just going for the drive and spending the time together and sitting in the car people-watching while the others do their shopping. I do not think that turning 70 has been very good for me all-told. Between my fall last September and then all the kidney stone drama, I have had a bit of the stuffing knocked out of me.

But I did love the drive through the countryside, across the dykelands . . . and orchards, vineyards, etc. to be very beautiful.

I did not realize that they had so many vineyards here in Nova Scotia. We drove by quite a few yesterday.  So beautiful and green. We stopped at a fromagerie as well, but they didn't have much cheese in house. We each picked up a small picnic sampler. Each pack has a sampling of three of their cheeses in it and I could not resist getting a piece of their five year old cheddar. But they really did not have much on display to purchase.

One of our main purposes of the trip was to go to Sam's in Canning. Supposedly a grocery store filled with lots of specials and good prices on meat. I was a bit disappointed in it to be honest and I think Cindy was as well. We did pick up some bone in chicken breasts at a good price, but the store mainly held a lot of ready to rot produce that I think gets shipped in from places that have stuff to get rid of. Not really my cup of tea. And I am not sure it is worth half a tank of gas to save a few dollars on chicken, but it was nice to spend the time together. That is priceless, so worth every penny.

Eileen pulling a funny face in the back.

Eileen picked up a couple of towel bales at Winner's Home Sense and a couple of cheap mats for her apartment. One for the entry way and one for in front of the stove.  I think she just enjoyed  being out and about with us.  Oh, and she got herself a set of diamond art book marks to do at Michaels. And we all stocked up on the Sprague French Canadian Pea Soups at Giant Tiger in New Minas. They don't carry them at our local Giant Tiger. That is the best pea soup. We got sugar free puddings at Hennigars farm market and some sweet potato biscuits. 

And naughty pots of fudge samples.

The watermelon fudge actually really tastes like watermelon. I was quite surprised. We had the most difficult time trying to pick a place to have lunch. We went to the Cambridge convenience store to get some of the Stonewall Kitchen's Potato salad, but they didn't have any and then thought we would go to Jonny's for fish and chips after only to arrive there and have them tell us they did not do fish and chips any longer as it was too expensive . . .  but they have a fish burger?  Didn't make sense. We left and by then it was almost supper time anyways. But we were quite disappointed that they didn't do fish and chips any more. Fish and chips too expensive?  When all of the local restaurants do them, and we live in an area that is loaded with freshly caught fish.  No, it did not make sense. Not at all.

I did get this cool photo of a bicycle outside of a shop in Canning though. I loved the color of the building, and the flowers in the basket. There were also lots of picturesque old homes, and really bad potholes. I think we finally found somewhere that has worse potholes than we have here in our home town.

It was a lovely day out together though, despite not being able to get our fish and chips, and the Sam's disappointment.  That's not really why I go. I go because I love to spend the time together. Family times are the best of times and getting to spend time with my two best friends is priceless.

 

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Everywhere was super busy yesterday however, what with it being pay day and the last day of school. Lots of school ending ceremonies and people out and about.  The traffic was crazy. Kudos to Cindy for being such a great driver. I think we were just the other side of Kingston when all of a sudden the rain just pelted down. You could hardly see in front of you, it was falling that heavily. Any thoughts we might of had of stopping for an Indian quickly dissipated as weren't nobody getting out of the car for any reason! By the time we got here to Middleton, however, the rain had pretty much stopped, but there for a time it was ridiculously heavy. There was no need to water the garden last night.

One thing we have noticed, and I remarked on this, was that June was not as hot and humid as what we are used to experiencing. I can remember going to High School graduations and sitting in a sweltering gymnasium along with all the other parents. This year has not been too bad at all. Not even when it rains. And (knock on wood) the ant problem has not been much of a problem either, not so far at any rate. Always a bonus!

 

(source)

The Mole waggled his toes from sheer happiness, spread his chest with a sigh of full contentment, and leaned back blissfully into the soft cushions. "What a day I'm having!" he said. "Let us start at once!"

"Hold hard a minute, then!" said the Rat. He looped the painter through a ring in his landing-stage, climbed up into his hole above, and after a short interval reappeared staggering under a fat wicker luncheon basket.

"Shove that under your feet," he observed to the Mole, as he passed it down into the boat. Then he untied the painter and took the sculls again.

"What's inside it?" asked the Mole, wriggling with curiosity.

"There's cold chicken inside it," replied the Rat briefly;

'coldbeefpickledgherkinssaladfrenchrollscressandandwichespottedmeatgingerbeeflemonadesodawater---'

"O stop, stop," cried the Mole in ecstasies: "This is too much!"

"Do you really think so?" enquired the Rat seriously, "It's only what I always take on these little excursions; and the other animals are always telling me that I'm a mean beast and cut it very fine!"

~Kenneth Graham, The Wind and the Willows

Oh how I loved reading this.  I do think that there is a bit of each of us in these characters from this beautiful story. I have always loved humanized animals in stories anyways, going back to my Peter Rabbit days, but this just sounds so much like me and my love for picnics and bountiful spreads of picnic foods, and the like. It made me think of the days when we used to take the children to the Drive-In movies on Friday or Saturday nights. I think that they thought we went there just to eat, not to watch the films. We always brought a picnic hamper full of sandwiches and snacks. (Food that you purchased at the Drive In was always super expensive.) We would go early and park near the front by the swings, etc. The kids would tire themselves out on the play equipment a we watched them enjoying themselves prior to the movies starting and then we would retire to the car and much away on the picnic and snacks as we enjoyed the movies.  They could never stay awake for the whole two features, and I confess I struggled with it as well. I have many happy memories of those occasions however.  I hope that they do as well.

 

(source)

I was sorely tempted to pick up some fresh strawberries yesterday. They looked so nice and smelled so good, but they are still close to $7 a basket and I just can't bring myself to pay it. Not yet anyways. And yet, I had no qualms about spending $8.99 for a small pot of fudge scraps. I know  . . .  it beggars belief. Priorities people! Priorities!  We had to see what the watermelon fudge tasted like, and were not disappointed! Even if this morning I am questioning my wisdom and wishing I had bought the berries instead.

I hope that heavy rain we had did not pelt the berries in the fields into the ground and drive the cost of them up even higher. Then I really will be questioning my wisdom.

And with that I will leave you with a thought for the day on this, the last Saturday in June . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

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

*Let us be grateful to people
who make us happy;
They are the charming gardeners
who make our souls blossom.
~Marcel Proust

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Boston Brown Bread Toaster Cakes/Muffins.  I often make the cornbread toaster cakes so the other day I thought to myself, why not try making Boston Brown Bread ones. We were ever so pleased with the way these came out.  Thoroughly enjoyed they were! Thoroughly enjoyed and such a simple make. We enjoyed them with ham, baked beans and some of that Pizza Salad I made the other day. Delicious!

I hope that you have a lovely weekend. May it be filled with family and love and small bits of fudge . . .  and if you are blessed, some tasty fresh strawberries!  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!    

   

Dear Neighbor . . .

 

(source)

  JUNE 25th, 2026

Estate Lane,

Nova Scotia

14*C/58*F

Mostly sunny

No Umbrella Needed Today

Dear Neighbor,

Surprise!  Yes, I am writing to you a day earlier this week as tomorrow Cindy, Eileen and I are going to take that road trip we had planned for the other week. Eileen is really looking forward to it. We are going to maybe pick up a few last things for her apartment and we all have a great day planned. It should be fun.

Yesterday they moved a few larger items over to Eileen's apartment, like her bed and television. I was crying in bed last night thinking about her moving out. Oh, I know that it is necessary. I will miss having her here. Its silly to cry, after all she is only moving to another part of town. It's not that far away and I will be able to see and spend time with her any time I want to.  I have just enjoyed having her here so very much. These past six months have been a real blessing to us both. And yes, I do worry about her being in her apartment on her own, which is also silly. She has lived on her own before. All will be well. 

We have plans to still do the Wednesday night suppers with family, and then Saturday night movie nights and Sunday family dinners. So . . . still a lot of time to spend together. I'm just being a big baby.

 

(source)

Speaking of Wednesday night dinners, what a fiasco last night was. We got there and were all seated, but then had to change our table. It was right under the heat pump and the air conditioning was blowing right on top of us. Not pleasant at all and very cold.  So we moved over a table. The waitress took all of our orders.  Dad ordered a Cheeseburger and fries, no ketchup on the burger. Hazel had her usual baked haddock dinner. Eileen wanted the lasagna and garlic bread. Cindy and I both ordered the Crispy Chicken Burger special, which came with bacon and BBQ sauce on it and fries. We both requested no Steak Seasoning on the burgers. Too much salt.

Almost an hour later the waitress came to say that none of the orders had gone in due to a technological glitch. Usually they go in right from the iPad thing the waitresses carry, and it had failed. But she assured us that we would get ours next. Hazel had to send hers back because her fish was overdone and burnt.  Dad had ketchup on his burger, but he ate it anyways.  There was Steak Seasoning on both Cindy's and my burgers.  Oh, and this is the piece de resistance. There was a lipstick stain on Cindy's glass of water and she wasn't wearing lipstick. Eileen's lasagna was perfect and she really enjoyed it.

And dad kept saying he misses Chinese food. He wants to go to that horrible Chinese restaurant in Greenwood. Cindy would take him anytime and she and Dan will just go to Wendy's. So maybe that is what they will do next week. Maybe Eileen and I will try something else.

It was not the waitress's fault last night. I don't think any of us blamed her. It was just one of those things. Some days are just like that.

The lipstick on the glass though  . . . .

 

(source)

I had this recipe that I really wanted to make earlier this week for Cinnamon Coffee Crinkle Cookies . . . An Amazing Ultimate Recipe for 12 Cookies

You really cannot trust what you read or what you see any more.

This is what was promised.  I didn't think it looked like AI. If something looks AI generated I always give it a skip.  Looks can be very deceiving, however.

I am a very seasoned baker. Most of the time when I bake anything, it turns out without fail.  This is what I got . . . 

 

Is this even the same cookie???? It sure doesn't look like the same cookie.  I followed the ingredients and directions to the "T".  The only thing I did differently was to let them chill overnight. The batter was very sticky. The cookies are way darker than the photograph. The sugar crinkles look like warts, and they spread in the pan like crazy. Even though I had left three inches in between them, they still spread out to touch each other. 

Plus they are not nice cookies. Not nice at all. They are far too sweet and the texture is like goo.

I tried to leave a comment on the recipe page. No comments allowed. That should be the first warning signal when you go to make something. If they don't allow comments, then they are probably not very reputable. They probably haven't even cooked or baked what they are sharing. Its all just click bait.

 

(source)

Plants that wake when others sleep -

Timid jasmine buds that keep

Their fragrance to themselves all day,

But when the sunlight dies away

Let the delicious secret out

To every breeze that roams about

~Thomas Moore, Jasmine

There was jasmine in the hedgerow that ran along the back of the cottage property that I lived in when I worked at the Manor. In the summer the scent of it would whisper through the windows at nightfall, a most pleasant smell to fall asleep to . . . 

During the day the hedge would be abuzz with bees and the like. One time I even spied a Hummingbird Hawk Moth feasting on the blooms. I was certain it was a Hummingbird, but it was not. There are none of those to be found in the U.K. Just the moths who trick us into thinking we have seen the bird.  

Once I found out what it really was I was just as excited as if I had actually seen a Hummingbird so it was all good.

That was such a beautiful environment to live in. When I think about it, what a great experience that was for me having been born and brought up in Canada and having lived a simple ordinary life. Almost like a dream really. If I had not lived it myself, I would not have believed it. 

Life is a beautiful thing with all of its twists and turns. You never quite know where it is going to take you.

 

(source)

Cindy's birthday is coming up soon. I wonder how we will celebrate it this year. Her Birthday is on the 6th and mom's was on the 9th. For years and years I have mixed the two up because they are so close together.  I remember now because I tell myself that Cindy's comes first. I would tell you how old she will be, but I won't because she doesn't like people to know.  Lets just say she is older than her teeth and younger than her hair.

I have ordered something special as a gift for her, but am waiting on it arriving. It should have been here last Friday, but I am still waiting. I cannot tell you what it is because she reads this and that would be telling her. 

Something I have always struggled with it keeping secret the gifts that I get for others. I get so much pleasure in gifting others that I almost burst from the joy of it all right from the time I have decided on the gift. It was really difficult for me when my children were growing up, buying Christmas presents for them and then having to wait until Christmas to give them their gifts. I could not wait. But I did. Because I had to. But it was so hard.

Most of my pleasure in gifting comes from seeing the recipient open the gift. I try really hard to buy gifts that I know they will love. I am the same with cards. I always buy a card that I would like to receive myself. I put a LOT of thought into cards.  

Oddly enough I am not that great at receiving gifts. I feel embarrassed and shy about it. Almost like I don't deserve to get what I am being given. I am more comfortable going off on my own and opening my gifts in secret than I am in doing it in person. I wonder am I alone in that? 

 

(source)

I will need to go out today and get birdseed. The blackbirds and starlings have emptied my feeder and I have no seed left. I know  . . .  they don't really need to be fed in the summer months, but I enjoy it so much. So do the cats.  Perhaps that is selfish of us.

Last night when Eileen and I got home we spent some time picking the dead blooms off of the Petunias in the front of the house. I am never sure what is the right way to treat plants. I love to look at them and I revel in their beauty, but when it comes to care, I am totally ignorant. Perhaps that is a question for mister google later on. I do know I was told not to water my geraniums too often or it would turn their leaves yellow, so I am trying not to do that.

I still want to buy myself a clothes drying rack so that I can hang some things up outside to dry. It would only be small things, nothing large like bedding. You would need a HUGE rack to be able to do that.

One of these years I will get myself a patio set so that I can comfortably sit outside in the summer and enjoy some fresh air. But then I would feel bad about leaving the cats indoors. A Catio would be nice, but then again, I don't want them to get a taste for the outside or they will always be trying to sneak out.

Its a conundrum.

And with that I best leave you with a thought for the day  . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

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

*To find a seashell is to discover

a world of imagination.

~Michelle Held

In The English Kitchen today Easy Biscuit Muffin Breads. I baked these the other day, a small batch recipe making only six breads, and they were fabulous! Very quick and easy to make. You can put them together in seconds and then bake. No fuss, no muss, just stir some ingredients together and spoon them into muffin cups. I baked these in my toaster oven/air fryer.  They came out fabulous and even taste good two days later!

I hope you have a beautiful Thursday. (Almost said Friday there, but I hope you have a great Friday as well.)  I will let you know how the road trip goes on Saturday when I write again.  Whatever you get up to, I hope it brings you joy!  Don't forget in the meantime  . . . 

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!    

   

Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

Well it rained off and on all day yesterday and it rained during the night, and a showery day is in the forecast today as well.  I don't mind, it keeps the flowers well watered and that saves me a chore.

I meant to tell you about my eye appointment yesterday but totally forgot. There has been another huge change in my prescription. So they have booked me in for another appointment in December. I have ordered new eye glasses. I knew my vision had become increasingly blurry and had been having headaches. If there is another change in December then he is going to refer me to the specialist for cataract surgery. But all told, diabetically speaking everything looks a.o.k. which is always a relief to me.

This time I got the glasses that get darker outside. I have not had those kind in years, but I felt they might help with the glare when it's really sunny. I have never been able to really wear sunglasses. They kind of make me feel sick to my stomach, so I am hoping these will make a bit of a difference without that happening.

Dan and Cindy went over and hung Eileen's living room curtains yesterday. They did a really great job. I think they look really nice. I have ordered her a curtain and some magnetic rods for her front door window.

I also ordered two magnetic curtain rods to hang it up. It comes with a tie back you can use in the middle to pull it back during the day.  Nobody can see through it, but it does allow light in. So she can have her privacy and light.

Basically all we are waiting for now is for them to bring over the big stuff like her bed, dresser, television, etc. Then it will be ready to live in.  I hope she will be comfortable and feel safe. This will be a big step, her living on her own. She did live briefly on her own back in the early 2000's. But then she started living with a lady and her husband from church where she lived until she got married to Tim. So this will be a bit of a change for her, but I am sure she will cope very well. I am close by at any rate and only a phone call away. As is my sister.  And her dad is not that far either, plus she has all of the CSS workers to help out.

All will be well.

 

(source)

I was thinking this morning about how shy I was when I was growing up. Painfully so. I would never stick up for myself or speak out, not about anything. That probably made me a target for bullies. Well, no doubt about it, it did make me a target. I am not so shy anymore, well not about most things.  There are still situations I am not comfortable in.  I don't like crowds or large social gatherings. I am much happier in a small group. I also don't like to complain about anything. I tend to take things as they come.

For the most part I think most people are doing the best that they can or know how to do and how can you fault anyone for doing their best?

My sister has always been the one to stand up for me. She is like our mother. She doesn't let anyone try to get anything past her. She will speak up and stand up for what she thinks is wrong. I applaud her for that and wish I could be more so.  I am pretty brave when I am hiding behind my keyboard, but in real life it is quite different. I am not brave at all.

 

(source)

Eileen and I watched that old John Travolta movie yesterday, Phenomenon. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the music in it. I have been a John Travolta fan since high school when he played Vinnie Barbarino in Welcome Back Kotter. I have pretty much liked everything he has done, although admittedly I have not seen all of his films.

I am not a fan of Quentin Tarantino films so I have not seen any of those. For the most part, I like nice movies, and am not a huge fan of violence, blood and gore.

I also don't really like movies like Space Odyssey or Planet of the Apes. I love a happy ending, and films which verge on the edge of being based on true stories. I love period films and shows and I adore vintage television and old films. I don't care how corny they are. I find them very charming.

 

(source)

For the first time in a while I got three recipes done and dusted yesterday and a fourth one that I will finish up today. I haven't done that in forever. I don't know where my time evaporates to, but it goes and most days I am lucky to get one recipe done. 

I have been doing this recipe blogging for a very long time now. It is something which I really enjoy and keeps me busy. I only share the good things with people. You never, or hardly ever see the failures. You can be pretty sure that if I share something with my readers then it is a recipe that works, or at least that has worked in my kitchen. I cannot be held responsible for recipes that don't work when people change them or don't follow the direction. 

That always makes me laugh when people say, this didn't work  . . .  after they have completely changed the recipe.

I get a lot of nitpickers on my EK Facebook page. People who never comment and then will have something to say when I spell something differently than they think I should, or when I call a North American Biscuit a Biscuit.  All of the experts come crawling out of the woodwork then. Or when I will post a traditional British recipe, the experts come crawling out then as well. I recently posted a recipe for Cornish Splits. (A sweet yeasted roll, split and filled with jam and cream, or simply buttered.) Oh, the things people had to say about those. Insisting they were Devon Splits, or Cream buns, or Greg's Cream Cookies, etc. Another person criticizing me for cutting them open and not tearing them open. It happens every time I post a British recipe.

Why can't you just say that looks delicious? It's a good thing I love what I do. I think I would do it even if I didn't have to make a living for myself.

 

(source)

There are quite a few wild rose bushes at the beginning of our street. They are so beautiful this time of year.  I am sure that Brier Island is absolutely gorgeous at the moment as well. I wish I could still walk about without being in so much pain. I would take a trip down there with Eileen. I am sure she would love the day trip out. I still want to take her somewhere to stay overnight once all of this stuff is over. A place where we can stay in a nice room and have a nice supper, maybe with a pool. Would love to do some sight-seeing, but it's beyond me at this point.

Speaking of sight-seeing, Eileen brought her album here to share from her trip to Disney in Florida back in 2011. (I am never sure if it is Disney Land or Disney World.) That was quite a trip she took. She had a lovely time. They had the quick passes so that they didn't have to wait in line for things. She went with the lady that she lived with before she got married. They drove down and visited Amish country, etc. all the way down. 

When I was a child, I always wanted to go to Disney Land. Our next door neighbors had a station wagon that had those travel decals on the back windows and one was from Disney Land. I used to stand in the driveway and look at them and dream. 

I have always had a traveler's heart and a pauper's budget. I did enjoy all the trips I was able to take when I lived in the U.K. however. Those were really wonderful. I got to see and do a lot.

Now I do most of my travelling from my armchair and that suits me just fine. It is much more affordable although I do confess that I often wish I could taste what they are eating as it looks that good, especially when they are at Amish Buffets.

That's one thing I miss here.  British Carveries. All the Sunday Roasts and as much vegetables on the side as you could wish for. And Yorkshire puddings. There is nothing like that here.

Hmmm . . .  maybe it is time for breakfast.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

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

*Strong people don't 

put others down.
They lift them up.

~anon

In The English Kitchen today  . . . Swedish Pizza Salad. Apparently in Sweden this is what they serve with Pizza.  It's a delicious, lightly spiced and herby coleslaw vinaigrette.  We both really enjoyed this. It is low carb and relatively healthy. It also keeps in the fridge for about a week. 

I hope you have a lovely Wednesday. Eileen is going over to the old apartment today to sort out a few more things with Tim. I am going to clean my fridge. Maybe get rid of some of the half filled jars, etc. They seem to accumulate when I am not looking.  In any case, have a great day!  Stay safe. Be blessed, and 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!