Wednesday, 6 May 2026

Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

 

Good morning everyone. Its warm and breezy here this morning.  Its already +16*C/61(F and it is only 7 a.m. Yesterday was a beautiful day. warm, sunny and yes breezy as well.  The kind of day that makes you want to get out into the garden and do something, but in your heart you know this is just a teaser . . . anything you put out now, you will be running to cover from frost in a few days or weeks time. There is an old saying, "Don't cast a clout until May is out."  Best to leave any serious gardening until the end of the month.


Hummingbirds have been sighted locally, just up the road in Nictaux.  They are here! I haven't seen one yet but others have and have posted photos on Facebook. I wonder at the tenacity and endurance of these little creatures. They truly amaze me. I am so looking forward to watching their antics over the coming months.


 

I have my inside front door open this morning and I can hear the wind chimes from my neighbor's house across the way making that melodic sound that they make. I was thinking of getting some chimes, but really I don't need to when I can listen to theirs.  The bird song is also beautiful this morning.

I have had a lot of gold finches, chickadees and even some sparrows coming to my feeder. Yesterday I also had some red winged black birds. Its all happening here and I am happy to see it.

Unfortunately fire season has also started. There was a few yesterday. One just up in Nictaux, and one in Pictou county.  They say a lot of these fires that come up are "ghost fires."  Fires leftover from the previous year that have been burning underground through the root system.  That is a scary thought.

Thankfully the one in Nictaux was extinguised. We so do not want a repeat of last year. Rainy days are ahead according to my weather app on the PC and I say bring it on!


 

The bird bath has been cleaned and put out front on the railing. Just waiting for them to pop by for a dip or a drink. It all looks so neat and tidy out there after all the hard work Dan put in for me a couple of weeks back. Just in waiting for plant pots or whatever. The bleeding heart was taken out and transplanted at Cindy's and it is doing very well. That makes me happy.


I have been looking at these decorative flat stones that you put in gardens.  My thought is that perhaps I may get a couple to place between the plant pots. They have decorative pictures on them of butterflies, etc.


 

I am sure we have all seen those hideous food reels. The ones where someone aggressively slaps things into a casserole dish or down on a counter top and then proceeds to put together one of the most disgusting looking creations composed of things which should never be seen together. Not in a million years.  I saw one yesterday of someone layering slices of de-crusted cheap white bread, slices of cheese,  with tomato sauce and some concoction of sliced boiled hot dogs and other gross looking sauce things.  In a world where people are literally starving to death, people are wasting food simply for the sake of views on TikTok. I think its really appalling.

And don't get me started on the "fashions" exhibited at the Met Gala. I have not watched them or it, but have seen glimpses of the craziness. Narcissists all vying for the attention of the world by wearing the most expensive and outlandish fashion creations ever known to mankind. 

When will all this stop.  I find it all quite wicked to be honest. It will only stop when we stop paying attention to them. And that's the truth.


 

My back is still sore, but I have seen a vast improvement since it all started. I can manage the pain quite well. I just have to make sure that I don't sit anywhere, and not at the computer for sure, for any length of time.  I need to get up and walk about frequently. Yesterday it was my left upper arm that was hurting more than anything else. Right in the muscle. That has still not gotten any better since my fall last September. I am not sure anything can be done about it. I am learning to live with it.

Eileen had her CT Scan on Monday and was relieved to get that over with. I think she had a Doctor's appointment today as well as an appointment with the sleep therapist. Hopefully all of her issues will be sorted soon and there is nothing untoward going on. She said she is feeling tired again just like she did before the Iron infusions, and she has not stopped bleeding entirely either. Please keep her in your happy thoughts.

I did get her a couple of new Diamond Art projects that I ordered for her on Amazon. A large picture of a farm house with a flower garden and then a set of coasters. They arrived yesterday so she was happily beginning them last night. It makes me happy to see her happy.


 

My grandson Jonathan turns twenty today. It's hard to believe. Both he and Gabriel are 20 now. It doesn't seem long since they were babies. The time has just flown by. I am so grateful that I have had these past five years with plenty of opportunities to spend with most of them. 

I am not a traveler. I find travel very difficult. Especially now that I have mobility problems. I am happiest at home. I would rather pay for their petrol and a motel for them to stay in and have them come to me. That may sound selfish I know, but it is what it is. That last trip I took from the U.K. back to Canada during Covid did it for me. The stress of it all, etc. I just can't bear it. I think that the most I ever want to handle again as far as travel goes is a day trip here and a day trip there and I am not even sure about that.  I quite enjoy my armchair travels.


 

My brother's father-in-law passed away early yesterday morning at the age of 94.  He had not been well for a few years. My sister-in-law took such devoted care of her father, spending most of her days with him and attending to his needs, taking him out on days out from the home he was living in, attending activities in the home with him, seeing to his medical and personal needs, etc. She was a very devoted daughter. I am sure her hands will feel at a bit of a loss for some time to come.  

He was a very fascinating man and led a very interesting life. You can read more about him here. Her parents are now reunited with each other. Sad for those left behind, but I am sure a blessed reunion is being celebrated in the hereafter. 

I only had the privilege of meeting Christine's dad a few times. He always impressed me as being a kind, caring and very patient person. He will be missed. My deepest condolences to Christine and the family.


 

Girl at the May Day Parade, 1968
This photo made me smile.  I am sure she was a lovely little girl. It is so easy 
to capture a short nanosecond in time and make it look like something it really wasn't. She 
probably had a wonderful day with her balloons and the parade.


I don't have a lot else to share this morning. I feel like I want to bake bread today, of some sort. Eileen has two appointments and then we will no doubt be going to the Big Scoop for dinner with Dad, Cindy and Hazel. Eileen is really looking forward to that.  It is just nice to get together as family.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

☾ ° ° * 。  
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*Dirt roads 
and honest hearts
make the best memories.

Hopefully I will get to some comments today. The problem is I can't comment on my iPad or my phone and it is hard for me to sit at the computer for any length of time. 


Easy Mango Chicken


In The English Kitchen today . . .  Mary Berry's Super Easy Mango Chicken. This was simple and delicious. I small batched the recipe from her book entitled Mary's Foolproof Dinners.  Splendid. Simply splendid.


I hope you have a beautiful day. No matter what you get up to, don't forget!


 ═══════════ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ═════════════ 

⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ════════════  

And I do too!    

   









Tuesday, 5 May 2026

A Day Book

 



FOR TODAY, May 5th, 2026


OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ...


 


Just a random photo from my front window picture folder. I love the way the sun is shining through the front of the house at sunset. The trees across the way are not fully out yet, but they have that flush that tells you something wonderful if happening. Glenna's daffodils are dancing. Her forsythia bush is dancing as well. Beautiful.


I AM THINKING ...

I watched Alan Osmond's funeral on YouTube yesterday. It was really lovely. He was more than an entertainer. He was a very well loved and respected man, and a wonderful Disciple of Christ.





I AM ALSO THINKING ...

About how what doesn't kill you actually DOES make you stronger.


I AM GRATEFUL FOR ...



The gift of prayer. I don't know where I would be without it.


I AM ALSO GRATEFUL FOR ...



The gift of faith. It's what has kept me going all these years.  Faith  . . .  don't leave home without it.


IN THE KITCHEN ...

Tacos



Five Tasty Tacos for Cinco de Mayo.  My favorites are the Crispy Two Potato ones.  But I also love the Crispy Chicken ones. Oh, and the Thai ones . . . heck, I just LOVE tacos!


ON MY "TO COOK" LIST ...



Copycat A & W Whistle Dogs from Noshing with the Nolands. What can I say. I hold my hand up. I love hot dogs.


THIS I BELIEVE ...

 



We need to learn to be better at forgiving ourselves.


SOMETHING THAT IS NICE ...



This is my favorite saying  . . . 


SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS NICE ...




I am a lover of simplicity and ordinary things  . . . 


I AM WANTING TO CREATE ...


 


Pretty crochet bookmarks  . . . 



 


Embroidered jar caps  . . . 


 

A beautiful table runner  . . . 


 


Hats for cats  . . . 


 


Vintage caps  . . . 


SOMETHING I ENJOY ...




This particular flavor. I don't dare bring them into the house.


SOMETHING ELSE I ENJOY ...

 

My sister could make these. They would be so cute.


I AM READING ...




THE FROZEN RIVER, by Ariel Lawhon


A gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history. 

 Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. 

Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town's most respected gentlemen-one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own. 

 Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie. 

 Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon's newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard.

The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.

Reading this on my kindle 


THINGS THAT CATCH MY FANCY ...


 

Bumble Bees  . . . 


 


A pretty night dress  . . . 


 


Sinks with skirts  . . . 


 

Porcelain Brush Holders  . . . 


 


A pretty reading room  . . . 

MAKES ME SMILE ...


 


Cute cannisters  . . . 

SOMETHING TO WATCH ...




After The Flood, Series 2  Britbox


A THOUGHT TO CARRY WITH YOU ...

☾ ° ° * 。  
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*Children must be taught
how to think,
not what to think.
~Margaret Mead




And that is my daybook for this week!  Thanks always for being here!


  ⋱ ⋮ ⋰
⋯ ◯ ⋯ Take time to enjoy the small *´¯`.¸¸.☆
  ⋰ ⋮ ⋱ blessings in life.*´¯`.¸¸.☆ 



✿¸.•*¨`*•..✿✿¸.•*¨`*•..✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•. ╬♥═╬╬═♥=╬╬═♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥═╬♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥╬
░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░ 


Have a beautiful day!  Don't forget!  

═══════════ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ═════════════ 
⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ════════════  

And I do too!    

   

Monday, 4 May 2026

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.



 


The blessing of being able to watch church online.  I am afraid that I have done far more of that this year than I would have liked to do, but I am grateful that it is an option that is available for me. I may not be able to partake of the Sacrament when I do, but at least I get the blessing of hearing the talks and testimonies and of being able to mark out my sabbath day in a special way.





Sunday dinner at Cindy's. This week she cooked us Indian Food with a Vegetable Keralan Curry, Chicken Biriyani and Naan breads. It was some tasty. Eileen was thrilled as well.  She loves Indian food just as much as the rest of us do.  Well, Dad perhaps isn't fond, or says he isn't, but he just thought it was chicken and rice and he ate it. Thank you Cindy for another delicious meal!

I can go to Cindy's because I can get up and walk around without really disturbing anyone. I would not be able to do that at church.


 

The greening of the land.  The leaves are showing on the trees now and everything is taking on that green flush of Spring. Glenna's forsythia is bursting into yellow flame. All of the daffodils are blooming, along with the hyacinth, etc. The leaves are coming out on Cindy's lilacs.  I have lots of gold finches at my feeder.  Spring is springing.





Although this was the scene down in Yarmouth this weekend. A nor-easter blew through at the weekend. Thankfully all we got here in the valley was rain however. None of that white stuff. They say snow in May is supposed to be good for the skin and hair.  Happy with the skin and hair I already have thank you very much! Snow, snow, stay away from here. lol


 

I was so relieved to be told that I was getting a refund on the taxes I had paid for my last year's income rather than having to pay more. What a special blessing that was. I felt so lucky. I popped behind me to the farm market and bought a scratch card along with the bananas and ice cream Eileen and I were going to enjoy Saturday night with our Waltons. I won $20 on the scratch card also. I know gambling  . . . 

Anyways it was and is a huge relief. 

We were unable to watch the Waltons. I need to buy a DVD player.  The X-box that my son left for me won't work. It's been two years and hasn't worked properly ever, so I think I best just get a DVD player. I have DVD's for the Waltons, Little House and a few others, that are just sitting gathering dust.



 

I am still in pain with my lower back on the right hand side, but only when I try to stand up from sitting. So I stand up frequently and walk back and forth. Try not to sit for any more then ten minutes at a time. I thought it might be my kidney but then I remembered that I had an ultrasound of my kidney's not that long ago and was given a green-light there. It is probably a pinched nerve or something. It is okay when I am sitting. When I am standing. When I am laying down. It only hurts when I make the movement to stand up, and that is not as severe as it was.

I am not sure what the Doctor can do for that. I will probably just ride t through and hope that it improves.

Faith, family, friends, home. Life is good.

And with that I am going to leave you with a thought for the day. I am going to go lay down with a book for about half an hour. I have been up and down like a yoyo again. But hopefully this won't be forever!

A thought to carry with you.

☾ ° ° * 。  
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*In my friend
I find my second self.
~Isabel Norton


Honeyed Tomato Soup



In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Honeyed Tomato Soup with Cheddar & Onion Marmalade Panini. Delicious. I love tomato soups of any kind.


I hope that you have a lovely day today. May the sun shine down on you and may your day be filled with a multitude of small and wonderful things. Don't forget.

═══════════ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ═══════════ 
⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════  

And I do too!    

   

PS - I haven't gotten to respond to comments yet, but I hope to today.


Saturday, 2 May 2026

Saturday Nice . . .

 

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  . . . 

☾ ° ° * 。  
• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*Always be on the lookout
for the presence of wonder
~E.B. White 


Lemon Pots de Creme



In The English Kitchen today. Lemon Pots de Creme.  Quite simply delicious.


I hope that you have a beautiful weekend filled with light and with love. Whatever you get up to be blessed. Don't forget! 

═══════════ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ═══════════ 
⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════  

And I do too!