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.

Knowing this to be true means that I can handle every situation life throws at me. Good or bad.  I can trust in God's will for me and know that He sees the larger picture and that eventually all will be right for me. I just need to have faith and hold on.  He will see things right in the end.  All will be well in the end.

 

 

(source)

Spring is springing.  Daffodils are blooming. Tulips too.  Forsythia are coming into bloom. Narcissi.  The season of yellow is upon us, and what a cheery start to one of my favorite seasons!  Yellow!  Bright. Sunny. Hopeful! How wonderful that we live in a world that introduces each season to us with beautiful things like this!

I have a friend such as this.  Her name is Cindy. She is my sister. How blessed am I to have had this good, good friend for the past 65 almost 66 years!  I really do not know how I would cope in this life without her.  She has always been by my side. I love her so very much, and appreciate her even more than words can say.   What a wonderful gift from God she has been for me.  I know that I can call her any time, about any thing.  I know that she will always have my back.  We can laugh together and cry together and just be silent together.  I can only hope that I am even a fraction of the sister to her that she is to me.   She is pretty hard to beat, after all.  She is the best. NOBODY has a better sister than I do.  I will stand by that statement!  But if you do have a sister that is as good to you as mine is, that means as much to you as mine does, then you are a blessed person also!

Saturday night my smoke detector started beeping.  Every time it beeped the cats would freak out. It was pretty loud and piercing. I knew that I would not sleep all night with that going on.  I called my sister and she came right over and helped me to change the battery. With my knee I would not have been able to get up on anything to do it myself. And she would take nothing from me for doing so.   What a kind and caring person she is.  Once again, I am blessed.

Love this.  My mother was probably one of the tiniest people you could ever see.  A small wind could have toppled her.   She was one of the strongest people I have ever known. She withstood  many trials in her life but she faced every one of them with courage.  Oh, she may have cried a little bit through it all, sometimes maybe a lot, but she kept going, plodding forward. She was a wonderful example to us of strength and courage, tenacity, faith, etc. And she was kind. To those she loved, she was the best cheerleader. And a great supporter of the underdog as well.  No, she was not perfect. Nobody is.  But she was perfect for us. I loved and miss her so much.

I often think of all the kindnesses she did for each of us, all the ways she showed her love for us.  She showed her language of love to us in a multitude of ways. She was our biggest fan. 

  

 

(source)

I used to love listening to Andy Rooney at the end of every episode of 60 Minutes. He was such a wise man, and had such a wonderful perspective on life.  If I could find a book filled with his short essays I would buy it in a flash. 

 

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I am grateful for my curious nature. It has made my life much more interesting. It has kept me seeking knowledge and growth.  It has taught me so much. I am grateful for a mind that is always looking to expand and to learn new things.  For a mind that wants to know what makes things work, what makes people tick, what brings joy and happiness, what spurs contentment, but not so much so that it is content to merely stand in place. For a mind that seeks answers to puzzles, to life. Which seeks to always know more, and is open to learning new things.

 

(Source)

I am so grateful for my cozy little home. For my cozy little life. For my family. For my job which helps to fil my needs and some of my wants. For my faith which keeps me grounded.  I am just grateful. For it all.

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

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

*We don't see things as they are.

We see them as we are.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

~Anais Nin° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers.  Seriously simple.  Seriously tasty.  Yum yum!

I hope you have a beautiful day. I have a knee x-ray at 10 and then we are picking up Dad and driving up to New Minas to finish paying for his new bed which is going to be delivered to Cindy's on Wednesday.  His room as all been painted fresh now (thank you Dan!) and the carpet cleaned.  It is pretty much ready for him to move in, which will happen sometime in the next few weeks I suppose.   A time of great transition for him and for Cindy and Dan.  Not to mention for Princess, his cat.  All will be well.

Whatever you get up to today, 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!    

   

All Things Nice . . .

 

(source)

To think that I shall move in company,

With stars and wind and cloud,

The hills that clap their hands in joy,

The brooks that sing aloud.

To think that I may know the earth,

Where pale white lilies blow,

Blue shadowed hills where tiny tracks

Are printed in the snow.

And here beside me walking now

Are hosts unseen I swear,

I feel their presence like a cloud

About me everywhere.

Oh world untouched by mortal hands

Bend closer still that I

May hear the rustle of the wings,

Sweeping across the sky.

~Edna Jaques, To Think

Beside Still Waters, 1939

I often feel my mother close by, watching over me, loving me still. I wish that I could just reach out and touch her arm, or feel her tender touch.  I have read stories of those who have been injured and are close to death being ministered to by those on the other side of the veil. My friend Lura, after she was in that bad car accident and was in hospital, her life hanging by a thread, she remembers her bed being surrounded by her loved ones, praying over here, ministering to her, aiding her . . .  and I have heard of many other instances. I like to think that these things are true. I love these thoughts . . . thinking that those loved ones of mine who have gone on before, and the angels which are on the other side, are cheering me on, praying for me, watching over me with love and care.  True, or not, it brings a certain level of comfort into my life. It makes me want to be the best that I can be. Or at least try. I am not perfect, after all  . . .  only human . . .  all I can do is to try.

 

Nothing moves the heart more than seeing spring plowing. It pricks the heart in a special way, so much so that you want to stop what you are doing and just watch and think, your thoughts turning over and back in your mind, just as the plough turns over the dark, rich earth . . . 

Plowing means rebirth of the growing season, that Nature will once again justify our faith in her rhythm, that there are still some things in the world that we can count on. There is a special security in nature, and it restores the heart to realize this as I watch the blades bite down into the earth, furrows of dark, damp soil rising up to meet the sky . . .  

Gulls follow the plow seeking anything good that might come from the earth.  I wonder . . .  what will they plant this year. Will it be beans or peas . . . potatoes . . .  In the fields near to us, last year was corn, and the year before that carrots. The carrots sat in huge piles in the autumn after harvesting, waiting to fill the beds of the trucks that would come to take them off to wherever they were going. 

This act of plowing, this ritual of spring. It is something which goes on, in one way or another, all over the world . . . whenever Spring arrives in whatever corner. I like to imagine people all over the earth, digging their hoes into the soil on the rounded sides of this ball we call home.  I feel a sense of brotherhood with all peoples who go out into the clear and early morning of a bright Spring day and say, "This is the day to plow!"

I know nothing of their worlds, and have probably never tasted the fruits of their labors, and yet I feel a special kinship with them in knowing how they might feel after a day of plowing  . . .  at the day's end as they face the clean receptive earth awaiting the touch of the seed. There must be a certain sense of satisfaction to be felt. To some this is their life's blood and how they keep afloat.  Hope held in every furrow of the cut of the plow . . . 

 

(source)

This has been a busy week and next week promises to be even busier.  I love this life of mine with its full, full days.  I have a routine, and most days follow basically the same pattern, but they are days that are filled with activity and promise.  I love the days I spend with my sister most of all.  They are almost like we always planned that they would be when we got old and grey. Of course when I say grey, I speak for myself. I am the grey one. My sister has barely a thread of silver in her hair.  There is only the odd one when the sun hits her head.  Most of the time they are barely noticeable. She is like my mother, who had no silver or grey hairs until she was very old.  Her dark hair just simply faded as the years went by . . . 

I did one of those old filters on my snapchat the other day to see what I might look like and I was surprised at the result.  I can see my mother there. I never thought that I looked anything at all like my mother, but there it is.  It is quite obvious to me.  I think I look quite pleasant.  I am not bothered by it in the least.

Those filters can be quite fun. Sometimes I will play with them.  I have tried to get the cats to look into them, but they are most uncooperative. lol

There are filters out there that can do just about anything, even make you look 16 again, although I have yet to use that one.  This brings to mind thoughts about this world we are living in where anyone can be whoever they want to be.  You often see people using these highly edited filters as their profile pictures. I have quite an old profile photo of myself on Instagram, but I have not been able to figure out how to change it.  And I have tried. It is more difficult to change these things once you are Meta Verified. (Which I did to protect my account from being stolen.)

This  way of changing your appearance begs one to question a lot of things. What is real. What isn't real. We need to be ever more careful and discerning about the things we choose to trust these days.

 

Who you think you are chatting to   . . . 

 

Who you are really chatting to . . .

Sorry this just made me laugh. I thought it might make you laugh also.

I think the second one is the Gollum filter.  Oh the things which amuse us.  But it illustrates my point perfectly.  We need to be really careful with what we choose to trust today.  What was once just a roll of toilet paper, is now called a DOUBLE roll of toilet paper with a wider tube in the middle.   But at least it is still toilet paper. As far as we know, lol.

 

(source)

All of the trees and shrubs are in bud now. I have noticed that the Maple tree out back has lots of lovely red buds coming out. I would think with a few warm days they will turn to leaf.  At Cindy's there are buds on the lilac and on her forsythia. 

The birds are sounding lovely now. Birdsong has the power to lift the mood and refocus the mind. It is one of the treasures of Spring and can be enjoyed anywhere, listening from the solitude of your bedroom window or front porch, to the sidewalks and parking lots of the town.

I like to take a few minutes every morning to listen to it at this time of year.  You can hear different patterns and notes. Some I recognize and other's I don't. The notes of their performance come together in a wall of sound that delights my senses. It is nature's symphony and sets the tone for my days.

Restorative and balancing.

Cindy and I tripped through the local fabric store yesterday, perusing fabrics for our plans.  They had these foxy needle threaders. I could not resist picking up one for each of us.  They were so cute. This needle threader is double sided for smaller as well as bigger needles. I am not sure just how small a needle it will help you thread.  It is a cute addition to the sewing box at any rate.  

A person could spend hours in a fabric store and a bomb of money.  I have always loved fabrics.  I find it very hard to cut into them. I hoard them almost like a pirates treasure. I am the same with buttons. I do use my yarn however, but I do tend to hoard that as well.  I don't know why I am like that with these things. Oh, and art supplies.  I think I am well intentioned, just lacking on time. I keep telling myself I need to make more time, and then  I don't.

And with that I best get on with my day and leave you with a thought  . . . 

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

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

˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

 *.˛.Nature gives to every time

and season some beauties

of its own.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

~Charles Dickens° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 

In The English Kitchen today  . . . Blender Banana Bread. You put it together in the blender, or a food processor. Delicious and moist, and a very easy make!

I hope you have a beautiful weekend filled with joy, peace and happiness.  Whatever you get up to, stay safe 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!    

   

 

My Friday Finds . . .

 

A few of the things  I find each week that pique my interest, bring me joy, inspire me to learn, create, do, become . . . maybe they will do the same for you! 

From Pomadour24 on Etsy, the cutest book of patterns for making a cute cat doll and a wardrobe.  Not free.  Adorable.

Crafts by Amanda. Twirling ladybugs. Cute.

The Crafting Chicks.  DIY Recipe box.

Cotton Felts Ornament Set. Little Celandine on Etsy.  Cute.

No Pattern. Inspiration only a tea cosy from Anyone Can Quilt. 

Sweet Creek Patterns.  Crochet Chicken Purse. Free.

I Can Crochet That.  Free Dishcloth Pattern. I love these types of dish cloths.

4 Scrap Yarn Baskets.  Your Crochet. 

Two Toned Nesting Baskets.  How To Makes. 

Simply Made by Marin.  Crochet Towel Holders. 

A Box of Twine.  Beginning Patterns. Knitting.

Start Knitting.  Free House Pattern. Cute.

The Happy Mustard Seed. How to start a garden. For beginners.

Vegetables to grow in containers.  Apartment gardening.

Hand Sewn Pocket Tags. Journals by Karen on Instagram.  Lovely.

Such a pretty Needlebook.  No source.

Covered Coat Hangers using vintage pillow cases. (I can't imagine doing this myself. I would be heartbroken to destroy such a pillowcase unless it was already ruined.)  Fresh Vintage. A tutorial.

And those are my finds for this week. I am running out of time now. I hope that there was something of interest to you!

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

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

˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

 *.˛.History has remembered the kings & warriors

because they destroyed;° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

Art has remembered the people because° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

they created.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

~Mark Twain° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

I was craving a Cheese and Onion Sandwich for a few weeks now, so made my own sandwich filler. This was a very popular sandwich in the U.K.  I love them!  This was delicious! 

 

Cindy's Coconut Cream

I had a great day with Cindy yesterday. We went up to Berwick to do a few errands and then went to Coldbrook to a place called Callisters and had Pie.  It was really delicious. 

 

My Lemon Meringue

We didn't think to take a photograph until we were halfway through eating it, lol.  We like to take photos and send them to our brother in Ontario to let him know what he is missing out on. I know. We are wicked.    Both pies were EXCELLENT!!  We really enjoyed them and we really enjoyed each other's company!  The pie wasn't cheap but it was worth every penny as a once in a blue  moon treat.  We had been saying we were going to do this for almost a year now!  We can scratch it off our bucket list now!

I hope that you have a beautiful day.  May the sun shine upon your and may you be happy.  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 . . .

 

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.  Lets share! 

 

A good book to read, although admittedly I read more books on my kindle these days than I do books you can hold.  You can carry your whole library with you and jump in to read anywhere. Its a simple thing. Books and I have always been good friends. No matter what shape or form they come to me in.

 

(source)

Toasted bread. Especially rustic breads, with plenty of butter. Cheese is optional. I used to work in a care home when I first moved to the U.K. They had a toast machine. It would toast lots of slices of bread at one time.  So delicious. you popped in the top and by the time it came out the bottom it was perfectly toasted. You could order your toast in cafe's on thick, medium or thin sliced bread.  It was all good. Nobody does toast better than the British.

 

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A place to rest your feet and legs. That looks like a mighty comfy foot stool.

 

(source)

A breakfast nook with a view  . . . 

 

(source)

A gaggle of geese  . . . 

 

(source)

Hearts . . .  on or in anything  . . . 

(source)

Kittens  . . .  impossible not to love  . . . 

 

(source)

A whale of a butter dish  . . . that bread  . . . 

 

(source)

Sheep pillows  . . . .  so cute  . . . 

 

(source)

Vintage blue and white  . . . 

 

(source)

Seed Packets  . . .  I also love seed catalogues  . . . 

 

(source)

Old typewriters  . . . 

 

(source)

This  . . .  who doesn't love getting one of these  . . . 

 

(source)

French blues  . . . . 

 

(source)

Red hooks  . . . . 

 

(source)

Embroidery on sweaters  . . .  so pretty . . . 

 

(source)

Fancy door knockers  . . . 

 

(source)

Color  . . .  I just love color  . . . 

 

(source)

Pretty tea cups  . . . 

And those are my favorite things for another week. Maybe some of them were yours too!

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

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

˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

 *.˛.Quiet the mind° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

and the soul will speak.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

~Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati  ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •  ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Oven Baked Sesame Chicken. This was quite simply delicious.  Very easy to make as well.  No frying involved, and its gluten free. 

Thanks for all of your advice yesterday re my friend. I did call her last evening and just ignored the topics that she is most likely to be bossy about and steered the conversation onto different topics.  It was much more pleasant.  I know she means well and thinks she is being helpful.  

Today Cindy and I are going on a road trip that is more than likely to end in . . . pie!

I hope that you have a beautiful day. Be happy, 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!