Dear Neighbor . . .

 

(source)

JUNE 5th, 2026
Estate Lane,

Nova Scotia

12*C/54*F

Mostly sunny

Dear Neighbor,

Hello on this beautiful June morning. I have been up since about 5:30 and was out front taking a few photographs of the flowers I added yesterday.  I think the danger of frost is about done now, so Eileen and I picked up some baskets yesterday afternoon from the farm market right behind my place. They had some really lovely looking baskets.

 

I kept it really simple. Just red and white for the front garden space. Petunias in front of the deck. Petunias are a flower that just keeps giving. 

I did red geraniums for the little wagon by the door. I had picked that up several weeks back but only put it together yesterday afternoon. Flat pack and it took quite a while, but I got there in the end. I did end up with the handle on the wrong end, but by that time I had gone far enough and was at my limit. I think I like the handle better in back anyways.  That little cast iron dish on the railing, that is where I put the peanuts.

All in all, I am fairly happy with the way it has all turned out.  All I need to do is to water them each day. No weeding.

My kind of gardening.

This was the sky over the houses across the way when I got up this morning.  Just a few wispy clouds and a contrail over the trees. Looks to be a very fine day in the offing.

 

(source)

I did not sleep very well last night. There was one of those big wasps in my bedroom right when I was going to bed. I did get it with my battery operated fly killer thingie. I think the are getting in through the air exchanger vents in the ceiling. I did have the maintenance guy around to look. He couldn't find anything untoward. He looked outside, etc.  He said they were paper wasps and would be gone soon, but I don't know about that. I read online that peppermint oil is something they don't like. I have some of that. I bought it last year for the ants. I am going to get some cotton balls when I am out this afternoon, soak them in peppermint oil and stick one in every one of those air exchanger vents and see if that helps.

It's not nice to have wasps in the house and Eileen is terrified of them. Me too, to be honest. It's a bit like a nightmare.

 

(source)

Gouchers had their early strawberries out this week, for $7.99 a box and apparently they sold out. I am not surprised. Although it seems to be expensive, those first berries of the season are always a real treat. I did not get any. I will wait until a bit later and hope that the cost goes down a bit.

Eileen and I popped into the grocery store yesterday afternoon. All of the things that were on special were gone. Of course. Either that or they never had them in the first place. Toilet tissue, Kleenex, paper towels. All gone. Those are quite hefty items and not something I can pick up when I am out with Cindy and Dad as they won't fit in the car. I had been hoping to get some locally. Eileen too, to put into her apartment.

 

(source)

The cleaners are coming to clean her place tomorrow afternoon. According to her worker, they want her moved in asap. She will be allowed to come to stay with me when she has her operation and for recovery, but they won't be subsidizing the rent in a place that is unoccupied, so she has to be living in it.

She is a bit nervous living on her own. We will try to move things in as best as we can over the coming days. Her father is not communicating with me at all. I did reach out to him several times, but he totally ignores me. I don't understand that, but it is what it is. I just thought it would be better if the left hand knew what the right hand was doing so we could organize everything between us. I have tried and a person can't do any more than that. It is what it is.

It has been my experience that things have a way of working out in the long run, no matter what.

 

I could not help but snap this picture of Nutmeg all stretched out and asleep on the carpet the other night. He was so cute.  His belly and paws are so very white.  He is such a character. Eileen will really miss the cats when she leaves to go to her place.  I hope she doesn't have to wait too long to get one of her own.  I think she will be less nervous if she has a cat for company. 

I picked up some very pretty embroidered pillow slips earlier this week. They have drawn thread edges as well.  I got them at the Irish Linen Shop online. I am very pleased with them. They are so lovely and the embroidery is very nice. A small extravagance  . . . I do so love pretty linens.

When I worked at the manor, they had beautiful table and bed linens. I used to love using them when there were luncheons, etc. Everything was exquisite.

 

Here are sweet peas on tip-toe for a flight;

With wings of gentle flush o'er delicate white,

And taper fingers catching at all things,

To bind them all about with tiny rings.

~John Keats, I Stood Upon A Little Hill

Of all the flowers in the world I think I love sweet peas most of all.  They are so beautiful and delicate and yet so fierce at the same time, with their tendrils that entangle everything and grasp at every post.

Delicate and beautiful

and vivid as the sunset skies.

A mass of sweetness,

like a cloud of pink and crimson butterflies.

Are they flowers, these moth-like

things with brightly tinted wings of flame?

Sweet peas, that is what they're called,

but can such beauty have a name? 

~anon

 They grow in masses, and clusters, each bloom seemingly more beautiful than the rest.  Every tender petal does look like a winged thing, ready to fly off . . . you can almost hear the gentle flutters as they prepare to flit about the garden en masse.  I cannot pick a favorite color. I love them all. If I was very rich and young and getting married . . .  I think my bouquet would be composed of sweet peas . . . creamy whites and gentle blushes . . . with pale green tendrils.   

When the oldest daughter at the Big House got married, her wedding cake (s) were done by Peggy Porschen, the smaller ones being decorated with tiny little sugar sweet peas, which looked for all the world as real as to be actual sweet peas. They were soooo beautiful. Tiny works of art that you  hated to bit into. Not that I had the opportunity to bite into one, but I could imagine  . . .

Once again, exquisite.  It was all a grand experience to be sure, even if it was very hard work working there.  I am grateful to have had the experience. How wonderful it would be to be able to tell my granddaughter about these things . . .  if only.

 

(source)

I picked up the loveliest buns at the grocery store yesterday afternoon. So beautifully fresh. Is there anything so tasty as a fresh made bun. I don't think so, but then again I say that about a lot of things.  

These were lovely though. I had been going to make some baked hotdogs with them, but it ended up we did not have any canned chili in the larder. I did have some tins of chunky steak and potato soup however, so we had that instead and were quite happy with it. Soup and rolls for supper is such a simple thing, but it is also quite a nice thing as well. It is the simple things in life which bring us the most pleasure after all . . . 

 

(source)

I will soon have to wake up Eileen. She wanted to go to Tim Hortons this morning and have her breakfast there. She likes their breakfast bowls. It is a treat for her. I will drop her off. Her Bible Study leader wanted to meet her there as well. So they will have a visit together and then later, after lunch she has a People's First meeting. The CSS workers will drop her off here at home after that.

It will be good when she is in her own place in some ways. It is centrally located and she will be able to walk to wherever she wants/needs to go. She will get more exercise that way, which is always a good thing. I will miss her though. These months we have had together have been a great blessing for each of us. We will still do our Wednesday night dinners at the restaurant with Cindy and Dad and of course Sunday suppers at Cindy's. Plus she is planning on coming to me for Christmas and I said maybe we can have some sleepovers as well. If she wants to. Its up to her.

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

☾ ° ★° * 。  

• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
*You can worry about it

or you can pray about it.

One does nothing.

The other does everything.

In the kitchen today, Easy Cheese & Potato Pie.  This is a delicious vegetarian casserole that can serve either as a main or as a side dish. It's hearty and delicious!

I hope you have a lovely Friday. Whatever you get up to, I hope it brings you joy. Don't forget!

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!    

   

My Favorite Things . . .

 

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

 

(source)

Pretty glassware . . .  love greengate

 

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Pancakes and berries  . . . 

 

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Blue and white quilts  . . .  sadly I had to leave mine in the U.K.

 

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Anything gingham  . . . 

 

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Enamelware  . . . 

 

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Cows and painted wooden cupboards  . . . 

 

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Pretty doorknobs  . . . 

 

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Pretty mugs  . . . vintage  . . . 

 

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Hot day, bare feet, cool grass  . . . 

 

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Flower fairies  . . . 

 

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Tea and cake  . . . 

 

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Jam bars  . . . 

 

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Robin's egg blue  . . .  look at the mastery of that nest  . . . 

 

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Wild fields  . . . 

 

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Poppies  . . . 

 

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Daisies  . . . 

 

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Lines of laundry  . . . 

 

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A red fence  . . . 

 

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Climbing roses  . . . 

 

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Pub signs  . . . 

 

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Hens and their company  . . .  dogs too  . . . 

 

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Blueberry pie  . . . 

 

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Red and white  . . . 

 

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Magnum bars  . . . 

 

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Sea salt  . . . 

 

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Wag tails  . . . 

 

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Fresh linens  . . . 

 

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Peonies  . . . 

And all of you!  Yes, you. You brighten my days with your comments, my sweet friends.

 And those are my favorite things for this week  . . . hopefully some of them were yours as well.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

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

*Always keep in mind
that the words we choose
help shape the world we live in.

~anon

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  a delicious Chicken & Bacon Caesar Melt. A hearty flavor-packed sandwich that tastes just like it came from your favorite cafe. With bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, Caesar  chicken and melty cheese, all tucked into a toasty garlic parmesan butter bun.  What's not to love?

Have a beautiful day.  Whatever you get up to, I hope it brings you plenty of joy and peace. 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!    

   

Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

The sun has long been set,

The stars are out by twos and threes,

The little birds are piping yet,

Among the bushes and the trees;

There's a cuckoo, and one or two thrushes,

And a far-off wind that rushes,

And a sound of water that gushes,

And the cuckoos sovereign cry

Fills all the hollow of the sky.

~William Wordsworth, from A Night in June

I have not put that yet to the test. I am usually in bed by 9pm most nights. That is not to say I am asleep at that time, but I am retired for the day and beneath the covers, praying, reading, etc. There are no cuckoos here. But there are night sounds. Peepers. Loons across a lake. Whippoorwills. Crickets.

And fireflies  . . .  I will never forget the wonder of seeing my first fireflies. We had stopped at a motel alongside of the Saint John river on the East side just south of Fredericton. My parents were visiting one of our father's ham radio friends.  I can remember chasing fireflies through the front yard at dusk with their children. This was like magic to me. I had never seen dancing lights in the air before.

That night there was a wicked thunderstorm. I can remember watching the lightening flash on the river across the road from our motel room. I wonder does Cindy also remember these things  . . . I will have to ask her later on.

In later years as an adult and married with five children, we built a house next to a marsh fed by that same river, but on the West side. My children chased fireflies on our own front lawn and captured them in mason jars.

Summer nights  . . . 

 

(source)

I have put together both of my planters now and am thinking today I will go and get some plants to put into them. I think we will not have any more frosts, so it is safe. I would like red and white flowers. But we will have to wait and see what is left.  There may be nothing.

We wanted to pick up tissues on sale at the local grocery store the other day. (I never buy these things at full price if I can help it.) There were none left. Just an empty space where they should have been. I should have gotten a rain check. I never thought of it. Sigh  . . .  why do I always think of these things after the fact. 

They will go on offer again I am sure. At one or another of the shops. I cannot get over the costs of these things now when they are at their regular prices. Toilet paper. Paper towels. Tissues. Who can afford that?  Its almost as bad as the cost of meat. When I see a steak for $30 or a Roast for $50 I find myself asking me the question  . . .  who is buying this stuff?

Hot dogs  . . .  $15.99 for a package.  Who would have thought?

Which always makes me query. How do they decide how many hotdogs go into a package??? You get 12 hot dog buns in a pack of buns, but only 10 dogs in a pack of hotdogs? It doesn't really make much sense. Not to me anyways.

 

 

(source)

I noted that the Goucher's farm market has their local strawberries in now.  I do not know how much they are a box. I just saw on Facebook that they were ready. They are probably 7 or 8 dollars a pint. I expect that Spurs will have them soon, if not already as well. I prefer Spurs. 

One thing that I really dislike when trying to choose a box of berries to buy, is seeing them loaded with half ripe ones. Strawberries are one of those fruits that do not ripen any more after picking. 

I have fond memories of picking wild strawberries alongside the railroad track that went past the first house we lived in in Gimli, Manitoba. As small as your baby fingernail, but oh so sweet.  I always associate them with the smell of hot wood and tar, which is the way the wood that held the rails smelled. 

If we were lucky we would have enough that our mother would get them washed and hulled and into a small bowl for us to enjoy with a bit of cream poured over. Nothing every tasted so good as those berries.

 

(source)

We had the rare treat of a takeaway Pizza last night for supper. It was Dan's birthday and he wanted Pizza from the new Dominos that opened up in Greenwood, which is not far from where we live. I think they must have seven or eight places in that area that peddle pizza. We got two large ones. An Extravaganza with all the meats and veggies, and another one which only had bacon, ham and sausage on it. They were good. Nice crust. Nice sauce.  Plenty of toppings.  We enjoyed those and then had some Chocolate Fudge Rocca cake for dessert. I think Dan felt celebrated. At least I hope that he did.

We are out for supper again tonight as it is Wednesday night and Dad will be wanting to go to his usual haunt. There is another place that just opened up a little ways down the road from that. We would love to be able to give it a go . . .  but Dad and Hazel, well Hazel specifically, want to keep going to the same place they always have.

Change comes hard I guess. I know that as well as anyone. I do not take to change easily myself.

 

(source)

I got a new bread book on my kindle library yesterday. The No Fuss Bread Machine Cookbook. I have a loaf of Fragrant Cardamom Bread in it at present, being kneaded. We will see how it goes.  I haven't used my bread machine in a while, so I am a bit rusty. It sounded nice though and I love the aroma of cardamom. It is an enriched dough with egg and butter. Should be nice, hopefully!

Last winter I had bought two large bags of flour from Arva Mills, online. When they arrived I was astonished at the size of them. Not to mention the weight. I could hardly lift them. I had bought a large container to put the flour in, but there was far too much flour for the container and when I tried to pour it in, I made a mess.  This morning, I managed to be able to get the flour into the container and another one, so that first bag is empty now.  I just have one more large bag to use. It's good flour. 

I am keen to start making sourdough again, but I need to get a starter started. I should have brought the dried starter that I had from the U.K. when I came, but I was afraid of being queried at customs and I had enough drama in my life at the time.

Anyways, I am looking forward to this new loaf of bread. It sounds good at any rate!

 

(source)

One thing I really look forward to in the summer months are fresh tomatoes and tomato sandwiches. My mom had a tomato sandwich for her lunch almost all the days that I knew her as a mother. She loved them. There was always a cut tomato sitting on her counter top. My Aunt Freda loved any kind of sandwich. If it was between two slices of bread, she was on it. I do admit to enjoying sandwiches myself, but I am very particular. I like only fresh soft bread. If the bread is stale that ruins it for me. They had the best sandwiches in the U.K. They are a nation of sandwich lovers and have shops dedicated to just sandwiches. Most supermarkets also have a section of readymade sandwiches as well, and it is quite extensive. I thought M&S had the best ready made sandwiches. Always generously filled and always fresh. I do love tomato sandwiches of course, but I also really love cheese and tomato.  Cheese and pickle are a real favorite, as are egg and cress.  Oh . . .  cheese and onion. I do so love a good cheese and onion sandwich.

I have some broccoli seeds for sprouting that I want to get going.  I think they would be just as good on an egg sandwich as egg and cress. I must get some seeds started to sprouting today, so I can test out my theory.

My goal this year is to eat as much from scratch and natural foods as I can. So far so good, although it isn't that easy to do.  You would not think it would be as difficult as it is

 

(source)

Yesterday we tried to practice "Silent Letter" day. A day when you try to pronounce all the silent letters. Like " Wed Nes Day." Its a lot harder to do than one would think, but good for a laugh.

 

(source)

I am going to have to call the maintenance guy this morning. It is warming up today and I have already killed one wasp in my bedroom this morning. Obviously they are getting in somewhere through my bedroom and I suspect it is the air exchanger in the ceiling.  I will have to wait to call until after Eileen is up and about. She should be up soon, but it takes about an hour for her to get herself sorted.

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

☾ ° ★° * 。  

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

*How lucky I am to have a home
full of things I like to tidy.

This made me smile.

In the kitchen today  . . .  Ginger Ham Steak & Deviled Potatoes. A vintage recipe that I cooked for us on Monday that was really delicious. And, on the table in about half an hour's time. We both really enjoyed this.

I hope that you have a beautiful day.  Whatever you get up to, I hope it brings you joy and happiness. 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!