Marie's Sunday Six Smilemakers . . .

The sun has up and gone this Sunday morning. I mustn't complain though. We've had a beautiful run of it this past week and the gardens are just popping their buttons and bursting with colour! The drive that leads down to our cottage is lined with Rhododendrons that are all in bud and ready to explode in a wonderful frenzy of colour that is truly magnificent to see! It hasn't been too awfully difficult to find something to smile about this week, that's for sure!



Sunny days in England and it's rich green countryside make me smile. I just love this country. It's so very beautiful. Everywhere you look it's rich and green. Even the tree trunks are green, all mossy with ivy climbing everywhere. Rolling hillsides dotted with cotton boll sheep. Clear watered brooks trickling down over moss covered stones and making the most beautiful music to your ears. Ahh . . . to sit in the sun on a blanket on a warm sunny day with big fat bumble bees humming amongst the wild daisies, with sheep bleating off in the distance and a sky as wide and as blue as the universe . . . can anything on earth be more beautiful than that???



Well, the photo of a wonderful little grandson toting his much loved sock monkey around the garden just about does it! My son sent me this picture from his cell phone the other day and it made me smile from ear to ear! This is wee little Gabriel running through the leftover autumn leaves in their garden holding onto the sock monkey I made him for his birthday. Apparently he loves it, and that makes me very happy. Because I live so far away, I can never be a real hands-on Grandmother. I can only be one that loves from a distance. We get home to Canada only very rarely and so I must rely on being able to make an impression and showing him my love from afar. It would be really easy to be sad about this reality in my life, but then again . . . being able to spoil my three grandsons from afar is better than never being able to spoil them at all!! I'm the present giving, praying, telephone calling Grammy, and that can't be bad! Even if I only get to see them every few years or so, it means that when I do I am bound to make a lasting impression! They are sure to never get tired of me, or at least I hope not!



Bluebell woods, all carpeted with beautiful blue flowers and early spring green grasses. Oh, how beautiful they are. The air almost rings with the tinkling of a million little blue bells . . . and one quite expects each brush of the springtime breeze to send up a rush of little fairies dancing in the air around you . . . shh . . . if you stand very still and are very . . . very . . . quiet, you just might hear them singing . . .



Happy dogs make me smile, and our Jess has to be about the happiest, smilingest dog I know! With these warmer and dryer days she is often out on the drive waiting for me when I return home from work. She prances about like a pony, she truly does do a little dance and it makes my heart swell with love for her. She is such a treasure. We gave her her spring time bath this past week and so she is all fresh smelling and sweet now. We may not have been able to have any children of our own, but we do have a Jess . . . and that, my sweet friends, is a very special thing to have in your life.



Castles make me smile. It was such a lovely day yesterday that we took ourselves in the car down the road to visit Scotney Castle. It is truly a beautiful place and has the most beautiful castle. The rhododendrons are all in bloom and it is a real joy to walk it's grounds breathing in all the beauty that surrounds each and every step. We don't have castles in Canada, only in our dreams . . . it is such a blessing to be able to walk about them and to imagine the lives and feet that once walked upon their moss laden stones. Even though many of them are ruins, such splendor and beauty are a blessing to behold . . .



Little newborn grandsons make me smile. Look at that face. Does it not tickle your heart? Do you not want to just reach out and cuddle that? Or at the very least plant a big smoochie upon that little wrinkled brow??? This is wee little Joshua. He's about 2 months old now. I love him to bits! (How could I not?)

As well as visiting a castle yesterday and walking about it's grounds with Todd I also managed to do two new paintings. I love them both.

Uh Oh . . . I wonder what he's done? You'll have to hop on over to Blossomtime creations later on today to find out!

Joy . . . who can't use some of that!!!

I also made us a baked bean supper, with delicious home baked beans, homemade oatmeal brown bread, scalloped potatoes and ham . . . and for dessert a delicious buttermilk cake topped with a sweet fresh berry sauce. Yesterday was just the most smilingest day ever!!





*Buttermilk Cake with a Fresh Berry Syrup*
Serves 8 to 10

Printable Recipe

A lovely moist cake with a crumb quite reminiscent of a pound or Madeira cake. Topped with a delicious berry sauce this is truly a wonderful way to end a meal. You can also serve it with a dollop of whipped cream along side of the berries. In fact I think I may do just that today after church!

4 1/2 ounces butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Grease an 8 inch round cake tin and line with baking paper. Grease again.

Place the butter into a bowl along with the sugar and beat them together with an electric whisk until they are pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the buttermilk and the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder and the salt. Add this mixture in two batches, mixing them in well after each addition.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level off the top. Bake in the heated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the tin for 10 minutes before removing completely to a wire rack to finish cooling.

While the cake is cooling make the syrup.



*Fresh Berry Syrup*

This goes perfectly spooned out over the top of slices of this wonderful cake, but it is equally as delicious on top of ice cream or rice pudding as well!

1/2 cup sugar
2 TBS lemon juice
1/4 cup water
8 ounces of mixed berries
a dollop of strawberry or raspberry jam

Stir the sugar, lemon juice and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the berries. Lightly crush with the back of the spoon against the side of the pot. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the dollop of jam and stir in until it is completely melted. Set aside until ready to use.