The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY, August 3rd, 2010...

Outside My Window...
It is dull and gloomy looking so far, but hopefully we will see some sun later on today! It did get sunny in the latter half of yesterday, although it had been grey and dismal looking to begin with. We went for a nice walk in the evening along with our friends Audrey and Peter and it was lovely!

I am thinking...
About forgiveness. I was watching a video on YouTube yesterday.



It was moving and touching and really made me think. If Chris Williams could forgive someone who took so much away from him, how much easier it would be for me to forgive those whom I feel have wronged me. There is nobody on earth who has hurt me in such a great way . . . how small my list of wrongs against me seems in comparison. Time to let them go . . .

Psst . . . if you want to watch the video clip, turn off the music!

I am thankful for...
The tender mercies of my Heavenly Father. I feel them every hour of every day.

From the kitchen...
There is leftover carrot cake from the weekend and a big basket full of vegetables from our garden. Oh how I love this time of year when there are so many fresh vegetables available. I could eat nothing but a plate of vegetables and be perfectly happy!

I am wearing...
A pale blue jersey nightie, covered all over with little pink flowers. It has pretty blue pearlie buttons down the bodice and a tiny bow and ribbon rose on the bodice as well. I just love it. It was a gift to myself.

I am creating...
I am working a few things out in my mind, reference the new cookbook I am writing and also my drawings. No dolls on the work table just yet, but I also have some plans for them. I don't know where the time is going, but it seems to be just flying by since we have been home!

I am going...
No firm plans for the rest of this week, but we were just saying last night that we have a National Trust membership that we have not used yet this summer at all. We need to dig our book out and see what places are nearby to us here in Cheshire, and then go to see them!

I am reading...




Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult

In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn; color your
hair; watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes,
you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you
can fold laundry for a family of five.
Nineteen minutes is how long it took the Tennessee
Titans to sell out of tickets to the playoffs. It’s
the amount of time it takes to listen to the Yes song Close
to the Edge. It’s the length of a sitcom, minus the
commercials. It’s the driving distance from the
Vermont border to the town of Sterling, NH.
In nineteen minutes, you can order a pizza and get
it delivered. You can read a story to a child or have
your oil changed. You can walk two miles. You can sew
a hem.
In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world; or you
can just jump off it.
In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge.

In this emotionally charged novel, Jodi Picoult delves beneath the surface of a small town to explore what it means to be different in our society.

In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the harassment. One final incident of bullying sends Peter over the edge and leads him to commit an act of violence that forever changes the lives of Sterling’s residents.

Rich with psychological and social insight, Nineteen Minutes is a riveting, poignant, and thought-provoking novel that has at its center a haunting question. Do we ever really know someone?


I am hoping...
That it is not too long before I get the results back from my MRI scan. That was such a horrific experience. I really hope that I don't have to have another one. With that experience I realized how very claustrophobic I truly am. There is nothing like being stuffed into a narrow metal tube to bring out all your demons!

I am hearing...
Clock ticking, keys tapping . . . I miss Jess snoring. When I was helping Todd collect catalogues yesterday one lady invited me in while she wrote out her order. She had two lovely little Cocker Spaniels and they were just adorable. I fell right in love with them. Perhaps one day . . .

Around the house...
I have a washing machine full of laundry that I did last night that needs to be hung. I also need to hoover and dust. (Not to mention clean the bathroom!) Todd built a garden shed this past week so that we would have somewhere to put the rest of the boxes that are sitting in the spare bedroom . . . boxes with Christmas Ornaments in etc. We need to shift them out there now and turn that room into a bedroom and nothing else but a bedroom!

One of my favorite things...
Is daydreaming. Oh . . . the places I go and the people I see. There is no end to the adventures I take in my mind! I wonder if creative people daydream more than others? Is it a sign of laziness? I can tell you one thing . . . I've spent lottery money more than anyone out there . . . in my mind of course . . . and I haven't spent a dime.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
I have a sharing time to prepare for Sunday morning and the Primary Presentation to outline. We need to get some ink for the computer so that I can print some stuff out. Not a lot of things planned really, perhaps we can take a nice drive one day. I have never been to see Beatrix Potter's home, and it is only a few hours away . . . hmmm . . . what do you think? Should we go?

Here is picture thought I am sharing...



This is my dream Kitchen. I just love the open clean concept of it, with the open shelves and the blinds on the windows. I love the sink and the taps. I would go for slightly different colours though. Perhaps blue granite countertops . . . just to bring in a bit more colour and cream walls and shelves, with perhaps a tint of yellow in them . . . It's for sure that with a kitchen like that you would need to keep everything uber tidy on the shelves or it wouldn't look so good. Perhaps that is the discipline I need!

And just as a closing thought for today . . .

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
~Mark Twain

And there you have it . . . my day book for the first week in June. Don't forget to hop on over to the Simple Woman to check out the other day book entries! (Or better yet, do a simple day book entry yourself! It's not that hard and I am betting you would enjoy it!)

Here's a delicious salad that makes a nice light lunch. I just love the combination of fruit and ham. It's that salty/sweet thing again!




*Peach, Ham and Cheese Salad*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Ham and fruit go so very well together. They are the perfect combination and when you combine those flavours with some cheese and a honey mustard dressing, well . . . you've got something very special indeed!

1 romaine lettuce, trimmed and roughly torn
1 carton of mustard cress, trimmed
2 peans, stoned and cut into thin wedges
4 ounces of Edam cheese, rind removed and cut into thin sticks
4 ounces of thick sliced ham, cut into sticks

For the dressing:
3 TBS olive oil
1 TBS white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 TBS mayonnaise
1 tsp runny honey
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Some crusty bread for serving

Toss all the salad ingredients together in a large salad bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Divide the salad amongst four chilled salad plates and drizzle each with a portion of the dressing before serving. Serve with plenty of warm crusty bread!



And in The English Kitchen today, you'll find a delicious Cheddar Crusted Broccoli Soup!