Saturday This and That

We didn't go anywhere yesterday despite the warm and sunny day. It was a house cleaning day so that we could spend Saturday doing something special together.  I can remember watching The Jetsons when I was a child and thinking that in the 21st century they would have self cleaning houses and moving side walks.   Well, they do have moving side walks at airports, but houses still don't clean themselves!



Housecleaning isn't something anyone wants to do particularly . . . but I have always found that if you keep on top of it, it's not so bad and doesn't take a lot of time.  Thank goodness for modern appliances and husbands that are not afraid to muck in!  Todd always does the hoovering because my back just can't take it.   Yes . . . he also does windows!  ( I am a lucky woman I know!)



Sorry girls!   He's taken!

Today we are going to pop into town though.  It's races day in Chester and there is sure to be a lot of excitement in the air.  I love races day in Chester . . . the ladies with all their pretty dresses and hats, the men all done up as well . . . watching the gals trying to walk on the cobbles in their high heels, and feeling grateful for my good old sturdy flats.



We had thought at first that we might drive down to Llangollen and take a trip on the steam train.  That is something Todd's wanted to do for years now . . . but when we checked out the cost, we decided to leave it for another year.  It's quite expensive really and it's only an 8 mile trip.  We'll save it for another time when we are feeling flush.

We picked a lot of fruit from the garden yesterday . . . more black currants, strawberries, tayberries and some raspberries.   I am making a summer fruit cordial with them.   I had the juice dripping overnight.  I picked up a cordial bottle at the Hobby Craft shop yesterday.  It's a kilner one so it will be good.  I can't wait to sit and sup on a lovely homemade cordial.  I'll feel quite like Anne of Green Gables and her friend Diana I think . . .

 

Don't you just love the Anne of Green Gables story?   I was lucky enough to see the show in Charlottetown once upon a time.  It was just fabulous.  I went with my ex Mother In Law to an afternoon matinee of it.   I love the film of it as well.   It's a beautiful story that never gets old.  I love stories where people are able overcome problems with determination and hard work and rise to the top like cream, despite the odds against them.

We also like to watch Road to Avonlea, which we can get here on one of the channels, the name of which escapes me at the moment, but which doesn't really matter.  It's a simple show with simple values.  The acting's not overly great (Canadian television so a bit cheesy), but it's a great show despite the bad acting.

So anyways, with any luck Todd and I will be supping on a homemade cordial later today, probably out in the back garden surveying our domain while Mitzie tries to tempt us to play ball with her.   She is not a great ball player like Jess used to be.

 


Mitzie gets the ball and then she thinks she is supposed to run with it while you chase her trying to get it back.  When you stop, she lays down and drops it in front of her, but then . . . when you go to try to get it, she grabs it and starts running with it again.   Little monkey . . .

My mom loves listening to her over the telephone.  Quite often when I am talking to my mom, Mitzie will lay next to me on the sofa and she'll roll onto her back so I can scratch her tummy, which she loves and she makes these grunting noises the whole time, which mom can hear of course.    Mom thinks it's quite funny.



This is a picture my sister took of mom when I was talking to her on the telephone on her Birthday on Tuesday.   She looks very happy and content and more like her old self I think.   She does realize now that she has lost her short term memory.  It hasn't really come back and probably won't now, but you can ask her anything about the past and she can tell you it all, right down to the most minute detail.  So that's good.   One day I was talking to her and she kept saying I can't hear you . . . she had the telephone turned around the wrong way.   We had a good laugh about that!  Her sense of humor is still intact!  She is loving having my sister and Dan there, which makes me happy.    I am so grateful for them being there.  Mom doesn't even seem to mind the two extra cats, which is a blessing, and I think mom's cat Pumpkin actually enjoys having them around as well.



Great news on the job front as well!   Cindy and Dan have both managed to get jobs.  They start on Monday.   What a blessing that is, and they'll be working in the same place!  They've always worked in the same place.  In Ontario they both worked in a Mill, making doors, etc.   It was very hard physical labor and my sister was really starting to feel the wear and tear of it in her joints etc.   She's 55 now.  It's time for a change.   This is in a plant in the local town where we are from that produces salads, etc.   So I think she will be doing vegetable prep etc.   Not sure what Dan will be doing, but it's a real answer to prayer that they have both managed to get jobs so quickly!  Praise God for answered prayers!   Mom will miss having them around the house in the day, but at least they will be there after work and on holidays and weekends, plus Cindy will still be able to take her to her appointments and stuff.  I am ever so pleased with how everything has worked out.   I wish I was there though . . . I miss my family.



This is something else I worked on yesterday.   A friend had wanted me to create something special for her to do with the Mormon pioneers, specifically the ones here in the UK.   The British Pageant is happening very soon now.   I can't wait to go to it.  It is going to be the event of the summer for us.   Anyways, my friend and her husband are both acting in it and she wanted a special memento of it, and this is what I came up with.  A wife, her baby and husband getting ready to make the journey West to Zion.   For the British converts that meant a long trip across the Atlantic on a ship, and not in luxury either.   Then once they got to America they had to journey West in either a covered wagon or walking with a hand cart.  In all cases it involved huge sacrifice and faith that what they were doing was the right thing to do.   Their courage and determination is a huge testimony to me and I am so grateful for it.    You can read more about the pageant here.   

So that's about all my news for today I guess!  I hope that wherever you are and whatever you are doing today, the sun shines down upon you and your day is blessed in a multitude of small and wonderful ways!

A thought to carry with you through the day . . .

"People are like Oreos, the good stuff is on the inside."

 

Baking in The English Kitchen today . . . Yogurt, Sour Cherry and White Chocolate Scones.  Delicious!

Have a great day!