Five things about me . . .

Thursday!  Time for another five things about me post!  Fasten your seat belts as we are about to take off!



When I was in Grade five my teacher refused to mark any more of my work because my handwriting was "deplorable."  I cannot remember what it was like at that point but it must have been really poor.  My mother's solution for that was to buy me handwriting workbooks on the "Maclean Method of Writing" which she then  made me sit and practice in every night for what seemed like hours and hours.

  Developed in Victoria by educator H. B. MacLean between 1921 and 1964, the MacLean method was used across Canada as the official handwriting method in schools, particularly in the Maritimes, parts of Quebec, Manitoba, and BC.  We lived in Gimli, Manitoba at the time.

It worked.  My handwriting did improve drastically.  Thanks mom!

Sad to say however that it is getting bad again.  I have noticed over the past few years that my handwriting has gotten very poor, probably because I hardly write anything by hand anymore, but mostly type write.   I bought myself some handwriting workbooks  a number of months back and am going back to square one.  Proof positive that if you don't use it, you will lose it.



My mother taught me how to pray when I was very young.  It was only the "Now I lay me down to sleep prayer," but it was a prayer.   I can say in all honesty that I cannot ever remember getting into bed at night without saying my prayers.  I have spent my whole life saying bedtime prayers and I am grateful for that, even though nowadays, more often than not, I fall asleep while I am saying them.  They are a little bit more personal these days than "Now I lay me."  Often if I have a problem falling asleep, I will start praying for individuals that I know alphabetically.  I am happy to say (for me, but maybe not for you depending on the letter your name begins with) that I only ever very rarely get past the letters "G" or "H."  I always fall asleep before then.   Well, almost always at any rate!



I try hard not to be but I am somewhat superstitious.   You know the things I mean . . .  if you break a mirror that is seven years of bad luck, knock on wood, if you spill salt throwing more salt over your left shoulder etc.  I think it is because my mother has always been very superstitious and so I grew up with it.   I always knock on wood when I say something positive . . .  to protect myself from evil  . . .  like hedging my bets I suppose.  And, I can never see a crow without cringing and immediately looking for a second one to ward off the bad luck that will most certainly come my way from having seen just one.  I have never broken a mirror and I hope I never do!  Old habits die hard I guess!



Autumn is my favourite season.  You get lovely "crisp edged with a touch of warmth" sunny days along with cooler "easy to sleep" nights.   I love the colours of the changing leaves and the sound they make when skittering across the pavement.  I love the smell of burning leaves . . .  I always, always looked forward to school starting up again in September, the excitement of seeing who you were going to get for teachers and who would be in your classes.  We always got a few new clothes to begin the school year with and new shoes.  (I think we were lucky.)  New notebooks, pencils etc.   It's kind of ironic I suppose that when all around me was preparing to go to sleep for the Winter . . .  there was this beautiful feeling of renewal and the opportunity to begin a new school year afresh.  The freshly ripened apples that never taste as good at any other time of the year, along with pears . . .  pumpkins, squashes, etc.  It's all good to me.



I have always loved bowling.  I haven't been bowling in years now.  I think the last time was when I went with the Young Women from church when we lived down South.  When I lived in Borden, Ontario, I belonged to a Women's bowling league, which I really enjoyed.  I am just an ordinary bowler.  I am not the best and I am not the worst.  I think Todd and I need to make a date to go bowling, or at least break out the wii and do some bowling here at home.  That would be fun!  Well, for me anyways!  ☺

The Sound of Music is my favourite musical.  I fell in love with it when it first came out.  I think I was about ten or eleven at the time.  I have been loving it ever since.  It was the thrill of my life a number of years back to be able to travel to Austria with Todd on a Sound of Music Coach Tour.   We were able to see all of the sights from the film.   It was a lovely trip which we both really enjoyed.  I am always saying I would love to go back to that part of Austria again.  Perhaps one day we will.  As we all know dreams can and often do come true!

Speaking of Dreams coming true . . .  remember yesterday when I was saying that it is on my bucket list to be able to go to Tuscany???   Well guess what!!  I am very happy to announce I am a finalist in the Tuscany Now Cook Off for my " Kitchen Sink Pasta" recipe. It's down to the public vote now and the winner gets a weekend in Tuscany! YOU can help my dream come true by voting for my entry! It is much appreciated. Each person can only vote once. The English Kitchen, Kitchen Sink pasta. Thanks so much!  You can vote HERE.   It goes without saying that you should only vote for me if you think I am worth your vote, but I would appreciate any and all votes I can get.  It is a trip for two. The only down side is that the winner has to pay their own air fare as it is only the weekend and accomodation which is included, but I would still love to win it.  If I do I will sorry about how I am going to pay the airfare then and if!  Many thanks in advance!

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .

✻ღϠ₡ღ✻(¯`✻´¯) 
          ✻ღϠ`*.¸.*₡ღ¸.✻
The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, 
share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, 
smile at someone and receive a smile in return, 
are to me continual spiritual exercises. 
~Leo Buscaglia  ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻✻ღϠ₡ღ✻✻ღϠ₡ღ✻✻ღϠ₡ღ✻  


 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Crispy Chicken Salad with a Blueberry Vinaigrette.  Delicious! 

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I wish for you a truly fabulous Thursday!