Small and Wonderful Things . . .

 

"The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside from a generous hand. But who gets excited by a mere penny?...It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued that he won't stoop to pick up a penny. But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted with pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days. It is that simple. what you see is what you get." ~Anne Dillard  

A few of the small and wonderful things which bring untold joy into my life.   It's the small things in life which truly mean the most.  Simple abundance . . . it's the best.    





This is my youngest son Bruce with my youngest grandson Cameron.   Bruce doesn't have any children yet, he's not married.  He just has Baxter the puppy and his partner Sara, and a new house.   He is the best Uncle.  All of the grandchildren love him.  He's getting plenty of practice in before he has a family of his own I guess!  These two are like two peas in a pod.   Cameron has always looked a lot like his Uncle Bruce.  ☺



Last week was Vacation Bible School at the local Baptist church back home I guess and so Maryn (my only granddaughter) and Jon (my second oldest grandson) were both in the valley to attend.  I expect they were staying with their granddad.  They look like they are enjoying time with Uncle Bruce as well!

See, great husband and father material.   Sara wants to snap him up quickish like.  I know . . .  I am a bit biased.



While I am at it, here's the latest photo of Baxter!  Another cutie pie.   Grand-doggies are just as important and loved as grandchildren I think.   Well, this one is at any rate.  He is a major part of my son's beautiful life.  Good practice for what is to come.




We had a beautiful lesson in our Relief Society meeting yesterday based on the Patterns of Light talks by Elder David A Bednar.  (You can see all three videos here.   They're really good and are only a few minutes long each.  In fact I am listening to them all as I write this!)   They provoked lots of great discussion amongst the Sisters and I was deeply touched by all of them and impressed with things I had not thought about before.   That is a good lesson  . . .  one that leaves an impression and which touches your heart.

"Everything that invites and entices us to do good and to be good comes from God."

For years I have struggled with the way my children have been taught that I am just a nutter who joined a cult.   It hurts my feelings that for the most part they believe this to be true.   That I am on a fast track to hell.   No mother wants her children to think these things about her, especially when all through their formative years she was the one who taught them to pray and to love the Lord.  How then could they question her judgement or ability to discern truth from lie.  In any case, upon listening to the second video and watching it, this quote jumped out at me.  I wish I could make them watch these videos and to take this into their hearts.   Then they would know or could know I am not in a bad place, but a good place and my spirit is safe.  It cannot be a very nice feeling for them to think I am doomed to an eternity in hell either.




I love Tunnocks Tea Cakes.   Those lovely little crisp biscuits (cookies), topped with marshmallow, coated in chocolate and wrapped in foil.  They are a Scottish thing.   I can remember when I lived in Canada and working in a shop they used to get in a tray of them each month.   Bruce was only a baby then, so it was a very long time ago.   I used to get really annoyed because kids used to come in and poke holes down into the whole lot when nobody was looking.



That would ruin them all.   The marshmallow in them is not like ordinary marshmallow.   It's soft and gooey, like a fluffy seven minute icing almost.  They're so good.  There is something really special about the experience of eating a Tunnocks Tea Cake.  



Everyone has their own way of savouring the experience . . .  much like eating an Oreo cookie.   You can smash and eat the three layers at once . . .  crispy biscuit, soft mallow, milky chocolate, the three melding themselves into a delicious mouthful.  Or you can take a small bite and then hollow out all of the mallow with your tongue, saving the biscuit and remaining chocolate for last.  Or you can just have two and eat the first one as a smash and the second one as a hollow out.   It doesn't really matter how you do it, only that you enjoy it.

Yes, I save the foil.   Don't ask me why . . .  I don't know why.  I only know I do it.   Maybe I am hoping one day to try making my own from scratch.  Watch this space!



The sunflowers that are now blooming in the garden.  We planted large ones and mini ones.  The mini ones are blooming now and they are such gorgeous colours.  I love them!

 

 My new Susan Branch Calendars for 2015.   I was so disappointed that she didn't have a blotter calendar for 2014, so was thrilled that she has one for next year.  Of course I just had to treat myself.  I love Susan's work.  I have been a huge fan since the 1980's when she used to do an illustrated recipe in the Country Living magazine every month.   If you have never visited her blog, you are missing out on something really special.   She's a great gal!  And so talented, plus she lives on Martha's Vineyard.   A dream of mine!


And that's my small and wonderful things for this week!  I hope your week was filled with some small and wonderful things too!

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .

 ✻ღϠ₡ღ✻ (¯`✻´¯)
                   `*.¸.*✻ღϠ₡ღ¸.✻´´¯`✻.¸¸.Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ..
So much has been given to me, 
I have no time to ponder over that which 
has been denied. 
~ Helen Keller ✫¸¸.·´¯`✫ ✫¸¸.·´¯`✫     




Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Crunchy Tuna Melts.  Soooooo Good!

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Have a fabulous Monday.  I hope it is filled to overflowing with small and wonderful things!