Lessons Life has Taught Me . . .

Life would be so much easier if we could be born smart and not have to make so many mistakes along the way.   However, that was not the plan and I am grateful for all of the lessons my life has taught me through the years . . .  even if some of them did come a bit late.  They do say better late than never.   I'm holding to that!

Life isn't fair.   I think I learned that one very early on.  Rich people get richer.  Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people.  The rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous alike.   God is no respecter of persons, and there is no such thing as a charmed life.  Sometimes you get all the broken crayons and sometimes the only crayon you can get your hands on is the black one.  It doesn't really matter.   Bloom wherever you are planted.  Make the most of every situation.   Find the silver lining.  There is always, always, always some good to be taken from every situation if you choose to look for it and find it.  Life may not be fair, but remaining positive makes all the difference in the world.  Nothing every got better by moaning about it.  Trust in the light at the end of the tunnel.  Know that it is always, always there.




Don't bear grudges.   Get over it.  Hate no-one.    This type of behavior only ever hurts one person and that is yourself.   The person who you are bearing a grudge towards, or are busy hating, seldom if ever knows or even cares how you feel about them.  What a waste of time and energy . . . and purpose.   Revenge is not sweet.  Christ taught us to love our enemies.  A few years ago when I was home for my mother's cancer op, my cousin was singing at their church on Mother's Day evening.  As mom was still in the hospital I went to the concert and took my daughter Eileen, her husband and their friend along with me.   What a great time we had.   Just before the concert started, my ex husband's wife . . .  the step mom . . .  came in and proceeded to sit right behing me.  When I told my son afterwards, he wondered that I could enjoy the evening, and weren't the hackles on my neck up.  I told him, I wasn't going to let her spoil anything more for me than she already had and that it probably bothered her more when things like this didn't bother me, than it did if they had.  (If that makes sense.)   Was I entirely comfortable with her sitting right behind me.  In all truth, no . . .  but I wasn't going to let her ruin what was to me a lovely evening.   Sometimes in life you just have to be the bigger person.





Life isn't about winning every argument,  always coming out on top or even about winning at all.  Sometimes you just have to agree to disagree . . .  or give someone else the chance to shine.   People are entitled to their own opinions and they don't always have to jive with yours!  Not winning doesn't make you a loser.  The only thing that matters is that you did your best and had a good time trying.  We should be able to rejoice in the successes of others without feeling like we have lost out in some way.  Being a sore loser only makes you look and feel bad.   It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.




It's okay to cry sometimes.   Tears are like a healing balm.  It does not make you weak to feel sad or to mourn.  It makes you human.   Crying with a friend, is a gift to that person and to yourself . . .  empathy and sympathy, are both good things.  A problem or a sorrow shared is a problem or a sorrow halved.   Know that God counts every tear.




People make mistakes and are human.  We all make mistakes and are human.   Don't carry your past into your future like an anchor around your neck.  Make amends and move on.  Make peace with your mistakes.    Learn from them, and then put them aside.    There was only ever one perfect person who lived on the earth and He was crucified.   His sacrifice paid for our mistakes and short comings.  Accept that.   Go and sin no more.   Know that though your sins be as scarlet, He will wash them as white as snow.  Trust in that and carry the past no more.  Be at peace.   Let Him pick you up, dust you off and carry you when you feel like you just can't carry yourself.  Forgive others.  Always.  No matter what.




Don't waste your todays in waiting for better tomorrows.  Be happy now.   Love now.   Try now.   Today can still be very good, even if tomorrow might be better.   Don't worry about things you have no control over and hand the rest over to God.  Just as you shouldn't live in the past and let it ruin your todays, you must learn to be content in the now.  Joy comes when you learn to love what you already have.  There is no sin in wanting to better yourself . . . wanting to better yourself or your circumstances is a good thing . . .  but not at the expense of today.  Use those special dishes you save only for celebrations.   Wear that dress.   Burn those candles.   Today IS a special occasion, even if it seems mundane . . .  this day will never come again.  Make the most of it that you can.




Know that you are in charge of your own happiness and your own destiny.  Nobody else is.  Don't compare your life to the lives of others.   You only see what they want you to see.    You have nothing to fear except for fear itself.  Aim and reach for the stars and then believe you can and will touch them.  The only failure in life is in not trying.  Believe in miracles.  Believe in yourself and in the power of your dreams.  If you want to be a painter, paint.  If you want to be a writer, write.   If you want to bake cakes, bake cakes.  Live each and every day of your life and make the most of them.  If you have any doubts at all  . . . just don't . . .  don't do it, don't think it, don't go there, don't listen, don't watch . . .  just don't  . . .




Stay out of debt.  It is an anchor around the neck and it limits your life and your potential.    If you can't pay for something outright, it's not worth having.  Save up for the things you want.   They will mean more to you when you finally get them.   Don't keep anything that you don't love or can't use.  Don't buy anything that you don't love or can't use.   There are only a few things worth going into debt for.   Education and a home.  Both are investments in your future and can make the difference between having a comfortable old age and not having a comfortable old age.  When you are young, you think you will never get old.   You WILL get old, and if you haven't prepared for it, you WILL wish that you had.




Make the most of what you have while you still have it.   Walk far and walk often.   Sing like nobody is listening.   Dance like nobody is watching.  Laugh.  Cry.  Buy some red shoes and then wear them. Paint your toenails green, or purple or pink.  Put that bathing suit on and go swimming.    Make each day worth remembering.   Don't spend it watching other people live their lives.   Stay active.  Do things.  LIVE.  LOVE.  LAUGH.




Above all . . .  love.  Love.   LOVE.  Love God.  Love Self.   Love Others.  If all of your thoughts and actions  and days are embroidered with love and with service and with care  . . . . your life will be a good one, a full one, a meaningful one.  A life that mattered.  Be generous.  Be kind.  Be honest in all of your dealings.  Be strong . . . in body, in mind, in character.

Never lose hope or lose faith.  In yourself.  In others.  In God.   Especially in God.  Pray often and pray with sincerity and faith.  Know that prayers are always answered.  Maybe not the way we expect them to be, maybe not when we want them to be . . .   and maybe not with the answers we want . . .  but always to our own good.   I think it was a Garth Brooks song which said that some of God's best answers to prayer are seemingly unanswered prayers.  Trust in His goodness and in His love for you.




I have developed a cough.   Blah . . . probably being in the hospital on Friday.   They say that if you want to get sick, go to the hospital! haha

We were able to get in touch with our landlord yesterday and he was as flabberghasted at the letter as we were.   At the end of the day it is his father's house.   He spoke to his sister and then called us back.  Supposedly the letter is for us to take to the council and then the council will make up the difference.   He is living in cloud cuckoo land.  That is not how it works.   We already get the maximum in housing benefit that we are entitled to.  If our landlord puts up our rent we are just supposed to suck it up and live with it, or move to somewhere cheaper if we can find it.  IF being the key word here.   WE will take the letter to the council and then they can write the landlords and tell them they are living in cloud cuckoo land, or maybe the council can find us a cheaper place to live.   Here's hoping. ☺  Things will work out.   They always do.

 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Strawberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake.

Have a wonderful Sabbath.  I can't believe that tomorrow is the first of June!  Don't forget . . .

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And I do too!!

Saturday this and that . . .

I've been thinking a lot about my blogging this week.  I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to rethink things sometimes. I've been blogging more or less for at least 13 years now, in one form or another.  That's a long time in the life of a blogger.

I started out on MSN, with a page on their journaling platform.   I don't even know if it still exists.  I thought it would be a great way to communicate with my children after I moved over here and it could be a type of journal that I could share my adventures, thoughts, etc. with them through.  I was only on MSN for a few weeks, and I moved over to AOL Journals, which was better and much easier to use.




At first nobody read me, but little by little people began to discover me.   I thought this was pretty amazing.  I can still remember how excited I was when I got my first comment from someone who wasn't exactly related to me!  I was over the moon.   I couldn't believe that anyone would want to read anything written by little ol' me.   The reality was that my children never were very interested in much that I had to say or what was going on in my life.  They were far too busy with their own lives, but then again . . .  when you are young and raising families, etc.  you don't have a lot of spare time and I totally understand that.    I had this whole group of other people however that were interested and I began to make friends online and discovered a whole community of like minded people.   It was pretty wonderful!

And from them I made some really good friends, people that I am still communicating with today.  People like Lyn, and Sybil, Gaz, Lura, Val, Bonnie, Valerie,  Jeannie, Ma and Angie (May she rest in peace.)and quite a few others.

I was working at the Manor then, and I noticed after a while, that if I posted a recipe . . . . everyone seemed to enjoy those posts most of all, and so then I began posting a recipe every day along with a photo of it.  I think I must have probably been one of the original food bloggers.  That has been going on now for at least eleven years or so.




My food pictures were not that great back then.  I didn't know a lot about taking photos of food.  They gradually got better and whilst I am still not a fantastic photographer I do think I am also not the worst!

AOL journals decided to shut down in 2007,  and so I made the move over to Blogger with my blog A Year From Oak Cottage and I have been on Blogger ever since.  This was my very first post on that blog.   It seems so long ago now . . .

Oak Cottage was where I really earned my blogging wings.  It wasn't long before I wanted to separate my spiritual thoughts from my cooking thoughts and The English Kitchen was born.  I then started writing two blogs every day.

But as with everything I do,  I don't ever really do anything halfway and there came an Art blog, etc.  The Art Blog is sadly neglected these days, but  . . .  I still do two this one and the food blog every day.



When I stopped working at the Manor and no longer lived at Oak Cottage, the Oak Cottage Blog began to feel a bit odd to me.  My last two years working at the Manor (and I worked there for almost seven years) were not very happy ones.   Being made redundant, whilst at first had been a bit of a shock, ended up being one of the best things that could have ever happened to me.   There came a time when I didn't really want to be reminded of the unhappiness I had experienced over those last few years and so then I decided to start this newer blog.   And Then We All Had Tea.  And I have been living here ever since.

I am not a sophisticated blogger.  You would think with all of the years experience I have in this medium I would be a lot more sophisticated than I am, but that's just not so.   Anything I know, I have learned the hard way.   I still have problems figuring out some things, but I work at it and eventually they come.




I've seen other food bloggers come up trumps, with cookbook deals, trips around the world,  new stoves and ranges, etc. even cooking shows!   I do get a lot of nice little things and I am grateful for those.   I  love trying new things out and sharing my experiences with my readers.  I used to think that maybe one day I would be offered a cookbook deal, but that has just never happened.   That's okay though because I don't know when I would ever find the time to write one.

Because I could never abandon this blog . . .  and if I was to try to commit myself to writing an actual cookbook . . .  I just wouldn't have the time to keep two blogs going.



And now . . .  we are looking at serving a full time service mission for the church  . . .  I am afraid I won't have the time to keep two blogs up full time either.   I will probably have to cut back on one, if not both, to a degree and I think the food blog will be the one which suffers most from that . . . because, lets face it . . .  I just won't be cooking new things all the time, because I won't have the time in all honesty!

And that's okay.  I'll have bigger fish to fry.

I love blogging.  I love having this creative outlet for my feelings and my thoughts and yes  . . .  my goings on.   I have always only ever met the nicest people via this medium.  It brings me great joy and I can see me doing, this page at least . . . until I am old and grey and can't put two words together anymore.  Hopefully that time will not come . . . .  but, you just never really know.

In the meantime I plan to blog on in one way or the other!




I had good news from my Opthamology appointments at the hospital yesterday.   I had a field test done and then those nasty drops put in and then another thorough examination.  Nothing has changed in my eye, except the blocked artery at the back of it seems to have unblocked and not caused any problems.   I have gotten used to the floaters and the flickering which is what they would expect to happen.   I was told that it may very well happen in the other eye as well, and to just go to A&E if it does and have it checked out.  In the meantime I have been discharged as an outpatient and unless I start to actually lose sight in that eye, just carry on as per normal.  So that was great news.

Bad news when we arrived home however  . . .  there was an envelope laying on the inside door mat, which was hand addressed to both of us.




Our Landlord, or at least his sister (we haven't been able to get in touch with him as of yet.  He lives in Ireland.) has informed us that our rent is going up by a whole £95 per month (that's $145) as of the first of July, and we just don't know where we are going to get it.    We're quite upset by that.   In the present day economy we have already had to really cut back on our expenditures drastically.    We are already paying the bedroom tax, which means we have to find an extra hundred pounds out of our living expenses for that.  Now it will be £200 ($305)that we have to squeeze out of our ordinary living expenses.  They say it is because of the new front door and the new windows.   I don't know what we will have to do if we need to find another place to live.   We can't get a council house because we are considered to be already adequately housed.  I received a council grant to have the shower room put into this house, that I cannot get again in another place.   That was a £7,000 ($10,706) investment in this property.   (They didn't mind us investing that money in this property at the time . . .  well, they wouldn't would they.)  We live hand to mouth.  We have no savings.  We live on a basic state pension and pension credit.  We don't have money to make up deposits on other rental properties, agency fees, etc. 

I just don't know what we are going to do.   But I do know that God is faithful and something will come up.  This is just a bump in the road, however large.   Things always work out and this will too.  A few prayers would be very much appreciated.

Oh, and I e-mailed the art liscensing company to see what had happened with Blue Mountain  . . .  and they haven't even looked at that yet.   So I would imagine that is an opportunity which has passed me by.   I am starting to question my signing on with them . . .  but I have a five year contract so . . .

Enough of the bad news.   Let's not worry about things we can't control.

I will leave you with a thought to carry with you through today  . . .

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The more difficulties one has to encounter,
within and without,
the more significant and the higher
in  inspiration his life will be.
~Horace Bushnell
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Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Todd's favourite . . .  Vanilla Sauced Bread Pudding!

I hope you have a lovely Saturday.   The sun is shining brilliantly here, although it was raining when I first woke up.    Don't forget!

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And I do too!

Friday Finds

A few of the wow moments, or things I discover each week that tickle my fancy. I hope that they may inspire or tickle yours too!

How to make the perfect bow.  Something I always struggle a bit with.  They somehow always end up a bit wonky!  From On Sutton Place.

How to makeover a Card Table.  (Can you still find these things?  I would love one!)  From Pretty Handy Girl.   A complete Tutorial.

How to transfer any image using Freezer Paper.  (I wonder if they have that stuff over here.  Probably not.)   From  Home Frosting.

Never buy dryer sheets again.  I would love to have a clothes dryer, but haven't had one since I moved over here.   This is a fab idea however.  From On Our Weigh To Health.

 Streak Free Window Cleaning.  No wiping or squeegee required.  From One Good Thing.

A sew it yourself Soap Pouch.   Very simple.   Pouch doubles as a flannel (face cloth).  From Happy DIY Mom.

 Vintage patterns.   Thousands of out of print vintage sewing patterns.  I love it!  From Vintage Patterns Wikia.

I just love this Dresden Bunting!  Very nostalgic looking and quaint.   From Make It Do.   Scroll down the page a bit  and you will see it, a complete tutorial.

Log Cabin Slippers, using mostly scraps.   From Charm About You.  I love these!

 I just LOVE this pretty Daisy Doily!  Oh how I wish my old eyes and fingers would co-operate.  Pattern is in Japanese Symbols.   Very easy to follow.   Found on La Passion De Crochet.  I've crocheted many doilies through the years, but sadly I don't have any myself.   They were all given away.  My mother has a particularly beautiful one I did in variagated pinks.

And those are my finds for this week.  I hope you found something of interest here!

There was a knock on the door yesterday afternoon and I was so excited to open it and see Ariana standing there.   She popped in for a visit before she left to go to Spain for her wedding.  It was nice to have a good sit down and a chat.   I made her a cup of herbal tea and she had a piece of my peanut butter cookie pie.  (She loves peanut butter)  Then Todd drove her home.   She is now in Spain and about to begin one of the most exciting chapters of her life!  We wish her all the best in the world!



I did this yesterday.   I think it's my favourite one yet.   I just love it and it normally takes me a few days to love something.



Also did this.  Not as enamoured with it, but it will do.

This is my oldest son Anthony who is turning 40 today.  It was his first birthday.  It's hard to believe that he is now 40!  The years have just flown by.   I love him so much.   I hope he has a lovely day.   I'm going to sing him Happy Birthday on the ipad after this to surprise him when he wakes up.  That is if I can get it to work.

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .

  

Cooking in The English Kitchen today . . .  Rice Krispie Chicken.   Tasty!  Simple! And kids love it!


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For beautiful eyes,
Look for the good in others.
For beautiful lips,
Speak only words of Kindness.
And for poise,
Walk with the knowledge you are never alone.
~Audrey Hepburn
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 I wish for you a beautiful Friday.   I am off to the Opthamologist at the hospital again today for more eye testing.    Wish me luck!  Don't forget . . .


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And I do too!

Five Things About Me . . .

(source The Londoner)

These are Lobster Rolls and they look delicious.  You may or may not have noticed that there is never any seafood on my food blog.   That is because I am allergic to all shellfish and crustaceans.  I cannot eat them.  I always end up sick if I try.   What's more I don't really like the taste of any of them anyways.  No lobster, crab, clams, scallops, prawns, shrimp, langoustines, mussels, oysters, etc. for me.  I am a cheap date.   I would rather have a burger than a lobster any time.  Interestingly enough Todd is allergic to crustaceans too.

And yes . . .  it's another five things about me post and that was number one!

 



















I took Drivers Ed and Defensive driving at school and got my driver's license when I was 16.   It was very easy to get as I learnt how to drive in a very rural area and setting.   There was no such thing as traffic jams or huge motorways where I learnt to drive.  I have never been comfortable driving in an urban setting, although I have driven in Calgary, London (Ontario), other cities,  and down the Niagara Parkway towards Niagara Falls.   (Nightmare personified!  Tractor trailers on all four sides and everyone is doing about 100!)  I've also driven through New York State, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.  I don't like city driving however.   When I moved over here the first time Todd took me out to drive in a car, he couldn't believe I had ever driven.  I couldn't believe I had ever driven.  It was so scary.  It was like driving in a mirror.   I gradually got used to it, but I don't drive.   I did drive a bit down south . . .  from the house to the grocery store . . .  but again that was a very rural setting.  I did take driving lessons down South, and in a manual car.  I just am not comfortable driving here.   The last time I drove here was the day we moved into this house we are living in in Chester.  I drove to McDonalds and got burgers for all the moving men and friends who were helping us move.  I do drive when I go back to Canada, but again, it's really rural where we go!  I wish I was braver over here.  I really do.

I am a collector of Tastes and Smells.   Yep.   You read that correctly.   I love certain smells and there are certain smells that remind me of certain events and times in my life.   I can describe the smell of a garage and it is a smell I love and reminds me of my childhood.   (A mix of oil, sawdust, paint and pavement)   I can vividly remember the taste of some things I have eaten in my life and still crave.    The Barbequed Chicken at the Cascade Restaurant in Ottawa Canada on a School Trip back in 1971.   The restaurant is no longer there, but we ate there every night for the three days we were in Ottawa and I had the Barbequed Chicken every night it was so delicious!    These are only two things on two very long lists.

Although Latter Day Saints/Mormons do not drink alcohol, the fact that I don't drink has nothing to do with me being a member of the church.   I had given up drinking a very long time before I joined the church.  It was the same with smoking and drinking tea/coffee.   I always say I didn't have to give up much when I joined the church as I was already living the commandments.   Well prepared I guess.  In any case   I had quite drinking alcohol a very long time prior to my Baptism.  I never really "Got" why people enjoy getting drunk.   I enjoy an ice cold glass of soda pop much more than a glass of wine.  It could be about control.  People act really silly when they have had too much to drink.  The last few times I had drinks, I noticed that I would start to ache from my neck down my arms.  I thought that wasn't right and so I just decided that I would not drink alcohol.  I've never missed it as I was never much of a drinker anyways.  When you have young children, somebody has to be responsible enough to get up with them in the morning.   Dealing with children when you have a hangover is not my cup of tea.  I have never had a hangover.  I don't know how it feels to have one.  Just as well I never will.  That is not to say I don't have my faults . . .  just that drinking alcohol is not one of them. ☺

Most of my life I have felt like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole . . .  like I didn't belong, alone in a crowd, etc.  I have since discovered that my personality type is INFJ.

INFJ (introversion, intuition, feeling, judging) is an abbreviation used in the publications of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to refer to one of the sixteen personality types. The MBTI assessment was developed from the work of prominent psychiatrist Carl Jung in his book Psychological Types. Jung proposed a psychological typology based on the theories of cognitive functions that he developed through his clinical observations.(From Wikipedia)

Until this morning I had no idea this personality type even existed, but in searching for square peg in round hole, I discovered it and it all makes sense now.   It almost describes me to a "T".   If you want to read more you can do so here.  It's amazing.   It's me!

And that is my five things about me for this week!

We had a great time yesterday at the Temple.   I am always exhausted when we get home, but that is more about the drive than it is about being at the Temple.  The being there is the easy part . . .  the drive there and back, not so easy.  I find that part very stressful.

A thought to carry with you through today . . .


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"Purpose is found in those quiet moments
when noone but God sees the work of your hands."
~Darlene Schacht
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Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Peanut Butter Cookie Pie.   Seriously scrummy!


Have a wonderful Thursday.   The sun is shining here.  It looks to be a beautiful day ahead. Wherever you go and whatever you do, don't forget . . .

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And I do too!!

Wednesday meanderings . . .

Dreams are funny things aren't they?   The last thing I was dreaming about this morning just prior to waking up was Todd in a Pink Bunny Suit.  He was waiting to be auctioned off in a slave auction for charity or something like that.    There is a big reunion back home this year for all the kids who used to hang out at the Community Centre in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, where I spent all of my teenage years, and somehow this auction had something to do with that.

Dreams are funny things.

I doubt I would ever get Todd to put on a Pink Bunny Suit.  Not even for charity . . .  well, maybe for charity.  I'm not even going home for the reunion.  I wonder what it all means??

I was rubbing the leaves of our Scicilian Honey Garlic plants yesterday and they do smell faintly like garlic.   Apparently bees love them.   They are certainly very tall and really do stand out.  I wonder what other mysteries we will discover in the garden this year??   Todd doesn't remember at all what he planted and where.  It will be like opening a gift all the summer long!

 We are off to the Temple today with our friends Tony and Tina.  It looks like it is going to be a fine day.  One of the greatest treasures and blessings of my faith is being able to go to the Temple.  In our Temple Todd and I were sealed to each other for Time and All Eternity, not just until Death do we Part.  It is a place where families can be sealed to each other for time and all eternity, a place where we participate in  holy ordinances and make sacred covenants.  A place where we can draw even closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  I love being there.  It is beautiful and brings peace into my heart.   To be in a place like this with someone I love is a very special feeling and experience.



When I am looking for  answers to  questions or problems I might be struggling with, I go to the Temple.  I know I will find the answers I need there.  In the temple I receive inspiration.  It is the pinnacle of my experience in the Gospel and in this life.    It is experiencing the atonement in action.   As I serve others in this way, I am reminded of the atonement of the Saviour . . . of the sacrifice He made in order that we might all be saved.  In the same way I am able to perform saving ordinances for my ancestors who were unable to do these things for themselves here on earth.  What better way to show our gratitude than by serving in the temple and doing for others what the Saviour has done for us.  The Temple helps me to be a better "me."  The Temple helps Todd and myself to be a better "us."

I love attending and serving in the Temple.  It is truly a haven from the World and a place where love and peace reside.

And with that I will love you and leave you as I am off to get ready.



Baking in The English Kitchen today  . . . . Mini Scone Foccaccia Breads.  Delicious.

Have a wonderful Wednesday.   I know I will.   Don't forget!

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And I do too!