Saturday this and that . . .

  

I can't remember what I was reading yesterday, or maybe it was the day before . . .  but it suddenly struck me that nobody should have to be judged by their very worst moment, or biggest failure.  How often does someone get through their whole life impeccably and then they cock-up once and forevermore that is what they are known for.  Not fair.    And yet we all do it.  We need to stop!

Oh, I remember what it was now.  We were in the car on our way to the chapel on Thursday morning and I was saying to Todd how difficult it must be to be famous and have your entire life under a microscope 24/7.  How it must make people almost crazy, this constant scrutiny. A song from Elvis had been on the radio and I was singing it, Suspicious Minds . . .  I love that song.   I said to Todd how much I loved that song and how Elvis had been such a great singer, and wasn't it too bad he died when he did.   And then I got to thinking how kind of crazy he was by the time he died . . .  wierd kind of  . . . and then I got to thinking that fame actually makes people wierd . . .  because once they become famous, they can't live like a normal person anymore.

GONE are the  moments they can just skip down to the Seven Eleven in the middle of the night for a packet of crisps and a soda pop in their PJ's.  Go out once without makeup on . . .  and the paparazzi are sure to catch you up.   Awkward exit from a car showing your knickers in the process . . .  front page news.  Seen exchanging a pleasant hello with someone from the opposite sex and your marriage is on the rocks . . .

The tradeoff is just not worth it.  Fame and money versus  . . . being normal and leading a normal life without a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out?  I'll take the lack of pot and window any day of the week.

And then I had the thought about being remembered for your worst moment forevermore . . .  coz that's how my mind works.  ☺

 

Thats not the way God works and thats not the way we should work.  The scriptures tell us that though our sins be as scarlet, He will make them white as snow through the process of repentance.  We need to forgive people.   Forgiveness is as much for us as it is for them.  The burden of carrying unforgiveness in your heart is soul breaking and life damaging . . . much worse than being the unforgiven.

  

There was a Talent Show at our Ward Chapel last night.  The Sisters had dropped over and so I made them some pancakes as they hadn't had any tea and then we drove them to the chapel.  The traffic was horrendous on the motorway . . .  It's bank holiday weekend (Whitsun) and of course everyone was heading into Wales for the weekend, with beach umbrellas and bicycles and tents strapped to their cars.  We Brits are ever hopeful eh?    The weather predictions for the weekend are appalling, but we live in hope . . . booked a camping weekend, and we are going to enjoy it despite the rain and snow, hail and sleet.  Oh, I do wish them well . . .

We're staying put.  Its cheaper and smarter.  We actually have quite a busy weekend planned.  Today we are having an investigator friend over for an early supper and a movie along with the Zone Leaders who are teaching her, so I have that to get ready for, and then of course tomorrow is Fast and Testimony Sunday, and then on Monday we are taking the Zone Leaders to the Temple, which means of course we will get caught in the Bank Holiday Traffic as everyone heads back to their homes after having frozen their butts off trying to camp in Wales, lol !

 

We hadn't been actually going to go to the Talent Night, but we ended up staying for some of it and it was quite good.  We have a lot of very talented people in our Ward.  It takes a lot of courage to get up and sing in front of people, or play the piano or do whatever.   The two Buckley Elders, Louner and Nillsen did a duet, one on harmonica and one with the ukelele with Elder Louner singing one of our church hymns and it was fantastic.  There were bags of popcorn and sweeties and drinks, and there was quite a large turnout for it, so that was good.  It is  nice to see a good Ward turnout for activities like this.

 

I am going great guns on my bunny doll.  I have the dress all made and have knitted the head and got both legs done and have joined them together to work on the body.  I have made shoes and socks instead of the shoes and stripey legs the pattern called for.   I have in mind to do her a whole wardrobe of clothes, etc, and I didn't want stripey sock/legs clashing with anything else.  I am using a pure wool for the actual bunny because I thought it would look and feel nicer, and it does . . .

What next?   Watch and see . . .

 

In our quest to organize the kitchen better we picked up one of these tall bookshelves yesterday, and have stationed it by the back door.  What a huge difference it has made.  I am loving it.  It is my goal eventually to cover all of them with calico curtained fronts, but it all takes time which is kind of scarce these days.  We have three of these in the kitchen now and they have made a HUGE difference.  Storage space in our kitchen has always been at a premium, and this has helped a great deal to get things off the counter tops and into their own spots, giving me much more room to work in.

Baby steps . . .

 

This is our family corner of the lounge . . .  next to the china cabinet.   Lots of family photographs there.   The lower frame/set is just grandchildren . . .  black and white photos of them.   I love it, and the upper one is family pics of the kids and their spouses and children.   I love that one too.  One of m own paintings . . .  and the Salt Lake Temple, a photo taken by the husband of a friend that we really liked and framed.


 

Mitzie snoozing in her basket this morning . . .  with her blankie (s)  She loves them.  She likes to scratch at them and bunch them up and drag them out and pull them about.  She's quite comfy there . . . .  this was just after breakfast, so she is having her snooze after her meal.   She makes me smile.

You know  . . .  as soon as Todd and I put on our Missionary Badges she goes to her basket/bed . . .  she knows we are most likely going out I guess.  Shes one very smart cookie!

Oh how I love her . . .

 

I couldn't resist . . .  one of those facebook games where they analyse your profile and then you have to live with the results.  It could be worse . . .

 

The words  . . .  small things amuse small minds . . . I know, I have better things to be doing, but I did kind of like this one!  Coz I think its eerily true!  For a change, most times these things end up being really awkward and far fetched.

 Like my elf name . . . Happy Angelears . . .  my drunken elf name  . . . Lit Drinkspiller  . . . Santas Helpername . . .  Frilly Craftypants . . .

I could go on and on . . .  but I won't.

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

✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿
If you want to be happy,
you have to be happy on purpose.
When you wake up, 
you just can't wait to see
what kind of day you'll have.
YOU have to decide
what kind of day you'll have.
~Joel Osteen
✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿

Spiritual Enlightenment

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Nan's Sugar Scones.  Oh boy, but these are dangerously tasty!  I had to give most of them away because I didn't dare keep them!


Have a great Saturday everyone!  Whatever you get up to, stay safe and don't forget!

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And I do too!

My Friday Finds . . .

 

A few of the things I find each week which strike my fancy.  I hope that they strike yours as well.  I can't believe we are already at the end of April!  This month has flown by.  It feels more like February, but that's Spring for you!

  

Paint your own Brick Book Library for outdoors!  What a fab yard/garden decoration.  From Kalumni.

 

Fish for Friday, but in the form of a knitted hat.  How utterly unusual.  Found on Ravelry.   Talk about a conversation starter!

  

An apron pocket fashioned from a shirt sleeve.  Cute!  I love it!    I found this on Cutie Pinwheel.

 

Here is the full length view.






Talk about adorable pastry.   I don't think I've ever seen anything sweeter.  Can you imagine a lemon meringue dressed up in this?  Found on  Handmade Charlotte.  A complete tutorial from start to finish along with a video.



A sweet country table topper.  Love the pattern, using calico prints and whites.  Found on  American Patchwork and Quilting.

  

Make your own toothpaste from scratch, and it is supposed to taste good.  I might give this a go.  Although it wouldn't have flouride in it or stuff for sensitive gums.  From Live Simply.

 

Using Washi Tape for the edges of your journal pages.  What a unique and pretty idea.   Found on Flickr.   Photo by Kelly n Warren.



How to use transparent tape to pick up printed words for collage types of art.  From Birgit Kerr.



No pattern.  Just inspiration.  From Dottie Angel.  She has a book entitled, Granny Chic.



I love, Love, LOVE the colours in this blanket.   On my wish list.  From Posie Gets Cosie.

And those are my finds for this week.  I hope there was something here to pique your interest!

We had a fantastic day at the Zone Meeting yesterday in Crewe.  It was so fantastic to see some missionaries I had not seen in a while, like Elder Judd and Congie, Elder Thomas, Sister Walker, Elder Hollingsworth!  We had some wonderful trainings and the spirit was there in abundance.   I enjoyed it so very much.  We had to leave early to come home because of Mitzie, but for the four hours we were there it was great.   We left in beautiful sunshine to go, picking up the Chester Sister Missionaries at the chapel, but by the time we left to come home, it was bucketing down, and of course  . . . . very cold!  Brrr!

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .

 ~•~♥♥♥~•.~•~♥♥♥~• ~
The greatness of a man
 is not how much wealth he acquires,
but in his integrity and in his ability 
to affect those around him positively.
~Bob Marley
~•~♥♥♥~•.~•~♥♥♥~• ~

Spiritual Enlightenment

 

In The English Kitchen today   . . .  Sticky Glazed Sausages and Buttermilk Chive Mash.


I hope that you have a lovely Friday! Wherever you go and whatever you do, may you always know that . . .

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And I do too!


PS -  I almost forgot to tell you but will do so now Practico Goods interviewed me for their online page a while back and the interview is now live.  You can find it here.   You might enjoy the read!



 

Rain Drops on Roses . . .

 

These are a few of my favourite things  . . .


 

Unusual Art Dolls.   I really love the quirkiness of them and the amount of artistry that goes into them.  I could never afford to onw one of these, but it doesn't stop me from admiring them and all of the talent involved in creating one.   This one is a doll created by the artist  Alexey Shaadorian Mashutikov (Moscow, Russia)  Its a reading Humpty Dumpty.  I love it.  I wish I could create something like this using my own art.  I have always wanted to turn my own art into figures and dolls.

 

I also love quirky art . . .  art which makes you think.   This is a piece by Catrin Welz-Stein, who is a German graphic designer living in Malaysia. Her work is a mix of vintage photos, old pictures and illustrations digitally assembled to create those beautiful images. She is mostly inspired by surrealism, fairy tales, folklore and medieval times.  I don't think art is something which is only created by a pencil or brush.  If you can create something artistically beautiful in any other means, it is still art to me.  Art is anything created by another with their hands which makes you ponder and inspires your imagination.

 

Old Victorian houses which have been kept up and maintained, with all of their gingerbread fretwork, etc.   I think they are so beautiful and I call them painted ladies.  I don't know if anyone else does.  There are several in the town I come from back home.  I make a point of going to see them and admiring them whenever I go home.   They are historic and I think about the families that might have first built them.  I imagine living in one myself . . .  and sitting outside on the front porch in a rocking chair on a summer evening greeting passer's by and such.  Sigh . . . .  yes, I have watched Meet Me In St Louis far too many times!   These houses have character.

 

Paper Dolls.  I love, Love, LOVE Paper Dolls.   I loved them when I was a girl and I love them now.    You don't see many of them nowadays.  I had a cardboard box full of them when I was a girl.   I delighted in playing with them, and in drawing new clothes for them to wear and colouring them in.   Perhaps that's where my love for creating these little girls I draw now comes from, being inspired by memories of a box of paper dolls from when I was a child.  I didn't have a lot of real dolls.   One basically and a Barbie and some small hard rubber dolls that came in a set, dressed in costumes of the world that you couldn't remove . . .  and another fashion type of doll that had jointed elbows, knees, etc.  I had tons of paperdolls however and I delighted in them.


1950's style kitchens.   I love the linoleum floors, the cupboards the countertops, the colours, the chrome, the tiles.  I love everything about them.  If I ever had the money to build or buy my own home, it would have a 1950's feel in the kitchen, and I would be as happy as happy can be.

I'd also have one of these  . . .

 

A vintage chrome table and chairs.  I just adore these.   I had one when I first got married and couldn't wait to get rid and get a "real" table and chairs.  Oh how I wish I still had that one now.  Sigh . . .



Lace curtains.  I love them.  I especially love white lace curtains.  I would hav ethem on all my windows if I could.  My ex MIL had white lace curtains on her living room windows that criss crossed in the centre.  I always loved them.  One day  . . .



Pasta  . . .  I adore pasta.  I wish Todd did too . . . as you know, he barely tolerates it.  Calls it foreign muck.  Says he doesn't want to go to Italy because he thinks all they eat there is Pizza and Pasta, both things he loathes.   Sigh   . . . now that's my idea of a holiday, beautiful scenery and all the pasta and pizza you could possibly want to eat!  lol

Opposites do attract!

 

Funky bohemian style clothing . . .  not those boots though (too much work) . . .  love the frills and flounces.  To me wearing something like this would be like having permission to wear my night clothes all day and I would utterly love that.  Love the florals, the colours  . . .



Sigh  . . .

 

Pretty blue forget me nots  . . . .

And that is all for today.  What are some of your favourite things?

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


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷღೋღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
Each morning we are born again.
What we do today matters most.
~Buddah
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷღೋღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Spiritual Enlightenment




Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . . .  Grilled Lamb Cutlets with Garlic and a Mint and Sun Blush Tomato Sauce.


We are off to Crewe today for a regional zone meeting of Missionairies.  Should be fun.  We are picking up the Sisters at the chapel at 8:30, so a very early start.   Hope you have a lovely day!  Don't forget!

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Wednesday this and that . . .

I woke up positively exhausted this morning.   That's because I was folding laundry all night in my sleep . . .  and getting nowhere.  I have heard of people running in their dreams and getting nowhere, but I have never heard of anyone folding laundry and getting nowhere!   I was folding shirts and pants and sorting through the never ending piles of socks which never have matching pairs all the night long.

I can remember never being in top of the laundry when my kids were growing up.   I always had tons of it to do,  and an enormous pile of socks to sort . . . . and that doesn't count bedding change day.  I think I spent most of those years sitting amidst a pile of clean laundry waiting to be sorted and folded.  Don't get me started on the ironing.



Ironing was done on a "need to wear" basis.  When I had my fourth child I had three in diapers . . .  and they were cloth diapers as well.   Disposable diapers were luxuries, used only when travelling.  Yep.  I had three diaper pails on the go, so you could add all of those to the pile of laundry.  I can remember at times feeling quite overwhelmed, but there was nobody else to do it and so I just got stuck in.  Moaning about it didn't get the baby's bum wiped as they say.  My ex wasn't very good at helping out that way really . . .  besides,  because of his job he was away from home more often than not, so it was all down to me.  Plus his job was really stressful.  He worked hard to bring home the bacon and I worked hard to fry it in the pan.

Between laundry and everything else in the house, I was kept quite busy.   There was a delicious meal on the table for supper each night and always fresh cookies in the cookie jar.  Sometimes there was even a cake or a pie.  I do admit that when the children were really small, bath times were usually group baths.  With only me being the only responsible adult in the house most of the time,  it was the only way to get it done efficiently and yet still have an eye on them all.   There was always time for an evening cuddle and story time afterwards.

Thinking back on it now I am not surprised I was much, much thinner back then!  I am also not surprised that I always looked tired in photographs from then.




I used to long to have a dish washer to help out with doing the dishes.  They all had to be done by hand.  Once the kids got older, they each had chores to do.  The girls did the dishes and the boys did the garbage and yard duties.  That would probably be seen as sexist now, but it wasn't back then.  It was just the way things were done.  They each also had to keep their bedrooms tidy, which was always a source of contention.   I learned to just shut doors. 

My middle daughter was positively horrid at keeping her room clean, but her home now is as neat as a pin, with everything in its place and a place for everything.  She has a beautiful home and two lovely children, and she works full time as well.  I don't know how she does it all. I really admire these young mums today who work full time  and also take care of family and home.  My life was probably a doddle compared to theirs.



My home was never spotless, admittedly  . . .  but it was clean and cared for, and happy.   I guess thats what counted most.  I do confess I was never one much for helping with homework.  If they had homework, they did it on their own with only minimal input from me.  I didn't have the time to do all of that as well as everything else that I had to do.   I remember asking them their spellings and their times tables, but the rest was down to them . . . and they managed.  My eldest daughter was developmentally delayed so that brought with it additional challenges of its own.

I look back now and wonder how I ever coped . . .  but somehow I just did.  Being a wife, mother and homemaker was all I had ever wanted to be and I was very happy to be all three.   I never questioned my role in life or longed for anything else.  I was quite quite content.  I didn't have time to be depressed or feel sorry for myself.  I thought  life was pretty darned good, and always felt kind of sad that we only ever had the five children rather than the ten I had always wanted to have.

 

This huge box of goodies arrived yesterday!!    Oh yes I am a very lucky puppy.  It was just like Christmas.  There was cute little paring knives, silicone flat whisks, mini choppers and a ceramic clipper  . . .  a madeline pan, ceramic pie dish and the cutest little rooster pie funnel . . .  and for summer a sweet daisy food cover and some beautiful botanical cake cups.  I am going to have a lot of fun with all of this!   Can't wait to get stuck in!

 

And look at what I did last night when the telly was rolling along  . . .  its going to be a bunny dress.  So much fun.

And with that I will leave you with a thought for today  . . .
ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ 
It is not what you do 
for your children,
but what you have taught 
them to do for themselves, 
that will make them 
successful human beings.
~Anne Landers
ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ 

Spiritual Enlightenment




Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Persian Cucumber Salad.


Have a great Wednesday!  Don't forget!

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And I do too!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

 

FOR TODAY, April 26th, 2016

Outside my window ...
The sun is up and it looks like it is going to be a clear day.  However it is quite cool.

I am thinking ...
We have to drive to Crewe on Thursday for a Zone Meeting.   I am not happy about any lengthy journey, but especially not happy about journies I have never been on before.  I have never been to Crewe other than by train.   I will miss my traveling companion, Sister Johansen.  We used to just sit in the back seat together and talk and not pay any attention to what was going on outside the windows of the car.

I am thankful for ...
We will be taking the Missionary Sisters in all liklihood, so hopefully they will be a great distraction.

In the Kitchen ...


Mushroom Sauced Turkey Tenderloins.  A Whole 30 recipe.  It was quite delicious despite being grain. gluten and dairy free!

On my "To Cook" list ...



From Jay's Baking Me Crazy, Cauliflower Fried "Rice."

I am creating ...
 

I love this crochet shoulder wrap from Drops Design.  I think it looks quite elegant.

 

Curtain tiebacks made from old silver forks. Blissful Blooms.   But I love the curtains even more than the tiebacks.   They're so sweet!

 

Recycled T-shirt Rug Tutorial by Miaou.   I love these types of small rugs.

 

Inhabitat.  Tutorial for making your own Vintage Teacup Candles.

 

25 Newspaper Crafts.   From Red Ted's Art Blog.

I am reading ...


Martha's Vinyard Isle of Dreams, by Susan Branch
The much anticipated sequel to The Fairy Tale Girl. In the winter of 1982, long before she became the watercolor artist and author we know today, Susan Branch, 34-years-old and heart-broken from the sudden and unexpected end of her marriage in California, "ran away from home" to the Island of Martha's Vineyard.

It was meant to be temporary, a three-month time-out from the daily grind of being broken up and miserable, but within days of her arrival, alone and not quite in her right mind, Susan "accidentally" bought a tiny one-bedroom cottage in the woods. And that is how she discovered she was moving 3,000 miles away from everyone and everything she had known and loved.

I am about halfway through this now and savoring every page.   It's filled with small delights and whimsical artwork.  My kind of book/journal!

I am looking forward to ...
We have decided not to go to the trip to Cornwall.  We don't really have the money to do it, even if we aren't paying for the petrol or the cottage.  Sad but true.  Instead we are saving up to do a small holiday when our mission is done.  Ireland and Scotland are both on our wish lists.

I am learning ...

 Source

I am enjoying re-acquainting  myself with how to knit.  I am working on a bunny dress at the moment.

Dreaming about ...
 

Cherry season  . . .



Line dryed laundry  . . . come on sunshine!

 

Home baked bread.



Having a small holding  . . .

 

Making  my own jams and pickles once more  . . .

A favourite quote for the day . . . 

 (¯`v´¯)
  `*.¸.*´Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ¸. •´¸.•~♥♥♥~•.~
           ღϠ₡ღ¸. ✻´´¯`✻.¸¸.Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ. ( ¸. ❀⁀ ⋱‿✿“`
                               * .¸.* ✻ღϠ₡ღ¸.✻´´¯`✻.¸¸.Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ..

Everytime you are tempted to react in the same old way, 
ask yourself if you want to be a prisoner of the past 
or a pioneer of the future . . . 
~Deepak Chopra

Makes me smile ...



One of my favourite things ... 

  

I love, LOVE this film.  I don't know how many times I have seen it, countless.  Classic Meg and Billie.

 A peek into my day  ...



It's how I live my life  . . .

And that's my daybook for this week!


 ⋱ ⋮ ⋰
⋯ ◯ ⋯ Take time to enjoy the small *´¯`.¸¸.☆
 ⋰ ⋮ ⋱ blessings in life.*´¯`.¸¸.☆

✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿
╬♥═╬╬═♥=╬╬═♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥═╬
░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░


Wherever you go and whatever you do, I hope there's a great day ahead of you! Don't forget!

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And I do too!!