Wednesday this and that . . .

 

Its a really, really, really blustery day out there today.  The wind is blowing like crazy.  Its definitely a "Stay Indoors-See What Happens" kind of a day. Not fit for man nor beast.  Its a good thing I don't have to go anywhere really.  Our friend Doreen is going to the hospital today for a scan of sorts.  I am not sure exactly what it is all about because you never quite get a clear answer from her these days.  She's 86 now and I think she gets a bit confused from time to time.  I hope she will be okay.  I did offer to go with her if she needed, but Billy is taking her and she said her granddaughter also said she would go, so if you could spare a happy thought or two for Doreen today, that would be great!  Thanks so much.

Doreen was Todd's next door neighbour when I came over here to meet Todd, so she was one of the first few people I met here.  I remember thinking that Billy was her boyfriend, her toy boy (he's only about 65) but he was not, he was just a friend, and he has been a very good friend to her all these years.  In fact he is her main care giver.  He cleans her house and ferries her about, gets her meals for her, etc.  Things her own family don't do, probably because they know Billy is going to do them.  Doreen was Todd's inspiration towards looking into the church.  She always had the Missionaries stopping by as she had been Baptised and Todd was looking for a church and the rest is history.  She has been a widow for a good many years now and keeps a framed photograph of her husband in his WW2 Desert Uniform dress on her mantle.  She was born in Wales, but has lived in Chester for most of her life.  We love her to bits, and so do the Missionaries.  Every Missionary that has served in the Chester area over the past twenty odd years knows Doreen, and that is saying something! 

 

I went so far yesterday as to choose some fabrics from my stash and cut out the pieces of fabric that I need to make that needle book, which is one step further than I have ever gotten. Fingers crossed I continue with it and actually finish it.  I have also started crocheting white stars to make a garland for next year.  I was inspired by the one Tracy made for Christmas.  You can see it here.  I thought it was really cute.  

She has picked out a word to be her mantra for 2018 and I have been thinking about what word I want to use for mine in 2018. I think I want the word Warrior to be my word for the year, as I strive to battle and conquer some of my demons.  I want to eat healthier and  move more.  I want to fully let go of the things from the past which keep nipping at my heels.  I want to get rid of more clutter . . . really why do I need to be hanging onto things which I never or rarely look at or need.  

After we left Doreen's yesterday I thought to myself, it would not take very long to clear that house if anything happened to her and she needed to go into a home, or (God forbid but we know it is coming) passed away.  It is not filled to overflowing with stuff.  She merely as around her simple things which bring her joy.  I need to make more advances in that direction this year. It would take someone a year to clear our house as it is I am sure.

 

We started watching the new BBC Drama McMafia last night on the BBC.  It was a cracker of a first episode and we are totally hooked now, and can't wait to see what happens next.   James Norton of Happy Valley, Grantchester, and War and Peace fame  plays the son of a former Russian "Godfather", who is trying to follow a straighter path.  

 

James Norton has been tipped to become the next Bond.  I can totally see him as James Bond, can't you?  He's tall and has those great classic features.  Handsome and intelligent looking, and kinda sexy without being too pretty boy if you know what I mean. They could do a lot worse and have done.  There have been some pretty forgettable Bond's through the years.  I have my favourite and its not Roger Moore 

 

Yes, it's Sean Connory.  I have read that he is a bit of a chauvenist in real life, but I have always thought he made a really great Bond.  But I think James Norton would make a really good one also, and he already has the same first name. 

  

There is a film out now that I would really like to see.  It looks quite good, plus it has Hugh Jackman in it.  Hugh Jackman could wear a paper bag and I would want to see him.  He could just sit on a stool looking at the camera for two hours and I would still want to see him. I like Hugh Jackman.  

 

There are a lot of other good actors in the cast however, so its not all just about him, and its a bit of a musical so I hear . . .  all plusses, and I love the Circus,  My father took me to one when I was about five years old.  All I remember is getting a box of pink popcorn that had a little plastic fan in it.  The parts of the fan were attached with silken cords. You could fold it up to close or open it.  I wish I could remember more about the Circus itself, but I don't.   I should, but nope . . . just the popcorn and the fan. 

  

I get a lot of junk e-mails.  Does anyone else have this problem?  I am sure I must receive at least 20 junk e-mails each day, trying to sell me something, or telling me that my e-mail box is too full, or that someone has tried to hack this or that account and I need to confirm my details, etc.  Fisching I think it is called.  They are pretty easy to spot.  Todd still falls for them however . . . .  when he gets one. Its a good thing that he always tells me about them because I am a bit more cynical.  The other day he got one that said that his paypal account had been compromised, and he was upset about it.  I said to him . . .  think about it Todd.  You don't even have a Paypal account. DOH!  The paypal account is in my name not his.  Or I will get e-mails saying I have won this or won that.  My line of thinking is, if it sounds too good to be true, or it is something you never asked for, or a contest you never entered in the first place, then its a hoax.  You can usually spot them easily anyways as there will be spelling mistakes and plenty of them.   Also if you click reply, alot of them come from really dodgy sounding e-mail addresses.

When you combine that with the amount of widowed American Armed Forces Officers who just need to have me as a friend on Facebook, it keeps me pretty busy! haha!

I thought these scamsters went to a special school to learn how to bilk us

out of our wealth.  I hope they didn't pay for the classes because

they got ripped off.

DUH.

 

Curved sofas are supposed to be one of the new Design Trends for 2018.  Nope, not doing it for me.  I am a traditionalist at heart and I like a sofa with arms and a back to lean on or lounge against.  This just doesn't look comfortable to me.  I also like chairs with arms and I don't do bamboo in the house. I like solid. Not liking the light fixture either, or the fabrics.  I guess I am not very trendy.

However  . . . 

 

This French Cooking Range is ticking all my boxes.  Kitchen ranges are supposed to be on trend this year.  I don't think they were ever out.  I can't think of one person who likes to cook that wouldn't want a lovely big kitchen range to cook on/in!!  I miss the AGA that I had in the Kitchen down South. I used to miss it when they turned it off in the summer.  However one of those would dwarf my tiny little kitchen into nothingness.   Mind you I would have to win a lottery to get a stove like that anyways, and if I did, I wouldn't be living in a house with a tiny kitchen, so there you have it.  All I have to do is to win the lottery, lol. 

As I am always telling Todd, you gotta be 

in it to win it.

Seriously though I never buy a ticket unless it is

in the mega millions. It is worth it then for all the dreams I spend on

all the people I could help with just the price of one

ticket.

 

Fabric Headboards?  Yea or Nay?  Again I am a traditionalist and I prefer a headboard of either wood or brass/iron.  Our headboards we have now just look like gate or fence posts. 

  

I am very happy with them, and with our room in general. In fact it is my favourite room in the house, probably because it is light and airy, and its where I get to sleep.

 

This is far too true.  I got to thinking yesterday, at 62 I am done with chasing pipe dreams. I have all I need and I need all I have. I am content.  I have far more of my life laying behind me than I have sitting in front of me. From now on I am chasing joy, peace, health and contentment.  I will never be thin.  I have probably done/achieved all that I will ever achieve.  The rest of my life is about dotting my i's and crossing my t's.  This year I want to fill in the books that I bought for each of my children that I want them to have when I die.  I want to write letters to each of them to that end also, because you just never know do you. There were four people in my life last year this time that are not here this year, and its not because they didn't want to be.  Life is too short and its getting shorter all the time.  I'm done with hauling the trash around with me.  From here on in, I'm travelling light.

 

And a giggle before I go.  When we put the Christmas decorations away and unpacked our normal decorations, one of my cherubs had not fared very well, even though I had carefully wrapped it up in tissue.  One of the heads was broken off of these and all of the wings.  Todd glued them back on.   I really should have done them myself. 

  

The wings are all wonky now.  He put the wrong wings on the wrong cherubs and some of them are backwards and others standing straight up, lol.

Woulda, shoulda coulda.

You just got to laugh.

he is so NOT

a

Handyman.

♥

A thought to carry with you  . . .

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.° My goal in 2018 is to be filthy rich.

Rich in adventure, rich in health.

Rich in knowledge, rich in laughter.

Rich in family and rich in love

~Unknown    •。★★ 。* 。 

If you see me doing anything not in line with this . . .  you have my permission to give me a kick up the backside! 😉  

Spiritual Enlightenment 

 

BOOK OF MORMON CORNER - Today's Reading - 2 Nephi 26:31-27:11 

Question - What have you learnt from the reading today? What do you think it means, that the book shall be read upon house tops?  

My thoughts - I think of 'upon house tops' as being a very public place or out in the open. I think of the two opposing forces in the world right now, of good and evil. I think of all the ills of society that can and do get broadcast for all to see on social media. It allows people to brag, boast and show their sins in full view. I remember once reading about a gang of thieves who got caught by the police, because the gang had posted pictures of themselves posing with all their stolen goods on Facebook. That is shamefully brazen! (surely its an example of a society drunk with iniquity)

On the other hand...

The gospel is available to share on so many media platforms now, and we have been asked by Elder Bednar to flood our social media with goodness, and by President Monson to fill the world with light. I know the Lord will bless me and you for what ever small offering we can bring to flood or fill the world with goodness and light.

 I also like this quote by Elder Oaks to go with verses 30 and 31. The scriptures make clear that in order to purify our service in the Church and to our fellowmen, it is necessary to consider not only how we serve, but also why we serve.We learn from D&C 4:2 that it is not enough to serve God with all of our might and strength. He who looks into our hearts and knows our minds demands more than this. In order to stand blameless before God at the last day, we must also serve him with all our heart and mind. Service with all of our heart and mind is a high challenge for all of us. Such service must be free of selfish ambition. It must be motivated only by the pure love of Christ.
I know that God expects us to work to purify our hearts and our thoughts so that we may serve one another for the highest and best reason, which is charity - the pure love of Christ. In its relationship to service, it is what the scriptures call “a more excellent way.” 

Tomorrow's Reading (Day 67) - 2 Nephi 27:12-35 

Question -What have you learnt from the reading today? How do you know (or why do you believe) that the Book of Mormon is the word of God? 

  

I have only just this morning learned of the passing of our church's Prophet, Thomas S Monson.  He was 90 years old and had not been well this past year or so. My heart aches at his passing, but I know that there must have been a glorious reunion on the other side of him and his much beloved wife Francis whom he had lost several years ago. He will be sorely missed by those he has left behind. He was humble, kind, giving and selfless  He was a wonderful man, a good man, and very much loved.  He spent a lifetime "Going to the Rescue." He last spoke to us in the Sunday morning Session of the April 2017 conference and was not well enough to speak at our October conference.  It was a very short talk in which he spoke about the Power of the Book of Mormon, impressing upon me, yet again, how very much I needed to be reading it every day.  He finished his talk with these words:

My dear associates in the work of the Lord, I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives. I so testify with all my heart in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

May he rest in peace. 

 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Hot Italian Hoagies.  Delicious!

Have a wonderful Wednesday.  Don't forget!

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And I do too!