Friday 31 August 2018

Friday Finds . . .

 
 
A few of the things  I find each week that pique my interest, bring me joy, inspire me to learn, create, do, become . . . Maybe they will do the same for you!    
 
 
From Love Knitting.  A Cornish Ware Tea Cosy.  Not free, but not expensive either. I love Cornish Ware.  
 
 
Dawn Nichole. Free downloadable Tutorial on colouring with Copic Markers.



Pattern Paradise, Butterscotch Cowl Scarf.  Love this pattern, but not so much the colour.  Free pattern. 


Bobble Stick Bag by Maria Isabel on Ravelry. Not a free pattern, but a cute bag. 


Crochet 'n' Create.  Free tutorial on the Boxed Block Stitch.  I've never seen this stitch before.


Meg Made with Love.  Free pattern for a plaid pumpkin. Fall is just around the corner.  


I don't drink coffee but many do, make or order with confidence. 

  

How to transition your home decor easily from summer into autumn. BHG helps. 


Artistically Nerdy. How to throw a Jane Austen Tea Party.  Love this idea. 


The Tee Pee Girl.  Free Jane Austin Quote Printables.   These are so beautiful. 


On the Cutting Floor.  Free dress pattern.  


Sew Different. Cocoon Jacket. Available as either a paper pattern or a download. Not free.  I quite like this however. A Multi-size pattern. 


On the Cutting Floor.  I also like this easy flared sleeves top.  


Happily Unprocessed.  This looks delicious!  


 Painting Inspiration . . . 


Making it in the Mountains. A host of free botanical printables.  


Bob Villa. How to paint Kitchen Cabinets.  


Setting for Four.  Autumn Mantle Ideas.  


Pillar Box Blue, Free Printable Vintage Maps.  


Spoon Graphics.  Free Printable Postcards. 

  

Yarnhild.  Scrap yarn dishcloth. Free pattern. 

And those are my Friday Finds for this week. I hope there was something of interest for you!

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★

 *
If you think you are 
too small to make a difference,
try sleeping with a mosquito
in the room.
~Dalai Lama  •。★★ 。* 。 


Garden Herb Dip 

Garden Herb Dip.  In the kitchen today . . .  thick and creamy and perfect for dipping vegetables, crackers, chips, etc.  YUM!  Healthy too if you use all low fat ingredients.

Have a fabulous Friday!  Don't forget!


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And I do too! 






Thursday 30 August 2018

My Favourite Things

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A few of the things in life that make my heart go pitty pat. Maybe they will do the same thing for yours. ♥♥♥ 
  

Todd thinks they are gross and I can no longer eat them (well maybe a bite) but I adore Peanut Butter and Jam sandwiches! I would never have as much peanut butter or jam as is in the sandwich I am showing you here, but a thin layer of each. Skippy Peanut Butter, and Strawberry Jam please, with hopefully a few whole berries here and there, and on yes, white bread.  That to me is the epitome of a great Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich! LOVE. ♥♥♥ 


Vintage Recipes, the kind that came on the backs of boxes and tins and in magazines.  Not all are disgusting or terrible, although admittedly a few are.  Most are quite delicious sounding and very adaptable to today's tastes with a bit of tweaking.  I also think they are a wonderful view into the history of eating habits. 

  

Moths, and by that I don't mean the kind that get into your sweater drawer and wreak havoc on your clothes.  I mean the type that you might see flying around after dark.  This is a Gypsy Moth that has been photo shopped to look like an owl, so it's not real, but there are some beautifully fascinating species of moths.  


I think Hawk Moths are stunning.  I had one in the kitchen when I worked down south, it was as big as my hand and looked like a huge flying leaf.  Just beautiful . . . . 

  

And then another day I was totally fascinated when I saw (in midday) what I thought was a hummingbird darting in and out of the honeysuckle in the hedge to the back of our cottage. It was no hummingbird, but a Hummingbird Hawk Moth, who behave exactly like the bird by the same name, and actually are  more likely to be seen in daytime than at night! 

Moths = Fascination


Scrap Quilts. Well, actually I love quilts full stop, but I love scrap quilts most of all. Filled with colour and scraps of old clothing, I like to think about who might have worn what and make up stories in my head about the people that wore them . . .  I know I'm weird. 


Rag rugs.  I adore rag rugs. I should make one one day. We used to have one in our kitchen when I was a child that my Grandmaman had made. She had been in a bad car accident (her sister was killed in it) and making rugs and things were a part of her therapy afterwards during her recovery. It is probably still in my mother's house somewhere . . . 

  

Penny rugs and matts made from wool felt.  I just adore them and have a Christmas one that I made myself of snowmen. I would like to make more. They are a great way to keep your hands busy and create something beautiful at the same time. 


Making Pickles.  I used to make a lot of pickles and jams when I was raising my family. This was my favourite time of year.  The smell in the house was always fabulous. I miss doing them, but really for just the two of us, there is no longer any need.   

  

Washing dishes.  Most people don't do it any more, but I still do from time to time. It is the type of mindless job that I enjoy. I would enjoy it more in a kitchen with space instead of feeling crowded like I do in mine, and I like to have a window over the sink to look out of while I wash also.  In our house we built in NB I had the perfect sink and window.  I have many happy memories of washing dishes with my mom when I would be there visiting.  She always washed and I dried, but it was something I really enjoyed doing with her and one of my favourite parts of meals shared . . .  those beautiful  moments of camaraderie afterwards while we cleaned up together. What I wouldn't give to be able to relive some of them  . . . 


Classical Music. I find it very relaxing listening to Classical Music. I couldn't tell you one piece from another, or which is Bach or which is Mozart . . . I just love listening to it.  I think it is beautiful. I am always in awe of a person who can string together musical notes and create something so wonderful which can bring us so much pleasure to listen to  . . . . 

  

When the children were growing up we had a cassette tape of this music in the car and every trip we went on included this sound track. Every time I hear it I think of those car journies and my children. I wonder if they remember them also . . . 


As a child I loved this time of year because it meant it would soon be Back To School time. I loved the excitement of the new school year beginning, finding out who my teachers would be, getting new school supplies, new shoes, meeting up with other kids I hadn't seen all summer, covering my text books with brown paper . . . . it was all very exciting to me. 
  

Packed lunches.  I love them. They are like mini-picnics for one!  I used to put little notes in my children's packed lunches and that was before Pinterest so I came up with that idea on my own. Sometimes I would draw pictures on their lunch bags. One of my favourite lady's activities was when a bunch of us all made a packed/box lunch for each other and exchanged them.  It was a lot of fun.

    


The cooler autumn evenings all cosied up next to the fire doing whatever together with my Todd. Usually watching some television. I am usually doing some kind of needlework at the same time. Not much different than any other night except that the fire will be on and I love that  . . .  its so cosy . . . 




 The sound overhead of geese flying South for the Winter  . . .  it speaks to me of a thousand years of birds doing the same thing, year after year, by pure instinct.  How do they know what to do, when to do it, where to go  . . .  its a mystery and yet it happens year after year after year.  The strength and tenacity it requires always amazes me  . . . it is a haunting melody and yet at the same time comforting.


Cool, crisp nights with star filled skies.  It has been a long time since I have seen a night sky filled with stars like this. I remember them as a child however, living in a rural area of Canada. You never see skies like this living near or in a city, there is too much light pollution.  When I lived in Northern Alberta, I could lay in bed and watch the northern lights play across the night sky like sheets of coloured light.  That was pretty amazing also! 

  

The sound of trickling water (as opposed to the sound of a dripping tap).  This is such a comfortable sound, almost hypnotic in nature . . . 


Watching flames flicker in the fire place and the sounds of the crackling logs . . .  another comfort thing. 

I do believe we are coming into comfort season.

I love it.

 And those are my favourite things for this week, what are some of yours?  

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★

 *.˛.
In the word question,
there is a wonderful word, "Quest,"
I love that word.
~Elie Wiesel  •。★★ 。* 。 


Corn & Tomato Pie 

In the kitchen today there is a delicious Corn & Tomato Pie. Making the  most of late Summer's Bounty.

Have a beautiful Thursday. Mitzie is off to the Dog Groomer today.  I can't wait to see her when she gets home afterwards.  She always smells so nice and is so excited to be home!

Don't forget!


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And I do too!







 

Wednesday 29 August 2018

What I know for sure . . .

 
 
Life is full of ups and downs, wins and losses, sweet and sour, dark and light. You don't get to be my age without having learned a few truths. This is some of what I know for sure  . . .  
 
 
"If the only prayer you say in your entire life is 
"Thank you," it will be enough.
~Meister Eckhart 
 
I grew up in a home where when bad things happened, it was generally thought that you were being punished for some mis-deed. Every little thing was considered a personal affront and the question "Why me?" was asked more often than "Why not me?" It took me years to shake off that way of thinking, and when I finally did, I discovered joy, true and utter joy.  I learned that a life filled with gratitude is a life filled with joy.  That my glass was, is and always will be half full, not ever half empty. That every day might not be a good day, but there is something indeed very good to be found in every day. 
 
 
You can spend your days  looking around you and wanting what everyone else has, and seeing your own lack-thereof . . . or you can look at what you do have and be grateful for all of it. If you always want what others have and bemoan what you have not, you will never be happy. For years I have kept a gratitude journal, each day writing down five things that I am grateful for.  Here is what I wrote yesterday:

1. We thought our plum tree had not produced any plums at all this year and our apple tree also, but I found one plum. One single plum. When it is ripe we will share it and it will taste very, very good. One is better than none.

2. The traffic was horrendous yesterday. I don't think I have ever seen it this bad since last Christmas. Nobody was cutting anyone any slack. We sat forever waiting for someone to let us out when we were trying to turn onto the main road. We then took the opportunity to allow several other cars to get out when given the chance, which then ended up meaning that we couldn't turn right when we wanted to and ended up waiting again. Like I said, nobody was cutting anyone any slack. Eventually someone did cut us a break, and we were able to make a turn, re-enstating my faith in the goodness of mankind. 
 
3. I missed a stitch when I was crocheting my latest blanket and discovered it only one row later, which meant I only had one row of stitching to pull back instead of a bazillion.  Yay!

4. The dinner rolls I made that were a complete failure, ended up being a great boon to the bird population in our garden.

5. Found a white feather sitting in the middle of our back door step. I walked over it quite a few times, noticing it every single time. Feathers appear when Angels are near. I thought of my Aunt Freda and I could feel her loving me still.

 
Pollyanna knew this truth and shared it in playing the "Glad Game." Quite often you will find that the happiest people are not those who have everything they want, but are actually people who are in need. They have learned to want what they already have.  Anything else is the icing on an already delicious cake.  If you go through your day looking for things to be thankful for, you will always always find them. In even the more dire of circumstances there will always be something to be thankful for.  This is a truth that never changes. A door never closes but what a window won't open. If we see our failures and challenges as opportunities for growth, then life changes, and always for the better. 
 
"Sometimes we get so focused on the diffculty of our climb,
that we lose sight of being grateful for simply
having a mountain to climb."
~Oprah 
 
 
Back in 2010 when I lost my job and then as a result of that we lost our home, etc. it would have been really easy to wallow and to throw ourselves a huge pity party. We didn't have time for that. We had things that needed to be done.  We needed to find a new place to live and pack ourselves up and move. There was no time for feeling sorry for ourselves.  Truth be told this was a huge blessing in our lives.  For several years I had been deeply unhappy in that job, but I am not a quitter so I had stuck with it, even though most days I was coming home in tears. 
 
I believe my Heavenly Father knew how unhappy I was at work and he opened a window for me to jump through. Had I stayed there I would never have been able to experience some of the many blessings I have done since. I doubt that there would have been a book written, and another one ready to be published. I have had many more hours to enjoy with my husband. My life is no longer a drudge and I no longer come home in tears each day. There would have been no Mitzie. I have had the time and the opportunity to explore my art and talents in ways I never would have done, had I still been trapped beneath the yoke of (lets be honest here) people who didn't deserve any of the people who were working for them. 
 
As long as I was working at that job I was unable to participate fully in my church life. Since then I have gone on to have some really wonderful callings, and to grow in many beautiful ways. I've been able to go to the Temple more often. I can go to church every Sunday without fail. I was able to serve a full-time mission with my husband, and be blessed for doing so, something which I could never have done otherwise.
 
Closed Door -------> Open Window
Its true! 
 
 
 
Being able to appreciate whatever shows up for you in life has the ability to change your whole world. When you live your life with gratitude, you radiate and generate more goodness for yourself, you're aware of all you have, and you begin to look outwardly and not inwardly.  Gratitude has a ripple effect . . . it radiates joy and can't help but touch and bless those around you.  Gratitude is an action word  . . .  a verb that works best when it is embodied, spoken aloud and when it connects you to someone else. When you live a grateful life, less always becomes more. This I know for sure . . . 

~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~  
 
 
I found this old photo of me this morning and it made me smile. I don't always like photographs of myself, but I kinda like this one, messy hair and all.  I think it is filled with joy. My life is filled with joy.
 
A thought to carry with you  . . . 
 
° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★

 *.˛.
Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues,
but the parent of all others.
~Unknown  •。★★ 。* 。


 Oven Hash 
 
In the kitchen today  . . .  Oven Hash. Perfectly sized for just two people, but also easily expanded to  feed more. A bit healthier than the regular version also as there is NO frying involved. Simple, quick and delicious!

Have a really wonderful Wednesday!  I am off to the Docs later this morning. My toe is infected again. Same one as before. Wish me luck!  Don't forget!

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And I do too!