Solitary Firstlings . . .

 

I love this time of year when, despite the cold temperatures . . . signs of the earth's impending awakening begin to make their presence felt . . .

Sweet flowers which dare to break the earth and show their pretty little heads despite the freezing depth of the cold winds blowing . . . delicately whispered tidings of the Spring.  

 

You look at their tiny fairy-like blooms and wonder that they live . . . surely with the biting cold they would fail and  die . . . beneath the winter sky so bleak and bitter.  But they do not.

Little frozen drops of snow . . . how dainty their bells . . . slender stalks thrusting bravely through the hard crusted earth.   No sunshine warms their cold and icy beds . . . 

  

 

There is no song of bird to make music overhead when . . . like strangers they appear, during the month of  February uncertainties.  One day the sun might shine . . . as if the smile of God . . . and the next, ferocious winds come roaring down from out of the North country . . . the skies dark and heavy with the threat of snow.

Tennyson's "solitary firstlings" . . . dancing in a small patch of sunlight on one day . . . their little fairy bells are apt to disappear beneath a drift of goose-down feathers the next, but still they cheer us, for we know what comes next, and that thought alone . . . does our hearts much good amidst the bleak . . . bleak . . . winter. 

  

She may be getting of the age of a middle aged lady now, but at 8 1/2 there is still much of the puppy in this sweet little madam.  Yesterday there were puppy cuddles beneath the duvet as Mitzie chased my foot around the bed, sure that there was some monster lurking beneath . . . her face alternately filled with looks of anticipation and fear . . . happy pouncing and warm snuggles.   Oh, I do love her so . . . 

  

Look who is now six months old, well a week or so back at any rate.  She is such a delightful little baby girl.  We quite simply adore her!  

 

She is growing up far too quickly.  They don't seem to stay babies for long do they!  

 

Now that I have finished our Doug's blanket, I have gone back to this one I had started prior to his. I love the colours in this one. I just love doing these blankets. I like to keep my fingers busy.  My sister is the one who taught me to crochet.  I think I was about sixteen and she thirteen, and she taught both my mother and myself how to crochet. I am not sure where she picked it up. Our first projects were not very good.  We used that old scratchy Phentex yarn that did not have a lot of give to it.  Mom never really did enjoy crocheting much, as she was really a knitter at heart.  I do have some happy memories however of the three of us sitting together on the sofa as my sister taught us how to do our first feeble stitches . . .  oh, that was so very long ago now, but in my mind and heart it seems like it was just yesterday  . . . 

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *The way to happiness:

Keep your heart free from hate,

your mind free from worry,

live simply, expect little, give much.

~Barney O'Lavin   •。★★ 。* 。 

  

We picked up a small hotplate to cook on while we wait for our stove to be fixed or replaced. When Todd costed out the cost that it would be to eat out for so many meals, this just made sense as it was a whole lot cheaper.  I don't think there will be too many true gourmet meals coming off of it, but it is a great stop-gap in the meantime, and you never know . . .  I have often toyed with the idea of cooking videos.  This could help perhaps. We shall see.  

 

Cooking in the English Kitchen today  . . .  Vanilla, Cardamom & Lemon Pudding.  This is sooooooo delicious!  Creamy, simple to make and oh so tasty! 

Have a wonderful Saturday.  It is terribly windy here this morning and it is raining sideways!  Brrr  . . .  stay warm and don't forget! 

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And I do too!