Saturday This and That . . .

 

Aren't these cute?  Pine Cone Christmas Gnomes.  

I have to say I am really enjoying these quiet days in between Christmas and New Years.  I haven't really been doing much of anything and its been quite relaxing.  I did finally get to talk to my dad yesterday and that was great!  I sure do love my father.  But then again, I love all my family. 

 

I got to speak to David, my brother, again yesterday, which was great.  He has taken up Glider flying over the past few years and just loves it. He was able to buy a share with another guy of his own glider recently, which means he will be able to get up and soar a lot more next season. It makes me really happy that he has found this lovely hobby for himself and that he enjoys it so much.  His whole life he has been serving others and doing for others, so its nice to see him doing something just for himself now.  He got started when he took his youngest daughter to fly gliders when she was in air cadets, and he decided he wanted to try himself. He was hooked and has worked really hard to get his lisence.  I think it must be pretty wonderful to glide through the sky like that, like a bird  . . .  He has a YouTube channel where he has put on videos of him flying over the Ottawa area and I have to say they are pretty interesting. You can access them here.  Give him a thumbs up and tell him I sent you!  He will be thrilled!  

 

I sure love my brother.  He was the youngest of the three of us. I was almost five when he was born and I can still remember the day my maternal Grandfather came home from the hospital where my mother had given birth and told us all that it was a boy.  I grabbed my sisters little hands and we danced around the kitchen, singing  . . .  "We have a little brother, we have a little brother!"  Out of the three of us who called Nova Scotia our home, he is actually the only one who was born there!  The same Doctor that delivered my mother, delivered my brother.  How's that for continuity!   I am sure it doesn't happen very often. 

I love my whole family.  We are very close to each other, which is a real blessing to me.  We all miss mom terribly.  We are beginning to be able to talk and remember now without totally breaking down. It is interesting how we each have individual memories and qualities about her that we loved, and yet at the same time there are wonderfully shared memories and qualities as well.  That's family.  

I was so blessed to be able to dream about my mother pretty much all of last night. It was so nice visiting with her.  Every night I pray to know she is happy and settled and not far away  . . . 

 

We watched a really good film yesterday on Netflix.  The Two Popes.  I am not a Catholic, but my father is and so was my Aunt Thelma and of course my father's whole family is Catholic.  My only knowledge of the Catholic Church really is the tiny bits we experienced when we would go to visit my father's family when we were growing up. They didn't know we were Protestants, so we had to pretend to be Catholic because apparently there was some fear he would be ostracised if they did know we weren't Catholic.  The first they knew was when I got married the first time and my Aunt asked my father why I was getting married in a Protestant church.  So our faking it when we went to visit must have been okay.  I just remember my mother saying to us, when everyone stands up, stand up, when they kneel, kneel, and when they cross themselves, you do that too. 

When my father was a much younger man and before marriage, he had wanted to be a Priest, apparently.  In retrospect, I cannot picture my father ever being a Priest. He has too much of an eye for the ladies!  And of course I am glad he didn't become a Priest because we would not be here!

But, I did enjoy the film.  It was quite interesting to me to see another side of the Catholic church, apart from all of the abuse scandals, etc.  I highly recommend it! 

 

Speaking of my first husband. He is a teacher at an International School in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  If you have never heard of it before, I am sure you heard of it yesterday because of the passenger jet crash yesterday.  The first thing I thought of was, were he and his wife involved.  They travel back and forth to Canada every holiday.  Thankfully they were not.  He is my oldest son's father, and we remain friends.  At least we are friends on facebook, which is something I can't say about my second husband.  I guess I was rather spoiled with my parent's divorce.  My mother and father remained close friends, right up until the day she passed.  They were the Poster-children of good divorce.  I will always be grateful that we never felt that we had to take sides in their split up and that we felt free to love each of them equally.  It should be the same for everyone, but sadly it so is not the norm.   

Todd's nephew's partner just took off to live in Ireland with her new paramour, who inherited an Irish Property, taking his two children with them.  They are my BIL and SIL's only grandchildren and they were very close to them.  The children often spent weekends in their home and holidays.  Now they don't know when or even if they will ever see them again  . . .  its rather sad really.  

 

I have begun compiling a list of crafts that I would like to be able to create over the next year, maybe one a month. We'll see.  I don't do enough crafting and would love to do more.  I used to basically be crafting all the time in my spare time when the children were growing up.  I guess I have always been creative. So, yes, it is my goal in the next year to do more and to use up some of those craft supplies I have just sitting in the spare room gathering dust!  Isn't this a cute idea of what to do with an old book?  I couldn't find an actual source, so if you know where it comes from, let me know and I will add it. 

I only have today and tomorrow to take my antibiotics and I will be so glad when they are finished.  So, horrible they are.  I can taste them for hours afterwards, which is especially bad at night when I am laying down and trying to sleep.  I hope I don't have to wait too long for my surgery.  I am terrified that the same situation will crop up again.  As it is, I am still experiencing pain and feeling uncomfortable. On the bright side I am looking foward to our lunch out today!  It will be nice to spend some time with Tina and Tony and to share some tasty food together!  Tina's recovering slowly but surely, and I am sure our prayers helped and are helping in that area!

And with that I best leave you with a thought for the day! 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *Love is never wasted, 

for its value is does not 

rest upon reciprocity.

~C. S. Lewis•。★★ 。* 。 

 

Finally something new to share in The English Kitchen.   Some tasty, quick and easy nibbles for New Years Eve.  Spicy Pepitas and Spiced Pecans.  Great with drinks or even for snacks.   These would also be great sprinkled on your salads, as an added bit of tasty protein and crunch!

Have a wonderful Saturday and don't forget! 

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And I do too!