All Things Nice . . .

 

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 Today I am flooding my page with all things that are nice, because in the light of what we have been going through in the year 2020 to date, we could all use a little bit of nice.  

MUSIC   

 

Lepidopterology (from Ancient Greek λεπίδος (scale) and πτερόν (wing); and -λογία -logia.), is a branch of entomology concerning the scientific study of moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies. Someone who studies in this field is a lepidopterist or, archaically, an aurelian. 

When I was a child the only kinds of moths I knew about were the ones that got into our dresser drawers and drove my mother crazy putting  moth balls into everything. It was not until I was an adult that I realised there was so much more to moths than those and that they didn't all eat your clothing!

When we were living on the Estate I had the occasion on day to chance upon a Hummingbird Hawk Moth. I was convinced that I had seen a hummingbird feasting on the honeysuckle in the hedge behind our cottage. It was pretty drab and brown, but acted just like a hummingbird. 

  

The sound of their wings also actually make a humming sound!  

  

Then another time one of these flew out from behind the toaster oven in the big people's kitchen when I was cleaning. Scared the dickens out of me. It was as large as my hand.  I freaked out.  The head gardiner had to come and rescue me and get it outside.  It was HUGE!  But fascinatingly pretty. That's one moth I wouldn't want to come across in one of my dresser drawers! 

 

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August, especially the latter part, brings about the harvest from the hedgerows. They are filled with berries starting to come into full colour.  Brambles, otherwise knows as blackberries, rowan fruits and haws. Birds and little mammals will eat these fruits and then spread their seeds far and wide, helping to ensure the propagation of the species. Isn't nature wonderful!  

 

In Scotland the ling heather is beginning to bring a purple flush to the hillsides, and even on the hillsides of Wales you will see a pink/purple flush appearing. You may have occasion to find a rare patch of white heather blooming in the midst of the purple and this is considered to be a good luck charm. Historically it has been sold at fairs and tucked into bridal bouquets.  There is a folkloric tale behind it, and why it is considered to be lucky. 

Legend has it that in the 3rd Century AD, Malvina (daughter of the legendary Scottish poet, Ossian), was betrothed (engaged to be married) to a Celtic warrior named Oscar. Tragically (but not unexpectedly!), Oscar died in battle, and when Malvina heard the news she was heartbroken. The messenger who delivered the bad news, also delivered a spray of purple heather that Oscar had sent as a final token of his undying love for her.

It's said that when Malvinas' tears fell onto the flowers in her hand, they immediately turned white, and this magical occurrence prompted her to say 'although it is the symbol of my sorrow, may the white heather bring good fortune to all who find it.'   

 

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I love the way the light plays  at this time of year.  It bathes our world in a golden glow from late afternoon til dusk  . . . the sun is beginning to dip lower in the sky.   

 

Morning and evening

Maids heard the goblins cry:

"Come buy our orchard fruits,

Come buy, come buy:

Apples and quinces,

Lemons and oranges,

Plump unpecked cherries--

Melons and raspberries,

Bloom-down-cheeked peaches,

Swart-headed mulberries,

Wild free-born cranberries,

Crab-apples, dewberries,

Pine-apples, blackberries,

Apricots, strawberries

all ripe together . . . 

~Christina Rossetti,  Goblin Market, 1859 

 

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Its the small habits, how you spend your mornings.  How you talk to yourself. What you read. Who you watch. Who you share your energy with. Who has access to you. That will change your life.  

 

I have never had a professional manicure. I've never actually had a lot of money to spend on such frivolities. I have just always done my own nails. My friend Alesandra, who is from Brazil, was taking beauty courses when the lock down began. She has won national awards for her nail work. She said this weekend she will give me a call and come to do my nails.  That is a bit exciting for me. A bit scary also.  I want to wear a mask.  Do you think she will be insulted if I wear a mask?  I just want to be safe, but I also wouldn't mind having pretty nails.  Just a manicure and polish. I would never get false nails. They ruin your fingernails and you have to keep having them forever.  

  

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Forgive yourself for not knowing

what you didn't know before

you learned it.

~Maya Angelou  

I need to learn how to do this more often. Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is yourself. 

 

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If only our eyes saw souls instead of  bodies,

how very different our ideals of 

beauty would be.

... 

 

I have always been in love with colour.  From the moment I could hold a crayon I was busy creating things to scatter colour into my world.  I find though that now I am getting older I am not drawn so much to the bright colours as much as I am drawn to pastels . . . could it be that as I am fading, the world around me is fading also?  What think you?  I no longer want to be slapped in the face with things . . . I just want to wallow in things which create calm amidst the chaos.  

 

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Do you think they're in love? 

People will say we're in love 

Why do they think up stories 

that link my name with yours? 

Why do the neighbors chatter all day, 

behind their doors? 

I know a way to prove what they 

say is quite untrue. 

Here is the gist, a practical list 

of "don'ts" for you. 

Don't throw bouquets at me 

Don't please my folks too much 

Don't laugh at my jokes too much 

People will say we're in love! 

Don't sigh and gaze at me 

Your sighs are so like mine 

Your eyes mustn't glow like mine 

People will say we're in love! 

Don't start collecting things 

Give me my rose and my glove. 

Sweetheart they're suspecting things 

People will say we're in love. 

Don't praise my charm too much 

Don't look so vain with me 

Don't stand in the rain with me 

People will say we're in love! 

Don't take my arm too much 

Don't keep your hand in mine 

Your hand feels so grand in mine 

People will say we're in love! 

Don't dance all night with me 

Till the stars fade from above. 

They'll see it's alright with me 

People will say we're in love. 

~Ray Charles and Betty Carter, 

People will say We're in Love  

 

One of my great loves  . . .  old books with marbeled fore-edges.  It makes me want to gaze upon the pages to see if the beauty goes right into the words and pages they hold. Do many bookbinders do this anymore? If I wrote a great novel, I would want, at least in the hard copy, the fore-edges to be marbeled.  Oh what a flight of fancy. As if  . . . 

I can't believe it is already almost nine a.m. and I have run out of time. I will have to end my nice things here.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *Oh my darling its true.

Beautiful things have dents and 

scratches too.•。★★ 。* 。 

  

In The English Kitchen today  . . . Small Batch, Lemon Frosted Gingerbread Cookie Bars. If you bake these your house will smell very NICE and totally amazing!

Have a brilliant Saturday.  Be happy. Be safe.  Be kind. And don't forget! 

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And I do too!