Small and Wonderful Things . . .

 

 

"The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside from a generous hand. But who gets excited by a mere penny?...It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued that he won't stoop to pick up a penny. But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted with pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days. It is that simple. what you see is what you get." ~Anne Dillard

A few of the small and wonderful things which bring untold joy into my life. It's the small things in life which truly mean the most. Simple abundance . . . it's the best.    

Jon, Jake and Charles at the beach.  This picture perfectly encapsulates the summer my PEI grandsons have been having.  My son and his wife are always doing things with them. They are some very lucky and happy children I think. They are growing up far too fast, too. I hope I get to see them all soon. All of my grandchildren.  I hope I get to see all my grandchildren soon. 

 

 

My heart aches over the three that I never have any contact with, but it is what it is. I am ever so grateful for the five that I do.  I never got to know my own grandparents very well really.  We, for the most part, lived too far away, and they all died fairly young, although I did get to know my maternal grandparents a bit better than my sister and brother due to my age the last time we spent time with them. None of us remember my grandpapa, but we all remember our grandmaman.  I was named after her.

My grandchildren have had the opportunity to not only know their grandparents, but also their great grandparents, which is a blessing my siblings and I never had. 

My parents were not people who spent a lot of time having fun with us. My mother was too busy keeping a clean home and my father earning a good living, and then when my mother went to work, they were both busy doing the same thing. Mom was never an outdoors person. She hated being outdoors. She disliked bugs to the extreme!

 

Cinnamon

My little monkeys are keeping me pretty busy.  This one is the girl. She has such a squeeky little voice, but uses it a lot! 

 

Nutmeg 

Nutmeg is quite vociferous as well.  They both talk to me all the time. Nutmeg likes to get on my lap when I am sitting on the sofa and then crawls up to my upper chest and nuzzles me, his little purr engine going a mile a minute.  Cinnamon is not quite as affectionate, but then I have had to wash her paws quite a few times, so I am probably not her favorite person.  

 

They are delightfully active.  There is no doubting it. I am not living alone now!

  

My sister and Dan stopped by early yesterday afternoon as Dan hadn't seen the kittens yet. He is a real cat lover.  My sister brought me some green beans from her garden and this lovely antique footed batter bowl.  She had two of them and thought I would like one.  It was so kind of her. 

The feet on it mean that you can tilt it on its side. She thought it would make a good food photo prop for me.  She's right.  I love that my family supports my endeavors in being able to support myself. That means the world to me.

She invited me to come for supper last night and so I did.  Sausages, sweet potatoes, baked potato, green beans and she tried out this new sweet potato squash. We had both picked some up at the farm market the other day. It was a very dry squash, like the mashed potato one.  The flavor was so, so.  I suggested that she add a touch of maple syrup to it, and she did. That really picked it up a lot. I think that it would be a great squash for making pies with.  

I love having a sister who invites me for supper.  So I can spend time with her and Dan and my dad.  I love living nearer to my family. Its an extra special blessing for me at this time in my life. 

  

Being able to go to church yesterday and partake of the sacrament.  To renew my Baptismal covenants, etc.  I am still doing church twice on Sundays. That's been a real blessing to me, this being able to be twice fed on the sabbath.  I was officially called and sustained yesterday in my new calling as Relief Society Teacher. After church I was set apart by the Branch President and given a special blessing.  I loved the words of my blessing. They really touched my heart.

I love belonging to a church where you can get special things like Priesthood blessings. A priesthood blessing is given by a Melchizedek Priesthood holder, by the laying on of hands and by inspiration, to one who is sick or otherwise in need of special counsel, comfort, or healing.  You sit in a chair and they stand along side and place their hands on your head and then they pronounce the blessing in a prayerful way as inspired by God.  

This is a much smaller congregation than the one I was in in the UK. But, it is the congregation I was Baptised into 22 years ago, and many of the members are still known to me, although there are many now who are not. I will enjoy getting to know them all better. 

My Relief Society president just lives across the road from me. That is also a special blessing.  I have never lived so close to another church member in my life, except for when Ariana was living with us.  

 

This is a recent photograph of Grace. She is three years old now and soon to become a big sister.  She is a little girl now, a baby no longer. I think all of what happened was an extra special blessing and an act of safety for her.  Had none of us ever known about Todd, who knows what could have happened.  Now Grace is safe. We all trusted Todd so much it doesn't bear thinking about. 

Anyways, Grace is such a happy little girl and a delight to her mom and dad. I know she is going to be a fabulous older sister.  

My father calls me every morning, sometimes mid-day and then every evening.  He has come over a few times lately on his way to my sisters for supper, just to see the kittens. He loves cats and kittens.  He has never had to have an excuse to come and see me, but I love that the kittens are giving him one.

And with that I will leave you with a thought for today . . . 

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

*.˛.Beauty begins the moment

you decide to be yourself.

~Coco Channel•。★★ 。* 。

 

Something fun in the English Kitchen this morning.  With the kids going back to school soon I thought I would create a tasty breakfast sandwich.  The Waffle Breakfast Sandwich.  Great for breakfast at home, or on the run.  These are quite simply delicious. 

I hope your week ahead is filled with a multitude of small and wonderful things. Whatever you get up to don't forget! 

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And I do too!