Quick Update

 Just a quick update to let you all know that Doug got through the op safe and sound and they have released him from hospital. He has to stay I. The hotel nearby overnight, and all being well, he will be on his way home to PEI in the morning. I spoke to him on FaceTime. He’s in pain but says it’s tolerable. Thanks so much for your ongoing prayers! ❤️

My Favorite Things . . .

 

 

A few of the things in life that make my heart go pitter pat. Maybe they will do the same thing for yours. ♥♥♥    I'm pretty sure however, that these things mainly make my own heart sing.    

Autumn. It is my absolute favorite season of the year. There is so much to love about Autumn and you can enjoy it without being too hot, or feeling zapped from too much humidity!  

 

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The colors of the changing leaves  . . . . 

 

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Cake time  . . .  cake o'clock . . . cake . . .  

 

(source)

Lemon  . . .  anything lemon  . . . 

 

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Fresh croissants  . . .  crisp and buttery.  Best ones I ever had were in France. No surprise there! 

 

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A proper tea. Oh that I was a much younger woman. I would open a proper tea room where ladies could come to enjoy the delights. 

 

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 Ice cream in a bowl  . . . 

 

(source)

Tree houses  . . .  if I was young and fit I would live in a tree house. Of course I would also have to be rich, because a tree house is a very expensive thing.  I have wanted to live in a tree house ever since I saw Swiss Family Robinson. 

 

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Jack-O-Lanterns. I hope I can make one this year! 

 

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Dormer windows  . . . 

 

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Turkish delight  . . .  ohh, especially if it is covered in chocolate. 

 

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Pizza . . . love me some pizza  . . . 

 

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Sweaters with pockets  . . . . 

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Blankets to curl up in  . . . 

My new Pumpkin Pie candle  . . . its gorgeous . . .  both to look at and to smell  . . .

 

 

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The Bronte's . . . .

 

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Sleeping gingers  . . .  love ginger cats  . . .  

 

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Door stoppers  . . . 

 

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Fresh plums  . . .  oh, there were plum trees in the orchards at the manor, simply dripping with purple jewels.  I loved picking them and then using them. I was spoilt.

Gold lockets  . . .  I used to have one  . . .  mind you I don't have a neck now that I would want to show off  with a necklace. 

 

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Hot Buttered Toast and honey  . . .  

 

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Vintage Pyrex . . .  these are especially nice  . . .

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White plates, especially cutwork ones  . . . 

 

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Enamelware  . . .  miss mine  . . . 

 

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This  . . .  this was one of my favorite stories when I was a child  . . . 

And those are my favorite things for this week. I hope some of them were yours too! 

Doug was supposed to be having his operation about 8-ish this morning.  I am in tears thinking about it all, but it is in the Lord's hands and always has been.  I am praying and praying.  All will be well.

 

My babies did alright at the Vet's yesterday. They got their first jabs, and she weighed them, cut their nails, etc. I have some more flea stuff to put on them, and some worming tablets to give today. They totally charmed her.  Both are tabbies, she said.  Cinnamon has traditional tabby markings, and Nutmeg is what is known as a mackerel (stripes) and both will be long hairs. I have another appointment for their second jabs on the 27th October. 

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

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

 *.˛We are in for a spell of perfect weather now,

every day luminous, every night

brimming with stars, Picnics at noon,

suppers by the apple-wood fire at night,

a walk in the cool moonlight before bed.

~Gladys Taber   •。★★ 。* 。 

In the English Kitchen today  . . .  A Simple Pain Perdu . . .  the dessert of the Gods  . . .  with ice cream and fruit, made with cake that would normally be thrown away.  A cross between a bread pudding and French toast.  Delicious! 

Have a great Thursday. My dad is coming for supper tonight, so I am looking forward to that.  I am going to make him a meat pie, and he will enjoy the kittens. Don't forget ...

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And I do too!  

Wednesday Ponderings . . .

 

(source) 

For many years I used to dream about bears.  Big brown or black bears, chasing me and trying to catch me.  They were terrifying dreams.  And then I had children and the dreams changed, the bears were always getting between myself and my house and my children were in the house alone.  And then the bears changed to polar bears, which are the most ferocious, largest bears, next to the Kodiak grizzly. 

I always wondered what the significance was on these dreams.  Why always bears? Why always chasing?  Why always the fear of a loss of some sort?  Why the change of the color of the bear?  Why the separation between myself and what was dearest to me?

I'm sure a dream analyst could tell me exactly what the dreams meant.  I have not had a bear dream in quite some time now.  I am grateful for that. 

 

(source)

I am a very vivid dreamer. My dreams are like little movies. Always in color.  Always in great detail, and most of the time I remember them. I can remember dreams I had as a child. They stick with me, and quite often, whatever it is that I am dreaming just prior to waking up sets the tone for my whole day. 

I remember a dream I had as a child, more than once, that I was walking to school on a very long sidewalk and as I went my clothes were slowly disappearing so that eventually I ended up at school naked and embarrassed.  I am sure those were dreams of great significance as well . . .  

As a child I always felt like I was a disappointment of some sort to my parents.  I was a girl and not a boy. I never came first in the class.  I never quite measured up to what was expected of me, no matter how hard I tried. I always fell short. 

 

(source)

Its funny how the things from our childhood affect us and how we carry them with us for a lifetime. The other night I was writing in my journal about  the beauty of God's Grace and then all of a sudden I remembered an incident from when I was about 9 or 10 years old, and so I wrote about it . . . 

"I am about 10 years old. For some reason I am not allowed to be in the family photograph with my father that my mother is taking of us. It is my father's decision for me not to be in it. I am totally distraught, heartbroken, crying. Afterwards my mother takes me into the kitchen and takes my picture, alone, in front of the kitchen sink. Later when the photos are developed, you can clearly see the pain in my face, my eyes all swollen and damp . . .  and even now  . . .  all these years later, the memory of it makes me cry. I still feel the pain, even though I no longer remember the reason why. The memory of it puts me right back to feeling on the fringe, but not included." 

Broken.  I felt broken.  And sometimes I still feel broken. Sometimes I still feel the bears chasing me, or keeping me from the things or people that I love.  Sometimes I still feel naked and ashamed. Like I'm walking and walking and getting nowhere.

 

(source)

Sometimes I feel like a piece of my cake is missing and that was the only piece that was mine.  Bereft.

We live in a world where often things don't work the way they should, or how we think they should.   A world where bad things happen all the time to good people, and good things happen to bad.  Where things often seem unfair and undeserved. Where a battle seemingly rages between all that is good and all that is evil . . . and we are the prize.  

Both sides want the same thing from us. Our heart.

But the choice is not theirs to make. Its ours.  We can choose to run away from the bear, or we can choose to stand and fight the bear. We can be weak and give in to our fears and our weaknesses, or we can be strong, stand up to them and overcome them.  If we are exposed, we can be proud of our nakedness.   If someone eats our piece of cake, we can cut ourselves another one. 

If we always do our best, we can be proud of us, of who we are, and of who we are becoming. Of how far we have come or how far we will go.   

I am a woman of great hope and of great faith.  I have accomplished many things I can be proud of. Not everyone has to like me or love me. The important thing is that I like and love myself. I am a daughter of a kind and loving Heavenly Father who wants only one thing for me and one thing from me . . .  and who is willing to give back to me in return at least as much, but mostly more than I am willing or able to give to him. 

There is always a seat for me at His table and a place for me in His photograph.  Of that I can be sure.  I know this to be true and it is enough.  

 

(source)

If I am constantly comparing myself with others, I will never measure up. What I do may not be their best, but my best is also not their best.  My best is good enough. I can be proud of me. I am proud of me. 

The kittens are going to their first Vet appointment this afternoon. I hope its not too expensive, but I expect that it will be.  I can't think of any Vet appointment that wasn't costly and I have two to pay for at the same time. lol  I never did do anything halfway!

Doug messaged me just now to let me know they are on their way from PEI to NB to the hospital in Saint John.  I am praying for their safety and that all will go well.  I know you are too, and I am grateful for that. 

Cindy is going to the Vet with me this afternoon and then she and Dan are coming over for supper tonight.  I am going to make my Hot Italian Hoagies, which we will have with salad.  I haven't sorted any dessert, but then Dan doesn't eat dessert anyways, and we don't really need it.  It will just be nice to be together.  When I think of that my heart swells with joy.  I feel so blessed that I can now spend this time with my family. It was the hardest journey ever to get here, but I stood up to the bear and here I am. 

Life can only get better. Even at its worst, it is better than where I have been.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

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

 *The Lord will meet you where

you are as you are,

but He doesn't intend

to leave you there.

He means to lift you up to where He is,

as He is.

This is the journey of grace.

~Emily Belle Freeman•。★★ 。* 。 

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  One Pan Cheesy Sausage Pasta. An all in one pan supper that is deliciously simple to make and perfectly sized for two. 

I hope that you have a wonderful Wednesday. Whatever it is that you get up to, don't forget! 

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And I do too!

The Simple Woman's Daybook . . .

 

 

 

FOR TODAY, September 28th 2021

Outside my window ...

The sun is completely up. I am very late getting started this morning. It is supposed to rain today. You got to take the rain with the sun, and we sure get lots of fine days, so I am not complaining. 

I am thinking ...

Tomorrow our Doug and his wife and father in law travel to Saint John.  I am praying for a safe journey, a safe operation on Thursday, and a safe journey home.  How very blessed we are to live in an age when such miraculous options are available to us.

I am looking forward to ...

Taking the kitties to the Vet tomorrow for their first check up and shots, etc. It will be interesting to see how they travel in the car. Right now they are curled up on a chair next to me sleeping.

I am thankful for ...

Grace. The gift of transformation. An endowment of strength, divine assistance, an enabling power. The elevating of souls and the healing of hearts. Grace is His favor, and His kindness and the tenderness with which He extends His mercies. It is His touch on our heart and how He reflects that within our life. Grace is always there, but we notice it most in our weakness. In our brokenness. Receiving grace isn't an event, its a story.  It is a gift of radical generosity.

In the kitchen ... 

I baked Mary Berry's Swiss Roll Cake. This is a deliciously simple fat-free sponge.  I do a complete tutorial. You can be sure of success here.

On my "To Cook" list ... 

I Heart Eating.  Gingerbread Pudding Cake. Looks scrumptious! 

One of my favorite things ... 

Autumn  . . .  it is my favorite season of the year. 

I am wanting to create ... 

White Wood and Linen.  A handstitched Needle Case. 

Amidorable Crochet.  Cute! 

 

All about sewing needles.  

 

Love this  . . . Monie Ebner on Ravelry. Not free, but not expensive either.  

 

 

I adore these infinity scarves. Love the colours.  Elizabeth Brassard on Ravelry.  A free pattern. Oh to be able to knit like that.

I am reading ... 

Gap Creek, by Robert Morgan 

There is a most unusual woman living in Gap Creek. Julie Harmon works hard, "hard as a man" they say, so hard that at times she's not sure she can stop. People depend on her. They need her to slaughter the hogs and nurse the dying. People are weak, and there is so much to do. 

She is just a teenager when her little brother dies in her arms. That same year she marries Hank and moves down into the valley where fire and visions visit themselves on her and where con men and drunks come calling. 

 Julie and Hank discover that the modern world is complex, grinding ever on without pause or concern for their hard work. To survive, they must find out whether love can keep chaos and madness at bay. With Julie, Robert Morgan has brought to life one of the most memorable women in modern American literature with the same skill that led the Boston Book Review to say that he writes "with an authority usually associated with the great novelists of the last century." 

 In this novel, Morgan returns to the vivid world of the Appalachian high country to follow Julie and Hank in their new life on Gap Creek and their efforts to make sense of the world in the last years of the nineteenth century. Scratching out a life for themselves, always at risk of losing it all, Julie and Hank don't know what to fear most--the floods or the flesh-and-blood grifters who insinuate themselves into their new lives. 

 Their struggles with nature, with work, with the changing century, and with the disappointments and triumphs of marriage make this a powerful follow-up to Morgan's acclaimed novel, The Truest Pleasure. 

Its really good! I am really enjoying this book.  First one I have enjoyed this much in a long while.   This is so good, I have already ordered volume two. I love a really good story that continues! This is the closest I have come to finishing a book/novel in a very long time. 

Dreaming about ... 

Today's Source 

 

Sunny breakfast nooks  . . . 

 

A place to watch the sun go down  . . . 

 

Pretty maids all in a row  . . . 

 

An ivy covered palace . . . 

 

Wildflowers on tweed  . . . 

Something to watch ... 

The Starling on Netflix.  I thoroughly enjoyed this. 

Makes me smile ... 

 

The art of Betsy Clark  . . . 

Corners of my kingdom ... 

  

There used to be a train called the Day Liner which went all up and down the Valley into and out of Halifax several times a day.  Miss those days. This is Kingston, the next village up from where I live.  It was a quick and convenient way to get into the city.

A thought to carry with you ...

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

*The most wasted of days

is one without laughter.

•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。

And that's my daybook for this week  . . .  
  

⋱ ⋮ ⋰
⋯ ◯ ⋯ Take time to enjoy the small *´¯`.¸¸.☆
  ⋰ ⋮ ⋱ blessings in life.*´¯`.¸¸.☆    
  



✿¸.•*¨`*•..✿✿¸.•*¨`*•..✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.• ╬♥═╬╬═♥=╬╬═♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥═╬♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥
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 Have a beautiful day and don't forget!  


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And I do too!