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To carve in language all the lovely things
That blend into the warp of every day,
A tuft of pine brushing against the sky;
A yellow climbing rose with feet of clay.
A settler's farm hewn from a valley floor,
A shaggy cow . . . a rugged fold for sheep,
Night creeping down the hills in purple folds,
A stony pasture field where cattle sleep.
To paint in words the sheen of candle light
Flickering before the Blessed Virgin's face,
A wisp of incense floating in the air,
Its perfume filling all the holy place.
To fashion words with deft unerring skill
As craftsmen fashion gold in filigree
To set the glowing jewel of a thought
Within the clasp of true humility.
To weave a song upon the warp of life
Colored as gay as apples in a dish,
Where love and joy are woven in the woof
of lovely tapestry . . . this is my wish.
~Edna Jacques, A Writer's Dream
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Oh, I have walked amongst plum trees such as these, their dusky purple fruits hanging low upon the branches. When I worked at the Manor, they had plum trees in their orchard, just beyond the Tennis Courts, filled with abundance. I picked bags full every year. They were beautiful eaten out of hand, but also made brilliant tarts, bakes, cakes, jams . . .
You did often have to fight the wasps for them however. Especially as the season wore on. Their skins would start to split and those split plums were like magnets for the wasps.
But walking through those trees hanging with purple jewels, was like a little bit of magic wonder for me. We tried to grow our own when we moved back up North, but never with much success.
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Yesterday was a lovely glimpse into Spring, which is just around the corner. It was sunny and very mild. I am not sure how high the temperature got, but the eaves were dripping with snow melting from off the roof tops. I can not see the tips of my feeders. Oh, I know it is only a taste of what is yet to come. We have a bit more of Winter to experience before Spring really arrives, but it was a lovely taste nonetheless.
I took a walk down to the end of the street to empty my compost bin. It was very pleasant. The sound of the water running, that freshness in the air. I opened my front window a tiny bit as well as the one in my bedroom. It was very nice to blow the cobwebs out. I saw my first spider in the bedroom . . . they say it will be warmer still today . . .
The two kit kats really enjoyed the fresh air. They love it when I open the windows. So many new smells to explore. I know many people think that cats should be allowed to explore the great outdoors. But I am not one of them. Indoor cats live longer. Its much safer for them. No cars. No wild animals. In the UK it was impossible to keep your cats indoors. There were no screens on the windows. People had net curtains. But then again, where I lived there were no mozzies or black flies.
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Cats and dogs know right where to sleep. They will find the sunny spot, the most comfy spot, the ideal spot to take a nap. And they nap so beautifully. I wish I could nap like a cat.
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I picked myself up a jog of Tropicana yesterday when I was at the shops. I can still remember the first time I ever tasted Tropicana Orange Juice. We were in the car moving from Manitoba to Nova Scotia. I was 10, almost 11. My mom bought a jug of it to have in the car. None of us had ever had it. I remember it was in a very big glass jar with hand grips on the side. It tasted so good. I fell in love with it.
This was something else we loved. Nesbitt's Orange soda pop. Made from real oranges. I remember there used to be pulp in it. For a period of time when I was a child we lived next to the Mid Valley Motel which is just a little bit across the street from where I live now. They had a lobby, all wall to wall carpeting, by the front desk where they sold candy bars and potato chips and they had one of those cold drink coolers. The kind where the bottles hung from bars. You put your money in and you had to slide the drink along the bars and out from their captivity. There was a bottle opener on the side of the cooler. When we got our allowance we would pop over to the motel and buy ourselves a bag of potato chips, a candy bar and an ice cold bottle of Nesbitt's orange soda pop. Nectar of the Gods, or so we thought.
Funny how life goes. That little house we lived in is still there, as it the motel although it is called Mid Valley Suites now. I would never have thought way back then that I would find myself here towards the end of my life living just a stone's throw away. Life is funny . . . you never know where it is going to take you.
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I may bake some biscuits today. We will see. The other day when I talked to my son Anthony, he was making my mom's biscuits. Everyone loved mom's biscuits. I don't know where she got the recipe, but they are very good. Even Eileen can make them. I may small batch the recipe because I just don't need 3 dozen biscuits. A supper of beans and biscuits sounds really good to me.
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I tried to go back to bed this morning. It didn't last very long. The cats were too inquisitive. Wanting to get under the covers, etc. I gave up after about 15 minutes. At least I am not alone. One or the other of them is never very far away from me. They are very good company.
I have a RS/PH lesson to put the finishing touches on today as well. It is based on the talk from the last conference by President Eyring, entitled "The Faith to Ask and then to Act." It will be a real challenge teaching a lesson via Zoom I think. I don't know how to work power point or anything like that. Usually I will hand out quotes for people to read out loud and then we will have a discussion on those quotes. I am not sure how this is going to work, but we will see. I am not sure how much longer our church will be closed.
Technology has been a real blessing over these past few years. Through the use of it we have been able to stay in touch with our loved ones, our friends, our church's etc. The Missionaries have still been able to do their Missionary work. People have entertained each other in a wide variety of ways. That has been the good side of Covid. This gathering together via whatever means possible. Perhaps it has taught us "what" or "who" it is in life that really matters most. At least for some people anyways.
And with that I best close this off. Its already past 9 am and I have tons to get done before the day is through. I will leave you now with a thought for the day . . .
° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
*I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over canopied with lucious wood-bine,
With sweet musk roses and with eglantine;
~Shakespeare° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
In The English Kitchen today . . . Quick and Easy Banana Pudding. Its a cheat, but its delicious.
I hope you have a fabulous Saturday, filled with tons of nice things, things that you enjoy, things that make you happy. Don't forget!
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