Thursday this and that . . .

 

 

(source) 

Oh how I have always wanted a brass bed.  I think ever since I was a child.  For years and years my sister and I shared a big double bookcase bed. It had a white veneer bookcase headboard.  I shared a bed with my sister from the time she was old enough to go into a bed and we moved to Nova Scotia. I was 11 and she was 8, so a good long time.  In Nova Scotia, I kept the bookcase bed and my sister got put into a fold away cot, which was probably not very comfortable to say the least.  We had a four bedroom house at that point and so we each got our own rooms.  This was the way it stayed until we moved into a three bedroom house when I was fifteen/sixteen and my sister and I had to share a room together again.  At that point mom and dad got us two single divan beds. I never minded sharing a room with my sister really.  We had our moments for sure, but . . . they were always underscored with a deep love for each other.  

 

I dropped off all of my income tax stuff yesterday morning.  What a beautiful area of Nova Scotia the tax accountant lives.  Its weird actually because his place is right across the street from my late Great Uncle Fred's house. His back deck overhangs the Nictaux river and I spent a few minutes taking in its beauty.  When we were children we used to visit my Great Uncle Fred a lot. He had the most magnificent gardens in this area I think.  He irrigated them via a hose he had running down to the river, which was just across the road I guess!  His gardens were filled with roses and other flowers and lots and lots of vegetables.  His lot was sloping and he had a garden shed built into the side of the slope. You could get onto the roof of the shed. We would get on the roof and hang over the edge, peeking into the windows of the shed. He had a naughty calendar on the wall which we found quite interesting. We had never seen anything like that before.  Mom and dad would be inside visiting.  He also had a garden glider swing which we enjoyed swinging on.

So anyways the tax stuff is dropped off and I am just waiting to hear what comes next.  What will be will be.

I stopped to visit with my sister on the way back. I had to drive right by her place and so I thought why not!  I am sure she was surprised to see me.  I think that is probably the first time I have just dropped by without being invited. I never want to intrude upon other people's lives and I don't know why I feel that way because I am always happy when someone drops in on me and do not see it as an intrusion. I guess I need to stop thinking about myself as being an intrusion! Family is never an intrusion. She might think differently, but I don't think she does. She seems to be quite happy to see me. 

 

My artwork arrived and I hung it up.  Thy Faith Hath Made Thee Whole by Eva  Koleva Timothy  The colors are stunning. I am not sure I like the frame I had gotten for it.  I had not realized that the insert was plastic, not glass and it seems to reflect the light too much.  If there was ever a person in need of being made whole again, that was me.  I have always loved the story in the bible of the woman who touched the hem of the Savior's garment and was healed.  This piece of art spoke to me of that and also embodies the way I feel that the Savior's love and my faith has helped me over these past months. I vowed not to accept anything into my home that did not have meaning or inspire me, and this certainly has both. 

It is such a beautiful piece of art.  My foot care lady came in late morning and she remarked on it right away and how much she loved it. 

 

(source)

The foot lady was there about quarter to twelve. I had thought she said 1 pm, but I must have gotten it wrong. Its a good thing I was back by then!  (On a side note, what a comfy looking chair.)  She is the same lady who used to do mom's feet. She cut my toenails, etc.  I know it is a bit of a luxury.  When I worked at the manor I used to go to a Chiropodist every six weeks and my feet always felt like a million dollars. This is not quite the same, but my toenails are nicely trimmed, etc. I struggle to cut my toenails.  I think a lot of people do as they are getting older.  Because I am a diabetic I need to be very careful when it comes to my feet, so I guess they are worth the expense. 

She was quite the talker. The conversation kept flowing.  I have another appointment in May.  It seems far off, May  . . .  but it is only six weeks!  I will have been in my play for one whole year at the beginning of May. It hardly seems possible that a year has gone by that quickly. 

Cinnamon is holding down the neighborhood watch this morning.  She is my little huntress.  She is ever watchful and very quick to pounce. Probably because she is a lot smaller and more lightweight than her brother. She moves much faster. She loves to sit in the window and watch everything that is happening on the other side of the glass.   I don't think even a blowing leaf misses her watchful eyes.  The other day there were two big seagulls across the street. They were easily twice as large as she is.  She was fascinated. 

And then there is Mr. Handsome, my little Lion King.  I have this blanket that has fleece on one side and this furry stuff on the other. He loves to lay on it. He sucks on it and kneads it with his paws.  I was cuddling him on my bed yesterday and he was purring away. Such a contented sound that was. My heart melted. 

They have both moved to my bedroom windowsill now and are keeping watch out the back of the house.

I was reading this in bed last night. (Yes that cover is the artwork of Eva Koleva Timothy also.)  I could read Emily Belle Freeman for hours and never tire of her. She has such an inspiring outlook on life and our relationship with the Savior.  Last night when I was reading she was talking about her friend and how her friend had told her about this lad in her Ward that was leaving on his mission and how he had been asked to give a talk on his relationship with Jesus Christ.  And he had started by saying, "Jesus is my oldest friend."

Afterwards in my pondering time I thought about that statement. Could I say the same thing.  And yes, I could say the same thing. From the time I was very, very young and my parents taught me how to pray . . .  now I lay me down to sleep  . . .  Jesus has been my friend.  And not just in church, with my church hat pinching my head as I sat in the pew and waved to my friend across the way . . .  or in Sunday School as I sang "Yes Jesus loves me."  He has been my friend and with me in everything.  As a new mom leaving my first husband with my infant baby in my arms, getting bravely on a bus to go home to my parents.  He was with me.  When I had to fly across the country from Alberta to Eastern Canada all by myself, with three very young children, and being pregnant for my fourth. Homeless and again going home to be with my parents.   Again, he was with me. After my fourth child when I was struggling with Post Natal Depression, and having been told my oldest daughter was developmentally challenged,  curled up in a ball on the floor of my closet not knowing where to turn.  He was with me. 

I could go on and on.  I have had  a life beset by troubles and challenges and uncertainty . . .  filled with times when I had to be stronger than I had ever thought I could be, but through them all, Jesus has been my friend, and yes, with me. I love Him. He IS my oldest friend.  How very grateful I am for that relationship. 

I have been watching Surviving Death on Netflix.  Interesting to say the least.  I am not sure how I feel about all that stuff.  I do believe in an afterlife and I do think there is something to be said for all of these near death and death back to life experiences that people have.  I am not sure about mediums and their craft.  There is a part of me that wants to get one and communicate with my mother, nephew, etc.  but there is another part of me that wonders if that it not a bunch of hokum, the medium bit.  I've also been watching Life After Death with Tyler Henry.  He scribbles on paper as he communicates with the dead.   I am not sure what to think about all that. I found myself in the shower last night wishing that I could talk to my loved ones in the afterlife, finding some bit of comfort for myself or for others.  I am not sure that we are meant to be in communication with the dead.  When I was a girl my mother was very much into card reading and the Ouija board and psychics.  I had some very unsettling experiences with her and the Ouija board, so much so that I was actually afraid of it.  I am not sure we should be dabbling with things like this.  

I know what it says in Leviticus in the bible. “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God." Leviticus 19:31  I think I will stick with that.

And with that I best leave you with a thought for today. I am still in my pajamas and I have to drive to the next town to put some money in my other account to pay my bills in April. I wish I could figure out how to pay them via my account right here in town. It would be so much easier. My credit union doesn't have a visa debit card, which means I was unable to set up direct debits for them. Its a bit of a pain having to move money about. It wasn't so difficult when the other bank had a branch right in town, but they have closed it down now, so I need to travel  a distance to get to it now.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★★ 。* 。

° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚

˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛

˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*Failure is not the opposite of success,
it is a part of success.•。★★ 。* 。 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Chicken Amondine. This delicious chicken casserole is filled with lots of chicken, rice, vegetables and crisp almonds!  Quick and easy to make as well.

Have a wonderful Thursday!  Be happy. Be blessed. Be safe. Don't forget! 

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
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And I do too!    

   

Wednesday This and That . . .

 

 

(source) 

Ever have one of those days?  You know the kind I mean.  The kind of day when everything seems to get on top of you and you can't catch up with it.  A day where you just want to curl up into a ball and tuck yourself away somewhere and never come out.

Its been a long time since I have had a day like that, but yesterday was just such a day for me. I hate days like that. I try to be so upbeat most of the time.  I have had enough sadness in my life without adding to it, and in the context of what so many others in the world are going through at the moment, my worries seem trivial at best.

But sometimes I succumb to the bad feelings, and the fears . . .  and I just start to feel down, down, down . . . 

It was nothing I could really put my finger on and it was everything at the same time. Stupid really.

 

(source)

Those are the days I miss my mom the most, although I miss her every day.  In all truth I would probably never be able to express to her feelings and thoughts like I was having yesterday.  I would have kept them close to my chest. I do that a lot of the time anyways. 

Its like if so long as I don't say things out loud then they aren't happening, or I don't have to fear them, or they don't exist. I am a great procrastinator at heart. Most of the time it works for me, but occasionally it bogs me down.

My poor sister . . . she must feel sometimes like she has inherited another child. It should be the other way around. How incredibly blessed I am to have her in my life.  It is a great blessing to have someone in your life who loves you as much as we love each other.  And my brother too. 

I guess sometimes I just feel like the family train wreck, moving from one crash to another. I often feel like the family joke. Not that anyone makes me feel that way. They don't.  "I" make me feel that way. Like the only thing I am really successful at is at failing.  Failed marriages. Failed relationships with my children . . . I'm fat, I'm unattractive, I'm nothing  . . .  sometimes those feelings just crowd in.

I know where it comes from.  The adversary. He wants us to feel all those things.  He doesn't want us to feel good about anything.

 

(source)

I'm a bit of a worry wart when it comes right down to it.  I worry about catching Covid. I worry about getting cancer. I worry about the three of my children I do have a relationship with cutting me out. I worry about not being able to pay my rent, my utilities, my taxes. I worry about my one source of income drying up. I worry about dying all alone and nobody finding me for days and days.  I worry about losing all my savings. I worry about worrying . . . 

I also have a guilt complex.  I have always felt guilty for things that I haven't done.  In a crowd of people I could be the only one without chocolate cookie crumbs around my mouth and if someone yelled out "Who ate all the cookies?" I would immediately go into guilt mode and swear everyone must think it was me, know it was me, even if I knew it wasn't me.  Does that make sense?

In Glee Club in Grade six, Mrs. Huber said someone was singing flat in the choir and I immediately thought she meant me. I only mouthed the words to the songs for the whole rest of the year, just in case it was me.

 

(source)

I did kind of shake it all off by the end of the day. I went out to pick up my prescriptions, and had a wander about.  I picked up some rapid Covid tests  at the town library. I went and got gas in my car. I came home and made a sandwich that I could only eat half of and then I ate three cookies that I didn't really need to eat or want to eat, but they were there.  I was only going to have one, but three called my name.  I had no sooner eaten them than my sister called and wanted to know if I wanted to come over for pizza. Dad was paying.  I said I couldn't eat anything really (I wasn't hungry at all then) but I would come over anyways.  I had some salad and brought a piece of pizza home for my lunch today.  It was just nice being with Cindy and Dan and dad.

The weirdest thing happened on the way home. As I was driving past Tim Horton's this lady came running at my car holding a sign.  Right into the road. I thought I was going to hit her. I almost hit her.  It really spooked me to say the least.  It was actually quite frightening.  I could see where she had a lot of bags of stuff sitting on the sidewalk.  I think she wanted  ride somewhere, but it was really scary the way she was going about it.  I just waved her off, but a part of me felt guilty, like I should have been giving her a ride to where she needed to go, even if it was halfway across the province.  And another part of me felt sad that she was so desperate.  Still another part of me thought WTH?  I was worried she was going to get hurt and I thought about calling the police, but then I thought to myself, she is probably having a worse day than I had been and calling the police would be making it even more worse.  And so I didn't.

Also on the way home I saw my son in law and waved to him.  I had told my daughter that I wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be on to talk yesterday. Sure enough I got a message from her saying her husband had seen me in my car, driving home from my sisters,  and she thought I wasn't well enough to talk. What's up with that?  GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY  

This morning I am going to the accountant to figure out my taxes. (FEAR)  Then this afternoon the lady is coming to do my feet. My arthritis is making it very hard for me to do them now.  It is the same gal who used to do mom's feet. If I recall correctly she can talk a mile a minute. I want to tidy up before she comes so I better get off here and gather my stuff together.  I hope I don't end up having to sacrifice my first born child to pay my taxes. (WORRY)

Oh how blessed I am that I have earned enough to need to pay taxes. That is the positive side.

And this  . . . 

 

Mr. Personality Jake cooking something up. He sure looks like his mom in this photo. A beef stir fry, and apparently it was really good too. I love that my grandchildren like to cook.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★★ 。* 。

° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚

˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛

˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*If you don't think you have any blessings,

remember your heart is still beating.

•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。 

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  The Croissant Turkey Club Sandwich.  Delicious!

Have a wonderful Wednesday. Whatever you get up to, don't forget! 

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
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And I do too!       

The Simple Woman's Daybook . . .

 

 

FOR TODAY, March 29th, 2022

Outside my window ...

Its snowing. Not a lot, just a fine snow. There is not much accumulation. It is supposed to stop by mid-afternoon.

I am thinking ...

My youngest grandson is turning two today. I am sure he will have a happy birthday.  I  mailed his Birthday present to him. I hope he gets it in time. I got him a couple of books that his father used to love me to read to him when he was a toddler. I thought perhaps my son would enjoy reading them to his own son.  I used to read to all of my children and I know what each of their favorite books were because I had them practically memorized from reading them so often. 

I'm also thinking about Will Smith getting all Jiggy at the Oscars.  Not sure what to think about that really.  Its a sign of the times I guess. People lacking in self control. There is a time and a place.  So not the place.

I am thankful for ...

My other three children who love me unconditionally. My sister, Dan, dad, my brother and his family and all of my friends. My faith. My home. My cats.  My life. Its not perfect, but its as good as its going to ever be and I am grateful for it.

In the kitchen ... 

Yogurt Cake. Its simple really.  A beautiful cake to fulfil an "I want cake" craving. 

On my "to Cook" list ... 

New York Times  . . .  every day all purpose biscuits. What can I say?  I am a sucker for a good biscuit recipe. And when I see a new recipe I have to try it. There is no shortening in these. Just butter.

Good to know ... 

 

I am wanting to create ... 

Homemade At My Place, Granny Bunny. 

 

Jessica Paz Creates. Mug Nest Coasters. 

 

Knitty Kids. No patterns. Just eye candy. Seriously cute. 

 

Son's Popkes.  Free crochet bumble bee. 

Nyanpon.  Cat mouse. Simple. 

I am reading ...

Waymaker, Ann Voskamp 

We can trust that God, the WayMaker, is always at work creating the life of our dreams, through ways we never would have dreamed for ourselves.

In a disorienting world, with obstacle after obstacle, and the landscape of our lives shifting in ways we never expected, we can trust that as we look to our Maker, the WayMaker, our road will lead us to arrive exactly where we always hoped it would, though maybe not at all in the way we imagined. And those dreams for our lives? They can still happen—in ways only He perfectly dreamed of. 

It is true: heartache, grief, suffering, obstacles, they all come in waves. There is no controlling life’s storms; there is only learning the way to walk through the waves. In WayMaker, bestselling author Ann Voskamp hands us a map that makes meaning of life, that shows the way through to the places we’ve only dreamed of reaching, by a way we never expected. Voskamp reveals how God is present in the totality of our lives, making a way

• for the marriage that seems impossible,
• for the woman who longs for a child of her own,
• for the parents who ache for the return of their prodigal,
• for the sojourner caught between a rock and a hard place, and
• for the wayfarer who feels as though there is no way through to her dreams.  

 

We can encounter the WayMaker in surprising ways and begin to see Him not only making poetry out of pain but working in every miraculous detail of our lives. Even now, the Way is making the way to walk through waves and into a life more deeply fulfilling than our wildest dreams.

I have only just started it.

I am looking forward to ...

General Conference this weekend. I've been listening to a talk a day in preparation for it. Its interesting how I am learning new things from the talks that I had not picked up on already.

Dreaming about ...

Pretty butter dishes  . . . 

Vintage pink  . . . 

Vintage table cloths . . . 

Vintage tin  . . . 

Vintage Pyrex  . . .  

Something to watch ... 

Bridgerton on Netflix  . . . 

Makes me smile ... 

She's so cute. She loves her belly rubs.   I love her pink nose and little pink paws, her marmalade coloured fur. Her sweet disposition.

Corners of my kingdom ... 

Is March going out like a lion?

A thought to carry with you ... 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★★ 。* 。

° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚

˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛

˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*Don't let your happiness depend 

on something you may lose.

•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。 

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

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



✿¸.•*¨`*•..✿✿¸.•*¨`*•..✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.• ╬♥═╬╬═♥=╬╬═♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥═╬♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥
░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░   
 

  

Have a beautiful day and don't forget!  


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And I do too!       

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.  

 

I may not have a lot, but I can give whatever I can to help out those less fortunate than myself. At least I have something to give, to share.  I got an e-mail Saturday evening saying that the churches in the valley were collecting items to be put into a container and sent to Poland via an aircraft, to be used to help the refugees.  I gathered what I had in my house to pop into the box that was going to be at church yesterday morning. I have a few weeks so I can gather together a few more things.  I didn't really have much in the house, some new boxes of soap and a new toothbrush still in the package.  Today I will pop to the shops and get some more stuff to donate.  They are in need of feminine hygiene products, etc.  Every little bit helps. We may not be able to do much, but if each of us did only one small thing, it could make a huge difference.  We are so blessed to be living where we are and to have what we have to share. 

 

I got to spend some time with my sister, Dan and dad yesterday. Cindy is feeling a lot better and she invited me for supper. She has invited me a few times, but when there was so much snow I didn't go as parking was an issue.  There is no snow left so I went yesterday and it was so nice to be able to spend the time together. I love my family so much. It was so nice to see my sister feeling so much better, even if not 100% and to just laugh together and eat some good food . . . just be together. I am so blessed to have the family that I do.  I know my dad really enjoys us all being together like that as well. It makes him happy.

 

 

(source)

Signs of Spring. They are everywhere. Bulbs are popping up. Our snow is almost all gone for the most part. I saw a robin's egg on the ground at the chapel yesterday morning, which means some of the birds are nesting.  The lilac bushes at my sister's have little green buds on them.  Spring is springing! 

This is a funny meme which says, If The Titanic had been filmed in Canada. It made me smile.  I had forgotten about potholes and how bad they can be.  Our roads are loaded with potholes at the moment. It is like playing Dodge-em cars driving on them as you weave between the worst ones in an effort to save your tires from being damaged!  The ability to be able to laugh at life, that's a good thing. If you can still do that, there is nothing really to complain about. 

Having someone to come home to when I leave the house and come back.  They are always right there in the basket watching for my return and as soon as I drive into my drive I can see their little mouths opening in greeting.  When I open my garage door into the house, they are right there by the door looking for a hello, a stroke, winding themselves around my legs and brushing their love against me. Its a very nice feeling to be loved and to be missed.

 

(source)

Pussy willows  . . .  a sure sign.  I used to love to gather them when I was a child, and even as an adult. They were great Easter decorations as well.  Easter seems to be pretty late this year.  This will be my first Easter in my new home.  I won't do much in the way of decorating because of the cats you know  . . .  but maybe the Easter Bunny will come. Never say never.

 

 

(source)

Being able to go to church and partake of the Sacrament. It feels good each week to be able to renew my covenants and to remember the Savior in this special way.  Yesterday it was fast and testimony as next Sunday will be conference. I love to hear the testimonies of others. They always help to strengthen my own, and I just love the spirit which is always present. I am really looking forward to Conference next weekend. General Conference happens twice a year, in the spring and in the autumn. It is an opportunity for all the Saints to gather together worldwide and listen to talks that have been prepared just for this purpose. I am always inspired and uplifted by them. We are living in very precarious times and I am wondering what counsel and guidance we might be given.  In preparation I have been spending some time each day going over some of the talks from the last Conference. It is amazing to go over them again and to be able to pick things out of them that I hadn't previously picked up on.  I love General Conference.

Life is full of abundance.  An abundance of many small and wonderful things and blessings. My friend Tina and I were talking last evening and we were saying how abundant the tender mercies of the Lord were and how luck we were to be able to have eyes and hearts that enable us to see and discover them every day.   I am grateful for the eternal friendships in my life.  Tina and I talk at least once every week. My friend Jo and I facetime often. I get emails from my friend Peter at least once a week. (Remember him and Audrey?) I also facetime with my good friend Carolyn at least twice a month.   I am so blessed to have the family and friends that I do.  And then there is each of you  . . .  God is indeed very good.

A thought to carry with you  . . .  

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

 *.˛.Charity is having patience 

with someone who has let us down.

It is resisting the impulse to 

become offended easily.

It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings.

It is accepting people as they truly are.

It is looking beyond physical appearances

to attributes that will not dim through time.

~Thomas S Monson   •。★★ 。* 。 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Hot Tuna Buns.  Quick, easy, economical and delicious!

I hope your week ahead is filled with a multitude of small and wonderful things. Be happy. Be blessed, and don't forget! 

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And I do too!    

   

Best friends . . .

  

Best friends. Partners in Crime. Always together. We should all be so blessed.

Have a wonderful day!  Don't forget! 

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
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And I do too! 

 

All things nice . . .

 

(source)

Common To Us All

So many things are common to us all;

The love of food and little homes to tend,

A child's first toddling steps across the room,

The gay heart-warming laughter of a friend.

A little self-sown tree beside the door,

A stone rimmed flower bed, a lily pool,

A cook-stove sending out a happy glow,

The homey comfort of a kitchen stool;

The fun of planning meals and making jam,

Of painting chairs and buying drapes to match,

Of doing pickles up, and canning stuff

Gathered in fresh from your own garden patch,

Planning a weekend at a country place,

Seeing a cousin who has lost her son,

Tring to comfort her with loving words,

Feeling so helpless there with everyone;

The first shy opening of buttercups,

A rainbow arched above a waterfall,

The Little home where love keeps tender watch,

Life's precious things . . . so common to us all.

~Edna Jaques, Back-Door Neighbors 

 

(source)

This poem really struck me this morning.  I started to think about each of us here on the earth today. The good, the bad, the ugly, the in between  . . . we are all God's children.  We are all spirits having a human experience, sent to earth to learn and to grow and to become. I believe that there is not one person on the earth who does not sometimes find joy in simple pleasures, even the worst of us.  It breaks my heart sometimes to see how people  treat each other. How callous some people can be.  What is it that makes them so?  I will never understand this need to dominate at any cost.  I hate War . . .  

I pray daily for the people of the Ukraine, but I also pray for the people of Russia, many of whom are ignorant of what is truly going on. Many of whom are against what is going on but who are powerless to do anything about it. My heart breaks for this world we find ourselves living in.

I am the type of person that will walk a mile out of my way to avoid confrontation. I am a forgiver.  I have forgiven people of things most people would not be able to forgive.  Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. That is the way I look at it.  

I think if we, as people, tried to look at  and embrace the things between us that we have in common, rather than dwelling on our differences, our planet could be transformed.  If only we could dwell on the good and not the negative . . . 

I am ever so encouraged however when I see all the arms and hands reaching out to help those who have been affected negatively by this latest conflict. It warms the heart.  

 

(source)

All the snow is gone now from my front garden, save a small tiny wee patch right in the middle of the yard. You would miss it if you were not looking for it. Its only about 4 inches across.  The last vestiges of what was, just a few weeks ago, a huge mountain of white, so tall I could not see the houses across the way.  Already I see in the gardens bulbs pushing their green points up towards the sky, having burst through the heavy soil, reaching for light. 

It is a miracle to me that these things happen every year like clockwork.  A divine mystery . . .  the migration of the birds, the nesting, the end of hibernation, the budding of trees and plants  . . .  how do they know?  This is the time of year that the earth begins to awaken after the long and cold Winter's sleep.  It is the same every year . . . you can rely on it, can count on it.  That is nature and the nature of things.  Things start waking up as the days get longer and longer.  It has been ever so.

This week I have been enjoying a series called Hidden Villages with host Penelope Keith on my Roku channel on the television. You can also stream it on Acorn I believe.  In it she travels across the length and the breadth of the UK sharing with us the unique, wonderful quirkiness and beauty that these small villages have to offer.   She shows us bits of the UK that many of us have never and will never get to see, talks to fascinating people and reveals ancient customs that make them so wonderful.   When I was in the UK I fell in love with the British villages and their people.  It is one thing I will miss most of all.   

It is this concept of a village that charms us from shows such as Grantchester, Midsommer Murders, Heart Beat, and All Creatures Great and Small.  There is something about the British Village that plucks at our heart strings and makes us wish to live there, or at least somewhere close . . .  I believe it is the sense of community perhaps?  Our world is so hustle bustle there is something in us that yearns for the sense of the familiar and the dear  . . . for seemingly lost eras where things were much simpler and uncomplicated.

(source)

There are so many things I need to be doing that I haven't gotten done. I've been sorting out all of my receipts, etc. for my income tax. I spent most of yesterday looking for one. I looked from pillar to post only to realize that I had it all along in my folder.  I was looking for a T4 slip for 2022, not thinking it was 2021 I actually needed. DUH!

I have packages to get ready to go out. I need to get wrapping paper. I have been slow to get this done. It seems that I am slowing down a lot.  I used to be able to fit a bazillion things into one day, but these days it seems that if I can get one or two things done then that is it! 

Is it just me or does time seem to be speeding up??? A day no sooner gets started and it is ending. 

 

(source)

Have you ever made caramels.  Back when I was serving my mission there was a young Missionary whose mother had sent him a box of homemade caramels for Christmas. He shared them with all of us. Oh my but they were some good.  I found myself thinking about them yesterday.  I have never made homemade caramels.  I find that I shy away from making candy most of the time.  When the children were small I used to make them fudge from time to time, but I was not a real candy maker per se. I remember making Divinity fudge in Home Economics at school.

I have made peanut brittle in the microwave quite a few times and its always turned out well.  

I do confess that candy making can scare me a bit. There is something really frightening about molten sugar. I have accidentally dipped the tips of my fingers in it in the past and that was not a very pleasant experience! 

 

(source)

My fingers are itching to pick up some needles or a hook or some needles and floss . . . every time I attempt it the cats want to be involved.  They are such funny creatures.  Oh I don't half enjoy them.  My sister wasn't well for a few days and my father has come here for supper these past two days.  He has enjoyed them also. Nutmeg sat on a chair while we were eating supper both nights, just watching us, like a little man.  He did not try to get on the table or anything. Just sat there watching. It was rather cute.  Dad was charmed.

Nutmeg also spent time sitting/laying next to dad on the sofa while he watched tv. He is a cat that likes to be around people. Cinnamon, she is more independent, but she can be very affection from time to time as well.  Not when other people are around, but when we are here by ourselves, she likes a good cuddle.  And she chirps when she purrs.  I find that very endearing. 

Well, I best be on with my day and leave you with a thought to carry with you  . . . 

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

 *.˛. The earth is filled with love

that goes unspoken.•。★★ 。* 。 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Blueberry Butter Swim Biscuits  . . .  delicious.

I hope you have a fabulous Saturday. Stay safe and stay healthy. Don't forget! 

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
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And I do too!