Saturday this and that . . .

 

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I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils. 

~William Wordsworth

One thing I really enjoyed when I was in the UK was to visit Cumbria and the Lake District.  On one day we were able to visit Dove Cottage which was the home of William and his sister Dorothy in 1799.  It was the place where he wrote many of his poems and where his sister kept her Grasmere journal.   I can remember thinking as I poked through this cottage about him and his sister and the life they must have led there.  You can see a video about the cottage here.  You can also see a video highlighting some of the treasures in the cottage here.  You can also experience the cottage at dawn here. You can hear the birds singing, its quite nice.  Wordsworth spent over eight years of plain living here. 

 

We also visited what is known as Wordsworth House in a town called Cockermouth.  This is the house where William and his siblings were born. It was a fascinating visit as well. Owned by the National Trust you were free to wander about the house and gardens, a wonderful little glimpse into life during the 1700's. 

On that particular visit to Cumbria I was also able to visit the place where Wordsworth went to school from 1779 to 1787, The Hawkshead Grammar School.  It was quite interesting and they also have a desk in there on which William (supposedly) carved his name. 

I am not sure how they know precisely that this was his doing, but never mind, it makes for an interesting visit anyways.

I always enjoyed every visit made to Cumbria and The Lake District. It was an area of great beauty and history.  Beatrix Potter also made her home there. It was where she spent summers during her childhood, where she escaped to after her fiancé passed away, where she lived the rest of her life and where many of her drawings and stories were based upon.

 

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On a trip to the grocery store earlier this week I happened to take note of a really interesting character, whose notice has stayed with me ever since.  As I got out of my car and was going in so was another older lady.  Well, she looked older to me, but maybe she wasn't much older than I am.  I forget until I look in the mirror that I am as old as what I am.  Anyways, she was a very tiny woman, I would say less than 5 feet and very small in stature, like a little bird really. She reminded me of a Jenny Wren.  Anyways, she strode with such purpose and confidence. She had somewhat of a widow's hump, so I am thinking she had really been much taller once upon a time.  Her fine grey hair was pulled into a short pony tail, with barrettes carefully holding up the sides of her hair, neat and tidy.   I found her to be quite remarkable.  Do you ever do that? Notice someone and find them to be quite remarkable and find yourself wishing that you knew more about them, or wanting to get to know them better?  A stranger, but here I am four days later still wondering about her, about her life, who she is  . . . her hopes, her dreams, etc.

I am a people watcher from way back. Watching people has always brought me joy. I like to park myself on a bench or something, even sitting in the car and watch people as they go about their daily business. Sometimes I will make up stories about them in my mind . . . . little flights of fancy and probably all very far removed from the reality of who they are and what their lives are like, but it occupies me.

Which makes me think . . .  how many people have noticed me through the years and what have their thoughts been?  Again, probably all pretty far removed from the truth. 

 

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Crisis averted. It was determined after a phone call that my father had visited his friend's family home prior to her grandson and great grandson, so he dodged a bullet there.  Whew!  But it just goes to show how easily we can come into contact with this horrible virus.  I hear of more and more people coming down with it than in past months, and yet the Government is opening everything up?  It beggars belief really.  No more masks needed as of Monday? I, for one, (and I know many others feel the same way) will still be wearing mine.  I would rather feel safe and be safe.  I will continue to sanitize and take precautions.  I think the Government is being too hasty in removing all the protocols and throwing us under the bus.  But that is just my opinion.

Better safe than sorry.  That is the way I have always tried to live my life and how I will continue to.

Our Eileen cannot wait until Monday. She is excited about being able to go about unmasked. She says she is only going to wear it in very small spaces, where people are forced to sit together in cramped conditions.  I want to tell her that means I will be nervous, very nervous . . .  about being around her and spending time with her.  I hate that I feel that way, but there it is.  

Her argument is that when its your time to go, its your time to go . . .  that God will take you home. Does this mean that you can stand in the street and wait for something to hit you, or deliberately put yourself in harms way, and that if its not your time, God will keep you safe?  I know I have to make allowances for her simplistic way of thinking because of her learning disabilities, but it upsets me to think of the consequences of this kind of thinking.   

 

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“So will I build my altar in the fields, 

And the blue sky my fretted dome shall be, 

And the sweet fragrance that the wild flower yields 

Shall be the incense I will yield to thee.” 

 ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge. 

There is only a small pile of snow in my front garden now. It shrinks more and more each day. Yesterday afternoon it got up to 11+ degrees and was a beautiful day. There were lots of people out walking about here in the small area I live. One of my neighbors was busy putting his lawn ornaments out and making ready for when he can sit outside each day.  I had my front window open a crack to let some air blow through and blow out the cobwebs.   It won't be long now before this becomes a daily occurrence.  Spring is springing. My sister has seen four chipmunks around her place.  I haven't seen any yet myself, but I haven't put any peanuts out either.  Maybe I should.

 

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“Know the true value of time; 

snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it.” 

 ~Lord Chesterfield 

Earlier this week the US Senate passed legislation that make daylight saving time permanent starting in 2023, ending the twice-annual changing of clocks in a move promoted by supporters advocating brighter afternoons and more economic activity.  If approved by the President this change would not take effect until 2023, so the clocks would still go back an hour this year in November.

I have long wanted our Governments to stop messing with our clocks. I hope, I really hope, that Canada follows suit. Our clocks went forward an hour last Sunday and I have not had a decent night's sleep since. You would not think something like just losing an hour would make such a difference, but it really does mess with my body clock.  I am not fond of it at all. 

How do you feel about it?

 

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“The window is open and a warm, delicious little breeze comes wandering in. 

It smells of magnolias and dogwood and it whispers in our ears 

enticing little stories of gurgling brooks and cool woods. 

Yes, we have got spring fever and got it bad. 

 ~Country Life, June 1922” 

These past two days I have realized just how very much I bow to the power of suggestion. The other night after my father called and told me about his friend and her family and their Covid, I immediately felt ill.  I hardly slept at all Thursday evening, imagining all sorts.  I had at various turns a tickle in my nose, one in my throat, a dry cough and an ear ache.  Of course none of them were real, but the imaginings of an over-active brain, and perhaps more than a smidgen of fear.  I think I took my temperature about 20 times.  Sniffed the air to make sure I could still smell. Tasted to make sure I could still taste, etc.  Am I the only person on the planet like this?  I hope not.  Please say it ain't so! 

 

Have you listened to Arnold's impassioned video message to the Russians on Twitter? If not you can find it here. Its very moving and heartfelt.  Its long but well worth the listen.  I wonder if many Russians will actually get to hear and watch it.   Probably not many, if any at all.

My heart is still breaking over all of this.

And finally, this is how I end up working most mornings.  He wants to be a part of everything and is quite the little character. Nutmeg demands equal time on the computer. I couldn't resist taking a photograph to share.  Cinnamon is much more independent.  And with that I will leave you with a thought for today  . . .

.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.° Nothing is more important than empathy

for another human being's suffering.

Not a career, not wealth, not intelligence.

Certainly not status.  We have to feel for

one another if we're going to survive

with dignity. ~Audrey Hepburn  •。★★ 。 

Cooking/baking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Buttermilk Donut Cake.  Delicious!  Its like a pound cake that tastes like a lovely cake donut. 

I hope you have a lovely Saturday.  Whatever you get up to, don't forget! 

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And I do too!!