Wednesday this and that . . .

 

(source) 

MARCH

by William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878)

The stormy March is come at last,

With wind, and cloud, and changing skies,

I hear the rushing of the blast,

That through the snowy valley flies.

Ah, passing few are they who speak,

Wild stormy month! in praise of thee;

Yet, though thy winds are loud and bleak,

Thou art a welcome month to me.

For thou, to northern lands, again

The glad and glorious sun dost bring,

And thou hast joined the gentle train

And wear’st the gentle name of Spring.

And, in thy reign of blast and storm,

Smiles many a long, bright, sunny day,

When the changed winds are soft and warm,

And heaven puts on the blue of May.

Then sing aloud the gushing rills

And the full springs, from frost set free,

That, brightly leaping down the hills,

Are just set out to meet the sea.

The year’s departing beauty hides

Of wintry storms the sullen threat;

But in thy sternest frown abides

A look of kindly promise yet.

Thou bring’st the hope of those calm skies,

And that soft time of sunny showers,

When the wide bloom, on earth that lies,

Seems of a brighter world than ours.

 

(source)

I think March came in like a lamb. It was bright and sunny here yesterday, however quite cold. No storms though so I think a lamb.  Growing up, mom always said that if March came in like a lamb it would go out like a lion and vice versa.  We would color pictures at school of lambs and lions at the end of April and then cross our fingers because we all had had enough of Winter and were looking forward to Spring.

There is a weather advisory out for today/tomorrow and it was snowing when I got up this morning, but I don't think that counts like lion behavior because March already came in, yesterday. Oh well! 

Our patience will be rewarded however as Spring will arrive this month on the 20th of March whether we are ready for it or not!  

We are so ready for it and yet at the same time I am filled with a bit of anxiety.  I worry about the cats getting out. This is a really huge fear for me as I have such a small place.  There is a very busy road (it is one of the main exits/entrances to the TransCanada) that runs right along the side of my street. There are trucks and cars and ambulances racing along it  all day every day.  There is also a house across that road with two very big dogs.  I love them so much and I am so worried if they get out something will happen to them.

My anxiety is probably disproportionate to the possibility of it happening.  

 

Nutmeg

But my fears are very real and just something I will have to learn to come to terms with or I am in for a miserable summer.  And intellectually I know that, but I can't help feeling anxious about it.

 

Cinnamon

I think that's because years ago we had a beautiful cat named Brandy. She got out one day when my ex husband was putting wood into our basement for the Winter. It was late autumn.  The rest of us were at church.  He came to pick us up and left the wood door open. When we got home she was gone.  That night we had a terrific ice storm. We never saw her again. We were all devastated.  She was not a young cat, we had had her for many years. My oldest boy spent many nights shining a search light from our deck into the woods calling for her, to no avail.  

She always used to sleep on the small of my back.  (I am a tummy sleeper.)  Often in those days if I couldn't sleep I would go out into the living room and lay down on the sofa. I remember doing that one night about a week or so after she disappeared.  I was laying there on the sofa, and I heard her meow . . .  and then I felt her jump up onto my back, turn around and lay down.  Of course she was not really there. I do not know if it was a dream, or my imagination or what, but I knew then that we would never find her and she was not coming home.

I could not bear to lose these two babies of mine. They have grabbed my heart with all eight paws and are holding it tight.

 

(source)

I had a nice couple of days with my daughter until I fell ill (and that came on all of a sudden!) I picked her up early Saturday afternoon and we went to the store on the way back to mine. She was really excited to see the cats. She had not seen them except for in photographs since before Christmas due to Covid. (darned stuff) She couldn't believe how much they had grown, especially Nutmeg. He is going to be one very big cat when he is done.

They, of course, were very curious about her and gave her a good old sniffing, which she enjoyed to no end.

We made supper.  Korean beef ribs and baked sweet potatoes (in the air fryer) and green beans and coleslaw. I showed her how to do the sweet potatoes in the air fryer. She got an air fryer for Christmas. I did buy her a book so she could learn how to cook some recipes in it, but there is no learning like hands on learning!!

After supper we munched on Butterfly cakes, and both had showers.  I had a movie night planned.

First we face-timed Anthony, which she really enjoyed.

Movie Night . . . 

I had bought the new version of The Homecoming for us to watch together before Christmas.  We had both been looking forward to it with great anticipation, as we are both huge Waltons fans.  It was one of my favorite shows when I was growing up, and as an adult.  I never let the Christmas season pass without watching The Homecoming (original).  

I need to be honest here.

I didn't like it.  I felt the acting was not up to snuff, it felt forced.  The characters were not real.  One boy was missing (Ben) and not even mentioned. It lacked the warmth and feeling of the original. I just couldn't feel it. (Although Eileen loved it.) The first spark of feeling I had about anything was at the very end of the movie.  

For me it didn't even begin to touch the original.    I gave Eileen the DVD to take home to enjoy with Tim. I was disappointed, but I got to watch it with my daughter so all was not lost.

I introduced her to Brit tv.  I think its a good thing I have sub-titles on my television as I don't think she would have been able to understand the accents otherwise.

We talked, we laughed, we loved.  It was great.

 

(source)

For breakfast on Sunday morning we enjoyed warm croissants and strawberry jam and orange juice.  The strawberry jam had been sent to me by an old school friend from way back. Her name is also Eileen and she is who I named our Eileen after. I thought it was quite nice to be able to enjoy jam made by the person who had inspired my naming of her.  I was able to tell her about our friendship, etc. 

We cleaned up and then both of us watched our own churches online. Its really neat that you can do that now.

After church we cooked Cheese Enchiladas together, which was a lot of fun as well. We both love Tex Mex food and her husband can't eat spicy stuff so it was a real treat for her.  We were going to have ice cream and bananas afterwards, but by then I had started to feel ill, so I thought I best get her home, just in case I was too ill to drive her back later in the day.

All in all, aside from me getting sick, we had a lovely time together, built some great memories for her, got to laugh and talk and just enjoy each other's company one on one.  It was not the trip to England that she had saved for and planned for herself a few years back, but it was still very, very good.  Time spent one on one with your children is always a great blessing! 

 

(source)

Three days later and I still do not feel really great. It is a tummy complaint, but not a cold. I can still smell and taste, but I have a dull tummy ache, kind of like trapped wind (tmi I know). I hope I feel back to 100% soon.

I am very distressed and heartbroken about what is going on in the Ukraine. I do check the news once a day.  It is never good news, which is why I don't dwell on it. I know some people who keep the news going hour after hour after hour.  I figure once or twice a day is more than enough to check in.  I pray and I pray, for peace, for healing, that the rest of the world will be able to do the right thing in order to bring an end to this, without it escalating into something far worse.  I don't believe it could feel much worse at this point for the people of the Ukraine.  My heart and prayers are with them.

And on that note I best end this now and get on with my day.  I will leave you with a thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★★ 。* 。

° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚

˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛

˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*Let love and faithfulness

never leave you;

bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet

of your heart.

~Proverbs 3:3•。★★ 。* 。

I love the Proverbs . . . 

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Pasta with Tuna, Tomatoes & Olives. This was really delicious!

Have a wonderful Wednesday. Stay safe, healthy and happy. Don't forget! 

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ 

⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════     


And I do too!