All Things Nice . . .

 

 

(source) 

I'll build a stately mansion for my soul

In some vast world beyond the rainbow's end,

Pray God there will be peace and quiet there,

And the dear presence of an earthly friend.

I'll grow tea roses by a cottage door,

And hollyhocks red as a gypsy's coat,

I hope there will be joy and laughter there,

And lilting music from a robin's throat.

I'll walk the golden streets (if such they be)

Stop at a corner where the Saints go by,

And listen to the wondrous tales they'll tell,

In that fair world beyond the farthest sky.

I'll hear the harps of heaven softly play

The tunes that David knew when Earth was young,

And hear the Scriptures read and talked about,

By some old Prophet with a silver tongue.

I'll rest me from the ills of common earth,

When from all care and poverty set free,

And as quiet eons tick away,

Put on the garb of immortality.

~Edna Jaques, I'll Build a Stately Mansion

The Golden Road 

The roof-tops across the way are always covered in frost when I wake up each morning, but as the sun works on them, it forms patterns of light and dark upon them. Small pointed angles created from the shadows of the turrets of the garage root tops that shrink as the minutes tick by.   The birds swoop by as they visit the feeders next door . . . blackbirds, jays, woodpeckers, chickadees  . . . 

Yesterday I hung up my hummingbird feeder. Its the first one up on the street, but I reckon they will soon be visiting and so I am getting all in readiness. I wonder what the cats will make of them this year  . . . 

They are ever alert to Chippy when he visits.  Sitting in their little roost. Tails twitching, making little chut-chutting noises. In fact, as soon as they hear me get my little box of nuts out, they race to the window in anticipation.  They have very smartly learnt to associate the  nuts with his visits. 

He sits there grooming himself and filling his cheeks with peanuts. Almost taunting them I suppose.  He knows he is safe. I would never let them out to get him.  I take great care always to not let them out the door.  I am very cautious. I am turning into my mother.  She always had a note by the back door warning people to take care not to let the cat out.  I am one step away from doing that. haha  I jest not. 

I can see the man across the way is sitting out on his front porch. He does most mornings that are fine in the warmer weather. I can see his shadow against the wall behind one side of the bush in front of his place and his feet are jutting out the other side. He is a very solitary soul.  A creature of habit. Up very early and goes out for a bit, then comes back and I never see him again until the next morning, when he follows the same pattern.  Unless it is raining and then I just see him go out and then come back again. He is a very early riser. He is always up when I get up (I can tell by the light in his house). 

On fine days now Mr. McG sits out on his veranda most of the day reading and watching his little portable television, soaking in the Vitamin D. He is brown as a nut most of the time. I recall from my childhood that he and his wife always were very tanned.  Mr. F is sitting out now from time to time as well. When the weather is fine.  Personally I think it is a bit too cool yet, but that is me.

Dan and Cindy did a fine job of putting together the desk yesterday.  It looks really nice.  They are so kind to me.  I had been a bit worried that it might be too large or overwhelm the room, but it doesn't, and it makes an excellent divider between the living  and the dining areas.  Plus, if perchance I happen to ever have a houseful over for a meal, I will have a bit of a sideboard to set out food on, buffet style.

We moved the colorful braided carpet into my bedroom, so that my tootsies won't be cold when I get out of bed in the morning.  It has slowly made its way from the living room to the dining room to the bedroom, where it is still bringing me joy.  

I was worried about the cats swallowing loose threads from it, so I bought a new rug for the living room a few months back, when my television was being put on the wall. I was going to get rid of it, but they talked me into using it in the dining room.  It was really too big for there, and so yesterday we moved it into the bedroom. I am not worried so much about the cats eating loose threads from it now as I was a few months back, and I do love it so.  It seems perfectly at home in the bedroom.

 

The supervisor was hard at work during the whole exercise, keeping an eye on everything, making sure all went well.  It is so cute how they like to be a part of everything. I love it.

I think I am just about done now sorting out my home.  I may get another night table for the bedroom, but I am thinking about it for now. We will see what happens. My little home seems to be rather spacious compared to the other ones I have been in here on the street. I think that is because I started from nothing and have been slowly adding to it, whereas others have had to downsize from larger homes to these much smaller places.

There is a silver lining to having to start again from nothing. The trick is in knowing when to stop.  I think I am about there now.

My father's friend Marilyn brought me a little gift this past Wednesday when I met them for supper.  The cutest little tea pot. It is shaped like a flower with a butterfly on top.  That was so kind of her to bring it to me. Apparently they enjoy me having suppers with them. My father says I am a good conversationalist.  I am just a person who hates empty air and so I like to fill it with words.

I had bought a little tea pot to replace the one the cats broke. It is not exactly identical to the brown betty, but it will do.  It reminds me very much of my mother's old tea pot when we were growing up, except I believe that hers had a red stripe.  In any case it fits my beautiful  tea cozy perfectly!

I have put them both in a place well out of range of prying paws.

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

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★★ 。* 。

° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚

˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛

˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*Sometimes I need only •。★★ 。* 。

to stand wherever I am•。★★ 。* 。

to be blessed.•。★★ 。* 。

~Mary Oliver •。★★ 。* 。

I made the most delicious chicken I have ever eaten yesterday.  Cast Iron Lemon & Rosemary Chicken. I adapted it from The Lost Kitchen cookbook.  It was amazing! You do need to brine it overnight. I think the brining actually injects even more delicious flavor into it and it was tender and juicy.  I am in love with it!

Have a beautiful Saturday. I will be stuck into preparing  my lesson for tomorrow. I have procrastinated this week and left it to the last minute! Yikes!

Whatever you get up to today, don't forget! 

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And I do too!