All Things Nice . . .

 

 

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Go not afield to look for magic things,

Take stock of beauty there within your reach.

A sailboat beating in against the tide,

The break of waves upon a quiet beach.

Watch for a star above a little town,

Where happy kids are playing in the snow;

The placid beauty of an aged face,

As grandmas rock serenely to and fro.

Look for a little stream where speckled trout,

Swim in the golden shallows by the bridge;

Watch for the beauty of the countryside,

Just as the sun comes up above the ridge.

A table set with wholesome good thereon,

A fragrant meal by one who loves to cook,

A room mad bright by eager willing hands;

The battered covers of a well-thumbed book.

The glint of water in a lonely pond,

The pleasant vista of a country place

Ringed by an old rail fence . . . for beauty dwells,

Only in eyes that will behold her face.

~Edna Jaques, Go Not Afield

Hills of Home, 1946 

 

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There is much to be said about being able to find joy in the simple thing which fill our days. There are many who go chasing after the dream, only to discover that it was there all along, right in their own back yards. Simple pleasures and joys often taken for granted. I try very much not to do so.  Therewith to be content.  With what I have. With the person that I am. With where I live.  With the people and things, I choose to surround myself with.  Faith, family, friends, home. I am blessed with abundance in all these things, and I try not to take any of it for granted. I know I am a lucky one. There, but for the grace of God go I.

 

When Cindy and I went out yesterday I picked up some cotton yarn to make some dishcloths.  I love this tweedy look. It makes me happy. Small projects like this are quickly and easily finished.  Small things you can just pick up when and as you feel like it. They are the things I like to work on most of all. I am discovering late in life that I have a very short attention span. I am not sure what that is indicative of. I have probably always been so.

 

I interrupted their morning ablutions. They were quite intent on bathing each other up to this point. They are such great company for me and for each other.  Nutmeg is easily twice the size of Cinnamon at this point, and yet she is the braver of the two. I have no idea of what they get up to at night, but I think they are quite active.  I have tried many times to allow them in with me, but I always give up after about 10 minutes and put them out.  There is just too much going on! 

Point in fact, these slippers are a cheap pair I bought yesterday. I left them under the coffee table last night when I went to bed, but here they are halfway across the room and by the little rocker this morning.  They did not walk there by themselves.

I only had them on for a minute or two. They are not my cup of tea.  No support on the bottom for me to wear for very long. I had always planned on having a basket of slippers by the door for those who come to visit. (All clean of course.) My floors are cold in the winter so I thought it would be nice to offer those who come in something warm to put on their feet.

 

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It has been a long time since I have painted in my flower fairy journal. Maybe life will slow down a bit when the Winter winds blow.  I have lots of sketches done in it to paint in. I have not done any painting at all for quite a few months now. Time for my sister and I to have another paint day?  Maybe so! 

 

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Time almost for hunkering down into a cozy read. I love the classics.  I am ashamed to say that I have never read this one before. I am familiar with many others, but not this one. I know that there is a character in it called Heathcliff but that is about all I know about it. All I know about it is in the song sung by Kate Bush, Wuthering Heights.

Out on the wiley, windy moors 

 We'd roll and fall in green. 

 You had a temper like my jealousy 

 Too hot, too greedy. 

 How could you leave me, 

 When I needed to possess you? 

 I hated you. I loved you, too.

Have you read it?  What was your impression? Is it a romping good read?

I remember the very first romance novel I read.  Forever Amber. I happen chanced upon it at the library in Greenwood as a young woman. I read it and fell in love with the story and its heroine. I think I probably read it half a dozen times in my life. I have long outgrown the appeal of romance novels now. I used to daydream about men in kilts and animal furs, but it is a long time now since I have held such romantic notions in my head and heart. 

Something good for a laugh. I was fooling around with the snapchat filters for the grands and I thought these two looked ridiculously like one of those couples who have been married so long to each other that they are now looking mysteriously alike!  It's good to be able to laugh at yourself. I was never a great beauty!

Well, I have run out of time this morning.  I got some disturbing news last night just as I was getting into bed and had a very hard time falling asleep so did not wake up until 7 this morning which is very late for me.  I am way behind, so I will leave you with a thought for the day . . . 

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

 *The little things that make life sweet

Are worth their weight in gold,

They can't be bought at any price

And neither are they sold.•。★★ 。* 。

In The English Kitchen today . . . Apple Butter Pie.  Deliciously different.  This was really nice!

I hope that you have a lovely day!  Fill it with people and things that you love! Don't forget!

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And I do too!