All Things nice . . .

 

 

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I took a trip today -- myself and me

And journeyed without price by land and sea,

With queer companions I am bound to say.

I found them on my pantry shelves today,

In packages and little painted tins,

Among the magic of my cupboard bins.

A quaint old fashioned caddy full of tea

Became a white winged ship that carried me

Across the broad Pacific where the fields

Older than Time, produce abundant yields

Where patient Chinese work with spade and hoe,

Just as they did two thousand years ago.

A row of spices, cinnamon and mace

became a flaming chariot of space,

I went to far Bombay and Singapore

Saw sunlight falling on a temple floor,

Heard nightingales where tropic seas unroll,

Singing to ease the burden of a soul.

An apple with its russet coat of tan

Was all at once a shining caravan,

Bringing me home again where orchards lie

In the safe peace of a Canadian sky.

A busy housewife happy and content

In a small kitchen where my days are spent.

~Edna Jaques, My Trip

Aunt Hatties Place, 1941

This poem sounds like myself and my imaginations when I was a child. I was always going off on trips here and there in my mind.  We had a library of geography books that came along with our encyclopedia, and I used to love to read them. They were filled with stories and photographs of far-off lands.  I used to dream of seeing the tulip fields of Amsterdam, or the Taj Mahal in India, Big Ben, etc.

I did get to see Big Ben and other wonders, but sadly never got to go to the Netherlands. Holland was always on my bucket list, along with Copenhagen and Norway.  I am grateful for the places I did go to see however.

I no longer have the desire to physically travel anywhere.  I am content to stay here in my little home and travel by armchair or book. No worries about packing or catching flights, and I get to sleep in my own bed at night. That is good enough for me!

 

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It pretty much rained all day yesterday.  It had snowed during the night, but the rain turned everything to slush. I did not go anywhere.  Oh, I meant to start my car.  It's been a bit sluggish starting these past few days.  I must remember to go out and start it today just to keep the engine running. It doesn't get that cold in the garage, but I find that when it gets colder my car is not as quick to start for some reason. I hope it is not the starter motor. 

Anyways, it got quite mild yesterday and all the snow left us.  I looked out this morning and everything looks shiny and wet, with only a tiny bit of snow stubbornly clinging to the edges of the lawn. We are expecting a lot of rain today and it is supposed to get colder as the day progresses.  There is a freezing rain warning in effect.

I can't get warm this morning.  It is the dampness of the weather getting into my old bones. I have my heat pump blowing warm air into the house and a blanket thrown over my lap.  That is winter . . . 

 

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I felt very unsettled all day yesterday. I couldn't seem to get my mind to settle onto any one thing and as a result got absolutely nothing done.  It is not as if there are not a ton of things for me to do around here, because there is.  I just couldn't get myself "into" anything.  I puttered all day and accomplished absolutely nothing. Oh, I did cook my dinner, but that's about it. 

I was terribly uninspired the whole day through. I expect we all have days like that.

I did change my bed.  That took me a while. I find that as I am getting older things like that take twice as long. Of course, the cats do not help. As much as they try to.

Cinnamon was so cute. She was trying her darndest to help but basically only getting in the way following the sheet all over the bed, trying to catch it . . . and that was just the bottom sheet.  I did finally have to put her out of the room and shut the door or my bed would still not be made.

 

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I wish

Is there anything quite so comforting as getting into a nice clean, freshly made bed at night?  I think not. The sheets and blankets all smooth, not a wrinkle in sight. Smelling fresh.  I have a wheat bag that I throw into the microwave for a couple of minutes and then into my bed for a few so that it is warm and cozy when I finally go to slip into it.

I do wish that I could get the cats to sleep with me. I have tried, but they seem to be more intent on playing than they do sleeping.  I suppose they would settle after a time. I just need to be more patient and wait and see. 

I think they would be waking me up really early however, which wouldn't be so fun. As it is when I wake up in the morning, as soon as I start to stir, I can hear Nutmeg meowing on the other side of the door, feed me, feed me . . . my fault for feeding them every morning as soon as I get up.  I have only myself to blame! 😁

After they have been fed and had their morning run, they settle into this.  I took this photo the other morning from my desk.  It is hard to believe that they both used to fit into that one lower basket.  Nutmeg seems to prefer the lower basket whilst Cinnamon is usually to be found in the higher one.

I have another taller one, which is in another part of the room. Nutmeg doesn't use that one at all, just Cinnamon.  It has a tall crow's nest part and then a little cubby hole and a hammock on the bottom.  I had gotten it first, when I thought the lower basket was too small for both of them. I thought I could put this taller one with its two sleeping spaces in front of the window and they would both have a place to sleep.

The first thing was that Nutmeg knocked it over, and then they could reach my glass birds and so I thought to myself nope, this won't do. And they didn't really seem to like it much.  So, I thought I would get rid of it and buy another smaller one that I could sit next to the other smaller one. I moved the taller one over by the coat closet while I was waiting for the smaller one to come.  

In the meantime, Cinnamon started using the tall one, almost exclusively.  And so, I have ended up with three of them in here. I suppose I could move one into the back bedroom by the door. They might enjoy that.  It bears thinking about.

This morning Nutmeg has been amusing himself by sitting on the fake fireplace tv stand thing and reaching underneath to the cubby hole and turning the x-box off and on. It makes a little tinkly noise when it comes on which he is enjoying.  

Time to distract him with something else methinks.

 

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I watched a program on YouTube yesterday about Jane Austin. It was quite interesting. The Untold Story of Jane Austin. 

Lucy Worsley explores the different houses in which Jane Austen lived and stayed, to discover just how much they shaped Jane's life and novels. On a journey that takes her across England, Lucy visits properties that still exist, from grand stately homes to seaside holiday apartments, and brings to life those that have disappeared. The result is a revealing insight into one of the world's best-loved authors.

I quite enjoyed it actually and you can see where the places she lived in her short lifetime (she passed at 41) made their way into her stories.

I love watching programs like that. I am fascinated by history and the people who lived it.

 

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The new neighbor was busy moving into her place yesterday.  The Bell truck was there most of the day hooking up the satellite, etc. It looks different than mine. It wasn't a very nice day for him to be out there in the rain and the cold, getting wet.

I think it is a single older lady that is moving in. The person helping her seems to be quite a bit younger, probably her son. She has a dog as I have seen him out walking it a bit. I am not sure if she is all moved in yet or not. They seem to be doing it in stages.  

It will be nice to have someone in there.  I have felt a bit exposed with those two places being empty.  We kind of keep an eye on each other here on this street, and I felt a bit afraid having nobody across the way to keep an eye on me. Funny how that goes. You do get used to things being a certain way and when they change it can be a bit disconcerting.

 

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My cousin is supposed to pop over today with her son to see the cats, and me as well of course!  She is the cousin I got my cats from. She is going over to Cindy's to see Little Mac as well. It will be nice to have a visit with her. It's been a while. I don't think I've actually seen or spoken to her since Halloween.  I hope the cats don't make too strange. Last time she was here, they spit and hissed at her.  They could probably smell the dogs on her.  In any case, I best be about and off here and getting myself ready to receive company!  I am still in my jammies.  

A thought to carry with you ...

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★★ 。* 。

° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚

  ˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛

 ˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*Ah, there's nothing like

staying home for real comfort.

~Jane Austin  •。★★ 。* 。

Now these are very nice.  Honey & Date Scones.  Delicious served with some clotted cream and toffee-like dulce de leche!

I hope your Saturday is filled with lots of lovely and nice things. Stay safe and stay warm and don't forget! 

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And I do too!