A Daybook . . .

 

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ...

This was the other morning. Thankfully most of that is gone now. We really had a winter with very little snow as compared with my first winter in this wee house of mine. It is now spring, but with these early days of spring can come big surprises.  Thankfully however, these cold and blustery days are numbered and will soon be followed by April showers. We have yet to see how March goes out.  Will it go out like a lion or a lamb. I am still trying to figure out how it came in!

SOMETHING TO BE HAPPY ABOUT ...

Jonnys Cookhouse is now open for the season!  Yay! This is the best eatery in the valley in my honest opinion. Always consistent. Always delicious. The only drawback is that you have to eat outside or in your car. They do have a very small section indoors.  My sister and I always like to stop there for lunch if we are up that way and they are open. Best Newf Poutine in the world.   That is hot chips topped with gravy and cheese and Newfoundland Stuffing. Its fabulous!

I AM THANKFUL FOR ...

I have spent my whole life living in countries where we are able to enjoy peace and freedom. As a woman I have been allowed to live life without major restrictions.  I can vote and I can walk around without restrictions. I can worship God in whichever way I choose, or not at all if I so choose. I have had a free school education.  I have never had to fall asleep at night worrying if a bomb is going to come and take out my house or my family.  I have always had enough. Enough of everything. I have never truly been without.  This is a blessing that I will never take for granted as I know so many in the world do not and have never enjoyed these same blessings and freedoms.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ...

Bread and jam.  Freshly baked bread spread with softened butter.  Strawberry jam. Of all the jams, Strawberry is my favorite. Mom used to make strawberry freezer jam.  It was so good.  One of our favorite desserts was always vanilla ice cream with some of mom's strawberry jam spooned over top.  It was so delicious.  Of all the ready made jams I think Bonne Maman is my favorite, and that is not just because of the shape of the jar or the pretty red gingham lid.  It just tastes really like homemade jam. I bought a different jar the other day, Peach and Mango.  I can't wait to try it, but I am saving it for a day when I have a loaf of fresh bread around to enjoy it on! 

I AM CREATING ...

I got another eight rows done on my blanket. I keep looking at my fabric stash and thinking that I need to something with it, not just look at it. I have so many plans of things I want to make, but I never seem to have the time to do much creatively speaking.  How did I get so much done before?  When I was working full time I still managed to get a lot of crafts/paintings/cooking done.  And now I am basically retired, although I do work full time on the food blog, and I can't seem to get much of anything done.  What is up with that?  My time seems to fritter away and I never seem to accomplish much. 

I AM READING ...

LUCY BY THE SEA, by Elizabeth Strout

"Like many others, I did not see it coming. But William is a scientist, and he saw it coming; he saw it sooner than I did, is what I mean. ~ William is my first husband; we were married for twenty years and we have been divorced for about that long as well. We are friendly, I would see him intermittently; we both were living in New York City, where we came when we first married. By because my (second) husband had died and his (third) wife had left him, I had seen him more in this past year."

This is  Elizabeth Strout's pandemic novel. Due to Lucy’s weakened lungs, William, whose scientific background prepares him for what might be about to happen, convinces Lucy to get out of New York with him, to retire to a small coastal town in Maine, just before the lockdowns begin.

I only wish I could write like this.

(source)

SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE ...

The longer days and shorter nights. It is now not getting dark until much later in the day, after 7 PM for the most part. It has become dark again when I wake up, but that won't be for long.   I am still having problems maintaining my wake up time. Some mornings it is as it should be and other mornings its much later than it should be. Hopefully it straightens itself out to something much more consistent soon.  That's the time change for you. Over a week later and I am still struggling with it! 

 

(source)

SOMETHING I REALLY LOVE ...

Quilts. I really love quilts. I have made a few in my lifetime, but none that I still have. My first husband's mother made us a beautiful quilt which I wish that I had kept when we split up.  I would have loved to have been able to give it to my son. Instead I gave it to my husband because it was his mother who had made it.  Who knows what happened to it. Opportunity lost.

My sister has a quilt that our Paternal Grandmother made for my mother and father. Dad always thought that when they split up mom should have given it back to him, but mom wanted to preserve it for future generations, and it is probably a good idea that she did. 

I did have a lovely blue and white quilt that got left in the UK. Mayhap one day I will have a quilt again. 

SOMETHING TO WATCH ...

This will surprise you I know. Too Hot To Handle. It flies against everything I believe in, but I find it really compelling to watch. I find it interesting how the attitudes of these young people change as the series progresses. They go onto the Island being extremely promiscuous and with shocking attitudes, but gradually through workshops, etc. they change and for the better, until finally at the end they, for the most part, have much healthier attitudes towards relationships and themselves.  Its still not ideal but its a gross improvement.

I just started watching the German version and those Germans are even worse than the Americans!  I wonder if it is a cultural thing.

I also love shows like Love is Blind.  I know. You are probably shocked. 

  

 

(source)

SOMETHING I ABHOR ...

Anything fake and artificial. I cherish reality and truth. I do understand people wanting to make the best of what they have been given, but I see so many young people today, especially women, having their eyebrows tattooed on, lash and hair extensions, and having filler put in their lips and other cosmetic enhancements. Its like people cannot be happy with who they are and how they naturally look any more. It just makes me sad to think about.  I would love to be much better looking of course, but I also want to look real and to live a real life, without the aid of filters.  I think these things create unhappiness, especially in those who cannot afford to chase the dream and find themselves feeling as if they are sadly lacking and are unable to enjoy and find joy in the lives they have been given.

MUSIC I LOVE ...

I have always loved music. I love to listen to big band music, songs from the musicals, classical, rock and roll, country, gospel, praise, contemporary rock, instrumentals, etc. I think there are only two genres that I am not overly fond of and that is Acid Rock and Rap/Hip Hop. It grates on my nerves although there has been the odd song I do enjoy.

I think learning how to play an instrument when I was a young teenager (clarinet) helped to instill a love in me for all kinds of music. What I listen to depends on what kind of mood I am in.  Most days I have Gospel or Praise music playing as I putter about. It just makes me feel calm and happy and content.

A THOUGHT TO CARRY WITH YOU ...

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★★ 。* 。

° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚

  ˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛

 ˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*I make the most of that comes

and the least of all that goes.

~Sara Teasdale •。★★ 。* 。

IN THE KITCHEN ...

Lamb Chops with Honey, Lemon & Thyme. I got some beautiful Nova Scotia Lamb in the grocery store on Saturday and brought it home with me. I wanted to cook it simply so as to really highlight the flavor of the lamb. I also pan fried some potatoes to go with it and oven roasted some tender stem cauliflower. This was a beautiful meal.

I hope that you have a wonderful day. I think I am going to risk taking my car up to the Superstore today with Cindy. (Still worried about the tire.) I want to pick up some frozen stuff that I couldn't pick up the other day as we were worried about them thawing by the time we got them home.  

Shockingly noticed that the frozen burgers are now two packs for $30!!  That's outrageous.

Anyways, do have a lovely day and whatever you get up to, don't forget! 

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And I do too!