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Tuesday, 9 May 2023

A Daybook . . .


 

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ...

I thought I would show you Glenna's forsythia bush and Molly's bulbs, although they are pretty far away. So pretty however. You can see that we have had frost on the roof tops.  The rising sun is melting it away bit by bit however. It is not expected to be quite as warm today as it was yesterday.  It did get up to 20*C/68*F at the weekend, which was quite pleasant. Everyone was out and about.


 
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I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED ...

I thoroughly enjoyed the Coronation weekend.  First all of the pomp and ceremony of Saturday. I enjoyed every second of it. I thought it was quite interesting and I learned quite a bit.  Then there was the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle.  So entertaining and fun. A once in a lifetime experience and nobody does this sort of thing as well as the British do! 


 

The Princess of Wales was so beautiful. I especially thought that her head piece was gorgeous. Princess Charlotte had a matching one.  So sweet.

It was nice to see that Harry was there. I think it took a lot of courage on his part to attend. He left right after the ceremony to go back to America.  



 


Yesterday was a bank holiday in the UK, and it was filled with street parties and volunteer projects, etc. The Royals were out doing their bit shoveling, etc.  People were enjoying an extra day off from work.  

I really miss the UK.  It was my home for over 20 years.  I came to love this country and its people with all of my heart. It was home to me.  I actually never thought I was going to leave. I thought that was where I would die.  Life has a way of surprising you and in the most unexpected ways.

I was  moved to tears quite a few times over the weekend and filled with homesickness, which I had not expected to feel.

I am not sorry that I came back to Canada. I am where I want and need to be, but I do miss the UK in so very many ways.

 


SOMETHING ELSE TO ENJOY ...

They cut the grass yesterday. I love the sound of the mowers and the smell of newly cut grass. It never changes. It is the same today as it ever was.  A ribbon of continuity in life which is continually changing and growing. I suppose there is a sense of comfort to be found in that smell and sound.

When I was a child I loved the feel of grass beneath my feet. On a hot summer day it was cool.  I remember when my Eileen was very young, she did not like the feel of grass at all. I could put her on a blanket on the lawn and know that she would not move off of it.  I can remember trying to get her to walk on the grass. I had her hands and she kept pulling her feet up.  There was no way that she wanted to put them down. No way at all.



 


ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ...

Yarn. I love yarn, and color.  I love to roll yarn into balls. I could spend hours doing that, or at least I did do in the past.  I have not been able to do it with the cats.  As soon as I start, they think I have brought out a new toy for them. Its only natural I suppose, so I don't even try. You have to pick your battles in life.





I AM CREATING ...

My blanket is slowly growing larger. I love the colors of this one. Very bright.





Someone else does also. As soon as I laid it out, she was on it.  Little Cinnamon is a cat of great taste.






SOMETHING I LOVE ...

I love, LOVE the scent of this candle. Coffee Shop. It smells like fresh coffee and baking and well, just delicious. Warm and safe. I have always loved the smell of coffee when it is freshly opened. I don't drink coffee, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy its smell.






I AM READING . . . 


CAROLINE, Little House Revisited by Sarah Miller


In this novel authorized by the Little House Heritage Trust, Sarah Miller vividly recreates the beauty, hardship, and joys of the frontier in a dazzling work of historical fiction, a captivating story that illuminates one courageous, resilient, and loving pioneer woman as never before—Caroline Ingalls, "Ma" in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved Little House books. 


In the frigid days of February, 1870, Caroline Ingalls and her family leave the familiar comforts of the Big Woods of Wisconsin and the warm bosom of her family, for a new life in Kansas Indian Territory. Packing what they can carry in their wagon, Caroline, her husband Charles, and their little girls, Mary and Laura, head west to settle in a beautiful, unpredictable land full of promise and peril. The pioneer life is a hard one, especially for a pregnant woman with no friends or kin to turn to for comfort or help. 


The burden of work must be shouldered alone, sickness tended without the aid of doctors, and babies birthed without the accustomed hands of mothers or sisters. But Caroline’s new world is also full of tender joys. In adapting to this strange new place and transforming a rough log house built by Charles’ hands into a home, Caroline must draw on untapped wells of strength she does not know she possesses.


To say that I am thoroughly enjoying this book is an understatement. I am TOTALLY enjoying it. I look forward to getting stuck into it every night when I go to bed. I highly recommend.  When I finish this one I am going to read a book by the same author entitled Marmee, based on the mother of the Little Women.



SOMETHING ELSE I LOVE ...

Art dolls. Not dolls to play with.  Dolls to look at. Aren't these beautiful.  French Court, hand carved, fully articulated dolls. They are only 1800 euros a piece.  *choke*   I am sure not many can afford to own such a doll.



SOMETHING TO WATCH ...

I am thoroughly enjoying The Jewish Matchmaker on Netflix. I love learning about different cultures and I find this quite fascinating. I wonder what the success rate is between using a matchmaker to find a life's partner versus doing it organically?



MAKES ME HAPPY ...

It is so  nice to see Jon all happy and celebrating his birthday. Its hard to believe that he is 17 now. They are all growing up so quickly.  Gabe is 17 also.  They are not little boys anymore. They are young men.

Jon celebrated with a Pizza party with his friends and they they went to see the new Mario Bros movie. 

Doug and his family are coming over to the Valley to go to camp in July.  Its a Christian family camp they go to.  Doug is not so interested in the day camp bits of it, although the children and Kayla certainly are, so he said he is going to come and spend the days with me off and on. I am looking forward to that!



 


SOMETHING TO LISTEN TO ...

The Piano Guys. I love The Piano Guys. I could listen to them for hours. They are so talented.  I love piano music and I love the cello and other strings, so I really love their  music.



 



SOMETHING WHICH BRINGS ME JOY ...

A tidy house. I love a tidy house.  Sometimes when you are in a really small place it is hard to find a place for everything. But I do love to tidy.  Yesterday I took all the winter blankets off the sofa and washed them, plus the cushion covers. I replaced them with something very spring-like and fresh.  A change of scenery is as good as a holiday they say!


 


A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE DAY ...

A bit of work, a bit of play. I have someone coming from the church later this afternoon to help weed my garden and get it sorted, for which I am most grateful.  It will be a big help. I know I am very blessed to have this help for sure.



A THOUGHT TO CARRY WITH YOU ...

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
  ˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
 ˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*Everyday courage has no witnesses.
But yours is no less noble because
no drum beats for you and no
crowd calls your name.•。★★ 。* 。
~Robert Louis Stevenson •。★★ 。* 。





In The English Kitchen today  . . .  I used some of my leftover roast pork to make a delicious casserole. Cheesy Chili Pork & Rice Bake


I hope your day is as special as you are.  Be happy and be blessed. Never forget! 


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And I do too!    

   

2 comments:

  1. I loved watching and reading the Little House series. Even though I didn't watch the coronation I did see numerous photos. That is 2 coronations for me, I was 5 when the Queen was crowned. I remember the street parties then and even have a couple of photos of a mock coronation we had. The forsythia is lovely, a bush I don't have in my garden. Have a lovely day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have only ever seen clips of the Queen's Coronation in black and white. What fun it must have been. Such a simpler time I would imagine, and being so soon after the war, such a wonderful celebration! xoxo

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