A Day Book

 

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ...

I don't often show you what's outside my bedroom window at the back of my little place. There is really not a lot to see.  A maple tree. A tall fence, a glimpse of the farmer's market and my old high school music teacher's house. I do get a lot of crows back there from time to time.  Especially when I throw out my stale bread or buns.  Its never there for long. They gobble it up in quick time.  That reminds me  . . .  time to dust off my bread machine.  I haven't used it in a few weeks!

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I AM THINKING ...

Some of my dearest and most beloved friends live quite far away.  Some I have never ever met in person, but they are still very dear to me.  We live in quite a wonderful world these days where we have the capacity to connect with people and foster close relationships with them, without ever having met in person.  In the old days they would have been called Pen Pals, and as a child I had a few. It would sometimes take weeks for letters to travel back and forth, especially if they were on the other side of the world like my friend Diana in New Zealand was. (Grade 4)  Now we can communicate instantly. Its all pretty amazing! The world is literally at our fingertips!

 

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ALSO THINKING ABOUT ...

Treasure. Last night in bed I was reading about Treasure and storing up Treasures in Heaven. It prompted me to think about where my treasures were and what were my treasures.  I have these little books from the writers of The Chosen videos, entitled 40 Days with Jesus. In my reading last night they were studying the scripture in Matthew where the Savior cautions us to store up our treasures in Heaven where nothing can corrupt them, for where our treasures are, our hearts will be also.  Wealth is not something you can bring with you when you leave this world. Like our bodies, it all stays behind. We need money of course, to support us, but I believe our true treasure lies not in the things that we can hold, but in the relationships we foster with others.  Faith. Family. Friends. The trinity of what matters most.

But, I talk about that a lot and don't want to risk being boring. 

ITS A MYSTERY ...

I bought this cat comb to groom the cats with a few months back. Neither one of them like me to use it so I don't. It has ended up being an ornament.  Cinnamon likes to bite it.  Oddly enough the other night I had it in my hand and I was running my fingers down the prongs which made the noise it would make if you were running your finger down the prongs of any comb. I noticed  that when I made the noise, Nutmeg would stick his tongue out. Really far.  At first I thought I was imagining it, so I did it about 10 times and sure enough each time I did it, he stuck his tongue out really far. It was quite weird. I wonder what that was all about? It is indeed a mystery.

DID YOU EVER ...

Did you ever have one of these when you were growing up? I remember my sister and I both having one. I wonder what ever happened to it?  I think we got them for Christmas one year. It was possible to shake the coins out if you needed them, but the  more coins you had in it the more difficult that was to do. Our were tinted this peach color.

 

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I LIKE TO IMAGINE ...

I like to imagine underground worlds, secret places where animals live secret lives parallel to ours. With wee tables and crockery and little beds to sleep in. Yes, it is a bit fanciful and the intellect in me knows that nothing like this exists in reality, but in my imagination I like to think that it does  . . . 

REMEMBERING ...

Remembering my gardens in England and the beautiful peacock butterflies that used to visit them. I had never seen anything like these beautiful creatures. 

They really were stunning.  I have so many photographs stored in my photobucket albums that I took through the years. I really need to download them and save them to someplace more practical.  

Just look at how beautiful that butterfly is.  They used to frequent our Buddleia bush in the summer months.  There would often be as many as 10 sunning themselves and feeding on the blooms.  We really did have a beautiful garden.

 

I FINALLY FOUND ...

I finally found a birdbath that I like. I found it on Wayfair. I hope it is all I expect it to be. It is ceramic. I hope that it is not too small. It said it was 13 inches in diameter, so I thought that sounded alright. We will see. I loved the blue and white pattern of it, and fell in love with the little bird sitting on its edge.

I LOVE TO WATCH ...

Escape to the Country on YouTube. I can remember as a very young bride pushing my baby stroller and baby around the neighborhood in the evenings and wondering about the homes and the families that lived there. Houses have always fascinated me.  I will never be able to own my own home, but again, it is just a nuisance and responsibility that I don't want at this point in my life. I do love watching these shows however and peeking into the different houses and seeing the different landscapes.  

Something else that I enjoy watching on YouTube is this couple with a channel called The Magic Geekdom.  They have travelled all over the UK and video-logged it. I love watching their reactions to different foods and UK experiences.

STILL WORKING ON ...

Crochet blankets. I have made three now.  Not counting the one I made for my father. It is the mindless kind of activity that I can enjoy in the evenings, keeping my hands and fingers busy. I can watch the television and still work without having to look at what I am doing. I need to do some sewing however, and embroidery. To finish up a few things I have started.

I AM INTRIGUED BY ...

I am intrigued by these miniature house/room kits I have seen on Amazon.  Has anyone done any of these?  They look really cute.  I am not sure though.  Do I have enough spare time to do something like this?  How big are they really. Are they overly complicated? 

SOMETHING TO READ ...

The Moon in the Palace, by Weina Dai Randel

"A thrilling work of historical fiction, bringing romance, intrigue, and the unexpected rise of an Empress to intoxicating life under the inscrutable moon. In Tang Dynasty China, a concubine at the palace learns quickly that there are many ways to capture the Emperor's attention. Many hope to lure in the One Above All with their beauty. Some present him with fantastic gifts, such as jade pendants and scrolls of calligraphy, while others rely on their knowledge of seduction to draw his interest. Young Mei knows nothing of these womanly arts, yet she will give the Emperor a gift he can never forget. Mei's intelligence and curiosity, the same traits that make her an outcast among the other concubines, impress the Emperor. But just as she is in a position to seduce the most powerful man in China, divided loyalties split the palace in two, culminating in a perilous battle that Mei can only hope to survive. In the breakthrough first volume in the Empress of Bright Moon duology, Weina Dai Randel paints a vibrant portrait of the Emperor's Palace—where love, ambition, and loyalty can spell life or death—and the woman who came to rule all of ancient China."

I have always been fascinated by Oriental Culture.

SOMETHING TO WATCH ...

I have been rewatching Larkrise to Candleford on BritBox. I have always loved this show. It is just nice television viewing. I love programs like this one. Historical. Nice. Entertaining.  Without being smutty or vulgar.

I WANT TO TRY ...

Norwegian Raspberry Custard Buns. North Wild Kitchen.  These look fabulously delicious!  Custard. Buns.  Raspberries. What's not to like?

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TRACING THE GOODNESS ...

I am at heart a very impatient person. I want things to happen now. I don't like waiting for things. One thing that these last few years has taught me is that good things do come to those who wait. I have learned that the wait, more often not, is worth it.  That things have a way of working out one way or the other.  I am a work in progress.  As time passes I become better, growth happens . . . I become much more than I was before. It is often in the waiting that we experience the greatest blessings.  That some of our greatest joys can be found waiting in the hard places.

SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU SMILE ...

I love these Vintage Art Deco images.  If you look really closely you will see that the bird house looks very much like the main house. There is a house very near to Berwick, which is a town about half an hour or so away from me, that looks very art deco. I have always wished I could go inside it. These types of things remind me very much of a simpler time. Do you think we overcomplicate our lives?  I think sometimes that we do.

 

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I WISH ...

That there was no suffering in the world. No needy. No sick. No hungry. No poor. That no child ever had to go to bed hungry, or afraid, or unloved.  I believe that such a world will exist when the Savior returns, but in the meantime we must serve and take care of those who suffer, who are in want, who are hungry, hurt, afraid, sick, alone  . . .  We can be and must be His hands  . . .

A THOUGHT TO CARRY WITH YOU ...

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

 *.˛.°A children's story that can only be

enjoyed by children is not a good

children's story in the slightest.

~C.S. Lewis•。★★ 。* 。

IN THE KITCHEN TODAY ...

Big Mac Tacos (Smash Burger Tacos)  These are delicious. It is a recipe for one person, but very filling. I actually think it could feed two regular eaters, especially if you add some salad on the side.

And that is my Daybook for this week. I hope this finds you well and happy.  Be blessed and don't forget!

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And I do too!