A Daybook . . .

 

 

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OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ...

Its a rainy overcast day. It is supposed to be like that for a few days now, with possible thunderstorms on Thursday.  It is garbage day today. Like I said in the past, we usually have precipitation on garbage days. I always seem to have the most garbage on the street. I think that is because I cook, but I could be wrong. Maybe I am just a very active consumer.

Everything is looking very green though which is nice.  

I have two chipmunks visiting. They chase each other. There is a tunnel beneath my planters and one will run along the top and the other underneath. Its all very interesting.  They make loud chipping noises when they want their peanuts. The cats are most amused and come running when they hear them start.

 

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I AM THINKING ...

It will be Canada Day on Saturday, or what used to be called Dominion Day.  I can remember when our Canadian flag changed from the Union Jack to the Maple Leaf.  Dominion Day became Canada Day in five minutes on the 9th of July in 1982. Our maple leaf flag was unfurled and officially became our flag a number of years prior to that on the 15th February in 1965. I always loved the Union Jack. To me it had character.  I like the Maple leaf also.  I suppose it is only right that Canada has its own flag.  But I do so love the Union Jack and always will.

 

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I AM ALSO THINKING ...

My days of wearing pretty shoes and having pretty legs are over.  I officially have stumps. Nothing looks good on my legs, except for loose pants/trousers. My mother always had beautiful legs and wore high heels right up until the last 10 years or so of her life.  I have never been fond of really high heels, but I have always loved pretty shoes. Now I have to wear clunky old lady shoes because my feet are so flat and so wide.  Osteo Arthritis has meant that my legs are swollen and cause me a lot of pain, my ankles too. My knees look like tree stumps and have about as much form. My sister still has lovely legs.  Ahhh  . . . youth is wasted on the young. I understand that statement now. When I was young I was too busy and preoccupied to appreciate the things I had such as my looks and my legs, my thick hair, eyebrows . . .  eye lashes!  Now I am old, I can only wish.

I sometimes toy with the idea of getting lash enhancements or having my eyebrows micro-planed so that I don't have to always draw them on, but to what end?  I am not interested in attracting anyone anymore anyways, so it would be a huge waste of money.

Also I find eyelash enhancements look so fake. If they had a way of making them look more natural I might be more tempted.  There is a woman I know, about my age-ish or a bit older, who has them and it looks a bit like she has furry caterpillars clinging to the top of each eyelid, not to be unkind. 

 

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I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO ...

My sister and I are going to surprise my father this morning and meet him for breakfast. He always cheers right up when we do that. I said to Cindy the other day, we may not have him with us much longer. We should be making more opportunities to spend time with him. I don't want him thinking he has to buy our breakfast however. I want to buy my own. 

It will just be nice to spend some extra time with him.  He usually sits alone.  He can't really hear much of what other people are saying. His hearing is really bad now and his hearing aids don't work that well.

 

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I AM REMINDED OF ...

This room very much reminds me of the two daughter's bedrooms at the Manor when I worked there. They were very elegant with fine furnishings and designer bed coverings, etc. They had heavy draperies just like that with valances, etc.  The youngest daughter had a doll collection of Cindy dolls in a variety of outfits. On Wednesday's I had to clean the rooms as the housekeeper was off.  This involved making all the beds, picking up the clothes, cleaning four bathrooms, hanging up their towels, emptying the garbage. Sorting out the sitting room. Plus my own work as well.  I didn't mind. It made a change.

When I worked there it was a bit like living in a bubble. The whole time I was there, I never made any friends off the Estate except at church I was too busy working. I never got to know any of the villagers, etc. I hardly got to go into the village. I was surrounded by beautiful things, beautiful gardens, etc. all the time.  The only real friend I made the whole time I was there was Jo, who was the housekeeper when I started working there. We are still friends today and often have long facetime conversations. She is very dear to me. I think one of the connections we have is because we both worked in that environment. Nobody outside it would believe the tales we could tell.  They might think we were making it all up.   But trust me when I say, you just couldn't make some of this stuff up.  It was a very interesting and very valuable experience.

  

 

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YESTERDAY ...

I got a LOT accomplished yesterday. I was up early and was actually at the grocery store before 9 am.  I had three recipes that I wanted to cook. I like to cook ahead sometimes, especially if I have plans to do other things  on some days.  I managed to get them all done and two of them photographed.  But the light for the third one was against me so I will have to do that photography another time.

I managed to do all my dishes and have the kitchen tidied up before my sister stopped by on her way home from work too.  Bonus!

 

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I HAVE BEEN WATCHING ...

I have been watching and enjoying this girl on YouTube. Sonya's Prep. She is a Sephardic Jew. I find it all very fascinating. She has young children and also works outside the home. I am really enjoying learning more about their customs and preparations for Shabbat, etc. She is one very organized young woman. Kudos to her.  

When my five children were growing up I was not near that organized. I always felt like I was struggling to keep up with everything. The laundry was never ending as was the cleaning. There is no way I could have produced lovely videos like she does and raise my children, take care of my home, cook all that she cooks, plus work outside the home and seem as calm, cool and collected.

I couldn't even do it now, and I have no excuse of children, just cats, lol. I take off my hat to her!

I HAVE ALSO BEEN WATCHING ...

The Instagram Effect on Amazon Prime. It is a real eye opener. 

"In just ten years, Instagram has gained over a billion users, shaping culture, trends and the way we live our lives. But its impact on society is increasingly being questioned. In this revealing social media documentary, the platform's role in causing issues around body image and self-harm for younger users is explored. Former Facebook/Meta employees speak for the first time about their concerns."

It is really making me think about that platform and if it is worth it to continue. I suppose it is for me because all I do is post food pictures and I only visit a few people that I care about on a daily basis. I am not on it to be an "influencer."

We live in an increasingly damaging world. I wonder how this is affecting the younger generation.

I HAVE FINISHED ...

I have finished another blanket and am starting a new one with different colors.  It is a way of keeping my hands busy in the evenings when I am watching television. I hate to just sit there and do nothing.

I HAVE DISCOVERED ...

I have discovered some beautiful ribbons on Willow Cottage.  Acufactum woven ribbons from Germany.  There is a whole host of beautiful choices.  I ordered a few as I thought they would be cute added to pillows and such, or Luna's clothing, etc.

Be prepared to fall in love  . . . 

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.

 

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

I want to do a few things in my journal. Maybe paint a bit in my flower journal. Cook. Have dinner with my dad and Hazel. Nothing too out of the ordinary.

 

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TRACING THE GOODNESS ...

My days are not overly exciting, but I think excitement is highly overrated. I am a lover of the simple.  I find great joy in ordinary things and pleasures and my life is full of them. Homemaking, cooking, my family, my faith, the cats  . . .  I am blessed.

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SOMETHING TO COOK ...

This midnight pasta recipe from the NYT looks awfully good.

"This recipe is a version of aglio e olio pasta, which is often known as midnight pasta because it can be made quickly with a few pantry staples: garlic, olive oil, red-pepper flakes and pasta. This recipe takes a bit more time because it calls for roasting the garlic first, but doing so adds a complex, mellow flavor to the entire dish. If you’re a planner, you could even roast a couple of heads of garlic in advance. (Roasted garlic will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and in the freezer for up to two months.) Add whatever vegetables or proteins look good to you."

A THOUGHT TO CARRY WITH YOU ...

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

 *.˛.Reach high,

for stars lie hidden in your soul.

Dream deep,

for every dream precedes the goal.

~Pamela Vaull Starr。★★ 。* 。

IN THE KITCHEN TODAY  ...

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwich.  Easy.  Delicious. Made for two.  With grilled marinated chicken, on top of toasted garlic bread, some tasty crisp bacon and a delicious salad topping.

And that's my daybook for today.  I hope you enjoyed it. I wish for you a wonderful day!  Be happy, be blessed. Don't forget!

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
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And I do too!