All Things Nice . . .

 

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She made a feast of little things,

A brown egg in a pretty cup,

 A candle on a birthday cake;

A few stray flowers gathered up

And put in an old fashioned vase,

As beautiful as Flemish lace.

She made a little daily rite

Of dressing up for afternoons,

And laid the table extra nice

Using her precious silver spoons,

The woven mats from Mexico,

The table napkins white as snow.

She made a feast of love and joy,

Of every common household task,

Sweeping the hallways and the stair,

Keeping them beautiful -- nor ask

A finer mission than to make

Her home a heaven for his sake.

She made a feast (oh lovely word)

Of ordinary common things

Of bread and butter -- jam and tea,

Her a home a place where shining wings

Hovered above a summer night

And touched the roof with splendid light.

~Edna Jacques, She Made a Feast

Back Door Neighbors, 1946

I think my life is a continuous feast. I was laying in bed last night thinking about all my blessings and I really do have an over-flowing cup of them.  A never ending feast  for my heart . . . 

The hummingbirds have been very active these past days  I often have 5 or 6 vying for space at the feeder. The one on the top seems to be king of the castle and puts the run to any other who tries to horn in on the territory . . . 

Such fun to watch.  I have had to refill my feeder twice this week. I don't mind. It is a simple enough thing to do. I make my own nectar from one part sugar to four parts water.  Their wings do make a loud noise when they swoop in. Almost startling if you are out there. It can make you jump.  It made me jump a few times!

 

She loves to lay on the top of the back of the chair, her paws stretched out in front of her.  Cinnamon, my little princess.  She has a few places she likes to sit. She is not a cat that requires a lot of petting or attention, unlike her brother. She is very independent. She does like treats however and will often come and ask me for one. She is very fast on her feet as well. When there is something to be caught or chased, she is out in front. I am always telling Nutmeg  . . . 

You snooze  . . .  you lose  . . .  he doesn't seem to mind.

Amazon delivered this via Purolator to my door yesterday. I have no idea who sent it.  I suspect it was my friend Carolyn in the UK. She usually sends me something for my Birthday.  Usually there is a note, but not this time. Whoever sent it, it was very thoughtful and  I am most appreciative.  There is a nice big insulated cup and some lovely scented soap, some bath salts, a bath bomb, and a nice smelling candle.  It was a nice surprise!

 

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Tis the season of gold now  . . .  golden rod, brown eyed Susan's, sunflowers  . . . corn on the cob.  All are in season now and delighting our eyes and senses.  I love sunflowers. They are such cheerful things.

 

 

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Blueberries too are in season, and the blackberries. My next door neighbor Sheila called me yesterday to say that the blackberry bush at the end of the street was full of ripe berries if I wanted to go and pick some. Oddly enough, I had just bought a punnet of them so it was a little bit too late for me to go and pick any, but I did thank her for letting me know.

What is your favorite thing to make with blueberries?  Mom used to make blueberry pies. Personally I love blueberry pancakes and blueberry muffins, jam, cakes.  More than pies, but I have never been known to turn down a slice of pie, no matter the flavor.  My family and pie crust get along like peas and carrots! 

 

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I was in the shops early yesterday morning to pick up a few berries to showcase my recipe that I had made. They had no blueberries at all. I was quite surprised at that. They had fresh raspberries and blackberries and so I got a container of each, and they were on offer as well. Score!

 

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“Mythology was littered with people 

who meddled in the affairs of elves and fairies

 and were never again heard from” 

 (Thomm Quackenbush)

Do you see Elvish-like faces here. I do, and they don't look all that happy. Usually pansies appear quite cheerful to me with their little upturned faces. 

I love pansies.  I also love forget-me-nots and sweet peas.  Sweet peas always look to me like butterflies getting ready to flit away with their ruffled wing-like petals. So pretty and the smell.  I love the smell of sweet peas. We had lovely sweet peas at the cottage on the Estate. A friend of ours at church grew beautiful sweet peas in his allotment and he gave us a whole flat of them to plant in the garden underneath the kitchen window.  What a lovely smell they gave off in the evening.

 

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I was thinking last night of the thrush that used to sit on the roof top of the cottage next door when we lived in Kent. Such a beautiful song.  I really have been blessed to live in some really beautiful areas during my lifetime.  I am so grateful that I am a person who notices things  . . .  birdsong, humming bees, cicadas, peepers, crickets, etc.  I love to listen to blackbirds as well. So pretty.

So much nicer to listen to than the tinnitus in my ears! Do you get that?  Mine is pretty constant these days, so much so that I hardly notice it any more . . . 

 

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 We have had a lot of rain of late. A very dry spring, which really didn't help with the fires, but thankfully the rains came and the fires were able to be brought under control.  Today is bright and sunny.  There is not a cloud in the sky.  All seems right with the world on  a bright sunny day, don't you think?  It is hard to be sad when the sun shines.

If you look at the forecast until the end of the year it says we will have a very snowy winter.  We have not had much in the way of snow since I returned to Canada.  Not here anyways, and not like the snows of my childhood. I remember the days having very frosty starts when I was staying in the motel.  But we did not get a lot of snow really that whole Winter, nor the Winter that followed.  This year looks to be making up for it. We shall see. I don't know how they can predict that far ahead  . . . 

Something I have really been enjoying watching is this series on Netflix. I find it to be really good!  It is not in English but has English subtitles.  I love Nordic television. Its usually done very well. I also watch a few Nordic crime dramas on Acorn.

 

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I started to watch Outlander from scratch again the other night. I think the first series is my favorite of them all.  I used to love reading books like that when I was younger. Historical romance. But they started to get smutty and I lost interest in them. I think the very first romance book I ever read was Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor.  I can't tell you how many times I read that book.  

It is funny how your reading tastes change through the years. I used to love books by Taylor Caldwell, and then I went through a period reading Steven King.  Elizabeth Berg, etc. I used to read every book that Oprah recommended. My dad reads everything he can get his hands on. My sister picks him up used books and he goes through them like a hot knife through butter.  I get my love of reading from him. Mom was not one much for reading books, but she did love to read the newspaper and would read it all the way through.

And with that I best leave you with a thought for the day . . . 

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

 *We must be willing to let go

of the life we had planned so as to 

have the life that is waiting for us.

~Joseph Campbell•。★★ 。* 。

In The English Kitchen today, Easy Lime Refrigerator Cake.  Delicious. Quick. Easy!

I hope you have a lovely day!  My sister and I are going to go do dad's shopping this morning.  Its just nice to get out and about and spend time together. I do enjoy these memories we are building.  Whatever you get up to have a good one!  Don't forget!

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And I do too!