All Things Nice . . .

 

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The things that pine trees whisper

In the still and dead of night,

The ageless tune that wild geese chant,

Through the  long hours of flight.

I'd like to know what waters say,

Flowing towards the sea,

I'm sure they speak of quiet springs,

Back where they used to be.

Of sloping banks where cowslips bloom

And trees whose feet are pressed

Against the heart of Mother Earth,

Where all things come to rest.

I'd like to hear the ageless song

That lonely mountains know,

When winter crowns their ancient peaks

With diadems of snow.

The language of the quiet beasts,

Must be a friendly thing,

When something deep within their breasts,

Is telling them of Spring.

For earth and all that dwells therein

Are part and parcel to

The spark of that eternal life,

That beats inside of you.

~Edna Jaques, I'd Like To Know

Fireside Poems, 1950

Fireside Poems. This is the book that started my love affair with the poetry of Edna Jaques. It was a slim green  cloth covered volume, the dust cover long since being lost,  that my mother kept in our small bookcase at home, where it lived all the days of my growing up years. I cannot tell you how many times I poured through it's pages, my eyes gliding across the words which painted such delightful pictures in my mind.  My mother knew I loved it, so much so that she gave it to me.  Her favorite poem in it was entitled "Bleeding Hearts."  It starts with the words, "I think of grandma's garden, and the peace that always lay." A poem about a grandmother's garden, it brought to my mother's mind her own grandmother's garden.  A place where she spent many happy moments in her own childhood.   We often spoke of it . . . 

This house where my mother was born and where she spent many of her formative years. It is largely derelict now . . .  abandoned.  Sitting where it looks across the breadth of the valley between both mountains.  Mountains which once held the names of two of my ancestors, now known only as the South and North Mountains, but which were once known as Beals and Ruggles Mountains respectively.

South Mountain, a well-known subrange of the Appalachians, is nestled on the mainland of Nova Scotia. South Mountain is a granitic ridge that stretches from the Annapolis Basin to Mount Uniacke. Together, South and North Mountain form the Annapolis Highland region of the province. The highest point along the ridge, however, is unnamed.

I wish I knew what the Mi'kmaq called these mountains before the white settlers made their mark upon this land. I am sure it is noted somewhere, but I have been unable to find it.

I have been thinking about what love is over these past days.  I think as humans we can have some very mixed up ideas of what love actually constitutes and often confuse it with those butterflies in the stomach moments when we come into contact with one who meets our fancy.   I have come, through experience, to know that love is so much more than initial attraction. For that I am grateful.  The Bible sums it up beautifully.

Love comes to us under many guises.  Sometimes it is a sister who brings you lemons when you have a bad cold so that you can make yourself lemon, honey and ginger tea.  At others it is people who pray for you when you need their prayers, and sometimes even when you don't. 

Love is a verb, an action word. A doing word.  I have spent my life covered with love, often not knowing that I was.  I am grateful for the love in my life, and I hope that I am as good at gifting it as I am at receiving it.

I am very late to the party, but I have just started to watch the Harry Potter films.  I know  . . . its just not something that I have ever sat and watched. It is the same with the Lord of the Rings. They did not interest me.  I have seen glimpses of both but never actually sat and watched either one through. So I decided this week to start watching the Harry Potter Films. Hopefully I will be able to stick with it and not lose interest.

When our Bruce was a lad, he took great interest in the books. I started buying them for him, one at a time. I bought him the first several when he was visiting me in the UK once and then had the others mailed to him as they came out. His step mom would not allow him to read them and took them from him. She deemed them as being evil. I was just happy that he had become interested in reading.

Anyways, I am going to try to watch the entire franchise. We shall see how it goes.

 

 

I have a huge interest in vintage cookery books. I have collected a few of them. I had to leave all of my old books over in the UK when I left to come back to Canada.  I have been able to recollect a few of them again over the past few years.  There will be some that I am never able to replace.

I love old cookbooks. Largely they contain no photographs, but some do have some illustrations depending on when they were written.  The timings are often quite different than those which we would use today, but that is not a problem that cannot be solved.

One observation I have made is that they are largely lacking in Chicken recipes.  I think that is because back in the day Chicken was considered to be a bit of a luxury food, not the mass produced cheap protein option we see it as being today.   (I say the word cheap with tongue in cheek, because nothing is cheap these days and most groceries are only getting more and more expensive to buy.)

Back in the day people had their own chickens and they were for producing eggs, only to be slaughtered and eaten when their laying days were over.  Occasionally one being sacrificed for a special event or occasion.  Many people would have a roast chicken for the holidays, not a turkey.  With dressing/stuffing and a delicious assortment of vegetables.

Even when I was a child it was not something we had very often.  A roast chicken now and then and sometimes mom would buy chicken breasts and cook what she called "Maryland Fried Chicken."  We all loved it when that happened.  Rolled in egg and crushed cracker crumbs and fried in butter.  What a treat that was! 

Anyways, I do enjoy perusing vintage cookery books.

 

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I had all my shots yesterday.  Twinrix for Hepatitis a and b , one for Tetanus and a Pneumonia  shot.  The nurse was ever so good at giving them. I did not feel any of them at all. My arms are a bit sore today, but that is to be expected.

I am still quite tired.  I was going to vacuum yesterday but it just never got done.  I found myself sitting in my chair  mid afternoon, for a break and before I knew it I was asleep, Nutmeg laying on my lap.  Perhaps I will get to it later today.

Today I am actually going to do dad's shopping with my sister.  I am looking forward to that. It will be nice to get out and about. We usually go to a few different places.  I don't really need anything in particular.  Perhaps something for my tea tonight, but that's all. I do it mostly because I like going places with my sister.

Tomorrow she is taking us all out for supper to celebrate her finally getting her OAS and CPP.  Hard to believe we are both pensioners now. She put her notice in at work and her boss was shocked that she was 65 years old. He had thought her only in her 50's.  She is very youthful in appearance and demeanor to be sure!!  Like my mother, her hair is not going grey.   Mine is all shot through with grey and silver now.

 

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My sister and I went for a little drive last evening and on our way back home the sun was a huge red boulder in the sky.  I had not seen such a sun in a very long time.  It was really amazing to see. I was wishing that I had my camera with me.  I have seen moons like that but not the sun.

And with that I will leave you with a thought for the day as I need to get my skates on!

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

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

 *.˛.The starting point of 

discovering your gifts,

your talents, your dreams,

is being comfortable with

yourself. Spend time alone.

Write in a journal.

~Robin Sharma•。★★ 。* 。

In the English Kitchen today, Monterrey Chicken Quesadillas.  Delicious with buttery crisp flour tortilla shells and a rich chicken, BBQ, cheese, onion filling. Baked, not fried.

I hope you have a beautiful Labor Day Weekend!  Be happy, safe,  and be blessed. Whatever you get up to don't forget!

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And I do too!