All Things Nice . . .

 

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For this is life -- this blessed throbbing Now,

This golden-tinted morning -- this today

Whose rich abundance speaks from every bough

If we just listen to the things they say.

For I shall never hear a clearer song

Than yonder skylark's singing from the blue,

Or know a sweeter ecstasy -- or see

A richer purple than this pansy's hue.

For I shall never taste a lovelier breath

Than of red roses blooming on the vine,

Or sense a heaven nearer to the earth,

Or grasp a clearer sight of the Divine.

For Heaven lies about us everywhere,

And God is close, for every blade of grass

Sings on the wind like ancient lines of prayer,

And all the world is hushed to watch Him pass.

~Edna Jaques, Life

My Kitchen Window, 1942

I loved this view point of God as I read it this morning.  This idea that we can seek Him in all that we are surrounded by. In the simple things of every day life that we take so  much for granted, but are so much more than that. I am very much a person who pays attention to the small details and pleasures that are ours to hold on a daily basis.  I take them not for granted. Even as a small child I was cognizant of the simple beauties that surround us and embroider our daily lives.  

One memory stands out and it is this.  I have been caught up in a sun shower, which is in and of itself something quite miraculous. The sun is shining and yet the rain is falling in a torrent. I take cover under the overhang of a garage roof and I am dry, sheltered from the rain and yet if I stretch my arm out I can catch the drops in my hand, and the heat of the sun is drying the pavement up as fast as the rain is falling.  The air smells of wet pavement an sunshine.  If I close my eyes even now, I can smell the smells and catch the wonder of it all.

 Cindy and I bought some apples at Spurrs the other day.  They look pretty much the same from the outside.  The one on the left is smaller and a bit redder.  It was called a Sweet Tart Apple. The one on the right is larger with a yellow green skin, flushed with red and is called a Japanese Melon Apple.

Cut them open however and you are faced with quite a surprise!  The ones on the left, the Sweet Tart apples have a red hued flesh. They are indeed as their name says, crisp and sweet and tart at the same time. Not quite sour, but quite tart all the same. I think they would be lovely for cooking.  The ones on the  right, the Japanese Melon apples, look like any other apple on the inside, but what a beautiful flavor! Sweet with a faint taste of melon.  They make for very pleasant apple eating.

We were impressed with both apples. I think they are not all that common yet, but hopefully they will become more common in the future.  The Japanese Melon ones were so tasty my sister and I went back to Spurrs yesterday so that she could pick up another bag!

I treated Chippy to some blueberries the other day. He seemed to really enjoy them, picking them over the peanuts that I also put out. 

My sister has a red squirrel. She actually has a few of them.  One of them had found a hole in their shed roof and she saw him going in there with the peanuts that she puts out for them. When she investigated she discovered a wooden birdhouse in the shed that Dan had made and this squirrel (she calls him Skippy) was storing the nuts in this birdhouse in the shed. It was loaded.   

The cats really enjoy watching Chippy. I got an unusual shot of him scampering back beneath the window boxes.  I am not sure what he does there, but he spends quite a bit of time under them. Sheltering from predators perhaps.

He emerged from the other end and was busy peeling a peanut.  I am not sure why they do this. They kind of nibble away at the shell, turning it over and over in their hands and then tuck them into their cheeks and scamper off. Perhaps making them pliable so that they can fit more in there?  Scampering off to bury them for the winter.  He has a very direct route that he takes.  You can set your clock by it.  Off under the deck out the other side, through Sheila's garden, direct across the street (tail held high) and back behind the houses on the other side. He moves very quickly.

I looked over at Cinnamon the other night and this was how she was laying in her basket.  It doesn't look very comfortable to me, but she was quite pleased with herself.  I thought it quite funny to see and was able to snap a shot.

This was here just a few minutes later giving me her "love" eyes.  Did you know that when cats slowly blink at you they are telling you that they love you?  I don't know if that is true or not, but that is what I read, so I always blink slowly back to tell them that I love them too.

And in the meantime Nutmeg was keeping me company on the sofa.  I have to pay equal attention to him or he can get a bit jealous. I think he sees Cinnamon and myself as a part of his harem.

As I have said in the past, he is always, more often than not, to be found very close to me.  He likes to be near by.

 

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Cindy and I took a trip "up" country yesterday. (That is what we call it when we travel East from here. The town we live in is considered to be the "heart" of the valley. When we go the other direction we are going "down" country.)

There was quite a bit of construction going on near Aylesford which is not far from the High School we attended and graduated from. We were stuck in traffic for a bit, which is unusual for this very rural area we call our home.

Kentville is holding its Pumpkin People Festival at the moment.  Every year it is a different theme. I believe last year it was dinosaurs. This year it is under the sea and there were pumpkin people all over the town in groups and clusters as well as sea creatures, such as whales and turtles, etc.  Very entertaining.

They are quite fun to see and there were groups of children visiting them all and we even saw a person dressed up as a pumpkin person walking about. I think it is quite unique!

It is so unique, it even manages to make it on the news.  We are not just known in the valley for our apples, but also for our pumpkins! Its great fun! 

 

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We went to Michaels and browsed.  They have all of their Christmas gear in now. I picked up a set of micron india ink pens and a few other bits.  Some new highlighters for my bible journaling. I got some cute fairy lights for my light up birch tree for over the holidays. Some little gnome ones and another set that looks like the old fashioned Christmas tree lights. They were buy one, get one free. I also got a little metal ruler for my bible journaling and some love charms. I keep thinking I am going to start making my little wire dolls again.  I just need the time to do it. I always really enjoyed making them. 

I am not sure if you remember them or not, so I will pop a picture here.  I made all sorts of different ones.   They were always great fun for me.

Then we went to The Running Man, which is the closest thing we have to Costco here in the Valley. I got my bag of organic sugar and a few other bits and pieces and I picked up a bag of this. Oh my goodness but it is dangerous.  It doesn't show it on the bag but there are also strawberries in this one. Kind of like strawberry jam. They are like real strawberry jellies.  Very tasty.

We stopped at Jonny's for lunch. I had fish and chips. They will be closing for the Winter soon.  We went to Forsyth's farm market to get some squash and then headed on back home. We got caught in the road works again.  Much worse at this time.  We sat for over 20 minutes waiting.  Many people were getting impatient and turning around and going another way. We just stayed in place and eventually we moved. At least we knew where we were going. We got where we needed to go anyways.  It was a much longer day than we had anticipated.

We were out from just after 9 am and I didn't get home until 3:30.  So a long day out.  But a fun day out!

This morning I have to go to the chapel to clean. It is my team's turn again. It half doesn't roll around quickly!  It seems like it is every week, haha, but it isn't. It is only every 5th week. Anyways, I best finish this off and get ready to go!

I will leave you with a thought for the day  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *Everything you've ever wanted

is on the other side of fear.

~George Addair •。★★ 。* 。  

I may or may not be here on Monday. My father has two medical appointments, one at his Doctors and the other at the hospital to be fitted for a heart thingie.  So it all depends on how early we have to leave!  Dad is coming here for supper today as well.  Cindy and Dan are going golfing and then out for supper together.  It will be nice to have dad here, even if all he ever wants is weiners and beans! 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Autumn Apple Cake with a Sticky Toffee Glaze.  Impressive and very simple to make. Delicious as you can well imagine!

I hope you have a beautiful weekend!  Stay safe and stay happy. Be blessed, and don't forget!

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And I do too!