All Things Nice . . .

 

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I like the silence of old fields at night,

The peace of evening, dawn's attendant

Mother-of-pearl inlaid against the sky

As if a master hand with careful brush,

Stippled the sky s housewives often do,

Tinting their kitchen walls in rose and blue.

I like a quiet place where no rude voice

Shatters the silence into quivering sound,

Where porticulas grow in ferny clumps

And lie like home-made carpets on the ground,

Where sweet wild olives leaning by a pool

Wave silver wands to children by the school.

I love the peace of Sabbath afternoons,

The calm well being of a day of rest,

Where men walk idly out around the barns,

Clean shaven , . garbed in all their Sunday best.

Even the cattle seem to sense the day

And walk sedately on their homeward way.

I like the silence of autumn woods

Before the russet leaves begin to fall,

The utter stillness of a prairie night

As it it slept in some eternal thrall,

 willing prisoner held in Beauty's sway

Dreaming the quiet centuries away.

~Edna Jaques, Silence

Beside Still Waters, 1952

There was a song that was quite popular when I was a teenager, Silence is Golden. It was a ballad sung by a British group called the Tremeloes in 1969. I used to love that song.  I am not sure I ever listened to the words really. I just loved the melody. It was quite a peaceful song . . . I love the silence of peace.  I have never been one to crave an overly-busy life filled with chaos.

Diadamy models Cindy's newest creation.  A matching Pixie Hat and Cardigan.  So cute. I love Pixie Hats, although I have long outgrown the possibility of wearing one.  I would have loved one as a child.  I had a lot of hats through the years.  I have never looked good in a hat. I feel like I have too big of a head and too round of a face.

Hmmm . . .  Blythe dolls have big heads and round faces, lol  Their cute eyes make up for it.

Did you have one of these when you were a teenager?  I did. I thought it was the epitome of fashion and I felt like a fashion model wearing mine. I also had a fake leather, white jockey cap that I can remember wearing to church. I thought it was so cool! I felt like Twiggy in it.  That and white GoGo boots. Oh my.  And a plastic fake leather skirt. Brown.  We were so cool.

 

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Cindy and I had a great time out together yesterday.  We drove up to Michaels first.  There was a lot of good deals on Christmas stuff. There wasn't a lot of it left actually. It was pretty picked over. I did get a few things.  Then we went to the Pet store.  I got a water fountain for the cats.  They were pretty interested in it at first.  Especially Nutmeg. He loves to play in water. I am not sure that it will replace their water dish however.   I got a basket for their toys as well.  And a nice big tub of the Churro cat treat pastes. They love them.  It was our niece Allison that introduced us and our cats to Churro when she was home for a visit with my brother two summers ago. Hardly seems possible it was that long ago, but it was!  Time flies!

We went to The Running Man next and picked up a few bits.  Its a good thing we don't have a full sized Costco near us is all I can say.  I spend enough at this smaller version.

We were going to go to Callisters for pie next but allowed ourselves to be tempted by Scott's Fish and Chips instead. We should have had the pie.  The fish was beautifully cooked, but it wasn't in batter. It was simply dipped in flour and deep fried.  We were both a bit disappointed, but now we know at least.  You have to try these things to find out if you will like them or not.  Our reasoning was that Callister's would always be there, with pie, and I think we were both hungry.   We let our stomachs do the talking for us.

We then headed home to unload.

The best part for me of these day trips we take together is the "together" part.  We have always been the best of friends and for that I am truly grateful.

 

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I have been doing the Advent on the Hallow App this week and have been enjoying it very much.  I just lay back in my easy boy chair with my blanket over my lap, close my eyes and listen.  Its very peaceful and relaxing.  Nutmeg usually comes and lays on my lap also.  It is a way to bring the spirit into these busy days prior to Christmas.  A time when many of us are run off our feet.

I am not so much, not like I was when the children were growing up and things were super busy with baking and shopping and gift wrapping, etc.  All that added to my already bulging list of every day things that I had to do.   There were no apps back then to help still the noise of the busyness in the prelude to Christmas.

 

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Both my youngest son and my youngest daughter have birthday's yesterday and today, respectively.  Those are the two who don't have anything to do with me. I always feel a bit blue on those days. I send them cards and Happy Birthday wishes with love, whether they are acknowledged or not. It is all I can do.  I hope that they are happy and content in their lives. I pray for them daily that it be so. I leave the channel of communication open whilst respecting, or trying to respect, their boundaries. It is hard as a mom to be rejected in this way by your own children, but what can you do about it?  Nothing really. Nothing. Just learn to live with it and I don't think that you ever really do.  It is what it is and that is that.

 

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I am going to have a good old clear out of my refrigerator today methinks.  Get rid of all the half jars of jam, sauce, etc. One of the problems with living on your own is that your refrigerator fills up with half empty jars of stuff. You keep them because you hate waste, but in reality you are never really going to use them up.  One thing I liked about the U.K. (that used to drive me crazy when I first moved over there) was the smaller jars  and tins of things.  Nothing is small here.  I wish we had more small jar/tin options for things here in Canada. I do hate waste, but I can only use as much as I can use.  I don't want to turn into that person whose refrigerator is filled with half empty jars of food in various levels of decay. I think if I haven't used up something within at least two weeks, it is time to discard.  Sad but true. The alternative is to never enjoy the things that I enjoy because I know I won't use them all up.  And I deserve to enjoy them just as much as anyone does.   

 

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It is very cold again this morning. -5*C.  My heat pump is going, keeping me warm.  Oddly enough the temperatures are supposed to rise to +14 tomorrow with rain. All the snow will be washed away.   I hate the swinging back and forth of the temperatures I wish it would stay one way or the other.  I have read that they are having a cold snap in the U.K. I know they have had snow in the past week in some if not all parts.   We, in reality, have had a very warmish late autumn prelude to Winter.  It is really only this past week that has been cold.   I hope that doesn't portent a freakishly cold Winter with lots of snow.   I really only like snow around Christmas.  The rest of the time it can take a hike as far as I am concerned. lol  I am sure I am not alone in this. We do need to have snow or at least rain however, to keep the groundwaters filled and to prevent drought.  We don't want another summer of fires like we had this year.   We need a happy medium of all things.

 

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Thinking this week of how much my mother sacrificed through the years to give us a good Christmas when we were children.  She would save up stamps at the grocery store to get us gifts.  Mother was a good steward of all things.  I need to be more like her in that regard and less indulgent with myself.   

I need to get more structure in my life.  I am quite disciplined when it comes to work. I need to make time to allow myself do other things, however.  I find that work overrides everything else. I need to make time for play also. I also need to learn to use my resources more responsibly. Cindy is very good at that.  Using her resources responsibly.  

Those are the changes I want to work harder at over the coming year.  I don't really make resolutions.  I can never keep them, but I can make changes which are easier to keep and to live with.  I am pondering those things and changes over the coming days.

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

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

 *.˛.God bless thee when winds blow;

Our home and all we know.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

~Florence Bone° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Mom's Sugar Cookie Crisps.  Simply delicious.

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend, filled with peace and joy and harmony. Whatever you get up to be blessed and 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!