A Day Book . . .

 

 

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OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ...

Its very cold out there this morning.  I am a bit later writing this today. Its 8:30 a.m. and the thermometer says it is -10*C/14*F.  So very cold indeed. I have a blanket over my lap and my heat pump is humming away. I am so grateful for that. It is a cheaper form of heat as compared to the electric baseboard heating which I also have available to me.  I tend not to use that at all if I can help it.

The cats are lolling around in the back bedroom. I had thrown some bread out to the crows late yesterday  afternoon and they are very interested in watching them eat it.

 

YESTERDAY ...

I was sitting in my easy boy chair watching the new video from Under a Tin Roof on YouTube. She was busy going throughout her day and preparing some soup and tasty looking rolls.  The scene kept flashing back and forth from her food prep to her cats to the bird feeders, and then she was repotting some plants, etc. I looked over and Nutmeg was laying on his blanket on the sofa, but he was very intently watching the video. He watched it through to the very end and was very invested in it. I can only think that the sounds of her knives scraping across the cutting board, the cats meowing, the birds chirping, her trowel in the garden shed, etc. were keeping him alert and interested. It was very interesting for me to watch him being so interested!

IN THE MEANTIME ...

Cinnamon was laying on the blanket on my lap. She stayed there for quite a while.  Pruning and preening. At one point she was laying on her back, feet in the air, wanting me to rub her tummy.  She has been much more attentive to me lately, wanting me to pay her attention and to stroke her. Almost like when she was when she was a kitten. I like it!

I AM THINKING ...

I live a simple life. There is not much out of the ordinary which happens in my life these days, but I am living the best life that I ever have lived. Oh, it is not perfect by any stretch, but it is simple and it is serene and it is without drama from day to day. I am enjoying that.  In some ways I am a bit afraid that it will not last long . . .  that something is sure to happen to spoil this little bubble of contentment . . . but I try to push those thoughts out of my mind and just enjoy today.  Just enjoy the simplicity of my days and the joy that they bring.  I know nothing lasts forever, and drama will come. But for now, I am content and grateful . . . I say again, it is not perfect by any means, but it is perfect for me. There will always be things I wish were different, but I have come to accept that perhaps I will always wish for them and I have learned therewith to be content with what I have been given.

SOMETHING I LOVE ...

I had been admiring these dishes at the superstore in the weeks leading up to Christmas, but I could not bring myself to purchase them.  I thought they were a bit steep for what they were.  A small plate and bowl.  I did really love the almost Modigliani style of them however.  (I love the art of Modigliani.)  Then I found, as Christmas passed and was gone, I was regretting not having picked them up when I could have done so.  Imagine my surprise when, last week when Cindy and I were in the Superstore, there in a shopping cart of reduced items . . . there they were. Having been reduced by 75%.  First 50% and then 50% yet again.  I scooped them up and paid less than $2 a piece for each.  I  was quite pleased about that.  Manna from heaven.  I only need one of each to use for props next Christmas.  I felt like I had discovered a treasure chest!

SOMETHING I ENJOY ...

I enjoy writing in my journal. I have been keeping this one since early 2020.  I do not write in it every day, but only as the mood strikes or when I have something special, a special thought, etc. that I want to keep forever. Special things I am afraid that I might forget.  Every now and then I go through it and read the things I have written. I hope that one day it might be a  treasure to at least one of my children or my grandchildren. Hope springs eternal.

I AM CRAVING ...

I saw these delicious looking potatoes on Pinterest and have been craving them ever since. From Homemade and Yummy Ukrainian Dill Potatoes.  I love potatoes and I love those fresh herbs.  Must pick up next time I go to the shops!

 

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DESPITE ...

Despite it being absolutely frigid out there this morning it won't be long now before the temperatures start to rise again and Spring starts to show its face.  Can you remember how exciting it used to be to discover Pussy Willows in the springtime?  As soon as they showed their faces we would pick some and bring them home. Mom would put them in water for us. At first like soft furry little kittens paws, and then exploding into long cat tails  . . .  not so pretty then.  But a symbol and sign of Spring being upon us.

 

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HOW WONDERFUL ...

The beauty that surrounds us in even the most unexpected places and in the most unexpected ways. If you look for it, you will discover it everywhere.

 

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ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ...

Butter. I love butter. I did use margarine for a time when my children were growing up, but I love butter. Mom never used margarine. She always used butter, for everything and we grew up on it. It was on the table at every meal and we were allowed to slather it on our potatoes and vegetables and bread without limits. I can remember our dad asking us if we would like to have some bread on our butter because we would spread it so thickly.  I used to really love the Lurpak Butter we would get in the U.K. Danish butter  . . .  so lovely.

 

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REMEMBERING ...

Do you remember how the taste of things like butter and milk would change at certain times of the year. When the cows would be taken from the grass and put into the barn and vice versa?

I don't know if that still happens or not. Not that I have noticed anyways . . .

 

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ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ...

Textiles.  I love pattern and color and the feel of different fabrics. I used to love to lay on the quilt that my maternal grandmother had made and touch all of the different fabrics in it and imagine the garments that they once had belonged to. It was a crazy quilt.

I AM READING ...

The Reed of God, by Caryll Houselander

First published in 1944 and now a spiritual classic for Catholics across the globe, The Reed of God contains meditations on the humanity of Mary, Mother of God. British Catholic writer and artist Caryll Houselander lovingly explores Mary’s intimately human side, depicting Our Lady as a musical instrument who makes divine love known to the world. This refreshed edition is rich and rewarding reading for all Christians who wonder what Mary was really like. 

 While the Second Vatican Council led to a renewed interest in the theology and person of Mary, Caryll Houselander offered a simple yet profound reflection on the Mother of God almost fifteen years before the council began. Confronting the static, surreal “Madonna of the Christmas card,” Houselander provides instead an intuitive, warmly human, and approachable image of the Mother of God. Through the central image of a reed that is played for music, Houselander demonstrates how Mary chose to make herself an instrument for the divine plan, giving her inmost being to the proclamation of God’s greatness. 

In sharing her distinctive vision of Mary, Houselander offers the Mother of God as a model for all people seeking to be instruments of the Divine. The essays and poems in The Reed of God also reflect on the mysteries of Mary’s life and her impact on salvation history. In the book’s four parts, Houselander explores key events of Mary’s life, including her fiat, finding Jesus in the Temple, and the Assumption, as well as the themes of fruitful emptiness and the eternal search for union with God.

You don't have to be a Catholic to enjoy inspired writings such as this. 

SOMETHING TO WATCH ...

Three Little Birds on Britbox. Three Little Birds is a British historical drama television series written by Sir Lenny Henry in collaboration with Russell T Davies. Developed by Douglas Road and Tiger Aspect Productions under Banijay UK, the six-part series is based on Henry's mother Winifred's experiences arriving in Britain from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation in 1957.  I love period pieces such as this.

IN THE KITCHEN ...

Roast Split Turkey Breast for Two.  A split turkey breast, rubbed with a lush herb butter, beneath and on top of the skin and then roasted to perfection. Delicious!

 

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TRACING THE GOODNESS ...

Family dinners.  Time spent with my sister, in person, on the phone, peddling. Family times. Face times.  Faith. Home. Cats. Life. Work.  Life is very good. I am blessed.

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A THOUGHT TO CARRY WITH YOU ...

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

 *.˛.So much of what we know of love

we learn at home.  ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

From today's calendar page  . . . 

And that is my daybook for this week. I hope that you all have beautiful days.  Blessings to you all and don't forget!

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And I do too!