All Things Nice . . .

 

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The fields are bedded down with snow,

like blankets tucked about their ears,

As if the world had gone to sleep.

But now and then a bush appears

Wearing a crown of purest gems,

With scarlet berries on white stems.

The windbreak running to the lake

Has snowy trunks like silver birch,

Even the weeds have hoods of snow,

Like quaint old women in a church,

The hens have frosted beards and look

Like old men in a picture book.

Along the highway muffled wheels,

Go by without a breath of sound,

The fence posts stand like sentinels,

Wearing tall helmets diamond crowned,

The main man in his battered truck,

Has drifted snow and ice to buck.

And yet I know that spring is  nigh

Although the wind is cold and raw,

The sky is softer than it was,

The fields have started in to thaw,

Putting aside their winter dress

To don their springtime loveliness.

~Edna Jacques, February

The Golden Road, 1953

It is snowing out there this  morning. Nothing too heavy, just light snow. For us this past week Winter has only just arrived and yesterday Shubenacadie Sam predicted an early Spring.  We shall see. Six weeks is six weeks, one way or the other! As sure as the sun sets at the end of each day and rises every morning, Spring will arrive.

 

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We took dad out to look at cars yesterday afternoon. He purchased himself a red Kia Soul, just like mine and like Cindy's (whose is blue) but six years newer. His is a 2021. Its still under warrantee and has relatively low mileage.  So he lucked in there.  They are nice little cars. I really love mine. He will find it a lot easier to get in and out of for sure.  And hopefully to drive.

 

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I have been dabbling in Vegan/Vegetarian eating this past few weeks. For the most part anyways. I have come to the conclusion that this is a very steep learning curve and that we are living in an area which is not really conducive to that way of eating/living. But I shall persevere.  

I do not like Vegan Cheese.  Not at all.  Granted there are not a lot of varieties available to us here.  I have tried shredded cheddar and Mozzarella shreds.  The Mozzarella shreds are most unpalatable, resembling mucus for want of a better word. I did not like their consistency at all.  The cheddar is a bit better, but both leave much to be desired.

I did like the frozen fish fillets. Their texture and taste was quite good actually. Oh, you could tell it wasn't really fish, and to be honest I don't eat that kind of fish anyways.  I have always preferred (except in restaurants) to have my fish as natural as possible. With just a light dusting of flour if anything and usually lightly baked, rather than fried. There is nothing to compare to that.

Earlier this week I wanted to buy a cauliflower but could not find one that was not bruised or damaged or old.  And so I went without.  I do find myself missing all of the beautiful fresh produce that was available to me in the U.K.  

I think here in the Valley, we are at the end of the food chain. All of the good stuff goes further up the province, and to Halifax.  Most of what we have available to us is very sad looking to say the least.  But, as I say, I shall persevere.

I can easily do without meat, but the thought of doing without eggs and dairy causes me problems. I am not sure I can do it.

 

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The programs which I have watched this week really have opened my eyes as far as the meat industry is concerned. Mind you they were about meat production in the States, but I do not think that Canada can be much different. It is probably the same everywhere.  A lot of it was quite thoroughly disgusting, and heartbreaking to say the least.  And the impact on our health and environment because of it all is unacceptable.  And all for the love of money and profits.

I think we need to move towards a more whole foods, less processed, way of eating, and that is my goal at any rate. We shall see how that goes!

 

All the week long I have been enjoying All Creatures Great and Small.  What a lovely show. I had started to watch it in the past, but hadn't kept up with it, so I started it again from the beginning.  Such a good show and I love love the scenery in it.  It reminded me very much of the holidays I took up there when I was in the U.K.  Such a beautiful part of England it is. 

Rolling hills, small country villages, winding roads, and fields full of sheep wherever you look.  I could have easily coped with living there, or in the Lake District.  

One day we took a bus trip on a vintage bus across the Dales. It was one of my favorite things that we did. Mind you I loved Scotland also.

I think I just loved the U.K.  I never did get to Ireland, or any of the Islands, but I am sure I would have loved them also.

 

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I had such a lovely chat with my friend Jo earlier this week.  It was so nice to have a catch up with each other.  She was the lady who was the Housekeeper at the Manor when I first went to work there.  She became a very good friend, even after she left the Manor to go work and live elsewhere.  When we were leaving the Manor to go back to Chester she came down and helped me to clean the cottage and get it ready to leave.  Such a kind thing for her to do, and I really appreciated it. She and her husband are very good people.  We had such a great time talking and catching up on the going's on in our lives of recent months. We had not spoken since before Christmas. Of course we keep up with each other via Facebook, etc., but its nice to do a facetime every now and then as well.

(from my desk calendar)

I have been blessed in this life to have some very good friends and I am so grateful for each and every one of them.  I may not have a lot of them, but the ones that I have are very good friends.  Lifelong friends.  Some going back as far as my childhood.  I have three of those, and a handful of very special people that have become my close friends in adulthood.  None of us live all that close to each other, but thanks to the blessing of modern technology we are able to stay in touch often and visually. That is a good thing.  I treasure each of them.  They know who they are.

OF course my sister is my best friend of all. She has ever been so.  We had our moments when we were girls where we would fight and argue. That is only normal, but as adults we love each other very much and appreciate each other. My sister has always been a voice of reason for me.  I know that I can rely on her advice when it comes to anything. She will never give me a bum steer. Never.  I wish I could do as much for her as she does for me.

You cannot outgive a giver.  She has always been a giver.  A kind hearted person who would do just about anything for anyone. When we were children she was the one who cared for the bird with the broken wing, etc. She just has a good, good heart. She exemplifies the love of Christ in a way that would put a lot of so called "Christian" people to shame.  We could all stand to be a lot more like her.

 

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This photograph made me laugh. Is it just me or do these two Cardinals look like the grumpiest Cardinals ever.  The expression on their faces just brought a smile to my face. She looks long suffering and he looks very bossy.  In a way he reminds me of my ex husband, the father of my children. Controlling and bossy.  All was not right in that kingdom, and yet we had all those lovely children.  I am grateful for them, even the ones who are estranged.  I live in hope.

 

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We lost our power for several hours the other afternoon.  Fortunately it was not as cold out on that day as it has been since. I was going to lay back in my easy boy and read, but then realized my easy boy is electric so there would be no laying back. I had just got stuck into my book when Sheila knocked on my door to say was my power out. I had gone online on my phone and was able to tell her what the problem was and when it could be expected to come back on.

While it was out Nutmeg dumped their water fountain all over the carpet, so I had to clean that up and lock the fountain up because he would not leave it alone. He kept batting at it, wondering why the water wasn't coming out I suppose. They both love their fountain very much.  I was, thankfully, able to get it going again once the power came back on, but I had to fiddle with it a bit.

Then there was the power supply to the Xbox.  When the power came back on there was this loud humming noise. I thought to myself, oh no, don't tell me my television is  up the shoot!  But thankfully it was only the power supply to the Xbox.  I have a brand new one ready to attach but need some help doing so. I unplugged the old one altogether, as I was afraid it would start a fire or something. The fan was wonky on it and so my son had left it all unscrewed and open so that it wouldn't overheat.  I do need to get it sorted as the Xbox is also my DVD player.   I will figure it out.  I just need to be able to pull out my electric fireplace and get in behind.

Anyways, I did not have time to get bored while the power was out, between the cats and Sheila, etc. I was kept hopping!

 

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I love the look of this rocking chair. It is not as traditional as an all wooden rocking chair might be, but it looks very comfortable.  I would love to have a rocking chair.  Mom had a glider rocker that was sat by her front window. It still is. Mom used to love to sit there and look out at the yard. To watch the cars going by, the birds in the lilac bush, etc.  There is something very comforting about sitting in a rocking chair. I suppose it might remind us of when we were babes being rocked in our mother's arms.  Could that be it?  Maybe  . . . 

 

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February is the month of love.  There are many kinds of love. I think my days of Romantic love are long over now, but I am grateful for the opportunity I had to live and experience it.  Romantic love is fleeting for the most part and if you are one of the lucky few who has managed to keep it alive, then you are very blessed indeed. 

The Greeks had several words for love, helping them to distinguish through the different types.

• Eros: This is the type of love that is often portrayed in movies and novels. It is characterized by passion and desire, and is often associated with physical attraction. 
•  Philia: This type of love is based on friendship and mutual respect. It is often seen in long-term relationships, where the partners have a deep understanding and appreciation of each other. 
•  Storge: This is the type of love that exists between family members. It is characterized by a deep sense of affection and loyalty. 
•  Agape: This is a selfless type of love that is often associated with religious or spiritual beliefs. It is characterized by a deep sense of compassion and empathy for others. 
•  Ludus: This is a playful type of love that is often seen in the early stages of a relationship. It is characterized by a sense of fun and excitement. 
•  Pragma: This is a practical type of love that is often seen in long-term relationships. It is characterized by a sense of commitment and dedication. 
•  Philautia: This is a type of love that is directed towards oneself. It can be either healthy or unhealthy, depending on the degree of self-love.

My brother is always talking about "Love Language."   Apparently there are five. I am not so touchy feely when it comes to love. I am a giver.  I show my love for others by giving.  A plate of cookies, something they have admired or need, etc.  I guess that is my love language.  What do you think yours is?

And with that I best end this as I am supposed to be going shopping with Cindy this morning, and its getting late!

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

 ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

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

 *.˛.At two o’clock in the morning, 

if you open your window and listen, 

You will hear the feet of the Wind 

that is going to call the sun. 

And the trees in the Shadow rustle 

and the trees in the moonlight glisten, 

And though it is deep, dark night, 

you feel that the night is done.

~Rudyard Kipling•。★★ 。* 。

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Vintage Lemon Drizzle Cake. Seriously delicious. Simple and yet anything but simple.  

I hope you have a beautiful weekend, no matter what you get up to. Stay safe and be happy. Be blessed. Don't forget!

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And I do too!