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 ross 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 Jacques, Life

My Kitchen Window, 1942

Oh how I love the words of this poem. This is me, how I observe and see life.  I notice the Divine in all that surrounds me and constantly give thanks for His generosity. Imagine, every snowflake totally different from the rest, each flower's petal, each grain of sand.  Unique.  It is the same with us. We are all unique, even identical twins have something, some small thing,  which differentiates one from the other. We are each of us a special unique creation. Each petal of a daisy, unique as well as the same. The magnitude of it all both astonishes and humbles me. Who could plan such a thing, and yet  . . .  it was planned.

 

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Have you ever stood in a Bamboo forest?  It is an amazing experience.  The bamboo gently sways back and forth in the breeze each stick of bamboo gently hitting the one next to it, making gentle knocking sounds, leaves rustling.  I got to experience it when we were in the south of France.  We went to a Buddhist monastery. It was very calming. One of my life's greatest experiences.

The monks were so generous and kind also. We had asked for a drink of water and this monk came to the car with a box filled with soft drinks and water. We offered to pay for them but he would take nothing for it.

If you would like to hear what a Bamboo Forest sounds like, you can listen here. 

 

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Our clocks spring forward tonight.  A sure sign that Spring is in the offing. I am not a huge fan of time change, as you know. I think this one is the harder one to cope with. Losing an hour. It seems to take me longer and longer to recover every year! I am not sure why that should be. It is only an hour.

There is a part of me that wishes they could just leave it the same and stop the changing back and forth. 

My friend in the U.K has spawn in her pond already.  It will not be long before we see it here. We seem to run only a few weeks behind in that way. 

The sound of "kneedeeps," their little voices calling back and forth will be next. As dusk falls . . .  piping, peeping, questing little voices. Only a few at first, then others answering like little children calling back and forth to each other. The voices of spring. It won't be long now . . .  a mere few weeks that will pass like a flash.  Please . . . can someone try to lasso the moon and hold time still?

 

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I am picking Eileen and Tim up this afternoon, taking them out for a supper to celebrate Tim's achievements at the Canadian Winter Special Olympics.  I am sure he will have lots to share with me about all of the things he experienced. I am pleased for him and proud. This  will have been a wonderful experience for him. His very first one like this. His mother was able to go out West with him. I know how proud she must have felt when he was getting his medals.  I know how I felt about Eileen when she got hers in Idaho back in 2009.

The Special Olympics is such a wonderful organization, and these adult's lives are so blessed by it. It is one of the kindnesses in the world that I like to dwell on and be grateful for. A celebration of individuality and uniqueness, and yes, great achievements.  

Cindy and I had such fun meeting all of the kittens the other day.  This is one of the males. Cindy and Dan are getting him also. His name is Sully.  He's adorable.  I love his little white bib and boots. He will be a great companion for Gus. 

I am feeling sorry for the little ginger male that is left. He was so personable and such a jaunty little chappie. I cannot have another cat however. I am sure he will get a good home.  They are all lovely kittens and so very well cared for.

 

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I got mine a little twittering mouse thingie at Giant Tiger a few weeks back. They really love it.  It has a long elasticized string that is attached to a hook to go over a door, but it is not long enough to put over a door realistically.  What I do is pull it around the house and it twitters as I drag it back and forth. They especially love it if I pull it under the quilt at the end of my bed and love to attack it as it moves its way across beneath the blanket. Especially Cinnamon. She is my mouser.  And a very good one at that.

Very quick on her feet, but then she is the tiny one. Nutmeg has a lot more girth and is heavier. I suspect that they work in tandem. He seems to sit back and watch and then jumps in and she sits back.  They don't seem to work together at the same time.

Its all quite interesting.

 

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I have a somewhat quiet morning planned for myself today. I will be puttering.  Probably doing laundry, vacuuming, dusting, etc.  I might do a bit of cookery, maybe make some soup, but not much because I am out later for a meal.

I love puttering days.  Homemaking days. They are my favorites.

I need to order some ant traps because as soon as the weather warms up I know they will be marching through my house. I really don't like them at all. I hope I don't have a problem like I had last year. That was really distressing to me. My house is so small that when they do show up, its really unnerving.  They have nowhere to go but here all around me. That, I do not like, not one bit.

 

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I've been enjoying the new season of Somebody Feed Phil this week. I want his job.  Not really, I couldn't handle the travel, but for those who can, what a wonderful job that would be to get to travel around the world enjoying the cuisine. 

In the episodes I have watched thus far he has been to Mumbai, Washington, DC., Kyoto and then last night he was in Iceland.  He has met some really fascinating people and eaten some really tasty looking food as well.  Of course, not everything is to my taste, but I find it all very interesting.

I think my favorite place so far has been Kyoto.  What a beautiful city and so relaxed. A fascinating mix of the present and the past.

 

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I've also been watching Love is Blind, the latest series (number 6) on Netflix. I have been a fan since the first series, but I have seen a great decline in the quality of people that are involved. I think there has been a real increase in the type of people who are just looking to become famous and who are not really all that invested in this experience.  

Especially this last series. I think they need to vet the participants better, and pick people who are genuinely invested in finding someone to share their life with, in a happily forever-after. Some of these women in this series have been really hurt and disappointed.  I see it. Not so much the men, but then maybe the men are just better at hiding their feelings.

Maybe this is a show that has run its course. Most shows have an expiry date and perhaps this one has reached its. But when it was at its height, I thought it was very good. I sometimes go back and watch the earlier ones. It was so nice to watch these people falling in love.

I am a person who believes in love. I may not have been able to find it for myself, but I know it exists. I believe in it,  and I am very happy for those who have been able to find it.

 I would like to see a Love is Blind series with older, more experienced people. People who really know what they are looking for in a partner and life. No, I am not volunteering to go on it. That ship has well and truly sailed.  I am saying a firm NO to romantic love, blind or otherwise.

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

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

*Be a lamp, or a lifeboat,
or a ladder.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
~Rumi° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Browned Butter Frosted Cashew Cookies. Oh my goodness. What more can I say! You need to try these!

I hope you have a beautiful weekend. Don't forget to put your clocks ahead tonight. Be safe. Be blessed. Be happy. 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!