All Things Nice . . .

 

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I am a part of all that I have been;

The hawthorn's shade, the robins wistful note,

I have the bitter berries in my heart,

The robin's happy message in my throat.

Just as a tree is part of all the sun

That ever shone upon its smallest leaf,

So is my heart a living manuscript

of all that I have known of joy or grief.

I am the laughter of the waking spring.

The pulse-beat of a root below the ground,

The small hands of a vine against a wall,

a clump of tangled willows closely bound.

I am a part of all the friends I've known,

The love I've shared, their laughter and their tears,

The seeking and the finding of a dream

The braggart's boasting and the widow's fears.

I am a part of all that I have been;

The years have multiplied the bread and wine,

The harvest waits beyond the river's brim

Where all that I have lost is truly mine.

~Edna Jacques, I Am A Part

Aunt Hattie's Place, 1941

I was posed the question the other day is there anything in my life that I would change.  Any choices I would have made differently. This required a lot of thought. Who has not made poor choices in their lives, or has things they wish that they had done differently.  At the end however, I came to the conclusion that I would not change a thing.  I would not  forego a single poor choice, mistake, or a shed tear, for to do so would also be to forego all that has also been good in my life, and all of the joys and gifts I have been given that are a direct result of those poor choices, mistakes and shed tears.

I would not be who I am now were it not for those things, and I finally like me.  Oh, for sure, I would like to be thinner, or younger looking, have thicker hair and thinner ankles, but  . . .  those are all superficial things.  The things in life which really do not matter. I have a strength of character and a tender and forgiving heart, and many other qualities I would never have developed were it not for all that I have experienced in my lifetime. So, no, given the chance I would not change a thing.

Except for maybe not eating all those cakes  . . .  😋

 

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Cindy and I got 10kg (22lb.) of sausage meat put together yesterday.  We did half apple and we did half sweet Italian. In the end we did not put any of it into casings.  Instead we just mixed it all up, taste tested it (we fry little bits in a skillet) and then divided it into small packages.  At the end of the day, we both agreed that we actually like sausage meat better outside of the casings.  Made into little meatballs or patties, crumbled and browned and stirred into sauces or casseroles, etc.  What is the point of stuffing it all into casings if we are only wanting to take it out to cook???  What point indeed  . . . 

We did have fun though. It is just fun to do something together.

We sat out on the front porch for a time and we talked and laughed and talked to Sheila next door.  We tried on false eyelashes and giggled a lot at our ineptitude at putting the things on.  In the end  we discovered that it was actually easier to put them onto our eyebrows than on our eye lids. Oh what fun we had.

 You have heard that saying about a fool and his money being soon parted?  Well, a few weeks back I kept seeing all of these ads on IG and FB about these magnetic eye lashes.  And you could get them in a variety of styles.  From the very simple and natural looking to outrageously caterpillar looking.  I was so tempted. My eyelashes are very faint. You can hardly notice them.  And so  . . .  I caved.   If you bought two pairs you got three more for free!  (That should have been my first clue.)  The videos of all the ladies putting them on looked super easy.  Just in an instant they were clipped on and looking fab. This fool parted with some of her money. 

They came a few days ago. I tried for at least an hour the first day.  They kept sticking together, etc.  I never could get them on. Not at all.  Yesterday Cindy and I tried for a while. We could not get them on either. Like I said, they were relatively simple to apply to our eyebrows, but our eye lids were not co-operating in the least.  (Cindy has beautiful thick, dark eyelashes.)

My takeaways on them were this, in order for the magnets not to show, you would need to apply dark eyeliner. I do not wear dark eyeliner.  In order to see to be able to separate them, etc. you would need to be wearing your glasses, at least my old eyes would  . . . how can I  put them on wearing glasses?  The mirror supplied to view the process in looks like tinfoil and is about as effective as looking into a tinfoil mirror.  Not good.  

A fool and his money . . .  but they provide Cindy and I with a good laugh enjoyed together.  Perhaps that means that they were worth it??? Hmmm . . .  what think you on that?

It reminded me of a time when I was very pregnant for my oldest son. I found a dress, normal sized, that I really loved. It was pink and covered with beautiful flowers. It was floaty and really pretty, silky.  With a pleated top and skinny spaghetti straps. I bought it and brought it home and then proceeded to try it on.  (What was I thinking?)  I managed to get it on, but could I get it off?  Like as heck not!  I tried everything. It was as if I had stuck my head through a stair railing and could not pull it back out afterwards. I ended up having to cut the dress off . . .  a fool and his money.

I learned something however.  Not all that seems like a good idea at the time  . . .  IS actually a good idea, lol.  You just have to laugh at yourself sometimes.

I have a confession to make here.  I like to watch shows like Love is Blind, Perfect Match, and Love Island.  I don't know why. They are full of preening, self-indulgent young people, who are scantily clad and who behave in a manner that is unbefitting most of the time, especially the latter two.  I really shouldn't like watching these kinds of shows, and yet I do.  Perhaps it is because I never had the opportunity to behave in such a way. I got married right out of school and was a mother a year later.  I did not get to preen, or explore, dress scantily or flirt. I didn't even really get to date.  I married my high school boyfriend  . . .  twice.  Perhaps this is why I like to watch these shows??? I don't really know. 

These young people are doing things I never had the chance to do and trust me when I say, I don't think I would have ever in a million years done the things I see them doing, but for some reason I like to watch them.  And I think to myself when I am watching them  . . .  uh-oh  . . .  I wouldn't do that  . . .  oh no  . . . eek . . . what is she wearing  . . . you're going about it all wrong.  It is easy to make these kinds of judgements when watching others, and a lot of the behavior I just don't "get." But still I watch. I wish them well in their endeavors to find someone to spend their lives with, but  . . .  they really ARE going about it all wrong!

The cats and I have had a very good week. They really enjoy the tunnel I bought them.  Sometimes Nutmeg will come charging in from the back room and run right through it at full speed.  Cinnamon likes me to dangle things into the cut outs on the sides and she attacks whatever it is I am dangling. I think that it was the best twenty dollars I ever spent for the joy that it is bringing them. 

I have been filling the bird feeder out front with black sunflower seed and both cats have been really enjoying watching the birds come to feed.  Mostly I just get jays, blackbirds and a couple of morning doves, but the occasional wood pecker comes and I have seen some gold finches.  The morning doves are funny. They strut back and forth across the railing.  The cats really enjoy them. I can see Cinnamon's mouth chattering away as they move back and forth. I don't fancy their (the doves) chances if the cats ever got out. A lot of feathers and fur would be flying I think.  

I put my birdbath out this week, but so far no birds are bathing or splashing in it, but I did think that with such high temperatures as we have been experiencing that they also might like a fresh source of water.

I constantly marvel at the lovely community of online friendships I have made over the years.  I do love and appreciate each of them and the things which they bring to my table.  For beauty shared, for listening ears, and for treasured advice . . .  for the love and care that they show me.  Where would I be without them, without you?  

I do believe that I have the best online friends in the world.  I have always said that and I mean it when I do.  

These friendships mean no less to me than real life friendships. We may not be able to see each other in person, and, in fact, we may never see each other in person, but we care about each other just the same. Hearts have been invested.  For the few that I have been able to meet in person, what a treasure those moments have brought into my life. 

How very wonderful it is to be able to care about, and share with, people from all the corners of the globe. We are all kindred spirits. Like goes to like I believe.  What joy is mine to have such beautiful people in my life.  I value each one a great deal.  I do believe that many of them I have discovered via our mutual love of Susan Branch.  I wonder does she know how much I appreciate her community? We meet in the comments of her Willard posts.  

I do not always comment I admit.  But I always read. She gets such lovely comments from really genuine, caring people. Kindred spirits.  They become real to me from the comments that they leave. I really should comment more myself. 

 

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I am not sure what I will get up to today  . . .  for the past three days I have said I am going to vacuum and then I haven't. So that will probably get done. Some more clearing out to fulfil my mindfulness goals perhaps.  Some laundry. A bit of work.  Perhaps I will change my bed. I hate it when the sheets get all stretched and wrinkly, so much so that no matter how much I pull them and try to tuck them back into place, they aren't having it. They are like, NOoooo  . . .  just let us play.  I cannot tame them into submission.  So I will probably change my bed.  Mom always had certain days for changing the bed.  It was always Friday.  I am a person of routine in almost every way but that way  . . . 

Maybe I will even get some sewing done!  Hope springs eternal!!  A lot depends on how well my knees behave. So far so good  . . . 

And with that I best leave you with a thought for today  . . . 

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

 *It is astonishing how short a time it takes
for very wonderful things to happen.
~Frances Burnette  ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream.  Creamy, rich and delicious. A real treat! Very nice.

I hope that you all have a beautiful weekend whatever you may get up to. It is a bit cooler today and not as humid. Good times!  Whatever you get up to, don't forget!

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And I do too!