All Things Nice . . .

 

(source)

I was a child -- not long ago

I heard the pipes from Elfland blow,

And waded brooks and little streams,

Lived half the day in golden dreams,

Chased butterflies across the moors,

And loved the blessed out-of-doors.

Made daisy chains and ran tip-toe

To find the place where shadows go;

Watched from a window tall and thin

To see my father's ship come in,

Picking it's dainty right-o-way

Down the blue waters of the Bay.

Went with the others to explore

The little coves along the shore,

Poked sticks at sea anemones,

Made little houses in the trees,

And ate our lunches crisp and sweet,

With sand piled up to warm our feet.

We let our childish fancies weave

A lovely world of make-believe,

Where fairies lived and saucy elves

Danced in the moonlight by themselves,

Among the fern and lacy shade

A pair of playful moon-beams made.

They tell me -- those who really know,

That in the fields of long ago,

The fairies still hold happy jinks,

Among the daffodils and pinks,

And children -- if they're very good,

Catch glimpses of them in the wood.

~Edna Jaques, I Was a Child.

Hills of Home, 1946

When I read this poem this morning I was immediately taken back to my childhood, which really doesn't seem all that long ago but was more than sixty years ago now. It seems just like yesterday in my mind, but the calendar says differently.  

In many ways I am so grateful that I had the childhood that I did, un-touched by most modern technology.  I had freedom to go and to explore the woodland surrounding our small community, to take long bicycle rides out into the countryside, to chase fireflies and think that they were fairies  . . .  so many things. 

Our toys were sticks and stones and rubber balls, and all the children in the neighborhood would gather together as groups to play games like kick the can and tag.  We skipped rope and played marbles, went swimming together at the local pool. Had sleepovers together, outdoors in tents, no grownups in sight.  For the most part our world was real and tangible . . .  and we were given free reign to use our imaginations in all things.

Saturday mornings meant cartoons on the telly, there were no cartoons at other times, and in the afternoons we would all go to the cinema  together and throw popcorn at the bad guys up on the screen, and laugh at skinny men with rotund partners doing pratfalls and looking silly.  

It was such a simple time, and yet it was the best of times. Our lives were embroidered with innocence and dreams. We believed that we could go anywhere, and be anything we wanted to be. I do not ever remember being truly afraid of anything.  Oh what a blessed childhood I had where the world was my playground and my life was filled with hope . . .  and summer's filled with the magical beautiful promise of dreams.

It is hard to believe that in just three days I will be turning 69.  How did that happen. Was it not just yesterday I was turning 10?  My life seems to have flown by in a flash. I find more and more these days it turns to the past and all of the sweet memories I have made through the years.  Of people loved, and friendships made, and of family   . . .  my sweet, sweet family.  I have been so blessed to have had mostly good people in my life.  To have grown up and lived in countries where I was safe. To have never been truly hungry or in want.  To have been and to be loved.

Oh, I have danced on the edge of what it is to be truly wealthy, richer beyond my dreams, and I can honestly say that I would never trade this little life of mine for even a portion of what they had.  Because I have had more.  I know what it is to be able to store up my treasures in heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy. I know the value of a simple life, of simple things, and simple people. I have cried and I have laughed.  I have felt anguish and pain for sure, but more than that I have felt the blessings of true gratitude and real joy. The comfort of commonality without the pressure of having to "be" anything other than who I am without the expectations of others laying heavily upon my shoulders.

The measure of grace and freedom to be just me.  Authentically and unapologetically myself. And to know that I need never be anyone else. I am fine with just who I am.

 

(source)

What joy I get from my two furry family members.  I delight in all of their antics the whole day through.  They are so fascinating.  I love how they tuck themselves under things, hiding and trying to be invisible and yet surreptitiously watchful at the same time. ( And yes, I am surprised that I spelled that correctly the first time. It gives me hope for this brain that can often forget what I am talking about in the middle of a sentence.)

I think that the tunnel I bought for them was the best chunk of change that I have ever spent. They spend hours in it, on it, around it.  Sleeping, chasing, playing.  It will be one place when I go to bed at night and somewhere else entirely when I get up in the morning, a clear indication of how much play has gone on the night before when I have been sound asleep.  That and their ribbon wand. Those are their two favorite toys. Simple things which bring them great pleasure and which also bring me joy when I see them enjoying them as they do.

It really is the simple things that bring us the most joy, both in the animal kingdom and in ours.

(source)

Summer is passing. It is hard to believe that we are almost at the middle of August. The shops here are filled with back-to-school supplies and yet it seems that only yesterday the school year ended.  Such an exciting time for the kiddies.  But we have at least a few more weeks to enjoy summer pleasures, and for that I am grateful.  The nights are drawing in a bit more and it is staying dark a bit longer in the mornings. I am not sorry about that. I love feeling cosy in my home at night with the curtains drawn, and lingering in bed a bit longer in the mornings. Without the daylight there is no rush to bounce out of bed and begin the day.

The hummingbirds are visiting in clusters now.  Chasing each other in an attempt to exert their dominance on the feeder.  Great aerial battles are being fought in front of my windows. I love to watch them.  So do the cats. Such sweet little creatures they are but ferocious at the same time. The little downy woodpecker who visits cares not that they dart about. He just drinks and drinks and drinks, until he has had his fill and then he swoops off to the trees across the way.  

Nature is so entertaining and such a blessing to our lives, most of the time anyways. That is unless a hurricane or other catastrophe is bearing down upon us, but we won't think about that this morning.

 

(source)

What a learning process this making videos is for me. I am not sure I will ever get it quite right but I will keep trying. Admittedly it has taken a lot of courage.  I am a shy person by nature and showing myself, "warts and all" as my late friend Angie would have said, has not been easy. It takes at least an hour to look as good as I do in my videos.  haha  Seriously though. I need to straighten my hair and then put make-up on.  I do not wear make-up all the time these days and have reached an age where I need to draw my eye brows on and put on mascara to make my eyelashes show up. Like me, they are fading away  . . .  Oh, I wish my body was fading away, haha. (Just remember the camera adds 10 pounds.)

We are surrounded by altered images in the media and the pressure is certainly there to look a certain way. Agism does exist. But I can only be me.  And I think it is good to present myself as I am, authentically and unfiltered. What you see is what you get. 

I do like to teach people how to do things, and to share my knowledge.  I also like to have a bit of fun as I am doing it.  I think it is good to be able to laugh at yourself a bit and not take yourself too seriously. 

I need to make more than just sandwiches however.  And so I am hard at work thinking about what my next video could be. I am not good at splicing more than one video together.  The one where I did that I ended up with the first half in landscape and the latter half in portrait.  If I actually cook something, it will involve making several videos and splicing them together.  Another learning curve to get it just right.  But, I think I am up to it! I can but try.

I also want to do other videos however, perhaps on the challenges of finding oneself living alone after a certain age and how I cope with it, etc.  We shall see. How much of myself do I  really want to expose?

 

(source)

It rained cats and dogs yesterday and that of course brought ants back into the house. Ants are the bane of my existence here.  Without a basement, they have no place to go but right into my living area. Yesterday it was small red ants.  Oh, I am so like my mother in that I cannot abide insects in my home.  I think I vacuumed two or three times yesterday, hoping to such them up.   I know, futile as they will just crawl out again.  

Well, to be honest, I only found one crawling on my arm and I slapped that critter to death.  But you know when it comes to ants where there is one there are others.  As least that is my way of thinking.

I took half of the sandwiches I had made over to Sheila next door and she was most appreciative.  I can see her declining quickly now. I am not sure how old she is, in her late 80's perhaps.  She walks a bit slower and is hunching over.  On days that it doesn't rain, my mother's friend Will walks up and down the street with her walker, which is  nice to see her getting out and about.  Then there is another gal who uses Nordic walking sticks as she goes up and down.  The new lady who moved in across from me appears to have no mobility problems at all. I have even seen her running whilst holding her wee doggie, and I have wished to myself, "Oh that I could only run like that."

It is hard not to see what is going on. I promise you I am not being nosy.  

Well, I have run out of things and thoughts to share with you now.  Some days I am more talkative than others it seems.  Well my fingers do most of my talking anyways.  I need to talk out loud more, perhaps another reason why doing videos will be good for me. I do talk to the cats, but there is very little feedback, lol

A thought to carry with you . . .

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

You can make a difference,
wherever you are. It begins

with a decision and defined purpose.

~ Lailah Gifty Akita 

(Things are not lining up this morning. The mysteries of the internet. I must have touched something.)

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Peanut Butter Cup Ritz Crackers. Such a simple thing. Quick and easy to make and oh so tasty. I wish the grandsons were around to eat them up!

I hope you have a beautiful weekend. As usual I will be taking tomorrow off, going to church, etc.  Whatever you get up to this weekend, stay safe and be happy!  Don't forget!

═══════════ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ═══════════ 

⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════  

And I do too!