Wednesday 14 August 2024

Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

 

I had a meal like this on a train one time.  It was lovely and felt so elegant.  That was back in the day when people used to get dressed up to go on an airplane. Everything was much more sophisticated.  There was none of the casualness of today.  There is a part of me that kind of misses that.  People treating special things as if they are special.  Dressing up to take a journey, or to go to visit a friend.  It helps to turn the ordinary into the sacred.  We have become so complacent and careless about things today. Of course that is just  my opinion.



I got a lovely Birthday package in the post yesterday from Elaine.  Her packages are always "events!"  Everything so beautiful wrapped you almost hate to unwrap them.  They delight from the outside in.  Even Cinnamon was greatly intrigued. I think it was the ribbons that she was mostly intrigued with, but we all have our priorities do we not!



She really spoilt me, Elaine did.  Not only was each gift beautifully wrapped but inside were things carefully curated from my favorite things. A lovely embroidered apron, Vera the Mouse, a whistle mug, paper dolls, embroidered pillow slips, Andy Rooney, new dresses for Diadamey and Althea, a beautiful brooch and a sweet bumble bee covered dish towel. 

I tried to unwrap each one with care, working hard not to rip the beautiful wrapping paper, but in the end I could not. It ripped, but I did save all of the ribbons. I love ribbons.



And of course there was a beautiful card made by her friend Paula.  Paula makes the most beautiful cards. I love them.


In the end though it wasn't about the wrapping paper, or the ribbons, or the card or even what was inside, it was about the love and care of a much treasured friend. A friend who loves me.  I was very humbled by everything and so grateful to be so loved. Thank you Elaine, from the bottom of my heart.



They both enjoyed all the fuss as well.   They like to be in on everything.



And Nutmeg really enjoyed all of the paper. I was able to salvage some of it.


 



I did get some lovely cards. I always keep all of my cards.  I love getting cards.  They are also great tokens of love.  If someone cares enough to send a card. They care.  That means a lot to me.




My friend Carolyn from the UK sent me a lovely bag.  I think it will be great for taking things back and forth to places like church.




My beautiful Toadstool house  . . .  


Cindy and I had a quick trip out in the afternoon, to go to the bank and post office, and then we took a jaunt to the Spurr's Farm Market.  I spoilt myself buying my favorite sourdough olive bread, some tiny plums and an apple bake.



I spoilt myself again for supper by making another one of those bread and cheese omelet sandwiches and some cheeky chips in the air fryer, AND I enjoyed them with copious amounts of ketchup!



And more  cake  . . .  


I hope you know. I had a good day.  A very good day.  I wish now that I had dressed up for it.


 

I am not sure why, but this photograph made me think  of my sister and myself.  It just made me smile. I love having a sister who is my best friend, but you already know that.  I cannot help repeating myself.



I thought this was very interesting the other day.  Sometimes I am lazy and have a tv dinner.  This was a day when I had not much time to cook a proper dinner. The box looked very appealing. The inside, not so much.  It actually kind of looked like someone had already eaten it and spewed it out. 'Nuff said. Needless to say. I felt cheated. And I couldn't bring myself to eat it.  That's another $6 that I won't get back. You get what you pay for I guess. Serves me right.  I had a bowl of cereal instead and probably enjoyed it a lot more.



My Washi Tapes and stickers arrived that I had ordered a month or so ago.  Pre-blog drama. I like to use them in my journaling and in my letters when I write them. It always brings me great joy to make things pretty.  Do you remember when you could buy boxes of pretty stationary?  I have not seen boxes of pretty stationary in a very long time. I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to stationary and stickers and washi tapes.  (We won't talk about the fabric and the yarn  . . .  or the paints, lol)


Today I am going to try to do a new video.  We will see how that goes.  It will be a surprise.  I hope.  Even though I am not entirely comfortable in front of the camera, I do enjoy making the videos. I think a lot of the reason I feel uncomfortable is because I don't feel that I am all that attractive and so many people these days are quite so.  You see all of these influencers and they are young and thin and very attractive, and even the ones that are not so thin are very attractive. I am not.  My sister was always the pretty one and I am not saying that because I want anyone to feel sorry for me. I am what I am! I look too much like my father.  My sister always took after my mother more.  


But doing these videos is helping me to feel more confident in my own skin, and that is not a bad thing. I can only do me.  I feel if I wore more makeup I would look a bit like a clown.  I would feel like a clown anyways.  I am happy with a bit of mascara and my eyebrows. Both my eyelashes and eyebrows have faded away to almost non-existent these days and so I need a bit of help there.  And of course there is the matter of my hair.  I have really let it go, and I know I need to do something about it.  I am just not entirely sure what.  In all honesty I am not a person who likes to fuss a lot with my hair. I am a wash and go person and I don't like it hanging in my face at all.  That drives  me crazy . . .  to have anything hanging in my face.  I see messy buns and I think I would love to be able to wear a messy bun and feel good about it.  I would instead just feel "messy."  It will all sort itself out in the wash.


 

I watched a bit more of that movie last night. Luckiest Girl Alive.  I found it a bit triggering and I am not sure   don't think that I will finish it. I am sorry I suggested that anyone watch it.  Just know that she really isn't the luckiest girl alive and the film is not about anything nice.


 

If I can afford to next year I am going to have someone plant my front garden with pansies.  I love pansies.  They have such happy faces.  Pansies and Sweet Peas. They are two of my favorite flowers.  Actually I would love to have a cottage garden, with new things that come up all the summer long as the old things die down. I would get rid of those tiger lilies altogether. They are not my favorite flower at all. A lady down the way has her whole front planted in brown eyed Susan's and they are so cheerful. She also has a very vibrant blue clematis that is gorgeous.  Mr. Whitman on the right hand next to me has a lovely garden also, planted with marigolds, pansies, etc.  Very nice.

 


I cannot wait for Susan Branch to write a new Willard now that she has moved back to California. I will miss visiting with her in Martha's Vineyard, but this new adventure she is on is sure to be just as exciting, in a different way.  I love everything she does.  I have been trying to get her calendar for 2025 without any success.  Sigh  . . .  I will keep trying.

And with that I will let you go now and leave you with a thought for the day.

A thought to carry with you  . . .

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

 *.˛.°All dreams are within reach
all you have to do is keep
moving towards them.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •


Croissant Hot Dogs


In The English Kitchen today  . . .  a very naughty Croissant Hot Dog.  As if hot dogs are not naughty enough, I had to go and stick one in a croissant. Tsk Tsk   Naughty but very nice.


I hope you have a lovely Wednesday.  Supper out with dad here tonight. I wonder what the specials will be?  Something good I hope.  In any case, enjoy your day and never forget!


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And I do too!    

   

19 comments:

  1. Every time Elaine send you something..I SEE the care and how well she knows you..Those are all some of your favorite things:) Very kind and thoughtful:)
    The bag the cards..the toadstool..all fun:)I cannot stand hair on my face either and its long.I rarely leave it all down.I usually pin the top up from the sides.I find long hair is very little maintenance,I cut it myself and don't color it since covid.As far as makeup goes I love it:) Not a lot.But it makes me feel gooder lol yes gooder.I like being put together:)Have fun with your video..We watched Eileen last night on Prime..need new shows to watch..Unsettling to say the least that Eileen movie.

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    1. She really does put a lot of care into it. I am so blessed to have her as a friend. I hope I am as much of a blessing back, but I can tell you my wrapping skills pale in comparison! Oh, I will have to look up Eileen on Prime! I used to wear makeup all the time, but I find now I just don't have the same drive to do so as I did. I think I lost a bit of wind from my sails with what happened. Perhaps in time I will gain it back! xoxo

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    2. PS when I said that dyed hair on older women looked fake I meant on older women with dark hair. I think blondes look alright, there is really not much difference in the color. But with dark hair, the roots show up almost right away and the hair just has a bit of a funny color. I can't describe it. A washed out looking color, unless it is done professionally I guess! You always look beautiful!

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    3. Im washed out lol..but still some brown here and there.. I find with my more silver than beige highlights I need to add bronzer and blush:):):

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    4. I think you are just beautiful. Even when I was young I was not as beautiful as you are now. And your daughters are both beautiful as well. Good genes! xo

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  2. We love train travel, have been on Via The Canadian twice across the country and back, meals are delicious. What a lovely day you had for your birthday, wonderful present in the mail, delightful cards, cake and a good time. You are 'you'nique and must continue to be you, not what someone else perceives by adding makeup etc. We love you the way you are. Enjoy dinner out tonight with the wonderful company.

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    1. I would love to take a train trip once more before I die. So much fun. I wonder if I could talk my sister into going with me? Thanks so much Linda! xoxo

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  3. Very disturbing to buy a readymade meal and find it nearly inedible!! I had hoped to find a couple of kinds we can eat for those days I simply do not feel like cooking. So far, with 1 yet to try, am batting zero. I did find some very good cauliflower chicken nuggets that my husband loves, so that is helpful...at least takes less time to put that sort of meal together. We live in a time when few take much pride in a job well done, no matter what kind of job it is!
    Elizabeth xoxo

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    1. It was really disgusting Elizabeth and reminded me why I don't buy them usually! I couldn't make myself eat it! Cauiflower chicken nuggets. Those sound good. xoxo

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  4. Loved seeing the montage you put together of the gifts. You deserve to be spoiled on your birthday. Enjoy your dinner with your dad, Hazel and Cindy. Keep celebrating! Love and hugs, Elaine (in Toronto)

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    1. Thanks so much Elaine. You really made me feel very spoiled. I am looking forward to my dinner out tonight! Love and hugs, xoxo

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  5. What lovely gifts you’ve received! You are a special, deserving birthday girl, enjoy. You are delightful and charming in your videos, I think that what people enjoy and appreciate…don’t change a thing. And, hey, we all need a small bit of make-up these days, as we age….just a ilttle! Have a happy Wednesday! Best, V.

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    1. Thanks very much V. I had a really nice day. Quiet but nice. xoxo

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  6. The way Elaine treats her friend says a lot about her. She is gold. Angharad

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    1. She surely is. I am so blessed to call her friend. She is a treasure. xoxo

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  7. Marie, the fact that so many social media videos are by super-young, super-thin, and often very made up young women is exactly the reason I feel such a disconnect with most of them. Among the few older women who post, even some of them tend to focus on cosmetics. I think there is a large audience of older women out there, or at least a potential audience, who would dearly love to see and listen to someone they could relate to. Please don't feel the need to change a thing! And once again - Happy Birthday!

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    1. Thank you so much Becky! I so appreciate! xoxo

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  8. I enjoy all the pretty pictures. Your cats are adorable.

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