All Things Nice . . .

 

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Tomorrow may bring me a hundred ills,

But oh today is sweet,

With a small wind coming from God knows where

And travelling up the street,

Teasing the doors and the window sills,

Then travelling back to the quiet hills.

Tomorrow may bring me a grief to bear

But today is bright as dawn,

With a sky decked out in an azure cloak,

And a hill with a new dress on,

Crisp and green as a lettuce leaf,

With dandelion buttons in gold relief.

Tomorrow may rob me of all I own,

But today I will have my joy,

A table set with a yellow cloth,

And the fun of a year-old boy,

Playing around on polished floors,

Coaxing his mother to come out of doors.

Tomorrow is part of the great unknown,

But this morning is mine to hold,

And I'll cherish each moment with jealous care,

Like a miser hoarding his gold,

Savor its goodness and sip its wine

Making its moments forever mine.

~Edna Jacques, A Day At A Time

The Golden Road, 1953

As I am fond of saying, every day may not be a good day, but there is something good in every day.  I make it my goal every day to find it, and no surprise there . . .  I do. I think that is the secret to having a good and happy life. I really do.  Seeking out the blessings and the positive in every day. 

That's not to say that bad things don't happen.  As you well know, they do and often. Such is life.  I just try to rise above the negative as best as I can and to dwell on the goodness which is found in each day that is mine to hold. For me, each day is a gift that I try not to take for granted.

 

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Autumn weeks are ticking by, and the days are slowly creeping shorter. Samhain (Sah-wane) is the third and final festival in the Celtic calendar, the final harvest festival and the beginning of Winter.  Gradually at first, and then seemingly suddenly we find ourselves embraced by the darkness.

This weekend, here in North America at least, the clocks move back an hour in an attempt to grab hold of more of the light during the day. I know they went back an hour last weekend in Europe. I often wish that this changing of the clocks would not occur twice a year like it does, but I am not the one who makes such decisions. I just go with the flow, even if it does mess with my internal clock.

Too often, darkness is associated with negativity.  It is true that the limited hours of daylight and the lack of sunshine can take their toll, but a simple shift in mindset can help to allay the negativity, to reclaim the time and to savor the darkness in whichever way that we can.  There is much magic to be found in a winter's day, and it is all a matter of perspective and the way we look at it.  

When I was a child, I was able to find the magic and awe in Autumn and then Winter and by remembering those childlike pleasures I still am able to take it in with awe.  The pure unadulterated magic of the changing trees, first frosts with their crystal-like beauty, fairy tale mushrooms and toadstools, bare branches and red berries.

There is something about the progressive autumn that invites us to slow down and to look around, drinking in its many pleasures.  Perhaps it is because of its fleeting beauty which changes and evolves with each day that passes, or maybe it is our inner clocks, reacting to the waning light.  There is something about this time of year which encourages us to slow down and to take stock before we hunker down for the coming Winter. We begin to crave comfort.  Warm blankets. Log fires. Candlelight. Soups, stews . . . wooly cardigans and socks.

 

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Time in the kitchen soothes the soul.  I do miss having a window in my kitchen that I can stand in front of and look out as I go about my chores, but it is what it is, and I still find much pleasure within its walls.  A bubbling pot of jam, squash or pumpkin roasting in the oven, warming stews and soups, hot pots, risottos, pasta bakes, pies . . . an endless list of comfort foods to feed the soul, tantalize the tastebuds and warm the tummy as the wind whistles down the chimney. Autumn feasts.

I like to make my evenings special, even though I am very much on my own, with just myself and the cats. I light candles and turn on the fairy lights.  Put on some quiet and comforting music and curl up on the sofa with a good book to read. One cat nestled into my side and the other one guarding the sofa behind my head.  I am surrounded by the quiet chirps and purrs of blessed contentment. How can I not do likewise.

Corners of contentment. I surround myself with corners of contentment. Small things which bring me joy.  Fairy lights, candles, treasured gifts from friends. Sparks of color in the darkness, which light my heart and my home.  It's a simple thing . . . 

I got the gift of a small pouch in the post yesterday, all the way from my dear friend Tatiana in Greece.  Several small hand bound notebooks, some stationary, an envelope filled with stickers and other treasures and most beautiful of all a luscious letter, handwritten in her most beautiful script.  What a surprise and a treasure. I will be writing her a nice long letter in return. 

We have been friends now for many years, back to my Oak Cottage Days at the Manor.  I was blessed to have her come and spend time with me in Chester several times. She is hoping soon to open an Etsy shop and will soon be giving workshops at home, etc. in bookbinding and calligraphy to help support her income. I will be sure to share the details, at least of the Etsy shop, when it happens. 

She is caring now for her aging parents in their home. She's had to cut back on work hours and is now also working from home rather than in the office. What a gift to her parents.  Every elderly person should be so blessed.  I know it is a true labor of love and often a thankless job. It takes a special person to do such a labor, and I know from my heart that Tatiana is just such a special person.

And through it all, she still thinks of others. Thank you so much Tatiana for thinking of me.

 

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I was able to get my Winter tires put on my car yesterday. It took quite a bit longer than usual and cost a bit more than I had planned, but it is done now. Three of the tires were leaking air so they had to be completely broken apart and resealed, plus the valves were leaking so those needed replacing. Also, there was quite a bit of corrosion built up on the wheel mount surfaces and on the hubs that needed to be cleaned off. All this took time and labor.  But all is well now, and the tires are on for another season and I am grateful that I was able to pay for it. Whew!  (And that I did not need to buy new tires!)

There will be a service of Remembrance this afternoon for my friend Aileen who passed away a week ago. I will be driving to the chapel with Glenna and a few other ladies.  Aileen was very much beloved by all and there is expected to be quite a large number in attendance. It is always sad to say farewell to friends and family in this way.  They are not gone, not really. They have just gone on ahead. One day we will all catch up and what a glorious reunion that will be. That is my belief anyways. And a blessed hope it is.

So, no video this week.  That's okay. I will make up for it next week.  

Also please continue to hold my brother David up in your prayers and our friend Ginny (of the tea cozy fame) who is recovering from a recent operation. I hope she does not mind me sharing. Please keep them both in your happy thoughts and heart.

 

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I have not made my mind up yet about taking the blog to private or not.  I think perhaps the simplest thing would be to stop allowing anonymous commenting, which would mean that everyone would need to have a google account to comment. This is not a hard thing for people to do. It just means opening up a google mail account.  At least I think that is what it means.  If anyone knows any differently, please enlighten me?   At least then the perpetrator will not be able to hide behind the keyboard of anonymity. It is quite easy to bully people if you think they will never find out who you are. It is quite cowardly actually.  But our world is full of bullies in one way or another.  It is a simple part of life that we need to learn to ignore.

And with that I best leave you with a thought for the day and the weekend . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★★ 。* 。

° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚

˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛

˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*.˛.°There is always time

for gratitude and° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

new beginnings.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •° * 。 • ˚ 

New in the Kitchen today, White Texas Sheet Cake.  Flavored with almond and vanilla and covered with a lush vanilla/almond frosting and plenty of toasted flaked almonds, this is a very moist and delicious cake.

I hope that you have a beautiful weekend filled to overflowing with warmth, all things nice, a multitude of blessings, and the people that you love.  Don't forget to put your clocks back tonight! Whatever you get up to, don't forget!

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And I do too!