All Things Nice . . .

 

 

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I am a part of all that I have been;

The hawthorn's shade, the robin's 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 the sun

That even 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 in 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, 1949

She "gets" my heart, this poet Edna.  No wonder I love her so. Her words always resonate in my being. Or maybe it is just that she "gets" the human experience and is able to express it in a way that touches my soul profoundly. Many times, as I read her words, I can think to myself that she seems to be reading and expressing my own thoughts and feelings. That is the talent of a good writer. I am in awe of it.

 

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My soul is like an empty jar that my life has filled with bits of this and bits of that.  With pieces of all the places that I have been, the things that I have done or chosen not to do, the people I have loved and who have loved me, the people who have chosen not to love me, the good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly and everything in between.   A mish mash of all that I have seen and done, experienced, felt, expressed, hoarded . . . loved and loathed . . .  truths and lies, secrets . . . pain and joy . . .  it's all there, filling the jar of my soul, making me who I am.

I am the sum of all my parts.  And life has not yet finished filling the jar.  I hope and pray I have a goodly part of it yet to fill.

 

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It was like a breath of fresh air to get out of the house and go out and about with Cindy yesterday.  Those days have been few over these past few weeks.  Life goes like that.  Abundance and dearth, feast and famine. Yesterday was a feast day.

I have always enjoyed my sister's company. I am not sure she knows how much, or if she even appreciates what good company she is, and how special she is to all who know her.  A kind heart that cannot hide itself . . . no matter how hard she tries to hide it.

Anyways, we went out and about and had a good time together. At the end we did not get to all the places we had wanted to go, but we will . . . eventually.

I picked up a new printer. I have not taken it out of the box yet.  I will do that today, and set it up. I went for a completely different brand this time. I got the same one as my sister has, albeit a newer model, because they bring out newer ones each year.  Anyways, she has had hers for a while with no problems. I think I have gone through two more expensive ones in the same amount of time. Lesson learned. All that glitters is not gold.

I have to say that the people that work in the Walmart are so very kind and helpful. I have never come across one yet that was nasty or who appeared to dislike their job. Maybe I have just been lucky, but that's been my experience. If I was younger, I might want to work in Walmart.

 

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I have never read all the books or watched any of the films all the way through. I struggle with watching films all the way through. I confess that I get bored about 3/4 of the way through any film that goes on for longer than about an hour and a half. That's just me.  Or I fall asleep.

I did buy all of the books (Harry Potter) for my youngest son. He really wanted to read them, and I wanted to give him anything that might encourage him to read. I bought and mailed them over to him from the U.K. at great expense.  The stepmom took them away from him. She considered them to be evil in her somewhat warped way of thinking, not to cast aspersions on anyone's religious bent, but . . . I do not feel it was her place.  But they had all moved into "her" house, and she did not want them in "her" house. I believe that she threw them away, or so I was told.

Just one of the many drips that served to influence impressionable minds over the years. and "he" let her do it.  But that is not nice, and I will leave it at that.

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I have an insane love of these things. Red and white toadstools. 

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I love it, but too expensive.

I blame it on the love I had for the little toadstool ornaments which were on every Christmas Tree of my childhood. Little aluminum foil saucers, filled with some greenery and several small red and white toadstools. No doubt something picked up in Germany. Every year that those came out and were put on the tree my heart smiled.  I could not resist stroking them with my tiny fingers. They spoke to my heart in some way.  I just loved them so very much. 

My tree in the U.K. was decorated generously with red and white blown glass toadstools. Many were gifts from friends, some were ones that I had gathered in myself.  Each year I would buy one or two in the after Christmas sales. It makes me sad to think that they were left behind, but there is not a lot I can do about that. I can at least be happy that they were once a part of my life and are stored in the jar of my soul.

 

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How totally adorable . . . 

It has snapped cold again, but it is mostly sunny, so that is good. My heat is blasting out this morning and I am grateful for that. The cats have now abandoned their watch in the bathroom. I do not know what it was that was holding their attention so raptly. I don't even want to think about it. 

I dropped off some leftover salmon pie and cherry cobbler to my next-door neighbor last evening and stayed to visit for a time.  I was telling her about it and she said that these places were built to be rodent proof.  I don't know about that because that was definitely a dead mouse that was found beneath my stove last winter.  I don't know that any place is truly rodent proof.

She was most appreciative of my visit, however.  I know she does get very lonely, and that she misses her late husband very much. I should go to see her more often. Each time I do, I tell myself that I am going to do so, but then life gets in the way, and it is a few days before I have the chance. I think her nephew visits her on a daily basis and I know that Glenna takes her out several times a week, so I don't think that she is truly lacking in company.  But I should go to see her more often and not just with food in hand . . . sometimes just to visit and share some conversation with her. 

I am blessed that I have family around, and that I do not mind being alone. I had lots of years of practice at being without adult company being married to a Military man. Even my British husband went out and about every day, leaving me home alone.  I learned to enjoy my own company.  Not everyone has the ability to enjoy solitude. (My sister is the same. She does not get lonely either.)

I think if you have hobbies and things that you enjoy doing on your own, perhaps time spent alone is not quite so lonely or as difficult to endure.  It may even be welcome. The ability and the desire to keep busy is an extra special blessing.

 

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Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

They will run and not go weary, they will walk

and will not faint. ~Isaiah 40:31

What is your superhero power. Your secret medicine . . . your antidote to kryptonite that keeps you going and ticking away?  My medicine is having a joyful heart. That does not mean that I never get sad, or disappointed. Lord knows I do. I can feel sad, but despite the sadness I can also choose to feel joy. And hope. I do not need to wallow, even though sometimes I really feel like wallowing, and my spirit may feel crushed.  Choosing joy is a deliberate act on my part. (And I am not referring to mental illness or clinical depression here.  That is an entirely different matter.)  Weeping may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning.  (Psalm 30:5) That is a promise from God.  I choose to place my trust and hope in His promises, and He has never let me down yet. A joyful heart IS good medicine.

Sometimes it comes naturally to me, but often, it is a choice I need to make for my own good.  And I make it because experience has taught me that it will and does make a difference.

 

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It does not take much to make a difference in someone else's life. It doesn't need to be a grand gesture.  Often it is a simple kind word or a smile, the choice to give someone the benefit of the doubt.  Just love and kindness.  Understanding.  Appreciation and love of another's worth. We all have worth.  We are all children of the same God and He loves us all the same.  Should we not do likewise? To love the unlovable . . .  or at least accept.  Not judge.  There but for the grace of God go I. Walk a mile in another's shoes.

 

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Oh, I did watch a good movie on Netflix last night. Yes, it was not a long one, only about an hour and a half which is about my tolerance. "Meet Me Next Christmas."  It took me almost the whole movie to recognize Pentatonix were some of the characters in it.  I will be honest. I did not know who Pentatonix were, but I have enjoyed their music unknowingly. Anyways, it was a cute movie for the most part.  Entertaining without being overly deep.  Some days you just don't want or feel the need to go deep.

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

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

 *.˛.How sad would be November

if we had no knowledge of the spring.

~Edwin Way Teale•。★★ 。* 。

•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 

In The English Kitchen today . . .  Easy 3-Ingredient Cherry Cobbler  Seriously, only three simple ingredients. I was amazed. This was delicious and such a simple make.

Don't forget, I won't be here for the next couple of days, so I will wish you a happy weekend today.  Go, be blessed, be happy, be safe.  Don't forget!

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And I do too!