I decided to have toast and jam for my breakfast this morning. That is not something which I have very often at all. Jam is a rare treat for me because I am a diabetic and I only have a thin smear of it on the toast. Just enough to get a taste of us.
When I was eating it I was reminded of my ex-mother-in-law Elizabeth. She passed away a couple of years ago now, but I can remember sitting at her dining room table eating toast together in the morning with jam. She would break off little bits of her toast and each bit got a spoonful of jam on it. Oh, how she enjoyed it. Watching her do that somehow gave me permission to do the same.
It was far too much jam, and far too sweet. But she was in heaven. I don't think she really ate unless people were visiting her. And when we were at her place, she loved to go out for dinner and brunch. Pizza, etc. There was an all you could eat Breakfast Buffet in Charlottetown that she loved to go to with us. Her treat. And she would eat at least six desserts. No mains. Just the desserts. And she would scrape all of the filling out of her piece of pie and eat just that, but she would scrape and scrape and scrape until she might just as well have eaten the crust all the same.
She had a really sweet tooth. So did my ex. I never really had a sweet tooth back then. We were not brought up in a home where we were indulged with a lot of sweet things. Christmas and Easter were pretty much the only times we had baked goodies and sweeties. Oh, and Halloween. Our mother couldn't control that.
We have been enjoying a week of rainy, cloudy days. Not quite as cold as it could be, but not warm either. I can deal with rain. I got more than used to it when I lived in the U.K. They loved talking about the weather there. And they had plenty of it. Weather, that is. I remember my first year there it rained every single day. If it wasn't coming down in torrents it was just in the air. Mist. There were loads of floods in the Southern part of the country as there often is. That was the year I learned that you don't melt in the rain, and that if you stayed indoors because it was raining, you would never get anywhere or do anything. We did not have a car then so going out in the rain was just what we did.
I was a bit annoyed about it because the stepmom had told my son that he wouldn't want to go to England because it rained all the time there, and I did not like her being right about it. Petty I know. Life is what it is.
That is a bit like my week is going this week. I make plans in the evening for what I want to do the next day, but then the morning rolls around, and they all go south.
My foot lady was supposed to be here at 9 am yesterday to do my toenails. That came and went, then 10 came and went, 11. No foot lady. So, I put something in the oven, and just as I was doing that she called and asked was she supposed to come, and could she come now??? I told her, give me half an hour because by then it was 11:30, and I just wanted time enough to be able to get what was in the oven done and out of there. I had also taken out my sewing machine thinking I might get some sewing done, so I needed to get that put away.
I guess I am just feeling a bit blue this morning. My brother has his appointment with his Urologist on Friday to discuss treatment. He is pretty sure he is going to lose his kidney and some lymph nodes. Not the best news really. It all makes me feel really sad. It also makes me feel like burying my face in a cake or a bag of potato crisps. But, of course, none of those things are good things and would not change anything.
The reality is that when the people I care about get bad news like that I always think that it should be me. That I am the one who really deserves to get the cancer diagnosis because I am the one who has totally messed up their life. That I am the one who doesn't deserve to be happy, or healthy, or successful, etc. That if life was really fair, it would be me, and not them.
And it's not fair. Not really. My brother deserves so much more out of life. He is a good, good person. A much better person than I have ever been or will ever be.
And then I have to remind myself of this. I had hoped to do a video today. I have the fruit for my fruitcake macerating right now. But now I don't feel like it. My heart just isn't in it, or in anything really. So, I will end this now, believing that tomorrow is a new day and that somehow on the other side of today, things won't seem so bad.
A thought to carry with you . . .
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
your stuff is really cool.
~unknown° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
In the English Kitchen today, Open Face Tuna Melts. These were really very good. I enjoyed them with veggies and dip.
I do hope you have a great day. Sorry I am not full of sunshine today. This too will pass. In the meantime, don't forget!
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Sending you all good thoughts today. You bring a lot of us joy, please know that.
ReplyDeleteMary
Thanks very much Mary. I just feel so sad about my brother and it is making today hard. I will get through it. xoxo
DeleteHoping you feel less gloomy today. It is good to talk about feelings, as keeping them all inside is not good. Hug those kitties lots. I had toast and jam yesterday too, not something I eat at all, just fancied something sweet. Sending hugs your way :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda. Just feeling particularly sad today about my brother. I am not doing much of anything today, except feed my soul. Hugs are always nice. xoxo
DeleteI just want to say "ditto" to @littlemancat 's post. Really, a wonderful post for those of us who can find this season. a bit melancholy. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Marceline. Tomorrow will be a better day for sure. xoxo
DeletePlease take the best possible care of yourself. You are a loving and giving human. You have lived and are living a full life, missteps (which we all do) and all. You deserve all good things.
ReplyDeleteAs one of your online groupies, sending you the best vibes and gratitude for your efforts here.
Thank you so much J. I will get through this. Its always very sad to get bad news about a loved one. I am hoping and praying he will get through this. Tomorrow is a new day and things will hopefully look brighter. xoxo
DeleteHi Marie, I finally figured out how to comment using Google. I’m a bit late to the party but here I am. I liked your “Steve” cartoons. I’m sorry you’re feeling a little sad today. I understand your concern about your brother. Prayers are winging his way. It’s so hard at Christmas not to be feeling the cheer. You have so many happy memories and you’re making new ones with your Dad and Cindy and of course, Cinnamon and Nutmeg. They all love you more than you know. I’ve found that Christmas changes as the years go by. Christmas today might be different from previous ones but can still be memorable. Hope tomorrow will bring the sunshine back for you. Love and hugs, Elaine
ReplyDeleteYay Elaine! I liked the Steve cartoons as well. I needed to smile. These were a couple of the less irreverent ones. You know what it is like to lose a much beloved brother I know. I am hopeful hat all will be well with David in the long run, but it is just hitting me a bit hard today. I am working at cheering myself up. Supper out tonight with dad, Cindy and Dan will help! Love and hugs, xoxo
DeleteGloomy days happen upon most of us here and there.. Im sorry you are gloomy..You always come out of it and will!Hope your brother gets better news than anticipated.We did the tree Monday..it takes a while..yours are snuggled in there.. I am so glad when its done..the days are short..the fairy lights give me cozy.I just made my bran muffins and forget the sugar..they are staples here.. J said just put jam on them..to add to your jam story:) My mom liked jam on toast too:).
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to be a ray of sunshine all the time I suppose! I wear my feelings very much on my sleeve. I am so happy that my ornaments I made for you are on your tree still. That brings me joy! Fairy lights always add a touch of coziness. Jam on muffins is a good thing. Always. xoxo
DeleteMy regards concerning your brother...but do not give up hope...loosing a kidney and some lymph nodes can still be survived!! Not fun...but have hope!! And will keep praying!! Also, the things others have taken from us...those memories will come on us at times, made harder during holidays etc. As to some of the things your EX's wife has done, it is against the law here...anything to influence children against a parent...even one who is a criminal, does not matter. But the ONE who sees all, knows all...ONE DAY twill all be a bad dream we no longer remember...so take hope!! I often wonder what on earth these kind of people think...they must think they can take the things they stole into the next life... Sending hugs, Elizabeth xoxo
ReplyDeleteOh Marie, don't ever think those things about yourself. You are a one of a kind Divine original, created for a special purpose no one else can ever fulfill.
ReplyDeleteI love that last picture with the girl. It's very good advice.