Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

In this, the season of Advent, I have been thinking about lots of things and how grateful I am for all that I have in my life.  I do so appreciate you my invisible friends. I do not know how I would have coped over these past few years without your love and support, and I don't think I tell you enough so I thought I would tell you today, just how very much I appreciate you. You may not have known it but you have been like God's hands on earth to me with all of your goodness.  I see you. I appreciate you.  I think you're all just swell!  So there. Now you know.

When I was a much younger woman, I do not think that I truly understood the importance of the smaller things.  I know, I was busy raising five children and there were days when I did not know if I was coming or going. Most days I did not know if I was coming or going.  My hands were so busy with it all.  I wish now that I had paid better attention to all the little things . . . or is that a common complaint amongst people of a certain age???  That somehow life slipped past us, and we forgot to take note of all the small and simple things that mattered most?

I do now.  My life is full of small and simple.  I putter about here each day drinking in the small and simple and feeling grateful for each and every one.  My life has been built upon the small and the simple, the everyday ordinary things. And now my hands are empty, I have time to breathe them all in and to hold them in my heart and take note of them. And I know now how very blessed I am and have been.  Always.

I wish I had worked harder and longer . . .  is not something anyone has ever said on their deathbed I do not think. 

I have finally finished up the journal that I started back in 2020.  I wish I had started writing a handwritten journal much sooner.  Oh, I did start many, but I never kept up with them like I have done with this one.  I have another one started now.  I do enjoy putting in my thoughts very much, special quotes, scriptures, etc. that have great meaning to me. Perhaps one day my progeny will read them and they will glean something of worth from them. Perhaps not.  But in the meantime, it does my heart good to write in them. To me they are a treasure.

I suppose as well, this is an online journal of sorts, but who knows how long this will be here.  It could be in years to come; this is all lost somewhere in the ether, never to be found. It is good to have something tangible as well, I think.

 

(source)

I have refused to live

locked in the orderly house of

reasons and proofs.

The world I live in and believe in

is wider than that. And anyway,

what's wrong with Maybe?

You wouldn't believe what once or

twice I have seen. I'll just

tell you this:

only if there are angels in your head will you

ever, possibly see one.

~Mary Oliver

I recently bought a book, Mary Oliver, Devotions (The selected poems of Mary Oliver).  I am really enjoying it.  Almost every page speaks to my heart. I thought to myself, do I really need another book, but then I bought it anyways and I am so happy that I did. It resonates. Her words resonate.

I find myself wishing that I had written all the poems that I have had in my heart through the years. It is not too late now to write them down and I think that I will. 

This one is so profound. I find myself reading it again and again and thinking yes! Faith does precede the miracle. I do have angels in my head, and I have seen them . . . many times.

 

(source)

The snow is still with us and it is very cold this morning.  -5*C/23*F. It is only supposed to get up to -2*C/28*F today. That is the expected high.  I am planning on doing a video today.  I was awake at 4 a.m. this morning thinking about it. I had to get up to go to the loo and my brain just decided to turn on. I tried to go back to sleep, but my brain was not having it.  I listened to the rosary on my iPad and I did fall briefly back to sleep, but I was bounding out of bed at 6. As always. I am a creature of habit. I do not think I could sleep much past 7 at the latest. My mother was always a very early riser.  I have always been one as well.  I am at my best early in the day and I fade quickly as the day progresses.  

I am not and never will be a night person.  

I had the opportunity to go to the Temple today and initially I said yes and was gearing myself up for it. (It's been since before Covid and the last time I was there, I had confided in Tina what was going on with Todd. That was a hard thing to do.) Glenna had called me and asked did I want to go and I said yes.  About 10 minutes later she was calling me back to say that Harvey (who is driving) had given the last spot in the car away to Jacquie already so unfortunately there was no room for me.

A part of me sighed with relief.  I am ready, but I am also not ready, if that makes sense. I am feeling anxious just thinking about it.

 

(source)

The cats were very quiet all day yesterday. Probably feeling the effects of their boosters. They are back to normal this morning. I have already found one of the robins from the Christmas tree on the carpet beneath the table, so they have been playing with them. It's a good thing they are not breakable or dangerous. They have also both eaten all of their breakfast this morning. Yesterday their appetites were a bit off and they were not their usual active selves. Well, Cinnamon was more so than Nutmeg.  He was a bit floopy all day. I think his leg was sore where he had his shot.

I am wondering how much longer this Postal Strike will carry on. I wonder how many small businesses will be able to survive.  This is the busiest time of the year and the time they would have made the most money from sales. I know I have not bought anything online that I know would be coming in the post and I fear for the things that I had bought that have been caught in the post. I worry that I may never see them, and they will be lost. (It is quite likely they will be.)  On the positive side however, I am sure that I have saved money because I have not ordered anything. I bet Amazon is booming with business as well, but I do feel for the small businesses that losing out big time.

 

(source)

I have noticed that I am not able to respond to a lot of the comments that get left on my English Kitchen Facebook page.  I can get about 10 responses done and then it tells me I have responded too much and puts me on a time out.   It seems a bit ridiculous since I am the author of the page. It doesn't seem quite right.  Especially when I see the things that are allowed to go through.  Our friend Hazel does picture puzzles and likes to share them on her FB page, but half the time they won't let her post/share them either.  And yet, there is an abundance of crapola on there, and smut.  It boggles the mind. I think they would do better to crack down on all of these lonely widower, retired military, Christian men who are looking for women and just want to be your friends.  I bet I get an invite from one of them at least twice a day every day.  (BLOCK) It makes no sense.

And with that I will leave you with a thought for the day as I have expired all that I have to talk about!

A thought to carry with you . . . 

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

 *.˛.A happy life is but a string of happy moments.
But most people don't allow the happy moments,
because they're so busy trying to get a happy life.
~Esther Hicks° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The Kitchen today, Bacon & White Cabbage Gratin. Charred cabbage is combined with bacon and baked with heavy cream, topped with cheddar, for a simple side dish with bold flavors. This oven braise melts in the mouth. Simple and yet also very elegant.

I hope you have a fabulous Wednesday.  Whatever you get up to, stay warm, stay safe, and don't forget!

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And I do too!