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,

Tearing the doors and the windowsills,

Then traveling 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 the polished floors,

Coaxing his mother to come outdoors,

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

I loved this poem this morning and just had to share it.  It very much echoes the way I want to live my life and how I try to live my life.  We live in a very insecure world these days and it is a sweet reminder to me that if we strive to make all of our todays sweet and hold onto the joy that is present in each day, day by day we build a beautiful life. Small and simple things that are only ours to hold, little by little building for us a peaceful life.  

I am reminded of Matthew 6:34 which says: 

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself."

Today is what we have.  Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow may never come. If we do what we can to make all our today's sweet and good, to cherish what we are given, to make wise and humble choices, we need not worry about tomorrow. We will be happy and content and tomorrow will take care of itself.

That is not to say that we do not take due diligence in making sure we pay our bills, taking care of our health, homes and families, behave responsibly, etc. We cannot throw all caution to the wind, but we need not worry about the things we have no power to control . . . 

 

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I took a wonderful trip yesterday, on a first Class Train from Toronto to British Columbia, the "Canadian Train."  Oh not for real, but I watched a lovely video on YouTube with a couple who was doing this trip.  They had their own sleeping car space, complete with shower, all meals included, etc. The scenery was spectacular.  I really enjoyed it. 

I decided that I should seek out and watch more videos like this. Armchair travel is the best. Its free and if the videos are done right, as this one was, you get to see some beautiful things without ever having to leave your home and being able to sleep in your own bed each night.

I have always enjoyed travel shows.  Michael Palin does some wonderful ones, and I have enjoyed the ones done by Billy Connolly as well.  He did the Northwest Passage and also Route 66, both very interesting and entertaining.  Steven Frye travelled across America in a black cab, fascinating.  Martin Clunes (Doc Martin) has done some lovely travel shows and there are also some great shows with canal boat journeys that you can watch with Prunella Scales and her husband.

This page has a list of 50 of the best travel shows of all time. How wonderful it is that we live in a day and age where we have the capacity to be able to travel in this way without even leaving the comfort of our own home.

Now wouldn't that be a wonderful activity I am thinking to pick a travel show and then ahead of watching it, make some food from that particular country to enjoy while you are watching it?  Food for thought there, no pun intended.

 

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I have always been a "Believer."  It has not always served me well, but more often than not it has helped me to live a much better life than I would do otherwise.  More often than not I have not been let down. I have loved and been loved.  I have had happy endings. I am right now living a happy ending. My life has been fascinating and interesting and full.  I have had most of my dreams come true, and I like to think that the world is a better place, even if only in a small way, for me having been here.  

I would much rather live my life, its pattern being richly threaded and woven with the golden threads of belief, rather than the opposite.  I may get disappointed or hurt from time to time, but I have lived and am living a wonderful life and that is no small thing.

 

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When I was a child, I learned to look at the night sky and was able to name the constellations there. I learned this at Brownies and Girl Guides, in science at school. I have probably forgotten now, much more than I learned, but I do still love to look at the night skies and see the stars in the heavens. 

 

The moon is also fascinating.  I got up in the middle of the night last night to go to the loo and looked out my back window and the skies were clear.  The moon was shining its light down through the maple tree out back casting shadows of its branches across the pristine white of the snow that has fallen just recently. It was beautiful. I am grateful that I took the opportunity to look out the window or that is something that I might have otherwise missed.

I am trying with each day to be more present in my life and to grasp the opportunities that present themselves for me to find joy in each moment . . .  yes, even in having to get up and go to the loo in the middle of the night.

 

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People are already counting the days until Spring. I saw something on Facebook yesterday about how many days, hours, minutes, etc. are left.  I suppose people are getting a bit fed up with all the snow. I am not fed up with it. I know it will soon depart so I am trying to enjoy it while it is here.  Mind you, that is very easy for me as I don't have to go out and shovel. I might feel differently if I did. 

I have no need to go out for anything really. I keep a nice store cupboard of everything in my house and could easily go a few weeks without running out of anything, except maybe milk and eggs. My car is tucked up in the garage, I have enough of everything to see me through.  It will be Spring soon enough and I will delight in it then, but for now I am delighting in Winter and what it brings.  Yes, the snow, even the snow.

It is the cold and the snow that makes those first green spikes of the daffodils and tulips all the sweeter for the waiting.

I hate rushing into and through the seasons. I like to savor each one. The only one I do get a bit fed up with is the heat and humidity of the summer. Admittedly, that is not something I enjoy at all. It is one of the things I miss about the U.K. the lack of extreme heat and humidity. Oh, we did get a bit, but it was always short-lived and never lasted for long. Most of the summer was quite tolerable. Here it seems we get stinking heat and humidity which starts in June and doesn't quite until September. Blah  . . . 

And so, I am enjoying now, REALLY.  If I feel a bit cold, I can put on a sweater, cover my lap with a blanket, enjoy a hot drink.  Sit in my cozy little house looking at the cold and feel blessed.

 

AUTUMN, WINTER, SPRING AND SUMMER ~ "The seasons are what a symphony ought to be: four perfect movements in harmony with each other.... beautifully classic."

This is so true! I saw this and it brought a smile to my face.  Whenever I have company coming, I spent hours sorting everything out, tidying up, etc. Putting everything back in its place.  Oh, I know I should be tidier just as a rule and I resolve to be so, but inevitably I relax on things and before I know it, I need to spend some time tidying up again and nothing provides more impetus for that than the threat of an impending visit! ha ha 

I need to do better.  I need to get rid of some stuff.  De-clutter. It is an on-going thing. I clear a space and before I know it, I have filled the space again. I wish I was not such a pack rat. I vow always to keep on top of things, but  . . . that never lasts long.  I am not very good at organizing myself. My sister is much better at it than I am.

 

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I am going to make some bread today.  My bread is all stale and needs to be thrown out to the birds. There is something really relaxing about making bread. Admittedly I am not very good at it, but I find that using the kitchen aid to knead the dough or even using the dough cycle in the bread machine helps a lot. 

Growing up it was always a lovely day when mom decided to bake bread. After school, the smell of it would greet us before we even got through the door, and it was just lovely.  Nothing on earth tastes better than a slice of fresh bread with butter and jam or peanut butter on it. Mom made good bread.

My children grew up with homemade bread. Oh, not me. I did not make it, but my husband, their father, he used to make bread all the time.  About 12 loaves at a time.  Big, beautiful loaves.  He had the skill of kneading it just perfectly and they rose up like air in the oven, crusts all golden brown and crisp.  A knob of butter gilding the tops of each loaf as they came out.

One loaf always disappeared with everyone enjoying their slice of warm bread and butter and jam/peanut butter.  The rest would be wrapped and thrown into the freezer; one loaf being kept out to use.  The kids did not seem to mind taking sandwiches made with homemade bread to school for their lunches.

So, today I am going to make a loaf of bread. I was going to make hotdog buns yesterday, but the day got away from me, as they often do.  A loaf of bread is much more practical than a bunch of hot dog buns anyways. At least for me.

And with that I think I will leave you with a thought for the day. My day is starting to disappear and I have not yet accomplished much . . . 

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˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

 *.˛.Life must be lived, and curiosity kept alive.

One must never, for whatever reason,

turn his back on life.  ~Eleanor Roosevelt

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In the kitchen today, Old School Chocolate Tray Bake Cake.  Just a simple chocolate cake without any bells and whistles.  Nice tender crumb, simply glazed and sprinkled. Beautiful with a cold glass of milk.

I hope that you have a lovely weekend.  Stay safe and warm, be happy, be blessed, enjoy your life. Don't forget!

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And I do too!