All things Nice . . .

 

(source)

I'd like a corner to myself,

A little niche that I can fill,

By honest toil and quiet strength,

Where I can build and plan until,

I see the shape of things to be

Answering some inner urge in me.

When I can plant a flower bed,

And watch the first unfolding leaf,

Pushing its way above the earth,

In wonderment beyond belief,

The seeds so very small could hold,

A flower with a heart of gold.

Where I can watch a honey bee,

Begin its labour for the day

Resting a bit, then taking off

To some small garden far away,

With knowledge in its little mind,

Beyond the grasp of humankind.

Where I can see from day to day,

The seasons in their measured stride,

And count the fruits of blessed toil.

And see my labour sanctified,

The rich reward of sun and soil

That Nature pays to those who toil.

~Edna Jacques, Wishful Thinking,

Roses in December, 1944

 

I would imagine that many people at the moment have hands that are just itching to get into the soil. Gardners with green fingers who produce such beauty for all to enjoy year after year. I've always loved gardens, even if I have not really been a gardener. I Love to see them and wander through them. In the UK that was easy as there were many gardens owned by the National Trust that you could wander through for a fee. It was a most pleasant way to spend the day.  I loved the gardens even more than the stately homes.  The homes were beautiful for sure, but most were filled with much of the same when it came to antiquities, it was the gardens that really held my attention. I think my favorite gardens of all were the ones enjoyed at Sissinghurst, followed closely by the gardens at Scotney Castle. Scotney was not too far from where I lived in Kent. It did not have a stately home per se, just a castle ruin next to a small lake and then the beautiful gardens.

This is a photograph that I took there.  Hard to believe that building is a ruin really, but there you go. This time of year the rhododendrons will be starting to bloom and the walks through the grounds would be so beautiful.  How blessed was I to be able to visit such beautiful places as these in my lifetime! 

 

There was a lovely big full moon in the sky behind my place last night. I saw it out my bedroom window when I was going to bed.  It looked beautiful with the limbs of the budding maple in front of it and the wispy clouds in the night sky. I tried in vain to take a lovely photo of it, but alas, it eluded me.  This is the best that I got. I suppose it is pretty in its own way. 

I don't think I would ever be hired for my photography skills, which are largely non-existent. If any of my photos turn out at all, it is down to the quality of the camera, not my own talents. And that's perfectly fine. We cannot be good at doing all things. All we can do is our best and hope for the rest.

 

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If you have built castles in the air,

your work need not be lost;

That is where they should be,

now put foundations under them.

~Henry David Thoreau, Walden

There are certain sounds that I love . . . that fill my heart with a simple kind of joy.  The sound of the creak of a screen door that immediately engenders memories of my childhood. "Don't slam the door" My mother's words echoing across the paths of my memory. The gentle trickling sound that a stream makes as it dances across stones as it makes it way along the spot in the earth that it has carved out for itself.  The sound of rain falling from the eaves on a rainy day as it hits the dead leaves laying on the earth below, in the garden which is just now coming alive. The hollow ticking of a clock in a room devoid of any other noise, and if there are two, well . . . then you have struck the motherlode. They play out in a sort of symbiosis with each other that doesn't quite match, but it's completely ok. The soft breathing sounds of Nutmeg as he lays next to me on the sofa wandering through his own land of dreams, building his own castles in the air. I lay my hand gently on his side and feel his heart beating quietly beneath it, my hand nestled in the softness of his fur.  The sound of my prayers as they are whispered into the air which carries them up to my God. I know He is waiting there to catch them.

So many sounds . . .  and these are only a few which capture my heart and the very soul of me.

 

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My life is not an unhappy one. If life is the lottery that some think that it is, this particular game of chance has been very benevolent towards me. And it is easy, this life of mine, with its mix of ups and downs, worries and joys, nothing being too extreme or challenging as I coast along, content with how kindly fate has dealt with me. Each morning when I open my eyes, my heart is filled with gratitude with having been given yet one more day to fill, another fresh page to write upon.

The older I get, the stronger my urge to simplify becomes. Life oft feels far more complicated than it needs to be. "I wish I had spent more time working" did no one ever say as they lay upon their death bed, the last sands of their time trickling slowly but surely into the bottom of their hourglass.

What things can I change to make my life less complicated, that is a thought which comes to me on a regular basis these days.  Pare down. I may have started out with next to nothing in this wee place of mine, but I have managed to fill it up and then some. I am a gatherer of things . . . mostly books. I do not need so many. I also have a great love for bed linens . . .  another weakness.  And yarn, and fabric, and art supplies . . .  because one day I might have the time.  (Hope springs eternal.)

There are days when I feel somewhat overwhelmed by it all, and that should not be. But where to take it all.  It is Spring cleanup in just a few weeks. I need to organize myself and just get rid of some of it. I know I could sell some on marketplace or give away on other sites. I just need to get everything organized and then do it.

My brother will be here for a week at the end of May, and I need to have the small bedroom ready for his stay.  And my life, so that I can enjoy some time together while he is here. To build some more memories together because the sand . . .  it is trickling through the glass.

 

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Now I wish I had kiddos here to color eggs for.  Are these not the most beautiful colors of egg you have ever seen?  And all of them naturally created, using natural ingredients.  Not a chemical in sight.

They look like semi-precious stones to me.

Ahh, stones, another thing I like.

 

(source)

I have done all that I can do now towards getting things ready to take to the tax man.  I spent a good part of yesterday gathering everything. Now today all I have to do is to get it into some semblance of order and give him a call. He is very good. He will come and pick it up and then he will drop it off when it is done.  I dread it but cannot put off the inevitable any longer.  Best to just bite the bullet and swallow my medicine.

Mac is holding his own. Cindy said he was being a bit more playful yesterday. We remain hopeful. It will probably be a week before anything is known from the biopsy. He is such a sweet cat with such a sweet personality. We all love him so much.

There is a big change coming in my church branch tomorrow.  They are changing over the branch leadership.  There will be people from the stake there to orchestrate it all. The people from the Annapolis group will be coming up to attend as well, with a potluck lunch afterwards. 

I do not want to go. I hate those sorts of things.  Lots of strangers that I do not know gathered together. I feel very uncomfortable thrown into that situation.  Seriously. Jacqueline says that I am running away. But I will gladly run away from the things which do not serve me well and which create such discomfort for me.  

I will make my excuses and instead watch church online. At least that is my plan.

And with that I best leave you with a thought for the day.  The sands are trickling . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.Be a pineapple,

stand tall, wear a crown 

and be sweet on the inside.  

~unknown •。★★ 。* 。 

In The English Kitchen today . . .  German Chocolate Cake. The small batch. A six-inch cake which lacks none of the indulgent deliciousness of it's full-sized version. Simple.

We are going into Holy Week now, with Palm Sunday being tomorrow. That was always such a big deal when I was a child. I can remember being given palm leaves at Sunday school. Even now I find it difficult to understand the fickleness of the human heart. How the Saviour can be greeted by the multitudes singing "hosannah and praises" on one day and then be assaulted by that same multitude shouting "crucify him" just a few short days later.  And yet, it had to be . . . 

Have a lovely weekend.  Be happy. Be blessed. Stay safe, be content. Don't forget!

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And I do too!!