Dear Neighbor . . .

(source)

 

FRIDAY, May 2nd, 2025

3 Estate Lane, Nova Scotia

4*C/41*F slightly sunny, mostly cloudy

rain expected later this morning

Dear Neighbor,

All is very quiet in the neighborhood this morning. There has been no reappearance of the guinea fowl which visited the other day, although my next-door neighbor Sheila says she has seen some rather large Canada Geese behind the houses across the way by the Gazebo. These two streets are dedicated to Seniors and in between the streets is a green complete with a pond and Gazebo, and benches.  I have never been to them, but once or twice a year the local Evangelical church holds a BBQ there. I have never been to that either. I guess I just kind of like to keep to myself for the most part.  I don't want to have to explain why I am on my own, etc. to strangers. I suppose I could just say I am a widow, but I would prefer not to say anything at all, and so I just stay away from any social setting where I might have to explain anything.

 

(source)

I had a lovely letter from my friend Tatiana in Greece a few days ago. She was telling me some of her Easter memories and Sunday memories from when she was a child and her grandmother's cookies. I love getting her letters. They are always so interesting and well written. Her handwriting is impeccable, and she always includes something interesting like a post card or two, some stickers, etc. She is an expert at the art of sending mail.  Her letters are always a treat from the outside in.  I can recognize right away that it is a letter from her, she puts so much care into all of it.

My handwriting is appalling.  I suppose I only ever rarely have to use it these days. I tend to typewrite everything, even my letters. Yes, my handwriting is so bad that it is better to type out my thoughts. At least people can read them.

When I was in my elementary years of school the teacher sent a note home to my mother telling her that she refused to mark any more of my work because of my poor handwriting. My mother went out and got workbooks, The MacLean Method of Handwriting, and I was made to sit at the table and practice my handwriting for what seemed like hours and hours every night after supper.  I would have rather had piano lessons, but it did make a difference.

It has deteriorated greatly in recent years due to lack of use. Perhaps I need to start practicing again. A skill not used and all that  . . . 

 

Things were much simpler when I was a child. I often think of some of the things we used to do and I wonder if children still do them.  I remember making May Baskets at school to begin the month of May. They were intended to be left at the door of a friend or loved one as a surprise.  A great deal of care went into them. In the olden days posies would have been inserted into the baskets.  Real live flowers, but here in Canada there are not a lot of flowers available at this time of year that are free for the picking unless you count the dandelion of course.  So the flowers would have been colored ones or, yes  . . .  dandelions.

I remember it being great fun making these May Baskets.  But then again, anything to do with art and creativity was my cup of tea. I loved it all.

Believe it or not I can remember having art classes, remotely, by radio.  That was in Mrs. Greenburg's Class in Grade four.  Very exciting.

 

(source)

The battle of the ants has begun again for another year.  I have pretty much ousted the ones in the bathroom, but they are appearing elsewhere.  I found one crawling on my arm as I sat on my sofa reading yesterday.  I did one whole countertop yesterday afternoon. Took everything off, wiped it all down with bleach and then put things back, with ant bait strategically placed.  I aim to get handle on them more sooner than later this year. I have placed an ant bait under the sofa out of the cat's reach to get rid of any more which venture into that territory. I just do not relish the thought of ants crawling over me when I am trying to relax. 

Or cook or whatever.  I just don't relish the thought of having ants in the house period. Would that they would just stay outdoors. I would be quite happy with that.

 

This is a photograph that I took in one of the gardens at Hever Castle in Kent when I lived in the South East of England. Hever Castle was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, and it was one of my favorite places to visit. I remember going there with my son Bruce when he visited. He was 16 at the time. He seemed to really enjoy it.  Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn visited that day and there was jousting tournaments out on one of the lawns.

There was always something going on. I can remember on one of my visits they had a pavilion filled with Doll Houses. That was my favorite.  The gardens are lovely.  It is a great place to bring your family and have a picnic on the lawn, and of course touring through the castle itself is fascinating.

This being the May Day weekend I note that they are having May Pole Dancing, and the Green Man will be there to step into the four seasons, with hopes that the Summer King will reign. 

I always loved the way all of the seasons were celebrated with all of their traditions in the U.K. That is something which is sadly missing elsewhere.  We don't seem to celebrate much here in this small area that I live in.  They have even cancelled the Heart of the Valley Days this year.

Community spirit is lacking now it seems.

 

(source)

Sometimes I feel as if I am caught in a limbo between two eras.  I love many of the things we enjoy in these modern days, such as technology, etc.  but I miss many of the old ways.  It seems that things are no longer built to last a lifetime. My mother had her old vacuum cleaner for years and years and my sister is still using the old Wearever cookware that mom and dad bought when they first got married. My mother's sewing machine, a Singer, does need some repairs, but it was working very well until just a few years ago.  

When was it that you last bought a pair of socks that were even worth mending? 

I can remember learning now to darn socks and sweaters back in the day. I think it was in Brownies. That used to be quite the skill to have. My Grandmama was an invisible mender. People would bring things to her to mend. It was a skill she had learned from the nuns at the convent.

In many ways my heart longs for the old days, when those old skills were celebrated and when people had things which were expected to last them a lifetime.  We live in a very disposable society now it seems. People get bored very easily with stuff and are always replacing it with something newer and more modern.

I do not think I am alone in that. That is part of the appeal of people like Diane Schiffer.  She speaks to us of an earlier day when people were kinder, nicer and life was much simpler.

 

(source)

I took a few bits over to Sheila yesterday afternoon and spent a while visiting with her. Sheila is my next-door neighbor. She tried to give me a small angel lamp.  I had to tell her that I really appreciated er wanting to give it to me, but I am not wanting to add to the already full house that I have and am in the process of trying to pare down life.  Not wanting to leave behind a ton of stuff for my children or sister actually to have to wade through.  It was very nice of her, but I really don't need these things.  She looked a bit crestfallen when I turned it down. I felt a bit bad about that, but I really have to stick to my guns when it comes to these things.

It is a process.  The more you have, especially in a small space, the more difficult it is to find things and I don't enjoy the frustration of that process at all.

 

(source)

I was reading this morning about how artificial intelligence personas could be our friends of the future and help fight the loneliness epidemic. Marc Zuckerberg has suggested that increasingly integrated AI assistants and chatbots could help people make up for the friends they wish they had in their lives. 

I don't know about that. I find the thought rather creepy to be honest. "Open the Pod Bay doors Hal."  (a famous line from Stanley Kubrick's 2001 a Space Odessey.)

I hope it never comes to a time when people have only machines to interact with and to bring meaning into their lives.  The thought makes me feel quite sad.

Do you think it might be because a machine does not expect anything from you in return?  In order to have a real friend, you have to be a real friend.  Friendship requires commitment and action on the part of both people.  It is a 'relationship' which requires give and take.  An investment of time and energy and yes . . . heart.

Are we becoming so lazy that we cannot make even the smallest effort?  I sure hope not, but it is true, people are much lonelier these days than they ever have been. 

I am lucky. I have my sister.  Plus, I enjoy my own company. My cats. A very busy life that brings me joy and happiness. Peace. My faith. Perhaps I am one of the lucky ones.  

I don't feel lucky however, I feel blessed. There is a difference.

And with that I best leave you with a thought for the day.  We are taking dad and his friend Maryann out this afternoon.  Dad is picking up his new computer in preparation for my brother's visit and Cindy is having her Covid booster. (I am having mine tomorrow afternoon.) Plus, we will probably do a few more errands. It's all go around here!

A thought to carry with you . . . 

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

 *.˛.The wound is the place

where light enters you.

~Rumi  ° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today . . .  Meal Prep Chicken.  Delicious versatile chicken, ready to use in making salads, sandwiches, quesadillas, wraps, etc. This recipe ensures tender and juicy chicken every time, whether you are meal prepping for the week or making dinner for the family.  It's delicious.

I hope that you have a beautiful day today.  Whatever you get up to I hope the world is kind to you. Be happy, stay safe and be blessed. Don't forget!

═══════════ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ═════════════ 

⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ════════════

And I do too!!