All Things nice . . .

 

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Now I have happiness to spare,

A well of joy that I can share

With everyone who comes my way,

Memories lovely as the day,

And in the background of my dreams

A shining tower often gleams.

Now I have happiness -- the kind

That comes from work and peace of mind,

Needing no hollow show or pride,

But something clean and deep inside

Beyond the reach of outward things,

An inward happiness that sings.

I have the stars that glimmer down

Into the little streets of tow,

A brand new snow-fall overnight;

Shop windows glowing warm and bright,

With apples . . . lemons . . . tangerines,

Celery and lettuce for the greens.

And there are churches warm and dim

Choirs to sing the well-loved hymn,

Children in snow suits like small elves

Playing a game among themselves,

A twilight lovely as a prayer,

And happiness that all can share.

~Edna Jacques, Now I Have Happiness

Hills of Home, 1952

Admittedly a winter poem, but the title spoke to me as did many of the words.  Now I have happiness and to spare.  There was a time not that long ago when I thought perhaps, I would never be happy again, but now I am happy, and I have happiness to spare.  Each night when I lay me down my prayers are filled with gratitude for the life that I have and its many blessings.  The windows of heaven have opened up and blessed me with abundance. I speak not of material things. I have all of those that I need and more.  I speak of spiritual things.  Of a heart that is at peace with my life and who I am and where I am. Oh, I do have my moments. I would not be human did I not, but, by and large, I am at peace and content with my lot. I have gotten to the place where I can be thankful for all the things I have experienced and the way that they have shaped me. I recognize that things could always have been far worse than they were, and that they are far worse for many people. 

I am grateful. And I am happy. I am at peace.

 

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I messaged Doug yesterday to see how he was feeling and he thinks he knows what the problem is. He was going through his meds that had been put together and noticed that one tablet was missing. The one that regulates his heart. He is not sure how many days he was without it. Anyways, he started to take it again and hopefully his heart rate will soon go down and be normal again. I will probably message him later to see how he is.

I hope that is all that it is.

I did suggest that perhaps he should get his meds in blister packs, already sorted. He said he was thinking of doing that.

I went out in the back yard and took a closer photo of the chair next door. Don't worry, I was able to do it from my back patio.  I just wanted to show you how very cute it was. And it is.  I don't think it is meant to be sat upon. It's just adorable.  Love the birdhouse as well. I should paint my birdhouse that Dan gave me and put it out.  I don't have anything much out in decorations. I don't know why.  

I had fairies secreted throughout my garden in the U.K. They had become somewhat bleached by the sun and the weather, which only made them more beautiful to my eyes. 

I think a yard/garden should be full of little surprises to delight the eyes and the soul.

 

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One of the last things I do at night before I go to sleep, after I have got into bed and said my prayers, etc. is to listen to a hymn.  I have a Sacred Music app on my iPad.  I think it is a beautiful habit . . . to make songs of praise the last thing you hear at the end of the day.

Last night I listened to "It is Well With My Soul."

When peace like a river, 

attendeth my way, 

when sorrows like sea billows roll -- 

Whatever my lot, 

Thou hast taught me to say, 

"It is well, it is well with my soul."

 Beautiful words to end the day on.

The night before last, it was "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief," a hymn about serving others and in so doing, being in service to our Lord. 

I do love the hymns of the church, of any church. Anything that touches the heart and brings us into closer communion with our Heavenly Father, God, whatever you choose to call this higher power . . . 

 

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I think my favorite hymn of all time is "His Eye is on the Sparrow."  I know I have spoken of it before. I love sparrows. They are the humblest of birds. There is nothing spectacular about their appearance. And yet, they are mentioned 40 times in the bible, including the Old and the New Testaments. They are important enough to God to warrant such notice.

He notices if even one of them falls. Not one sparrow is forgotten by God. All are under His watchful eye.  And so are we.  At least that is what I believe and have come to know. "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."

 How do I know. Over and over again in my life He has made His presence known to me. Most often in small and simple ways that, because I was open to seeing them, I saw and noticed them. Most recently was the scrap of paper that I found on the ground, just when I needed to find it saying, "Forgiven." Such a small thing and it might have gone unnoticed had I just walked over it. But no, it was put there for me to find and I found it.  There have been many, many other instances where I have been touched in small and meaningful ways by His presence.

I remember one night several years back when I had just gotten into bed, and I was crying and could not find the words to pray.  The weight of my sorrow was so deep and so heavy.  I said so . . .  I think I whispered help me, two little words.  I opened my iPad to read and the exact words of comfort that I needed were there for me to see and to read.  

Only one example of many, many instances throughout my life.

He knows us. He watches over us.  He cares.  We matter to Him. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. If you doubt this . . .  put it to the test . . .  and then wait, expecting an answer. You will find/hear/see it. It might not come immediately, but it will come at some point. He will make His presence known and touch you in a special way, and often in a most unexpected way.

 

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It is quite a bit cooler out there this morning and it is drizzling . . .  a light rain is falling.  It is supposed to rain tomorrow as well. The gardeners will be happy for that. Canada Day and the fourth are both supposed to be dry.  There was supposed to be a Multicultural event happening in our town today, with loads of activities planned to include a concert tonight, but it has been postponed due to the inclement weather. It will happen at some point, just not this weekend. I know many will be disappointed.  

Weather happens.  There should always be a plan "B" I suppose.  It's too bad we don't have a large, enclosed area with shelter where people could have participated anyways. In the next town down the valley, they have the fairgrounds with lots of big barns, etc.  Alas, there is naught like that here.

I suppose like all things it will be made all the better for the waiting. 

I suppose we could, each of us, think of our day ahead as a jar that we can fill.  What we choose to fill it with will determine what type of day we will have. If you fill it with positivity, then you should have a really great day, and the opposite will be just as true.  Days make up weeks, make up months, make up years.  Years make up lifetimes.  How will you choose to fill yours?  

It is not always easy to be positive I know. Or to be grateful. Or gracious. Or any number of positive things. We cannot always find hope. But we can at least try.  

I know for myself that I have never regretted embracing the positive. Perhaps I have just not been truly tried or tested.  Horrible things happen to nice people all the time. I believe that how you choose to handle the "horrible" matters.  It can make all the difference in the world to the outcome, to the end of the story.

I have a toolbox and in it I carry faith, trust, peace, forgiveness, hope, kindness, love, etc. Those things fall within the wheelhouse of my abilities to control, at least from my side anyways.

 

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I had to laugh yesterday. I was watching Hannah Rickets on YouTube and she was tasting KFC for the very first time.  She usually reviews places that wealthy people embrace and patronize.  The looks on her face as she tried the different articles were priceless. She tried the popcorn chicken, the chicken zinger sandwich, the plain fried chicken and she had some gravy. She forgot to order the chips.  The chicken actually made her feel queasy. This was not Micheline star food by any stretch, but I think she knew that going in.  I think she wanted to be pleasantly surprised rather than outrageously disappointed. She called it foul, no pun intended.

That is not the first person I have watched review KFC on YouTube lately who was grossly disappointed. I have seen quite a few. 

The last time we bought KFC, WE were disappointed also
if I am being honest.

I can remember not so many years ago when a meal from KFC was considered to be a real treat.  It has really gone downhill in my estimation. And I wonder why that is.  What has been your experience with it?  Have you tried it lately?  What were your thoughts?

We much prefer Mary Brown's Chicken. It is more expensive than KFC, but it does taste a lot better, the chicken seems to be of better quality, and it is not as greasy. It's still not super good for the diet, but at least it tastes good.

I have to say that most fast-food places have dipped in quality and taste in recent years.  I have to wonder why that is.  Pride in product is slipping it seems.  

I blame the unholy worship of the dollar. The desire to increase profits at the cost of the consumer. "We won't up the price of our chicken/burgers/chips, etc. but we are going to use the cheapest product we can buy to use and will make our money up that way." Peddling garbage at the consumer's expense. Where will it all end?

Mind you, I am living in a small area that really has no place decent to eat. An area where people seem to value quantity over quality. It's a shame really. 

Oh dear, and this was supposed to be a nice positive post. The new Indian place in the next town over is really nice!

I got up way too early this morning . . . 

 

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Good advice.  I think so anyways.  

I am not sure what I will get up to today.  I have some work to do. I am still craving a steak.  Do I dare break down and pay a fortune for one?  Hmm . . .  we will see. In any case it is getting late now, and I need to get on with my day . . . it is raining so I will have to make some sunshine!

A thought to carry with you . . . 

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

 *.The little things that make life sweet

are worth their weight in gold;

They can't be bought at any price and

neither are they sold.

~Unknown° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today . . .  Easy Apple Crisp Foil Packets. No fuss, no muss, and not a lot to clean up. The fact that they are also delicious is a bonus!

I do hope that you have a beautiful weekend filled with love and peace and the people you care about most in this world. Be happy. Don't forget!

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And I do too!