Saturday Nice . . .

 

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Plant a tree and watch it grow,

And in some way I do not know,

You are part of it somehow,

Of trunk and branch and swinging bough,

The blossoms of the early spring,

A brown bird that comes back to sing.

And as its sinking roots go down

In the good earth rich and brown,

You'll find your heart is growing too,

Something deep inside of you,

Draws a strength and majesty,

From the sinews of a tree.

Plant a tree and as it grows,

Sun and rain and winter snows,

Will become a very part,

Of the cockles of your heart,

Wind and weather something more,

Than you ever felt before.

Waking birds and flowing streams,

Will come back to haunt your dreams,

Breath of springtime . . . scent of fall,

Waking birds who sing and call,

All these lovely things will be

Part of him who plants a tree.

~Edna Jacques, Plant a Tree

The Hills of Home, 1952

I have always had a thing for trees. I have loved them since my childhood. I remember on autumn days being sent into the woods to collect leaves for school projects. They would be brought home and carefully ironed between sheets of wax paper, like golden and amber jewels.

Woodland walks beneath the dappled sunlight which passes through the canopy above, the sounds of birds in the branches, things rustling around the roots . . . 

There was a special tree that sat next to the Manor I worked in. It was called the Doomsday Oak.  It was listed in the Doomsday Book, dating back hundreds and hundreds of years. I can't really remember how old it was now, but the girth of it was phenomenal. Historical societies used to come to look at it. I always thought to myself of the tales it could tell did it speak. History.

When we were children and lived at the house across from where I live now, there was a small pine tree in the front yard that we used to jump over.  It is huge now, so huge that I didn't even notice it until my sister pointed it out. Somehow, in its enormity, I had ceased to see it. Amazing to think that this very large tree which towers over everything was once small enough for us to jump over top.

What a day my poor Nutmeg had yesterday.  He spent the whole day from about 10 a.m. until after 5:00 pm. at the Vets. They sedated him and did all sorts of tests, x-rays, blood work, etc. Everything looked clear. There were no blockages, and they couldn't find anything wrong. They administered fluids subcutaneously again.  His white blood cell count was low, so they gave him an antibiotic shot that will last 14 days.  I brought home some anti-nausea meds for him to take, but he wasn't hungry at all last night and wasn't interested in the least in eating a thing.  He did eat his breakfast this morning. I am not sure what caused him to be so sick, and neither are they. 

He is not back to normal behavior by a long stretch, but he hasn't vomited, and he has eaten.  He's just being very quiet. Hopefully each day will see him improving, and that he is soon back to snuff. Thank you all so very much for your happy thoughts.  I am so grateful to Cindy for helping me ferry him back and forth and supporting me during this time and for my father who very generously footed the expensive bill from yesterday.  I would have paid it regardless and seen myself short, but he stepped up and did it for me.  I am so very grateful.  He wanted to take us out for supper last night as well, but by the time we got back we didn't really feel much like going out for dinner and I wanted to get back home with Nutmeg. We told him he could take us out on my Birthday instead.

 

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Its cooler this morning and I have my front door open letting in some of the cooler air before the day starts to heat up. It is 12*C/53.6*F. I can hear blue jays out there, their cries echoing, and Chippy somewhere on the street, chip, chip, chipping.  

August is usually a quiet month for birdsong.  That was an observation I made when I lived at the cottage.  I often took long walks along the hedgerow that edged the golf course which was situated at the end of the Manor grounds.  There was a public foot path that ran along between the hedge and the Orchards. Most of the year it was filled with noise, but suddenly in August it all became too quiet, as if everything was asleep, the heat being too much for them to take. I am sure it is the same everywhere.

The hummingbirds have become really active, however. I have about four different ones visiting my feeder now that I can tell. We all enjoy watching the great aerial battles which take place as they vie for domination.

 

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This almost makes me want a puppy.  Note the world "almost." I know my limitations and not only could I not take proper care of a puppy now, I could not afford to take care of a puppy/dog now.  Very cute however. This makes me smile. So much energy.

 

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Will I ever get past this longing of mine to have more light in my home?  I don't know. It's not just the light which appeals to me, however. It is the abundance of space to store things.  That I cannot do anything about, nor the light situation. It is what it is. I should have held out for white furniture pieces rather than buy the dark ones which were available locally. It's okay.  I am past the age now of wanting to "decorate" a home. I can remember when I was much, much younger, making plans and drawing sketches of how I wanted things to be in my home.  I would pour through the Sears catalogue and check things that I wanted to have.  Of course, there was no money to buy such things, it was all just a dream. 

I went through various stages.  I used to love to buy Country Living magazine, and I collected and saved them for years and years. I loved the simplicity of Prim and Shaker styles. Simple furniture, minimalist almost.  Very basic. With country fabrics and quilts. I also favorited Nordic design. I still do.

I suppose that is where my love of white furniture comes in.   I also like furniture which has flowers nd such painted on it.

Have I ever told you I once tole painted the top of a coffee table? It turned out really beautiful.  Milk paint with burnished edges and the most beautiful flower arrangements painted on the top in pinks, roses, pale blues and pale green.  I wish I still had it.

I was pretty good at the Tole Painting actually. Not to brag. I taught lessons when we lived in New Brunswick as well. It was something I really enjoyed a lot.

It will be a very quiet day here today.  I don't have much planned. I am going to gather up all the ant bait traps that I have secreted here and there. There is a part of me that wonders if maybe Nutmeg might have gotten some of that on his paws and licked it off.  (I will never know.) Anyways, I have no ants at the moment so I should probably dispose of them.

Other than that, there is nothing much on the cards, except to pamper Nutmeg and putter. A putter day is always something nice to enjoy.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

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

*.˛Make a nest

of pleasant thoughts.

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

I don't really have anything new going on in the kitchen today, I've been too busy will sick cats, etc.  I am sharing an older recipe for Raspberry Almond  Coffee Cake. It's delicious with three layers.  You get a buttery buttermilk cake with a ribbon of raspberry sauce running through the center and a rich crumbly buttery streusel on top.  Tres delicious!

I hope that you have a beautiful weekend. Once again, thanks so much for your love and support. It really means the world to me.  Don't forget!

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And I do too!