Dear Neighbor . . .

 

(source)

JUNE 5th, 2026
Estate Lane,

Nova Scotia

12*C/54*F

Mostly sunny

Dear Neighbor,

Hello on this beautiful June morning. I have been up since about 5:30 and was out front taking a few photographs of the flowers I added yesterday.  I think the danger of frost is about done now, so Eileen and I picked up some baskets yesterday afternoon from the farm market right behind my place. They had some really lovely looking baskets.

 

I kept it really simple. Just red and white for the front garden space. Petunias in front of the deck. Petunias are a flower that just keeps giving. 

I did red geraniums for the little wagon by the door. I had picked that up several weeks back but only put it together yesterday afternoon. Flat pack and it took quite a while, but I got there in the end. I did end up with the handle on the wrong end, but by that time I had gone far enough and was at my limit. I think I like the handle better in back anyways.  That little cast iron dish on the railing, that is where I put the peanuts.

All in all, I am fairly happy with the way it has all turned out.  All I need to do is to water them each day. No weeding.

My kind of gardening.

This was the sky over the houses across the way when I got up this morning.  Just a few wispy clouds and a contrail over the trees. Looks to be a very fine day in the offing.

 

(source)

I did not sleep very well last night. There was one of those big wasps in my bedroom right when I was going to bed. I did get it with my battery operated fly killer thingie. I think the are getting in through the air exchanger vents in the ceiling. I did have the maintenance guy around to look. He couldn't find anything untoward. He looked outside, etc.  He said they were paper wasps and would be gone soon, but I don't know about that. I read online that peppermint oil is something they don't like. I have some of that. I bought it last year for the ants. I am going to get some cotton balls when I am out this afternoon, soak them in peppermint oil and stick one in every one of those air exchanger vents and see if that helps.

It's not nice to have wasps in the house and Eileen is terrified of them. Me too, to be honest. It's a bit like a nightmare.

 

(source)

Gouchers had their early strawberries out this week, for $7.99 a box and apparently they sold out. I am not surprised. Although it seems to be expensive, those first berries of the season are always a real treat. I did not get any. I will wait until a bit later and hope that the cost goes down a bit.

Eileen and I popped into the grocery store yesterday afternoon. All of the things that were on special were gone. Of course. Either that or they never had them in the first place. Toilet tissue, Kleenex, paper towels. All gone. Those are quite hefty items and not something I can pick up when I am out with Cindy and Dad as they won't fit in the car. I had been hoping to get some locally. Eileen too, to put into her apartment.

 

(source)

The cleaners are coming to clean her place tomorrow afternoon. According to her worker, they want her moved in asap. She will be allowed to come to stay with me when she has her operation and for recovery, but they won't be subsidizing the rent in a place that is unoccupied, so she has to be living in it.

She is a bit nervous living on her own. We will try to move things in as best as we can over the coming days. Her father is not communicating with me at all. I did reach out to him several times, but he totally ignores me. I don't understand that, but it is what it is. I just thought it would be better if the left hand knew what the right hand was doing so we could organize everything between us. I have tried and a person can't do any more than that. It is what it is.

It has been my experience that things have a way of working out in the long run, no matter what.

 

I could not help but snap this picture of Nutmeg all stretched out and asleep on the carpet the other night. He was so cute.  His belly and paws are so very white.  He is such a character. Eileen will really miss the cats when she leaves to go to her place.  I hope she doesn't have to wait too long to get one of her own.  I think she will be less nervous if she has a cat for company. 

I picked up some very pretty embroidered pillow slips earlier this week. They have drawn thread edges as well.  I got them at the Irish Linen Shop online. I am very pleased with them. They are so lovely and the embroidery is very nice. A small extravagance  . . . I do so love pretty linens.

When I worked at the manor, they had beautiful table and bed linens. I used to love using them when there were luncheons, etc. Everything was exquisite.

 

Here are sweet peas on tip-toe for a flight;

With wings of gentle flush o'er delicate white,

And taper fingers catching at all things,

To bind them all about with tiny rings.

~John Keats, I Stood Upon A Little Hill

Of all the flowers in the world I think I love sweet peas most of all.  They are so beautiful and delicate and yet so fierce at the same time, with their tendrils that entangle everything and grasp at every post.

Delicate and beautiful

and vivid as the sunset skies.

A mass of sweetness,

like a cloud of pink and crimson butterflies.

Are they flowers, these moth-like

things with brightly tinted wings of flame?

Sweet peas, that is what they're called,

but can such beauty have a name? 

~anon

 They grow in masses, and clusters, each bloom seemingly more beautiful than the rest.  Every tender petal does look like a winged thing, ready to fly off . . . you can almost hear the gentle flutters as they prepare to flit about the garden en masse.  I cannot pick a favorite color. I love them all. If I was very rich and young and getting married . . .  I think my bouquet would be composed of sweet peas . . . creamy whites and gentle blushes . . . with pale green tendrils.   

When the oldest daughter at the Big House got married, her wedding cake (s) were done by Peggy Porschen, the smaller ones being decorated with tiny little sugar sweet peas, which looked for all the world as real as to be actual sweet peas. They were soooo beautiful. Tiny works of art that you  hated to bit into. Not that I had the opportunity to bite into one, but I could imagine  . . .

Once again, exquisite.  It was all a grand experience to be sure, even if it was very hard work working there.  I am grateful to have had the experience. How wonderful it would be to be able to tell my granddaughter about these things . . .  if only.

 

(source)

I picked up the loveliest buns at the grocery store yesterday afternoon. So beautifully fresh. Is there anything so tasty as a fresh made bun. I don't think so, but then again I say that about a lot of things.  

These were lovely though. I had been going to make some baked hotdogs with them, but it ended up we did not have any canned chili in the larder. I did have some tins of chunky steak and potato soup however, so we had that instead and were quite happy with it. Soup and rolls for supper is such a simple thing, but it is also quite a nice thing as well. It is the simple things in life which bring us the most pleasure after all . . . 

 

(source)

I will soon have to wake up Eileen. She wanted to go to Tim Hortons this morning and have her breakfast there. She likes their breakfast bowls. It is a treat for her. I will drop her off. Her Bible Study leader wanted to meet her there as well. So they will have a visit together and then later, after lunch she has a People's First meeting. The CSS workers will drop her off here at home after that.

It will be good when she is in her own place in some ways. It is centrally located and she will be able to walk to wherever she wants/needs to go. She will get more exercise that way, which is always a good thing. I will miss her though. These months we have had together have been a great blessing for each of us. We will still do our Wednesday night dinners at the restaurant with Cindy and Dad and of course Sunday suppers at Cindy's. Plus she is planning on coming to me for Christmas and I said maybe we can have some sleepovers as well. If she wants to. Its up to her.

And with that I best leave you with a thought for the day . . . 

☾ ° ★° * 。  

• ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • •。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
*You can worry about it

or you can pray about it.

One does nothing.

The other does everything.

In the kitchen today, Easy Cheese & Potato Pie.  This is a delicious vegetarian casserole that can serve either as a main or as a side dish. It's hearty and delicious!

I hope you have a lovely Friday. Whatever you get up to, I hope it brings you joy. Don't forget!

═══════════ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ═════════════ 

⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ════════════  

And I do too!