Dear Neighbor . . .

Lupins beginning to bloom

at Cindy's

FRIDAY,  June 6th, 2025

Estate Lane, Nova Scotia

14*C/57*F (early morning)

Partly sunny skies

Dear Neighbor,

I hope that this missive finds all to be well in your little corner of the world. Things are bright here at the moment, but the sky is covered in a bit of a haze from the wildfires out West. It has made for spectacular sunsets. The temperature is supposed to reach a high of 25*C/77*F today. We need some rain as conditions are dry, and the grass is looking burnt on my lawn out front. There is a burning ban on at the moment with open fires only being allowed between 7 pm and 8 am everywhere in the province. This is wildfire season, so we need to be careful.

The talk of fires reminds me of one year when my father decided to burn our lawn as he had read that it would help the grass to come in thicker and greener, that it was good for the lawn.  He lit the lawn and had it pretty much under control for the most part, but the winds picked up. It got away from him and the fire department needed to be called down to extinguish it as the fire raced towards the motel which lay right next to our home. This is right across the street to the East of where I now live. Life has come full circle for me it seems.

 

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Cindy and I had a fairly uneventful trip up the Valley yesterday.  We left about 12:30 and went up as far as Greenwich. We stopped at Michaels first. I didn't think I needed anything but did pick up a couple of crochet hooks, some fresh pipe cleaners and some silver heart beads. I am always thinking that I am going to start making my wee wire dolls again. That is the plan. We shall see.

Cinnamon has a passion for pipe cleaners and as soon as she sees that I have some out she is all into them. 

We went to the farm market not too far from there in Greenwich, just outside of Wolfville. I got some rhubarb, broccoli and asparagus. Farm markets are so tempting these days. They are filled with lots of baked goods and meats. The farm market in Greenwich (Hennigars) bakes a lot of their own baked goods.  Cindy picked up some sweet potato biscuits. I resisted. I don't know why but I am always overwhelmed by the taste of baking powder in their biscuits, etc. It almost burns my mouth.  She cannot taste it at all, but I am extremely sensitive to it. It does not happen when I bake these things at home.

Their British pies were very tempting, but then again, I think to myself I can bake a much better one here at home as well, and for a lot less money.  I did pick up a bag of Neal Brothers Cheese Puffs which I opened up to snack on last night and they are actually quite disappointing. They don't taste like cheese at all. Sigh . . . 

From there we stopped at Noggins, working our way back down the valley. There I did pick up some russet potatoes that looked nice, some oat cakes and two packs of sausage, Bratwurst and British Bangers. Not cheap but good sausage never is.

We went to the Cambridge Convenience and picked up our bread that we had ordered from Costco. It is an organic 21 grain bread.  

We really like it and it comes in a two loaf pack. I freeze it and take it out as and when I need it. My brother really enjoyed it while he was here as well. 

 I also got two jars of this delicious bean salad. It's delicious and it never hurts to have it in the larder. I opened the jar I had while my brother was here, and it disappeared quick time as it is that tasty.  With chickpeas, kidney beans, green and yellow beans it goes down a real treat. You could not make this as cheaply as you can buy it. We love the stuff.

I also got a big bag of frozen haddock and some frozen chicken.

Finally, we ended up at Jonny's Cookhouse for a cheeky early dinner of fish and chips.  Very naughty I know. 

And along the way we solved all of the world's problems. Oh, if only we could. 😐

The cats are always both eagerly awaiting me when I arrive back at the house. It doesn't matter how long I have been away, be it five minutes or five hours they are very happy to see me return.  Nutmeg always talks up a storm as if he is giving me heck for having been away so long and Cinnamon comes to greet me as well. She would like a scratch behind the years, but Mr. Jealous always tries to get between us. I think she would be a much more affectionate cat given the chance, but he steals her thunder. 

I have her as screen saver on my phone at the moment in black and white. I quite like it. 

I think they love me.

 

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I got home and got everything put away and then I thought I would vacuum. I love the way the sunshine dapples the walls with light this time of year. This is not my house but an example of what I mean.  Later in the day it turns to gold, which I find quite delightful. The human eye is always attracted to light. It brings us joy and hope.

I have ordered a bookcase for my bedroom. That will be something for me to put together when it gets here. We shall see. It was an inexpensive metal one, but it does have wooden shelves. 

It's this one. Hopefully I won't have too much trouble getting it put together. I know Dan would do it if I asked him, and I may end up having to do that, but I do hate to trouble people to do things for me when I know they already have a lot to do on their plate. 

I have a new course starting this next Monday. It is called Sticky Blogging.  I have wanted to take it for a long time. It was not cheap to be honest, but I am hoping it will be worth it. We have had a few pre-lessons. They only take a few people on the course at a time so that they can devote more time to each student. I hope that it will add a few more tools to my toolbox and help me to engage more people when it comes to my food blog. As this is my main source of income that is really important to me.  I am getting to the stage in life where I need to be slowing down a bit and if I can work a bit less and still make a living, then this will be a worthwhile investment on my part. Here's hoping! I guess you could call it an investment in my future.

I hope it is not throwing good money after bad as my mother always used to say.

Life is good, richly blessed. My days are full and filled with peace and with joy. I do not need a lot of excitement to keep me happy. I am very content with simple things and ways. A bit of this and a bit of that. Small and simple pleasures.  Day by day. Faith, family, home. I know I say that all the time, but it is true. A good life is not built on extravagance but on the small and simple things that feed our souls with joy. Oh, don't get me wrong. An extravagance every now and then is great. We do need treats from time to time, but the real meat of our lives comes in the simple things and ways that richly embroider our days.  Light which flickers along the walls. Soft bellies to tickle. The smell of bread baking. A comfy chair to sit in with a good book and a hot drink. The sound of birds singing in the garden. The simple chores of every day that help to remind us that we are alive.  And much, much more.

I live in a peaceable kingdom, and I am it's Queen.

And with that flight of fancy, I will leave you with a thought for the day  . . . 

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

 *.˛.The cure for boredom
is curiosity.
There is no cure for curiosity.
~Dorothy Parker° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Gingerbread Energy Balls. These are so simple to make, and they really do taste like Gingerbread. Gluten free, nutritious, naturally sweet they make a great snack and are healthy option to enjoy when that craving for something sweet hits!

I hope your Friday is filled with Light and with Love.  Whatever you get up to, stay safe and don't forget!

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!! 

 

My Favorite Things . . .

 

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens . . . these are some of the things in life that I enjoy, and which make me happy, inspire me, or put a smile on my face. Maybe some of them are yours too.  Let's share!

I've been down a bit of a rabbit hole this morning.  My adhd brain sent me on the trip.  I came upon this piece of art that I had done back in 2012, a whole lifetime ago now.  It was always one of my favorite pieces. I need to get back to doing art. I need to make more time for it.  Being able to create has always been one of my favorite things!

 

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Old black and white photos. I find myself wondering about the people in them. Who were they, what were their dreams, etc. Everyone has a story.

 

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Red tractors. They appeal as much to me as red barns.  Maybe it is the color red.  I love red.

 

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Little baskets of blooms.  So pretty. The lilacs are about done here now  . . . 

This guy. He thinks I can't see him. He's so funny.

Two loves combined.  Black and white photos and this little man. Love it.  So dramatic.

 

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Well pumps. A thing of the past and it is very rare to see one now. My grandmother had one in her kitchen by the sink.

 

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Winding country roads and wandering sheep. This photo makes me think of the Horseshoe Pass in Wales. Up in the mountains.  Such a pretty spot. Wild.

 

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Stone walls  . . .  there is an art to it.  Common in the North of England.

 

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The smell of clean air, soap and sunshine  . . . 

The sunset last night  . . . 

 

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Posie filled jugs . . .  pink . . . 

 

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Old Hutch's . . . this is a beauty.

 

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Yellow . . . the color of joy.

 

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Fresh grown produce  . . . 

 

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Dappled sunlight  . . . 

 

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Little farmstands  . . . 

 

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Old fashioned kitchens  . . . 

 

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Breakfast rooms  . . . 

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There is nothing about this that I do not love  . . . 

 

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A place to rock and while away the hours . . . to watch the world go by.

 

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Scandanavian design  . . . 

 

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Strawberry ice cream  . . . 

 

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Pink Lemonade . . . 

 

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Mothers . . . what a lovely brood . . . 

 

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Pretty boxes  . . . 

And those are my favorite things for this week. I hope that some of them were also yours!

.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.° ˛°We can complain because rosebushes

have thorns . . . 

or we can rejoice because thornbushes

have roses  . . . •。★★ 。* 。

In The English Kitchen today . . .  Loaded Potato Skins. The small batch. Two to three bite nibbles for you entertaining needs. Always delicious.

I hope you have a fabulous Thursday.  I am puttering about here in the house this morning.  This afternoon Cindy and I are off to pick up some bread we ordered, and we may even hit a few farm markets to see what's about!  Whatever you get up to, stay safe and don't forget!

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And I do too!

 

Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

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It's a beautiful day out there this morning. I have had my inside front door open since about 5:30 bringing in some cooler air.  It's supposed to get up to 25*C/77*F today so quite warm. Hopefully not humid.  

They came through and cut the grass yesterday. I think it will be a once-a-week thing from now until the autumn.  It seems to grow so quickly.  One guy comes through on a sit on mower and then another comes with the weed wacker and then a final guy comes with a blower to blow the cut grass off of the driveway and back onto the lawn. Midge from across the road had a right go at them about the grass they leave in clumps all over the place. The guy ended up blowing all of the excess grass onto the next yard over and blowing none of it onto Midge's. 

The squeaky wheel does get the grease. I am just happy to have a place to live that is fairly affordable.

As promised here is a photograph of my finished blanket. I am really pleased with how it came out. I love the colors of it. That yarn is just beautiful.  Stylecraft Highland Heathers DK.  The colors are amazing and each one might look like a single color from away, but when you get right close up to it you can see that it is actually a mix of colors. Like for instance the salmon, it is salmon colored, but it has flecks of silver and blue in it, just like the scales on an actual salmon. In any case, I am in love with my blanket and that is as it should be.  I did a scalloped edging on it rather than leave it plain.  

I ended up getting one of these food processors at Canadian Tire last week. I have used it about three times since. I have been making protein energy balls with it.  I have done several different kinds, all delicious. I will be sharing the recipes with you over the next couple of weeks. I won't share them all at once as I don't like to post the same kind of recipe two days in a row.  

I am really pleased with the power of this machine. It's done a super job of grinding things up. It has a double set of grinding blades whereas my small food processor only has a single blade.  It would not have been up to the job. I didn't want to burn out any motors.  This can easily happen when you are grinding up sticky fruits and nuts.

 

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We have been getting some of the haze from the forest fires which are burning in Manitoba at the moment. Nothing too drastic but it is there in the atmosphere, and it does dull the blue skies somewhat. My heart always goes out to all of those who are affected by things like forest fires, etc. That is a scary situation.  It would be back in May/June of 1980 now that my ex and I took a trip back east from Alberta with the kids to visit my sister and his brother in Ontario.  Both were living in Windsor at the time.  Our Amanda was only about 8 or 9 months old.  The trip down from Alberta was okay but we hit all kinds of problems on the way back.  We got all the way around the Northern Side of Lake Superior when we had to be detoured down through the states due to Forest Fires in North-western Ontario.  We went down through Thunder Bay into Minnesota, over to Grand Forks and back up into Manitoba. 

It was nighttime when we hit the Manitoba border again and there were fires raging on both sides of the highway. It was pretty scary stuff. We were exhausted.  We stopped at a motel about 25 or 30 miles north of the fire line to spend the night. I don't think I slept a wink. I was terrified that the fires were going to come to where we were. It was quite frightening to be surrounded by fires as we were on that highway. 

That wasn't the end of the excitement either. We got stuck in the worst Thunderstorm I have ever seen just outside the Alberta border later the next day. It was so bad we couldn't see our way forward. We had to just stop the car where it was. I remember being terrified that a transport truck would hit us and take us out.  The rain and hail were just pelting down. It couldn't have lasted much longer than 5 or 10 minutes but pretty scary. I remember praying like I had never prayed before. It finally blew over and we continued on our way only to realize that it had been a Tornado. We had gotten lucky. It had touched down very close to where we were. 

I was never so glad to get home in my life.  That was the year that Mount Saint Helen's had erupted. That had happened while we were at our family's.  Everything in the house was covered with a fine layer of ash/dust from the fall-out. It was the deadliest and most economically destructive event in US history, and Southern Alberta (where we lived) had been affected by it.

What a way to start the summer eh!

 

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Now would be about the time that people in the UK would be picking elderflowers to make Elderflower Cordial. I watched Cherry Menlove making hers on YouTube the other day. I love Elderflower cordial. It has a beautiful very distinctive flavor. When I worked at the Manor and the ladies came to lunch, I always had to make a big jug of Elderflower to greet them with when they arrived. They always came in the back through the kitchen. I would greet them as they arrived, pour them a drink and then guide them through to where they were expected to gather.  There was always a lot of chitchat before the luncheon would begin in earnest. Often the Mrs. would take them on a walk through the gardens of the Estate aft everyone got there. I didn't mind as this gave me time to put the finishing touches on everything and get it ready to serve.

Thinking back on it that really was an interesting job. A lot of hard work of course, but very interesting all the same. I will always be grateful for those experiences.

I could not resist taking a photograph of Nutmeg last evening. I was watching a bit of Telly and finishing off my blanket and he was relaxing on the carpet in front of the television.  He looked so at peace.

Cinnamon was doing the same thing on top of the fireplace in front of the television.  (That's an example of Monique's beautiful artwork you can see in the photo as well.)

It was so quiet and peaceful here in the house.  I had cat music playing on the television and they were so relaxed. It was a beautiful moment that I could not resist capturing a glimpse of.

 

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Cindy had popped over earlier in the afternoon and clipped their nails for me. I find it impossible to do. They just will not cooperate with me. Nutmeg is the size of a dog, and I cannot manage to hold him and clip at the same time. He wriggles too much and Cinnamon, well she is over the top wriggly. For some reason they settle down more for her and let her get on with it.  I am always very appreciative of her efforts. Their nails do get quite long and then they keep getting caught in things. I keep having to rescue them.

 

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I've been enjoying watching Stanley Tucci in Italy on Prime video. What a fascinating series that is. I am only on the second episode, but I am really enjoying it. One of my regrets of the time I lived in the U.K. was that I never got to Italy. It was on my bucket list.  What a beautiful country and the food is amazing. In the first episode he was in Tuscany, the birthplace of the Renaissance. In the episode I am watching now, he is in the Lombardy region. 

Like good food, this show is one to be savored and enjoyed, and I am doing just that!

 

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I am enjoying these last days of Spring before the summer hits. I like to call June the singing month. This is when the gardens really begin to take off. Roses start to ramble everywhere, over white picket fences and grey stone walls. The deepening green of the countryside is laced with shell-pinks, ivory and reds. Things are bursting into color. Glenna's oriental poppies are in bloom across the way. So pretty to see. I miss my oriental poppies that I had in the U.K. They did not bloom for long and were not so pretty once the bloom had passed, but when they were in their glory, they were beautiful. I wish now that I had brought more of the flowers from my garden into the house to enjoy indoors. My sister always has a small bouquet of something on the windowsill in these warmer months or on the table. The other day it was filled with Buttercups, Sweet William and Bluebells, with a small sprig of lilac.  Intoxicating.

I find myself being unable to pick flowers as if in doing so I am contributing to their demise. Intellectually I know that this is not so, but my heart cannot bring itself to be able to hurt them.  I know, makes no sense . . . I do enjoy seeing them in their natural habitat and I do so enjoy seeing other people's gardens take on more life as the days pass by.

And with that I will leave you with a thought for the day!

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

 *.I do not understand how
anyone can live in without one
small place of enchantment
to turn to.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
~Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

In The English Kitchen today, Easy Portuguese Chicken. Loaded with flavor, you can cook this tasty finger-licking chicken in the oven or on the grill.  Delicious!

I hope that you have a beautiful Wednesday. I plan to spend some of today catching up on the things I never got caught up on yesterday!  My days just seem to evaporate for some reason!  Have a lovely day everyone. Don't forget!

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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿

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And I do too!