Sunday morning in Blacon . . .

Not a lot of time to write this morning.  We are driving off to another Ward for church today so my time is very limited.  Just thought I would leave you with a quick shot taken from my back door just a few seconds ago.  We need to paint the doors on the shed I think.

 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Breakfast Knickerbocker Glory.  Healthy!

Have a lovely day.   Hope the sun shines.  Don't forget  . . .

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And I do too!

The Places I go . . .

 I had a bit of an upsetting weekend last weekend.  Nothing that I can or really want to talk about, but suffice it to say it left me upset and feeling a bit bruised and worse for the wear.  Everything was resolved satisfactorily, but I am a person that really takes everything to heart.  I am not thick skinned in the least and whilst I am very quick to forgive, I do have a tendancy to dwell on certain things and  mull them over in my mind and heart much more than I should.

I need to learn to let go . . .

In any case by Wednesday afternoon this week, this upset and concern was beginning to manifest itself in my life by little twinges in my chest.  I even came over nauseated and all sweaty at one point.  But it went away shortly afterwards and I was fine all day Thursday . . . but still a bit anxious about what had happened on Wednesday afternoon.




Then yesterday morning it started all over again and I decided I needed to go to the Doctor.  So off we went.  Once there, they decided I needed to be in hospital and that was my next port of call.   I got home from there around Midnight last night.

My day yesterday was spent having heart tracings, blood tests, being hooked up to monitors etc.   I ended up in the AMU, which is where Ariana works, but alas, she was off yesterday.   The reputation of my peanut butter cake had preceded me however, and everyone was quick to say (once they realized who I was) what  a good cook I was. ☺  One nurse even told me I looked to young to be 59, which made me feel rather good.



Throughout it all my Todd never left my side.  I was so grateful for his presence.   He also gave me a Priesthood blessing which was very calming and assuring.   He knew everything would be okay and it was.

I have to say that all of the staff at the hospital, from the initial nurses who dealt with me when I went to the A&E, to the lovely male nurse who sang Vera Lynn whilst he was inserting a canula and doing my inititial heart tracings/blood tests, to the nurses in AMU, and the porters etc.  . . . all treated me with great care and respect.

The two Doctors that dealt with me were just lovely.  They were compassionate and funny and just very kind and sweet.   We, here in the UK have an awful lot to be grateful for in our National Health Care system.  No, it is not perfect and we love to complain about it . . . but we should also never take it for granted as it is far better than what a lot of people in the world have to contend with and  . . .  it's free.



I was finally discharged to come home about midnight last night.  Thank goodness I did not have to stay in.   I was so thankful for that.   There is no better place to sleep than your own bed at home with all of your home comforts surrounding you and your husband by your side.   The upshot of yesterday is that as far as they can tell it wasn't my heart, but if it returns I am go go back to the hospital A&E to be on the safe side. All of my tests/tracings, etc. were negative for it being any type of cardiac incident.  It was probably stress induced anxiety.

In short I need to relax more and let go, let God.  Not an easy thing for me, I'll admit, but it can be done.

Mitzie was so glad to see me when I got home last night.  Todd had popped home a couple of times to give her her walks and supper and a few cuddles, but it wasn't like having me here for sure!  (Is there anything on earth as sweet as a dog's "Welcome Home?"  I think not!)

Back where I belong, and hoping I don't repeat this experience any time soon.  Although I think an experience like this does give you pause for thought and there are some things I need to do and to have in place should this ever happen again  . . .

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .


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Faith and doubt cannot exist 
in the same mind at the same time,
for one will dispel the other.
~Thomas S Monson
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Baking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Twisty Fruity Bread.  Seriously scrumptious.

Have a great weekend and don't forget . . .



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And I do too!

Friday Finds . . .

A few of the wow moments and things that I find each week that tickle my fancy. They might even tickle yours!

 Peanut Butter Cookie Lasagna from Hugs and Cookies.   With it's multiple layers of Nutter Butters, Peanut Butter Cups,  Cool Whip, and Skippy Peanut Butter, I don't know whether to be grateful that I can get NONE of those things here in the UK, or sad . . .

Maybe I'll just have to create my own version?    Sounds like a dessert for the Young Missionaries to enjoy!  Might just kill me however. lol

I love, LOVE all of the colours and the pattern of this lovely crocheted bag.   It would be a great way to use up some scraps.  From Ravelry.  It's a free pattern.

Best Sewing Tips for professional results from On Sutton Place.   These are great!

How to use Decorative Stitches.  If you are like me, you have all of these extra stitches on your machine, but don't know how or where to use them.   Secret no more.  From The Sewing Loft.

What an attractive Passport Wallet to hold all of your family passports when travelling, etc.   Such a simple idea and so attractive.   Found on One Shabby Chic on Etsy.  Digital Download Pattern.

Do It Yourself Chalkoard Paint recipe from The Idea Room.  Chalkboard is all the rage now.

How to make your own Pore strips.   It's supposed to work really well for cleaning out blackheads, etc.   From Le Petite Lefant.   Simple ingredients you probably have in your house right now.

How to remove residual wax from candle holders.    Easy peasy.  Snap Guide.

 DIY Lego Pencil Holder.  Using paint and baby food jars.  Cute.  From Handmade Charlotte.

111 Indoor Activities for Rainy Days.  (Oh where oh where were you when my kiddies were growing up?)  From Pop Sugar.

And that's my Friday Finds for this week!  Hope you found something useful here!

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .


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Life is like a camera . . . 
You focus on the important, 
Capture the good times,
Develop from the negative, 
and when things don't work out
take another shot.
~unknown
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In The English Kitchen today . . .  Low Fat Chocolate Chip Muffins.   2TBS of butter in the whole recipe, and they are light and fluffy and delicious.  

Have a wonderful Friday and great weekend!  Wherever you go and whatever you do, don't forget that . . .

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And I do too!

Five Things About Me . . .

This is my two times Great Grandmother, Ida Maria McNayr Smith.   She was born in 1845 in Inglesville, Nova Scotia.  She had five daughters with her husband John A Smith, one of which was my Great Grandmother, Henrietta Elizabeth Smith Best.  Ida was one of eleven children born to Arod McNayr and Diadamy Whitman McNayr.  (Diadamy would be my three times Great Grandmother.)

I love doing geneology.   I have been able to trace several of my family lines quite far back, to the Plantagenets, Eleanor of Aquitane and beyond.   Willam the Conquereror was an ancestor as was Robert De Brus (also known as Robert the Bruce).    Geneology is fascinating.   It's wonderful discovering your roots and the stories in the history of your family.    These are special connections and all a part of who YOU are.

And that is number one in another Five Things About Me Post!



I married far too young the first time I got married, and for all the wrong reasons.  I think my ex would agree totally with me on that, because he probably feels the same way.  My first husband was the second youngest child in his family, having three older siblings.  The first time I met his mother, I thought she was his grandmother.  The older children were a LOT older than he and his younger brother.   They lived on a farm, which was a huge departure from my own upbringing.   It was a lifestyle I had always wanted to be a part of, and had a huge appeal to this airforce brat.  I was 19 and in a hurry to leave home, but I had also not been taught how to be independant, and was raised to believe that (as a girl)  I was only to graduate from highschool, and get a token education/job until I found a husband who would then take care of me for the rest of my life.   My father in law was dying of Leukemia and I think there was a lot of pressure on us to get married more quickly rather than later.   (His younger brother got married a couple weeks before us and they are also divorced.)   His father made it home from Hospital for his brother's wedding but did not make it out to ours.  We spent our honeymoon with his father in Halifax at the VG hospital.  The best thing to come out of our union was my eldest son, Anthony.  There is a purpose in all things.  I love my son dearly.  He is and has always been a great blessing in my life.




I have a "thing" for orange cats.   I love orange cats . . .  as well as Blue Point Siamese.  We had Siamese cats the whole time I was growing up, but they were Seal Points.   Then when I was raising my children we had Blue Points.   They were lovely.  My mom has had two orange cats these past thirty years or so.   I think orange cats are smarter than regular cats.   When I moved over here in 2000, Todd had two cats already.  They were not overly fond of me, and so Todd got me my very own kitten.  Dandy . . .  he was orange, and so cute.   We ended up having to give all of our cats away as we had a neighbor who complained to our landlord at the time that they were going into her garden all the time and distressing her.   I can totally understand her distress.   WE also used to have a cat that would come in our bedroom window (we were living in a first floor flat) in the summer months and sleep on the end of our bed.   It was kind of freaky.  My growing up cats and the cats during my  children's growing up years were always "indoor" cats.  It is hard to have an indoor cat here in the UK as the windows don't have screens.    Indoor cats live longer than outdoor cats, but I also believe that it's  not entirely fair to keep a cat indoors all the time.   Cats like being outdoors.



I am a hugger.  Probably the first thing I would do upon meeting you would be to give you a big hug.   I love hugging and being hugged. I am also a patter.   As I hugged you I would also be patting your back.  I hug and I pat.  Together.  It's just who I am.




I love it when the sun is shining, but I don't like being out in the sunshine.    I prefer to enjoy it from indoors, or the shade.  It hurts my eyes to be out and about in it and I can't wear sunglasses. (They make me feel motion sick for some odd reason.  It's an eye/inner ear thing I guess.)  There is nothing more beautiful than a sun shiny and warm day . . .  but  I enjoy them from the shade.

And that is the final thing about me for today!  I always love hearing new things about you as well.   Care to share?

A thought to carry with you through today  . . .


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We make a living by what we get . . . 
we make a life by what we give.
~Winston Churchill
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Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Cheesy Garlic Bread.  Simple.


Have a fabulous day whatever you get up to!  Don't forget  . . .

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And I do too!

Happy Day!

Wednesday musings . . .

We only have a small patch of it in our garden . . .  tis not really indigenous to back gardens, unless you live in the wilds or moors or rolling heath . . .  Heather.  I am waiting patiently for it to bloom.   It's such a tiny bloom and people don't really pay it all too much attention but when you chance upon rolling hills of it when out on a Sunday drive . . .  it fair takes your breath away. with it's wild beauty.

That is what happened to us a few summers ago.   We somehow got off the beaten track on our way back from Betwys-y-coed when all of a sudden we found ourselves amidst a rolling pink and purple coloured landscape.  It was most beautiful.   I decided then that I had to have some in our garden and the next year we bought ourselves a small pot and whenever I see it blooming I am reminded of the wonder of that moment we chanced upon the heathered hills in Wales.



Our lilies are blooming.    We had no idea what colour they were going to be when we bought them.   There were only two pots left and the blooms were tightly closed but they were lowered in price and so I asked Todd could we give them a home and he said yes.    I am not fond of bouquets of lilies in the house  . . .  it's the smell and the pollen from the stamens that annoy me . . .  but in a garden they are just beautiful.

I remember a neighbor's house when I was a child . . .  the whole front was encapsulated with big orange tiger lilies.  They made an obvious impression on me, for I remember them still . . .  and I was a child long, long ago.

In any case these beautiful star gazer lilies are delighting me now.




The garden is a riot of colour at the moment.   It's like all of the blooms can't wait to burst into colour and flatter us with their presence.   I said to Todd yesterday that all of the blooms on our hydrangea seem smaller this year  . . .  and indeed, one is not blooming at all.    Could it be the lack of rain?  We have not had a lot . . .  which is most unsual.

Todd carries pots of water out to the front of the house at the end of each day.  It's a lot of work for him.  To use a hose would involve running the hose right through the house from back to front and I am not overly fond of that idea.  Too many leaks.   Terraced house . . . it makes things like that a tad bit awkward.



The roses are so beautiful at the moment . . .  a riot of bloom and colour.  We had to cut down one rose bush completely.  It was old and had hardly any leaf or flower on it this year, or indeed years past.   I had been wanting to pull it out for a long time now and finally this year Todd agreed with me.  It's been replaced by a pot filled with things for now and we will decide over the winter what we will plant in it's stead.

Things like this require thought.



Lavender delights at the moment as well.  It is humming with bees.  I keep thinking I am going to go out and photograph them, but then . . .  I forget.  Perhaps I will get a chance today.    The bees are fat and rambling  little yellow and black powder puffs . . .  their  leg sacs bulging with pollen.  You look at them and think to yourself . . .  what a miracle of creation they are . . .  with their tiny wings and those huge bodies.   They should not be able to fly  . . .  and yet they do.

Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor . . . these things mystify me, and fill my heart with gratitude.



The Summer's zenith has been passed,
The longest day has come and gone,
The fields are mown, the hay is stacked,
Oh . . .  why must time go rolling on?
The corn has ripened in the sun 
The fruit turs red upon the spray.
If only I could stop the clock
And hold this fair and lovely day . . . 

I have a really busy day ahead of me today.   I am off Visit Teaching at 9 this morning (which means I need to hustle) and then this afternoon Todd and I are doing visits ourselves.  We don't seem to have much success visiting people in the morning and so we are going to try afternoons.  If that fails then it will be evenings . . . then tonight, we have a meeting at the chapel.  I am enjoying this busy-ness of my days.



Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Mixed Greens with Goats' Cheese Truffles and a Honey and Lemon Vinaigrette.    A feast for the eyes and tummy.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, no matter what you get up to.  Stay safe and stay happy and don't forget!

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And I do too!