Thursday 18 April 2024

My Favorite Things . . .

 

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.  Lets share! 


 

Dressing tables  . . .  so elegant. When we were young, one year my sister and I each got a fashion doll for Christmas one year that had her own dressing table.


 

A room filled with light  . . . 


 


Ginger jars  . . .  especially blue and white ones  . . . 


 


French milled, pretty bars of soap. Love the soap dish also.


 


Pretty Beach Huts  . . .  your own personal space at the beach  . . . 


 

Botanicals  . . . 


 

Soap bags  . . . 


 


Forget me nots  . . . 


 

Pretty tea cups  . . . 


 

Tea strainers  . . . 


 

Birds  . . . . 


 


Biscuits  . . .  especially fresh from the oven, hot with butter and jam . . . 


 

Pretty bedding  . . . 


 

Cast iron  . . .  bells  . . . 


 
Pretty bowls . . . 


 

April showers  . . .  


 

Red geraniums  . . . .  my favorite kind  . . . 


 

Iron gates  . . .  so pretty  . . . 


 


Cinnamon buns  . . . 


And those are my favorite things for this week. Maybe some of them were yours too!


A thought to carry with you . . . 


° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~
\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
 *.˛.God respects me when I work,
but He loves me when I sing.
~Rabindranath Tagore
° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •




In The English Kitchen today  . . .  London Cheesecakes.  Puff pastry bars filled with jam, topped with almond cake and iced with a simple frosting sprinkled with coconut. Delicious!


I hope that you have a wonderful day. May it be filled with at least a few of your favorite things.  I may not be here tomorrow. I have an eye appointment in early afternoon and I need to get out before then and do a few errands. In any case, I will be here on Saturday for sure with something to share!  Love and hugs to you all!  Be safe. Be happy. Don't forget!

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ 
⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
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And I do too!    

   


Wednesday 17 April 2024

Wednesday Witterings . . .

 

 

Well, I did it yesterday. I re-purchased a few raggedy patterns from off Etsy.  My heart really wants to get back into sewing and doll making.  Will my practical side give me the time off from working to do so?  I sure hope that it will.  

I am not complaining. I am grateful for my work. Very grateful for it. I would not be able to survive financially without it.  I would be trying to live so far below the poverty line that it is unbelievable. My job writing the cooking blog is the only thing which is keeping me financially afloat, and I am more than grateful for that. At the moment I am trying hard to build up my savings so that if the bottom should fall out of that, I would still be able to survive.

I need to find some balance however. Between work and play. There has to be a balance between the two and I need to be better at finding it.

I lead a very busy life and I am grateful for that. I have no time to be bored, or to be lonely.


 

I am not a person that gets lonely and I have never been a person that gets lonely.  I have spent a great deal of my adult life on my own, or with only my children for company. My ex husband was in the Military and away a lot of the time. One of his favorite sayings was always "If the military wanted you to have a family, they would issue you with one."  His career was very important to him and provided very well for us. I had the luxury of being able to stay home with my children and see to their needs, and I was very happy to do so.

My mother had gone out to work when I was 11 and I had always missed her being there when I came home from school.  As the oldest child, her working also meant that I had a ton of responsibility heaped on my shoulders. Both for our home and my siblings. I did not want that for my own children, and so I was very grateful to be able to stay home with them.

I lacked very much in other adult company as, for the most part, we always lived far away from family. We moved a lot as well, which meant that friendships were always very short-lived.  I learned to enjoy my own company. I am a putterer. I keep busy with puttering. I enjoy puttering. The puttering and homemaking meant I did not get lonely, or feel the loss of adult companionship.

I am grateful for that. 

My friend Jacqueline is always telling me, now she is a widow, that she finds the loneliness unbearable.  I do not know what that feels like. I sympathize with her for sure, but I do not know what it feels like. I have never had a companion in life that I missed to the extent that I felt lonely when they were not around.

I am so blessed to be one who enjoys my own company and who knows how to fill a day with activity and purpose.



I thought that you might like to see my new quilt on the bed. I really love it.  I love the bright colors. I have always wanted a quilt like that.  My father says he is giving me the quilt his mother made for him as well. Well, his mother made the top and his sister finished it off after his mother passed away. I am so happy about that. My sister has the other one my grandmother made. 

As you can see Cinnamon is very happily ensconced on it.  She sees it as hers I think. She likes bed play. She helps me to make the bed every morning and then frequently during the day tries to entice me into the bedroom to shake a feather or some such back and forth over the bed so that she can chase it.

As you can see I still have my Tollipop paintings. I had packed them loose in my suitcase without frames when I came back to Canada.  They are what inspired me to get back into painting myself, all those years ago. I could not leave them behind. 

I sometimes wonder at the things I did choose to bring with me. Given the chance I would have chosen much different things, but I guess I can excuse myself from doing so as my mind was all over the place at the time and I had much different priorities.  I am pleased with how my life has turned out however, so its all good.


 


I was listening to a Pod Cast yesterday as I puttered, and found it very interesting. It was a group of younger women from the church, probably for the most part in their late 20's, early 30's. I was very impressed with how much they had it together.  I really enjoyed their fresh take on things and was especially interested in their discussion about the Holy Garments that we wear as members of the church. I found their thoughts very inspiring.  It made me think about why I wear them as well.  

Oh, for those who don't know, members of my church, both male and female, make special covenants/promises in our Temple and wear special, sacred to us, undergarments afterwards as a symbol of that.  I can realize that this might be a challenge to younger people as they are not totally sexy or anything close to being so.  There are no thongs, etc. I would imagine this could be a challenge to a young person who is seeking to find a partner in life and it is certainly a challenge for someone who is not married to a person who is a member of the church. As a society we place a lot of value on the sexiness of our undergarments. Or at least some people do.

And of course, wearing them makes it impossible to wear really low cut or backless tops and or dresses, sleeveless tops, really short shorts, etc. You can wear a swimsuit if you are going swimming, or take them off in special circumstances such as medical appointments, etc.

Anyways, I found myself thinking about why I wear mine. I have been wearing them for about 25 years now, day and night, and I don't think I would be comfortable without them. Yes, they can be a bit hot in the summer at times, but I don't really mind.  They are a symbol of promises I made to God and by wearing them I am showing Him that I am a promise keeper, a Covenant keeper. 

Nobody questions a Nun wearing her habit, or a Priest his vestments.  Nobody thinks twice about a person wearing a cross around their neck, or a turban, or a hijab, or a kippah.  But for some reason people have some really crazy ideas and thoughts about  Latter Day Saints wearing their garments.  For some reason they think this makes us really weird.

Its not weird really. Its just sacred. To us. Anyways, I really found their comments refreshing. Yes, we are a peculiar people. I am happy to be so.

 

Yea, or nea?  Too much? I think it would be a bit much for me perhaps, but I do kind of like it in an odd sort of way. It is pretty to look at, but I don't think I could really live with it. Its a bit overpowering.

I used to love to put up wallpaper when I was younger.  I found it very refreshing. I would not wallpaper all the walls, just perhaps one wall in a room, not all of the walls. I did like florals, but this is a bit much I suppose.  No, I don't think I really like it.

And with that I will leave you with a thought for the day.  Its gotten quite late and I need to get started on other things.  Its just one of those days!

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/   ~ \。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*The reading of good books
is like a conversation•。★★ 。* 。
with the finest mind of the past centuries.
~Rene Descartes  •。★★ 。* 。
•。★★ 。* •。★★ 。* 。



In The English Kitchen today . . .  Old Fashioned Tea Cake Slices.  Simple and delicious.  A really old recipe that never fails to please. Perfect for teatime.


I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!  I am going to clean, clean, clean today and then I have supper later with Dad. His bed is being delivered to Cindy's today. I hope all goes well with that.  Oh, my sister has seen a bluebird in her bushes, but she is not sure what it is. She's been unable to get a good photograph of it. We are both very curious as to what it is. Anyways, I hope you all have beautiful days. Be blessed, stay safe, and don't forget!


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⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════  


And I do too!    

   



Tuesday 16 April 2024

A Day Book . . .

 


FOR TODAY, April 16th, 2024


 


Outside my window ...

Its garbage day.  Every house has their garbage bags lined up ready for pick up. Its also Spring Cleanup Week so they also have stuff they want to get rid of out there.  Glenna's forsythia is in bloom, all of the tulips and daffodils are up.  Its partly cloudy, but the sun is supposed to come out and we are looking forward to a fine day with a high of 14*C/52*F.  So, altogether not bad. There are no sheep in sight.


I am thinking ...

Last night I was feeling very homesick for the U.K. I wonder how that is possible. Its not like I was born there or anything. But I did love living there very much. I do watch a lot of British television.  I would not be without my family here in Canada. I know what it is like to be far away from them and unable to see them. I would not trade being here, close to them for anything in the world.  I do miss certain things about the U.K. however. I suppose its only natural as I did live there for roughly a third of my life.




I am also thinking ...

Jon has gotten into the college he applied to.  I am so proud of him! He has done really well.  He will be 18 in just a few weeks now.  Its hard to believe.  I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to get to know and spend time with these boys of mine.  All five of them.  I am now a real person to them and they are real to me. Tangible and huggable. That is the best thing ever! That is something I did not have across the pond.  Anyways, congratulations to Jonathan! Grammy is proud of you!




In the kitchen ...

Cheese and Onion Bakes (Greggs Copycat).  A quick and easy copycat recipe for a type of puff pastry pastie that was/is very popular in the U.K. With a beautiful shatteringly crisp all butter puff pastry case, and a delicious cheese, onion and potato filling.  Fabulously moreish!



On my "To Cook" list ...

Garibaldi Biscuits from The Monday Box I adore Garabaldi's or Fly Cemeteries as they are also known. (I prefer the name Garibaldi!)


Good to know ...



I would love to create ...


I would love to start making my raggedy dolls again. I will need to rebuy all of the patterns as they got left in the U.K.  I used to love making them so much.



Little boxes  . . .  I also loved making little box vignettes and my matchbox dolls.



I sold every one I ever made. I don't have any of them myself. I also don't have any of the materials that I used to make them with, nor the high quality printer I used to print out my little figures to put on them.  A thing of the past methinks  . . . 



I have what I need to make these though and I should  . . . 


I used to love making all of these things.  I need to feed my creativity more than I do!


Oh my goodness ...


 

Is there anything as delicious as  fresh baguette?  I think not!


I am reading ...



The Wisdom of Donkeys by Andy Merrifield  

A walk in the French countryside with a donkey inspires this literary ode to peace, presence, and fulfillment.

In this enchanting book, Andrew Merrifield sets out on a journey of the soul with a friend's donkey, through the crumbling ruins and spectacular vistas of southern France's Haute-Auvergne. Along the way the understated nobility of Gribouille, his humble donkey companion, allows him to confront himself as well as to consider the larger mysteries of life. 

As Merrifield contemplates literature, science, truth, beauty, and the universality of nature amid the French countryside, Gribouille surprises him with his subtle wisdom, reminding him time and again that enlightenment is all around us if we but seek it. 

Traveling with Merrifield and Gribouille, we're reminded of the exquisite benefits of nature, passive adventuring, and wild spaces.

A delight.


Looking forward to ...


 

The month of May when all of the apple and fruit trees are in bloom. Its so pretty to take  a drive up the valley during Apple Blossom season!

Things that I love ...


 


Fields of wild flowers  . . . 


 

Letters in the post  . . .  a rare occurrence these days.

 

Sunny kitchen windows  . . . 

 


The sound of hens clucking in the yard  . . . 




La Rocca Chocolate Fudge Cake  . . .  seriously delicious. We can buy it by the slice at our Super Store.  $4 a slice.  Not as dangerous as having a whole cake.

Things I know to be true ...




Something to watch ...



Midsummer Night on Netflix. I thoroughly enjoyed this little series.  It was really good.


Makes me smile ...






Both of my companions  . . .  such sweetness  . . . 

A thought to carry with you ...

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/   ~ \。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★
*Just living is not enough.
One must have sunshine,
freedom and a little flower.


And that's my daybook for this week!



  ⋱ ⋮ ⋰
⋯ ◯ ⋯ Take time to enjoy the small *´¯`.¸¸.☆

  ⋰ ⋮ ⋱ blessings in life.*´¯`.¸¸.☆ 




✿¸.•*¨`*•..✿✿¸.•*¨`*•..✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.•*¨`*•..¸✿ ✿¸.• ╬♥═╬╬═♥=╬╬═♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥═╬♥╬╬═♥╬╬═♥=╬╬♥
░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░ 



Have a beautiful day!  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!