Living the Moment

September and the Bend in the Road

Posted on by Joy / 5 Comments

A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn.

Helen Keller

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Hello Friend,

Welcome back! I’m so glad you’ve dropped in today. We’ve been having perfect September days, which is a blessing after such a tumultuous summer.

I have tea and cupcakes waiting out on the deck. Come on out and let’s enjoy this weather.

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Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the Fall.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

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I don’t know about you, but for me September is the beginning of the new year. The air is fresh and pregnant with new beginnings. I buy new daytimers, feel hopeful about new goals, add new journals to my growing stash. And I can’t resist wandering the store to look at school supplies. The nostalgia and memories they bring! Yes, September is all that for me.

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The track of the golden autumn wound its bright way visibly through the green summer of the trees.

Wilkie Collins

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September feels fleeting too, at least it does where I live. All too soon the biting winds will arrive, ushering in grey days and dark nights. So I feel like I need to purposely take it in; to stand on the deck (sitting is not purposeful enough) and acknowledge how the sound of the rustling leaves is different this time of year. I must deliberately walk by the flower bed and applaud the zinnias for saving their most colourful songs until now; to praise the sunflowers, which were seeds the size of my pinky fingernail in May, now grown taller and straighter than I am.

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Image by Vijaya narasimha from Pixabay

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september,
teach me to 
soften
in change.
to learn the 
art
of release.
to savor the 
last of the wild blooms
before they go.
@emoryhall

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This September, the bend in the road is taking The Cowboy and me somewhere new. We’ve been cleaning out and rearranging. The Cowboy has been putting in extra storage shelves, finishing up the little kitchen downstairs, and making room in the shop. Then, my parents moved into a suite in our walkout basement.

The moving truck arrived this week with their furniture and possessions, and we all got to work unpacking and moving them in. Babe came out on her day off to help, reminiscing with Grandma whenever she came upon something she remembered from Grandma’s house. Old and treasured possessions in a new home, making it instantly cozy and comforting.

However, to feel at home will take time. This is a big bend in the road for them, having left their home and province of decades. But I’m so glad they’re here.

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In every change, in every falling leaf there is some pain, some beauty. And that’s the way new leaves grow.

Amit Ray

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Change is hard, but having lived through many changing seasons myself I’ve learned that pain and beauty can exist side-by-side. And sometimes, the pain makes the beauty stand out even more if one only chooses to take it in.

And God is good.

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Everyone must make time to sit and watch the leaves change.

Elizabeth Lawrence

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Thanks so much for stopping by today, I’ve missed you! I hope we can have another visit before too long. Stay safe out there, and see you next time.

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Feature Image by Michael Schwarzenberger from Pixabay All other images not captioned, by Jill Wellington of Pixabay.

Living the Moment/Sanctuarium

Shelter

Posted on by Joy / 2 Comments

These are the things I prize And hold of dearest worth: Light of the sapphire skies, Peace of the silent hills, Shelter of the forests, comfort of the grass, Music of birds, murmur of little rills, Shadows of cloud that swiftly pass, And, after showers, The smell of flowers And of the good brown earth, – And best of all, along the way, friendship and mirth.

Henry Van Dyke

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Hello Friend,

It’s been awhile hasn’t it?

Actually, life got busy with the grandkids, then we had a holiday, and then I lost the entire month of April to the dreaded virus. That part was not fun!

But all is well now, and I’m so glad you dropped in. Let’s have tea on the veranda. Do you mind the rocking chair? Or would you prefer the cushioned wicker chair? It’s been unseasonably warm, but the veranda is neither too hot nor too cold, and refreshing breezes usually waft in.

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Image by Jill Wellington of Pixabay

No matter where you are in the world, you are at home when tea is served.

Earlene Grey

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I love sitting here, especially in the mornings, when I can watch the sun rising in the sky. Since the sun rises earlier and earlier these days, I’m not up in time to see its beginning glow on the horizon, but I do love to watch it flicker through the shimmering poplars and make dancing patterns of light and shadow on the grass as it slowly moves higher and higher in the sky.

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Image by Adrian Campfield from Pixabay 

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I was so happy to get home after our holiday. In fact, I got hit with the virus in the last days of the holiday and everything in me begged to be home. So, when I finally walked through these doors I felt home envelop me. It was my sheltering, safe place to recover.

In our worst moments and situations we seek shelter, don’t we? A place where we can come in out of the storms we’re facing, if only for a moment of restorative peace and contemplation. A place to remember who we are in this chaotic world.

During my illness I got daily texts from Mom and a good friend, and other people checked in by text or message too. They apologized for bothering me, but I found shelter and comfort in their checkup.

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Perhaps love is like a resting place, a shelter from the storm. It exists to give you comfort, it is there to keep you warm, and in those times of trouble when you are most alone, the memory of love will bring you home.

John Denver

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Sometimes, like those not far from my home who have had to escape the devastating wildfires raging in our province, our place of shelter needs to be a physical place. Other times our shelter is a person, someone who understands us to our core. And other times shelter can be found in a memory, a hobby, a piece of music – anything that brings healing to our weary souls.

What I love about this little music video is that you can hear the wind and the storm outside when the young man opens the door to walk in, and for just a few moments there is respite, before heading back out there again. (You may catch his reluctance to leave in the way he touches the piano one last time before walking to the door.)

The truth is we can’t live in a constant state of shelter; we have to live in this world, which is fraught with misunderstandings, storms, and chaos. But isn’t it comforting to know that shelter can eventually be found if you look for it?

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Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

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It’s been wonderful to visit with you again, thank you so much for stopping in. Stay safe out there, and see you next time.

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Feature Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay 

Living the Moment

February Five on Friday

Posted on by Joy / 6 Comments

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is.

Albert Einstein

~~~~~

Hello Friend,

Come in, come in. What a treat to have you stop in! Thank you for braving the cold for this visit.

The last several weeks, those of us who live in these parts have been lured into thinking that Lady Spring is just around the corner when in fact, we’ll be hunkered down with Grandpa Winter for a couple more months at least. Today, like yesterday, it’s bitterly cold out there, but the new snow is making everything look fresh and white, isn’t it?

Come, sit in my favourite chair by the fireplace and I’ll pour the tea. Cream, sugar, and soothing honey are just there on the little table, and please try one or two of the Chocolate Crunchies I made yesterday. They’re a chocolate cookie dipped in sugar, although they didn’t turn out quite like I remember my mom making them. After rolling the dough into balls, you’re supposed to dip one side into sugar. But I wonder if, after rolling the dough into balls, Mom first dipped one side in water and then sugar. That would make it more of a coating than a sprinkle. Either way, they’re a taste of chocolatey goodness with our tea.

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Image by Jill Wellington of Pixabay

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Will you have another cookie? Go ahead and get cozy, and you’re welcome to wrap up in this fleecy blanket. I wanted to share with you five things that have brought me sparks of joy this week.

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ONE

I’ve been contemplating how our windows are perfectly positioned for sunrises, which gently sweep across my bookshelves and tiptoe across the floor out the double doors of my library. In the living room they touch Grandpa’s old secretary desk, turning it a warm golden brown.

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TWO

The Cowboy and I recently got home from one week looking after three grandsons, two provinces away. They are busy boys and we loved being with them. Such a contrast to our quiet lives at home. It’s delightful to be swept up in the doings and shenanigans of young boys, and then satisfying to return home again. I have to admit that the first thing I did upon walking in our door was to sit down in my library and smile at my bookshelves. I could swear they smiled back, as if to say where have you been? We missed you.

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In a good bookroom you feel that in some mysterious way you are absorbing the wisdom contained in all the books through your skin without even opening them.

Mark Twain

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THREE

I’ve joined the local quilting club. I can’t always make it, but once a week almost two dozen quilters meet in the village hall. We each bring our own sewing machines and current projects. We set up a network of long tables end to end and face to face, and space ourselves out next to and across from each other, sharing extension cords that snake their way to the nearest outlet. It’s a comfortable time of sharing lives and ideas; spending the day learning from each other while doing something we all love to do. Once a month we collectively work on a Comfort Quilt, which is eventually given to someone in the community who is hurting. Last month 13 Comfort Quilts were given away and, according to the most recent club minutes, there are 30 in inventory.

I’m working on a baby-girl quilt that I started years ago. It’s for nobody in particular. I only wanted to work on something girly after all the boys’ quilts I’ve made recently.

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FOUR

We live near a little village on the lake. Many people live there year round, but in the summer it swells with cottagers and campers. It was pretty deserted when I drove through it on my way to Quilt Club this week, and I couldn’t resist stopping for a photo of the ice-cream shop and boat rental. Closed for the season, of course, but charming nonetheless. I think the reason I stopped may have had something to do with the light.

There is a beauty in the depth of winter. The light in February is like no other light I can think of during the rest of the year. Some days it is bright, cheerful, encouraging me with its happiness despite the cold. Other times it is airy and delicate, as though emanating through a filmy sheer fabric.

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What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.

Crowfoot

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FIVE

Without musicians there is no magic.

Jan Willem de With

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This piece of music is so soothing for a February day. I find it is best appreciated with eyes closed. Listen to each piano note as though it were a perfect pearl, strung on the four interwoven silky threads of the string music.

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Wasn’t that enchanting? Thank you so much for the visit today, it was lovely to have your company. Stay safe out there and see you next time.

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Feature Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

Daybook/Life is so Daily

A January Daybook

Posted on by Joy / 5 Comments

Sit for a spell

and remember why today

joyful or bittersweet,

is more alive

than any other day.

Paola Merrill – The Cottage Fairy Companion

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Hello Friend,

So happy to see you on this wintry day, please come in and sit by the fire. These chairs are positioned perfectly to take in the winter wonderland out there. Isn’t it magical? Like living in a snow globe.

Let’s see, I still have the fragrant White Christmas tea that was gifted to me. I think you’ll enjoy it: white tea with vanilla and almond flavours.

And here are some of the peppernuts Mom made over Christmas. They’re little, so take more than one. If you’re not familiar with peppernuts, you might want to check them out here. I’ve discovered that there are many variations of the Peppernut recipe. Ours are crunchy on the outside but soft inside. For my friends outside of Canada who cannot get Rogers Golden Syrup, apparently there’s something similar called Lyle’s Golden Syrup in the US. I believe it might be called light treacle in the UK. Elsewhere, the suggestion is to use some kind of cane syrup. And here’s something interesting … you can actually buy it on Amazon, but it’s costly!

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Image by Ylanite Koppens from Pixabay

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Outside my window …

The days are really lovely, sunrises especially. Lately, the sunrises have been my favourite colour of pink – what I call sky blue pink. Against the white fluffiness of the trees, it’s almost too much to take in. Photos don’t do it justice but I can’t help taking them anyway.

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I am wearing …

Black pants, peach coloured top, the grandmother/granddaughter necklace Sweet Thing gave me for Christmas, and my rose gold bracelet with the grandchildren charms.

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Sometimes I need only to stand wherever I am to be blessed.

Mary Oliver

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This week I learned …

That there’s a difference between hoar frost and rime frost. I’d never heard of rime frost before. Had you? Apparently, that’s what we experienced this week. For one thing, hoar frost develops under clear skies and rime frost is the result of low clouds and foggy conditions. It’s heavier and looks more like droplets. Hoar frost is feather-like and easily blown away. Rime frost lasts longer.

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It was a fairy world I looked out upon. During the night, the frost had cast its spell over the woods and glades of the New Forest. This morning, every branch and twig bore a pearly burden of hoar-frost.

Flora Thompson, The Peverel Papers, January 1921 – from Nature Writing for Every Day of the Year

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I am wondering …

How are you wintering? Does it hang heavy over you like a weighted blanket? Or, can you look past what might seem dark and dreary, look smaller, look closer, and see the tiniest of miracles? I remember when a young friend came to stay with us for awhile. She was from the southern US and didn’t often see snow. She was in awe when she could actually see each individual snowflake as it landed on her dark jacket. One tiny miracle after another, each one evoking wonder.

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I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.

G.K. Chesterton

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New in my library …

A couple of beautiful books I couldn’t resist:

A Fine Romance, Falling in Love with the English Countryside by Susan Branch – why have I never heard of this book before? It’s Susan’s beautifully handwritten (!!) journal of the two months she and her husband spent wandering England in 2012. It includes photos & quotes, recipes & travel tips, and, of course, the Susan Branch artwork we’ve all come to love. I’m taking my time leafing through it. It’s a book to savour.

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Time is such a funny thing; one minute it’s forever & the next, it’s gone.

Susan Branch – A Fine Romance

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The other book, Nature Writing for Every Day of the Year, edited by Jane McMorland Hunter, is meant to be read slowly. As in, a whole year. From the back cover: Enjoy a whole year of the very finest nature writing with one carefully selected piece for each day, spanning the centuries … Encompassing fact and fiction, essays, field guides, letters and diaries, it’s the perfect way to help your mind escape into the world of nature every day.

It is a restful pause in every day.

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In the sewing room …

It’s a bit of an untidy mess. But, a new blanket is shaping up for a grandboy soon to turn five. Imagine fabrics in solid reds and print reds – red being his favourite colour – with lots of trucks and cars and working vehicles thrown in, and even a couple of cows. Little Munch loves cows.

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I am listening to …

The Kanneh-Mason family. I recently happened upon them in a playlist on Spotify, and then looked them up. They are seven siblings from Nottingham, England, ranging in age from 26-13. They all play either cello, violin, or piano, or a combination, and are all accomplished solo and concert musicians. Their mother has written an award-winning book, House of Music – Raising the Kanneh-Masons. She must be quite the woman…

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Closing Notes …

Thank you for stopping in on this January day and listening to me ramble. Stay safe out there, and see you next time.

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