Wisdom

 

Source: Internet

"Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together."

                    ... Vista M. Kelly

Merry Christmas - The Twelve Days

                                                    💖🙏💝🙏💖🙏💝🙏💖

On the first day of Christmas I pray for you joy in abundance and laughter, for laughter cures our ills and joy makes our spirits soar.

On the second day of Christmas, I pray for you a sigh when you need one, for a sigh clears the heart as a cough clears the throat, and with a sigh comes acceptance of what we cannot change.

On the third day of Christmas, I pray for you tears when you need them, for tears clear the eyes to see the stars and cleanse the soul to let healing being.

On the fourth day of Christmas, I pray for you serenity, for fights and wars start in individual breaths and that is where they must end.

On the fifth day of Christmas, I pray for you wisdom, for our priceless gift is the gift of choice - and we should use it well every day, in word and deed.

On the sixth day of Christmas, I pray for you patience, for most troubles pass if we wait them out, and success comes with persistence.

On the seventh day of Christmas, I pray for you courage, for there may be many pitfalls and dangers ahead and problems can only be solved when they are faced.

On the eighth day of Christmas, I pray for you compassion, for we cannot help others until we understand them, and we cannot understand them until we walk in their shoes.

On the ninth day of Christmas, I pray for you a willingness to work, for work turns dreams to reality-whether the dreams are ours or belong to those we can help.

On the tenth day of Christmas, I pray for you unwavering faith, for faith shapes our morals and our destiny and draws us closer to God.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, I pray for you a mind full of hope, for hope determines our attitudes, sets our goals and creates our ideals.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, I pray for you a heart so full of love that every day you must give some away to those whose paths you cross.

Wisdom Fun

There's wisdom in having a laugh or two.  

What's your snowman's name?

Source:Internet

OR

Source: Internet

Me On A Monday - December 18th

 

From Last Year When We Had Snow

Fa La La La, LaLaLaLa & Good Morning.  We are now in the final week before Christmas. I hope that all your plans are coming into fulfillment as you have designed.  It doesn't look like it will be a white Christmas for us in our region.  It rained for most of the day on Saturday & Sunday & daytime temperatures have been around +5 (c).  Christmas Day, for us will be a quiet day together.  This year our church is hosting the Christmas morning service.  Not sure that I will attend.  I'm feeling a little cautious being in enclosed spaces with many that I do not know & if they will mask or not.  Although Christmas Eve service is usually when the Easter crowd attend (wink wink).

Not a lot to update you on, life is busy, lots of eye appointments for Mr Man.  We are certainly hoping for a break over Christmas.  

Today I'm sharing with you, a new to me, Orange Cranberry Bundt Cake recipe.  I haven't made as yet, but I've plans for a making between Boxing Day & New Year's.  

• Orange Cranberry Bundt Cake
•  2 tsp sugar (first amount)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 large eggs
• zest of an orange (about 1 Tbsp)
• juice of an orange
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 TBS milk or orange juice
•  
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray, or grease with butter. Sprinkle 2 tsp of sugar in the bundt pan and distribute. Add 1/4 cup of fresh cranberries to the bottom of the pan evenly. Set the bundt pan aside
• Mix the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar with the mixer on medium high until the mixture is very light and fluffy (about 4-5 minutes).
• Add the eggs one at a time. Mix to incorporate. Mix the orange juice and zest to the mixture. Blend to incorporate. Add the sour cream and blend.
• Add the flour to the wet ingredients on third at a time. Mix till it is just incorporated. Don't overmix. Fold the remainder of the cranberries by hand to the batter very gently. Being Careful not to crush any cranberries. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan.
• Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the cake.
• Let the cake stand for 5 minutes. Then turn the cake over onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
• Mix the powdered sugar and milk or orange juice together to make a glaze. If it is too thin add more sugar. If it is too thick add more liquid.
• Put the cake on a cake plate. Glaze the cake in a back and forth motion from the Outside to the inside of the cake. Serve with fresh whipped cream. Garish with frosted cranberries and mint leaves

Source: Internet

And as next Monday is Christmas Day, I'll check in with you on Boxing Day - Tuesday.  Merry Christmas to you all.  May the season bring you Hope, Peace, Joy & Love.

Wisdom

 

Source: Internet

"To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary that you stand out in the cold"

                Aristotle 

Me On A Monday - December 11th

Source: Internet

A couple of years ago, Ruth at This West London Life introduced me to Nigella's Easy Cranberry sauce, which I now make for Christmas.  This year I discovered Niegella's Christmas Chutney recipe.  Another fairly easy one to make, but reaps taste bud delights.  In her original recipe the pepper she called for was of the too spicy for me, so I just added a little regular black pepper, but if you need the heat, then be sure to switch the black pepper up for the cayenne pepper.

                                                                   🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄

Nigella’s Christmas Chutney

5 cups peeled & chopped apples

1 medium onion chopped finely

4 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

2 cups pitted dates, each one cut into thirds

2 clementines or Satsumas 

2 cups super fine sugar

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups white wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

•  
• YOU WILL NEED: 9 x 250ml / 1-cup sealable jars, with vinegar-proof lid, such as Kilner jars or re-usable pickle jars.
• Sterilize your jars by washing them well in soapy water, then rinse them and let them dry in a cool (140ºC/gas mark 1/275ºC) oven. If you’re putting warm chutney into them, all jars must be warm. Or use dishwasher-clean jars fresh from the machine.

Method

1. put apples, onion cranberries, dates into a large pan. Zest the clementines, squeeze the juice & scape the pulp into the pan.
2. add the sugar, spices. stir to thoroughly blend, bring to a slow boil, sir, turn down the heat & allow to bubble cheerfully uncovered for about an hour. Stir thoroughly several times.
3. turn off heat, cool to warm & spoon into prepared jars & seal.
  

 

Wisdom

 

 

Source: Internet

Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance, each beautiful, unique and gone too soon.    (Deborah Whipp)

Me On A Monday - December 4th

At The Mall

Good Morning. It's all a go for the festive season.  On Friday, we had snow on the ground, very pretty snow. The kind that makes the whole world seem like a Christmas card.  It's mostly gone now, with the milder days of +5 & rain.  Makes me think more of a Dickens like Christmas scene rather than a Thomas Kinkade scene.

Currently Reading:  the fourth & latest book in the Thursday Murder Club series; All The Devils Die. Of all the books in the series, I am enjoying this one the most.  My Christmas book requests are slow in arriving to the library.

Currently Watching:  the start of season 8 of Shetland with the introduction of the new DI Ruth Calder played by Ashley Jensen.

Currently Feeling: like a pin cushion. We just had our annual flu jab & 3 weeks ago we had the most current Covid vaccine jab.  

Currently Wisdom: did you notice my Wednesday Wisdom theme for November ... silence?  

Currently Observing Advent:  This first Sunday is for Hope.  Oh yes, hope is much needed in the world right now, IMO.

And speaking of Advent, I have never seen so many varieties of Advent calendars, both online & in home. The variety of Advent calendars for adults is staggering.  There are ones for tea lovers, puzzle lovers, bath lovers, of course one for chocolate lovers. There's even one for Scotch experts.  Did you get yourself an Advent calendar this year?

And now let the hoping begin ... "don't lose hope when the sun goes down, it is then that the stars come out".

Wisdom

 

"See how nature — trees, flowers, grass — grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. We need silence to be able to touch souls.” 

                            – Mother Teresa

Me On A Monday - November 27th

 

Good Morning Everyone. Brr it is cold.  For us November had a temperature turning point on the 20th. No more of the unusually warmer temperatures.  Snow was flying about on the 24th!

Currently Thinking About: December Daily, a scrapbooking project. I've struggled with myself about whether I wanted to do, what to do with all my Christmas related papers, stickers & die cuts. So in the end I've decided, I'm all in, but not in the traditional or standard way.  We don't have a lot if any activities planned for the holidays, so I've worked on a list of photo prompts for myself, that will work for me. Some of my themes for the day are similar but only to accommodate my layout plans.  I'm planning on a page a day. What I've yet to 100% decide is the size format.  In my sorting through my stash I found I have a 6X8" green binder that could be re-purposed into a DD, or I could go with my standard scrapping size of 12X12" pages.  No decision made as yet, although I am leaning into 12X12.

There are a few days of December that may get a switch up with plans that just might happen.  Pre-Covid, we use to celebrate Express Christmas on the 16th with friends. For those of you that were fans of the TV show Modern Family, you'll know about Express Christmas.  For those of you that don't, here's a link. Express Christmas

Anyway, I am happy with my list & my decision to embracing December Daily scrapbooking.  This is my list in case anyone wants to play along, or use as a jumping off point for their holiday season recording.

2023 December Daily Ideas for Stories & Photos

1.    Christmas Tree(s)

2.    Gift Wrap

3.    Advent Wreath (1^st Sunday in Advent)

4.    Christmas Reading

5.    Christmas Movies

6.    Sounds of Christmas

7.    Favourite Ornament

8.    Happy Mail

9.    Dear Santa

10.   Cozy

11.   Stockings

12.   Holiday Baking

13.    Decorations

14.   Christmas Wear/Wardrobe

15.   Wreath(s)

16.   This or That (questionnaire)

17.   Your Elf Name/Snowman Name

18.   Christmas Cats

19.   Us

20.   At Home Christmas Concert

21.   Winter Weather; winter arrives at 10:27pm

22.   Colours of The Season

23.   Table Setting

24.   The Christmas Eve Drive-Neighbourhood All Aglow

25.   True Meaning of Christmas

26.   The 12 Days of Christmas/Blessings

27.   Christmas Memories 

28.   Christmas Crafts

29.   Christmas Gifts

30.   Resolutions or Goals

31.   Good Bye 2023 Hello 2024

Wisdom

 

“They who do not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.” 

                                    – Elbert Hubbard

Me On A Monday - November 20th

 

Greetings my favourite people.

Currently Reading: John Grisham's latest, The Exchange, which is a follow up of the two main characters in The Firm, 15 years later.  Too soon to tell if I'm going to like, but I will say, it has pulled me in quickly.  Waiting for a couple of Christmas themed books at the library, which include two new to me Christmas cookbooks.

Currently Interesting:  I found this on one Canadian women's blog;  "Make Blogging Great Again, Comment & Support".  How many of us are still lurkers on some blogs, how many of us comment & how many of us enter into a dialogue?  IMO, Blogger should follow WordPress's example & have a like button for blog posts, similar to FaceBook & Instagram, because sometimes you just don't know what to say.  👍 💖

Currently Shopping: we drove out to my favourite scrapping store on Saturday. They are not normally open for walk in traffic on a Saturday.  Since lockdown pandemic days, they really stepped up their online ordering service, which included store door pick ups.  I haven't bought a lot in the last 3 years, but on Saturday we ventured out so I could get my 3 ring binders for the coming year's garden & day to day layouts. The binders require extra shipping costs, so to save myself the cost, we combined a couple of other errands with this trip.  Storage space is at critical overload for scrapbooks, so I think these two binders will have to start incorporating more than one year, which will require more planning. I'm also going to go back to see if I can bunch up two years into one binder.  Maybe I'll follow This West London Life, Ruth's example of a page a month.  

Currently Realizing: I'm not good at stamping for card making.  I have been in a flurry of activity making Christmas cards as I like to get mine into the mail no later than December 1st.  I like the paper piecing & cutting, it's the stamping parts that strain me - I'm not good at it.  

Currently Assessing Lingering Projects:  aka PHDs, projects half done.  One is my Covid binder. I don't think I will ever complete all the layouts that I had intended & bought product for.  The pages that I do have done, will probably end up in the album of the day to day layouts for 2020/2021.  As I mentioned earlier, space is at critical levels.  I've gone through the box of layouts & supplies & assessed which products can be used for something other than Covid related layouts.  Some of the stickers I will make into a closing page collage.  It was very interesting to read through some of the layout journaling & photos, to see life during a pandemic. To read the new words & phrases that came out of the Covid pandemic.  One interesting factnoid from all the online experts, was that to say worldwide pandemic was incorrect as pandemic denotes worldwide. It made me laugh & laugh.  And it now appears as though all these online pandemic experts have shifted their expertise to Middle East politics & diplomacy.  

Currently Mr Man's Eyes:  The last appointment was 15 days ago, the surgeon specialist wanted to give his eyes more healing time before deciding what's next, if anything.  

And now it's on to the week.  Be kind to yourself  👸

Wisdom

 

Most of us know how to say nothing; few of us know when.

                    Anonymous 

Me On A Monday - November 13th

 

Smoke enjoying some late afternoon sunbugs

Hello & Good Morning.

Currently Reading: The first book in Elly Griffiths new murder mystery series; The Stranger Diaries.  I really like Elly's style of writing, in all of her books, especially the Ruth Galloway books, she pulls you into the story in the first line or two.  The only, not my favourite element of reading this book, is that I have to read on my ipad & I don't really like the method.  I want to hold a book, I want to engage with the story by turning pages, that sound holds its own intrigue. 

I have waiting for me at the library the first book of my Christmas reading. I've decided to start a little earlier & also I want to read Christmas themed books that I have not read before.  First up will be: "In Joy to the World", three popular authors come together to offer a heartwarming collection of holiday Regency romance. Based on lines from a beloved Christmas carol, these three novellas in one book have depth, faith, and satisfying stories all packed into the perfect length for readers to curl up and take a brief break from their holiday busyness.  

Currently Helping: my friend that has the pool, bring some of her patio plants indoors & moving all the patio furniture to a central gathering place & covering for the winter.  I spent the rest of the afternoon with ice on my back.  

November seems to be that in between time; summer so long ago & spring so far away.

Currently Purging: my email inbox of far too many messages from all the decluttering experts.  If not all, at least 99% of them want me to buy one or all of their products. No thanks, delete.  

And now on with the week ...  one of my tasks for the week is to call people of the church congregation & convince them to make at least four dozen cookies for the cookie trays sold at the bazaar.  Wish me luck with the sales pitch.🍪🎅  

Wisdom

 

Source: Internet

“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” 

                                                                        Attributed to Abraham Lincoln 

Me On A Monday - November 6th

 

Source

Greetings & Salutations.  I hope everyone survived Halloween & Guy Fox events.  We had about 68 kids come calling on October 31st.  My style of handing out candy changed in 2022, I set up a table at the front door with a disposable bowl & sign that says "please take only one so others may share in the treats".    Guy Fox is usually marked in this region with large bonfires without the Guy.  Thankfully neither event call for fireworks.

Currently Reading:  The Last Life Boat.  I cannot remember if anyone recommended this book to me or not.  I'm not sure I like this book, I am not bonding with either of the two main characters. There are several chapters to go yet.

Also reading The Dictionary of Lost Words.  As I love words & often think that indeed same words can mean different things to men & women. It's based on real people; real events & the event is the creation of the first dictionary. 

Currently Watching: the last available season of Brokenwood - season 9.  No official word that there will be a season 10.  It is definitely a quirky series.

Currently Putting Away: all my Autumn decorations.  I am not a fan of the colour orange for my decorating, so I was very happy to have found white/grey pumpkins, on my new pillow covers & new Autumn mug.  It is too early for me to put out Christmas decorations. I will have a period of quiet & calm. 

The pillow covers slip on & off quite easily & don't add to storage needs or excess.  

Currently Checking: the weather reports for this Saturday coming as it is Remembrance Day & our village always host a small parade of the cadets to the cenotaph at the centre of the village.  I think this year it is extremely important to remind ourselves of the sacrifices that were fought for us.  There are lots of beautiful signs on lawns about Remembering Them.  "At the rising sun & at its going down; We remember them. At the blowing of the wind & in the chill of winter; We remember them."

Source: The Poppy Store

Wisdom

 

 “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends” - Martin Luther King Jr., 

Me On A Monday - October 30th

 Greetings & Salutations.  Another weather roller coaster ride.  We are seeing Ms Autumn's ability to switch & change within a matter of hours.  The "S" word has been used in some weather forecasting for the end of this week!  NOOOO

Currently Reading: just finished a lovely little book, Making Toast, by Roger Rosenblatt.  The real life story is about when his daughter Amy, a gifted doctor, Mother, & wife, collapsed & died from an asymptomatic heart condition, that Roger & his wife, Ginny, move in with their son in law & the three grandchildren, ages 6, 4 & 1 to help take care of them.

It's not a really sad story; he writes about how they as a family dealt with their grief & how the children dealt with the sudden loss of their Mother.  The story unfolded with some time back & forth of events, which was not hard to follow.  Sometimes that style of writing can be annoying, IMO.

Currently Sad: by the news of the sudden death of Matthew Perry of Friends fame.  Chandler Bing was a beloved character & his many one liners still make me chuckle as I watch Friends in re-run.

I am also greatly saddened by such hate & vitriol that is going about the world.  We need to pause & a few need to sit on the sidelines in a time out.  I'll say no more.

Currently in Training: I have volunteered to take on a few roles at church, one is being the greeter before service.  This role also includes the responsibility of taking the collection.  You would think it was a fairly easy job, but One is being reviewed in their service by a particular lady & she is always ready with her one tip of advice. LOL. I'm just grateful not to trip on my way up to the alter with the collection plates.  I've also volunteered to be a counter after service - this involves taking the collection plates & counting up the offerings (dollars).   

The reason I volunteered is that we are down 13 members that have either moved away in body or moved on in spirit & body.  Plus we have two Snowbirds  (these are the Canadian folks that head south to the US of A for the winter, usually to Florida), that leave Wednesday & not back until April.

So on to another week of glorious opportunities to be a better person, a better friend, a better neighbour ... I hope you have a good week.

Wisdom

 

"Gratitude & attitude are not challenges, they are choices."

                ... Robert Braathe

Me On A Monday - October 23rd

 

Good Morning, I hope that you are all doing well. 

Currently Reading:  The Essential Guide to Intermittent Fasting for Women: Balance Your Hormones to Lose Weight, Lower Stress, and Optimize Health, by Ramos, Megan.  Interesting but definitely it feels like there are chapters missing in the book.  I didn't find that this book gives me enough complete information to take on this method of eating.  Not even sure I want to read any more about the topic.  Have you ever tried the intermittent fasting way of eating?

Currently Watching: on Brit Box we decided to re-watch an old favourite; Lewis. Interesting to watch a young Laurence Fox & know about the current Laurence Fox of GBN fame & controversy.

On regular TV, we are watching Annika with Nicola Walker. Not sure I like, that periodically she pauses & talks to the screen.  Is this the director's intent to engage, me, the audience?

We have waiting at the library, the DVD, season 8 of Brokenwood.

Currently Mr Man's Eyes:  he had a dramatic set back this week, which required an emergency visit to the surgeon/doctor.  This week coming "they" are going to do a minor surgical procedure to open up the stint wider to allow more flow to relieve the increasing pressure in the eye. But first more medications to get the inflammation under control.  Grateful for availability of the surgeon to see Mr Man & for him to have a solution that will help.

Currently Reminded: of a quote I had posted in Wisdom Wednesday a while ago, although I might be paraphrasing myself; "a lie can run around the world before the truth has tied up her shoes to get out the door".

Currently Feeling: I'm not much in the mood for seizing the day, but rather just poking the day with a stick.   

Time to pour another cup of tea, hoping your day, your week, goes well.  

Wisdom

A River Runs Through Our Village - 2020

 

"It is not joy that makes us grateful, it is gratitude that makes us joyful."

                ... Katie Pertie 

Me On A Monday - October 16th

Good Morning, I trust & hope that all is well in your corner of the world.  I am choosing to believe this message on the postcard, which was sent to me in 2020 with regards to the pandemic. I think it applies now to the world situation.  Ça va bien aller 

Post Card From My Friend Ruth At This West London Life

 Currently Reading: just finishing up "Make Space For Happiness" by Tracy McCubbin, a YouTuber that I discovered during a week in September of online workshops with Getting Organized 2023.  Tracy made sense to me on her chapter about the magnets of clutter.  My particular magnet is connection; we are talking the stash of scrapping supplies & card making supplies.  The cure is to make connections not collections.

I am also finishing up "The Art of Community" by Charles H. Vogl.  

Currently Watching:  nothing really.  We have tried a number of series with our Brit Box subscription.  If something doesn't come up to entertain or engage us soon, it might be time to say goodbye to that paid subscription.  We watched on regular TV, Unforgotten, the newest series.  I was quite unsatisfied with the ending ... but it does leave the door open for further investigation in the next series.  I won't say what annoyed me as so as not to give anything away for those that haven't seen as yet, but a good pathologist will unravel this !!!

Currently In The Garden: it is that time of year when we say goodbye to days & evenings on the patio & put not only the patio to bed, but the gardens as well. I find it sad to empty the pots of annuals.  

This year we bought two large potted ferns to place around our water feature; they were glorious.  Mr Man has brought the two ferns in, as his goal is to keep them going for the winter.  Good luck honey with this project!

Currently Thinking About: IF I want to do December Daily or not & IF I do, how do I want this project to look. Are any of you planning to do a traditional December Daily album?

Currently Mr Man's Eyes:  he takes 2 steps forward, 1 step back, 4 steps forward, 5 back.  The most positive thing this year has been that he was able to have enough healing to have his eyes tested for new prescription glasses in September which he has since picked up.  It means a return to driving for him!  That certainly calls for cake.

Currently Reviewing OLW: This year my "one little word" (OLW) was actually a phrase of more or less.  Each month I worked on what I wanted more of & what I wanted less of.  While my January intentions were to keep a mini journal about this, I haven't updated that since July.  I did keep a written notebook of each month's success for either more or less.  So as we enter into the last quarter of the year, I'm giving some more attention to wrapping up my OLW of 2023.  How's your OLW for 2023 working for you?

And my question this week; when they talk about domestic home makers, is that to say that there a wild home makers?