Wisdom

 

Creating space, decluttering, & evaluating our beliefs about what is enough helps us restore our homes to their original purpose - refuge.

                ... Lisa Avellan

Me On A Monday - April 22nd

 Happy Earth Day (Canada).  We'll be turning our lights off at 8pm for an hour with the rest of Canada. 

I had a very social week last week, so this week is all about recovery for me - I need lots of quiet time & thankfully have only one day, two events of people centred activities, the rest is no in person activities.

Monday I met a friend for tea (me), coffee (her). We had a nice catch up with all that is happening in our lives.  She now lives full time at their cottage & only comes into town every 6 weeks for her hair.

Tuesday we met the paint colour consultant that is part of the painters we chose for the task of painting our kitchen, ensuite & hallway.  Picking the kitchen colour was difficult as we were trying to find a colour that works with the cabinets, the flooring & the appliances.  We picked a netural greiege - Balboa Mist.  We decided that this colour would also work for hallway.  The ensuite is going to be a light grey.

Wednesday, my ladies bible study group met in the morning.  We are nearing the end of the series on Exodus & then we'll be taking a summer break after the 15th of May.

Thursday was an emergency run for Mr Man to the city where his eye surgeon is located, about an hour away.  That turned into a long day of waiting & treatment.  Thankfully nothing dreadful; it was the very large medical contact lens that needed replacing. To be on the safe side they injection some antibiotics & then refitted the medical contact lens.

Thursday evening was the first meeting of the library's cookbook book club.  I was one of 3 ladies that showed up.  This first session was about comfort food.  There's no cooking, the librarian selects cookbooks with the session's theme focus, we chose one, decided on a recipe from that book, make it (at home) & then write a book report on the book & recipe at the next meeting, end of May.  I'll give it another try as I am not sure this is for me.  I've chosen to make pie crust from scratch.  The recipe I'll be making has vinegar, & a half & half of butter & shortening.  Of course, the water has to be very cold. 

Friday was income tax day for us, & while not a lot of people contact, it was a stressful half day dealing with government forms. Thankfully done.

Saturday I attended a Women's Breakfast Conference - Seek Him in Prayer. It was hosted by the church where I attend my Wednesday bible study.  It was an amazing morning, every little detail seen to.  I did not have to remind anyone that I was vegetarian - my special breakfast plate was ready for me.  One of the biggest chuckles came when it was announced that for this morning all bathrooms in the church, were women's washrooms.  Now that is truly understanding your audience.  

Sunday I was greeting at my own church & then there was a Parish Brunch.  

This week was much more peopling that I have done in the last year!

Wisdom

 

Decluttering our spaces, invites us to think more deeply about what we want and what we need in our lives.

                ... Leo Babauta

Me On A Monday - April 15th

 

Good Morning All. I hope that everyone is well. 

Currently Reading: just finished up two books, How To Solve Your Own Murder. I did not find this long awaited book all that engaging. I did not connect with any of the characters.

A surprise enjoyable read, The Bittlemores, written by singer/song writer Jann Arden.  "The Bittlemores takes place on a rural farm and follows the story of 14-year-old Willa Bittlemore as she tries to find out what happened to her older sister Margaret.  This family is part fantasy, part fiction, part little bits of my actual DNA. My mom's childhood, my dad's disposition, long dead relatives and dear childhood friends. I had a mighty group of souls cheering us on — me and Willa and Carol and Margaret and the cows and a feisty orange cat," says Jann Arden. 

I loved the cows! 🐄🐄🐄

Currently Watching: One episodes in of Mr Bates & The Post Office. I know that this is a true story. We do like Toby Jones & so many of the cast are known to me via Coronation Street. 

Currently Doing Some Home Projects: painting the walls in the ensuite bathroom, kitchen & hallway.  Neither Mr Man or I are painters, so we have hired decorators to do. Which leaves us free to do some sorting in the basement!  We finished up hushing the living room last week & after spending time with only the big furnishings in the room for a week*, we have put back fewer items to see if we enjoy the reduction of things. Nothing has been given away or donated, they are in a box to see if we miss. I am by no means a minimalist. * Home hushing articles all say 24-36 hours of hushing, we decided we needed more time of quiet before bringing anything back in; that worked for us.

Here's another link to hushing a room if you are interested: House-hushing-why-you-need-it.  I've also included a link to an article that has several contributors with some tidbits of info that could be helpful. What-is-home-hushing?   

For me, I take what I need from any of the suggestions & leave what doesn't speak to me.

And I'll leave you with this thought & chuckle from the internet ... "I leave my house a mess so that when friends visit, they go home feeling better about their own housekeeping skills ... I'm a good friend like that."

Wisdom

 

Decluttering is infinitely easier when you think of it as deciding what to keep rather than what to throw away.

                ... Francine Jay 

Me On A Monday - April 8th

 

• “Nothing ever seems impossible in spring, you know.” — L. M. Montgomery

2024 Potential Daffodils In My Garden

Good Morning. It was a beautiful day on Sunday.  We spent a lot of time in the garden, tidying up from last week's wintery winds; lots of twigs & branches broken off & laying all about the garden. The one thing that continues to baffle us, is all the oak leaves in the garden.  There aren't any oak trees growing in our garden or anywhere on our street.  They must blow in across the farmer's field at the back of garden.

At this time of year, for many of us, our minds & energy often turn to our homes & spring cleaning.  I read an interesting article about loving our home as it is.  One quote from this article really struck a cord with me.

"Making a conscious decision to appreciate our homes in their current state while nurturing a sense of enthusiasm for potential enhancements allows us to create a home we truly love and want to care for.  And you know what’s even better? Gratitude kicks comparison to the curb! So take a deep breath, let go of all those pesky comparisons and unrealistic expectations, and keep them out for good! Instead, focus on being grateful for the unique haven that is YOUR home!"  Yvonne Pratt - Stone Gable. 

A link to the full article: Stone Gable -5 Ways To Love The Home We Are In

• “Your home should tell the story of who you are & be a collection of what you love.” — Nate Berkus

Wisdom

 

Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor, it's anything that stands between you & the life you want to be living.

                    ... Peter Walsh

The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don't.

                        ... Joshua Becker 

Me On A Monday - April 1st

Source: Internet

Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit ... said first thing upon waking to ensure good luck for the month. 

It is an old superstition found in Britain & North America wherein a person says or repeats the words Rabbit three times (or some say white rabbit three times) aloud upon waking on the first day of a month to ensure good luck for the rest of it.

Currently Reading: just finished late last night, After Annie by Anna Quindlen. At first I did not think I would like this book, I struggled in the first 10 pages to engage with the characters, but by page 25 I was all in & it was a book that I found myself staying up late to read just one more page.  " When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, her four young children & her best friend are left to struggle without the woman who centered their lives."  Goodreads rates this book at 4.2 stars & Amazon readers at 4.5 stars.

I also picked up a book of which I thought was something totally different, Subtraction.  This book was not what I was looking for, after the introduction, I gave the book back to the library.  I was looking for more information on a concept about rather than adding to your "to do" list or your bucket list, that you try the approach of subtracting from your lists.  

Currently Watching:  I finally caught up on Belgravia, The Next Chapter.  This was another slow burn for me, but I am glad I stuck with it.  I really liked the first series of Belgravia.

Currently Baffled:  I am really hoping that Scotland is involved in an elaborate April Fool's prank.  But just in case, JK - there are some great homes with lots of land available here ...

Currently 100 Day Project:  I've completed a task within the project of labeling the spines of my scrapbook albums with the year.  In the end I decided against stamping as that was going to take a lot more time & effort.  I printed off from the computer the years, so both the garden & day to day albums have a uniformed look on the spines.   So nice to check off one of the items on my to do list of the 100 Day Project.

Hope everyone has a most delightful day & week ahead.  Me, I'm off to the dentist ... thank goodness I remembered the rabbit rabbit rabbit chant!!!

Wisdom

 

A book is a thread that ties us together over hundreds of years & through millions of hands, & yet it can still be as relevant as the day it was published.

                        ... Z2Z

Me On A Monday - March 25th

Good Morning.  Today is the 25th of March so that means .... 9 months today is Christmas.  There I said it. 😂

So much going on, it's difficult whether we should talk about it or not.  So I will, talk about it.  Maybe even rant a little.

I was, like many, quite shocked at the news from Catherine, Princess of Wales.  Cancer is such an ugly disease.  I thought the video she created was very well done, very regal of her & a very difficult message to deliver.  I was impressed that the background at Windsor Castle was of daffodils, the universal floral representation of the cancer societies around the world. 

I felt that she was rather forced into making this very public announcement of an extremely private situation because of the recent online bullying & the breach of her private medical records.  SHAME.  

Shame on the news agencies both online & in paper for prompting the unspeakable frenzy around Catherine's where abouts, & about William's fidelity. Shame on news talk show hosts such as Piers Morgan, demanding Catherine release the original photo from the Mothering Sunday photo.  It was a photo, not a crime on humanity.  Shame on celebrities, nighttime talk show hosts, for mocking Catherine. Not feeling so funny now, are you?  Especially disgusted by the women of an American daytime talk tv show (disclaimer, I do not watch, but saw the segment on the news).

I am disappointed by many female stars' comments & social media posts, especially in light of the recent International Women's Day when so many of these click bait stars touted messages of support for our fellow women. Where was your support for Catherine?  Shame!  

But what makes me saddest, is that much of the general public, for all the touting of support, are the ones clicking on these conspiracies' posts, giving accreditation to the creators; for those watching, listening & buying trash news shows/magazines.  It certainly felt familiar to the times Diana, Princess of Wales had to endure.  I am so upset with a few of the regular British news shows I watched & listened to that "we" are now on a break. Not sure if & when I'll return to their shows. 

Please let's give Catherine, woman, wife, mother, the time, space & privacy she requires.  We don't know when & if we ourselves will one day require the same.

Wisdom

Think not of the fragility of life, but the power of books, when mere words can change our lives by simply being next to each other.

                ... Kamand Kajoun

Me On A Monday - March 18th

Good Morning all.  What a change in weather, one day we are breaking temperature high records for that March day & then it's cold, windy & snow flurries.  I cannot keep up. Thankfully being a life time Ontario resident, I know this time of year is all about dressing in layers as the temperatures & weather change multiply times in one day.

Currently Watching: we finished easily the one series wonder, Chasing Shadows.  We are so disappointed that there wasn't a second series. We have watched series one of Trial & Retribution.  We will give a look to series 2.

Currently Reading: started The Recipe Box.  I'm having trouble connecting to the main character in what seems like such a predictable plot. I will continue on with hopes of being engaged.  Just a few pages left to read for No Two People, and then I have a blank time of books waiting at the library.  I do have about 4-5 books on my "holds" list but either the books are newly published & the library is waiting to get their copies or in the case of two books, very popular & a long list of waiting.

Currently 100 Day Project: still doing a little bit of crafting each day, but plan on some chunks of time this week as I have some birthday cards to make & get in the mail.  I've kind of stalled on a few of the other PHDs, one that is easy - the labeling the year of past albums.  I'm still not sure if I like the stamped year label or the printed out on the computer label.  I want a unified look.  The Covid album is now sorted into a box that has all the photos, paper & embellishments that I am going to use.  I think there are 7 pages to finish. I was very glad at the time that I had made lots of notes about the what, the why & the feelings that go with some of the photos, so those pages should be easy to finish.  I now feel that it was a wise decision to abandon a whole bunch of photos & paper clippings that would just add bulk but no real weight to my Covid pandemic story.  

Currently Intrigued: I read an article from a decorating site that talks about HUSHING your home.  The thought is that you do one room at a time & other than heavy furniture pieces, you take everything out of the room, that is hushing the room - store everything elsewhere from the room & leave empty for 24 -48 hours. Then you return to the room, sit in the room & decide what you really want to put back. What you don't want back in the room, you get rid of.  Here' a link to an article about Home Hushing Trend

 I also listened to a podcast from a woman that is an experienced declutter-er. She said often where people get stuck or stalled or give up at is when there are too many decisions to make.  She gave the example that perhaps you have 25 items in a pile of decision; keep, give away. Her example was of that 25-item pile what were the things she really wanted to keep. For her there were 3 things she wanted to keep, so that reduced the decision making of not having to decide about each of the items. Once she picked the 3 items (3 decisions) the rest was no decision other than where to get rid of.   

Not sure either of these methods are for me, maybe, but I do find it interesting to think about things differently.

I'll leave you with a decluttering thought from one of the decluttering experts ... your home is not a storage unit. 

Wisdom

 If a book told you something at age fifteen, it will tell you again when you are age fifty, although you may understand it so differently, it may seem as though you are reading a whole new book.

                                ... Ursula K. Le Guin

Me On A Monday - March 11th

 Good Morning.  I hope that everyone had a good week & weekend & ready to start another week.  We moved our clocks forward this weekend by one hour; spring ahead. 

Currently Reading:  No Two People, by Erica Bauermeister. Not too far into it, but so far I am really enjoying the book, the characters & the plot line. The title is taken from the Writings of Madam Swetchine, "no two persons ever read the same book, or saw the same picture". From the jacket of the book "that was the beauty of books, wasn't it? They took you places you didn't know you needed to go..."  Couldn't agree more.

Currently Watching: series 13 of Vera. Sad that it is only 3 episodes. So only one to go. But glad that there will be a series 14.  We also watched Murder is Easy. No, not a favourite.  We found the acting very stifled & stiff.  

Currently Pleased:  I was so happy to see the photo shared on Mothering Sunday of our Princess of Wales, Catherine, with the children.  She looks well, maybe a little pale, but did my heart good to see her beautiful smiling self again.  

SOURCE: Internet (photo taken by Prince William)

Wisdom

 A Book Shop Is The Only Piece Of Evidence We Have, That People Are Still Thinking.

                            ... The Bookshelf

Me On A Monday - March 4th

 

Good Morning.  Weather wise a bit of a crazy time; temperatures fluctuating by 15 degrees within a 3-hour window on Wednesday; at 11am it was +11 degrees by 1pm it was -4. Snow, then rain & now the forecast for this week are temperatures set to break records with a warming trend.  It is, in my opinion, definite signs of climate change.  March, in this part of the world, came in like a lamb.  Forecast is March will leave like a lion.  

So other than some weather chit chat, I've got nothing.  I'll share a few things that made me chuckle out loud this past week. A few of these actually happened to me. 

1.  I hate it when healthy me goes shopping, because right now chubby me wants a snack.

2. Welcome to adulthood; you get mad when they rearrange your grocery store.

3. I hate it when I go into the kitchen for something to eat & all I find are ingredients.

4. Nothing says middle age more than sending a text after a night out, that says, "here's the soup recipe I was talking about".

5. Kuchisabishii:  When you are not hungry but eat because your mouth is lonely.

and finally ...

6. I'm thinking that if 2024 were a drink, it would be the colonoscopy prep drink.

Happy week to all. 

Wisdom - Bonus Day

 

Kindness is something you can give away a hundred thousand times a day, without being depleted yourself.

💝

                        ... Me

Today is February 29th - a bonus day for 2024 - let's all make today a kind day, a bonus day. 

Wisdom

 

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for we never know how soon it will be too late.

💝

                        ... Ralph Waldo Emerson

Me On A Monday - February 26th

 

Good Morning everyone.  I hope that you had a good week & weekend. 

Reporting in on my efforts in the 100 Day Project.  The premise of the 100 Day Project is to choose a creative project(s) & do it every single day for 100 days.  I am working with taking time on the weekend to prep for the project, so I can easily accomplish creation through out the week, when I'll be taking 15 minutes, here & there & if I'm lucky hours on the weekend.  

My creative projects for the 2024 100 Day Project are:

Scrapbooking:  using the stash - no new purchases

1. Date stamp the spines of my albums

2. Finish off any pages in the two 2023 albums; garden & day to day

3. Deal with the Covid album & embellishments once & for all

4. Sort through the photos of Team B; in-laws, "J" & the nieces & nephews, decide which if any photos I want to scrapbook or not & if not, shred * .  Create the layouts of the saved photos.

* I have asked if anyone else in the family would like - there were no offers to offer a home for the photos  😢

Card Making: using the stash - no new purchases

1. Make the mile stone birthday cards for the church members for the year

2. Make birthday cards for friends & family for the next 100 days

3. Use as many of the Paper Pumpkin kits for the above goals

I can report that I have made a start on sorting through photos along with some movement of the Covid album, which I will keep as a separate album. The Covid album has been a PHD and/or a NUTS for  far too long, so it is a top priority to complete. After sifting through all the photos, papers & embellishments, I've decided that this album will cover aspects of the pandemic for 2020 & 2021, after that anything to do with Covid is covered in the day to day albums.   

PHD = projects half done

NUTS = nagging unfinished tasks

How are you coming along with your 100 Day projects? It is not too late to start. 

 

Wisdom

 

The best & most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.

💝

                ... Helen Keller

Me On A Monday - February 19th

 

Good Morning my lovelies, I hope all is well with you.  Today is a statutory holiday in Canada, Family Day.  Always the 3rd Monday in February. Everything is closed, banks, schools, government, grocery stores, malls & worse of all, the library!

Currently Happy:  everything about this floral arrangement is wrong according to decorating experts. The vase is too tall, the arrangement too tall, but in spite of all that, every time I walk by the dining room & see this, I smile. 

Currently Reading: Echoes of Old Books by Barbara Davis. "Main character, Ashlyn Greer owns a book shop & deals in rare books. She is blessed with the ability to feel the emotions & echoes of books' previous owners. Her gift comes alive when she discovers a pair of unpublished books & she becomes caught up in the love, secrets & betrayal & eventual forgiveness of the authors, while sorting through the same emotions of her own life."  A story within a story.

I know that I have a rather different taste in books & this one is definitely satisfying me.  It took me a couple of chapters to be involved with the characters but now I find it a book that is hard to put down.  Thankfully I have the book for 3 weeks, so I may finish within the next day & will re-read before I have to give it back.

Currently Being Social:  I made these little chocolate "cards" to hand out to the folks at church on the 11th & to the ladies of my bible study group on the 14th.  

Currently Crafting ... The 100 Day Project started on Sunday the 18th.  I'll be starting with the creation of a few sympathy cards for folks at church, who have recently experienced loss of family members.  I have prepped for the making of milestone birthday cards for church members, along with pages for my own scrapbook pages.  I'm excited to soothe my own frayed self with some time at the crafting table.

My new to me Scottish word describes the last two weeks; 

Dumfungled = to be mentality & physically worn out.  

Thankfully my demfungled-ness is a result of forces/people /situations outside of my own home, Mr Man & I are both well. 

Wisdom

 

Happy Valentines Day

💝

Three things will last forever; faith, hope & love, & the greatest of these is love.

                ... 1 Corinthians 13:13

Wisdom

 

                To be kind is more important than to be right.

                Many times what people need is not a brilliant

                mind that speaks, but a special heart that listens.

💝

                                            ... F. Scott Fitzgerald

Me On A Monday - February 5th

 Good Morning.  Happy to report that our local groundhog did NOT see his shadow on the morning of February 2nd - so that means an early spring.  My little grumble about this, is spring arrives roughly the same time every year, March 20th -22nd.  The big difference for us is the not the first day of spring, but the first spring like day & that is not until April. Rant over.

Currently Reading:  The Berry Pickers, a debt novel from a Canadian author, Amanda Peters: July 1962. A Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family’s youngest child, vanishes. She is last seen by her six-year-old brother, Joe, sitting on a favorite rock at the edge of a berry field. Joe will remain distraught by his sister’s disappearance for years to come.  

I am enjoying this book, I like the characters for the most part. 

Currently Revealing:  I received this gorgeous hat just before Christmas from someone at church.  She originally purchased for the birthday celebrations of a friend when they celebrated at the Queen's Plate (horse race), in 2022. The hat also saw some Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.  I was so grateful & I had just the perfect blouse in my closet that was a very close match to the hat colour & material. I wore to church on New Year's Eve. I was feeling quite regal.

Currently Confirmed: In our region of the province, we normally get an average of 80 hours of sunshine in January.  It has been confirmed that January 2024 we got only17 hours!  

Thankfully February has started out well, with several days in a row of glorious sunshine.  I even got Mr Man to go outside with me for a walk.  Why the media didn't cover this story, I'll never know (laughing out loud). You could say Mr Man is leaning towards being a Suckrificer.

Happy week to you. 

 ...Suckrifice, doing what you absolutely must, even though you really, really hate it.  

Wisdom

 

“In the grand symphony of life, each New Year is a chance to compose a melody that resonates with purpose and harmony.” 

                                    ... Ludwig van Beethoven

Me On A Monday - January 29th

 

Local Conservation Park

I saw on a few other blogs that I lurk about on, questions & answers about self care in winter.  Thought I would give it a go.

How Do You Fight The Winter Blues:  I'm no expert on this & I often succumb to the blues & have to give myself a good shaking or two to snap out of it, but some of the things I try to do are; get crafty, read, do an exercise class (online/YouTube). I've also discovered "walks in the woods" on YouTube, it is a wonderful way to give being on the stationary bike or treadmill a lift.   I will also spend some time with seed & bulb catalogues dreaming of my potential garden adventures.

Flannel Sheets/PJs- Yes or No:  oh yes, we both like the cozy feeling of flannel sheets. I also wear flannel pjs in the winter with big fuzzy bed socks, although I don't wear the socks in bed. We also have a few flannel lap blankets about, although the cats usually have laid claim to those before I get a chance to sit down.  We have a gas fireplace in the family room, which is delightful for a reading cozy up under a flannel blanket.

Local Conservation Park 

Favourite Warm Beverage:  tea & lots of it.  Mr Man is more of a coffee drinker but I am turning him to tea, late mid morning.  

Not very often, but sometimes I'll make hot chocolate & not from a powder mix. It is a really decadent treat. I did buy us some chocolate bombs with the hope that we would use in our rewarding hot chocolate, after a walk outside.  For those that haven't experienced the joy/fun of chocolate bombs, here's an explanation: "hot chocolate bombs, or glossy chocolate orbs filled with cocoa mix, marshmallows, sprinkles, and other edible baubles. They are a truly over-the-top way to level up your cocoa game. Once plopped inside a mug full of warm milk, the bombs open up in dramatic fashion, revealing the goodies inside and creating a decadent cup of hot cocoa once stirred together."  There are lots of recipes online to make chocolate bombs.  On a side note about chocolate decadent treats, you can now get chocolate piñatas! 

Suggestions For Fun Winter Time Activities:  stay in doors, craft or read. I know the answer is supposed to include outdoor activities & for lots of folks it does.  Some people, ski, ice skate, long walks, but not me. There are not any local outdoor skating rinks & skating indoors is usually crowded & far too many children racing about. We used to have at least 5 outdoor skating rinks in our village, but over the years because of unpredictable weather (often too mild for ice making) & a lack of volunteers to maintain the rinks, the village is down to maybe 1 & this year, it hasn't been up & running because of the weather.  

Skiing is far too expensive for me at this time. I have done both types of skiing; down hill (not good at it at all) & cross-country skiing, which I liked, but still not very good at it.  I used to visit my friend, M, who lived in Ottawa where there are some fabulous ski hills.  She was an excellent downhill skier & even skied in the Swiss Alps one year. M was a very patient teacher, but I lack the natural balance skill, I never advanced off the bunny hills (beginners & children) & even then I fell more than I skied.  I do like walks however short in the cold, especially if there's a hot chocolate bomb waiting for me when I get back inside.

What about you, how do you make friends with winter? 

Also to note for inside winter fun, the 100 Day Project (crafting) is coming up - begins on February 18th.  Are you going to participate?  I've already got my list of projects I would like to complete during these 100 days.

Local Conservation Park

Wisdom

 

We witness other people's storms, 

from the shelter of our own perspectives.

Let's be mindful that we don't add the 

cold rain of judgement to their already soaked spirits.

...Liz Newman 

Me On A Monday - January 22nd

Source: Internet

Good Morning.  Another very cold week last week, with a forecast of a snow "event" on this Tuesday.  I am just hopeful that the snow holds off until I am home from my errands out.  Also in the forecast is a warm up towards the middle of the week.  If that truly happens maybe we will be able to tackle all that snow left from the snow ploughs at the end of our driveway from the last snow storm.  We were only able to make a hole in the snow bank big enough for the car to get out.  It is definitely a case of threading the needle.  

Currently there is not a lot happening.  Meetings, doctor's appointments & errands seem to be what is taking up & filling my life right now.  In the next couple of weeks there's a big Unity Conference being held in the town close to us.  It will be 5-6 different religions each making a presentation about the need for faith unity.  It should be quite an interesting gathering.  Our church is not included because in spite of it being 15 minutes away, it is a different county, so a different faith community base.  In keeping with the unity in faith theme, I am reading a book entitled, "Why Did Jesus, Moses, The Buddha, & Mohammed Cross The Road?"

My left over feeling from last week; Lypophrenia; a vague feeling of sadness seemingly without cause. Let's hope all this lovely sunshine banishes this feeling quickly. 💗🌞

Wisdom

 

Honour the space between no longer and not yet.

                ... Nancy Levin

Me On A Monday - January 15th

Good Morning.  What a wild snowy blustery winter weekend we had. I would use more describers but you get the picture! Thankfully any driving I had to do on Friday was done well before the storm arrived. We were able to stay bundled up at home.  We lost power on Friday night but not for long, thankfully, battery back ups on all the devices took care of everything, so only the microwave & stove needed their clocks adjusted.  With the winds still raging & snow falling & temperatures of -18 (c) on Sunday morning I decided to practice my Hurkle Durkle skills.

Currently Watching: We finished series 1 & 2 of Happy Valley, which we borrowed from the library & we now have series 3 on order.  We had seen both series of H/V before but wanted to refresh our memories on the story.  Both Mr Man & were once again in awe of Sarah Lancashire's acting.  She has come along way since Coronation Street days as Raquel. As a matter of fact there are SO many previous Coronation Stars in H/V.  

We finished up with the current series of Shetland, with the introduction of Ashley Jensen as DI Ruth Calder.  It was a great series, I O O (in our opinion). Searching on BritBox for another series to watch while we wait for the new Vera series to begin, so we have started No Offence.  Not sure yet, only two episoides in.

Currently Reading: I did finish The Amor of Light. I mostly liked, not "I loved it" book.  I am waiting on several books from the library so in the meantime I am re-reading my all time favourite book EVER.  The Thirteenth Tale. This book still holds my attention & imagination like no other book I've read.  A close second would be Lord of The Rings & The Hobbit.   And speaking of favourites, I may just pull out another favourite, The Keeper of Lost Things.  

Currently Baking:  this week it is my group's turn to bake for the whole group at Ladies Coffee Bible Study.  It has to be nut aware (free), so I'm baking from a pre-packaged mix, gingerbread squares. On Sunday morning, once I got up, I baked a new to me recipe for cinnamon muffins. Best served warm.

And to wrap things up,  Hurkle Durkle is an old Scottish word or phrase meaning to lounge in bed long after it is time to get up.  With the forecast of cold snowy weather all week, I may be practicing this skill much more often.  Happy week to all & to all stay warm!

Wisdom

 

When you have exhausted all the possibilities, remember this: you haven't.

                ... Thomas Edison

Me On A Monday - January 8th

 Good Morning.  How is your 2024 going so far?  In our region Old Man Winter has made a blustery appearance on the weekend.  I knew that the unseasonably mild Christmas weather would not last.  

Currently Reading: Ken Follett's book; The Armor Of Light.  It's a big book,735 pages.  Even though I am a hundred pages in I am not sure I am "loving" this book.  There are parts that really engage me. I enjoy how Ken writes novels with lots of historical information in the content but there are some elements that I just don't feel are necessary to move the story along.  But I've got another 600 pages to go either way on the book.  😀

Currently ScrapBooking: these are a couple of pages I created over the Christmas break.  I enjoyed working with the paper collection, such high quality paper.  It's P13, Cozy Winter collection, that I have had in the stash for a few years.  I made up two pages when I got the collection, but never used the pages. These two pages will go along with the previous two made pages into my garden album for December's garden photos. On the new newly made pages, the elements in the corner clusters were all fussy cut by me & I am quite pleased with them.  I later did find the package of premade die cuts; I had put them in a "safe" place to easily find later ... hahahaha

Weather Page - new this year

House Page - new this year

The two previous pages, these pages will get finished when my December photos arrive.  I'll get to use the found package of die cuts on these two!

Currently Ponding: I've many things to work out, not least is what I am going to do with my blog.  I think, even with a few breaks over 2023, I have lost a lot of the mojo for creating.  How you of those that blog daily, do it, I'm truly in admiration.  I had thought at one time that having just the two regularly scheduled posts would help me with the discipline of habit.  A little, maybe.  For now no final decision made. 

Another ponding is on OLW.  I am definitely not going to do as a scrapping project or even a journaling project.  I will think about my OLW phrase from last year of "more or less" when I am planning out my week.  Which leads me to another ponding in the realm of stash busting, decluttering; PHDs - project have done.  I have talked about what I was pondering about to do with these.  Last year's mini scrapbook for OLW was less than half done.  I've decided to cut & run on this project.  The first 3 months of 2023 the pages were not really full hearted creative pages, so I've no problem shredding & moving on.  That was a first clue that I was done with OLW.   

And now we ready ourselves for another week of January 2024.  Kids in our region return to school after 2 weeks of holiday.  A full on week of appointments, meetings & outings.  Fingers crossed that the weather folks have "the storm of the century" brewing, are wrong; some of my appointments & meetings require a bit of a drive!!!💨

Wisdom

 

Your assumptions are your windows on the world.  Scrub them off every once in a while, otherwise the light won't come in. 

                ... Issiac Asimov

Me On A Tuesday - Happy New Year

 

Source: Internet

What did you do in 2023 that you've never done before? Late in the year we discovered a new to us tea café. We are excited for them to return from Christmas holidays in mid January.  On my own I started attending the free adult craft workshops at the library. Easy crafts that you can make in an hour. It is fun for the adult company.

Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions and will you make more for next year? I don’t make resolutions. In 2023 I worked with my OLW phrase of More Or Less.  I felt this phrase & I worked well throughout 2023. Although I’ve decided not to stress over picking OLW or phrase for 2024.

Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, my friend gave birth to her second son in June.  

Did anyone close to you die? Yes, one of my older brothers died January 2023.

What would you like to have in 2024 that you lacked in 2023? For me, less anxiety & fewer emergency needs for Mr Man’s eyes.

What was your biggest achievement of the year? Still fitting into my clothes without the waistbands getting tighter.  I held my counsel (tongue) & tried to apply the wisdom of taking it to prayer rather than the telephone.

Did you suffer illness or injury? Not sure if this falls into illness, but I struggled & continue to struggle with sleep.  Anxiety & panic attacks happened a lot this year, which I know play into my inability to get quantity & quality of sleep.

What was the best thing you bought? I got an Oral B Pro electric toothbrush for my birthday. Now I get that just been to the hygienist clean feeling after every brush. The bonus with this gift was that I got replacement heads to last me for two years!

Where did most of your money go? Maintenance of our home.  Food was a close second. On the food front, Mr Man & I joked that if prices continue to soar, we may have to each eat on alter days.  I don't know how many families are doing it.  But with all joking aside, we definitely upped our contributions to the food bank as we counted our blessings of not being hungry.

What did you get excited about? The Coronation of King Charles III on May 6^th.  While I still mourn the passing of our great Queen Elizbeth II, I’m not disliking our new King (& Queen Consort).  My only comment to the Royal Family is, Catherine I’m done with the pantsuits.

What do you wish you’d done more of: more of even close to home adventures. And more walking.

 What do you wish you’d done less of: Fretting, worrying, brooding. As a child, my Gran said I could brood for Wales. (??) 

 How did you spend Christmas? Quietly at home.

 What was your favourite TV show: no longer a favourite but I continue to watch Coronation Street. Oh it is horrible writing IMO, I watch to be entertained, not lectured at.  I am giving serious thought to quitting this show. We watch a lot of shows on Brit Box; current ones were Vera & Shetland.

 What was the best book you read in 2023? I did not have a favourite of the year, I read a lot of books that made me feel I wasted my time or just made me feel, OK, so.  A few of the self help/decluttering books that I read, gave me one or two points, but that was it.  I'm done with decluttering & organizing books & videos  I re-read several favourites to excite me about reading.

 What was your greatest musical discovery of 2023? MecryMe’s old but new to me song, Greater.

What did you want and get? I wanted to get a handle on my crafting clutter/stash & I did. I feel ready to continue with the using up of stuff. And not been so over whelmed with choice, I think I created more layouts that I like.

 What did you want and not get?  A horse friend.

 What was your favourite film this year? I cannot think of one, so that says a lot.  A friend loaned me her copy of the Bridgerton - Queen Charlotte series & although there is almost no historical truth in this, I still quite enjoyed.  Netflix does not spare the cash on costumes.

What did you do on your birthday? Nothing much, tea party at home.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2023? I did make an effort to wear more of my clothes rather than just grabbing jeans & a t-shirt. I tried that old sage decluttering wisdom of turning the hangers backwards & every time you wear something put it right way around.  Thankfully as the year ends I can see only one thing that is still sitting backwards & that’s my New Year’s Day blouse, but it will get turned around today.

What kept you sane? Crafting; scrap booking & card making. Gardening helped a lot. My cats bring me a lot of joy & love.  I need to ensure I do more walking this year to add to my choices of sanity inducing activities.

What political issue stirred you the most. Oh there were many & most are too sensitive to discuss here. 

Who did you miss? My two best friends, both alive & well but living a long way away from me.  Regular chats are great, but I miss being in their presence.

Who was the best new person you met? I did not meet anyone new, but I was in a different group for my ladies bible study & I got to know a couple of ladies I had only ever said hello to.  We were known as the laughing group & our discussions about the first 14 chapters of Exodus were never dull. One thing I gleaned from our study was that each of the plagues were tied to a deity that the Egyptians worshiped. 

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2023.  We now know that our cats are both allergic to poultry & grain based food.  When we finally switched them to a fish no grain food the throwing up stopped (except for fur balls) & of course this is the really expensive food.

Wishing you all a wonderful 2024.  We get a bonus day this year, let's make it count  💝