Tuesday 22 January 2013

The Simple Woman's Day Book


FOR TODAY, January 22nd, 2013...

Outside My Window...

The sky is still quite dark and it's very quiet. There is still some snow laying on the ground, but no more has fallen.  It is very, very cold though.

I am thinking...
When you judge someone, you don't define them, you define yourself.
~Dr Wayne Dyer

I am reminded of a great talk given by Elder Jose L Reina when he spoke at one of our Stake Conferences last year.   He talked about judging others and how wrong it was and how we needed to stop doing it.   It's so easy to look at someone else and make a judgement on their appearance, or what they are doing, how they are living . . . but there is an old Indian saying which says that you should never judge another person unless you have first walked a mile in their moccasins.  It's just plain wrong.  We cannot know what lays in another's heart or mind.   Only our Father in heaven knows.    We need to learn to give others the benefit of the doubt and to look at them with the eyes and the heart of the Saviour.   It is something that I work at all the time, and sometimes I fail at it.  Thank goodness for repentance!

I am thankful for...

See above!   Repentance, which allows me to begin again . . . frequently!

From the kitchen... 
There is some cake and one mince pie left from Christmas.   I have been thinking of baking some bran muffins.  I do so love a good bran muffin.  When I had my canteen I used to bake lots of muffins every day . . . bran, carrot, banana, morning glory.   They all sold out every day.
 
I am wearing...  

A blue nightie with white polka dots that Todd gave me for Christmas and slippers, a robe, etc.  Soft and warm.

I am creating...  



This ruffled edge on this quilt is so adorable.   I have a lap quilt which I started over a year ago which is just sitting up in my craft room waiting for me to finish it off.  This would be perfect.

Source: sltrib.com via Julie on Pinterest

Isn't this a fabulous little sewing kit?   I love it, but then . . . I do love buttons very, very much.   This would be so easy to do.   I just have to find an old mason jar!

Source: etsy.com via Marie on Pinterest

Loving these little origami butterflies.  I could see a flock of these flying on the wall over our bed. These are on Etsy, but there must be instructions on how to make your own somewhere.


I just love this little paper tea party.   Is it not just the cutest thing?   I think it would be very easy to make as well.

I am going... 
My mother will be in Halifax at the hospital today for her needle biopsy.   Please keep her in your prayers.   She has to be there by 7:30 am Atlantic Time.  It is quite a lengthy process.   It's also quite a journey to take on winter roads, as the hospital is about an hour and a half away.

I won't be telephoning her today so Todd and I are going to go and see Les Miserables at the movies.   We have been waiting for this to come to the UK, so it will be great!   We saw it on the West End down in London when we lived down South and it was fabulous.   Looking forward to seeing the film today.    We don't often go to the movies.   More than not we wait until the come to the telly or out on dvd.  There are some though that you just want to experience on the big screen.  This is one of them.

Thursday evening is our January Women's RS Additional Meeting.  The theme is Fresh Starts and New Beginnings this time.   I hope we have a nice turnout.  It would be nice to see some of the Sisters out who don't normally make it.

I am reading...

My Berlin Kitchen, by Luisa Weiss.
Along the way to adulthood, I acquired one six-inch chef’s knife, a dark-green glazed cast-iron pot, and the growing realization that baking and cooking were not just a sure way to end up with a pan of warm brownies or a kitchen full of the fragrance of beef stew.  Busying myself in the kitchen was how I conjured the people and places I loved the most in the steam rising off the pots on the stove.  And when I came down with a rare and chronic illness known as perpetual homesickness, I knew the kitchen would be my remedy.

I am in love with this book. How could you not be.  It's an autobiography but with food and recipes.  I am totally smitten with it.  I do so love this type of book.  I am halfway through it.   It's fabulous"



Reading Little Women by Louisa M Alcott on my Kindle.  Revisiting an old favourite.  I don't think you can ever be too old to enjoy the classics!



Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman.   This, too, is on my Kindle.   It's a historical autobiography.  I did see the film with Kiera Knightly a few years back, which was quite good.   Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire was what you might call the first "IT" girl and lived over 200 years ago.   She was born into the Spencer family at the family seat of Althorp, which means she was an ancestor of Princess Diana.   There were a lot of parallels in their lives which I find absolutely fascinating.  It's a long book, but I am looking forward to reading it.

 I am hoping...
I am hoping and praying that my mother's day goes well today.   It is a horrendous experience to go through and I wish that I could be there now to hold her hand, but she wants me there later during her treatment, and she is right, that is the best time for me to be there.

I am hearing... 
Ordinary morning sounds.   My play list, Mitzie snoring . . . the clock ticking.  My fingers clicking on the keys.  Nothing changes . . .

Around the house...



There are some fabulous ideas here on bathroom storage.   I need help with that.   It's so easy to let your bathroom get jumbled up with lots of tat . . . not that any of it is stuff you don't need, but it would be so nice to be able to store it all a bit tidier!  I am loving this.  I just have to find an old cabinet that I can paint and re-purpose for this use.


I just adore the simplicity of this kitchen.  The stone floor, the white cupboard with the wooden knobs, the wood look countertop, the butchers sink, the smeg fridge, the open shelf above the sink.  I Love it all!  A gal can dream!


I don't have any children, but I have fallen in love with this bed!   I can only imagine how much fun it would have been to have a bed like this when I was a little girl.   Heaven!   I think it's just wonderful.   It's probably a pain to make though . . . hmmm . . .



One of my favourite things . . .  



Paper Dolls.   When I was a little girl I had lots of paper dolls and I probably played with them far more than I played with real dolls.   I just adored them.  It was a way of having more dolls, but not having to spend a fortune to get them.   I used to save up my allowance to buy them, and a lot of the fun I got from them was in making new clothes for them.   I spent hours with my paper dolls.   I wish I still had them.


Something new about me ...


I have a thing for pigs, or should I say Piglets.   I think they are so cute.   Todd bought me a pig figurine a few years back and it is one of my favourite things.   Pigs are such intelligent animals and not as dirty as some people think they are.  They are really quite clean.   I was fortunate enough to be able to visit Jimmy's Farm down near Ipswich a few summers ago and I really enjoyed seeing all of his pigs.  One of the highlights of my past couple of years!

One of my guilty pleasures ...




I just love, LOVE Ritz crackers.   These are homemade ones which I am going to have to try to make.   I especially love Ritz crackers spread with cheese spread or with peanut butter.  

Pet Peeves...    




The small print on packages, bottles, cans, etc.   I just can't read it.  I think I will have to finally invest in a magnifying glass.   I must be getting old.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...



“God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons we could not learn in any other way."  C S Lewis

When I think back on my life I can clearly see that the  most profound lessons I have learned I have learned through my deepest trials.   These are the lessons which stick with you.   I guess I am a person who has always had to learn things the hard way.

As a closing thought I would like to leave you with this:

The test of thankfulness is now what you have to be thankful for, but whether anyone else has reason to be thankful you are here." ~author unknown

And there you have it . . . my day book for this week. Don't forget to hop on over to the Simple Woman to check out the other day book entries! (Or better yet, do a simple day book entry yourself! It's not that hard and I am betting you would enjoy it!  

  photo SAM_4273_zpsfcea58e1.jpg



Cooking in The English Kitchen today . . . Roast Chicken with a Lemon Herb Stuffing.  Something to think about for the weekend!

Happy Day all!








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