a spirit of simplicity

  t The Lord gives strength to his people; The Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11 My beautiful granddaughter, Natalie Faith, was born on Monday morning! This was the verse of the day for her.  ~ ~ ~ Scripture and a snapshot .   Sunday scripture blessings You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  I have a beautiful granddaughter who was born on Monday morning. I am so very thankful for her. Her name is Natalie Faith. Because of COVID I couldn’t go to the hospital. My plan is to bring my mum to see her tomorrow.  I bought this large candle last year and only lit it for the first time this week.  It smells like peonies and the melted wax looks like a flower. It’s so pretty.  I made this activity for my toddlers at work and they really liked it! Bubble wrap inside a zip-lock bag with primary coloured paint. Red and blue for purple, yellow and blue for green, and yellow and red for orange. I taped up the opening quite tightly! We finally got some snow. It wasn’t very much but it looked pretty  against all the old homes as I drove to work.  I picked up the prettiest  potted mini daffodils at the market the other day. They were so pretty I picked up a pot for my mum as well.  Natalie Faith was born with a low birth weight. She also had to go under the bilirubin lights for 24 hours.

Meet my new granddaughter Natalie Faith! New life is as wild and natural as one can get. I’m taking time to stare at pictures of her. ~ ~ ~ Nature Notes   Pictorial Tuesday .  Image-in-ing Our world Tuesday Take time Tuesday My corner of the world    Community Global You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  My husband has said that the pink poinsettia at the kitchen window is rather large and in the way.  To each their own.  I see only beauty which one must make a way for. Monday: broccoli potato soup, salad, fresh bread Tuesday: chick pea and fresh spinach curry, brown basmati rice Wednesday: homemade pad Thai Thursday: farro Autumn Salad, herbed chicken breast Friday: sweet potato pancakes, sausages Saturday: roasted tofu and green beans, rice Sunday: crock pot beef stew ~ ~ ~ Pink Saturday The hearth and soul    Little cottage link party Charming homes and gardens Celebrate your story Meal plan Monday Menu plan Monday

  t Hatred stirs up conflict  But love covers all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12 ~ ~ ~ My daily prayer is that we find the way to love one another.  Scripture and a snapshot Sunday scripture blessings You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  Saturday morning my brother stopped by my mum’s house with his dog. My sister had been visiting and Sadie jumped up on the couch between her and mum for a bit of a snooze. The sky was nothing but grey storm clouds and the sea was ferocious.  I drove my sister half-way home on Saturday afternoon. We met her fiancé who drove the rest of the way.  It was stormy and rainy and when I got back into my neck of the woods the tide was high and crashing up over the sea wall! One of the other teachers at work brought in some chocolate hearts and put them in a bowl in the kitchen.  So sweet of her to share and so delicious.  I had Monday off and made some wonderful chicken/vegetable soup. I used kale, a can of corn, onions, carrots and celery.  I had made a roast chicken earlier and made the stock from what was left. I put summer savory, thyme, some fresh herbs and a bit turmeric. Tucker has been asking to go and visit my mum who lives in the first floor apartment. We live in the second floor ap

  High tide along the boulevard.  Our world Tuesday .  Pictorial Tuesday .  Image-in-ing Nature notes .  My corner of the world   Community Global You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  t Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “you shall love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” ~ ~ ~ Scripture and a snapshot Sunday scripture blessings You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  When Joe comes home from working nights he flops his cap down on the kitchen table. It is an Irish sculls cap and when he wears it with his mask at work they say he  looks like a Southie (Irish part of Boston) bank robber. I just like the way it looks on my kitchen table and I’m glad he’s not a bank robber.  My sister had to get some scans in Boston and spent the week at my mums.  I had them up for dinner one night. This isn’t the greatest picture of her...I think I caught her in mid-chew. Sunday I met with both of my daughters and my grandchildren. We were the only ones in the pizza place and felt comfortable taking our masks off while we ate. It was the first time we’ve all been together in such a very long time. It brought me to tears.  I rise before the sun most mornings and see it coming up over the neighboring houses like ribbons of orange and indigo light. One morning this week I happened to glance up and see the crescent moon setting behind the big, old pine while the sky was

  It is my habit to rise early and sit at the kitchen table letting the morning settle over me. The sun comes up over the harbour which is just at the bottom of the little lane we live on and I love to see it rise above the neighboring housetops and fills the sky with ribbons of bright orange and indigo.  Sunday morning I happened to glance out of my tiny kitchen window and just caught a crescent moon setting over the bright end of a beautiful sunrise.  I should mention that the pine stands 4 or 5 stories tall. I’m not sure how old it is but can imagine the changes it has seen from it’s lofty view of the harbour.  Image-in-ing    Pictorial Tuesday Our world Tuesday   Nature notes My corner of the world Community Global You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  The fun I met with my daughters and grandchildren over the weekend. We went to a nursery and each of us purchased some houseplants to get us through the long cold days of winter. On the way home we stopped for lunch at a pizza place and had a wonderful time laughing with each other. It had been so long since we were all together. As I watched them all I got a little teary eyed.  The good I didn’t take very many pictures last week but I did happen to capture the moon setting just as I looked out my kitchen window at sunrise one morning.  The random My sister is here for the week getting scans in Boston.  My brother and sister-in-law came to visit Saturday afternoon with their dog, Sadie, who jumped up on the sofa and took a little nap between my sister and my mum.  Family is everything....even if you’re a dog.  ~ ~ ~ The good, the random, the fun

  I once read that if you want to save the world the best place to start is at home. Under the kitchen window in  bright and sunny spot sits a geranium. It is overwintering in my favourite green pot. This morning I noticed new growth. A tiny chartreuse leaf was unfurling out of a gnarled, and almost dead stem. I gave it a little water and turned it a bit more toward the sun. Perhaps there is some hope for this world after all.  ~ ~ ~ The hearth and soul Little cottage link party Celebrate your story    Charming homes and gardens You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

 t I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 ~ ~ ~ The world certainly does seem full of tribulation these days.  Scripture and a snapshot .  Sunday scripture blessings Grace at home   You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  New Years Day I walked in a local state park with my brother, sister-in-law, and her mum. They brought along their dog Sadie as well. It was a beautiful day...warm and sunny. We decided to stay on the main road because there were quite a few people and we thought that the trails might get a little crowded.  While I was visiting my daughter, Hannah, last week she shared her simple recipe for making orange marmalade. It is so good and as easy as could be. I’ve been slathering it all over sourdough bread.  This chubby little fella has been sitting in the planter eating up all of the winter berries. I don’t mind though because he is rather cute and we don’t get too many visitors these days.  My first week back at work after a 3 week break.  It was a good week all in all. I was happy to see the children again. Tucker has been extra friendly lately. He curls up on my lap when I am on the couch reading. It’s so cute.  ~ ~ ~ Friday fave fives

  Lichen, moss, and fungi all growing together on an old fallen tree trunk. You can see that there are plenty of pines in the area as well.  This little fella was a bit closer to home. He was sitting in the planter box eating the red winter berries.  It didn’t bother him at all that we were standing just inside the doorway. He never even paused in his nibbling.  ~ ~ ~ Nature notes Our world Tuesday .  Image-in-ing .  Pictorial Tuesday Ruby Tuesday Community global    My corner of the world    Wordless Wednesday You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

 Orange marmalade  While visiting my daughter, Hannah, over the weekend she shared how she makes her simple orange marmalade. Is there anything more wonderful than your adult daughter sharing recipes with you? At the beginning of the week the house smelled like tea in a citrus grove. It may have been below freeing out of doors but it smelled like sunshine inside. By New Year’s Day there was scrumptious marmalade for slathering all over homemade oatmeal bread. Put orange peels in a pot on the back burner and cover with water.  I happened to have a bowl of clementines that I needed to use up so I cut them into quarters. Bring the pot to a boil and simmer most of the afternoon. Just leave it there simmering away, checking it often to make sure it doesn’t burn. The peels should be nice and soft.  Add a bunch of sugar...I added 2 cups but it depends on how much citrus you use and how sweet you like it. Keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved and then turn off the heat and leave it out o

 t Those of low estate are but a breath Those of high estate are a delusion; In the balances they go up; They are together lighter than a breath. Once God has spoken; Twice have I heard this: That power belongs to God, And that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man According to his work.   Psalm 62:9, 11-12 ~ ~ ~ Scripture and a snapshot Sunday scripture blessings You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  After all the fuss of the holidays a charming little vase of pink carnations  on the kitchen table is simple and sweet. ~ ~ ~ Pink Saturday

  The amaryllis I planted at Thanksgiving bloomed just in time for Christmas. My daughter’s family came for Christmas all dressed up! They looked so cute! Christmas Eve was unseasonably warm and most of the snow had melted. I got out for a long walk about town. Every once in a while I get a hankerin’ for cookin’ and Sunday was one of those days. I made: a citrus salad with grapefruit, oranges, the juice of a lime, honey, and fresh mint. Sun dried tomato, olive, bell pepper and lentil salad Lemon and cardamom soda bread Orange, walnut and raisin cake Garlic and rosemary pork roast with maple glazed parsnips and baby spinach My house smelled so good when I came in after a walk. After all the fuss of the holidays it’s nice to have a simple vase of pink carnations at the kitchen table.  ~ ~ ~ Friday fave fives