Five on Friday: And here it's February

" I urge you to please notice when you are happy,

and exclaim or murmur or think at some point,

'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.' "

KURT VONNEGUT

I could feel myself smiling when I caught sight of tulips at the grocery store the other day. There is nothing like a bunch of pretty tulips to lift the spirits and add a cheery brightness to our world. With the winter holidays in the distant past and my days of hibernating in January also history, thoughts of Valentine's Day and spring begin to bubble up. The days are growing lighter. Cheery rivulets form as snow and ice melt on these spring-like days. If winter weather returns, and it probably will, it feels like we're ahead of the game at this stage.

I'm starting to feel like writing again. So I hope you enjoy today's edition of Five on Friday. Thank you for stopping by.

 

One. "Rose Postcards" giveaway

Sometimes when you're just browsing, that's when you find the best things. A box of postcards sat on its edge, like a book, on the shelf in the gardening section of our local bookstore. My hand reached out immediately. Inside were one hundred rose-themed postcards from the archives of The New York Botanical Garden. I was enthralled. What fun it will be to send these out in the mail. I think I'll even have a tiny giveaway and give some away here on the blog. Share the wealth, spread the joy.

In fact, if you leave a comment either here on my blog, or on my social media - Facebook or Instagram, mention "Rose Postcards", I'll put your name in the draw which we will do next week on Friday, February 13th. Two lucky winners for 5 postcards each.

Two. Things that cheer me up

- coffee brewing in the morning

- putting on the kettle

- a cup of tea in the afternoon

- hot buttered toast

- a pot of scented hyacinth in bloom

- a square of dark chocolate after supper

- the sound of trickling ice melting in early spring

- knowing a good book awaits at the end of the day

- putting things in order

- fresh sheets on the bed

- browsing a nice magazine

-going for a drive on a sunny afternoon

Three. Inner thoughts

How does one carry on without saying anything in response to the deeply unsettling events happening in the world around us? Some of it is just too close for comfort. And although it's often on my mind, and likely yours too, I want to assure you that I won't be sharing my opinions or thoughts about anything even remotely political here on my blog.

Some years ago, after much soul searching, I came to recognize that, as writers, we each must find our own place from which to write. Some may be called to address the issues of the day. And are good at it. God bless those who wrestle those issues and try to make sense of them for the rest of us. We need people in that arena. But I am not one of them.

When I started the blog in 2008, I knew its theme and focus would be about encouraging readers to find ways to live life more beautifully. Since then, our world has changed a lot. Because of social media, we now have the world's woes at our fingertips (and I daily wrestle with the desire to be well informed which is at odds with my desire to remain sane). 

I have asked myself on various occasions, do I need to change the way I write? Should my writing reflect more of the societal and cultural concerns many of us share; should I write to address these troubling issues?

A few years ago I received a comment from a quiet reader of my blog posts. She wrote to me saying, "Since deleting my own blog last year and trying to spend less time online, I haven't been by as much as I have in the past, but today, I was just longing for a glimpse of a beautiful blog, and yours immediately came to mind. … Truly, your little home on the internet adds beauty and joy to my days." 

That, my friends, puts the thumb on the pulse of my reason for keeping this place set apart for beautiful, hopeful things. Sometimes we just need a space where we can 'get away', where we can feel normal for a few minutes. And where we can focus on something that buoys the spirits so that, heartened, we can return to the fray and carry on, at least for the moment.

"Because even with the dark parts and the light parts and the good parts and the bad parts, dinner must still be served." from Once Upon A Wardrobe, p. 102

Four. Recently enjoyed

Babette's Feast (1958)

by Karen Blixen

(This exquisitely written novella is set in a remote village

in Norway during the late 19th century where two pious,

elderly sisters live their quiet lives. When a stranger

shows up on their doorstep one stormy night.)

The Queens of Crime (2025)

by Marie Benedict

(Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, and three other

Golden Age crime novelists join forces to solve a 'real' murder)

The Bookseller's Secret (2007)

by Michelle Gable

(a thrilling novel about the English novelist

Nancy Mitford during WWII)

The Other Windsor Girl,

A Novel of Princess Margaret (2019)

by Georgie Blalock

(a fictional peek into Princess Margaret's young life

through the eyes of her lady-in-waiting)

The Maid (mystery, 2022)

by Nita Prose

(Molly the maid loves her job. And  I loved the relationship

she had with her Gran who raised her. A story with mystery,

humour, an upscale hotel, and a body in a bedroom... all

interspersed with bonus quotes from Molly's wise Gran.)

*

Four quiet nonfiction books I'm also spending time with:

For Such A Time As This (2025)

An Emergency Devotional

by Hanna Reichel

Reclaiming Quiet (2024)

Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention

by Sarah Clarkson

Journeys to the Nearby (2025)

A gardener discovers the gentle art of untravelling

by elspeth bradbury

A Thousand Feasts (2024)

Small moments of joy, a memoir of sorts

by Nigel Slater

Five. My 5-year commonplace diary  

I began this pint-size five-year commonplace diary in January 2022. The idea was inspired by author Austin Kleon who used this diary to jot a favourite line he came across each day. Last month on January 1st, I started the fifth year. By the time I write my last quote on December 31st, I will have curated 1825 quotations—how is that for one tiny diary. Something I noticed as I watched the pages fill with quotes over the weeks, months, and now years, I am amazed at how often I recognize my frame of mind and what might have been going on, either in my life or the world at large, by the quotes I was drawn to at the time. Here's a handful to close out today's post:

*

February 2, 2022

"You're the right woman to handle your life."

Sally Clarkson

*

February 3, 2023

"Your work matters. God

intended you to make a difference."

Sandi Somers, "Building a Body of Work", InScribe blog post

*

February 4, 2024

"Always have something to look forward to."

Unknown

*

February 5, 2025

"Even in the darkness we will trust : that

our lives are still in your hands."

Shayne Claiborne, Common Prayer, p. 243

*

February 6, 2026

"Count your many blessings,

name them one by one."

line from the hymn 'Count Your Blessings' 

❦

Dear beautiful friends, thank you for visiting.

I am so grateful for your presence here. 

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Brenda

Photo credits:

(Top)Image by pezibear from Pixabay

(Hyacinth)Image by patrizzia from Pixabay

(Rest of pics)Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

 

My Blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays

Guest Blogging on InScribe: A Joyride in a Journal

"I've always been a journal keeper. I've always

tried to write about how I'm experiencing life,

and my feelings and thoughts."

SUE MONK KIDD

This week I have been busy working on a new piece for InScribe, my writer's fellowship blog. It goes live today. 

I have been a journal writer for nearly forty years. Today I share why I journal and a few things I learned along the way. I'm excited to share my thoughts with you and hope something might resonate with you. Won't you grab a cup of something comforting and meet me THERE?

With January almost over, I will be resuming my regular blogging schedule - I post on Fridays. I have lots to tell you since I last wrote on December 31st.

Until next time, I'm wishing you grace for your journey in the days ahead.

❦

Heart hugs,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

My Blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays

From My Archives: A Quilt Made of Days

"Each day is like a panel in a quilt. Some days are

ugly and some days are raw and some days are chaotic

and some days are colorful and some days are orderly

but if you keep adding them up they turn into something."

AUSTIN KLEON, "A Quilt Made of Days" online article

This piece was originally posted on my blog on December 30, 2023. As we wrap up the old year and greet the New Year, I'm sharing it with you hoping you won't mind seeing it again. Mom is now at home and doing well. We're well. We'll chat soon. —Brenda xo

'A quilt made of days.' That phrase—borrowed from Austin Kleon who wrote about his idea HERE—captivates my imagination. Although I am not a quilter, I am an ardent admirer of talented seamstresses, including my mom, who skillfully piece swatches of fabric into gorgeous patterns that become something beautiful and useful in one's home. Their creativity inspires me.

Perhaps that's why I gravitate towards creator/author Austin Kleon's words. His comment above seems particularly fitting as we stand on the cusp of a brand new year. The days yet to come in the new year are unknown to us but we guess that some will arrive bright and colourful; others will show up muted and dull, some will be raw with pain and filled with chaos. And still other days will arrive, thankfully, with calm and peace as the order of the day. To create an actual physical quilt, crafters start with a plan. They know the pattern they want to create; they have chosen their colour scheme. They carefully pick out the fabrics, cut them into the appropriate shapes, and sew them together into the design they dream about. When it comes to creating the more ethereal quilts made of days, in life we aren't given the materials ahead of time; we can't plan the pattern, we must make use of what appears. Still, if we pay attention we can make use of what shows up and gather the pieces—memories, experiences, events—that are our life story. We can watch as patterns emerge. We can learn to recognize the value each block brings to the developing design.

When I took a water colour painting course years ago, I came to see how paintings need contrasts: they need dark to show light, shadows to give depth and perception, darker backgrounds to set off brighter foregrounds. For me, I found the most important contrast was the juxtaposition of using something plain or dull, maybe even ugly, in order to set off a thing of beauty. It was a life lesson to learn that maybe we need ugly and pain to truly realize the immense value of beauty, order, peacefulness, and joy. I'd rather not experience the pain, but would I know the great joy without it to compare?

It's the same in the world of quilting with fabric... or the days of our lives.

I have always been drawn to Victorian crazy quilts (see the photo above for an example). Rather than blocks that march squarely into place, there's a kind of creative higgledy-piggledy that makes use of the tiniest bits of fabric alongside the larger pieces, all in various shapes, colours, textures, and patterns. Victorians would use scraps of fabric, often from worn out clothing and linens. They'd include swatches that had been handed down from one generation to the next—maybe from a great grandmother's wedding dress or a baby's christening gown—creating these lasting works of art that burst with texture and colour, embroidery and ribbonry. Fashioned from the days given to them.

As I said earlier, I'm not a quilter, but I'm mulling what a quilt made of days would look like for me. I'd probably fashion a 'quilt' from the bits and pieces of how my life unfolds in the new year, and rather than sew or craft with fabric or paint, I'd probably create a 'quilt' using words, watching for the patterns, hoping for more red letter days than chaotic ones. And when something ugly turns up, dear Lord, I'd want His help as I waited for the beauty when it isn't yet fully evident. Taking days as they come, all the while learning to walk with confidence and hopefulness, being comforted during trying moments embroidered with prayers, when laughter and cheer have flown off. There is something comforting about recognizing there's a bigger picture, one I cannot yet fathom, of One who is making all things work together for good, One who is creating something bigger than our individual lives. For in God's created world, we believe there is a greater plan and purpose, trusting that He is taking all things and fashioning them into something truly exquisite and out of this world.

I wonder what kind of a quilt it will become. With the craziness of life in our upside down world, I'm pretty certain my quilt of days will have its own slant on crazy quilt. While things happen to me and around me, it's also up to me to do something with what's given, whether I think a piece will fit or not. It's my job to creatively work my attitudes, gratitudes, prayers, and dreams, staying hopeful through the storm darkened days, enjoying the small joys 'that tip the balance towards hope' (a phrase borrowed from Sarah Clarkson). All the while imagining something beautiful... my own quilt made of days.

❦

Happy New Year to you, dear beautiful friends!

With love and heart hugs,

Brenda

Photo credit:

Top Image by chenspec from Pixabay

December Daybook

For Today

Outside my window...

It is cold and sunny with pale, clear skies. Lots of snow and waspish wind.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere I go..."

I am thankful...

For a home that keeps me warm; a pantry full of food that nourishes me;

a husband who makes me laugh even though he keeps telling me

he doesn't know any funny stories;

for fingers that can hold a nice pen to write notes,

play the piano, or touch the face of a loved one.

Happy update about Mom...

After being in hospital for nearly six weeks, Mom is scheduled

to be discharged on Monday. She'll be home for Christmas.

Shall we do a happy dance here?

We are grateful for her improved well-being of body and mind.

She's more than ready to be at home in her familiar

surroundings and to pick up her life again.

It's a great Christmas present for her and us, her family!

Reminding myself daily...

When things in my world feel tilted sideways,

I don't need to line up all my ducks in a row.

There are things I have no control over—I can

only focus on what I can do today.

'Sufficient for the day.' God's mercies are new every morning,

His grace is sufficient in all things, His peace

undergirds everything when I lay down my frets and cares.

And I remember that joy is my strength and humour goes a long way, too.

I am wearing...

Black jeans with a black tee-shirt

and a spritz of Rose scent.

I am creating...

Quiet spaces in my day to let the Christmas spirit waft in as it will.

Whether on the strain of an old familiar carol or through a line I'm

reading or while watching afternoon shadows outside my

window wrap up another day.

I have recently finished and enjoyed...

The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden

Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories by L.M. Montgomery

Christmas at Thrush Green by Miss Read

Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon

I am currently slow reading...

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher

The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater

Looking forward to two I haven't read yet...

Christmas Bells by Jennifer Chiaverini

The Old Peabody Pew: A Christmas Romance

of a Country Church by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin (1907)

In my kitchen...

Yesterday there was a big pot of vegetable beef soup

simmering on the stove. Today a batch of Mom's recipe

of soft ginger cookies is almost ready for the oven.

One of my favourite things...

Finding beautiful cards and notepaper for writing

notes when the spirit moves. Especially at this time of year.

Although I don't do it as much as I used to, it still gives joy

to the sender and hopefully provides a 'happy surprise'

in a mailbox to the receiver.

I didn't have much time or energy for Christmas cards this season,

but what I did get done is now winging its way through the postal system.

Something I wrote a few years ago...

YOU KNOW WHAT I REALLY WANT
FOR CHRISTMAS?

I want to feel the magic of being five or six or seven again
When everything about the season was new and fresh and thrilling.

When I felt the tremble of expectancy as parcels
mysteriously appeared under the Christmas tree;

And the wait of three more sleeps grew so excruciating
I felt my body would burst from its skin.

When the HUSH of soft, holy moments hugged me like a blanket
As I sat mesmerized by tinsel glimmer and tree lights;

And the sweet, sweet strains of Away in a Manger
filled me with shivery delight.

Yes, I long to feel again the secret yearnings of a child's heart
for the inexpressible and the MIRACULOUS. . .

 As I wait in Wonder for the Christ Child.

* * *

Acknowledgement:

This piece was inspired by something I read in Robert Fulghum's

book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.

❦

I will be staying with my mom for a while

so I won't be here on the blog for now.

Wishing you a Happy Christmas.

I hope you will find moments of "merry" even

if things aren't as perfect as they ought to be.

Heart hugs to you all,

Brenda

Photo credits:

(Top) Image by Frauke Riether from Pixabay

Five on Friday: This and That

"Gradually there gathered the feeling of

expectation, Christmas was coming."

from The Rainbow by D.H. Lawrence

I'm still very much involved with Mom at this time - she's still in hospital - so I feel a little outside of normal life these days. Thankfully the Christmas spirit whispers between the moments... giving my heart a giggle of joy.

One. Oh, the weather outside

We've had fog and snow and sleet and rain. Sometimes all on the same day. The sun set today at 4:30 in the afternoon, and the nights are now as dark as the inside of a boot. But the full moon last evening peeped past the clouds...and glimmered in its shiny glory from that far away place. Straight into my heart which needed a bit of a lift after a busy day.

Two. Update on Mom

It's now over three weeks since Mom fell and ended up in the hospital. There were a few days last week when it felt like I was watching my mom disappear... word by fading word. For several days she couldn't find her words and it was horrid to watch her trying to grasp for phrases not quite within her reach. The speech therapist came by, and she so encouraging. She gave us a helpful layman's description of what happened when she fell and hit her head. A little like having a full filing cabinet knocked over. Nothing was lost, but everything's in a jumble and needs sorting, organizing, and putting back where it belongs. How precious is our ability to speak and communicate. It's what makes us human, I guess.

I'm happy to report she is doing much better this week. She's been slowly finding her words and stringing sentences together in her more 'usual' manner. We are relieved. She has now been transferred to a rehab hospital where she will be going back to 'school', as her doctor teased her, to get her speech back as much as possible. And make her ready for the next step - going home. Which they told us today might not be until after Christmas. She is getting such good care, we're grateful for her medical team.

  

Three. Hemming dresses and sleeves

The other day I was sitting by our Christmas tree with the lights on—bent over doing some hand stitching to shorten sleeves on a couple of tee-shirts Mom needed for her stay in the hospital. It made me think of long ago memories when Mom would be busy hand sewing lace or buttons or finishing hems on our new Christmas dresses. In that moment, I felt a connection in that memory to my beloved mother. She was sewing for me then, and I'm sewing for her now.

Today over on InScribe, I have shared a few of those old memories... it's a piece I wrote years ago and have since revised. You can find Whispers of Tissue and Chiffon HERE.

Four. 2025 reading goal wrap up

Last January I decided to tackle some of the roughly 130 to 150 books that are currently sitting on my 'to be read' shelves. They include new acquisitions, gifts, library sale books, and thrift store finds. As I see it, it never hurts to have a grand 'pantry' pile waiting in the wings—I always enjoy browsing the titles when looking for something new to read (and there's nothing new coming from Amazon).

From those shelves, I selected 33 titles to read during the coming year. To date, I have finished 25 books from that list. I won't finish any more as I'm now into my Christmas reading. If you want to see the list, check it out HERE. 

 

Five. Books for the holiday season

It's the season when we want to sing 'old familiar carols' and read our favourite seasonal books. There is something comforting about traditions - the same tree, the same decorations, the same recipes for special cookies and holiday meals, the same books that we remember with fondness from previous Christmases. It's tradition, we say.

 

There is one book I'm relying on at this time that, although not a seasonal one, fits as though it were. It's Reclaiming Quiet by Sarah Clarkson. In this Advent season we like to find those quiet moments where our hearts can listen and be in wonder and awe. Sarah's writing helps me do that. And even though it may be just a couple of pages at a sitting, her writing helps my heart settle and be at peace.

Here are a few of the Christmas stories and books I enjoy having around this time of year. I enjoy browsing here and there, picking a handful of favourites to get lost in on a cozy afternoon or evening (the four stars indicate my forever favourites). It's always fun to have choices from which to choose. And I'm always tickled when I discover a new book to add to the collection.

Nonfiction

Gospel of Luke, Chapter Two, KJV****

The Christmas Story

haphazard by starlight

A poem a day from Advent to Epiphany

by Janet Morley

Christmas Poems

by Wendy Cope

Winter Solstice, An Essay

by Nina MacLaughlin

The Christmas Chronicles****

by Nigel Slater (musings, recipes, traditions) 

Christmas (Recipes and Holiday Tips)

by Susan Branch

Home for Christmas (short memoir)

by Susan Branch

Fiction

Winter and Rough Weather

by D.E. Stevenson (gentle English novel)

The Country Child

by Alison Uttley (Children's Fiction)

Rumpole at Christmas

by John Mortimer (seasonal short stories)

A Child's Christmas in Wales

by Dylan Thomas (Children's Classic)

Christmas at Thrush Green

by Miss Read (gentle novel)

"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle"

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Christmas mystery)

Once Upon A Wardrobe****

by Patti Callahan (Christmas Narnia-related novel)

An Irish Country Yuletide

by Patrick Taylor (Christmas novella)

An Irish Country Christmas**** 

by Patrick Taylor (novel)

A Christmas Carol (classic)

by Charles Dickens

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding

by Agatha Christie (Poirot mystery)

Winter Solstice****

by Rosamunde Pilcher (novel set mostly in Scotland)

Small Things Like These

by Claire Keegan (novella set in Ireland at Christmas)

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe****

by C.S. Lewis (Narnia series)

Little Women****

by Louisa May Alcott

Shepherds Abiding****

by Jan Karon

 A Christmas Memory

by Truman Capote

Christmas at Thompson Hall and Other Trollopian Stories (unread)

by Anthony Trollope (short stories)

Christmas Bells (unread)

by Jennifer Chiavernini

Christmas with Anne and Other Short Stories

by L.M. Montgomery

Midwinter Murder, Fireside Tales

by Agatha Christie

The Mitford Snowmen (gift booklet)

by Jan Karon

Esther's Gift (gift booklet)

by Jan Karon

Simeon's Gift (children's)

by Julie Andrews

The Winter Mystery (novel)

by Faith Martin

Anthologies 

A Classic Christmas

A Collection of Timeless Stories and Poems

Thomas Nelson

Nature Tales for Winter Nights

Editor, Nancy Campbell

Christmas Classics

from the Modern Library

(excerpts, classic stories, poems, songs and carols)

Christmas in My Heart

A Timeless Treasury of Heartwarming Stories

by Joe Wheeler

Christmas Penhaligon's Scented Treasury

(poetry and prose excerpts)

Editor, Sheila Pickles

Christmas with Hot Apple Cider

Stories from the Season of Giving and Receiving

Editor, N.J. Lindquist

Christmas Miracles

Chicken Soup for the Soul Anthology

Christmas: Stories & More

InScribe Christian Writers' Fellowship

(I have a piece in this anthology)

Winter Anthology (nature essays and poems)

by Melissa Harrison

An Oxfordshire Christmas

compiled by David Green (unread)

Magazines

Bella Grace Magazines

Christmas/Winter Editions

Victoria Magazines

Christmas/Winter Editions

Country Living Collection

Christmas British Edition

Christmas!

A Collection of Favourite Seasonal Blog Posts

by Brenda Leyland

This is still available on Blurb.com

❦

"Some Christmas tree ornaments do more than glitter and glow,

they represent a gift of love given a long time ago."

TOM BAKER

❦

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Brenda

Photo credits:

(Top) Image by Anastasia538 from Pixabay

My Blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays