Friday Favourites

Ana Rosa

MY GLIMPSES OF HEAVEN EARLIER THIS MORNING

One. Lilacs, Poppies, and Pansies

There is something so, so satisfying about the richness of the colours in this arrangement. And, of course, I love lilacs and pansies -- they offer such enchanting fragrance in our world. I first spotted this pic on a friend's Facebook page. She found it on Pinterest -- isn't it breath taking?

  

Two. These two lines of verse by Thomas Blackburn

Especially the wild encouragement in the second last line.

AWAKE, THOU WINTRY EARTH--

FLING OFF THY SADNESS!

Yes, let's ... let's f-l-i-n-g it off indeed.

Three. The following quotes from well-beloved Dr. Seuss

I found these and other of his interesting quotes, also on Facebook, when someone shared a link to a post she found here.

What a lovely peek into how this brilliant, creative man thought and looked at life. Did you know it would have been his 112th birthday this week?  If you want to learn more about this fascinating artist, you'll find a storehouse of treasure at Dr.SeussArt.com.

"Nonsense wakes up the brain cells. And it helps develop a sense of humour, which is awfully important in this day and age. Humour has a tremendous place in this sordid world. It’s more than just a matter of laughing. If you can see things out of whack, then you can see how things can be in whack."

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

"Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living. It’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities."

Four.  A Beautiful Post

Earlier today, I had an opportunity to read a most exquisite post by a dear fellow writer, Pamela Mytroen. A beautiful woman inside and outside, Pamela has been a personal inspiration and encouragement to me about my own writing on more than one occasion.

Her post A Month Early brought such a sense of light and hope and beauty into the first hours of my morning -- I had to share the link with you. Here are the first lines:

"I burrowed my cold hands deeper into my coat pockets and lowered my head against the icy blast blowing through the outdoor street mall. I just wanted to get home and sit down to warm chowder. Then the cheerful jig of a violin summoned my spirit." Read more

Five. Coffee and Croissants

 Source

Facebook is so much fun when you are 'Friends' with all sorts of creative people who also share your love for all things lovely and beautiful, and who are willing to share their treasures with the world.

When I saw this photo from My French Country House, I was instantly reminded of the trip my husband and I took some years ago to Montreal, Quebec, to visit my brother and his wee family -- he was working on his doctorate at McGill University. Their apartment being minuscule we stayed at a wonderful bed and breakfast hotel where they served warm croissants with pots of jam every morning at breakfast. Oh my, my mouth waters at the mere thought.

One other thing that comes to mind as I look at this pretty photo is the delight in knowing I have my own now-tidy drawer of lacy doilies and cloths. Yes, they are still a lovely way to pretty up a tea tray or basket filled with something warm from the oven. You will recall that these past two months I've been decluttering, reorganizing, and cleaning in my home. With all my bits o' lace and do-dads freshly laundered,  ironed, and at the ready, I'm happily reminded of the simple beauty they add to one's every day life.

WHAT I'M UP TO THIS WEEKEND

In a nutshell now ... because if I don't get this post done already, it will be tomorrow ... and then I'll have to change the post title to Yesterday's Favourites.♥ ♥ ♥  Here is what I'm up to this weekend:


One. Making cranberry-orange muffins for breakfast.

Two. Joining in the Downton Abbey fun. Teapot, pretty teacups and the Lavender Earl Grey Tea are set out in anticipation. Hubby and I started watching Season One earlier in the week, as I didn't think our eyes would take the strain of six seasons in three days.

We are glad we don't have to do any nail-biting for we are well acquainted with how the story unfolds, but we're having great fun catching up on our favourite scenes, being reminded of ones we forgot, swooning over the ever-gorgeous parade of clothes, not to mention hearing so many of those now-familiar favourite quotable sayings by our favourite actors.

Three. Doing some fun research on our upcoming Trip to England this summer. Flights, accommodations, and tours are booked. Now to dream about how to create a travel journal of this life-long dream come true, and of course, figuring out how to blog about it from across the pond.

Four. Chatting with my former piano instructor -- I studied with her back in the 1990's -- I'm taking up the piano again after being away from it for a number of years. It's all a part of the upcoming milestone birthday celebration I'm gearing up for next Spring. It includes the Chopin piece I mentioned in an earlier post -- it's a piece I've dreamed of playing ever since I was 20-something. Will tell more as plans unfold.

Five. Meeting friends for lunch on Saturday at a new Italian eatery in town. Looking forward to it. 

On that note, I'm calling this a wrap. I do hope you enjoy your weekend ... fling off any sadness, dear ones, and watch for glimpses of heaven in unexpected places.

With love and happy thoughts,

Brenda

♥ ♥ ♥

Linking with Amy @ Five on Friday