Pour Tea First: It's A Long Letter

Here it is past the middle of May and I haven't even jotted a tittle of a post for you. It's not meant as a lament but I keep being surprised at how the weeks and months are slipping by ... the days skittering like glass beads from a broken silk thread. Just a few days ago it was January, now it's May.  Is it just me, or do you find it that way too?

Sometimes I create pressure for myself about writing a post because I want something that will be some wonderful piece of writing, as if maybe I need to impress someone. So I mull and dream and pencil chew, hoping for words that inspire, create hope, and share a little fun.

I don't need to impress anyone. I don't need to impress you, do I? I mean, you and I share similar pleasures for so many of the ordinary, simple things of life, that it makes me wonder where this strange feeling comes from and why I let it keep me from writing however 'ordinary and simple' it turns out to be.

And, then there are the times when there is the added pressure when pangs of woe close in  -- whether these are my own personal little anxieties or those of people I care about or it comes from those sad and hurting faces I catch sight of in the media.

These are times when I feel the weight of too many words and too much information. Some people turn to their writing as a way to discover and work their way through hard times. I get quiet. I crave silence. And beauty. Petting a kitty. And connecting with creation's healing properties. Praying.  Writing is not my first go-to place for dealing with deep anxieties or sorrows. If a person ever caught sight of the inside pages of my journals, they would see the evidence: words regarding troubling situations are sparse -- details are sketchy.

So then, perhaps my lack of posts is part of feeling ...

... the weight of the world that stops me from sitting down to write these days. For right here in our own beautiful province of Alberta, eighty thousand people became displaced from their homes and community as we watched their city of Fort McMurray and surrounding areas burn with fierce and uncontrollable wildfires.

Even though I or my family are not personally involved in this devastation -- I'm hundreds of miles from that region -- yet the impact is very real to my own heart and mind. We do grieve for the sorrows and losses untold, and for lives turned upside down for so many people.

 ~ ~ Thank God For Bright Spots ~ ~

Yes, there are bright spots. Thankfully. I'm so glad for Helen Keller's thought. For, in the middle of it all, we have been proud to witness the strength, generosity, and compassion of thousands, including our amazing governments, towards the families and businesses personally impacted. 'Alberta Strong' resounds as the anthem for everyone in our province, not just the Fort McMurray evacuees. Together we share the sorrow, together we experience the overcoming of it. We are strengthened and encouraged. 

    And now for some...

JOY-FILLED MOMENTS

source

Lest you think we let sorrow and suffering be the victors around here, I want to share a few things that are filling my heart with joy these days -- my 'grace note' moments that remind me we're not alone, we're in this together, and I can continually cast my cares on the Lord Jesus.

C.S. Lewis once said, 'Joy is the serious business of heaven'. Always longing for glimpses of heaven in unexpected places, I take seriously the business of filling my days with joy splashers. Susan Branch refers to these gifts as life softeners. Yes. That fits. Aren't we all grateful for such gifts to help lighten loads?

~ ~ THE FRAGRANT JOY OF LILACS ~ ~

"If you've never been thrilled to the

very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom,

maybe your soul has never been in bloom."

~ Audra Foveo

 
Spring unfolds with not the same zip and eager freshness that is usual. Every bud and leaf must overcome a several season drought. One feels the labour of Spring's unfolding this year.

Yet... lilacs and Mayday and Plum trees blossom out and fill our neighbourhoods with fragrance of the most heady kind. The fragrance one can never quite breathe in deeply enough to get its full essence. What joy to catch a whiff on the wind or to bury our nose in the perfume drenched branches.

~ ~ THE JOY OF FEATHERED FRIENDS ~ ~

What with such a strangely mild, snow-less winter and warm Spring arriving much earlier than is usual, it now feels much later in the season. More like June.

Which is why I started wondering where all the summer birds were ... were we this Spring to be without moisture and our usual share of migrating birds coming to nest and sing their lovely songs? Now that would be something to lament. I would feel bereft and lost without by my little bird friends.

Especially the little Tree Swallows with their iridescent black tuxedos. Not to hear them chortle and chuckle as they 'discussed' plans and performed mating rituals? Then one day this week, a pair swooped in and laid claim to a nest box (photo from a previous year). Click to listen to their calls.

Almost on their tail feathers arrived the White-Throated Sparrows with their pretty melodies, not to mention the jolly red-winged blackbirds who will fly up to our feeders from the lake down the road. I always think it's cute the males announce their arrival when they visit, while the females slip in and out without fanfare.

Oh joy, oh bliss! Hands up with glee and me saying, Thank you, God! The world around me is coming right-side up. It's comfort as light as a feather.

~ ~ THE JOY IN CELEBRATING OTHERS ~ ~

 Photo from Twitter @FarmGirlGeorgie

I've been trekking with Susan Branch via Twitter as she and her Joe wend their way across the USA on her current book tour. My goodness, so many exciting things happening for this beautiful lady. After all the many months of hard work, Susan is certainly experiencing the sweet harvest of all her labour and faithfulness to sitting on the chair at her art table every morning.

First, there is the excitement of going on tour to share her newest book Martha's Vineyard: Isle of Dreams with fans. Then she tells us that the Movie-TV Rights for the book have been sold (so there's a possibility of a movie or TV series coming down the road -- how cool is that!). And if that isn't enough for the 'Fairy Tale Girl', she finds out Isle of Dreams is on the NYT bestseller list under Travel (a first for her books), and she's been invited for interviews on television in Kansas City.

I'm as excited for Susan as if these would be mine own 'dreams come true'. How much beauty and hope she has given her world ... and to us, her fans and Girlfriends. I'm celebrating these red letter days with you, Susan! Click HERE for her latest interview.

~ ~ JOY AND CONSOLATION FROM YOUR COMMENTS ~ ~

Before another word gets said, I want to take this moment to thank each of you for your beautiful comments on my recent posts. Although I haven't been posting or visiting much lately, I am grateful for your presence here, and I cherish the time you've taken to write such lovely things for me and our beautiful readers. Grace notes most elegant! You make my heart sing. I appreciate you so much.

~ ~ THE JOY OF PACKAGES IN THE MAIL ~ ~

 

We were some excited when the book The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh by Kathryn Aalto arrived in the post the other day.

I first saw it being talked about on Twitter, and when I came across a review that said it was a perfect antidote for stressed living, I knew I wanted to read it. Besides, for someone who still loves Pooh and Piglet, Tigger and Christopher Robin, this book is a lovely reminder that the Hundred Acre Wood is real and still very much alive as it gives its readers a magical behind-the-scenes visit to A.A. Milne's world.

How perfect a book indeed to stir English imaginings as we begin the serious countdown to our trip to England. We'll actually be in the area on one of our garden tours, so I'm really hoping to catch a glimpse of Pooh's stomping grounds.

Have you ever read Christopher Milne's memoir about his childhood and his father, A.A. Milne, called The Enchanted Places? It's a lovely book and I have a soft spot for it still even though I read it years ago. There was something Christopher said about his dad gave me an insight into my own dad and it helped me to understand him better. Now it's on my look-for list when I'm in England -- I hope I find a copy to add to my library.

Sometimes the smallest things

take up the most room

in your HEART.

~ A.A. Milne

***

It is more fun to talk with someone

who doesn’t use long, difficult words

but rather short, easy words like ‘What about lunch?’
~ A.A. Milne

***

Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart,

it could hold a rather large  amount of GRATITUDE.

~ A.A. Milne

~~ SPRING FLOWERS FOR THE SHOWER ~~

So often it's the little things that add a lot of happy to our world, isn't it? And when I found this wonderful easy-on-the pocketbook shower curtain, I knew I had to bring it home with me.

Not only does it fit perfectly with the bathroom's soft aqua walls, I love it because it reminds me of a summer meadow ... and a pretty vintage dress with a soft twirly skirt. Maybe even something that Sidney's heart love, Amanda, might wear walking on a summer's eve, after Sidney and Geordie finished solving the latest mystery in Grantchester, UK.

 

In a meadow full of flowers,

you cannot walk through and breathe those smells and remain angry.

We have to support the BEAUTY, the poetry, of life.

~ Jonas Mekas

***

Little things seem nothing, but they give peace,

like those meadow flowers which individually

seem odorless but altogether PERFUME the air.

~ Georges Bernanos

***

Cross the meadow and the stream

and listen as the peaceful water

brings PEACE upon your soul.

~ Maximillian Dejenerez 

***

My ideal is to wake up in the morning

and run around the meadow naked.

~ Darryl Hannah

(haha -- it wouldn't be me doing this; don't let me stop you,
you go ahead if you want to!)

Source: Meadow quotes 

When I started working on this post a few days ago, it was so dry in our province. Tinder dry. But today, I'm so grateful to report it's raining. Nice rains ... gentle, yet frequent. My window, where I'm oft sitting to peer out into my world, is drenched in rain drops and rivulets. Lovely.

An aside ... I just learned something new today. That word above 'rivulets' -- all my life I've been thinking it was 'riverlets'. Haha! Rivulets = a very small stream. Did you know that? I hope I'm not the only one.

Well, m'dears, I best be calling this a wrap before another day goes by. Please know I'm wishing you glimpses of heaven in unexpected places and a wonderful weekend ahead.

Sending love and hugs,

Brenda

♥ ♥ ♥

@WordFromHome @dearsusanbranch Bren! Your blog is a "life softener" ❤️ It's wonderful to read how another life has been touched by SB. TY 🌻

— Georgie Bonsanto (@FarmGirlGeorgie) May 21, 2016