Hello Spring: Leaning Toward Light

I offer this as an 'escape' book

while we wait for Spring to unfold.

Thank goodness for Spring and for the delightful anticipation of new life, new growth, new warmth, and longer days filled with light. We sometimes see plants in gardens, or in the wild, leaning toward light when they find themselves too much in the shade. Jesus once said he is the light of the world, and I find myself leaning in towards him as the giver of light. My soul and body crave light. I love watching the sunshine spilling into my living room windows. Although the weather is still a tad cool around here, the moment will come when I play Spring's tune and fling open the windows to catch the warming breezes. I would definitely include that in my list of one thousand moments of joy.

I came across a lovely bit of information about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Someone online had the opportunity to peruse private correspondence between Jacqueline and other people. Jacqueline often sent books to her friends, and tucked within the pages of one such book, this person found a little card that read, "Dear—, This is an 'escape' book for rainy winter days. With much love at Christmas, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis".

In the spirit of Jacqueline, I want to share a new-to-me anthology with you. It's filled with lovely poetry and whimsical illustrations that has been an escape book for me the last few days. I love the title Leaning Toward Light, and isn't that what many of us are doing these days? If you go online, you can glimpse a few of the inside pages. Click here.

It's a pretty book and fits comfortably in your hand. Filled with garden-themed poetry, it lets a person feel part of the whole growing season. "Much like reading a good poem, caring for plants brings comfort, solace, and joy to many. In this new poetry anthology, Leaning toward Light, acclaimed poet and avid gardener Tess Taylor brings together a diverse range of contemporary voices to offer poems that celebrate that joyful connection to the natural world." - from the description on amazon.ca

What I really want to say, the book isn't just for gardeners. It's for anyone. If you find comfort in caring for plants in your home or enjoy arranging flowers in vases, I think you'd love it too. It offers that little escape when you're longing for something green and vibrant during those times your own world feels a little brown around the edges. The poems are lovely to read and the illustrations are feasts for the eyes.

Does anyone watch the British garden show Gardener's World with Monty Don? There's a wonderful poem by American writer Cynthia White in the anthology who wrote a piece "Gardeners' World, or What I Did During the Plague". She describes how the show was her own escape during the pandemic as she watched Monty tend his garden while his old dog dozed in the grass. Gardener's World was one of our own places to escape during those crazy times. Cynthia called it her 'fear-free hour'. 

So, if you're looking for something as you wait for your garden to unthaw and spring into life, this is the book for you. Escape for a few minutes and lean into the light.

❦

Wishing you a beautiful day.

As someone said, remember, they can't cancel the spring.

Brenda

Photo credits:

Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

My Blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays

It's Too Easy To Fret About the State of the World

"You have to write (create) out of a belief
that things could be different and better."

HILARY MANTEL

I recently read an interesting book titled Write It All Down (2022) by British author Cathy Rentzenbrink. It's a book about writing and setting 'aside the fears that hold many writers back'. I certainly have dealt with my own share of them over the years, so I wasn't sure if I'd find anything new and useful, but I enjoy Cathy's writing and subscribe to her newsletter.

Something did catch my eye! Amongst the interesting insights into her own writing journey, was Cathy's practical advice about how to live and keep working when there is this never ceasing onslaught of news on social media. How do we protect our minds, our hearts? It's a problem for many of us. Having online info 24/7 makes the woes and conflicts of the world ever present and in our faces. We're not made to carry all those burdens. Especially when we can do nothing about so much of it. It isn't good for one's soul, nor is it helpful to those of us who still have to get supper on the table and write blog posts and complete needful projects.

I found myself relating to Cathy's comment about being 'wrecked in the exposure to suffering'. She says,

"The news and Twitter makes me feel like I can hear the screams of millions because there is always something bad happening somewhere. We have continual access to other people's woes just a click away, but without the ability to run to help, so I get into a frozen, paralyzed state where I can't do anything, but nor can I take any interest in my own projects, which are all dwarfed by what I have just witnessed." (I added the bold)

Oh yes, I recognize that frozen, paralyzed feeling where I feel so dragged in that I'm unable to take interest in my own quite ordinary projects because they are dwarfed by the horrors I've just seen. I do intensely feel the pain of others but there is much I have no control over and cannot actually do anything about, except whisper a little prayer. Once these sad stories are in my head, they hang around in my imagination and make it hard sometimes to get on with my own day.

How does one keep on keeping on?

Cathy, upon mulling with angst about the state of the world, asks the question, "...will the world be served if you are so aghast by everything in it that you can't do the work of finding your voice and making a contribution?" That woke me up. I do feel aghast and enraged at what I hear. She goes on to says, retrench for a while. Pull away, and don't click on every post. It doesn't help to read it all.

She also quotes the wisdom of author Hilary Mantel: "I think a novelist (or anyone) is disempowered if she is cynical or jaded, if she feels human possibilities are exhausted. You have to write (create) out of a belief that things could be different and better."

Write and work out of a belief that things could be different and better. With that thought on my mind, I carry on with what I do have control over at this moment in time.

In this, I am also humbly relearning lessons I thought I knew, thought I remembered... that I have the power to take dominion over my own thoughts. I don't have to keep going 'round and 'round with the same thoughts, the same images. And I can cast all my cares (including the cares for others) on the One who is greater than myself. I can remind myself of those words in the New Testament, "Be anxious for nothing" - I like to turn nothing into two words "no thing", not a single thing am I to be anxious about if I turn my thoughts towards the God of this universe. How many times have I reminded myself of that. Here I am practicing it again and again. For only then can I turn my thoughts towards my work, my writing, and my caring for the people I CAN do something for. I must learn to leave the rest in God's care. What else can we do?

And, as a follower of Jesus, I do have that hope and belief, if we ask for grace, He will sustain us in good times and terrible times. And whether we go through them intact or whether we succumb, He is still with us. So, we carry on. We ask for grace to care for our families, we write our blog posts about beauty and home and books, we help out where we can, and we leave the rest with God. Remembering He's got helpers all around the world to help carry the load, to help those we cannot help.

Today I'm grateful for Cathy Rentzenbrink and to Hilary Mantel for their words of wisdom that I take to heart on this bright and sunny, yet wintery, Friday afternoon. I watch the sunlight glinting from the snowy roof-tops and remember I can be a light in this dark world. 

❦

Wishing you a beautiful grace-filled weekend,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

My Blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays

I'm Posting Elsewhere Today... Will You Come Vist?

When I say, 'a place means something to me',

the place is often a location that holds significant meaning,

often tied to strong memories, emotions, and a sense

of belonging... whether it's a childhood home, a favourite

holiday spot, or a quiet corner that provides peace and comfort.

UNKNOWN

It's only Monday, I know, not my usual day to post, but I have been working on a new piece for InScribe, my writer's fellowship blog. It goes live today, and I'd be delighted if you'd visit me there. 

I have been mulling about how 'place' matters in life. How it matters to people, plants, stories. It has been gratifying to explore the significance of ‘place’ as it relates to my own life. I'm keen to share my discoveries with you and hope something in these musings will resonate as you think about your own place in our world. Grab a cup of tea and meet me HERE.

❦

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

My Blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays

Five on Friday: Awakening My Five Senses

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines

hot and the wind blows cold, when it is summer in

the light and winter in the shade."

CHARLES DICKENS

I came across a little prompt the other day for people to use their five senses as a way to get their thoughts into a calm space. What a good idea - I surely need that reminder some days. Thankfully my mind felt calm and peaceful when I woke from a decent sleep. So I thought I'd use the prompt as a way to wake up my senses to the new day, to pay attention to the world around me as Rick and I headed out for our early morning walk.

We're back and I'm ready for the day. I have things to do, places to go, people to see, beauty to create. Here's my little list before I head out into my world. I wish you love and kindness, dear beautiful friends, wherever you call home.

❦

Five things I SAW this morning

1. The deeply satisfying gold of the sunrise;

how quickly it changes to pale yellow

2. The novel laying on my bedside table;

I'm reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel

3. A magpie carrying nesting material in her bill; obviously

it's not too early to get started on building a nursery

for the new family

4. The still-frozen surface of the quiet pond that we

walked past; no Canada Geese yet

5. Happy dogs out for their walks - one beautiful fellow

with a plumy black tail rhythmically checks

all lamp posts along the street   

❦

Four things I HEARD

1. My husband's voice as he asked what I wanted for breakfast

2. The distinct calls of the chickadees and nuthatches

3. The hum of traffic in the distance

4. The crunch of pebbles underfoot

❦

Three things I TASTED

1. My first cup of freshly brewed coffee for the day

2. Plump blueberries and juicy strawberries

3. A small bowl of cottage cheese to pair with the berries

❦

Two things I SMELLED

1. Coffee brewing

2. The earthy smell of cool and warm air

mixing as we walk

❦

One thing I TOUCHED

1. My husband's hand while we walked; I hope

we never stop holding hands - it's a favourite joy for me

❦

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Image by Pezibear from Pixabay

My Blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays

February Daybook: Blogging Resumes After Hiatus

"They fill the world with beauty."

UNKNOWN

It's been more than a month since I last wrote. Which is hard to believe. The time away during these past weeks when our winter was the bitterest has been good for me. It gave me time to rest and clear my mind. It gave me time to sort and reorganize my study—to do a reset and start fresh in my creative space. It gave me a chance to reconsider why I blog, why I love it, and why I should shall carry on in this season of my life when the world is so fraught with unjoyful things.

The greyness I mentioned last month hasn't gone away completely. We live in our imperfect world and some days we just feel the weight of it. But it's okay. I look for the little things that add joy along the way. Getting a good sleep is very good for keeping sane, but I don't always get that great sleep. Doing creative work is a boon in troubling times, something fun, something relaxing. Reading also keeps me sane. Books that distract and take me to other places help. And I find it especially en-courage-ing to read about and learn from people in the past who lived and survived their own terrible times, whether personal struggles or events that were bigger, more global. I often find myself scribbling down quotations that describe how they encouraged themselves, how they found ways to carry on. And I think to myself, if they could do it, so can I.

We say goodbye to February which felt extra long this year (with it's funnily placed extra 'r' - I even don't like writing the word, it always stops the cursive flow when I get to the "b" and "r" in its name. Thank goodness for Valentine's Day which created a bright spot with flowers, loving words, and some chocolate.

 

Here is February's edition of the Daybook to wind up the month on a cheery note.

For Today

From my window...

The skies are blue. Yesterday the winds were up - making banks of

white clouds fly past as if in a race. Today there is only a breeze

to rustle dry stalks, evergreen tips, and wispy clouds. It's a joy to see great

mounds of snow melting away. Sidewalks (which some folks don't bother

to shovel all winter) are also nicely melting, making our daily walks

so much nicer... and safer.

Surely this can't be spring yet, though, can it? We're still in

February if only for one more day! We dream.

A clutch of quotes about a happy life...

The grand essentials of happiness are:

something to do, something to love,

and something to hope for.

ALLAN CHALMERS

One of the secrets of a happy life

is continuous small treats.

IRIS MURDOCH

Think of all the beauty still

left around you and be happy.

ANNE FRANK 

I am thankful for...

These brighter, sunnier days. With their arrival, I seem to have

thrust off that cloak of pall greyness that shadowed my soul for weeks.

Yes, Lorrie, I am feeling much more 'lilac' in my mind. And, in

spite of all manner of upsetting things going on in the world around

us, I feel a hopefulness that I haven't felt in a while.

(Perhaps I do have a bit of SAD and don't know it.)

One simple pleasure...

To watch our neighbourhood squirrel racing along his 'highway'

fence on these warmer days. He was nowhere to be seen

during those long weeks of bitter cold and sharp winds.

Updates on February's 'Reset' projects...

We tackled a few projects around the house.

Book shelves are dusted and reorganized.

Paper blizzards are somewhat tamed.

New bathroom countertops, sinks, and fixtures are on order.

And I'm excited, yes, I am, about getting new kitchen cupboard

door handles to go with earlier renovations, making it all

more cohesive and finished.

We sorted through several boxes of items that had once lived

on shelves and my desk surface. Collecting these bits and bobs

is far too easy what with my 'magpie' affinity for shiny objects—interesting

rocks, special postage stamps, cracked vintage teacups, souvenir postcards

from special places, 'ooo, isn't that sweet'... 'it's too cute to discard'.

I am watching...

The Miss Potter film on Prime for the umpteenth time. I never tire

of this 2006 biographical drama starring Renée Zellweger as

children's author and illustrator Beatrix Potter. She does a stellar

job playing this creative and industrious woman of the early 20th century.

I am wearing...

Comfy blue jeans, a long-sleeved delphinium blue waffle weave sweater,

layered with generous spritzes of rose scented fragrance.

I kinda wish someone around here would consider dabbing on a

sandalwood men's cologne—then we could be like Louise Penny's lovely couple,

Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache, from her NYT bestselling crime novels.😉

On my walk...

Around the block, I take deep breaths of fresh air.

And feel the warmth of the sun as it shines brightly like a spring day.

A breeze refreshes but doesn't make uncomfortable.

Rivulets of melted snow trickle down the street—it's music to my ears.

A couple of books I want to read...

The Comfort of Crows, A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl

(a literary devotional - 52 chapters that follow the creatures

and plants in her backyard over the course of a year)

Rooms of Their Own, Where Great Writers Write, by Alex Johnson

and Illustrator James Oses (a literary and artistic glimpse of the

writing rooms of 50 great authors - this will be a delightful reread)

One good book I recently read...

And really enjoyed was about Winston Churchill during the

London blitz in World War II. The author Erik Larson notes that it was only

when he moved to Manhatten a few years ago that he came "to understand,

with sudden clarity, how different the experience of September 11, 2001,

had been for New Yorkers than for those who watched . . . at a distance."

He started thinking about London and the German aerial assault of 1940-41,

and wondered how on earth anyone could have endured fifty-seven

consecutive nights of bombing... and nighttime raids over the next six months.

This book The Splendid and the Vile, A Saga of Churchill, Family, and

Defiance During the Blitz is the result of years of careful research. He

focused on Churchill's first year as prime minister: May 10, 1940 to May 10, 1941.

It was quite the reading ride. If you are interested in Churchill's life

or events of World War II in Britain, I do recommend this book. It's not a novel

but it's as riveting as one. He sticks to the facts as found in letters, biographies,

diaries, news clippings. I learned some historical things that had been fuzzy

in my mind up to that point, and I gained that sense of the great courage

people had during that horrific time. It was bracing, to say the least.

Something I want to remember as a blogger/writer...

Maggie O'Farrell, author of I Am, I Am, I Am, wrote:

"Enjoy yourself; learn to love the labour of writing,

because it will show. I cannot overstate this.

Your reader will feel the joy coming off the page,

will sense it in the white spaces around your words."

I love that thought. That you, my readers, could feel the joy coming

off the pages on which I write, that you too might sense it in the

white spaces around my words. Well, for me,

that's a wondrous thing to aim towards.

To go along with the above...

A favourite author/artist Susan Branch has often

mentioned that when she's writing for her blog or working on a

new book, she is always thinking about "what do I have to give" to

her readers, believing that is the true secret to a happy life. So true,

what do I have to give you today? That's something worth working

on, and that is the focus I want to hold as I write here on

It's A Beautiful Life. You, beautiful reader, make it all worth while.

 

Closing thoughts...

"It is the courage to continue that counts."

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL, The Darkest Hour

❦

Wishing you a beautiful day as we close out February

and say hello to a new month,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Tulip photo by Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

Typewriter graphic from TheGraphicsFairy.com

My blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays

 

Simple Woman's Daybook: January Edition

"Snow, it is true, is not merely white. The sun touches it

with roseate and golden lights. Its own crushed infinity of crystals,

its own richness of tiny sculpture, fills it, when regarded near at hand,

with wonderful depths of coloured shadow, and, though wintrily

transformed, it is still water, and has watery tones of blue."

from "Davos in Winter" by ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

as recorded in Nature Tales for Winter Nights, p 81

Have been feeling grey of soul of late. I don't blame the wintry weather for it—I like winter and I rarely mind grey overcast days. It could be a mix of contributing factors: some health-related, my own as well as of people I care about, the state of the world which includes upheavals and natural disasters in many places, feeling the horror and sorrow press in as I think about the many who have lost so much, of the homeless and hungry. And me sitting here with so much.  

So when it comes to writing here on my blog, I admit, my heart isn't in it. My own life is quiet and generally pleasant but I feel the weight of it on these dark January days. My creativity feels powdery and dry like the drifts of snow outside my window. So, until I find my heart for writing again, I will be taking a short winter break away from my blog. Someone once said that when our hearts are heavy, sometimes it's good to get physical. Pour your energy into some physical projects rather than mental ones; redirect the focus to something tangible and close to hand. I can almost hear my house cheering. Dust bunnies abound. Hubby is most reliable as the household vacuum-er. Me, I'm the dust-er, and I hate to say that I'm falling down on the job.

The other day I read that Peggy from The Simple Woman's Daybook is winding up her blog—she wrote her last post in December. I'm going to miss her presence here in blogland. How often I have followed her writing prompts over the years; they have been a great way to corral one's random thoughts. A big thank you to Peggy for giving us such a simple but lovely format to read and to write about.

And so today, beautiful friends, I write with you in mind as I share this January edition of Simple Woman's Daybook. I hope you enjoy, and we'll see you in the not too distant future.

For Today

Looking out my window...

The grey, overcast morning turns into pale bluer skies

with possible hints of sunshine peeking from behind clouds

that high winds chase across the landscape.

I am thinking...

About the all the things I wanted to accomplish in 

my house during these snug indoor weeks in January but

the days are flying by and my lists on my desk wait in vain.

I am thankful...

For the dear man I get to call my husband who texted me

early yesterday morning saying the roads were good and traffic was

decent as he'd traveled into town for his medical appointment.

Adding a quick "I love you" at the end. I felt my eyes shine like stars.

One of my favourite things...

The way the light now arrives slightly sooner in the mornings

and disappears slightly later in the afternoons.

I am creating...

Some 'Reset' to-do and project lists for myself.

To tackle a few projects around home, and especially in my study.

House projects, desk projects, writing projects.

 A few paper blizzards need taming. Books on

shelves need reorganizing. And, new handles for

refurbished kitchen cupboard doors need shopping for.

I am listening to...

Classic FM Calm Radio streaming from the UK.

Especially enjoying the 'calm' music these days.

I am wearing...

I planned on a short-sleeved cream knit sweater

embellished with crocheted rosettes, with black pants. But

short-sleeves sweater now replaced with long-sleeved T-shirt.

I am reading...

The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen, a historical

novel with a mystery, set in 1943 and 1968

A Thousand Feasts by Nigel Slater

Small moments of joy . . . a memoir of sorts

Just finished and enjoyed

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

Nature Tales for Winter Nights, edited by Nancy Campbell

I am learning...

How to carry both joy and sadness in my heart at the same time.

There are sad things of which we should be sad about, but that

doesn't mean we need to swim in that pond all the time. It's joy that

gives us the strength for our days. Humour lightens the load. So we

watch for the many moments that come as gifts to reprieve,

soften, comfort, and cheer us. 

In my kitchen...

I'm enjoying the smell of chicken stew, roasted onion and dill perogies

sautéing in butter, and lemon zest over the steamed asparagus.

In the 'school room'...

As we don't have fireflies where I live, I was intrigued to learn

from notes made by Charles Darwin in 1832, as recorded

in Nature Tales for Winter Nights,

that certain fireflies emit

"the most brilliant flashes when irritated; in the intervals,

the abdominal rings were obscured. ... The shining matter

was fluid and very adhesive: little spots, where the skin had been torn,

continued bright with a slight scintillation, whilst the uninjured parts

were obscured. When the insect was decapitated the rings remained

uninterruptedly bright. ... The rings in one instance retained their luminous

property nearly twenty-four hours after the death of the insect."

I felt sorry for that experimental firefly but it was interesting to learn

a little of what makes a firefly... a firefly.

In my garden...

Blue jays were taking turns at the water bath today. Temperatures

were mild even though it was so windy. One fellow plopped himself on

the trellis outside my window and peered in at me, feathers looking

like bedhead as the wind tried to blow him off. Too busy hanging

on, Mr. Blue Jay forgot to scold me about the serious lack of peanuts.

Quote (found on Facebook)...

I sent this to my siblings who are all younger than me:

"This is your sign to request $20 from all

your younger siblings 'just because'."

I'm sorry to report no one coughed up.

🤣

Closing thoughts...

Please know the grey in my soul is not overwhelming

me. There are luminous cracks of light in the dark.

 Wishing you grace for whatever you face in your

own life these days. Holding you close in my heart.

❦

Inserting a PS...

Later in the day, after I wrote and published this post,

I visited a couple of blogging friends. The words they spoke

on their own blogs spoke deeply into my soul. I came away

from each one blessed to the bottom of my socks.

I'm so grateful for His grace today. And a huge thank you

to Caitlynnegrace for reminding me to 'cast away my cares on Him'

and to Janet M for her post of creative well-filling words and images.

(Click on their names and the links will take you to their posts.)

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Brenda

Photo credit:

Image by kordi_vahle from Pixabay

My blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays

 

Year Four in My Five-Year Quotebook

"I enjoy collecting quotations. When I find

a choice one I pounce on it like a lepidopterist.

My day is made. When I lose one because I did

not copy it out at once I feel bereft."

R.I. FITZHENRY, The David & Charles Book of Quotations

In January 2022, Austin Kleon, author of Steal Like An Artist fame, wrote about a five-year-diary he started using as a commonplace notebook for quotes. His aim was to write down a quote a day. Liking his idea and the notebook he used, I promptly ordered a copy—in red, his was blue—and, thus, I began to curate my own five-year collection.

Here it is January 2025, at the start of my fourth year, and I'm still enjoying this little exercise. I don't especially go looking for quotes but rather they come to me—whether it's through a book I'm reading or whilst (I love this English word) browsing on social media, or whether it's from a snippet of conversation overheard in a café or on the radio.

When I ordered the diary in 2022, at first I thought I'd made a mistake. I was more than a little dismayed to find it so very tiny in size—I forgot to check the dimensions before buying (about 6.5 x 3.5 inches). Still it was such a pleasing little book. I liked the feel of it in my hand. Beautifully bound with a cloth hard cover, boasting a satin ribbon to mark the spot, the diary is elegant and compact. Reminiscent of those childhood diaries so many of us wanted and rarely filled, minus the little key and lock, this diary came in three colours: blue, black, and red (I picked the red - it's more pink than red). Alas, from my quick scan on Amazon, they are currently unavailable.

"Those blank lines serve as a gentle encouragement

to live all the days of my life with intention."

SARAH K. BUTTERFIELD, from an article read on Medium.com

I did wonder at first how Austin Kleon could stick to just one quote a day from the dozens of possibilities that tromp across our path. Perhaps that's why he chose a tiny diary rather than a sprawling notebook. I began to see how it can help a person to focus in and narrow down, to listen for that one 'just what I need' line that breaks through the chatter. You write that one down. That line that expands the mind, thrills the spine, makes you burst out loud laughing, or causes you to breathe in and calm yourself, resting a minute before moving on.

This pint-size diary with a mere six short lines per entry has turned out to be the perfect proportion.

At the end of five years, I will have collected 1,826 quotes (includes one Leap Year). Already it's fun to browse through. Lots of favourites, a worthy collection, I'd say. To Austin Kleon, 'I can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks' for recommending this wonderful and almost cheeky pint-size acquisition. It sits by my bedside with a designated coloured pen—a different colour each year—a little habit that brings pleasure each day.

"I love (quotations) because it is a joy to find thoughts

one might have, beautifully expressed with much

authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself."

MARLENE DIETRICH

In this little celebratory post of my growing collection of quotations and their authors, I have scanned my January selections from the last three years, hand picking a few for those of you who also adore a good quote. I hope you enjoy.

Jan 2nd, 2025

A Little Writing Humour

"Paige Turner", would be the best author

name ever, just saying.

ROSS FRASER, as seen on social media

Jan 3rd, 2024

A Little 'Carry On' Wisdom

"Because even with the dark parts and the

light parts and the good parts and the bad parts,

dinner must still be served."

PATTI CALLAHAN, Once Upon A Wardrobe, p. 102

 

Jan 4th, 2022

A Little Plan

He: Aren't you terrified of what 2022 could be like?

Everything is so messed up...

She: I think it will bring flowers.

He: YES? WHY?

She: Because I'm planting flowers.

 As Seen on Social Media

Jan 15th, 2024

A Chin Up Reminder

"Because you see so much to make you sad,

that doesn't mean it is your duty to be unhappy."

HELEN MACINNES, While Still We Live, p. 228

Jan 17th, 2022

Hopeful Line

"I dwell in possibilities."

EMILY DICKINSON

Jan 17th, 2025

For Those of a Certain Age

"When I was a kid, we didn't have 'influencers'.

We watched a singing frog that dated a pig

and a grouch that lived in a trashcan.

It was a simpler time."

As seen on THE CANDIDLY on Instagram

Jan 30th, 2023

A Whispered Prayer

"Even in the darkness we will trust :

that our lives are still in your hands."

From Common Prayer, A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, p. 243

❦

Here's wishing you more than a few quotable moments

in your week ahead,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

Tiny floral graphic credit:

glitter-graphics.com

My blogging schedule:

I blog on Fridays

A Thousand Moments

"Food for the body is not enough.

There must be food for the soul."

DOROTHY DAY

Someone recently posed the writing prompt, What's in your hand? For me today it's this notebook* covered with a gorgeous floral design. A veritable summer garden. The colours leapt out at me during a recent browse in the conservatory gift shop we visited recently. I was smitten. I certainly don't need another notebook for my not so secret stash in the desk drawer. So I laid it back down—reluctantly. As you can see, I circled back, scooped up two copies and beelined for the checkout. Already I knew one would be for myself and one for a dear writing friend.

In my note when giving it to her, I mentioned being inspired by Nigel Slater's newest memoir A Thousand Feasts, Small moments of joy...a memoir of sorts. I liked his idea of recording those small moments that feed the soul like a feast. These notebooks could be perfect for jotting such moments. My friend liked the idea and mentioned that Nigel's title reminded her of another book One Thousand Gifts, A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp. Oh yes, it was quite popular and enjoyed by many, including myself, when it came out years ago.

I wondered how many other books shared a similar title. A quick search listed a handful, including Mary Oliver's collection of poetry A Thousand Mornings and Zondervan's The Book of a Thousand Prayers. Plus, a third book I've neither read nor heard of called Morning Coffee Reflection - 1000 Things to Think About. A thousand of anything enlivens the imagination and creates a sense of expanse. And I began to wonder what it might be like to curate such a collection as a thousand gifts, a thousand feasts, never mind a thousand mornings or a thousand prayers. I'd want to dip into such collections - what treasures they would hold.

It reminds me of the time decades ago when I began writing a gratitude journal, where I wrote down five things every evening of whatever I felt grateful for in that day. This little habit changed my life in such a positive way. I began to pay attention. I began being more grateful for the many things that came my way every single day. Things I'd never really noticed or given thanks for. I could hardly wait to write down each evening what I'd seen, heard, and enjoyed. I still have that tiny notebook and browse through it once in a while. And it still holds the joy of those moments I wrote about so long ago.

Perhaps it's time to take up a new challenge for this new year. Perhaps it's a time to record some of those luminous joy moments that show up in my life as good gifts from the God above. Not so much to remind myself to be grateful—I learned that years ago—but to gather those beautiful moments that "have given pleasure before they disappear", as Nigel says. These "brief celebrations, each one a tiny feast" that feed my soul in an "increasingly darkening world"—also Nigel. Letting the joy of them push back the darkness, letting the joy of them strengthen me so I may keep calm and carry on.

My Thousand Moments. It may be only a few dozen small things that fit in this small but gorgeous notebook. Nowhere near a thousand, but it's a place to start.

______________
*PS: Someone asked about the notebook. It's published by Peter Pauper Press and is called the Peony Garden Journal. Can be found on Amazon.

❦

Wishing you a beautiful day and—in the words of my

beautiful friend, Susan—"a thousand magical moments". 

Brenda

Photo credit:

Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

Blogging schedule:

I post on Fridays

My Simple Reading Goal for 2025

"There are many little ways to enlarge your world.

Love of books is the best of all."

attributed to JACQUELINE KENNEDY

I'm more than ready for a new year of books and reading. And my reading goal for 2025 is simple and loose-knit. I want to read from my own bookshelves as much as possible before acquiring more (but please don't hold me to that 😉). And I want to tackle the roughly 130 to 150 books currently on my shelves that have not yet been read. They include brand new acquisitions, gifts, library sale books, and thrift store finds. In my view, it never hurts to have a grand pile waiting in the wings, and it makes me happy to contemplate the possibilities and adventures yet to come.

On my shelves are also books (around 700 to 800) that I have read—many are longtime favourites, others are newer to the roster—and I'm interested in revisiting a few of them as well. I know from past experience there are books that should be read in their 'season'—i.e., when it's the right time to read them, when we're ready to receive them, and when we need their wisdom, beauty, strength, or humour. I will continue to use that as my rule of thumb in selecting what to read next.

I enjoy memoirs, biographies, and inspirational/spiritual books. I like poetry, children's books, anthology collections, and artsy/creative books. Fairy tales and a bit of fantasy. Books on writing. I like books that tell stories, even when they are nonfiction or full of facts and data. I like to know how authors relate to the material they're sharing and how they work it out in their own lives. I read a lot of novels, including historical fiction—novels based on historical figures and events but told with artistic license. I have a special interest in these in this season of reading. And, of course, mysteries and whodunits continue to be a staple in my reading diet. Since my youth, I have loved a good mystery - nothing too gruesome, but with lots of page turning twists, unexpected endings, and great writing.

Some years I'm a slow reader, taking my time with books to savour them, reading but a few. Other years I read voraciously, as I did in 2024, almost as if I'm starving for the next adventure into another world. We'll see how my reading journey unfolds in 2025. Hence, no goals of how many to read by December 31st.

To start off, below is a tentative short list, from my own unread shelves, mixed with a few titles that I have read before but want to revisit this year. I made the selections in about 10 - 15 minutes, just reaching for titles that caught my eye, with little thought and more intuitive spontaneity.

I already know I won't be sticking to the plan to the letter—Santa brought me a generous gift card for Christmas from the local bookstore, never fret that I won't be acquiring something new to fill my heart with glee and ensure there are no empty spots on the shelves. You will note that I have already finished the first book of the new year... and, no, I'm not reading these in order, just what I feel drawn to as I go. And who knows, the list may change through the year.

☑ 1. The Winter Mystery by Faith Martin (mystery, 2018)
2. A Thousand Feasts, Small moments of joy...a memoir of sorts by Nigel Slater (nonfiction, publ.2024)
3. The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R Chambers (novel, 2024)
4. Nature Tales for Winter Nights edited by Nancy Campbell (nature tales, 2023)
5. Jane Austen at Home, A Biography by Lucy Worsley (biography, 2017)
6. Write It All Down, How to put your life on paper by Cathy Rentzenbrink (writing, 2022)
7. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (novel, 1980)
8. A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle (nonfiction, 1972)
9. Louisa May Alcott, A Personal Biography by Susan Cheever (biography, 2010)
10. Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson (fictionalized autobiography, 1945)
11. The Lives We Actually Live, 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days by Kate Bowler (inspirational, 2023)
12. Windswept: Life, Nature and Deep Time in the Scottish Highlands by Annie Worsley (2023)
13. Portrait of a Marriage by Nigel Nicolson (biography, 1973)
14. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (novel, 1853)
15. Devotions, The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver (2017)
16. Nature Writing for Every Day of the Year edited by Jane McMorland Hunter (2021)
17. The Royal Librarian by Daisy Wood (historical novel, 2024)
18. The Life Impossible by Matt Haig (novel, 2024)
19. An Irish Country Family by Patrick Taylor (novel, 2019)
20. 1984 by George Orwell (novel, 1949)
21. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (novel, 2012)
22. Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz (novel, 2018)
23. The Only Necessary Thing, Living A Prayerful Life by Henri J.M. Nouwen, edited by Wendy Wilson Greer, (on prayer, 1999)
24. Orwell's Roses by Rebecca Solnit (Biography/Nature, 2021)
25. Apples on a Windowsill by Shawna Lemay (meditations on still life, photography, beauty, marriage, 2024)
26. You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith (memoir, 2023)
27. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (novel, 1891)
28. Rewriting Adam by Connie Mae Inglis (novel, 2021)
29. The Third Grace by Deb Elkink (novel, 2011)
30. Several short sentences about writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg (writing, 2012)
31. Vet in a Spin by James Herriot (autobiography/humour, 1971)
32. Rooms of Their Own, Where Great Writers Write by Alex Johnson (nonfiction, 2021)
33. Women Holding Things by Maira Kalman (art, 2022) 

❦

Here's hoping there will be time you can set aside in

your new year for reading to your heart's content.

Wishing you a beautiful weekend,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Image by OlgaVolkovitskaia from Pixabay