Guest Blogging Elsewhere: The Season for Gathering Memories

Everything has seasons, and we have

to be able to recognize when something's time

has passed and be able to move into the next season.

HENRY CLOUD, found on BrainyQuote.com

I have a new blog post up on InScribe, my writers' fellowship blog. Our theme this month is seasons of life, so I'm chatting about the season when I turned 60 - how it became a season for gathering the  memories.

If this interests you, grab your mug of tea or coffee and meet me over HERE.

Hope your August is unfolding in summery, soft ways for you. I wish you grace for whatever you have going on. I'll be back next Friday. 

❦

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Brenda

Photo credit:

Image by CongerDesign from Pixabay

Hello August: Daybook Post

"August is like the Sunday of summer."

UNKNOWN

I woke alive and fresh every morning over the last four weeks, so August did not sneak up on me. But I ask you, how can it be August already? Oh my goodness, the summer weeks are flying.

We have a new tree arriving this morning to replace our beautiful mountain ash which died a couple of years ago. I felt quite bereft with the empty space it left in our yard—and heart—when we cut down the old trunk and branches. We've missed the height and the shade and the screening it gave us and our neighbours (so we weren't peering into each other's backyards). But soon... there will be a new lovely serviceberry tree to fill our lives with blossoms in spring, greenery and shade in the summer. It's not huge now but it will grow.

Without further ado, here is August Daybook edition to start the month on a cheery note.

For Today

From my window...

The skies are blue. There are few clouds at this point. The wind is up.

And I stare out into my garden marveling at how the cotton-candy pink

hydrangea stands in contrast to the showy fuchsia-pink lavatera

that fills the corner with such loveliness.  

I am wearing...

Comfy white capris, a sleeveless top with a floral-leafy pattern, dangly

earrings also in leaf motif, and generous spritzes of rose-scented fragrance.

A clutch of quotes that caught my eye recently...

"And what is happiness?

Happiness is when the door of your house closes,

and everything you need is inside - the people you love,

the warmth of a cozy home, and the sense of belonging." 

ROSANNA B.  LUNDBERG

"Humor is just one of the ways we can resist

the chaos and uncertainty we're living through."

STACEY ABRAMS, as seen on Facebook

 

"In the morning when I wake, I ask God to

get into my head before I do."

POSITIVE LINES, as seen on Facebook

"Do weights for muscles,

Cardio for heart,

Ice cream for mental health."

MISSNUTRITIONIST, on Instagram

One simple pleasure...

To watch these lilies burst open in the

front garden as July comes to a close.

I love their frilly edges.

"Flowers seem intended for the

solace of ordinary humanity."

JOHN RUSKIN

Update on my 2025 reading goal...

Back in January I mentioned wanting to read more books from my own

shelves before acquiring new ones (and not to hold me to that). To focus

on reading from the 'never been read' shelf which holds around 130 to 150

books that have been collected through the years from various sources.

So far, I have read 70 books this year, and of those, 17 have been from my

'never been read' shelf. Using my rusty math skills, I figure about

24 percent of what I have read meets my goal. I mentioned that

stat to Rick, and he said, "You've got some reading to do."

Yes, sir, I'm getting right on that! (wink, wink)

If you want to see what I've been reading,

check out my page HERE.

On my 'to do' list...

. Make salmon salad sandwiches on whole grain bread for lunch

. Buy some fresh peaches for peach tart

. Finish this blog post

. Meet friends for a coffee (maybe iced)

. Enjoy the heat of the summer day in the shade of the umbrella

with book in hand and iced lime water nearby

A treat...

Drives along country roads are a treat on these high summer days.

The ditches and edges are filled with wild flowers. It is so good to see

vetch and clover and alfalfa and foxtails and goldenrod

and chamomile... all waving in the breezes.

Turn your window down and smell the air.

A couple of favourites books I reread in July...

The Scent of Water (novel)

by Elizabeth Goudge

Prodigal Summer

by Barbara Kingsolver

In the kitchen...

I had some cremini mushrooms I wanted to use for supper.

Something simple, quick, and yummy. I found this recipe for

Sautéed Mushrooms with Garlic. It fit the bill. It was delicious.

You'll find the link HERE.

Not to rush summer but...

I can't wait for the release of these NEW books coming out

this autumn. Do you have any titles that you are waiting for?

The Summer Book

by Susan Branch

To be released Aug 15th

The Country Commonplace Book

by Miranda Mills

To be released Sept 23rd

My Beloved

by Jan Karon

(a new Father Tim/Mitford novel)

To be released Oct 7th

The Black Wolf

by Louise Penny

 (a new Gamache crime novel)

To be released Oct 28th

Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts

by Margaret Atwood

To be released Nov 4th

The Queen Who Came in from the Cold

by S.J. Bennett

(5th in Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series)

To be released Nov 11th 

Closing thoughts...

"Summer’s lease hath all too short a date."

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Sonnet 18

It's not over yet so...

. Go out for ice cream.

. Run through a sprinkler with a child

. Sit on a sidewalk cafe, savour a beverage

. Eat watermelon - see who can spit the seeds the farthest 

. Walk in the evening when shadows lengthen

. Stay outside long enough to smell evening scented stocks on a cool breeze

. Eat fresh tomatoes with mayo and basil on crusty bread

. Watch for the full moon in a few days

❦

Wishing you a lovely August,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Raspberries Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

Typewriter graphic from TheGraphicsFairy.com

Pink Lily Image by Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

A Summer Afternoon in a Garden

"The kiss of the sun for pardon,

The song of the birds for mirth—

One is nearer God's heart in a garden

Than anywhere else on earth."

DOROTHY FRANCES GURNEY

There are times when I lament the vanishing of beauty in our world. There is so much ugly around us that pushes us in the face. But then we saunter through a garden that's filled with lovely flowers, shapely shrubs, and graceful trees. And we wander meandering pathways that are designed for pleasure and comfort. We are reminded, even though many destroy what is beautiful thinking beauty is not to be valued, there are so many more people who do care about our world... and who create and tend to what is beautiful for the sake of others. 

Our local St Albert Botanic Park is one such place. Maintained by volunteers from the community, it's set alongside the Sturgeon River. It's a place that invites one to come in and spend time here. Where we can enjoy the many nooks and crannies, the eye pleasing garden designs and placement of trees and plants, sitting on well-situated benches where we can rest a while, feel the warmth of the sun on our backs, watch bees buzzing around the roses bushes, maybe have a chat with a friend.

The day we visited the weather was perfect—warm but not hot, with gentle breezes. Groups of people were strolling along, including one family with little ones who thought the park was great for running and chasing in, and I think they were having great fun. After our stroll through the gardens, we sat at a patio table where people can enjoy ice cream treats from the gift shop. We watched a brave squirrel come closer and closer in hopes that a bit of something will fall to the ground. He'd be right there to snatch it up. I looked up, and there walking into the area came a former work colleague and dear friend with her adult daughter. What a delightful surprise. They sat down with us for a few minutes and we had a right old catch up in ten minutes. It was just so nice to see them... spontaneous serendipity that created a warm spot in the heart.

As I grow older the simple pleasure of visiting a garden, alone or with friends, becomes even more important to the well-being of my soul. Perhaps you find it so yourself. Today I am delighted to share the exuberant beauty of what caught my eye during our visit on an ideal summer afternoon.

Don't you want to step through that archway to

discover what lovely vista might catch your breath?

 

What a heavenly day

to be in a garden!

"Won't you come into the garden?

I would like my roses to see you."

RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN

"Flowers really do intoxicate me."

VITA SACKVILLE-WEST

❦

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

A Walk in the Garden

"For many people summer is a time of leisure: days at the beach, or picnics in parks and gardens; long, fair-weather country walks. Often it feels too brief, or comes in instalments: we pine for the six solid weeks of sunshine we believe we always had as a child. But in wanting to recapture those days we risk missing the days we still have - because what is that wish but a wish to be a child again, loosed from school, loosed from the house, and barefoot on the grass? Those elysian summers, polished to dazzling brightness by the flow of years, can never be recaptured; but we have this summer, however imperfect we as adults may deem it, and we can go out and seek it at every opportunity we can."

"Introduction" in Summer Anthology, editor Melissa Harrison, 2016

These portulacas with their eye-popping colours of orange and pink and yellow make me grin. How brilliant they are. They are like a jolt of joy when I come upon them around the corner by the garage. Did you know they are nature's fair-weather creatures and open their petals only when the sun shines on them? I took the photo a couple of days ago. On overcast mornings, the petals remain tightly curled and they look dismal. Can't say that I blame them, but a person does wonder if maybe they've bit the dust and are ready for the compost bin. Don't do thaaaat, you'll be sorry. Haha 

  

Along with these bright petaled blossoms, here is a glimpse of what else is blooming in the garden right now... hope you enjoy.

Pink penstemon, variety unknown

"I have thousands of moments

in which to be happy and joyous."

HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

The Last Dream of the Old Oak (A Christmas Story)

Pink lavatera, sometimes referred to as rose mallow

Captivating pink beauty,

one petal at a time.

UNKNOWN

Hydrangea getting ready to burst out

"The kiss of the sun for pardon,

The song of the birds for mirth,

One is nearer God's heart in a garden

Than anywhere else on earth."

DOROTHY FRANCES GURNEY

Sedum

"Flowers are like friends, they

bring colour to your world."

UNKNOWN

"I come to the garden alone

while the dew is still on the roses"

C. AUSTIN MILES (1912)

Clematis 'Gillian Blades'

"Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants

as paint, and the soil and sky as canvas."

ELIZABETH MURRAY

"Amidst a sea of green,

pink flowers bloom as nature's delicate poetry."

UNKNOWN

❦

We have this summer, however imperfect it may be—

let us go and seek out its beauty at every opportunity we can.

Heart hugs,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

Five on Friday: June's Treats

"It always seemed to me that the herbaceous peony is

the very epitome of June . . . and when it finally

drops from the vase, it sheds its petticoats with a bump

on the table, all in an intact heap, much as a rose

will suddenly fall, making us look up from our book

or conversation, to notice for one moment . . .".

VITA SACKVILLE-WEST

quote found on AZ Quotes

We woke to a summer morning that you want to hold onto forever. It was practically perfect in every way: warm enough for sleeveless but not sweltering; gentle breezes, not the hard cold winds we've endured of late; rains that finally came and made everything green, green, green and helped with those early spring wildfires in the region. Birds twittered - robins are more scarce now but the wrens and chickadees were whistling and chuckling. And baby magpies squawked as they hopped around. 

I admit not wanting to be indoors this morning, even though I'm sitting in my favourite room with the window overlooking the back garden. But I had to check in with you, dear readers, as it's been a while. Today will be short(er) and hopefully sweet, as you don't want to have your eyes fixed on a screen on such a luminous summer day. Here are five quick things that caught my attention over the last little while. Happy Friday!

One

Oh, the joy of finding a whole pot of self seeded johnny-jump-ups.

All I did was water when they first sprouted.

I love their cheeky resilience and persistence—

I could learn a lesson or two from them.

Two

We have a small flock of pelicans on our nearby pond. What a

thrill to see this one so close up feeding along the water's edge.

Three

An open-faced sandwich photo I found on Mediterranean

Tasty Recipes (Facebook) that looks so appealing to me:

Toasted sourdough bread spread with

cottage cheese

a layer of sliced ripe tomatoes

a drizzle of olive oil

a spritz of balsamic vinegar, and

a finger sprinkle of sea salt.

I would add some fresh basil leaves.

Four

Words that I had to write down for the light in their message:

❧

"I saw that worrying had come to nothing.

And I gave it up. And took my old body

and went out into the morning

and sang."

MARY OLIVER

❧

"May all that has been reduced to noise

in you, become music again."

ATTRIBUTED TO DAVID TEEMS

❧

"Joy doesn't cancel out the heavy things

but gives you little pockets of

strength to carry on."

from SHARECARE, on Facebook

❧

"I will not allow my life's light to be

determined by the darkness around me."

SOJOURNER TRUTH (1787 - 1883)

Five

Recently finished and enjoyed reading the following:

While Still We Live

by Helen MacInnes

(historical novel, 1944)

Unfinished Portrait

by Mary Westmacott aka Agatha Christie

(fiction, 1934)

Farmer Boy

by Laura Ingalls Wilder

(children's historical fiction, 1933)

The Correspondent

by Virginia Evans (epistolary novel, 2025)

Chocolat

by Joanne Harris

(novel 1999 - library book)

Dumb Witness

by Agatha Christie

(Poirot mystery, 1937)

The Great Gatsby

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

(classic fiction, 1925)

Summer reading pile:

Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman

by Lucy Worsley

(biography, 2022)

Ordinary Grace

by William Kent Krueger

(novel, 2013)

Orwell's Roses

by Rebecca Solnit

(biography/nature, 2021)

The Nightingale

by Kristin Hannah

(historical novel, 2015)

The Story She Left Behind

by Patti Callahan Henry

(novel, 2025) 

❦

On that note, I'm wishing you a beautiful weekend,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Feature photo, Photos One, Two, Four

by Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

Photo Three - found on Mediterranean Tasty Recipes 

Photo Five - Image by Marketing BS from Pixabay

Guest Posting on InScribe: My Reading Life

"A mind needs books as a sword needs

a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge."

George R.R. Martin

I have a new blog post up on InScribe, my writers' fellowship blog. I'm chatting about my reading life and how it affects my writing life. I share two short book lists as well.

I'd enjoy your company—grab your cup and meet me over THERE.

Hope your June is unfolding in lovely and soft ways for you. I wish you grace for however it's landing.

❦

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Brenda

Photo credit:

Image by Nick Stafford from Pixabay

A 'Joyride' in a Garden Centre

"The greenhouse overflowed with a dazzling array of beautiful plants.

And as I scanned the beauty spilling out of innumerable planters and pots

and baskets, I realized that the beauty now on display had always laid in

the seeds. And if the seeds had not been cultivated the beauty within would

have certainly remained, but it would have remained forever hidden." 

CRAIG D. LOUNSBROUGH, as seen on GoodReads

I'm sure you, too, have experienced that 'dazzling array of beautiful plants . . . spilling out of innumerable planters and pots and baskets' when visiting your local garden centre. Would you agree it's one of the delectable treats of Spring? They delight our senses. They beguile us. They give us a thrill of anticipation from the moment we walk in. With all the array of designs, textures, and colours, it's hard to know what to look at first. And soon the buggy gets fuller and fuller. I am SO glad for the gift of sight and the ability to take in the colours of the earth... and the greenhouse. I do relate to Sir Winston Churchill's joyful phrase when, as an artist, he expressed his own 'joyride in a paintbox'. Though I'm not an artist with paint, I certainly appreciate those joyrides in a garden centre. They are so hope-filled.

Below are a few photos from our visit... plus a photo at the bottom taken yesterday morning during our walk: the first sighting of our Alberta wild rose with its pink scented petals and very poky stems. These are always a joy to come across.

Today I'm thinking of my dear girlhood chum, Linda, who can no longer get out to enjoy her usual jaunts to the garden centres or take walks in the breezes, spotting those much welcomed familiar pink blossoms of the wild rose for herself. This post is for you, dear Linda, with hopes this bit of garden beauty in a post will lift your spirits even though you can't get out there to see it in person. ( ( ( 💕 ) ) ) 

"Summer, don't be shy, stay awhile!"

UNKNOWN

"One benefit of summer was that each day

we had more light to read by."

JEANNETTE WALLS

"Summer afternoon; to me those have always been

the two most beautiful words in the English language."

HENRY JAMES, The Portrait of a Lady

"I wonder what it would be like to live in a

world where it was always June."

L.M. MONTGOMERY

"In early June the world of leaf and blade and

flowers explodes, and every sunset is different."

JOHN STEINBECK, The Winter of Our Discontent

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

and summer's lease hath all too short a date."

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the

grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to

the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float

across the sky, is by no means a waste of time."

JOHN LUBBOCK, The Use of Life

"The Alberta wild rose, also known as the prickly wild rose, was

designated the floral emblem of Alberta in 1930 and is a symbol

of the province's natural beauty and strong prairie spirit. It's also

cherished for its unique characteristics, including its vibrant pink petals

and sweet fragrance. The rose's ability to thrive in harsh conditions is

is seen as a representation of endurance and resilience."

- info found from several sources online

Before I sign off, I want to give you a heads up that I will be away from the blog for the next few weeks. To spend time in the garden. To enjoy the warm weather. To go on little road trips. To spend time with family. Plus, my oldish computer has been sending me various error codes and have been showing up more often. So it's high time to update. Thankfully, I beaverishly got everything backed up (in the cloud and on my external hard drives) last week so I hope things are safe, fingers crossed, while we get all this sorted.

And now I wish you a beautiful June . . . please take care, and I hope you have a wonderful start to summer.

❦

Heart hugs,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

The World's Alive With Beauty

"I must have flowers,

always and always."

CLAUDE MONET

I don't know about you, but it is easy to get bogged down in one's social media feeds these days. And get caught up in the tangle of opinions and facts and misinformation, making it easy to get the feeling that the world is sliding off to 'hell in a handbasket'. Then you step outside... into the wonder of God's world in the springtime, you hear the sound of birdsong and smell the scent of lilacs in the air, and you marvel at how much pansies make you smile. And even though things are gloomy and dismaying out there, we can and must take time to rest our souls and let what is still good and beautiful in our world bring a sense of calm and order. Even if only for a little while. We must carry on with what we believe we are on this earth to accomplish...doing it with kindness, love, truthfulness, and honour. 

Our neighbourhood has been getting brighter and greener and more lush as the days pass. And, all the while, we keep our fingers crossed for some much needed rain. We're grateful for the little bit we've had, but we could do with a whole lot more.

This week has been heavenly around here - our flowering trees and shrubs are in full bloom, adding such colour and breathtaking splendour to boulevards and streets everywhere. Every spring I look forward to the May Day trees blooming. To catch their sweet scent on a breeze certainly lifts one's spirits and reminds one it's good to be alive on such days. The years-old flowering plum in our neighbour's backyard spills over into our yard, its plummy colourful drifts stand in vibrant contrast to our still young golden elder tree which stands in our north east corner. The last few days I find myself standing at the kitchen window and drinking it all in while I sip my glass of water. (I tried taking a photo for you, but I couldn't do it justice, so I'll leave it to your keen imagination.)

Speaking of things beautiful, I want to mention this jewel of a sticker book I found at our local bookstore. It's been so much fun browsing this hardcover "deluxe compendium of more than 800 vintage-inspired stickers, perfect for embellishing any creative project on the go, be it scrapbooking, junk journaling, collaging, gift wrapping, or merely personalizing any page" (Amazon blurb). It's published by Smith Street Books of Naarm (Melbourne) Australia.

On other news, I've been spending some time working on my digital photos files. Oh my, how can a person take that many poses of the same scene or flower! I have several thousand (with so many of them near duplicates) taking up digital space. I thought I'd been culling all along, but obviously not. This downsizing is not for the faint of heart. Digital, I must say, makes it far too easy to click, click, click yet another few dozen poses and angles of any and every thing (all for future creative possibilities). Thankfully, they are organized by years and months (so I know not to look in the December files for summer flowers - haha).

While culling I came across garden photos from previous springs, so I'm taking the opportunity to share a handful with you. The accompanying quotes were recently copied into my journal. I hope you enjoy this tiny glimpse of heaven in my corner of the world.

"Small joys are not small. A moment of peace, a

kind word, a deep breath—they are the quiet proof

that life still holds wonder in its simplest places."

UNKNOWN, as seen on Facebook

"I don't know the secret to happiness, but I do know

this: I've never been sad walking around a

bookstore, watching a sunset, or eating chocolate."

BROOKE HAMPTON

"I'm a very romantic person. I don't mean romantic

in a flowers and chocolate kind of way. It's more like

if it's raining, I'll go up to the window and press my nose

against the glass and sigh at how beautiful it all looks."

AMY WINEHOUSE, as seen on Facebook

"A flowerless room is a soulless room, to my

way of thinking; but even a solitary little vase

of a living flower may redeem it."

VITA SACKVILLE-WEST

"Every day is a potential seed that we can grow

into something beautiful. There's no time to despair."

AUSTIN KLEON, Keep Going

(this photo taken May 16, 2025 on our morning walk)

"If today feels heavy, carry it lightly.

If it feels empty, fill it with the smallest comforts.

A warm drink. An uplifting song. Soft clothes.

A deep breath. You don't have to fix today.

You just have to move through it."

@LOVE QUOTES, on Facebook

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.

Sufficient for the day is its own troubles."

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 6:34 (ESV)

❦

 

I hope you found a little rest from any anxieties you might be feeling these days.

Sending heart hugs and wishes for a beautiful day,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

My Spring Blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays