Five on Friday: Spring's Poetry

And hope, if it had a scent,

would smell like spring, like rain

like something new and alive.

JENNIFER RUSH, Reborn

Oh, the waiting and the watching for spring to arrive. And then to feel the old sweet surprise and delight at the first shoots of green in a sea of earthy brown. Brave little crocuses open starry petals and smile at me. My heart swells like the burgeoning tree buds to witness their survival of another cold winter. 

Today's edition of Five on Friday bubbles with spring's new life and new hope. And for a little while pushes out of mind news that unsettles the soul and disturb our peace of mind. Walks on these fresh mornings, hearing the chickadees calling, watching the crows searching for possible nesting materials, encountering happy dogs out on their morning trots—it all puts things in perspective. Peacefulness settles. I breathe and gently sigh, in that moment all is well in my world. We carry on. 

One

Spring Senses

- Crocuses first appear this week in the front garden;

- Pussy willows have popped out on shrubs along the edge

of a partially frozen pond;

- Mallards quack overhead, no doubt wondering 'what's with the ice';

- Robins whistle from rooftops;

- The overnight rain creates a mist in the air and leaves puddles on the street;

- Crisp morning air contrasts with warming sunshine;

Spring is in the air.

Two

My Spring Reading Pile

Spring Anthology

edited by Melissa Harrison (Nature essays, 2016)

The Enchanted April

by Elizabeth von Arnim (fiction 1922)

Elizabeth and her German Garden

by Elizabeth von Arnim (fiction 1898)

The Secret Garden

by Frances Hodgson Burnett (children's fiction, 1911)

An Episode of Sparrows

by Rumer Godden (children's fiction, 1946)

Skylarks with Rosie, A Somerset Spring

by Stephen Moss (nature, 2021)

 

Leaning Toward Light, Poems for Gardens and the Hands that

Tend Them, edited by Tess Taylor (garden poetry anthology, 2023)

The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

by Edith Holden (nature diary, 1906)

Cultivated, The Elements of Floral Style

by Christin Geall (2020)

(explores floral design through the lens of art

history, ecology and personal narrative, beautiful photos)

 

Three

Birthday Treats This Week

As I mentioned last week, April is my birthday month and

I've been giving myself little treats or enjoying ones providentially

given either in nature or from family and friends. Here are a few

things I consider treats from the past week.

April 4

Caught the evening sunshine streaming through the

west windows for the first time since last fall. The earth

has turned its face back to the sun which sets later.

April 5

I love giving gifts. To me, it's like Christmas dreaming up

and wrapping presents for other people. I wrapped a little birthday

gift for my new niece (newly married to my nephew)

with hopeful anticipation that she will like it.

April 6

The tiny purple crocuses opened under

the oak tree. Our first sign of life in the garden!

Spotted a few kids at the park on our balmy evening walk.

They were swinging on the swings 'as high as an elephant's eye'.

Is there anything else quite as thrilling?

April 7

Met my lovely friend in the morning for coffee and a visit.

We first met at a church we both attended years ago. She's a busy mom

and we haven't seen each other in a while, but we picked up

where we left off, which is a sure sign of kindred hearts knit together.

Attended a piano concert with world-renowned pianist

Angela Hewitt. What a joy! She played some of my favourite

music Bach's Goldberg Variations. It was sublime.

The audience stood up as one at the end, clapping and

clapping and clapping. I slept so soundly that night.

April 8

The treat of a beautiful comment left on a blog post.

It's a real thrill for a blogger when her readers

leave comments in response to something she has written.

OTD, one woman wrote to say she has notebooks in her house

for writing out passages she wants to keep. And that she planned

to write out one of my recent guest posts, the whole thing, because

it meant so much to her (!) Let's just say, there is no thrill,

or honour, like it. I'm humbled.

April 9

It's twilight and the light is fading behind the trees

in the neighbour's yard, making them look like

filigree lace against the darkening sky. I savour

the moment, for a moment later, it was gone.

Early birthday presents from my two sisters and a

lovely visit over lunch with them and my mom.

April 10

Sipping a decaf latte in a pleasant coffee house-bakery

with friends on a sunny spring afternoon.

Rereading a well loved book The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson

Burnett, and watching Miss Mary Lennox change from a wan, spoiled,

and unhappy child into a little girl with rosy cheeks who finds joy in

a skipping rope and watching spring arrive on the Yorkshire moors.

April 11

As I'm finishing this post, I hear the early morning whistle of

the chipping sparrow. I am elated. The first of the season.

Welcome, welcome, my fine feathered friend! Happy Spring!

Four

Strawberry Cup & Saucer

I was shopping at the book store the other day. As is wont, bookstores

sell, along with the books, many other beguiling home items.

New seasonal displays were up for Mother's Day. And

I spotted this strawberry themed cup and saucer, then saw the tea

towels with the same pattern. It made me feel quite giddy with happiness.

It is something of treat to find something new for the home, for the soul.

I happily sipped my first cup of coffee from it yesterday morning.

On Wednesday I had the happy delight to give my sisters and mom

each a beautifully boxed cup and saucer of the same design. Now

we can think of each other as we sip from our own cups.

Five

Quotes that Feel Like Spring

Some of you are walking love letters

and you don't even realize it.

You're lighting up rooms, shifting atmospheres,

and carrying inspiration just being you.

Such a precious gift.

DAWNA DE SILVA, as seen on social media

If "Plan A" didn't work,

the alphabet has 25 more letters.

Stay cool.

@TEACHERGOALS, Instagram

Sometimes I need only to

stand wherever I am

to be blessed.

Attributed to MARY OLIVER

I can't afford to hate anyone.

I don't have that kind of time.

AKIRA KUROSAWA

That's a beautiful life you have there.

Thanks, I made it! It has pockets

for all my treasures.

UNKNOWN, Instagram

❦

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

Brenda

Photo credits:

Top Photo by Fietzfotos from Pixabay

Photos One, Two, Four by Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

Photo Three by LoggaWiggler from Pixabay 

Photo Five from Pixabay

My Blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays

Guest Blogging Elsewhere Today

It's Monday and not my usual day to post, but I am guest blogging today over at InScribe, my writers' fellowship blog. 

Our writing prompt this month is to explore the topic of kindness. And when I sat down to write this post, I realized I had things to say about how I encountered the kindness of God in my life. If that interests you, I'd be delighted if you'd visit me THERE.

❦

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: Birthdays and Other Things to Celebrate

"Whenever you are creating beauty around you,

you are restoring your own soul."

ALICE WALKER

quote found on GoodReads

I had no idea what to write for this week's post. It was Wednesday evening and my brain was muddling along with nary a clue. When suddenly a few thoughts started downloading - I couldn't jot them fast enough in my journal. Usually, as writers, we are advised not to dump everything on the reader all in one piece. But occasionally—that's where Five on Friday theme comes in handy—especially when I'm excited, I set these little thoughts down for you, all in a heap, in one post, with hopes you won't mind, that something will tickle your fancy and make you glad you stopped by.

- One -

National Poetry Month

Here in Canada, National Poetry Month has been celebrated every April since 1998. I do not consider myself a poet but I find myself once in a while dreaming up lines that, in my view, feel poetic. I do like to read poetry - I enjoy some poets very much. So I was happy to read a piece that my blogging friend Gretchen shared earlier in the week—I knew I wanted to show it to you. It's a stanza from the poem "Vacillation" by W.B. Yeats.  You'll find the complete poem at englishverse.com

From "Vacillation"

My fiftieth year had come and gone,

I sat, a solitary man,

In a crowded London shop,

An open book and empty cup

On the marble table-top.

While on the shop and street I gazed

My body of a sudden blazed;

And twenty minutes more or less

It seemed, so great my happiness,

That I was blessed and could bless.

-W.B. Yeats

I myself have experienced such occasions. When out of the blue, and often not related to anything specific, sometimes I'm just sitting and looking out the window and I realize in that moment "I’m happy." And I stop to savour it. It is a most soul satisfying experience. I think it’s what we live for between times when life is utterly ordinary, sometimes even dull or horribly painful. And then this moment of reverent joy sneaks in and catches away our breath. Surprised by joy, as C.S. Lewis once coined the phrase.

- Two -

My Unread Book Shelf Goal

You may recall, early in the year, I made a plan to read more of my pile of unread books. At the time I had counted around 180 books not yet read. You may well ask how is that going, and I'm happy to report I have ten books now read from my Unread Shelf. I admit being oft beguiled by newly acquired books; in the euphoria, the old ones lose their spark and get pushed to the back. Progress is slow - not quite ten percent read but then we're only a quarter way through the year. If interested, you can check out my 2025 reading list HERE.

- Three -

April is My Birthday Month

The actual day is later in the month, but I'm thinking about ways to give myself treats every day throughout April in celebration. Although some of these treats might be something I buy for myself, many others will be 'free' gifts providentially given—smiles received from complete strangers, hearing the wind whistle in the tree tops, savouring a morning slice of hot buttered toast with eggs, watching rivulets gurgle down the street as the sun melts the snow piles. Oh, and hearing the returning Canada Geese honk overhead. I'm listing these little gifts as they come to me. 🠇

Treats so far:

April 1st

 

- a bundle of pink and orange tulips sitting on my dining table (top photo);

- the new edition of the Bella Grace magazine

(that's me on the front cover, er, in my dreams of course).

April 2nd

- a new journal with a whimsical floral "B" on the cover;

- I'm tickled with a library book I just took out: "Bedtime Stories for Stressed

Out Adults, Tales to Soothe Tired Souls", Introduction by Lucy Mangan.

I opened it and felt like I was eight again - slipping into bed with a fairytale book

on my lap as I anticipated a gentle read while winding down for sleep.

Titles include: The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde,

The Aunt and Amabel by E. Nesbit, Kew Gardens by Virginia Woolf, Heidi (excerpt)

by Johanna Spyri, Wind in the Willows (excerpt) by Kenneth Graham, The Diary

of a Nobody (excerpt) by George and Weedon Grossmith, to name a few.   

- I signed up for my niece's subscription box online designed for art and stationery lovers.

Garden Tea Party is the theme of her debut box that goes out later this month, right around

my birthday. "The heart behind this subscription is to capture the feeling of sending

or receiving a letter or parcel from a friend or family member. (It's) inspired by

art, literature, and nature and will be filled with goodies to bring joy to your door!"

She's inspired by art, literature, and nature—we must be related. My niece is a bookbinder

and is on Instagram The Bundle Bee Bindery. I can't wait to get my box in the mail!

April 3rd

- meeting a dear friend for morning coffee today;

- sharing an egg salad on a crispy croissant;

 - a wee gift of two lemon-scented/shaped soaps for the kitchen;

- whimsical strawberry-themed tea towels now hanging on my oven door;

- finding a mailing address on Friends of Susan Branch Facebook inviting

followers to send Susan a birthday card for her upcoming 78th birthday.

My handwritten card and note are in the mail. The address if you're interested:

Susan Branch Studios, 7489 El Camino Real, Atascadero, CA 93422, USA.

April 4th

- eyes and ears alert for treats on this new day.

- Four -

Shopping for Note Cards

Next to shopping for books, shopping in a stationery shop is a clear favourite occupation. I love browsing for greeting cards. There are so many wonderful artists out there who create such beautiful designs - elegant, whimsical, funny, poignant - whatever you're looking for, you're sure to find.

As is my usual habit, when I brought my new stash home, I planned to squirrel them away in my card box, in readiness for when I need something down the road. Then I decided why not leave them on the dining table along with my pen, address book, and postage stamps... use the cards right away while I'm excited about them, not saving for later when they start to feel old and jaded. There were ten cards in this collection; one is already given to my coffee friend, and the other wings its way to Susan in California.

I often whisper a little prayer when I prepare to write notes, first asking, who should I send this to? Who needs a note today? And secondly, what should I say? What message will speak directly to what someone needs in the moment? Sometimes notes are just fun 'keeping in touch' messages; other times they are filling some purpose larger than we realize. I like to keep my heart attuned to heavenly thoughts... spreading joy and maybe comfort in a few words.  

- Five -

Quotes I Fancy Today

"There is nothing more luxurious than eating while you read—

unless it be reading while you eat. Amabel did both:

they are not the same thing, as you will see if you think the matter over."

The Aunt and Amabel by E. Nesbit

"After all, the best part of a holiday, is perhaps not so much

to be resting yourself, as to see all the other fellows busy working."

Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (from chapter 1)

"Use your personal mementos as

prompts to write your stories."

AMY TAN, from MasterClass

"The barrenness of the poetic task: as if every day we

look out at a courtyard of rubble and from this

are required to make something beautiful."

THEODORE ROETHKE

❦

Sending my love and warmest wishes for a beautiful day,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

My Blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays

Five on Friday: The Weather and Other Stuff

"In the springtime, the heart regrows hope."

ANGIE WEILAND-CROSBY

I'm not going to mention that it's snowing, except to say it's coming down thick and fast and turning our world once again into a winter wonderland. I'll be honest, at this time of year I'd prefer rain, but it's okay, we need the moisture. It doesn't stop my heart from dancing with the daffodils... even if it's only in my imagination.

I give you today's edition of Five on Friday. Hope you enjoy!

One. Books I finished and enjoyed

Becoming Mrs. Lewis (2018)

by Patti Callahan

(novel about Joy Davidman, the woman C.S. Lewis called "my whole world")

The Devil's Novice (1983)

by Ellis Peters

(Brother Cadfael mystery set in Middle Ages England)

Pond'rings, a writer's memoir (2024)

by Marcia Lee Laycock

(read my review of it HERE)

Vet in a Spin (1977)

by James Herriot

(more delightful tales from the Yorkshire Dales)

Two. What I'm thinking about this week

My health has been very much on my mind.

Certainly the politics of the day.

And finding ways to keep calm and carry on.

Because we still need to do those things that make the world go 'round—

baking apple tarts, planning birthday parties, giving each other hugs.

Three. This caught my eye and gave me joy ↓

"And then my heart with pleasure fills,

and dances with the daffodils."

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

The image of a young woman walking through a park in spring.

Like her, I want to 'be' there amongst those drifts and drifts of daffodils.

Four. Something delicious from the kitchen

Potsticker Soup with Mushrooms and Bok Choy

Below is my version of a recipe I found here:

2 cups chopped or sliced mushrooms

2 cups sliced carrots

Handful of bok choy, chopped

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

5-6 scallions (white and green parts), sliced (divided)

6 cups broth (I used a mix of chicken and beef)

12 frozen potstickers (your choice of filling)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

black pepper

Sauté vegetables, white part of scallions, ginger, garlic (about 5-7 minutes).

Add broth and bring to boil. Add potstickers, simmer 3-4 minutes, or until done.

Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper.

Garnish with the green part of the scallions.

Serves 4-6

 

 

Five. These words ground me this week,

especially the second line

Breath Prayer

Inhale: Show me who to be.

Exhale: And what is mine to do.

SARAH BESSEY @ FIELD NOTES

Bonus. Advice for whatever you're working on

"Just get started.

Each morning, make a little progress.

Send out a little prayer.

Take note of something.

Try to be facing in the direction of the surprise."

CARRIE FOUNTAIN, American poet

❦

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Brenda

Photo credit:

Top Image by Amy from Pixabay

Bottom Image by ArtEnthousiast78 on Pixabay

My Blogging Schedule:

I post on Fridays

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. All the while reminding ourselves 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 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