Five on Friday: Treats of the Week

"Take each day as it comes and make the best of

it—not in resignation as in 'that's all there is'—but

embroider it with beauty and kindness as well as

you can with what you have in your hand."

BL

Our pink hydrangea bush has outdone itself in amazingness this summer. She was a gift par excellence for our soul; it bloomed all summer long. Recently I read a woman online who referred to the time she spends outdoors in nature as her way of taking a daily dose of Vitamin 'N'. After I chuckled I thought, yes, I've had generous doses of that vitamin myself this summer... right here in my own garden.

What do I have to share with you this Friday as we edge toward the end of August? I look around and find a few things I think you'll like. Hope you enjoy and thanks for stopping by. 

One. Peek-a-boo

We sighted these pink petunias on our early morning walk. Squeezing through the crack from the north facing side of the fence belonging to one house, this sprig of wonderment captured my imagination. Was it reaching from the dark side to the south facing side to reach the sun, perhaps? It made me grin to see such enthusiasm for life and light.

Two. Beguiling ribbon

I was with my mom the other day and we popped into Michaels. She was on the lookout for pretty colours of yarn for the baby blankets she's crocheting. As I trailed after her, my eye caught a new display of autumn ribbons (they were on sale two-fer-one). My colour-loving eyes gravitated towards these two rolls and my heart had to have them.

Three. Thrift store find

In a drift of run-of-the-mill vases all shapes, sizes and colours, there it sat like a little gem, this green glass vase that felt so weighty I almost wondered if it were made from something like alabaster. I picked it up, put it down thinking I don't need another vase, walked to the end of the aisle, turned around and popped it into my basket. Ever since, I love spotting it, with its simple posy, on the living room coffee table. I love touching its cool and smooth texture. And I love that it's a soft green.

Four. Fluffy Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Serves 2

1 cup cottage cheese

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 Tbsp honey

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup oat flour

2 tsp baking powder

In food processor, whizz cottage cheese and eggs about 30 seconds.

Add the rest of the ingredients, and pulse until combined.

Preheat griddle or nonstick pan on medium/low heat.

Add a bit of butter or oil to pan if you like crispy edges.

Scoop 1/3 of a cup batter per pancake onto the pan and spread a bit.

Cook about 4 minutes on each side. They will be a deep

golden brown when done.

 

*Note: Pancakes need to be cooked on a lower heat and

a little longer than regular pancakes.

 

Serve with berries and your favourite syrup.

Or eat just as is, which I was tempted to do,

they were so tasty. And fluffy.

These are awesome yummy!

I've been hanging onto this recipe for years, and I'm sorry to say that I have never made it until this week. The site where I originally found it no longer exists.

Five. Greeting cards

I love collecting and using pretty greeting cards. Especially art cards. Sometimes I want them worded with specific messages for birthday or get well or thinking of you, but quite often I choose cards that are blank so I can write my own notes in them.

I bought the bookstore out of this 'Greenhouse and Hollyhocks' card. I bought them two at a time until there were no more to buy on the shelf. The artist is Lucy Grossmith whose cards are a 'celebration of the beautiful coast and countryside of the British Isles.' You can find her on Etsy and HERE.

Then I spotted that sweet little box of notecards (at the same bookstore) with the pink flowers; they are from Punch Studio.com. They are just the size for a wee thank you note (3.5 x 5"). The little message bordered around the edge says, "Let the beauty of what you love be what you do."

Bonus. On the nightstand

Apples on a Windowsill

by Shawna Lemay

Reading it for the first time, I am loving this local author's

book of meditations on still life, photography, beauty, and

marriage. Published in 2024, she also speaks of how she and her

 painter husband made their way through the pandemic which

I find most interesting to revisit at this stage.

Giant's Bread

by Agatha Christie writing as Mary Westmacott

This novel "tells the story of Vernon Deyre, a young composer

who reinvents his identity after being declared dead in WWI. . . .

His sheltered childhood in the home he loves has not prepared

Vernon for the harsh reality of his adult years."

I'm just starting this novel. Chapter One opens with the narrator

telling the tale from young Vernon's viewpoint of what the world looks

like to a little boy growing up in an English nursery. Already I begin

to love this sweet, thoughtful youngster. 

The novel was critically acclaimed upon publication.

The magazine: In Her Garden

Summer 2025

by Stampington & Company

This charming magazine requires a quiet afternoon

for browsing with a cup of tea and a bit of sweet treat.

You can learn more about the magazine HERE. 

❦

On that note, I'm wishing you

glimpses of heaven in unexpected places,

Brenda

Photo credits:

Brenda Leyland @ It's A Beautiful Life

excluding the Pancake photo which is by Rita E from Pixabay

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I post on Fridays