A Fine Romance by Susan Branch

Talk about a fine romance this Valentine's Day. You see, my own dear Valentine, aka Dearest Hubby, totally surprised me with a delivery from Amazon. Don't you love it when you hear the doorbell and you just know UPS has left a brown parcel in your mailbox? Don't you love the word 'parcel'?

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.............................. Inside was a longed-for copy of Susan Branch's latest book A Fine Romance.

It was ♥ love ♥ at first sight. Beautifully bound with a gorgeous red ribbon bookmark, it lays open without fuss. Every page is filled with art renderings and glimpses into Susan's unique style as she shares the trip she and her Joe took to the English countryside. And, it all begins with the very fine romantic story of how those two met.

Whether you've visited England before or still dream of doing the trip across the pond, I think you'll really enjoy love, love love reading this book. From the romantic voyage across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2, to learning to navigate British roadways, to traveling through beautiful English countryside, strolling through romantic gardens, stopping to have tea...

To visiting the homes of favourite authors like Beatrix Potter and Jane Austen, and meeting the loveliest local people, not to mention English woolly lambs, Susan invites her readers 'the girlfriends' to be a part of this grand adventure. And when you read it, it's just like being there. Well, almost.

A Fine Romance is magical from cover to cover. Pages are filled with Susan's photographs, whimsical art, hand-drawn maps, recipes, quotes, not to mention her droll stories and fascinating diary entries.

I've been savoring each page... dreaming too, as this is the very kind of trip Mr. Hubby and I have been dreaming about and planning a while now for ourselves. As Susan often reminds us...

"Because nothing happens unless first we dream."

~ Carol Sandburg    

Pack Light - Armchair Travel. Now, if that kind of trip isn't possible right now, remember that packing for armchair traveling is light and easy. You could ask your own Valentine to send you your own copy of A Fine Romance, Falling in Love with the English Countryside.

Lots More On Susan's website. And if the budget doesn't stretch for a book either, then you might enjoy Susan's interview about her new book, or have a fun snoop through the appendix of the book which is also on her website -- it includes live links to all manner of interesting and delightful tidbits about the trip.

Here's wishing you a fine day and a little romance,

Hugs,
Brenda
xox

Quiet A Little While

 

No clicking or clattering

No fancy pen dipping in antique inkwell

No ideas budding into Spring

All is dormant

Peaceful, quiet as the wintry garden outside

Just as trees have gathered life down deep under frozen landscape

so too this soul feels drawn to hibernate

Be still...

Be still and know...

Know

To everything there is a season.

Now is time to come away.
Dream. Ruminate.

Rest. Be still. Know.

Spring will come.
And new life...

New words too.


Quiet for a little while...

Brenda
xox

Graphic: AntiqueClipart.com

When The Darkness Creeps In

 

I've had the darkness creeping in a lot of late. And not just because it's winter and we're in the shortest light season of the year.

I find it takes much work to stay happy for some reason. The pressures of life do willfully tread on my heart.

But the One who knows those same pressures from personal experience reminds me often not to let the cares and anxieties of this world choke out the words of eternal life that spring up in my heart... and I become still and quiet.

Sometimes, I see myself sitting near Him in a quiet, peaceful spot -- He holds my hand and just being with Him comforts and encourages me.

I wish you encouragement about your own lives, dear friends. And grace for every footprint you must make today and this week. Arise, shine, for your Light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

With a gentle kiss atop thy heads,
Brenda
xox

 Photos:  (c) Brenda Leyland, 2014

New Year's Eve

 To My Beautiful Friends ~

Take twelve fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate; cleanse them completely from every clinging spite; pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness. In short, see that these months are freed from all the past—have them fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time.

Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way) but prepare one day at a time.

Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, prayer, meditation, rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing—don't do it), and one well-selected resolution.

Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.  ~ Anonymous

Wishing you a beautiful year ahead for you!

Hugs,

Brenda

xox

Getting Ready For A New Year

Source

Just a few days ago everything felt warm and cozy with Christmas ornaments and cards and glitter here on my blog. Somehow the so-seasonal picture of sugar cookies on a plate and candy cane sticks poking out from a mug of something steamy suddenly seems 'past its prime'.

I love this vintage vase with violets... I love its soft beauty and somehow makes me feel lovely and eager for a new year.


Here's what I'm up to at present as we wait for the dawn of a brand new year...

Getting ready for another online memoir writing course with Lisa Dale Norton -- it starts next week.  Getting ready for me includes having a project idea lined up of what I want to write about (the last time I took the course, I was a green horn and didn't know what to expect).  And, also important, I've been working on having a few meals in the freezer, things like homemade soup and pasta sauce. Which means more time for writing and pondering and pencil chewing...oh yes, and actually writing several essays over the course.
 
Purging my ever-increasing load of emails that arrive from all manner of sources --- wanted and so many unwanted and unsolicited -- determining that this year I am NOT allowing emails to pile up in my inbox till it groans with the cyber-weight. So, the goal is to keep my inbox under a hundred.  If that sounds like a lot to you, I used to have several hundred emails in my inbox, because I had signed up for so many 'free' resources and webinars, and of course I'm on all their contact lists now. I'm more particular now, if I'm not using it right away, I don't need right now either.

Tuning up my computer with the help of tech-savvy nephew. Yes, even computers get bogged down in the corners with stuff that we don't need or want...and we even scratch our heads wondering when that program got downloaded. We uninstalled programs I no longer needed, and we did a full and proper scan for viruses. I am amazed at how swift my computer runs again -- I feel quite light headed about it all.  Mmm... maybe I'll be able to blog faster now too -- haha --don't count on it, my friends.

Pondering 'word for the season' for my inner journey as well. What with all this cleaning up of the old, I think the word 'purge' becomes a good mantra for now -- letting go of the clutter, the unnecessary, any distractions that water down my energy and time.

So...on that note, I'm off. As dear hubby and I work at our local performing arts center (there are events both tonight and tomorrow, so said cleaners must do their duty, even on New Year's Eve), we'll be long retired before the bells ring in the New Year in our corner of the world. As one friend says, whether he stays up or not, the year will still arrive, so we'll toast it ahead.  

For everyone else who's staying up ...or not... here's wishing you a very Happy New Year. May tonight ring 2014 in with grace, beauty, and much joy for you and yours.
 

Hugs and blisses,
Brenda
xox