One Sweet Kitty

 

It's been a weekend mixed with joy and sorrow.  In life that's often how things come. The joy of the Royal Wedding, as wonderful as it all was to watch, was tinted with a sorrow of the heart as I watched my dear, sweet Miss Kitty slowly dwindling away.  Unwell for a while, we kept hoping that she'd rally.  She was already tiny and with no desire to eat any more, there seemed little else the vet could do for her.

By yesterday evening we knew in our hearts that she couldn't carry on this way, and our very caring vet said it was the best for her too. This afternoon, as she lay with her head nestled on my hand,  and Rick stroking her as she used to enjoy, we bid her farewell and she gently slipped away.

In memory and celebration of

Miss Kitty

May 1995 - April 30, 2011

Thank you, dear Father, for giving us this sweet kitty

to love and be loved by her.

Thank you for the great pleasure and comfort

she gave us so freely.

Thank you for all the sweet and funny things she did

that made us laugh with joy and rejoice that she was in our lives.
 

Thank you for loving your little creatures

and for receiving what you love back to yourself.

We celebrate her life

and give You praise for your good gift to us!

  
 "Well loved"

We'll miss you so, so much, Missy!

Furry hugs and little purry kisses,
Brenda
xox

Simple Pleasures Thursday

"How to be happy when you are miserable.

Plant Japanese poppies with cornflowers and mignonette

and bed out the petunias among the sweet-peas

so that they shall scent each other.

See the sweet-peas coming up.

Drink very good tea out of a thin Worcester cup

of a colour between apricot and pink. . ."

~ Rumer Godden



Simple pleasures all of them!  Miss Godden had the right idea!

Happy Day,
Brenda
xox

Spicy Oatmeal Crisps

These cookies have black pepper in them, which seems an odd ingredient for cookies.  But the unexpected twist hints at something just a little out of the ordinary.  Believe me, they are delicious! How can we tell ?  There's only spicy crumbs rattling around in the bottom of the cookie tin and we only baked them yesterday! My nephew says they go great with milk... I found them tasty with a nice cup of coffee.  And I think they'd be awesome as an accompaniment with ice cream drizzled with strawberries.

 

Spicy Oatmeal Crisps

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp grated whole nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup packed brown sugar

5 Tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 cup regular rolled oats

* * * * *

 Preheat oven to 350 F

1. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups; level with a knife.

2. In medium bowl, combine flour with the next 7 ingredients.

3. Beat sugar, butter and vanilla in a large bowl with mixer until fluffy.

4. Add egg; beat well.

5. Stir in the flour mix, as well as the oats.

6. Drop by level tablespoons 2" apart onto greased or sprayed baking sheets.

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until crisp.

8. Cool on pans 1-2 minutes or until mostly cool.

9. Don't leave longer - they'll break, so finish cooling on a wire rack.

10. Store in cookie tin (if there's any left, that is)

Yield: 2 dozen

Here's to the sweet -- and spicy -- things in life!

 Hugs,
Brenda
xox

Thinking About Hope

"Where flowers bloom so does hope."
~ Lady Bird Johnson


"Expect to have hope rekindled.
Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways.
The dry seasons in life do not last.
The spring rains will come again."
~ Sarah Ban Breathnach


And now these three remain:
faith, hope, love.

 ~ 1 Corinthians 13:13

In Every Leaf

Today, I went in search of Spring in my garden.
So much still looks dead and dormant -- some shadier spots are even under snow.

-- Happily --

I found some cheeky crocuses

daring to rise against the odds and declare that,

"Yes, Spring is here, you may take hope!"

 

Many around the world gather this weekend

to celebrate and remember the crucifixion,

death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I'm reminded of a thought attributed

to a Believer of another century:

"Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection,
not in books alone,
but in every leaf in springtime."
~ Martin Luther

Wishing you glimpses of heaven in unexpected places!
Brenda
xox