So Soon A Season

If you're wondering where she is, this little birdie is instructed to tell you that she has not flown the coop. She is well. She has been enjoying the warm days of summer, but she finds it strange to be saying farewell to August already. Surely not?

But if crows are gathering, little brown bats not normally around here are finding solace on a summer day in the peek of our umbrella, and female humming birds consider our garden a stoppinghouse as they prepare to head south, then we guess it really must be so.

Anyone who has followed this blog a while will know that we love, love all that autumn and September offer us, but at this moment we are dragging our toes just a teeny bit when we think about turning the calendar page tomorrow. No doubt in the morning I shall feel quite differently, but it seems a shame that our long summer days have so soon grown short.

In the village store someone

says, "I heard the geese go over," and

there is a moment of silence.

Why this is so moving, I do not know.

But all of us feel it.

~ Gladys Taber 
(as read in Susan Branch's Autumn book)

One of summer's delights this year was to join with my mom in watching the unfurling of her new Peace Rose -- a birthday gift from her son and his family. From tight buds edged with red to the soft yellow bloom tinted pale pink to the wide open rose in deep yellow.

Pure pleasure. It was interesting to note that it smelled the sweetest once it had completely opened, as if spilling all she had into one final perfect moment. On reflection, there might be a lesson somewhere in that last sentence for those of us who find ourselves in our later blooming season.

  

On that note, dear beautiful friends,

may your glimpses be as beautiful in those unexpected places,

Brenda

xox

Linking with Mosaic Monday

Rudbeckia Brilliance

When I was a girl living on our family farm in rural Alberta, my mom used to say that she could tell when summer was coming to an end when she'd notice the hollyhocks peering through the kitchen windows.

Nowadays, my home is in the city and I don't have hollyhocks growing by my kitchen window, but I can still tell the time of year -- and that autumn is surely drawing near -- when my yellow rudbeckia flowers tower next to our living room bay window.

As you see below, they tower over me too. They add quite the cheery corner with their tall stems.

I love to watch them bend and blow in the breeze. Free form dance, I call it. And, I love their huge, yellow petals that are like brilliant drops of sunlight against their greenery.

It's with a happy heart I offer you my glimpse of heaven from my little corner of the world today.

Sending you hugs and wishes for a beautiful day,

Brenda

xox

Memoir Moment: The Piano

Some of my earliest childhood memories revolve around the beautiful 1900's piano that once sat like a grand lady in the corner of our cozy farmhouse living room. That piano—now in my own front room—surely played a key role in our family life, adding a musical lilt, not to mention 'a little culture' to Mom's growing brood.

As a girl, I loved to sit beside Mom to watch her play in the evenings after the day's work was done. Her fingers would fly across the keys while Dad relaxed in his easy chair listening, eyes sometimes closed. A peaceful, restful calm would settle around us. It's a cozy feeling I've never forgotten.

 Only a year old and I was already taking joy in making 'music'

Mom was determined that her kids would get to take piano lessons and I started lessons in Grade 2. My teacher, Miss Norah L. Thompson, a gentle teacher, was a classically trained English woman, who'd come to Canada to live. Taking lessons was exciting for me, and a little nerve-wracking at first. What if I didn't remember what the notes were, but it all eventually stuck, learning my scales and finding out about famous composers as we studied little pieces based on their works.

 Little Blondie smiling at the thought of one day playing the piano,

 just like her momma

Once I learned to read music, I then loved to tinkle the upper keys when Mom played. Mom had no formal lessons but had a great love for the piano and a natural gift. You see, she could play by heart, something I yearned as a little girl to do. (I used to even dream I could play without notes, but alas I'd wake up to find I still played better reading the notes, although I became a whiz at chopsticks.) 

Although my mom didn't play classical music, she was amazing with the beautiful, old hymns we used to sing in church. I still love to hear her play them to this day. I think it was listening to her, as a little girl, that stirred not only my own love for music and the piano, but maybe a love for God, too. Hearing melodies that stirred my soul then and now, not to mention belting out the faith-stirring words as we played -- what pleasure it gave us!

 

"Prayer is when you talk to God. Meditation is when you're listening.

Playing the piano allows you to do both at the same time."

Kelsey Grammer

It wasn't until I was older that I truly valued the gift Mom and Dad gave us -- their love for beautiful music, and the opportunity to take lessons from Miss Thompson. I owe an incalculable debt to my parents and to my teacher.

Mom, thanks for pushing me to practice those early days when I preferred reading over doing scales. For I always loved playing the piano, it was just the practicing that wasn't as fun. As a child, I certainly never clued in to the fact that it was the practicing, the scales, and the theory that would help create a foundation for a joy of playing that has lasted my whole life. I am grateful for them now.

And, so dear beautiful readers, there's my little story. Did any of you take piano lessons as a child?  Do you still play? 

Sending musical thoughts your way today,

Brenda

xox

Quick Without Thinking...

...Seven things for which I am grateful today...

ONE

For blue skies this morning that are clear of the hazy, gray smoke from the forest fires burning for weeks in various parts of Western Canada. The air is sweet today.

TWO

For the good rain that has watered thirsty, thirsty ground and helped with those forest fires. Not to mention, my own little patch of earth where my flowers and trees are most grateful.

THREE

For the cooler temperatures this week as anything over +31C feels too warm for this chickee. Today I feel more energetic and less sloth-like.

FOUR

For misty goblets of homemade iced lemonade with a dash of anise oil to sip on a hot day. 

FIVE

For the ability to enjoy the summer as it unfolds moment by moment, knowing that there is no having to get up before dawn to go to work, and there's no need to head off to bed long before the sun gives its amazing twilight summer show in the late evenings.

SIX

For spontaneity and the freedom to invite someone spur of the moment for chicken salad on croissants served with iced tea and lemon.

SEVEN

For the gift of this blog and my beautiful blogging friends who still come to visit. Honestly, I didn't mean to be away for so long between posts. (We were on a couple of mini-holidays. And, then I've been working feverishly away on a delightful project these last couple of weeks. Something I cannot reveal just yet, as it's meant as a surprise for someone who reads this blog.)

“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 

Now, whether you're sitting in the shade of a tree listening to the leaves rustle, or you're off tackling some neglected project with gusto, or you're sitting with friends on a cafe patio, I'm wishing you a happy day and a joy-filled week ahead.

Gratefully,

Brenda

xox

The Rice Days of Summer

We're meeting friends for a picnic later this warm summer afternoon so it's a perfect day to make a light, but satisfying rice salad. The recipe I made includes chopped vegetables, minced herbs, and diced mango. The dressing is a lemon garlic vinaigrette.

The beauty of this salad is that you can substitute the vegetables to suit your own taste or based on what you find in your garden or refrigerator. And when you're trying to stay cool on a hot day, there is something quite refreshing about dicing up garden vegetables and herbs. I love the smell.

Once everything was diced and mixed together, we had to sample. A generous spoonful  or two. You want to make sure it's suitable for company, right? Oh y-e-e-e-e-s, this salad bursts with flavour and texture and is SO satisfying to the tastebuds. I might have to stay home because I think I could eat the whole bowl myself, it's so delicious.

I like rice.

Rice is great if you're hungry and
want 2000 of something.

~ Mitch Hedberg

Below I've included the recipe -- you're welcome to 'copy and save as' on your computer. Hopefully it prints out fine for you. Now, dear blogging friends, I'm off to eat rice in the company of some fine people!

Wishing you a lovely day,

Brenda

xox

Correction to recipe:  I forgot to include the amount of rice -- 2 cups. I've also added the amount in the recipe below. Remember, you can double-click on the recipe (as with any photo) to see a larger version.

The original recipe which I have adapted is found here.