Finding joy in the everyday

(source: link ) I enjoy an old fashion romance . . . ok, I can hear some of you cringing.  I stress "old-fashion" compare to the modern " jump in the bed in the first chapter " type romance novels.  The modern ones are about sex and lust and no, I don't enjoy those at all.  However the lovely ones written many years ago I do like (secretly).  I don't read them very often but every now and again I pop out my Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice type romances and thoroughly enjoy the journey. However sometimes I skip the book (when I am lazy) and move straight to the mini series and thanks to the BBC there are many wonderful historical mini-series to enjoy.  Beautifully crafted and such a joy to watch (compared to many things on DVD/TV these days).  A few weeks ago whilst on holidays I enjoyed watching Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South (2003).  It is similar to Pride and Prejudice, however it is set against the backdrop of Victorian England's industri...

Aren't these pretty, I'm not usually a fan of cypress but these are really nice.  The pale green is a Lemon Cypress and when you run your hand along it, its beautiful lemon scent is released. The dark green is a Juniper Cypress. They should both grow 2 metres in the pots and create a screen by the front door. And being near the door, I hoping that the lemon scent will whiff into the house! My DH bought me 4 solar lights for the garden - this is one of them.  Wasn't that really sweet of him.  Apple blossom I have a little secret spot in my garden for quiet reflection - its one of Charlie's (cat) favourite spots in summer as it remains cool and shady during the hottest part of the day.  Over winter it had become overgrown, finally last weekend I was able to clean it all out and now it is ready for summer. All my daisies are in flower and looking very happy. This year I have far more white than the dark pink, not sure why. I've been working on a new area in the gard...

  Remember that Jesus will always be there To hear our problems and to gather our tears, To calm the storms, and to settle the fears. It does not matter how great or how small, Jesus will answer to our every call. Just call on the Lord, it matters not when- His office is not closed at half-past ten. He's never on lunch, He can't take a break; If He did, this old world would just crumble and shake. His lines are never busy, He won't put you on hold. He won't ask you twice what He's already been told. There's no account number, nor address to give; No matter where you've moved, He knows where you live. Yes, the Lord always answers, He never leaves home. He won't leave us to handle it all on our own So when things get rough, and things aren't fair, Remember: Life is fragile, so handle with prayer. By Gloria J. Ames

A few years ago I owned a mobile phone - a bit like the one in the picture above, I used it to make phone calls and that was about it.  I was pretty content with this as I can remember when we never had mobile phones at all. Then appearing on the market was a new phone called the "smart phone". Wow, this one could do almost everything but wash the dishes. With my phone contract expired I moved to the latest smart phone. I could make phone calls, I could surf the net, play games, take photos, read books - it was amazing.  I wondered how I ever coped with a phone that couldn't do all these things. What did I do whilst waiting in a queue, now I can read a book or play a game to fill in the time. Maybe I spoke to the person next to me, I can't remember. I use to have shelves full of music CDs and when I wanted to listen to music in the car I would select a couple of CDs and take them with me. But then a new devise was invented, this was another wow moment.  ...

Artists: Javacheff Christo (1935 - ) and Jeanne-Claude (1935-2009) Style: Conceptual artist Christo (born in Bulgaria) and Jeanne-Claude (Morocco to French parents) were born on the same date (1935). They first met in Paris in October 1958. Their works were credited to just "Christo" until 1994 when the outdoor works and large indoor installations were retroactively credited to "Christo and Jeanne-Claude". They flew in separate planes: in case one crashed, the other could continue their work. Although their work is visually impressive and often controversial as a result of its scale, the artists have repeatedly denied that their projects contain any deeper meaning than their immediate aesthetic impact.  The purpose of their art, they contend, is simply to create works of art or joy and beauty and to create new ways of seeing familiar landscapes. ( source: Wikipedia ).  For more information on their many art installations and how they constructed, visit the...

Sometimes I surprise myself and this week I did just that.  I have been wanting to make jam for ages but have always been a little nervous about giving it a go. As a child I watched my parents make jam on a regular bases - but to be honest, I didn't pay much attention to the process they used.  So the other day I rang up my dad and got a step-by-step recipe of how to make jam.  So thanks dad for your great advice as it worked and I now have delicious homemade jam. Here are my 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) of strawberries - sadly not homegrown, bought from the supermarket but reasonably priced. I'm not one for following recipes to the letter - so I thought I would add some frozen raspberries (about 1kg) however I knew this might cause me some grief down the line with the amount of sugar, but I just ignored all of that!! No harm in taking risks!! After softening the fruit on gentle heat with 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and a little water (I could have skipped the water) I the...

Dear ladies Thank you so much for your lovely comments in regards to my handmade tissue holders, I am so glad you liked them. AND (drum roll) to the TWO lovely ladies who were randomly picked via random.org (I didn't use Ruby this time as she has a habit off eating or running of with the winning paper) the WINNERS ARE: Ruby from Mumma's Place and  Rosemary from Joyfulmum I will contact you shortly for details on posting your gift and to confirm which ones you would like. And dear blogging friends and family, do have a lovely week. Do you have any plans for the week? I return to work on Tuesday after a relaxing and productive break.