Scraps of Joy

Cinnamon Swirls and Cozy Corners

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Joy / 3 Comments

Hello Friend,

I’m so glad you dropped in for tea today. Excuse my attire, I’m dressed like a toddler, in white long-sleeved T and denim overalls. The Cowboy is calling me Ellie-Mae but I’m very comfortable, and comfort is the main idea.

I’m looking forward to our visit, and I can hardly wait to take a bite of our treat. Can you smell the wonderfulness of the Cinnamon Swirled Banana Bread? My mouth is watering.

I’m breaking with tradition and serving coffee today. It seemed like the right thing to serve with this scrumptious cinnamony banana bread. The perfect comfort food. Check out the recipe here.

~~~~~

~~~~~

~~~~~

Winter has arrived in my little corner of the world, along with ramped up Covid numbers, heavier restrictions, and lockdowns, in places. We had to cancel our trip to celebrate Little Man’s seventh birthday with him. Very disappointing for him and for us.

Luckily, we could make a quick trip to soak in some grandkid hugs from Sweet Thing and Little Munch before their province’s restrictions came into effect. I still feel those little arms squeezed around my neck, a healing elixir.

But it is hard, isn’t it? And now my heart is seeking comfort and joy. And cozy corners.

~~~~~

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.
Edith Sitwell

~~~~~

~~~~~

What is your idea of a cozy corner? Is anyone else there, or are you alone? Are you staring out the window, or reading a book, or in a heart to heart conversation with a dear friend?

~~~~~

~~~~~

Are you sitting by a light-filled window or snuggled up next to a fireplace? Does your cozy corner contain a blanket or a pet? Is there something good to eat? A warm drink?

~~~~~

~~~~~

Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.
James Herriot

~~~~~

I’m hesitant about a pet in my cozy corner. Kittens are cute and cats seem cozy to me, but I’m not a big fan of pets in the house, so my cozy corner would likely be pet-less. However, it would definitely include a blanket – either one of those velvety soft ones so popular now, or better yet, the flannel rag quilt in pinks and blues that Mom made me years ago.

Then, of course, there’d be a big comfy wing chair with a footstool. Wing chairs are nice for nodding off in – they have built in headrests. I’d be near a window with a view, there’d be quiet instrumental music playing, a book or two within easy reach, and the smell of something wonderful coming from the kitchen.

~~~~~

Books are good company, in sad times and happy times …
E.B. White

~~~~~

Maybe your cozy corner is in the kitchen near your coffee pot, cupping your favourite mug in your hands. You’re comforted by the lingering smell of buttered toast, and the sight of cherished pieces of china peeking at you from the cupboard.

~~~~~

~~~~~

The smell of that buttered toast simply spoke to Toad, and with no uncertain voice; talked of warm kitchens, of breakfasts on bright frosty mornings, of cozy parlour firesides on winter evenings, when one’s ramble was over and slippered feet were propped on the fender; of the purring of contented cats, and the twitter of sleepy canaries.
Kenneth Grahame

~~~~~

Or maybe your most comforting place is your sewing or crafting corner, where your busy hands create masterpieces of love and sanity. I think I’d pick my sewing corner as my second favourite cozy corner. For me, sewing has proven to be soothing for frayed nerves and an unquiet mind.

~~~~~

I am certain that a Sewing Machine would relieve as much human suffering as a hundred Lunatic Asylums, and possibly a good deal more.
Margaret Atwood, Alias Grace

~~~~~

Whatever your cozy corner entails, I hope you can spend a little time there soon, gather your thoughts, and remember the good things in your life. If this season of unrest has taught me anything, it is that regardless of circumstances going on around me, there are still so many moments of beauty, of comfort and joy, to experience. Look a little harder and you’ll find them.

~~~~~

As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful. They are the things that fill our lives with comfort and our hearts with gladness – just the pure air to breathe and the strength to breathe it; just warmth and shelter and home folks; just plain food that gives us strength; the bright sunshine on a cold day; and a cool breeze when the day is warm.
Laura Ingalls Wilder

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting today. Bye for now, and stay safe out there.

~~~~~

Featured image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay.

~~~~~

Tea Time/The Simple Woman's Daybook

The Simple Woman’s Daybook – November

Posted on November 3, 2020 by Joy / 6 Comments

Hello Friend,

Someone told me recently that they’re missing the Tea Time posts. Well, you are welcome anytime for tea and a chat. So come on in, have a seat on my cream-and-soft-pink couch, and I’ll get the tea.

~~~~~

Your choice today is between good old Earl Grey – which I’ve discovered I love with a generous dash of Silk Almond for Coffee, hazelnut flavour – or Maharaja Chai Oolong.

There is no baking in the house, unfortunately, since The Cowboy and I have just finished 30 days of Whole30. But I do have some Vanilla Wafers on hand – always have something handy in case someone drops in. Like you!

Now, click on the music just below, sit back, and relax as I share another Simple Woman’s Daybook post.

~~~~~

For Today

~~~~~

Looking out my window …

Another gorgeous morning begins this November day on the Canadian prairies. It’s unusual for temperatures to be in the teens this late in the year. The skies are grey but over my across-the-street-neighbour’s roof, and through the weeping willow in his back yard I see blue sky working its way through.

I am thankful …

For windows that open. I’m the kind of person who likes to let the outside in far longer than most rational people would. When we first moved into this house there were hardly any windows that opened. Horrors! Replacing them was one of my best days ever.

One of my favorite things …

Is getting real mail in my mailbox. Not bills or flyers. A real card or snail-mail letter just for me.

I am learning …

We Wish You a Merry Christmas on the ukulele. I’m very much a beginner, and there are some difficult chord changes in that song so I’m giving myself lots of time to learn it. I can only practice for half an hour a day before the pads of my fingers start hurting too much. However, anytime you feel the need for some ukulele accompaniment to Buffalo Gals, Won’t You Come Out Tonight, I’m ready!

~~~~~

I am creating …

A new book, in collaboration with my mom. I’ll be working on her story throughout the month of November for this year’s NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I’m aiming to have the first draft written by November 30. Now that I’ve announced it here, I have to carry through. 🙂

~~~~~

I am wearing …

The most comfy palazzo pants – grey – with matching top. And since I’m in all grey, I wanted to wear my brightest-coloured earrings. But it seems I don’t own any bright coloured earrings anymore, so I opted for my most dangly.

~~~~~

I am watching …

The Great British Sewing Bee. It’s BACK! I sooo look forward to every single new episode. And while I’m waiting for the new one, I rewatch old ones over and over. And over and over. I always learn something new.

I am reading …

~~~~~

I am listening to …

Feel Good Piano playlist on Spotify.

In my kitchen …

I have put the oven on self-clean. I think the last time I did this was in the spring, and there have been many spills since then. A cleaning was much needed! Windows open also much needed during this process! So, just in case you’re cold, here’s a cozy blanket to stay warm. And let me warm up your tea while I’m at it.

~~~~~

~~~~~

In my garden …

All the patio furniture, pots, and tools have been covered or stored away. Our squirrel friend – no doubt one of Stevie’s descendants – has stopped poking under the eaves looking for the treasures his buddies stored up there in the spring. I think he has undone all of their hard work by stealing the reserves and taking them to his own secret place.

In my study …

I keep these little souvenirs on my window ledge to remind me of some of the places I’ve been privileged to visit. These days it’s hard to imagine a world where we can travel freely to anywhere we want. But those days will come again in some form or other – the future never looks exactly like the past.

P.S. Souvenir is the French word for “to remember”.

~~~~~

Post Script …

Hope Connections – From the Writers’ Café is now available on several distribution channels: Amazon (several Amazon channels), Chapters (Indigo), Apple iBooks, Goodreads, Kobo, PageMaster Publishing. And soon to be on Barnes & Noble, I believe. If you happen to read it, would you be so kind as to leave a review? I speak for Writers’ Café when I say we would all be so very grateful.

~~~~~

Shared Quote …

Living on purpose gives a reason to be faithful.
Sally Clarkson [Awaking Wonder]

~~~~~

Closing Notes …

Thanks for stopping in today, it was so lovely to have you. Bye for now, and stay safe out there.

~~~~~

~~~~~

Feature black and white image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay.

Life is so Daily/Living the Moment

A Moment

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Joy / 2 Comments

Hello Friend,

Come on in and have a seat by the fire. Would you like something warm to drink?

I’m listening to gentle piano music this morning as the sun tries to shimmer through grey skies. And I’m thinking about Time. How we, in the western world at least, think of time as linear, when so often it’s not.

Time’s pulse is steady, regular. Second follows second. But it is lived in moments, chunks, seasons.

Breaths.

~~~~~

~~~~~

Our culture thinks of time in terms of schedules and deadlines. I suppose those things are necessary in their way. I wonder if God thinks of time the same way we do.

And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
Genesis 1:5

~~~~~

We have our days, framed by the rising and the setting of the sun. Our bodies keep us on a regular hungry schedule. Those things are a given. But there are moments between those routine beats that colour the weft and warp of time.

~~~~~

When I study the sky or the petals of a rose, when I get engrossed in a book or absorbed in my writing, all time melts away in that one moment. When I encounter something too difficult to bear, time is suspended while the clock records each laborious tick. The enchantment of time lies in its series of moments. Not minutes. Not hours.

Moments. Of joy, of wonder, of grief, or pain.

Or pandemic.

~~~~~

~~~~~

And moments pass. This one will too.

Thanks for listening to my thoughts on this cozy morning by the fire.

Stay safe out there, and see you next time.

Joy

~~~~~

~~~~~

Feature image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

Life is so Daily/The Simple Woman's Daybook

The Simple Woman’s Daybook – October

Posted on October 11, 2020 by Joy / 8 Comments

Hello Friend,

October is definitely upon us. The mornings are dark now when I get up but if I wait just a little bit I’m rewarded with the sunrise.

Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!
Lamentations 3:22-23

~~~~~

I love thinking about these prompts Peggy has organized for The Simple Woman’s Daybook. They settle my mind on something clear and doable and help me to focus on the small, wonderful, simple things of life. Which actually turn out to be not so small after all.

~~~~~

For Today

~~~~~

Looking out my window …

The skies over my neighbour’s house have turned from a few pale streaks in the sky to a glowing, fiery pink. How I wish I could capture it, but my sunrise pictures never turn out as glorious as the real thing.

I am thankful …

For beautiful sunrises, because they remind me that God is still in His heaven. He knows how much joy His artistic creations bring me. When I looked up from my computer screen to look out the window, I actually clapped my hands and gushed, “ohhhhhh!” like a delighted child. His child.

~~~~~

I believe beauty reflects the truth about who God is and what this world is all about.
Christie Purifoy

~~~~~

One of my favourite things …

Autumn – The crisp air filling my lungs also clears cobwebs in my head and refreshes me from the top of my hat to the toes in my boots. Changing fall colours cause me to slow down, not only to examine each remarkable leaf, but to consider my life and how I sometimes complicate what could be simple, and simplify the truly wondrous intricacies of simply living.

~~~~~

~~~~~

I am creating …

More space in my bookshelves — not necessarily getting rid of books, you understand, but packing many away that I don’t need right now. They will reappear in my new library whenever our new home is built.

I am wearing …

Stretchy jeans, burnt orange sweater, and long dangly gold earrings shaped like leaves.

I am reading …

Children’s books. Several of them, actually. I was introduced to so many wonderful picture books and picture book authors at last week’s Picture Book Summit that I knew I needed to add a few to my library. Here are some of my new favourites:

~~~~~

Also reading No Time to Spare by Ursula K. Le Guin

Fear is seldom wise and never kind.
Ursula K. Le Guin

~~~~~

I am watching …

Miss Marple on britbox; the series with Joan Hickson as Miss Jane Marple. A friend told me that Agatha Christie once spotted Joan Hickson and thought she’d be ideal as Miss Marple once she got older. I love stories like that.

I am listening to …

Need I even tell you? I could listen to Babe’s newest album all day long, and I do. It’s so gentle, comforting, relaxing, healing …

I am hoping …

I can find some balance between home life, volunteer work, and writing. October always makes me feel like making schedules – which I eventually never keep to. I wonder, if I called them ‘guidelines’ would the rebel in me be more likely to follow them?

~~~~~

I am learning …

To play the ukulele. I learned the three basic chords in Grade Five. It’s amazing how many songs one can strum to with only three chords. But now, I’m learning so much more than mere strumming. I’m actually picking out the melody of the song, one note, one string, at a time. My fingers still want to learn like a pianist though, so I’ve got a long way to go, but Babe is the most gentle encouraging teacher. It’s quite nice having a certified, accomplished musician in the house.

In my kitchen …

Not the usual Thanksgiving smells. I’m not cooking a turkey this year, opting for tasty ham, potatoes, and some new vegetables to our family’s usual Thanksgiving fare: brussel sprouts, asparagus, sweet potato. It’s going to be scrumptious.

In my study …

A playpen where my rolling office chair should be. Little Munch is visiting for Thanksgiving weekend, with his Mom & Dad, and Sweet Thing.

Family. So much wrapped in that one little word.

In my garden …

The begonias sing for all they’re worth despite falling leaves and cooler temperatures.

~~~~~

A moment from my day …

They are here! I picked up our books on the eve of Thanksgiving weekend. My writers’ group, Writers’ Café, has put together a collection of stories and poems reflecting the theme of hope. One reviewer described Hope Connections this way:

“Be prepared to be transported through these stories and poems – from Depression-ridden Edmonton to the jungles of Brazil, an island in the Philippines to a modern-day home where a mother ponders the gifting of her prodigal. Well crafted and inspiring, the stories will capture your imagination and keep you reading to the very end.”
Marcia Laycock, Award Winning Canadian Author and Speaker

In the chaos of this world, hope still remains. The stories and poems in Hope Connections will remind you that the human spirit is ever sustained by God’s gift of hope.
Katherine Kavanagh Hoffman, a Hope Connections author.

~~~~~

Post Script …

This is where Peggy suggests we share a favourite link to pass along. How handy. PageMaster Publishing is one place where you will find our book. It’s not there just yet since it’s ‘hot off the press’ but they assure me it will be there this week. In two weeks you will find the paperback at Amazon. Ebook available within the month.

Closing Notes …

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends. May your hearts be full when you remember the simple things with which you’ve been blessed: breath in your lungs, friendships near and far, sweet sleep, a colourful world – literally and figuratively. And just enough candy to keep your inner child within reach.

Bye for now, and stay safe out there.

~~~~~

~~~~~

Scraps of Joy

Cinnamon Swirls and Cozy Corners

Like this:

The Simple Woman’s Daybook – November

Like this:

A Moment

Like this:

The Simple Woman’s Daybook – October

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: