Scraps of Joy

July – The Simple Woman’s Daybook

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Joy / 6 Comments

Hello Friend,

We are half-way through July and I can hardly believe it. Where is the time going? I meant to join Peggy and the other Daybookers on the first Monday of the month but that day slipped by, and here we are! Oh well, sometimes it’s okay to be late to the party.

For Today

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Looking Out My Window …

Scrappy cotton clouds are moving across a blue sky and past my window in a hurry. From my vantage point upstairs in my study, I can only see sky and the tip of our mountain ash, which dips and sways in the wind – definitely more than a mere breeze.

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I Am Thinking …

This July feels so unlike past Julys … the months since the pandemic began have melted into each other like lava overtaking the earth. Even though life has returned to routine in many ways (I’ll never call it normal), it’s not the same out there.

I watch this world, with its masks and directional arrows and lines marked on floors to remind us to keep our distance, and wonder where the old one went and how did it creep away so suddenly. It’s funny to think back on the things we took for granted, like standing right behind a person in a checkout line. Who would ever think to be grateful for that in the moment?

Shared Quote …

“Days flow on, even after the coming of an event of great purport. Even after great sorrow and great gladness, days flow on, and all things become the shining woof and the shadowed warp of the tapestry of the past.”
Martha Ostenso, Wild Geese

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I Am Thankful …

That my joy doesn’t depend on my circumstances.

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11

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One of My Favourite Things …

My wash-line. Hanging wash on a line to dry has delighted me from the time I was a little girl when I’d stretch my skipping rope out between two trees to hang doll clothes and blankets on. Clothespins pinning wet clothes on the line, sheets snapping and billowing in the breeze, memories of Mom pulling damp towels out of the basket to clip to the line, her clothespin apron around her waist. There’s just something so comforting and grounding about hanging laundry on a line.

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I Am Creating …

A new quilt … but it’s all hush hush right now. Shhhh.

I Am Wearing …

Black capris, a hot pink top with a white flowered print, dangly earrings, and peachy-pink nail polish called Dance Shoes.

I Am Reading …

Anne of Green Gables. Again. I haven’t read it since I was a teen, but the girls and I often watched the movies as they grew up. That’s why I assumed Anne arrived at Green Gables in the afternoon. I had not remembered that when Matthew picks up Anne from the station, their drive home is in the evening. L.M. Montgomery’s descriptions of Anne’s first experience of Prince Edward Island – at sunset – are enthralling. And I can say, from my own experience of Prince Edward Island, that this is one time when the book truthfully describes the real thing. It really is an enchanting island.

I Am Listening To …

A song in my head – In the Garden – because I just read Brenda’s post where she writes about it. I think it will be in my head all day now, one of those sweet lingering tunes.

I Am Learning …

About what it takes to publish a book. Not the writing of it, but the steps to publication – and what order they go in. Editing, formatting, cover designing, printing, front matter, back matter, ISBNs and where to get them … the list goes on. It’s been a journey! There are a smattering of decisions still to be made but the manuscript is now safely in the hands of the printer and they tell me we will have a finished book in our hands by September: HOPE CONNECTIONS – a Collection of Stories and Poems from the Writers’ Café. I’ll keep you posted.

In My Kitchen …

I’ve opened the windows so I can better hear the birds.

In My Garden …

Colourful chairs in a sheltered corner invite me to come and sit a spell.

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A Moment From My Day … (on the weekend)

Watching Gramps put down the convertible top.

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Closing Notes …

Thanks for visiting today. Stay safe out there, and see you next time.

Joy

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Featured Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

Living the Moment

Another Perfect Day

Posted on July 5, 2020 by Joy / 4 Comments

Listen to the trees as they sway in the wind.
Their leaves are telling secrets. Their bark sings songs of olden days as it grows around the trunks. And their roots give names to all things.
Their language has been lost.
But not the gestures.
Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

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Hello Friend,

Yesterday I sat down and listed elements that would compose a perfect day for me. I came up with 15 in random order:

Blue sky
A few fluffy clouds
Sun
25° C
Breeze
Not closed in; lots of space to see forever
Green, be it grass, trees, fields … one, some or all.
Happy birds singing
Trees whispering
A few favourite people, or nobody
Fresh air. No man-made smells, from cooking to smoking to nastier things … except, maybe, for coconut infused sunscreen
Sitting in the shade
Cool soft grass between my toes … OR
Baby-powder-soft sand between my toes, under a beach umbrella
A meadowlark’s clear song, even once, but preferably over and over.

This list includes all the senses except taste. As I collected these ideas about what a perfect day would be, I thought of all the teas and goodies you and I have shared together and, while they were all so good in the moment, I couldn’t come up with one or two to include in my perfect day. I think that’s because, for me, my choice for the perfect taste would depend on with whom I was sharing that perfect day.

Good friends always make food and drink more enjoyable.

At least, that’s true for me. The Cowboy, culinary enthusiast that he is, would likely fill his list with favourite foods.

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He and I spent a few days in the country this week. We keep a small travel trailer on a very pretty piece of land. It is near a lake, and if you slip through the trees to the gravel road beyond you can see it glimmering in the distance.

The Cowboy has rigged up a way for us to have filtered rainwater for washing and showering – my hair has never been softer – and we have access to electricity, so we’re not “roughing it” by any means. But we are away from the hustle and bustle.

One of my favourite things about this little piece of property is the trees. Tall, stately evergreens, playful poplars, dignified elms, and a few other species I’m still trying to identify.

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It’s so quiet out there, and the slightest breeze will set the poplars whispering. To stop my work in the middle of the day or wake up in the middle of a summer’s night and hear them rustling is one of the most restful, soul-restoring sounds in the world. As I listen, I always – always – catch myself taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

It’s one of my favourite things on the perfect-day list.

We need favourite things. Pieces of a perfect day to counter the bleakness that threatens to drag us down.

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It was a perfect day. There was the shadow of sorrow, yes. It would always be there. But that was the nature of life. The bright mirror and the dark, reflecting one another. And today there was so much brightness.
Jacqueline Carey

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Cities, provinces, countries are in different stages of reopening after lockdown and quarantine. Have you stepped out into the new world yet? Although things continue to be uncertain, do you think it might be important to venture out there for a brief moment? If we don’t, we might not learn what this new world is like and how to properly conduct ourselves.

If you are well, why not take a chance on the world? Wash your hands, wear your mask, keep your distance, remember not to touch your face. (That’s the hardest one for me to remember.)

Observe and notice while you’re out there. Take your time. Learn what it’s like to be out in this changed yet strangely familiar world.

When you return home you will be that much wiser, and maybe a little more confident in your ability to navigate your new world.

Wishing you a perfect day,

Joy

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Featured Image by Richard Woollett from Pixabay

Tea Time

Light and Fluffy is the Goal

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Joy / 4 Comments

Hello Friend,

The wind is picking up and I think it might rain again. Thank you for taking the time to drop in today. Come on in.

Have you ever noticed that just before a rain, when the sky gets dark, the grass and flowers and trees all seem more vibrant? It’s like they’re singing out their colours with all they’ve got before they lose sight of us. From the diaphragm! as all voice teachers are wont to bellow when they want you to belt it to the man in the last row.

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Come, stand by the front window. The graceful tulips are done, as you can see, but the daffodils are still bright and happy. When I sit here to play the piano, their faces are turned to me. I’m often apprehensive to play for an audience, but the daffodils listen attentively, nodding their heads in a kind and appreciative way, and I don’t mind playing for them at all.

Please have a seat, while I pour. Help yourself to cream and sugar.

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I wanted to serve something light and fluffy for tea this week. So, I typed “light and fluffy cake” in my browser and this Light and Fluffy Yellow Cake came up.

You’ve probably noticed that I don’t go for fussy kinds of recipes. Short in preparation and easy in execution, that’s my modus operandi. But this time I decided to take on the fuss and I have to say, it was worth it. They suggested serving with chocolate icing but the lovely cake alone, with maybe a dollop of whipped cream (short and easy) is quite nice enough on its own, don’t you think?

It got me to thinking that it takes some work to get to light and fluffy. It takes some work to make something difficult look easy.

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When I watch professional pianists perform, I’m always enthralled by how easy they make it look. But I know from experience how many hours and hours of practice it takes to get to even the smallest degree of accomplishment.

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Many years ago, when I was preparing for a piano ARCT exam (Associate Royal Conservatory Teacher’s), I spent four to five hours a day practicing. A week before my exam, my piano instructor recorded my 60-minute performance. Now, when I listen to that recording, I’m quite amazed I could play like that. I can’t anymore. But I don’t spend hours in daily practice either.

Yes, it takes some work to make something difficult look light and fluffy.

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Last week our province moved into Stage Two of our relaunch. Restaurants are open, personal services like manicures, and wellness services like massage have been opened. Even churches, gyms, and theatres have permission to reopen. All of this comes with certain restrictions, of course: wear masks when in close contact, keep socially distanced when possible, no singing, etc.

But on the weekend, the cases of Covid-19 rose rather alarmingly in our city.

It’s still a dance, this pandemic, and we don’t know all the right steps. For three months now we’ve been faithfully taking dance classes to learn the steps. We have mastered some of them but before we’re able to catch on to all of them, we’re plunged into a new dance with all new moves.

Sometimes it feels like the dance instructor is making up moves as we go along. We’re confused and slightly skittish. We’re apprehensive in front of an audience. Nobody wants to make a mistake out on the stage but we’re thrown out there anyway before the dance is completely mastered. Before we have the expertise to make something difficult look light and fluffy.

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The thing is, we’re going to make mistakes. That’s just part of being human. We know what we know and we learn as we go.

When I listen to the recording my piano instructor made for me all those years ago, I’m delighted to hear myself play so well, but I can still pick out the mistakes. They’re there. Most of them would be unnoticeable to anyone else, but I hear them.

So, keep practicing. We’ll get there. Hard work, hyper awareness, staying alert and up to date. Carrying on.

And so it goes.

I’ve enjoyed our teatimes together. Thank you so much for coming.

Remember to stay alert, and stay safe out there. Bye for now.

Joy

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Featured Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

Tea Time

Chocolate Crunchies and Other Details

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Joy / 6 Comments

Hello Friend,

It’s a lovely day, and I think we can manage our visit on the patio today. Come on around back. The Cowboy has finished all of his yard work back here, and see? Don’t you love the colour of these chairs? Don’t they just invite you to sit down and breathe?

The colours: Mint Liquor, Glass Bead, and Yellow Pansy. I think the blue (glass bead) is my favourite. Please, have a seat in your favourite colour.

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I made Chocolate Crunchie cookies earlier this week. I haven’t been able to find a recipe online to match mine, which got me to thinking they aren’t really called chocolate crunchies at all. But that’s what we called them growing up.

They are quite chocolatey. After you roll the dough into balls, and just before popping them into the oven, you dip one rounded side into water and then into granulated sugar. When they are done, their sugary tops are all cracked. Very yummy. Did you ever have them? What did you call them?

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Chocolate Crunchies
DO NOT DOUBLE THIS RECIPE
(I don’t know why you can’t double the recipe. That’s just how the recipe came to me from Mom, and in all capital letters too.)

3/4 c. margarine
1 egg
1/4 c. corn syrup
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 c. flour
1/4 c. cocoa
1-1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Dip half of each ball in water then in granulated sugar. Place sugar side up 2 inches apart. Bake 350 F for 12 – 15 minutes.

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Now, I’m offering Orange Pekoe or Lady Grey tea today. Which would you prefer? I’ve been doing a little reading on pairing tea with desserts. There are many opinions on the topic, but almost all of them suggest to try different pairings for yourself and see what fits best. That takes paying attention to each sip and each bite, much like what Lu Ann Pannunzio explains on her blog, The Cup of Life:

Begin by drinking a sip of your tea, letting it spread entirely across the tongue before swallowing. This simple step is important because it will warm your tongue and prepare your taste buds for the melting chocolate that is to come their way.
Then, take a bite of your chocolate and see how it accompanies the flavours that are now on your tongue.
Lu Ann Pannunzio

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If you know a different name to these cookies than Chocolate Crunchies please let me know. Calling things by their correct name is important to me. Always has been. I guess that’s just one of my quirks.

Another quirk of mine is that I need things explained exactly. I’m the one interrupting a really good story with questions no one else is interested in. Which direction was he going when the car smashed into his bike? Was the bridge a suspension bridge or cantilever? What colour was the car?

Yes, I need the details. Which is why it often takes me a long time to catch on to a joke. I’m always looking for the details first. And that generally diminishes the punch-line, so I’ve come to realize.

Many’s the time The Cowboy will be telling a great joke when I’ve broken in to correct the details, only to have him give me his version of a withering look, and just when the whole endeavour is about to fall flat because of me, he manages to save it. He’s great at punch-lines.

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Because I’m so literal, my mind quickly and regularly breaks things down to the most simple, but not always the most logical, conclusion first.

Like, when we were dating and even into our marriage, The Cowboy would always say to me, “You are the most beautiful woman in the world.”

While most rational women would be utterly flattered with that comment, my first thought was always, “Well … that can’t be right. He’s never even seen all the women in the world.”

Of course, I would never say this. I’d just get a perplexed look on my face that communicated … who knows what, to him. Whatever my reaction, I’m sure it made him more than a little bewildered himself.

Now, as we come up to our 37^th anniversary, I understand that he meant all the women in his world, and I can appreciate the sentiment. Poor young cowboy all those years ago.

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Which brings me back to the Chocolate Crunchies. Perhaps you noticed that they’re a bit flat in shape, and spread out. That’s because I accidentally used a cup and a half of margarine instead of three-quarters of a cup.

For some reason, my distracted mind thought that one of those small blocks of margarine was a quarter-cup size instead of a half-cup size, and I mixed in three of them instead of one and a half. It really didn’t change the taste, but they would have been much prettier if I’d paid attention to the details. See? Details are important.

Thanks for visiting today, it’s been lovely to enjoy The Cowboy’s hard work together. His work for our relaxation.

Take care out there, and see you next time.

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P.S. I welcome your comments, and try to answer each one within a week.

Scraps of Joy

July – The Simple Woman’s Daybook

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Another Perfect Day

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Light and Fluffy is the Goal

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Chocolate Crunchies and Other Details

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