Scraps of Joy

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.

Tea Time

Lily of the Valley, Banana Bread, and Friends

Posted on June 7, 2020 by Joy / 4 Comments

The art of tea, whichever way you drink it, or whichever country you are from, has one underlining thread for all of us. It is the cultivation of yourself as you follow the ceremony of preparing your tea – the way in which you make your tea, how and where you drink it, and with whom. Making a cup of tea creates a space for just being.”
Nicola Salter

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Hello Friend,

It’s a bit cool and rainy today, isn’t it? But it’s a gentle cleansing rain, as though God knew we couldn’t handle anything else too heavy right now.

Come in where it’s cozy. We’ll sit by the window and enjoy the lilac tree from here. We have the benefit of its fragrance too because I defied The Cowboy’s scent-sibilities and brought a bouquet into the house. 🙂

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Now, if you sit just here, you can appreciate the lilies of the valley. Do you see them there, under the apple tree? They awoke and began nodding their heads in the last few days. Such sweet, perfect little bells. Did you know, lily of the valley signifies ‘the return of happiness?’ Hmmm, yes, I think they showed up at just the right time.

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Please help yourself to the last of the banana bread. I’m afraid it didn’t last long around here. It’s the best one I’ve baked yet. I’m attributing that to my use of butter instead of margarine, and using four ripe bananas instead of three. This is the recipe I used.

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I don’t know about you but, as I mentioned, I’ve been feeling a heaviness recently. Besides dealing with the virus, we’re processing all of the grievous stories in the news, not to mention troubles closer to home. I’m a little weary with the world.

I didn’t realize how heavy I’d been feeling until I got together with good friends this week. Twice.

Earlier in the week I traveled thirty minutes through lovely scenery to a country home and a visit with two good friends. I arrived with birthday cupcakes, lavishly decorated in swirls of rainbow icing (I didn’t make them – don’t know why I need to confess that to you, but I do). I couldn’t stay long but we had a wonderful visit, shared some laughter, and even real hugs.

I didn’t notice until I was on my way home that I was feeling a little lighter. It had been so good to be together, in person.

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Image by Dagmara Owsiejczyk from Pixabay

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Later in the week I visited with another friend, socially distanced, on my patio. She had coffee. I had tea. And we enjoyed the first of the banana bread. The weather was cool and we eventually ended up inside because it started to rain. Again, a really lovely visit. Iron sharpens iron, so the good book says, and we both came away from that conversation encouraged, with some new ideas to boost our individual journeys.

Video calls have been lifelines between family and friends during these challenging months, but there is nothing better than a face to face conversation. After these two wonderful face-to-socially-distanced-face visits, I was uplifted. I straightened my shoulders and felt ready to face the world again, whatever it decided to throw at me.

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God has blessed me with delightful, understanding, funny, sincere and loving friends. Gifts, every single one. We need each other, and we need each other in person. If you have not already, I hope you’ll be able to meet personally with tried and trusted friends very soon, even if it’s only from your respective vehicles, in a parking lot, six feet apart.

The world may seem heavy these days, but there is still joy in friendship, delight in the sweetest, tiniest bell of the lily-of-the-valley, and pleasure in a bite of rich banana bread. Take heart, my friend.

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Hope is the thing that is left to us in a bad time. I shall get up Sunday morning and wind the clock, as a contribution to order and steadfastness … Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.”
E.B. White, in response to a man who had lost faith in humanity.

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Thank you for coming today. It’s been so good to visit with you.

Take care out there, and see you next time.

Joy

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Featured image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

Scraps of Joy

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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Lily of the Valley, Banana Bread, and Friends

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