Scraps of Joy

Warm Lights and Festive Drinks

Posted on December 13, 2020 by Joy / 4 Comments

Hello Friend,

I’m so glad you stopped by. I’ve been meaning to have you in for a warm festive drink.

I don’t have marshmallows for our hot chocolate, but whipped topping is ever so much nicer. Add a few sugary sprinkles on top and voila! The last word in festive drinks. It’s dessert!

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The world won’t get more or less terrible if we’re indoors somewhere with a mug of hot chocolate …
Kamila Shamsie

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I was up last night “in the wee hours,” as a friend calls them. Wide awake. So I sat up, switched on my bedside lamp, and pulled out my book. I was barely four pages into the chapter, and just finding out what happened to Peggy, when there was a little spark, and my Lamp. Went. Out.

As I sat there in the pitch dark I had two thoughts:

Wait, what happened to Peggy?
Wow. This is very dark.

I dug in a drawer for a book light – you know, the kind that clips on to your book so the little light shines over your page. Well, it sputtered and faded in and out, but I persevered through all of that to finish the chapter and see Peggy to the other side of her troubles.

It’s amazing the difference a tiny light can make, even when it sputters and fades.

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I’ve been thinking a lot about light lately. Maybe it’s the time of year: where I live it starts getting dark at about 4:30 in the afternoon, and we’re switching on our lights much earlier.

Or maybe it’s the season. As we get closer to Christmas, people are putting lights on their houses, lighting Christmas trees. City streets are being lit up with Christmas decorations. I put up some twinkle lights in the bookshelves of my newly rearranged study.

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I think it has more to do with what’s going on in the world right now, though. Things are pretty dark. Life feels heavy. It’s like the light is going out all over.

In our province, new restrictions were put in place this week. It is now definite that we won’t be having kids and grandkids come to stay for Christmas. In other provinces, households are restricted to their own household as well. It’s not the Christmas we hoped we’d have.

Yet, I still see little lights everywhere.

When The Cowboy shovels a neighbour’s driveway. When a stranger out walking her dog calls hello from the other side of the street. When the barista says, “This one’s on me,” with a smile wide enough to reach the eyes above her mask.

Lights of kindness, of goodness. Of faith, hope, and charity.

Maybe you think your light is going out. It’s sputtering and fading. But, could it be just enough light to brighten the path of someone else whose own light is dim? All alone, our little lights barely twinkle, but together we can illuminate a room, a neighbourhood, a city.

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Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

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My thoughts turn to Christmas. A Christmas made more quiet, more still than past years, perhaps. But not more dark. The Christ of Christmas reminds us that no matter how dark the world may seem, the Light has Not. Gone. Out.

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

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“I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12

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Featured Image by congerdesign from Pixabay.

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Living the Moment

Unshaken

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Joy / 6 Comments

Hello Friend,

I recently published the following elsewhere, and it received so many comments from people who somehow heard it or read it. People who would otherwise never read anything I wrote. Comments like I needed to hear this, it changed my perspective, it gave me peace.

I’m quite dumbfounded, to tell you the truth. And I wondered if someone else out there needed to hear it.

Today I realize that I need to hear these words again. Life feels heavy these days, like a huge bag of sand is on my back weighing me down. I need to remember the scripture verse that seemed to sear itself into my mind and soul in January 2020, before we knew anything about Covid19 and all that this past year would bring.

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I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16:8

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If I have truly set the LORD continually before me, then He is there within easy reach. I shouldn’t even have to think about it. It should be a natural reflex to reach for my Father God no matter the circumstances, like a child reaching for her father’s comforting hand, certain it will be there every time.

Maybe these words will resonate with you.

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When neighbours hid in houses and bustling streets went quiet,
Because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken.

When plexiglass barriers went up and friendly smiles were covered,
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When looking down at directional arrows replaced looking each other in
the eye,
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When Covid numbers climbed and human experts cautioned,
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  

When travel was restricted and I was cut off from children
and grandchildren,
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When groceries had to be disinfected as they entered our doors,
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When my temperature was taken before I entered my hair salon,
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When Mom was not allowed to attend the funeral of a beloved sister,
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When grandchildren couldn't invite friends to their birthday parties,
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When riots broke out and the world seemed to go crazy,
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When I watched friends suffer during a time of Covid,
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When fear threatens and despair taunts,
When weariness for the world sets in,
When prayers for others stack up like bricks too heavy to carry,
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

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Change the words to fit your situation, and the tagline remains the same. Life is hard, but God is trustworthy, solid, unflinching. Right there if we call on Him.

I lost a friend today. I mourn her passing, but because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

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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

Tea Time

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.

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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.

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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

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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?

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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?

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Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.
James Herriot

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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.

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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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

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Featured image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay.

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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.

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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.

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For Today

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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!

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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. 🙂

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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.

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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 …

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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.

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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”.

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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.

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Shared Quote …

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

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Closing Notes …

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

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Feature black and white image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay.

Scraps of Joy

Warm Lights and Festive Drinks

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Unshaken

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Cinnamon Swirls and Cozy Corners

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The Simple Woman’s Daybook – November

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