Sunday 10 August 2014

Sunday morning this and that . . .



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(Horseshoe Pass, Wales)

Free to spend the precious days
exactly as I choose,
Lying on the golden sand
or gazing at the views.

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(Llangollen, Wales )

Roaming around the little town
or sailing in the bay.
Free to do just as I please
each moment of the day . . .

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(Waterfront, Blackpool)

No trains or buses to be caught,
no strict routine to keep,
From the minute I awake
until I fall asleep.

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(Austrian Valley, holiday summer 2009)

Free to live my life, to read,
to dream, to swim or walk.
To steal away in solitude
or find a friend and talk . . .

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(Betwys-y-coed, Wales)

That's my mood, so please don't make
a single plan for me.
Let me taste the sheer delight
of feelin really free.

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 (Pendragon Castle, Cumbria)

Next week, I'll be back at work
and have no time to play . . .
but til then, I'll make the most
of this . . .  my holiday. 
~Patience Strong

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(waiting for the ferry, Brier Island, Nova Scotia)

Just a few holiday snaps over the years that Todd and I have been together.   When I was working we used to go on a holiday each summer.  We've been to the Black Forest twice on coach tours, Austria on a coach tour, to Cumbria three times, Canada four times, Devon and Cornwall one year, and the past couple of years we have just stayed put and done our local beauty spots.  Too often people don't take advantage of the beauty that is right where they live, and I am as guilty of that as anyone.  I had to move away from Southern Ontario before I took the opportunity to see Niagara Falls.  When it was right on my doortstep, I just had never taken the chance.  It was always . . .  "I'll get there one day."

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This is the Villa that I have won the weekend for two at in Florence, Italy.   Oddly enough, I have heard nothing further from that contest, other than the fact my recipe won.  It looks a nice villa, with a pool and everything and it is on a hillside overlooking the city.  We shall see.   I hope we can go, but we may just have to pass.  It all depends.

Of course all of my days are like holidays now.   I don't work anymore and so I can more or less pick and choose what I want to do with each of my days.  Oddly enough however, my days are all filled to the brim and I feel busier than I ever did when I worked full time!  I wonder why that is?   I have often heard other people saying the same thing.

My ex boss always used to say she never took holidays.  She networked.  She had the holidayingest life I have ever seen in my opinion, always jetting off to America, or the Bahamas, Italy, etc.  I suppose it is all a matter of perspective!  In all truth when she went away, it may have not have been a holiday for her, but it sure was for those of us who worked for her! haha

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Munch and Mingle after church today.  We only ever very rarely attend.  We take a couple with us to church.  He has leukemia and so if he has gone with us, he is anxious to get home, and if he has not, his wife is anxious to get home, and understandably so.   Plus, I always call my mother on Sunday afternoons.  Today though, we may stay for a bit as we have Ariana with us and she may like to talk some with the people in our Church Ward and get to know them more.

It is raining heavily this morning.  We are getting the remnants of that hurricane today.  It is a good thing we took advantage of the sunshine yesterday and went for a drive in the car.

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We drove up to Llangollen and then on up to the Horseshoe Pass.   This was what the other side of the motor way looked like on our way up.  Thank goodness we were not on that route!  When we came back we took another way, but we did catch a glimpse of it and it was still like that.  What a nightmare for anyone who was beginning their summer hols yesterday!!!  I have been caught in traffic jams on the M25 before and it is no fun.  You can sit in your car for hours just waiting for the traffic to move an inch, and it always seems like you are in the slowest moving lane!  Unless you are a motor bike of course, in which case you just weave in and out amongst the cars and go on your merry way, leaving the rest of us to grumble and suffer in your wake.

Well, I am on about nothing now so will end this off.  I want to get a roast in the slow cooker and things have to be more organized these mornings now with an extra person in the house!  Loving it!

A thought to carry with you through today . . .

(ˆ◡ˆ)¸.•✿´¨`*•✿ (ˆ◡ˆ)¸.•✿´¨`*•✿(ˆ◡ˆ)¸.•✿´¨`*•✿(ˆ◡ˆ)

"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving
for my friends,
the old and the new."
~Emerson   ¸.•✿´¨`*•¸.•✿´¨`*•✿(ˆ◡ˆ)¸.•✿´¨`*•✿(ˆ◡ˆ)

That would be me.    Every morning. ♥ 

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Baking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Glazed Cinnamon Roll Muffins.  Quick, easy and delicious!

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Have a wonderful Sabbath!

10 comments:

  1. What a lovely "drive around" you have given us this morning Marie. Thank you...I am pleased that you are getting on well with your student and that she is settling in. How long have you got her for ? and when she goes will you be able to get another student ? Hope that today goes well and that the rain eases. It has started down here heavy around 6.45..before that was a heavy drizzle....not cold though.Have a wonderful Sunday xx

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  2. Good morning Marie. You have been privileged to see some beauty filled places. Yesterday when I was driving back from visiting dad I could not help but notice how low the dams were and how brown the land is.

    Enjoy your Sunday. It sounds special. I did not get to sleep last night. I tossed and turned and slept too much today. Pip is at rehearsal and I sit at the local country MacDonalds trying o study . There is free internet and it is so slow but I will make the best of it. If only they sold real food and not sloppy burgers.

    God bless.

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  3. Actually Sybil we have found out she is not a "student" but an actual working nurse! She graduated in the Spring. I don't think we would have any student in our home unless they were a member of our church or some other church because students can be rather "active" in ways we wouldn't enjoy! haha at least with Ariana we know she will not be out clubbing, drinking, smoking, bringing home men, etc. That makes it easier. xxoo

    Oh, at least with McDonald's you know what you are getting Suzan, as sloppy as it is. I like the chicken strips. That is what I always get. (Not the nuggets, blecch!) It was starting to look a bit brown here believe it or not, but this rain will green things up again! I hope you sleep better tonight! xxoo

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  4. No such thing as chicken strips here. I am home now and too tired to really study so night.

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  5. Love that NS pic at the ferry..gorgeous.
    Had I known the feeling of being retired before retiring I think I would have done it before..
    The last years had changed..anyways cannot look back:)
    Your ex boss sounds like a real winner..
    Kind of anti~ climactic that the contest hosts have not updated you:(
    It was exciting for you..they should contact you and prolong the joy..
    Anyways you won..and you will be sitting there one day!

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  6. I don't really like their burgers Suzan, or the nuggets. I do like the fries though. ;-)

    Thanks Monique. If you ever get to Nova Scotia, Briar Island is a MUST. It is a small Island, completely covered with brier roses and they do whale watching trips. xxoo

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  7. Thanks for the tour to wonderful places! Beautiful! The Blackpool picture reminded me of when Kyle was assigned to Southport. He loved it there.


    As for not being contacted about the trip, I would send them a gentle reminder. :-)

    I sent you an email a little bit ago. Happy Monday! xoxo

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  8. You're welcome Valerie! I love to share as you know! Reading the email now!! xxoo

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  9. The poetry and pictures were lovely. I am so happy you were able to take a nice drive.
    I am like you I feel way too busy and wonder how I even raised my family. I feel busier than I was then.
    All the pictures were lovely and as usual fun thoughts from you. I will loved to hear more about the new addition to your household.
    I really wish our ward would do a munch and mingle. I am now in Primary and I am missing the sisters in RS. I do love my little class however.
    Blessings and hugs for you!

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  10. LeAnn! I feel the same way! How ever did I get it all done? I know what you mean about being in Primary. For the first fourteen years of my church life I was in Primary. I always missed everything that was going on in RS. I vowed that would I ever be able to participate in RS that I would never forget the sisters in the other auxiliaries and make sure that they knew what was going on. Much easier said than done. We are all so busy with our church duties, it is often hard to find time to spread the news. I think that needs to be a RS calling, someone who helps to keep the sisters in the other auxiliaries totally informed!! xxoo

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