Sunday, January 26, 2014

Soft Weekend

 When I went to Walmart to buy those donuts, I noticed Lowly!  I hadn't seen him before. Isn't he cute?  I think it is very literary of Walmart to provide a ride in Lowly Worm's apple, don't you?
 This is Jenny's nice cat named George.  Isn't he beautiful?  I love his softness and his unique stripes.  He was having a sun bath.



 Jenny made me a sunny salad for lunch.  It was delicious.  The asparagus tasted like Easter.

 Plum Cake napped and Sam and I talked.  I love her little self.  Do you see where Granny gave her a big smooch?

 The hyacinths are still so gorgeous and fragrant.  
 Apples, lemons and a tangelo shine so bright!
 A week later the tulips are a lighter shade of pink.  The green of their stems and the smell of their faces = bliss.


 Some of the online used book stores have affordable copies of Elizabeth Goudge. I am reading The City of Bells.  Here are a few beautiful passages:

"Grandmother was small and withered and gave the impression of having shed everything in her passage through life except the essence of herself, and that sharp, decided, wholesome essence.  Her twinkling black eyes were like a bird's, and as sharp as needles, and her little parchment-colored face was wrinkled into a thousand lines of humor and decision and common-sensible strong-mindedness.  Her iron-gray hair was arranged in corkscrew curls, the fashion of a past age, and on her head was a cap with purple bows.  Her gray dress was of great age and made of alpaca so stiff that it could surely stand by itself, and her hands were mittened. She was eighty years old but neither age nor bereavement nor hard work had in the least dimmed her vitality or stemmed the flow of her fluent, emphatic talk."

The grandfather gives this advice to his war-wounded grandson:
"Stay here and do nothing," he advised him.  "Stay a year if you like.  What does it matter?  It's often necessary in life to do nothing, but so few people do it nicely.  And as for peace, there's plenty of it in this house and in this town.  They are so weighted with age that they have, as it were, fallen below the surface of time, like a buried city below the sea . . . Fall with them . . . Dear me, I must go and say evensong or I shall be late for dinner, and that distresses your dear grandmother."

I enjoy Elizabeth Goudge because I MUST take her writing slow.  There is no rushing.  I need a lot of quiet to read her writing style.  That's a good thing.
 I'll need quiet to read Mary Oliver's guide to poetry, too.  Yippee!
 I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday and I was amazed at how crowded it was.  There were men, women, and children shopping for creative materials.  Isn't that encouraging?  This is the nicest tray of watercolors I've ever had.  I like to outline with Sharpie pen.
My polka dot scarf is gracing the ironing basket.  SO pretty.
I think I'll paint this afternoon when the sun shines through my little den's window.
I'll take a warm walk because tomorrow the temperature is going to dip and more snow will come.
Oh, I DO love weekends.
I hope your weekend has been full of smooth sailing, too.
God be with you.

16 comments:

Farm Girl said...

What a scrumptious day you had! I love all of the happy colors and happy faces. I do hope you get to paint today and the sun shines in your window. I am reading Elisabeth Goudge now as well. Towers in the Mist I think it is called. Funny story I guess I should say odd. I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what she means.
I hope you get to wear polka dots today.
We have clouds, but no rain. The Bradford Pear trees across the way are blooming.

TexWisGirl said...

sweet little girlie. love the tabby cat, too.

RedSetter said...

What a lovely post PomPom, such a lot of nice things and I really took the message about taking time to heal and doing it nicely - very apt for me.

George's coat looks like a very luxurious one and the little one looks like she is well kissed and loved, which is just as it should be.

Take care and have a good week.

M.K. said...

Those cheerful blossoms are such a joy right now. Glad you're having a restful weekend. I want to shop for paints too. Julia and I both need more brushes. I had THREE fine-tip sharpies for outlining, and now i only have one left! I think I can find them at Dollar General. We seem to have Dollar General Stores everywhere down here. Do you?
I've wanted to read City of Bells for a very long time, but now it would be at the bottom of a rather long "to-read" list, I'm afraid. I'll get around to it someday. Green Dolphin Street was so very good, and it's one of those stories that sticks with you, and returns to your mind, like a real place with real people and events -- like a meal with deep, rich flavors that stays on the palate for hours. She's very good.

Leslie said...

It has been a glorious weekend here in Texas after a very cold week.

I love those little peppers on your salad (and I see being cut up). They are so sweet and they taste yummy in EVERYTHING, both raw and sauted. Blessings...

Gumbo Lily said...

I love that granny-smooch on Sam's cheek. The watercolors look nice. What brand did you choose? I like to play in the paint sometimes too. The grandgirls love to do it.

Since I have to have lots of quiet to read (I get easily distracted) I must read EG and any other book that way. I like to read her slowly too because it's the kind of beautiful writing that deserves a slow read.

Deb J. in Utah said...

I love the excerpt from the book. Such imagery. I am going to have to check out that author. Do you get your used books from Amazon, or do you have a better source? Enjoy the week ahead!

Lisa Richards said...

I LOVE lowly worm! So glad to see him!
Granddaughters are so much fun to smooch and hug, aren't they?
New watercolors! Very exciting! I hope you'll show us what you paint with them. I like the Sharpie pens, too. They're waterproof!
I love Elizabeth Goudge's writing style. Maybe I'll have to add some of her books to my LONG reading list.
Hope you had a lovely weekend! :)

Jeannette said...

Your post could be bottled up and passed out as color therapy! Bright and light to you...

Aida said...

Have a good weekend PomPom. Your granddaughter is a little sweetie, she is so lucky to have you as her granny.

George looks so relaxed under the sun and his fur must be so warm.

Stay warm and thank you for visiting.

Blessings,

Aida

Miss Val's Creations said...

Your weekend sounds perfect. George is such a handsome fellow. The salad looks delicious! The tulips still look so beautiful. They have such a long vase life. The writing of Goudge sounds beautiful. Some writers have such a way with words!

Attic Clutter said...

HOWDY POM (:) the worm LOL
that's so cute..
love the kids and flowers too
yes am anxious to get the hutch upstairs in in its new home!! ..hugs..Patty

cards4ubylouise and other treasures said...

I am looking forward to seeing what you paint with those new watercolors and sharpies....that looks like a scruptious salad also. Have a great day!!

libbyquilter said...

a red polka dot scarf, water colors and a poetry handbook: you are ready for anything now~!!

take good care Pom Pom.

:-)
libbyQ

Fat Dormouse said...

I haven't read any Elizabeth Goudge for ages...I used to love "The Little White Horse" and "City of Bells".

Your photos are all sunshiney and wonderful. And George looks just like a contented cat should.
Any news on your kitty?

And regarding leeks - definitely! I use them a lot. They're like milder onions, and I particularly like them with salmon, in a coconut-Thai curry broth. nom nom!

GretchenJoanna said...

I like what Jeannette said about color therapy :-)
Thank you for the quotes from Goudge - I hope you will tell us more of what you glean from them. And that Mary Oliver book looks appealing!

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