It’s Pretty Dreary Outside, But Am I Downhearted ....

So then, I’m sitting here on the most dreary of January Saturdays, here in heavenly Devon.  We have one of those really dark, dreary days, and it’s cold!  But then, it IS January in England. Anyway, how are you all  in your little corner of the world?  It’s strange to think that some of you will be reading this during your Summer and no doubt you have sunshine and blue skies!  Please send a little our way - we could certainly do with some bright skies to cheer us all up  here in the U.K.....

BUT, instead of feeling a bit ‘down’, I am doing my best to feel positive, and I have a scented candle lit with my favourite music playing in the background. I’m sure most of you know by now that I love uplifting quotations. I saw this one yesterday and it really seemed to speak to me. After all, these words ARE so true. At the end of the day, it’s all up to us, to try to make our own little piece of happiness. Before I hear some of you shouting at your screen, I know that this is much easier said than done, when sometimes life throws obstacles at us, and we wonder how on earth we are going to deal with them..  but I have finally - FINALLY - realised that it is how we all cope with those obstacles that is the important thing. Do we sit there complaining, thinking why on earth has this happened to us, or do we completely turn it around, and say why NOT us, and try to go forward thinking positively.  We have all of us had things happen that we would rather not happen - none of us is unique in that way, but it really is what we do from here on in that affects how we live  the rest of our lives. Anyway, here is the quotation I was telling you about!

I’ve noticed that I’ve gained quite a few new Followers to my Southhamsdarling Page on Facebook. Thank you all very much ❤️.  It is on that page that I post the links to my Blog Posts, so if you fancy having a peek, please do so!  

I am thankful for the wonderful weather we had last Saturday, which lasted right through until Wednesday.  A real pick me up to see the sun in the sky, and cloudless blue skies.  I was fortunate enough to be able to take full advantage of the weather, and set off on one of my favourite coastal walks with daughter number 2.  

 I really feel very blessed living in this little corner of heavenly Devon - what’s not to like?!  Anyway, I think I’ve rambled on for quite long enough. Thank you, as always, for taking the trouble to read this Post, and I’ll see you again soon ❤️

I Will Not Wish You Riches .....

I thought I would just drop in, to wish you all a lovely weekend. After day after day of torrential rain, and gale force winds, we have big ☀️ suns forecast for the weekend. so I shall definitely be getting outside and taking the pup for some nice walks. 

A friend gave me this little gift many, many years ago. She made it herself, and I thought I would share it with you here today. The actual words come from an inscription on a Church wall in Upwaltham, here in England. 

I've often thought that life needs encouragement. Perhaps more these days than ever before, with so much pressure all around us, especially on young people it would seem. To be honest, I'm grateful that social media wasn't around when my two daughters were growing up, because it leads to pressure on parents as well, trying to keep on top of what sites their children/teens are going on. 

How can this encouragement take place? Through YOU!  Through each and every one of US.  We can be the voice of encouragement. The arms that can help to lift the burden from others. You are the smile that can be a blessing to others, which can give them HOPE.  For without hope, we have nothing. 

It can take courage to be there for others .... sometimes we would rather be doing other things, but it is so important to try to reach out. How many times have we, ourselves, said "I'm fine...", when maybe, actually, we are far from feeling fine. We all do it, don't we?  To simply listen can sometimes help another person so much. Just to let them know that we understand, and we are there for them. 

So whatever you do this weekend, leave a trail of light for someone else to follow. It might help them more than you will ever know. 

Have a lovely weekend everyone, and remember to be kind to yourself also. 

Hold Close Those You Hold Dear....

It's a funny old life when you think about it, isn't it?  We're going along quite happily and then, all of a sudden, bop - our world comes tumbling down in an instant. 

Perhaps a family member or a friend becomes seriously ill, we lose a family member or a dear friend. Or, all of a sudden, we are faced with the prospect of a divorce that we never wanted, and certainly never expected. 

I actually lost a really good friend last week, very suddenly and within a few days of him being admitted to Hospital.  He was the same age as me, and, as a couple, he and his wife had been our friends for over 30 years. They had been to our home for a meal just before Christmas, and we were due, as usual, to go to a Restaurant for lunch on New Years Day. That was always a lovely way to start the New Year. Sadly, it was not to be this new year. Whoever thought that 2020 would start like that.  

In many cases, we could lose a treasured pet, whose companionship had meant so much. 

Some people have even had to face losing a child, or grandchild, and my heart really breaks for those people. I simply can't imagine the hurt they have to endure for the rest of their lives. 

Or we could lose a friendship that was very precious to us, through misunderstandings that should never have been allowed to develop. Perhaps we took that friend for granted, or perhaps the other person simply got tired of us. 

All these things cause us immense hurt and pain, and we wonder how we will ever be able to cope. 

Some people struggle daily with pain, which makes it so hard for them to carry out even the most simple of tasks, which others just take for granted. 

A quote by C S Lewis always comes to my

mind.  Some of you may have heard of it ....

 

I think what he is saying is that there is no love without pain. But would we really choose not to have had that love in our lives?  Not to be able to treasure all the wonderful memories in our hearts? 

I have been blogging for around ten years, and all of my bloggy  friends have experienced any of those things I mentioned above. And yet....and yet.... all those people are amongst the most positive, encouraging and loving people that I know, which surely proves how indomitable the human spirit can be. 

Somehow we still turn our faces to the sun and look for good things ahead, and try to find peace in our hearts. 

This post is a little bit different for me today, but I hope it gives you food for thought, and, if nothing else, reminds you to treasure those you love, for none of us knows what tomorrow will bring. 

Take care my friends ❤️

Time For A Little Nuturing

January - Time for a little nurturing!

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year!  Let's hope it will be a good one for all of us, as we start another decade!  

The Christmas Tree has been taken down, and all the pretty baubles safely packed away for another year. I do miss all the twinkling lights, I must admit. I'm sure many of you feel the same, as we enter my least favourite month of the year.

I'm always looking out for new quotes that I haven't seen before, quotes to inspire and encourage, and I came across this one recently. I think it will become one of my new favourites!

 

I like to think that most of us try to nurture others as we pass through life, but sometimes, you know, it's important to also remember to nurture ourselves.   Perhaps January is one of the best months for us to do this, as we await the return of the longer days.

At this time of the year, whenever the sun appears, or it's a bright day, forget the housework and the ironing - go outside, look around and appreciate the beauty of the day. If you're able to go for a walk, so much the better. Unfortunately, here in Devon, the days are particularly trying at the moment, with heavy cloud almost every day. We had one bright day a few days ago, and I just had to head to the coast to make the most of it!

If you're confined to the house on these darker days, play some of your favourite music whilst carrying out your chores and dance around the kitchen! Become that young, carefree girl you once were - the girl that is still inside you somewhere.  Sounds silly?  Try it, and I guarantee you'll end up with a smile on your face 😊. One of the songs that will always do it for me is "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor! 

Write down a list of things that make you happy and then try to do at least one of those things every day.  

 I truly believe that if you take the time to count your blessings every day, then life does feel so much better. For me, a blessing can be a simple thing, such as finding a parking space in a crowded car park, meeting a friend unexpectedly when you're out and about. How many times do we say, it really is the simple things in life that can make us feel at our happiest. 

 I also find that by taking photos when I'm out and about, this really does make me much more aware of my surroundings, and I'm more likely to notice something special, that I might otherwise have missed.  That's where our mobile phones come in, of course, as they take such good photos these days. 

Well, I seem to be rambling on a bit here, and I'm sure you have more important things to do - such as having a dance round that kitchen!  Go on .. be wild, and don't forget to crank up the volume!  Anyway, I'll finish off by saying.....remember to be kind to YOU! 

Wishing All Joy at Christmas - From My Home To Yours 🎄✨

Happy, Peaceful and Joyful Christmas...

Hi everyone. I just wanted to pop in to wish you and your families a very happy, peaceful and joyful Christmas. 

It can be quite a hectic time of the year, but I hope that we can all take a moment to remember the true meaning of Christmas, and to honour it in our hearts.  Also, to be grateful for the family and friends that bring love and joy into our lives, and to remember loved ones that are no longer with us. 

For many, this can be a hard time of year to cope with. Many will be suffering with ill health, some may be alone at Christmas, whilst others may have lost loved ones this year, and many will be having financial worries, or even just struggling to cope with life in general. I'm sure we  all pray that these people may be given the strength they need. 

I shall be spending Christmas Day with my youngest daughter and her family. The two not so little ones are 11 and very nearly 10, so a lovely age to bring excitement to the day. I shall be thinking of my eldest daughter and her family who will be at their home in Ibiza. My eldest granddaughter was 22 a couple of weeks ago, so we will be missing them around our Christmas table, but with sunny skies and temperatures still in the high sixties, who can blame them for staying over there. Also, Christmas isn’t really a good time to be travelling, with the inevitable delays and perhaps the possibility of bad weather. 

“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year” ~ Charles Dickens.

I thought I would post a couple of my favourite vintage Christmas images!

All images today courtesy of Pinterest.

So then, I will close again for now, sending you all my very best wishes for a very happy and peaceful Christmas. If you are travelling at this time of the year, or if loved ones are travelling to you, I hope for safe journeys and that the weather will be kind to you.  

Just One Word - Kindness

Just One Word - Kindness

Just a simple little post today, from me to you, and it features one of my favourite words .... KINDNESS.  

We need more kindness in the world today, and, yes, gentleness and respect. We need far less hate and aggression.  Less pulling people down, and more building people up. Especially at this time of the year, which can be very hard for a lot of people. So make that extra effort to give a smile to someone or to say hallo. Sometimes it really can make all the difference. 

The quotes today are all courtesy of Pinterest. I came across this Interview with Roald Dahl, and I couldn't agree with him more....

"I think kindness is my number one attribute in a human being.  I'll put it before any of the things like courage or bravery or generosity, or anything else."

Interviewer.. "or brains even?"

"Oh, gosh, yes.  Brains is one of the least. You can be a lovely person without brains, absolutely lovely. Kindness - that simple word.  To be kind - it covers everything, in my mind.  If you're kind, that's it."

Perhaps you might have your own favourite word as to how life should be lived ....but, to my mind, if you're kind, you care for others, you love, you have empathy, you have generosity of spirit, and you want the very best for that other person. 

May you be surrounded by kindness as you go through your week ❤️

How Are Your Christmas Preparations Coming Along? 🎄

Mince Pies & Sherry, Mistletoe, all Christmas Traditions 🎅🏻

When I first told my American friends about mince pies at Christmas, a few years ago, they thought i was talking about meat pies!  Although these delicacies used to be filled with meat, such as lamb, they are now a sweet dish and filled with an assortment of dried fruit, with perhaps a hint of brandy. They are best served warm, in my humble opinion, and here in Devon, we serve them with a dollop of clotted cream. Yummy scrummy! 

 

 

I usually partake of a glass of sherry with mine, to really get me into the Christmas spirit. This is ideal for when you're writing your Christmas Cards or wrapping the presents, with Christmas music playing in the background. 

 

 

The mince pie in the photo is a tiny bite-sized one, but they are usually larger than that. I have tried all sorts of shop bought ones, but I much prefer the ones I make, using my own pastry. Here in the United Kindom, in the Stuart and Georgian times, mince pies were very much a status symbol at Christmas. Hard for us to imagine that now. Rich people would serve them to their guests in all sorts of different shapes. Having pies like this meant that you were very rich and had truly made it in the world, as you were able to afford the most expensive pastry cooks. 

Sometimes, when watching Downton Abbey and period dramas like that, I often think that I would like to have lived in those days, when sherry was served out of decanters and your clothes were all laid out for you. In truth, I fear I would have been the poor little housemaid, getting out of bed at 3.30 in the morning and cleaning out the grates, before the Lord of the Manor  came down for his breakfast in the morning!  Oh well, a girl can dream. 

On Christmas Eve, little children over here usually leave out a mince pie and  a glass of brandy, for Santa when he calls, along with a carrot for his reindeer. 

Another tradition at Christmas time is the hanging of mistletoe. Believe it or not, this tradition goes back to the days of the Druids - that is, long before I was a twinkle in my father's eye! It was supposed to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. It was also used as a sign of love and friendship in Norse Mythology, and that's where the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe comes from. 

 

 

Mistletoe images courtesy of Pinterest.com

Most of my older Followers know how much I love vintage Christmas images, so I thought I would post a few of them today, from my Christmas Board on Pinterest. Some of these images very much remind me of my childhood - simpler times somehow.

I’ll leave you again for now.  The house here is now fully decorated, and I’m now feeling very festive.  Hope you’re all looking after yourself, and remember ....