What I did this weekend

 

My sister and I went to lunch at this beautiful old place on the Connecticut river.

We sat inside at a table with a beautiful view and saw float planes flying up and down the river 

and over the small suspension bridge.

It was a lovely afternoon.

~

When we got home my sister wanted a chance to take a rest so I went to the pool and did some relaxing. 

It is a large pool in her complex but there are very few people who use it. There was only about 4 other

people there. 

I loved her pool key chain! She found a mailbox key chain as well!

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I love the wildflowers at this time of year. 

Black-eyed susan's, tickseed, asters, Queen Anne's lace...

We have a little patch of wildflower gardens on campus at the school where I work. It's so pretty.

~

A co-worker found a dragonfly in the garden at work. It was no longer living. She is a water colour artist and I am a dragonfly lover so she showed it to me before bringing it home to use it for a model to paint.

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My cat, Tucker, missed me while I was away this weekend. 

He was curled up on my bed when I got home.

My bed even beat out his usual favorite spot on top of the living room chair looking out of the window.

I should mention that this is A spirit of simplicity at a new/old blog. 

I switched to wordpress but I like blogger better. I had so much trouble switching back that I just started a new blog.

Holly Hobbie

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I am so thankful for my sister. 

I'm not sure how old she was in this picture...maybe 7? It was a long time ago.

People used to say that she looked like a Holly Hobbie doll as we were young in the 1970s when 

Holly Hobbie was popular.

I am very thankful for the time we get to spend together. 

 Thankful Thursday

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Walk in wisdom

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 t

Who is wise and understanding among you?

Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason,  

full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James 3:13, 17-18

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Rainy summer days

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There were elecctrical storms and hard rain a few nights this week.

It created puddles all over the playground where I work.

This left the opportunity for the toddlers to play in mud kitchen sinks!

All of the buckets, pails, and dump trucks were filled with water. There were even puddles tucked into the 

roots of the big old Beech tree!

What a morning we had!

~

I went to a muster with my daughter's family on Saturday. We had a lot of fun but it was very hot and then it began to rain! Fortunately, the men had set up tarp stands so we could all tuck in when the rain got heavy. As you can see my grandchildren didn't let it bother them...except Natalie. Natalie got hot and wet and a little tired.

~

While I was at the second hand store I also picked up these charming curtains for my kitchen window. 

They make me think of the old children's poem, each peach, pear, plum. I love the yellow ric rac!

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One of the beautiful by-products of a rainy day is a beautiful rainbow!

This was shining over the harbour as I came home from work on Wednesday evening!

I didn't take the picture. It was taken by Wednesdays in Marblehead.

A few weeks back I stayed overnight at a friend's house. She and her husband live on a river and in the morning we walked out to the dock with our coffee. It was so peaceful. What a beautiful way to start the day.

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P.S. 

for those of you who may be wondering this is A Spirit of Simplicity at yet another blog.

yellow ric rac and a sunshine daydream

 

I took a day off of work on Monday and spent the afternoon thrifting at local charity shops.

At the Salvation Army store I found these charming curtains for my kitchen window.

I don't normally have curtains there because I am not really much of a curtain girl.

I love the natural light far too much to cover any of it up however,

this charming valance fit so perfectly that I simply couldn't pass it up.

It makes me think of the old children's rhyme, Each peach, pear, plum...

I am so thankful for the woman who handmade this valance. It is so well done. 

I love the yellow ric rac trim!

It matches the cups and saucers that I purchased a few weeks ago.

My husband calls them the sunshine daydream cups.

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Thankful Thursday at It's a Small Town Life

Walking in Wisdom

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t

Look carefully then how you walk,  not as unwise but as wise,

making the best use of time because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:15-16

In one of the newer versions of the bible it said, be mindful of your steps. This scripture is telling not telling us to be careful of where we are walking but instead to be aware of how we are walking. We are being told to pay attention to each step we take. Our steps should be filled with the Spirit and we should be addressing one another with love and with Christ in our hearts. 

t

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:2

Each step we take forward and each footprint we leave behind should be filled with the light and love of Christ so that others will see, and feel, and hear the spirit of the Lord and be glad. 

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Selah

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t

By acting in this way you have taught your people

that the righteous man must be kind to others,

and you have gifted your children with blessed hope

because you grant them repentance for their sins.

Wisdom 12:19

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Ten things on Thursday

 

1

Zinnias blooming in the garden

colourful and riotous

2

The wildfires in Canada have created quite a bit of smoke here in the Boston area. The sky is a strange brownish colour and the smell of smoke is in the air. 

I am keeping everyone who has been affected in my prayers.

3

The heat has been oppressive here. Between the high temperatures and the smoke I have been spending most of my time indoors. 

4

I met my eldest daughter, Hannah, for an early dinner last night. We went to a Chinese restaurant that my mother used to love. 

5

We also went to a second hand shop that is in the same parking lot where I picked up this beautiful sailboat trinket shelf! I put some shells I've collected on it. Eventually, I will find other little ocean/beachy themed trinkets for it. 

6

I had to go to the doctor on Monday as my eye was really bothering me. It turns out I have a scratch on my cornea and have been using an ointment 4 times a day. It hasn't been very effective and I can't see well for an hour or so after I apply it. I may have to go back to the doctor. 

7

I keep thinking of poor Saul's (Paul's) eyes in Acts. 

I can still see, thank God, but I can't help but hear Jesus telling me to go to church. I haven't been much this summer as I've been busy.

8

I purchased this sweet little napkin/salt and pepper holder at a vintage shop last week. The salt and pepper shakers were not sold with it but I think they match perfectly. I generally use cloth napkins so I had to add paper napkins to my grocery list. 

9

I am a little nervous about eating a salad due to the issues with lettuce and cyclospora. This is all the more reason for shopping at farmer's markets or growing your own produce. 

10

My granddaughters have been relaxing in the summer heat. 

A new day

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t

A cheerful heart is good medicine

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 

I stumbled upon these vintage cups and saucers at a second hand shop not too long ago. They are really quite cheerful and I love drinking my morning coffee out of them.  They are like a little bit of sunshine even on a cloudy morning. 

Speaking of sunshine, I read that the U.S. government has once again decided to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. We'll see how that goes. If it passes, it is scheduled to take effect on December 1.

t

From the rising of the sun to its setting

the name of the Lord is to be praised.

Psalm 113:3

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The apple of your eye

 

I love thrifting on Saturday mornings and puttering about at home on Saturday afternoons.

This is what I found today:

a box of 10 paper lanterns

a mid-century modern candlestick

a pair of denim capri's

a pretty little shirt for spring

a mid-century mug from Korea

a very pretty Lilly Pulitzer scarf

an old Peter Frampton record

All proceeds went into my town's school system and Lord knows they need all the help 

they can get these days. 

autumn color

 "Mum! Go outside!!" My daughter called me lastnight. I was already in my pajamas but I had been hearing about the aurora borealis making a showing so I jumped up and ran out the door. I could hear my granddaughters in the back round saying, "It looks like a rainbow!"

My husband and I quickly threw some jackets on and walked down to the old fort which is right on the ocean. Wow! 

I had parent teacher conferences yesterday. I love this first conference of the school year because it gives me a chance to get to know the families in my class. When I know how the families operate and what their hopes and dreams for their little toddlers are it helps me to understand and guide the children. I am 61 years old and the parents I work with are often the same age or even younger than my own daughters. The children I work with are younger than my grandchildren. 

I cannot (nor would I) post pictures of my class families here but if I could post a picture of a giant heart I would. 

I have been doing quite a bit of cooking the past few weekends. I have plenty of food in the fridge to eat for dinners and lunches without having to cook when I get home. It's been very nice!

In my classroom we have a wall of windows and a glass door that look out onto the back deck and the fields beyond. The campus used to be a tree orchard. At this time of year, when the leaves are changing colours it looks so beautiful. The light in the classroom changes. It becomes all soft and colourful. It's just so pretty.

Friday fave fives