"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
Marmalade making season has arrived…
One of the great
joys of winter is the sight of orange trees laden with beautiful fruit, ripe
and ready for the plucking…
I love the heady
citrusy aroma of boiling fruit wafting through the house, and the many jars of
gorgeous homemade marmalade adorning the pantry shelves…
Some to be given
to dear friends…others to be enjoyed in the months to come with tea and toast
on Sunday mornings…
~
Bright orange and yellow calendula is in
bloom…
My
heart swells with sheer delight at the sight of beautifully blooming calendula
in the kitchen garden…
Every
morning after the dew has evaporated, we step outside to cut the lovely open
flowers and lay them to dry on a tray lined with muslin…
We
have hopes of attempting soap making later this year, so we are drying as much
calendula as possible for use in the soaps…
~
Fresh
eggs daily…
Is
there anything as delightful as strolling to the henhouse to collect freshly
laid eggs…?
Watching
the chickens peck at the seed thrown to them and seeing them enjoy a healthy
dust bath is just one of the simple things I love in life…
It
is with a sad heart that I report that one of our little hens was attacked by a
bird of prey…I do hope we can increase our little flock with the addition of a
few more hens this spring…
~
“We gather
simple pleasures like daises along the way.”
~ Louisa May
Alcott
Warm crusty
bread to enjoy with hearty soups…
With
the arrival of chilly winter days, I am in search of some deliciously hearty
soups to enjoy with freshly baked bread…
Coming
home after a brisk walk in the crisp outdoors to the smell of baking bread is
wonderfully comforting…
And
kneading bread is the perfect way to warm up…smiles…
~
“I am
beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the
real ones after all.”
~ Laura
Ingalls Wilder
What better way
to start the day than with a steaming cup of coffee and a precious devotional
to ponder on throughout the day…?
Quiet
days spent at home mean plenty of time to dwell on the majesty of the Lord…
It
is a sweet blessing to daily immerse myself in His Word and to spend time in
prayer…
He
is teaching me valuable lessons about contentment, and leading me into a
closer, deeper relationship with Him as I seek to know Him more fully…
~
"Christian
contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which
freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every
condition."
~ Jeremiah
Burroughs
How cosy the
house is when the fire is lit…
I
am so grateful for our little wood stove which warms up the living area…
Children
gather around the fire with their books…knitting needles and chunky wool are
brought out…nourishing soups are placed on the stovetop to slowly simmer till
dinnertime…
I
love the smell of wood burning…there is something quite satisfying about it…
“If you have
been afraid that your love of beautiful flowers and the flickering flame of the
candle is somehow less spiritual than living in starkness and ugliness,
remember that He who created you to be creative gave you the things with which
to make beauty and the sensitivity to appreciate and respond to His creation.”
~ Edith
Schaeffer
~
The peas are
beginning to flower…
Even
though the garden has settled into a quite state as the weather turns colder,
there are still
a
few crops to brighten up the winter garden…
The
peas are beginning to flower…the celery is growing bigger, and I am dreaming of
crisp
spring mornings spent tending the vegetable patch…
There
is a lot of compost to be made in the next few weeks as well as fences to be
put up before the
growing
season begins…
~
“I have often
though that if heaven had given me a choice of my position and calling, it
should have been on a rich spot of earth, well watered, and near a good market
for productions of the garden. No
occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth.”
~ Jefferson
~
As
a new week and month begins, I pray that each of you will be inspired to find
joy in the simplicity of life…in the little things that may seem insignificant,
but
are gloriously lovely to those who choose to see them…
We
are richly blessed, and we should striveto seek the beauty in everyday objects
and praise the Lord for the gift of them…
~
Have
a beautiful day, sweet friends…it is always such a joy having you stop by and I
pray you leave feeling refreshed and encouraged…
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18 comments:
Good Morning Kelly-Anne! Hat a lovely post and your photos are amazing. It's so nice to be able to do some canning and see all the beauty of your harvest put to use. What a rewarding job! We canned a few weeks back and we did some plum jelly and a batch of apple cider jelly. We were completely out, so we started a bit early this year. We are hoping to get some more plums cooked down so we can make some more up this fall.
II don't like getting eggs from the chicken coop, but my younger boys do. They help their grandma out a few times a week by feeding and gathering the eggs. I was traumatized as a child with my Aunt's chickens and my mean boy cousins would lock my in the coop. Not fun, to say the least! :)
A good loaf of bread, a fresh cup of coffee and a good bible study is perfect for any morning! Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall! Being quiet before the Lord is a perfect morning for me!
I hope you have a wonderful week and a wonderful and safe Independence Day!
Hugs to you, Amy
Oh Kelly-Anne I just love to read your posts! Your heart overflows when you write. You have such a gift. I love all of your simple pleasures for that is truly what they are. Thank you for sharing from your heart so freely. Hugs! Diane
Your post is just bursting with beauty and richness. Did you make that bread? What a dear little egg basket! Oranges and Calendula in winter?
Oh my goodness!
The smell of woodsmoke is so evocative of cosy times ...I truly felt all your blessings as described, Kelly-Anne. I would love to try your mamalade, too.
How you are blessed with a grateful heart! ~ it's lovely.
Dearest Kelly-Anne, What a lovely post! It was such a joy to read this morning, and just brought a sense of peace to my day! Your photos are so beautiful and just speak of such simplicity and beauty. Simple pleasures are some of the most wonderful blessings that the Lord has given, and it's something that I find myself becoming more and more aware of. The simplest things can bring such happiness and joy!!
Thank you so much for sharing this sweet post today, dear friend <3 Hoping you have a lovely and blessed week!! Sending you much love and many blessings!!
Oh, precious Kelly-Anne, what a glorious title of your blog today! Simple pleasures indeed are priceless! I love all the quotes and beautiful photos (you make my mouth water...hehe!). And what a bounty with which God has blessed you! I did not know you would use the drive calendula for making soap...yum! I can almost smell it! Ah, and yes, I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of one of your hens. Our grandson mourned one of theirs a couple of years ago, but he still dearly loves his favorite "girl," Ginger. She is a Rhode Island Red, and he loves fresh eggs! Your bread looks absolutely delicious, and what a treat with warm soup! And how precious are our times in the morning with Him...as we quiet our hearts and open them to His Word and His Holy Spirit! Oh, that we would continue to strive for contentment in all things. It's more often the little things that delight more than anything! Thank you, precious and dear friend, for a most beautiful post today! You have lifted my spirits, precious friend!! Love you...with hugs!
What a lovely rich spot of God's earth you live, Kelli-Anne with bountiful fruits to pick for delicious marmalade, chickens, eggs, beautiful flowers to pick, wood to gather for a cosy fire...aah yes it seems like heaven this home of yours. I too have the devotional "The Quiet Place" and often can be seen in the front of our fire pondering what it speaks to me. So many of your quotes today bring to mind my childhood, where I spent many, many days sitting in a sunny nook lost within the covers, on an adventure with Laura or even Jo of Little Women. Such a lovely, reflective post, Kelli-Anne....thank you.
Hello, Such a delightful post today. I have always loved home-making; I receive great joy from keeping an organized and attractive home. I love warm candle-light and sweet scents coming from the kitchen. I also love early morning solitude for prayer and devotional time. I often open the window where I sit and enjoy the birdsong while sipping coffee.
Your marmalade not only looks beautiful, I know it is delicious with toast and tea. Best wishes with the calendula and soap making. I have a blog friend, Judy at Cranberry Morning, who makes/sells soaps of all kinds. She is a lovely Christian woman.
Autumn is my favorite time of year. I can just imagine you taking a long stroll and returning to the smell of fresh baked bread and hearty soup.
I'm very sorry about the loss of your hen.
I wish you a very nice week with your family. God bless. Mildred
Hello Kelly-Anne. What a joy to meet you...I love meeting young ladies who enjoy living for the Lord! What an inspiration you are!
Your marmalade and bread look amazing!
Hi Kelly-Anne! I enjoyed your post today and your love mug is soooo cute! Wishing you happy days!
What a lovely blog yours is !!!
Thank you for sharing such delicacy
Fondly
Daniela
this is a lovely post, a nice one to start the week with.
Diana
Hi Kelly-Anne, what a beautiful post and so filled with inspiration and cozy home delights. We are such a spirit filled and beautiful young lady. God has truly shown favor upon you and I love that you share your gift with others.
Thank you for sharing this special post.
Hugs and Blessings always, cm
Sometimes I think we take for granted the blessing we have even in the simple things. This was such a lovely post. I grow Calendula in my garden but just for the sake of it being a pretty flower. I bet your soap is neat. I've never done canning or soap making, it sounds like you all enjoy your life style very much.
Agreed!
Have a lovely week, Kelly-Anne!
Hi Kelly-Anne, I love everything you shared. Soup and homemade bread are the best! Have a wonderful weekend.
Dearest friend, I have the same devotional written by Nancy Leigh DeMoss...it was a gift from our sweet friend Cheryl. Isn't it a precious book? I find such joy and encouragement from the pages.
Your post was a blessing to read, my friend. The beauty of simply pleasures.
I am terribly sorry about your sweet hen... Thinking of you. Love and hugs!
Oh Kelly-Anne, this is one of my favorite posts of yours. It is simply lovely...I enjoyed reading some of my favorite quotes on here too!
Thank you for sharing a touch of your home with us♥
Hugs From Ashleigh
What a delightful post, my dear Kelly-Anne! It was almost as special as sitting down with you in person, and having a special chat about moments of the day! I enjoyed your musings, and while we are suffering with heat here, you are embracing cold days, lol! Oh how I love comfort soup with a good dose of yummy bread! And oh how sad to hear about the loss of your sweet hen, that just breaks my heart! I hope you are enjoying your time away with your special friends, and appreciate the inspiring posts you thoughtfully prepared for us :) Many hugs across the miles!
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