The Comfort of Toast and Other Good Things

 

Daylight streaming through a wide window;

a pot of tea at the ready,

and memories to move you gently through the hours - 

all impart tranquility in the heart of winter.

Victoria Magazine January 1994

The run of cold clear bright days was lovely while it lasted, and now we are back to more typical cloud and drizzle. Moss is the brightest thing in the woods these days and there is plenty of it, growing like thick tufts of hair on branches. The ponds were full of ducks, mallards, coots, and wood ducks, all quacking and swimming as though at a party. 

The stack of books I had chosen to read didn't inspire me greatly, so I was very happy when the library informed me that Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure was ready for pickup. Sometimes a particular story lands just when it fits one's mood perfectly. This was one of those times. The story is charming and undemanding, but demonstrates resilience and growth in a difficult time. I liked it so much that I would like to add it to my own bookshelf. I won't give away the story, but when Ellie hears some bad news, she takes things into her own hands, gathers a friend or two, and has a truly "Splendid Adventure" that occurs just before and during World War II. 

Winter is the time for comfort - 

it is the time for home.

Edith Sitwell

With the lack of sunshine this week I craved comfort. Cups of tea while reading were lovely, (Murchie's Earl Grey) and one dull afternoon I made myself a piece of toast. The fragrance of that homemade sourdough bread as it toasted filled my senses with anticipation. A bit of butter made it absolutely delicious. This was a special treat as I normally don't eat between meals. 

Other comforting foods this week were Roasted Tomato Soup, and a Gingery Carrot and Greens Soup with Shrimp. In the summer I roast garden tomatoes with onion, garlic, and herbs until slightly caramelized, then freeze them in mason jars filled about 2/3 full. I pull out a jar, let it thaw and pour it into a pot, add broth, simmer for a few minutes, blitz it, and it makes the most flavourful soup in a flash. A bit of cream added at the end adds a bit of unctuousness. 

The primulas I purchased were not at all bothered by the frosty weather and keep the little crocus flowers company in the pot on the porch. It makes me smile when I pass by. 

There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.

Jane Austen

A bunch of tulips and hyacinths came home with me from the grocery store. I separated them into two vases to spread out the beauty. How sweet the fragrance of the hyacinths!

My parents gave me an amaryllis bulb for Christmas and it's been growing steadily, now blooming deep crimson. There's another stem growing alongside and I'm curious to see if it will also bloom. 

It's been a quiet week around here, mostly at home with walks and books, tea and toast. In a few days the first month of 2026 will have passed and February will arrive. 

I'll leave you with a few words from Rhys Bowen's Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure - 

“Prayers don’t have to be elaborate things. Why don’t you start with three things you’re blessed with, three things you’re afraid of and finally three things you ask of him? And don’t forget to listen, too.”

A January Daybook

 

Over the course of January, we will have gained 1 hour and 3 minutes of daylight. It's becoming noticeable, especially on sunny days, of which we have had five this week. I can feel my energy levels increase with the sunshine. 

In last week's post I mentioned taking a short road trip to visit a beekeeper. We were early and went for a little walk by the Cowichan River. It was running fast and full, with some parts of the trail closed due to high water. Mist hung over the water, adding a bit of eeriness to the scene. With the clear days came colder temperatures. Frost at night burned away by mid-morning. 

"frost in moderation is a good thing for the land, as it 

pulverizes the earth and destroys noxious insects

by the thousands."

H. Rider Haggard A Farmer's Year

quoted in Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life by Marta McDowell

Sunday called for another walk in the sunshine. Beacon Hill Park is a large space overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Herons nest in the trees there, and although it's not nesting season quite yet, there were a few birds surveying passersby from high perches. I'll let the photos mostly speak for themselves. It was a glorious day!

A Jay calling loudly

Outside my window just now is very dark. I've worked on this post off and on throughout the day which has been pleasant but overcast. 

I am thinking about how cozy our home is. Friends were over this evening and as we talked and laughed together I realized how lovely it is to host people. Our home is not fancy, but it is comfortable and I think it reflects our tastes (maybe mine more than his). 

A Peacock looking very dapper in the sunshine

One of my favourite things is my houseplants. I recently bought a lovely large Dracaena and a smallish Bamboo Palm to fill in a corner. There is a Christmas Amaryllis that is just about to bloom on the dining room table, and a few forced hyacinths perfuming the air alongside. I love the way plants add life to the rooms. 

I am wearing dark wash blue jeans, a white shirt, and a red pullover sweater, and pearl drop earrings. And socks. No shoes indoors as in most of Canada. 

We are watching the Shetland series of mysteries on Sunday nights through our public Knowledge Channel. We wait impatiently for the next episode as we're always left on a cliff! I don't know if it's the most recent series, but it has Tosh and Ruth as detectives. Jimmy Perez has moved away. I read recently that Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland books, is planning to reintroduce his character. Whether that will translate to the television production, I have no idea. 

Yes, Prunus blossoms. They are very early and could get a shock if we get some colder weather. 

I have been reading books from my own shelves:

Deceptive Devotion by Iona Wishaw (detective series set in British Columbia)

The Battle of the Queens by Jean Plaidy (an old book about the rivalry between the medieval Queens Eleanor and Isabel)

A Nun in the Closet by Dorothy Gilman who also wrote the Mrs. Pollifax books

Jutland Cottage by Angela Thirkell (another old book set in the days just after WWII)

In the kitchen today I made a large Apple Crisp to serve to our friends, using apples from our trees. We had so many apples and now they are softening, so it's time to use them up. I added a half a bag of frozen cranberries to the apples, too. 

In my garden I heard the sharp chatter of an Anna's Hummingbird and looked up to see it perched on a wisteria vine next to the hedge. How it shimmered in the sunshine. They live here year round and seem to enjoy our garden, which I don't mind at all. 

While walking I stopped to watch an American Robin eating Hawthorn berries. He and his friends were making quite a racket as I passed, perhaps remarking to each other how plentiful the berries were. 

I was surprised to see the crocuses blooming in the pot outside the front door. I decided to remove the holly and cedar boughs, which I did and noticed even more bulbs poking up their leaves. It's early, but nature can't be stopped. 

From my garden I picked a small bouquet of snowdrops and placed them in a small blue and white creamer. I thought to make a small composition of some pleasing things. Blue and white is always a favourite of mine. 

We have no plans for the weekend (other than Shetland on Sunday evening). It's a rather lovely feeling of possibility. Wishing you all a weekend of beautiful small moments. 

Savouring the Days

 

"There has been some lovely weather

--to look at."

Beatrix Potter

Early last week another "atmospheric river" flowed through our area. Oh, the rain. It poured down for two days, making little lakes in our garden and running in small rivers on a daughter's property right into their home. So much water! 

The first thing I do when I get out of bed in the morning is open the curtains. On Tuesday morning I saw very little. Thick fog obscured everything but the street lights. By mid-morning it had burned off and blue sky emerged. The world was full of light and so were my spirits. A beach walk seemed just the thing! 

Alas, as I crested the hill to Island View Beach I saw more fog covering the water. How mysterious and quiet it was. Bufflehead ducks played in the water and made hardly a noise. After walking for about 25 minutes the fog began lifting and when I turned to return to my car the sun was so bright I had to shade my eyes with my hand. What a difference! 

I heard the eagle cry out and hoped he would turn to face me for the photo, but perhaps he, too, was protecting his eyes from the blinding sun.

Soup has been on the menu this week. Split Pea Soup here, made from my mother's recipe with the substitution of a smoked turkey leg rather than a ham bone. Equally delicious. I do love soup and also made a smooth broccoli soup one day. 

Motivation has been low this week and I'm savouring the slow days of January. I stirred myself enough to make some Bran Muffins. I add raisins or dates to them and this version had chopped dates. Yummy with a bit of butter. 

I did a sketch of houses that remind me of our visit to Leiden and Amsterdam in the summer of 2024. The unfinished watercolour has been languishing in my painting box and this week I took it out and finished it. 

Another thing I'm savouring are the snowdrops appearing in various places - this small patch is in my garden, near to the house and quite sheltered. How white and crisp the flowers are! Our temperatures are unseasonably warm, so much so that a daffodil is blooming in our daughter's garden. We could very well get a blast of winter yet, and I rather hope we do. This warmth is quite strange. 

And so ends another week. We're getting together with friends for dinner one evening this weekend and also taking a short road trip. My husband is becoming interested in beekeeping and wants to visit an beekeeper who is full of information to share. I'll go along for the ride. 

The Quiet Month: Easing into 2026

 

The first full week of January is over. We enjoyed our lazy week trip to Mexico so very much, but now that I'm home again, I feel as though I've lost that enjoyable week "between the years" where life is slow and undemanding. So I've taken this past week to not tackle anything beyond the necessary. 

We went out for coffee with friends one morning, I've made pots of warming soup for these rainy days, read a few books, and slowly put away the Christmas decorations. There have been a few Christmas cookies to enjoy - chocolates, rum balls, and cookies. It's been lovely. Before leaving on our trip I put the leftovers into the freezer. I made a turkey pot pie with a puff pastry topping that went down well. Some vegetable soup. 

I find almost all seasons enjoyable. January is a good month to hunker at home and address domestic issues such as cleaning out the kitchen cupboards. 

Now it's time to think about the year ahead. I don't make resolutions, preferring to address issues as they arise. That said, by the end of 2026 I want to see my book published, some quilts made, and a good garden grown. 

The world has always been an uncertain place, but it seems to me that these days are filled with more tension and fear. The world is at the mercy of greedy and power-hungry men who care nothing for ordinary people and are only eager to build empires and amass wealth at whatever cost. I am reminded of the words Lucy heard in C. S. Lewis' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, "Courage, dear heart," And the words to Joshua in the Bible, "Be strong and courageous." Certainly strength and courage are needed to face these days. Courage to find joy in the ordinary events of daily life. Here are three things that I rely on to bring joy in my life. 

One: Looking for beauty

"There is, I have found, at least one good or lovely thing in each day. Everyone has sorrow, endures difficult times, but loveliness abides if we look for it." Glady Taber

The slant of light when the sun shines is elusive and makes me smile just to see it. My house is looking a bit bare these days as I've put away the Christmas things and haven't yet felt the urge to replace the usual accessories. As I said, it's been lazy week at home! The spareness of mantels and tables is quite restful, but I'll soon be polishing and puttering to arrange things once again. 

Two: Embracing the Season

Here on our island in the Pacific Ocean winters are mild and temperatures rarely fall below freezing. I always hope for a bit of snow because I love to watch it fall and transform the world. There's been none yet, but I continue to hope. Meanwhile, in my garden the Hellebores bloom. One plant, more sheltered than the others has bloomed continuously since the beginning of December. I ventured out to see the others and found Fire and Ice buds forming in great abundance. As well, Snowdrops nod their pretty white heads here and there. 

Another way to embrace the season is with warming mugs or cups of tea and a nibble on leftover Christmas cookies. Shortbread lasts a lovely long time in the freezer and is just the thing for an afternoon pick-me-up. 

Three: Reading

A few months ago I read Howards End is on the Landing by Susan Hill, "a year of reading from her personal library." Inspired, I have pulled out a few books from my own library, some of which I have not yet read. Here's a partial list:

The Battle of the Queens by Jean Plaidy

The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

The School-Marm Tree by Howard O'Hagan

The Room on Rue Amelie by Kirstin Harmel

Eyes Wide Open by Steve DeWitt

Deceptive Devotion by Iona Wishaw

Rewriting Adam by Connie Inglis

On Moonberry Lake by Holly Varni

The Warrior Queens by Antonia Fraser

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler

The Stubborn Light of Things by Melissa Harrison

I've also been eyeing my collection of Jane Austen books for a re-read. While on vacation I read The Two Mrs. Abbotts by D. E. Stevenson and found these words

"Books are people," smiled Miss Marks. "In every book worth reading, the author is there to meet you, to establish contact with you. He takes you into his confidence and reveals his thoughts to you." 

"Happy New Year to all of us, all over this turning earth. And may we make it a year of loving-kindness and gentle hearts." 

Gladys Taber

 

Lazy Week in Mexico

 

A brilliantly coloured Hooded Oriole sat just outside our breakfast table one morning

For several years the topic of a winter vacation in the sun has come up in our family. Our three children remember going to the beach during the holiday season when we lived in Ecuador. Last year we decided that 2025 was the year to go. I booked tickets in February so the anticipation was long. 

One of our daughters is a teacher and calls the week between Christmas and New Year's (or the start of school) "Lazy Week." We dubbed our holiday Lazy Week in Mexico, and what a fun time we had. 

We took a tour to the Mayan ruins at Coba, riding bicycles through the jungle for a short distance. Those who couldn't ride were pedalled in style in a tricycle affair. The bikes were not fancy and I had to remember to use my pedals for braking as mine didn't have hand brakes. 

All 13 of us climbed the very steep and uneven stairs to the top of the Mayan pyramid. The little girls, 5 and 6, did very well. The site was closed for a few months to allow the construction of a wooden staircase over the stones. The rope handrails made us feel a bit more secure. Our guide told us that executions were performed by pushing people off the top of the pyramid. How terrible. 

And here we are, on top of the pyramid with a grand view of the jungle for miles around. A sea of green. 

Our next stop on the tour was swimming in two different cenotes. These were both underground with narrow stairs leading down to the water. How clear it was and very refreshing for swimming. Stalactites and stalagmites were all around.

The food all week was fantastic. We stayed at a resort so no one had to think about food other than what to put on one's own plate. I love Mexican food and enjoyed plenty of it. 

We celebrated New Year's Eve with a gala buffet. There were parties on the beach, sparklers, and fireworks to observe. Most of our crew were in bed long before the festivities began. 

I enjoyed watching the different bird life. This brown pelican dove into the water and frequently came up with a small fish that was devoured in one gulp. 

I didn't grow up near the ocean and when I first visited it during our early years in Ecuador, it didn't appeal to me. I felt it was too restless. It didn't take very long to learn to enjoy the waves crashing onto the shore and creeping up the sand to tickle my feet. Now, many years later, I love it, especially when the water is the warm Caribbean. 

When we lived in Ecuador vacations were almost always spent at the beach, drifting from pool to ocean and back again. This week reminded me of those days and I took a photo of our three children as I had done when they were young. They posed very nicely until the end when I just caught our youngest ready to scoop water onto her brother. A water fight ensued, with lots of laughter. 

This was a week when time felt suspended. Resort life is not real life, and we all enjoyed the break. We returned late Saturday night (early Sunday morning) and today (Monday) the grandchildren are back at school and most of the adults returned to work. Lazy Week in Mexico was a grand success.  

Happy New Year, everyone!

Merry Christmas!

 

My list is mostly complete, just a few last minute things to do. There's enough time for a quick blog post to wish you all a most Merry and Joyous Christmas. That's me in the above photo, on the right, along with my sister and brother, all of us in outfits sewn by my mother. The tree was likely cut from the forest by my father. 

While visiting the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna a few years ago, I was entranced with the paintings by Peter Bruegel the Elder. His paintings hold so many stories of everyday life at the time. I recently became acquainted with another "The Census at Bethlehem," painted in 1566, in which he sets the story of Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem in his own time. Everyone is going about their business, and the young couple do not make much of an impression. I imagine that's how it really was. I'm enjoying looking at all the details of ordinary people, such as we are, while into their midst comes the Infant Jesus. Something to ponder. 

Wishing you a most Merry and Joyous Christmas! 

I'll be taking a blog break until the new year! Thank you for your visits and comments. 

Friday Favourites: Preparations

 

It's been a week of variable weather. Mostly rain that alternated between a downpour and a drizzle. Many streams overflowed their banks, and in the Fraser Valley, where many of my extended family members live, flooding has affected many people. Last week I mentioned that my parents and siblings were coming for the weekend. In the end, my brother and his wife couldn't make it as the highways and roads were impassable and travel was curtailed to "essential only." A disappointment for us, but we still had a good time.

Butchart Gardens does a beautiful display for Christmas. We went early so it wouldn't be too dark for my parents, and saw the lights glowing in the half-light of mid-late afternoon. An enormous ornament lights up the center of the rose garden, now bereft of blooms. 

The theme is the Twelve Days of Christmas and I always enjoy seeing the Three French Hens enjoying tea and pastry with the Eiffel Tower in the background. 

Lights twinkle and glow throughout the gardens. It's always a delight to visit. How we all long for light in the darkness of winter. 

Most of our time was spent at home, visiting accompanied by warming food and lots of laughter. We worked on the puzzle above, then Tim and I finished it a couple of days ago. Such a lovely wintry garden. Mine looks nothing like it.

They left on Sunday and the house settled down to its quiet routines for a day or two. There was always something to do - a bit of shopping, baking, a few projects to finish, and plenty of time in the evenings to read and enjoy candlelight and firelight. 

One of my favourite parts of having people over for dinner is setting the table. I like to do it early in the day so I'm not rushed. Sometimes I have a plan in mind, other times I just do what feels right at the time. Yesterday, friends came over and my table setting was very much a "whatever." Plates on bare wood with a red runner down the center. I went outside to cut cedar and holly, and rinsed the cedar in vinegar water before placing it on the table. It gets rid of any bugs that might be lurking. I added candles in various holders and then a few shiny baubles. Add red napkins and I was done. 

We had a good time together, laughing and chatting. The "meal" was easy - it was an "apero dinatoire" but we sat together at the table rather than balancing plates on laps. Appetizers for dinner. 

I made a wreath arrangement of cheeses, vegetables, and salami on the large board Tim made me a couple of years ago. 

Tonight more friends are coming for dinner. This will be a full meal. The napkins are ironed and I placed them in fun napkin rings brought from Ecuador many years ago. They are made of clay and well resined to withstand moisture. 

As this little angel seems to say, "Joy to the World," I'll wish you a Merry Christmas. I may post once early next week, but we will see. 

I've always believed that anticipation plays a great role in special events, adding to the satisfaction and contentment felt afterwards. May you find loveliness in the preparations ahead. Take time for a cup of tea and a cookie. Read a book. Enjoy the moments.