Thursday, October 29, 2020

When Memories Rise

 


Days alternate between sunshine and cloud, and just a few faint drizzles of rain this week. The pattern of the week varies little - at school by 8:00 where it's go, go, go until I walk out around 3:30, a little surprised at the world outside. I've stopped listening to the radio going to and from school, instead, I sing out loud. Old hymns, children's songs, whatever comes into my head. It's lovely and calming, and I don't feel like I've missed a thing. 


Less and less blooms grace the garden these days, but last weekend I made a wee bedside bouquet with a few pansies and snapdragons. 


A sudden drop in temperature meant a change to winter bedding - a duvet and blanket, with a light quilt at the end of the bed ready to pull up should one of us feel chilly in the night. Now the temperatures have moderated and we throw off the duvet, even with the window open. 

This week is my birthday. Do you find that on special days during the year, memories rise and you indulge in a little nostalgia? I've been thinking about the birthday parties my mother put on when I was young. One year, a party wasn't mentioned - I must have been 10 or 11. I left for school feeling a little let down, and even worse, when I arrived at school, my three best friends whispered secrets and rather ignored me. I felt sad and rejected. After school, I trudged home and practiced piano. My mother was preparing a special dinner for the family for my birthday. When the doorbell rang, she asked me to answer it and there stood my three school friends with big smiles on their faces. "Happy birthday," they cried out. I was very surprised, but I remember still feeling a little miffed for a few moments. Soon, however, that passed, and we had a wonderful time together. 

My mother frequently iced cakes with a 7-minute frosting that she beat on the stove to billowy soft and sweet peaks, almost like marshmallow. And candles. Always candles to blow out after the singing of Happy Birthday. Wonderful memories. 


Margie wanted to see my new Rockport rainboots - here they are. They are great for walking, even when it's not raining. 


During a rainy day last week, I watched the black-eyed juncos on the feeder. The rain didn't seem to bother them at all as they vied for space with house finches and a couple of goldfinches. No rainboots needed here!


On these quickly darkening evenings the string of lights on the mantel creates a cozy glow. I cut a few branches from the lilac bushes as I've been admiring their leaves from my kitchen window. How pretty they are. 

Tomorrow after school I'm going to have tea with my daughters for a little birthday celebration. Then, a quiet evening at home. I'm so looking forward to this weekend, especially the extra hour as we move the clocks back. I have no plans and that's quite a lovely thing. 

How about you? Any plans? 

35 comments:

  1. Pretty pictures of black-eyed junco and Lilac branches (that makes mantel look beautiful). Naomi Archangel Raphael Prayers

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  2. Happy Birthday. Loved reading your memories and empathise with your feelings. Mild and very wet here and our clocks have already gone back. Candles and fires are the way to go here. Have a lovely birthday celebration. B x

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  3. Happy Birthday!
    The lilac branches are pretty, a nice touch of autumn. The junco without rain boots is a beautiful image.

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  4. It sounds like a lovely birthday, then and now. Have a great birthday! Enjoy!

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  5. Love your little bedside bouquet and love seeing the little bird out playing in the rain. Great photos. Have a very happy birthday!

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  6. Happy Birthday sweet friend! I hope you have a beautiful weekend filled with things you enjoy...and hopefully some sunshine. I love thinking back to childhood birthdays and the fun we had. I've wanted to have a birthday party now that I'm older...but maybe one of these days. I love the pretty shades of blue in your bedroom...so soothing and pretty! Hugs!!!

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  7. Wishing you a very happy birthday Lorrie, enjoy the celebration with your daughters. We will be celebrating our granddaughter's 11th birthday tomorrow, she has grown from my Little Pumpkin into my Miss Pumpkin.

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  8. Birthday blessings to you, Lorrie. Thank you for bringing up lovely memories of my mother and seven minute frosting.

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  9. I think singing on your drive is a lovely way to begin the day!

    Happiest of birthdays to you, friend! Enjoy the teatime with your daughters and a wonderful relaxing weekend!

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  10. Happy Birthday, Lorrie! I know your teatime will be special. So glad you are in the world!

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  11. I must look at my lilac leaves but I cant believe that they are as pretty as yours - they look lovely in the blue glass vase together with the string of fairy lights.
    Have a really happy birthday Lorrie.

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  12. Happy Birthday, Lorrie! I think your birthday plans sound lovely. Two of my sons have birthdays around now also and obviously plans for celebrating them are different this year. One son texted me the other night and said that he'd been thinking of all the birthday parties I'd given him while growing up and thanked me for them. That blessed my heart, as you can imagine. That signature blue of yours is so pretty! And the vase of bronze lilac leaves is gorgeous with it. Again, wishing you a sweet birthday weekend!

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  13. Happy Birthday, Lorrie! I'm sure that you will enjoy your birthday tea. Your bedroom blues are lovely. I've got to go out and gather leaves when they are dry. Enjoy your weekend!

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  14. Happy Birthday to you and I know you'll enjoy your birthday tea. How lovely. The photos you shared enhanced the memories you shared well. Happy weekend to you!

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  15. Happy Birhtday! I remember 7 minute frosting! It was a favorite as a child.

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  16. A special Happy Birthday to you . Not a year older - but a year better. Your childhood memories are precious. Take special care.

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  17. Happy birthday! I hope that however you spend that day, that it will be special. i can identify with special days bringing memories. Yes, it is time for the warmer bedding to come out. I find that comforting.

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  18. Happy Birthday, Lorrie. I am an October girl as well (the 11th). Your birthday sounds perfectly lovely. And your school girl memories are treasures for you always. I love the leaves from your lilac, they are so pretty.

    It is to be chilly here this weekend, but good garden weather. I need to finish putting the garden to bed.

    Have a sweet and peaceful weekend.

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  19. Oh Happiest of Birthdays. Your mom's frosting sounds amazing. I do hope to GOD that we are not shoveling cake in our mouths next week like the Tina Fey post SNL Hilary Clinton loss. We better not be.

    I have some things on the COVID calendar. Work in our words. Knit knit knit. Send some treats to the neighbor dogs.

    Im having a zoom halloween time tomorrow. I'd love you to join me. IF you want an invite let me know. We will be knitting and seeing and hearing one another for the first time!

    I love Halloween. And I've enjoyed it so far with Fireman.

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  20. I hope you had a lovely birthday and tea with your daughters too. You barely escaped being born on Halloween.
    That's a cute little bedside bouquet. It definitely becomes more and more difficult to find any blooms to bring indoors.

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  21. Happy Birthday, Lorrie! What a lovely time of year for you to celebrate. I know how much you love the outdoors and its beyond beautiful right now!

    Jane 😘

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  22. Very nice post. I enjoyed your birthday memories and my mom made that same 7 minute frosting, it was so yummy. - Happy Belated Birthday wishes & have a great weekend. I'd rather not turn the clocks back but it is what it is.

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  23. Happy Halloween! It will be different this year. We won't be having trick or treaters. The city didn't outlaw them, but we think it is a bad idea with our covid numbers getting really high. So we will celebrate with with some holiday movies, my fav whiskey drink and popcorn. So nervous with the election and will be happy when it is over with. I hope you have a great day! Kit

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  24. Happy Birthday weekend, Lorrie! Hope that you've been enjoying a lovely one. I, too, have loved the color of my purple lilac's leaves...such amazing colors. Alas, the last ones dropped today. Now the white lilac's leaves are still green. I like your rainboots...more stylish than most.

    My plans were to drag the stepladder in and do four things: 1. change the time on the schoolhouse clock 2. clean the fan 3. clean the beam 4. clean the transom windows. I got three out of four done. Tomorrow is another day.

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  25. Happy Birthday, Lorrie! I hope your celebration was sweet. I like the thought of that kind of cake icing -- my mother didn't know how to make it but some of my friends' mothers did, and as a child I thought it the most glorious topping!

    Your boots are very stylish! I think I will go browse Rockport rain boots right now!

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  26. Happy belated birthday! I love the way your mother surprised you.
    Your blues in your bedroom are beautiful. I also love little bouquets in the bedroom. Sweet!!!

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  27. I hope you had a very Happy Birthday, Lorrie! I always wanted a birthday party when I was a child but my mother was quite shy and did not like to entertain. I remember planning and hosting my own party when I was only eight years old! I bought balloons and blew them up and bought little prizes with my own money so I could give out gifts when we played "Pin the Tail on the Donkey." I think my mother made a cake and bought ice cream but I did everything else by myself--fun memory.
    Your boots look very comfortable, and yes we had a very cold weekend last week so we have our wool blanket and quilt on our bed, even though it has warmed up again. It is very cozy.

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  28. Awwww Happy Birthday, Lorrie!! I hope your tea with your daughters was wonderful. The marshmallow-like frosting was always a favorite of my late beloved mom's, and I love it, too. She especially loved it on angel food cake. It's nice to have memories come back to us. I like your cute boots, too!

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  29. Happy Belated Birthday, Lorrie!

    Thanks for indulging my request for an image of the Rockport boots! They look great and I especially like how they're dressy enough for work or more formal events.

    I busted out my duvet at the beginning of October. After a few frigid days, the temperatures will rise to 20C (!) on Monday. I'll take it!

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  30. Congratulations on your birthday Lorrie <3

    I celebrate my birthday in December and my mother always thought it was too close to Christmas - so no celebrations. But I had a lovely godfather who always came to visit and brought me a small present. I have been thinking past times this week, because two older relatives passed away, they were not very near to me. The one died in Minnesota at the age of 84 due to Covid...

    I have added light strings and candles too and use in the morning a daylight lamp. Hope it cheers me up in this dark season.

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  31. Loved your words, your photos, and your space here that is always safe and comforting, always inspiring to visit. Love how the birds never seem to mind the rain -- they just get on with things. Loved the autumn twigs in your vase and the quiet vignette in your bedroom now ready for cooler nights ahead.

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  32. Muy bonito tu blog. Saludos.

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  33. Happy belated Birthday, Lorrie! Your outdoor campfire birthday also looked like a good time as family. We sure do appreciate these times more and more!

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