A heart post.

Hello there dear hearts... 

How are you all doing?  

I hope you are having a good month.. 

February is called the heart month and is actually one of my favourite celebrations.. 

During the winter months it is a little brightness for our grey days.. 

I like planning our valentine supper and making heart crafts.. 

I painted hearts and modge podged and made some fudge.. smile.. 

Did a little decorating with it all.. 

I made the bunting last year, I believe and the cushion but they stay up for February.. 

It is hard to believe how fast this month has swept on by.. 

Our days are getting longer and we have had a couple of storms since I was on here last.. 

Nothing serious like some parts of our world.. 

My heart goes out to those in places that are not used to having our typical winter weather.. 

We have had a very good winter this year and we are thankful..

What have you all been busy doing?  

A lot of you work outside of the home but I know that Winter brings out our nesting urges .. 

Our daughter and daughter-in-law have been busy crocheting up a storm.. Market bags and big baskets.. I love them but crocheting a coffee cozy is about the height of my talents.. 

We all have our forte I guess... 

I really enjoy my plants especially now.. 

Terry has seed catalogues all over the place but I can't get into that much for about another month.. 

I notice on Instagram that the southern girls are planting their seeds and I just can't go there yet.. 

We will no doubt have snow and cold for at least two more months so what is the rush..

I am just enjoying this down season.. 

With the winter as mild as it has been I am not thinking of hurrying Spring along at all.. 

We have had winters when we thought they would never end but this year has been grand.. 

Anyway enough about the Canadian weather.. 

Here are a few  pics of some of my plants.. 

The Star of Bethlehem has a blossom as does the Goldfish plant.. 

And... 

So

As does my Pregnant Onion.. 

Isn't that a funny blossom.. 

It's stem is just so long and the blossom is a cone of small white star like blossoms.. 

Babies have fallen even into other pots.. smile.. 

These plants are here in the family room.. 

Some have such sweet memories for me.. 

The Snake plant above reminds me of my Dad.. 

He always had them and I remember begging for a piece of one shortly after I was married.. smile.. 

The Pregnant Onion was given to me as a tiny wee slip from one of the sweet ladies who worked at our Kings Landing Heritage Village.. They are so kind there.. 

Then the Star of Bethlehem was one of my Mom's favourites and I was so happy to get a slip from my friend for her.. 

The plant on the floor there is from my Aunt Leatha who I am named after.. I don't know what it is called though, do you?  

Anyway.. enough about plants.. 

One chore I have been trying to accomplish is to go through things and try to declutter.. (As I am sure I mention every post)  lol.. 

Lots of linens and lace .. 

But very hard to part with.. smile.. 

And.. 

Lots of old dishes... 

I have parted with several boxes to the goodwill but really need to get rid of a few more.. 

I am trying.. grin.. 

And then... 

There are things of my Mom's that need to be gone through and sorted.. 

Passing on a few trinkets and keeping some too.. 

It is funny the things that jerk at your heart strings when one is touching little items that must have meant something to her.. 

The little box cover above is one.. 

It was in her cedar chest along with several dear treasures but I couldn't part with this old cover.. 

Tattered and torn as it is.. smile.. 

My mother loved cats.. 

I have enjoyed cat crafts since I was little and think she passed it on to me.. 

I will make something with this but not sure what.. 

Just a wee thing to remember her by.. 

Not that I will ever forget her..

She is daily in my mind and heart.. 

And so... life goes on.. 

Then there is the winter cooking...   

A new breakfast sandwich that I love.. 

Just one slice of bread that you cut in two.. 

I even use thin slices.. 

One thin slice of cheese.. (good cheddar) 

And two small eggs or one extra large.. 

Here is the link on how to do it.. 

HERE

Terry's fave pasta.. 

Broccoli, Mushrooms and Lemon Pasta.. 

I posted about this before, I am sure.. 

I have my soups.. 

Terry loves Chili... 

I like it once in a while.. 

So this time as usual I made a huge pot so I could freeze it.. 

Then looked on line and found several new ways of serving it.. 

Cuban Picadillo... 

Yum! 

You just add lots of sliced olives and a handful of golden raisins to your chili and serve over rice.. 

I loved it but Terry had his bowl with cheese.. (wink)  

We have our little trips to check on our old farm from time to time.. 

This day was after a storm.. 

Our dear farmer plows out our lane so we can get in when we visit..

While Terry made a fire to warm it up for a bit and such I sat in the truck and worked on a bit of felting.. 

After awhile we headed on back home.. 

Had a small bowl of mac and cheese on our laps and watched a Little House on the Prairie show.. 

We love them.. Do you? smile.. 

I am reading as always.. smile.. 

And snacking... 

Dried Honey Crisp apples.. 

So good.. 

And then we had Valentines Day.. 

Terry gave me some lovely tulips... 

And I made our special dinner.. 

Used my Marilla glasses as I call them from 

Anne with an E...  

I posted about them before.. 

I saw this drink on Instagram and just had to copy it.. 

Pomegranate juice, lemon slices, blackberries, pomegranate seeds and a star of anise.. 

Delicious and so pretty.. 

I forgot to take a pic of our main course.. Dahhh.. 

Anyway.. 

Dessert...  

Oh yes.. 

And Terry gave me something he says he has been looking for the past fifty years .. 

Yup!

He is funny all right... grin.. 

This is a verse I found a long time ago.. 

Still love it and am sure I have posted it before.. 

Nonetheless... 

It is sweet and most of the time true.. 

Marriage isn't always a bed of roses... 

As any of you who have been on this road for very long know.. 

But each day for the last fifty years with the Lord's help we keep on and live through each season of marriage that we have .. 

Right now we have been emptynesters for a long time.. 

Our grandsons are grown ... 

We still live in this dear old house and every once in awhile we chat about what the next step will be.. 

Everyone is different.. 

A lot of our friends have downsized and are very happy with that. 

As for us we are not ready.. 

Terry would go nuts without something to putter at and I do not want to leave my home.. 

Some day... 

If the Lord tarries and we keep on as we are.. 

Right now there is no rush.. 

I saw this pic on the web somewhere ... 

This is my take on it.. smile.. 

The sweet old couple were out for a stroll  from their senior apartment..

They are walking by the house that they used to live in.. 

He is going right ahead just like Terry would do.. 

.. and she is looking back.. 

Remembering no doubt.. 

The days of babies and toddlers... 

the teenagers and graduations and college..

the empty nest..  

then the weddings and the births..

sweet visits from grandchildren and grown children... 

all the meals and laundry days.. 

the laughter and the tears..

perhaps the losses...  

prayers that were prayed inside those four walls.. 

names lifted up to the Lord..  

then..

the moving on... 

Oh the years fairly flew by and they were lovely!  

And they still are... 

Regardless of what goes on in this world or the tests and trials we go through... 

Life happens but it is how we deal with it that counts.. 

Putting the Lord first and to keep enduring..

Running the race... 

Choosing joy and praying for love in our hearts ... 

Yup... 

Well my sweet friends this is all.. 

It is from my heart on this heart month post.. 

A bit long but you can just scroll on by.. grin.. 

Leave me one of your dear notes though so I know you were here.. 

Ok?  

Here or on the Facebook or Instagram page.. 

Sending you a all a heartfelt hug.. 

God Bless!!

Life Is What We Make It...❤❤

Good Afternoon dear hearts...

Can you believe it?  

Here I am again!  

I just wanted to finish up about our Valentine's Dinner which is also this month's 50th Wedding Celebration... 

I was thinking that perhaps this will seem a bit ?? whatever to anyone but ourselves .. 

But you girls who have been reading my blog for aeons would probably be interested .. 

So here we are once again... 

I thought I would start at the beginning of our little dinner bit because it did take a little time and effort.. 

I wanted to have the dinner in front of our fireplace in the Livingroom.. 

There is a nice rug there and the room is kind of a romantic place with the antiques and such.. 

And I love the colour that I am introducing there... touch by touch.. 

Shonda calls it Rose Gold I think... (not sure) lol.. 

But to me it is a peachy rose... 

I so love it!  

All week in my mind and in my notebook I am writing notes and thinking about that room.. 

I started making a pillow for the sofa.. 

I just drew a little design on a piece of felted wool and did some needle felting.. 

By the way to the dear girl who was asking about my patterns ... 

I just draw them on... perse...smile.. 

Then we had our town day and Terry wanted me to pick out my flowers as he didn't know what the colour was... 

Can you imagine!  A man not knowing what peachy rose is!  😁

So.. 

I found a rose plant that I have always loved since you can plant it outdoors and it lasts.... (not like fresh flowers ) 

And they were the perfect colour... 

Am I boring you all yet?  

So... 

We are doing fine.. 

I mention that the table I wanted to use was on the deck and perhaps it would be good to bring it in as it was raining and easy to get to.. 

Sure... he would do that..  sometime..... 🤔

Meanwhile the week is passing.. 

I am working on the pillows and other valentine things.. 

I love heart day as I call it as hearts are my fave craft.. 

You might notice that in my Pinterest account.. lol.. 

We had to go to Sussex as I was getting a thing taken off of my forehead.. 

Nothing serious but it ended up taking another day of the week.. 

And the table is still outside.. 

The chairs in the basement... 

And yup.. 

On Thursday we got snow...   

Quite a bit.. actually.. 

I made the cookies from the last post and such and enjoyed a lovely Ladies Bible Study in the afternoon.. 

Then on Friday.. 

Valentine's Day ... 

He ended up having to shovel his way to the table and then it had to go to the basement to dry off.. 😕

I wanted to treat him with homemade bread for our dinner so I made that on Friday morning along with Cherry Cheese Desert which is our families' favourite.. 

He had to go somewhere and by the time he got back neither of us was up to finishing it all... 

So.. 

We decided to celebrate in another way and do the dinner on Saturday.. 

(We had homemade Mac and Cheese with bacon and he had some of the homemade bread.. )

We watched a movie and that was our Valentine's .... 

Really nice actually... 

You know the old saying.. 

Life is what you make it!  

That is my favourite quote, I think.. 

One of our previous pastor's told the story of an old sister in the church who was in her nineties and she said that every time he visited her.. I have loved it ever since!   

So we made that night a bit special too.. smile..

Then that evening he mentions that he would bring up the table in the morning by the family room fireplace and I could get it all together.. 

Be easier for me... 

But it was up to me.. 

He would have to clean out the living room fireplace as we hadn't used it for a bit and  so on.

But it was up to me..  

OK.... 

I would just change things.. 

The colour scheme  would have to be red... hmmm... 

I was going to use my china which is pinky... 

Hmmmm... 

Well life is what you make it.. 

I wanted this to be nice so I would work towards that.. 

I kind of worked it out in my head that night after I went to bed.. 

(I am beginning to bore myself!) 

I will hurry along here.. 

The next day he brought up the table and chairs and I mentioned perhaps he should go to the farm for water.. 

We love our spring water there and he loves to go and make a fire and putter around.. 

I get twice as much done when he is gone.. 

Do you find it that way, too?  

Especially us retired couples! smile.. 

After he left for the farm I dug out some fabric and made a few things.. 

I love this fabric... 

I made a couple of napkins and tied a piece on my silver spoon holder .. 

Then covered the candles with it... 

I was so thrilled to find two Depression Glass goblets at a thrift store awhile ago and now I could use them.. 

The two old glasses are ancient!  

Blown glass and hand painted.. 

There are only two of them.. 

Terry found them at a yard sale many years ago.. 

One of my special treasures.. 

And the candle holders that go on the Charger plates are from my shop .... I kept a few for myself..  

And my great Aunt Emily's Sunday dishes...

Old silver salt and peppers from my Mother... 

A candle from my daughter... 

I do buy new stuff once in awhile.. grin.. 

Well.... 

It is all together now.. 

I made the heart bunting and pillow last year.. 

And the country wood heart which is a bit small but a heart non the less was in the hall...

I spent the rest of the day making the food.. 

It was not too difficult as I had planned it earlier in the week..

Terry came home and we changed our clothes and he lit the fire...  

I lit the candles.. 

Poured our drinks and mentioned we should take a couple of pics before we ate... 

Sure... 

That will only take a minute.... 

And it did for me to take his pic.. 

The first one is perfect... 

Him and Shonda are so photogenic.... 

Not me or my boys.. 

It takes work.. 

He must have taken a hundred pics..

I couldn't stop laughing...   

Forget it... 

I have a big bandage on my head anyway... lol.. 

Oh my!  

Oh well.. 

Life is what you make it!   

And a good pic of me is hard to make.. 

It will do.. 

I want them for our 50 year scrapbook thingie I am doing.. 

See.. 

The fire is burned down.. 

He stirred it up and I got the food going... 

Tossed Salad... 

Homemade bread with Seed Topping.. 

Tuna steaks, Roasted herbal baby Potatoes and Green Beans.. 

Then dessert Cherry Cheese and tea.. 

Very good.. 

The recipe for the Tuna Steaks and Potatoes are HERE..

All in all ... 

Another memory in the pages of our hearts... 

So many Valentine Days we have had together!  

But really... 

They only get sweeter.. 

The young love is wonderful but there is something to be said when you know he still loves you and you still love him after all this time..  

It is different but steady... true... and on course.. 

The Lord is our North Star and we let Him guide us through this life... 

Life is what you make it... 

So sometimes it takes a bit of effort and compromise on our parts and leaning on the Lord Jesus ... 

It is worth it... 

Right.. 

Well thank you my dears for wandering here to the Blessed Hearth today.. 

I know this was long but just skip it or come back another time and I will be shorter.. smile.. 

So happy to share with you all.. 

May God bless and keep you this week... 

xoxo

Oh and I love your notes and welcome to the new comers to the blog.. So glad to have you...