in my world ~ june

^My sweet new kitten, Tabitha ♥

^After four weeks, Oscar is still unwilling to accept the new addition to our family.  Sigh.

~ outside my window ~

It is pouring with rain...after a few unusually warm days, cold weather is predicted for the next while, and I am beyond thrilled.
I do so love cosy weather!

 ~ in my cup ~

Strong hot coffee, of course.  {{smiles}}

~ around the house ~
 As usual, we have several projects on the go. 
Mom is sewing pyjamas and leggings for everyone, Nancy is creating a play kitchen and fridge for the children from cardboard boxes, and the rest of us are trying to recover and reorganise ourselves after a big reshuffle of the bedrooms on Sunday!

~ reading ~

I am currently reading an Amish book called, A Sister's Hope by Wanda Brunstetter, but I can't  say I am enjoying it very much...  

I am still anxiously awaiting the arrival of the books which I ordered at the beginning of May, including another one by Miss Read!

~ listening to ~

At the moment I am listening to a lot of hymns sung by Chris Rice...  I find my heart uplifted by the words of truth in the old hymns.

Great is Thy Faithfulness is one I am clinging to at the moment.

~ watching ~

We just finished a series called Living with the Amish.  In this six episode series, six British teenagers are invited to spend six weeks staying with various Amish and Mennonite families between Pennsylvania and Ohio.  

It was lovely to get a peak into the lives of the Amish and we found ourselves inspired in our quest for a simpler, quieter life.  

~ from the kitchen ~

I continue to do most of the cooking.  Lately I have been cooking a lot of double meals to free up a few of my afternoons.  However, cooking double for a large family means I need to quadruple a recipe!  {{smiles}}

~ creating ~

With so much filling each day, I am not finding time to be creative, but I have enjoyed teaching "my" children (in case you didn't know, I am an au pair and teach sewing to the children I help with) some patchwork and applique lately, which they have loved.

~ in the garden ~

 With Winter just around the corner, my garden has been slowing down, and only salad greens, a few herbs and peas are growing well.  Most of my brassicas were annihilated by caterpillars, but thankfully there are still a few plants intact...  Otherwise, the sweet potatoes and beetroot are growing steadily.

~ out and about ~

Now that we have moved to level 3 of lockdown, restriction of movement has been lifted slightly, which means we can walk at any time of the day.
We have enjoyed meeting friends in the forest and at the dam for a walk and hope to get some cycling in too!

~ hoping ~

With a few seasons in life drawing to a close and new possibilities on the horizon, I am hoping that things will become clear soon.  Patience is definitely not one of my virtues.

~ one of my favourite things ~

Having my sweet kitty, Tabitha, sleep on my bed each night.  I love waking up to find her still fast asleep next to me the next morning.  ♥

~ thankful for ~

Being able to go for a long, refreshing walk on the beach on the weekend.

It was really quite cold and windy, but it didn't bother us in the least.  It felt wonderful to feel the sand beneath our feet and breathe in the fresh ocean air after nine weeks of not being allowed on our beautiful beaches.

~ quiet moments ~

Not too many of those...I find myself enjoying the strangest times of peace such as when I am in the car driving down the road to work, or when I get up to make coffee for Mom and I each morning.

~ for the love of words ~

Each morning I love reading Spurgeon's morning devotional.

This was yesterday's reading...

"The deeper our troubles, the louder our thanks to God, who has led us through all, and preserved us until now. Our griefs cannot mar the melody of our praise, we reckon them to be the bass part of our life's song, "He hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad."

~ thinking of ~

June 7th marked the 3 year anniversary of the fire which destroyed our home...

It is amazing to look back upon something so terrible, and see how the Lord's hand rested upon us and how He has provided for us...  

We have seen miracle after miracle over the past few years, and now trust Him for another one...

If you think of it, please pray for our family as we face another difficult situation...

Pray for guidance, pray for provision, and pray that we would remain strong.

~

Happy June, dear friends!

Now that we are halfway through the year of 2020, what have the first six months of this year taught you?

For me, I have realised how fleeting life on earth truly is, and how vitally important it is to keep an eternal perspective...
I have also learnt that my trust needs to be in Christ alone, and that we cannot look to man for provision.

The Lord continues to work in my life and draw me closer to Himself, and I am thankful for His patience and grace.

~

Thank you for stopping by, sweet friends. 

Your visits brighten my day!
 ♥

With much love,

Kelly-Anne

small happinesses

 Hello sweet friends and happy Monday.

I do hope that your weekend was a lovely one indeed...♥

I thought I would stop in to let you know that I am guest posting over at Ponderings from the Inglenook again today...

The theme Elizabeth picked for the month of April was, A Dozen Small But Sure Happinesses.

^Picture taken at Gabrielle's birthday luncheon last Friday...stay tuned for a post coming later this week! ♥

How lovely it was to sit and write out a dozen little things that make me happy...

In these challenging times I believe it is important we keep a thankful heart and look for the beauty in every moment.

You can read my post over at Elizabeth's blog, Ponderings from the Inglenook ...it would be a joy to have you stop by.

♥

Blessings to you, dear readers,

~ Kelly-Anne ~

little things♥lately

"What day is it?" asked Pooh.
"It's today," squeaked Piglet.
"My favourite day," said Pooh.

~ A.A. Milne

Hello lovely readers...

The chilly Autumn sun is casting her golden morning light upon our little corner of the world.
There is a stillness in the air, broken only by the occasional rumble of an engine, and the cheerful twittering of the birds as they joyfully welcome the arrival of a brand new day.

Today should have been the second last day of our 21 day lockdown, but instead we face an additional two weeks of being confined to our homes...
As I am nursing an ear and throat infection, these quiet days at home are just what I need to regain my strength.

I thought I would stop in with a few pictures of the little things I have been enjoying lately. ♥
Our world may be all topsy turvey, but our home is a haven; a place of peace and calm in the midst of a turbulent sea...

I decided it was high time I pick up my knitting needles and begin working on a new project...
At the moment I am busy on a ribbed cowl in gorgeous grey yarn...
And when I need a little break from knitting, I have a rather gripping new book to read...
I came across A Light to My Path by historical and Biblical fiction author, Lynn Austin, in a second hand bookstore quite some time ago, and am currently 200 pages in to this beautifully written novel...
I would love to find the other books in this series.

My lovely baby spinach is growing quite prolifically, and we harvest leaves almost every evening for our salad...
I spent some time in the garden on Saturday just before I started feeling under the weather, so my plants are quite happy for the time being.
Dad and I need to find a moment to stake up the rambling pea plants, though...

A few weeks ago the sweet potatoes we had in our veggie basket started sending out little runners, so I cut them off, along with a small slice of the sweet potato, and popped them in some soil...
And here they are growing quite happily in my little garden.
We used to grow sweet potato on the farm and were always amazed at how easy they were maintain.

Our little ones have been spending hours playing out of doors...
The other day they were playing Zorro (they have been watching the 1957 Zorro series with Guy Williams), and have now moved on to some sort of camping game...sheets and blankets are daily hauled out to the front yard, and snacks are carried off in a basket to be munched in their tents.

We try to spend as much time outside as possible, and even had a family picnic in the front yard over the weekend.
Cooler weather is coming, so we are making the most of these moderate days.

How pretty these buds look amidst the greenery in this vase...

It has been wonderful spending time blessing our home lately, although, with nine people living here 24/7, things don't stay tidy for very long!  {{Smiles}}

 "I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but those that bring simple pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string."
~ L.M. Montgomery

The girls found a little chameleon today...isn't he sweet?
I love chameleons and remember having so many in our garden when I was a child...at one stage there were even baby chameleons.

I just had to share a little peek of the birdy tea towels Mom and I have been sewing.
We have plenty more to sew (a friend gave us a big piece of waffle-weave fabric), but that will have to wait....this week we are planning a small high tea for Gabrielle who is celebrating her thirteenth birthday this coming Friday.

♥
 Well, sweet friends, may your day be lovely as you strive to choose joy and spend time cultivating a thankful heart.

I would love to hear what you have been up to lately...it always brightens my day to hear from my dear readers!

With love,
~ Kelly-Anne 

in my world ~ april

outside my window ~

Now that South Africa is in lockdown, it is a lot quieter in our normally very busy, noisy neighbourhood. 
It has been so wonderful to have some peace and quiet, and we are finding that we have more bird life in our garden...I even wake up to birdsong in the morning instead of traffic or people shouting.
What a gift!

in my cup ~

Earlier today it was a cup of coffee.

around the house ~ 

Everyone is busy with various projects they have on the go, such as the sanding and painting of furniture, the sewing of dolls clothes and the baking of treats, but we come together often...
If not around the table to share a meal, then outside in the garden for a cup of tea, or for our family devotions in the evenings.

reading ~

 I am currently busy working my way through The Complete Novels and Stories of Sherlock Holmes, volume 1. 
I have actually already read volume 2, so it is quite sad to think that soon I will have read all the Sherlock stories there are.
I also just finished When Tomorrow Comes by Janette Oke, which I really enjoyed.

listening to ~

I have been listening to a lot of hymns, both old and new, of late... 
I find them so uplifting and encouraging, especially in these uncertain times. 

watching ~

We have been watching season 7 of When Calls the Heart several evenings a week, and I have been working my way through season 1 of When Hope Calls while folding the laundry each day.
It is so lovely to have something clean and beautiful to watch every so often.

from the kitchen ~

As you can tell from the pictures above, I have been doing some baking...
I had been wanting to make hot cross buns for ever so long, and finally tried Mary Berry's simple, if somewhat time-consuming, recipe over the weekend, and was so pleased with the result!
Definitely worth all the effort!

creating ~

I have been doing quite a bit of sewing over the past week or so, starting with some sweet fabric pumpkins, then moving on to a tracksuit for Caleb, and birdy tea towels, which I will be sharing about soon.

in the garden ~

It has been wonderful being able to spend more time in the garden lately. 
Dad has cleared new ground for me, so I am hoping to fill this new patch with more veggies and salad leaves.
Stay tuned for a garden update coming soon.

out and about ~

As we are in the midst of a national lockdown, no one is going anywhere, not even for a walk around the block.  

one of my favourite things ~

Reconnecting with dear old friends in the world of blogging.

thankful for ~

Time at home with the people I love most in the world...
Evenings spent in prayer, worship and the reading of God's Word with my family,
and hearing how other families are drawing nearer to the Lord too...
Fellowship with dear friends via video calls.

dreaming of ~

Being able to go for a long, refreshing walk along the beach when the lockdown rules lift.

hoping ~

To use this time wisely and for the glory of God...
To get around to all the cleaning and organising that is on our to-do lists.

quiet moments ~

I love that the pace of life has slowed and that I can be home, my favourite place to be.

for the love of words ~

"The great thing about faith in God is that it keeps a man undisturbed in the midst of disturbance."  
~ Oswald Chambers
A beautiful truth to hold on to in these troubling times.

A blessed April to you, sweet friends...
I would love to hear what it happening in your world this month!

Blessings,
Kelly-Anne

Today

 Greetings, dear friends...
What have you been up to today?

While we may be housebound for the next few weeks, there is no lack of projects on hand to keep us busy...

Another 10kg of fresh figs arrived on Thursday, so I spent yesterday in the kitchen making more delicious fig jam.  

Nancy sat with me for awhile and covered a couple jars with old book paper, a pretty handpainted label, compliments of Beth, and lettered the type of jam on each lid...
 

"Ah!  There is nothing like staying home for real comfort!" 

~Jane Austen 

" Home is the comfiest place to be."
~Winnie the Pooh

"Let us come alive to the splendour that is all around us,
and see the beauty in ordinary things."
~ Thomas Merton

How delighted I am to have to time to potter about in my little vegetable garden...

So far I have transplanted broccoli and spinach seedlings, weeded the pea patch, and cleared new ground for the other seedlings needing to be planted out over the next few days...

"The true way to live is to enjoy every moment as it passes, and surely it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies." 

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

 The bees are hard at work buzzing about from flower to flower.

They remind me to employ myself in useful pursuits during this time of being home...

 "Simplicity is beauty.
Beauty is simplicity.
Nothing more, nothing less."
~Oscar Wilde

 

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts..."
 ~ Colossians 3:15

I came across When Tomorrow Comes (book 6 in the Canadian West series) by Janette Oke, at a second hand book store on Thursday, and decided it would be lovely to have something new to read in the evenings...

 

 

"He can calm any storm if you'll let Him in your boat."  
~ Janette Oke, When Tomorrow Comes

 Life has certainly changed for everyone, and we find ourselves in a new, unknown season.
May we daily remember to keep our eyes on the Lord and look to Him for strength...

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
~ John 14:27

Dear friends, thank you for visiting today.  You may notice I am no longer on Instagram or Facebook...  I came to the conclusion that I want to be wise and use each moment God gives me for His glory.  I desire to spend more time with Him and with my family.

I am also thankful to have three weeks to spend cultivating new habits and reevaluating what I allow to take precedence in my life.

However, I feel that I must continue to write and share on this lovely platform and pray that those who come here may be refreshed and encouraged.

May the Lord bless each of you today as you strive to live for Him in this dark world.

Kelly-Anne

~ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:7 ~

Road Tripping Joys ♥

There is just something about a road trip, especially a road trip on a grey rainy day...

 

It's not often we are able to explore a different part of our beautiful country, so whenever the opportunity arises, it is eagerly embraced.

This past Sunday saw us heading on a little roadtrip.  

It was the perfect kind of day for exploring new places and spending time huddled together in the car.

We started off driving over the Robinson Pass, but unfortunately it was shrouded in heavy fog, so we decided to drive further afield and stop in the little town of De Rust,where we had coffee and pancakes at a little coffee shop, and then drove on through the beautiful Meiringspoort Pass...

"I can't get enough of wandering. Or the earth. Some of us carry an inherent need to explore.

Textures. Fragrance. Sounds. Air. Shadows. Movement. Patterns. Light." 

- Victoria Erickson

 We stopped along the way to stretch our legs a bit and snap a few photographs.

 

"Happiness is a roadtrip."  - Unknown

^The dark clouds gave the majestic mountains a truly dramatic and somewhat ominous appearance.  

 “Road trips are the equivalent of human wings. Ask me to go on one, anywhere. We’ll stop in every small town and learn the history and stories, feel the ground, and capture the spirit. Then we’ll turn it into our own story that will live inside our history to carry with us, always. Because stories are more important than things.” 

– Victoria Erickson

 

 

At the top of the pass we decided to turn around and head back the way we came as it was getting quite late and we had been in the car for hours already...  

On the way down, we stopped at a waterfall...

 

"Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow."  

- Anita Desai

 

   ^Can I just take a moment to mention that it was in actual fact, still raining...we felt more like adventurers because of this...  {{smiles}}

 After walking back to the car, we put the kettle on to boil - of course we took our gas burner along with us - and made coffee for the grown ups and hot chocolate for the younger ones, and ate crunchies in the beautiful great outdoors.  

I am still convinced that everything tastes so much better when one is in nature.

 And then it was time to wind our way down the pass and back to civilization...

Home and a hot supper awaited us - two of the girls opted to spend the day cosy at home - which was truly comforting after working up an appetite exploring new places all day.

"Always take the scenic route." - Unknown

I do hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into our Sunday's excursion and feel inspired to head out on a road trip sometime.  ♥

~

What have you been up to lately, friends? What are your plans for the rest of the week?

I am hoping to start a few new sewing projects...winter is fast approaching now and I am wanting to make cosy pajamas for my siblings.  I also have a couple things I want to do in the garden...

Have a blessed Tuesday further!

Kelly-Anne

   FOLLOW THE DIARY OF A COUNTRY GIRL ON INSTAGRAM|FACEBOOK|PINTEREST

Take me to the sea...

It was the perfect evening for a quiet walk along the beach...

The air was still, and beautiful clouds touched with pink and orange filled the slowly darkening sky.

The beach was almost deserted and no sound, save the crash of the waves upon the shore, could be heard...

After visiting our dear friend in Tergniet on Sunday afternoon, we went for a walk along the beach till the sun started to go down...

 

"Live in the sunshine,

swim in the sea,

drink the wild air."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thalassophile

(n.) a lover of the sea, someone who loves 

the sea, ocean

 

 ^Even Timmy, our rescue Jack Russel, came along for a walk...he loves the beach.

I am so glad I took my new camera along...the ocean is a wonderful place to capture beautiful moments.

There is something so deeply refreshing about being at the ocean...

"Forget not that the earth delights 

to feel your bare feet and the winds 

long to play with your hair."

- Kahil Gibran 

 

 ^Little Caleb always enjoys being at the beach, even if it is just for a walk.

 

"So be truly glad

there is wonderful joy ahead

even though you have to endure

many trials for a little while.

- 1 Peter 1:6

 ^Moments after this picture was taken and we had made our way back to the shore, this rock was completely covered in water! 

 ^Towards the end of our walk, one of the girls came across an octopus chasing a crab in one of the rock pools.  It was a incredible to witness what felt like a National Geographic moment...

 

I love making memories with my family and treasuring them for years to come.

Life goes by so fast that moments like these are precious indeed.

~

I hope that all is well in your corner of the world, dear readers!

My week is off to a fairly good start; I have an art project planned which I hope to do with the children tomorrow, and this evening little Mia is coming for a short visit.  Even though I au pair for another family now, I still keep up regular visits with Mia as the two of us have a special bond and I miss being with her each day.

And now I must be off as I want to sow pea seeds in the new patch I cleared in my garden, and I also have sweet potato runners which need to be planted.

What have you been up to lately?

Blessings,

Kelly-Anne

   FOLLOW THE DIARY OF A COUNTRY GIRL ON INSTAGRAM|FACEBOOK|PINTEREST