Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

I want to go everywhere I haven't been, and back to everywhere I have been.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Favorite Things: Pondside




Hello, friends! 
Can I tell you how much I am LOVING the unique ways 
my blog friends are sharing their favorite things?
Today, my guest is "Pondside,
whose way with words is a gift to all who read her blog.
She will no doubt make you think a little deeply,
while she entertains you with stories about life in her 1927 cottage 
in a seaside village in Canada's Pacific Northwest.
Family, gardening, traveling, reading, and sewing 
are some of the passions she shares with her readers.
If you don't know "Pondside," you are in for a treat!
If you are familiar with her, you already know that ;) 


This is a first for me, Dear Reader - an invitation to write a Guest Post for one of my favourite bloggers, the witty and very engaging Ms Toody Goo Shoes.  The word favourite will have a good airing in this post, as Ms Toody has asked me write about my Favourite Things.

Well.............where to start?  In a full life - in the most beautiful part of a wonderful country - the scope is endless.  I could go on about gardens and heritage homes, chocolate and needlework, costume dramas and mysteries, painting and traveling, hiking and grandchildren........I am sure, Dear Reader, that you get the picture.  I am blessed with choice!...........which has led me to focus on two things that are close to my heart.


Peace and Quiet

Yes, Dear Reader, two of my Favourite Things are not really things, but qualities of life that I crave, love, seek.  Every morning at sunrise I find it here at 0530, when there's only the dog and Yours Truly on the beach at the end of the street...........  



............and sometimes, on a rainy weekend or a lazy evening, I find it here, at the top of the Old-New Cottage, under the eaves.  A nest, a hidey-hole where Peace and Quiet await.


Won't you come in?


There's one cosy chair, for reading and dreaming - a little white chair  made just for a woman who is not quite 5'2" tall, but I'll pull up another just for you.  A cup of tea and companionable silence.  If those suit you, you're welcome to rest here for a bit.  Perhaps you'll even drift off for a moment or two.  Peace and Quiet allow for that.

Of course, Dear Reader, those two Favourite Things don't mean all-dreaming-all-the-time.  This quiet space, room-of-my-own is also a spot for writing, studying and, when the time is right, for creating.


A table in the corner is always ready for a little sewing, a little drawing or cutting.......whatever the Quiet encourages.

When I was a girl I shared a bedroom with my sister.  I went on to travel and study, always sharing a room with a friend.  There were late night confidences over bottles of wine and endless pots of tea.  There were impromptu parties and hours of planning for The Future.  There was little Peace and Quiet.  I married The Great Dane and have shared a bedroom for nearly 43 years.  Like most of us, I've always shared space.  This little room at the top of the house, though, is all mine.  It is definitely a feminine space.  It is filled with things I love - books and shells, blue and white pottery, photos of family.  I am happy to invite a Kindred Spirit to visit with me here, but its greatest attraction is the opportunity for solitude.



Peace and Quiet, made possible by a place that is all about solitude.  In a world that is full to over-flowing with challenge, a life that is full to over-flowing with love and loved ones and the joy of fulfilling work - in a day-to-day existence that is fast paced I find solitude, sanctuary and two of my Favourite Things in the room at the top of the house.

Peace and Quiet.


Thank you, Ms Toody Goo Shoes, for this opportunity to visit with your readers!

I hope you will stop by and introduce yourself to "Pondside."
Please come back on Sunday, July 24 for the next installment of Favorite Things!
 

35 comments:

  1. What a lovely look into the life of a 'neighbor to the north' here in the Pacific Northwest. And what a reminder of the contrasts to be found everywhere as we live in the same region of the world but in a fast-paced suburb of Seattle where traffic clogs the roads and sirens break the silence on a regular basis. It is good to be reminded of the peace and solitude that can be found not so very far away!

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  2. Thank you so much for this lovely opportunity to meet your readers!

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  3. You reside in a lovely part of this beautiful planet of ours, and your home reflects its surroundings...cozy, comfy and just right for dreaming. Oh, but to be steps to the beach! It's no wonder you appreciate the feelings of peace one can have in that peaceful place called solitude.

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  4. I read Pondside's blog and have had the pleasure of meeting her in person walking together and taking tea. Pondside is a gracious woman...we share many of the same hobbies and live in the same beautiful city.
    I live close to a different beach but I frequently walk along the same beach that she does every morning...
    now Miss Toody Goo I am going to read some of your recent blog posts and get to know you too!

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  5. Pondside is a blogging treasure and real in person treasure, too! Love your little getaway.

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  6. What a lovely post! I've been a Pondside reader for years and now she has introduced me to your blog!

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  7. Peace and Quiet and Miss Pondside . . .
    Isn't she a gracious, loving, delight . . .
    I am happy to have met her a few years back . . .
    Happy to meet you too, what s it now, Toody Goo Shoes . . .
    Love, love your title . . .

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  8. Your home is so gorgeous. Love the yellow and all the pops of color from your beautiful flowers. Wow to live that close to the sea. Love your sweet cottage and your sweet and peaceful life. Thank you for sharing your favorites with all of us.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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  9. Great post. I am a fan of Pondside and her good friends, Peace and Quiet. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. I loved this wonderful post from your blog friend Amy and I LOVE peace and quiet at times too. I would love to live so close to the beach as I did when I was growing up and miss it. :0)

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  11. Oh to perch at the top, there...where peace and quiet lives; smelling the flowers below wafting up; feeling the warmth of the sunny yellow walls. A generous sharing of your most personal and tranquil place..I love it.

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  12. Wonderful post. I would gladly take a walk with you and the dog on the beach at sunrise.
    It is a balm for the soul to have peace and quiet. Your own space on top of the old - new cottage is really HYGGELIGT as we say in Denmark. It 's great to have the opportunity for solitude.
    I love your pictures its a lovely space you have.

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  13. As they say, "silence is golden"! When I was teaching, my classroom was usually a buzz of small children, so coming home in the evenings to a quiet home was sheer bliss. Now that we are both retired, home much of the time, reading or stitching ~ peace and quiet is the norm. Like you, I relish it. ;-)
    Your writing always touches my heart, dear friend. Thank you for sharing this special spot at the top of the stairs.

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  14. Pondside is my Canadian neighbour although we live on opposite sides of the country. I love her heart -felt stories. She is always a pleasure to visit. Her little room at the top of the house is truly a sanctuary and I would feel right at home up there. Thank you for sharing with us.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  15. Knowing how busy H of Pondside is, peace and quiet would be something she cherishes. Nice to see inside her new house too, a cozy ambience.

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  16. Peace and Quiet...what more could one want or need.

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  17. Wouldn't we all love to give this world of ours the gift of your peace and quiet? Everyone needs to carve out a place and time for it, don't we? So vital.

    I always feel that when I visit Pondside but thank you, Amy, for giving us this view into the special room at the top of her house, and why it is a part of her favorite things! Charming!

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  18. Aww - this is great! I get a sense of that peace and quiet every time I read Pondside's posts. She is a true gem in "blogdom" - as she calls it. Thanks for having her host Amy - that was fun!

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  19. I love that your favorite things are not material things but rather things to feed your body, soul and mind. Lovely post!!

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  20. Peace and quiet. Two things many people seek and yearn for, but few ever get to realize. Throw in a little space of your own, and (ta DA!) you have heaven on earth. This was a lovely post. I can't imagine any better way to welcome each day than with a walk on a secluded beach as the sun comes up. Gives you a fresh start, and true joy in the morning.

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  21. Oh, Peace and Quiet - two of my favorite words! You have found some lovely places to find that! The view at the end of your road takes my breath away, and your sweet, cozy room at the top of the stairs is wonderful.. Love all the blue and white :) xx Karen

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  22. What a wonderful post. Thank you for sharing it.

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  23. Speaking of favorite things, Pondside is a favorite blog of mine.

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  24. What a beautiful post! I have been following her for years and still learned new things!

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  25. I am telling you gf I'm loving this series. I run right over to see blogs I don't know.

    Cindy

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  26. I love her blog and I think I just fell in love with the bridge lamp in her peaceful and quiet corner... I'm sure it's not a summer fling.

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  27. This was beautiful H. Thank you Ms. Toody for inviting a lovely friend to share her favorite things. It was a so wonderful to have been invited into your quite space at the top of the house!

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  28. This was beautiful H. Thank you Ms. Toody for inviting a lovely friend to share her favorite things. It was a so wonderful to have been invited into your quite space at the top of the house!

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  29. What a lovely sharing of favorite things. sheila

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  30. I so love to *hear* you speak, Ms. H....you do it so well! Your little hidey-hole reminded me of Virginia Wolf's comment "a woman must have
    money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction". I know exactly how you feel about your space! Beautifully expressed, as always.

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  31. How lovely! You've given me more insight into who you are and what you cherish. A very nice way to share! Sweet hugs, Diane

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  32. This was beautiful, Pondside! A room of one's own is a wonderful treat and I can see how much you enjoy it!

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