What pleases me?
I’m pretty easy to please – family, grandchildren, kindness, support, encouragement, reading, blogging, riding my bike, walking, travelling and sometimes even cooking!
What pleases you?
If you please, let me share a few of my recent small pleasures
Pleased to belong to an online bookclub
One of the best things to happen this past year has been getting involved with a group of bloggers/readers and forming an online bookclub. We meet over Zoom every few weeks for an hour or so, and have been working our way through the works of the Bronte sisters. We don’t read the book in one go, instead we read a set number of chapters, then meet and discuss the issues raised. We don’t read ahead and we are all enjoying this s l o w way of reading, it has heightened our enjoyment no end!
At the end of each book we have a cooking session, making something from the period of the book we’ve just read. We are all in our own kitchens, on our computers, zooming our progress and chatting away. It’s fabulous!
This week we made Fat Rascals from Jane Eyre, and they were delicious! A bit like a rock cake/scone.
I was pleased to be able to travel to Canberra to see my daughter and her family and this meant I was lucky to have a special little helper, little Miss E who is almost 3. She loved getting her hands into the mixture, helping Granny and then eating the end product! She took it all very seriously, as you can see.
Here is Jo’s post about our baking session with the recipe for Fat Rascals, plus some of the history of them.
What an absolute pleasure!
Pleased to get some news
My brother-in-law has been dealt a blow recently with a diagnosis requiring swift attention and subsequent surgery. I have been waiting for news from my sister and finally she was contacted that all went well and he is recovering.
Due to them being in Melbourne, in another lockdown, she is unable to visit him during his hospital stay which is really harsh. We are doing all we can to provide support from afar, as we can’t visit their state due to border closures.
I think it’s fair to say I’m not pleased with the continuing spread of COVID!
I am really pleased to hear things have gone well, but we are all aware there is a long way to go for him and wish him a speedy recovery.
Pleased with on-line connections
I love the connections I’ve made over the years simply through my blogging. I have friends all over the world, just like when I had pen pals in days gone by.
As well as my online bookclub, I have a regular meetings with my women’s circle where we discuss the big questions of life and share our highs and lows. It’s been a great way to stay connected in these difficult days/years when we can’t travel with any certainty, like we could just a few years ago.
Another blogging friend, Denyse (who hosts #lifethisweek every Monday), recently posted me some bright and colourful handmade bookmarks. What a lovely surprise and a very kind gesture from someone I’m still to meet in real life.
My friend Sue wrote a lovely post about connections and friendship, and she mentioned Denyse too, The Importance of Friendship
Please and thank you reminders
- Please stay home if you are under stay at home orders
- Please wear a mask when you have to
- Please respect those who are trying to help us out of this mess of Covid
- Please remember no-one is perfect
- Please smile, even if you have a mask on – your eyes crinkle and smile
- Please let this all be over soon
- Please be kind to others – you really don’t know what they are going through
- Please take a moment to listen properly to someone who wants to talk
- Please tell those you love how special they are to you, before it gets too late
- Please take care of yourself, you are very important!
- Thank you to my family for making me smile every day
- Thank you to everyone who is doing all they can to knock this virus on its head
- Thank you to my friends for their support and encouragement
- Thank you to my body
- Thank you to my community for accepting me as I am
- Thank you for all I have in my life
- Thank you for engaging with me
- Thank you to teachers, doctors, nurses and all essential workers
- Thank you for the internet
- Thank you for the life I live
My mother gets credit for the please and thank yous, as it’s one of her trademarks, especially with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. As in ‘what’s the magic word?’
How about you?
If it pleases you, feel free to click on Denyse’s link up and see what others have shared and maybe join in!
I’d love to know what pleases you, let me know in the comments below. What pleases me these days, is much simpler than it would have been a few years ago.
Getting older has a way of helping to clarify what is important, doesn’t it?
Thanks for your visit, you’re always most welcome in my world.
Deb xx
This week’s prompt for Denyse’s #lifethisweek is Please
Recent posts you may have missed:
- Taking Stock while travelling
- Water is the driving force of all nature – the Rivers Yeo and Axe #SundayStills
- Exploring the other side of the world in May #WBOYC
- Down the Wookey Hole: Wordless Wednesday
- Looking back at special books #WOYBS
You can also find Deb’s World in lots of other places – stay in touch by clicking any of the buttons below.
Everyone has a story to tell! Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. She never imagined being Granny Debs would bring so much joy to her life! You can read more of Deb’s story here
Copyright © 2021 debs-world.com – All rights reserved
Deb's World 
Your grand daughter is adorable!
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Thanks Cindy, I think so too. I don’t get to share many shots of her so, when I can, I love to do so as she’s gorgeous!
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Deb, I love your response to Pleae. Even though we are in difficult times but you’ve been able to see the positives in life. I love that you’re continuing your Mums tradition of Please and Thankyou. We had a family member in hospital during the first lockdown, so I understand your frustration about not being able to visit.
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Thanks Jen, it was a lovely post to write. The lockdown has just been extended so my poor sister won’t get to visit her husband in hospital at all. So sad for everyone.
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I love all your please and thank you’s Deb. I’m very pleased to hear your brother-in-law’s surgery has gone well. It’s so hard that his wife can’t be with him and that family can’t visit. Covid life is very trying and anxiety provoking isn’t it. Book club sounds fun and your granddaughter is very cute. Wishing you a happy week ahead!
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Thanks Min, Covid life is proving very trying as you say! Our bookclub is so much fun and having my granddaughter join in was a real treat.
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Hi Deb – loved the Granny Deb cooking time – those are memories in the making. Also hope your BIL continues to recover well. I think we’re all a bit sick and tired of covid and all the inconveniences it brings with it. I’m not sure how long all this can continue for – maybe they need to give those who’ve been vaccinated more freedom to make it worth getting the shots and to see if it means that life can go back to normal again? Thanks for your please & thankyous too x
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Hi Leanne, it was so much fun cooking with her and as I don’t often get to post many photos with her it was nice to share these ones. It is getting harder to stay positive some days are worse than others I find. I really have to turn the news off these days. Glad you enjoyed my please and thankyous. x
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Hi Deb, you never cease to Please me! I loved your post and thoughts this week for #lifethisweek and yes I was pleased to join you. The baking session was fun and you were lucky to have your sous chef helping – we were jealous! I’ve just made a second batch of Fat Rascals as ours were eaten very quickly! Pleased to hear your BIL is recovering from surgery. So much in the post to love and best of all I’m pleased you are my friend. xx #lifethisweek
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Oh Thanks Sue, you are such a lovely friend to have!
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It is always lovely to read about positivity and gratitude for sometimes simple things that make life tick over. The online book club sounds fun! I am grateful for being an Australian, safe from war, famine and mostly Corona free but there are so many other things I am grateful for. It is when I stop to think about, we see how fortunate we are, or at least I do.
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I’m so glad you enjoyed my post and thanks for your lovely comment. I too am grateful for being an Australian, and living where I live. Our bookclub is amazing fun, I’d encourage anyone to set up something similar if they want to.
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😁
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Glad to hear you have had some good news about your brother in law. These lockdowns are real Downers. Please everyone who can get vaccinated. I still speak to many who don’t want to because they haven’t got the time or inclination, very selfish. It’s wonderful when to have a good group of friends, I am also so lucky in that respect. I made cakes with my 3yr old grandson also the other day. He really enjoyed it. Keep calm and stay positive 🥰
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Yes I agree Alison, please everyone get vaccinated!! Thanks for your lovely comment and here’s to more baking days with grandchildren 🙂
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The best days 😀
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Great to have a visit with your super cute granddaughter! I love baking with my grandchildren — it’s messy but fun! Sorry about your brother in law – so stressful. And sorry you guys are facing another round of lock downs. We have finally just emerged and hope the variant stays at bay as our vaccination rate is not yet where it needs to be to avoid the fourth wave. Take care. Thanks for the positive start to the week!
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Thanks for your visit BernieLynne. Cooking with grandchildren is something I don’t get to do very often so it was a lovely treat last week. She took it all very seriously! Our vaccination rates have to improve a lot before we can be sure of travelling anywhere again.
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hope this comes through ok as a jpg and that you are all right with me sharing a photo of baking with my then 3 year old granddaughter.
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It’s a super cute photo, thanks for sharing your precious memories too BernieLynne!!
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Glad you were ok with it.
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I love it!
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And now that I’m looking at it I realize she was only 2 here not 3.
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Hi, Debbie – You were so lucky to have such a wonderful baking helper. That photo of the two of you is absolutely adorable! Sending warm healing vibes to your BIL and to all those in lockdown.
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I know and I really enjoyed my little helper Donna! Thankfully my BIL is recovering quite well so far.
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Hi Deb, yes being in hospital during Covid lockdowns is extremely hard, especially if you are having surgery. I’ve seen it from both sides and it’s really upsetting. I think everyone is over this pandemic and unfortunately I’ve witnessed people completely losing it at staff. It’s really disgusting behaviour and totally unnecessary. We’re all in the same boat and a little respect goes a long way. I like your sentence: thank you to all those trying to knock this virus on it’s head. So many people forget! Have a lovely week, regards Christina
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Thanks for your understanding Christina. You’re right a little respect goes a long way and I hate to think of people being abused in these situations. I am very thankful to those trying to help us out of this crisis.
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Your book club sounds like such fun and how good are fat rascals? I became obsessed with them when I visited Betty’s Tea Room in the UK and then developed a recipe for them on the blog. Now I feel like I should make some. COVID is really cramping our style, isn’t it? I feel for your family, especially your sister and BIL, it’s so awful that you can’t be together and even worse that your sister can’t be with her husband. I hope he is home soon and makes a speedy recovery. Fingers crossed we can all do the right thing and be unlocked very, very soon!
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Yes Betty’s Tea Room is apparently the place to get the best Fat Rascals, one day I’ll get there to try them out. Thanks for your good wishes for my sister and her husband, it’s not an easy time for anyone, as you well know!
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I love the gratitude you’re showing here Deb. And I don’t have Zoom type catch ups with friends online but do message back and forth and then of course engage on social media and find that really nourishing.
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Yes staying in touch with others, no matter how we do it, is so important at the moment Deb. I am grateful for so much!
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How lovely to hear all these things, but so sad to think of someone in hospital without their loved ones. I’ve heard about those bookmarks – how delightful! Toni x
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Yes sometimes the little things can make our day instantly happier don’t they?
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Good to read about how much pleasure your online connections, like the book club and women’s group, are giving you. I feel the same. Soon after the start of the pandemic a group of Virtual Tourist friends started weekly zoom meetings every Friday evening (Europe time), plus monthly ones on a Saturday morning for those for whom the timing didn’t work e.g. Australian friends. It’s been a delight to catch up with everyone so regularly, hear how things are going in their part of the world, share memories etc. I look forward to it every week!
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I love the idea of a Virtual Tourist group Sarah, how clever of you all! We learn so much from others and reaching out is one of the best things to happen this past year or so.
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Madam, I want to join
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I LOVED your please and thank you notes!
I also loved to hear about your book club and how you read & discuss books and do some cooking. That sounds really enjoyable.
I’m sorry to hear about your brother-in-law and of course about the lockdowns in Australia. I hope it won’t become anything big as over here. Stay safe and continue to enjoy life.
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Great to hear from you Susanne! I had fun writing this post and sharing my thoughts on please. We’re all doing what we can to continue on but as you know it becomes quite draining after a while.
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So much to smile about and I adore the photo of you with your sous chef!
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Thanks Jo, she’s pretty special and took it all very seriously 🙂
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Thank you, Deb, for sharing this enjoyable post. Your granddaughter is adorable. Sorry to hear about the lockdown in Australia and how it directly impacted your BIL and his family. Wishing you a great week! #lifethisweek
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My pleasure Natalie, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Yes my granddaughter is adorable, I’m allowed to say that, and I don’t get to share many photos of her, so I love to include her when I can. Thanks for your kind words on my BIL, thankfully he’s doing OK at the moment but not allowed any visitors at all due to lockdown.
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PLEASED to read this…pleased to know how much life has brought you in the joys and fun sections..not so pleased about the health related news. Pleased for an outcome that sounds promising. I had many, many hours of kitchen fun with the grandkids over the years and suspect while they may not remember it all, I do and those memories sustain me now we live far away and they are almost ALL grown up!! Time flies…I am so pleased though, that my little bookmarks have been a measure of friendship and appreciation too.
Thanks so much for linking up this week for #LifeThisWeek. Your blog posts are welcome contributions when you share. I appreciate that a great deal. Next week is #ShareYourSnaps. It’s an optional prompt of course. Hope to see you then. Denyse
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Thanks so much Denyse, lots of memories for you even if the grandkids don’t remember it – the memories have had an impact on them. It was a great prompt which I did at the last minute so thanks to you for the inspiration! Hope you’re both keeping well.
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