Looking for answers to life's questions

As I’ve said, I walk very early in the morning; just before daybreak in the summer months is best. Air quality has become another qualification to the time and day I walk. I also walk best on an empty stomach. Somehow, digesting breakfast of any nature slows me down so I wait until I get home for food and coffee. I know many of you have to have coffee before anything. I prefer my coffee with company so I wait until I turn on the laptop.

Yes, I still have to drink my coffee through a straw.

August has its own supply of breakfast on the go. As I’m rounding the next to last turn on my downhill trek to home, there are bramble bushes that are laden with ripening blackberries. I found I could have a few on my way back to the house and feel quite satiated. Some are quite sweet and some – not so much. They are free, organic and have lots of microbes for a healthy gut. A perfect meal. I don’t stop long but it feels so good to eat fresh from the bushes. Someone from the park cut them way back the other day. I’m struggling to reach high enough now to feed myself.  I’m still looking for the donut tree.

I’ve been trying again to grow a tiny bit of a garden in a raised bed. The cucumbers were prolific in the short run they had but something has had its way with most of my tomatoes. I’ll keep hoping to get a few more this summer. Most of what I grow is for the bees and birds anyway.

There is one less thing growing in the back yard right now. A very determined tree that was unfortunately left in a very bad spot. It began to push the terrace retaining wall forward probably as soon as it was erected long before my time in this home. I loved the tree even though I worried at each storm if it would come down on the shed or house. When park maintenance looked at it after the ice storm, they determined it had to go. I posted the photos back in February of it leaning over the shed. Watching the crew that was hired to take it down last week left me drained and relieved. It’s hard to lose any tree.

­I recently received a surprise gift from a special gardening friend and was inspired to create a fresh new fairy garden from it. We are big fans of fairies and the little garden had me looking up the proper spelling of the word. What a surprise I got thinking it was just a difference in spelling.

http://www.differencebetween.net/language/words-language/difference-between-fairy-and-faerie/

It’s been quite blistering out on many days so I’ve been able to hide the little garden in shadier spots to keep it from burning. I do that for myself as well.

The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul. ~Alfred Austin

Are you a breakfast person and would you share it with the fairies?

From my heart to yours,

Marlene Herself

Comments on: "Breakfast on the Go" (50)

  1. The smoke from the fires, even all the way east here in New England, has made this my worst asthma season ever, so I appreciate how air quality influences when you walk.
    The tomato looks like it has end blossom rot. Around here it seems to be liked to water quality, but there may be other causes.
    Great to hear from you!

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  2. I have to have my cold cereal and tea before I can function (or be spoken to) in the morning. I love the fairy (not faerie!) garden with the little garden furniture.

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  3. Good morning Marlene! I like to walk early as well, especially when the forecast is for hot weather. I always feel like I have more energy to walk if I have some sort of protein before I go. I keep hard-boiled eggs in the fridge and usually have one of those, then finish breakfast when I come back. A little secret: if I drink coffee before I go then there’s no way I will get as far as I want to. My bladder isn’t what it used to be! I didn’t know the difference between fairy and the Gaelic faerie was between good and evil, just thought it was a different spelling for all things like whimsical sprites and mythic tiny creatures.

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  4. We always have our breakfast with our Bookfayries Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma. They are very proud that they are spellt ‘fayries’.
    We always used to have a great breakfast just after getting up at around 9 o’clock. Afterwards the busy life begins for us. The coffee is an important part of our breakfast.
    As a linguist I can tell you, faery and fairy is just a different spelling. Different spelling but same semantics.
    All the best
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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    • I’m so sorry your comment got lost for awhile. I have just hunted through and found it. Thank you so much for stopping by and joining the conversation. I liked thinking it was just the spelling. I’ve always thought of the ugly and mean gremlins as trolls. Coffee is important and I’ve had mine today. I wake at 3:30 a.m. no matter what time I go to sleep at night so breakfast is always a questionable meal. I’ve had a brownie this morning so far. 😉

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  5. I love the Austin quote, Marlene. My morning begins at 3:30 a.m. The first thing I do is put two eggs on the stove to boil. I’ve done this for years. I also eat a bowl of spinach, along with a cup of black ice coffee. Sounds boring, but I’m a creature of habit. I hope you and the family are doing well! I’m looking at my mug rug now. 🙂 xo

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  6. Instead of having the remaining trunks ground, I used to put these to work as great places to set pots of flowers!

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  7. Weird that the text is all over the images in this text. It could be intentional or my browser – I am not sure Marlene.
    So agree with you on the blackberries – all berries are so yummy!
    I prefer breakfast if any after exercise – a walk in the morning.
    These days I am losing my appetite for breakfast, something that happened when I retired.

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    • I’m sorry to hear about the text problem, Amanda. I checked it here again and it looked fine. I love fresh berries too. Stuff in the store never measures up.
      I’m with you on breakfast. I prefer to power through to an early good lunch and have a light early dinner. On weekends, my daughter likes to cook breakfast. I get to do the clean up. ;( Only fair though.
      Retirement changes our routine. I miss a routine a bit. 🙂

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      • It might be my browser causing the issue, Marlene. Don’t worry about it. I still could see enough of the photos. I also enjoy a cooked breakfast on at least one of the weekend days! Eggs are good!
        I have to work a bit to maintain the routine in retirement, otherwise I feel like a lazy slob reading all morning…..

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      • I hear you there. 🙂

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  8. Marlene, I’d never heard that about faeries before. I’ve always gone with what I considered
    the English spelling (faerie) as I think it is more graceful. But that’s me.

    Wikipedia says:
    Etymology
    From Old French faerie; re-introduced into English in deliberately archaising spelling in 1590 by Edmund Spenser in authoring the Faerie Queene.

    So I shall continue to use ‘faerie’ and see it as graceful. My understanding is also that they are part of the nature spirits, so friendly and good. It was interesting to read your bit on them, though. I find it’s always good to examine my long-held beliefs and see if they still serve me.

    I’m sorry you lost your tree; it’s something I’ve always disliked, even when necessary.

    I’m glad you are still able to get out for walks; is the air better there? Here we had so much smoke since June that I’ve avoided being outside unless absolutely necessary. It’s clearer this week, though.

    I’ve always loved wild berries, too; none around here that I’ve seen.

    As to breakfast, my ideal breakfast is a sandwich of WW bread, with a bit of mayo, then some lightly cooked liver, mushrooms and onions. My doctor recommended that to me many years ago when I was slightly anaemic and it did the trick. These days, because it isn’t my kitchen, I make two simple breakfasts and alternate: (1) banana with yoghurt (and blueberries at present), toast and either avocado (on sale just now) or some marg (I buy a non-hydrogenated one based on olive oil) and ginger marmalade and (2) two eggs, either coddled or scrambled, an orange or two mandarins, toast and either avocado or marg and marmalade / jam. I drink water before I make any food and I have a cup of instant coffee after breakfast. I should really call it brunch or even lunch, as I get up late here, sometimes after noon (I wake quite early, but stay in bed reading). My cousins worked evening shift for over 30 years, so we are all on a late schedule.

    The only time I skip breakfast is if I am travelling or if I have to get up in a hurry and get going. I like to be relaxed with meals. And I don’t drink coffee before going for walks (back when I could); always on my return.

    And yes, to answer your question: I would be most happy to share my breakfast, even with the odd fox or bird or whomever dropped by. I’d be sitting in a garden outdoors, then, though . . .

    Thanks for a great post; I love reading about your life. ~ Linne

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    • I had 2 hours of sleep that night and could not go back to sleep so I sat writing the post. I just let it take me where it goes. I woke at 2:30 again this morning after going to sleep at 8:45 but decided to just rest. Sleep eludes me most nights and I don’t want to wake my daughter as sleep is an issue for her as well.

      I always thought it was the English way of spelling fairy too which is why I looked it up. What a shock! Phooey on them. Spell it how you want.

      I had a cookie with my coffee this morning as I’m in dire need of extra rest so no walk though the air is cleaner than in a long time this week. If it goes into the moderate range, I do not go outside and keep the windows closed.

      My daughter cooks for us both on the weekends. I rarely have a real breakfast during the week unless I’m going to be sitting for awhile and then it’s yogurt with blueberries from the freezer. I always do the cleaning up. It’s not my daughter’s ‘thing’. I’m taking today off of walking. Lots of inside work to do. I promised you a note and haven’t gotten to it yet. I’ll start it now. Hugs,

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      • Thank you, Marlene. If I lived closer (like walking distance) you could come over for breakfast as often as you liked . . . I like cooking for other people; makes it worth the prep and cleanup. I know you love walking and it’s good for you, so I’m glad you aren’t doing it on those really smoky days. We went out today and it was the first day without smoke in weeks. So we went close to Shuswap Lake for our coffee and I was shocked to see how low the water is; never seen it like that before. So possibly other climate stuff coming one day . . .

        Hope your day went well. And all your days 🙂 I’ll check for your note, but if you didn’t get to it, no worries; I’m extremely low maintenance. Sending hugs and love and all that good stuff.

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      • I did send it, Linne. On the 22nd. Hope you got it. It was lengthy. Yes, one thing affects another with the climate. Fires require more water from the lakes and all the water is coming down where they don’t want or need it. When It’s smokey, everything gets shut tight and I stay quiet. Do you live close to that lake? I just looked it up and it has fires all around the area!

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  9. Definitely a breakfast person and food after exercise too. And love the garden. Possibly because it makes me happy which I was delighted to find has science behind it. https://www.google.com/amp/s/happiful.com/gardening-good-mental-health-post-pandemic/amp/

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    • Thanks for stopping by, Geoff. You always had a lovely garden if I remember correctly. There is no question about the science behind gardening being good for mental as well as physical health. I find it meditative though quite time consuming. I just run out of steam too quickly these days. Thanks for sharing the link. I guess you can’t count a half dozen blackberries as a substantial breakfast but it sure was good. Have a wonderfilled week.

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  10. Love the breakfast on the go.. that’s something we did a lot of as kids. Lovely cucumbers and at least a few tomatoes. My son the urban farmer tells me that it’s all about the quality of the soil. If you get a bad crop of anything then the soul needs some very rich good quality compost!

    Sad always to lose a tree 😦 especially a mature one)!

    Peta

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    • I so agree with everything you said here. I’ve amended the soil several times but still feels off. A planter box was made by my son since the ground around the terraces is held in place by railroad ties treated with creosote. You can’t eat anything planted in them as it’s toxic. This whole place was built on landfill so I’ve had to spend a lot on compost. Not allowed to make my own here. No one was thinking of the trees when they build this home park. That was a beautiful shade tree too but was allowed to get too out of control. There was one in front of the house when I moved in that had roots growing under the house and driveway and still not thriving. I took it out and planted a dogwood that I keep trimmed each fall. No invasive roots either. Thanks so much for stopping by, Peta

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  11. I have to laugh about the idea of a doughnut tree. Let me know if you ever find one….
    Have you ever made blackberry jam? I believe it’s relatively easy although I’ve never made jam (of any kind) myself. Maybe one day….
    Your fairy garden is very sweet.
    And yes, coffee – I’m beginning to need my first cup before I even wake up.

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  12. Hello, Marlene! It’s been a while. I’ve missed you. I’ve been so busy and stopped blogging for a while. I’m not sure how long I’ll keep it up this time, but while I do, I’m enjoying stopping in to friends’ pages to read, catch up and give a virtual hug!

    I did not know that there was a difference between Faeries and Fairies. I thought it was just a Gaelic spelling. I know I’ve written about Faeries when I meant to be writing about Fairies, in fact. So you’ve taught me something too!

    I would definitely share breakfast with a fairy. They can’t eat much, do you think? I would probably share with a faerie, too, for fear of retaliation.

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  13. Good morning Marlene! I walk in the mornings, but after savoring a cup of chai. Sometimes breakfast will happen first, but not always. By the time I’ve had my milky tea, I’m not hungry.

    As a kid, my grandparents lived where a lot of blackberries grew. I have very fond memories of walking the canal banks, picking berries. My Pappa, always had a coffee can tied around his neck so he had two hands to pick with.

    Blackberries grow in central Oregon, but not wild and crazy like in your area. Part of me misses that, part is glad to not have to try to tame them! Enjoy and have a fabulous week!

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    • Thanks for the visit, Missy. These are not the best bushes of berries around but the few I get are so sweet and I do miss them. The thorns are a nightmare so I stay out of anything I can’t easily reach. It’s been such a weird summer so they didn’t do all that well. I like you Pappa’s idea of hanging the can around his neck. Does bring back memories, doesn’t it. Enjoy your week too.

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  14. Hi Marlene! I need to do more walking. Your early morning walks with some blackberries along the way sounds delightful. I love your fairy house!! And, thank you so much for the link to explain the difference between a fairy and a faerie. Big difference. Loosing a tree is sad. We have a huge pine that is nearly dead. I worry at every storm. I hope all is well, my friend. School starts next week. Where did the summer go?

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    • If the tree is starting to look dead, it’s time to take it down. I had some perfectly good looking trees taken down because they were located in a dangerous way only to find out when down they were dying on the inside already. A Eucalyptus tree had inch wide worms eating it from the inside out. I just put in 3 for everyone that has to go. I’ve done that since I had ground to care for. I think we had a very short summer. Woke up this morning to 47 degrees!! I so love it. I’m sure all the kids are ready to get back to school. We don’t have any down here so I don’t notice. All is well. Hugs to you.

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      • I will talk with hubby once again about the tree. I’m with you on this one! I love how you plant 3 for everyone that goes. I have my heart set on Korean dogwood… we’ll see.

        it is either 90 degrees or pouring rain this summer. Crazy. My flowers don’t like the extreme back and forth. I go back to school next week, and the kids start the day after Labor Day. I’m NOT in school mode yet! Hugs to you!

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      • I tried to give you ammunition for hubby. I had one of those too. 😉

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      • Hahaha!! 😀

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  15. And of course, Faerie is also the whole parallel land in which the Sidhe (fair folk) live, existing alongside ours, separate and magical. So much history to the notion in ancient Britain and Ireland…
    I like my breakfast in bed, personally! It helps fortify me for the dreadful task of getting up… I’m forced to pay a tithe of it to Mouse, who extracts it by lying on the bed and staring at me meaningfully (and if we’re honest, every so slightly menacingly) until I offer up bits of egg white. It’s my own fault for having a boiled egg for breakfast. He’s not interested in any other variants, and would scoff silently if offered fruit…

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  16. I truly am a breakfast person. Even if that breakfast is eaten a 9:30 or 10am. A late riser, that’s me. While you’re out for an early walk, I’m sawing logs into my pillow. I’m really snoring up a storm as of late. But then again, so is Jim. We’re quite the prize, LOL.
    Everyday I have toast and coffee. Like 365/yr 😀 It’s usually Raisin bread, but sometimes I get crazy and have a raisin bagel. I whip up a Caramel Nespresso to go with my toast and watch about a half hour of news.
    Sorry about your tree. That’s a bummer. It’s too bad it was planted wrong, Happy Long weekend Marlene-a-go-go (if we don’t visit again b4 then) 💛💛💛

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    • It’s always nice to visit with you, sweet girl. My kids and sister are all night people. I’m the oddball. I love raisin bread any time of the day. I have no set routine for any meal. The news, if watched is in fast forward with the sound off. Not a good way to start or end my day. I catch the highlights and let the rest go. Too hard on my nervous system. I agree about the tree. I’m not sure why it was in that spot but no one else will have to worry about it coming down on anything. I’ve put in more to replace it. Have a wonderfilled week and weekend.

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  17. When you find the donut tree, take a cutting for me as well, please? Those blackberries look incredible – even though it’s just a photo. And now I am telling myself I must get out and pick some today. The last time I mowed my lawn I saw some trying to ripen. I try to tear out most of the blackberries in my yard, but I leave two sections just for harvesting. I have different breakfast preferences. I like to eat a big, hearty meal as soon as I wake up, prefixed and suffixed with lots of black coffee. Then a sandwich or something light in early afternoon. Then I really don’t need to eat another thing the rest of the day. It’s frustrating that the rest of the world leans toward the opposite, but that allows to me broaden my experience!

    I appreciated that article about the different faery spellings so much. Thank you! I find it interesting that I prefer the Gaelic spelling, and I also have always preferred the image of faeries that are ugly and mischievous. Those types seem more realistic to me, and I do believe in faeries, so I need to explain it to myself in the most practical way. So unknowingly, I followed the guidance given in the article. Here is a link to a slideshow of a faery shop promoting the work of Brian, Wendy, and Toby Froud. https://www.ferniebrae.com/shoppe-gallery The fae creatures they bring to life are the ideal images I carry in my brain.

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    • Thanks for the link, Crystal. I always called them trolls. I new nothing about fairies until my daughter became quite fascinated with them as a child. Like you, I want my heaviest meal to be early and lunch a bit lighter. I usually combine it with dinner around 3 p.m and make it a 2 meal day. I can’t eat much and never late. It doesn’t work for other’s but these days I just need a little something twice a day to keep me going. I’m a terrible snacker though. 😦 Blackberries take a lot of sun and water. We had such an odd summer that nothing is doing all that well. It’s ok though. I’ll take what I get.

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  18. I was a person who got up and had breakfast – usually hot chocolate mix with whatever I was going to eat. UNTIL this last year when new meds came my way and it’s all not “there and then” I have to wait 30mins after imbibing the tablet before I can even consider making said breakfast and in the process I’ve gone off a hot drink, food has had to changed as well. I then have to remember not to overeat, so I have mini meals here and there. And then the same thing with the “tablet” causes dinner to go pear shaped!
    As for fairy, I would love one right now…who bought with her, a magic wand that could take me to the seaside or deep into a forest – for a little R & R away from having to “stay home” which is the cry of our gov’t bods as “Delta Variant Monster” dropped into New Zealand and a severe lockdown has ensured.

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    • I do understand about the regulation of meals around the meds. My sister has a full regime after her lung transplant that requires rigid timing. It’s a lifetime thing for her now. Your lockdowns are more severe than they are here. We can move about as we please if we take precautions. Our numbers are off the charts this time around. I think twice what they were the first time. I go nowhere either. Fortunately, plenty to keep me busy here. Hope things get better soon for you.

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  19. Marlene, for some reason I’m unable to reply to your comment (no ‘reply’ button), so I’ll do it here. I did get your note, thank you, and am about to respond. Warm hugs to you, summer or not 🙂

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  20. I am so jealous about the blackberries! I absolutely love berries of all kinds, and we get treated to mulberries in the marina in the spring. When I first went on medical leave from my old job, the mulberry season was just beginning, so I picked them first thing every morning. I sang the mulberry bush song, of course!

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    • We planted a dwarf mulberry bush in California and I used to sit under it and eat. These are wild and don’t get enough water in summer to make them all sweet but still a nice treat on the occasional morning.

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  21. Hi Marlene, I read your post last week (!!!) but I read it on my phone. I’m sorry it has taken so long to get here via my computer where I can see so much better. It’s always sad to lose a tree, but like you, I’ve had to have trees removed because they had crossed over from beautiful to dangerous. I remember when you moved in that the rail ties with creosite were a no-no for growing food. I’m glad you knew that.

    We put in all new soil in our veg trug after removing overgrown geraniums. The geraniums grew back, doubled in size and the tomatoes are a flop. The tomaotes in the front garden, planted in an earthbox did quite a bit better, so I’ve learned once again, that I’m not really in control. (I knew that of course, but lately, life keeps reinforcing that lesson). Anyhoo…it’s always good to read your words and to see your photos. I’m counting the days till fall and cooler weather. It still feels so far off. xo

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    • Boy do I get waiting for the computer. I don’t know how anyone does anything on a phone. Too tiny for me. I’m getting ready to turn under the veggies. We are getting a tease of fall but I know it will be late. The Asters are waiting for Sept and the last two years, they bloomed early. That’s ok as I have been working hard to get outside work done on these nice days. You are right, we are not in charge. Good thing too. I’d make a mess of things. 😉 I have 7 rapidly growing pine trees in the side yard that nature planted and I’ve left them be. Very close to the fence line but I’d rather have the trees there for now. I’m finding myself wanting to write more these days. Have 2 posts almost ready today!! Keep taking care and will send a note soon.

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      • I’m glad you’re getting a taste of fall. I feel it here too, though it’s more subtle. Our wedding anniversary often falls on the first day in autumn, depending on a leap year, though this year the fall equinox arrives a day before we celebrate 26 years. I can barely believe we’re already halfway through the month.

        I’m glad you’re still writing, still growing things, and still celebrating the change of seasons. xo

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