Old Fashioned Picnic and Fireworks, July Tea Party. Good Morning and Welcome!

Good Morning Dear Friends in Tea. I am having too much fun. In fact, if a barrel of monkey's landed in the backyard they could spend days in aerial antics before I joined in. The countryside is just ablaze with sunny smiles to be had..free concerts are staggered through the small towns, with free movie nights under the stars, book sales and farmers markets. It's like a round robin and this week begins 'The Taste Of.....' events where for a small price you can sample all the foods of different restaurants while being entertained. The weather has been very warm and somewhat humid but that is perfect for letting your hair go out of style. On top of that... I got into the mysterious zone of getting all the work done so the doorknobs are shiny.  Dear Husband has noticed and been early to work and then early to home, sleeping well and deep.

How can there be time for everything with just enough leftover to litterally watch as the moonflower blooms? I am not sure but, it's wonderful. Count me in...sign me up...I'll be there has become so easy. It's not a whirlwind but a change in the air that just happened.

Dear Susie, I need help with research on this Moonflower. There are seed pods developing in large dark green bumpy strawberry type growths and I want to pick them just right. If you happen to stop by, please tell me what you find. The flowers are simply beautiful and they open at dusk like magic. My tomatoes need counselling to get to be ripe and healthy but cucumbers and peppers have been incredible. My sunflowers are leggy and not quite robust. No matter....the mums are on the way and they look better than last year.

Dear Elza, Perhaps all things old will be new again? I would love to see more service related businesses open up. It's a hole in the whole cycle of lost and found. Just imagine adults standing out on the curb awaiting the Bakery Man.....the little jingle jingle as he drives the streets....ok....that has got me thinking of where I saw that used ice cream truck.

I just have to mention a line of products "Rick's World Famous Products" made on the shores of Lake Fenton...'Dam Jam Peno Mint' and 'Must Have Mustard'. The ingredients are so simple and WOW the flavor! The phone number is 810-629-4071 . They sell out so fast at the market you can't even get a look at the two other flavors.

Mint Tea has kept me so refreshed, I make it refrigerator style, half freeze the bottles and go.....It's particularly nice in the new stainless steel water bottles that double as a cold compress in your hand, or on the back of your neck. New to me this last week is Celestial Seasonings, Vanilla Caramel tea, perfect for the evening.

It's time to roll out the red carpet for August, with high hopes AND the Fairs! Let's go, but first...I have to finish my usual Saturday ironing...and...it's only Friday. My ironing board is already outside on the screen porch....location...location....location.

I truly hope you are having a spendid week..with more and better to come! Your very grateful hostess and always your friend, Mary

Good Evening tea Angels,

Today was the kind of day that you wished you just bottle up the weather.  It was quite warm but very low humidity and nice  breezes on and off.  I worked for a couple of hours in my garden after dinner until dark.  If I had floodlights, i would still be outside enjoying the evening air.

Mary, I tried growing moonflowers a few times several years ago but never had any luck.  I thought they would be just beautiful.  I had firgotten about them until you told how lovely yours are.  Did you start them from seed or buy plants.  i have never seen them in the nurseries around here.  Do they self sow?  You have perked my interest and I will have to make a note for next year.  I am sure it is too late now.

Mary, the Vanilla caramel tea sound good.  I will look for it. I love vanilla.  A local chain store here always has a good assorment of different teas.  I just bought ne of my favorites, Bigelow French Vanilla.  I love this in the evenings.  Although I try to go for natural flavors, this one does have some artificail flavors but it still tastes really good.  I alos picked up twinnings vanilla black tea but haven't tried it yet.  I think I will leave the box on the counter to remind myself to try it tomorrow morning.

Have a good evening everyone,

Hedgie

HereI am so late in the evening, but wanted to let you know I am back last evening from my babysitting stint with Dgd and her 2 little ones.  What fun that was, but I am glad to be home,too.  

It is to be very hot here all this coming week. Bah Humbug, but we will survive.  Trying so hard to keep everything alive until it cools down and we can get some new blooms on all my plants.  Not an easy chore this time of yr. and our AUGusts are especially brutal-or they can be.  Who knows what to expect with the weather anymore?  Just take what we get and go on.

Mary, I do remember the magical moonflowers from my childhood.  I have never grown the, but aren't they quite a bit like growing morning glories, which I also adore, especially the Heavenly Blues?  I have met very few flowers that I do not adore come to think of it.

We have had some great tomatoes of late, but they seem to be at a rest now.  Plants look ok but not producing.  Perhaps a new batch when it cools.   Love BLT's and the ones you buy in the stores are just an imitation of real homegrown tomatoes.

We have a lot of cleaning up to do around here because of the bedroom project, new tile in guest bedroom and cleaning all closets and donating boxes of stuff to the SA.  Got a new flat screen TV-46 in. which required purchase of a new piece of furniture to set it on. So glad to get things back in order soon.

good night All.  Carolyn

Good morning dearest of angels. Looks like we are going to be another hot one here today it is 6:15 and already 75 degrees.  Could not sleep  so I have been up since 3:30,  nothing on TV, so Mrs Revlon and I did a little hair work.  I did make me a pot of coffee this morning.  Waiting on the rest of the house to wake up, and then I will get dressed and I have to go pick some figs this morning.  DH is going to go to our neighbor's house and pick up some apples.  Need to run to the dollar store for a few things.  Busy, busy,busy.  Then tonight we are having a fish fry at mama's house.  I have to make cold slaw and some kind of dessert.  Oh and some time between stuff I have to make a teddy bear for a lady at work to give to her grand daughter on Monday.  There is just not enough time in the day for everything.  Seems like I am forgetting something I need to do,  It will have to get in line and wait.

Mary,  I started to get a box of the vanilla cameral tea other day,  I picked it up and looked at it and put it back.  I think I will go back and get it and try it.   I grew moon flowers a couple of years ago and they were so big and bright.  I loved them.  I bought some seeds this year and never got them planted.

Carolyn,   All those precious babies.  You are so lucky to be close enough to baby sit.   Take care

Joan,  Good to see you hear.  Hope you have been doing good. 

Well I need to run and finish my meeting up with Ms Revlon before everyone get out of bed.  Have a great day and catch you later.  Stay cool today

 Hugs and Love

Caroloe

Good Morning Dear Friends and Welcome to the Tearoom. It is a blessing beyond imagining to be cared for in life. When someone holds you dear you are cradled in a coccoon of comfort that surpasses a Serta mattress. Our merry little band of revellers went a distance to another small town for their Farmers Market and artisian fair. I got heads of lettuce for 25 cents, a bushel of potatoes for a pittance and kohlrabi. When it came to toting it to the car, a little boy, barely past my waist offered to carry for me. I was so amazed with his strength and he replied, "I am a farmer and very STRONG". Yes, farmers truly are, even when they are small hopful ones. I had a little picture in my mind that he would follow in the footsteps of his family and farm with zeal.

On our return to this area we stopped across from the post office where DH was working...a hug and a smile...only to find that Holly's Farmers Market and Fair were across the street. It was there that I met my Angel..or phrased better...it was there that I found a statue of an angel in raptured...which I plan to put in the middle of our front yard fountain. I have never seen anything like it but I knew everything about it was perfect. Now...to get it in there, lol.

Dear Carole, Miss Clairol and I really need to work together...I look like a summer waif. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to just jump into a vat of fix-it and come out tubbed, scrubbed, made up and coifed. Whoops...I lost a bobby pin, lol. I don't have enough hours in the day either and actually got the garage tidied up aside from all that running about. There is nothing I like better than a fish fry! Lately, my slaw has been either overdressed or under...its a talent to get it just right but soooo goood. I had great hope for a new coffee that is gentle on the stomach..whose stomach it forgot to mention...back to the drawing board.

Dear Carolyn, I am so happy that you have returned! What a lovely thing to be surrounded by all those wonderful babies and to be such help! Our weather has been Summer Magic and I wish I could stop it from changing. It is cloudy today which is right on schedule for my weeding, lol. This really has been a great year for moonflowers. I got mine as a small plant and had no idea it would turn into a bush. At first it had a green/black almost shiny appearance but now it is forest green with pure white blossoms. I did my best to research it but didn't find a lot. I do believe that the pods that are growing out of the bottom contain the seeds and that it self sews, but as mine is potted I will try to collect them at the proper time. When that is....?

Dear Hedgie, I think your travels have been exceedingly good and very inspiring. What do you have planned for the coming fall season? I am crazy over mums....maybe plastic...not really..but its a thought.

We have reached the end of July and as always if you have any hopes or needs for the month of August here in tea? If so, count me in and tell me what I can do.

Now, don't look at my shirt..the hem has fallen out...but I am going far back to the garden house to see what needs work. The deer and wild turkeys have reined lately and they don't have thumbs!

Cammomile Tea served to calm Tina's post Scamp [a summer program for Autistic and impaired children] sunburn. It works like a charm...better than aftersun.

Sending my hopes and best wishes. Your very grateful hostess and friend, Mary

Blessed morning angels,  Hope everyone is staying cool.

Mary,  Sounds like a good day you had yesterday.  Fresh produce and a angel.  What do you do with a  kohlrabi?  What does it taste like, how do you cook it.  I have seen these but never eaten one.

Well I need to run and find something to wear to church and get everyone else out of bed. 

Have a great day

Hugs

Carole

Grand Tea Morning to you Carole! I got started on kohlrabi [an ugly green globe with green shoots off it] hearing Susie and John talk about it. You just peel it and eat it raw or put it in salads. It has a mild radishy taste, very crisp and nice. How was the fish fry?Your friend, Mary