Filling the Tea Cup For 2012, Good Morning Dear Friends.........

How nice to see Kathy, Anne, and Carolyn too! Mary, I'm glad your birthday went well. We have a Melting Pot restaurant here but have never tried it. Sounds intriguing.

It's a busy time for us -- lots of things changing. DH is turning in his company car today, so he's shopping and thinks he may have found a decent used car at a reasonable price. He's having it checked out this morning, so keeping my fingers crossed that we can check that chore off the list.

We're also having some kitchen work done -- cabinets painted and countertops resurfaced. Should be finished today, and I'm pretty excited to see how that turns out.

A beautiful last day of May here in Louisville -- blue skies, sunshine, pleasant temps. However, the forecast is calling for strong to severe storms in the late afternoon and evening. Maybe they'll be wrong -- it has happened before!

Recently tried a Tazo passionfruit iced tea, at the Barnes & Noble cafe. A nice tangy fruit flavor -- summery!

Good Morning Dear Friends, and Welcome to the Tearoom.  Let's roll out the red carpet for June and raise our teacups to summer on the front porch swing.  I am looking forward to a lovely weekend of catching up at home after this work week. 

Dear Elza, Fingers crossed that DH finds a very reliable replacement for his car.  I received the invitation to join DS support group for his mission trip and will happily join this weekend.  How lovely to be having kitchen work done! 

Dear Kathy, Your social calendar must truly be the talk of the town!  I would love to hear all the lovely details.

Waving happily at Carolyn and Anne, with smiles and tea.

Our weather is very chilly and rainy, which is keeping me in long sleeves and pants.  Our pool is open but to enjoy it one would have to be a polar bear.  The lilacs never bloomed which is  very odd.  My everblooming rose bushes take center stage next and I hope they do well.

Have a grand day, and when you need refreshment, do 'Think Tea'.  Your very grateful hostess and friend, Mary

My Goodness, here it is June 2nd, and Can you believe it already?  Today was the Herb Festival and the weather could not have been more perfect.  There were so many lovely plants to purchase, along with products and foods, handmade jewelry, pottery, vintage garden items.  Over 200 vendors from surrounding states. A lovely Saturday morning trek that DD and I enjoyed.

I am doing okay.  DH has had to have some surgery this past week.  The radiation that he had to have for prostate cancer had damaged his bladder, causing some incontinence.  This surgery goes through the back and places a pacemaker at the nerves which control the bladder.  The urologist says that it works just like the heart pacemakers.  He had a trial one placed which he is to wear for a week.  If it is successful, he goes back in for the final one.  It is successful in over 90% of patients.  Says he can already tell it is working.  It is quite amazing , the medical resources we have today.This will be a blessing for him.

I have been very busy with babysitting Great Grands these past days.  They are such a joy, but I wish I were a tad younger.  I find myself sleeping soundly after keeping up with their antics all day.

Our State has been threatened with tornado weather and we have had lots of hail and winds.  Softball sized hail did millions of damage in OK City last week.  Softball sized and very dangerous winds.  Only one tornado touched down, but not near us, Thank Heavens.

We are having early weather conditions.  May weather had been like June.  Goodness, what will our summer be like?

Looks like the Tea Room may be shutting down for some reason. Cleaning, redecorating, ordering new supplies?  Just guessing here. Or maybe Summertime busyness.  Hope one of those reasons is all. lol

Carolyn, how wonderful that your DH could have this procedure to take care of his problem. I never heard of that, but what a blessing. Hope all is going well for you both.

Good news from us -- DH has a job! He will be teaching communications at a small university in Anderson, SC, so we are getting ready to put our house up for sale and move back to SC. After 19 years in Kentucky, we have acquired quite a bit of stuff so it's a daunting job to go through everything! We are very relieved and thankful for employment for DH, happy at moving back closer to our families (we'll be about 30 min. away from my mom, about 3-1/2 hrs. from DMIL), and sad at leaving so many dear friends -- not to mention our 2 sons! -- in Kentucky. It's a lot to process, and right now it feels like everything in our lives is topsy-turvy and likely to remain that way for some time to come.

I will need to keep the teabags and kettle handy for the occasional moment to sit and sip a calming cup.

It is very wonderful news that your DH has a new job. Along with at, I know this move will be hard.  We have often talked about what we would if we ever had to move for some reason.  We have been in our home since 1973!  And we are "collectors" if you know what I mean.  Even the attic is full.  Some of it being belongings of our deceased sons that we have kept around.  The rest is junk. Our house is around 3000 sq. feet, and I long to downsize to a smaller place.DH is adamantly against it. I can certainly understand your feelings at the move -many advantages in it, but still some fear and a bit of dread, also.

My Brother who has been a print news reporter for our largest state news paper was just laid off from his job in Washington D.C.  He is job hunting because he cannot go on S.S. for another year and a half. I hear the nervousness in his voice, and the fear that he will not get work at his age.  The economy has so many people in his profession facing the same.  He did have to move because he has always lived, for nearly 30 years, in the property owned by the News.  He had bought a lovely 2 storied town house that he has kept rented , and he planned to live there when he did retire. Now he had to let his renters go and is moved into the town home himself. This was so sudden, and he only had 30 days to rearrange his entire life. Boy, our lives can change overnight, can't they?  When will you start getting ready for your move?  Prayers for a calm spirit and ease in your transitions.  Carolyn

DH is finding much relief in his apparatus.  Medical advances can be so wonderful. I am doing fine, and am so grateful that he is recovering so well with great results.

Good Morning Dear Friends and WElcome to Tea!  Wait, let me say that again...just because it feels so grand, My Dear Friends, Welcome to The Tearoom!  I am so delighted to be sipping tea from my favorite cup this morning, reading and catching up on the adventures of our merry band of tea revellers.

The twists and turns of life, are best contemplated and appreciated with a full cup and good company.  Sending thank yous, and prayers for many blessings and comforts to shower our families and households.

Dear Carolyn, I hope the new device is making life better for your DH and that it works like a charm.  Our weather has been it's own soap opera from highs to lows, winds and rains and even though the flowers are out of sync, the birds seem to be enjoying it all. I hope your DB finds a wonderful new position and that he discovers great advantages to his hasty move.  I have always been struck by the fact that a thing will always take exactly as much time as you have to do it in.  Fast moves make make a full glass of anxiety, but perhaps there would be an overload of it with more days to count off.  I hope all is going well with the boys therapies and that every day brings exciting possibilities in research and treatments.  Are you finding time to read?  I have devoured books in the evenings and I wonder if you have read books by Sarah Addison Allen.  She is my new favorite author, very surprising, entertaining and a bit catchy in her subjects and characters.  I went through an ongoing series titled, "Divergent" and "Insurgent", which are on the order of the Hunger Games trilogy, but, very fast and imaginary.  Now...I am "Looking For Salvation At the Dairy Queen", which is perfect for a little bit of whimsey and relaxation.  I have omitted watching tv to feed my book habit and I don't think I missed a thing.

Dear Elza, What an unexpected and delicious cup of tea is coming your way with DH new job and moving your residence.  I hope the sale goes through quickly and well and that the perfect place is found again, to live, laugh and enjoy.  I must admit that I pity the Gamecocks as you are truly their number 1 in state fan.  I hope their is room in one of your boxes for your tea.  Each region has its own blend and perhaps you will share a new one or two when you get settled.

Since the day I donned my fancy scrubs and lace up shoes to shore up our financial health, my hours no longer fit into the days.  Sometimes, I bemoan my age and weakness as it puts limits where I don't want them to be.  Other times, I find that those very changes prove to be strengths as I rely on other parts of me, and notice different things that help others and thereby excite and enliven me.

I had the rare and lovely priviledge recently of caring for the most delightful teen who is confined to a wheelchair and blind.  I lacked the strength to lift her, but we sang, laughted and joked through the hours.  What started out as a service to help her wonderful mother, turned into a sheer gift of joy to me.

My current situation finds me fully engaged in the care of a wonderful couple, who actually drink more tea than I do!  The kettle whistles and the day flies by, leaving me tired but smiling and they smile right back.  In this house too...we sing, her with the voice of an angel and me with enthusiasm but not quite perfect pitch, or even the right words. 

While I am trying very hard to use all the tools gathered through a life of caregiving, I keep learning through the gentle grace of God, and find the next morning dawns brighter.  It truly does amaze me when I think, I am just a simple girl, and yet, God has plans and uses for me....and tea.  Your very grateful hostess and friend, who gave up font fighting and just closed my eyes and typed,  Mary

Good Morning Dear Friends and Welcome to Tea.  Won't you please gather round and join me in a Happy Father's Day shout to all the wonderful men that have graced the lives of their families and lend a special honor and joy to the day.

My work keeps me busy both caregiving outside my home and then keeping my home and family together and prospering.  We are all pitching in together and working hard to earn some future play time I hope. 

May today be extra especially blessed and full of smiles.  Your very grateful hostess and friend, raising a glass of blueberry green iced tea,  Mary

I know I've been MIA, but is everyone all right?  Mary?  

It's so empty in here, my voice is echoing!  

I pray that all is well with our Tea Angels!

I hope that all the tea angels are on summer vacation and that is why these pages are empty....miss you all. Susie, good hearing from you. And then again maybe we are just being lazy, like me. I've lost my get-up-and-go....some days I'm just plain sad and blue and thinking of Howard, and other times, as mentioned, lazy.

The News on TV certainly doesn't lift one's spirit these days between the terrible fires destroying homes and lives, and extreme heat in so many states. Up here in the NW corner, we are still cool and getting rain....OK by me.

Thanks to DD Erica, the flowers are blooming around us and veggies catching up and waiting for more sun to arrive, which is suppose to happen next week - we shall see. We finally got our first artichoke!

 Have any of you tried that clever way to cook corn-on-the-cob in the microwave without shucking it?  You cut off about 1/2" off the bottom (wide) end and microwave on High for about 5 -6 minutes for 2 ears. Grab a towel and shake shake the cob out - it falls out without any silk clinging to it - it works, really. Just be sure to cut enough off the bottom so the cob is free to fall out. You may have to shake it loose a few times, but it does come out. Beats having to shuck and boil corn.

Anyone have grand plans to celebrate the 4th? Write and fill us in.

Mary, hope all is going well with you.

Anne

Really concerned about the Tea Room and especially about Mary and others not checking in.  Anyone hear from Mary?  I sent a Private e-mail. no answer.  Not like her at  all!.

Good Evening to All

Once again I have been away too long.  I have tried to do a little catching up and hope all is well with everyone.  It does seem empty here.  Hopefully a few friends will drop in later for a good night cup of tea.  

Summers heat is certainly arriving here after a very cool June.  I was in Chicago last week and we had beautiful weather there until the heat wave started on our last day.  I have done very little ourside work and gardening this year and guess I willl have to   bit the bullet and get outside tomorrow before all the flowers i have purchased dry up.

I hope everyone has a lovely venong and I promise not to be MIA for such a long time again.

Hedgie

Good Morning Dear Friends and Welcome to the Tearoom.  We are in the midst of coping with extreme heat and some rather unfortunate storm damage that has left us with fallen trees on the roof of our garden house and a daunting mess to sort out.  We not only lost our internet but as we are bundled with our cable, we lost tv and home phone.  As cell reception is hit or miss here in the country I was basically cut off. The city lost water pressure so we had just enough to brush our teeth but filling a tea kettle took a lot of patience.

Work has been a challenge as well and although I am very worn, I am grateful for it.  I am sure that it would go easier if I wasn't quite so dedicated to excellence in taking care of my patients but then again, I wouldn't sleep as peacefully nor feel good at all.

I am so grateful to the friends who have sent their good wishes and said prayers on my behalf. 

Thank you to Anne, Susie and Carolyn for keeping the room buzzing.  It is my hope that it will not only survive the current challenges but thrive in unexpected and joyful ways in the days, weeks and months to come.  I will endeavor to keep in touch more and not let anyone come to call without a wave and smile.

So, I am sitting here with my cup of Twinings Revive, contemplating how in the world to overcome the fact that I more or less feel like a grubby person, with a bad hair day and more sweat dripping from my brow than I ever thought possible.  My prayer every morning is for strength with a smile and to hold on tight for the journey forward.  The trees balancing on the roof of the garden house are as tall as buldings themselves and very threatening.  There is no chance of getting any heavy equipment down in the valley without endangering our septic so that is beyond me.

My current work is with a dear couple who suffer extreme memory issues and poor health.  I run the home like I would my own with my parents and try my best to keep them safe and happy.  The hardest part is that they do not feel a need to keep the ac running and turn it off at every turn so as I am working I note with alarm that I am fading like wallpaper myself.  It is sheer determination that wins the day and sees me safely back at my own door to cope with what waits ahead.

I don't mean at all to sound glum, but more or less ok and being careful to stay that way.

I could use that snow I wished away a few months ago, but that is very unlikely to appear.  While the heatwave takes the breath straight from me, there is comfort in a cup of tea, even hot as I keep working away.

I do so hope that our friends will see this message and write to update each other and that the door to the room will not close completely. 

Dear Anne,  I read and tried your method of doing corn and it made me dance with joy!  It works and ohhhh such a blessing it is.  I am cooking more meals than I have in quite some time, in fact, I think ever as I work the two households quite equally and do not buy food out very often. It is very hard to meld memories with present day and come out without shedding a tear or two but, then I think that if you remove the R from the end of tear you have tea and I am happy that you came and wrote about the journey. Prayers for continued strength are offered your way.

Dear Carolyn, I am sorry not to have responded to your email but as I said, my connection went poof and I am still attempting to catch up.  Many many thank yous for your friendship and concern. 

Dear Hedgie, I hope you get a chance to plant your flowers and that the heat does not make it a hard task.  It is lovely to travel and then even lovlier to come home and put on the kettle at home.

Dear Susie, Have you escaped the storms?  I do hope so as I heard news from friends in your area that there was large hail and winds too. 

As much as I would like to stay and enjoy another cup of tea I have to try to work outside before it becomes impossible and so please, come and share knowing I keep hoping and dreaming, living and working, always mindful of the path here to the tearoom.  My grateful heart is as full as my cup.  Your friend, Mary

What a smile your post brought to this face.  Not at all, of course, for the things that have been happening to you and yours.  But I am indeed happy to know that you are okay.  You and I both know that one never knows what can happen to us in just a day.  Bless your heart for enduring all those mishaps. Sometimes Mother Nature can deal some naughty deeds, too, just when we least expect them.  To be without means to communicate is really troublesome.  Again, thanks for letting us know you are still perking along under not so nice circumstances. Ah, so good to hear from you. Keep the hopes and dreams going in your life.  Work when you can, rest when you can and always have your cup of tea at the ready.  Love to you, Carolyn

Good Afternoon everyone,

Mary it is good to hear from you I hope you some releif from the heat and help with your massive cleanup project.  I had tyhepleasure of being i Chicago a week ago, the last week of June, and had beautiful weather until the last day when the heat wave reached us.  Knowing the weather predictions, we were able to rearrange our sightseeing schedule so we spent Thursday in air conditioned museums.  We returned home on Friday. I hadn't been to the windy city sonce I was a child and enjoyed every minute of it.  i actually bought a box of fusge at navy pier and realized when I got home that it is from Mackinac island, a place i would love to visit.

We have had some hot days here but nothing like the rest of the country.  I is cooling of a little and I think working outside today will be quite pleasant.  I have so much to in my yard that I can't let it go.

Did anyone do anything special over the Fourth of july.  We had a very quiet day but went to the mas Symphony ochestrsa and fireworks the night before the the Fourth. I look forward to it every year.

Have a nice afternoon

Hedgie