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It's great to see you, Mary and other Tea Angels!
Mary, yes, we've had a lot of storms and 100 degree days. Luckily, no trees fell on us and we never lost power, although so many did. Your job must be a challenge! Do you work every day, as in full time? I know you're a caregiver who really cares!
Ryan, my eldest son who is in the Navy (11 years already!) turned 30 on 7/7 -- how can that possibly BE? Then again, there are days when I feel far older than my 57 years :( I've been involved with dentistry this year and not done yet. Any of you who know me....well, I'd rather clean my oven, lol.
I've developed a serious and chronic case of the LAZIES...and that's the truth.
Friday we leave for Chicago for Hanna's baptism! I had her christening gown made from my wedding gown and the gal did an amazing job, it's so beautiful! Hanna is just over 5 months old and has turned into quite a chub, lol! So adorable :)
I suppose I must get something accomplished here today, so I hope all of you are having a great week with nothing but sunny skies over you!
~~susie.
Good Evening
Sunny, hot weekend here in Ma but we just got some cooling rain. It promises to be hot the next ferw days.
Susie, the Christening dress sounds beautiful. And how very special having it made from your wedding dress! I hope you post a picture. Enjoy the Christening and Chicago. I was there two weeks ago and would have stayed much longer if I could.
Masry and everyone else, I hipe you are doing well and had a relaxing weekend
Hedgie
Good morning to all. It is the time of the summer doldrums here. Upper 90's to a predicted 105 degrees this weekend. Just thinking about those temps seems to take the wind out of my sails, and all desire for projects of any sort. My flower pots have taken a nose dive for the most part, but I am keeping flowers planted in the ground alive so that is something I suppose. I have said it so often about this time of year that Autumn is still my favorite season. I do not, at my age, want to speed up my life clock, but I long for those days just now. As we head into August soon, I know that there will be some very hot days ahead, and I thank the Lord for air conditioning and ceiling fans. My daughter reminded me the other day of the old water coolers we used to have to put up with when she was a girl. I told her that I did remember them and they were certainly not a substitute for what we have now.
We have a new dog. We rescued from our neighborhood the sweetest White West Highland Terrier. She was in very bad shape and was digging in trash for something to eat. She was so matted with sticks and stickers so we shaved her down. She did not even try to get away or bite, just quietly let us help her. After a bath and a good feeding, DH took her the next morning to the Vet who only charged us for the meds, not his services. We had found 3 good homes that were willing to take her in, but DH had fallen for her and did not want to let her go. So she is our 4th pet. Oh my, this was not what I had planned. She is very sweet and seems to know that we have saved her. We have named her Maggie so she joins Sammy, Missy and Chloe in the Zoo that we run here. What were we thinking???
I hope all of you are having a good summer despite the weather, as we are trying to do here. Quick cooking meals are certainly on the menu here, and the blessed crock pot is getting a work out. Of course, adding to that, watermelon, cantaloupe tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet cherries, peaches and all those yummy items that summer brings are welcome treats, too. Stay cool, Carolyn
Hedgi and Carolyn, good to "see" you! I will be posting pics of Hanna in the gown, I promise!
Mary, hope all is well!
Good to see you, too, Susie. That baby gown will be treasured and passed down to generations. What a wonderful idea, and what a special time a Christening is-would love to share in it via the picture. God Bless, Carolyn
Good evening angels, Guess who. Even though I have not been here, I have kept all of you in my thoughts. I miss not being here all the time. So much has happened lately it jsut don't seem enough hours in the day to do everything. George and I are empty nesters now. It is sure quite around here. As you know Scott got married on mothers day and then July 4th Jenna moved out on her own. We have had a lot of hot weather down here also and this week it has rained like crazy. Between work, housework, church and keeping up with everyone, not enough time. I am still sewing my animals. Have a big show coming in Nov. and getting ready for that.
Well that is all I have been doing. Hope everyone is doing good. Well need to run.
Hugs
Carole
Hugs right back to you Carole. Good to see you, and hugs to everyone else. I think you could pop popcorn on my sidewalk right now. Very dangerous temps here and we have not even seen August yet. No rain for a loooooong time. Praying for it daily. DH and I are doing well if we can make it to Autumn. Praise God for my air conditioning for I would be a wilted petunia without it, and I know a lot of folks do not have it. Prayers for them.
Good Morning {{{{Dear Friends}}}} and WElcome to the tearoom! It is such a lovely day here in MI with the nighttime low in the 50's which actually sent me digging for my beloved flannel jammies. I happily waved goodbye to the Arizona like heat and matchstick dryness while dodging a few raindrops. Work has quite taken every bit of time and energy I can find. My days are running into nights and flying through weekends like water pouring from a steamy kettle. I open my casebooks with thanksgiving for the way that God prepared for me with a sense of awe and wonder as everything taught over a lifetime of working with ill and suffering people has come to fruition. It just amazes me beyond words how some simple practice that I thought meant little at the time has proved to be a bookmark on today's page. That's real life tea in a cup served in the present as a gift from the past. Amazing.
The trees that fell on the roof of the garden house did a good bit of damage, but, many people here and about had damage from the storm and that overwhelmed the companies that do the fix up. The trees were removed and now rest on the ground to be cut, the roof is covered in tarps and is on the list to be repaired in one month. It is devastating to see that mess and others that practically destroyed our little valley. My husband became quite overwhelmed as outsiders did the assessments, but no matter what, we take one step at a time, one hour, one day at a time. Much of the damage won't be covered by insurance, but you can't insure an entire forest. With the long draught there is no way to know the condition of the trees and how firm and strong they are and no way to provide enough water.
{{{Dear Susie}}}}, What a lovely lovely use for your wedding dress and how absolutely dancing on stars you must be to have such a connection to lovely Hanna's baptism. I look forward to seeing pictures of the event. I hope you and Steve are faring well and that you are enjoying the sunshine and warmth. I wish I could somehow manage to love summer as much as you, but my heart, like CArolyn's loves Autumn. The trees have actually dropped their headdresses of leaves just like Fall and our burning bushes which thrive on hot weather are rather forlorn. I can't imagine how people in Arizona and desert places manage to thrive.
{{{Dear Carolyn}}}, The only reason I have flowers in my pots on the front porch is because I planted silk ones! I look around at the neighbors and my flowers are the only ones that are still alive as pots and containers have disappeared. We haven't had to cut the lawn at all as it became a shocking yellow/white and looked like a loss....a brief shower brought some green but not enough to make it grow. I hope very much that August for both of us is a pleasant surprise in easy weather. Welcome home tea is definitely in order to surround your new little doggie and I am not at all surprised that DH fell head over heels. Your home is the very best place she could hope to be.
{{{Dear Hedgie}}}}, I have travelled through Chicago a couple of times and spent a winter holiday there but really never explored or got to know the city. I have a friend who lives outside the city and we went to the art museum which was wonderous, but got no further, despite plans to. The famous winds and the freezing temps were so challenging I really was very glad to get home again. Three cheers and a cup of tea to your adventure!
{{{Dear Carole}}}}, I read your happy note and had to hug the computer screen as the news of your empty nest touched my heart. Memory books open and fill up, and close, life moves forward, but our hearts settle in the times we know and love from the past. Congratulations and a new cup of tea to thrill you and add to yours and George's storybook.
{{{Dear Anne}}}} I think of you so often and always say a prayer for the days you feel your loss so keenly. I have moments, hours, days like that and they have such longing attached, it is hard to grab on and be present, until family, or friends step in and sweep me into the present and make me live well here. Even the work I do now, honors my past and I have to be very mindful to remember that I am just a worker, a helper, a bookmark and not the story this time. I try to eat well and sleep when it is night, gather myself in strength and wit, laugh and sing, listen to tales and tell a few, and odd as it may seem, stop a long prayer and say amen so I can listen to the answers.
Dear Tearoom Friends, I am so blessed to read everyone's adventures and to add my very own. I have a new tea to share that was given as a gift to me. Organic India, Tulsi, Sweet Rose Tea is as exotic as it sounds, and a blissful cup to enjoy. It doesn't smell like a rose is a rose is a rose at all, more spicy and exciting. While it isn't on my best of the best list, it is pure, healthy and notable as all the Organic India blends are. These are often found at Whole Foods or the Health Stores and worthy of shelf space. One of my dear clients, who is very fussy about her tea, insists upon it and I love her enthusiasm and admire her very much.
Can you believe that I am once again, late to come and late to leave for the days adventure? It is time to change hats, lace my shoes and think of work. Thank you so much, more than so much for enjoying tea and our tearoom. God bless you and your families, and don't forget to tuck an extra teabag in your pocket, as you never know, who may need a cup of tea. Your very grateful friend and hostess in heart and mind, Mary
Good evening friends -- it has been an iced tea kind of summer and we are keeping the pitcher full.
It's been a very busy one for us with getting our house fixed up and on the market, and planning a move back to SC after almost 20 years in Kentucky. I'm feeling kind of schizophrenic to tell you the truth. Don't know how long I'll be here but I know I'll be leaving soon -- but I don't yet know where we'll be living or what I'll be doing there.
Oh well, one of these days everything will be resolved and we'll be settled somewhere. As DH says, maybe by Christmas we'll have some kind of normal life again!
DS#2 got home from his African adventure and if you are interested, DH did a video of his presentation to our church last Sunday evening. It's just over 30 minutes.
http://vimeo.com/46073573
I have been working a lot of extra hours, which is a blessing, but it was so nice to have a Saturday off (my only one this month) AND get to spend it on a shopping trip with friends. We went to the outlet mall in Edinburgh, Indiana, and I had a great time finding things for the guys and a few things for me.
Good to hear from all of you and "catch up" on the news. Wishing you all a peaceful evening and Sunday blessings tomorrow --
Good Morning Dear Friends, and Welcome to the Tearoom! It has been one of those weeks where work melted away the days along with Summer heat and storms. I had to put a little extra effort into tidying up my own home yesterday, just to find my teapot. Today I fully expect to sit back and enjoy the lovely breeze on our screen porch with my special cup and newest book. Next week promises to be full of surprises as I have been called to help another lovely person in the role of caregiver. It is challenging, but rewarding, and the feeling of making life better for the people who call on me brings me to my knees in Thanksgiving. I am blessed.
I answered the doorbell for my dear couple and the lady addressed me as 'Mary Godmother" which made me smile....maybe that accurately describes my role better. I find myself putting a lot of effort into easing the path of my patients and that includes setting a lovely table for afternoon tea. While meals must be served, a pot of tea and something pretty and light to nibble, seems to bring out a festive air and company arrives as if on cue to share in it. Whereas they would decline the fuss of an extra plate and a full meal, a cup of tea and a tray of pretty bites always finds a smile.
We are slowly making headway here to clear the damage done to our property by heavy storms, but I will certainly be glad to remove the tarps from the garden house roof and replace the cupola with it's rooster weather vane. It is the focal point through my bay window here in my own house and I can't face the view without noting it's absence.
Dear Elza, I hope your preparations for moving go like clockwork and that soon you will be settled in your new home, with your family. I am so sorry to have missed DS grand African adventure and I thank you for the link to the video. I confess to spending accidental days without any computer use at all out of pure necessity. While it must be very frightening to look to an uncertainty of future events, it is also a grand blessing for the same reasons.
There is a certain point where one makes a shift in focus and when that comes the excitement outweighs the concerns. I hope your current home sells quickly and with a satisfying pile of papers to sign and that the same occurs on the new home you choose. It is nice every once in a while to revisit collections and memory makers, paring down and making room for a new and ever widening future endeavor.
Let me add my own prayers to yours as I share a bit in your packing. Don't forget to take your tea, to share with new neighbors. Have you arranged a new work situation for yourself yet? I am sure your vast experience and friendly face will be a welcome addition to any job you take on.
While I would very much enjoy a longer visit, perhaps it is even better to step aside and see who follows me to the tea table here in this lovely room. I hope the sun is shining through your window and that your tea blend is perfect to meet your needs for the day. Your very happy hostess and friend, Mary
A good Sunday evening to everyone. Today the temperature officially reached 109 deg. here in our town, which has everyone seeking the coolest shelter possible. Thank goodness that is my own dear home as our air conditioner keep chugging along. Church was cool also and we had a houseful of worshipers.
Our town does "Crazy Days" each time at the end of July where merchants bring out merchandise out of the stores and onto the sidewalks for special prices. There is a parade and pet judging, story tellers, face painting and all of the things that children and child-like adults love to do. DD and I went on Saturday . And yes, we were HOT bargain hunters.
DH is desperately trying to keep tomato plants going until fall, but not sure we will make it. Most of my flower pots are so bedraggled it is shameful.So looking forward to Fall. Love to u All. Carolyn
Hello to All,
Summer has finally arrived in the NW and gone are our delightful 65 - 75 degree days. We are in the 80's and climbing - I just hope it doesn't hang around too long as I'm wilted enough. Should not complain however, compared to the rest of the hot U.S. As with Carolyn's town, all the towns around us are also having their Crazy Days, or Arts & Craft Fairs, etc. It's just too hot and crowded to fight the crowds.
If I make typos, forgive me as my eyesight is not what it should be right now as I had cataract surgery on Thursday and I'm wearing prescription sunglasses in the house because like a dummy, I forgot my eye glasses at the doctor's office. In addition to the cataract removal the doctor also straightened out a ripple in my retina, so it will take longer to heal and before eyesight is clear and not fuzzy. Will wait until it heals before I do the other eye.
What else has consumed so much time and effort, especially on DD Erica's part, is getting an Assistant Living apartment in town ready for my sister who is moving here from Chicago - she will be arriving in Seattle on Tuesday. I haven't seen her for 15 years....Since it didn't pay or make sense to move her old stuff out here to furnish her apartment, Erica is shopping non-stop to get her new furniture, bed linens, dishes, lamps, tables, bed, dresser, recliner, and everything else in between. A Walmart trip is on for this afternoon to pick up sundries. It's like furnishing a small home for newly weds or a college graduate. Talk about time consuming, but will be nice to have her close by for a change after all these years.
I am hobbling around and had to pull out my walker to get around. Somehow I hurt my ankle and it's so painful and hard to stand on it. That's all I need right now. I hate Old Age! At this rate I won't even be able to get over to see my sister's newly furnished dwelling next week if the pain doesn't lessen.
Hoping all the Tea Angels are staying cool and feeling good these days - write and let us know. Mary, you must be making gallons of iced tea....
Anne
Dear Anne and hello to all,
Anne, nice to see your note which will hopefully get us off high center and back to hearing from others in the Tea Room.
Our temp high today was 104 and will be about that tomorrow, THEN we will have a cool down to the high 90's. We are suffering greatly from both the heat and the drought. We had a wildfire break out in another part of the
state and many homes were burned to the ground.
so far no loss of life. So sad to lose so many homes. The Fire fighters are having a hard time in this heat.
Anne, glad that you are getting the repairs done to help your sight. Hope you get well soon and that you are able to be free of pain from your injury.
It is good that your sister is able to move closer to you. Erica sounds just like my own daughter, always willing to do whatever she can to help out. We both are truly blessed to have them!
Blessings to everyone in the tea room and hope to hear from some more of you soon. Carolyn
Good morning friends!
Anne, you have had a lot going on! I sincerely hope that both your eyesight and your ankle are better by now. How wonderful to have your sister close by, although it sounds like Erica is staying very busy making preparations. I know one of the things I am looking forward to in our upcoming move is being close to my sister.
Carolyn, I'm glad that the fires I read about recently in OK were not in your part of the state. We are expecting rain this evening -- wish I could share it with you.
We just got back from spending a few days in SC. Very busy but productive time, making plans to move there. We are praying that our house will sell as soon as possible so that I can join DH there! He starts next week, and will stay with my mother in Abbeville (about 30 miles away) -- it really helps not to have to rent somewhere. He was able to get started moving things into his new office while we were there. We also met with a realtor and looked around at some neighborhoods and houses, to get an idea of where we want to be, which was very helpful.
Mary, I thought about you since we will be back in the land of sweet tea! We have gotten used, in Kentucky, to ordering "sweet tea" but back in Upstate SC, "iced tea" = "sweet tea." You have to make a special request to get "unsweet" --
Good Morning Everyone
It sure has been a crazy busy summer.. I seem to have had many adventures this summer. I spent the last week of July in beautiful Rangely Maine where the temperatures seemed to hover around the mid to high seventies and now here I am in South Carolina although I feel cool this year as last year it was in the high ninetiel with unbeleivable humidity during my stay. this year it is mostly hgh eighties, so it all telative. Carolyn, i cannot even fathom temperatures of 109. Is everything over-airconditioned where you are. I find I need to keep a light sweater with me when we go shopping.
Rangely was fun. Two of my daughters and their families and myself had a very large house on a small lake where the kids swam and went out in kayaks and canoes. We went hiking in the mountains and rented a pontoon boat to go around beautiful Rangely lake. Rangley is a small town with just a little main St. with shops -no chains or fast food. One of our favorite evening adventures was "mooseing" - driving around at dusk looking for moose. I was reallly exciting when we saw them up close.
This week I enjoyed a tour of the Charestom Tea Plantation where we saw how tea is grown and processed - very interesting. Unfortunately,, nothing was happening in the factory itself while we were there. We tried an excellent spiced peach tea which was a peach flavored black tea, not a fruit tea. I also tried thier First Flush tea which is made from the very first cuttings of the year. I was good but a little weak for me. They do not have decaf varieities but gave directions on making your own. You pour boiling water over yur tea and let it sit for one minute and ten pour it off. You then pour boiling water over the tea again and let it steep. According to them, 80% of the caffeine is release in the first minute of brewing so the second cup is almost caffeine free. I plan to try this but only on an evening when i do not have to get up early the next morning in case I fnd I can't sleep.
We still haven't been to the beach but hope to this weekend. We usually go to Folly. Also on the agenda is a tour of Middleton Place. It is the only plaantation we have not seen yet and I am really looking forward to it. Elza, have you been there?
Elza, where in SC are you moving to? Good luck with you move and selling your house. Thank you for sharing the link of your son's African experience. I plan to watch it when I have a few extra minutes.
Carol, it is good to "see" you. It seems that life has happened to all of us as most of us are not able to drop in as often for a cup of tea as we once did. We have been empty nesters for the better part of twelve years except for a year when my daughter and her family moved in with us. I miss having the kids around but do enjoy the freedom aspects of having the huse to ourselves. Unfortuately the empty bedrooms are filled with so much stuff I wonder where they all slept when they were home. This must be the start of your busy season with your sewing and craft shows. Do you have any new animal patterns that you are making?
Anne, I hope yo see good results from your cataract surgery as you heal. it will be nice for you to have your sister closeer to you. What a wonderful daughter and neice Erica is to be doing all that work in preparation of her move.
Suzie, Please let us know how the Christening went. I am sure Hannah was beautiful in that special dress you had made.
Mary, you certainly have a special gift in taking care of the elderly and ill. You must be such a comfort to them and you do so many little things to make these difficult times for them more pleasant like setting a nice table for tea. My youngest daughter soes home health aid work part times and I know how deeply she has bonded with so many of her clients. I love your idea of astificial flowers in your pots. It is one way to keep them blooming. This year I put a polymer additive in my pots, which weren't even planted until the middle of July. It works like the substance they add to disposable diapers and absorbs the water to keep it from runing out of the pot or evaporating too quickly. As the soil starts to dry it releases moisture back into the soil so you can water less frequently. When i return to MA next week, I will know if it works or not.
i am about to tackle the heat and walk down to a little bakery that doesn't look like it is too far of a walk and maybe have a cup of tea and a little treat. I hope everyone has a good day.