My daughter just came back from spending her birthday with our cousin, and brought me several boxes of Twinings and Celestial Seasons teas! Woohoo!! Our cousin lives near a tea outlet - wouldn't I love that!!!
I was trying to think of an interesting theme for today's tea, so I thought LUCK might be it, since we just passed thru Friday the 13th, traditionally considered an unlucky day and number!
Altho I am not a particularly superstitious person, I don't consider my self lucky as far as getting a winning lottery ticket goes!!! Altho my husband always plays the same numbers - just in case!!LOL
I am lucky in my family, lucky to have the husband and kids that I do, and lucky to be relatively healthy.
Since it was Friday the 13th when Katie was in NJ, I now consider that a lucky day!!!
I won an apron that day, from Arrow Sewing Cabinets! I can't wait to receive that!!!
Katie got me a new supply of tea (if the world ends anytime soon, I will NOT run out of tea!)
AND, she saw a BEAR!!!
Actually, she saw a mama bear and her 3 cubs!! Altho we live in bear country in Va, the bears stay up in the forest. At my cousin's in NJ, they wander thru the back yard, on a regular basis!
Keeping with the theme of luck, yesterday I was gathering my collection of vintage horseshoes together for a photo on my tumblr
I save most of the shoes from my own horses - great garden ornaments, barn wall decorations, etc. Some even end up in my Etsy shop! Horseshoes are supposed to bring luck .
When hung over a doorway, or on the wall, they should be hung open side up - to catch the luck! Whenever I find an old horseshoe in the thrift store, I buy it, and then save it til my farrier comes, so he can tell me the history.
You wouldn't think there could be a history behind a simple metal horseshoe - but there always is!
While in NJ, my daughter got some body art - some lucky horseshoes on her foot..............
In case you're interested (if you're not, just skip over to the end!LOL) I'll tell you a little of what I know about these vintage shoes.
*Left row top to bottom are mule shoes. The very old rusty one in the middle left, is a working mule shoe- he was probably pulling heavy loads or a plow. Notice they are more elongated than a traditional horse shoe.
*Center row, starting from the top - vintage metal stirrups, one a child's.
Oxen shoe - a great find-in two pieces for their split hoof- saw one in a museum shortly after I found this in the thrift store!Until then, I wasn't sure what I had!
2nd from the bottom, center row, is a handmade Finnish shoe, sold as a good luck charm, and souvenir - never worn.
Center row, thin shoe on bottom, is a lightweight racehorse shoe.
*Row on right -very vintage heavy top shoe, is hand hewn for a working horse, the silver one below it is from one of my horses, the two circular ones below that are corrective bar shoes, made to help support the heel. I found both of those in a field at different times, neither are old.
I had a previous farrier bend the pieces on the back of the bottom bar shoe, so I can have a photo or a mirror put in it.
That ends today's "lesson" on luck and horseshoes!!!
Enjoy your tea, and be sure to drop in on Patty and Kimmie for a list of other tea lovers! Feel free to join us any time!!!
