Sweet Teacup

Sometimes the smallest things

 bring the biggest smiles.

They can have some real beauty to them, too.

In our busy days of haste

its sweetness is easy to overlook.

I am so glad I really looked today.

Hope you are, too.

As always, thank you for visiting, it means a great deal to me.

DON'T FORGET MY GIVEAWAY

ENDS LUCKY FRIDAY the 13th - BE SURE TO ENTER TO WIN!

Linking:

White Wednesday
Primp Your Stuff
Simple and Sweet Friday

A Tea for Anne

Please join me as we celebrate
 with a simple and timeless tea honouring
Lucy Maud Montgomery and her delightful book
  "Anne of Green Gables."

            

It was definately one of my very favorite books when I was a girl.

My Mom gave me this copy for Christmas of 1975.

I have treasured it for many years.

I bawled my eyes out when I took this pic of her inscription inside.

Lucy M. Montgomery loved her parents, too!

She dedicated this book to them.

(This is on the inside of my book.)

A bit of embroidery & lace on linens and colourful
 hand painted china

makes for a very pretty little tea party.

“Oh, it's delightful to have ambitions. I'm so glad I have such a lot.

And there never seems to be any end to them-- that's the best of it.

Just as soon as you attain to one ambition

 you see another one glittering higher up still.

It does make life so interesting.”

~Anne Shirley /Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

And please, do enjoy some freshly baked zucchini bread.

The zucchini used was picked out of our vegetable garden
earlier this morning!

Would you care for a lump or two of sugar in your tea?

One of my porcelain dolls has joined us for the party,

making things sweeter just sharing tea with us!

She's come to the party in her Sunday best!

 

 

She has the prettiest blue eyes &

wears the sweetest lace bonnet and tiny soft leather shoes!

I am so glad you could join me for tea today!

Thank you so much for visit!

 

Don't forget to visit all the rest of the wonderful tea parties

 at Sandi's special  party for Tea Time Tuesday

at Rose Chintz Cottage blog!

  

Also Linking:

Let's Dish

Time Travel Thursday

Tablescape Thursday

It's All About Flowers!

GREETINGS FROM THE FINCH REST & GARDENS!





My DH has been planting wildflower seeds the last couple years.
It's always a fun surprise to see what will end up blooming.

Not sure what this pretty pink flower is - but it was part of his Mega Mix.

The Hydrangea is suffering this year.

A few of our bushes didn't make it back for some reason.

This one  - the healthiest but smallest of the ones we had is very pale

 and not producing many blooms.  

It's only had a few blooms so far - but has very rich healthy green leaves.

I have given it plant food & watered it properly.  I see no rot or insects. 

I would blame it on the stifling heat, but the mature established Hydrangeas in our neighborhood are doing well, so it can't be that.

Also I have used spent tea leaves and coffee grounds......so truly have tried everything I can think of so far to help it along.

Any ideas out there as to why it isn't blooming much?

Our younger daughter planted this pretty tropical peach Lily in our garden a few years ago.

She is a wonderful & patient gardener and has beautifully worked her loving magic in our gardens many times.

The first year this pretty lily only produced  one single bloom. The second year we got a couple more, but still not very many....not enough! But THIS year it is blooming and blooming and BLOOMING!

(Even the deer are leaving it alone!)

Update: those blasted deer ate every single one of these flowers off this plant the very next day!

Here is our outdoor urn pot of oft-used herbs.

Basil - Thyme - Oregano - Rosemary

And of course we have everyone's favorite herb of all - lavender.

(We have it all over in the garden beds, too.)

Deer loathe the smell of it, helps keep them away organically. 

We're very excited about our "Little Orange Yum Balls" starting to ripen. Yay!  That's our nickname for our very favorite tomato of all time.....cherry tomato sized, but are orange when fully ripe (never turn red) and are sweet as candy!


Two firsts are promising yummy soon......hiding way deep within the huge potted plant.

The zucchini is doing well this year - we've picked about a dozen so far.

I made zucchini bread for a "tea party" yesterday - posted about it here .

I shared a similar pic of this watering can full of our garden flowers in a recent post, but not this exact pic. I hope you think it's worth seeing again in a different setting.  (Thanks for obliging me.) One can see a little bit more of my simple potting bench in this photo.

I do love the sometimes vibrant colours of wildflowers!

It is just so SATISFYING to see and know these lovely flowers were planted, nurtured, picked, displayed and loved right here at our nest......it's a great feeling to create beauty, isn't it?

The Garden

Written by C. Moffatt

When sun shines at early dawn
The sparkling dewdrops sprinkle lawn
And in my garden where flowers grow
I remember God planted one long ago

I kneel to weed beneath sky of blue
And remember Jesus kneeled in a garden too
I wonder if His tears sprinkled the flowers
As he prayed alone in those darkest hours

I jag myself on a prickly thorn
With what He was crowned on crucifixion morn
He whispers to me when I toil
A promise of life will flourish in soil

His beauty is in each flower I see
There is no place I would rather be
For I am nearer to Him who gives me pardon
When I worship Him there in my beautiful garden

Linking:

Mosaic Monday

Outdoor Wednesday

Cottage Garden Party

Home and Garden Thursday

Good morning!

Sorry I have been a mite "absent."

As most - if not all- of you know, the storms we had really caused some problems for many. I had no power for a few days..........but it's back now of course..........but I have a friend who hasn't had power in over a WEEK.......plus a tree landed on her car and totalled it! 

So she has been staying with me for a few days till things get in order.

She keeps saying she doesn't want to bug me/us and doesn't want to impose..........so I just made a simple pot of coffee and baked some currant scones for breakfast. I didn't use nice china. Not girlie at all.  I used regular daily china, no colour theme whatsoever....and snapped a few quick pics to post today before anyone else was up.

Just breakfast. Simple.

Relatively fuss-free.

Some berry jam and "clotted" cream makes scones taste better.

"The only way to have a friend is to be one."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson



DON'T FORGET MY GIVEAWAY FROM YESTERDAY'S POST!

Hugs,

Michele

GIVEAWAY!

In celebration of summertime

And beaches and seagulls.....

Finch Rest has a giveaway to share with you!

A set of 2 tea bag holders!

LUCKY WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED

 ON FRIDAY THE 13TH!

You needn't have a blog, but just need to leave a comment to let me know you wish to enter! Easy peasy! Be sure to check back to see if you are the winner, or be sure to leave your contact info so I have a way to contact you!

If you DO have a blog and mention this giveaway in a post you qualify for an extra entry! Be sure to leave a comment and let me know you did so!

Sorry to my International readers, but unfortunately I have to keep my shipping expenses down and limit this giveaway to USA & Canada only.

Gift of the Seagull

~Munda~

A lonely seagull flies the winds

Majestic...soaring...gliding wings

A single screech sounds from the sky

Come fly with me...come here and fly

My spirit floats to be a part

I feel the beating of its heart

My soul, one with this bird of sea

Now knows the meaning to fly free

I feel the winds caress my soul

and soar the streams without a goal

My being trembles of delight

A treasure I received tonight

The seagull's flight of soaring high

The gift of what it means to fly

 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

♥  Michele

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NOTE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. 7/13/12

Thanks to all who entered!

 

July 4th Tea for One

Enjoying a simple brisk morning tea

and saying a prayer of THANKS for our men and women

- past and present-

who have dedicated their lives to help keep us free.

Free to say out loud on a mountaintop (or in writing) how much I love my country, my freedom, and how much I love my GOD.

Free to worship and publically attend church in safety, work as I desire, free to travel when I care to, free to have many children, free to express myself.....such blessings. I am so thankful, words can't express it.

There are so many who have no freedoms. We must always be aware of that, and strive to keep this hard-fought freedom. Be vigilant always! Be knowledgeable and aware of history and of current news. History has a terrible way of repeating itself.

Many give George Washington most of the credit of starting us on the right foot- and, granted, he was one incredible General - brave and a great and powerful respected leader......but it was really John Adams who had the truest courage, foresight and leadership to lead us to become our own government....courage to stand up against contemporary adversity for what was RIGHT when standing mostly alone in his true fight for our Independence.

But a constitution of Government, once changed from Freedom, can never be restored.  Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.

                                                                                 ~John Adams

I highly recommend the HBO series "John Adams" if you haven't seen it yet. It is a remarkably done mini series based on David McCullough's Pulitzer-prize winning book. It stars the brilliant actor Paul Giamatti as John Adams and EVERY American family should watch this! It is done so well- not a boring history lesson, trust me - it is a must see for ALL AMERICANS!

It should be played in every single American school - but alas, it is the young who are the most clueless - mostly through no fault of their own. Truths aren't being taught in the school as should be. So we need to do it at home now more than ever.

Children should be educated and instructed

 in the principles of freedom.

                                   ~John Adams

And of course what tea is complete without a hat?

Here is a pretty summertime one that goes well with the colors

 of our beautiful flag of RED WHITE & BLUE!

Thank you for visiting - and indulging me my passion for freedom.

And to all of Blogland, I wish that you, too
feel free in your hearts
 to stretch your wings and soar like an eagle.

Linking:

Mosaic Monday

Tea Time Tuesday

Teacup Tuesday with Martha

Teacup Tuesday with Terri

Tabletop Tuesday

Primp Your Stuff

Power Out - reading in shadow

WOW did we get hit with a really nasty storm - one of the worst I have ever seen! We had 83 mile-an-hour winds and it wreaked havoc all over - trees down, power out, roads closed.....fortunately we lost no trees or big limbs, but we lost several potted plants.

This storm even UPROOTED some of our recently planted plants - tore them right out of the garden!!!!

So, it's been super hot (high 90s) very humid and we had no power for two whole days.  What's a blogger gal to do with all this time in the dark,  you ask?

Yes. Keep very still (to keep cool) and read with a flashlight! (DH took this photo and I didn't even know it till afterwards!) I guess when I am reading the world could collide with the moon and I probably wouldn't notice. Haha.

Yes, that's our trusty kitty cat Romeo keeping me company (and adding all sorts of extra heat- thanks, you furry beast) lounging away on my tummy. I like to think it is devotion, but most likely it is because my tummy is extra soft and super comfy. Sigh.

It was challenging to hold the book up like that but I was enjoying that cat and couldn't exactly put the book on my tummy or on his back, so out of love I held it and kept switching arms when they would tire.

The book I am reading is fantastic!!!! It is called THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN by Kate Morton. It's one of the best contemporary books I have read in a very long time. It's flavored a little bit with Jane Austen's type worries, a reminder of Titanic, and more than just a hint of the Secret Garden. It's definately a page-turning mystery all rolled into one wonderful book.

As inconvenient and uncomfortable it was losing our electricity, it ended up quite nice being "unplugged" for a few days. I realized during the outtage just how much time I spend with working, playing and blogging on the computer - WAY too much!

 It's been entirely too long since I have read simply for pleasure. I was long overdue - and it took that act of God to remind me.

So, yes, I have a lot of catching up to do in Blogville and for work- and I shall - but for now I am just enjoying being safe and "air conditioned" again!

I am truly sorry for anyone who experienced serious loss in this storm as it ripped through the States. I am praying for you all.


Linking:

Shadow Shot Sunday