Tuesday, May 24, 2022

QUEEN VICTORIA'S 203rd BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

 

Today marks what would have been
the 203rd birthday celebration of Queen Victoria.  1819-1901


I decided to have a little celebration
in my garden which I hope you will
enjoy.  Queen Victoria and Prince 
Albert have been my favorites in the
long line of English Royalty.  Queen
Elizabeth has now far exceeded the
years Queen Victoria served.




Today I am using my Queen Victoria tea
cozy with the Queen on the front and Prince 
Albert on the back along with 2 of my
commemorative 6oth anniversary cups
and saucers.  We are set up out back
in front of the arbor.






I have set us up a little tea table where
we can enjoy the views of the garden
today and the lovely weather. Much to
our surprise we are having much 
cooler weather in the 60's now after
 last week when we had 3 days in the 90's.



You probably watched the PBS series "Victoria".  We have watched it several
times and I have the music CD and
really enjoy the theme song.  What a
different day that was during her reign.



Actually I have several different DVD's
about the life of queen Victoria and
enjoy them all.






I was impressed with the 
accomplishment of Prince Albert
with his oversight in the building of
the Great Exhibition Glass building.
It was however, so sad that he died
so young and left Victoria so early.


 I made these napkins
below:








This summer might be a fun time to rewatch
the Victoria series.  Since I have several
versions I can tell you the most charming
Lord Melbourne is definitely the newer PBS version.




Sunday, May 22, 2022

LEARNING TO BE CONTENT for "Sunday Celebration"

 



"I am on to another antique mall in search 
of something I don’t really need.  I can’t 
seem to stop myself.  I must go and search for that one thing that will finally make me happy!"  The truth is that this fever can be caught by any person and if not reeled in – this will never end.

 My husband and I love a day out for lunch and antiquing.  The search can be thrilling
and especially if it is a place you have never been before.  However, when you find 
yourself arriving at the place where you always must be on the go shopping - then,  you know that you are in trouble! 

Contentment is a surrender to a disciplining our flesh.  The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers “Let your conversation be without covetousness: and be content with such things as yet have…..” Hebrew 13:5  This might
be an opportunity to look at what is happening in your life and evaluate.  

"Lord, as we draw close to you, you
show us the areas of our life that need
adjustment and change and we know
you will help us do just that.  Amen."

Thursday, May 19, 2022

UNDER THE UMBRELLA BEFORE THE RAIN for "Tea In The Garden"

 So today I went out and set up my
vintage folding table which is quite
a production.  It is very strange
how it works.  The umbrella goes
in the middle and there is a lace
tablecloth over the frame above.


I hope you will pour yourself
a cup of tea and enjoy one of
these tarts I filled with cherry pie
filling.  Even as I take my photos there
 are a few raindrops here and there
 so I am in a bit of a hurry today. I got
this old table at an antique mall years
ago in Colorado and it is a bit of a 
task to take apart quickly.  I imagine
it is from the 1950's.


We are enjoying some lower 
temperatures
now after three days of over 90 degrees
 so this is wonderful.


I love when I can use my own flowers
and the peonies are starting to open
and the Japanese beetles haven't
 ravished the roses yet either.  I
know they are coming but I am
glad that they are not here yet.


I kept these English bone china
plates and cups and saucers that came
 out many years ago.  I did not keep the
teapot but think about it sometimes. 
 I think I have enough.


 

I don't have as many foxgloves this
year but am thankful for
the ones I do have.
This Crown Dorset
English Teapot is beloved.






The irises are at the tail end of their
blooming and we sure have enjoyed
them this year.    A friend gave me this
yellow and purple one which was
her mother's.







Foxglove tips:  They are mostly biennials
which means a seed grows into a 
small plant the first year and then the blooming and reseeding in the second
year and over with.  There are some
 perennial ones and they are usually smaller
 in size. When you purchase that big 
blooming plant you better enjoy it because
 it probably is already in it's second year.  (Sorry to say) 

I hope you enjoyed your visit.

Monday, May 16, 2022

OUT IN THE GARDEN

 


I took a few photos of my garden
after my tea was over yesterday.



Our weather went from cooler to
over 90 degrees three days in
a row.



We have lots of birds in
our birdhouses this year.




 

Hope you have a lovely week.

Sunday, May 15, 2022

LADIES FOR TEA





May 14th I had a tea for 5 of the ladies
in Columbia, Missouri plus myself
who are in the my "Christian Tea
 Time & Hospitality" FB group.
I love Afternoon Tea and this was
a wonderful time we could get
to know one another. 


So here was our menu:
We had Chicken Salad Mini Croissants
 using the idea in the new Tea Time 
of strawberries  and Mandarin Oranges,
Egg Salad Finger Sandwiches and a 
Ham and Swiss Cheese with mustard 
Puff.  For the Scones we had 
Strawberry Buttermilk and the sweets
 were: 
 Chocolate Peppermint Brownies,
 Caramel Walnut Graham Cracker
Cookies and Lemon Madeleines. 

 We had
Wild Blueberry, Ginger Peach
 and Decaf
Apricot teas.


The shelves here have different themes:
Anne of Green Gables, Jane Austen,
Downton Abbey, Titanic, Queens and
Kings of England, Beatrix Potter, etc.

Friends: Natasha, Stacey,
 Nancy, Judy
and Jennifer



Of course, I wanted to share my garden
with the irises in bloom and the 
foxgloves getting started now.


We took a lot of photos but I
am sharing just a few.  It was
very hot outside.


This is a Christian group so we
had special prayer for America
and for the needs of the ladies
 in our group.  We had wonderful
fellowship encouraging one
another.

Natasha who was born in the
Ukraine took a selfie
with the mirror:





Hope you enjoyed seeing our tea!

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

WHEN IRISES BLOOM for "Tea In The Garden"

 I wanted to get out and take some photos
of the Irises before they are gone.  It
happens so quickly when it gets hot.
  Last year I did buy 2 unusual new kinds
 of Irises to plant but I don't see blooms yet.
  I think it may take another year for those
to develop.


We have just enough time
for a cup of tea before it
gets too hot.  Today it is
supposed to be in the 90's.


I brought out a picnic basket I
decoupaged years back.  I love
the artwork of Edith Holden
who lived from 1871-1920.

She wrote The Country Diary of 
an Edwardian Lady.











I decided I best not waste this opportunity
to set up another tea in the garden.






I am so happy and blessed to see warm
weather.  For some reason, I was cold
all winter.  I wore many layers to keep
warm.  Today it was fun to make a big
bouquet to display.





I heard a familiar sound out of the
window today and knew it was a
beloved House Wren.  I have been
anxiously hoping one would show 
up soon singing his beautiful tune.
I looked out and saw he is building
a nest in that little birdhouse on top
of the arbor over the gate.


A fun owl in the garden:




 We will enjoy every stage of the
garden this year.  


Toile is so pretty in all colors
 but this
purple is thrilling:





I hope you enjoyed this visit
to my garden.