DREAMING OF SPRING

Sitting by the window, one

can dream of springtime

tulips

and summertime roses.

Although it is not as cold as it was for
weeks - it is still winter and drab: those
little birds were standing and pecking
on the ice!

So we will just stay here and dream a bit!

Please sit here and pour yourself some tea:

I also made you some lovely
Raspberry Turnovers
(click for recipe)

I am excited to see how the bulbs
 do this spring as I planted
 more in the fall.

Today I am enjoying my 
American
Beauty Teacups: 

I have been busy this winter - just like you - 
enjoying my life and various interests.  I
have been sewing tea cozies this week,
keeping the bird feeders full and I always
enjoy cooking and baking. I did not
resist these flowers from the market and
love arranging them myself. 

I guess this is one of my all
time favorite teapots:

This post today gives tea bloggers
an opportunity to share a tea related
post from their blog - right down 
at the bottom below:

A COLD WINTER TEA TIME for "Friends Sharing Tea"

For about a month, this has

 been a colder than usual

winter in Missouri - at least that's

what the locals tell me.

After all these cold days I couldn't resist
these primroses at Aldi's for 49 cents each.

In front of the fireplace is where you
will find me these days - drinking hot tea
and sometimes hot chocolate.

 The sound of the tea kettle 
has been very familiar lately.

Yesterday I opened a little package
 and inside were a number of
 small treasures from Michele at
"The Nest at Finch Rest".  Now
was that a sweet surprise!

It has finally gotten warmer
 this week and although still cold, 

more typical of past years. 

I am sharing a used book I 
recently purchased about
the life of L. M. Montgomery who 
wrote Anne of Green Gables and 
many other wonderful books.

Please pour yourself some
 tea or
hot chocolate and if you
can't tell the difference
between them and a teapot
click here!

I hope you are staying away from all
the bad germs this winter!  It is a good 
time to stay in and away from them!

HOT, HOT TEA FOR COLD DAYS for "Friends Sharing Tea"

"Baby it's Cold Out There" is the perfect song for this weather!

And now let me share a lovely
 poem which
I saw this week on Face Book:

A Loving Recipe for a Perfect Cup of Tea
One willing friend who loves to sit and share,

One grateful heart to have a friend that cares,

One beautiful garden to show us God is near,

Many wonderful memories of times shared throughout the years,

Lots of smiles and laughter to brighten up our days,

Many prayers that we prayed for each other along the way.

~Author Unknown

Let's get together for some hot tea!

I have set us a little table and let

me pour the cups quickly now.....

As we sit and chat I feel sorry for
the little outdoor creatures.  They 
seem quite happy though as long
as there is seed in the feeders.
And we have 4 feeders for the birds
and 1 just with sunflower seeds
for the squirrels.  That's to try and
keep them from swishing the bird
seed to the ground as they pick out
the sunflower seeds.

It is amazing to me how fish can
survive under the ice.  It is frozen
over in the koi pond.  The fish
lie motionless on the bottom.

I seem to have an endless supply of
cookies that I froze at Christmastime
and put in little cartons in the freezer.
Would you like another?

2017 YEAR IN REVIEW

It was so easy to move when 

we were younger!  2016 was a

 difficult year.

I am so glad it was over when 2017

arrived - so I start with a little

"Friends Sharing Tea" I set up in

the month for January celebrating

Queen Victoria:

February was a time to 

celebrate Valentines Day:

and also my friends Gina and

Janice took me to the

Shady Gables Tea Room

for my birthday:

In March I got to go to Paris:

that is - Paris, Missouri!  There
was an antique show there in a 
school and I found these old
English cottage dishes.

April:

I was able to start up "Tea In The

Garden" which was shocking to me 

as I knew back in Colorado it was

time for lots of snow!

and on to May another

"Tea In The Garden"

with a bird theme:

In June I set up an Alice

In Wonderland Tea

under the deck:

July:  It is so 

thrilling to find

flower for bouquets:

On to August

when the weather

gets plenty hot:

September "Autumn Tea

In The Garden":

October was a time for mums:

November was time for

a tea down in my tea room:

And finally - December came

with a time for baking and

for Holiday decorating:

Well - that's it for 2017.  

I am happily caught up!

THE GATHERING OF FRIENDS for "Friends Sharing Tea"

Over the holidays I was invited

to have lunch with tea at Janice's

home...it was great fun.  She blogs
at "Curtains In My Tree"  This is
my kitchen table below where I am
enjoying tea now.  Also, you see,
your cup is poured too!

 Janice introduced me to some
 books I had not heard about before
 but immediately wanted.

The books are called "The Gathering

of Friends" and there are 7 volumes filled

with recipes and decorating ideas.
They are $32.50 each but I ordered a
used set on ebay.

Let's take a few minutes 

and check out Volume One:

There are wonderful recipes
 to make and decorating ideas
 and table settings.  I could sit here 
for hours just absorbing.  I think
wintertime is perfect for books.

If you want to bake my brownies - 
they can be found here by Brenda 
at Coffee Tea Books and Recipes.
I make these often.