rainy day happies . . .

Luckily, the rain held off this morning, for the most part. I went down early and opened the gate for a VBS crew we had coming into the camp today. It did rain just a little on my trip down -- just enough to make everything smell clean and earthy. I love summer showers!

The VBS group came in and did their thing. I finished up my Community Group lesson and then Todd & I headed over to chat with them before they left. It's a good thing we left when we did -- they'd packed up early because of the impending thunder storms and were loading the kids up! They'll be back up here for the next four Tuesdays, so I'm sure I'll get the opportunity to play!

Speaking of playing . . . raccoons barely get along with each other. So it's no shock that they don't get along with . . .

Cats! The raccoon walked up behind the [feral] cat (who was laying down there ready to pounce on the next unsuspecting bird). When the cat finally turned around and saw the coon, he JUMPED up and *very* warily backed away.

Yup -- the coon reigns in the clearing! The birds and squirrels don't mind the coons and were probably happy to see him chase the cat out!

Storms did finally move in, and the rainy afternoon lent itself to another of my favorite past times -- reading! I'd recently had a hankering to go back through the Little House series. I'm reading Farmer Boy right now. These are such charming stories.

And so well written. I find myself laughing out loud all through them! I wish, I wish, I *wish* that they were available for the Kindle. I wonder why they aren't?

It was also the perfect afternoon to brew a pot of Chocolate Orange tea and settle in with my latest issue of Tea Time!

Lot's of fun articles and tea parties and recipes in the July/August issue. I read it cover-to-cover! I did see on the tea calendar that there's a Sweet Tea Festival nearby in Thompson's Station, Tennessee, on August 27. There's a website and facebook page for it and everything. Sounds like something I may need to investigate!

i ♥ rainy afternoons!

:)

tea time . . .

My husband often tells me that I give him information in bits and pieces, and that sometimes it takes a while for him to get a whole picture, without a lot of prodding on his part. It's not uncommon for me to "all of a sudden" remember things I wanted to share with him, just as we're falling asleep -- or rather, just as he's falling asleep -- or sometimes, right before someone else is going to tell him something I've known (and *really* meant to tell him) for several days.

It shouldn't surprise me then, or anyone reading, that I stumbled across a set of pictures taken while my family was here (three weeks ago), that I'd definitely meant to share here!

One of the things I really wanted to do while everyone was here, was take all the girls to my favorite tea room, Emma's, for lunch! We worked it out so everyone -- my mom, my sister, her two daughters, my Jocelyn and Kim -- could make lunch and trekked off to Emma's on Monday.

Wendy, the younger of Laura's daughters, had never been to a tea room before, so she was very excited.

What doesn't excite her is having her picture taken. She did, however, enjoy having her own cup of tea! I think she and her mommy shared a pot of "Almond Rocker" red rooibus tea (which is one of my personal favorites).

Alison, whom I blogged about here, is a beautiful young lady and enjoyed our lunchtime as well. And all you have to do is look around in the background of the photo, to see all the fun things Emma's offers to make tea parties at home a fun and pretty experience!

I believe Alison had a chocolate mint tea. Add a little sugar and cream, and it's like drinking dessert!

The wait staff at Emma's is as wonderful as the food and tea; they made sure that Wendy (and so all of us) had a wonderful dining experience!

And then there was dessert. Laura made the mistake of thinking she and Wendy should share a dessert. Wendy didn't think so.

She was taking her bites off Laura's spoon before Laura could get it to her mouth!

Did I mention dessert was good?

No. I mean it was REALLY good!

Here's our group shot -- what a lovely family of ladies!

And there's Wendy . . . she cracks me UP! Love that face.

I did manage to catch a good one of her by the sign. It's work! I took six pictures of her standing there -- this one was the winner!

But this photo . . .

Caps it off as a great afternoon!

:)

you're a mean one . . .

Joc, Kim & I had a marvelous time yesterday!! First we were able to share a table and enjoy a quiet lunch at Emma's. I had quiche, Joc had the chicken salad sandwich, and Kim had the ham & cheese. And we each had a cup of the Tomato Basil soup -- yummy! We skipped on dessert, but since we had a pot vanilla-hazelnut tea with lunch, we didn't feel cheated!

From there we headed over to Trinity Methodist to see How The Grinch Stole Christmas. It was the first time I'd seen it as a ballet. It was wonderful!!! I wouldn't have thought that a ballerina could quite . . . capture . . . the Grinch, but the young lady who played him did a *marvelous* job!

She danced his mannerisms perfectly!

We also ran into some Who's from Whoville, who we happened to know!

All in all, we had a great afternoon!

The little girl who played the part of Max also did a phenomenal job!

I came home last night and played on the computer a bit. Have you ever seen the funny Christmas videos, by JibJab? I love those things. This year I created my own, personal Christmas rock band and thought I'd share it.

The lead singer is my son-in-law. The drummer is my son. My husband is the bass player with the red hat. My daughter-in-law is the one with the coppery hair, and my daughter is the one with the black fro. They're pretty good -- and definitely funny!!

Laughing all the way . . . hahaha!

:)

pumpkins and post four hundred . . .

I was so surprised to see that this is my 400th post! Granted, it's been since 2003, but *still*! Makes me think I should give something away or something . . . I may do a Thanksgiving giveaway, in appreciation for my seven blogging years and 400+ posts. Yeah!

So many pull out the pumpkins for October, and kick 'em to the curb when November rolls around. Not me . . . I'm just getting good and comfy with my pumpkins! Allow me to share . . .

My sweet daughter brought me back some yummy Pumpkin Pie Tea from her trip to Seattle. I had some this morning. It was the perfect compliment to a chilly November morning!

And it smelled oh-so-good as it steeped! A little sugar and cream -- it was like having warm pumpkin pie in a cup! YUM!

A cute little quilted pumpkin mat is a perfect counter adornment.

And then my favorite turkey . . .

Isn't he grand? I had a plain, brown one I'd gotten a long time ago, but I'd had it in my car when I had the wreck, and not all the pieces survived. I was determined to get another.

Imagine my delight to find this handsome fellow, and at 50% off, too! But then I realized I needed a pumpkin, and I hadn't purchased one this year. Rut roh. Last night on may way home and on a whim, I stopped in at a local nursery, and asked them how much for a pumpkin. The fellow behind the counter, who I believe may have been the owner, looked at me funny and asked, "What in the world do you want a pumpkin for? October's over! Just take one; we'll be tossing them soon anyway." Score!

Pumpkin goodness. Ah, yes!

Happy Friday, folks -- we have lots of campers in this weekend, so I'm sure we'll be busy!

:)

quilting tea basket . . .

Thought I'd share some of the booty I got in the auction at our quilt guild meeting on Thursday night, especially since this particular purchase combined two of my favorite things . . . quilting and TEA!

The basket was put together by one of the smaller stitch groups within the guild, and it was *full* of fun stuff. I really got my money's worth with this win. And the bidding didn't even go as crazy as I thought it would! I got this basket for $20!!!

Of course, it looked better than this when I won it -- I'd taken it apart, looked at everything and then realized I hadn't taken a picture of it all! The first thing I took out were two boxes of Tazo tea -- one was passion fruit and one was assorted flavors. I took them both to work yesterday, so no pictures of them. But I did enjoy my tea all day long yesterday!

Next out were these cute little cups and saucers! Very sweet. I can see filling them with tea bags and wrapping them with tulle and topping it off with a bow and a gift tag!

Then I pulled out this darling little honey pot. I've never used a honey pot before, although there are some teas that I particularly like sweetened with honey.

Next came this bright & cheery wind chime, by Mary Engelbreit. The spoons wouldn't stay still, so they're a little blurry, but they make me smile and the chime has a pretty sound.

Next was this pretty little teapot frame.

Then this handy tea infuser, with a teapot charm!

And then came the fabrics. Each of these pieces were at least a yard -- most of them were more than two! And it's FUN stuff!

Someone must have done a tea-themed quilt and was donating from their leftover stash? I just know I have several quilts in mind (hahaha) down the road that would love some of this fabric!

This was interesting . . . it might be fun to fussy cut these teapots out, or even cut around them and use them as appliqued pieces on something -- like a tea towel or tea apron.

The birds, well, they made me laugh. But the pink was very pretty. Pretty enough that I took a closer-up picture of it!

Isn't it sweet? Very girlie, tea-party-ish!

This one is just happy, silly, and fun!

I love it -- 'Twist & Spout'!

And this was quite darling too . . .

I think I've actually seen teapots that looked like these! Love the pumpkin teapot, in particular!

So, for $20, don't you think I got a bargain?!? Wait until I pull apart the Christmas basket I got and share that one! LOL! The ladies I sat with (from my stitch group) were laughing at me, because they *know* I live in an RV and that *stuff* is not something I can afford to accumulate! But I think most of these items will become happies for others in the near future! (Except the fabric -- hey, now!)

Last night and today we've got RA's camping in the upper campground. From the sounds of things, they're having a blast! I love it when the smell of campfires is in the air! Todd and I rode up to visit with them briefly last night. The moon was so bright, we almost didn't need lights to see by!

Oh Mr. Moon, moon, bright and shining moon, please shine down on me!

:)

glue gun monday!

Monday was the epitome of a beautiful October day. It was sunny and clear, with enough of a crisp nip in the air to keep you mindful that cold is coming! Sweater weather! This truly kicks off my favorite time of the year -- from now until the end of December!

Todd & I headed to town early, had breakfast at Cracker Barrel, and then headed to the Madison Baptist Association to have our picture taken for the directory. We also ran some other errands -- bank, Tractor Supply for bird seed, and Hunter Road for slippers -- before heading back to the camp. The weather was perfect and traffic was light because all the schools are out for fall break.

To that end, my daughter (the teacher) and I celebrated by meeting up at Emma's Tea Room for lunch. And my sweet girl brought me a pretty ceramic pumpkin! It totally went with my outfit, so the proprietor, Rebekah, insisted that I hold it in the picture.

My beautiful daughter is twenty-one weeks pregnant and just found out last week that she's going to have a BOY!! She's very excited, as is this grandma! Another grandson for me! I'm *so* very blessed!!!

After lunch, we made a trip to Hobby Lobby. I love that place! I could have spent a LOT of money there, but RV living makes that rather pointless, so I restrained myself to this darling little thing . . .

It rather perfectly goes with our whole "living in a campground' way of life!

From there, we headed over to Earth Fare. We had planned to go one Saturday in May, but the day before we were supposed to go, I had the wreck. It's a nice store -- fairly similar to our favorite Whole Foods Market, in Nashville! I can see it getting more traffic from the two of us! She did mention that it would make sense for us to coordinate our menus, so that we could shop & split. Since we're both cooking for two, it makes sense!

While I was there, I purchased an apple and a pear. When I finally got home, I made a yummy apple & pear tart for Todd & I. It seemed like the perfect fall dessert.

After dinner that evening I got out my trusty hot glue gun and finally started on the candy corn wreath for my Secret Pal. My sister gave me that hot glue gun AGES ago for my birthday, and it's the best one I've ever worked with. It's cordless, so I can remove it from the base and not be hampered by a pesky cord. It's been a while since I'd used it -- I forget how much fun they are!

I used a round, straw wreath form, instead of the styrofoam form (which has squared edges). I have to admit it made the placement of the corn a little more difficult, but I like the look better.

I'll hang it outside on Friday, once the candy corn has had time to get good & stale, and I'll spray the whole thing with a preserving spray. Once that's dry, I'll but the black ribbon on it and it'll be ready for delivery.

While I was playing with Jocelyn, Todd gathered up some acorns for me. I figured while I already had the glue gun out, I'd use those and some tiny pine cones I'd collected from Hunter Road to make something fallish.

Isn't it nice the way nature supplies such great crafting materials??

These little pine cones are really darling. And they look like flowers, when you look down on them!

Just playing around with things I had, I fashioned a cute napkin ring holder. Cute, huh? Worth making a second, I think. It was super easy -- it's just ribbon wrapped around a section of sleeve cut from a paper towel cardboard. I hot glued the ribbon in place, and added the decorations I wanted. Super simple, but pretty cute.

Finally, I was going through my fall pdf files, and stumbled across this little guy that I'd found in Martha Stewart's Living magazine. I haven't finished cutting him out, but you get the gist. It's a favor holder -- you fill the log with chocolates or nuts or candy. Since I'm using them more for decor than for favors, I'll fill 'em with pea gravel. I just thought they were really cute!

Happy Fall, ya'll!

:)

lovely tea diversions . . .

Well, looking ahead, the coming week is full of possibility! Wednesday I have an appointment with the orthopedist, and I am hoping she allows me to begin bearing weight on my right foot again, which will open up so many opportunities. Moving back into our RV at the camp and driving, not the least of these! After that appointment, I have an appointment with my family doc, who's treating the blasted spider bite. While the inflammation is nearly completely gone, the (now) quarter-sized bruise and the dark blistery looking thing are still present. Don't know what this bodes, unless it's more waiting, which wouldn't surprise me.

I've already made good headway (i.e., I'm almost finished) with the eighth of the redwork blocks. I'd like to have all ten finished by Tuesday eve! Then I'll start processing out the other blocks. The pattern calls for a simple nine patch in reds and whites, but I'm thinking I'd like to add a denim look to this quilt! But more on that later, when I've finished the redwork.

For today, I've been playing around in my photo directory, and pulled up some fun tea tables I've done in days past. When we moved from house to RV, most of my 'dainties' (though not all) were left behind for my daughter and daughter-in-law. But I do love a good tea party, and thought I'd share some of my favorite memories in the form of photos, today . . .

This was the first table that I ever hosted, for the Flint River Mother-Daughter Tea. That was in 2006. I used my everyday china because I was so in love with the colors! It's still a favorite -- I love the yellows, greens, and blues. They make me smile!

This was my table the next year, for the same tea. I was a little more elegant and went with my Lenox Kelly china (which I did take with me on the RV). This was such a fun table, and I loved making the violet sachet favors!

This was a little tea party I did for my daughter and her friend/roommate, when they made a weekend trip home from college. It wasn't ultra-fancy, but it was fun and the food was tasty! My kitchen was decorated in apples and since that was the setting, I used my apple tea set and the apple snack plates and cups.

This was an impromptu afternoon tea setting for Joc and I, late one weekend when she was home from college. I love having tea with my girl!

This was a tea table I did at First Baptist Gurley, when my Sunday school class hosted a tea party for all the senior adult ladies of the church. As with the previous church tea parties I'd done, each table was hosted and decorated by a different lady. The different tables were all so beautiful, and it was such a fun afternoon! The tea service I used here was one Jocelyn brought back for me from her second mission trip to China. It's beautiful!

And this table was the last table I did at Flint River, in 2009. Jocelyn and I co-hosted at this mother-daughter tea! We invited two of our dear friends and their daughters, and Joc's mother-in-law (to be, at the time) and her daughter. We had a lovely afternoon. If I'm remembering correctly, I gave the tea etiquette portion of the program!

I wish I'd thought to take pictures of the last tea I had here at the house. After Joc's wedding, I did a tea party for her two flower girls and their mommies. It was my sister and my niece, Lucy, and my friend Jenda, and her daughter Emma Grace. We had such a fun afternoon! But I forgot to get pictures! What was I thinking??

I have such fond tea time memories . . . I think it may be time to brew a pot!

Cheers!

:)

homemade ice cream . . .

Today. I will keep my leg elevated (both for the healing break *and* the spider bite). I will work on my next redwork block, Sawyer and His Pal, I will read from the latest issue of Tea Time, which came in yesterday's mail *yay!*, and I will start reading a book online, Invitation to Tea, which I found thanks to Angela McRae.

And maybe make some homemade peach ice cream. Well, probably.

More than likely.

Many years ago, probably close to seventeen, I bought a little 1-pint Donvier ice cream maker. It was fast (sometimes instant gratification is a good thing), incredibly easy, the kids could help, and it was just big enough for the three of us.

As the years passed and the kids grew older (and ate more ice cream in a serving), the Donvier got set aside and forgotten. Until recently. Since the kids are grown and gone and we're just the two of us now, we don't need a big ol' ice cream maker (and really, we don't need a whole lot of ice cream in the house to tempt us). And since space is at a premium in the RV (and the RV's freezer), it's easier to make the ice cream we occasionally want to eat.

It became apparent that it was time for the Donvier to re-appear.

I pulled it out this week to try and make a
sugar-free, low-fat vanilla ice cream.

I whipped up my five ingredients . . .

Poured the mix into the chillfast container . . .

Snapped the lid on and inserted the crank handle . . .

And I churned . . . and churned . . .

And churned a little more . . .

And in less than 20 minutes, I had a pint of ice cream!

Topped with cherry sauce and a little whipped cream . . .

Very tasty.

Okay, I will *definitely* be making some
homemade peach ice cream today!

Happy Saturday!

:)