Honey Of A Tea

We hosted a 'Make It With Honey ' potluck here with the local beekeeper's group, Lacamas Beekeepers. Since the table was already mostly set, and the sun / rain covering was up , 2 of my granddaughters decided to host their own tea the next day and invited my youngest sister to join us. Here is a close up of the sugar dish and creamer we used. ( Not the best picture of my sister below, but my granddaughters were so excited to have her here I needed to add her picture. Sorry sister. )

The teacups are from the Gracie China  Chintz Collection , made in China. There is a mint green teacup and saucer that also goes with this set, but I did not use it for our potluck, so it was not out for our granddaughters to set the table. I love these teacups. They claim to be dishwasher safe, but with the gold rims and edging on the handles I prefer to wash them by hand. I find I love washing my china, teacups, and crystal by hand , giving me even more time to appreciate my simple treasures.

As you can see, my granddaughters love their tea-parties.

The granddaughters are getting very creative with tea-parties too.For this tea party they also invited their American Girl dolls. The dolls had their own china teacups. The doll set of china was used by this granddaughter's own mommy , our daughter, many years ago.

Tea was poured for Julie, Kanani, and Samantha. Freshly picked from our gardens berries were served. (A few un-ripe grapes were picked too.)

The girls allowed me to take and post their picture.
 

Here is a better picture of the quilt I won from the Lacamas sewing group a few years ago. The theme of the local Lacamas Community Fair was Bee Happy. Honeybees were used throughout the quilt and I thought this quilt was the perfect back-drop  for our Make It With Honey potluck. When I have time I will post the food, recipes, and summary of this lovely time on my husband's beekeeping blog *. This past year has been very busy for him, and yes, he is tending his bees well, already harvested a lot of honey, but with the passing of his parents this year, and other responsibilities, he has not had time to keep his blog current. Lord willing ,time will come for that. For now I hope you enjoyed our honey of a tea !

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Proverbs 16::24

 

I am linking up with these ladies for Tea-Time Tuesday :

 

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *

Bernideen at Bernideen's Tea time Blog *

Martha at Martha's Favorites *

 



Our grandson is holding his prize Mlle Fleur rooster. Bugs has done very well with his chickens. This rooster is from his breeding program so the award is even more appreciated. What was the award ? Reserve Best feather-Legged Bantam. Bugs writes many of the posts for our chicken blog ~ Just Chickens *.

The Healing Power Of Tea ~

This is the teapot / teacup combo I bought as a practical souvenir while in Hawaii a few years ago.

The teapot holds enough for two cups of tea . This is a good thing ( as Martha Stewart might say ) because everyone knows a person cannot have just one cup of tea when tea is the healing beverage of choice.

Our granddaughter was in the hospital recently for almost a week, and I was there with her. After 3 nights spent with her in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, my husband sat with her for a few hours while I went home to care for the animals, freshen up, and pack some things to keep me occupied while she slept. I also packed this teapot / teacup, and I am so glad I did. I think the healing power of hot tea and the simple act of sitting up, stirring the sugar in, and sipping the tea went a long way towards her getting out of the hospital a day or so earlier.

"Designed In Hawaii ". Our granddaughter needed to take in more fluids, but water does not appeal to her and the apple juice she loves was upsetting her stomach. I made her pot after pot of peppermint tea and gave her all the sugar she wanted, to stir into the tea. She told me "I like to stir the sugar in " and smiled. She also told me she liked the sound of the spoon clinking as she stirred. She loves peppermint tea with lots of sugar, so she drank a lot of tea. And it helped. I also made her get out of bed .I pulled up a side table in the hospital room , placed it on a rug I finished locker-hooking while I was there and set up a chair from the other side of the hospital room. A perfect tea table just for her !

I had her sit up and out of bed for her meals, and gave her play-dough, things to color, comforting and calming children's DVD's to watch. She had her doll and stuffed animals for company too. This did make a difference ! We went home sooner than the doctor thought we would and we were both very happy to be home. ( Our granddaughter is completely well & healthy now. )

How many times have you read in books or seen in movies people who are traumatized being offered or served tea ? Just the words "would you like a cup of tea" seem to evoke a coziness and sense of well-being in me. But practically, the hot peppermint tea, and yes, the sugar, were restorative. I am thinking from now on when I have friends or family in the hospital, I am going to show up with a teapot, a nice teacup, healing teas, maybe a snack to go with it, and leave them all behind for the patient to enjoy throughout their hospital stay. It certainly would not hurt , and most likely will go a long way towards their healing. " Come along inside...We'll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place." Kenneth Grahame , Wind In The Willows

I am linking with these blogs for Tea~ Time Tuesday :

Martha's Favorites *
Rose Chintz Cottage *
Bernideen's Tea Time Blog *

Summer Garden & the Grapes Are Running Amok !

 The grape vines are taking over Cedar Pond. In the orchard, in the front porch gardens,even the front porch itself they are running amok ! It is a good thing my sheep love to eat grapevines because my husband & I have a steady supply of snacks for them. There is no need to wonder where to cast all the prunings and weedings we do around here. With poultry , sheep, and a goat, the excess grape vines, blackberry vines, and edible weeds are quickly eaten and turned into fertilizer for next year's gardens.

 Look ! Our male kiwi is finally climbing the arbor towards the female kiwi. She is shy and taking her time growing towards him. We thought she was dead, but no...she tentatively cast a tendril upward and towards him and maybe next spring they'll meet and touch. Who knows, they may produce fruit for us sooner than expected, but not this year. 

 My hydrangea is blooming too. The blue flowers are among my favorites in my garden, but if I let my watch down the grapes will strangle her. It is good to have pruning shears in my hands when I check her out. Those grapes are kind of sneaky, the way they weave in and out of the flowers and bushes around here.

 My granddaughter's bicycle sports a hanging geranium,a gift from my sister.

 The honeybees love these flowers planted near my dovecote. I do too.

And then, there is Hawk, who simply wants to be near me, no matter where I am, but especially in the garden where he will find the most comfortable spot to supervise my work. Summer gardening around here means taming the grape & blackberry vines, training the kiwi, harvesting from the vegetable garden anything the wild rabbits have left us after their nightly feasts, and remembering this season passes quickly,so enjoy and be thankful for all  it brings. ( mosquitos too ? ) Now I am hoping the little birds will leave us some of the grapes from the grape vines run amok. Grape juice and grape jelly from our own grapes would be a very nice treat for a winter's breakfast. Happy gardening to you !

And The Winner of A Flock of Wee Little Sheep is ...

 This little flock of 3 Wee Little Sheep is the prize . I entered the names of everyone who commented, as many times as they commented , since the contest began.

 My husband shuffled the slips of paper around before choosing one name.

Daisy* ! Congratulations Daisy. E-mail me your mailing address and I will send the Wee Little Sheep on their way to your home by the end of this week.

Home ~ To Cedar Pond

My drive home from almost anywhere is scenic. This is Mount Rainier viewed barely 5 miles from home. It I so easy to take this view for granted because I see the mountains every day if there is no cloud cover or there are no trees obstructing the view.

The main highway a scant 1/2 mile from our road. Just look at those snow covered hills.

I'll be making a left turn just past the telephone pole with the orange-red ribbon around it.

The left turn onto the private gravel road leading to our home .

The neighbor's horse is always curious about passers-by.

Home ! The gate posts to Cedar Pond , made and constructed for us by our grown children, welcome us home. Home. I love that word and all it implies. Home.

 

Don't forget to leave a comment to be included in the drawing for a flock of 3 Wee Little Sheep !

Country Girls' Playground

 Who needs a playground when Uncle Daniel's tractor sits in the field.?

 Who needs a playground after feeding the horses and climbing the hay bales stacked so high in the barn  ? Who needs a playground when you've spent the day walking in the woods, cuddling barn cats and farm dogs?

These country girls are 5 of my granddaughters. I am blessed !

I am joining the 31st Home Acre Blog Hop , just click here to enjoy bloggers who farm, garden, can, sew, and ....well, check this link out and see ! *

 

Don't forget to leave a comment to be included in the drawing to win a flock of 3 Wee Little Sheep !