Honey-Bee Tea Time on the Porch

 Autumn, my favorite time of the year. I love the crispness of sunny autumn days but this fall the weather is hot. Too hot. I took tea outside on my front porch because it was hot indoors and the thermometer said it was a cool 80 degrees in the shade on the porch. 80 degrees ? It is the second week of October and nary a raindrop in sight for most of the month this far. I am missing my Pacific northwest weather of cool rainy days , cool sunny days , and rain.

 I did however enjoy my mint tea and some cookies on the porch as I watched the birds at the feeder and my dogs snored at my feet. This honeybee cup with a lid was a birthday gift from my sister-in-law Alice * and her husband Paul.

 The cup not only came with a lid ( love this feature ! ) but it came with a strainer that fits over the cup , a plate to rest the cup on and a little hive shaped rest for the used tea leaves or tea bags. The whole set goes perfectly with my honeybee tea pot too !

 Seems like I have not been home much at all the past 6 weeks and just returned home again this past weekend.I am so happy to be back . I will be enjoying tea on my porch catching up on the magazines that have been piling up while I've been away , maybe even get some spinning and wool dyeing done this week too. Might as well take advantage of this amazing weather while it lasts.

I am excited to be back to my Tea-Time Tuesdays too and will be joining these ladies ~
Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *
Martha at Martha's Favorites *
Bernideen's Tea Time Blog *
Ruth at Antiques & Teacups *
Kathy at A Delightsome Life *

March Musing

March is almost over for us here in the Pacific Northwest , of course April has begun for almost everyone else in the world by now. March has marked a few milestones for us this year. Whimsy , our German Shepherd puppy is 9 months old and we are loving her even more every day .

 March is the month here at Cedar Pond for new, bouncing spotted lambs ! ( Below is one of my older ewes with her newborn lamb. )

This year we have a bummer lamb ( lamb without a mama ) we named Stormy. Stormy is growing quickly and enjoys his bottle every few hours. He has begun to nibble on alfalfa leaves too. His little face appears crooked because of his markings and he has beautiful long eyelashes.

Did I already mention new lambs ? I spend an awful lot of time outdoors just watching the lambs play. If you're feeling down in the dumps just get yourself to the closest farm with new lambs and sit a spell , watch, and laugh for joy. The joy of life !

 It has been the wettest March in recorded history here in Western Washington. We have had 9 1/2 inches of rain this month. Our ducks are loving this weather but our land is squishy with mud and oozing water everywhere. Thankfully our home & buildings are high and dry. Our prayers go out to our neighbors to the north of us in Oso where the wet March brought  a small mountain of earth sliding down on a small community wiping out  everything in it's path and taking many lives .

The hummingbirds have returned and Blizzard our cat spends many hours watching them at the feeder outside our living room.

March also is the month this granddaughter celebrates another year of life. We were blessed to have her spend the weekend with us. Granddaughter and the fairy are playing in the herb garden where this granddaughter and her sister made me a few fairy homes.

Every March we celebrate the birth of 2 of our 6 granddaughters. We rejoice in the birth of new lambs, chicks and ducklings. The birds are building nests all over the property , the ducks and chickens have increased their egg laying. The frogs chirp, our bees are buzzing over every precious new bloom. Ella, my Sebastopol goose is faithfully sitting on her clutch of duck & goose eggs while her partner Fella guards her,never leaving her . Some time later this week if all goes well I should expect hatchlings from the pair. What fun March is. It brings us joy, hope, new life and celebrating spring. "This is the day that the Lord hath made we will rejoice and be glad in it." 

Sisters, Together Again!

Here is a picture taken of me ( back right ) and my 3 younger sisters with our father, 50 years ago. Our little baby sister is turning 50 this week. In honor of her birthday and our 50 years together as sisters, she is flying from New York to join us, her older sisters, for a week of celebration! I will be away from my computer until Friday, the 14th. These verses exemplify some of the gifts I have received from my sisters in times of need, and my prayer is we strive this coming week to uplift and encourage one another even more!"If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself ( herself); Philippians 2: 1-3 I am blessed to know all my sisters are believers, and we all attempt to encourage Godliness in one another, Happy Birthday Baby Sister, we love you!

Happy,Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday C.T. First-born Grandchild! "Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established." Proverbs 16:3

You are growing up so quickly! "The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor, and life." Proverbs 22:4

We love you!Happy , happy birthday!!!!!! "Grandchildren are the crown of old men, and the glory of sons is their fathers." Proverbs 17:6

Mr.Wooley's Grandpa Has A Birthday !

~~~Happy Birthday to Mr. Wooley's Grandpa !~~~~~~O.K. So our friend is NOT a feline Grandpa....but don't tell Mr.Wooley that. And don't tell Zuzu that he is not her Dad either. Those cats get a bit persnikety and super-sensitive when they feel they have been overlooked in importance and place in family. ( most cats feel the family exists for their benefit and pleasure anyway)

~~~Our friend David celebrates his birthday. He is getting on in years (ha ha ) so his daughter threw a surprise party for him and invited a few of us to celebrate with him and Mr.Wooley. "The years between 50 and 70 are the hardest. You are always being asked to do things , and yet you are not decrepit enough to turn them down." T.S. Eliot

~~~Mr.Wooley checks out the gifts to see which of them should be left behind for his pleasure. "Aging seems to be the only available way to live a long life." Daniel Francois Esprit Auber ~~~Hmmm....., I think Mr. Wooley found a gift to his liking. I wonder if he can operate a corkscrew ? "Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it , you've got to start young." Fred Astaire ~~~"I will never be an old man. To me old age is always 15 years older than I am." Bertrand Russell~ Happy Birthday to you David !~ "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." Les Brown

~~~"Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative." Maurice Chevalier~~~

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12 "The glory of young men is their strength , and the honor of old men is their gray hair." Proverbs 20:29