Kathryn's Tea Party

Kathryn invited my grandchildren, myself, and my daughter to tea.This little pony caught our eyes as we drove into the driveway and we were excited . Kathryn and her Grandmother told us we would have pony cart rides after tea!

Here is Kathryn putting sugar in the tea of one of our granddaughters.

Kathryn chose the teacups, and there were many beautiful teacups too. This teacup was just the right size for the children. The set of 6 teacups and saucers was a gift to Kathryn from her Great- Aunt. Isn't this teacup and saucer beautiful? It was translucent and tea sipped out of it was so very delicious.

The only markings on the bottom of the cup and saucer did not reveal much to me, does anyone know about these teacups?

This granddaughter sipped a lot of tea...

...as did this granddaughter,

Kathryn's brother had a bigger cup and saucer I might write about another time, but our youngest granddaughter also had a little cup and saucer of tea. She does like her tea, especially with lots of sugar! This tea party was my idea of a children's tea party. Lots of tea sipped out of lovely cups, lots of food that appeals to kids, dessert~ tiny cupcakes baked by Kathryn, brownies with whipped cream, and best of all...pony cart rides! PONY CART RIDES!

A tea party even boys like!

Kathryn looks so proper and well dressed for her party, doesn't she? Kathryn is even able to look proper and pretty while driving the pony cart.

Besides all the good food, good company, and pony cart rides, there is a litter of new born kittens to see. Shh, we are quiet as we peek in at Momma cat and her 3 new kittens.

Thank-you for enjoying our tea party with Kathryn. To see and enjoy so many other teacups and tea parties please check out the wonderful blogs of these ladies ~ Terri*,Martha*,and Lady Katherine*.

Kathryn and Grandma Pam, thank-you very much for the lovely time we had with you. This is a never-to-be-forgotten tea party!

A Favorite Place With My Favorite Person

Just look at Mt. Rainier peeking through the clouds overlooking Tacoma's waterfront. This is one of our favorite places. My husband and I spent a lot of time in this area while dating, and in the early years of our marriage we lived very close to the Pt. Defiance waterfront area. We even had a teensy view of Puget Sound from the home we lived in close to this beloved place. I used to get up in the very early, still dark A.M. and walk this area with a friend. To celebrate our 37th wedding anniversary my husband and I decided to spend a few hours strolling the beautiful waterfront and having dinner here. "A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance, and tenacity. The order varies for any given year." Paul Sweeney

Another view from the deck of the restaurant where we had dinner. "Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate." Barnett Brickner

We walked the docks and checked out the fishermens' catches.We saw a seal and learned from a man crabbing that the seal was stealing the bait ( chicken) and the catch.The seal looked pretty well fed and happy. No one seemed to be catching any fish but they kept on fishing. It was a beautiful day to just be outside near the water. "Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years." Simone Signoret

"In a time when nothing is more certain than change, the commitment of two people to one another has become difficult and rare.Yet, by its scarcity, the beauty and value of this exchange have only been enhanced." Robert Sexton

We had a lovely time on our anniversary while enjoying the company of one another in a place we love, a beautiful place. We ate at a chowder house and talked to each other about our day, our dreams, the scenery.There is so much to be said for the simple things in our life that are easy to take for granted. We no longer take the every day blessings for granted and often I want to shout from the mountain tops, "Look all you people,life is awesome, amazing, blessed! Love your family , love your friends, and love the country God has chosen for you. It can all be taken away in an instant! Husbands and wives, love one another~ til death do you part!" In marriage, in life without a spouse, in life in the city, country, suburbs~in life with or without children, with or without riches ,I would hope for all of you to be able to heartily say "...for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am... I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11,13 Happy anniversary my beloved . As time marches on I am more and more thankful for you. You are most definitely my better half.Thanks for putting up with me. Thank-you for being so loving, steadfast and dependable. No matter what. "There is no substitute for the comfort supplied by the utterly taken-for granted relationships." Iris Murdoch Of course, I do not take you dear husband for granted.

I love you!

A Sheep's View

I was tending my sheep and glanced at our front porch from the sheep pen. The picture above is the view my sheep have of our home. From this view our sheep see our comings and goings, but only from this view. The sheep do not see the rest of our acreage, nor what goes on inside our home. As much and as often as my sheep see me, they could not possibly fathom my life or thoughts beyond the care I give them. They know my voice and react to my voice as no other human voice moves them, yet as sheep, they are unable to be concerned about anything beyond themselves and the sheep pen. My sheep would not know how to behave in our home, or comprehend the every day aspects of my life, the life of their shepherdess. I realized then how very much this reflects my life as a sheep of God's pasture. God has given me His Word, and His Holy Spirit that I may know Him and learn His ways. His voice calls me and the more familiar I am with His voice, the less likely I am to succumb to the false teachings and promises of voices imitating Him to deceive and devour me, yet I am as unable to even begin to fully comprehend or appreciate the majesty, the Holiness, the sovereignty of God as a sheep is to comprehend me. As stupid as my sheep may seem, they do know I am their shepherdess and protector, and I will do with them as I see fit.I decide which sheep stay , which are sold, which are culled. My sheep really do not have a say in the matter because I know what is better for them than they do. My sheep are precious sheep to me, but they are just sheep. To give my sheep free reign over themselves would be a death sentence for them and show me to be an uncaring shepherdess. Hmm, could this be my answer to the many times I have asked God, "Why God...?"

"As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God" declares the Lord God." Ezekiel 34:31 "Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?" Job 11:7 "But as for me, I would seek God, and I would place my cause before God;Who does great and unsearchable things." Job 5 8,9 "Oh the depth of the riches both of wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable are His ways!For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." Romans 11 : 33-36

Happy, Happy Boy. Happy, Happy Birthday!

I started blogging 2 years ago while waiting for this little grandson to be born. I was able to be in the delivery room for his birth, and captured this picture of him as he wrapped his whole , teeny, tiny hand around father's finger.He started life with a tight grasp onto his Daddy. His "Dad"! "Close your eyes, have no fear, The monster's gone, he's on the run and your Daddy's here. Beautiful, beautiful , beautiful boy." John Lennon~ This little grandson, our youngest grandchild, has a father and mother to protect him, love him, and cherish him. He is a delight and truly one of the happiest children I know, and I know a LOT of children!His little heart trusts his Mommy & Daddy completely. He knows the love and adoration of an older brother and 2 older sisters. He is loved, well loved. He celebrated his 2nd birthday with his family ( including 2 Grandmas, 1 Grandpa, a Great-grandma & Great-grandpa) present. More important though, he had his Daddy there to hold him and play with him. Yes, he loves pretty much everyone God has placed in his life, but his Daddy and all his Daddy does is very important to him, that, and being with the "guys", his word for his siblings. Little J's Daddy's eyes light up when he sees his youngest son. Little J's Daddy's eyes light up when he sees any of his children. To be one of Daddy's children and see Daddy's face light up when he sees you must be a real joy, and surely makes a little one's heart happy.

Our prayer for him "Hear , O sons, the instruction of a father, and give attention that you may gain understanding. For I give you sound teaching ;...." Proverbs 4:1,2 Little J, God has given you parents to teach you God's ways. You are so blessed, and so are we. I love you little one. Your Mommy's Daddy loves you little one.Happy Birthday!

Tea Party Tuesday , Cookies On A stick For Tea!

Tea Time Tuesday is what I call Tuesdays now-a-days. We are always thinking about the fun time we will have for this day. Our oldest granddaughter chose the tea time recipe and type of tea for the day. Cookie on A Stick ( from the Paula Deen Cookbook for Kids ) and "regular tea with sugar " in the teapot. I brought out a few teacups and let our oldest and youngest granddaughters choose which they would prefer to drink their tea in. I have always felt children can appreciate fine china and lovely place settings every bit as much as adults and can usually be just as trusted with china if taught well when they are young. ( Hey, even adults break china on occasion)

Oldest & youngest granddaughters. Don't they look excited about their tea time?

The chosen teacups.

Red Rose Tea in the pot, lemons on the side, with plenty of sugar and milk. Cookies on a stick to eat with tea. CHOCOLATE CHIP Cookies on a stick!

Our oldest Granddaughter got first choice of teacups and she chose this one. She also chose the tea and menu and it was very important to her the lemon was cut to put it on her cup just so.You can see her Mr. Halloween next to the tea cup. She made sure he was able to be part of the whole tea time too.

Here is a close-up of her tea cup.

Royal Albert , bone china. Dorchester Series, England

Youngest Granddaughter chose this cup and saucer. The more I see it and examine it, the more enchanted I am by this set.

Royal Grafton Fine Bone China, Made In England

The best part of tea for the girls ~

Chocolate chip cookies on a stick!

Oldest granddaughter made them all by herself.

She paused after taking a few bites, then she.....

poured the milk from the creamer into her empty teacup....

and dunked that huge, delicious, chocolate chip cookie on a stick in the milk, ate every bit, then drank the milk too.

Tea time Tuesday is what I call this day, but it is also Teacup Tuesday and being hosted by Martha* and Terri*. Lady Katherine* also hosts a Tea Party. Please visit them and the many other wonderful tea parties and you'll also see so many interesting and beautiful tea cups.

Thank-you for joining us for tea today!

Lavender Weekend

The first Celebration of Lavender in Roy, Washington took place this past weekend~

This is Barbara, the only one of the couple who own this lovely Lavender farm I could pin down for a picture, in front of one of the lavender fields. Although it is hazy, you just might spot Mt. Rainier in the background. Here is my booth , you can see Mt. Rainier in the background , and to the left of the booth is the pen I displayed two of my very handsome Jacob ram lambs. I do believe I had the best spot on the place . The large tree gave us shade and my booth was very close to one of the lavender fields and where they were giving lavender oil distillation demonstrations.

My husband kept me company and answered the many, many questions about Jacob Sheep.

A view of some booths and a lavender field.

Lavender distillation equipment.

Some of the grandchildren came to see us and the festival. The girls all made lavender sachets at the craft area.

Our oldest granddaughter just loves our youngest grandson! ( I think he is eating Cheezits )

Our daughter A.Joy and Little J check out the lambs. Little J wanted to watch them a long time.

These two granddaughters remained with us the rest of the festival and we had a good time. I did a lot of spinning wool during the festival and answered a lot of questions about spinning, wool, yarns, etc., The jug in the back ground was filled with ice lemon water each morning and we drank it all up as the temperatures were in the 90's both days.

Oldest granddaughter poses by one of the many classic cars in attendance at the festival.

A beautiful sight to me, "our mountain", a field of lavender, and our oldest granddaughter! We had a wonderful time this weekend at the first ever Lavender Festival in Roy. I made enough money to make it well worth my time, and I hope to be asked back again next year~