"It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." A.Holmes

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Lunch ( and Tea ) On The Trail, The Oregon Trail

Our youngest grandson is enjoying his tea with us, his friends & family, as we learn a little about the Oregon Trail at Lacamas Community Center in Roy, just down the road . Karen Haas *, an actress, story teller, participant in many historical re-enactments, was our featured speaker for this luncheon entitled Lunch on The Trail. Karen portrayed a woman who traveled the Oregon Trail, singing songs and telling stories of the long, difficult, and dangerous trail many traveled in covered wagons from the Eastern states to Oregon, Washington, and California in the days of our country before railroads. ( I hope it goes without saying there were no planes & automobiles either)
We had musicians, very good musicians !
Karen had volunteers hold a rope to the dimensions of a typical covered wagon. She then "filled " the wagon with people representing an average size family of the time, and also pointed out the family would have filled their wagon with food to hopefully carry them through the journey, along with the minimum of necessary clothes, bedding, tools to aid in them when they reached their destination and needed to clear land and begin building their new homes . Imagine crowding all that into a typical SUV of our day and embarking on a 6 month journey with no stops at fast food restaurants,motels, stores....no freeways or roads either.
We made our own butter for the sourdough and cornbread some of the ladies made.
Some of the ladies of Lacamas Community Center chose to host a table . This entailed decorating the table, and bringing everything necessary for the table except the food. We tried to stick to table settings appropriate for such a luncheon, but if we were to be authentic all the tables would have had tin plates and cups and the food would have been dished out of the pots it was cooked in. Above is my table. I used a few teacups I felt looked right on the table . The table cloth is a very old hand-pieced, stitched, and quilted quilt made by my paternal grandmother in the very early 1900's. I covered it with a clear plastic cover so as not to worry about food stains.
Ruth's table. Very practical. I like her outfit too.
This is my favorite table , by Beth.
Beth placed a framed photograph and kerosene lamps in the center of her table and each place setting had a burlap pot of pansies as a take-away gift and remembrance of the luncheon.
Isn't this lovely?
Pam M's table. Pam had her grandson set up an Oregon Trail scene as a centerpiece.
This is Pam W's table. This particular quilt top was one of my favorites.
Robin's table, her quilt top is so pretty.
Another view of my table before we sat down to lunch of hearty beef stew. Two of the teacups I used are shown below. They were used in other Tea Time Tuesdays so I have linked them to previous posts.
Royal Grafton's 'Majestic'.* Thank-you LindaSue & Skip !
I am enjoying the privilege of holding our youngest grandchild while listening to Karen , realizing I am very thankful for the many people who made the difficult journey on the Oregon Trail, opening up and settling this part of the United States I call home.
~Ladies of Lacamas Community Center who helped put on this luncheon.~
Tea Time Tuesdays I link up with the ladies listed below who host many tea parties and show off the loveliest teacups & all things tea. Please click onto their links, you're sure to find something that is "your cup of tea".
  1. Martha's Favorites *
  2. Lady Katherine's Tea Parlor *
  3. Terri at Artful Affirmations *
  4. Wanda Lee at The Silken Purse *
  5. Pam at Breath Of Fresh Air *
  6. Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *

Friday, March 25, 2011

Look, Listen, Rest, Enjoy ~ Be Happy!

Chicory &Her Lamb
Today the weather warmed to almost 60 degrees. This past week I have been unable to settle down indoors and get so many needful things done. The flowering plum tree outside the spare bedroom window is covered in pink blossoms, the snow white crocuses and fragrant hyacinths are blooming. My sheep have lambs, 15 thus far, and I am still bottle-feeding one of the lambs. I have been dashing about cleaning and re-organizing inside and out. As I sat down late last night to respond to e-mails, Facebook, and write a blog-post our internet and television service went out. ( where DO they go when they go out?) There was nothing to be done about it at that hour so I settled myself in the living room in front of the fireplace and read a good book. I could hear the rain pattering on the sun-room sky-lights, and over the sound of rain I could hear the very loud croaking of the frogs- a sure sign Spring has arrived. A moment to simply enjoy the pleasures of blessings at hand . Don't you forget to take some time to do that. Just stop, look around you, listen, enjoy~~"Happiness : The agreeable sensations which spring from the enjoyment of good ;" Amer. Dictionary Of English Language

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Tea With T & Japanese Lusterware

My tea cup today is Japanese Lusterware, or Lustreware...spelled both ways. This set was bought awhile ago on-line. The color caught my eye and the price was perfect ! The lady who sold this set said it had been an eye-catcher in her store window. I know it would have caught my eye and had me hurrying into the store to check it out.
I made Oslo Kringle with mint green icing to go along with ...
...apples and hard-boiled eggs. Simple fare, yet very satisfying when eaten while sipping tea with a granddaughter ( Little T ) as we watch a Beatrix Potter movie on a cold and rainy day. Almost makes me yearn for many more rainy days except our property is waterlogged and my little lambs outside are bouncing in mud. I digress...where was I, oh -tea, ahhhhh, sweet tea-time with a granddaughter.
Granddaughter is very careful when adding teaspoon after teaspoon of sugar to her black tea."No mint, just plain, 'member, I don't like mint".
Japanese Lusterware is very beautiful and I have shown some other Lusterware teacups in previous posts. The underside of the cups and saucers say "Made In Japan". I am drawn to this china because of the color, and the cups and saucers are so delicate you can see through them. I am fascinated by such delicacy in china . Look at it, it is blue with yellow-gold coloring inside, yet you can almost see through it! Hold it up to the light ,place your fingers on the other side of the china and you can see your fingers through it. I will do another post soon showing this set and the cups in more detail.
Mother Bunny tucks Peter Rabbit into bed with a hot mug of tea.
We have our tea together as we watch the adventures of Peter Rabbit, my youngest granddaughter and I. Thank-you for joining us.Please check out the ladies below who host Tea Time Tuesdays.
"The world is as many times new as there are children in our lives." Robert Brault
"Children are a living message we send to a time we will not see." Neil Postman

Monday, March 21, 2011

Ram Tough, Ram Destructive

I happened to be looking out an upstairs window one morning last week while I sipped my first cup of coffee.I heard a loud "THWUNK" and saw the tall stump of an old cottonwood tree sway. Then I saw my ram Goth take aim and run full force into the stump again and topple it! Goth examines his handiwork. ( Head work?) The other cottonwood stump still stands, but for how long? The two cottonwood trees towered over our property when we first moved here. We built a ram pen around them and years of my rams ramming them and chewing away their bark killed the trees. ( They are cottonwoods, we did not care ) Even though the trees are dead and the stumps have begun to rot, I could not have pushed them over with a sledge hammer, or even a car without causing damage to the car . So you can see, the power of a ram is mighty.Now the tall stumps of the trees are finally being pushed down by the mighty force of a ram.
"ram, n. 1. An instrument or device for driving, forcing, or crushing by heavy blows or thrusts. " Funk & Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary I think the pens the zoos build for rhinos would be perfect for Goth.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Tea With Little T ~

It is Tea Time Tuesday again!
Rainy and cool, that is the weather outside, but inside, tea time is warm and cozy.
Our youngest granddaughter Little T and I had tea together ; here is my tea cup for today...
... a teacup made in Japan by Norcrest. Isn't it beautiful? This teacup and saucer have a blue background featuring pine cones and pine boughs outlined in gold paint.
I purchased this teacup & saucer on Ebay-there was a smidgen of the teacups' history taped on the back of the saucer . What a wonderful idea, to include the history or story of a piece of china taped on the back or written and packed with the pieces. (Click onto the picture to enlarge it.) The previous owner of the teacup even stated how much they paid for it. " My granddaughter and I had a quiet tea time today.Don't you love spending a quiet day with someone you love, drinking tea and eating good food together? The rest of this tea time will be posted next week. To see other Tea Time Tuesday parties , tea cups, and table-settings please click onto the links shown below:
"Be hospitable to one another without complaint." I Peter 4:9 "Nothing is lovelier to me than filling our lives with people we love : with our children and families, with neighbors, with Christian friends." Karen Mains "I am convinced that true hospitality will only flower if our homes are open to each other." Karen Burton Mains 'Open Heart, Open Home'

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Lamb AND Shepherd ?

Our little bottle baby lamb was put outside to romp for awhile, but she did not want to be too far away from us. We're her mama you know, and lambs have at least the sense to know they need their mamas."Baaaaaaaa -(where are you ?)" Oh joy, to kick up her heels and run and run and run, jump and run, then zig-zag, jump and run again! Leapin' lambs,an exuberant expression of the sheer joy of life.
Gotta check out everything, maybe just a little nibble ?
The Bible has numerous scriptures referring to Jesus as "The Lamb of God"."Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." John 1:29 "...and he looked upon Jesus as he walked and said,"behold the Lamb of God !". John 1 34 ~If you have been around lambs for even a little while you know they are defenseless. They rely on their mothers who are also defenseless. Lambs and their mamas need a shepherd to care for and protect them. The Bible calls us sheep and Jesus is our Shepherd. ~"Know that the Lord Himself is God ; It is He who has made us and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture." Psalm 100 :3 ~ Our Shepherd is also a Lamb. The Shepherd who became as a Lamb, sacrificed for our redemption. "...knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers , but with precious blood as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." I Peter 1:18, 19

Friday, March 11, 2011

Pray For Japan

I have been watching the news and seeing the devastating waves from the sea wash over the Japanese coast , wrap themselves around homes, cars, anything in their path, and suck them out to sea. I am so sad because I know there were people in those homes and cars who have to be dead.I watched the waves wash over highways where cars driving along them were also swept off and carried into the sea. ..."who enclosed the sea with doors, when bursting forth , it went out from the womb.." God - Job 38:8 "Of old Thou didst found the earth, And the heavens are the work of Thy hands, Even they will perish, but Thou dost endure ; And all of them will perish, but Thou will endure; And all of them will wear out as a garment, Like clothing Thou will change them, and they will be changed, But Thou art the same..." Psalm 102:18 The Japanese people have prepared their country better than any other on earth to withstand earthquakes and tsunamis, but the mighty ocean is more powerful than any human can prepare for when its' power is unleashed.I am hearing on the news now a whole town in Japan has been swept away and the Japanese Prime Minister is exhorting the Japanese people to help each other. Pray for Japan. "..O God of our salvation, Thou who art the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea; Who dost establish the mountains by His strength, being girded with might ; Who dost still the roaring seas, The roaring of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples, And they dwell in the ends of the earth and stand in awe of Thy signs. Thou dost make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy." Psalm 65:5-8

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Goldilocks Came For Tea

I am late for tea, very late for tea. Tea Time Tuesday has passed, but I have been so busy tending my sheep, sloshing through mud and torrential down-pourings of rain that I lost track of time. When I realized I was not going to get a featured tea cup or tea party posted Tuesday I asked the Bear family if I could photograph them as they shared tea with Goldilocks. Look at this pretty little tea set just the perfect size for Mr. & Mrs. Bear. I found it for sale on an Etsy site, the price was right, and the Bear family love the tea set I gave them as a gift. (The Bear family loves blue & white china almost as much as I do.) Mrs. Bear invited Goldilocks over for tea because she knows Goldilocks can help her out with the decorating and possible re-modeling of the Bear family's log home. The little log home is in a dreadful state, and Goldilocks' breaking of the tiny rocker is of no consequence when the whole cabin looks in need of repair. Baby Bear is still a little upset about his rocking chair though and tried to ignore Goldilocks to show her how he feels about it. The Bear family served tea in our sun-room because the light is wonderful there and they could appreciate the patter of raindrops on the sky-lights as they discussed their upcoming plans. I like the gold rims on the china. This little tea set has no markings of origin. Mrs. Bear and Goldilocks have become very good friends in spite of their first encounter. Goldilocks eventually returned to their home and apologized for entering uninvited , eating their food, and breaking baby Bear's rocker. She asked if there was anything she could do to show she was sincerely sorry. After much discussion over tea, the friendship has blossomed. Now Mrs. Bear and Goldilocks are set to work hard and repair and re-decorate the Bears' home. Hopefully I will be allowed to photograph the process, we'll see. Maybe a bribe of honey will help. I am linking with these ladies for tea Time Tuesday.Please visit their blogs and see what they have to show you, even if it is not Tuesday, they are worth it. Remember to have fun with the things you have chosen to surround yourself , and take time to enjoy the people God has placed in your life. "Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy." I Timothy 6:17