Focus on the Stars

 This coming Sunday I have been asked to give the "First Word" to begin the church service. My pastor said to think "Gratitude". In writing the Focus on the Stars this year I feel like it has been a nod to "gratitude".  Often we notice and focus on the big things, such as wellness/illness, food/no food, or the well being of those around us.

 In my church each Sunday people share requests and celebrations in offering prayer and it is the big things that often get mentioned.

I hope by "focusing on the stars" this year you have taken time to notice some of the small things, the things we often forget to mention. I know I am always thankful for food in the cupboard and good health. I am thankful for a full cup of tea, apple pie, and a friend to share it with.

I am thankful each and every day that I am mobile. I am thankful for beautiful nature, even when the trees lose their leaves. I am thankful that my tea plant on my patio is in bloom right now. I am thankful for a warm, cozy place to lay my head each night.

What small thing would you share?

Have a great week, dear friends!

Even though life is insane at times, let's keep focusing on the stars, the glimmers of light and hope.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Let's Pour the Tea

 I titled this post "Let's Pour the Tea" because I feel like when we sit in silence awhile over a warm cup of tea or coffee and meditate, it gives us time to consider all that we are grateful for. Let's sit together, wrap your cold hands around the cup of something warm, listen to the quietness surrounding you and be blessed with gratitude. I will be the "mum" and pour you a cuppa.

As I think of being grateful I came across a little book on my book shelf, A Year of Gratitude. It ended by listing things to be grateful for:

 "A warm bed, hot coffee (tea), blue skies, fresh fruit, morning walks, dreams to chase, problems to solve, a hug from a child, smiles in passing, an empty parking space, good news, a pat on the back, a second chance, grand intentions, great memories, loving friends, a crackling fire, a bowl of soup, a glorious sunset."

I would add the first snow of winter. It is so beautiful to sit with my warm cup of tea at the window and watch fluffy flakes fall from the clouds and lighten up my garden full of deteriorating brown leaves. The snow puts a blanket over the ground and for a little while the silences sings to my soul. 

The First Snow by Ethel Romig Fuller

The snow wipes out the writing of the year;

It's swift erasers softly, surely pass

Across the hieroglyphics of the grass

And clean the slate of summer, spear by spear.

Where was a tale of gardens there is now

A smudged and undecipherable scrawl;

And where illumined letter of fall,

A dim-inked outline of an austere bough.

The hills depicted on the sky are blurred

As blackboards hid behind a cloud of chalk,

And fast as feet of pigeons write a word

It is obliterated from the walk.

An ancient picture script alone remains-

A panorama etched on windowpanes.

Sit awhile on this cold wintery day and be bless with gratitude for those things around you. What would you add to the list of gratitudes?

 *The first picture was taken in my yard on a stump next to my tea plants. I sometimes pour tea there and read a poem for social media. The first three snowy pictures were taken last March on Mt. Hood and the last picture was from my garden last February. We are expecting a little snow in the next few days, but I am hoping for just enough to dream awhile and wrap my hand around a warm cup of something delicious.

 Happy weekend, dear ones!

Sending love, Marilyn

A Celebration of Marmalady's

 

On December 3rd I have chosen to let my marmaladys.com website go. I know, most of you probably don't even realize I have a small online business. Today isn't about selling you anything, but a celebration (though bitter sweet). I bought the name Marmalady's 21 years ago and the website officially went up in March 20 years ago on my 60th birthday. Crazy to say this, when at 60 most people are thinking about winding down. At first my website sold tea and teaware, plus a few ready made tea cozies. I had the tea cozies made in a local factory here in Oregon. My main product was a line of jams and jellies with tea in them and also made at a local jam factory, but my recipes.

That first year I took my products to Las Vegas for the World Tea Expo. It was the first year for the expo too. My jams and jellies ended up mostly selling wholesale to tea shop. At my full steam ahead time I sold to tea shops in 11 states. However, shipping was expensive and wholesale buyers didn't want to pay shipping; so after 9 years I discontinued selling the jams and jellies. I missed them, as they were really good.

When selling at the World Tea Expo people also liked my tea cozies and aprons, but wanted different fabrics than I was selling. I was asked to sell them the pattern, so they could make their own. Now that was a novel idea, since I was already a professional patternmaker. So I packaged up some of my patterns and started selling the patterns on Etsy 15 years ago. Amazingly it has been the sewing patterns that continue to sell.

About 10 years ago I changed my website to one page directing buyers to visit my Etsy page, but I continued to pay for the website all these years. So this week I am letting the website go. Yes, I will still be on Etsy, it does nicely for me. It brings in enough each week to give me tea pocket money and to feed my tea addiction. Smiling!!!

But for today I just wanted to celebrate and share my little business with you. It has been a fun adventure and who knows how much longer I will do Etsy. I love it! Celebrating over 20 years in my little business, 15 years on Etsy, and over 80 years of life. Oh Yes!! Also celebrating 15 years of this little blog called, Delights of the Heart.

 

The pictures above are my Marmalady's logo and the front page of my #1 selling sewing pattern. Even today I am shipping a couple orders.

This was one of my jams.

This is the tent cozy, which I still sell in a sewing pattern on Etsy.

So celebrate along with me and say "hip-hip hooray!!"

Happy weekend, dear friends! 

Marilyn

Word Magic

 

 

 A chair to sit and dream in, A place to remember, grateful for all the joys in life.

The word this week is Gratitude

 

To remember a place to stand in darkness,

A place to let the light shine

A place to look at the positives and strengths

A place to focus on what we have.

"Images of Life,

Open to possibilities

I am grateful for the mistakes

I make today 

They make me who I am." 

 Quote by Mother Frances

Grateful for the sun and rain for blossoms soon will appear.

It settles on our hearts today, a joy, a peacefulness in remembering to have Gratitude.

May you be blessed this week with thoughts of Gratitude.

A Gift for You - A Flower and A Poem

 

Flowers by the Pacific Ocean

Gratitude List

Praise be this morning for sleeping late,

the sandy sheets, the ocean air,

the midnight storm that blew its waters in.

Praise be the morning swim, mid-tide,

the clear sands underneath our feet,

the dogs who leap into the waves,

their fur, sticky with salt,

the ball we throw again and again.

Praise be the green tea with honey,

the bread we dip in finest olive oil,

the eggs we fry, Praise be the reeds,

gold and pink in the summer light,

the sand between our toes,

our swimsuits, flapping in the breeze.

~Laura Foley, How to Love in World, Poems of Gratitude and Hope

Flowers by the Atlantic Ocean. You don't see the sea in the picture, but just over that horizon is water flowing free.
 

Doesn't those words just conjure up summer images of delight? 

What would you add to the summer gratitude list? 

An isolated walk by the sea in the early morning delights my soul.

In the poem green tea is mentioned. For me it would be a cup of a good black tea. Oh how I would love a fine bread dipped in olive oil or sand between my toes as I walk by the sea. My heart would sing with joy to notice these delights.

Welcome to a new week, dear friends!
 

Word for the Week

 

Gift

noun: gift; plural noun: gifts

1. a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present.

   "a Christmas gift"

   
   

   verb

verb: gift; 3rd person present: gifts; past tense: gifted; past participle: gifted; gerund or present participle: gifting

1. give (something) as a gift, especially formally or as a donation or bequest.

   "the company gifted 2,999 shares to a charity"

   • present (someone) with a gift or gifts.

     "the director gifted her with a heart-shaped brooch"

      

     

     My word for this year is receive.

     As the year has moved along I realized receive and give go together. I love giving gifts, but have always had a difficult time receiving them. In a way I don't feel worthy of receiving; so never know how to react to the gift.

     This year I have wrapped my gifts under the tree earlier than usual. I am so excited to be giving each gift.

      

     I asked my "live-in gardener" what gift means to him and his answer was "undeserving mercy".
     

     

     I am trying through my word "receive" to be a gracious receiver of gifts.

     For me giving and receiving are a part of the gift and joy of the season. Many are giving to their favorite charity too. I was thrilled to be able to donate a bag of socks to my church pantry. My church body are wonderful givers. We are sponsoring an Afghan family and I was thrilled to also be able to give the gift of tea as they set up their household.

     Thus said, I am having to remind myself to be "thrilled" with the gifts I receive. It's a hard one for me.

     How do you handle giving and receiving of gifts? Is it just me or do you also have a difficult time with gifts?
     

Have you found a word for 2022?

Or maybe you don't choose a word.

I have had a word each year for about 25 years and the word always impacts me in ways that surprise me each year.

Have a terrific week, dear friends!

Word for the Week

 Grateful

 Are you getting tired of travel photos yet?

Just a few more to share. I think one more post of a couple gardens to go. Thanks for hanging in there with me. I am grateful for you. I am grateful that I got to travel recently. It restored my soul to wander and explore. 

When I realized I was close to the Atlantic Ocean I knew I had to walk on the shore. I loved walking past sea grass and flowers to get to the sea.

There was even a light house nearby. I love lighthouses in all shapes and forms; so I was grateful to find this one standing tall.

 For some reason this just spoke to me of the south. It wasn't open, but I could imagine a few gents sitting there passing the day with a good chat, watching the day slide by.

Moss draping over the road as we drove, just so iconic!

I just can't help but share these little glimpses of the south. They were all so beautiful!

 And then there was just strolling the streets in Charleston, S.C.

 

And having tea with a dear friend.

More exploring!

How I love to explore and discover new sights! It just sings to my soul and I am grateful to still be able to do it.

There was even a ride in a carriage pulled by Clyde, the horse.

 Have you focused on "grateful" this past week as we celebrated Thanksgiving? Sometimes, for me at least, it is hard to focus on the things we are grateful for with so much sadness and anger in the world. Then Thanksgiving comes along and we have to take a moment to pause, sit with a friend, watch the day slide by, and notice what we are grateful for.

Let's keep it going!

What are you grateful for today?

Word for the Day - 2020

Gratitude

 

from wikipedia:

Gratitude, thankfulness, or gratefulness, from the Latin word gratus ‘pleasing, thankful’,^[1] is a feeling of appreciation felt by and/or similar positive response shown by the recipient of kindness,^[2][3][4] gifts, help, favors, or other types of generosity,^[5] towards the giver of such gifts.^[6][7]

It went on to explain that it wasn't out of obligation and changed a persons thinking to have gratitude shown to them. A persons behavior changes when someone shows them gratitude.

Thinking on this as we begin the week up to Thanksgiving. Trying to change my attitude and make a turn to the positive when thinking of those things I am grateful for.

I am thankful to have food in my cupboard.

I am thankful to have friends I can reach out to when needed.

I am thankful to be able to walk in nature and enjoy my garden.

I am thankful for the sun, moon, and rain.

I am thankful for a good cup of tea each morning.

I am thankful for family around me.

I am thankful for you.

I am grateful for having a walk in nature last Friday with my grandson,

with masks on and keeping our distance. It was still a joy.

Happy Thanksgiving week, dear friends!

What are you grateful for?
 

 

Pandemic Tea Time

 Tea time during a pandemic!

Strange title for sure, but exactly what it is.

My birthday was a 1 1/2 weeks ago and it had to be canceled because of the pandemic.

Today I was scheduled to leave for India, which would have been a dream come true trip.

It was canceled because of the pandemic. So sad about this!!!

Thus said, I am so thankful for being in my own home safely tucked away

that I wanted to do something to celebrate.

Sunday I made the celebration happen by creating a tea time in the garden house

for those of us living in my house.

There are three of us, my "live-in gardener" (husband) and "live-in son".

I told my son "no coffee" as this was a tea time.

My husband made his own herbal tea (tisane).

And then we sat in the garden house and celebrated being there together.

There were tortilla wraps with turkey, cream cheese, and red currant jelly,

calla lily shaped sandwich with cream cheese and orange marmalade,

toasted shamrocks with honey butter, and

toothpicks with pickled beets and olives.

The scone was from a Sticky Fingers mix and was white chocolate/raspberry.

I actually had a little Irish butter, which was delicious on the scones

and a bit of a treat. Not something I usually buy.

Then for the sweet one, my challenge for this year is to make pavlova,

so I made small shells and filled them with vanilla cream

topped off with raspberry, banana, and frozen red currants.

I think they turned out quite yummy.

For some reason I had never made vanilla pudding/cream before

and was surprised how well it turned out and not hard at all.

So thankful for what I have tucked in the freezer too.

Now I must admit the scone mix was suppose to be a gift,

but I will replace it again and give it to the recipient when I can see her.

I think I will get one for my shelf too, it is very handy in a pinch and only took

water to make them.  This is being said from someone that is getting low on flour

and there is none to be found.

Oh and there was a good tea served too.

It was Ceylon Gold, white tea, a gift at Christmas from a friend.

Thanks friend, it is a good one.

Let's celebrate each day however makes our heart happy.

For me tea time in the garden house indeed makes my heart happy.

Travel

 Travel is heavy on my mind these days, since the "virus" seems to be reeking havoc.

I am suppose to leave for India on March 25th, but as the time comes closer and

I am fighting a cold I am not sure this will happen.

It is becoming clearer to me with each subsequent day that I should stay put.

Travel is a part of who I am, I love it!

I have dreamed of this trip for a long time.

So today I am sharing another dream come true adventure.

 It was a few years ago, not too long after having knee surgery.

My "live-in gardener" and I were traveling in France and found

we had an unplanned day.

The host of our B&B suggested we go here.

As you can see it was a bit of a climb and I was so proud of myself for doing it.

 Up the hill we went. Then of course I had to go back down too.

 Walking in these ruins I imagined a life once upon a time

where three brothers and their father each had a castle on the hill.

I wondered about life during their lifetime.

I imagined smokey halls from wood burning fires to cook over 

and to keep warm on a cold winter night.

I imagined dancing and festive gowns.

I imagined rough times too.

 My fantasy's ran wild while walking here.

 And I dreamed of other times and knights in shining armor.

 Excuse me while I share past travel because I need to remind myself

there were other dream come true adventures and I must savor the memories.

 

One of my favorite quotes:

I am grateful for each adventure and still I will dream of more.

They may be only hopping in my car and walking on the beach

or still I dream of an adventure in India and far flung places.

Happy travels, even if it is through reading a book, watching a movie,

or walking in your neighborhood.

Later today: The tour was canceled; so my trip has been canceled.
Online today canceling everything and seeing about refunds.

Christmas Memory

I can imagine you all have Christmas memories.

Were they joyful memories filled with sugarplums and family?

When I was in junior high my little family of my mom, sister, and I

were given to a family through the welfare system to bring us gifts.

The day arrived and my mom made sure our little house was neat, tidy

and that we were neat and tidy too. This was important to my mom.

I had bargained with the tree lot guy to buy a tree with my babysitting money

and carried it home. It was a huge pine tree that he said no one wanted.

We made paper chains and decorated it with our meager ornaments.

Our home looked quite festive.

We waited.

The family arrived.

I think the parents were trying to teach their children about poor people.

The children remarked that our house looked better than theirs.

The parents were a bit miffed that we didn't look poor.

 They said as much.

They didn't notice that we had a chair propping up the refrigerator

door, so it wouldn't fall to the floor.

They didn't notice that my mother had her bed in the dining room,

because she made it look like a place to sit with pillows during the day.

They didn't notice the moldy cheese we got from surplus government surplus.

They didn't notice that though our clothes were clean and ironed

they were hand me downs.

They didn't notice that sometimes our church had to help us out

with a food basket or pay our power bill.

Maybe they noticed there was no father in the house, but

they didn't know he didn't send us support.

Needless to say, it taught me some lessons.

Never take what you see as fact, you don't know the story.

Don't look down and criticize those that have less than you.

Show love to each and every person around you.

And when giving give with an open heart,

give a little extra.

After all people that are poor still like a bar of chocolate

or a pretty bouquet.

The pictures are my only childhood Christmas pictures.
They just didn't take many pictures then.
They are from an earlier Christmas with it's own memories.
I am the one with the bow in my hair, the oldest girl grandchild.
My sister is the other one with a bow in her hair.
Yes, my mother always tried her best to keep us looking good.
The others are special cousins.

Give with a happy, loving heart.
Give the gift of JOY. 
Happy weekend, dear friends!

Happy New Year - 2016

The time is near.

2015 will soon be a wrap.

Tied with a bow.

Full of sorrows and delight.

Are you ready for the new year?

2016 is knocking at the door.

Rejoice in new beginnings.

Put the past away.

Savor the memories.

Jump with JOY.

Happy New Year to each of you!

I am grateful for you.

Thank you

and sending LOVE.

My Word - 2016

Each year for more years than I can remember a word has traveled with me.
The first time I did it my word was PATIENCE and oh my did I get tested.
It must have been at least 25 years ago because I can remember where we were living
and some of the tests.
So each year as a word has picked me I have been careful to choose something that
would bring more happiness and joy, such as JOY, PASSION, BELIEVE, SHINE,
LAUGH, AND GRATEFUL.
Well this year I tiptoe toward my word with a bit a fear and trepidation.
No, I don't want to stop doing it, but do it better.

When I look at this photo I am reminded of two things.

One is how important the light is to me at this time of the year,

even if it is just a candle shining.  LIGHT was considered
because we all need light in our lives to push away the darkness.
But, light wasn't to be the word though I do believe it will sneak in there once in the while.

The second is to sit in silence, settle into the moments, anticipate

the tea, and breathe.
Sometimes life gets in the way and I forget this very important activity.
For 2016 I want to remember to BREATHE.
BREATHE will be my focus for 2016.

Have you chosen a word?
It is amazing the impact it can have on you.
A single word is so much easier to focus on than remembering a resolution.

Mondays Quotes

Over my morning tea today I thought of you and my word for the year, Grateful.

The love came through the mail, but also through the internet wires.

I am grateful for each of  you this year.

"A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness.

 It is an expression of humility.

 It is a foundation for the development of such

 virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment,

 happiness, love, and well-being."

~James E. Faust 

Have you thought of a word for next year?

Has it captured your attention?

I will share my word later this week.

In some ways I am tiptoeing toward it.

Have a great week.