Easter week

 “Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors."  Alice Walker

A dear friend that also has a March birthday decided we needed to celebrate March birthdays with a bit of tea and cake, plus a yummy sandwich and crepes too.

Looking back at my pictures for the week I realize it was mostly about teatimes indoors; though there was one venture to the tulip fields and one yellow chair. I can never resist taking a picture of flowers and Adirondack chairs, especially a yellow one (my favorite color). If you have followed me for a long time I once told a friend that the reason I wanted a good camera was to take pictures of Adirondack chairs by water; but an ocean of tulips will do just fine too.

And then I met two friends at a teashop to sip tea and gather information for the British tea tent coming up on June 27th for TeaFestPDX. I have been organizing that tent for 10 years and will be stepping down this year. I have an amazing team taking over; so this was a good transition meeting. Wasn't that a cute tea set?

But the highlight of the week was Easter teatime. Even though it is a lot of work to prepare, I love this gathering of dear ones. One friend always brings the most gorgeous salads and I make everything else. This is when I miss my dining room and table; but this year I reserved the clubhouse at our apartment. Other than a few broken saucers (sniff) it worked out quite well. 

Isn't this a beautiful salad?

There was also deviled eggs, asparagus wrapped in ham, radish sandwiches with goat cheese, smoked trout sandwiches with a touch of a lovely lemon chutney made by a dear friend, small slices of lamb/pork meatloaf wrapped in puff pastry, chocolate eggs, chocolate olive oil cake with strawberries, and macarons. Before the gathering at the table there were two cheeses with gluten free crackers.

It was an extra special week of tea times gatherings, plus flowers to fill my head and soul with beauty. The colors of Easter and Springtime enchant me.

Hoping your Springtime is extra special!

Sending love,

Marilyn

March Blessings!

 I love March! I just do! I think March is my favorite month of the year and February is my least favorite month of the year. March gives me hope and a smile.

Daffodils are probably my favorite "happy" flower. They come up in March and just shine for me. And strawberries start showing up in the market in March. What could be better than daffodils and strawberries?

The yellow green fuzz of new leaf buds and pink blossoms begin to show their beautiful faces. 

Even white blossoms rain like snow. 

New Leaves on a Willow

by Ethel Romig Fuller, Kitchen Sonnets

Where yesterday were bare gold stems,

March's windy stratagems

Have today miraculously

Wrought new leaves on a willow tree.

New leaves so mistily winged and small

They seem to spray from a waterfall;

Water cascading headlong to stop

Midway down on its breathless drop.

New leaves so sudden-green they scorch

The somber sky with a fiery torch;

New willow leaves...new dreams again;

New high resolves in the heart of men.

Can you see new life sprouting on those branches by the sea?

And camellias are bursting with beauty?

A friend took me to a new tearoom yesterday to celebrate my favorite month. Oh! Did I say I am a March baby too. This new tearoom is a winner. They serve their tea with low sugar sweets. What could be better?!!!! The white cookie was like a moist shortbread with rose petals. Yummm!

What's your favorite month and why?

Oh! And not to forget, I just finished Nora Robert's book, Mind Games. I quite enjoyed it.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Well Hello! Focus on the Stars

 Happy Halloween week!

Do you like spooky stories? 

How about when you were young?

When I was about 8 years old I had a friend that had a grandmother that was so good at telling spooky stories. I loved visiting in the evening, laying on the floor covered by a blanket as she turned the lights down low and told us the best, scariest stories. I would be shaking and covering my head in terror, but at the same time I looked forward to it. I loved it!

I wish I could remember the stories, but just the idea of that time in my life brings a smile to my face.

I actually think she would have been scolded by the parents for telling us the stories, but what a treat.

Were there bad dreams, maybe!! I won't tell.

Do you like spooky stories?

Just for the fun of it, I am reading a witchy story this week.

Will there be some sleepless nights? I don't think so.

I once had a dolls head similar to this. My grandson made me hide it because it scared him so much.

I guess it could be a little creepy. What do you think?

I love the whimsy of this season. A time when goblins come out to play. Play is good for the soul. It lightens the dark nights. Hoping you find time to play and lighten the dark nights. Maybe light some candles and make some hot apple cider to lighten the darkness and see a glimmer of the stars.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Focus on the Stars

Autumn JOY!

This past Saturday I was out at the NO KINGS rally. There were a few inflatable attendees that just made me smile. The song that has rung through my head since then is God Bless America. I am continuing to sing that each and every day. We are blessed and must hold on to that HOPE. It was a gorgeous blue-sky day, and we were joined by thousands, no millions, around the world to speak up.

Do you love driving in the country at this time of year? I love finding beautiful colors popping up here and there.

And then in my own little place I love having some touches of the season and a bit of silliness to celebrate the season.

This pumpkin scarecrow greets us as we enter the apartment.

Even at teatime the season invades.

Sunflowers are the final touch that makes me just smile.

How many pumpkins did you count?

Do you celebrate the season in your own place?

Does it make you smile?

Sending love,

Marilyn

One final pumpkin. Do you see it in my patio garden?

 

 

 

 

 

Focus on the Stars

 "And all at once, summer collapsed into fall." Oscar Wilde

This past week my "live-in gardener" and I drove north to the top end of Washington State. As we drove north I was looking for fall/autumn. I saw many trees along the way that were beginning to turn golden and some glimmers of red too. This part of the world has many evergreen trees; so the golden and reds are mixed in with the green. The weather was still sunny, not at all like fall/autumn. I continued watching along the adventure to see my sister-in-law and sipping a little tea.

The tea sipping happened in Seattle at the Northwest Tea Festival. There were a few hugs too for all the tea friends I saw there. I had some lovely puerh and oolong teas, which I shared with friends.

Along the road, the clouds told us that rain would be coming and along with the rain, fall would arrive.

This is Mt. Rainier with the cloud capping the top.

There is a lot of water in this part of the world. Here we were just taking off from Bainbridge Island to head across the water to Seattle. In no time at all we had arrived.

The views are plentiful. The water, cloud sightings, and trees touch my soul.

One of the little villages, Port Gamble, has this beautiful garden. I hadn't seen their re-do; so it was fun to see what they had done.

At the back were dahlias in bloom. They indeed brightened my day.

And across the road was more water.

This dock is on a military base at Port Townsend. It is a Marine Life Study Center.

Nearby we saw many deer wandering through town.

And we walked on one of my favorite little beaches to look for sea glass and rocks. My "live-in-gardener" couldn't resist a few pieces of driftwood to add to his bonsai collection decor.

And the view from my sister-in-law's home always delights my soul.

While watching from her windows I saw many birds, including an eagle, then also sea birds and river porpoise.

Nature always adds glimmers of joy to my heart.

I did find fall/autumn too; in the clouds and in the color of some trees.

Then the cooling of the weather and the drizzle of today said "here I am, I am here" as I pull out the socks from my drawer and the sweaters and hoodies from my closet I know the fall has arrived.

Has fall/autumn arrived in your part of the world?

Sending love,

Marilyn