Monday's Quotes

 Photos from a recent adventure to the Lan Su Chinese Gardens.

Security is mostly a superstition. 

It does not exist in nature, 

nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.

 Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.

 Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.

~Helen Keller

This week I am on an adventure.

My "live-in house-boy" will be here to care for Joey.

I will try to post along the way,

but if Wifi and my computer don't cooperate

as I wish I will see you soon.

Happy week dear friends!!!

A Woodland Lunch with Tea

 A friend of my "live-in gardener" came for lunch this week with her "live-in artist".

Jokingly on Facebook I said I would wear my tutu and when she realized I was serious,

she found one to wear to our house for lunch also.

My "live-in gardener" didn't think we would do that and bet me $100 that we wouldn't.

Now that was the easiest $100 I every won, well the only $100 I ever won for that matter.

Dancing in our tutu's I just knew we needed a woodland lunch that was the spirit

of dancing through the forest with the fairies.

We had fresh figs and dried plums from the garden.

There were three teas tasted from three different countries.

What a fun time of celebration in friendship and dancing fairies in the woodland.

Happy weekend, dear friends.

May we always remember to dance and delight in the day.

Finding JOY!

Feeling a bit under the weather today I decided to just

review my past week in photos.

These are the things that brought a smile to my face this past week.

Focusing on what makes me happy makes me feel better.

Now if the sore throat would just go away.

Sipping tea and moving along with life in the meantime.

The Tea Cozy

 When traveling in England about 10 years ago I found an antique

sale in a little town square in the Cotswold's. 

All the beautiful tea cozies came home in my bag.

Well after all they didn't take up much room.

 The front and back of this sweet cozy.

 This one is used quite often and I love the embroidery work

on the front and the back.

 A small sprig of flowers on the back of this sweet cozy.

Such attention to details.

 They all are beautiful, but need an insert inside for

actually keeping the tea warm.

I love the way the rosy pink insert shows the detail of this cozy.

The lacy detail on this cozy is just beautiful.

Do you use tea cozies?

When someone asked what a cozy is, my reply is that it is a blanket

for the teapot and keeps the tea warmer for much longer.

linking with Bernideen at http://blog.bernideens.com/

Monday's Quotes

“At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, 

the ripe earth; in a smell that is in no way inferior to the smell of the sea, 

bitter where it borders on taste, and more 

honeysweet where you feel it touching the first sounds. 

Containing depth within itself, darkness, 
something of the grave almost.”
  ― Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters on Cézanne

Photos taken at Lan Su Chinese Gardens,
the end of lotus season and the approaching of autumn.

Sun and Rain

Delight in the Sun

The birds sing their song of JOY

Refreshed by the rain

~haiku, m.miller

I love the beauty that surrounds me,

right in my own back yard.

From the doves sitting in the big tree

to the raindrops on roses. 

Notice what you notice each and every day.

Have an extra special weekend, dear friends!

English Garden Tea Cafe

They were practicing folding napkins

and we were the grateful recipients.

Good job!

Of course we start with dessert, doesn't everyone.

Fresh strawberries and cream, yummmm!

Don't worry there was another tiered stand nearby.

We definitely didn't walk away hungry.

On the bottom there were creamy egg salad sandwiches,

very tasty cucumber sandwich, and chicken salad with fresh grapes.

The middle had plain and raisin scones with lemon curd and two jams on the side.

The top had chocolate raspberry brownie and pecan bars.

Oh but we weren't finished yet!

To top the tea time there was a pumpkin bread pudding with caramel sauce.

Everything was delicious!

This was their Rose Tea, which also included a perfect brewed pot

of tea for each of us.

They serve Jasmine Pearl's teas, which delighted me, as I know Jasmine Pearl

has wonderful teas.  There was even a timer set on the table for the

perfect time to remove the T-sac of tea from the pot.

Well done, English Garden Tea Cafe!

 English Garden Tea Cafe

11211 S.E. 82nd, Clackamas, OR.

Phone: 503-342-6497
Website:  http://www.englishgardenteacafe.net/

It had been awhile since I had been to afternoon tea;
so when I heard there was a new tea cafe not to far from home
off I went.  Along came my "live-in gardener" and a friend from college.
All three of us thoroughly enjoyed the time together and sharing tea
at the English Garden Tea Cafe.