Life's Blessings

"There is always music amongst the trees of the garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it." (Minnie Aumonier)

Life's Blessings

Happy Father's Day to all the dads!

"Fathers are angels sent from heaven." (Unknown)

"Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father!" (Lydia M. Child, 1936)

Can you have too many books?

I went to our local "Garden Ridge" store looking for something for my front door and what did they have on sale? Stacks and stacks of craft, garden and decorating books! I couldn't resist and brought home a stack.Some of my favorite titles include:

• Terrific Texture Techniques
• Care & Repair of Antiques and Collectibles
• Decorating with China & Glass

I love to learn new crafts, so I also bought a few that I will try - eventually:

• Creative Paper Projects
• Sponging Etc
• Decoupage

And did I get something for the front door you ask? Alas, no. I guess I will have to read through the books to get some ideas:)

A sense of community...

Living in the suburbs of a large city, I sometimes miss the small town feel. Small towns have such a sense of community. This morning I was sitting my porch with a cup of tea and I noticed a bird entering a bird house on my fence. My son-in-law had made this birdhouse for me about 10 years ago, but birds had not taken advantage of it until now (probably because it's only about 3 feet off the ground.) Much to my surprise a beautiful house wren entered it. Then I began noticing all the movement going on in our backyard and our neighbors' yards. I could hear at least a dozen different bird calls. While I watched, a beautiful show ensued. Birds were flying through the yard, sitting on the trees, looking for grubs on the ground. Although not present this morning, other creatures also visit our backyard - rabbits, salamanders, chipmunks, etc. What a wonderful community!

Life's Blessings

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." (Buddha, 563BCE-483BCE)

"Sharing is loving." (Unknown)

"There is no delight in owning anything unshared." (Seneca, 3BC-65AD)

Dog sitting

We're dog sitting this week for Sir Winston, my daughter's poodle. He's very sweet and well-behaved. (He loves his grandma:)It's very difficult to get pictures of Winston. As soon as he sees a camera he becomes hyper! So the best thing to do is take pictures when he's not looking or when he's paying attention to something else. In the picture above I'm holding his leash so he thinks he's going for a walk! In the picture below he sees some children.
Perhaps he can get a better view if he stands on his hind legs. He wants so badly to go and play!
And where is Sweeti you ask? Any place that Winston is not.

Life's Blessings

"Friends are flowers in the garden of life." (Proverb)

"There are no strangers here, only friends you haven't yet met." (William Butler Yeats, 1865-1939)

"Plant the seeds of friendship, then let the blessings grow." (Unknown)

Tea Party at the Victorian Parlor

Sweeti and I attended the tea party hosted by the Victorian Parlor. What a lovely day! Earlier, there were many decisions to be made - which hat, gloves, cameo, and so on...Once we arrived, we decided we would have tea on the back porch - the air smelled so sweet and the birds were singing as if they were attending the party too. The weather was perfect - warm and sunny! 
A beautiful bouquet of flowers graced the table...

A menu designed for my diet - how thoughtful!

Fresh veggies - celery, carrots and broccoli

Tuna (with lite mayo) and deviled ham sandwiches on whole wheat bread

Plain tuna for Sweeti

Red potato salad

Strawberries

Paris tea (from Harney & Sons) 

The pink flowered vintage teapot was just right!
Sweeti made herself comfortable on a white wicker chair and began nibbling on tuna...

Now it's my turn!
And what better way to spend the afternoon feasting at a lovely tea party?
Thanks Victorian Parlor for hosting this beautiful event! Sweeti and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Teapots...

come in assorted shapes and patternsas do their finials, lids and handles.
Some are very old
some are made of silver,
some have beautiful flowers on them,
and some have scenes.
They make wonderful collections but best of all they make a great cup of tea.

Trip to the food pantry

In preparation for Saturday's tea party at the Victorian Parlor, we made a trip to our local food pantry yesterday. Sadly, I forgot the camera so I borrowed this pic from their website. The Lilburn Cooperative Ministry,consisting of both a thrift store and a food pantry, offers needed help for many in the area. They are located at 5329 Five Forks Trickum Road in Lilburn, GA.

The Birthday Girl!

Happy Birthday to a wonderful daughter!Age 1 in the backyard
2 years of age at the beach
Lounging at 3 years of age
Her 4th birthday!

Although these were taken many years ago, she hasn't changed much. She still likes her backyard, living in a warm climate, relaxing and laughing (although not on such a contemporary sofa), and having dessert (preferably with a cup of tea). Happy birthday dear daughter!