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Celebrating the Joy of Living & Home Making ~

Baking, Cooking, Decorating, Tea Time, and taking Inspiration from those I love and the world around me...

A sharing of my heart and my home from a Christian perspective

...with a wee bit of whimsy added.

Tuesday 2 February 2010

Tea Time Tuesday


Good morning all my bloggy friends~
Welcome to my little blog and the second post of my new adventure in blogging; "Tea Time and Testimonials."
The little button above is courtesy of Olde Dame Penniwig. I thought it would make the perfect button! Thank you Ms. Penniwig. You can visit her here http://penniwigs.blogspot.com/

The tea set I would like to share with you today is my beloved Rose Chintz. It is produced by Johnson Bros. of England and pieces are very hard to come by. All of the original pieces will be found bearing this stamp as well as the green mark. There are reproductions today which are dishwasher safe and microwaveable. Most of mine are the originals and have been given to me by my sweet Auntie P. Some I have also found on eBay. I love the pretty flowers that adorn the dishes and because I am a girly-girl, I love anything pink or has roses on it.


Would you care for some tea? There are freshly baked carrot muffins as well as chocolate truffles in the little candy dish. Please help yourself. The little birdie has also dropped by to say hello.


Today's post I have taken from the little book, "Tea Time with God." It's a rather long excerpt but I rather enjoyed it; hope you do too.


The brief respite known as afternoon tea is said to have been the creation of Anna, Duchess of Bedford, in the nineteenth century. At that time the English customarily ate a hearty breakfast, paused for a light lunch at midday, and didn't return to the table until late evening. Understandably hungry long before dinner, the duchess asked to have a small meal served in her private quarters in the late afternoon. Eventually, she invited close friends to share the repast. The sensible custom was quickly adopted throughout England.

While the Duchess' invitation of tea time was aimed at nourishment of her body, she and the rest of England soon discovered that adding beautiful china and good friends to the occasion also nourished the soul. In fact, the real value of formal tea lies in its ability to enrich and brighten the everyday routine by stressing the importance of courtesy and friendship.

We are wise to recognize our need for a "spiritual tea time" each day. Even if we have a "hearty breakfast" in the Word each morning, there may be times when the pressures of the day come to bear in late afternoon. Our spirits long for a little peace and refreshment in the presence of our loving Saviour. Just as enjoying a muffin with a few sips of tea can give something of a lift to our lagging physical energy level, a quick prayer or voicing of praise can give our spirit a lift.

Set aside some time in the middle of the afternoon to turn your attention to the beauty of life that the Lord has set before you. Find beauty and comfort in the people around you, the flowers on the table, or simply the delicious aroma of tea brewing. Create a few moments away from the hustle and bustle of your life before returning to the tasks that await you. Give thanks to the Lord for sharing His presence with you.


"He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul." ~ Psalm 23: 2-3

This post I would like to dedicate to my sweet Uncle Doug, a true English gentleman, who hails from merry old England, settled in Canada, and married my sweet Auntie P. A true Brit, he loves his tea time in the late afternoon! Love you Uncle Doug!

Thank you for stopping by for Tea Time today. I would be delighted if you also shared a photo of a favourite teacup, china mug, or tea pot along with a short story, testimonial, or scripture verse. Perhaps you would like to share a favourite recipe with your tea time post. I will be happy to add your link if you want to participate, just let me know. All you need to do is grab the button on my sidebar.


Have a beautiful day and God bless you.

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

21 comments :

  1. What a lovely post! I'll have to plan ahead and join in next time :)

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  2. G'morn ~ What a delightful piece of history to share, & learn from, today. I so loved Europe on all our visits, & treasure those afternoon teas ...

    TYSM for sharing this wonderful tidbit.

    Haev a beautiful week.
    TTFN ~Marydon

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  3. Beautiful Post Sandi we enjoyed it very much!! And a beautiful tea set also!! We are joining you today for tea time~ http://thewattsfamilyhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/02/tuesday-tea-time-testimony-knowing.html
    Blessings Love Heather :)

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  4. Oh Sandi, what a sweet post, and a beautiful tea set! I am so disappointed with myself, as I MEANT to participate this week, and forgot! I am posting your button on my right side bar, SO I WON'T FORGET!.. and would love to join you for NEXT Tuesday! It will bring back memories of little tea parties I used to have with my great grandmother, and if she were looking down from Heaven above, I know she would LOVE it! ~tina

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  5. Sandi, I love your china tea set. What a great Idea Tea and scripture! I have already posted for today but would love to join in next Tuesday. I read where Beansieleigh said she posted your button on her blog so she wouldn't forget. I would like to do the same but which one? You have a beautiful blog. Carol

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  6. Rose Chintz is also the pattern of my dishes. I have found a lot of pieces at TJ Maxx and Marshall's.

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  7. Hi Sandie,

    What a pretty and informative post. Thanks for stopping by and saying hello on PS. I'm a LITTLE late getting around, but that seems to be my life... :-)

    Have a great week,
    Judy

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  8. Sure is a pretty pattern!

    I have never had an actual tea! I would like to have one, one of these fine days. I know there were a lot of nice tea shops over on Victoria Island, but never managed to "take tea."

    I do have a little teatime recipe, tho...Angel Halos...preheat oven, cut out bread rounds from white bread, butter them almost to the edge, then place a little dollop of lemon curd or jam in the middle...put in oven and when they lightly brown, take them out and enjoy...that is a very old recipe dating from perhaps 1920...

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  9. I love your post today. It's so sweet and inspirational.

    hugs
    Sissie

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  10. Sandi darling, what a lovely post. I so enjoyed taking tea with you this afternoon, the tea, carrot muffins and the chocolate truffles were all so delicious. Thanks for the invite. See you next Tuesday, if not before.

    Love & Hugs
    Duchess

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  11. Hi Sandi,
    Nice post-your rose chintz china is so pretty.
    I hope to join in next Tuesday.
    Take care,
    Carolyn

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  12. What a lovely post. Any dises with roses are one of my favorites. I will get my teapost out and come to play.

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  13. That tea service seems to have been created just for you, Sandi.

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  14. Sandi,
    This is a great post. Yes , I tend to start and end my day with the Lord in prayer... but there are many hours inbetween that I need to turn to him also. thanks for the reminder.
    Blessings!
    Gwen

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  15. Thanks for coming and leaving such a sweet comment. I am glad to welcome you as a follower. Stella

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  16. Hi Sandi,

    I love this tea idea, and am looking forward to joining in soon. I have a set of those same plates and bowls, but that's all I managed to acquire, so far. I also have Tea Time With God...what a wonderful little book for uplifting and encouraging the spirit...the word of God and tea...now that is a combination that can't be beat!

    I am making a lot of progress in my organizing and decluttering, but I have to tell you, the more I do, the more I see that needs to be done. I had no idea it was so bad, but that's what happens when you ignore things for several years...this time, I have to do it...it's a spiritual discipline that God is calling me to, and I am also seeing the comparison to my spiritual lack of organization...my time and energy is not where it should be, just like the junk drawer, I am not where I need to be, but instead am in a drawer full of unrelated ideas and goals. I'm glad I took a minute this morning to look at my blog and see your comment...yes, I do love tea and have many testimonies to share...thanks so much for being a wonderful blogger that understands and appreciates the idea around tea...I know this will be a hit around blogland!

    Hugs...God bless!

    Mary

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  17. What a nice post. Tea Time. What a nice idea. I will try and join you next Tuesday. Your pattern on your tea set is beautiful!
    I am looking forward to visiting and seeing the different tea sets..
    Mona

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  18. Oh, Sandi, I loved stopping by for some tea with you today!! I also enjoyed the beautiful inspiration from your post. I need to take a little tea time each day with the Lord. Your tea set is gorgeous and so was the sweet little bird. The muffins look yummy, too. I love muffins with my tea or coffee. I hope you have a lovely fun filled weekend and thank you so much for coming by for a visit with me! Vicki

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  19. Sandi, this really is lovely... such sweet thoughts! And my MIL has that same pattern. I always think of her when I see it and smile!

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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I am delighted to have you visit me and I read every comment. Please forgive me for not being able to visit you all as there are so many of you lovely bloggy friends now. I will visit as much as possible. I wish you a day filled with JOY!

Also, due to the amount of spam I've been getting, I have had to set Comment Moderation. ~ Sandi

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