Time for Tea and Preparing for the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's the most wonderful time of the year.
With the kids jingle belling,
and everyone telling you,
"Be of good cheer,"
It's the most wonderful time of the year. ~ Eddie Pola, George Wyle, 1963



Welcome friends to Tea Time and Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends this week!
  
When we forget the obvious, the little joys, the meals together, the birthday celebrations, the weeping together in time of pain, the wonder of the sunset or the daffodil peeping through the snow, we become less human.~ Madeleine L’Engle

Do you like my posies? The bouquet of roses was a good deal at the grocery. Two yellow, two white, three pink, and three red roses makes for a colourful arrangement for my tea table today.

A month from today is Christmas Eve. Are you getting ready? 

This time of year always brings a bit of nostalgia as I unpack the treasured ornaments from over the years.... 

The special little rocking horse my second son gave me when he was ten years old.


The drummer mouse my youngest son gifted me with for my birthday one year. He had played the snare drum in The Little Drummer Boy in the school band.

For Christmas is tradition time - 
Traditions that recall 
The precious memories down the years,
The sameness of them all. ~ Helen Lowrie Marshall

These two boys get a little sentimental around this time of year. For one, it's the music which brings back fond memories of his mom in the kitchen baking holiday treats and trimming the tree while the music played. 

For the other, it's the music, the food, the decorations and everything else the holiday inspires. He is truly a kid at heart at Christmastime. He takes after his mom and grandfather who always loved the holidays.

Both of these boys live far away, one in Vancouver, BC and the other in Illinois, and I will not see them during the holidays so it's an extra sentimental time for this mom. I am so very thankful for Skype however, and very thankful that my oldest son and his family live just five minutes away!

As you all know, I am a bird watcher and I enjoy our little feathered friends. I love the cardinals but I have never seen one as we don't have them here. My son who lives here on the Island gifted me with three red cardinal ornaments one year because he knows I love them. 

I have used this one in a wreath which hangs in the dining room. 

I have the best kids!

You should always be the best decoration in your own house.~ Phoebe Howard 

For our tea, I have set out some of my Johnson Bros. Friendly Village. 

It's perfect for this time of year with each scene of yesteryear transferred on to each piece!




Tea is quiet and our thirst for tea is never far from our craving for beauty. ~ James Norwood Pratt

All of my Friendly Village; dinner plates, salad plates, bread & butter plates, bowls, teacups and saucers, is vintage except for the teapot and the creamer.

I have made a short cut version of a Victorian Sponge cake for our tea. The cake is layered and filled with strawberry jam and fresh whipped cream; yum! Hubby isn't a big cake lover but he sure enjoys this one.

I liked Karen's sentiment from her last week's post. She said blog land is like a Friendly Village and I agree with her. It's a lovely place where we can stay in touch and share one another's interests, especially pretty china and tea. 
We are inspired by each other and care deeply when one of our friends is going through a difficult time. Blog land is a wonderful community of bloggers and I am so happy to be a part of it.

Next week is the first of December and I will begin sharing some Christmas inspired teas with you. I also have a special Christmas Tea planned for you on December 15th. I will tell you more about it next week.

I am delighted you have visited today and I am always happy when you join me for tea and conversation.  

If you have something related to tea time or coffee break, please link up with me and I will be happy to visit you. All teacups/coffee cups, teapots/coffee pots, chocolate pots, tablescapes, tea time recipes, and visits to a Tea Shop are welcome.

Have a wonderful day, dear friends, and I wish all of you in the US, a bountiful and beautiful Thanksgiving Day!




I am linking to these lovely parties as well this week~

A Return to Loveliness
Tea Cup Tuesday~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday
Tuesday Cuppa Tea
Friends Sharing Tea
Share Your Cup Thursday
Home Sweet Home

An InLinkz Link-up

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi