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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.

Monday 28 March 2022

Tea with Anne and Me

Happiness is often the only thing 
you can give without having it,
and it is by giving it 
that you acquire it. ~ Voltaire

Good morning and a Happy Spring to you all, dear friends! 

Spring brings with it a promise of lovely things to come...
We throw off our heavy coats and boots and relish the bare ground beneath our feet.
It's the season of renewal and there is a sense of expectancy in the air. Folks wear a smile and there is a noticeable spring in their step.

When springtime arrives, I oftentimes do think of childhood days and Anne of Green Gables. I have all the books! Have you ever read them? If you haven't, then I suggest you do because you will love them. They are delightful! And if you are fortunate enough to own a copy of Kevin Sullivan's 1985 Anne of Green Gables TV series, then watch it again for a trip down Memory Lane of days gone by. It is by far the most accurate story telling from the book. The more recent versions stray too far from the original writings and many conversations and subjects are not a part of the book. It bothers me a great deal to see the innocent story that LM Montgomery penned, distorted in the way it has been. 

It has actually been quite some time since I have set a tea table with Anne of Green Gables in mind and I decided it would be fun to do one again. I must give Pamela a shout out because it was reading of one of her comments that I decided to do this post. I hope you enjoy!

Tucked away on the east coast of Canada, is a little island called Prince Edward Island, and on this island is a charming place called Green Gables.




It is not a figment of her imagination, but a real place, which our famous author Lucy Maud Montgomery brought to life in her stories, Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, among others. 


LM Montgomery's redheaded heroine, although she is a fictional character, is famous the world over and she brings to Prince Edward Island thousands of tourists every year. It is thought that Montgomery's heroine was based upon her own life as a girl; a young girl in the late 1800s who grows up on PEI and experiences life through her vivid imagination and extraordinary vocabulary which sometimes gets her into trouble. It is a story that will warm your heart and make you laugh. 

When I was a girl, my family had moved from New Brunswick to PEI and I was very lonely for the extended family we left behind. I was shy and I was an "outsider" because there weren't many families from "away" moving to the Island at that time. I didn't quite know where I fit in you see.
I had quite the imagination as well and I took solace in reading the Anne books and fairy tales, anything that would whisk me away from my lonely life.
 
My father used to play golf at Green Gables and he would always take my brother and me along with him. My brother and I had the run of the place and each time Daddy went golfing, we had the most fun. It was while walking through the Haunted Wood and Lover's Lane, as well as touring the Green Gables house that I felt a real kinship with Anne.

So, here is my Anne. Her hair is indeed very red or titian, although it doesn't look like it here. The light was playing havoc with the colours.
She is here just long enough to bid you, "Hello!" and then she will go back to her special place. She was the last Christmas present from my father, so she holds a very special spot. 

This is an earlier image of her from another post. You can see her braids are quite red and she has green eyes like me.

On the tea table is one of my favourite table cloths. It is one of a kind which I have named Bernideen. I brought out some pieces in different china patterns in a pink theme because of course, Anne loved pink although she couldn't wear it very well because of her red hair. 

Please join me for some tea sandwiches and Anne's favourite, ice cream.

"I can just imagine myself sitting down at the head of the table and pouring out the tea," said Anne, shutting her eyes ecstatically. "And asking Diana if she takes sugar! I know she doesn't but of course I'll ask her as if I didn't know." ~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables

The teapot I found at our Anne of Green Gables Store a few years ago. Isn't she lovely, decorated with those beautiful pink roses?



I set out three of my LM Montgomery books. The wee birdie is there, just because...Spring is here!


I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string. ~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Avonlea


My other little Anne doll, is also from my father. Her arms and legs are filled with Island sand. The tulips are just starting to open and are the most delicate shade of pink.




The tea sandwiches are egg salad on white bread and cucumber with cream cheese on whole wheat.




"Dear old world. You are very lovely and I am glad to be alive in you." - LM Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables

Anne's favourite; ice cream, and some homemade strawberry preserves on top will be our sweet today. 


"The ice cream was delicious, Marilla, and it was so lovely and dissipated to be sitting there eating it at eleven o'clock at night." ~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables

The tulips have finally opened! You can barely tell from the picture that they are of palest pink.
A lot of people prefer their tulips standing straight and tall, like soldiers. I prefer them dancing a bit like they are here, but that is only my preference.

This concludes my tea for today. Although things are not as they should be in this world at the moment, I will end my post with the last line in Anne of Green Gables. It is comforting to know that He is still in control. 

" ' God's in his heaven, all's right with the world,' " whispered Anne softly. ~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables

I hope I brought a little pleasure into your day. Thank you for joining me and God bless you!


Some of the pieces used in this post are:
Hampstead teapot
Lavender Rose 
Serena
Aynsley
Anne China doll and an Anne sand doll 
Anne books




Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

13 comments :

  1. Lovely post, and I love the words you ended with. Thanks for that encouraging reminder!

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  2. I really enjoyed your post. I never knew much about Prince Edward Island but Anne of Green Gables changed all that for me. I totally agree about the more recent film which I have no tolerance for. I am also very fond of Edwardian clothes and the garments presented in Road to Avonlea were amazing. Hetty King's smart suits were a work of art! Thank you for this enjoyable reminder and loved hearing how you moved there!

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  3. Hi Sandi,

    I also love Anne of Green Gables so I enjoyed this nostalgic tea time with our favourite red-haired orphan!

    The 1985 version with Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie (RIP) was my favourite film adaptation. I wished I had a copy of the dvd. If I recall correctly, part of the movie was also shot at Westfield Heritage Village in Rockton, Ontario.

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  4. Hello, I really enjoyed your blog story. When the Megan Follows movie version came out, our family decided to visit PEI the next year. I live in Janesville, WI so it was a 2 week trip for us to visit our family in Oshawa ONT and drive through Canada, take the boat over, then drive through the eastern US states back home. When we left, we all stood on deck wishing we didn't have to leave. I had such a good time there. I tell you, the people at church were envious when they found out that we had that trip. I think it was everyone's dream that year. I love your blog. Thank you for bringing a little joy into our lives.

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  5. Hello Sandi,
    What a lovely post. Tim attended a conference in Charlottetown a few years ago and we took some extra days for vacation beforehand. It was one of my dreams come true to visit Green Gables. I love the books and have all of the Anne series, plus a few others. So much wisdom and loveliness comes through Montgomery's writings. I hope we get to return to your island one day.
    The 1985 film version is definitely the best!

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  6. Oh Sweet Sandi! Thank you so much for the shout out to my blog! Now I wish I had a recent post on there about Anne! I was actually thinking it was about time to do another tea party with Anne of GG soon. I loved this post today and your lovely tea time tribute to Anne. You are so blessed to live right there where she "lived", or at least where the story originated. And I agree with your thoughts on the more modern version of Anne of Green Gables. I found it rather disturbingly dark and not light and winsome like Anne was. I couldn't watch beyond the first episode and barely could watch that. It was very disappointing. Megan Follows was the best Anne and how I always picture her in my mind. Thank you for sharing this today. This was delightful.

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  7. How absolutely delightful. I always loved the books and he series, and it is so much fun to see the roses and tea with the dolls. Lovely post, and bring a huge smile to this old face! Sandi

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  8. Hi Sandi,
    Thanks so much for this post. I, too, agree with everyone. Megan Follows was the best Anne. After watching the series with my children on PBS, we were so excited when Road to Avonlea came on. My grandmother gifted me with her copy of Anne of Avonlea, which was a Christmas present to her from her aunt in 1917. That started my quest to collect the original "Anne" books. I found "Anne's House of Dreams" from 1920 for a quarter at a garage sale, but most of them cost much more. I just love them. I own the DVDs of both Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea and also the Road to Avonlea series. They are so special and extremely well done. Better than anything you could find on Netflix! I enjoyed reading about all the fun you and your brother had exploring Green Gables while your father golfed. Such wonderful memories for you! Thank you again.

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  9. What a darling post and filled with memories, Sandi! What a special last gift you gave from your beloved Father, with your Anne doll. Your tea is just beautiful with all your pretty pieces. I love that ending quote from Anne. šŸ™šŸ»šŸ’•šŸ™šŸ»

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  10. Hi Sandi. A nice post on Anne of Green Gables. I visited the house in the 1970s. A long time ago and I used to have a collection of the books. Your Anne doll is such a treasure.
    I love that tea pot with with roses and your sandwiches look delicious.

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  11. Yes, Sandi, you did indeed "bring a little pleasure into my day." Just what I needed on this day that I had declared (to my husband) a No News Day. Your posts make me long to visit PEI and Anne of Green Gables. And, you already know, I am in complete agreement with you about those who put their own spin on Anne of Green Gables instead of sticking to the story as written. Would have loved to join you for this tea, which included my favorite tea sandwiches.

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  12. Oh my - I see that tablecloth from quite a few years ago now! I put a link to this blog post on our Facebook group today called: Christian Tea Time & Hospitality.

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  13. How I enjoyed this beautiful Anne tea, Sandi! You have shared Anne's story so beautifully. Growing up on PEI, I understand the outsider mentality Islanders have as my own mother was born in New Brunswick, my dad the Islander. My family, the MacLauchlans, were from Stanhope. Growing up on the sandy shores of the island, Anne was my heroine. I still have and cherish every book LMM ever wrote. Your tea today made me so lonesome for the salty air, seagulls calling and waves splashing on the shore. Thank you for sharing this lovely Anne tea with us!

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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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