When November Comes A-Knocking!

It was November ~ the month of crimson sunsets, parting birds, deep, sad hymns of the sea, passionate wind-songs in the pines. ~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables

Good morning dear friends! Well, October is gone and a new month is here. When November comes a-knocking it tends to be rather dreary around here until the Christmas lights go up. Almost everyone leaves the decorating until after November 11th in honour of our veterans. After that, the Christmas music will start playing and the lights will be twinkling in every shop window. 

November is the most disagreeable month in the whole year. ~ Louisa May Alcott

I'm sure many folks would agree with that quote because the tree branches are bare, flowers are gone, and there is a sharper nip in the air than the month before. It is no surprise to awaken in the morning and find Jack Frost had paid a visit overnight. It is time to bring out those heavy jackets and coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. Yet today, it is warmer than usual for November. The temp is supposed to get up to a balmy 18 degrees Celsius so I certainly agree with Miss Alcott's quote. It is as though November can't make up its mind this year.

I usually start decorating mid-November and I'm looking forward to replacing the coloured leaves and pumpkins with lights and pretty holiday vignettes. Christmas is my absolute favourite holiday and the decorating always brings to mind wonderful memories of happy times. 

By the middle of the month I hope to have at least one of my fruit cakes made. I always make a dark and a light. At this time of year I always start craving spicy desserts too like the mincemeat tarts which I am serving today with my tea. I just buy my mincemeat in a jar but I try to make my own pastry for the shells because it is so much better. These tarts however are made with frozen pastry shells because I can't use my pastry blender right now. The CTS {carpal tunnel} is causing me quite a bit of grief these days.

When November comes a-knocking, I bring out my Friendly Village china. I'm an old-fashioned gal so these patterns appeal to me in a big way.

 The Covered Bridge

Every piece I have is vintage except for the teapot and milk jug. I love the red buildings set in the stark brown, green and cream background! Like the Johnson Bros. Rose Chintz pattern, I find this Friendly Village just charming. 

So, let's have some tea and tarts, shall we?

The Ice House

This china is so perfect for Autumn and the winter months.

I have four cups and saucers. Two sets which I bought at a shop that was closing so I got them at five dollars each. 

Each piece of Friendly Village depicts a scene from our past; an ice house, a covered bridge, a school house, among other things. A truly old-fashioned pattern which suggests a life of hard work yet such wonderful sentiment.

The School House

It hung on a pail that stood on a stool
By the door of an old-time country school,
And the water it dipped was cool and sweet
Fresh as mountain dew in the schoolroom's heat.
And never was water so good, so cool,
As dipped from the pail of that old-time school,
Along with the schoolhouse of another day,
The common tin dipper has passed away. - Margaret Neel

I am so glad that they have captured these olden day scenes under a glaze to be enjoyed forever.

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

Sugar Maples teapot

As I sip my cup of tea I can't help but reflect upon the days of my childhood. With the Christmas season nearing, I tend to become very sentimental. I suppose a lot of us are like that around this time of year.

Many of you have seen the old pancake jug that my Granny used. It was once used by my great-great grandmother so it is well over one hundred years old. To some it may not be very pretty. There is a small chip in the handle and a crack in the body but to me it represents a life of hard work and the love of family. The fact that my beloved Granny used it makes it very precious!

I can still picture my Granny stirring up her pancakes in that jug and pouring the batter into the cast iron frying pan. She made stacks of pancakes and served them with baked beans every Saturday night for my mother, my Auntie P, and the rest of her family. Oftentimes my Granny fed a few boarders and a neighbour or two as well. For years, after Granny went on to her reward, my Auntie P kept the jug on display in her home until she passed it on to me. Today I use it to display my ivy in. Such wonderful memories are attached to that jug!

Memories are timeless treasures of the heart. -unknown

Savouring my hot cup of tea in an old-fashioned teacup and thinking about my childhood fills me with a sense of nostalgia which is hard to put into words. I only know how thankful I am for the blessing of a warm loving home and family, a warm cup of tea, and such lovely memories.

My beloved Auntie P took a very bad fall and has been in the hospital for a week now. I would appreciate your prayers for her.

My middle boy has a birthday tomorrow, on the 7th, so I am thinking about him today. Happy Birthday, Sweetheart! He lives out on the west coast so we won't be able to celebrate together. He is however very close in my heart.

The picture on the left is him giving his speech at his brother's wedding in July and the one on the right is when he was home in August.

I am also very sad to learn of the shooting in a Texas church yesterday. Our world seems to have gone mad and we pray for peace. When I was growing up I never heard of such things taking place, yet today our children and grandchildren hear about these tragedies every other day. Our little ones live in a different world today unfortunately. God bless them and keep them safe!

So today I am thankful for a quiet cup of tea and beautiful memories I keep tucked away and bring out every now. 

So where are your thoughts taking you this morning?

I am joining the following parties as well~

Tuesday Cuppa Tea
 Friends Sharing Tea
 Share Your Cup Thursday
 Home Sweet Home


 Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

A Tale of Two Kitties

It was the best of times; It was the worst of times... ~ Charles Dickens from A Tale of Two Cities.

Hello dear friends! Did my title catch your attention? Well, this post is not about the book written by Charles Dickens nor is it about two cities but rather two kitties. My son's kitties to be specific.

I didn't realize when I was preparing this post that yesterday, Sunday, was National Cat Day here in Canada! So I guess I picked a seredipitous time to write this post. 

A year and a half ago, my son adopted a kitten from the Humane Society he named Merlin. Merlin was found on the streets of Denver and was suffering with a broken hip. Today Merlin has a home, he's healthy, and well loved. 

He is a Russian Blue and he's a big cat! However, Merlin sometimes gets lonely and requires a lot of attention. Attention that my son wasn't always able to give him because he worked all day and when he was home in the evenings, he often had work to do which he brought home with him from the office. 

A few weeks ago my son and his spouse adopted another kitty to keep Merlin company. 

Say Hello to Minnie, short for Minerva! This kitty was a four month old female. Isn't she cute? Love her booties!

She, being a kitten, just wanted to play. Well, Merlin didn't take too kindly to this strange cat in his domain. There was a lot of hissing going on.

Anyone who has ever owned a cat is well aware that your home is the cat's castle and whether you like it or not, the cat thinks you are his property. So, there have been some issues with the two kitties. Merlin wasn't fussy about sharing his castle and rather resented this newcomer. Minnie, on the other hand, wanted to play with him. Minnie is very affectionate and she probably didn't understand why Merlin was being such a "cat"! Apparently, Minnie gave Merlin's head a swat right after this picture was taken and that didn't go over very well.

Here you can see Minnie has been relegated to the bottom of the cat tree. One can just tell by the way Merlin looks here that his message is loud and clear, "I'm the King, don't bother me!"

But as they say, time heals all wounds and the two have been playing a little more. Minnie now has permission to snuggle on the rung next to Merlin so they're making progress. As you can see, Merlin still has one eye open however!

Anyhow, I am happy to report that the two kitties are beginning to bond although sometimes the play-fighting tends to get out of hand. 

Are any of you cat people?

Today's cup of tea is accompanied by my kitties. My china kitties, made by Avon, are very well behaved. I can set them anywhere and they stay put. 

The pink teapot was a Mother's Day gift one year. It is made by Ganz and a nice size for a couple of cuppas.

Come and share a pot of tea. There's just enough for you and me. And if by chance we drink it up, we'll make ourselves another cup. ~ unknown 

One last time using my October Cosmos teacup made by Royal Albert. 

And my stack of pretty teacups in pink for breast cancer awareness. A Serena on the bottom and next a Lady Carlyle both made by Royal Albert. October Cosmos on top.

This kitty is made of ceramic and was gifted to me by a good friend when my second son was born. She wanted to give me something different so she made this for me.

My ceramic kitty has weathered many moves and never sustained a scratch. She's getting up there in years but she's looking great!

This is my last post in October. It has been a pink month in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness and I hope you have enjoyed seeing some of my pink tea wares. 

When one has been diagnosed with breast cancer, life takes on a whole new meaning. I remember my best friend squeezed every little bit of joy out of each day. We would take walks through the park and be entertained by our little red squirrels scampering up trees while others busied themselves gathering acorns. 
We noticed how blue the sky was and how the laugh of a child was the best sound in the world. We enjoyed many cups of coffee at the coffee shop and always managed a giggle or two. Christmastime rekindled the joy of being a little child again and family was more precious than ever. I learned a lot from her; to never take life for granted! 

My friend lost her battle and I still miss her and all the times we spent together. Every season and every holiday brings back memories of lovely times spent with her and I remember how beautiful she was inside and out.

I used to wonder why she was taken and I was still here. I came to the conclusion that her job here on earth was done but God still had work for me to do.

The other night I was watching Chesapeake Shores where Mick and his son were in deep conversation about people they had lost. 
Mick said, "No matter the reason we're still here and they're not, we have a responsibility to live not just for ourselves but for them as well." I thought that a wise statement but I also think we should live in such a way that we are a blessing to one another; to represent God's love and grace here on earth. I know that is my heart's cry. 

I do hope you ladies are taking care of yourselves and please be sure to get your mammogram!

November is on its way and soon I will be preparing my home and my pantry for Christmas. It is wonderful to start thinking about the Holidays again.

Before I close I have to show off the bracelet my little six year old granddaughter made me. She made this all by herself and sent it in an envelope to me the other day. I wear it all the time. Of course, it is pink!

They invented hugs to let people know you love them without saying anything. ~ Bill Keane

Thank you for joining me today for tea and a chat. Have a wonderful week and God bless each one of you! Hugs to you.


 I am joining the following parties as well~

 Tuesday Cuppa Tea
 Friends Sharing Tea
 Share Your Cup Thursday
 Home Sweet Home

 Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi