Tea Time Tuesday

"Every house where love abides
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home sweet home
For there the heart can rest." ~ Henry Van Dyke

Hello ladies and welcome to Tea Time Tuesday! Can you believe tomorrow is the 1st of May? My, but time flies!

After a fabulous week {not counting my being sick with the cold} with all my boys home, {one son lives here and the other two live off Island} things are gradually returning to normal around here. 

My middle J who lives in Vancouver, BC, flew out on Saturday evening and my youngest J who lives in Toronto, flew out yesterday evening.
The two J's flew home to help us celebrate our Anniversary with their big brother J and his family. Our Anniversary is actually on May 6 but we celebrated it a week early.
I will share all about it next week. It was wonderful having all my boys home together for this very special occasion!

Rose Petals Tea-for-one which I got off the Internet

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

Today's tea is going to be a wee mixture of subjects...
As I mentioned in my post last week, I am thinking of making some changes to Tea Time Tuesday just for the Summer months.

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With gardening, picnics, and outdoor living fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to share our teacups and teapots in fun settings such as at the beach, in the garden, out on the deck, or on a park bench, as well as enjoying tea time indoors.

This is our friend Bernideen's tea in the garden from last week. Bernideen always sets a lovely tea table whether indoors or out. I hope you will join her too for Tea in the Garden each Wednesday.

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You must check out her shop too at Bernideens where she carries everything any tea lover could desire. Bernideen is a floral designer, among her many talents, and she sells lovely arrangements in teapots as well as teas, china, and other pretties. One of my dreams would be to actually visit her shop in person....

Perhaps you've made a teacup planter or birdbath for your garden which you would like to share with us....

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Or you fancy making a fairy garden in a vintage teacup.

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Perhaps you like creating teacup candles or you have used broken china to make a birdhouse, like this darling birdhouse crafted by Penny @ Lavender Hill Studio

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I would also like to give you the opportunity to share your recipes for tea sandwiches and sweets if you wish. 
And as always, I welcome your indoor teas, poems, tea quotes, and scripture verses.

So, beginning next week, please feel free to share all your lovely tea things, recipes, and crafts involving teacups and teapots. 

Now on to today's tea~

Colourful tulips and my Rose Petals teacup made by Maxwell and Williams. I love the size and shape of this cup. It is comfortable to hold and it holds a nice amount of tea.


Through blogging, I have met some of the sweetest ladies! Friends encourage us, inspire us, and oftentimes go the extra mile.
These past three and half years have been an extraordinary journey for me and the thoughtful things people say and do just blesses my heart.

A couple of weeks ago, my friend and yours, Kathy at The Writer's Reverie had a Giveaway to celebrate her Blogoversary and guess what? I was one of the winners! Yes, I was, and I want to share my lovely win with you today.

Each item was a splendid presentation in pretty tissue paper and ribbon. The poet certainly knows how to make a gift special! In fact everything was so lovely that I was hesitant to open them.

  
This pretty yellow gift held a darling teddy in a teacup; a Teabearie. The inscription on the cup says, "Gems are precious but friends are priceless." I think Gem Teabearie is precious wearing her string of pearls, don't you? 

The lavender gift held a miniature teapot with a teensey tea set on the top.

Kathy also included some lovely Blueberry Oolong tea, a lovely notepad, and books; one of which is her very own book of poetry and devotions.

I haven't had a spare moment to look at the books yet but I am looking forward to sitting down with my cup of tea and perusing them. Thank you Kathy, your gift has truly blessed me!


Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.

Take some time for tea today. A cup of tea and a good book is a wonderful way to relax after a busy day or a busy week such as I have had.

"If you give even a cup of cold water to one of My followers, you will surely be rewarded." ~ Matthew 10:42


I am delighted you have stopped by for a visit today. Your presence always make my tea party that much more special! Do you have a favourite teacup/teapot or mug that you would like to share with us today? I would love to see it and I'm sure others would too!
If you wish, you may do coffee instead of tea or the following is acceptable too:
Hot Apple Cider
Hot Chocolate
Lemonade
Iced Tea or iced coffee
Punch in a lovely bowl.
No alcoholic beverages please.

The Tea Time Tuesday button on my sidebar is available for you to use in your post or place on your sidebar if you wish. A poem, tea quote, or scripture verse would be more than welcome! To be sure everyone has a visit, it would be nice if you visited the participant before and after your name. Inlinkz is available below for you to sign up for my tea party.

As a courtesy, please link back to me so your visitors will find their way here to visit all of my lovely participants. Thank you! 

I am joining the following parties as well~

Simply Sweet ~ http://angelwingsandapronstrings.blogspot.com/
A Return to Loveliness ~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
Tea Cup Tuesday ~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/
Tea Party Tuesday ~ http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea ~ http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Tea in the Garden ~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/
Teacup Thursday ~ http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/


Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Pink Saturday

Hi everyone~ As some of you know, I have my family home so I have been very busy.

I have also gotten the sniffles and using lots of these. Good thing they're pretty! Can you see the pink roses on the tissue?

I've been drinking lots of Lemon Ginger tea from my pretty teacup.

It's not a good time to have the sniffles especially with my family home. But it's good to have some pretty tissues, some pink tulips, and lots of hot tea to help make one feel better.

So, because I have company and I'm not feeling the best, I'm taking a blog break until Monday. See you then for Tea Time Tuesday.

In the meantime, please visit Beverly and all her lovely pinkies. Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Tea Time Tuesday

" But what on earth is half so dear-
So longed for - as the hearth of home?" ~ Emily Bronte - "A Little While"

Hello everyone and welcome to another Tea Time Tuesday! I have company this week so I will be a little slower getting around for my visits. 

My boys are all home to help us celebrate our upcoming Wedding Anniversary. More about that at a later date.....

I have been very busy preparing for their arrival; cleaning, baking cookies, muffins, etc: and making lots of spaghetti sauce....

Sugar cookies were one of the staples of the cookie jar

when they were growing up.

 

Made with love for my boys!

And because of my very hectic schedule, today's tea will be short and sweet. So, do come in and I'll pour us some tea.

White roses and transferware teacups....

The teacups were made in England and I wonder about the tea parties they attended. My sweet cousin found them at a thrift shop and gave them to me. I cherish them because of that. I have paired them with saucers from another set because these don't have their mates. 

"A friend is the sugar bowl in the tea party of life,
Sweet and satisfying to the soul." ~ Unknown 

Happiness is sharing tea with a friend.

My teapot holds a nice Dargeeling tea.

Tea is a symbol of friendship and hospitality around the world.

Cookie with your tea?

Vintage tea spoons...

A little feathered friend joins us. This little tweeter was once dark brown with a mustard coloured breast and I gave him a coat of white paint. He's happier dressed in white!

"Life is a cup to be filled, not drained." ~ Anonymous

I am thinking of making some changes to Tea Time Tuesday for the Summer months. I'll tell you more about it next week. See you then.

"If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." ~ Romans 12:18 {NAS}


I am delighted you have stopped by today for a visit. Your presence always make my tea party that much more special! Do you have a favourite teacup/teapot or mug that you would like to share with us? I would love to see it and I'm sure others would too!

If you wish, you may do coffee instead of tea or the following is acceptable too:
Hot Apple Cider
Hot Chocolate
Lemonade
Iced Tea or iced coffee
Punch in a lovely bowl.
No alcoholic beverages please.

The Tea Time Tuesday button on my sidebar is available for you to use in your post or place on your sidebar if you wish. A poem, tea quote, or scripture verse would be more than welcome!
To be sure everyone has a visit, it would be nice if you visited the participant before and after your name. Inlinkz is available below for you to sign up for my tea party.

Please link back to me so that your visitors may find their way here to visit with all my lovely participants.

Simply Sweet ~ http://angelwingsandapronstrings.blogspot.com/

A Return to Loveliness ~ http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tea Cup Tuesday ~ http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

Tea Cup Tuesday~ http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/

Tea Party Tuesday ~ http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/

Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/

Friends Sharing Tea ~http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/

Tea Cup Thursday~ http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Happy Pink Saturday

Happy Pink Saturday friends! Once again I'm joining Beverly and all her pinkies for a weekend of pink.

"Friends are the flowers in the garden of life."

A wee bit of pink on my teacup and tulips.

I have company this weekend so it will take me a little longer getting around for my visits. Wishing you all a delightful weekend!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

All Day Long the Birds Are Singing....

Hello everyone~ I hope you're all having a delightful day! A friend gifted me with a little book of poems called Beneath His Wings. 

It is a sweet little book filled with lovely verse and paintings by Carolyn Shores Wright. I love this talented artist's paintings of our little feathered friends!

I thought I would share this blessing with you today. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Painting by Carolyn Shores Wright

All day long the birds are singing

Sweetest songs that seem to rise

From their tiny throats far-reaching,

Even to the distant skies.

Then at night they rest securely,

Nestled close within their nest,

And the Father safely watches

Every little feathered breast.

Likewise we when night approaches,

Lay our weary heads to rest,

For we know that God will watch us

as He does the bird's wee nest.

Josephine Currier

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Tea on the Titanic ~ A Special Tea Time Tuesday

"In the end, what affects your life most deeply are things too simple to talk about." ~ Nell Blaine

Welcome friends to a very special Tea Time Tuesday ~ Tea on the Titanic.

Before I begin my tea, I want to invite you to share any tea things you may want this week. It does not have to be a Titanic tea.

I thought it only fitting to have a Tea in memory of all those who set sail on the Titanic April 10, 1912. I have been working on this post for several weeks and I hope you enjoy it. This is a rather lengthy post so please make yourself comfortable and let's visit a while.

We have all heard the tragic story of Titanic and how she collided with an iceberg, causing her to sink to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean on April 15th, around 2:20 AM, taking with her over 1500 souls....

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When Titanic left Southhampton on her fatal voyage she had on board over 2200 passengers and crew members. The voyage was uneventful until Sunday, April 14th, when the wireless operator received and acknowledged a message from the Amerika, warning her of the existence of a large field of ice into which Titanic's  course would lead her toward day's end....

....and the rest as they say, is history!

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According to news reports, the first distress signal picked up in Canada was received by chief operator Thomas Bartlett at Cape Bear, the only Marconi station here on Prince Edward Island. The signal was picked up at the same time at a station in Cape Race,  Newfoundland, which was not yet a part of Canada at the time.

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I must confess that I never paid too much attention to the Titanic and its tales until I watched James Cameron's epic film, Titanic. It was while watching the film that I realized those were real people on the great ship and they each had a story. Indeed theirs was a tragic story and one hundred years later, we remember them.

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Although Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater were fictional characters in the movie, their love story represents just one of the many aboard the Titanic on that fateful voyage. 
I, for one, grew to have great compassion for all those lost and those they left behind.

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My hubby, our son, and I had seen the movie in 1997 and we were all very moved by the story. Granted, we could do without the nudity and vulgar language which was in the movie, and my favourite version is the edited version, but over all, it was a great movie! A tear-jerker indeed!

Our son, who is very musical, was so moved by the movie score that he learned to play the hauntingly beautiful title song, "My Heart Will Go On" on the keyboard.

He also purchased the book, "The Complete Titanic" written by Stephen J. Spignesi, from which I have gleaned a few references for this post.

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There were three classes of people on board the Titanic and each class had their own china and menu.
One thing all three classes had in common; they all had their tea time.

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Tea on the Titanic for the first and second class passengers  probably consisted of scones, black currant conserve, marmalade, and honey.

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Third class passengers were served a tea which was most likely akin to a working man's tea that included meat and cheese, pickles, and fresh bread and jam. According to the information I got from the book mentioned above, their menu also consisted of currant buns, Swedish bread, which was a kind of yeast free bread, Plum and Apple jam, as well as Rhubarb and Ginger jam. Damson jam was also on the menu.

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This is a replica of the teacup used by first class passengers on Titanic who dined with Captain Smith at his table. It was made by Spode; a rich cobalt blue with beautiful gold trim. It was a stunning cup!

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Now let's have some tea, shall we?  White roses grace the table as well as my best damask table cloth and napkins.

For this very special occasion, I am using my silver tea service.

Everyone is welcome at my tea table. There are no classes here!

The silver had developed a wonderful patina on it which I like but I polished it up just for our tea today.

I have baked some fruit scones and drizzled almond icing over them. Earl Grey tea is being served with them.

On the table is Black Current jam and marmalade, as well as Lemon Curd and Clotted Cream.

Recipe for Clotted Cream

1 cup heavy cream
2 TBSP Confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup sour cream

1. Mix 1 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of Confectioner's sugar using an electric mixer. Whip until stiff peaks form.
2. Gently fold in sour cream and mix until thick.
3. Place in refrigerator and chill until time to serve. If made ahead of time, it will keep up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.


Please help yourself...


This teacup is Imari made in England by Oxford. A stunning cup which I found at the 70 Mile Yard Sale last Autumn. 

Would you like lemon with your tea?

This blue and white teacup is Royal Homes of Britain made by Enoch Wedgwood of England. It sits on a Blue Willow dessert plate made by Churchill...

And for a plain setting, I have a Cream Lace by Skye McGhie teacup with its fleur de lis and pretty cut-outs on the saucer.

A vintage silver butter knife to slather on whatever you fancy for your scone.

While we are enjoying our tea, let's take a peek at some of the china patterns most likely used on board the Titanic.

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Each class had their own china as I have already mentioned. The first class passengers were served on this Crown china with the White Star Lines logo in the center. It's a very attractive pattern with a turquoise and brown motif which I believe was made by Spode.

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In my search for information, I also came across this delightful miniature tea set. Isn't it darling?

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Second class passengers used the Delft 'Flow Blue' china also bearing the White Star Lines logo.

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And third class passengers were served their meals on this china - White ware also bearing the White Star Lines logo in the center. 

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Found in the wreckage of Titanic was also this pattern which is believed to have been used by third class passengers as well.

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As you can see, the first class passengers were served on very classy china while the third class were served on rather plain china.

I hope you have enjoyed my take on the teacups!

As I mentioned, there are no classes here at my tea. You may choose whichever teacup you like.


I would imagine all three classes on the Titanic were quite happy to be aboard "the grandest ship in the world" until of course, tragedy struck!

Titanic was tragic and I know I have been greatly affected by the story. One hundred and fifty souls were buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Hundreds were buried at sea.

I will end this post with a verse from the last piece of music likely ever played on Titanic by Bandmaster Wallace Henry Hartley and his orchestra.

Nearer My God to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
Even though it be a cross
That raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be-
Nearer, my God, to Thee;
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to Thee!

May their souls rest in peace! 

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I hope you have enjoyed visiting today and I thank you for stopping by. I do hope I got all my facts straight and I apologize if I haven't!


"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapour that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." ~ James 4:14



Your presence always make my tea party that much more special! Do you have a favourite teacup/teapot or mug that you would like to share with us today? I would love to see it and I'm sure others would too!

If you wish, you may do coffee instead of tea or the following is acceptable too:
Hot apple cider
Hot chocolate
Lemonade
Iced tea or iced coffee
Punch in a lovely bowl.
No alcoholic beverages please.

The Tea Time Tuesday button on my sidebar is available for you to use in your post or place on your sidebar if you wish. A poem, tea quote, or scripture verse would be more than welcome! To be sure everyone has a visit, it would be nice if you visited the participant before and after your name. Inlinkz is available below for you to sign up for my tea party.

As a courtesy, please link back to me so that your visitors may find their way here to visit with all my lovely participants.

I am joining the following parties as well~


Blue Monday
Simply Sweet
A Return to Loveliness
Table Top Tuesday
Tea Cup Tuesday
Tea Cup Tuesday
Tea Party Tuesday
Tuesday Cuppa Tea
Friends Sharing Tea
Teacup Thursday
Home Sweet Home



Sharing from my heart~ Sandi