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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.

Thursday 8 November 2018

Tradition and Family

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

It's November and we had a wicked storm on the weekend with hurricane force winds. The trees are bare and the leaves that were piling up in everyone's yard are no longer in sight as they too have all blown away. There are still some needles on the larches in our back yard and soon they will be gone. Fall has been very short this year. November is usually a dreary month but at least the sun is shining today.


On Monday Hubby and I got the painting done on one wall in the living room. He did the majority of it because I'm not able to any longer but I did do above the baseboard. I'm sore as a boil but at least it's done. It is a big change but change is good. This is just a sneak peek.


Tomorrow we will re-hang the mirror and get things back into place. Now we are pondering whether we should do another wall.

I have been in the kitchen all morning making my paternal grandmother's dark fruit cake. 


The cake is in the oven now and the house smells so good! It is my tradition to make both my dark and sultana fruit cakes every year. I always remember my grandmothers when I'm baking their cakes and I can almost sense them smiling while I bake. Both are heirloom recipes and I have no idea how old my grandmother's dark fruitcake recipe is. It could have been her mother's. Anyway it feels good to carry on a tradition.

I used to make fifteen kinds of sweets for the Holidays when my children were growing up. Of course, we had a lot of company back then. I won't be baking nearly as much this year but I like tradition and I will be happy to bake some favourite treats for my family.

Tradition gives us a sense of solidarity and roots, a knowing there are some things one can count on. ~ Gloria Gaither


Tea is on the table. Freshly dried hydrangeas from a friend, lemon tarts, and a pot of tea sit nearby. And no, I won't eat all those tarts. I just think the plate looks prettier with three on it. ;-)

I haven't used this Gracie cup and saucer for a while because I had it packed away. I think I'll leave it out because I like the mug-style cup. It's very comfortable to hold.


Tea is to the body as music is to the soul. ~ Earlene Grey


These tarts are so good made with lemon pie filling in them.


Yesterday was incredibly busy and I have to admit, it's lovely to sit and enjoy a cup or two amidst all this busyness.

When we sip tea, we are on our way to serenity. ~ Alexandra Stoddard


Our grandson played football on the weekend in that storm. Seems football gets played no matter the weather. You can tell he is drenched by his hair in the photo. It was a championship game and he won a trophy for best defence 2018. We are so proud of him! He is thirteen and really sprouting up. I expect he will be six feet by next summer. 

Our middle son celebrated his birthday yesterday. Wish we had been there to help him eat his cake! Happy Birthday, Sweetie!

Now and then I like a black and white photo, don't you? 

Next week, the decorating for Christmas will begin. I have a lot to do this year with family coming home for the Holidays. I'm rather pumped about that!


So how's your week going? I thought this little quote was a cute one to end my post with.


When you can't find the sunshine
Be the sunshine! ~ unknown



I am joining the following party~

Home Sweet Home


Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

11 comments :

  1. Hi Sandi! I did like the sneak peek of your newly painted wall...so pretty! I jut know that your house smelled so wonderful with that cake baking. I have to say that I love that you carry on the tradition of baking both fruitcakes from recipes of both of your grandmothers. They live on in our hearts, don't they? Your pretty Gracie teacup looks lovely with your tarts and hydrangeas. Congratulations to your handsome grandson, and Happy Birthday to your handsome son. You are sunshine!! xx

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  2. Lovely post and photos as always . I do like your wall colour very fresh looking and your mug shaped tea cup and sauce so very pretty. We had high winds here to a few days ago and our trees are mostly bare now to . My mum used to make the dark fruit Christmas cake as well with the hard white royal icing on it , I tryed to make it once but it just didn't taste as good ,really wasn't the same . Nothing like sweet treats with a cuppa tea is there? best thing ever I think . Congrats to your grandson and Happy belated B day to your son . Thanks for sharing , Have a good weekend !

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  3. I would love to know what your fruitcake recipe is, but maybe it's a secret? I tried to bake my first fruitcake last year. My MIL always baked one every year, and she was in the nursing home last Christmas, so I baked it according to her recipe and took some to her. She seemed a bit disappointed in it. I don't think I sliced all the fruit small enough or something. This year she is in heaven, and since she and I were the only ones who truly liked the fruitcake, I'm not sure I will try it again. I have to think about it. We are trying to sell our house and I keep hoping it will happen before Christmas, but it doesn't appear to be happening, so I might as well get to work on Christmas shopping, decorating, etc. But we still have to do Thanksgiving in two weeks first!! I love the color of your wall. So cool and refreshing. Love the tea cup too. I know what you mean about it being more comfortable. Tea cups aren't always easy to handle with hands that are getting more arthritic. Enjoy your holidays and family and baking. You are blessed.

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  4. The sneak peak of your new wall color is lovely. Painting is hard work, but worth our efforts, no matter how long it might take.

    I just love your 'Gracie' mug and saucer. The lemon tarts look delicious. Mugs are easier for me to handle.

    Your mentioning making fruit cakes, makes me want to make my old standby, Regal Fruitcake, recipe given to me by my late MIL many, many years ago.

    Happy November ~ FlowerLady

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  5. I love tradition too. I miss my traditions with my mom at this time of year. She has been gone 24 years and I miss her very much.

    Your grandson is a handsome young man. I could tell his jersey was wet. Yes, football is played in any kind of weather.

    Happy Birthday to your son.

    Enjoy those traditions and the family. I will begin slowly decorating for Christmas since we go to family for Thanksgiving.

    I want to take my time and savor every moment since I am doing so much better. Something I don't take advantage of and am so grateful for.

    Cindy

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  6. Hi Sandy ! what lovely and nice blog you have ! Love the pictures too !

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  7. Your tarts and that tea combo sounds so good! I bet the fruit cake baked perfectly too! I have not been around much but so glad to be able to visit your boog again, Sandi....Christine

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  8. Love all of the "tea" quotes you use on your post. I live in a tiny 570' vintage farmhouse and just shared a post on my farmhouse tea cabinet I made from an old window. Tis the season for lots of fireside tea sipping. That Gracie cup and saucer is beautiful. I wonder if a non stick oil would serve the same purpose as the wax paper lined pan for the fruit cake? Lovely pictures.

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  9. I somehow almost missed this post. I have the matching black chintz teacup and teapot. I think it was stored in my basement for years before I finally brought it upstairs and used it.

    Congrats to your grandson on the football award. Have fun with the Christmas decorating. I had today off from work and put up my tree with the help of my parents.

    P.S. Did you know that there's a "Proudly hosted on photobucket" showing up on the bottom left of your blog?

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    1. I figured it out and it's gone now. Thanks for alerting me, Margie!

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  10. Such a pretty teacup Sandi! I am sitting here needing a cup of peppermint tea. It is freezing today. I ope you and yours are staying in and staying warm. Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!

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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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