Would You Like to Have a Party?

October was a beautiful month at Green Gables, when the birches in the hollow turned as golden as sunshine and the maples behind the orchard were royal crimson and the wild cherry trees along the lane put on the loveliest shades of dark red and bronzy green, while the fields sunned themselves in aftermaths. ~ Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery


Hello dear friends!
This was our maple tree out in our front yard two weeks ago. Alas, it is bare once again and I mourn the lost leaves which gave us some privacy here in our neighbourhood. Our Fall doesn't last long and  this year has been quite cool. The high winds have stripped bare our trees of their leaves and now they await the winter to set in. 

I have been nursing a head cold for the past week and I am just starting to feel better again. Hubby caught it first and he was kind enough to give it to me. Thankfully, we're both feeling a bit better.

I also had a bit of a scare over the past six weeks. Back in 2003, I had a needle biopsy that led to a lumpectomy which thankfully turned out to be a benign tumour. When I went in for my scheduled two year mammogram last month, something showed up again. I had to go back in and have more x-rays done. As it turns out, I am fine, but I have to go back in again next year for another mammogram. They just want to make sure all is well. 

My best friend died from breast cancer which is why I am such an advocate for Breast Cancer Research and Awareness. I try to do at least one post every October to remind you dear ladies to take care of yourselves. Please get your mammogram and Think Pink!

Our grandson is celebrating his sixteenth birthday on Thursday. It is hard to believe! We watched him grow from an adorable baby into a little boy who loves critters just like his Dad, to a young man who is full of personality and is very musical. This comes as no surprise really as we are a musical family.

He loves his music and he loves to play guitar. He says he would like to take piano too. He started a worship band at his church and he is also taking voice lessons. We are so proud of him but we miss him because he is living in Ontario now. 

This photo I took last summer when he was home for a visit and he played some music for us. Happy Birthday, Brent! What a fine young man you are!

Pretty posies to enjoy when I was sick last week; my favourite rose, white with a hint of blush.

In my last post I hinted at something I had been thinking about and today I will share it with you. 
Like so many of you, I am finding blogging a bit challenging these days. I have been thinking about this for quite some time now and I don't know whether to say good-bye to blogging or keep it up and go in another direction. 

Slowly, all of my favourite blog parties have closed down, including my own three. Yes, those of you who are just getting to know me, I have hosted three different parties over the years. Mine were shut down for health reasons and now, I have discovered it is costly to have the link-up parties. So, I got to thinking, why not have another party/meme using the format I used ten years ago? That is, those of you who would like to join in may leave your blog address in a comment and I will add it to my party. I thought I would run the party from November 4 to December 16, when we are all planning for the Holidays and we all have something to share. I will bring back my old party button, "No Place Like Home" and you may share your tea time, tablescapes, holiday decor, cooking and baking, holiday crafts, etc., whatever pertains to your home. 

We will see how that goes and if there is enough interest perhaps I will keep it going for a while.
What do you think? Let me know and I'll go from there.

Thank you for your visit. I hope your Fall is beautiful where you are and I wish you a safe and happy week! I will leave you with this little tidbit.

Life is like a mirror; we get the best results when we smile at it. ~ author unknown

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Thanksgiving Treats and Being Thankful

A good life is when you smile often, dream big, laugh a lot and realize how blessed you are for what you have. ~ unknown

Good morning ladies! This is what Thanksgiving is all about; counting your blessings. I have so many and I thank God every day for them.

It is not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, which is the true measure of our Thanksgiving. ~ unknown

I have been incredibly busy the past week. Hubby and I just cleaned out twenty-four years worth of stuff from our basement. That included old furniture, things our boys left behind when they moved out, and things long forgotten that were tucked away into boxes and an old chest of drawers. You know what I mean? 

As much as it was a trial to clean out all the junk, a lot of those things represented many happy years with our boys. Their certificates and report cards, a rocking horse my father had built, building blocks he had made for our youngest son, and birthday cards were among some of the found items. We even came across our youngest son's sheets of music and notes from his piano lessons. Some of these items we will save for when they come home and they can take them back with them.

It was a big job separating everything into what would go into the big dumpster in our driveway, donations to the Missions store, and things that would be given new life again. Our grandson came over one evening and helped his grandfather carry out the heavy objects like furniture and an old TV set. He was such a big help! We are thankful for his helping hands!

Boy, does it ever feel good going down there now and being able to walk in and not trip over something! But you know, the strangest feeling came over me when they hauled it all away. That dumpster held so many memories and some of which had been precious things, that I almost cried. Does that make sense to you? I am such a sentimentalist!
  
Memories are timeless treasures of the heart. ~ unknown

My back and hips have taken a beating however. I could hardly walk on Monday morning which was Thanksgiving. I did manage to bake some goodies on the weekend and on Monday morning in spite of it all.

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. ~ William Arthur Ward


Our Island family decided to meet at a favourite restaurant and have our meal together there which was nice because I didn't have to cook. We all came back here to enjoy the treats afterwards. 

On the menu was pumpkin pie, of course. I had made seven balls of pastry, most of which went into the freezer. I saved two for the pies I was baking. But for some strange reason, the pastry would not cooperate with me that morning and with frustration, I threw it out. I think I was just too tired and too sore to fiddle with it. I believe that is the very first time I've ever had trouble rolling out my pastry for pie plates. Anyway, instead of two lovely pies, I made one big crustless pie. That's Ok. Add a dollop of whipped cream and no one complained. Less calories too. *winks*

I also made a war cake on the weekend which is delicious any time of year but especially right now, smeared with butter. If you would like this recipe, you may find it here. 

And I made an apple upside down cake with a warm brown sugar sauce poured over it. Here is the recipe if you would like to try it. Click the link.  Apple Upside Down Cake

Some wanted coffee while others preferred tea.

I used mostly my Johnson Bros. Old Britain Castles and Skye McGhie Cream Lace for serving.

Everyone enjoyed the goodies and Thanksgiving was a wonderful day spent with my son and his family.

Now, I am trying to take it easy and relish a job well done and a nice day spent with our family. My hubby worked for five days getting the basement cleaned up and tidy. His boss arranged for him to have a week off for which we were very thankful. It would have been difficult to do this otherwise.

Next week I will post an idea I have been toying with. Till then, thank you for visiting and have a lovely rest of the week.

Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. ~ Maya Angelou

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

A Pink Thanksgiving Post

Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn. ~ Elizabeth Lawrence

Welcome to Tea Time and Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends! 

The picture above was taken near my home a couple of years ago. I love the look of leaves on the ground and the sound of them crunching beneath my feet. 

This last rose of the season is blooming sweetly at the very top of one of my bushes. I think it's happy up there because the frost hasn't touched it. I don't think I have ever had a rose bloom this late in the year before.

There are a few rose hips too. 

I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Today's tea has a little autumn inspiration. A pumpkin, or rather pumpkins, and some sparkly leaves set the tone. My coffee pot, cream and sugar are what I'm using today.

A friend is the sugar bowl in the tea party of life;
Sweet and satisfying to the soul. ~ unknown

The mark on the bottom of the pot, sugar bowl, and creamer

This is my hubby's favourite 'teapot' which is really a coffee pot.

I think it's the shape he likes more than anything. I found this at our Anne of Green Gables Store several years ago.

I will likely be using the October Cosmos teacup throughout the month.

The two top teacups, Serena and Lady Carlyle, are Royal Albert as most of you know and the bottom one is made by Aynsley.

I love vintage silverware. This pie server is made in England. I found it in an antique shop several years ago.

Vintage tea spoons...

Pumpkin pie is on the menu today. Can't get enough of it as it's one of my favourites.


Happiness is sharing tea and a slice of pie with friends.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Please take care of yourself and be sure to get a mammogram.

Three more weeks and October will be over then the Christmas decorations will be going up. I am already thinking ahead to the Holidays. Have you ever seen a year fly by so fast?

Thank you for visiting today and have a beautiful day everyone! This is mostly a repost because my hubby and I have been very busy cleaning out our basement and twenty-four years of stuff. I will be back later this week with a new post.

We gather together 
This time of the year
To thank God for blessings...
For joy and for tears.

Lord help us to know
What it means to forgive
And how to be thankful
Each day that we live.

So keep us in mind, Lord,
We're thankful to Thee
To live and to work
In the land of the free.

Excerpt from a poem on the front of our church bulletin

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi