Changes, Surprises, and A God Thing

And all at once, Summer collapsed into Fall. ~ unknown

Good morning friends! Thank you for visiting today.

There is a change in the air. The songbirds are getting ready to fly south and I shall very much miss them. 

It's hard to believe Summer has come to an end.

We just cleaned out the last of our petunias for another year, and yesterday we drove out to the country to get some pumpkins for decorating. But we will wait until after Teddy before we arrange them.

It is still a little early but soon the leaves on the trees will turn colour, putting on their last show of the season. Somehow, this time of year always makes my hubby and me sad.

With that change however, comes a craving for more comfort food; hearty stews, spicy chili, and cheesey casseroles.

 

I made a rice pudding the other day for the first time in ages and it was so good! I oftentimes make a brown sugar sauce to pour over it. When we first moved to Prince Edward Island, we boarded with a lovely Christian lady and she always served her rice pudding this way. It was one of my favourite desserts, and I decided to serve it the same way when I grew up. She was a fantastic cook, much like my beloved grandmother. My family loves the pudding with the sauce on it!

This week, I felt like gingerbread cake and since I had all the ingredients in my kitchen, I made one. 

I am having a slice of cake with my cuppa today and I am using one of my favourite teapots from Hampstead which I found at the Anne of Green Gables Store a couple of years ago. Isn't she pretty?

My Aynsley teacup which looks lovely with the teapot.

Serenity is a solitary cup of tea; pleasure is sharing it with another. ~ Victoria magazine 

 

Mmm, a slice of warm gingerbread cake and fresh whipped cream.

 

My favourite roses; white with a hint of blush pink were in the store so Hubby got them for me. These roses of such a delicate colour always make me happy!

Two weeks ago, I received a surprise in the mail... 

We sometimes in life, meet people who leave footprints on our hearts. If we are really fortunate, these people become a part of our lives and continue to bless us. Such is the case of my daughter, Carina, who lives out on the west coast. Technically, she is my daughter-in-law, but I prefer to think of her as my daughter; the daughter of my heart!

Unknown to probably everyone, I have always wanted a gold pendant in the shape of the letter "J" that represented my three sons whose names all begin with the letter J.

Just recently, Carina saw a friend wearing a pendant that represented her three children whose names all began with the letter L. Carina decided she wanted to surprise me with a letter "J" pendant. 

How could she have known? She had no idea that I had always wanted one, and not only did she bless me with a gold pendant, {I prefer gold to silver jewelry}, she also got one with Swarovski crystals embedded in it. I also love bling! She shopped all over town with my little granddaughter until they found the right one. The gold chain she found in one store while the pendant itself came from a Swarovski store. Carina went to a lot of trouble to get this for me but it was also a fun outing for both mother and daughter.

 

The pendant couldn't be more perfect and they couldn't be more excited to bless me with it!

A beautiful card accompanied the gift. She has never done this before; just sending me something out of the blue, so I was and am delighted by her thoughtfulness! 

I am convinced this act of kindness was a God thing because He was the only one who knew I always wanted a pendant like this. He also knows how hard the past number of years have been for me, particularly this past year. I believe it was God who prompted Carina to gift me with this exquisite pendant because this is one of the ways He is letting me know He is with me and wants to bless me. He was the only one who knew how I was feeling and He delights in blessing His children. 

I simply had to share this with you. For anyone who is quietly suffering, the Lord knows how you are feeling, and He cares about you. It gives Him pleasure to bless His children.

Before I close, some of you may know that Hurricane Teddy is churning its way up towards us and is supposed to make landfall on Tuesday night into Wednesday. The Island and our neighbouring maritime provinces are still recovering from Dorian's devastation last September. The Island has also been hit very hard in our tourism industry because of the pandemic and we can't afford another catastrophe on top of that. If you think of us, would you please pray that Teddy will head off in another direction and spare us, or that this storm will be kinder than Dorian was? Thank you so much, and God bless you all and keep you and your loved ones safe! Big hugs to all my friends out there in blogland!

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

A Pick Me Upper

The fondest memories are made when gathered around the table. ~ unknown 

Hello dear friends! After having gone through so much sadness since March, it was wonderful to be able to go shopping for some new furniture! Getting something new certainly helps lift the spirits, don't you agree? We could all use a pick-me-upper once in a while.

We were in the market for a new dining room set. Here you can see the wood of the old table underneath the tablecloth.

The matching chair.

We have had our dining table and chairs for twenty-nine years, and for about the last twelve years, I have been longing to replace them with a new white set. The table and chairs are made of maple and the red gingham chair pads are from Waverly. They were nice at the time, but I needed a change. I had planned to paint the table and chairs myself but then I damaged my back from a fall seven years ago and had to give up that notion. Time slipped away but I kept longing for a white set.

Dining rooms are really all about the table and chairs. ~ Candice Olson

Then last December, we took the table and the leaves to a paint shop to have them painted an antique white. We had the table painted instead of replacing it because it has two leaves and when our whole family is home, it seats pretty much all of us. We knew buying a new table this size would be pricey and we like to be as practical as much as possible. The table is still in great condition, all it needed was some paint.

Paint goes a long way in making old look new. ~ Candice Olson

I had planned to get four new chairs to go with it, but then the corona virus broke out which put the kibosh on those plans. 

 

While Hubby was on vacation, we found these four chairs which I felt would go well with the table, so we ordered them. The lady who sold us the chairs knew my hubby so she gave us a discount which was nice of her! They are from Ashley furniture and have gently curved backs which are very comfy on my back. I had to choose my chairs carefully because of my back injury and these feel much better than the old chairs. 

We are so happy with how this set brightens up our kitchen-dining area now! It is a sunny spot in our oftentimes dark kitchen.

We will keep the old chairs for family gatherings and we will have enough seats for pretty much everyone.

The new chairs are not a perfect match to the table but I rather like the look because I think it gives the set more character. The seats are padded with a tweed type material which goes wonderfully well with the colours in the floor.

When my children are home, they all hope that their favourite meal is on the menu. One guy loves my spaghetti and seafood chowder while another loves my lasagna. One thing they all agree on is my potato salad. Of course they all have their favourite desserts as well. 

I just smile and I'm happy to oblige them. This leads me to believe that some of their fondest memories were made around the dinner table. 

  

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

Now here is my new table set for tea. Would you like to have tea with me? It's not tea and crumpets, but it is tea and peach danish.

Thank you for visiting and have a lovely day.

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Soft and Serene

When asked if my cup is half-filled or half-empty; my only response is that I am thankful to have a cup. ~ unknown

Hello dear friends! I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend. We had a lovely weekend here with beautiful weather and it was much appreciated as summer is winding down. 

I usually try to get a post on in the morning but I was busy making a big pot of soup so I'm a little late getting this on.

A year ago we were reeling from the devastating aftermath of Dorian which left a lot of damage behind. Alas, Cavendish was hit very hard and many of the LM Montgomery sites were in need of repair. But they are doing a wonderful job restoring everything. The many trees will take a while to replace however. We sustained no damage to our property thankfully, but many did. Dorian is hard to forget!

Today, I decided to set out a tea table and I am using my creamy whites. The roses were a surprise and I wanted to use them before they were spent. 

I love white roses as most of you know. I haven't had them for a while so I am loving the softness and beauty they bring to the table!

I am using my Skye McGhee Cream Lace teapot and also Skye McGhee teacups and saucers. I haven't used these pieces for a while so it is nice to bring them out again.

The past couple of weeks I have been baking muffins. Cornmeal, bran and raisin, and coffee cake muffins have all been in my kitchen. The coffee cake are my hubby's favourites. He likes one with his coffee when he gets home from work. So, I try to keep muffins or something sweet on hand at all times.

 

Family is one of Nature's masterpieces. ~ George Santayana

Tuesday was our oldest son's birthday. 

He was such a pleasant child to bring up and he is a loving and thoughtful son today. He is an encyclopedia of information when it comes to wildlife. If you have a strange bird at your feeder, he can tell you what it is. He is such a joy to us!

Our son has had a hard life over the years which I won't go into right now, and he is facing yet another surgery on his ear later this year. If this one doesn't take, he will have to wear a hearing aid which isn't the end of the world. Still we do pray this surgery will restore some of the hearing he has lost in his left ear.

He is also still feeling the effects of the concussion he sustained a year and a half ago. We wish him the very best in the coming year. He really does deserve it!

 

My son, you may have outgrown my lap, but never my heart. ~ unknown

I hope you all have a lovely day and the rest of the week will bring you many blessings. Thank you for visiting.

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Home ... Is Where Your Heart Is

If you were to ask what is most important in a home, I would say happy memories. ~ Lilian Gish

Welcome back to Rose Chintz Cottage! I have missed you, dear friends! 

While my hubby was on his staycation, I took a break from blogging. I will be sharing bits and bobs throughout this blog post about what I have been up to since my last posting. It is longer than usual, so pour yourself a yummy beverage and thank you so much for stopping by. I enjoy your company!

I wish I could tell you that all our family got home this year just as they planned, but the truth is, it didn't happen. Ask any one of them and they will tell you home is missed, especially this year because they had all made plans to come at the same time. 

This is the first summer in many years that at least one of my guys didn't get home. The phrase, "Home is where the heart is," reminds me that no matter where you are in the world or who you are with, home is where you will find love, warmth, and acceptance. Our happy memories are buried within our hearts and it isn't necessarily the house, it is simply being with your family and your loved ones. It is kinship of the dearest kind.

Home is the nicest place there is. ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

Our son who lives on the west coast still hopes to come home for a few days this Fall, but it is not looking promising with all the restrictions still in place. Our "Atlantic Bubble" is supposed to be the safest place in North America right now. So, I guess we can be thankful for that!

Home isn't the same without our kids though.

So, what did we do while Hubby was off? We had planned to go to New Brunswick to visit my Auntie P and other relatives but that was not to be this year. We planned on going to the beach, trying out new restaurants, visiting some shops, and just relaxing. Much of our vacation was spent here at home.

The first week was a bust because I had injured myself and had to recuperate for most of that week. We did a lot of sitting out on our deck drinking coffee, enjoying the sun, and watching the birds. Hubby really needed that rest because he had been so busy at work. He actually didn't mind so much that we stayed home for a few days.

The next few photos are of our beautiful beaches. 

Wavy sand and a lone shell, spell serenity.

Our amazing beaches are just perfect for taking a walk along the shore. 

Apparently science has proven that spending time at the beach heals the brain. It alleviates stress and is pleasant to the senses. The smell of the salty ocean air, the lapping of the surf on the seashore, and the colour of the sand, sea, and sky, all work in unison to bring health to your brain as well as your body. Now I understand why I am so completely relaxed out there and why my family and I love it so. There is no other place like it on earth, and we are blessed to have beaches all around our island.

A moody beach just before sunset.

Once your feet have touched the warm sun drenched sand of the seashore you will never be the same. ~ Patsy Gant

A gorgeous sunset to close out the day.

We also did some furniture shopping. It took us a few days, but we finally chose some furniture for the family room and dining room. They should arrive in about five to six weeks.

When I posted my last blog post, you may remember that I was complaining about the chipmunks and squirrels taking over our feeder. We were actually overrun with them and I was very upset because my little feathered friends couldn't get near it. I really thought we would have to take down the feeder and forget about feeding the birds, it was so bad. Then our wonderful son surprised us by special ordering a metal wrap around squirrel baffle. We put it up and we haven't had to deal with the critters ever since. Now, we can enjoy the birds and relax without chasing the furry little varmints. 

The chipmunks and squirrels attempted a number of times to climb the pole but they couldn't get past the metal cone. I am doing the happy dance!

For those of you who don't know, I have a chronic illness and watching the birdies at the feeder is one of the things I can enjoy in my life. It means so much to me to be able to watch those little birds come and go throughout the day. They make me happy!

I'm not hard to please because it is the simple things in life that make me happy. 

We ended up getting another feeder and hanging it on the opposite side. Now the birdies have the feeders all to themselves and we are thrilled! I tried to get a picture of the birds but every time I went out to take a photo, they flew. We have had a lot of wind lately so the feeders and the cone were a bit crooked. But the songbirds are content, and we have little red breasted nuthatches, a male and female that haven't been here before. Our son says they  will stay the winter months, so we're happy about that!

We visited The Dunes since Hubby went back to work. This is a very busy tourist spot where one can browse the shops for some unique items. One can find glass and wooden wares, jewelry, crockery, Island photography, and art, most of which are created here on the Island. 

The lion would make quite a statement in your home. He is quite large.

These little wooden ducks are so cute, aren't they? I didn't get a picture of the one dressed like a giraffe. One of these would make a wonderful conversation piece!

There are lots of fanciful things to look at or purchase.

A lovely garden is out back and there is a splendid restaurant as well. 

A large lily pond to enjoy. 

This is the back of The Dunes, or part of it. As you can see, it has several levels. Great fun to visit and the tourists simply love shopping there!

We also got out to our favourite tea room. Sorry no pictures this time.

Down in the states, our youngest son and his family is "growing the big one." They have a wonderful pumpkin patch. This particular pumpkin weighs 405 pounds at the moment.

There is a lot of science involved in growing a large pumpkin. Right now they have two and it is fun watching every week for the updates. Of course, they also have smaller pumpkins which they will use for pies and such, as well as some lovely gourds.

Giant sunflowers and sweet little nasturtiums decorate the pumpkin patch. There is something about a pumpkin patch that makes me feel at home.

What I am reading at the moment...

One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats, and if some of these can be inexpensive and quickly procured so much the better. ~ Iris Murdoch

I love my books! Once the Covid settled down and I was able to get into our Indigo here in Charlottetown, I chose three Joanne Fluke books from the TV series, "Murder, She Baked." These books are filled with recipes as well as a good story. I love a good mystery, don't you?

I also ordered Laura Childs' latest mystery, Lavender Blue Murder. I have every book in this series and any one of you who has ever read them knows that they not only contain a good mystery but also recipes and tea time tips. The book jacket on this one is especially pretty!

Time to refill my teacup!

Summer is winding down and school is ready to begin again next week here in Canada. Our youngest grandson who has lived here all his life, flew to Ontario last evening to go to school and to play football. He is fifteen and a star in the football league here. He grew some over the summer and he is well over six foot one. I always knew I would be the shrimp in the family!
We are so sad to see him go, especially his dad! I pray that God will go with him and guide his footsteps. 

Well, friends, this is my catch up for now. I hope everyone is happy and healthy! As you all know, I like to begin and end my posts with a quote. I thought this one was lovely!

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

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi