Wishing You All A Lovely Holiday Season!

Christmas is that moment in time when God, in His unconditional love, stepped out of heaven and onto earth, in order that we might one day step out of earth into heaven. - Charles F Stanley

Merry Christmas, dear friends! I hope you are all ready for the big day and can sit and relax after all the preparations.

My family arrived a day early from Michigan and this is the first chance I have had to sit and  write a post. It is a short one today because I am very busy.

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

On the bottom of the tiered stand is cheese and bacon quiche, sausage rolls, and cheese. On the top tier are butter tart bars, chocolate balls, and slices of war cake.

I just want to wish you all a lovely holiday with the love of family and friends surrounding you.

I will write again after the busyness has died down. The Lord bless you all this Christmas and in the New Year!

And He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ~ Isaiah 9:6

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

It's a marshmallow world in the winter

When the snow comes to cover the ground

It's time to play, it's a whipped cream day

I wait for it the whole year 'round.

Those are marshmallow clouds being friendly

In the arms of the evergreen trees

And the sun is red, like a pumpkin head

It's shining so your nose won't freeze. - Frank Sinatra

Hello my lovely friends! It's beginning to look like Christmas everywhere we go. We just had our first snow storm of the season and the snow blanketed the ground. Even though I am not a winter loving person, the first snow does make everything pretty!

Since the snow fall, we have gotten rain which took the snow away, then yesterday, we had another mini snow storm. 

I have my decorating done now and I will have to concentrate on the baking. 

My centrepiece on the coffee table which reflects the colours I decorated with in the living room; teal and white with a touch of pink.

This is the first time in forty years that I won't be making either one of my fruit cakes and my children are going to be very disappointed. My NB son and his wife especially look forward to getting some dark fruit cake every Christmas.

Alas, when we went to get the fruit at our local Bulk Barn, they were out of three of the ingredients I need for my cakes. I got lots of raisins and currants but that's it! Even if I had gone earlier, like two months ago, they wouldn't have had the fruit. Indeed, every grocery store in Charlottetown is out of fruit for Christmas cakes! All the groceries are out of Rice Krispies too, until February, so no Sugar Plums or Chocolate Balls can be made either. I'm in a pickle! Bulk Barn was also out of all the holiday teas. 

A ship off the west coast had gone down in the Pacific back in, I think September, and many supplies were lost. Some of the containers are still floating, I understand. Michaels has nothing in their store here and I presume many places are in the same boat. It is all very unfortunate!

So, that means I will have to come up with another cake and I know just the one to bake; a War cake, which I had made at Thanksgiving and my family loves it too. Sticky Date Pudding with toffee sauce will take the place of the pudding I would have made and I'll come up with some other treats as well. 

So, how is your baking going?

I made a big batch of fudge; the first in quite some time. This is one of the goodies I have made for my family. It turned out very well. When my mother was here she used to make the brown sugar fudge for me because I have trouble stirring. This recipe is an easy one and Hubby was here to do the stirring when the time came. I always made chocolate fudge but I decided I wanted brown sugar fudge this year for a change. The recipe makes a lot; like over sixty or seventy pieces depending how big you cut the candy, so it's wonderful to gift or take to a Christmas gathering at church or home. 

The recipe for this fudge is as follows...

Easy Brown Sugar Fudge

1 pound butter

One k bag brown sugar

1 can evaporated milk. 

Place these three ingredients in a large saucepan and heat and bring to a boil. Once it begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-17 minutes. Stir often.

Once that's done, add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 k bag of icing sugar. Stir well until all the lumps of icing sugar are blended in and pour into a parchment lined cookie sheet. Let stand then enjoy! You can freeze fudge too which is good to know and it keeps for at least six weeks on the shelf.

This container is 13 x 9 x 3-1/2 inches so you have an idea how much fudge is in this. Several pieces are already missing. There were three layers of fudge in the beginning!

I refreshed the wreath on the patio doors and set out my little floral tree with its matching wreath which you have seen before. All three pieces have deep pink hydrangea flowerets on them.

 

Daytime 

Nighttime with the lights lit.

The four foot tree in the living room has white lights but also a string of coloured lights which I can use whenever we want a different accent. 

The tree above has white and coloured lights on. The tree below has the white lights only lit.

This is our new 7 foot pencil tree in the corner of the dining room. We are really enjoying the ambience it lends to the space.

All the ornaments on this tree are in shades of pink. The darker pink is the same as the ornies I used in the big wreath on the patio doors.

I just finished the big tree in the downstairs family room with red, gold, and white, as well as lots of sentimental ornaments in the same colour theme. 

Hearts are aglow when we fill our homes with domestic warmth, nostalgia, and the beloved trinkets that symbolize the season. - Victoria magazine  

Before I close, let's have a cup of tea. This is Davids Tea Butterscotch Chai Rooibos tea sent to me by my friend Margie. 

Thank you, Margie, it is delicious! Help yourself to the fudge.

I love how the tree lights reflect in the tea!

Thank you for visiting me today and may the week bring you joy and many blessings. God bless you all!

"I thank God for Christmas. Would that it would last all year. For on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, all the world is a better place, and men and women are more loveable. Love itself seeps into every heart, and miracles happen...". ~ Peter Marshall

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Christmas is Coming...

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

Hello dear friends! T'is the season for busy-ness! It is snowing! The fluffy flakes are coming down slowly like feathers floating to the ground, and it's quite beautiful!

Hubby and I have been busy putting our trees up and getting all the decorations out of storage. It's a big job, and after the holidays, I am going to have to scale down because a lot of them I no longer use. I have put up four trees this year. One in the family room, one in the living room, and two in the kitchen-dining room. 

My beloved daughter-in-law tells me it is a good thing because surrounding myself with beauty helps make me happy. She is right of course! You see, I am shut-in most of the time and Christmas just helps to make the weeks ahead a little more enjoyable.

I am however running behind. I don't have my fruit for my fruit cakes yet. This time last year, I had them both made. But I have been busier than usual this year. 

Our son was over again three weeks ago and I am so thankful that he can come so often. Since moving from the west coast to the east coast in June, he and his family have been here every month since July. Sometimes we see him twice a month. What a wondrous thing to have taken place! God is good, and He does answer prayer in His own time!!

Let's have a tea break. I am using my Friendly Village today. I love this pattern by Johnson Brothers. It will take you through the Autumn and into the Spring. 

I am using several pieces of FV including, The Ice House which are the teacups/saucers, the small tea plate is Sugar Maples, Willow By the Bridge, and The Covered Bridge.

I have made some muffins and some mincemeat tarts. Last year there was no mincemeat to be found in the stores so we have stocked up on it this year. I can do so much with this incredibly spicy fruit concoction; muffins, squares, pie, tarts, and there is even a sauce you can make to pour over ice cream. Yummy!

I have also been watching Hallmark Christmas movies with my hubby and reading some new books.

 When you have flowers, books, and tea, you are never alone. ~ Alexandra Stoddard

I ordered Laura Childs' two new books and got a couple more Joanne Fluke books. If you enjoy mysteries, tea, and baking, then you will enjoy these books! 

I am reading this one at the

moment. Isn't the jacket fun?

All but one of these books have a Christmas theme which is fun this time of year.

I hope all my American friends enjoyed their Thanksgiving weekend. Next on the calendar...Christmas! 

Thank you for your visit and have a lovely week! Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends as well who begin celebrating today! God bless you all!

Give every day the chance

to become the most

beautiful day of your life. ~ Mark Twain

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Tea Time

I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. ~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables

Hello my dear friends! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with my NB family a couple of weeks ago. 

My son worked on my computer and I never have to worry about running out of picture space again. Next time he comes over he will set up a new program for me to edit my pictures. I am still using Picasa and I am limited to what I can do. I haven't been able to make collages for quite some time now so he will take care of that for me too. Thank goodness we have children who are more techie than we are!

I just finished making a big pot of Chili for supper tonight. It is quite cool on the Island now so a nice bowl of Chili and rice will be welcome. Do you call the evening meal, dinner or supper? Here in the Maritimes, it is supper.

Today, I am sharing a little tea time. Those beautiful dried hydrangeas came from a friend and they are arranged in my grandmother's pancake jug which is over one hundred years old. The jug has travelled a long way and once belonged to my great-grandmother.

When were you introduced to tea? When I was a very young teenager, perhaps thirteen or fourteen, we lived across the road from a wonderful farm. The farmer lived there with his family and his mother. Everyone called his mother, Aunt Sue, and she was a dear old soul! She and my mother were such good friends and every once in a while, maybe once or twice a month, I would make my way up their long driveway to visit her in their beautiful farm house. 

She had the top floor to herself which had been turned into an apartment just for her so she would entertain up there. This is where I enjoyed my first tea time. 

She would bring out her lovely teapot and fine china cups and saucers and served me tea. But she also served tiny finger sandwiches on a pretty plate. Sometimes she would use her tiered plate stand with a variety of lovely sandwiches and sweets. She would offer cherry and cheese, which I loved, egg salad, chicken salad, asparagus, and peanut butter and banana pinwheels. I had never eaten asparagus sandwiches before and I rather liked them. I felt quite special when I sipped tea with her in her apartment, just the two of us.

 

She would talk to me and I shared with her all that was going on in my life at the time. She was very keen to listen and offer advice when I asked. I will never forget her or those special tea times I spent with her in her parlour. Do you have a memory to share?

I had made my grandmother's war cake, or boiled fruit cake, as my mother called it, as well as other goodies, for Thanksgiving. I sent half of the cake home with my son and his family, so there are only a few pieces left. This cake is so good and the recipe makes a long cake. 

You can find the recipe on my sidebar when you print in "search this blog."

It is October, so my Flower of the Month teacup is being used as well as my Old English Rose teacup which came from my Auntie P when she downsized. The cake is served on a Lavender Rose tray which came from my mother. All of these pretty pieces are made by Royal Albert and they are pink which I'm sharing in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and all those fighting this terrible affliction. 

There probably isn't a lady out there who hasn't been affected in one way or another by breast cancer. Most of you know I lost my best friend to this disease and the loss has been life-changing for me and all those who loved her. Please get your mammogram regularly and be sure to do self examinations often.

Sometimes we need the salt of tears to remind us how to savour the sweetness of life. ~ Lysa TerKerust

I hope you are enjoying the Autumn season and looking forward to Christmas. I know I am! If everything goes as planned, it will be the first Christmas in many, many years that our family will be celebrating the Holidays together. It is very nice to have this to look forward to.

Thank you for visiting and have a lovely week!

Time is like a river. You cannot touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again. Enjoy every moment in life. ~ unknown

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Happy Thanksgiving to All My Canadian Friends!

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

Hello dear friends! This year my bird bath pumpkin is a sweet Cinderella pumpkin instead of the usual orange pumpkin I have displayed in previous years. Don't you just love the wide varieties of pumpkins we have now?

The birdies can still get a drink from the birdbath because there is room in there for them to get water.

On the table are some blue and white transferware pieces. It has been cool the past few days so the fire is going.

This coming Monday is our Canadian Thanksgiving and I have made the usual pies and a War cake. 

We will be having dinner out at a restaurant because I took another fall the other day. I do however have a turkey in the oven and I will make some gravy for hot turkey sandwiches later.

Our middle son and his family are coming from New Brunswick to join us and our oldest grandson who lives about ten minutes away will be joining us as well. Our oldest son is spending the weekend in Ontario with his two other boys so he won't be joining us. Alas, our youngest son lives in the States so he won't be here either. But it is lovely to have some family with us this year.

Thanksgiving is of course a special day set aside to give thanks for all the many blessings in our lives. Good food, loved ones, and the precious memories that have played a part in shaping who we are. Our Heavenly Father has ordained them all.

I wish all my Canadian friends a very Happy Thanksgiving and may God bless you all!

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

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi 

Summer Time Fun and Family

Give every day the chance 

to become the most 

beautiful day of your life. ~ Mark Twain

Hello my dear friends! I have had a long break with my family and I am going to update you a bit with a few pictures as well as my thoughts on the whole wonderful experience.

First of all, let me say, it has been a happy Summer compared to last year! With the exception of my youngest son and his family, everyone was home for a visit. Unfortunately, by the time they opened the US border for travellers to enter Canada, my American family was back in university and could not come. If they are able, they may try to come at Christmastime or next summer. This Christmas, will mark three years since we have had them home and come next summer, it will be almost four years. So, this mom is trying very hard to be patient and accept whatever comes which isn't easy because I miss them so much.

Love seems to be something that keeps filling up within us. The more we give away, the more we have to give. ~ Mr. Rogers

Since my west coast family has moved east to New Brunswick, we have been together several times since July. It has been such a treat; a dream come true, really! I had prayed for this move for twenty years and now they are back on the east coast, two hours from our home. If I was to elaborate on how this move all came about, you would have to admit that God was in it and orchestrated the whole thing. It truly was a miracle! Don't ever give up praying, ladies.

God is good!!

We actually spent last weekend with them at their new home. What a beautiful property they have!  We missed most of the gardens and flowers but there was still much to see and enjoy. The hydrangeas are gorgeous and there were still lots of coneflowers and dusty miller about.

You can't see it because of the corner garden, but the verandah wraps halfway around the house. In the back, they have  a gazebo and hot tub. Next year they plan to plant a vegetable garden in the back yard. 

One of the things I liked best is the fish pond. My son has twenty-seven goldfish in it. He sits out on the verandah with his coffee every morning and watches the goldfish. It relaxes him before his busy work day begins. There is a small fountain in the back pond which is very soothing to listen to when you are out there.

The side view facing the goldfish pond. 

It is a very large house with a lot of light flooding the rooms through the many windows and garden doors. Their back yard is all fenced in so their pup is free to go out whenever he wants to. 

 Our two grandsons who live in Ontario now, flew home and my, how they have grown! All the boys are taller than their dad now who is five' eleven". The youngest guy got down on his knees when he saw me, to give me a hug. That made for a lively conversation with oohs and aahs at his playfulness. He towers over his grandmother! There are pictures of that but I'm not about to share what a total shrimp I am! Let's just say, I'm delighted!

The oldest boys are twenty, seventeen, and sixteen. Two of them are still in high school.  The oldest, Cam, the one on the right who lives here on the Island, is studying to be an electrician at College. The young man on the left, Brent, plans to go into the mental health field after he graduates. These days he writes music and is in a band, therefore the long hair, which Nanny loves! The youngest boy, Jared, in the middle, is still all about football. He is the tallest of them all. He is the one who got down on his knees to give me a hug. Too cute!

I am so proud of them all! One evening we had a big family barbecue and our youngest grandson, Zach, who just turned thirteen, was feeling rather bored and left out around the older boys. So Brent borrowed his brother's car and took Zach and his little sister, Jenna-Lynn, to hunt for hermit crabs which they often did whenever they visited the Island. That trip to the beach to hunt hermit crabs, was the highlight of Zach's trip! What a sweet young man to take his little cousins to the beach! I have adorable grandchildren, don't you agree? I am exercising my Nanny bragging rights today. I hope I'm forgiven! 😍

My youngest grandchildren love their new home in NB and my one and only little granddaughter is still in All-Star cheer which is a different type of cheer that takes place outside of schools. She is quite the little athlete and has won several medals! Her older brother still takes jiu jitsu and is enjoying those competitions as well. 

My son is busy with his job and my DIL has left the nursing profession to pursue a career in teaching, which she is enjoying very much. 

This is my NB family posing in front of the Petitcodiac river.

I am a very proud mom and grandmother! I have waited quite a while for all my grandchildren to be home at the same time. What a treat!

This is my son's drum kit and guitar. 

We are a musical family and all my boys play instruments. Right now two of my grandsons also play.

My NB son is a big Philly's fan as you can see by his collection of hockey jerseys and caps. This is his shrine, so to speak.

Yes, I've had a wonderful summer. It has been beautiful for the most part. 

Autumn is upon us and the songbirds have flown, leaving the feeders free for chickadees and other birds that will be here for the winter. I wonder if our cardinal will make another appearance?

How was your summer, my friends? I'll be back soon. Happy September!

Love is not about

how many days, months, or years

you have been together. Love is

about how much 

you love each other

every single day. ~ unknown

 

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Christmas in July

Celebrate love. It is the breath of your existence and the best of all reasons for living. ~ Author unknown 

Hello my dear friends! I hope you are all well. It has been a couple of weeks since I have posted anything and there is a reason for that which I will get into further down.

This time of year I always think of my Daddy because his birthday was on the 27th of July. He adored Christmas so this post is in memory of him. 

"Christmas isn't just an event - Love came Down and is among us! All year long, we can celebrate the Greatest Gift." ~ DaySpring

As some of you know, my father loved the Old Country Roses pattern, so I am featuring this pretty china today.

It is summertime so I have a sparkly starfish on the table too just for the whimsy.

Most years in July, I always try to have something festive out to celebrate the season, but this year, I haven't done that. I do have my topiary lit up for the pictures though.

Tea always tastes better in a china teacup. Just a few touches makes the tea table a little more festive. Little silver birds and a pine cone nestled next to the cup, add that festive touch I'm going for.

Warm sticky date pudding is something I try to make twice a year. Most of my recipes you can find on my sidebar using "search this blog."

Do you celebrate Christmas in July? When the weather is hot, it's not easy to think about the holidays but when you snuggle into a cozy arm chair and watch the Hallmark Christmas in July movies, it is a treat just for a couple of hours.

My pictures today are borrowed from earlier posts. 

I mentioned before that I haven't posted much lately nor have I visited my blogger friends and I apologize for that. I have been ill with a nasty infection for about six weeks. Alas, I was scheduled to have my second vaccine shot in June and I had to cancel. Now I am waiting for another appointment. I have also gone back to physiotherapy twice a week. 

So, I don't have a lot of time on my hands these days. My son and his family are planning a trip over from NB in a couple of weeks and sometime soon, we hope to make a trip over there to see them and their new home. Therefore, I have decided it is best to take a blogging break until the end of the summer. We are all busy so I know you will understand.

Thank you so much for visiting. Enjoy your Summer and please stay safe out there! 

Much love to you all and I will be back soon!

Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life. ~ Mark Twain

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

No More FeedBurner for Bloggers!

Good morning dear friends! Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends which we celebrate July 1!

A few weeks ago, I received a Feedburner notification because I have been using the "Follow by Email" widget on my blog sidebar. Subscribers have been able to follow along via email alerts. However, that subscription is about to expire tomorrow on July 1, and it will no longer be available to those of you who have been following my blog this way. 

It seems the only other way for me to offer an email subscription, is to purchase one. Therefore, I will not be able to offer the Feedburner service any longer. If you wish to follow my blog, you will need to visit my blog regularly. I sincerely hope you will.

Have a wonderful holiday, and to my American friends, a Happy Independence Day on the 4th!

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Pretty, Feminine Rose Chintz China

It's the month of June,

the month of leaves and roses,
when pleasant sights salute the eyes
and pleasant scents the noses. ~ Nathaniel Parker Willis

Welcome dear friends, and welcome Summer! I am sharing some Johnson Brothers Rose Chintz today. It is the perfect pattern for Spring and Summer because of its luscious roses and forget-me-nots. 

This pretty pattern tugs at my heart strings every time I look at it. It is a scrumptious bouquet of pink roses, rose buds, and soft blue forget-me-nots on a creamy white background, captured under a glaze, to be preserved forever. 

The teacups and mugs each have a delightful little spray of blue forget-me-nots and a single rosebud inside the cup. It is charming, feminine, and just makes me happy to look at it. It is a pattern which seems to give a romantic nod to by-gone days when manners were still in fashion.

Because it's lilac season, I have some lilacs too.

The Rose Chintz  brings back very fond memories of meals at my auntie's home in New Brunswick. She always set her table with this feminine china, and I thought it so pretty and special when I had any meal there. As a little girl, I took a real fancy to it and longed to have those same dishes when I grew up.

When my auntie down-sized into a condo, she gave me many pieces of her china and when she went into a Home, she gave me the rest of it.

Auntie's set was started as a wedding gift which she added to over the years. I have also added to it myself, as well as my son and several blogger friends. I am so thankful to have it, along with all those lovely memories, and I use it every day. I am still smitten with the pattern after all these years.

A table set beneath our maple tree with the dappled sunlight peeking through, makes for a delightful respite out in the fresh air.

Inside or out, Rose Chintz is sure to make you smile!

What makes you smile today? Thank you for your visit and have a beautiful day, dear friends!

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

It's Blossom Time on the Island

One June evening, when the orchards were pink-blossomed again, when the frogs were singing silverly sweet in the marshes.... and the air was full of the savour of clover fields and balsamic fir woods, Anne was sitting by her gable window. She had been studying her lessons, but it had grown too dark to see the book, so she had fallen into wide-eyed reverie, looking out past the boughs of the Snow Queen, once more bestarred with its tufts of blossom. ~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables

Hello my dear friends. The apple trees are in bloom again and the fruit trees are filled with fluffy sweet smelling pink-tinted blossoms. Lilacs are in bloom as well. What a beautiful time of year it is! Everything is so fresh and pretty.

This time of year I always look forward to their fleeting beauty and when the blossoms have fallen on to the grass I love how they carpet the ground with their petals. 

Every June I bring out my Royal Albert Blossom Time china. It is just so pretty! 

The rhubarb is also in season so I have some rhubarb crisp in one of my vintage pink goblets. 

Roses are looking pretty in a teapot and the table is set with my teacup and saucer which my aunt and uncle brought back to me from North Carolina one year. 

Don't you just love roses?

"Isn't it lovely? Don't you think it must be glad to be a rose? Wouldn't it be nice if roses could talk? I'm sure they could tell us such lovely things. And isn't pink the most bewitching colour in the world?" ~ Anne of Green Gables

My son and his family are now in New Brunswick and are in quarantine for two weeks before they take possession of their new home. It is good to have them back in the Maritimes!

I am sorry I didn't do much visiting the past two weeks. I have been ill again and just getting back on my feet, so to speak.

NOTE:

A few weeks ago, I received a Feedburner notification because I have been using "Follow by Email" widget on my blog sidebar. Subscribers have been able to follow along via email alerts. However, that subscription is about to expire and it will no longer be available to those who have been following my blog this way. It seems the only other way for me to offer an email subscription, is to purchase one. Therefore, I will not be able to offer the Feedburner service any longer. If you wish to follow my blog, you will have to visit my blog regularly. I sincerely hope you will.

Thank you for visiting and have a lovely day.

Happiness is the realization
of God in the heart.
Happiness is the result
of praise and thanksgiving,
of faith, of acceptance;
a quiet tranquil realization
of the love of God.~ 
White Eagle from the book, "A Book of Joy," by Thomas Kinkade

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi