Tea Time Tuesday

Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living. ~ Amanda Bradley

Hello ladies and welcome back to Tea Time! Didn't we have fun last week peeking into each other's cabinets? You ladies have some wonderful collections!

I thought it would be interesting to share who had the top viewed posts from last week. 

Judith @ Lavender Cottage showed off her delightful collection of butterflies. Her display of plates was lovely and I especially liked her mirrored butterflies.

The runner up was....

Beth @ Beyond the Garden Gate She shared her beautiful collection of china patterns. What fun she must have setting a tea or dinner table!

Thank you to everyone who joined me last week and all who visited. Seems my theme parties go over very well and I just happen to be planning another one for next week. Think pink!

This has been a long holiday weekend here in Canada, and I would like to wish all of my Canadian friends a Happy Thanksgiving! I am at this very moment enjoying a nice turkey dinner with my son and his family. So I will visit you as soon as I get back.

You've probably all had your fill of pumpkin pie over the weekend but guess what? Pumpkin pie is what I am serving for tea today.

I found a couple of teacups that will go nicely with my pansy teapot and since I was in a purple mood today, I have set our tea out on the coffee table with Bernideen's lovely table topper beneath it all.

 

Sweet violets are sprinkled all over these Grace tea ware teacups.

Since pumpkin pie is one of my favourite desserts, I won't mind having another slice. How about you?

"The cheerful joyous season,
the Autumn time is come.
With song and shout we welcome
The Golden Harvest Home." ~ Unknown




Please make yourself comfy and let's enjoy a cup of Darjeeling tea. This tea is often referred to as the ''champagne of teas'' and has traditionally been prized in the United Kingdom above all other black teas.

It comes from the Darjeeling district in West Bengal, India and is available as white, black, or oolong tea.  When properly brewed, it yields a thin-bodied, light coloured infusion with a floral aroma.

Darjeeling tea is widely and universally acknowledged to be the finest tea, because its flavour is so unique that it cannot be replicated. {Some of these facts I found on the Internet}



I also have some maple leaf cookies for those of you who would rather pass on the pie.

"What would the world do without tea? I am glad I was not born before tea." ~ Sydney Smith

"Just tea for two and two for tea...." ~ Irving Caesar

This being the month of October, I thought it would be nice to have a pink theme in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. I don't believe there is one of us who hasn't been touched by this dreaded disease in some way, be it a family member, a friend, or even yourself. 
So, next week let's Think Pink and bring out some tea things in pink.  Let's show our support of this worthy cause and please feel free to use the button for your tea post or sidebar.

Perhaps you don't have any pink china but you have a pink table cloth or some pink lady apples. If you don't have any pink at all, just share what you like, that's alright too. Hope you will join me for that.

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting,
And His faithfulness to all generations." ~ Psalms 100:4-5

I am delighted you have stopped by for tea today! Your presence always makes my tea party that much more special and I am happy to see all your tea things, whether you have shared them before or not. This tea party is all about sharing your joy of tea time and any thoughts you might have on the subject. You may be as creative, fancy, or as laid back with your tea time as you wish!

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~

Heart and Home ~ 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/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea~ http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Friends Sharing Tea ~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/
Tea Cup Thursday~ http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Potpourri Friday~ http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

Memories of a Gentle Lady

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends!

I am thankful for so many things. If I was to list those blessings, it would be as long as my arm. This time of year when I think of those blessings, I think of a special friendship I once had and I thank God that He allowed me to have this friendship for a little while.

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." ~ Melanie Beattie

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and so I thought I would do a special post about my best friend Carol who died of breast cancer.

I had heard my father speaking of this young lady for a few years before I actually met her. Daddy used to bowl with a league in the city and Carol and her husband were both members of it.

We finally met through some mutual friends when two of our children were small and we learned that we had many things in common. We had both moved around a lot when we were growing up, so we never really had a best friend but always dreamed of having one. We adored our husbands, and we each had three little boys that we were crazy about.

Carol was one of the gentlest souls I have ever known. She was beautiful inside and out.

We were much more like sisters than friends and we thrived on being home makers. We loved to bake and make our homes a haven for our loved ones to come home to.
We loved so many of the same things; pretty clothes and dishes, decorating our homes, nature, music, and Christmas. Most importantly, we both loved the Lord and we were passionate about living for Him.

When she was in her thirties Carol was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to have a mastectomy. That was a hard time! We had hoped that they had gotten it all but she had only three years after that....

The photo below is of Carol and her youngest son who is also my son's best friend. The two boys grew up together and were each other's Best Man at their weddings. I know Carol would have been pleased about that!

It was in September on one of our last outings together when we were taking a walk through the park and we found ourselves in a little clearing. There, about six little red squirrels put on a show for us. We were like two little girls watching them and it was a day I will always remember! And today whenever I see a little red squirrel scurrying about, I think of her and that special day we shared.

It was on Thanksgiving Day a couple of weeks later, {October is when we Canadians celebrate the holiday}, when her family doctor made a house call and gave her the bad news; she had only two months to live!

She took to her bed after that and slowly went downhill. The first week in November, I knew her time here was short but the Lord  gave me a peace which even to this day, I shall never understand. Many tears were shed and my heart hurt so badly yet somehow I was able to trust God that He knew what He was doing.

On November 25, exactly one month away from our favourite holiday, the Lord took Carol home to be with Him.

I will always be thankful for the time we had together and I know someday I will see her again. In the meantime, I have my memories of our precious friendship.

We used to talk about being grandmothers and looked forward to  shopping for our little ones. But she never got to do that.
Today she has three beautiful daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren and I'm certain she is smiling down upon them even as I write this.

Life is so short. One never knows what a day or a month will bring. I have always said that we ought to live as though it is our last day on earth. Bring as much sweetness, kindness, and gentleness to those around you as you can. I hope, like my friend Carol, I will leave the world a better place. I hope you will too.

In memory of Carol Ann~

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all." ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:16


Sharing from my heart~ Sandi