That Little Red Headed Girl for "No Place Like Home"

Home is where friendships are formed and families are grown;
Where joy is shared and true love is known;
Where memories are made and seeds of life are sown. 
This is the place that people call home. ~ Author unknown

Hello my lovely friends! Welcome to No Place Like Home! As I mentioned last week, I am hosting this meme until the week of December 16. It is an exciting time of year when most of us are busy preparing for the Holidays and I thought now would be a wonderful time to host this party. There is lots of baking and decorating going on, so let's share away! 

 My post today is about "That Little Red Headed Girl" we all call Anne. She is my guest today and I hope you will join us.

Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world. ~ Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

This Anne was my last Christmas present from my father as he passed away a few months later. I cherish her just as I cherish my memories of my daddy. 

Anne has always been one character in whom I have felt a kindred spirit. I'm sure it comes from being a lonely child growing up because my family moved around so much, thus making friends very difficult.

Anne and I both possessed a lot of scope for imagination as children. A great deal of time was spent daydreaming about silly romantic notions although it proved to be beneficial, as our way of expressing ourselves. She couldn't help but express herself verbally, whereas I liked to write my thoughts down on paper. And in case some of you may not know; Anne's character was based upon Lucy Maud Montgomery's life. 

Anne is standing next to a beautiful ceramic pumpkin piece that Bernideen sent me many years ago when I had won her give-away. Isn't it lovely? The table topper beneath was also a part of the give away. 

I always receive compliments on this pumpkin but soon the pumpkins will be going away to make room for all the Christmas pretties. So I thought I would make it a part of my setting today. Anne certainly approves! 

This pumpkin holds a surprise! When you lift the cover, you will see this lovely message inside. 

I have served many treats inside this pumpkin; mini cheesecakes, butter tarts, even sandwiches, but today I am serving mincemeat tarts and a few squares.

I know Anne would have a twinkle in her eye to sit at tea and enjoy these goodies from such a whimsical dish. 

I believe I could be a model child if I were just invited out to tea every day. ~ Anne of Green Gables 

I am using my Friendly Village china today. November is here and it's the perfect month to bring it out. 
Each piece of Friendly Village depicts a scene from our past; an ice house, a covered bridge, a school house, among other things. A truly old-fashioned pattern which suggests a life of hard work yet such wonderful sentiment. I thought this china perfect for my tea with Anne as she would have been familiar with many of these buildings in her day. 

The story Anne of Green Gables, written by our beloved author Lucy Maud Montgomery, was first published in 1908 and has since been read and treasured by millions of readers all over the world. Anne is our most famous celebrity here on the Island and she draws folks from all over the world every year. 

"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive- it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half as interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?" ~ Anne of Green Gables 

Mark Twain once said of Lucy Maud Montgomery's writings, "The sweetest creation of childlife yet written." 

Those of you who have never seen the 1985 Kevin Sullivan TV series starring Megan Follows, I highly recommend it! You are in for a real treat! It is the most endearing and best version of Anne of Green Gables you will ever see. 

courtesy of the internet

I hope you have enjoyed having tea with Anne and me. If you have a post you would like to add to my party, just let me know in a comment and I will add your website/post to my party. I will not have the thumbnail linky set up as it's only for a short time. Please share anything that is home related but no advertisements or Esty items. Everything that makes your home more enjoyable to come home to, for your family, your friends, and yourself. 

Posts including artwork, antiques, baking and cooking, collections, china, crafting, decorating, knitting, quilting, tea time, etc...all are welcome.
Thank you so much for coming and God bless you!

Lord, this humble house we'd keep 
Sweet with play and calm with sleep. 
Help us so that we may give 
Beauty to the lives we live. 
Let Thy love and let Thy grace 
Shine upon our dwelling place. - Edgar A. Guest 

Blogs joining the party:
This Beautiful Life

Closed Doors, Open Windows
Kitty's Kozy Kitchen
The Legacy of Home
Thelma's Days
Mrs. T's Christmas Kitchen
Tea in the Valley
A Debbie-Dabble Christmas
Delightful Repast


Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

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