Summertime......

What are your plans this summer??

My first plan is to get all

my garden going. Get all my starts

in the ground, the 9 tomatoe

plants a friend gave

me, some transplants sent home

with me from my trip.......

Then I just need to catch

up on weeds, it has been

raining, with thunder and

ightening and even hail!!!!

Very Crazy!!! But boy do

the weeds love it!!

After my garden is planted,
I will begin preparing for my

May Farm Cottage

Summer Daze Tea on the Veranda.

Every Tuesday and Thursday

through July and August,

Ladies can come have

tea on the porch.

So I am going to create a

"Tea Room"

at one end of the porch with

some fun finds from my trip. Had my

first call yesterday for a group

of 8-10 for a birthday celebration!

Then a lady I know is having an
"Upscale Yardsale"
in July.
She puts a pretty big ad in the
paper and it is not just a yard sale!

There are homemade items,

she has ladies serving

lemonade and cookies,

she has lovely

things on a clothesline, a

place to sit in the shade with

your refreshment,

several vendors as

well as we can bring our yardsale

stuff that is in good condition.

I have several things I want

to make, so that is in my plan.

Yummy Rhubarb Sauce....and I will

make some Strawberry and

Strawberry Rhubarb Jams.....

And, last big thing

of the summer,

well maybe not last

if I do an end

of summer tea in my

friends garden

.....but almost last

.......have not really

decided if I will do this.....

Prairie Day Camp!!

Yep!! Girls come for a

day camp, 3 or 4 days in

a row. First we

make bonnets and aprons

so they have them to wear,

then we do all

sorts of fun things,

from making candles

to embroidery......

Prairie stuff!!

Here they all are having

afternoon tea....

Ever seen girls have so much fun

washing dishes!?!

Sitting around doing handwork.......

Oh, yes, and in between

all that, I will be

busy keeping

the quail and such

out of the garden!!!

The girls love washing clothes in

the washtub with a washboard and

hanging them up to dry......

And just so you do not think I am a crazy woman......all these things just take a bit of initial organizing and then they are really very fun!! Also, my husband has not had much work and this is a little bit of income and a way I can help from home.

And, I do plan on having some nice breaks.....July is our 30th wedding anniversary and we plan to go somewhere nearby for a night or two.....On the Tuesdays and Thursdays that no one has called to reserve tea, I may have my own friends over for a time of relaxing and chatting......And, I do want to read this summer....in the shade......yes!! Not sure what I will read, nothing too intense, just something fun......

Some friends and I plan to go to the Coburg Quilt Show and take our own "Tea Party" picnic. We also have a fun local camp we attend that is very relaxing for me.....

And if I had small children around, which sadly I do not, I would have them by my side in the garden, they would help me make cookies and serve tea to the ladies, and of course they would enjoy Prairie Camp!!! And when it got too hot.....they would dip into their wading pool, while I cooled off in the hot tub which will be set on a low temperature......Enjoy your children this summer!! Keep them nearby, they will soon be grown, very soon.....

What are your summer plans???

A Jane Austen Tea

Here are our lovely girls
all dressed for a Regency
day.........

They practiced and

practiced and did a very

good job of dancing!

It was a very hot day,

so Iced Tea was on the menu......

Bath Buns!!

As Mrs. Elton recommended Bath for

Mr. Woodhouse's health.....

A Perfect Picnic Tray....

Beef pie....if you look closely....

Mrs. Jennings had one at her

Lawn Bowling Party

For Dessert.....Truffles and

Tarts, Mrs. Weston's

Far Too Rich Wedding Cake

and Strawberries from

Emma's outing....

Jane's writing desk.....

A bookmark to take home,

with a picture of Jane and

a quote from Jane. The

menu tied with a ribbon.

A very lovely day!!

Now...don't you just want to go plan

a Jane Tea Party for yourself!!

Christmas Blessings........

"What do you do? You're just a housewife and slave, aren't you?

A nursemaid to a bunch of kids?" ~ "NO. I have a

fantastic job, a terrific career! I am a curator in a

museum ~ a museum of memories!!"

~Edith Schaeffer, What is Family. (Very good book by the way:)

That is what I have been up to....a very, very busy

week creating memories!!

Even though my children are all grown, it is fun to still
make memories. I have been sewing up a storm!! Making a
couple lap quilts, PJ pants and I am about done. :) We
basically have no money this year for gifts...so it has been
such a BLESSING to see God provide just what I needed out in
my "stash" of fabric. God is so Good and I feel richly Blessed!
I will show you some pictures of what I have done after
Christmas, just in case anyone "peeks" at this blog before
tonight. :) Our children are all here tonight for a very healthy
fish dinner....mmmm, can't wait!!..... and gifts and tomorrow we
go to my hubbies Uncle's house for Christmas dinner. We were
just going to hang out here at home and not do a big dinner
Christmas day, but with the snow and the storms, his aunt
and uncle will be alone since they cannot get anywhere and
their family cannot get to them. :( So, we are happy to spend
the day with them, they are the only "aged" family we have left
that are like my children's grandparents, we
have many happy memories with them.

Hope and pray for you all today.....Peace to you as you

go about your preparations....May Love and

Joy and Peace abound in your homes

tonight and tomorrow and always!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I am thankful for family, friends, a home and that

God is Good and Loves me very much!! :D
Hope you all enjoyed your day!

Moving on......

Here are some more pictures of the Anne of Green Gables Tea........

another peek at our store.....

Look at these young ladies all dressed up!!

Look at those "puffed sleeves"!! She made that dress just for this tea...... More decos.......

Summers End Garden Tea!!

There are so many pictures of tea it is hard to choose, but I did, this is not even all of them, but it is alot, hope you enjoy.....................

Violas as they entered the yard.......
The lovely Ladies...........

The table..........

We gathered white pitchers of different sizes and filled them with flowers of white and shades of pink, the plates also had pink flowers along the edge.



Frenchesca comes to tea!
(the cat :) this was after the ladies had left...

This cup is the same as the little plates we used.
This is their take home gift, a vase of fresh herbs from the garden!!

The grande finale....fresh, homemade peach ice cream, soooo good!

The store.............

The girls helping me serve made these "heirloom tomatoe" pincushions....CUTE!!

HA, here it is!!!

Lavender by the spoonful........
Sweet rhubarb sauce.........

My lovely servers and their sister..........

The one in the front is my daughter... :)

OK, I do not like pictures of myself....but here you go..... :/

Sun setting at the end of the day......

It was a beautiful day....my friend and I sat here at the empty table after everything was cleaned up, except the table...we just wanted to sit and savor the moment with a cup of coffee (ooops...don't tell).....

Now a tour of

Our beautiful Tea Room.......