2014 Tea Time Review

Hello everyone, 

No, you're not seeing double...January and February tea time is a rerun. I posted the mosaic of January and February HERE.

February is my favorite month, because  I love CHOCOLATE  and because I was engaged to be married on Valentine's Day 1960.

March was also an amazing month for tea time. The air is warmer and tea time is always refreshing after playing (working) in the garden.

April was Tartan tea time. Angels, daffodils and 

Scottish shortbread cookies. Of course my Scottish scarf and hat from Scotland in the Wallace clan pattern are my favorite. 

May was time for the Garden Tour. I set my blue and white tea time table for everyone to enjoy while touring my garden. Visiting the Master Gardeners and shopping at the vendor's booths. 

June is lavender picking time. I have five plants and they are amazing. The patio is cool and it's time to relax and enjoy the summer breeze with a cup of tea.

July tea time is dreaming of the sea shore. We live about five hours from the Pacific ocean and sometimes during the hot days of July I wish I was walking on the beach bundled up in a warm sweatshirt. But I am bringing the ocean to the valley and the sea shells too. 

August is time to be inside with a good book. I love to read Jan Karon's books. The Mitford books are such a welcoming read. 

September is a month of reflection for me. I love to read and found another wonderful author. Susan Branch is an amazing writer and artist. I found this book in the travel section of the bookstore and I devoured every page in a flurry.  

November is sweet and beautiful. The Autumn colors are my favorite. I say that about every color. LOL! Apple cider tea is soooo good.

December is the month of being Jolly!!!! Get it, Jolly Old St. Nick.

Even Santa needs to take a break and have some milk and cookies (he doesn't drink tea) before he hops on his sleigh to deliver more gifts on Christmas Eve. 

Hope you are having a little rest this week in between Christmas and the New Year. Sweetheart and I are watching a few movies and  thinking about 2015's project list. 

Thanks for your comments and joining as a new follower. 

Joyously,

Betty 

Linking to:

Your Gonna Love It Tuesday at Kathe with an E   

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage 

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse 

A Return to Loveliness  at A Delightsome Life 

Tea Cup Tuesday at Martha's Favorites

Tea Cup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations

Tuesday Cuppa Tea at Antiques and Teacups

Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Year in Review 2014

Hello everyone,

This year is almost at an end. Bloggers have a yearly tradition to post a monthly review of some past year's posts. I will be doing two different reviews this year. This post is all about mosaics. 

I have a large garden and flowers are a favorite part of photography and mosaic making. I love to make mosaics and last January I was in a frenchy mood and my daffodils were blooming like crazy. Almond Crescent cookies and Crème brûlée 

February is a romantic month and my red tulips were in full bloom. I made Linzer cookies for the first time and DOVE candy is always on my menu.

March

The 100 daffodil blubs I planted in the fall of 2012 were photo ready.

April is a favorite month in the garden. The Dutchman's pipe vine is starting to bloom and is a California native plant. Also the Dutchman's pipe vine is the host food for the Pipe vine Swallowtail Butterfly. 

May was a busy month in the garden. I was honored to be invited to host the annual Shasta County Rose Society  Garden Tour. Sweetheart and I worked for two months to prepare for the one day event.  We had perfect weather.  The temp was 80 degrees and dry

June the weather was mild and the roses just kept blooming. On Mother's Day I received a green house and I arranged some roses to show off my green house and my make believe flower shop. I love to pretend I'm a flower vendor on a beautiful street corner in Paris. 

July is the month we entertain our granddaughters. I filled a wooden box with flatware, napkins, paper plates and salt and pepper shakers and some straws. I wanted easy access to the essentials for our outdoor dining. A variety of roses are in my french inspired vase and my french inspired tea towel protects everything from dust and bugs. We love to eat our lunch outside during the summer months and in the evenings we will come outside to visit and eat dessert. The nights in the summer are in the low  90's most of the month of July.

August is the hottest time of the year in our part of the country. Sweetheart and I have tried to put some places to sit in the shade in our garden. Actually it has been fun finding different benches for our outdoor spaces.

September is picnic month. The trees are turning their beautiful colors and a picnic basket, blanket and a straw hat are the order of the day. September is one of the most beautiful months of the year in Northern California.

October is the month when my mums go wild. I have several large plants and the orange color of these mums goes perfect with my Halloween mosaic.

November is Gratitude month. I love the definition of the word gratitude.

the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

December is the month of celebration. 

Well,  I guess the year has passed and now I'm looking forward to another amazing year. Sweetheart and I are planning to travel a bit more in 2015 and we will be celebrating our 55th Wedding Anniversary in July. Of course the garden is calling my name...I need to prune the roses in a couple of weeks so they will be in beautiful bloom next May. I feel so blessed to have been around this year to share my experience, strength and hope with all my followers and readers.
Bless you all
Joyously,
Betty
Linking to
Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Mosaic Monday at Lavender Cottage

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Cedar Hill Ranch for The Scoop!

A Delightsome Life for A Return to Loveliness

Christmas Tree

Hello everyone,

Today, was a day of rest. Yesterday, sweetheart and I joined our daughter and her family for a gift exchange and later in the afternoon they came to our house for dinner. We popped our English crackers and told corny jokes. Tonight sweetheart and I  watched a cute movie "And So It Goes" I cried...  

I didn't get all my Christmas Decor photos posted before Christmas Day, so here are a few pics of our tree and my tea table in the dining room.  I wanted to document my Christmas tree for future reference.  I'm already thinking about next year's Christmas tree.

See a closer view of the decorations Go Here.

My tea table in the dining room is dressed for Christmas Eve. A Partridge in a Pear Tree salt and pepper shakers.  

Angels are under the tree.

My thrifted lighted candelabra, Santa's sleigh and a faux amaryllis make for a merry vignette. 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. I will be working on my
YEAR IN REVIEW 2014
Joyously,
Betty
Linking to:
How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday

Natasha in OZ for Say G'Day Linky Party 

Under The Table and Dreaming for Sunday Showcase Party  

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home

Crackers*Crackers

Hello everyone,

It just wouldn't be Christmas without the traditional "Old English Crackers" Christmas Day brings lots of memories. I loved  Christmas as a child and now as a mature women with maybe a decade of Christmases left I am so grateful for being able to share a part of my life with family and friends with this blog. 

Christmas Day 2009  I pushed the Publish button for the first time and I haven't looked back. I noticed I'm not posting as much as when I first started, but I'm a little more tired. I wanted to post more Christmas, but I ran out of time. (Candy Crush) 

I need to take a photo of my living room tree and the tea table in the dining room. Oh, Well.

My Nut Cracker collection is standing on the buffet for a group photo. The mouse is a new one. Sweetheart found him at a yard sale.  He is perfect for the "Nutcracker Suite" don't you think?

More nut crackers...I love to crack nuts and have a couple of pounds of cracked nut in the freezer for baking. Especially when someone gives them to us for free.

This is my Jingle Bell Christmas in the dining room. I love the plaid ribbon and the bells mixed with red ornaments.

It wouldn't be Christmas without forced Paperwhites growing in the dining room. 

Thanks for visiting My Cozy Corner.

See you soon

Joyously,

Betty

Linking to 

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Waiting for Santa Claus

Hello everyone,

The Christmas countdown is on...Our granddaughters are teenagers now, but we still love thinking about Santa Claus and his reindeer coming to visit on Christmas Eve. I've setup a little snack for Santa and his reindeer on the back porch. 

Santa is up on the roof top of my Fitz and Floyd cookie jar.

Cold milk and freshly baked cookies are set on a clear Christmas platter waiting for Santa's arrival.   

The cookies came from my neighbor's cookie swap and I found these precious little milk bottles and straws at Tuesday Morning.

I put some reindeer food on table for Santa to spread on the lawn. The reindeer can eat their oats while waiting for Santa to finish his delivery.

A lantern with starry lights to help Santa find his way into our house and deliver the gifts he has on his list as he is checking it twice. LOL! 

Sweetheart and I are spending at quiet Christmas eve at home. I will be going to church for Carols and Lessons in the early evening and when I come home we'll enjoy a bowl of Manhattan style clam chowder with crusty bread and salad. At midnight I watch Midnight Mass from Rome. Sweetheart and I visited the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica in August 2010 for our 50th Wedding Anniversary. The mass and music is truly amazing.   

Hope you're having a wonderful week.
Joyously,
Betty
Linking to
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm 

St. Luke's Anglican Church

Hello everyone, 

This post is dedicated to the wonderful women of St. Luke's Anglican Church. The alter guild and the ACW (Anglican Church Women) are an amazing group of women who serve the Lord in many ways. Inwardly we pray for serenity and outwardly we show our love by example of good works for our church and others in need.

On December 21, 2014 was the fourth Sunday in Advent.

 After the morning service the parish gathered together to 

'Green the Church'
Greening the Church is a long standing tradition for the Christmas season. 

Poinsettias, Greens and Cedar Fronds adore the alter and alter rail. 

Red and Green are more secular colors of Christmas. They derive from older European practices of using evergreens and holly to symbolize ongoing life and hope that Christ’s birth brings into a cold world. 

The red hangings and red chalice veil are setup for the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle to be celebrated on December 22, 2014. Greening was placed around the door and on the window sills.

We are so blessed to have a beautiful pipe organ and a grand piano to use for services and musical events.

The Advent wreath is a circular garland of evergreen branches representing eternity. On the wreath, five candles are typically arranged. During the season of Advent one candle on the wreath is lit each Sunday as a part of the Advent services. Each candle represents an aspect of the spiritual preparation for the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

For more information about the tradition of the Advent wreath

 Go HERE

White hangings and white chalice veil are used for the Christmas season ending January 5th.  

Thank you for visiting and sharing in my joy of 

"Greening the Church"

Joyously,

Betty 

Linking to  

Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

P.S. My 5 year blogging Anniversary is on 

Christmas Day 

December 25, 2009-December 25, 2014

Wow!!! A lot of water under that bridge. LOL♥