Blizzard

This was the view from the front door part way through the blizzard last week. It snowed a lot more after we took this picture. Hardly any snow melted, before the snow hit again this week, so it's a lot higher.

Our fences are five feet tall. This is while it was still snowing last week. Anything that melted in the back yard was gained back, plus more with this week's snow.
Here's Abner on the porch after Sweetheart shoveled. Here he is trying to jump over the snow.

Here's Abner playing in the backyard.

Christmas Morning

Filling Our Homes

By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding
it is established;
through knowledge
its rooms are filled with
rare and beautiful treasures.

Proverbs 24:3-4

Graphic: Holly Pond Hill

1,000 Gifts

I've seen the button for this on a few sites and decided to join in. I desire to maintain an "attitude of gratitude" in this new year. I am blessed beyond measure and what to give God the glory for His many gifts. These will be in no particular order, but listed as they come to mind.

1. Christmas~Christ's birth.

2. Sweetheart.

3. Pumpkin.

4. Our new little blessing; a gift to be "opened" the end of August/early Spetember.

5. My family.

6. A beautiful cup of Earl Grey Tea.

7. Music.

8. The sound of Pumpkin's laugh.

9. Abner the Airedale who is lying at my feet.

10. Slippers.

11. Dresses.

12. Aprons.

13. Electricity.

14. Heat.

15. My "Perseverance Tree" located outside Buena Vista, Colorado that I got to see again on the drive to Durango the other day. (It's an enormous tree that appears to have been felled by lightning, but continues to flourish.)

16. Flowers.

17. Sunsets.

18. Books

19. The Internet. Really.

20. Seeing Sweetheart sitting across the desk from me.

to be continued...

Merry Christmas to Us!

Well, we received quite a wonderful present this Christmas.

It was fun to get to share our joy with all of our family at once.

Oh my!

We found out a few days before we went to my Dad and Stepmother's house for Christmas. My Mom, my sister & all her family were there together. We thought it would be fun to tell them when we were all together, so I made an ornament that read "Baby's 1st Christmas 2007" and put it in a pretty little box. I left it on the dining room table to see who would be curious. My sister opened the lid of the box, but didn't take the ornament out. Sweetheart saw her and thought she saw it. I asked her if she looked at what was in the box, she said no. I told her to go ahead and open it when we were all at the table. She did! Needless to say, everyone was suprised and excited. What fun!

I think I'm still in shock myself!

Note: I edited this to have a different counter, not sure about the "humor" part. I may switch it back.

Later Note: I edited this again keeping the flowers, but ditching the "humor". I'd prefer to not have anything regarding Paris Hilton or Pamela Anderson on my site. Oh my!

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.

I'll be back posting next week sometime.

May you and yours enjoy the blessing of His birth.

Christmas Meme

1. Hot Chocolate or apple cider?
Both! I really enjoy both, plus my hot tea. Of course, Pumpkin Spice Lattes sure are nice this time of year as well...If it's hot, I drink it!

2. Turkey or Ham?
Actually, turkey for Thanksgiving, ham for Easter and Prime Rib for Christmas is what I like to do.

3. Do you get a fake or real-you-cut-it-yourself Christmas tree?
We like to go to the forest find a tree, hug it, chop it down, and bring it on home. This year's is a ridiculously tall tree, but it's done.

4. Decorations on the outside of your house?
All I did this year was the porch. I put garlands, ribbons, and poinsettas on the railing and cover the settee in a cheerful tartan cloth. I had white lights on the railing, too, but I had to take them off because I needed them for the 17 foot tree. Somehow I didn't have enough lights...(Actually, 3 strings went bad which didn't help.) Of course, it's all completely buried in the snow now anyway!

5. Snowball fights or sledding'?
Snowball fights.

6. Do you enjoy going downtown shopping?
I'd love to go downtown to shop, but mostly shopped on-line this year.

7. Favorite Christmas song?
Tough to say, but I think "Come, O Come Emmanual".

8. How do you feel about Christmas movies?
"It's a Wonderful Life" is fun. I also usually watch "Little Women", too,

9. When is it too early to start listening to Christmas music?
My friends in high school used to play it on occasion in June in Phoenix, by the pool. Otherwise, I'd probably wait until Thanksgiving time.

10. Stockings before or after presents?
After.

11. Carolers, do you or do you not watch and listen to them?
We've done it ourselves, but have never had anyone else stop by. I'd love it. I'd quickly make hot tea and cider and share some cookies.

12. Go to someone else's house or they come to you?
I'd rather be home, but we alternate for different years.

13. Do you read the Christmas Story? If so when?
Yes, all throughout the season.

14. What do you do after presents and dinner?
Dishes.

15. What is your favorite holiday smell?
Spiced cider.

16. Ice skating or walking around the mall?
Ice skating.

17. Do you open a present or presents on Christmas Eve, or wait until Christmas day?
One on Christmas Eve, the rest on Christmas day!

18. Favorite Christmas memory?
Seeing Pumpkin sleeping in his bouncy seat last Christmas. What a gift.

19. Favorite Part about winter?
See #1. I'm not really crazy about winter. I don't like being cold. I guess 18 years in Phoenix left its mark.

20. Ever been kissed under mistletoe?
Yup.

If you're here and reading this meme, you're tagged! Merry Christmas!

Morgan's Musings: Christmas Meme.#links#links

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

We've got one! Oh my! We have drifts as high as Sweetheart's shoulders. Many of the cars on our block are just white mounds of snow. The snow has finally stopped falling for now and everyone is out trying to move snow. I'll try to post pictures later.
Sweetheart got to leave work early yesterday and after a two hour commute was home. I'm so glad Pumpkin and I did our errands on Tuesday. We all sat around the fire eating popcorn, drinking hot chocolate, and watching movies. It was a great snow day. We had a lot of fun.
Today, Sweetheart has been working from home via the computer and I've been making soup, cleaning, and getting cookie plates together for the neighbors. Now that Pumpkin's napping I think I'll see about passing those cookies out. I might seriously need snowshoes to get next door. Maybe Sweetheart will pass them out for me.
Our out of town family members called to see if it was as bad as it looked on television. I told them it probably was! This may throw a wrench into our travel plans, but I won't worry about that now. It really has messed up gifts though, as we've had no mail or deliveries yesterday, or today, and tomorrow's not looking too good. Sigh. I can't do anything about that either and will just figure it out when everything arrives.
I need to keep my focus on what the holiday is all about. At least if we can't get together with everyone else, we are warm and safe here and surrounded by love (and snow!). Thank you Jesus, for our many Blessings, but especially for coming into this world as a precious Baby to save us all. Thank You for loving us.

Merry Christmas!

We are officially having a blizzard here in Denver today! It is really coming down! No running errands today. Guess it's time to finish those Christmas cards.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas. As we approach the special day, may we all focus on Christ, and rejoice in His birth. Thank you for stopping by. Be a blessing to someone today!

Christmas Cookies

My Dad has this thing about Christmas Cookies. No mere cookie will do. It's Grandma's Spritz Cookies, or you might as well not even preheat the oven. I made 18+ dozen of these babies yesterday. That's a lot of cookies. I made 12 dozen at Thanksgiving and I'll try to make more later this week, if I have time. These are made with one of those cookie presses. Having tried several, I recommend the Williams-Sonoma Cookie Press over the rest. It may be a bit more expensive, but when you make as many as we do each year, it's worth it to avoid the hassle.

So that the rest of us have cookies to eat and Dad does not like to share, I also made a double batch of Ginger Bear Cookies, just as circles, not bears this time. I've also got a batch of sugar cookie dough softening on the counter. I will roll, cut and bake them tonight. I'm babysitting tomorrow afternoon and thought I'd have them help decorate the cookies if they'd like. Sweetheart is requesting more fudge as the batch from the Tea is but a memory. I'll also try to whip up some Schoolhouse Hot Chocolate tonight, if I have enough cocoa.

Spritz Cookies

1 cup shortening

3/4 sugar

1 egg

2 1/4 cups sifted flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

Cream shortening, adding the sugar gradually. Add unbeaten egg, difted dry ingredients, vanilla. Mix well. Form cookies on ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate with candies/sprinkles. Makes 6 dozen.

Books are Like Friends

"My books are friends that never fail me. "---Thomas Carlyle .

I am blissfully sitting here next to three new friends!

This morning I found The Road to Yesterday, Jane of Lantern Hill, and The Golden Road. I bought these three Lucy Maud Montgomery books for a whopping total of 99 cents. I've read Jane of Lantern Hill, but it was years ago. The Road to Yesterday sounds inviting as it is more Anne and Gilbert tales and The Golden Road should be quite enjoyable since I liked The Story Girl.

Not a bad way to spend a dollar. I think I'll have to go put the kettle on, grab an apple, and sit down for a story while Pumpkin naps.

Girl Reading-Renoir from Allposters.com

Tea Sandwich Recipes

I often just make up the recipes for my tea sandwiches based on what I have in the refrigerator! I also make a lot of vegetarian combinations. They are often healthier and less expensive.
Egg salad works well as I almost always have eggs on hand. I like to add mayo, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, celery and seasonings to my egg salad. I don't measure, so I can't give amounts. It mostly is by look and texture and how many people are joining me. (I add a dash of the red wine vinegar to give it a bit of a tang, like deviled eggs.) I'll put it on whatever bread I have. If I have regular white bread I'll make it like a regular sandwich and then cut the crusts off and quarter it. If I have homemade bread, I make make them open-faced and just put the salad on a single slice of bread, otherwise it's too much bread.
Cucumber sandwiches are simple. I butter the bread and place very thin slices of cucumbers on top. I may leave them open as well, again it depends on the bread I'm using. Sometimes I'll cut the slices in half and fan them out on the bread. If I have them, I'll add thin slices of radishes as well. The flavors work well together and the red of the radish adds a dash of color. I like to sprinkle fresh or dried dill on top as well.
I love tomato sandwiches for tea. I usually use baguettes for bread, or cut circles out of sandwich bread. I blend a mix of dried herbs: savory, basil, thyme, etc. into some mayonnaise and refrigerate the mayo so the flavors can meld. I then spread the mayo on one bread circle and top it with a slice of tomato. Roma tomatoes work well for this. I then sprinkle fresh basil, if I have it and little bachelor button/cornflower petals on top. They are completely edible and the blue simply pops out on top of the red of the tomato. (I grow them in the garden, dry them in bunches, then put them in jars to use throughout winter.)
Chicken salad is also wonderful for tea sandwiches. I make mine with chicken, cashews, a little onion, celery, mayo, mustard, and spices. I just make sure to chop everything up fine so that it is easier to eat.
Cream cheese can also be a wonderful sandwich base. You can put it on the cucumber sandwiches in place of, or in addition to, the butter. It's also nice mixed with a little blue cheese and spread with bits of pear and pecans or walnuts.
I've also used just regular lunch meats like turkey or sliced chicken for sandwiches as well. I just make sure they are bite-sized and as pretty as possible. Cookie cutters can be used to make fun shapes. Also, you can cut the sandwiches into quarters via triangles, and rectangles, not just squares. Have fun with it! I'm sure you can come up with something wonderful out of whatever you may have on hand. Feel free to post your ideas in the Comments section.

The Christmas Tea

Well, the Christmas Tea is done. After all the ladies responded we were to be a party of five out of eight. Within an hour of our tea time, two ladies cancelled for different reasons. Needless to say, the three of us had plenty of food!

Here was my plan for the tea. The reality is listed in red. :)


Two Weeks Before
Decide on Theme-Christmas Done
Invite Guests-MOPS Table Ladies (8) Done

One Week Before
Make Menu Done Two Days Before-Delayed as I was still trying to know who was coming.
Plan Grocery List and Amounts Done Two Days Before
Bake and Freeze Items Done Two Days Before

Two Days Before
Shop for groceries Done the Day Before
Wash and Prep Vegetables Done Morning Of
Bake Breads Done Two Days Before

Day Before Nothing Happened That Day. Everything that got done was done the day of the tea. Sweetheart & I went to the forest to get our Christmas Tree. This, and the challenges of decorating a 17 foot+ tree, took a lot more time than planned.
Bless (Clean) Home Done
Make Scone Mix
Make Sandwich Fillings
Set Tables
Assemble Trifle Skipped Altogether

Morning Of Done
Assemble Sandwiches, Cover with Damp Towels & Refrigerate
Whip Cream Used Cool Whip
Slice Lemons Skipped
Fill Jam Pots
Clean Kitchen

Thirty Minutes Before Done
Check List for Details
Put the Scones in the Oven Note: These turned out so good with the cranberries, spices and orange peel. I'm planning to make some for Christmas!
Take a Few Quiet Moments Alone/Check Appearance
Garnish Plates

Final 15 minutes Done
Light Candles
Play Music
Whip Cream
Sprinkle Powder Sugar
Put Out Cream & Lemon
Put Out Jam
Put Kettle On
Put Food Out

Why did I list this? Well, I love to plan out events. I believe it makes things go smoother. I wonder sometimes though, why I bother at all. Sometimes I think I might be better off without a plan. While I'd love for everyone to think I have it all together and can do it all perfectly, I can't. I am hoping this will be an encouragement to other ladies to know they are not alone in trying to do something well, but have their plans get demolished. It did all work out and it was a lovely time. I believe the ladies who attended enjoyed their time and the doggie bags of food I sent them home with!

In hindsite, I wish I could be more firm with RSVPs. However, as there were last minute cancellations, I don't think it would have mattered. Maybe I should have cancelled it altogether, but I didn't want to as they said they were looking forward to it. I was as well. I did try to focus on serving them and it was a lot of fun.

The one thing I do know: we cut down too big of a tree. It took so much longer to do that it definitely altered some of the planning as I couldn't do anything at all on Saturday. Hint: if you have to decorate the top of the tree while it's still lying down and before it goes in the stand, it's probably too big. I'd post pictures, but I'm not sure how I'd get the whole thing in. We sure did have fun, though, snowshoeing and picking out the tree. Hauling it back to the truck, not as much fun as it was quite heavy. Having to cut four feet off to get it in the truck, not as much fun, but it did give us branches to decorate with! Still having the tree stick out of the tree by 6 feet+, was probably not the best idea. We did have fun though, really.

I couldn't have done it without my Mother though. She babysat Pumpkin while we went to get the tree, and entertained him while I fought with the lights. She came back on Sunday and did the decorations for the bottom 5 1/2 feet of the tree in between playing with the baby. Thank you Mom!

Guest Blogging~Christmas Tea

I've just posted my guest blog over at Lindsey's blog.

What fun! I've never done anything like that before!

Pop on over for a visit.

Christmas Tea Menu

Well, I've just finished the baking for the day. Think I can serve Sweetheart bread for dinner? Me either. I've got cooling three french baguettes, two whole wheat loaves, 7 loaves of pumpkin bread, 7 loves of banana bread, 20 madeleinnes, and a batch of fudge. Man, you should see all the dishes. I skipped the cookies I was going to make. While doing that, I finalized my menu for the tea. Now, to just pray someone else shows up on Sunday!

Christmas Tea Menu

Beverages

Assorted Hot Teas

Hot Chocolate

Hot Spiced Apple Cider

Sandwiches

Open-Faced Egg Salad

Tomato Provencal

Cucumber & Herbal Cream Cheese

Scones

Christmas Scones

Whipped Cream

Raspberry Jam

Lemon Curd

Desserts

Pumpkin Madeleinnes

Pumpkin Breads

Banana Breads

Ginger Cookies

Chocolate Fudge

There are so many other recipes I love to make, but since this may end up as tea for two (Sweetheart & I), I don't want to go nuts. Most of what I've chosen can be frozen.

I'll be guest-blogging on Christmas Teas for www.advent4evangelicals.com tomorrow. I am open for suggestions as to what to post. Feel free to comment. Please, comment! I'm hoping I can get pictures to post for it as well...

Simple Church

'Tis the gift to be simple,

'tis the gift to be free,

'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

It will be in the valley of love and delight.

-J. Brackett, Jr., 1848

I am curious if there is anyone out there reading this that attends a House Church/Simple Church. I 've been reading about them and just wanted to "talk" to someone involved in one. Please comment, if you like.

Christmas Books

I love Christmas Books! I have over thirty, having received two more already this season. I have my favorites for certain things. I think my favorite book for children is One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham. Her words, combined with extraordinary pictures by Richard Jesse Watson, tell the Christmas Story starting with Creation and ending with the Resurrection in an amazing way demonstrating why Jesus came.
I bought this book years ago and read it to my students when I taught at a Christian school. I'd read a chapter a day to my fifth graders spreading it out over December. I saw one of my students recently who is now a junior in high school and he remembered my reading the book to them, it's that good of a story.
I just started rereading it to myself last night. This would be a wonderful family Christmas gift for you or friends. I'm going to take it with us when we gather with family for Christmas later this month. I hope my neice and nephew will enjoy it as much as I do.

Pictures

I have so many pictures, I'd love to post, but Blogger appears to not want me to! Help! I don't know if switching to BETA would help. I wonder if Typepad is any better. What are your thoughts? I know I'm not alone with the Blogger Picture Problem. Please comment and let me know what's working for you. Thank you!

Christmas Tea Count Down

This is adapted from my usual Tea Time Countdown, which is in the October archives. I don't remember how to link to one of my own posts! This is supposed to take place on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. As of this posting, I have 1 person who is definitely coming (me), 3 that definitely NOT coming, and 4 maybes.

I'm not sure how to plan for this. I've thought about cancelling, but one of the maybes really wants to come, she just hasn't heard back from her babysitter. She said it would be such a wonderful break for her. It's worth it to me to do it just for her. However, I don't have a clue as to how much food to make! Good thing we have a big freezer. At this point, I am planning to do everything like they are all coming. Man, this is frustrating.

Two Weeks Before

Decide on Theme-Christmas

Invite Guests-MOPS Table Ladies (8)

One Week Before

Make Menu

Plan Grocery List and Amounts

Bake and Freeze Items

Two Days Before

Shop for groceries

Wash and Prep Vegetables

Bake Breads

Day Before

Bless (Clean) Home

Make Scone Mix

Make Sandwich Fillings

Set Tables

Assemble Trifle

Morning Of

Assemble Sandwiches, Cover with Damp Towels & Refrigerate

Whip Cream

Slice Lemons

Fill Jam Pots

Clean Kitchen

Thirty Minutes Before

Check List for Details

Put the Scones in the Oven

Take a Few Quiet Moments Alone/Check Appearance

Garnish Plates

Final 15 minutes

Light Candles

Play Music

Whip Cream

Sprinkle Powder Sugar

Put Out Cream & Lemon

Put Out Jam

Put Kettle On

Put Food Out

Have FUN!

Scones

Scones are wonderful. I know they have a reputation for being hard to make, but nothing could be further from the truth! I don't bother with scone mixes because they are so easy to make from scratch. Apparently, the less you handle them the better. I've used Emilie Barnes' recipe for years. It's found in both of her books, If Teacups Could Talk and The Twelve Teas of Christmas. (By the way, if you are interested in learning more about tea, ITCT is personally my favorite tea book--and I have A LOT of books on tea! It would make a lovely Christmas gift for yourself, or a friend.)
As I am gearing up for my Christmas Tea this weekend, I thought I'd do a few postings. I should have a final count of ladies tomorrow, so I'll better know what to prepare. Until then, go get a cup of tea and make a batch of scones!
I halve this recipe when I just want a few, but I've also quadrupled it many times for big tea parties. I make them in different shapes, by hand or with cookies cutters, and I've been known to add everything from chocolate chips to strawberries, to lemon balm, and more. It's a very forgiving recipe and it also works at high altitude. I just adjust the baking time depending on the sizes of scones I am making.


Emilie's Scones

2 cups flour
1 TBL baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 TBL sugar
6 TBL butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/3-1/2 cup milk, cream, buttermilk, or half & half

Combine the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. I n a separate bowl, combine the eggs and milk until well-blended. Stir everything together until moistened, but don't overmix. Divide the dough into two 8-inch rounds on a greased baking sheet. Cut the rounds with a sharp knife into 8 wedges each. Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle on a little more sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the scones are golden brown.


Sigh. It makes me want to go bake some right now! But, I will prepare them on Saturday and bake them Sunday just before the ladies arrive so they will stay warm. They are delicious, but they don't last long. I'd recommend freezing any leftovers, or just eating them all up! Have fun!

My wheels are turning...I think I'll sprinkle the red decorating sugar on them right before I put them in the oven instead of plain sugar so they look more festive...

Prayer Needed

I just read about this from another site. A family of four has been missing for days. The wife and two daughters have been found, but they are still searching for the husband, James. Please, pray for the Kim Family. More info at:

http://www.jamesandkati.com/

Update: I am saddened to discover that they found James Kim's body. I hope that he is in heaven with Jesus. Please pray for those he left behind.

The ABC’s of Advent

A few weeks ago Shelly Radic from MOPS International spoke at our MOPS Meeting on Christmas. She shared some ideas from a little flip book she had called The ABC’s of Advent. The book is now out of print, and her copy was lost, so I do not know who the authors were. I wanted to share, though, a few of their ideas. If you know anything more about this book, PLEASE share it in the Comments as I would like to give credit where credit is due.

The book suggested going through the alphabet with one letter for each day. It gave ideas for ornaments, carols, activities, and books to read. Since I don’t know who the authors are, I do not want to just post all their hard work with no credit. I spoke with Shelly and she thought maybe just sharing the word for each letter would be ok. I will do all the ideas for “A” to get you started though!

December 1
“A” is for ANGEL. Angels are God’s messengers. Angels announced Jesus’ birth.
Ornament: Cut out an angel, or make an angel garland.
Carol: “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing”
Activities: Bake angel shaped cookies. Talk about angels.
Books: The Littlest Angel

B= Baby Jesus
C= City of Bethlehem
D= Donkey
E= Evergreen Tree
F= Family
G= Gift of Grace
H= Heart
I= Inn
J= Joy (Jesus*Others*You)
K= King of Kings
L= Lamb
M= Multitude of Angels
N= Name
O= “O Come All Ye Faithful”
P= Present
Q= Quiet Time
R= Rod (Candy Cane)
S= Saint Nicholas
T= Twinkling Star
U= “Unto Us a Child is Born”
V and W (same day)= Visit of the Wise Men
X= X is for Jesus Christ. X is the Greek symbol for Jesus Christ
Y= Yule Log
Z= ZZZZ (Sleep well knowing that God watches over us and never slumbers or sleeps.)
Do you have to do these exact letters? No, of course not. You may have an idea that works better for you. Feel free to comment and share your ideas.

Tea Etiquette

Here are some notes I found from one of my talks on The Etiquette of Tea. I won't post everything, but here is an excerpt. Alas, Blooger does not seem to wish to post pictures again today.

*When setting the tea table remember to keep the handles of the cups at a four o'clock position. *A small teaspoon may rest on the saucer.
*The type of tea and way you brew it is important. It is best to use loose-leaf tea as it has a much better quality and taste. Tea bags may work in a pinch, but whatever you use should be removed from the pot, or cup before it is served. It is considered tacky to drink your tea with the tea bag still floating in your cup.
*It is not recommended to add anything to green or white teas. It is proper to add sugar, milk, or lemon to black teas when drinking them. Cream however, is not recommended; regular milk is preferred even if it is referred to as cream. Also, it is important to never add both milk and lemon, as the lemon will cause the milk to curdle and ruin your tea.
Some people add their sugar and milk before the tea is poured, some add it after. Either way is proper and there are good reasons for both views. Adding your special touches before does allow you to make sure you have enough room in the cup for everything you want. If ladies will be adding cream or sugar to their tea later, you may wish to ask if they would like you to leave room for cream, much as you would for coffee.
*As you stir your tea you should keep the bowl of the spoon in the bottom of the cup and make gentle stirring, or folding motions. Your stirring should be silent. No one should hear the spoon clang against the side of the teacup. Place the teaspoon back on your saucer when you are finished.
*Ready to take a drink? Be sure to lift both your cup and saucer. For right-handed ladies, you should hold the saucer in your left hand as you pick up the cup in the right hand. Don't loop your fingers into the handle, as many times it will not fit comfortably. The handle should actually be pinched between the fingers and thumbs. This inevitably leads to the pinkie dilemma: to lift or not to lift.
The right answer is simple. Do whichever is the most comfortable to you. We often think of it as a silly affectation, but there is a simple and logical reason as to why it started in the first place. When teacups were originally used in China they had no handle. Therefore, in order to avoid burning fingertips on boiling hot sides, people would rather pinch the edge of the cups at the twelve o'clock position, or pick it up with two fingers-one at the six o'clock position and one at twelve o'clock. By doing this the end fingers and pinkies often rise.

*Drink your tea carefully. It is meant to be savored. It should not be used to wash down the food. The idea is the same with the food served at teas. It should be served in bite-sized portions that are easy to eat with your fingers. It is proper to eat with your fingers at a tea. If you find an item too large to eat delicately in one bite, then by all means cut it up. Also, it is better to take smaller amounts of food first and refill your plate as needed then to try and load up on everything at once.
*Most etiquette items are really common sense. Don't let a variety of dos and don'ts stop you from enjoying a tea party. Please note that you may also choose to serve punch, hot cider, even hot cocoa at a tea. I'll often put pink lemonade in teapots if I am having girls over for a special time, but may not like tea.


The joy of tea is not just about what you choose to drink, but may pour over into how you choose to live your life.
Will you take the time to slow down, savor each sip, and steep yourself in beauty and serenity?
Will you find ways to infuse yourself with peace and sweeten your life with love?
If you are able to do this, your life will be rich and flavorful.