Thankful Thursday and A Tea Tyme Pink Saturday

 

Thankful Thursday 

Ok...I admit it, if I were a cat, this one would be me!

With all the snow and ice and cold days and nights, a warm bed is a comfy place to be. I read two books in less than 36 hours enjoying hot tea, a comfy blanket and warm and stylish pjs! Those are days I truly cherish.

I have fallen a day behind so here it is Friday and I am sharing Thankful Thursday. But thankful I can be here with all of you. 

Please visit Pink Saturday and maybe you will see more pink too.

Pretty in pink soft sugar cookies  for Pink Saturday and My very late Tea Tyme which I Usually post on Tuesday.

Some pretty Royal Doulton Royal Albert tea cups are beautiful in pink with touches of gold. These would be gorgeous on my tea tyme table this Spring 2023.  A new cold front blew into town and we are going to get low and very extremely cold weather. So just making sure I stay happy, thankful and positive.

Having been selected for jury duty since I could not attend when our son-in-law Roger passed away last month. I was selected again to be there Monday. My heart is heavy so I was having a conversation with my brother Ed. He said go in there with a bright smile on your face and remember these words from my favorite poem, " Even this shall pass away." I am sharing this poem here today. I hope you like it. Say a prayer for me, I would like to be sent home Monday, I will be praying and see what happens.

Even This Shall Pass Away by Theodore Tilton

26 May 2010 | Paul Rea

Once in Persia reigned a king,
Who upon his signet ring
Graved a maxim true and wise,
Which, if held before his eyes,
Gave him counsel at a glance
Fit for every change and chance.
Solemn words, and these are they;
“Even this shall pass away.”

Trains of camels through the sand
Brought him gems from Samarcand;
Fleets of galleys through the seas
Brought him pearls to match with these;
But he counted not his gain
Treasures of the mine or main;
“What is wealth?” the king would say;
“Even this shall pass away.”

‘Mid the revels of his court,
At the zenith of his sport,
When the palms of all his guests
Burned with clapping at his jests,
He, amid his figs and wine,
Cried, “O loving friends of mine;
Pleasures come, but do not stay;
‘Even this shall pass away.’”

Lady, fairest ever seen,
Was the bride he crowned the queen.
Pillowed on his marriage bed,
Softly to his soul he said:
“Though no bridegroom ever pressed
Fairer bossom to his breast,
Mortal flesh must come to clay –
Even this shall pass away.”

Fighting on a furious field,
Once a javelin pierced his shield;
Soldiers, with a loud lament,
Bore him bleeding to his tent.
Groaning from his tortured side,
“Pain is hard to bear,” he cried;
“But with patience, day by day,
Even this shall pass away.”

Towering in the public square,
Twenty cubits in the air,
Rose his statue, carved in stone.
Then the king, disguised, unknown,
Stood before his sculptured name,
Musing meekly: “What is fame?
Fame is but a slow decay;
Even this shall pass away.”

Struck with palsy, sore and old,
Waiting at the Gates of Gold,
Said he with his dying breath,
“Life is done, but what is Death?”
Then, in answer to the king,
Fell a sunbeam on his ring,
Showing by a heavenly ray,
“Even this shall pass away.”

–Theodore Tilton

There is so much I want to blog about but I will end this post with the poem and prayers.

I was speaking to my three siblings because our cousin David passed away yesterday and his daughter Michelle shared the sad news at his page on social media . It is always sad when we lose those we love. Davey was a great guy and he worked for the phone company with another one of our cousins, Kenny for many years. He retired to Florida to be close to his children.  He was the oldest of 6 children and is also survived by his five sisters. Prayers for his phamily are greatly appreciated. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and stay safe and warm or cool) wherever you may be. 

Happy Tuesday

 

Happy Tuesday

Home Sweet Home

 Welcome once again to  Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4
where we hope you will stretch your mind, your imagination and your friendships online by sharing a bit of yourself with others.

This week the subject is Your Home .

1. What kind of home do you have and does it need repair or improvements this year?

Our house was built in 1964. One story with a full finished basement and detached two car garage. Always in need of repairs. Yesterday, the plumber was here, new kitchen faucet set up. It is always something.

2. How do you accessorize your home inside and out?    Plants, art, books, wall hangings, maybe music in the background?

I do have a plant room, use to be our son Jeremy's bedroom and later our daughter Hannah.  We have a bed and dresser in there and a mini fridge and full size TV. The plants love the room because of the light facing South.

3. What objects reside on your coffee table? Night stand? Side tables? Kitchen/Dining table?    My night stand has essential oils, a pineapple shaped lamp and odds and ends. 

 

4.  Do you like your kitchen organized and with counters cleared off or do you prefer to have  the things you use often out on counters?     Do you mind  what some might see as clutter or do you hate having to dig out tools and appliances  when it comes time to use them? and prefer to have them within easy reach?

Our kitchen is a disaster right now. We have to reconstruct the shelving underneath the sink and there is stuff everywhere. Our kitchen is tiny so clutter abounds. I dream of a big and beautiful kitchen but alas, not to be in this lifetime!

We have so many pots and pans and gadgets and such. I do keep my pretty Kitchen Aid sitting on the counter always.

Oh Maxine, you are my hero! 

Tea Time Tuesday ,Tuesday4 ,Happy Tuesday and Maxine Cracks Me Up

 Tea Time Tuesday

I talked about cream puffs before and we found  some delightful cream puffs at the store for Thanksgiving. I always say I want to make them. With the cold wintry weather, I am more interested in making raspberry scones. I love raspberries so much and even add them to my Wild Child tea. Y U M !

 

We have had a few nice days as the sun comes up later and stays high in the sky keeping us warmer. But when it goes down, the tea kettle is boiling and hot tea is a must.  Lately I love decaf Earl Grey and always Wild Child Blueberry.  I like to add a spoonful of  honey along with a few fresh blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, to my tea while it is steeping. It makes a wonderful cup of tea.

In the colder months Avery still loves his coffee, currently Kaui Vanilla Macademia. But in the evening he likes a cup of peppermint tea. At bedtime he has Sleepy Time Tea and I have Mint Sleepy Time Tea. 

I have lots of beautiful tea cups and many of them, given to me by friends and loved ones make the tea experience a memorable one.

Love these little storybooks about tea. I have many, It is funny, the three grands who love tea and tea parties are Michael and Brody and Blake. I think when Shea and Ella are a bit older they will love them too. Shea does have a talking tea pot. Here is a sweet poem from the Take a Little Time for Tea

I like to tie Happy Tuesday to Tea Time Tuesday . I hope you like this little sweet poem.

Welcome to Tuesday4. I did not have the pleasure to know Toni Taddeo but she has some wonderful friends who have kept up this blog hop in her memory. 

Happy New Year and now let's see what is in store for the first share in January 2023.

January is named for Janus the two faced god who looked into the future and the past. Some believe he was Noah who may be worshipped by by his progeny. He certainly looked into the pre flood and the new world.  The Anglo Saxons called this month Wolfsmoanth. Let's talk about January.

1. January 1, 1892 Ellis Island opened it's doors. Did any of your relations enter the United States through Ellis Island? If not, do you know your family history?

My maternal grandmother came through Ellis Island and I have a copy of the ship's manifest which shows her signature. She had $10 that was given to her by her father. Her story is my favorite. 

2. January's birthstone is garnet and the flower, carnation. Do you have a favorite gemstone and flower?

I love sapphires and emeralds as well as diamonds. Roses, Gerber daisies and snapdragons are flower favorites and the calla lily.

3. January 6 is  Epiphany. Many take that day as the final celebration of Christmas. What about you?

In honor of my late mother, born on January 4 and the fact that we left our Christmas decor up until the 6th of January when I was a child, yes, I love my lights from the tree so we leave it up. Also the Stock Show comes to town in January in Denver so many businesses leave their lights on until the Stock Show leaves. If I had a bigger home I would leave my tree up all year long and just switch decorations on it for each month. 

4. There is some evidence that January can set the tone for your entire year. What do you think of it? Do you make resolutions, etc.?

Today felt that way with much sadness. But my trust and hope is in Jesus Christ. So I don't do resolutions.  I pray and pray harder. We are aware what is happening and we trust God, not the world.

I want to be like Maxine somedays, this is one of those days! Maxine makes Happy Tuesday for me today!

I have added prayer requests. Prayers for Marydon, Edna, Tracy, Reid, Jasmine and all those suffering illness or loss. 

While watching the first quarter of a play off game  in the NFL between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills, a Bills player, Damar Hamlin was critically injured during a hit. He is in a Trauma One hospital in Cincy in critical condition.  Never in the history of the NFL has this happened and they postponed the game. Neither team was in any way prepared to continue the game. Prayers are greatly needed. I know everyone personally  on my prayer list except Reid and Damar. This means very much to me. Thank you,

"Where there are two or three gathered together in my name, I am there among them. " Matthew 18:20

Aw...Mondays and A Few Phamily Collages

 Aw...Mondays 

A google and Pinterest fine. I love baby animals. 

I was doing a few collages of memories through the years. I Only completed two of them so I will probably post more of these. My dad in one of his favorite shirts. Avery has a small boy (Easter ) Colton & Jacey. Rebekah and Hannah hiking near Colorado Springs. My dad as a young man and my most favorite ever baseball player/catcher. I was not dreamed of when he played semi pro ball but oh the stories I hear. He was a wonderful man and loved my momma so very much. She was beauty.  Oh my precious B&B brothers. They were so small.  A favorite shot of Avery and I at Golden, Colorado. It was 2015 and we came from the last service at the old Heritage Square barn with Red Rocks Church. It is funny the things you remember. I loved that dress I was wearing.  I bought it from Avon, they use to sell the best costume jewelry and clothing. I don't think I have shopped with them in years. Jeremy in the center of it all, from his graduation day at kindergarten. I love all the memories, in photos, in stories, in all of it. 

 

I can not remember the name of the restaurant where we were but I took this pic of Avery, Noelle, Roger, Jeremy, Brittany and Addy. I think it was a new place in North Denver and Addy, oh my goodness, she was so tiny. Rebekah and Nick were at Chautauqua hiking. It has been a long time since we went hiking there.

Love is...always shares such good things. Please pray for MaryD as she recuperates from a Christmas hospital visit, I miss her blogging as we both loved Love is...

Prayers for  Edna, another wonderful friend and blogger. She has been ill and with her breathing problems, all the extra prayer  is needed.

Tracy spent part of Christmas at the hospital too, blood clot in her leg. She has had lots of health issues these past few years and much too young for that.

Reid, he is a 5th grader and they thought he had the flu. He has leukemia. He is the friend of Amelia, and her phamily  are prayer warriors. Please pray. too.

Thank you for being here and be blessed.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023 AND DRINKING FROM MY SAUCER

 HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023. I am going to pray this year for many blessings and much protection from the Almighty, so we may move forward with grace and trust Our Lord for all things. May you have many blessings, much good health and all the love your heart can hold. It feels good to start another year here blogging. I began my own journey in November (1) 2009. I will always be grateful to Barb for encouraging me to join this fun activity. I also am so grateful for my great cousin Mike B who also encouraged me greatly to write about our childhood in the greatest neighborhood that ever existed. Although these two wonderful souls no longer blog ( come back please) I will always be grateful for their encouragement and many stories of their own that they shared with me. 

"In time of test, family is best." Burmese Proverb

"The memories we make with our family is everything." Candace Cameron Bure 

DRINKING FROM MY SAUCER

by JOHN PAUL MOORE

I've never made a fortune and it's probably too late now.

But I don't worry about that much, I'm happy anyhow.

And as I go along life's way, I'm reaping better than I sowed.

I'm drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed.

I don't have a lot of riches, and sometimes the going's tough.

But I've got loved ones around me, and that makes me rich enough.

I thank God for His blessings, and the mercies He's bestowed.

I'm drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed.

I remember times when things went wrong, my faith wore somewhat thin.

But all at once the dark clouds broke, and the sun peeped though again.

So God, help me not to gripe about the tough rows that I've hoed.

I'm drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed.

If Gid gives me strength and courage, when the way grows steep and rough 

I'll not ask for other blessings, I'm already blessed enough.

And may I never be too busy, to help others bear their loads.

Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer, "Cause my cup has overflowed.

My 2023 word is Perseverance. It is a simple word with a simple meaning, persistence in doing something  despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Along with my 2023 word here is my 2023 Scripture: 

Psalm 141:3-4 " Set a guard over my mouth Lord, keep watch over the doors of my lips.

Do not let my heart be drawn to evil, so that I take part in evil deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies."

Honoring Roger and Laughter is Good Medicine

 Today we celebrated our son-in-law Roger at a beautiful service at the Next Step Christian Church. The day was filled with good phamily, friends and a support system that kept this entire phamily upright during this past year.

Pastor Dusty opened his church and his church hall to Noelle and all her loved ones. It was simply beautiful.  My husband Avery, our son Jeremy and good friend Jeff R. each chose Scripture to read at the service. Pastor Dusty gave a short but very lovely prayer service, Scripture reading and spoke so beautifully about Roger, Then our strong and brave daughter Noelle gave her eulogy that she wrote. Twenty minutes of tears, laughter, a photo collage (thank you Tarrah) and beautiful music.

As we left the chapel area, which was packed, we saw the hallway was lined by so many wonderful friends and phamily who arrived to pay their respect. I had to stop and lean against the wall because the support was absolutely incredible. We had a beautiful meal provided by Boston Market and enjoyed the company of many old and new friends. Our phamily support was terrific. I told a good friend, there is not one person here today that did not know Noelle & Roger personally. A true testimony to my son-in-law who I am going to miss terribly. Yet I would not wish him back to this earth and all the pain and suffering he had to deal with . His grace and fortitude was epic.

Roger was very private and he took a while to get to know you. But once he did, he was fiercely loyal to all he loved. I can't help but think he stood there holding Noelle up (he did not like to see her sad and crying) and enjoyed watching us from his new heavenly home with Alastor Avery. He had said he wanted to join Alastor.  We all knew that the suffering was getting harder and he wanted to some peace. We prayed for miracles but sometime we see God Break our hearts because he has something in store for us that we know nothing about. I believe Roger knew his time with Our Lord had arrived. He left peacefully and now we walk carefully trying to put pieces of our hearts back together.

Roger had a silly side and we could laugh and be silly and his silly faces were incredibly hilarious. He had a way about him that was one-of-a-kind. Although he is now away from us in this world, we all pray we will see him on the other side. A favorite photo of Noelle's of Roger. His urn was Roger, 100 percent, all the way. . He was the coolest dude to ever ride a Harley and I enjoyed every ride he ever gave me. His safety awareness for motorcyclists was unbelievable. I always felt safe on the back of his bike. Gonna miss you numero uno Son-In-Law. Catch ya on the other side. 

So in honor of my son-in-law Roger, I am posting some good old fashioned laughter. It is  songs you should never play at a wedding. I know Roger would have enjoyed the laughter.

Bridge Over Troubled Water Simon and Garfunkel

Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town Kenny Rogers and the First Edition

Gotta Move On Diddy and Bryson Tiller

It Ain't Over Yet Rodney Crowell (featuring Roseann Cash)

No Hard Feelings Old Dominion

Burning Bridges The Mike Curb Congregation ( Kelly's Heroes)

Go and Say Goodbye Buffalo Springfield

She Got The Goldmine, I Got The Shaft Jerry Reed

Mr. & Mrs. Used To Be John Prine 

D-I-V-O-R-C-E Tammy Wynette

After the Fire Is Gone Tammy Wynette & George Jones

Making Believe Willie Nelson & Brandi Carlile

I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishing Song) Brad Paisley

You Give Love A Bad Name Bon Jovi

You're So Vain Carly Simon

Fake Love Drake

Mother-in-Law Ernie K. Doe

All My Ex's Live in Texas George Strait

Fifty ways to Leave Your Lover Paul Simon

Highway to Hell AC/DC

Love Stinks J. Geils Band

Love Will Tear Us Apart Joy Division

Suspicious Minds Elvis Presley

Go Your Own way Fleetwood Mac

A Man Needs A Maid Neil Young

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For U2

Should I Stay Or Should I Go The Clash

White Liar Miranda Lambert

Blank Spaces Taylor Swift

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together Taylor Swift

I hope you will indulge me. I had so much fun laughing with Avery as we compiled this list. Taylor Swift and  the late Tammy Wynette & George Jones are the winners here as they could sing a sad song with a back story. Swift writes much of her own music and Tammy & George were country music sweethearts with their heart break songs.

Here's to Roger for a life , although too short, was well lived.

Laughter is indeed Good Medicine!

Bittersweet Birthday Wishes

 Today is a very bittersweet day. Although our daughter Noelle celebrated her birthday she had hoped she and the love of her life, Roger would have celebrated together.  They were both born on this day twelve years apart. Noelle and her sister Rebekah had this sweet cake created for Roger even though he lost his cancer battle on December 6th. It has been a sad time for those of us who loved this man so dearly.

A photo of the two of them when life was not so complicated.

Roger was a good man. When my late mother met him, she told me, Noelle needs to be nice to him because he was a good man, a keeper. Let me tell you if you had the approval of my mom you were good as gold.

I wish I had a photo of myself with him on his Harley . I would never get on a motorcycle with anyone else. Roger loved riding his bike and he was by the book, safety first. He was a joy to visit with and I will miss the many breakfast and lunch dates we had when we were both out of work. Spending sometime with this man during the difficult times was a true honor. I will never forget all the good times and his fierce love of his wife, kids and grandkids.  He was always making sure everyone was cared for. Always helping each of them with anything they needed.

He will be greatly missed by Noelle, their children, Christal (Alex), Andrew (Tarrah) and Colton (Jacey). He said he wanted to be with Alastor, the precious grandbaby we lost in 2019. He received that wish on the night he passed away to his eternal home. 

The grandchildren will miss him and his never ending love for each one of them. Jaslin, Alexis, Devin, Jayden, Michael, Benjamin, Logan, Ella, Harrison and Shea.

When I feel up to posting full time,  I will,  but these months and particularly these last few weeks have been difficult for everyone. I hope you will pray for us as we celebrate Roger's life this Saturday . He is going to be  missed by all of us. 

John 16:22  "So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy."