The Earth Laughs in Flowers

The Butterfly Iris are blooming in my garden.
It is very difficult to underwater or overwater this Iris.
Perfect for Houston weather where it is either too dry or too wet!

They look quite pretty dancing in a light breeze under the sunny skies.

"Earth laughs in flowers."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm joining the lovely Karen and Mya for Sun Lit Sunday.

Happy Valentine's Day

Reproduction postcard of 1910 Valentine

Wishing YOU well and much joy on this Valentine's Day.

On This Date

Five years ago today,

the LOVE of my life,

My Knight in Shining Armor, 

left this earthly home and traveled on to the stars.

We were together over 30 years.

I think I miss him more with each passing day.

Life goes on.

With love ....

Kale and Kohlrabi

When Lisa of Blue Heron Farms 

announced she was bringing baby goats

to the Farmers Market at Rice,

I knew I had to go, and early, before the line admiring cuteness was too long!



I'd like to introduce you to Kale.

Kale

Kale is a little buck.
His Mom had triplets.
And this is his brother, Kohlrabi.

Kohlrabi

They left their baby sister at home.
Probably just as well.
One can only take so much cuteness!
Meanwhile, the Rice Farmers Market was setting up for their Mardi Gras celebration.
The zydeco band was warming up.





The cupcakes sure looked good.





I was too early for the beer.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

It Makes Decision Making Hard

There is a lot going on in February.

College Basketball will be ending and College Baseball will begin.

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It's the Chinese New Year.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

(Mandarin for Happy New Year)

It is the Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival.

The date changes every year as determined by the Lunar Chinese calendar.

This year is the year of the Red Monkey.

Found on Elephant Journal and Pinterest

The monkey is intelligent, smart, wise, curious, energetic, impulsive, inventive, hyperactive, cheeky, strong minded and vigilant. Red monkeys are problem solvers and work well within group environments, while retaining their individuality.

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I love this time of year.

Tulips are abundant at the grocery stores.

Daffodils appear at TJs.

It makes decision making hard.

Should I buy tulips or daffodils?

I decided to get both.

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Mardi Gras is coming to an end.

Fat Tuesday is around the corner...

the last big party of the year before lent.

To celebrate I bought a small king cake and it is delicious.

Instead of the usual cinnamon interior, I got cream cheese.

YUM!

A King Cake is a type of cake associated in a number of countries with the festival of Epiphany at the end of the Christmas Season.

Here on the Gulf Coast it is associated with the pre-Lenten celebrations of Mardi Gras/Carnival.

In the southern United States, the tradition was brought to the area by colonists from France and Spain. 

The King Cake comes in a number of styles. The most simple, said to be the most traditional, is a ring of twisted cinnamon roll-style dough topped with icing or sugar, usually colored purple, green and gold (traditional Mardi Gras colors) with food coloring. King cakes may also be filled with additional foodstuffs - the most common being cream cheese, praline, cinnamon or strawberry.

Finding the baby in the cake is said to bring good luck and you must supply the King Cake for the next years party.

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At the Kitchen Table

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

I'm joining:
No Place Like Home
Bernideen's Tea Time, Cottage and Garden Party

February Is Here

February has arrived.

Did you say Rabbit Rabbit on the first?

It is a common British superstition which states that a person should say or repeat the word "rabbit" or "rabbits", or "white rabbits", or some combination of these elements out loud upon waking on the first day of the month, because doing so will ensure good luck for the duration of that month (from Wikipedia).

Or, in Downton Abbey fashion, did you say Bad Harvest?!

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The snowmen that I've been looking at every morning in January have been replaced.

I love Emma Bridgewater and it's so much fun to bring out my heart teapot and mugs made by Emma. Emma Bridgewater is a British ceramics manufacturer founded in 1985, owned and run by Emma Rice nee Bridgewater and Matthew Rice. Noted for their polka dot design among others, Emma Bridgewater specializes in pottery with motifs drawing on techniques stretching back over 200 years. The company is one of the largest pottery manufacturers based entirely in the UK, with all of its products made in its factory in the city of Stoke-on-Trent. Emma started the company when she went looking for a birthday present for her mother. She wanted to buy and cup and saucer but couldn't find anything she liked, so she created her own. And I'm sure glad she did! 

Every one should have a tea mug that says Peace and Love and Tea!

I have some Rose Petal Tea by the Republic of Tea that I think will be a very nice way to start the month of February. 
It says its a "Tea for The Queen of Hearts".
I don't know about being the Queen of Hearts,
but I am the Queen of this house!

"This royal tea blend has the light spice of delicate, young rose buds and petals atop the sweet fullness of China Black Tea. This Victorian tradition is perfect served in fine china cups for kings, queens, friends and loved ones."

I think it will taste very good served in my Emma mugs, too!

Wishing YOU well, much joy and a delightful cup of tea!

I'm joining:
Sandi at No Place Like Home
Tuesday Cup of Tea

Bernideen's Tea Time, Cottage and Garden Party