Good For A Giggle

Time to decorate for Halloween!

Henry Higgins and Eliza Boolittle have come out of hiding.
They are always good for a giggle.

Ms. Ghost has taken her place on the balcony.

There's even a witch brewing up a spell or two in the atrium.
Maybe she has a spell for chasing the summer away!

Time for a break!
A piece of cake ...

and a cup of tea.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Mosaic Monday

Metamorphosis Monday

Share Your Cup Thursday

Little Things Thursday

The Crickets Are Singing

It is not summer until the crickets sing.

~ Proverb

Summer Solstice is today.

It is the day when the light shines the longest.
The Crickets are singing so it must be summer!

It's also time for iced tea.

This was in the June Texas Market subscription box.
Mango Black is from a company I wasn't familiar with.
A little research and I found out that Hello!
 is from a subscription tea box company
called My Story Tea.
(Just what I need -- another subscription box!)
I'm really enjoying the Mango Black tea iced.
There are four 1 quart pouches in the pack.
It arrived just in time for June - the official iced tea month.

It's raining and will probably rain for several days.
While it isn't a tropical storm, after Hurricane Harvey last year,
everyone is a bit nervous to have it rain and rain and rain.

Mina is keeping me company.
She is making biscuits and chewing on her favorite blanket. 

I think she is completely bored with the rain!

Wishing YOU well and much joy.



Little Things Thursday

Share Your Cup Thursday

Mosaic Monday

Keep In Touch

It's Not UGHust yet!

Boy, it is HOT.
It's not UGHust yet!
Yes, I hibernate because of the heat.
I get up very early, feed the kitties, take my walk.
Errands must be done early in the morning.

Fun breakfast with one my soul sisters at the Avalon Diner.
Now in a strip shopping area, but once a stand alone.

Mina in one of her favorite places.

Birthday Bouquet

The perfect tea cosy for an Owl lover!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Little Things Thursday

Share Your Cup Thursday

Mosaic Monday

Keep In Touch

Steep Right Up!

The sun finally came out 

and I enjoyed the day by walking up to the Village.

A stop at the new Starbucks for a Green Tea.
Sitting outside with my book.
Wonderful!

The book, LADY COP MAKES TROUBLE by Amy Stewart
is the second book in the Kopp Sisters Novels.
GIRL WAITS WITH GUN was the first in the series
and I loved it. The books are based on the Kopp sisters'
real life adventures in New York in 1914.
Great covers, too!

Painted in Rice Village after Hurricane Harvey 
by street artist Gonzo247.
This hand embodies the resiliency of the Houston spirit
and even has a little Texas embedded in the center of the palm.

Speaking of tea (!),
I wanted to share my new tea cup.
A dear friend surprised me with this cup and spoon 
from Mud Pie.
"Steep Right Up" to spring!

"Steeping Up" to spring also means
it's time for college baseball!
This was opening night at Reckling Park.
I like to get to the ball park early!


That's my This and That for the last week. 
Wishing YOU well, much joy and sunny skies!

Willy Nilly Friday

Amaze Me Monday

Mosaic Monday

Tuesday Cup of Tea

Keep In Touch

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Just Around The Corner

Valentine's Day is just around the corner.

Mr. Dreamy

A gift from my knight in shining armor the month he passed to the stars.

Anyone want chocolate cake?
The teapot is Emma Bridgewater.









Big Love by Emma Bridgewater

Smooches an Original Sock Dog Pet by Stacey Hsu. 

This is the first of several mosaics I've made for Valentine's Day.
I'm thinking about making cards -- eventually! 

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Mosaic Monday

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11th Annual Tea Cup and Mug Exchange

Today is the big reveal for the 

11th Annual Tea Cup and Mug Exchange.

Over 200 participated from all around the world.

Many thanks, love and hugs,
 to the wonderful, lovely Stephanie
at the Enchanting Rose for her hard work putting this exchange together.

I participated in the Mug and Tea Cup Exchange.
It's so much fun shopping for someone else.
Let's face it --- shopping is fun!!!!
"Meeting" new tea lovers, making new friends.

My teacup box of goodies is from Sherry Vlcek.

Sherry lives in New York and is a quilter.

She doesn't have a blog.

I love my quilted scissor holder.

Around my neck it goes -- I'll always be able to find the scissor!

Pin cushion, too!

The strip to hold the iron cord is very clever.

The teacup has a lovely, delicate flower pattern.

Two of my favorite Bigelow teas: Green Tea Jasmine and Pomegranate.

Sherry is allergic to cats, but her husband is a cat lover.

He went out and found the mouse cat nip toys.

My kitties love them!

The Good Humor Kids Say the Funniest Things is delightful.

She also sent Elizabeth George's One Minute Inspirations for Women.

Cute tea stationery!

My Mug box of goodies is from Ida Krause.

Ida has a blog: Wishes, Dreams and Other Things.

I love Owls and Ida went Owl shopping!

She also filled my box with cherries.

I don't know how she knew I love cherries, too!

ESP?!

The owl mug is perfect for fall.

The Berry Sangria candle was wonderful -- all gone!

When I was just starting my tea drinking experience as a very young woman,

I started with Constant Comment and Celestial Seasonings tea.

Black Cherry Berry is one I hadn't tried and it is great!

All the Owls together.

My thanks to Sherry and Ida for my boxes of goodies.
What fun it was to open them.
I giggled, ooooed and awed all the way!

Thanks again to Stephanie.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

You Are Never Too Old to Blow Bubbles

I've been a little grumpy.


First, Trader Joe's discontinued their Wasabi Mayo.
I love TJs Wasabi Mayo.
Apparently, I may have been the only one who did.
But if that is the case, why did they carry it for the last four years?
Thankfully, I have an unopened jar in the pantry.

The weather hasn't helped.

UGHUST has arrived in all her hot and humid glory.

In addition to sunscreen, one needs something to keep themselves cool.

Fruit bars help.

The creamy coconut is delicious.

Hurricane Harvey doesn't help.

Since it is too hot to be outside,

I took the opportunity to finish a shawl.

This was a Marley Bird KAL.

The pattern called for chunky Red Heart yarn.

I don't "do" chunky ... I'm too short.

I look swamped by "chunky"!

I made the shawl in Red Heart Soft and repeated a couple of sections.

Perfect! 

Dreaming about cooler weather!

It was hard to be grumpy when the kitties Kit Nip Box arrived.

They always enjoy new toys -- at least for a couple of days!

My Texas Market Box arrived at about the same time.

I really enjoy this box.

Each box includes the best small-batch,

artisan goods from farmers' markets and local Texas businesses.

The Texas Market folks make monetary donations to the Houston Food Bank.

Double win!

There is a theme for each month and this one was Gulf Coast Summer.

Garlicky Greengo Sauce, Gulf Coast Fish Fry, Sea Salt Soap Bar,

Island Seasoned Sea Salt and Organic Watermelon Lime Tea.

Nothing can chase the grumps away faster than a new mug and tea!

The Watermelon Lime Organic Green Tea came in the box.

I'm going to try it next -- iced. 

The mug is from Susan Branch.

The Blue Bird is one of her new designs.

Do you have the grumps?

Remember...

You are never too old to blow bubbles!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Little Things Thursday

Share Your Cup Thursday 

Home Sweet Home

Amaze Me Monday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Lazy!

I'm still celebrating my May birthday!

One of my sisters-by-choice sent me this tea set.

I really like the mesh strainer.

Handy!

The decoration is different on the front and back of the tea pot and cups.

I like the green leaves.

I used to bake a lot ... by scratch.

Not any more.

I've gotten very lazy!

I was cleaning out the pantry and found a package of Sticky Fingers 

Carrot Spice Scones.

Easy!

Just toss the mix into a bowl, add water, mix, bake.

Done.

They look good and are tasty!

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Amaze Me Monday

Home Sweet Home

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Share Your Cup Thursday

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Thinking of Granny

Every now and then I get an email that makes me laugh out loud.
In fact, I almost didn't open the one with the subject:
Getting Enough Fiber?

I opened it and it was about fiber, but not the digestible kind.

It was about yarn.

I need more yarn like I need a hole in the head! 

*

Early morning over the Texas Medical Center

I walk early every morning before it gets too hot and humid.
I try to walk for 45 minutes.
My favorite day to walk is Sunday.
It is so quiet.
No cars on the street so there is no background motor noise.
It's just me, the birds, an occasional sprinkler raining on a lawn.
Last Sunday I listened to the doves cooing, 
the blue jays and the mockingbirds trying to out mock each other.
I even heard one of the local screech owls.
No cats or dogs or people.
And then, there they were -- crossing the street.
A family of seven opossums!
Led by Mom (I assume) they went two by two.


Definitely something I don't see every day.
Just one of those reminders 
that it is the little things that can make a day extra special.


Did you know a group of opossums is called a passel?
I came straight home and looked it up.
Male opossums are called jacks and females are called jills.
The young are joeys -- just like their Australian cousins.

*

I love cherry anything!
Mighty Leaf makes a wonderful cherry lemon green tea.
It tastes especially fine in my hand-thrown kitty mug with the moon and stars.
The tea bags are handcrafted silken pouches.
Delicious hot and great iced for this hot weather.

Mighty Leaf began in 1996 as Tea & Company, 
a boutique tea house in San Francisco.
They support artisan communities and 
sustainable farming practices around the globe.

Every time I see a zinnia I think of my Granny.
She always had zinnias in her garden.
All shapes and sizes.

This year, I have zinnias in my garden.
I had an empty space, had the seeds 
and decided to throw them in the space and see what happens.
Wow!
I think every seed came up.
Marvelous mix of all types of zinnia and the color.
Double wow!

I thought I'd share some of them with you.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Five On Friday

Willy Nilly Friday

Mosaic Monday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

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