Good Morning!

***

I've been amazed at how busy the blogging world has been since the New Year began.

I may never catch up with all your posts.

But I'm trying.

Wishing all of you well and a JOY filled day.

January is Hot Tea Month!

Did you know that January is Hot Tea Month?

I thought it was the perfect way to celebrate the first tea post of the new year.

There is a nice article at About.com on tea and celebrating hot tea month.

To celebrate even more, I'm sharing a tea cup with a story.

This cup belonged to my godchildren's grandmother.

It came into her hands while she was living in India and was probably purchased

from a Chinese trader. The silk road was still going strong in the 1940's and 50's.

This cup is at least as old as I am! 

WOW!

It is porcelain and is the rice pattern, but not the standard blue and white rice pattern

that is common today.

Look at the gold edges on the cup and saucer.

The gold on the dragon and around the lovely red flowers.

Finally, the rice pattern.

The quintessential Chinese dinnerware, Rice Pattern, is named as such for the grains of rice that were embedded in the clay before firing.  The intense heat in the kiln destroys the grains and leaves a little translucent "porcelain window" in the final form.  This style of dinnerware has been produced in china since at least 960, during the Song Dynasty. 

A very special gift that I will treasure.

and a big thank you to Martha and Teri at 

Teacup Tuesday

and

Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday.

Happy Tea Day!

December Favorites

Time got away from me this weekend.

I didn't have anything prepared for Mosaic Monday.

So, I decided to look at December, pick some favorites and share them with you.

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all the best of everything.

Thank you to Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday.

***

Mr. Dragon is on oxygen 24 hours a day now and is very frail.

He still has his sense of humor and makes me laugh daily.

He enjoys visits and telephone calls from friends.

We are trying to make every moment count.

A New Year Wish

As we prepare to ring in the New Year, I have a New Year Wish for you.

With all my

heart this

glad New

Year

I wish you

Plenty, Health

and Cheer

Happy New Year

A big thank you to Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday.

Good Morning!

Reprint of photograph by Rachael Hale from Potpourri