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

The Leaf Is One With Other Leaves

" This leaf is one with the other leaves:

with the branches, the trunk and the roots of the tree;

with the clouds, the stream, the earth, the sky and the light of the sun.

If one of these elements were absent,

the leaf could not exist."

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

I'm joining the lovely Karen for SunLit Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and much joy! 

Chasing Sun Puddles

After several cloudy, rainy days,
the sun made an appearance
and the kitties started chasing the sun puddles.

I saw Teddy and Mina first.

Then I moved to take another shot and lo and behold --
the lovely Cassie was sun-puddling, too.
Cassie usually takes off the minute the camera comes out.

"Come on Mum. Put that camera up and leave us alone!"






I think the kitties have the right idea. 


Thank you to the hosts of:







And, Sunlit Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and much joy! 

SunLit Sunday

It's that time again.
Time to bring a little Sunlight into our lives during the dark days of winter.
I'm joining Karen for the first SunLit Sunday for 2016.

I see Daddy Cardinal more often than I see Mom.
His color is so striking against the green fan palm.
All my bird friends seem to be enjoying the new garden.
No one has fallen into the water garden since their own bird bath was added.

Little Robin and his Robin buddies come by -- not necessarily to eat,
but to take a bath.
Where did I put those tiny towels??!!!!!!
No matter how many pix I took of this little fella,
he was always standing on one leg. 

Happy Sweet '16.

Wishing YOU well and much joy in the new year. 

Thanks, Karen!