Celebrating Two Birthdays

Last Saturday [Sept. 26th], my hubby and I attended a double birthday celebration for our youngest son, Jeremy [36], and his daughter [our granddaughter], Isabella [10]. Having a child born on your birthday, is the best birthday gift ever! The celebration was three days before their actual birthday.   

Jeremy is the Athletic Director at Skyline High School in Ann Arbor, MI so he rented the swimming pool for the birthday celebration.  

The high school building and campus opened in the fall of 2008.  Before the birthday party got underway, Jeremy gave me a tour of the campus in the 'Gator'.

Dear Jeremy:

"No words on earth can be expressed

To show you of your worth.

Just know my son, I feel so blessed

To be your mom on earth."
~ Author Unknown ~

I remember the day you were born as though it were yesterday.  What a wonderful son we are blessed with!

~ The kids loved the pool! ~

~ Pizza time and opening presents. ~

"Grandchildren complete life's circle of love."

~ Anonymous ~

~ Granddaughter, Ellie, enjoying her pizza. ~

Wishing you a great year ahead, Jeremy and Izzy!

Last Rose of Summer Tea

On Sunday, September 20th, I had the privilege of attending The Last Rose of Summer tea - a fundraiser for the Taylor Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.   The tea was held at Biddle Hall in downtown Wyandotte.

~ The tables were set and awaiting attendees to fill them. ~

~ I was assigned to table #2 ~

~ Beautiful teacup at my place setting. ~

~ Harpist, Sherry Sukenic, played while ladies [and a few gentlemen] arrived. ~

 Louise Doute, one of the Directors, and Coordinator of Volunteers at Taylor Conservatory. 

~ Board of Directors ~

Award winning milliner, Gena Conti, of Wyandotte, presented the program on hats.

There was a raffle for everyone who wore a hat.  Jennifer [pictured below], sat at my table. Isn't she lovely!  

~ The tea meal was catered by Victoria's Tea Salon.  ~

Sandwiches: Roast Beef with Horseradish Sauce on Rye; Cucumber with Dilly Cream Cheese on Wheat; Chicken Salad with Grapes on Cinnamon Raisin; and Egg Salad with Gherkins on Italian.

~ Apricot Cream Scone with Devonshire Cream and Lemon Curd. ~

Desserts:  Chocolate Hazelnut Tarts; Mandarin Orange Cupcake with Pineapple Whipped Frosting; and Mini Cheesecake with Cherry Topping.  The tea was Dorchester English. Kudos to Vickie for a fine job - everything was delicious.

Gena Conti giving the history of hats.  The first recorded milliner was Rose Bertin, milliner and dresser of Marie Antionette.

After the meal there was a fun shoe contest.  Participants paraded around the hall to the tune of These Boots [Shoes] Are Made for Walking.  Semi-finalists were given a fan by the judges.

And the winner was... Naomi.  I don't have a picture of her shoes, but they were orange stilettos that matched her fall outfit perfectly.

[Photo courtesy of Taylor Conservatory Facebook page]

~ Naomi and the Semi-finalists ~

[Photo courtesy of Taylor Conservatory Facebook page]

Everyone in attendance received a tea wallet made by Sew Great Detroit, Alternatives for Girls - a social enterprise launched in 2014 to foster teamwork, and help participants learn the fundamentals of sewing and job readiness skills.  

Thanks Taylor Conservatory for a wonderful afternoon!

*  *  *

Today I'm linking to Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday

Antiques and Teacups for Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Bernideen's Tea Time Blog for Tea in the Garden

Martha's Favorites for Teacup Tuesday

Gone With the Wind

Yesterday was the monthly Afternoon Tea and program at Shore Pointe Village Assisted Living.  

The tables were set and waiting for the residents to arrive.  One of the teas the ladies were offered was Bigelow's Constant Comment, so I shared that's how Ruth Bigelow founded the company with her blend of black tea that always received 'constant comments'.  

I'm always trying to find a subject the seniors can relate to, so I decided to do a program about the book and movie Gone With the Wind. Many of them remembered seeing the movie when it came to Detroit in 1940. 

I took a few pictures to display, and my copy of Gone With the Wind.  At the end of the program I gave each of them a bag of salted peanuts, since the peanut is Georgia's official state crop, and the story of Gone With the Wind took place in Georgia. They enjoyed reminiscing about the movie, while I was privately reminiscing about another recent event...

Last Friday my hubby and I traveled 36 miles south of our home to Wyandotte, MI where I grew up and went to school.  The trek was to attend my 50th high school reunion.  Wow! 50 years, gone with the wind!   

It was a hoot trying to recognize everyone since 50 years has changed everyone's appearance - albeit some more than others. Computer programs can determine what a person will look like in the future, but who needs a computer program?  I have actual photographs showing how Father Time has changed me from 1954 to 2015.

~ Grade School [1st Grade], and Jr. High [7th Grade] ~

~ High School [12th Grade] and  50th Reunion with my Hubby ~

The tables were beautifully decorated in Roosevelt High School colors - blue and gold.

Above is a group of girlfriends from school that I still maintain a friendship with.  Two of them were in my wedding [the ones standing on each side of me]. 

Time has indeed gone with the wind, but as Scarlett said, "tomorrow is another day", and I look forward to all that God grants me.  Life has been good!  The 55th reunion will probably bring more changes.  ;-)

Sunday Reflection...

Today's devotional is perfect for fall, and a beautiful analogy of what it's like to become a Christian. A theologian couldn't have described Christianity better!   

May God bless your week!

Happy Fall!

Fall officially arrived on Wednesday, but I didn't want to interrupt my Mackinac Island series, so today I'm wishing you a Happy Fall and sharing some recent photos from my home.

"Autumn... the year's last, loveliest smile."

~ Wm. Cullen Bryant

The teacup below is from the Kensington Palace "Rose Collection."  My hubby bought it for me on our 2001 trip to England.  It's a mixture of peach and pink roses.

Set against a tea-themed tapestry is a Hall Aladdin teapot made for Jewel Tea Company in the "Autumn Leaf" pattern.  The teapot was introduced in 1938.

In the mid-1920's the directors of Hall China made the decision to associate with the Jewel Tea Company to produce an exclusive line of dinnerware for them, and it became Hall's most popular dinnerware.  The dishes weren't given a name until 1943 when the company began referring to the pattern as "Autumn."  The name was changed to "Autumn Leaf" in 1969.   I also have a luncheon plate in the pattern that's not pictured. 

I don't have a large collection of fall teacups, but below are two.  The teacup with mums on the left is made by Duchess, and the one on the right by Queen Anne.  Both are made in England.

The Lefton set below was a gift at my bridal shower from my mother.

It came with four luncheon plates and cups.  

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."

~ Albert Camus

Sightseeing on Mackinac Island

There wasn't a lot of time for shopping or sightseeing, but we did squeeze in a few things.

80% of the island is State Park property.  Traveler's Choice listed Mackinac as one of the top ten islands in the United States.  There are scores of summer residents, but only about 500 brave year-round residents. Motorized vehicles have been prohibited on the island since 1898 except for emergency and service vehicles, and snowmobiles during winter.  The primary means of transportation are horses [there are 500 of them on the island], bicycles, and foot. The island does have a small airport.

Many tourists like to bike around the eight mile circumference of the island.  I have done that a few times, but not this time.  The island is 3.8 square miles.

It truly is like stepping back in time to a much more slower pace of living.  We couldn't have picked a time when the weather was better.

 ~ Main Street ~

~ Main Street looking towards Marquette Park and Fort Mackinac ~

There is a tea room at Fort Mackinac so, of course, I had to check it out - which meant walking up the long incline pictured below!

~ Looking towards Haldimand Bay from Fort Mackinac ~

~ The tea room is operated by the Grand Hotel ~

It resembles the front porch of the Grand Hotel.  There is indoor seating, but on such a gorgeous day we ate al fresco.  After the trek up that incline I wanted iced tea, not hot tea!  I ordered an Arnold Palmer.

A proper Afternoon Tea is reserved for the hotel, the Fort tea room is actually a lunch spot, albeit a very good one.  I ordered a roasted turkey tortilla wrap and shared it with Jerry.

Farther up Fort Street [beyond Fort Mackinac] is the Governor's summer residence.  The three-story home was built in 1902 as a private residence, and the Mackinac Island State Park Commission purchased it in 1944, and maintains it. 

~ Hotels on the other end of Main Street ~

~ Market Street ~

Cutest U.S. Post Office I've ever seen!

~ Cadotte Avenue ~

That's it for this trip!  I hope you've enjoyed the armchair tour.  Mackinac Island is a wonderful place to visit.