2017 Year in Review [Part II]

~ July 2017 ~

July 14th was the 15th Annual Lavender Festival in Armada, MI.  I met a local tea blender there, The Teatroiter.

July 26th I attended Hudson's Historic Windows to the Past Exhibit in Dearborn, MI...



...and had the privilege of seeing Amy again - one of my blog followers.

July 28th my girlfriend, Lori, and I had tea at Tonia's Victorian Rose Restaurant/Tearoom in Rochester, MI.  Tonia is the new owner of the establishment.

July 28th I attended the Queen Bee Tea - a fundraiser for Taylor Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, in Taylor, MI.

~ August 2017 ~

August 25th I went on a two-day outing to Lakeside [Ohio] Chautauqua with four friends to attend the annual antique show.   We had Afternoon Tea at Tea by the Sea Tearoom.  Ruth Ann, the owner, is in the center of the photo wearing black.

~ September 2017 ~

September 10th, sweet great-granddaughter, Evie, was dedicated wearing the same christening dress I wore, her grandmother, and her mother wore.

September 11th was supposed to be the departure date for the Southern Belle Tea Tour, but Hurricane Irma went everywhere we were planning to go [Chattanooga, TN, Atlanta and Savannah, GA, and Charleston, S.C.] so I had to cancel the tour.  Not to worry - it's being rescheduled for May 2018.  We all met at Royal Park Hotel on September 14th for Afternoon Tea to drown our sorrow in cups of tea and each other's company!  ;-)

~ October 2017 ~

October 18th my friend, Linda, organized a tea party at Secluded Celebrations Tearoom in Hartland, MI.

October 27th Linda organized another tea at the Purple Door Tearoom in Ferndale, MI where I did a Shirley Temple presentation.

~ November 2017 ~

November 1st my hubby and I traveled to Frankenmuth, MI to have lunch at world famous Zehnder's Restaurant.

November 4th Linda and I went on a bus trip [sponsored by ChocolaTea tearoom in Portage, MI] to Chicago for Macy's Christmas tree lighting.  It was magical, and the perfect way to kick-off the holiday season.

We had lunch in the Walnut Room...

...and Afternoon Tea at the Peninsula Hotel.

November 11th I did a J.L. Hudson presentation for the ladies of Cherry Hill Presbyterian Church in Dearborn, then dashed to Troy, MI for the 3:00 o'clock ceremony of my grandson Brandon's marriage to Venessa.

November 28th Linda and I traveled to Owosso, MI to have Afternoon Tea at Abiding in the Vine tearoom.  It was a very fun day.

~ December 2017 ~

December was a very busy month.  Cristy Bennett's Rhapsody in Blue Tea in East Lansing, MI was the first event on December 2nd.  My girlfriend, Lori, attended with me.

December 7th was the annual Christmas Tea at Pine Lake Country Club to benefit the Governor Warner Mansion in Farmington, MI followed by an Afternoon Tea at the Village Club in Bloomfield Hills, MI.

December 12th, Linda gifted Lori and me to Afternoon Tea at the beautiful Whitney Mansion in Detroit, MI.

December 15th I had lunch with Ruth, a very dear friend.

December 24th was the annual family Christmas Eve gathering at our house.

December 26th we celebrated Steve and Sharon's 25th Wedding Anniversary.

It's been a very good year.  God has blessed me immeasurably with a beautiful family and wonderful friends.  I agree with English writer and cleric, Sydney Smith - I'm glad I wasn't born before tea!  I've been blessed to enjoy so many lovely tea experiences this year.

And now I look ahead to 2018 with 12 new chapters and 365 new opportunities! I don't know what the future holds, but I'm thankful I know the One who holds the future!

Happy New Year and God's blessing to all!