Happy Memorial Day!

Isn't this the cutest patriotic banner/bunting?  A tea friend posted it on Facebook and I discovered it's a 'diy' project created by a high school classmate.  You can find detailed instructions on her blog, The Painted Cottage.   Thanks for sharing your creativity, Carol!

I hope you are enjoying a nice Memorial Day!  The sun is shining here in southeastern Michigan and it's 71 degrees.

My hubby and I went over to our city's annual garage sale held at the City Hall parking structure.  It's become an annual event for us.

There were a lot of vendors and people, but they said even more came out yesterday [Sunday] for the 2-day event.

I only made one purchase - a British mailbox teapot.  It was new and still in the box.  With only a $10 price tag I couldn't resist.

Yesterday was my presentation at the Assisted Living monthly tea.  They moved the time from 2:00 p.m. to 10:30 a.m. so the residents could attend the St. Clair Shores Memorial Day parade at 1:00 o'clock. 

By the time everyone arrived, we ended up with a total of 10 attendees - two of which were men.  I'm not sure how much they enjoyed the history of the Nineteenth Amendment which gave women the right to vote, but I thoroughly enjoyed my research preparing for it.  It took 72 years of perseverance on the part of the suffragettes, overcoming many obstacles, but thanks to them, women now have the right to vote.  I will never take what the suffragettes went through for granted again! 

I took one of my Susan B. Anthony dollar coins to display.  They didn't stay in circulation long - too easy to confuse them with a quarter.  

When I got home, I photographed the treats I gave the residents [what was leftover].

I wish I would have seen this suffragette costume in time for my presentation.  I definitely would have bought it to wear.  I'm still tempted to order it!  Did you know August 26th is designated as Women's Equality Day commemorating the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment?  It was first celebrated in 1973 and is proclaimed each year by the United States President. 

How did you spend your holiday weekend?

Friends at Tea Time

I went to work this morning not expecting any surprises.  I never look at the names on the reservation list - only the number of guests who will be coming.   There was one table for six and two tables for two.  

I was surprised when the server came back to the tea/coffee prep area saying, "Some ladies are in the Drawing Room and asked to see you.  They said they're friends of yours."  Friends, indeed!  They attend the church where I was secretary for 22 years and where I attended 27 years - before our son started a church plant of the same denomination 20 miles north of us.  My hubby and I left the 'mother church' to lend our support to the new church.

I love the Girl Scout song:  "Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other gold."  I made new friends at the new church, but I cherish the friendships at the old church!  I was so happy they came to visit.

I normally dress in dark clothing, but since this is Memorial weekend, I got daring and dressed patriotic.  One of the ladies sent the photo she took of me in front of the first floor fireplace.

I loved that ministry related job I held for 22 years, but now I'm privileged to serve in another capacity.   I'm so blessed by the opportunities God has given me.

Yesterday, we had a mother and her four adult daughters come to tea to celebrate the 70th birthday of one daughter.  The cake was so beautiful I took a picture.

Mid-week Musings

One of my blog followers enlightened me not too long ago that Wednesday is known as 'hump day.'  I had the day off at The Whitney yesterday [hump day] and spent a good part of it in my office working on my presentation for the monthly tea at Shore Pointe this coming Sunday.  It'll be a patriotic theme honoring Michigan women in history.

Throughout women's involvement in historic events, tea has usually played a role.  My suffrage teapot arrived in the mail and will be going with me to the presentation on Sunday. I'm happy to add it to my collection.  There are teacups and dessert plates in this collection which came from NewportStyle.net.  It's likely I'll be ordering them too.  ;-)

I took a brief break from my research and script writing when the postman came with the day's mail.  To my delight it contained the July/August issue of Tea Time magazine.  Looking ahead to July/August a-l-r-e-a-d-y?  How can that be, but June does mark the halfway point of 2019.  I loved the cover featuring Blue and White teawares.

Around 4:00 o'clock I ceased my presentation preparations to go meet our son and daughter-in-law [Steve and Sharon] for dinner, and then attend granddaughter Brooke's spring high school choir concert afterwards.  She's a junior this year, so there aren't many of these activities left to attend.

~ Steve, Brooke and Sharon ~

~ Nana, Brooke and Papa ~

Back to work at The Whitney today - making and serving tea.   I love my job!

Chaperoning at Greenfield Village

A while back our granddaughter, Isabella, called and said her 8th grade class was going to Greenfield Village, and would Papa and I like to be a chaperone?  I asked for the day off at work, and today was her field trip.  

For blog followers who don't live in Michigan, Henry Ford created and opened historical Greenfield Village in October 1929 with the philosophy of "learning by doing."  It was a school for children before it opened to the public.  Henry Ford gave American children [and later adults] a chance to experience history firsthand when he relocated and preserved an unrivaled collection of 84 authentic historic buildings spread out over 80 acres forming an American Village of yesteryear.

We arrived a bit early and waited by the front entrance to the village for the Chelsea school buses to arrive.

Not far away was a statue of Henry Ford given by his great-grandson, Edsel Ford II and wife, Cynthia.

Around 9:15 a.m. the Chelsea buses pulled in.

We were chaperones for Izzy [R] and her girlfriends Natalie [L] and Kaylee [center].

Students entering the Village below.  Several other schools were there today too, so it was bustling with activity.  We had about 3 1/2 hours to tour the village before the students had to get back on the buses for home.  They're studying the Civil War right now so there were two places they were required to see:  Susquehanna Plantation and Hermitage Slave Quarters.  Other than that they were free to choose what they wanted to see.

As you can see it was an overcast day, but it didn't rain.  Temps were in the low 60's so it was actually very pleasant.  The last time I visited the Village was in August 2012 and it was hot and humid so I enjoyed today much better.

The girls wanted to begin the tour in the working farm area.

Firestone farmhouse that was renovated in 1882.  Harvey S. Firestone [tire maker] lived in it with his parents and siblings.  His granddaughter, Martha Parke Firestone would one day marry Henry Ford's youngest grandson, William Clay Ford.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of a baby lamb inside the barn.

The girls went inside the Cider Mill which is no longer operational.

The glass shop was very interesting.

Thomas Edison's Menlo Park Complex

Sarah Jordan Boarding House where workers from Menlo Park stayed.

Hermitage Slave Quarters [a required site]

[click on to enlarge]

Right next door was the Mattox home - an African-American family from Georgia during the Depression.

Then we went to the last required site - the Susquehanna Plantation.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of the Mother Robin who had built her nest on one of the front porch rafters.  She was being very valiant of her little one and was probably perturbed by all the intruders!

A docent telling the girls about cooking methods at the plantation.

We posed for a picture in front of the 1600's Cotswold Cottage that Henry Ford had dismantled piece by piece in Gloucestershire, England and shipped to Dearborn where it was reassembled.  On May 23rd it will open to serve Afternoon Tea on the patio, so we were a few days too early.

I took a picture of what I think is a tea caddy [center] inside a cabinet in the cottage.

The girls posed in front of William Holmes McGuffy School.  Henry and Clara Ford had a huge collection of original McGuffy Readers.  There was actually a class in session so we couldn't peek inside the school.

~ William Holmes McGuffey Birthplace ~

~ George Washington Carver Cabin ~

The Scotch Settlement Schoolhouse where Henry Ford attended from age 8 to 11.  There was actually a class in session.  It reminded Izzy and me of the Anne of Green Gables schoolhouse in the movie.

Martha-Mary Chapel where weddings are frequently held.  It's named after Clara Ford's mother [Martha Bryant] and Henry Ford's mother [Mary Litogot Ford].

Then it was time to get a bite to eat at the 'Taste of History' restaurant.  I was fascinated by the four pictures made from corn cobs inside the restaurant.  Very creative.

The last house the girls went into before rejoining their classmates to depart for home, was the birthplace home of Henry Ford.  It was built in 1861 and Henry grew up in that house along with his five brothers and sisters.

It was such a fun day and we were so glad Izzy invited us to be a part of it.  I hope you've enjoyed the Greenfield Village tour vicariously.  We didn't have time to see everything, but we saw a lot.