July Activities

Last Friday my hubby and I drove to Chelsea, MI so Jerry could install a platform he made for grandson Landon's Lacrosse rebounder net - LAX is his latest sport.

Saturday is the new Sunday for us while we're sharing a church building until our's is completed.  We left a few minutes early for church so we could drive by the church property to see what progress was made this past week.  The shingles weren't on the roof yet, but the portico over the main entrance was built.

When we got to church Steve and Jerry's shirts coordinated so I had to take a father/son photo.

On Sunday, for fresh air and a little exercise, we went to the Utica Outdoor Antique Show. The two-day event [Saturday and Sunday] is held three times a year [May, July and September].  The May show was cancelled due to COVID-19, but the July show was well attended.  

We viewed all the vendor's tents in about two hours, but nothing tempted me, and I came home empty-handed.

Now for a little poll... Do you shop for clothing online or mail order catalogues?  I like to see what I'm purchasing in person, and try it on.  But two of my favorite brick and mortar stores permanently closed [Dress Barn and Carson's], then the COVID-19 quarantine temporarily closed down all the rest.  While planning for an upcoming trip, I decided to try ordering from two catalogues that came in the mail - Draper's & Damon's and Serengeti.  

Shipping takes a long time these days which they blame on COVID-19.  My Draper & Damon's order finally arrived, but I'm still waiting on the one from Serengeti.

I was ready to sing their praises.  Their sizing is accurate, and I was pleased with the quality of the green outfit when I wore it recently.  But when I unwrapped the red & white stripped top today, I found a sizeable hole in the sleeve.  GRRRRR.....  They will exchange it, but I have to repackage it and take it to the post office, and wait another two to three weeks for the replacement. That's the downside of not being able to see merchandise before purchasing it.  We're told many brick and mortar stores are closing because people prefer shopping online.  Just curious to know your preference.  Restocking and return shipping fees for items you don't like or that don't fit properly are also downside reasons for me.

On a happier subject, the month of July has three family birthdays for us.  Granddaughters Ellie and Tiffany both have birthdays as well as daughter-in-law, Samantha.  Below are some birthday pics of Tiffany and her sweet girls, Evie and Juliette, that her husband John posted.

Be safe and stay well!

New Tearoom - The Pink House

A quick search on my blog revealed I've blogged about the Royal Treat tearoom in Roseville, MI ten times over my eight years of blogging.  They are located very close to my house, and you can usually get in without a reservation - although they do a good business so reservations are best.

Sometime last year, Jennifer, the owner of Royal Treat, sent out an e-mail that she had purchased an old 1875 Victorian house in New Baltimore, MI [about 26 miles from my house], that she was restoring and turning into a Bed and Breakfast and tearoom.  In November I got a notification that she was having a soft opening, and my girlfriend and I made plans to attend, but when a snow storm came, I decided I didn't want to venture out.

Then came COVID-19 and the quarantine brought everything to a screeching halt.  Now that our state has partially reopened, Jennifer recently sent out another e-mail that both tearooms - The Royal Treat and The Pink House would be reopening for business on July 6th.  I made a reservation for my hubby and I to go check it out yesterday at noon [July 8th].

It was a beautiful day, and people were enjoying the beach area on Lake Saint Clair's Anchor Bay, located directly across the street from The Pink House.

We arrived a few minutes early, and at that time only one couple was seated on the patio out front.  I was glad tearoom guests hadn't started arriving yet so I could take pictures.

Jennifer greeted us and granted me permission to take pictures.  She was wearing a mask but took it off for the picture.  We wore masks when we entered too, but took them off when we were seated.

She said the house has been a boutique, a cupcake shop, a real estate office, the location for the Chamber of Commerce, and was also subdivided into several apartments at one time, but she felt it will shine as a Bed & Breakfast and Tearoom.  I agree.

The Pink House has a lot more charm and elegant ambiance than the Royal Treat Tearoom, but the menu is exactly the same.  They are open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and reservations are required.

Now for a virtual indoor tour...   Seating in the entrance area can accommodate 11 guests.

Service counter as you enter the tearoom.  Notice how Jennifer plans to use vintage mirror trays inside her counter display.  I counted nine of them.  I love that idea.

This area led to the dining room where we were seated.  It has a table to accommodate four.

Jennifer seated us at a table directly in front of the window so we'd have an outside view.  The sun was streaming through the windows so the picture is a bit over-exposed. 

The dining room area accommodates 14.   During our tea time all the tables were filled except one table for two.  A teapot filled with fresh flowers decorated our table, and fresh flowers were on all the other tables as well.

We both chose Earl Grey tea.

Then came an array of Jennifer's freshly baked Scottish scones [three per person].

We had our choice of Chicken Salad or about six different Quiche selections with a mixed greens salad.  Jerry got Quiche Lorraine and I got the Crab Seafood Quiche.  Both were delicious.

You can't beat the price - Tea, scones, and entree for $15 per person plus gratuity.

By the time we left, 25 other guests were enjoying dining at The Pink House, plus a birthday party that filled all the tables on the patio.  Jennifer said business was great on opening day too. 

Since the picture of the two of us inside the dining room wasn't real clear, Jennifer took another one on the front porch as we were leaving.

It was a fun outing and I highly recommend a visit!  As we drove home my hubby shared a bit of tea trivia he read: there are 25,000 cups of tea consumed every second worldwide, which is equal to about 2.16 billion cups per day.

4th of July Happenings

July 4th was 88 degrees and sunny in southeastern Michigan.  We arrived at our church property a little early to get our chairs set-up in what will be our new sanctuary when it's completed sometime this fall. The shingles will go on the roof this week.  It is so exciting!

Our pastor preached his first sermon in the unfinished building, and then we all wrote our favorite Scripture verse on the floor, or door and window frames.  I was torn between two verses: "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."  Psalm 103:12 and "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:27a  The Lord gave me that verse 43 years ago when I was going through a troubling circumstance, so that's the verse that won out.   But there are SO MANY wonderful verses in the Bible, it's difficult to pick one or two.  I also like the verses that are on my blog sidebar.  The little chorus I used to sing as a child sums it up well:  "Every promise in The Book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line.  All are blessings of His love divine..."  Below is a pic of me writing my verse.

Here's my hubby with his special verse.

Pastor Steve wrote his passage from II Timothy 4:1-5 where the pulpit will be placed.  It's Paul's admonition to young Timothy which says in part:  "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction..."

We had a great attendance considering it was a holiday and a lot of people are still leery about venturing out with COVID-19 still lurking.  There was a cookout afterwards, but we didn't stay for that since we had an 8th birthday party to attend for our youngest granddaughter, Ellie.

Here's the birthday girl with her Daddy.

Ellie has maternal twin cousins who were born two days after her, so they always celebrate their birthdays together.  Ellie's in the middle in the picture below, and CeCe and Carmayla are on each side.  The twin's mother [Samantha's sister] took this picture and posted it on Facebook.

There were so many presents it looked like Christmas!

Below, Ellie is opening her present from us surrounded by some of her cousins. 

Ellie wanted a bunk bed for her American Girl dolls so that's what we got her.  Jerry would have made one, but he was busy working on a "donut board" for granddaughter Brooke's upcoming graduation party, and by the time we got Ellie's "wish list" there wasn't time.  She was happy with a store bought bed.

Then it was cake and cookie time!

The kids [young and old] had fun in the swimming pool.  Ellie has 16 maternal first-cousins [ranging in age from 1 to 16] so they have great fun when they all get together.

~ Jeremy, Samantha, Izzy, Landon and Ellie ~

~ Ellie with Papa and Nana ~

As the sun started going down, a fire was built in the pit for S'mores.  Then there were sparklers, and lots of fireworks.

It was a great day from start to finish.  We went home around 10:00 o'clock to the sounds of 4th of July snap, crackle, and pop!

About 19 miles northwest of our birthday/4th of July party, Steve was back at the church property taking the picture below of the full moon illuminating the night sky and our new sanctuary.  God is Good!

How did you spend your 4th of July?

As a side note, I sent my second Shutterfly album off today to be printed.  Now onto album number three!