Michigan Brides, Etc.

I was recently contacted by a retirement community in Dearborn to do a presentation on Saturday, June 22nd.  The subject they chose was Famous Michigan Brides - probably because the month of June is associated with weddings.

I'm not famous, but I was a Michigan bride in June 1966.  It's hard to believe 53 years have gone by so quickly!  I wasn't into tea when I got married, but if I would have been this cake surely would have tempted me in place of the traditional wedding cake!  ;-)

Two of the famous Michigan brides I'm going to focus on are Eleanor Lowthian Clay Ford [1916] and Frances Matilda Dodge Johnson [1938].  Both brides were related to auto magnates, Henry Ford and John Dodge. 

In 2012 my girlfriend and I attended the annual Holiday Walk at Meadow Brook Hall where the theme was Puttin' on the Glitz.  It showcased Frances Dodge's wedding.  Since the ceremony took place in the mansion's Living Room, Frances' and Matilda's [her mother] gowns were displayed in that room.  No photos could be taken, but the two pictures below were in the printed handout booklet [which wasn't copyrighted]. 

Frances' gown was ice blue and her attendants gowns were various shades of blue with the exception of her maid of honor who wore rose taffeta.  The gowns were custom made by Peggy Hoyt of  New York City.  500 guests attended the wedding.

In 2017 Meadow Brook published a book about Frances Dodge and her equestrian accomplishments, titled Riding on the Edge. 

It's been on my book list ever since it came out, so I called Meadow Brook this week to see if the book had a chapter about Frances' wedding.  I was delighted when they told me chapter 6 is entitled Wedding Bells.  

I drove over to Meadow Brook on Thursday to purchase my copy.  I always love going to Meadow Brook Hall, and am so grateful I got to do two tea presentations there.  Matilda Dodge Wilson hosted many teas at the mansion when she lived there.

Portrait of Matilda Dodge Wilson that hangs in the foyer of the mansion.  I wasn't able to take the photo without getting the reflective glare of the chandelier across the hall on the portrait.

The book I acquired has six pages of great information about Frances' wedding that I'll be able to incorporate into my program, so it was well worth the drive to Rochester.

By the way, the traditional month of June for weddings is said to date back to the Middle Ages when couples were still somewhat clean from their annual spring bath, and fresh flowers were in full bloom to mask body odors.  Yikes!  Thank heavens for indoor plumbing!  ;-)

Now that I'm working, I don't have much time for Facebook, but Thursday night while looking for something else, I stumbled upon a photo a friend had posted of a teapot lamp that was for sale at a downriver resale shop.  It just so happened my hubby was going downriver on Friday to have lunch with his brother, so I asked him if he'd stop by the resale shop to check out the lamp.  It would make a great anniversary present!  ;-)

[Facebook Photo]

Turns out the resale shop was right next door to the restaurant where my hubby and his brother were having lunch.   He inspected the lamp and found it in pristine condition, and bought it for the great price of $35.  I didn't like the lampshade, so I went to the lampshade shop this morning to buy a new one.  The new shade cost more than the lamp, but it was worth it because it really dressed up the lamp.  Here it is [below] with its new shade in its new home.

I'm not a gardener, but I like watching the progress of the kitchen and vegetable gardens The Whitney kitchen staff planted behind the mansion.  On most days when I arrive at work [around noontime] I'll find the chef out there tending the gardens. We're going to use the mint to garnish our Lavender-Rose iced tea.  Do you have a kitchen garden?

Just before I left for work yesterday the postman delivered a jury duty summons.  This will be my third time for jury duty.  I don't mind doing my civic duty, but this seems a bit repetitive. Have you been called for jury duty multiple times?  The irony is my husband would love to be a juror, but has never been called once.

Today is a pleasant 79 degrees day in southeastern Michigan with a slight breeze and clear skies. A perfect day for Tiger baseball at Comerica Park.  The Tigers are playing the Minnesota Twins at 4:10, but my two sons and grandson, Landon, got there early and went down on the field.  

 [Steve]

[Jeremy and Landon]

Go Tigers!

New Teacups and More

As you know, I'm trying to limit my teacup collecting to black ones, and I recently acquired a new one to share.  Isn't it lovely?

You may remember, a year ago my girlfriend gave me a Lena Liu teapot in the Blossoms and Butterflies pattern.  It's a Teleflora teapot, so it's not fine china, but Lena Liu is a popular painter/artist and her work is collectible.  I didn't realize there were teacups to go with the teapot, so I was happy to find one recently.

A few days ago I saw a post on ATAA [Afternoon Tea Across America] Facebook page that Kohl's has tea-themed summer pajamas.  My friend, Linda J. at Friendship Tea blog posted today that she purchased a pair over the weekend.  I was in Kohl's today so decided to see if my store had them.  They did, indeed, and they're on sale.

The color is 'Tea Time Blue.'  They're really cute, so if you're looking for summer pj's that will leave you dreaming about teacups, stop by your local Kohl's.

Last, but certainly not least, a few days ago, Donna H., from Miss Spenser's Special-Teas of Longview Farms posted the cutest picture I have ever seen on Facebook.  I don't know who the little girl is or who took the photo, so I don't know who to attribute credit to, but I guarantee the picture will bring a smile to your face!  A miniature Queen Elizabeth, II look-alike.  ;-)

[Internet Photo]

Happy June!

June is National Iced Tea Month, and June 10th is National Iced Tea Day.  Today was the first time this year The Whitney offered Afternoon Tea in the garden.  Our tea blender created a black floral signature blend called Lavender Rose that's perfect for sipping in the garden.  I was asked to make enough iced tea to serve today before I left work on Friday afternoon since I don't work weekends.

The cold water brewing method was very popular last summer but I didn't try it, so I decided to experiment with it at home Thursday night.  I visited several websites for instructions and finally settled on the method at Epicurious.  After the concentrate had steeped overnight, I added the additional cold water Friday morning and took it to work for a taste testing. Everyone loved it.  

I quadrupled the recipe for the seven reservations today, using knee-highs [tea socks] to contain the loose leaf tea.  The socks eliminate the straining step.  Then I added the required cold water and put the container in the refrigerator to steep.  The loose tea can steep for up to 48 hours, but I left instructions for the tea socks to be removed yesterday afternoon and discarded, and the additional water added to the concentrate today.  I'm anxious to see how it went when I go into work tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I made another pitcher at home for us to enjoy.  Have you tried the cold water brewing method yet?  There are advantages. Cold water extracts less caffeine and tannins from the tea and there's no cloudiness that sometimes occurs with hot water brewing.

Saturday morning we went to watch granddaughter Isabella participate in USTA [United States Tennis Association] tournaments [Chelsea team] at Michigan State University in East Lansing.  The rain held off just until she was done playing and then there was a torrential downpour.

[Jerry and Jeremy]

Then we drove to Grand Ledge, MI where our granddaughter, Tiffany, and her family live. Great-granddaughter, Evie, celebrated her 2nd birthday on May 23rd so this was an 'extended' birthday celebration.  Evie loved Izzy's visit!

~ A Madeline book ~

Fairy princess outfit for tea-time [complete with fairy tea party book, pink lemonade and cookies].  I gave her a tea set for Christmas, so she's all set for a fairy tea party now.

We finally got to meet great-granddaughter #2 - Juliette Grace, born April 3rd.  Evie has given her the nickname Jules since she can't say Juliette yet.

Juliette will be two months old tomorrow and is so sweet.  'Babies are God's opinion that the world should go on.'    ~ Carl Sandburg

Beautiful blue eyes!  

June - the midway point of the year - has begun perfectly!

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!