18th Questers' Luncheon

On Saturday I, along with a group of friends, attended the Mah-Nah-Be-Zee Questers' Chapter 198 annual Tablescape luncheon. This was their 18th luncheon with fabulous tablescapes, and it gets better and larger every year.  I think they've just about reached their max capacity though.  The theme was 50 Shades of Color. The doors opened at 11:00 a.m., and I had one hour to photograph 58 tablescapes to share with you.  Mah-Nah-Be-Zee is the Indian name given to Detroit's Belle Isle, and translated it means "White Swan."  Yvonne Leslie, now deceased, started the luncheons, so they are now named in her honor.

I shared tablescape photos from their 2014 and 2015 luncheon, but I must not have gone in 2016. Since there were 58 tables, the photos will be shown in multiple posts.

I took a photo of my girlfriend, Linda [left], because she said she tried to dress in keeping with the theme, 50 Shades of Color.  ;-)  My girlfriend, Lori, right.

We were seated at table #2 - Oceans of Aqua, which happened to be the #1 winning table.

Table #1 - Under the Big Top  

Table #3 - Tale as Gold as Time [Beauty and the Beast]

Table #4 - A Visit with Anne of Green Gables 💚

Table #5 - A Blue Christmas Without You

Table #6 - Roaring Twenties

Table #7 - Kindergarten Colors





Table #8 - Monet's Lemon Branch

Tomorrow's post will begin with table #9.

Spring Break 2017

Normally I'm the one gallivanting here and there while Jerry keeps the home fires burning, but this time I stayed home while he went on a "guy trip" over spring break with our youngest son, Jeremy, and our grandson, Landon.  They left a week ago today and have covered  a lot of miles, with two more sights to see before coming home.  I've followed along via pictures Jeremy's provided.   He planned the sports and music themed itinerary.   

Their first stop was Knightstown, Indiana where the 1986 movie, Hoosiers, was filmed.  The movie was about the small town of Hickory and its basketball team that miraculously won the state championship.  They visited the Hoosier Gym, and below is Landon in his Hickory basketball jersey taking a basketball shot.  Do you remember that great fiction movie that was based on fact?

From there they went to Memphis, TN to visit Sun Studio, where Elvis made his first records. Jeremy is an Elvis fan even though he's only 38 years old, and Elvis died two years before he was born.  Landon in Sun Studio photo below.

No, Jeremy doesn't play the guitar, but he does have a very good voice.  It was fun pretending to be Elvis if only for a moment!  Men are really little boys grown tall, and I hope he never loses his fun and imaginative spirit.

~ Then to Graceland - Elvis' home. ~

A couple of serendipitous stops at Johnny Cash's boyhood home, and the home of Jerry Lee Lewis. Landon's playing the piano on the gate! ;-)

From there it was further south to the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, LA where Jeremy had a pre-arranged tour of their sports facilities.   Landon with LSU's mascot, Mike the Tiger.

A visit to New Orleans followed Baton Rouge, and they spent a couple of days there.  Below is Jeremy and Jerry in Jackson Square with St. Louis Cathedral in the background.  And yummy beignets at Cafe Du Monde.  I wish I would have been with them in New Orleans for some of those yummy beignets. I tried my hand at making some once, but they weren't as good as Cafe Du Monde's.

The Mercedes-Benz Superdome where the New Orleans Saints play football, and Landon standing by a Mardi Gras Jester statue.  If I would have been along we'd have had Afternoon Tea at the Windsor Court Hotel not far from the French Quarter.  Maybe that's why I'm not on this trip! ;-)

Their next destination was Tuscaloosa, Alabama for a meet-up with two of Jeremy's MSU football coaches - Nick Saban and Bobby Williams at the University of Alabama.  I'm not sure, but that may have been the highlight of the trip for Jeremy.

Heading back towards home they stopped in Nashville, TN to take our granddaughter, Brianna, to lunch before traveling to their next destination - Louisville, KY.  Brianna is a Junior at Trevecca Nazarene University.

Their last two stops before coming home are the Louisville Slugger Bat Factory, and the full scale replica of Noah's Ark in Williamstown, KY.   They've made a lot of fun memories this trip without drinking a drop of tea!  How can that be?  ;-)  

While Jeremy and Landon were gone, daughter-in-law, Samantha, took my granddaughters, Isabella and Ellie on a trip of their own to visit her sister in Oklahoma.  While there they visited the Mercantile owned by Food Network's Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, located in Pawhuska, OK. I would love to visit that sometime.  I think it opened in Nov. 2016.

Sam said it was an hour's wait to get inside, but they provided free hot chocolate and chalk to keep the kids occupied while waiting.

~ Isabella, Ellie, and their cousin, Emma Kate. ~

It'll be hard to top this 2017 spring break, but there's so many wonderful places to see and things to do in our great country!

Women's Health Teas from Republic of Tea

I was recently contacted by Republic of Tea to do some tea reviews for them.  These teas are not from the camellia sinensis plant.  They're a new line of SuperHerb teas the company has just released for women's health.  There are four teas in the series that will provide health benefits for women through all phases of life.

I love teas from Republic of Tea, so I agreed to sample two of the four SuperHerb teas: Raspberry Leaf tea for Women's Health, and Nettle tea, which men can drink too since it helps reduce joint inflammation and supports kidney function.   

The other two teas in the series that I'm not sampling are the Fenugreek Tea for Nursing Moms and the Sage Tea for Hot Flashes.  I'm grateful to be past both of those life phases! ;-)

The SuperHerb teas recently arrived in the mail. 

I decided to try the organic Raspberry Leaf Tea first.  The tea canister holds 36 round, unbleached tea bags.  The herb, Red Raspberry Leaf, can help women at virtually every stage of life.   The herbal tea is a blend of organic red raspberry leaves, rosehips fruit and raspberry fruit, with natural raspberry and vanilla flavors.  The recommended steeping time is 5-7 minutes in hot water.

Since this tea is not made from camellia sinensis tea plant, it can't be expected to taste like it. By adding 1/4 teaspoon of honey, the raspberry flavor seemed more distinguishable, and provided a good, hot, healthy beverage.

Next I sampled the Nettle Tea.  It is made with organic nettle leaves, peppermint leaves, and natural vanilla flavor.  

The side of the canister reads:  Nettle leaves have been known to support the body in a variety of ways.  Studies have shown that it can help reduce joint inflammation and help support kidney function.

It also has 36 round teabags per canister, and is steeped in hot water for 5-7 minutes.  When I opened the lid I immediately got a whiff of minty aroma, but not overpowering.  

A mild minty taste also accompanies the steeped cup.  I added a small amount of honey, and enjoyed this healthy, herbal tea very much.

Thank you Republic of Tea for blending these SuperHerb Teas for women's health and well-being, and for asking me to review them.