The Color of Remembrance

The rain  has  just about  decided to  dissipate and   the clouds  are   loosening

  the   blue  sky is peeking through

But  the blue remains  around  my  house... 

a  color that suits   the  time of remembrance  this   day of days... 

not only the terror of  the Boston Marathon bombing of yesterday,  

but  also   today  as we  remember  

what happened  on the peaceful, serene campus  at Virginia Tech 6 years ago..... 

  we can   surround ourselves with beauty and  put our minds on things above, praise God,   but  life  touches us  in myriad ways...

  I am thinking of  our  dear daughter and Son in law  who have been personally touched  but both of these experiences in their lives.   I suppose each generation  has  trials  to face and endure...   for  Lynn and I,  it was  the  civil unrest of the 60's  the Vietnam war,  and tragedies of  all kinds....  all   these  experiences    should do one  thing in particular....   make us   thankful...    for  God's goodness,   His peace,  His rigthteousness,  His hope ,   His  faithfulness, and His supply and shelter  in  times  of trouble .  Our prayers are  with   those who  were touched in  any way  by   these and  all events  .  We pray for  release,  freedom, healing, and  a closer walk with  the  Lord,  who  alone   can  truly heal the broken and the  lost!

source

A Return to Loveliness@ A Delightsome Life

Table Top Tuesday@  A Stroll Thru Life

A Closer Look

As I  look around  the  house,   I   use my critical eye  and  wonder, "  what  am I  trying to convey, here"?

I  hope it demonstrates  a n appreciation  for   grace,   both  in gentility and in  God's  perfect  gift to us, in His Only Begotten, Son, Jesus Christ....

Perhaps, one might  suspect    a n appreciation  of  classical thought and    the blessings  we  have in   understanding the past....

If one were to take a much closer look, one would suspect an even deeper context of my reverence for God's Word... we are told to "write them on the door frames of your house and on your gates."Deuteronomy 6:8...

I choose to write them on the walls of our home especially this one that reminds me to put on the full armor of God!!

Ephesians 6:10-18

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

It does  attempt to   create   for  Lynn and myself  a reminder to us that  we a re  God's  beloved  children,  that our  one  true love and trust  is  only    in Christ Jesus, our perfect  visible representation  of the invisible God....   and  we  find our   perfect  shelter and safe haven  under  His everlasting wings!!

Open House Friday @Bernideen's Tea Time Blog

Mosaic Monday @ Dear Little Red House

A Return to Loveliness@ A Delightsome Life

Table Top Tuesday@  A Stroll Thru Life

Favorite Things Thursday@  katherine's Corner

Grace at Home@ Imparting Grace

Home Sweet Home@  The Charm of Home

Open House @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog

Red Gives Way to Blue

  All the red has   been  put away   and   has given way to  blue...

The    plate hanger  now  shows off my  lovely  blue  transfer ware 

 Silver replaces  gold,   blue  replaces red  on the  hutch

What once    showed off  the red of roses and the   shine of apples,

now  the blues   predominate and the  fruit of the vine      prevails

  my devotions table  now   steps  away from  the yuletide 

and  manifests    life in the Spirit 

And  blue has come to the table! 

Now that it is just the two of  us  the table  has been reduced  once more and  the table  set    just for us!

 Now I   can  use  some of the treasures I have recently  found...

Every table needs a bit of inspiration....  here, a  blue and white planter of paper whites takes center stage!  Then the table comes together...

I now  have   just enough    of the Wedgewood, Countryside  and  am using    odd  show pieces   as well..

I love     the Countryside pattern

and now that I have  tea cups and saucers  to match,   it is  a  real boon  to me!!! 

 I love using  Wedgewood, Woodlands

showcased , as well as

 Johnson Brother's  Old Castles of Britain  which looks  so   well   against   the   simple patterned backdrop! 

 As usual, for my  casual dining,   I am using  

Zwilling J.A. Henckels Vintage 1876

   

I am 

  sharing on

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have A Daily Cup of

Mrs. Olson

Teacup Thursday @ Miss Spencer’s Blog

Table Top Tuesday

A Return to Loveliness

Heart and Home @ Angel Wings and Apron 

Strings

Tea Time  Tuesday @ Rose Chintz Cottage

Teacup Tuesday @ Artful Affirmations

Tablescape Thursday

Open House Friday @Bernideen's Tea Time Blog

Coffee, Tea, and Pie

Pink Saturday

For more  PS   visit Beverly here!!
  Last night  I  had a  coffee/ tea dessert for  14...
  it was  a delightful time...   

 Because I knew that   this event was   coming  I   decided to keep a  few of  the Christmas  lights in place....   today  I will remove the   hutch lights , But I generally keep the    mantle and    small tree lights for  a while...

 I could only get 10 around  the table so I had to set up a few chairs  in other  strategic places

One friend was bringing a  delectable  apricot pie  and another  a   decadent  chocolate   turtle  pie!  YUMMY!

I had my tea caddy  loaded  with  all kinds of   wonderful    English teas as well as  herbals..

For the most part I used  my Syracuse, Portland    china  and    Joan of Arc  tableware... 
Just for  our occasion  I created  this   wonderful   centerpiece...

It  shows the  Lion Of  Judah     surrounded by   the  spiritual warriors of prayer  displaying the weapons of their warfare ...   and the  cross  because it is   by  Christ's death on the cross  that we have  access to  the Father and are seated in heaven  along with  Him...

  Our group of   dear  friends and   prayer partners gathered to discuss our upcoming prayer events  we have  planned...   we  have been   purposing to    pray for  true  revival in our   fair city....So far we have held  3  ecuemenical  prayer events  in  3 different  locations..a nd  this  upcoming event  we are taking our  event  across town to  broaden  the  scope of  the  Church  universal  in our communities... our focus is to pray against  decline  in our nation....  and  in by so doing  we might ignite  the fire of  revival in God's church in this  city....but mainly,  we   are   following and obeying the  work of the Holy Spirit.

 I am also  sharing on  The Tablescaper

Table Top Tuesday ~ A Stroll Thru Life

Martha’s Favorites @ Martha’s Favorites

Tea Time Tuesday @ Rose Chintz Cottage

Teacup Tuesday @ Artful Affirmations

Friends Sharing Tea @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog

Open House Friday @Bernideen's Tea Time Blog

Olde World Tabletopper

  Visit Marty at A Stroll Thru Life  for   the  party

Last week I chanced to  have the opportunity to visit  one of my favorite shops   that had moved  locations  to a nearby  town...  I  hadnt  seen  Platagenant Rose for  about a year and when I  was  passing by last week,   Lynn  let me stop in for  just a  minute....     and there it was  this  gorgeous    cloche! 
 

It was love at first sight.... The fleur-de-lis details  charmed me.But   what on earth  could I  possible use it for....    I perused my     treasures and there  they were.. the bells Lynn sent from France just about this time of year  back in 1970.  He had  recently arrived in Germany for his tour of duty and I was a Junior in college.. He   went on a weekend  excursion    with  some friends   to Verdun... and  bought two bells.  One for me and one for his mother...   Mine had the cross and the other was  for his dear mom...  she passed away soon after receiving  the bell...   A friend  we met  when we lived in Germany  after we were married   gave  us the Limoges egg..  Three very fitting  items   to show off my lovely  new cloche!.  

I  also  love my  bronze  candelabra....   it  reminds me of  a  menorah  except it has more    candle lights.  I find it very fitting  to use  between  Hanukkah  and  Christmas..and it lends it's Olde World charm to this    vignette!

Tabletop Tuesday

Visit a Stroll Through Life for more!!

 Even as the  temperatures heat up in summer,  here in Virginia,  my decor   wants to cool down and  lighten up!!..   Since  my decor is Olde World  it is  a difficult thing to do to lighten up!!

  One way  is  in the  floral  table dressings, and of course, the  colors...

  By  our daughter's wedding  photo,  I have chosen a daisy  arrangement... I love the airiness and  delicacy of it!!!

  In the dining room, the hutch  is accenting the  whites and  lighter shades as well!

  The angels  bless me   right now,   their messages  for me, remind me to   lighten  the load of a heavy heart and stay focused on things from above!!!!
   My sheep reminds me  that  I am   a    lamb in the flock of the Lord...  Christ is my loving, and caring Shepherd!!!

Tea with the Birds

Martha hosts this  beautiful site each week  and today
I   identified    my  guests in the  birdhouse as an English Sparrow  family
 

This sweet photo captured the hungry   baby  bird   even though I missed the top of  papa's head!  heheheh
  
I suppose the teacher  that still resides in me  is  always  seeking to    learn something  new each day, so one of my afternoon pleasures is to   do a bit of bird research over a  cup of   fine tea and   a  bite of something!!  In honor of the  English Sparrow  family I chose today to   celebrate over  a cup of Yorkshire Gold...  and I took my tea in  one of my favorite cups,   the Royal Albert,   the Lady Slipper  of the  Provincial Flowers  collection...   

I love the black background 

juxtaposedagainst the beauty of the daintily exquisite 

lady slippers.

I was  thrilled to read  in  my 2012 March/April edition of  Teatime about    Yorkshire Gold tea,   produced   by the    distinguished  Taylors of Harrogate...  

The article    claimed that  "Taylor's Yorkshire line is one of the UK's most popular, with more than 10 million  cups consumed daily!"...  Well, today,  it was  1o million and 1, as I  very joyfully  enjoyed my repast  !  I was  so thrilled to find  my tea at Fresh Market!

So  I    think it may be said as  the huge anglophile that I am  I will gladly celebrate  any bit of  the English that     touches my life,  even  the    visitation of the English sparrow!   

I am also  sharing  with 

at  A stroll Thru Life

May Breakfast Al Fresco

This morning  I am  celebrating a return to loveliness    with more time spent  on the porch.....   the weather has been perfect....   cool and  temperate in the mornings... not muggy...  no insects....   jsut  a lovely time to spend with the birds!!

So looking out the screen door   I see a table set for two....
 upon a closer inspection...



it looks like a bit of morning repast....

Pairing the black and white Royal Stafford, The Herdsman, pattern   is a striking  contrast to the  pale green cloth and delicate posies...   but the black  coordinates well with the wrought iron...

Keeping it  simple with the ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS Flatware

I never tire of  my latest pattern....  so  perfectly balanced and    weighty in the hand...  the  patina  and lustrious shine  yet simple pattern   compliments  every setting!
 
A lovely opportunity to   try out  my  baked eggs  and  freshly picked home-grown strawberries!

as well as  delight in the  ethereal beauty of the  rose and peony    flowers,  one last time  for this  season!


I will also be sharing   on 
Cozy Home Scenes
Tabletop Tuesday 
Tablescape Thursday 
  Thanks so much for  your visit....