Author Archives: Ellen

Tea ~Bridal Shower

Welcome to Tea Time 2025. These posts will be about Tea Rooms we’ve been to, Teas we’ve given for friends and family, Church Tea events, and High Tea in restaurants from 2008 to the present. Tea in the U.S.A., Tea in England and Tea in Canada. Many of the Tea Rooms are no longer in business, which is sad.

This looking back post is from June 9th 2008.

My extended family came together to host a bridal shower for our future niece, cousin, granddaughter. June 28th is the wedding day. I put together some photos from the event. Good food, Fellowship, and blessings all around. A lovely colorful afternoon.

Can you guess the color scheme we chose for the shower? Yep, lavender, green, and cream.

I’m happy to say the fondant cake turned out and if the fondant had been fresher (confession time: I had this box of fondant in my cupboard for over a year) it would have been easier to work with and a lot more pliable. I will try fondant again, fresh fondant.

My niece Michelle getting the Mojito Punch ready. We love details, so my niece Melissa made ice-cubes with mint in them. That’s my niece Debbee in the kitchen. The Mojito Punch was virgin (no rum), but it was very good and refreshing.

Speaking of nieces, here they are ~ Jessica, Michelle, Debbee, and Melissa.

Jessica ~ Jessica and her mom, Connie ~ Jessica with Kelly (my Sil) and Kelly’s mom, Lynn ~ Jessica with my mother.

We had savory blintzes filled with chicken and broccoli, tabbouleh, fruit salad, Italian Wedding cookies, and Kefili cookies filled with apricot and plum jam. My mom made the cookies. The Kefili are one of her russian recipes. Growing up we had a great Italian friend living across the street, Lucille. She always made these Italian wedding cookies for showers and weddings. My mom hunted down her recipe to make them for this shower.

Details, details, we placed sprigs of lavender on each of the blintzes.

My sister Kathy had these great vintage snack trays that we used for the food.

The shower was wonderful. We ended up making each other cry (a good cry). Don’t you think that sometimes if there are tears that are shed we are being real with each other? We thanked God and prayed for Jessica and Tim and prayed for all of us. We wanted to give God the honor for all He has done for our family and friends.

I was exhausted but happy that everything came together well. I had left my condo at 9:30 am and returned at 8:30 pm. 181 miles round-trip. Today I’m a little brain dead. I hope to get around and see what you are all up to sometime today after I empty my trunk and put everything away…

 

Truth for Today #143

Thursday May 7th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you! 

1 Chronicles 16:8-13

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
    his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
O offspring of Israel his servant,
    children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.
Remember his covenant forever,
    the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,

 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
    his sworn promise to Isaac,
which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
    as your portion for an inheritance.”

From Vera:

‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.”

From Karen:

John 1: 6 – 7

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

From Willow:

Revelation 15:3-4

Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.

Merry May Hodgepodge

A merry month of May Hodgepodge with thanks to Jo From This Side of the Pond.

1. Let’s compare this May to last May. What’s changed? What remains very much the same? 

Much remains the same as last year with Mother’s Day teas, Addy’s Dance Recital, Hummingbirds returning, a May trip to the Westside of the mountains.

The thing that has changed is we aren’t walking the trail because of my Plantar Fasciitis and a limp Greg has developed. Growing old is not for the faint of heart. It’s easy enough for me to mow with our riding lawn mower but I can’t weedwack or do a lot of weeding. Once things settle down and get better for both of us we’ll be out on the trail again.

A special treat that is different than most years is that our grand nephew is traveling with the Master’s Chorale and will be having 2 concerts in Washington State and we will be able to go to one of the concerts and see him and the group perform in person. This will be on the Seattle side of the mountains.

2. What’s something you may do this month.
We may book a river cruise or do some other travel planning.

3. Mother’s Day is approaching (in the US of A)…in what way(s) are you like your mother? 

Haha! More and more I find myself doing things like my mom. In looking back at photos of her I’ve noticed my body reacting similarly in menopause and aging in photos where we were the same age. Weird. Thankful I’m past the chubbier face period. 🙂
4. Did you have a favorite book as a child? What was it and why was it a favorite. 
I had two favorite book series that I remember looking for at the library and checking out. One of the series was Little House on the Prairie and the other was the Freddy Series by Walter R. Brooks. I’m wondering if I was first drawn to the Freddy books because I have a brother named Fred.

5. Are you more of a tortoise or a hare? Explain. 

I can be both but I’m more of a hare by nature. I rush forward and can be hasty and miss a step in instructions or a recipe etc. Thankfully Greg is more steady and he reads instructions and corrects my hastiness to save the day!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We’ve had some beautiful Spring mornings at our Country bungalow.

If you live in the USA or Canada, I wish you a Merry Mother’s Day weekend!

Speaking of Mother’s Day here are the ones who first called me mom…

 

Tea ~Queen Mary Seattle

Welcome to Tea Time 2025. These posts will be about Tea Rooms we’ve been to, Teas we’ve given for friends and family, Church Tea events, and High Tea in restaurants from 2008 to the present. Tea in the U.S.A., Tea in England and Tea in Canada. Many of the Tea Rooms are no longer in business, which is sad.

This post is from May of 2008 when my sister Lana, our daughter Katie, daughter-in-love Laura, and I spent a day in Seattle enjoying tea at the Queen Mary Tea Room and time at the Japanese Gardens. The original posts are from June 2, 3, 5 and 10, 2008.

This last weekend my husband and I took a quick trip to our home in Washington. On Sunday my sister Lana (Above the Clouds) and my daughters had reservations for Tea at the Queen Mary Tea Room in Seattle, Washington. So of course my T is for Tea!

 

The table settings were beautiful with a different tea cup and saucer for each of us to enjoy.

Our Tea food was delicious and plentiful. We started with 3 flavors of sorbet with a butterfly lavender shortbread cookie, Scones, Crumpets, Quiche, Sandwiches, lemon bread, and a variety of sweets. Of course we had clotted cream and jams to go with.

Laura my DIL, Katie my daughter, and my sister Lana G!

All the lovely Tea accessories and amazing assortment of Teas. Each of us had our own pot of tea. I had Lavender Earl Grey, Lana had Jack Fruit (a staff favorite), Katie had a Mango blend, and Laura had a Chai blend.

On the way home from our tea party we stopped at the Seattle Arboretum and visited the Japanese Gardens so we could see this Japanese Tea house where Katie is studying the Art of Japanese Tea for one of her University classes.

The 4 of us were really in awe of God’s glorious creation and how He has given man the eye to plant and plan the beautiful landscape in this garden.

This is the tea house on the grounds of the Japanese Gardens where Katie attends class every Thursday to learn the Art of Japanese Tea.

“I finally received my yukata! Here are some pictures of me wearing it down at the arboretum. Don’t judge my obi tying too harshly, this was the first week that I dressed myself without help from my friend Mika or my teacher.”

It’s Spring so the Rhododendrons and Wisteria were in their glory.

I can almost guarantee that my sister Lana paid for our Tea Time even if the original post didn’t record that.

I’m happy to report that the Queen Mary Tea Room in Seattle is still open for business!

Later I’ll include some posts about Katie’s Japanese Tea class and the Art of Chado.

Local News

Last Wednesday evening Awana wrapped up with an award night. Our Grands both completed all their books and then some. Awana will start up again in September.

JJ will have another year of Sparks but Addy moves up to TNT.

Great job, Addy and JJ, store those verses from God’s Word in your hearts!

On Sunday morning we had such a beautiful start to the day and then on our drive home from church we had some beautiful views I couldn’t resist capturing.

 

 

 

Heading northwest on highway 395.

Heading north on our road home.

So thankful to God for his creation and the beautiful views we get to enjoy everyday.

The next ten days are busy ones for us with appointments, a ladies tea, Addy’s Dance Recital, Tae Kwon do promotion, a pastoral candidate coming to preach with meet and greets, a trip across the mountains, a Master’s University Chorale Concert in Marysville (our Grand Nephew sings with this group), a visit with our niece and grandniece, visits with our westside kids, and travel back home over the mountains. I’m a wee bit tired just typing all of that.

Our May is starting at breakneck speed but should end quietly, Lord willing.

Happy May to all of you!

My Hope is Built ~ Hymn

This song is titled My Hope is Built and sometimes The Solid Rock

My Hope is Built

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ name.

Refrain

On Christ the solid rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain

Words: Edward Mote, cir­ca 1834; first ap­peared in Mote’s Hymns of Praise, 1836.

Tea ~ Mad Hatters Tea Shower

Welcome to Tea Time 2025. These posts will be about Tea Rooms we’ve been to, Teas we’ve given for friends and family, Church Tea events, and High Tea in restaurants from 2008 to the present. Tea in the U.S.A., Tea in England and Tea in Canada. Many of the Tea Rooms are no longer in business, which is sad.

In April of 2008 my sisters and mom were invited to a Mad Hatter Tea Party Bridal Shower. This will be the original post from April 27, 2008.

On Saturday I drove 90 miles from Camarillo to Newport Beach to attend a shower for our future niece, Jessica, who is marrying my brother Steve’s son, Timothy. Timothy’s lovely mother is my SIL Kelly.

Oh, the destination and the setting and the beautiful ladies that we got to spend the afternoon with made the 180 mile round-trip so worth it.

The table was set perfectly for our Mad Hatter Tea. We gave thanks to the Lord for this wonderful occasion and began the festivities.

 

Jessica with her friends and most of these ladies will be her bridesmaids. Our hostess, Michelle, to the left of Jessica

Michelle, the maid of honor,  was our hostess and the setting was in her parents gated community in Newport Beach. I can’t even begin to guess what the HOA fees are in this wonderful setting. Did I just say that out loud?

Ellen b. in a hat, you won’t see that everyday.

It was a Mad Hatter Tea which meant we were all required to wear hats. My SIL Letty and me.  Jessica, the Guest of Honor. Jessica opening her Samovar from my mother and a tablecloth that my mother made when she was 12 years old (that would have been in Tehran, Iran) The last photo is of the daughters and daughter in laws with my mom. Letty, Vera, My Mom, Kathy, Ellen b, and Kelly.

Three of my lovely nieces, Melissa, Debbee and Michelle.

After we had our Tea/Lunch we walked over to the Rose Garden in the Community.

My hat won me a prize along with the great hat on the right that the mother of the hostess wore! I won a wonderful lavender scented candle.

We are having a very hot weekend in Southern California. See that 100 degrees for the outside temperature next to my odometer. That registered when I was driving home and reached the San Fernando Valley. Hot, hot, hot for Spring around here! (Looks like I need to dust off my dash!)

Made it home in good time praising our God for the blessing of family and friends to enjoy life with on this earth.

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”
~2 Thessalonians 2: 16,17

Tea ~ Tranquility Thousand Oaks

Welcome to Tea Time 2025. These posts will be about Tea Rooms we’ve been to, Teas we’ve given for friends and family, Church Tea events, and High Tea in restaurants from 2008 to the present. Tea in the U.S.A., Tea in England and Tea in Canada. Many of the Tea Rooms are no longer in business, which is sad.

Greg and I were living in Camarillo, California from 2006-2010. Willow and I met through blogging when we figured out that we both lived in Camarillo. We met for coffee and then became walking buddies. This post is from April 18, 2008.

Oh what a delightful haven we found for Tea in Thousand Oaks. Willow and I had reservations for a mini tea on Wednesday Afternoon. We arrived at Tranquility Tea Room which is in an office space on the 2nd floor of a building set back off of Thousand Oaks Blvd. When we opened the door we were delighted with what we saw.

Lots of China, Antique furniture, Lace, hats, fresh flowers, and tea accessories.

We chose our table and settled in for a lovely time.

Willow decided it was OK if I took a photo of her at our table.

We enjoyed looking at so many pretty things and then our food started arriving.

Aprils menu included Blueberries ‘n Cream Scones, Orange laced Mini Swirled Scones with their homemade lemon curd and Tranquility cream. Then there was a choice of Gourmet Tea Sandwiches. I chose the Cucumber a la Provencale and Caramel Apple Brie with Pecans. Willow chose the Caramel Apple Brie and the Chicken-Almond Salad. For dessert I chose the Lemon cheesecake triangle and Willow chose the Strawberry Tart. It was all very fresh and tasty! The touch of fresh flowers that adorned the food and plates added such a visual treat. We found out that Candra’s mother does the flowers for her. Oh who’s Candra?

We met Sue (who graciously served us) and Candra (on the right). Candra owns and operates the Tea Room. We had a nice long conversation about Tea rooms and ministry. Here’s something I copied from her website about her and the Tea Room.

Tranquility Baking and Tea Room
Seven years ago, Candra Coogan began a baking business with a desire to help a local charity. She began delivering cheesecakes dressed in Victorian attire and donated 10% of her sales. Her business grew into a successful catering and baking business specializing in tea parties, and in December she took the next step, opening Tranquility Tea Room on Thousand Oaks Boulevard.

Tranquility Baking Company was created in order to help support a special recovery program for homeless Moms, The Lighthouse Women and Children’s Mission located in Oxnard, California.

What a wonderful ministry. They have a vision to move this tea room into a Victorian house in the Ventura/Oxnard area. That would be such an ideal setting. Thank you Sue and Candra for your wonderful hospitality and your heart for service to the community.

We highly recommend the Tranquility Tea Room to anyone who loves Tea in a comfortable, beautiful setting, with expertly created delicious delicacies. Can you tell I was impressed!

“Come, let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things.”
Chaim Potok

As with many of the tea rooms we’ve visited in the past this one is also closed permanently.

Truth for Today #142

Thursday May 1st

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you! 

Matthew 7:21-23:

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to the, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Romans 10:1-4:

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Galatians 3:23-26:

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

From Vera:

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭34‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.”

From Karen:

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
‭‭

Farewell to April Hodgepodge

Alton to Cotswolds 323

Speaking of time, this ancient clock is from Wells Cathedral in Wells, England.

Wow! The 600th edition of Wednesday Hodgepodge with thanks to Joyce From This Side of the Pond!

My random thought today will be the finale of the A to Z  April challenge. We are on the last day of April and the last letter of the alphabet, but first, the Hodgepodge…

1. My very first edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge was published on November 10, 2010 (linked here if you’re curious). Tell us something about your life from that era. 

I think my first Hodgepodge with consistency afterwards was in 2017.

This was from my post on November 6th, 2010.

This is our daughter in front of the Bridal shop in Bellevue, Washington where we just purchased her wedding dress. Very sentimental and personal with plenty of emotion attached!

A wedding is afoot at our house but because our daughter is marrying a Marine who will soon be in Active duty we do not know what date we can choose for the event yet. It will be sometime in the next year in the meantime we are preparing what we can because we might have very little notice for the actual event.

Andrew and Katie ended up getting married at the Justice of the Peace in Jacksonville, North Carolina on March 11, 2011. We had their formal wedding ceremony one year later on March 11, 2012 in Seattle.

2. What’s a song you love that relates to time in some way? 

The DC talk version of this song is the one we prefer over the original because of the changes from “Never been a sinner, never sinned, but I have a friend in Jesus” to the more accurate “You know that I’m a sinner, we’ve all sinned, but I have a friend in Jesus.”

3. May is nearly upon us. When did you last need to yell ‘MAY DAY-MAY DAY!!’? 

My MAY DAY-MAY-DAY was on November 5th, 2022 when I realized my husband was having a stroke and I sent off the mayday ‘help me’ call to God, 9-1-1, and our local son here in Colville. The Fire Chief of our district was the first to appear at our door, then the ambulance and then our son (who was a distance away working close to the Canadian border). God knew my May-Day needs well before and helped us all through this experience.

4. How do you feel about food trucks? Is this a dining experience you enjoy?  Do you have a favorite What’s something you’ve ordered from a food truck? 

In years past before a Seattle Sounders Soccer game we would make our way to the taco truck for street tacos. So good.

Nowadays we have a fish truck that shows up in Colville every so often and they have the best Clam Chowder. Delicious.

I am a fan of good food trucks.

5. We’re bidding farewell to April…what are three adjectives you might use to describe the month you’re leaving behind. 

Joyous birthday celebrations for our grandson and son-in-law.

Glorious rejoicing because of our Risen Savior.

Tedious weeds are popping up like wildfire.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Z is for Zebras at the Zoo in Dallas a Zillion years ago.

We were visiting our youngest niece and her parents in 2010

A favorite Z song…

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Zip a dee doo-dah, zip a dee ay
My, oh my, what a wonderful day.
Plenty of sunshine headed my way.
Zip a dee doo-dah, zip a dee ay

Mister bluebird on my shoulder
It’s the truth, it’s actual.
Everything is satisfactual.

Zip a dee doo-dah, zip a dee ay
Wonderful feelin’.
Wonderful day.

Lyrics by Ray Gilbert and Allie Wrubel.

From the Postal Museum in Washington D.C. in 2011.

Whew! Thank you to all who came along with me on the A to Z challenge and thank you fellow Hodgepodgers for your visit today.

In May I will be posting a past tea room tea experience or current one each day except on  Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. It is very possible these posts will have to continue into June.