Marriage is a beautiful commitment- the ceremony was flawless, the reception was great (including food and drink!) It was all I envisioned it to be...
I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to share our special day with both sets of parents, my boys, and other family members. It was truly a day I will never forget.
My heart was touched that day, and will remain that way forever-

Christmas is only 3 weeks away-so I must go and tend to the tree. I have only a few hours until son #2's hockey game calls us away into the cold.

I am hoping to bake as much as last year- but with this hectic schedule going-it may be tough.
Grandma's shawl is almost done-she is 96! I will hope to get it to her this week!!

With all these randome thoughts-
I wish thee some tea!! LOL
E-

Big Day

In less than 48 hours, I will be someone's wife. I feel like the luckiest person to have found such a special and most perfect person to share the rest of my life with. When I think of "the rest of my life", I think of spending the winding down years with the one I love and learning and doing a whole bunch of new things with him.
The best thing is that we have many common interests, but at this time we have little time to explore them together- but in the years to come, it will happen. I am looking forward to traveling, new adventures, making the house our home, eventually becoming grandparents (hopefully not too soon!), and enjoying the company of each other and the one's we love.
Our families are coming together this weekend to share our day of commitment to each other-and I love the fact that everyone is so supportive and loving. I haven't seen or heard anything I haven't liked...that says so much.
I have completely given my life and love to him-
I hope he can see that, and know that our days left on this earth together are going to be wonderful because we have each other now.
I love you-
E-

It's Time

Today I woke up and realized that we  only have a few days left before the wedding. I got a text from one friend reminding me "Only 4 days left!" and another friend calling me on my way into work to see if there is anything she can do for me at work while I am gone on my honeymoon. I have secretaries teasing me about taking a half day off the day before the wedding-wondering, "why would you do that?"  I have students trying to get used to calling me by my new last name, even though it's a little early...but it's all good.
I have been running for the last 3 weeks every day after school trying to get everything delivered, paid for, picked up, ordered and ok'd and reminders going out- on top of hockey tournaments, games, grades due, papers to check, and lesson plans to create and post on line, and assessments to administer. I feel that some of my endeavors are half hearted efforts, especially at work. I am so loaded-but who isn't?
I think every one of us is feeling the pressure, whether there are wedding plans or not! Our society is working us harder with very little perks to keep us going. It can be difficult to want to keep going at the rate we are, and be satisfied and happy.
I feel that this wedding is a new beginning-I believe I have said as such in past blogs...but it's true. I believe that we are on a new road, and our needs and wants are gong to be met, but in a way we might not have thought of all along...
My hopes and dreams of the Tea House is still on my mind for retirement, but I would like to wet my feet with starting up the catering idea, and my man is also looking forward to some changes in his life too. I feel with the kids being older, there is more opportunity for all of this.
We shall see!
November 5th, here we come!
I love you honey-

With that in mind-
Time for tea-
E-

Anticipation

Among all the hustle and bustle of the new school year, planning and making a wonderful wedding happen, and getting the boys settled with school and college/job/car issues/sports (the list goes on...) I long for the day to sit and enjoy a nice pot of tea and some delicious scones and tarts to go with it. I have to say that my classes are going rather well for the 23rd year in this school district, even though my original thoughts for this year were regretably negative. The things we listen to in the teacher's lounge! It should be banned! LOL
My own kids are doing well, even though they got to a slow start-but things are picking up for them.
Wedding plans are coming along rather nicely. The tuxes were fitted the other day, my dress is being altered as I type, the flowers are beautiful as can be, ready to be arranged, and the cake is exquisite! Responses are coming in at a good pace-with beef tenderloin coming in as the most popular choice. Second is the salmon and third, the chicken marsala.
The chocolate fountain is here as well as the chocolate-caterers are supplying the goodies for it! Canolies and angel wings are being made by local bakers, so I believe they will be delicious!
Linda has her final fitting this week, and she looks so beautiful in her long black gown. What a lady!!
With four weeks to go for this long awaited occasion to finally happen, I am anticipating a wonderful day! How could it not be when all the people you love are in the same place, celebrating the one you love??

With that in mind-
Time for TEA!
E-

Time Management

"Where Does Time Go?"

We hear that phrase so many times in our lives that it has become one of the world's wonders to me.

This summer I did not have the opportunity to work in the schools as I did in the past. I really didn't think it would bother me so much since there was so much to be done with David's graduation, travel baseball (X 2 boys), and beginning to do the footwork for our November wedding. I also had plans to crochet a lot, garden, read and walk.

As the summer days progressed, I found myself writing "to do" lists every day. (This was after a great stay with my brother, who lives in Florida!)

There was a whole menu to plan for the graduation party, grocery shopping, and actually cooking and preparing the food for the party. I enjoyed it, but was constantly worried about volume- would there be enough food?? LOL

Baseball went quickly-one son's team was up and down with victories, the other son rarely played due to lack of organization of tournaments by the coach. Sad for both sons, yet it was a little break for us!

Wedding plans are going well- all we need to decide now is flowers and honeymoon (if we have one). The cake will be ordered next week, the invitations are in the making and the dress is almost paid off. The guys still need to select tuxes, but that doesn't take much time-

I did crochet a shrug sweater in a beige pearl color, and a couple of change purses in cool summer hues and I took a knitting class. I prefer crochet-LOL!

I read a few Debbie Macomber books which were excellent, and gardened here and there, but mostly maintanance work.

I have been taking early morning walks every day that fall between the 3 and 4 mile distance. I have enjoyed waking around the island and discovering new things I hadn't noticed before.

It is almost time for me to go back to school- I should be sad, but I feel that urge to organize the classroom, dust off the books, and get going again.

I am glad I love my job, but that's not too say that summer didn't go by too fast- It DID! I will miss my walks-and I will try to envision them in the winter months to get me through...

I will miss the alone time I have had with my man- it is time worth "saving in a bottle"! I love him with all my heart-

With that in mind-

Time for Tea! (And a snack to go with it!)

E-

Strength in Numbers

                                                                               Steven

Our youngest son is entering high school this fall as the eldest enters college. What a time for all of us! We have always believed the boys will do well in life, and the struggles we encounter in order to get them there have been trying at times. This is not anything new to any family with children, I know- but it feels good to be able to say that even though we all struggle, we pull through one way or another.
Steven is a kid who is very smart, creative and active. He is humorous and well liked. He also has come a long way over the past 7 years since I was a single parent. With the encouragement from every adult in his life, Steven proves to us over and over again that he can do almost anything if he sets his mind to it! Whether it be sports, friendships, "dating", or academics...when Steven wants something- if he works hard enough- he'll get it!
He is a work in progress- as all kids are...and I can only believe that if he continues in this path of struggle, try, succeed, he will do just fine. I worry, as all parents do, about both of our boys- so learning to breathe and deal with these struggles can be very stressful. Luckily, I have a great partner who feels as I do, and we talk and sort things the best we can together...
Steven is a lucky kid as is his brother, to have the courage and strength to wade through rough waters with the support of his family.
I love you Steven!

With that in mind-
Time for Tea!
E-

Beginnings

I have been with my significant other for almost 5 years now. We have decided that after 1 1/2 years of being engaged, it's time to make our marriage vows. I have to say that I had feelings of doubt about marriage- we seem too good to be true as it is! Why change things? I am very comfortable with our living situation (together) and our relationship, and our love. I am actually more than comfortable, I am in love with it all-

When we decided on a date for our wedding, we gave ourselves 5 months in which to prepare. We just had one son graduate from high school, so why not add another huge event to our lives? Right? LOL

No, there is no complaining or regrets...

I have just found my dress-

I wasn't exactly thrilled about being 47 and a bride... but I decided to do my best. I wanted classy, eye-catching and champagne. I thought to myself that I am marrying the most perfect person in the world, I want him to be bug-eyed when I walk down the chapel aisle. I want him to be happy and excited, the way I feel now! I was surprised when I tried on my first dress, and bought it! That's what happens when you cry the minute you see yourself in the right dress! It is just what I wanted, and what I think he would like to see me in. I hope so...

We have many things on the go already for the big day- now we just need to hone the list of guests, and find a restaurant to accomodate 50 - 60 people. I think we can do it! It won't take much doing once we get out there and ask around.

I am officially an extatic bride, and am happier, and more enthusiastic than I ever thought I'd be-

What a wonderful feeling- I hope you feel it too, hon!

xxxooo Me

With that in mind- Time for Tea!

E-

This is my son David. He is graduating from high school in a few weeks. I am very excited for him as he ventures into the world of acadamia and college sports. He is a very concientious young man, with high expectations of himself. His career choice is that of a police officer. My grandfather was a fire chief, and I have a cousin who is a police chief in a nearby city.

I think David has it in him to be a good officer, but, as with any mother, my fears are all about safety. I pray that he is safe no matter where he is and what he is doing. He has had a rough year dealing with teen suicide, teen drug abuse and also peer pressure. He lost a good friend, became mentor to another, and dealt with  the ins and outs of being an upper classman. As we all know, stress and pressure can get the best of us- and I think David confronted his situation in a most honorable way...he told me he lost sight of his priorities and that he is refocused and ready to finish the year in a positive way. I have seen many changes take place in his social demeanor, his attitude and his relationships.

I am not saying there hasn't been any slipping back- that always happens. But any educator or researcher knows that in order to gain, one must slip, and then go further on in growth than before the slip. It's called learning.

David- you have the support of a loving family...I hope you will always confide in us when you need us.

I love you-

Time for Tea-

E-

A New Beginning

Isn't this a wild photo? I like it for my topic of writing today-  Today I am finishing up my Tea Catering list of menus and menu choices. I have my "next steps" in order, and am actually looking into creating our web page on a web site that I saw advertised on television. I have an incredible feeling that this business might take off! I am excited as a new business person- but also very nervous...
I know that tea can become a huge part of people's lives, if they let it. It is a great way to celebrate almost anything! The home made breads, scones, entree's and sweets are  sure hit! I am saying my prayers that this could turn into a retirement adventure with my sweetheart-
Catering now-an establishement somewhere when retirement is in the picture.
I have wonderful support, and belief that this could work, now it is time for me to get at it and get our name out there on the web and begin making lives a little happier.
Short and Sweet today-
Time for Tea-
E-

Walking

Henry David Thoreau wrote about walking as if it were a gift. He traces it back to the time of the Sainte-Terrer, or Saunterer,or one who walks to the Holy Land...
He also concedes that humans are part of nature's make up, not merely citizens...saunterers, with or without a home, can feel at home anywhere that nature can provide a "home". We are at home everywhere, or so we should be.
No, I am not suggesting we all become vagrants or saunterers...I am suggesting the art of walking.

My fiance' and I took our first walk of the season the other night. The weather was still cool, and the night wind was here and there, and the sun was lowering itself into the earth's horizon. I couldn't help but murmer how much I had missed the outdoors throughout our entire 3 mile walk. I felt like I was in awe of the trip, I had truly missed the feeling that walking gives me.

Walking makes me feel relieved of (some) stress, hopeful when I see new things nature has to offer the island, excited to view deer running across the grassy yards near the river while the sun is still in view through the branches of the spring trees. The ice floats making there way southward toward the lake is a sight to behold. A secret it keeps that spring is soon to appear, but not as fast as we want it. Water foul gaining in numbers at the river's edge, enough to hear their call at dusk and dawn.

I heard a ferry's horn blowing this morning- what a great noise. It immediately made me yearn for lake time with the one's I love to be with. Water is a cure for what ailes me at times...it also replenishes senses that need to be awakened once again, absent from the long indoors of winter.

Thoreau's words complete my own thoughts as I walk like the saunterer he describes in his works entitled, "Walking".

"So we saunter toward the Holy Land, till one day the sun shall shine more brightly than ever he has done, shall perchance shine into our minds and hearts, and light up our whole lives with a great awakening light, as warm and golden as on a bankside in autumn."

Time for Tea-
E-

Twenty Wishes?

I just read a Debbie Macomber book called "Twenty Wishes". It is an offshoot of a trilogy called the "Blossom Street" series. I loved the books because they were set in Seattle, Washington which is one of my favorite places to visit, plus, the characters are warm and wonderful. In the series, there are many women from the neighborhood of Blossom Street who come together for various reasons and learn to knit at "A Good Yarn" on Blossom Street. They meet and freindships bloom and stories move on...

In the "Twenty Wishes" book, the main character, Anne Marie meets with other widows (young and old) on Valentines Day, who happen to all be friends through the knitting classes, and they decide to make a list of twenty wishes that they want to achieve in their life. They all have many wishes, some are to fall in love again, some are to do odd things that no one ever expected, and some are dreams of travel or buying something.

I think about what they have on their wish list, and I think of the wishes I have had, or have now...
I fell in love again, and am still in love with the most wonderful man I have ever met, I still have my wonderful teaching job of 22 years, my own kids are growing and one is off to college next fall, the other to his first year in high school.
I get to garden every spring and summer. I am learning all the crochet stitches, and am on my 3rd and 4th project!
I get to walk in beautiful surroundings every morning or evening when the weather is nice. I have great books to read, and am working on writing my own book-
And...I am also getting a business plan together for a Tea Catering company. I am very excited about the prospect of one day making a go at this. I have a great passion for tea, as you well know if you have followed my blog at all or hit it now and then.
Tonight I plan on working on the menus I will offer. I have already made lists of baking supplies I may need, and will make another list or 5 for other needed items for table and serving.
I think this last item it the wish I am most afraid of-but it is a wish all the same.

Like the women in the novel, I plan to make a go of a wish, and see where it takes me. I feel very blessed to have the person I love backing up my ideas, and giving support and suggestions that can only help me in whatever I do.
Thank you hon- you are my T (in Tea)...

With tea on the brain-
Time for tea!
E-

Foundations

    





Foundations- what are they? Sometimes I think of them as origins, or beginings...then years go by and I think with more experience, they become personalized, individual- or more so anyway. We take with us the things that our parents, grandparents, loved family members, and childhood memories instill in us. The lessons we learned, the interests we hold, our morals, values, and the like, are all what we hold as "foundations".
More years go by, and what becomes of our foundations? Do they sit and fester, as a bad thing that haunts us? Do we think about them and occasionally visit them in our thoughts and daydreams? Do we hide them, and ignore them, because it's too difficult to remember them and hold on to them? Or do we cherish them as heirlooms and try to abide by them in our daily lives?   
    
     What is it that keeps us drawing on our foundations? I often ask myself, how am I like my mother or my father? How am I, or am I at all like my grandparents? Since I lost three of my grandparents as a child, I never got to know their personalities very well, but I do know some of the things they did. I have a grandmother who passed in her early 50's. I was in 3rd grade. Her husband, my grandfather, died weeks later, he was in his later 50's. My other grandfather was 53, I was 3 when I lost him. Never knew much about him, except for what he looked like, because I have some good pictures of him, and that he was a baker, he started a bakery that his step brothers took over after her passed.

     My grandmother loved to bake and I know she crocheted. She was a very loving grandmother from what I can remember. My other grandfather was a fire chief, and he loved to fish. He also liked beer and playing cards at the station on their down time, but I don't know much about all that.

     I have one grandmother who is still with us. She is 95 years old. I don't know her much, I wish she would have been the kind of person I could have gotten to know, but she wasn't. I have seen her a few times in the nursing home she is in, but I am having difficulty finding the time to see her on a regular basis. I love her, but she was always hard to love- now at 95, there is no reason not to love her!

     My foundations are strong, and clear. I've never questioned them. My parents are to be commended for giving them to me, and helping me to see how important they are to my life even now. I need to be aware that my own kids need a strong foundation- and even though we live in a different time and attitude, it is still essential for a good and wholesome and life, with many benefits along the way.

    
     As I get older, I see myself understanding the joy that some of my grandparents got from the things they did to pass the time. I am beginning to appreciate the craft of crochet, baking, and fishing! I also like beer, but with moderation. :)  These things are becoming essential in my life, and I wish to share it with others in some way. What way I'm not sure. I am still toying with "Tea Catering", but I am scared. I am not a business person, I am a teacher- so I still need to draw all my thoughts out on this one. I love to crochet, it is such a stress reliever! I have made 2 cute scarves and am in the middle of my first afghan. Now I am obsessed with various yarns with their textures and colors. Heaven help me! LOL

     With my foundations in place, and my thoughts in a whirl for the future-
it's a good idea for me to have tea!!!

Time for Tea!!!
E-

Thoughts to Ponder

                                                                                  

Our staff did a great job this week in qualifying for AYP, or Adequate Yealy Progress in the state of Michigan. I am very proud to be part of such a great staff and work with such wonderful administrators!

We truly are strong at Strong Middle School!

Going through the process of this endeavor, I realized that I would like to re-open an old project that I organized last year with my 7th grade students. We had bake sales, organized sunglasses day, and made a lot of money to landscape the front of our building. With the help of Home Depot, we were able to purchase trees, plants, flowers, soil, mulch and pavers! The project was very successful!

I would love to open that can of worms again, but in a big way! I am thinking of constructing a greenhouse to grow plants, herbs, etc. and continiue the landscaping project on a grander scale. Students could grow and sell fresh herbs, vegetables, plants and the like to fudraising for our school's upkeep on the landscaping projects.

When I was in Califiornia last week, I met a wonderful woman named Beth who is a Master Gradener in her area. She told me of school garden projects that were being organized with the help of Master Gardeners. She kindly sent me an enormous amount of resources for me to research and get a quainted with. I can now contact Master Garders in my area of Michigan, and get help with ideas for our school!

This is exciting for me, because our school is very multicultural and the possibilities can be endless if we could reach out to our families to generate "growing" possibilities for ethnic cooking! What a great contrast in herbs, vegetables, ingredients and recipes we could come up with!

It's nice to still have passion for my job after 21 years-

So many thoughts to ponder...

With that said-

Time for TEA!!

E-

Writing...

     I have been looking through my many journals in my nightstand from years gone by, and I decided to begin writing again. I have had many literature and writing courses between my bachelor's degree and my 2 master's degrees in Reading and Literacy, and have always wanted to take the time to actually try my hand at writing. I have jotted down many ideas and thoughts about what I would write about, and the only thing that keeps popping into my mind is what Jerry Spinelli, author of several young adult books, said to us at th Michigan Reading Conference 8 years ago! Write about what you know! I have heard many authors say similar things, as well as professors, so I guess they can't be wrong, can they?
     I write what I know whenever I blog-
So what's the difference? I do enjoy blogging about things...and I don't care that no one reads them! LOL! I do it maily for myself anyway-to "practice" I suppose.
     Well, I have begun a writing piece that I want to share with my fiance', and I am very excited to show it to him. We both love a good story. We are reading all the time, and listening to audio books, and telling each other if we enjoy them or not, or whether or not the other would enjoy it so they can check it out of the library next! Sounds so nerdy, but it's the honest truth, and I love it!
     I am intereted to see what his opinion of my writing will be. He seems to enjoy my blog, so I hope he will have good things to say about my more serious writing.
     I teach my students all kinds of things about author's craft, voice, transitions, strong verbs, and proper noun verb agreement throughout their writing- and I wish I could just sit and write with them. (Sometimes I do...for modeling purposes, but I get carried away, and they love to watch me go!) LOL!
     So, if anyone is reading this blog-please comment on my style or anything else for that matter. I really do want to hear your comments and thoughts, good or bad. I can take criticism -well-I'm a teacher whose been coached for years- I want "fixers" and "keepers" in my writing world now- and you are the experts!

         With that in mind-
It's time for tea!!  Chai!  Mmmmmmm!
E-

Much Needed Weekend

This week has been a very strange one indeed. It was pretty roller coaster-ish with so many things on our plate. We didn't get much sleep last night due to a middle of the night call, and getting in late from our son's hockey game. As I sat in my car driving home from school today, listening to my audio book, I thought about all my classes and what we accomplished today and this week. I think they got the gist of the differences between myths and legends, but their reading comprehension lacked any connection to the plot of the text. I sometimes feel that my efforts are futile-what am I doing wrong I ask myself...is it me? Or them...?

I selected this painting for this blog because as I was still driving home in the cold and snow, I long to sit in the sunshine and have a nice brew of tea, in a calm setting with little disturbance. I am yearning for the day to come...I know this sounds silly, but I'm finding myself not finding the time I wanted to use on myself this new year as I wrote about earlier in previous blog. What happened to make time for one's self? The good intentions went away with the every day schedule life brings us.

Needless to say, we did have a wonderful dinner with my parents this week, and tonight we will have a quiet dinner since the boys are busy with friends- I just wish I could savor these times a little longer and enjoy them the way they should be enjoyed.  Does this have to wait until retirement? I certainly hope not...I have 9 years of waiting if that is the case!

Times are changing slowly as the boys get older, and things are seeming to slow down. I am seeing a vague light at the end of this tunnel...(snicker!) I just hope that I can remind myself more of enjoying the moment at the moment, not after the moment has passed.

With that thought-

Time for dinner-

then tea!!

E-

Time Out

I feel that I need a time out. Now that the holidays are over and we are left to bide our time throughout the rest of these winter months, I find it amusing how we have all these little things to do, but it's not what we really want to do. Sure, there are hockey games to attend, homework to help with, meetings to attend, and lots of house work to do- but why don't we take the time to do the things we really want to do, and put some of the less desirable things to the wayside for a while. The fact is, we'll get back to those things because we have to do those things, but making what we would like to do a priority is what I think will get us through this cold bout in a little more pleasant way!  Let's think about those things you'd like to do; clean out your in-box, straighten your jewelry box, donate clothes you'll never wear again, crochet, stitch, draw, take photos, blog, call a friend, meet up with a friend, watch your honey bowl on bowling nights, talk with your kids-I mean, really just talk...or have a nice hot cup of tea! (With a tastey scone of course.)

Have a wonderful day-

Time for Tea-

E-

HAPPY NEW YEAR...

2011...it's hard to believe it's here. Sometimes I feel like time moves so slowly, but this year, it hasn't at all. I'm not complaining, I just hate the fact that the older we get, the quicker the calendar moves through it's months, and all the events slip by and things change...
It's hard to explain how time can move slowly, or quickly, but change seems to take it's time. Change, I've learned is always a good thing. One may not know it at first, but with time, a person adapts to the change, and it becomes routine, not a challenge.
I guess my thoughts are to embrace change, good or bad, because it can be the turning point in your life, and you wouldn't even know it. Time is what makes change valuable-it's human nature to be afraid of new, but new can mean many things to many people.
Change is always new-hence the verb, "change"...the unknown-is so valuable to us. It's how you deal with it as we grow older. What we accept, what we don't, and what we change for ourselves is how we will form our lifestyles for the remainder of our time...
I want my new year to be a year of change-and I hope I can achieve that want. I want to begin preparing for a challenging yet fun experience in the business world, I want my son to go off to college and learn everything there is to know to be the best he can be, and I want my youngest son to continue on his journey at becoming a fabulous young man. I can't forget my fiance'...I want him to be happy and appreciated for the wonderful person that he is-humorous, caring, intelligent, talented, and loving. He deserves the best for 2011, and I hope I can help in that endeavor for him.
These are all my wants, I know it sounds selfish...but it is what I think time can help with-these changes for the new year...

Time for tea-
E-