Day Seven and still havin fun

Good Thursday morning friends,
Here's a photo of my tags for prices on my stuff. I will show you some stuff tomorrow, you will not believe how much I have...maybe you will!
Day six surprise was I got KIT! She is so pretty and I got the laundry day set which comes with a small wringer washer, a clothes drying rack, an iron and ironing board....too cute, can't believe I got this, it is really over the top. Oh well...humor me.
Our a/c is on the fritz, so it has been warm here. Hopefully it will be fixed today. The unit is just 3 years old, since our fire. The fire was started in the hv/ac unit so we are a bit leary of problems now. We have owned our home for 20 years...we are the original owners....and we have had 3 hv/ac units! I think that is too many.
Keep cool
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cathy

Day Six

Good Wednesday morning friends,

I have to be honest here, day five did not turn out the way I intended...no Mexican food or B&N...stayed home all day. Good news is...no $$$ was spent. So no big deal. Sorry to report a ZERO on the birthday-meter.

Today, I had high hopes, but they might not pan out either, so, I will not say in advance what my plans are for celebrating. Keep you in suspence.

I am slowly moving towards preparations for my big sale at the fairgrounds flea market in Sept. Making tags for pricing things. I am also going to make my annual physical appointment today. (yuck) The tags are fun to do, I have a die cut machine with a tag and I use card stock. I have a great clock/watch stamp and I write Tea Time....so it is cutsie and clever. It has been so hot here, and my ac in the car is broken, so getting out during the day really has little appeal to me. If I cannot get out and done by noon, I just say "no thanks". It is a solution to the heat that I can live with for now.

I decided to add the photo of my "china pantry". This photo may have been seen before, can't remember, but it is worth another look...do I really need any more china....no not really....! I do have a hutch full of my "best" china...Lenox and a bit of Royal Albert....not the everyday stuff, but oh so lovely...also included is our Christmas china from Lenox as well. I will take a picture of that...maybe I have one already..but not with the doors open so you can see! When I am gone, someone will be getting one heck of a deal on some great china!

On that note, I guess I will be "gone" for now....

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cathy

Day 5...I believe...

Here I am sitting on Santa's Lap, is that a poodle skirt??? I am a true believer...in lots of things...
1) I believe God
2) I believe my hubby
3) I believe my mom
4) I believe in good
5) I believe there's bad
6) I believe Santa (and he knows who has been good or bad!)
So there!!!
Not to be flip, or anything, but I am not trying to answer some universal question here...this is a fun blog most of the time and it is my BIRTHMONTH CELEBRATION, for Pete's sake!
Yesterday, Day 4, was ok, I found a really cute little over-the-door hanger that is white and where the hook is there is a rose...so it is sweet...that was less than $10, so a nice treat....
Today, I am going to eat Mexican food at On the Border my favorite place to eat and then I will browse Barnes and Noble....that's my treat for day cinco.
I hope you are enjoying the month of August as much as I am enjoying the month of August!
I have all the words down for my proposal to speak at the World Tea Expo...now I just have to put them in order and make it flow and then I will send it off to be considered and ask you to keep your fingers crossed. There is not much money in this, but a bit of prestige and opening of doors for networking, so I am hoping I will be considered.
Have a wonderful day
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cathy

Day 4 of Birthday Month

Good Monday friends,
So, here we sit... on my Aunt Marie's lap (Tina's grandmother)...notice our hair is different, our dresses and shoes are different...but Tina still has that purse! She was always into fashion! Love the chair. Wonder what Marie is saying to us, we look comfy and I look happy, Tina has a bit of a wary expression...maybe I might try to grab that purse! I believe that chair is covered in a bark cloth...wow!
60 years ago my mom was pretty uncomfortable...big and pregnant for the first time and in the very hot month of August...and little did she know, she would have to wait the entire month to get some relief! Then, she followed up with two more babies born in August as well! Those days no one had AC...everyone was equally uncomfortable...altho those ladies who were pg were a bit more uncomfortable than most! The post war boomers were making their appearances in the thousands....I was just one of many. My mother named me Cathy...not Cathleen, or Kathryn, just Cathy...to make it simple. I like the name but it seems a girl's name...maybe that is why I feel like a girl still, not quite grown-up. My middle name is Rae, so is hers...we are named after my grandfather Ray Mimran. That made me proud to have my Mom's name and my grandpa's. My sister is Claudia...what a glamorous name...I love that name and she got my grandma's middle name "Grace". Such a pretty name. Names are so interesting to me. I love to hear the stories of how people got their names, some are very interesting. I went to high school with a fellow who had a little sister named Ethel Ora....after each of her grandmothers...poor child. If I had been named after grandmothers I would have been Eula Beulah....what a hoot! Oh to be able to hug my grandmother just once more.......
Now I am off to find me a day 4 birthday goodie of some sort!!!
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cathy

Day 3 of Birth Month

Here I am on the right, my dear cuz Tina is the one holding the purse...we have our hair all done up, I bet by our grandmothers (who were sisters!). We had the good fortune to be grandaughters to the BEST grandmothers in the whole wide world...Marie and Eula. When we would "vacation" with our grands, they would get together and that way we saw cousins often. Our mothers were first cousins and always good friends too. Time and distance has not dulled our mutual love for each other bonded by our love for our grandmothers and family. Our cousin Debbie is also in the mix as well as many many others...but Tina is a computer whiz and we can keep in touch electronically so much easier! I know she keeps up with this blog and so Hi cuz!
Where does time go??? I cannot believe how fast I got to 60....I have alot of time on my hands and so I ponder things.....alot....
So, for today, I think Paul and I are going to the movies. It is very hot here in NC...so indoor cool activities are desirable. I have fixed a brisket, a fresh tomato and mozzarella salad, artichokes and macaroni and cheese for lunch...then off to the movies. We are seeing Iron Man at the $1.50 movie...good deal!
Well, my beeper is going off. Bon appetit!
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cathy

WHY???

Bet you wonder why I call this blog "Taking tea seriously"...well, I do...take it....seriously! And I think that it is a clever play on words, and I just like the way it sounds.

I am a tea snob, I confess. When I consult I always tell the client that info. You do not have to treat tea the way I do, it is a free country and if you pay my consulting fee and decide not to follow my advice....so be it, again...it is a free country! I know alot of tea places that harrass and assalt their tea, but folks love the place and they do great business...bottom line is, make money. I respect tea. I buy very good tea and want to make it the best way I know how, so that is just my humble opinion. I feel, if I make tea correctly, folks will begin to acquire a "taste" for good tea and then they are hooked! See, I am also a teavangelist!

The first picture above is of a small "tea tray" for afternoon tea. Included were assorted tea sandwiches, scones, fresh fruit and tea cakes. and a photo of a tea table set for afternoon tea.

When making tea with loose leaf tea, measure your teapot to see how much liquid it holds...16oz is 2 cups, 48oz is 6 cups....that is 8oz. cups, not teacups which normally measure 6oz. For every 8oz cup measure 1tsp loose leaf tea. 3tsp equal 1 TBS. So if your pot is 48oz, measure 2TBS of loose tea into a tea filter. I favor tea filters as there is plenty of room for the tea to expand as it steeps....(btw:tea steeps....coffee brews) set measured tea filter aside, bring freshly drawn water (tap is ok, if the water tastes good...if not, use filtered water) to a boil, warm tea pot using very hot tap water, swirl the pot so the water moves all around the pot, pour out....place filled tea filter in teapot, add the boiling water* to cover the tea, place the lid on and time the steeping....3-5 min. for black tea, 2-4 min for greens and whites, depending on taste preference. After steeping, remove tea filter, squeeze, stir the pot to incorporate the tea liquor into the water, replace the lid, add a drip catcher and cover with a cozy and serve!!!

Any questions?

*Please see comments below....

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cathy

AUGUST...

(cookie jar "cupcake" in honor of birthday month )

HAS ARRIVED!


This is "birthday month" in my family. Dad, Uncle, Sister, Brother, Husband, 1st born, and ME. But, this year is a big one for me....I will hit a decade mark I never dreamed I would be....don't know what I was thinking, that I would just stay on hold??? Nope, time stands still for no one and it marched me right up to the very ominous six-oh....arrp, senior, golden, just plain OLD and good for nuttin. Dear me, I am getting melodramatic in my "old age". Decline in my future. To say I am in a slight funk would be putting it mildly. So, have decided to throw caution to the wind and party every single day of this month doing what I want and when I want and who cares?????????????????


I started early....yesterday I ordered the Kit doll for ME. I really wanted to get Ruthie too, but had to show some caution....Today I ordered Kit's washday set and another sweet little dress for her to wear. I know you are thinking this sounds very frivilous, and it is, humor me....I am getting on in years and don't have much time left.


I am putting together my proposal for a class at the Tea Expo next May. That is a goal I have set. I would love to present a seminar session there and so am taking the first steps. I will let you know if I get chosen. The deadline for submitting proposals is August 22 I believe, so I have plenty of time to fine tune the outline....I had lots of thoughts rolling around in my head and then suddenly they all came together and in 5 min. I had my outline! If I get selected, I will let you know what it is going to be about, it is clever, IMHO!


Oh, I did go to the Kit Kittredge movie and it was wonderful.
oh, I added the cookie jar cupcake to set the "mood" for a birthday month ....
Now, off to walk friend Fiona, hit the grocery stores, and try to keep cool....a challenge in August in NC
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cathy