Catching up part 2: NEW FRIDGE!

Hello friends, Well, I tried to re do these photos, but no luck....so, here, in the wrong order are photos of our new refrigerator! I wanted an ice maker...so here it is! Here's a shot of both doors open! LOVE IT

Here's a photo of one of the features that sold me on the LG...the base pulls out so you can fit a pitcher or the coffee maker's pot on it and fill it right under the tap for the filtered water! It is sooooooo cool! Here's the sweet fridge. We are very happy

Now, we have plans to get a new microwave and paint the kitchen cabinets and then get some new counter tops. All on the agenda.....oh, and sometime we will be getting the washer and dryer, gotta bit more saving to do.

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cathy

Catching up part 1: The Sale

Hello friends, So, this is what my great room looked like the first morning of the big Tea Pot/Tea Cup sale about a month ago. I had gotten very serious about weeding out my tea accoutremont. Many items were very difficult to part with, but I knew I had to be strong and determined! I also decided that my first goal was good homes for all this great stuff, so to that end, I had two options for pricing. #1. buy a grocery bag for $10 and fill it full with items from select tables and #2 Tea Pots were either $10 for large or $4 for small and all bone china tea cups and saucers were $10. That was it.

A view of the bone china tea cups...there were 30! I sold all but 3 hooray!!!

The tea pots, can you believe it???

Day two...still plenty to choose......Day one was huge, lots of traffic and full bags! When it was over, I was left with 2 boxes for Goodwill....that was it! I was thrilled and I think everyone who came felt they had gotten some nice items for good prices. I still have plenty of tea cups in my collection....about 100.

So, we have spent a whole year de-cluttering, intentory-ing, packing up, hauling to storage...then hauling back 10 boxes at a time to once again decide what to keep and what to dispose of to the tune of 18 boxes full for the big sale! I have touched all this stuff way too many times, I must be honest here....I am glad it is gone. We have shed literally a ton!!! My criteria for this process: Keep only what we will use. that is it. Now, remember, simplifing is a process. I know I am not really done, but, I am on the right track and heading in the right direction. Spring is here, summer is not far behind, camping is fast forward, yea!

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cathy

Oscars....weather

Hello friends,
Seems to me all the buzz is either the Oscars or the awful or wonderful (depending on where you are at the moment) weather....I actually think this is a good thing, because, well, we could be talking the huge national debt, or say....instability in the mid-east...or perhaps threats from North Korea???? And that's just a start! What is going on? I am ready for some peace and civility. Doubt we will have that any time soon tho. Is it just me, or does the world seem a lot scarier? There are still good folks everywhere, but seems like the bad guys are center stage. What can good people do? Well. for now,we must be diligent in observing the world situation. Then, perhaps, we might have to stand up and speak up on an issue that burdens our heart. We might have to put our money where our mouth is and invest in a cause....We cannot be complacent, we must be passionate. Will refuse to be controlled by the media, we will thoughtfully and thoroughly research the issues and make intelligent and independent decisions based on our very own observations and opinions. We will remember the heroes of the past and what made them such icons. And I, for one, will pray.
Search yourself and discover your core values. Those values or principles you will not compromise ---ever. This is very important. Find some, take a stand, be a hero!
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cathy

Tea and Chocolate with EVA

Hello Friends,

because I used to work at the Eva Perry Regional Library I still have friends working there and they remember me (fortunately) and I love them all so it is always a treat to go back and be with them again like the "old days"...kinda. Some of the old team are retired, some at other libraries, some, like me, went on to a new career (tea entrepeneaur, that's me)...but it is always good to go back and see those sweet faces, hug their necks and catch up a bit on what's happening. So, when I got an invitation to do a tea themed program I was thrilled. This Valentine's Day I spent at Eva doing a Tea and Chocolate Pairing event. All went very well, lots of help setting up, serving and cleaning up. We had a full house and the audience seemed to enjoy themselves and of course, I love to talk.....great fun! The table where I steeped the teas

Some of the audience

Me, the tea expert!

Photos compliments of T Witherspoon

I learned alot preparing for this event and also enjoyed tasting the new teas, all of which, by the way, were delicious. Temple of Heaven Gunpowder Green, a Sumatra oolong and a very good Golden Yunnan. Lots of savvy tea drinkers in our area and all very enthusiastic, so we had good questions and everyone drank their tea....all of it....every bit, so I know they enjoyed themselves and that is such a good sign that the tea drinkers are becoming much more sophisticated! good news for the tea industry!!

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cathy

Every day dishes

Happy Sunday friends,
Also, Happy 100th Bday, President Reagan....time flies, wow!
I think I have told you that I come from a family that shows love or, better said, their "love language" is food. We cook, and we cook good. We talk food, we talk recipes, we talk "what's for dinner? we talk and we cook and we eat and all this is done in love for those we are cooking for and remembering those who taught us and have passed. This food is a tie that binds us as family. I am not boasting when I admit that I am a good cook, it is a gift that was genetically given....I can take no credit. Sometimes I am a bit surprised at my abilities, but most of the time, I take it for granted. I cannot sing, dance, climb a rope, play an instrument, paint a picture or do higher math....but I can cook!!!
Maybe, after you understand my affection for cooking, you will understand why I also am attracted to china! Plates, bowls, cups, platters....you name it, I think I want it! Below is a picture of my "everyday" dish closet. My winter dishes are called Friendly Village...they are in browns and greens with a bit of soft red and winter/fall scenes....very old world looking and so pretty.
I have a spring set and a summer set as well...then of course I have my Christmas china...two sets....and a set of Lennox china that is art deco and more formal. Not all this china is a full 12 place service. Some I have more plates (16 for the Lennox Christmas set), just 8 in the art deco, but I have enough to set a nice table for just about any occasion! Oh, I have 3 sets of silverware...two stainless patterns and one silverplate that was my grandmother's and I treasure it, but use it regularly and remember her each time! I do not have any sterling, wish I did but I do believe it is way too expensive for me to obtain and I have lived a long time without it, so.....but I do admire sterling.
Linens.....well of course I love table cloths and cloth napkins, and table runners and all manner of decorative accessories......see where being a good cook leads??????
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cathy

The junk in my......

Hello friends,
Below is a photo of my very own junk drawer....you have one also (maybe more than one???). I decided that this situation could go on no longer and so I began by emptying the drawer. Ah, ha! the empty drawer. I like the washable shelf liner, so left it.....

Here's what was hiding in that messy drawer....takes 2 pictures to show all....how many decks of cards do we reallllllly need?

I already had the tea cups and they were doing a good job, so I kept them. I purchased this acrylic organizer at Target, it is sturdy and clean-looking, you will see it is perfect for this drawer!

The finished drawer. I kept 4 decks of cards....well, I love canasta...here it is and it just looks so calm and un cluttered. I am a happy camper!

Now, go forth and get you a messy drawer and do what I did, it is easy, really. Let me know how it worked for you!

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cathy

Happy Ground Hog Day

Hello friends,
Yes, it is that time of the year. Get out all your Ground Hog decor and deck the halls! I have already watched Ground Hog Day movie will Andie and Bill....how about you? What are you doing to commemorate this day? Some folks are diggin out of a huge snow. We lived in the Syracuse, NY area for about 2 years back in the 80s. What a surprise to find snow every day from October to May!!! talk about shock. Snow hell is what we called the area, but in truth, we made many dear friends, shopped at Wegman's, actually rode on the Erie Canal and found peroigis....so it was not a waste of time and also, it made us appreciate all the more living in the Carolinas....where we will have a high in the 70s today....thankyouverymuch. The birds are chirping and spring has sprung....well, maybe not yet, but it looks promising!
We cannot believe that we have owned our home for almost 23 years! We never thought we would live anywhere that long. Just never entered our thought process as we were the proverbial rolling stones. I like moving to new places, seeing new things, meeting new friends, new shopping venues, new and exciting. Our kids did not feel the same. oh well. Anyhow, we are officially granite these days...solidly entrenched....here to stay. We give up. We will have to make HOME IMPROVEMENTS. Those two words have never really entered our vocabulary until just recently. Paul and I looked at each other and said..."well, if we are staying (no ifs), then we need to re-side the house, paint the inside and outside, new hardward, new counter tops....oh it goes on and on....my goodness, we had no idea. we were just going to slink off on a new adventure and wham-o....we didn't get to slink anywhere! At our advanced ages we are officially grown ups. Oh, and by the way, I HATE THE MONIKER "SENIOR CITIZEN". DO NOT EVER CALL ME THAT, PUT ME IN THAT GROUP OR OTHERWISE MAKE MENTION OF MY ADMISSION TO THAT "CLUB"! ok, rant over.
So, this post had no photos but lots of ranting. and a bit of weather info on sunny Syracuse....
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cathy