Wednesday Medley: God's got this...so let's eat pie!

Hello, my dear friends,

I want to start out by letting you all know how much I've been blessed by your comments.
My heart is overflowing at the outpouring of love and the prayers that are going up on my behalf...
...I have certainly felt them throughout the past week and continue to do so.
There is not one person in this world that could convince me that a bunch of precious girlfriends
from all over the country and beyond, most who have never met face-to-face,
cannot be connected in the ways that many of you have been to me this past week.
You just don't know...BUT, I must tell you!
My hubby, Jim, has been having a very hard time with this...as any of us would.
He wasn't sleeping and for several days just sat quietly, not saying much.
When I told him that I had written about it on my blog last week, he asked if he could read it.
He isn't much of a computer guy so I pulled it up for him.
It seemed like it took him forever to read the post and all of the beautiful comments
so I just left him alone but I know he was sniffling and wiping his eyes the entire time.
He didn't really say much to me afterwards but the following morning when I was in another room,
I heard him talking to Adam on the phone and this is what I heard him say...

"I really feel so much better about everything since I read your mom's blog. 
It was mostly because of all of those comments that people wrote...
...and how everyone is encouraging her and praying for her.
 I feel a lot more positive and somehow, I just have a peace about it now."

See what y'all did?!

I am amazed at how our wonderful God uses our blogs...possibly in many ways we never know.
I am still a bit unsure of what exactly I'm facing but will soon have some definitive answers...
...I see my oncologist on Friday but no matter what...

...GOD'S GOT THIS!
My dear blogging sister, Cindy,  sent me this bracelet...
...she is wearing one too, until I tell her to take it off. 😉
On the other side is Proverbs 3:5-6...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.
~
So let's get on with the Wednesday Medley, shall we?
Hop over to Terri's blog, copy and paste the questions and answer them on your blog!
It's a lot of fun!

National Pie Day is celebrated annually on January 23rd. (Not to be confused with March 14 which is PI π Day.) National Pie Day was created simply to celebrate the pie.  It is a day for all to bake or cook their favorite pies.  Even more importantly, it is a day set aside for all to enjoy eating pies! The first pies appeared around 9500 BC in the Egyptian Neolithic period or New Stone Age.

1.  Okay, fess up.  Tell us your top three favorite pies, please.  Will you have some pie today?

I have shared photos of the favorite family pie several times before in my posts. I grew up eating black raspberry pie since I had teeth in my mouth and wouldn't you know that I would grow up to marry a man who loved it probably more than I do.

Son #1 was not a fan so much (he preferred apple) but Son #2 was a quick sell and for as long as I can remember, both husband and Son #2 has had a home baked black raspberry birthday pie every single year...plus many more here and there, whenever we get together. Let me just say this, whatever this thing is that's tryin' to kick my butt ain't gonna win! Who's gonna fix them boys their pies??? So since I have to pick the top three, rhubarb (or strawberry rhubarb) would come in as #2 and a close 3rd would be lemon meringue.......or maybe pizza. {smile}  Will I be having any pie today? Only if you consider this cherry cheesecake a pie...

...looks more like a pie than a cake to me! Number 1 son, Aaron, has gotten to be master of making them...from scratch! He made six (yes, six!) over the weekend for a banquet he was attending and he gave one to his dad (this would be Jim's #2 choice). Since I'm feeling rather well today, I just may treat myself to a small sliver...since it's National Pie Day and all. 😁

2.  While we are talking about food... are you a picky eater or are you ready to try almost any new food? What is the worst thing you have ever eaten?

I really am not a picky eater although there are times I wish I was. Unless there is really something strange in the dish, I am usually willing to give it a try. My old fashioned mama would occasionally cook some things that would really gross most people out...beef tongue and heart, pork brains, chicken gizzards...just to name a few. I have tasted them all but they will never show up on my table! I remember one time I was eating at a fancy salad bar in Nashville and I put what I thought were very thin strips of beef on my plate. When I tasted it I nearly fell off my chair and then when I was told they were anchovies, I nearly died and I couldn't get them out of mouth fast enough!  And yes, it was the worst thing I've ever eaten.

3.  Baking could be considered an art as could cooking.  How do you define art?

Anything that one does very well...and the possibilities are endless.

4.  Tell us a really stupid joke that made you laugh, please.

Hmmmm...I can't seem to think of a single one! 

5.  January 23rd is also National Handwriting Day. Do you have nice handwriting? Did cursive writing come naturally or did you practice in those double-lined practice books until your fingers hurt?

I used to think my handwriting was nice but anymore, I really have to work at it. I find myself in a hurry and my fingers tend to go faster than my brain, causing misshaped and misspelled words that need correcting. Now, where did I put that White-Out? I do very well remember practicing my cursive on my lined paper and took great pains to get it right. Recently (last year), I wrote this post after I found something I had written for a school project that I gave to my mother. I couldn't believe that I had actually written it with it's exaggerated slant and perfectly shaped letters!

6.  Tell us something random about your week.

Well, random has taken on a whole new meaning in my life these days. Between doctor appointments and different scans and tests, it's been a little CRAY! As I face whatever lies ahead of me, all I have to say is I am so grateful to have you all in my corner!

Much love,

Teacup & Mug Exchange Reveal

 Well, it's that time once again...
...time to reveal to the world what we received in our lovely packages from

 Stephanie's 
Teacup and Mug Exchange
This was my 6th exchange to participate in and each one has brought such joy.
And you just couldn't ask for a more fun way to make new friends!
It is beyond me how our dear and gracious hostess pulls these events off twice a year.
Just thinking about all of the time, commitment and organization that goes into each one...
well...I just can't even imagine! 
As much as I enjoy the anticipation of receiving a teacup package from a new friend,
I get as much joy, if not more, from shopping, wrapping and getting together the package to my lady.
~

Before I show you what was in my goodie box, I'll show you what I sent to my new friend, Sam,
a lovely lady from the Sunshine State of Florida.
Sam does not have a blog but I discovered that she and I like many of the same things.

So I purchased a few things I would like, although I have never tried Darjeeling tea.
I fell in love with this teacup when I saw it...perfectly vintage that I found on eBay.
For a fleeting moment I was just a bit tempted to keep it for myself!
Of course, I'm kidding....mostly. {smile}

I also included some honey straws (something new to Sam), yummy biscotti,
and a quilting magazine since I found out that she was an avid quilter.
Sam is also a member of the Red Hat Society so I added some darling clip-art onto her card.

She also collects vintage handkerchiefs and she absolutely loves yellow roses.
 How blessed I was to find this true vintage hankie with none other than yellow roses on it!
I think I may have been as thrilled as she was!
I was able to find Sam on Facebook and I hope to keep connected with her there.

My lovely package was sent to me all the way from New York by Jacqueline.

"Jackie" does not have a blog but she had evidently been reading mine a bit...
...the girl knows what I like!
First things first...my teacup was just exquisite.



I fell in love with the all-over pattern of delicate flowers and butterflies.
I don't have a teacup that's anything like this one.



Along with my beautiful teacup and saucer was an array of other goodies...



...including this darling vintage tin with chocolates inside (mmm...Hershey's Nuggets!),

 

zinnia flower seeds, a variety of teas including homemade strawberry mint julep loose tea,



a package of lovely note cards, some yummy chocolate mint cookies (she must be psychic),
and this darling wooden sign which now sits in my kitchen window sill.
And of course, all of these lovely gifts were accompanied by a sweet note card.

And it didn't take long for temptation to set in...
the cookies were calling my name and I'm pretty sure I heard them say, "Open me, open me!"



So I did...imagine that!

Girl Scouts of America, you've got nothing on Benton's Minty Fudge Cookies!



So another one of Stephanie's Teacup & Mug Exchanges in the books.
Each one unique, yet the sentiment is the same, time after time.

 

Stephanie, you put so much of yourself into each one of these exchanges.

Thank you for all you do...and what a blessing you are to so many!

Have a beautiful week!

Teacup & Mug Exchange Reveal

It's that time again...

...time for us to reveal all of our lovelies from...

Stephanie's Fall Teacup & Mug Exchange

This makes the fifth exchange that I have had the joy of participating in.
Each time I have eagerly awaited for Stephanie's email to arrive
 with the name of the lady that I was to send my package to.
I immediately click on their blog and do some snooping familiarize myself a little with who they are.

I was delighted to find out that I was to send my package to Dee at Traditional Simplicity.
I was unfamiliar with Dee but found out she has been blogging since 2006!
Wow...I don't even think I knew what a blog was back then!
It was fun getting to know a little about her on the sly and shopping for her teacup and other goodies.
This is what was in the box of goodies that I sent to Dee.

She favors soft pastel colors so I found this lovely teacup set with matching spoon...

...pretty tea party napkins and plates, a variety of gluten-free yummies, a 2018 datebook,

a couple of vintage doilies, some of her favorite mint teas
and a darling set of Pioneer Woman love bird salt & pepper shakers.

Now, on the other hand, I found out who was sending a package to me right away.
She even sent me an email, introducing herself and telling me to be expecting my surprise any day!
That delightful lady was none other than the sweet Lauren at Wonderfully Made.
Let me tell you, everything contained in my box of goodies had her special and unique flair,
with so many personal touches, right down to the packaging.
 I had to take photos during each step of the "unveiling" since it was so beautifully done!

There were three separate boxes inside the big box plus a darling hand made card...



...and this beautiful bookmark, also hand made.

What a treat it was to open each box, finding such lovely and unique items inside.



This box contained a wonderful array of loose teas.
 Printed on a label inside of the box lid was a description of each one...
including the ingredients, how long to steep them, and even the caffeine content!
Then there was this cutest bundle of...well...sticks of some kind and after I opened the plastic,
I still wasn't sure what they were but I had an idea...

...and that's when I got the brilliant idea to send Lauren an email and just flat out ask her!
We had a little chuckle over me not knowing and her forgetting to mention what they were.
I have to admit that I am still somewhat of a novice when it comes to tea-drinking.
Most of you probably know that they are straws filled with different flavored honey.
You just snip off the end and squeeze it into the tea.
I can't wait to try them!



On opening box #2, I found this beautiful silver spoon adorned with a vintage chandelier crystal...



...a lovely vintage linen hand towel
and a package of decadent buckeye chocolates.

These candies are also a favorite of Jim's and he didn't hesitate one little bit when I offered!

Being from Ohio with the buckeye as the state tree and the Ohio State Buckeyes a favorite team,



our families have made these yummy peanut butter-filled chocolates often.
In fact, every year at Christmastime, they were on Jim's wish list.

Talk about delicious!
So when I finally got to the last box, I unwrapped this exquisite and most elegant teacup.

I just love the soft pink roses, the gold edging and it's beautiful shape.



I feel so blessed to have received this delightful package.
Lauren most definitely is one talented lady...just look at her beautiful blog!

And what a precious heart for the Lord she has which is quite evident.
She and I have become Facebook friends as well.



But of course, none of this would be possible if it were not for our dear Stephanie.
It has to be a full time job for her with all that she puts into these exchanges.
Thank you once again, dear Stephanie for all you do to make these exchanges possible!

♥You are precious blessing from the Lord, my dear.♥

We will be traveling on Thursday to celebrate an early Thanksgiving with our Tennessee bunch.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Until next time....

Prayers for Kelly-Anne

 

Hello friends.

 

The Lord has put it on my heart to share this most urgent need for prayer.

Many of you may have already heard this news but for those of you who haven't

 and follow Kelly-Anne's blog, The Diary of a Country Girl,

(and for those who currently do not)

it is with great sadness but yet with great hope that I share this request.

~

Last Wednesday, Kelly-Anne and her family's home and farm was consumed by a terrible fire

that was raging out of control where she resides in South Africa.

There has also been loss of life, including some, very close to her family.

Thousands have been left homeless.

You can read her accounts of this horrific ordeal here and here.

You can read a local news report about the devastation here.

What she has shared is utterly heartbreaking but her faith is unshaken!

~

For those of you who aren't familiar with Kelly-Anne,

she is a lovely 18 year old young woman who has been blogging since she was 12 years of age.

Her family consists of six younger sisters and a darling baby brother who just turned one.

According to her newest update, which you can read here,

she and her family are currently in a borrowed home until July 10 or so.

Can you just imagine?

After reading this most current update, it was really a blessing to hear such hope in her post!

 

For he himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you."

(Hebrews 13:5c)

 

 

Ever since I read about this tragedy, my heart has been so heavy.

Why is this?

Kelly-Anne lives thousands of miles away and we have never met and most likely never will.

You know, in blog land, miles may separate us but once we become long-distance friends,

some how, some way, we are connected...

...at least that's the way I feel about it.

I, as well as my family have been on the receiving end of your prayers and I have felt them!

~

So please, if you think about it,

please lift up sweet Kelly-Anne and her family in prayer.

The way I see it, sending our prayers and encouragement is better than sending money or clothing...

...actually it is the best kind of help anyone can receive! 

~

Hugs and blessings to all,

A Beautiful Box of Loveliness

Yes, it's that time again!

Come on over to Stephanie's and check it out!

~

I do believe I'm going to need to do some rearranging in my cupboards...

...I seem to be running out of space to put my teacups!

I just may have to pay a visit to Pinterest for some inspirational ideas :)

This was my 4th exchange and once again I have 'met' a couple of very lovely ladies.

First off, I will show you what I gifted my exchange partner with. 

I sent my package to Cindy who blogs at none other than Creations by Cindy.

And what a sweetheart she is!

I had such fun picking and choosing what I would send her.

Cindy is an avid deer hunter and loves all things deer but I learned something as I was shopping.

Do you know that it is very difficult to find a dainty teacup with a deer on it?

Oh there tons of mugs out there but teacups, not so much.

And then wouldn't you know I got so excited that I forgot to take photos of what I sent her.

So I went online, found the items I had purchased and copied photos of them.

 Here is her lovely and very springy Lenox teacup that I chose.

There is a bee, a butterfly, a dragonfly, some pretty flowers...but no deer...

and of course a few other pretties for her tea party :)

I found out that Cindy just LOVES caramel when I was snooping reading her blog

so since I couldn't find a deer teacup I decided to focus on the caramel.

The great thing is, you can just about find caramel anything!

 So I went back and revisited the shelves where I had previously picked up these goodies...

Too bad I couldn't find any caramel tea although surely it must exist.

And now it's true confession time...
I was so tempted by the salted caramel biscotti that I got myself a box too.

Oh my....just let me tell you...they are SO DELICIOUS!

 Now on to my box of lovelies....and what a box of lovelies it was!
Even on the outside!

I was so excited as I dug into this beautiful package from Lea at CiCi's Corner.



Oh. My. Word.
I think it has to be one of the most beautiful teacups I've ever seen!



At first glance, I thought it was white and silver but upon further examination,
I realized it was an oh-so-delicate pink!





I don't know exactly how long our photo shoot went on...probably too long...

...but I just couldn't seem to capture all of her pink and silver gorgeousness!






The photographer in me kept snapping and snapping away...I just couldn't help myself.



My package was just filled with so many beautiful things.
I must say that dear Lea has exquisite taste!

There were heavenly smelling lavender soaps, an adorable box of fragrant drawer sachets
and sweet springy napkins...



...some lovely note cards by Vera...



...yummy tea, a beautiful fruity glass tray, a little bit of sweet and salty...
(now, how did she know that cheese straws are one of my favorite things??)
 

...and of course, CHOCOLATE!

Now tell me, have you ever seen such adorable Easter candy wrappers?

And not only were they the cutest things, they were also delicious.
I have yet been able to throw away one of those darling papers!



Yes, I'd say I was overjoyed with my box of goodies!
Thank you again, Lea...you sure know how to make a girl feel special :)

And then right after I put my camera down, I opened the cookies.

They were oh so buttery and delicious...
 

...and you know I had to take a few more pics of my little tea party for one :)



What a beautiful box of lovelies, wouldn't you say?
~

I just can't even imagine the work that goes into putting together these exchanges, can you?

Thank you once again, lovely Stephanie, for helping to spread so much joy and the love of Jesus.
You are truly a blessing to me and to so many others all over the world...

God bless you for all you do!
♥♥♥

 Hugs to all,