It’s always 4 o’clock somewhere, therefore it’s always time for tea. This morning I started my (late) morning by steeping a pot of loose leaf Four O’Clock English Breakfast Tea. I couldn’t find much information on the company, Four O’Clock, but it is a Canadian company based in Montreal and they offer an assortment of Organic Fairtrade black, white, green and herbal teas. They recommend using 1 tsp of tea leaves to 1 cup of water…but who has time to measure when you’re making your morning pot. So I used what I thought was necessary, and quickly discovered I had underestimated the amount requir ..read more

Dear Diary – In 1955, The Platters sang “Sweet sixteen and never been kissed, my teenage queen, I can’t resist kissing you”. Here we are at Week 16 and in my part of the world, so far this year, Mother Nature has kissed us with sun, cloud, rain, freezing rain, ice, wind, flurries, hail, sleet, snow blizzards, and a spectacular full solar eclipse. The temperature yo-yo-ed so much our shorts are now hanging in the closet with our flannel shirts. This week, we’ve mostly been blessed with April showers, and I’m beginning to see flowers. I have one mini daffodil smiling at me from the back garden ..read more

I hate Mondays! Garfield It was lovely to get a surprise text from Youngest Son early this morning, but unfortunately, it wasn’t good news. He had come up with a Plan C for the summer and began the process to make it happen. It’s not going to happen! His plan was to stay in residence and knock off a few courses, ones coming up and ones he messed up. But when he went to register for the Summer today (which was the date given in an email…but I’m concerned he misread), everything was full, closed and had no waiting list. Finding information and next steps is virtually impossible in this institut ..read more

Dear Diary – It’s been a weird week. We’ve had rain, heavy winds, heavy snow, sunshine, clouds, total darkness, and thunder. I ran away for the week to visit my folks. We had a lovely day of tea and Escape to the Country, a day to shop in town and finish with tea and chocolate, and day to clean and sort all my fabric scraps. Hubby joined me Sunday afternoon so we could witness the “once in a lifetime” total eclipse near one the cities expected to have a total eclipse. We had even purchased fashionable glasses for the occasion. That evening, Hubby and I made a “chip run” just before the store ..read more

Last week, I ran away from home. My hometown is half an hour from one of the predicted prime spots for today’s full eclipse. I can watch the eclipse in the back yard and avoid crowds and long lines for port-a-potties. It’s getting cloudy but so far, we have sunshine. And what do Mom and I do when we get together? Drink tea, of course. After a quick shop at GT Boutique, we ventured downtown (where I had to parallel park on Main Street) and went to Elena’s, a local shop and café for Tealish English Breakfast tea and a shared Raspberry Buttercream brownie. Both were delish! Tealish Fine Tea is a ..read more

Dear Diary – Eldest Son made it home for Easter, but his girlfriend and her sister did not. She lost or had her passport stolen two days before flying home from the Dominican Republic. The irony is that we know someone who lives there and lives 5 minutes from the airport, but she is in Canada. Thursday night, Hubby set out to pick up Youngest Son when his 10 p.m. class ended. I suggested he pick up a snack on the way home, like a doughnut. But guys being guys, they went for burgers and onion rings, while I was stuck at home with a banana. I went to rehearsal and played Minecraft at home, waiti ..read more

When the world is at odds and the mind is at sea, Then cease the useless tedium and brew a cup of tea. There is magic in its fragrance and solace in its taste; And the laden moments vanish somehow into space. The world becomes a lovely thing! There’s beauty as you see: All because you briefly stopped to brew a cup of tea. Anonymous ..read more

Dear Diary – In some part of the world, the number 13 is considered lucky, like Brazil. In Southeast Asia, it’s viewed as “luck or good fortune”, and in parts of Italy, it’s associated with the goddess of fertility and abundance. I view it as just another number. The first day of Spring was celebrated this week, which could be considered good fortune. I don’t know too many people who enjoy all that Canadian Winter has to offer. Hubby and I enjoyed it with strong winds and heavy snow swirling around us. Hubby even consented to working from home, anticipating sketchy roads. Which made his assent ..read more

John Aynsley founded his company in 1775 ut it wasn’t formally registered as a pottery until 1810. The company began with clay pieces before introducing a line of silver luster ware. In the 1840’s, John Aynsley’s grandson became well-known for bone china pieces after he altered the manufacturing process, which resulted in a beautiful translucent, bright white china. This new porcelain was ideal for applying intricate designs and gilding. The Portland Works was built in 1861 for producing fine bone china. And a commission from Queen Victoria for tableware authorized Aynsley to include the roya ..read more

Dear Diary – This week I had to go for a bone scan, and I decided to make a day of it with my friend. I showered and got dressed in my comfy stretchy clothes that don’t usually leave the house. I knew I couldn’t wear any metal. I also removed all my jewellery, with the exception of my tiny hoop earring. It’s a fight to get it back in. Even though I don’t have sausage fingers, it feels like I do. No, it would stay until I was told otherwise. The other metal I had to ditch was my bra. Now, there are some women who prefer to go without any and every day. Most of them shouldn’t! Given a choice, I ..read more